Chapter 86 – What Was His Name… (4)

Nungfengyeon eyed the small red pill in his fist.

“Ex-execute… actually…”

It had fallen out of a priest’s chest after colliding with a passerby in the market, just a day before his confrontation with a despicable man named Kang Yun.

The commotion caused by the incident had momentarily silenced Nohoseong’s tirade about how a martial artist couldn’t even avoid a pedestrian.

The priest claimed it was a gift from a Guanlun’s unlicensed practitioner and begged Nungfengyeon to keep it a secret, but he confiscated it anyway.

The story seemed plausible enough, but it was best to report such matters to the authorities for proper handling.

“However, it does seem like a genuine product…”

He wasn’t knowledgeable about medicine, but the faint scent emanating from the pill reminded him of the Jaso Dan he had once taken.

If he were to consume this kind of elixir that bestowed immense internal strength upon the user…

Thump.

Nungfengyeon closed the lid of the pillbox, erasing the thought of coveting the priest’s possession. It was something that should never happen.

If he won tomorrow’s battle, he would be the most accomplished disciple in his generation.

“That little bastard…!”

The image of the impudent Kang Yun, who had neither the background nor the talent, daring to challenge him, made Nungfengyeon’s stomach churn.

He wasn’t from Gupa Island or Odaese, nor had he inherited his father’s martial arts, yet he boasted of defeating the chosen disciple of Hwasan?

“Regardless of my mother, I’ll make sure to crush you…!”

Nungfengyeon vowed to show Kang Yun the depth of Gupa’s martial arts and the true meaning of Gupa.

Only eight competitors remained, and there was only one stage left for the competition.

Today’s competition would consist of only four rounds, as there was no need to maintain four stages with so few competitors.

Instead, more spectators, especially the famous martial artists of Murim, had gathered to watch the competition.

Six of the eight competitors were from Guryong, and the competition had been a mix of amateurs until now, but now it was the real deal.

“I will make you regret your impure words.”

“I doubt I’ll regret anything, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

As the audience cheered, Kang Yun and Nungfengyeon faced each other for the first round, revealing their stances and cautiously observing each other’s movements.

They shifted their positions step by step, never taking their eyes off each other, circling the stage until one of them made the first move.

And that person was Nungfengyeon.

The plum blossom sword extended its branches, slicing through the air diagonally and striking towards Kang Yun.

He tried to dodge, but changed his mind and rooted himself, meeting the attack head-on. The attempt to dominate the space with the plum blossom sword clashed against his Cheonyang stance and shattered.

As the sword struck, the Cheonyang stance dispersed like a mountain breeze, and twelve strands of sword energy exploded brilliantly.

Some of the sword energy was caught in the palm of his hand, but some still aimed for his vital points.

With a sinister sound, Kang Yun evaded the attacking sword energy with the Iron Plate Bridge technique and parried the descending sword with the Gakbeop technique.

Clang.

As the flesh and sword collided, the sound of metal clashing echoed, and the sword shook violently before retreating.

“Ugh…!”

Nungfengyeon took a step back, groaning in pain. In that moment, Kang Yun’s hand poured out both the Jipung and Cheongryeok energies.

Although taken aback by the simultaneous onslaught of the Yanggang and Yin-yu winds, Nungfengyeon soon regained his composure and began to unleash the 24-step Plum Blossom Sword technique.

The Jipung wind was repelled one by one with the Plum Blossom Blade, and the Cheongryeok energy was dispersed by the soft and flowing Plum Blossom Chain.

The exchange between the two came to a momentary halt, and amidst the cheers of the audience, Nungfengyeon muttered.

“You were hiding your true strength.”

“Didn’t I tell you that the Plum Blossom School was not to be underestimated?”

Hearing those words, Nungfengyeon aimed his sword at Kang Yun, who had stretched his arms out, and said.

“You played with me. I won’t let you off the hook now.”

“Good times are over.”

The two, who had been separated for a moment, began to fight again. However, Nungfengyeon began to fall behind gradually.

“This bastard… How can his internal energy be so strong…!”

Nungfengyeon, who had received the wormwood bath from Sajo in his childhood and had never neglected his qigong training, couldn’t believe it.

With the help of the Jaso Dan, Sajo had ensured that he could absorb the full effect of the medicine. With his internal energy, he was sure that he could not be surpassed by anyone of his age.

Where did this guy come from, with such a powerful internal energy?

“Even if it’s magic, did you learn it? It’s impossible…!”

“My internal energy is from the orthodox martial arts… but that’s quite an impressive magic you have there.”

Kang Yun’s mocking words made Nungfengyeon angry, but he had nothing to say in response.

He had a feeling that if he continued like this, he would tire out and lose. With that in mind, Nungfengyeon quickly unfolded the Absolute Cliff technique.

Meanwhile, Kang Yun, who was retreating from the offensive like a loach, seemed to be exhausted. He pounded the ground and smashed the stone slab, as if he had nothing left.

“Yeah, you’ll get tired too! Just once, hit me once…!”

Twist.

As Kang Yun’s leg stumbled on the ground according to the Bo-bup, Nungfengyeon sensed an opportunity.

The moment he saw Nungfengyeon’s sword piercing like a sharp needle through the plum blossom, some people screamed.

If he had received the stab in a state where his posture had collapsed, it could have been fatal.

On the other hand, the so-called masters of the world, who were watching, bit their tongues.

“He’s too hasty.”

Usually, a stab is a powerful and fast attack, but if the opponent predicts or leads the situation, it can turn into the worst move.

Nungfengyeon couldn’t see it, but Kang Yun had been preparing for the next move since his posture collapsed.

Unexpectedly, the sword that was piercing towards the half-fallen Kang Yun was forcibly pulled back by a hand that suddenly reached out.

The tip of the sword was aimed at the broken wooden skeleton of the stage, where the stone had penetrated through the wood.

The act of pulling out the sword, which was stuck between the wood’s structure, was not an easy task even for a master, and Nungfengyeon had to pay the price for his haste.

With a punch containing controlled power that wouldn’t make his head explode, Kang Yun hit Nungfengyeon’s chin and took away his consciousness.

“Son of a bitch…!”

The last thing Nungfengyeon saw before losing consciousness was Kang Yun’s expression with a sneer on his lips.

Phew, this bastard. He’s much stronger than I thought. He’s probably much stronger than Nungfengyeon, even though he’s not as famous as the Fairy Forest.

I was planning to make him fall from the Nine Dragons by making him underestimate me and then attacking him, but even when he was off guard, he had good adaptability, so I had a hard time.

If there are any masters watching, they will soon realize that he is not completely useless.

Should I pray that the other three who will lose among the remaining six will perform well? I hope this guy falls from the Nine Dragons.

“It’s a violation of the rules!”

What the hell.

When I turned around, Maeso-hyang was shouting loudly.

“Please explain clearly what you mean, Maehyeophyeong.”

Oh, father.

Until now, my father, who had an irregular attendance rate, was definitely attending around the semi-finals.

“This is a story that is directly related to my son’s honor. If there is no clear explanation to support it…”

My father, who had been treating me like a calculator for the past few days, looked different.

“I want to make it clear that I cannot overlook that statement.”

“Clearly, the rules of the Nine Dragons Tournament state that you must provide a clear means of attack to your opponent! Using the stage is a violation of the rules!”

Hmm, it doesn’t make sense.

I clearly said I would fight with my own skills, I didn’t say I would use the stage. But in the end, it’s all bullshit.

As some of the masters looked on in shock, my mother spoke up.

“Maehyeophyeong, then from the next Nine Dragons Tournament, only those who have mastered the Nungongheodo should be allowed to participate.”

“What?”

My mother’s voice contained a clear sarcastic tone.

“Everyone is standing on the stage and fighting. How can you fight without using the stage’s help if you don’t use the Nungongheodo?”

“…”

“Moreover, isn’t the technique of stepping on the stage and inserting the seal into the opponent’s body using the stage’s power?”

“That, that’s different! Using the stage to directly strike someone is…”

Maeso-hyang fell into contemplation and closed her mouth. My mother smiled slyly and finished Maeso-hyang’s incomplete sentence.

“Then, anyone who strikes their opponent’s body on the stage would be violating the rules. Shall we find out how many participants have done that so far?”

My mother spoke with great satisfaction, and Maeso-hyang had no choice but to apologize for her slip of the tongue.

Perhaps Maeso-hyang didn’t really believe the nonsense she was saying. She probably just thought she had to say something since she believed her son would win.

As the audience groaned at the commotion, Maeso-hyang flew a signal and left the stage, following her son to the medical room.

I wonder if this is enough to humiliate her properly?

I don’t know if I’m happy that I won the Nine Dragons or if I’m happy that I made Maeso-hyang look bad.

An inexplicable smile lit up my parents’ faces.

The third round is over. The survivors were me, Pangwal of Pangga, Gyeonyongjin of Mudang, and Gwakdohyung of Jeomchang.

In reality, Pangwal and Gyeonyongjin would be the ones fighting for the championship, and I and Gwakdohyung were just extras.

But that’s beside the point.

“Let’s go drink!”

Hey, you bastard! I have to go home!

Pangwal, who seemed like a social drinker, tried to force the other three to go drink with him, causing a commotion.

Since the four of us were confirmed to be the winners of the Nine Dragons, it seemed like we were trying to get closer to each other.

“Let’s make our titles easier, easier! Yeah, what do you think, Kang-ah? Yeah?”

Despite not having drunk a single drop of alcohol, Pangwal’s transformation was too dramatic.

“I appreciate the title, but hyungnim, I have a promise with my parents today…”

“Oh, come on! The leader of the Sanae Brigade can’t refuse a toast with his parents! It’s not right, it’s not right! As a true warrior, you should…”

Pangwal groaned and released his grip on my shoulder. Gyeonyongjin had broken his arm.

“Boar, is it your etiquette to meddle in other people’s family affairs?”

“Oh, come on! What’s wrong with having a drink among us men? Come on, let’s have a drink!”

“There are certain etiquettes that people must follow. Kang So-hyeop, just go. If you hang out with this fool, you’ll only get a hangover.”

Contrary to their reputation as masters representing the younger generation of Gupa and Odaese-ga, the two seemed to get along quite well.

It’s said that people from Gupa and Odaese-ga usually don’t get along, so it’s strange.

Boar and Hawk. It might be a fitting nickname for Pangwal, who has a good build, and Gyeonyongjin, who has long limbs.

“I’ll make time in a few days. You should come with Gyeon Daehyeop then.”

The two looked at me strangely. Pangwal scratched the back of his head and spoke up.

“Hey, if you had lost, would you still drink with me? Is that okay?”

Ah, so that’s why he’s acting so friendly today? Trying to get closer before I crush him?

“If I had lost, it would have been because I wasn’t good enough to win. I’m not the kind of person who sulks over that kind of thing, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Great, great! Let’s definitely do it!”

I said my goodbyes to the three of them after our conversation was roughly settled and ran towards the lodging where my father and mother were waiting.

Finally, it was the day of the decisive battle.