Chapter 707: Divine Dragon Martial Arts Festival.

Swaaaaah-.

The martial exhibition match ended, leaving only quiet silence and the sound of the wind on the stage.

In a situation where even breathing couldn’t be heard, I slowly lifted my head.

Before me, I saw the fallen Poongrim Witangwon.

Looking at him, I calmed my breathing.

‘Ah, I feel a bit sorry about this.’

At the same time, I chuckled sheepishly.

I could tell right away that he had reached the Hwagyeong realm.

I also knew he hadn’t been in the Hwagyeong realm for long.

Although he seemed to be hiding his aura, it kept leaking out bit by bit because he couldn’t control it.

Furthermore, I also knew why he was hiding his cultivation level despite that.

That’s why I felt slightly sorry.

After all, he should have been the star of the stage right now.

‘Thanks to this, things turned out this way, so I’m also grateful.’

I straightened my bent body.

Then.

“…What the….”

“Th-that’s….”

The quiet silence broke, and murmuring sounds began to spread.

“Poongrim Witangwon collapsed…?”

“Didn’t they say he was a martial artist of the Hwa, Hwagyeong realm?”

“Could it be that it was all a lie?”

Poongrim Witangwon had reached the Hwagyeong realm.

That was the information the martial artists in the audience had shouted.

Was it fake?

Such suspicion flashed by, but the martial artists watching were different.

“…No, Witangwon clearly reached the Hwagyeong realm. I, Lei Liqiang (Thunder Power Spear), will prove it.”

“Huk, Lei Liqiang…?!”

“Lei Liqiang…?”

“Y-yes. The giant with the long scar on his cheek. Lei, Lei Liqiang.”

Everyone focused their attention on the words of the man sitting in the audience.

Lei Liqiang, Bunrang.

He was a martial artist ranked among the Hundred Great Masters of the Central Plains.

Does that mean he was watching the martial arts festival from the audience seats?

And furthermore….

“Lei Liqiang has verified Poongrim Witangwon’s cultivation level.”

“…So, it’s true that Poongrim Witangwon is indeed Hwagyeong.”

Perhaps it was thanks to another Hwagyeong-level master speaking.

His words carried weight.

Poongrim Witangwon was indeed Hwagyeong.

As that fact surfaced, another question arose.

“Then… then, what was that just now?”

Someone’s single remark was the turning point.

“Then, what about So Yeomra? Didn’t So Yeomra defeat Poongrim Witangwon?”

“It must be sorcery, right?”

“Sorcery my ass. Have you forgotten where we are? What lunatic would use sorcery inside the Murim Alliance!”

“Besides, can sorcery even defeat a Hwagyeong martial artist…?”

“Then… does that mean this young man is also Hwagyeong?”

Along with the words, the people around looked at Lei Liqiang.

Suddenly caught in their gaze, Lei Liqiang was momentarily flustered.

Everyone seemed to expect a definitive answer from him, but.

“Hmm….”

Lei Liqiang couldn’t easily answer.

Because he himself hadn’t properly confirmed it.

The reason was.

‘I didn’t see it.’

Although he was called Lei Liqiang for using spear techniques faster than lightning, even Lei Liqiang couldn’t capture So Yeomra’s movements with his eyes.

Poongrim Witangwon might have blocked his view, but how did he take down his opponent in that brief moment?

‘Could it really be sorcery?’

Lei Liqiang even went so far as to think that.

Because it was something he couldn’t understand otherwise.

However, if it wasn’t sorcery.

‘…Has this young man reached Hwagyeong?’

This meant that So Yeomra was a Hwagyeong martial artist.

Moreover, not all Hwagyeong are the same.

Poongrim Witangwon was someone who had only recently reached that level.

Lei Liqiang also wouldn’t take long to defeat someone like Witangwon.

However.

‘He couldn’t defeat him that quickly.’

He couldn’t subdue him as quickly as Gu Yangcheon.

At least three exchanges.

He would have to exchange at least that many moves.

But this young man defeated Witangwon in an instant that even he didn’t notice, so Lei Liqiang had to frown and look at So Yeomra.

It wasn’t just Lei Liqiang.

Everyone was starting to realize.

“So Yeomra… what exactly is his identity? Is this young man really a Hwagyeong martial artist?”

“Come to think of it… I’ve heard rumors. Rumors that So Yeomra reached Hwagyeong a few years ago. Does that mean….”

“What are you talking about? So Yeomra is still in his early twenties. A few years ago….”

“Are you saying he reached it faster than the Dragon God? That’s no different from the Alliance officially verifying it.”

The questions grew.

They would pile up and turn into daggers.

The sharpened daggers would be aimed at the already shaky wall,

creating a crack in that wall.

Becoming daggers themselves.

Gu Yangcheon felt that reaction and looked at the referee.

“The result. You must announce it, shouldn’t you?”

“…!”

The referee reacted with a start at the voice.

Even he seemed not to have grasped the current situation.

“Ah, uh… uh….”

After stammering blankly for a moment, he seemed to regain his senses and quickly continued.

“The, the match is over. V, Victory for number eighteen-.”

“I’m number seventeen.”

“Ah.”

He still seemed out of it.

“Number seventeen… V… Victory.”

Even after the referee’s announcement, the murmuring continued.

Yes, let them voice their questions like that.

I had endured all this time precisely for these reactions.

Swoosh.

Gu Yangcheon turned his back as if he had no regrets and walked off the martial stage.

As he descended and disappeared, only talk about Gu Yangcheon flowed from the audience seats.

This was the situation Gu Yangcheon had longed for.

---

I walked.

I kept walking.

Slowly, without seeming rushed. As I moved my steps, gazes were fixed on me.

They were all the gazes of martial artists.

Those who had watched the recent match. They were all looking at my face.

They stopped glancing and started staring openly.

In those pouring gazes, various emotions could be felt.

Shock.

Doubt.

Wariness.

Fear.

It was a vortex of all sorts of emotions.

But it didn’t feel entirely bad.

“Witangwon in one strike…?”

“We didn’t even see his movement….”

“How did this happen….”

The murmuring voices gave me a slight headache.

The sight of insignificant beings yapping was truly laughable.

I couldn’t help but think that, so I had to suppress my inner feelings.

‘Damn it.’

I was doing okay lately, but as soon as I tried to show off a little, this happens.

Should I say my blood runs hot? I often felt this way.

Holding back a sigh, I walked to where Tang Soyeol and Bongsun-i were.

Tang Soyeol, spotting me, waved with a bright smile.

Strangely, seeing that made me feel a bit calmer.

“You worked hard.”

“Worked hard for what? I didn’t do anything.”

I don’t know why, but I felt a little embarrassed.

So, despite my inner feelings, I grumbled, but Tang Soyeol just smiled upon hearing it.

“You did work hard. You don’t like people staring at you, do you?”

“…”

I couldn’t deny it.

I chuckled sheepishly at Tang Soyeol’s words.

“You did well. Gongja-nim… you worked hard too.”

“Right! It was cool! Just like I said, you’re my perfect match….”

I forcefully smacked Bongsun-i on the forehead as she tried to spout nonsense given the opening.

“Kiyak!”

Bongsun-i, hit on the head, screamed and clutched the top of her head.

“Please… be quiet.”

“Kkeueueueue…! I… I feel good….”

“…”

This is dizzying.

My insides, which had just calmed down looking at Tang Soyeol, felt like they were about to explode looking at her.

“Puhuhut….”

Perhaps finding the situation amusing, Tang Soyeol also seemed to be barely holding back her laughter.

What a mess. A complete mess.

All the gazes are fixed on us, yet our atmosphere is different.

What’s strange is that it doesn’t feel entirely bad.

I shook my head and looked at Tang Soyeol.

“Aren’t you nervous?”

“Huh?”

The matches aren’t over until the fiftieth, so it should be Tang Soyeol’s turn next, but.

Even so, Tang Soyeol didn’t seem nervous at all.

Bongsun-i is less than human, so maybe, but why is she perfectly fine?

I asked Tang Soyeol with curious eyes, and she replied.

“He’s not someone to be nervous about.”

“Ah…”

I nodded, finding her answer understandable.

After all, facing that old man wouldn’t really cause much nervousness.

“Why? Do you think I’ll lose?”

“Nonsense. No way.”

There’s no such thing as absolute certainty, but there are probabilities, aren’t there?

Judging by that, the probability of Tang Soyeol losing to that old man was almost zero.

Unless Tang Soyeol intentionally threw the match, of course.

At my answer, Tang Soyeol said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Then you don’t have to worry.”

Hearing that, I slightly averted my gaze.

“Who said I was worried?”

I was found out.

I tried my best not to show it. How did she know?

“I don’t lose. Unless it’s Gongja-nim….”

Tang Soyeol said, erasing the smile she had been wearing.

“I have no intention of losing to anyone.”

To anyone.

The meaning behind those words struck me strangely.

It was confidence, if you call it that. It was competitiveness, if you call it that.

Was Tang Soyeol always like this? Or did the Dark King do something?

It looked good, but it also felt somewhat chilling.

“…Alright.”

Although I felt something strange, I didn’t pry.

Tang Soyeol also turned her gaze and started looking around.

There were still plenty of gazes looking this way.

It was partly my fault.

And half of it was Tang Soyeol’s fault too.

“A daughter of the Tang clan.”

“They call her Poisonous 봉, don’t they? As far as I know, she hadn’t surpassed the peak. How did she get this far?”

The martial artists murmured as they looked at Tang Soyeol.

“It’s obvious. She must have pulled some stunt again.”

“Indeed…”

The whispers weren’t pleasant.

The Tang clan’s reputation in the Central Plains was currently at its worst.

The human experiments conducted after kidnapping orphans.

Because that became known, discussions were ongoing about whether they should even remain among the Four Great Clans, let alone their position within the orthodox sects.

In such a situation, a blood relative of the sealed Tang clan appearing meant all the whispers were bound to be directed at Tang Soyeol.

“Though her clan is problematic, she is indeed quite lovely.”

“Are you going to trust her just based on her face? What kind of times are these… they’re all the same kind of people.”

“Tsk tsk. Even Yoo Tangeom was momentarily tempted, but the situation turned out this way because of her-.”

Sssuuh.

Unable to listen any longer, I unleashed my aura.

Gooooooo-!

“…Hieek!?”

“Heop…”

Those guys started trembling from my killing intent.

It was hard to endure.

Should I kill them?

Or should I burn them starting from their toes?

Unable to control my emotions, I was about to walk towards them when.

Taak.

Tang Soyeol grabbed my hand, stopping me just like last time.

The difference from last time was.

“Gongja-nim.”

“…”

At the clear voice, I looked at Tang Soyeol.

Tang Soyeol’s eyes were unwavering.

“Please don’t.”

Her request was the same as before.

But.

“If I just stay in Gongja-nim’s arms like this, I can’t do anything.”

“…!”

At Tang Soyeol’s words, this time it was my turn to freeze stiffly.

“I don’t want to live like that.”

“You…”

“Honestly, I’m very happy. Just having Gongja-nim protect me makes me feel like I have the world. But… I can’t just live like that.”

“What do you mean?”

I asked, flustered, but Tang Soyeol smiled slightly and continued speaking to me.

“Walking together doesn’t mean that, does it?”

“…”

“I want to walk alongside Gongja-nim.”

My breath caught at her words, which held so much meaning.

It was even more so because I could feel Tang Soyeol’s sincerity.

“That’s why I came. To show you.”

“Show me? Show me what?”

“That I can stand tall without Gongja-nim’s help. Not just walk, but run and even fly.”

“…”

“So… please just watch for a moment. I ask you.”

The grip on my hand tightened.

Feeling the cold yet warm touch, I retracted the aura I had been emitting.

Saaaaah….

As I withdrew my killing intent, those who had been crushed by my aura collapsed.

“Heok…. Heok…”

“Ooeek…!”

Those with lower cultivation levels even vomited.

Watching them, I walked back and crossed my arms.

“Thank you. Gongja-nim.”

“…”

I didn’t answer, frowning.

It wasn’t that I disliked Tang Soyeol’s attitude.

It was because I disliked myself for not being able to hold back and step in, even while implicitly understanding Tang Soyeol’s feelings.

At the same time, I was curious.

‘What on earth is she going to show me….’

What is Tang Soyeol trying to show me by doing this?

With what feelings, trying to do what, going this far?

Doubts began to sprout little by little, but.

Those doubts were resolved not long after.

---

The martial stage where I had been standing just moments before.

Someone lay bleeding on the cold marble floor.

“Kkeueuk… keuk.”

The one sobbing in pain was Yoo Tangeom, one of the Hundred Great Masters of the Central Plains.

He was a famous master said to have reached the Hwagyeong realm.

Such a figure was bleeding and struggling, and watching Yoo Tangeom, the audience was silent, just like before.

Just then.

Kkuuk-!

Someone lightly stepped on Yoo Tangeom’s face as he lay there.

“Kkeuhueuk!”

Yoo Tangeom couldn’t even scream properly.

Watching him, the owner of the foot.

Tang Soyeol said with a bewitching smile.

“Senior. You need to get up.”

At that voice, the onlookers trembled.

It was cold, yet alluring.

“Or are you just going to lie there like a dog? Truly… disgracefully….”

Her gaze was cast downwards endlessly.

Her white calf, slightly visible between her clothes.

And Yoo Tangeom squirming beneath it.

In this utterly bizarre situation, I stared blankly at Tang Soyeol.

…Was this what she meant by showing me…?

If so, then something was very, very wrong.