0069 : Demon Subduing Hall
After that, I followed the Young Master of the Han Clan to a separate building. He walked ahead and spoke.
“Did you say your name is Baek Woong? I am Han Jin-seong, the Young Master of the Han Clan. I look forward to working with you.”
“Am I now able to be a guest here?”
“Of course. However, there are a few requests you will need to accommodate.”
I glanced at Han Jin-seong. He was a delicate-looking young man but possessed considerable martial arts skills. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have remained unscathed after being exposed to the energy waves during my recent confrontation with Han Baek-ryeong. Given his age, he also appeared to have quite the talent for martial arts.
Han Jin-seong closed the door to the separate building and said,
“Have you heard of the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament?”
“Isn’t that a martial arts competition?”
“You know it well.”
The Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament!
It was a kind of martial arts contest, but unlike ordinary competitions, it was directly observed by the Emperor himself. Thus, it was said that skilled practitioners from various sects across the continent participated, and even the leaders of major sects joined. Since the tournament was held every four years, martial arts sects would send their best talents to gain glory in this event.
However, the top three winners were obligated to enter the Golden Guards. Therefore, it was a consideration whether to aim for victory and honor at such a tournament. It would be troublesome for a leader or elder of a sect to suddenly become affiliated with the Imperial Palace.
Consequently, martial arts sects tended to send those not quite renowned enough to lead a sect but still possessing excellent martial skills to the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament. Thus, most participants were usually practitioners in their late twenties or thirties. Occasionally, seasoned practitioners in their forties would appear, but it wasn’t viewed favorably.
Those like Captain Ryu and Captain Kwak that I had seen must have been top-tier practitioners who ranked highly in the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament. They likely showcased skills equivalent to those of the elders of the Nine Great Sects. While I was lost in thought, Han Jin-seong continued.
“Twin Gate Sect has a right to participate in the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament without going through the preliminary rounds. Each sect is allotted two spots, starting from the main tournament’s Top 128. However, the warriors of Twin Gate Sect cannot participate in the qualifiers.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“The Young Master wishes to send you, Baek Woong, as the representative of the Han Clan for one of those two spots.”
“……!!”
I was taken aback and gaped in disbelief.
The Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament, held once every four years! It was a contest that represented the honor of the sects and an exhibition for the next generation of practitioners responsible for the martial world. To suddenly grant a spot in such a significant tournament to a mere guest like me, who just arrived today? This was truly outrageous.
I said,
“That’s insane. If you intend to mock me, I won’t stand for it.”
“This is no joke. There are circumstances that necessitate this.”
“What circumstances are you talking about?”
Han Jin-seong sighed.
“Our Young Master does not particularly favor the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament. In fact, if possible, he wouldn’t want to send anyone at all. Therefore, it’s common to send guests instead of the family warriors. This time too, we intended to select an entrant from among the guests, and you have caught the Young Master’s eye.”
“But it seems there would be many skilled practitioners among the guests.”
“Yet no one else can instill as much tension in other guests merely by their presence. At the very least, I believe you possess sufficient qualifications.”
It felt extremely suspicious.
Accepting such a proposal would be foolish.
I grappled with the urge to dismiss this offer immediately and run away, but I eventually calmed my mind.
“Right. Did I not decide to risk my life to cultivate and gain information?”
At a place like the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament, there was at least no chance of being mobbed. Moreover, it was a venue where I could gain one-on-one combat experience, just as I had wanted. It was the optimal training ground I had envisioned. The thought of avoiding this opportunity now, considering it might be a trap, felt like turning down an alluring bait. I nodded, prepared to face betrayal and even death.
“Understood. Then who else is participating besides me?”
“The person you saw earlier, Ki Ryong Shingun. He is the best practitioner among the guests.”
“Hmm.”
I didn’t know much about Ki Ryong Shingun, but I could agree with Han Jin-seong’s assessment. His aura stood out distinctly among the many skilled practitioners surrounding me earlier. He likely matched up to the likes of Hyeon Cheon-do or an elder from the Nine Great Sects in terms of internal power.
“But what will you do if I place and become a member of the Golden Guards?”
“What would we do? You would just become one. We have no plans to complain at all.”
“……?”
This felt truly strange. Typically, it’s impossible to hand over a potential powerful warrior to the Imperial Palace and come out unscathed. Even if they sent guests, could they simply do something so painful? As I looked at Han Jin-seong with suspicion, he replied,
“Hmm… I seem to have spoken in a way that could easily be misunderstood.”
“Isn’t that obvious? It feels incredibly awkward, as if something is caught in my throat.”
“I’ll be more candid. Our Han Clan has no obsession with the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament, we don’t wish to participate at all, and we definitely do not want to expose our clan’s martial arts to the public. Hence, we resort to recruiting guests to offer them chances for advancement and willingly concede. It benefits both sides.”
Not wanting to expose my clan’s martial arts!
That could indeed be a significant reason. I nodded, recalling Jin So-cheong’s efforts to thoroughly hide his secrets.
“Was that the reason behind recruiting guests?”
“Of course, not all guests are here just to claim spots in the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament. Some have been staying for decades because they enjoy the exceptional treatment given to them. That said, the tournament is by no means an easy one to win, so don’t underestimate it.”
“… I understand.”
“Since you are a guest, we will provide you with a separate building. You can stay here from now on.”
I glanced around the separate building. Indeed, it looked spacious and comfortable, better than most houses, with luxurious furnishings. It might even be better than the house I purchased with gold bars. After contemplating what to do, I said,
“No, I’m sorry, but I have already purchased a house, and I would like to stay there.”
“Then that defeats the purpose of being a guest…”
“Is there really no alternative?”
“Hmm… how about this.”
Han Jin-seong smiled warmly.
“The Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament will take place in three months from now. Please return to the main house four days prior to that and wait. Would this arrangement be acceptable?”
“I have another question. If I represent the guests, won’t the other guests be upset?”
“If they have grievances, they would likely challenge you to a duel to earn their qualifications. You’ll just have to endure that much.”
In other words, they wouldn’t interfere with any challenges from disgruntled guests. I found it quite ridiculous once I realized how nonchalant they were. I understood the Han Clan’s intentions and said,
“So, it doesn’t really matter to you who represents the Han Clan?”
“More precisely, as long as they don’t bring shame upon us, we wouldn’t mind anyone stepping up. You meet that condition, Baek Woong.”
“Alright. I have my own goals as well, so I will accept your proposal.”
I glared at Han Jin-seong and growled,
“But don’t look down on me. If you try to use me, you will pay a harsh price.”
This was not an empty threat.
Having repeated my life, I had already harbored numerous grudges in my heart. In particular, I was filled with the desire for revenge against those from the Demonic Dao Eight Gates if the time and opportunity allowed. There would be nothing more foolish in this world than to make me an enemy. Han Jin-seong replied,
“Please don’t get too angry. Didn’t you come in knowing that we are all utilizing each other?”
“That may be true.”
“Since it’s getting late, I will treat you to dinner. Please eat well.”
I followed Han Jin-seong to the dining room. After he left, I observed the sumptuous dishes presented by the Han Clan and stood up from my seat. The two attendants beside me looked surprised and said,
“Oh my…”
“What’s wrong?”
I said to them,
“I’m sorry, but I’m not very hungry. Please tell Han Jin-seong that I appreciated the meal.”
Whoosh!
With those words, I exited the Han Clan’s premises. For some reason, I had developed the habit of rarely consuming food or drink offered by others. Unless I felt completely at ease in my surroundings, I had gotten into the habit of not touching it. This might have been due to an unconscious anxiety of potentially poisoning myself and dying in a tragic manner.
I went to a random inn, booked a room, and lay down.
‘The Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament, huh.’
I could end up dead or injured in the fights. What would I do in that case? If I were to die, it would at least bring some relief, but being injured would pose another problem entirely. Chances were high that I would waste time and struggle to live. I resolved that if I ever found myself in such a situation, I would cut off my own life by severing my vitals.
Moreover, I thought to fight as fiercely as possible this time without worrying about the consequences and aim for victory in the tournament. I could enhance my martial arts proficiency by battling peak practitioners at the tournament, and on the side, I could join the Golden Guards and monitor their current activities! It would be killing two birds with one stone.
But when I thought of Han Baek-ryeong, my mind became complicated.
‘What on earth is that woman’s true identity?’
She claimed to be the head of the Han Clan and was undoubtedly a master of the reverse techniques, as well as an extraordinary expert. Furthermore, if she could casually be referred to as a Qinglong and was willing to kill her disciples without hesitation, she likely did not have a good relationship with Lee Kwang. It was hard to believe, but Han Baek-ryeong’s internal power did not seem much inferior compared to mine after consuming Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng several times.
I had believed that the leader of the Twin Gate Sect surpassed the head of the family, yet there was someone like her? Furthermore, the fact that the Han Clan was the greatest fortune in the Central Plains lingered in my mind. It seemed there was a connection I was missing regarding the Han Clan.
In any case, only three months remained.
With Han Jin-seong giving me a grace period, I was free to do as I pleased during that time.
Three days later, I went to see the manager to retrieve the documents and seal for my house. The manager handed me the papers and said,
“Specially, I hired someone to clean the house for you. You just need to move in and live.”
“Thank you.”
“Hehehe. You will know you struck gold. There isn’t a kinder person than me.”
Watching the manager chuckle with his catfish beard, I inwardly sneered.
‘Who doesn’t know that you pocketed several hundred nyang as a kickback?’
He probably held onto the gold bars and exchanged them for what was at best around three hundred nyang in cash from the rich client, pocketing the brokerage fee on top of that. The manager’s embezzlement was on a tremendous scale.
However, even knowing that, I still chose to hand over the gold bars to the manager. This was because, having received such a large sum of money, he would certainly keep his mouth shut and work diligently to ensure there were no further rumors. The manager with the catfish beard likely saw me as an easy target, but I was simply taking the best approach to avoid troublesome matters.
As I entered the house, I basked in the comforting sunlight. It felt so pleasant that I could hardly remember the hardships I endured in my previous life.
‘In fact, it had been a dream of mine to own such a house.’
In my first life, while working as a servant, I had lived in crippling poverty—I had earnestly wished for a day when I could live comfortably in a large house. And now, I had easily fulfilled that dream with the gold bars I had obtained from the ruins of the demand. It was surreal to hold in my hands the wealth that would have taken decades of servitude to accumulate all at once.
As I lay on the floor of the house, contemplating a nap, a thought suddenly struck me.
… Is there really a need to work hard anymore?
The affairs of Taekyung Village, which had been marked by tragedy, felt sealed off now; could I not just live comfortably for the rest of my life with the wealth I had left? If I put my mind to it, I could spend my days leisurely, surrounded by beautiful women, enjoying life without a care. The nine remaining gold bars provided more than enough means for that.
“……”
It was tempting.
I groaned, clutching my head in contemplation. Certainly, I now possessed enough leisure to enjoy life without having to presume death as a certainty. I could simply reject the proposal to represent the guests at the Han Clan for the Imperial Palace Martial Arts Tournament and live comfortably in this house instead.
‘Yeah… Why must I fight the Golden Guards’ captain? With the shaman gone, there would be no need for human sacrifices, and whether they gather the Seven Luminaries or not, it doesn’t concern me at all!’
I felt my mind go blank.
This was because I realized that the moment of choice in my life had arrived. Should I continue on this path or stop and give up?
It mattered little which I chose, but the latter option meant I would never again have to face the pain of death. I sat there vacantly for quite some time, mulling over my thoughts. Without a doubt, this was the longest and most painful period of deliberation I had experienced in this life.
After agonizing for nearly half an hour, I muttered to myself,
“No. I can’t stop yet.”
Upon reflection, I found I could not simply give up. For one, I had yet to achieve my goal of mastering the techniques of Divine Thunder and, above all, I had not yet avenged the grudge of being killed by the Demonic Dao Eight Gates like a dog. Most importantly, unless I dealt a blow to the captain of the Golden Guards, I could not live as a man.
Reflecting on that grudge while staring at the neck of the fallen Mo Yang, I realized I could not choose a peaceful life until I had avenged that pain.
Bwooong, bwooong!
After a moment, I stood up and began to quietly practice my swordplay in the empty space of the house.
“Captain, I will surely take your head.”
Life is not a series of disconnected moments.
My actions now lead to the future, so I must cherish my time.
In the next three months, until the tournament, I intended to refine my understanding of Divine Thunder’s techniques and cultivate the potential of my internal power to be even more familiar with it.
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