Chapter 147 : We’re Going Too. -03
Chapter 147: We’re Going Too. -03
Seo Joun tightly shut his eyes once more and chanted a Buddhist invocation.
It was the only way he felt this excitement might subside.
At the same time, he drove the Blazing Deity Divine Art to its extreme.
It felt far too real for him to lay hands on it directly, so he intended to blow it away with the Blazing Deity Divine Art instead.
Whooosh!
Terrifying flames and scorching heat erupted from Seo Joun’s entire body.
He was trying to destroy the illusory formation with the Blazing Deity Divine Art.
If the illusory formation were broken, the woman before his eyes would naturally vanish as well, so Seo Joun kept his eyes shut and scattered Extreme Yang Energy in all directions.
“Oh my? Are we burning passionately again today too?”
Hoo.
However, the problem was that Sama Uiseong had anticipated Seo Joun reacting this way.
Moreover, although the Blazing Deity Divine Art was undoubtedly a formidable Fiery Yang Art, thorough preparations had already been made in advance, so the illusory formation did not even tremble.
Instead, the woman Sama Uiseong had created approached Seo Joun as if to embrace him, whispering into his ear as though the Extreme Yang Energy did not affect her in the slightest.
Naturally, she even breathed softly against him as she spoke.
“Ughhh!”
Seo Joun’s body trembled at the sensation he had never experienced in his life.
Yet it did not feel unpleasant.
Rather, he felt embarrassed and strangely aroused at the same time.
Squeeze, squeeze.
The woman kneaded Seo Joun’s body here and there as though handling a lump of rice cake.
When she slyly slipped her hand between his clothes, Seo Joun could no longer endure it and shot his hand straight up.
“I, I surrender!”
“That’s a shame. I thought we were finally getting somewhere.”
“Ugh!”
Along with the woman’s heartfelt murmur, the surrounding scenery began to scatter.
At Seo Joun’s declaration of surrender, Sama Uiseong withdrew the illusory formation.
Seeing that sight, Seo Joun let out a sigh of relief.
It was frustrating to lose, but it was still far better than giving in to temptation and being teased about it for a long time afterward.
“What was all that bravado about?”
“I didn’t realize the illusory formation was this powerful……”
“There’s a reason the honey trap keeps being used even though it’s cliché.”
“I felt that painfully this time.”
Seo Joun replied in a dejected tone.
As if at a loss for words, Seo Joun had nothing particular to say to Ban Hojin.
All he could do was acknowledge his defeat.
“Uiseong.”
“Yes.”
“Can you do it one more time?”
“I’m still fine!”
“There’s sweat on your forehead, though?”
Unlike Jeong Hyeon, Seo Joun found even Sama Uiseong no easy opponent.
Ordinary levels did not work on him, so Sama Uiseong had also gone all out.
As if to prove it, quite a few beads of sweat had formed on Sama Uiseong’s face.
“I’m fine with challenging it later.”
“That won’t do.”
“We can’t be the only ones who suffer, can we?!”
At Jeong Iryong’s attempt to subtly back out, Seo Joun—and Jeong Hyeon as well—shouted as if they could not accept it.
They could not bear the thought of being the only ones to go through it.
Since it had come to this, everyone had to experience it.
Step.
If possible, even Ban Hojin.
Given that his realm was on an entirely different level, he would not be easily taken in, but one never knew.
With Sama Uiseong’s bizarre and unfathomable illusory formation, it might even work on Ban Hojin.
Seo Joun and Jeong Hyeon exchanged glances filled with that very meaning.
“Fine. I figured you’d say that.”
“I’m counting on you, Uiseong.”
“I’ll try.”
The mental strength and internal energy Sama Uiseong had expended fighting Seo Joun were considerable, but this too was training.
Just as martial artists pushed their physical abilities to the limit, mental strength was no different.
If one surpassed their limits, their skill increased accordingly, so Sama Uiseong replied to Seo Joun with eyes full of motivation.
Step, step.
Listening to the conversation among his peers, Jeong Iryong walked over to the spot where Seo Joun had been standing moments ago.
Then he carefully surveyed his surroundings.
It was a place he had already looked at repeatedly, but viewing it from the outside and from the inside felt different.
In particular, as he looked at the long, slender poles densely planted all around, Jeong Iryong wore an expression of fascination.
“Are you ready?”
“You seem more excited than I am.”
“What are you talking about? I’m looking forward to your performance more than anyone here.”
“You’re probably expecting me to make a fool of myself.”
Jeong Iryong let out a snort of laughter.
His words and expression did not match at all.
Knowing all too well what Seo Joun was expecting, Jeong Iryong shook his head.
“May I begin?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll start.”
With Sama Uiseong’s firm reply, the surrounding scenery began to warp.
The illusory formation was unfolding in earnest.
The open clearing vanished, replaced by the sound of flowing water as the scenery shifted into a valley.
At the same time, a voluptuous woman appeared like a ghost.
“Come here. Or shall I go to you?”
An older woman with a sensual figure spoke toward Jeong Iryong in a voice brimming with allure.
She covered her vital areas with plain cloth, but perhaps because it was slightly wet, faint stains could be seen here and there.
“I surrender.”
“Hm?”
The woman with the sultry figure looked dumbfounded at the sudden declaration of surrender.
Her expression was identical to Sama Uiseong’s outside the illusory formation.
The same was true for Seo Joun and Jeong Hyeon, who had been watching with great anticipation.
“I surrender.”
When there was no reaction, Jeong Iryong—who had shut his eyes the moment the scenery changed—spoke again.
He wondered if they had failed to hear him.
“You played it smart.”
“Impossible! I can’t accept this!”
“That’s right!”
At Sama Uiseong’s gaze directed at him, Ban Hojin shrugged.
In a way, a duel was also a form of contest.
Since it was not proper etiquette to continue attacking someone who had admitted defeat, Ban Hojin nodded, signaling that it should end there.
However, Seo Joun and Jeong Hyeon seemed unable to accept the situation and burst out angrily.
“He said he surrenders—what do you expect us to do?”
“E-even so, once you’ve drawn your blade, you should at least cut a radish! How can you give up the moment it starts?”
“It’s right there.”
Seo Joun spoke as if he could not accept it, but the match had already been decided, and there was nothing Ban Hojin could do.
Seo Joun knew that as well, yet he felt too frustrated.
“That’s underhanded!”
“That’s how contests are. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But Uiseong.”
Jeong Iryong flashed an irritating smile toward the shouting Seo Joun, then looked at Sama Uiseong.
His eyes were filled with curiosity.
“Yes. Please go ahead.”
“Were the three of us each given a different woman?”
“That’s right. They were all different.”
“Was there a reason?”
“Matching them to each person’s preferences maximizes the effect.”
Seo Joun and Jeong Hyeon, who had been fuming, dropped their jaws.
It was something they had never even imagined.
Meanwhile, Jeong Iryong, who had asked the question, nodded.
His guess had been correct.
“That’s impressive. Honestly, I took a solid hit.”
“You didn’t even look properly.”
“I saw the face and overall outline. Thanks to the thick steam rising up, I didn’t have to see the important parts. But she was exactly my type. Almost unbelievably so. That’s why I suspected it. So it really was a tailored strategy.”
“Huh.”
“Wow.”
At the exchange between Jeong Iryong and Sama Uiseong, Seo Joun and Jeong Hyeon wore blank expressions.
They had not expected such meticulous targeting, so both were shocked.
They looked at Sama Uiseong with newly awakened eyes.
“I’ve been working hard too.”
“I know. But this time it was truly powerful. It made me realize again that martial arts aren’t everything.”
“It would’ve been more fun if Bang Yi and Murong Cheok had been here too.”
Unlike Jeong Iryong, who sincerely admired him, Seo Joun smacked his lips.
He wanted to see those two get caught in the illusory formation as well.
“There’ll be another chance.”
“You think so?”
“Of course.”
At the sight of Jeong Hyeon and Seo Joun huddling together and whispering as if plotting something in secret, Ban Hojin shook his head.
Though the age gap was small, compared to their peer Sama Uiseong, the difference was stark.
The words maturity and immaturity naturally came to mind, and Ban Hojin clicked his tongue silently.
“In any case, today isn’t the only day for sparring, so all of you think hard about it.”
“Is there a way to break it?”
“There are many methods. It’s just difficult to find them. Ideally, discovering your own method is the most certain approach.”
“Hmm!”
Jeong Iryong nodded.
It sounded like a textbook answer, yet it was also the most reliable method.
And Jeong Iryong did not dislike this kind of battle of wits.
“I won’t lose either.”
“Nor will I.”
“We’re in this too.”
“Of course.”
Sama Uiseong, Jeong Iryong, Seo Joun, and Jeong Hyeon locked eyes, their competitive spirits blazing.
Though they had lost today, their gazes and expressions declared that tomorrow would be different.
Yet even as he met the three pairs of burning eyes, Sama Uiseong did not shrink back.
Rather, he wore a confident smile.
“Good. That’s my friend!”
“It’s not just because you’re my friend. It’s for my own goal.”
“Oh? Then shouldn’t you try even harder to impress me? Wouldn’t you reach your goal faster if I helped you?”
“If I’m investing my time anyway, I’d rather ask Elder Brother than you.”
“You really do have a sharp tongue.”
Seo Joun grumbled.
He was not one to lose in verbal sparring elsewhere, but it did not work against Sama Uiseong.
“You have your own dream too. So just focus on that.”
“Right. Let’s both work hard.”
In the end, their conversation naturally flowed into mutual encouragement.
Seeing that, Ban Hojin smiled in satisfaction.
It was a smile whose meaning could not be discerned.
Roll.
At sunset, Ban Hojin visited the Abbot’s quarters.
Damhyeon had personally summoned him after a long while.
Usually, Ban Hojin went on his own at an appropriate time, but today a specific hour had been set, so he arrived without delay.
“Thank you.”
“You’ve been feeling a bit lonely lately, haven’t you?”
“Not really.”
“Heh heh. They say you may not notice when someone arrives, but you notice immediately when they leave. You were always together, and now they’re gone. The difference must feel even greater.”
Though Ban Hojin answered as if it were nothing, Damhyeon did not take his words at face value.
Moreover, since they had not returned to the Main House but instead headed to the battlefield, it was only natural to worry.
“I believe they’ll both do well. They’ve grown a lot.”
“You practically raised them yourself.”
“Not quite to that extent.”
“Oh? And yet. More importantly, you can probably guess why I called you.”
“To some degree. Has the destination been decided?”
Ban Hojin leisurely sipped his tea.
Shaolin Temple’s influence was immense—so much so that it was called the Great North Star of Jianghu.
And that meant the expectations placed upon Shaolin Temple were just as significant.
It was no coincidence that whenever the Martial Alliance was formed, the Abbot of Shaolin Temple became the Alliance Leader.
“Nothing definite yet. The talk is gradually surfacing, but no one is pressing strongly. It seems to be because we returned the martial arts manuals obtained from the Dark Moon Sect without keeping them.”
“Since we accepted no compensation, it could become a debt. Still, the act of recovering them itself holds meaning.”
“Indeed. But from another perspective, it shows they’re taking Nine Heavens Gate and Ironblood Fortress too lightly. The strength each faction has accumulated during this long peace is certainly formidable, but Ironblood Fortress and Nine Heavens Gate are tyrants who rule the Great Desert and Miaojiang respectively. They are by no means easy opponents.”
“That’s true.”
“The Beggars’ Sect Leader has been pointing out their complacent attitude, but it seems to have little effect.”
Damhyeon clicked his tongue with a regretful expression.
Even a ferocious tiger hunts with full strength, yet the current attitude of the Orthodox Martial World was not like that.
They were behaving as if they had already won before the fight even began.
In the case of Nine Heavens Gate, the matter had not even been settled yet.
“Which side worries you more, Master?”
“I worry about both, but the one that concerns me more is Ironblood Fortress. Nine Heavens Gate is feared for its poisons, but Ironblood Fortress is not. Everyone is underestimating them far too much.”