Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Unbelievable. Just how could such a result have come about?
So Hae, the Left Guardian of the Sun–Moon Divine Cult, widened her eyes as she stared at the devastation before her.
Youngho, kneeling on one knee as he gasped for breath.
Cheon Muback, by contrast, lying unconscious with his eyes rolled back.
There was no need to even state who the victor was and who the loser was.
‘Was that brat really that strong?’
No, the martial might she had sensed from that man named Youngho had definitely not been that powerful.
‘At the very least, I thought the Young Cult Leader was a step above him!’
Yet her expectation had been thoroughly shattered. So Hae ground her teeth and glared at Youngho.
At that moment, Youngho’s eyes met So Hae’s. Noticing that she was staring at him, Youngho smiled faintly.
It was such a radiant smile that anyone who saw it would naturally feel uplifted. Some young ladies admired Youngho’s handsome appearance, while others blushed.
Youngho wiped away the sticky blood clinging to his lips with his sleeve.
Deliberately, so that it would appear as though he had suffered an internal injury. To be precise, Youngho had not suffered even the slightest internal injury. He had merely staged it to make it seem as though he had.
But this performance was extremely important. It would serve as justification for losing to Namgung Cheon.
‘Since it looked like I suffered a fairly serious internal injury, it should be fine even if I lose overwhelmingly, right?’
Before the final match began, the Referee had given Namgung Cheon and Youngho about a quarter-hour of rest.
Youngho pretended to recover from his internal injury. Until the quarter-hour had completely passed, he only performed Circulation and Regulation of Qi, and when he climbed back onto the sparring stage, cold sweat poured down his face.
Seeing him like that, Namgung Cheon looked at Youngho with a regretful expression.
Youngho carried his acting through to the very end with all his strength.
“Please do not hold back.”
Namgung Cheon let out a low groan as though his thoughts had been seen through.
“Understood.”
The Referee widened the distance between the two and announced the start of the match.
As everyone had expected, Youngho was helplessly defeated by Namgung Cheon’s sword, which carried overwhelmingly powerful internal energy.
His body, being pushed back without resistance, looked more precarious than ever, causing Sopyung—watching from the spectator stands—to make a tearful face.
“Young Master!”
“Sopyung, calm yourself.”
“Grandfather! But still!”
“There is nothing that can be done. It seems winning this Dragon–Phoenix Gathering will be difficult.”
“It’s such a shame.”
“If he rises after this defeat, the Young Master will only grow stronger.”
Of course, Horyeung let out a low groan, for he knew the reason why Youngho was acting that way.
‘I’ve felt this before, but he’s someone who would toss a martial artist’s pride into soup and eat it with rice.’
Though the reward was excessive for a mere junior disciple to possess, he had chosen to cast aside the fame that came with it….
‘He truly is an unpredictable man.’
Yet a pleased smile lingered at Horyeung’s lips as he thought that.
It was the smile of someone who knew that Youngho would cast aside all pride in order to protect those around him.
KWA-AANG!
With a tremendous roar, Youngho was sent flying off the sparring stage.
“Cough!”
Spitting blood once more, Youngho slowly rose to his feet and spoke.
“……I have learned much.”
With those words, Youngho lost consciousness. Of course, even that was part of his final act.
It was a flawless final. A legendary final that was good for both Namgung Cheon and Youngho.
The people went wild with excitement and cheers. Some said that had Youngho not suffered an internal injury, he might have defeated Namgung Cheon, while others heatedly debated whether the two would have been evenly matched.
As the Murim Alliance Leader, Han Yonghu advised Namgung Cheon on the path he would now walk, and along with that, presented him with the prize for victory.
And Namgung Cheon displayed the greatness of the Namgung Clan’s sword, elevating the pride of the Orthodox Sect.
Once all the award ceremonies had ended, the people began to celebrate. More precisely, the festival of the junior disciples who had participated in the Dragon–Phoenix Gathering had begun.
“Drink! Today we drink until we die!”
“Ah! That’s my meat!”
“I absolutely crushed those bastards from the Iron Fist Sect!”
Most of those participating in the festival were members of the Orthodox Sect. The Unorthodox Faction members and the Demonic Cult members merely gathered quietly among themselves in the corners instead of joining the main celebration.
“Waaah! It’s such a shame!”
Sopyung was crying as she drank.
“Sopyung, perhaps you should stop drinking now….”
“If only there hadn’t been an internal injury! No, if only there had been time to recover!”
Horyeung flustered as he looked at Sopyung, whose eyes were glistening with tears as she drank.
Watching the scene, Youngho snickered. Sopyung did not know. That he himself was the true victor of this Dragon–Phoenix Gathering.
‘Still, there’s nothing to gain from telling her.’
Such things were meant to be told only to someone who would not let it slip. Moreover, there was no reason to tell Sopyung in particular.
Perhaps because she was drunk, Sopyung broke into a wide grin.
“Still, second place is still great!”
Of course, her regret over first place was still immense.
‘Then shall I go take the Grand Reversion Pill?’
Youngho slowly rose from his seat and was about to head back to his quarters without his companions noticing.
“You are here.”
A voice flowed in, like beautiful jade beads rolling across silk.
So that no one else could hear, Youngho clicked his tongue softly.
“What brings you here, Miss?”
At Youngho’s question, Zhuge Lianhua smiled brightly and said,
“I wanted to speak with you.”
“For someone who says that, you brought quite a large escort, did you not?”
For a brief moment, Zhuge Lianhua’s lips trembled slightly.
‘Was it a guess?’
She could not tell. Nothing could be read from Youngho’s current expression.
“Did you truly suffer an internal injury?”
“What are you saying? Of course I suffered an internal injury. Did you not see me cough up stagnant blood?”
Feigning perfect ignorance as though he truly did not understand what she was talking about, Zhuge Lianhua became even more confused.
Meanwhile, Youngho slowly surveyed his surroundings. Not with his eyes, but with his senses.
‘Four at the Transcendent Peak Master level, and about ten at the Master Level.’
He had sensed the presences watching him even before Zhuge Lianhua appeared, and at first he had wondered whether it was the Alliance Leader’s doing.
But it seemed more likely that they were Zhuge Lianhua’s escorts.
‘I thought the Alliance Leader was about to start an Orthodox–Unorthodox War.’
Though there were areas where their interests aligned due to the common enemy of the Demonic Cult, Han Yonghu and Cheonung stood in positions that could never truly mix.
Especially since he did not know the current Alliance Leader. He did not know what kind of man Han Yonghu was, nor what hidden ambitions he harbored.
If one were to say he was being too rude toward the Murim Alliance Leader, he would have no retort. But at the very least, as a member of the Unorthodox Faction, one had to always keep such worst-case assumptions in mind.
“Miss. There are many members of the Unorthodox Faction here, so it would be best if you were careful. Since you came ‘alone,’ that is.”
Was it merely his imagination that he emphasized the word alone? No, it was certainly not.
Zhuge Lianhua looked past Youngho toward the people behind him, who were still noisily holding their feast.
‘Is that one Jongpal?’
She had roughly memorized the names and appearances of those who attended Youngho.
‘He seems more terrifying than I thought.’
Aside from one young girl, every Unorthodox Faction member before her was wary of Zhuge Lianhua. No, not only that.
They were continuously watching places suitable for ambush. To check whether someone was hiding there or not.
“Miss. So what did you wish to speak with me about?”
“Would you follow me first?”
“They say one should not follow strangers.”
“You have a peculiar way of expressing a firm refusal.”
The two exchanged words with soft laughter.
‘What a sly fox of a woman.’
‘With such an innocent-looking face, yet he refuses to take the bait?’
“I simply wished to speak briefly. A conversation that others must not hear.”
“Ha ha. They say even the mice hear what is spoken at night. I’m afraid that would be impossible.”
In that instant, Youngho’s figure vanished. Just as Zhuge Lianhua was about to react to his sudden disappearance—
Ssaak!
Those who had been escorting Zhuge Lianhua also failed to track Youngho’s movement and revealed themselves to protect her.
‘You fools!’
The man who had been standing before her had no reason to kill her. Yet merely because they had lost track of his movement, they exposed themselves to protect her.
Though that was their role, their excessive loyalty had now turned against them.
Soon, Youngho appeared from behind a building and said,
“Miss, it seems there truly was a mouse. I sensed someone leaking killing intent and went to check….”
Dragging someone along, Youngho looked at Zhuge Lianhua.
“…Could it be that these were mice targeting you? Though, judging by the way they surrounded you, it rather looks as if they were trying to protect you.”
Seeing Youngho smiling brightly, Zhuge Lianhua felt flames rising from deep within her heart. Still, she clearly knew what she had to do.
“I apologize. It is my fault for failing to control my subordinates.”
“Indeed. I thought we would be speaking alone. Had the others wished to attend as well, they could have said so… How unfortunate.”
As Youngho finished speaking and turned to leave, Zhuge Lianhua hurriedly spoke.
“Namgung Cheon.”
He halted.
At the single name Namgung Cheon, Youngho turned his head back toward her.
“Does Young Hero Namgung Cheon have some business with me?”
“…It is also my business.”
“I see. Then let us go.”
“Pardon?”
“I said you should lead the way.”
“No, that’s not what I meant….”
Youngho tilted his head as though he truly could not understand.
“Did you not say you had business with me?”
At this point, she almost wanted to ask whether he was genuinely unaware or merely pretending.
‘He’s completely turning my insides upside down.’
Though Zhuge Lianhua perfectly concealed her expression, Youngho—who had come to read her emotional cues during the war against the Demonic Cult before his Regression—smiled with an innocent face.
‘Why do something that won’t even yield a return?’
“Hoo…. Follow me.”
“You may bring your escorts.”
As if I wasn’t planning to!
Though she was thoroughly irritated by the way Youngho spoke as if granting her a favor, Zhuge Lianhua maintained her impassive expression and turned to walk ahead.
Before long, they arrived at the place where the Orthodox Sect members were celebrating. Youngho looked at Zhuge Lianhua with a bored expression.
“It is here.”
The moment Zhuge Lianhua turned around, the presences of those escorting her vanished.
‘They hid?’
No.
‘They left altogether.’
She must have given the order in advance.
“Shall I enter?”
“Yes.”
Hearing the faint irritation in her voice, Youngho smiled in satisfaction.
‘Teasing this woman is always amusing.’
As befitted someone bearing the surname Zhuge, Zhuge Lianhua loved calculations and things proceeding according to plan.
But even before his Regression, she had failed to calculate Youngho. And now that he had returned and become even more slippery, could she truly calculate him?
In Youngho’s opinion, it was impossible.
Opening the door and entering the room, he saw Namgung Cheon already seated as if he had been waiting.
Seeing Youngho arrive, Namgung Cheon rose and said,
“Thank you for coming.”
“Not at all. I should be the one thanking you for the invitation.”
Despite his polite tone, Youngho sat down with an indifferent expression. After he sat, Zhuge Lianhua and Namgung Cheon also took their seats. At the same time, a subtle tension began to flow between them.
Namgung Cheon dispensed with any preamble and spoke as though he had been waiting to say it.
“Why did you deliberately lose?”
‘Hmm?’
Look at this bastard?