Chapter 685: Tang Soyeol of the Tang Clan.

“What did you say…?”

Yutan Geom, his face hardening, looked at the woman.

Meeting her lightly shining, pale green eyes, his flaw began to stir.

“What did you just say?”

A chilling aura spread across the floor.

“Wha…!?”

“What the…!”

The surrounding martial artists flinched and trembled.

The aura emanating from the Hwagyeong martial artist began to spread around them.

The onlookers clutched their bodies as if overcome by a chill.

The martial artists had to grip their beloved weapons, forming a circle.

Hwagyeong meant an absolute master.

It was a supreme state reached by those with talent through endless effort.

As a martial artist who had reached that level revealed his aura, the summer air began to cool chillingly.

“Are you sure you said that to me?”

Yutan Geom’s hardened expression and his incredibly sharp aura.

The smirking Yutan Geom was gone, replaced by a supreme master.

“Just because I found you beautiful and acknowledged your worth, you crawl up endlessly. A bug? You called me, Yutan Geom, a bug?”

Young and beautiful.

Moreover, even though she was ruined, she was the daughter of a prestigious family, so I approached her specifically, thinking I might take her in.

‘A bug?’

What had this insignificant girl dared to say to him?

Yutan Geom couldn’t comprehend it.

‘Is a descendant of a long-ruined, fallen house still unable to abandon their pride?’

Tangmun had lost its past glory, was pointed at, and lived in hiding, yet…

This girl seemed unaware of that.

Then again.

‘They soared high only to fall in an instant, so perhaps she can’t accept it.’

That was Tangmun, one of the Four Great Families.

It was the source of unique poison arts that no one could challenge, and the majority of the iron weapons spread throughout the Central Plains belonged to Tangmun.

If they had just maintained their position, there would have been no problem.

Tangmun crossed a line they shouldn’t have crossed in order to protect its glory, and once that fact became known, Tangmun had to step down as if collapsing.

They lost the power of a prestigious family.

They had to let most of what they possessed dissipate into thin air.

So, where did Tangmun stand now?

One could tell from the way people looked at the woman.

Their gazes were cold and sharp.

There were no gazes of admiration or envy like those directed at the talented descendants of prestigious families.

As soon as they knew she was a Tangmun relative, gazes close to contempt settled upon her.

That was Tangmun’s current position.

‘What makes this bitch so great that she holds her head so high?’

Despite the contempt and disillusionment, the woman’s eyes were still beautiful.

Her determined eyes fully met Yutan Geom’s gaze.

She didn’t waver even under the heavy aura.

‘She’s desirable.’

Yutan Geom found himself thinking that without realizing it.

Despite her beautiful appearance, her inexplicable confidence angered him, yet also made him desire her.

I truly want to possess her.

Such thoughts made him gather strength below his dantian.

“Do you not know your place? Or have you forgotten it? Your words are truly harsh.”

What did she say?

Did she say she’d never let me possess her, even if she died?

“…Haha! If you’re still thinking of the Tangmun of old, that’s a huge mistake. Or perhaps, you don’t even know who I, Yutan Geom, am.”

“How could I not know? I know very well. Senior-nim.”

Though her tone, which had been like a blade moments ago, now shifted back to one of elegance…

Yutan Geom, having already seen and heard, didn’t properly register it.

“And yet you acted like that towards me? Miss, you must be greatly mistaken about something.”

Yutan Geom’s eyes flashed as he unleashed more aura.

“Nngh!”

“This…!”

The surrounding martial artists let out groans close to screams.

“It’s not that I am too good for you, Miss. You truly seem to not know that I am too good for you.”

Confidence is good, but you need to know your place.

How dare she stand so tall against me? Speaking with that intent…

Pfft.

A laugh was heard from in front of him.

Yutan Geom’s brow furrowed completely at the sound.

“Laughing?”

“Ah, I apologize. I couldn’t help it.”

Even as she spoke, Tang Soyeol seemed unable to hold back her laughter.

“What’s so funny? Was what I said that amusing?”

“Yes. I tried not to, but it was quite funny.”

Tang Soyeol, covering her mouth as she laughed for a moment, continued speaking to Yutan Geom with a look of amusement.

“It’s truly difficult to say whether I should thank you for finding my body desirable, or find it disgusting.”

Yutan Geom frowned as he listened.

Her words were one thing, but another part was the problem.

‘When did she pull her hand away?’

He had definitely been holding her wrist, but Tang Soyeol had somehow retrieved her hand.

He hadn’t let go, though.

“First, I’ll firmly tell you, brainwashing myself with gratitude: unfortunately, my body already has an owner.”

“Are you saying you have a fiancé?”

“It’s a heart I hold alone. It’s just that I have no intention of letting anyone else taste it besides him.”

“Hah.”

Does she mean she’s practicing pure love, even without being engaged?

Just as Yutan Geom was about to let out a hollow laugh…

“However, if someone superior to him appears, I might give my body and heart. But…”

Tang Soyeol said to Yutan Geom, tidying her hair with one hand.

“Neither a senior like you, who is like a bug, nor any other person is better than him. So don’t be disappointed.”

“…Well now.”

As soon as Tang Soyeol finished speaking, Yutan Geom smiled.

Simultaneously, strength gathered in his dantian, and his aura burst forth even more strongly.

Hwaaaaahak-!!

Pressure crushed the surroundings, and killing intent flickered in Yutan Geom’s eyes.

“Are you saying the one who desires your body is the greatest under heaven?”

To claim someone is greater than him, or anyone else.

It was too fanatical and arrogant to be called belief.

“Those are words difficult to overlook when spoken before me, Yutan Geom.”

Because she is precious and beautiful.

And even young and desirable.

That’s why I’ve been holding back, but she’s truly crossing the line.

This is definitely…

“I must show her a lesson.”

Her body no longer mattered.

All that remained for Yutan Geom was to teach this foolish ‘junior’ the truth.

“I will show you the world.”

I will show you what the cold reality is, right here.

Thinking so, Yutan Geom reached for his sword when…

“An old geezer like you is quite disgusting.”

A voice came from close behind.

Yutan Geom immediately turned his head to the right.

‘What?’

But there was nothing behind him.

As he widened his eyes in confusion…

Kkuuk-!

“…!”

A hand suddenly appeared and wrapped around Yutan Geom’s shoulder.

Then the voice came from the left.

“It’s not easy to do this when everyone is watching, you know? Right?”

Yutan Geom tensed his body at the voice laced with laughter.

He had intended to draw his sword and break free from the sudden approach.

“Huh…!”

It wouldn’t budge.

Kkuuuuk-!!

He tried to break free with all his might, but it felt as if his very body was tightly bound.

Feeling something unnatural, Yutan Geom poured all his strength into his dantian.

Kwaaaaaahak-!!

His internal energy burst forth from his dantian, but…

“Huh…?!”

Yutan Geom had to gasp in disbelief as he faced the situation.

His internal energy was coming out, but it wasn’t fully escaping outwards.

The person holding Yutan Geom was blocking his energy.

This meant they were effortlessly absorbing all the energy he unleashed with his entire being.

And doing so while this close?

This was unbelievable.

It meant they were completely nullifying his pressure.

‘Unbelievable-!’

Unable to believe it, Yutan Geom gritted his teeth and unleashed more power.

“Hey, old man.”

A dry voice was heard, followed by…

“Take your hand off your sword. Stop doing useless things.”

Kuuuuuuk-!!

“Nngh?!”

Instead, immense pressure was felt.

His outgoing internal energy was being crushed, and greater pressure poured down.

His legs trembled involuntarily.

He felt like his knees would buckle any second, but he couldn’t even do that.

The one holding his shoulder wasn’t allowing even that.

Who is it?

Who on earth could exert such pressure?

Cold sweat beaded on Yutan Geom’s forehead.

Amidst this situation, a strange atmosphere was forming around them.

“Hoo… The aura… the aura is gone.”

“I-I can finally breathe…”

Freed from the pressure Yutan Geom was emitting, the martial artists sighed in relief.

“Did Yutan Geom retract his aura?”

“Then what’s going on?”

Watching the reactions of the martial artists, Yutan Geom swallowed dryly.

‘…The pressure disappeared?’

They said the pressure radiating outwards had vanished.

Yet, he himself was being crushed by such heavy pressure.

This meant…

‘The pressure is focused solely on me.’

In such a way that none of the numerous people present could feel it.

It meant the pressure was being precisely controlled and directed only at Yutan Geom.

And such immense pressure at that.

‘…This is impossible.’

How could something like this be possible?

While Yutan Geom could theoretically do something similar, controlling such a vast amount of pressure was nearly impossible.

It was chilling and eerie.

Not only had an unknown individual approached him so closely, but they were also immobilizing him.

‘I must escape this, no matter what.’

First, escape.

Deciding so, Yutan Geom tried to put strength into his hand to use his martial art’s secret technique.

Dalkak-!

The moment Yutan Geom’s sword slightly slid out…

[Put it back in.]

Tak-!

“What!?”

At the voice he heard, he involuntarily pushed his sword back into its sheath.

What was this now?

Yutan Geom’s pupils shook wildly.

As his mind began to collapse…

“You two, put those away too.”

The voice spoke forward.

It was directed towards Tang Soyeol and the other woman.

Only then could he see.

The Tang family’s daughter was gripping a dagger in her hand.

And the woman behind him, said to be a descendant of the Sword Saint, had also drawn her sword halfway.

“There are many eyes watching.”

When the young man mentioned it again, the two women calmly changed their actions.

Cheolgeok.

As the dagger and sword disappeared from sight, the pressure directed at Yutan Geom also lessened.

Feeling that, Yutan Geom barely managed to speak.

“…Who… are you…?”

What on earth was their identity to exert such pressure?

Yutan Geom asked with that intention.

“What business is it of yours?”

The young man crushed his question with a dismissive tone.

Then, words followed.

“I would have just watched if it were anything else. But why is an old geezer like you eyeing a fresh, young kid? Did you leave your conscience behind when you raised your cultivation level?”

The voice was thick with annoyance.

Moreover, it sounded somewhat young.

“Act your age. It seems you’re past the age of playing with your dick foolishly. Aren’t you? Fuck?”

Though the tone was crude and sharp, Yutan Geom swallowed hard at the emotion contained within.

The killing intent was too obvious.

“Why are you pissing me off right in front of my eyes? Should I just rip it off? Should I rip it off so you can never use it again? Would that make things better?”

What was he talking about ripping off?

He was curious, but Yutan Geom couldn’t bring himself to ask further.

He felt he already knew the answer without needing to hear it.

“No. I shouldn’t ask, I should just rip it off. Ripping it off is the right thing to do. Scum like you should live without it. That’s right.”

“…!”

Yutan Geom’s spine chilled at the gruesome words.

Pressure or whatever, he really needed to escape.

Otherwise…!

“S-Stop!”

“Huk!”

“Tsk.”

As Yutan Geom sensed the crisis, a ray of hope fell upon him.

Someone who looked like a martial artist from the Alliance broke through the crowd and intervened.

“Please stop this conflict! Fights not agreed upon before the start of the martial arts tournament are prohibited!”

As the martial artist spoke, the pressure vanished instantly.

At the same time, the hand holding his shoulder disappeared.

Only then did Yutan Geom break free and gasp for breath.

“Heuk… Huk…”

Gasping for breath, he turned his gaze.

He wanted to confirm who had been holding him.

“…!”

Upon identifying the culprit, Yutan Geom was shocked.

He was young.

The opponent looked incredibly young.

At most, barely an adult.

Putting aside his surprisingly fierce features, his appearance suggested he might be even younger.

Even generously estimating, his face hadn’t progressed beyond a late-stage disciple.

Could it really be that this guy had subdued him?

“Look at me. Aren’t you going to look down?”

As the young man said this, frowning deeply, Yutan Geom involuntarily averted his gaze slightly.

‘Damn it-!’

Feeling that, Yutan Geom had to scowl.

His pride wounded, he reached for his sword.

“Stop…! If this conflict continues, I will have no choice but to disqualify you!”

At the words of the Alliance’s martial artist, he managed to hold back.

He had come to the martial arts tournament seeking greater fame.

But he couldn’t afford to miss it before it even began.

Perhaps the opponent felt the same.

Perhaps because of that, the tremor in Yutan Geom’s voice lessened slightly.

“You… were lucky.”

“What?”

“How dare you lay a hand on me. I could cut off that hand and it would be justified, but the Alliance’s rules saved you.”

He was confident the opponent wouldn’t risk disqualification and would stop here.

However.

Yutan Geom didn’t know.

“Next time, such luck won’t continue, so be prepared…”

“What the hell are you talking about, you son of a bitch?”

The opponent. Gu Yangcheon, wasn’t the type to care about such things.

Huuk-!

“Huh?”

His foot moved.

Gu Yangcheon thrust his foot towards Yutan Geom, and seeing this, Yutan Geom instinctively coated his body with internal energy.

The protective energy of a Hwagyeong martial artist enveloped his entire body.

It was strong protective energy that wouldn’t collapse under normal circumstances.

But.

Jjeojeok-!

“…!!!”

With Gu Yangcheon’s kick, Yutan Geom’s protective energy shattered like crushed tofu.

It was unbelievable.

I have to dodge.

Yutan Geom moved his body recalling this, but Gu Yangcheon’s leg was faster.

Kwajik-!

“!”

The tip of the foot struck Yutan Geom’s groin directly.

A sound like something breaking reached Yutan Geom’s ears.

“Nngh!”

“Ooh….”

“Ngh…!”

The men watching instinctively clenched their groins.

It was like an uncontrollable instinct.

Teolseok.

Not long after, Yutan Geom, hit by the attack, collapsed.

Soon after.

“Kkwooooeeeeok!!”

A new universe opened up for Yutan Geom.