Chapter 154: Friendly Martial Arts Tournament. (7)

A sphere of flames completely enveloping the martial arts stage.

I couldn’t even imagine how many bets were placed to use that flame.

The blazing heat blocked the surrounding gazes.

Making it impossible to know what was happening inside.

“What? What’s going on?”

“I can’t see…!”

“Show us already! What’s happening!”

The spectators, watching with trembling eyes, began to murmur about the unfolding situation.

It happened in an instant.

Brain Dragon had gotten up with a tired look, and Gu Yangcheon had suddenly grabbed and confined Namgung Cheonjun.

The blazing flames controlled the internal situation.

Thanks to that, even the Sword Brigade member from the Alliance officiating looked flustered, unsure of what to do.

“Isn’t it quite amazing?”

A young man watching from afar said with a smile.

He looked at the martial arts stage, smiling with his eyes as if enjoying the breeze.

“I didn’t think it would be to that extent, but it seems I was wrong again.”

The young man’s black martial arts uniform fluttered in the wind.

Interesting.

I’ve never had an opponent this interesting in my life.

That boy always made my heart burn. Look now.

Didn’t he just leap beyond my expectations?

‘If we fought, could I win?’

It seemed possible, for now.

For now, that is.

As the young man in black, Peng Yujin, calmed his excited heart, the boy standing next to him asked with a frown.

“Did you call me here just to say that?”

The one speaking in a somewhat low voice was none other than Jang Seonyeon.

Peng Yujin chuckled slightly as he looked at the boy.

“Of course not, I wouldn’t call a busy young master like you for such trivial matters.”

“Then why?”

“Because I thought it would be fun to watch together?”

It was ultimately a nonsensical remark.

Jang Seonyeon frowned at Peng Yujin’s confident words.

Seeing that, Peng Yujin chuckled and added.

“I was joking.”

“I know.”

“Tsk, how boring.”

“Get to the point. I can’t stay long either.”

At Jang Seonyeon’s words, Peng Yujin completely erased his smile.

It was the same face he showed Namgung Cheonjun in the past.

The air suddenly changed, and Jang Seonyeon felt a tightness in his chest.

Did he express his internal energy? Surely not.

If not, was it purely his presence?

“I sought out Young Master Jang because I have something I want to ask.”

“Ask away.”

“Why did you summon Young Master Namgung?”

Jang Seonyeon’s eyes lit up at Peng Yujin’s words.

Jang Seonyeon met his gaze for a moment, then turned his head slightly and replied.

“It must have been necessary.”

“That insignificant talent, you mean?”

“Brain Dragon is not insignificant.”

Peng Yujin burst into loud laughter at Jang Seonyeon’s words.

“Stop saying things you don’t mean. It’s disgusting.”

“…Young Master Peng, please watch your words?”

“Why? Are you feeling disgusted? Because someone like the Young Master of the Peng family dares to speak carelessly.”

Peng Yujin’s words were full of barbs.

It felt completely different from the tone he usually used with Gu Yangcheon.

It seemed cold and tedious.

“Young Master Peng.”

“I don’t think you know nothing. Isn’t that right? Everything laid out in this game is for you.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Words? Not really. I’m not in a position to give advice, and certainly not to empathize.”

“Then what exactly are you trying to do?”

“If I had to say, perhaps comfort?”

“What the…”

Peng Yujin’s gaze shifted back from Jang Seonyeon to the martial arts stage.

Then, a smile slowly began to bloom again, as if it had been waiting.

“How does it look?”

“…”

Jang Seonyeon looked at the martial arts stage as Peng Yujin said.

Even from a considerable distance, the blazing flames caught his eye.

Peng Yujin’s voice echoed in his ears.

“I believe Young Master Jang is fortunately someone who knows his place. Though Brain Dragon seems not to.”

Is he saying I’m lacking?

The mask I tried so hard to create kept cracking in front of this man.

Is it because he keeps poking at my vulnerabilities?

“That boy will gain much from this incident.”

“I know. He seems like an outstanding person.”

Peng Yujin chuckled softly at Jang Seonyeon’s calm voice.

“Is that all?”

“What more do you expect?”

“Didn’t I tell you? If anything, I said I wanted to offer comfort.”

“Comfort about what?”

“Comfort about the things you won’t gain from this incident.”

Jang Seonyeon’s shoulders trembled at Peng Yujin’s words.

At the same time, a blue aura flickered in his eyes.

Swirling internal energy. The surrounding air gradually grew heavy.

“I clearly told you to watch your words.”

“Oh… my, this is scary. It seems I’ve angered Young Master Jang quite a bit.”

Jang Seonyeon’s killing intent deepened, but Peng Yujin’s expression didn’t change.

He was even smiling nonchalantly.

Seeing that, Jang Seonyeon clicked his tongue and released his killing intent.

This was just bravado.

Because he couldn’t handle Peng Yujin yet.

“It seems Young Master Peng doesn’t like me.”

Peng Yujin replied with a smile to Jang Seonyeon’s words.

“Of course not, I quite like you, Young Master Jang?”

That’s absurd.

How could I possibly believe him after talking like this?

“You don’t seem to believe me, but it’s true. While I’m not at the level to be sworn brothers, I do quite like you, Young Master Jang. You are certainly someone who can shine.”

Though it might be too late, Peng Yujin didn’t bother adding anything further.

“As you said, it’s not believable. Your attitude towards me hasn’t been good since the moment we first met.”

“I’m being relatively kind here, why? Do you want me to love you or something?”

At Peng Yujin’s words, Jang Seonyeon finally dropped his mask and showed a rough expression.

His face was filled with disgust.

“Don’t worry, you’re not quite at that level, Young Master Jang.”

Peng Yujin wasn’t lying.

He actually thought quite highly of Jang Seonyeon.

That boy was indeed a star born to shine brightly.

It’s just that.

‘He’s simply futile in the face of a brighter, more dazzling light.’

That was the only reason.

“Just be honest. You’re just taking out your frustration because you don’t like me.”

Jang Seonyeon’s sudden words.

Peng Yujin looked at him with surprise.

“Isn’t it that you don’t like that Brain Dragon, whom you dismissed as untalented, received the baptism first?”

“Oh…”

Peng Yujin uttered an exclamation for the first time.

It wasn’t because Jang Seonyeon had guessed Peng Yujin’s inner thoughts.

It was closer to wondering how he could even think such a thing.

“This involved a lot of Heavenly Venerate’s will… As for Meteor’s will…”

“You seem to be mistaken, Young Master Jang.”

Jang Seonyeon fell silent for a moment at Peng Yujin’s deepened voice.

“I have no interest in baptisms or whatever, Meteor or otherwise.”

“What on earth does that…”

“I’m sorry, but I am strong even without that trivial stuff. And I will become stronger. I will rise higher than anyone else.”

His arrogant words were full of confidence.

The presence I’d been feeling grew even stronger.

Jang Seonyeon swallowed dryly.

Just as Peng Yujin knew something about Jang Seonyeon’s true nature, Jang Seonyeon also knew something about Peng Yujin’s true nature.

That guy is an abyss.

You couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and if you dug deeper, you’d just keep going down endlessly.

It was an darkness of unknown depth.

What was scarier was that he didn’t even try to hide it.

“…So, do you think I might lose to that Young Master?”

“I want to ask the opposite. Do you think you can win? Against that monster?”

Monster.

Peng Yujin, who was ruthless in evaluating others, dared to utter the word ‘monster’.

Gu Yangcheon.

It was already a name that bothered me strangely.

Where did this name come from?

All I know is that he’s a child of the Gu family.

The Shanxi Gu family.

It’s a truly unsettling place.

Even the Abbot of Shaolin, who could read a thousand miles, said not to touch Sword Peak, who was ranked number one after Peng Yujin, simply because he was of the Gu bloodline.

‘Even so, he’s just a regular martial artist at best.’

Even if he had crossed a wall, I wasn’t scared.

I admit his talent is on another level, but that’s all.

Setting aside Peng Yujin next to me.

Is Gu Yangcheon truly a being worth such consideration? Jang Seonyeon didn’t think so.

The incompetent Brain Dragon hadn’t received the energy long ago and likely didn’t know how to use it properly, which is why he ended up like this.

‘…It was unexpected that Brain Dragon was pushed back, though.’

I thought it would be comparable or slightly more advantageous.

I never expected him to crush him so overwhelmingly.

The muscles in my back tightened slightly.

It was because my muscles tensed up the moment I replayed the recent match.

As if that guy’s existence posed a threat to me.

Peng Yujin glanced briefly at Jang Seonyeon, then looked away.

He simply watched the martial arts stage again.

‘How did he do it?’

Holding a small question.

‘How did you notice, Young Master Gu.’

Peng Yujin doesn’t know the details about the baptism that takes place in the underground of the Martial Arts Alliance.

And he didn’t want to know.

But he could feel it.

That fishy, cold energy.

Others didn’t seem to feel it, but he thought it was because they lacked talent.

‘Then, did you feel it?’

Gu Yangcheon was different.

Peng Yujin was certain. He must have noticed it too.

Because his previous move indicated as much.

As Brain Dragon gathered energy, he immediately unleashed his true power and charged.

‘Though that might also be insufficient to call it true power.’

Gu Yangcheon’s realm, which used to appear clear in the past, was now blurry.

If even Peng Yujin, whose senses were significantly developed, could no longer see it easily.

‘Good. So good.’

Like Sword Peak of Haohe County, the Shanxi Gu family was clearly a dragon’s den.

I covet it.

If the situation allowed, I would have abandoned my position as Young Master immediately and headed there.

That was also the reason Peng Yujin deliberately ran away from home, wanting to become a sword disciple of the Gu family.

Although I failed.

Gurgle-gurgle-

The constantly churning dantian is bothersome.

Peng Yujin had to suppress the killing intent trying to leak out of his body.

He had to kill the growling internal energy that puffed out like snorts.

How long has it been since I felt like this?

It must be the first time since parting ways with Sword Peak at the Dragon God Temple.

Peng Yujin’s world is gray.

It had lost its color and was merely numb.

It wasn’t a problem with his eyes, but rather Peng Yujin himself tended to see the world that way.

This perspective made the world uninteresting to Peng Yujin.

Furthermore, Peng Yujin’s talent, which might have reached the heavens, also contributed to making his life boring.

To such Peng Yujin, very occasionally, there were people who possessed other colors.

They were like a ray of light in his otherwise boring life.

Jang Seonyeon beside him was also shining, but unlike before, he was exceedingly frail.

Perhaps it was because he did something else.

Unlike him, that boy is exceptional.

Not only does he shine the brightest himself, but even the people around him have started to shine.

Could it be contagious?

‘Even those who had no color have started to gain color.’

Tang Xiaoye was a prime example.

The girl whose eye alone used to shine had, before long, begun to spread a bright color throughout her entire body.

And it was clear that this originated from that boy.

This was Peng Yujin’s first experience. That’s why he felt it so intensely.

The process of color being applied to the colorless.

Is it that beautiful?

‘If such a miracle is possible.’

Perhaps, could he also give me color?

Peng Yujin thought as he looked at Gu Yangcheon, who was emitting bright flames in the distance.

Because in this gray world, the darkest thing was none other than himself.

---

“What the hell is this guy.”

I released the grip on Namgung Cheonjun’s neck.

“Why the hell did you piss yourself.”

This is unbelievable.

I rushed in due to the chilling energy and subdued him first.

I didn’t expect him to end up like this.

“…No, what the…”

Although the situation was somewhat urgent and I was a bit rough, I didn’t expect him to wet himself.

Still, for someone who’s supposed to be of noble lineage.

“He put on all sorts of airs about his pride. I’m dumbfounded.”

He even fainted.

What kind of total mess is this?

‘What should I do about this…?’

There wasn’t enough time to grab him and interrogate him right away.

The important thing was that we were in the middle of a match in front of many people.

And in that situation, this bastard pissed himself and fainted.

Oh, my god…

I didn’t care if he fainted or not.

I didn’t care if he pissed himself or not. Lucky him! Cheonjun here will get a new nickname this time.

Wouldn’t ‘Piss Dragon’ (尿龍) suit him better than ‘Brain Dragon’?

“This isn’t the time for such thoughts.”

Even I found it laughable, but the situation wasn’t good right now.

I had put up a wall so people couldn’t see from the outside, but it consumed more internal energy than the technique I used at the start of the match.

It meant it wouldn’t last long.

Enough distracting thoughts, first I immediately brought my hand to Namgung Cheonjun’s body.

It felt quite unpleasant to touch him for some reason, but the situation was urgent.

‘…As expected.’

I felt internal energy and another energy from Namgung Cheonjun’s body.

‘Demonic energy… No.’

It wasn’t demonic energy.

This was something I had already anticipated.

If it were demonic energy, I would have sensed it the moment I saw him.

It was similar, yet somehow different.

And I knew this kind of energy.

Having experienced it quite a bit myself, it was an energy somewhat familiar to my body.

“…Wi Seol-ah.”

The three-character name I blurted out unintentionally.

It was quite similar to the energy I could feel little by little from Wi Seol-ah in my past life.

To be precise, it felt weaker than that.

Like.

It reminded me of how the demonic energy possessed by the current Black Night Palace guys was infinitely trivial and low-quality compared to the Heavenly Demon’s.

Because it felt the same way.

“Why?”

Why does Wi Seol-ah’s energy surface here?

Why does this guy possess such energy?

As questions piled upon questions, the flames surrounding us gradually weakened.

Because my internal energy was starting to run low.

“…Tsk!”

There’s still so much I need to figure out.

I diverted my remaining internal energy into heat and used it on Namgung Cheonjun.

The smell of urine wafted up for a moment, but it wasn’t a problem drying his clothes.

‘I don’t care what happens to this guy.’

Honestly, even if he were called Namgung Piss-pants or Piss Dragon, I wouldn’t feel a shred of sympathy.

The problem was his surname, Namgung.

A woman who often fell asleep near me came to mind, so this was the last consideration I gave, holding back my urge.

Just as Namgung Cheonjun’s clothes were drying in an instant.

Ssssh-

“…!”

Feeling a strange sensation crawling up my arm, I suddenly jumped up and created distance.

Immediately after, the barrier blocking the surrounding gazes was instantly released.

I could feel gazes pouring in from all directions again.

Urgently, the Alliance member officiating rushed between me and Namgung Cheonjun to check.

I was standing fine.

Namgung Cheonjun lay there as if dead.

The match was already decided.

I even held back when hitting him, so there shouldn’t be major physical problems.

Although, I did hit him a bit harder at the end, which could be a problem.

“…Quarter-finals, Shanxi Gu family’s Gu Yangcheon wins.”

A short phrase containing internal energy spread around my ears.

The implications of these words were so significant that the backlash appeared immediately.

-!!

The crowd’s cheers, unintelligible, filled my ears.

This was something I had wanted from the beginning.

Gaining even a little fame was the reason I came here, and the most important goal.

I could tell from the surrounding cheers.

That my three-character name had properly registered in their minds.

However, neither the ear-splitting cheers nor the childhood fame I never felt in my past life.

Were important matters to me now.

I was enduring the chilling foreign sensation seeping into my body through my arm.

I tried to block it somehow, but the foreign sensation eventually burrowed into my dantian and settled in as if it owned the place.

Right.

I had absorbed something from Namgung Cheonjun’s body, something that wasn’t demonic energy.

“…Ah, please, you crazy pig bastard.”

I’m already going crazy with so many guys using my body like their own house.

Suddenly, another one was added.

“It’s not demonic energy, so why are you eating it…!! Stop eating!”

As I shouted, the referee next to me flinched in surprise.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to care about that.

An incident that happened in an instant.

Because of it, I had to wipe my face amidst the pouring cheers.

And.

[Hee… hee…]

Was it my imagination?

I thought I heard a sound like a satisfied chuckle from somewhere.