Chapter: 707
Fwoosh.
After the duel ended, all that remained on the stage was a calm silence and the sound of the wind.
In an atmosphere so still that I could barely hear a breath, I slowly lifted my head.
In front of me lay the fallen Pungrimwitankwon.
I took a deep breath while looking at him.
‘Ah, I feel a bit sorry about this.’
At the same time, I smiled awkwardly.
It was clear that he had reached Hwagyeong.
I also knew it hadn’t been long since he got there.
It seemed like he was trying to hide his momentum, but since he couldn’t quite control it, it was trickling out little by little.
Furthermore, I understood why he was hiding his level.
That’s why I felt a tad guilty.
After all, if things had gone as they were supposed to, he would have been the star of the stage now.
‘Thanks to that, this situation turned out the way it did, so I’m a bit grateful too.’
I straightened my body, which had been bent over.
And then…
“…What….”
“That, that is….”
The quiet silence shattered, and murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.
“Pungrimwitankwon has fallen…?”
“Didn’t he say Hwa, Hwagyeong was a master without a rival?”
“Are you saying that was a lie?”
Pungrimwitankwon did reach Hwagyeong.
That’s the information shouted by the martial artists in the stands.
Was that fake?
Such suspicions brushed my mind, yet the martial artists observing were different.
“…No, Pungrimwitankwon definitely reached Hwagyeong. I, the Thunder Spear, will prove it.”
“Gasp, the Thunder Spear…!?”
“The Thunder Spear…?”
“Yes, indeed! The big guy with the long scar on his cheek. It’s the Thunder Spear.”
Everyone’s gazes shot towards the man sitting in the audience.
The Thunder Spear.
He was a martial artist ranked among the top hundred masters of the Central Plains.
Are you saying he was watching the duel from the stands?
And then…
“The Thunder Spear has confirmed Pungrimwitankwon’s level.”
“…Indeed, Pungrimwitankwon is Hwagyeong.”
Maybe it was the credibility of the same-level master speaking.
The statement carried weight.
Pungrimwitankwon is indeed confirmed to be Hwagyeong.
As this fact emerged, another question bubbled up.
“So… so what just happened?”
Someone’s question became the tipping point.
“Then, Soyeomra? Didn’t Soyeomra defeat Pungrimwitankwon?”
“Could it be sorcery?”
“Sorcery? What nonsense! Do you forget where we are? What kind of madman uses sorcery inside the Murim Alliance!”
“Besides, can you really defeat a Hwagyeong master with sorcery…?”
“Then… does that mean that young man is also a Hwagyeong?”
As that was said, the people around turned to look at the Thunder Spear.
Caught off-guard by the sudden attention, the Thunder Spear momentarily froze.
Everyone seemed to be hoping for a definitive answer from him, yet…
“Hmm…”
The Thunder Spear struggled to respond.
He couldn’t confirm anything himself.
The reason being…
‘I didn’t see it.’
He’s called the Thunder Spear because he wields spear techniques faster than lightning, but even he couldn’t catch Soyeomra’s movements.
Sure, Pungrimwitankwon obscured the view, but how on earth did he bring down his opponent in such a fleeting moment?
‘Could it truly be sorcery?’
It was so perplexing that the Thunder Spear even entertained such a thought.
With anything else, it didn’t add up.
However, if it wasn’t sorcery…
‘…Does that mean that young man reached Hwagyeong?’
This, in turn, implied that Soyeomra was indeed a master of Hwagyeong.
Not to mention, not all Hwagyeongs are created equal.
Pungrimwitankwon had only just attained it.
Meanwhile,
It wouldn’t take long for the Thunder Spear to bring down someone like him.
But still…
‘There’s no way he took him down that quickly.’
He couldn’t have suppressed him as rapidly as Gu Yangcheon did.
At the very least, it must have taken three exchanges.
That much had to split into parts.
Yet, the young man knocked down Pungrimwitankwon in a moment he didn’t even register, leading the Thunder Spear to frown as he peered at Soyeomra.
It wasn’t just the Thunder Spear.
Everyone began to realize.
“Soyeomra… What exactly is this person’s identity? Could he really be a Hwagyeong master? That young man?”
“Now that you mention it… I recall hearing something like that. A few years ago, there were rumors that Soyeomra had reached Hwagyeong. Could it be true…?”
“What nonsense are you spouting now? Wasn’t Soyeomra just a young adult? How many years ago was that?”
“Are you saying he reached it quicker than the Divine Dragon? Then that’s essentially the same as saying it was officially certified by the alliance.”
Doubts kept amplifying.
Those doubts were bound to coalesce, turning into a dagger.
A sharply crafted dagger aimed to pierce through the barely constructed wall.
It was bound to create a crack in that wall.
Turning into a dagger himself.
Feeling that reaction, Gu Yangcheon glanced at the judge.
“Results, you need to announce them, right?”
“…!”
The judge flinched in surprise at the sound of his voice.
Even he didn’t seem to grasp the current circumstances.
“Ah, uh… uh…”
He seemed dazed for a moment, then quickly regained his composure and began speaking.
“Duel, duel ended. E-eighteen victories—.”
“Seventeen, that’s me.”
“Ah.”
He really seemed to be still dazed.
“Seventeen… S… victory.”
Even after the judge’s proclamation, the murmurs persisted.
Yes, go ahead and explode with questions.
I’ve been holding back for all of your reactions so far.
Sigh.
Gu Yangcheon turned away, walking from the duel stage without a shred of regret.
Until he descended and disappeared, only tales of Gu Yangcheon echoed from the audience.
This was precisely the scenario Gu Yangcheon had longed for.
I walked.
I kept walking.
Slowly, so as not to appear rushed. The more I walked, the more attention I drew.
All eyes were on me.
The martial artists who had just witnessed the duel were now glued to my face.
They erased their furtive glances and stared openly.
In the torrent of those gazes, I felt a range of emotions.
Astonishment.
Doubt.
Suspicion.
Fear.
It was a whirlwind of various feelings.
Yet, it didn’t feel entirely bad.
“One blow to the Pungrimwitankwon…?”
“I didn’t even see…”
“How is this happening….”
The incessant chatter began to give me a headache.
How amusing it was that such insignificant beings would bicker like this.
Before I knew it, I thought that and had to rein it in.
‘Darn.’
Things had been tolerable lately, but as soon as I tried to put myself out there a little, it unravels like this.
Should I say my blood runs hot? I was often gripped by this feeling.
Holding back a sigh, I arrived at the spot where Dang So-yeol and Bong-soon were located.
Dang So-yeol smiled brightly upon spotting me and waved her hand.
Strangely enough, it brought me a sense of calm.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“What hard work? I didn’t do anything.”
For reasons unbeknownst to me, I felt slightly embarrassed.
So I grumbled, speaking against my true feelings, yet Dang So-yeol just laughed at that.
“You must have had a tough time. You dislike being stared at, right?”
“…”
I couldn’t deny that.
I awkwardly chuckled at her words.
“Great job, Confucius… Thanks for your hard work.”
“Exactly! That was cool! As expected, we’re….”
Bong-soon attempted to slip in some nonsense during the gap, but I whacked her hard on the forehead.
“Yow!”
Bong-soon shrieked and grabbed her head.
“Please… be quiet.”
“Eeeeeek! It… it feels good…”
“…”
I was dizzy.
Just when my complicated feelings had settled upon seeing Dang So-yeol, they threatened to explode when I looked at Bong-soon.
“Ha-ha…”
The situation seemed so ludicrous that even Dang So-yeol struggled to suppress her laughter.
It was chaotic—completely chaotic.
Everyone’s gazes were directed this way, yet our atmosphere was so different.
What’s odd is that it didn’t feel all that bad.
I shook my head and looked at Dang So-yeol.
“Aren’t you feeling nervous at all?”
“Pardon?”
Since we hadn’t even finished the fiftieth round, it would be her turn next.
But even so, it seemed Dang So-yeol didn’t feel nervous in the least.
Bong-soon, being less than human, it made sense. But what about her?
As I looked at Dang So-yeol with curious eyes, she answered.
“There’s no need to be nervous about someone like him.”
“Ah…”
I nodded at her reply, which seemed reasonable.
Well, with that old guy, there wasn’t much to be nervous about.
“Why? Do you think I’ll lose?”
“No way.”
They say nothing is absolute, but isn’t there such a thing as chance?
In that context, the odds of Dang So-yeol losing to that old man were slim to none.
Unless she intentionally tried to lose, that is.
In response to my answer, Dang So-yeol smiled and said,
“So you don’t have to worry.”
After hearing that, I averted my eyes slightly.
“Who said I was worried?”
Busted.
I had tried to hide it as best I could. How did she know?
“I won’t lose. If it weren’t for you, Confucius…”
Dang So-yeol erased the smile off her face as she said,
“I don’t intend to lose to anyone.”
To anyone.
The implication behind her words resonated strangely.
If it were confidence, it was; if it were competitiveness, then it was.
Was Dang So-yeol always like this? Or did the Dark King work some kind of magic?
While it looked nice, it also felt eerily discomforting.
“…Alright.”
It felt odd, but I didn’t press further.
Dang So-yeol shifted her gaze and began looking around.
The stares focused on us were still in full force.
It could be partly my fault, and half of it blamed on Dang So-yeol too.
“She’s from the Tang Clan.”
“Wasn’t she called a solo peak? I heard she hasn’t reached her peak yet. How did she manage to come this far?”
The martial artists muttered while peering at Dang So-yeol.
“That’s obvious. She must have pulled some tricks.”
“Well…”
The whispers I overheard weren’t pleasant.
The reputation of the Tang Clan had reached an all-time low in the Central Plains.
Rumors of human experiments involving kidnapped orphans had surfaced.
Because of that, there were talks of whether the clan should continue to be part of the righteous sect, let alone their standing.
In such a situation, the blood kin of the Tang Clan appeared, and hence all the murmurs focused entirely on Dang So-yeol.
“They say her family is problematic, but she is exceptionally pretty.”
“Do you trust someone just by looking at their face? In this day and age… they’re all the same breed.”
“Tsk tsk. Even Yutangeom was momentarily intrigued by her. This situation arose because of that-.”
Sigh.
Unable to bear it, I let out a heavy sigh.
Whoosh.
“…Eek!?”
“Ugh…”
Those who had been spectating began to tremble.
It was hard to hold back.
Should I crush them?
Or should I set them ablaze from their toes?
On the verge of losing my cool, I started to walk toward them.
Thud.
Dang So-yeol grabbed my hand, blocking me just like before.
If there was anything different from that moment…
“Confucius.”
“…”
I looked at Dang So-yeol as she spoke firmly.
Her eyes were unwavering.
“Please don’t.”
This time, her plea was the same.
But…
“If I stay in the arms of Confucius like this, I can’t do anything.”
“…!”
At her words, I felt momentarily stunned.
“I don’t want to live like that.”
“You…”
“Honestly, I’m really happy. Just knowing that Confucius is protecting me makes me feel like I have everything in the world. But I can’t just be that.”
“What do you mean?”
I asked, confused, yet Dang So-yeol smiled faintly and continued speaking.
“Walking together doesn’t mean it’s like that.”
“…”
“I want to walk alongside Confucius.”
The depth of meaning behind her words left me breathless.
I could feel Dang So-yeol’s sincerity even more.
“That’s why I came. To show you.”
“Show me? What?”
“I want to prove that I can stand on my own without Confucius’ help—that I can walk, run, and even fly.”
“…”
“So… please just watch for now. I’m asking you.”
The grip on my hand tightened.
Feeling both cold and warm, I poured the energy I had been emitting back inside.
Whoosh…
As the killing intent dissipated, those oppressed by the aura collapsed.
“Cough… Cough…”
“Ugh…!”
Those with lower statuses even retched.
Watching that, I retreated a bit and crossed my arms.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“…”
I frowned and remained silent in reply.
It wasn’t that I disliked Dang So-yeol’s demeanor.
I simply didn’t like that I had secretly grasped her feelings yet couldn’t help myself from trying to step forward.
At the same time, I was curious.
‘What exactly is she trying to show me…?’
What is Dang So-yeol trying to demonstrate with all this effort?
What intention does she harbor?
With those questions slowly budding,
They were soon about to be resolved.
Moments before, I had been standing on the duel stage.
Someone was lying on the cold marble, bleeding.
“Ugh… Ugh.”
Crying in agony was Yu Gan-geom, the famous master of the Central Plains.
He was known to have reached the level of Hwagyeong.
Yet, here he was, bleeding and struggling, while the audience watched in silence just like moments ago.
In that instant.
Thud!
Someone stepped on the face of the still-lying Yu Gan-geom.
“Ugh!!”
Yu Gan-geom couldn’t even muster a proper scream.
Looking at him with that disdain, the owner of the foot, Dang So-yeol, smiled seductively and said,
“Senior, you should get up.”
At her voice, those watching trembled.
Cold yet enchanting.
“Or are you just going to lie there like a dog? How… deplorable…”
Every gaze directed downward.
White calves barely visible between her garments.
Even the Yu Gan-geom beneath was quivering.
I stared blankly at Dang So-yeol in what could only be described as a bizarre situation.
…Is this what she meant by showing?
If so, this was extremely strange—no, very, very strange.
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