Chapter 143: Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes (2)
Gwaaaak!
My grip gradually grew stronger.
It was because Jang Seonyeon had started to put strength into his hand as well.
His expression still wore a smile, but I could feel a subtle hint of competitiveness rising from him.
‘…!’
The strength coming from Jang Seonyeon was surprisingly strong. Had he been staring at the wall from around this time?
Just as I was considering whether to exert more force myself, Jang Seonyeon loosened his grip first.
“Your greeting is a bit rougher than I expected.”
He said, shaking his hand lightly.
“I’m sorry. I’m not very good at controlling my strength.”
I couldn’t help but smile in response to Jang Seonyeon’s bright demeanor.
I overheard Tang Soyeol quietly whispering, “How…!” but I desperately pretended not to hear.
“It’s okay. It happens to the best of us. So, the Gu Clan, huh? I’m honored to meet a blood relative of such a prominent family.”
“Yeah, right,” I thought. There were three of the Four Noble Clans right around us, but here he was pretending that the Gu Clan held the highest status.
While I understood that it might have been a compliment, coming from him, it didn’t sound sincere. There was something lurking behind that seemingly innocent smile.
“I’d love to chat more, but unfortunately, I don’t have much time,” he added.
I didn’t bother to respond.
I couldn’t bear to say, “Let’s meet again.”
After our brief encounter, I returned to my seat.
There was nothing more I could do from that spot.
I also couldn’t handle the intensity of Jang Seonyeon’s gaze any longer.
I felt as if I might lash out at any moment.
I wanted to snap his neck right there.
Once seated, I took a sip of the tea that had been placed in front of me.
However, it did nothing to soothe my churning insides.
The chatter from the banquet hall, combined with the heated air swirling from all the martial artists gathered in one spot, felt distant now.
‘I feel sick.’
The feeling of being completely helpless, with him so close yet so far, was genuinely infuriating.
“Young Master Gu…?”
Tang Soyeol, next to me, seemed to read my expression and spoke up with concern.
I forced a smile.
“I’m fine. Just feeling a bit under the weather.”
“No way, that handsome expression of yours definitely means something’s bothering you…”
“…?”
Moyong Hi-ah immediately cleared her throat at Tang Soyeol’s strong words.
Handsome… Never mind.
I realized that Tang Soyeol had peculiar tastes, especially after that last encounter with Namgung Cheonjun. No, it was outright bizarre.
As Namgung Bi-ah quietly topped off my empty tea cup, I turned to observe Wi Seol-Ah. She appeared just as fatigued as before.
Was it tiring for her to stand throughout this event?
‘But I can’t just let her sit down in this kind of setting.’
So, I merely wished for her to hold out a little longer.
Wi Seol-Ah didn’t seem overly bothered as she waved at me every time our eyes met.
Yet still, I felt the urge to keep an eye on Wi Seol-Ah.
Mostly because I was concerned about any possible incidents involving Jang Seonyeon before I arrived.
‘What am I even worried about?’
So much had changed, and I was the only one who knew.
Why was I fretting when Wi Seol-Ah had no idea about anything yet?
Even as those thoughts swirled, I couldn’t shake the anxiety regarding her.
Even if she seemed utterly oblivious…
“The son of the Alliance Leader…”
“This is the first time a child from the Alliance Leader participates in the Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes.”
“Seems like it. I’ve never seen him before.”
“What do you think? He looks a bit weak on the outside.”
“You still judge people solely based on their looks? You should know better than that; appearances can be deceiving. Just look at the Poisonous Bee, tsk tsk…”
“If it’s the Alliance Leader’s son, then I suppose we can hope for something extraordinary.”
“Who knows, a new dragon may well emerge from him.”
“Oh, did you hear? The Gu Clan this time…”
People around were discussing Jang Seonyeon too.
Which indicated how remarkable his background was.
He was the son of the Alliance Leader, previously unknown to many, and a blood relative of the Taeryung Clan.
In other words, he was the potential successor to the clan, after the Harmonic Sword.
Amid all the chatter, I kept wiping the lingering disgusting feeling off my hand onto my clothes.
The hand that had shaken with Jang Seonyeon.
That revolting sensation stuck around much longer than I’d expected.
‘What should I do?’
I had anticipated meeting him, just not this year.
‘…Was it supposed to happen this year?’
I was already aware that Jang Seonyeon would emerge in this tournament as a promising young talent.
After all, that had indeed happened in my previous life.
However, did it need to happen this year?
In my memory, it felt like I’d be seeing it a bit further down the line.
‘If that’s not just my delusion, does that mean the future has shifted somehow?’
Given how my minor actions had already changed countless futures, this too might be something that could change.
I gazed towards Jang Seonyeon, who was seated quite far away from me.
That brat wore the same expression as before.
I bit my fist to hold back my brewing anger.
Because right now, I couldn’t act on it.
Damn it.
“Young Master Gu.”
Snapped from my spiraling thoughts by Tang Soyeol’s voice, I turned my head.
She was pointing towards the entrance of the banquet hall.
Curious, I looked over and saw someone entering.
It was the Lightning Dragon, Namgung Cheonjun.
‘I thought I’d be the last one to arrive.’
Despite the immediate attention on him, Namgung Cheonjun’s face appeared much more relaxed than last time.
Had something good happened to him?
That wasn’t the only oddity.
I had fully expected him to demand a seat next to us.
However, Namgung Cheonjun merely glanced at Namgung Bi-ah before choosing to move further away.
Coincidence or not, he ended up sitting near Jang Seonyeon.
Thud—
I wasn’t the only one to react to that development.
Moyong Hi-ah, who was next to me, jumped to her feet as if she had been anticipating this moment.
“…I think I should switch seats. Is that okay?”
Her statement caught me off guard.
‘Why is she asking me that?’
Judging by her clear sky-blue eyes, rejecting her request wouldn’t be easy.
“Yes, go ahead.”
Though everyone had a designated seat for the Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes, it wasn’t forbidden to switch seats with someone of similar ranking.
It would be a different matter entirely if a lower-ranking person attempted to switch with a higher-ranking individual.
Phew.
I caught a sigh escape my lips.
A deep and cold one that definitely belonged to Moyong Hi-ah.
I could never fully understand her.
What could possibly lead to that reaction?
It felt like she was hesitant towards him. But why on Earth would Moyong Hi-ah feel that way about him?
There could be multiple reasons, but considering her stubborn attachment to him in my past life, this seemed entirely out of character.
‘But this isn’t the time to dwell on that.’
I had to maintain my facade of composure, while suppressing the boiling emotions inside me.
Ironically, my training sessions with Elder Shin were proving helpful in managing my consuming rage.
Was emotion another form of energy?
Maybe I couldn’t completely suppress it, but I felt capable of calming it down and redirecting it.
‘Is this what they call enlightenment?’
Of course not; I was merely realizing something I had always been able to do but never fully understood how to harness.
Elder Shin would probably show up right now with some reprimanding words.
‘He should be back soon.’
That was the hope I clung to, since I couldn’t very well go searching for him right now.
All I had done was greet him, yet my mind was ablaze with agitation.
‘What should I do…?’
It was akin to my feelings during my unsettling encounter with Zhuge Hyuk, but the essence was different.
I would kill him. There was no changing that.
What remained to be decided was how I would go about it.
At this moment, I had no means of doing so. I couldn’t take any action under the watchful gazes upon me.
‘Damn, this feeling is tiresome.’
I was well aware this wasn’t the appropriate time.
I also realized that acting rashly could be my downfall.
But the urge to kill him veiled my judgment like a thick fog.
I continued to temper the rising bloodlust that threatened to escape the haze.
I must not forget my original purpose for coming here.
I needed to remind myself that he was not my goal today.
Rustle.
I felt a soft touch on my shoulder and another hand grasping mine.
Wi Seol-Ah had come up from behind and rested her hand on my shoulder. When I turned in surprise, she wore her signature bright smile.
The icy sensation gripping my hand belonged to Namgung Bi-ah.
She was clutching my hand tightly.
Though she wasn’t grinning like Wi Seol-Ah, I could see concern in her gaze.
‘Is she worried?’
It seemed she had picked up on the change in my demeanor.
I found it ironic that such a simple gesture brought me a sense of calm, yet paradoxically, I was awed by their perceptiveness.
I spoke to her softly.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine…”
“What would make me not be okay?”
“Exactly… so why are you not okay then…?”
Despite my insistence that I was fine, Namgung Bi-ah clearly had no intention of believing me.
Instead, her grip on my hand only tightened further.
After warming the coldness in Namgung Bi-ah’s hand, I pulled mine away gently.
“I’m fine now. Really.”
“Is it because you’re hungry?” she asked.
“…You might be right. I think I am a bit hungry.”
I took a moment to breathe.
Finally, my thoughts began to clear up.
‘Let’s compose ourselves.’
This wasn’t my only chance, nor was it a guaranteed opportunity.
It would be wiser to wait for the right moment or create my own rather than risk it all on an impulsive act.
Tap, tap… tap… tap.
My fingers, which had been frantically tapping on the table, gradually slowed down.
I shut my eyes quietly.
By closing my eyes, I was able to sense the warmth of Wi Seol-Ah’s hand on my shoulder much more vividly.
And in doing so, I found more clarity.
For her…
And for myself.
Those two motives were enough.
I opened my eyes and glanced back at Jang Seonyeon, sitting a little further away.
By sheer coincidence, that bastard caught my gaze.
His smile as he greeted me still dripped with disgust.
But this time, I managed to smile back.
Even if this life’s version of him bore no sins…
I wasn’t the type to forgive easily, nor did I intend to let go without consequence.
Even if it wasn’t today, I wouldn’t be waiting too much longer.
And above all,
– The Alliance Leader is entering.
Even if I couldn’t do anything to that brat right now…
I certainly had no intention of remaining idle either.
Everything that he might gain from this gathering,
I aimed to claim for myself.
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