Chapter 69 – Yongbongjihoe Finals (3)

The moment when the winner is decided in one fell swoop, the energy felt from all directions was truly exhilarating.

When I forcibly took the attack, several round pottery-like objects were already flying towards us.

Some were aimed at me and Jegalyeongyeong, while others were aimed at the audience.

What the fuck?

Although my body stiffened from the violent movement, my concentration remained intact, allowing me to closely examine the appearance of the flying pottery.

The fist-sized round pottery was already cracked, as if it had been gnawed by insects.

And from the cracked part, something like a burning fuse was protruding… No, this is definitely a bomb, right?

As if supporting my guess, a frantic voice from the VIP seats echoed loudly.

“Bigakjincheonryeoda!”

I don’t know exactly what that is, but I know that things with names like wall-busters or Jincheonryeoda are usually bombs.

The reaction was immediate.

Not only the VIP seats, but also the martial artists of the Muryeongmaeng, who were stationed everywhere, began to shoot down the Bigakjincheonryeoda one by one in the air.

Since Jegalyeongyeong and I couldn’t move properly, Cheongryongdanju, the judge, was intercepting the ones flying towards us.

Bombs are not usually used against martial artists.

Although the power is tremendous, it is difficult to throw them quickly unless they are fired from a cannon, making them sensitive and difficult to hit for agile martial artists.

So far, it seems like a very smooth response… but there is one problem.

There were too many Bigakjincheonryeoda, even if there were a lot of them.

Upon closer inspection, there were quite a few that looked the same on the surface, but had gravel mixed in instead of iron and gunpowder on the inside.

Did they make it difficult to respond by mixing it with Gara?

The area around the VIP seats, where the top-notch martial artists and the Pungojin who had reached the Hwagyeong were gathered, seemed to be okay, but not elsewhere.

If this continues, not only the audience but also I will not survive. Although my body has become stronger with the Cheolwanghosimgyeol, I am not safe enough to survive an explosion.

All of this happened in just a moment.

I started to move my body according to my will, but the Bigakjincheonryeoda that was about to explode in front of my nose would explode before I could swing my sword.

…I might die if I make a mistake.

It was when I covered my head with my arm as a last resort.

Thump!

I felt a sensation as if a stone had fallen on my heart, and at the same time, my spine became cold.

“How dare you.”

Then, Hong Yeon-hwa’s chilly voice, which I had never heard before, resounded throughout the entire arena.

“Do you know who you were trying to harm in front of me?”

I was frozen in fear, even though there wasn’t a loud noise, the sound that pierced my ears was so clear that it felt like the world had stopped.

Even Cheongryongdanju, who had unfolded his black sword in front of Jegalyeongyeong with a face prepared for death, and the lower-ranked martial artists who crouched down, thinking that they had to survive somehow.

Even the Bigakjincheonryeoda, which should have exploded long ago, as the fuse had already burned down to the end.

Except for the Pungojin who had reached the Hwagyeong, the rest of them couldn’t move properly.

“Come out.”

In the suffocating silence, Hong Yeon-hwa, who was free and alone, waved her hand once, and about 30 people from among the audience floated up and lined up in front of the stage.

Even though it wasn’t directed at me, Hong Yeon-hwa breathed out a thick magi that made me feel like my breath was being choked.

The guys who looked like the culprits of the terror were already gnashing their teeth and trembling as if they were out of their minds, and soon they fainted.

It was probably because they were directly exposed to the magi that stimulated the fundamental fear of human beings.

“Tsk.”

As if it wasn’t intentional, Hong Yeon-hwa licked her tongue once, and the overwhelming momentum that had been swirling around this area disappeared into thin air.

“Ugh…!”

People who had stopped breathing finally took a deep breath, and the Bigakjincheonryeoda, which had been scattered into pieces, fluttered around.

Hong Yeon-hwa didn’t pay any attention to the scenery she had created and stepped on the air from the VIP seats to where I was.

“My dear!”

Then, she suddenly returned to her usual soft and fluffy atmosphere and started patting my body.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“….”

I couldn’t keep up with her sudden change, so I just stood there, and Hong Yeon-hwa jumped up and down in place, checking if I was okay or not.

Since it was obvious that she would keep doing this if I kept my mouth shut, I reached out and pressed her philtrum firmly.

“Hmm?”

“It’s okay. I was a little scared that I might die like this, but I’m not hurt.”

“Then that’s a relief…”

Hong Yeon-hwa breathed a sigh of relief after hearing my answer and smiled slightly as if she was relieved.

I guess I wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

While I was soothing her, I suddenly saw Cheongryongdanju looking at me with a scary expression.

It was as if he was going to attack us right away.

Ah… come to think of it, Hong Yeon-hwa saw me using magi.

“Um, that’s… our Heavenly Demon Lord is not dangerous, how should I explain it?”

I was choosing my words in my mind when Pung Soso, who appeared from behind him, and the Pungojin who appeared with him, stopped him for me.

“You saw it too, didn’t you? The way I used my power to save people.”

“But that was magi. It was a level of magi that even the head of Cheongryongdanju, who has been fighting against the Samaryeon for over 20 years, has never experienced! Even the King knows what kind of people those who have mastered magong are!”

“Hmm. I was surprised too, but…”

Pungojin scratched his head as if he was embarrassed by Cheongryongdanju’s sudden outburst, while Pung Soso, who appeared behind him, and the Pungojin who appeared with him, stopped him for me.

“Phew… what is this Pungojin doing? He’s not a dangerous person. After all, isn’t it because magi contaminates the mind that those who have mastered magong cause problems? I don’t think a master who has reached the level of detachment would be swayed by magi. And… what can you do if you think our Heavenly Demon Lord is dangerous, Cheongryongdanju?”

“Even if I can’t do it alone, if everyone here gathers their strength…”

“Do you really think so?”

“….”

It’s true.

Didn’t we just experience it a little while ago? Even the unarmed people below the Hwagyeong couldn’t withstand Hong Yeon-hwa’s momentum.

Moreover, although they may not know it, I have seen the Heavenly Demon Lord’s army once before.

Seeing how the unarmed people who reached their peak were completely incapacitated like bugs, I knew that even if there were many of them, those below a certain level would not be a threat to Hong Yeon-hwa.

“Eung-haeng-haeng…”

She’s now burying her face in my chest and thrashing around, but Hong Yeon-hwa is originally a Heavenly Demon who fought alone in the middle of the battlefield.

As Cheongryongdanju couldn’t refute her, Pungojin let out another sigh and lightly clapped his hands.

Clap, clap.

“Now, rather than that, we should interrogate those who attacked the Muryeongmaeng and even brought explosives.”

Pungojin gestured to the nearby martial artists.

Only then did the martial artists who had regained their senses begin to restrain the unconscious culprits and prevent them from committing suicide.

However, Cheongryongdanju seems to have no intention of ending it like this.

“…No. I still can’t accept it.”

Cheongryongdanju raised his hand again as if he had made up his mind.

Hwaryuk-

He glared at Hong Yeon-hwa with a more intense gaze than the powerful suki hand氣 that burned fiercely in the shape of a bird’s talon.

Pungojin, taken aback by his unexpected sternness, shouted.

“Look here, Cheongryongdanju!”

“After losing my family to the Mado, I spent half my life fighting against the Samaryeon. And I have come to one conclusion.”

Feeling the tense atmosphere, Hong Yeon-hwa pulled away from my embrace and spoke up.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s no such thing as a kind magi in this world. They’re all dead.”

Even Hong Yeon-hwa seemed to be shaken by the statement.

“What do you mean?”

“If you’ve reached the level of detachment, then you wouldn’t be running wild with bloodlust, would you? Then how many people have you killed to reach your current level?”

“Are you equating me with those scumbags? Then answer me this. I have never spilled the blood of an innocent person.”

“I can’t believe you.”

Even with Hong Yeon-hwa’s response, Cheongryongdanju’s firm attitude remained unchanged.

The atmosphere was so tense that it felt like a fight could break out at any moment. Pungojin’s expression twisted in response to the situation.

“Are you saying you can’t trust Pungga?”

“I trust Princess Love, the daughter of the King, more than the name of Habuk Pungga.”

It seemed like the three of us weren’t on good terms, even to an outsider.

Perhaps Cheongryongdanju was taking Hong Yeon-hwa’s side because of Pung Soso’s safety, or maybe he was clouded by his love for his daughter.

“All members of Cheongryongdan, arm yourselves and prepare for battle! And all the martial artists of Muryeong, lend us your strength!”

The unarmed martial artists who were fond of Hong Yeon-hwa hesitated, but the members of Cheongryongdan immediately climbed onto the martial arts platform and assumed their positions.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

A powerful force was rapidly approaching from a distance, as if to overwhelm us.

Bang!

A white-haired old man broke through the entrance and leaped onto the martial arts platform, breaking it in half.

Cheongryongdanju, who saw his face, shouted in surprise.

“Master of the Muryeong!”

What, now the Muryeong Master is getting involved?

The situation was getting worse and worse, and I felt like I was losing my mind.

Of course, Hong Yeon-hwa would win if we fought, but from our perspective, seeking the cooperation of the Muryeong was just making the situation worse.

“I sensed magi and came here… What’s going on?”

“It’s magi, Master! Magi has infiltrated us!”

“They’re saying that she’s a monster who has reached the level of detachment and saved us. But they conveniently forgot to mention that.”

The Muryeong Master’s brow furrowed as he listened to Cheongryongdanju and Pungojin’s words.

“Can you tell me more about it?”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head.

“I’ve been hearing this for a while now, and I just can’t take it anymore. You said you can’t trust me. Then let me show you what kind of being I am. If you see it with your own eyes, then you’ll believe me, won’t you?”

A thick magi exploded from Hong Yeon-hwa’s body, stronger than before.