Chapter 710: Divine Dragon Martial Arts Festival.

The first day of the main tournament had ended, and night had fallen.

Right after our schedules finished, we came to an inn, and inside, it was packed with an unusually large number of people.

“Wow… I wonder if there’ll be any seats.”

Usually, it wasn’t this crowded, but maybe because of the Martial Arts Festival, there were just too many people.

“Since Miss Moyong said she’d secured seats anyway, it should be fine, right?”

Tang Soyeol said with a smile.

That’s right.

Since Moyong Hi-ah called them, she must have definitely secured a spot. Because she was a woman who hated doing things in crowded places.

Seeing Tang Soyeol talking amidst the chaos, I had to chuckle.

“You look happy?”

“Yes? Hehe…”

Is winning really that mood-lifting?

Tang Soyeol seemed much more cheerful than usual. Her swaying gestures were prominent; she was clearly in a good mood.

‘…She was a bit scary on the martial arts stage, though.’

The look on her face while unleashing rapid attacks with the Meteor Sword, controlling her strength, was enough to make even me feel intimidated. In my past life, the Poisonous Consort seemed to have that same face when killing members of unorthodox sects or the Demonic Cult. It seemed that expression remained the same even though times had changed.

Furthermore.

‘She’s gotten much stronger.’

Tang Soyeol was much stronger than I had expected. I vaguely expected her to have reached the Hwajing realm, but it seemed she had reached a more complete state than that.

‘She didn’t even use her own martial arts.’

Poison techniques and assassination arts. She didn’t even use the martial arts taught to clan members in the Tang family. The martial arts she used were….

‘The Dark King’s power.’

It was only the Dark King’s power I had seen before. Creating a black barrier to form a sense of foreignness within the space. It looked like an awkward power just by looking at it.

The problem was.

‘It’s ambiguous to even call that martial arts.’

The Dark King’s power stems from his status as a half-demon and the authority he gained from it. So, does what Tang Soyeol used now mean it’s the Dark King’s authority? Tang Soyeol is human, so she can’t use authority, but how did she use it? Naturally, the Dark King’s level of skill is overwhelmingly higher, but the important thing is that she used it.

‘Hmm.’

Based on what I saw directly, it didn’t feel like she used authority. It wasn’t martial arts either.

Then, what’s left is.

‘Is it sorcery?’

Tang Soyeol used the Dark King’s authority through sorcery. That seemed like the correct way to see it. Since it wasn’t authority, the performance wasn’t great. Since it differed from martial arts in its usage and flow of energy, it must surely be sorcery.

‘Can authority be used through sorcery?’

If sorcery was originally brought by dragons, then that also fits roughly.

“Young Master?”

Just as I was lost in thought, Tang Soyeol called me. I snapped back to attention at her voice.

“Ah, sorry. I was just thinking about something else.”

“Are you very tired?”

“I’m not tired.”

What’s there to be tired about? The match ended in a single blow.

“If anyone should be tired, it’s you.”

Since she beat the Meteor Sword around quite a bit, Tang Soyeol should have been more fatigued.

“I’m not that tired either. Rather, I feel a bit refreshed…?”

“…Uh… yeah…”

Perhaps she released all the pent-up stress from recently by hitting the Meteor Sword. Just as she said, Tang Soyeol had a thoroughly refreshed expression. As I was about to smile inwardly seeing that.

“Ugh…”

A groaning sound came from behind. It was Bong Sun. Hearing this, I frowned and asked.

“What’s wrong with you now?”

“…It, it wasn’t fun…”

In response, Bong Sun spoke with a sigh. I think I knew what she meant.

‘It was definitely anticlimactic.’

While Tang Soyeol and I fought against Hwajing martial artists, Bong Sun battled an opponent who was just past the peak level. As a result, she defeated her opponent without much of a match. Since then, Bong Sun had been feeling dejected.

“You won, so you should be happy. Why are you acting like this? Anyone would think you lost.”

“I, I want to fight strong people too…!”

“You’ll meet them next time. Stop whining, you’re being noisy.”

“…Hmph…”

When I spoke with a frown, Bong Sun subsided.

Tsk! I clicked my tongue briefly and turned my head.

Then, the person next to me looked at me and shook their head.

“Geez, you’re practically eating the kid alive.”

The young master with black hair. It was Pae-jon.

“Would it kill you to be a little kinder?”

“Yes. It would. Especially to her, it really would.”

My temperament wasn’t exactly kind to begin with, but even so, I couldn’t be like that towards Bong Sun.

“But, Elder… Young Master, what happened to you?”

I changed my words after intending to say ‘Elder’. It was because there were people around.

“Hm? What are you talking about?”

“When did you come and compete? If you were here, you should have said something.”

Pae-jon was also scheduled for the first day of the main tournament. I couldn’t see him, and he didn’t say anything, so I thought he was competing on the first day. As I was preparing to leave after the Martial Arts Festival, I heard murmuring somewhere. It was talk about the ‘Fighting Dragon’ having done something. Just then, Pae-jon was descending from the martial arts stage.

“What was there to say? It wasn’t anything significant anyway.”

That was also true. So, I asked Pae-jon.

“Are you seriously aiming for the championship?”

“Who knows?”

At my question, Pae-jon smirked. For some reason, his smile was incredibly unsettling.

“I’ll consider it depending on the situation.”

“…”

That means he has no intention of backing down quietly. Hearing that, I sighed inwardly.

‘This is going to be troublesome.’

This old man doesn’t do things half-heartedly, so if I happen to face him on the martial arts stage by bad luck, he’ll genuinely try to defeat me. Then, there was only one thing I needed to consider.

‘How should I win.’

Defeat Pae-jon. Since I must win, I need to find a way. That was all there was to it.

Just as I was repeating those myriad thoughts.

“…Over there… it’s Little Yama and Poison Phoenix.”

“That’s right. It really is Little Yama.”

At the voices reaching my ears, I instinctively heightened my senses slightly.

“Seeing her up close, she looks even younger.”

“Is that young man truly in the Hwajing realm…?”

“They said he was acquainted with Poison Phoenix, and seeing them together, that seems true too.”

“Then the other two…”

Voices filled with interest, different from just a few days ago. I focused my attention on the conversations about Tang Soyeol and me. More precisely, I focused on the talk concerning Tang Soyeol rather than me.

“I knew from afar, but her appearance is certainly outstanding.”

“How could such a delicate woman wield the Meteor Sword like that…”

“Separate from the Tang family’s reputation, a remarkable figure has emerged.”

There was also much talk about me defeating Feng… whatever his name was. As expected, the most talked about person was Tang Soyeol. That means her appearance was that impactful.

“A woman not even twenty years old is in the Hwajing realm… Is she even at the level of the Hundred Great Masters?”

“Isn’t she the greatest talent since the Divine Dragon?”

“…If only she weren’t a member of the Tang family’s bloodline. Then, certainly.”

“However, there are definitely suspicions that she used sorcery…”

I had heard enough, so I withdrew my heightened senses. At this point, they must have certainly found their positions.

‘Her epithet will probably change not long from now.’

Since she crushed a Hwajing martial artist wielding the Meteor Sword in front of so many people, Tang Soyeol cannot be simply called a late-blooming disciple. Therefore, Tang Soyeol’s epithet will likely change before the Martial Arts Festival concludes.

We ascended the stairs, feeling the gazes pouring down on us. Although it was quite different from the plan, Tang Soyeol’s growth made me feel better than the success of the devised plan. I don’t know why, but I just felt that way.

---

Ascending the inn’s stairs to the fourth floor, there were significantly fewer guests compared to the first and second floors. I heard that the third and fourth floors required specific conditions to access. As soon as we reached the fourth floor, we were guided by a staff member.

“Ah, here it is.”

Not long after, I saw Moyong Hi-ah waving a delicate hand. Wi Seol-ah was sitting next to her. From the moment we first came up, Wi Seol-ah had been smiling brightly at me.

“Why didn’t you start eating earlier?”

“It hasn’t been long since we arrived.”

“Don’t lie. There’s no way you arrived exactly on time. You must have been here much earlier.”

“…”

When the truth was pointed out, Moyong Hi-ah momentarily closed her mouth. Namgung Bi-ah was not visible. Although she was in a state where she could move, I heard she was resting a bit longer.

‘That guy Woo Hyuk and the Little Princess haven’t come either.’

They’ll manage on their own. I wasn’t interested in that.

Soon after sitting down, the food arrived. Seeing it served without us ordering, Moyong Hi-ah must have already placed the order.

“You seemed busy here and there today. Are you okay?”

Hearing Moyong Hi-ah’s words, I let out a hollow laugh.

“You already know the situation, don’t you?”

“It was quite noisy, after all. Congratulations to Miss Tang as well.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

Tang Soyeol reacted shyly to Moyong Hi-ah’s congratulations. Unlike the preliminaries, the Martial Arts Festival matches had a huge audience. Thus, Moyong Hi-ah would have already grasped everything.

“It seemed a bit excessive, are you alright?”

“Hm? What?”

“Young Master… didn’t you not really want to reveal yourself?”

The match against Pung Lim Witangwon. The strength subtly shown there was enough to cause a stir today. Thanks to Tang Soyeol, there was a somewhat quieter aspect, but Moyong Hi-ah seemed slightly worried about it.

“It’s fine. It’s not that I particularly didn’t want to reveal myself.”

I was just waiting for the right time to reveal it. Besides.

“I had to show it sooner or later anyway.”

Even if the time wasn’t right, it was becoming difficult to keep it hidden indefinitely. The situation was just right.

“I see…”

Hearing my answer, Moyong Hi-ah nodded as if in agreement. Even as she nodded, her expression suggested she was thinking deeply about something. If I leave her like this, she’ll reach her own conclusion. Leaving the deep-in-thought Moyong Hi-ah aside, I picked up and ate a dumpling.

Slurp. As I chewed the food, water filled my empty glass. Wi Seol-ah was carefully pouring water. The funny thing was that Tang Soyeol tried to do it too but missed.

“…Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

After pouring for my glass, she poured for Tang Soyeol, and then poured for herself. She skipped Moyong Hi-ah, Pae-jon, and Bong Sun. While Pae-jon and Bong Sun didn’t seem to mind, I noticed Moyong Hi-ah’s eyebrow twitch slightly. Did something happen between them? I sensed a subtle tension.

“…Right, you said you’re competing tomorrow, didn’t you?”

So, I asked Wi Seol-ah, changing the subject.

“Yes! That’s right. I’m competing tomorrow.”

Wi Seol-ah, along with Sung Yul, is scheduled for the second day of the main tournament.

‘Hmm.’

The Martial Arts Festival of the Alliance is probably truly represented on the second day. Most of the renowned figures were scheduled for that day. Although there were a few on the first day, the second day was significantly more packed. It wouldn’t be a coincidence. It was likely something the Alliance had prepared in advance.

“Alright, do your best.”

“Yes! I’ll definitely win. Definitely.”

Wi Seol-ah replied with a smile to my encouragement. It felt cute, so I offered her a piece of food from my plate.

‘…But why is she trying so hard to win?’

I don’t know the reason why, but since her smile is lovely, let’s just leave it at that for now. It was a meal together after a long time. It had been difficult to find time recently due to handling affairs and repetitive training.

‘I wish Namgung Bi-ah could have been here too.’

It’s a shame. I should pack some food for her when I leave. Thinking that, I finished the meal lightly.

---

A day passed.

I had finished my morning training and was walking. Today was the second day of the Martial Arts Festival, and I happened to have plans outside.

Amidst the murmuring crowd. I walked through them, looking back.

“Are you okay?”

“…Yeah…”

Behind me, Namgung Bi-ah, wearing a veil, was walking with me. It felt like a long time since we walked together like this.

“If it’s uncomfortable, tell me.”

“…If I… tell you?”

“I’d probably carry you or hug you.”

“Uncomfortable…”

“I’m kidding.”

“…”

At my joke, Namgung Bi-ah pursed her lips, a rare sight. It was amusing, so I carefully pulled her wrist. She couldn’t come out yesterday, but since she could move today, I brought her along. If possible, I wanted Moyong Hi-ah and Tang Soyeol to come too, but since they both had schedules, I only brought Namgung Bi-ah. The destination was none other than the place where the Martial Arts Festival was being held.

We headed straight for the spectator stands. I saw many more people than yesterday. I thought there were many people even on the first day. The second day was truly packed without a single gap.

“…There are so many people…”

As she spoke, Namgung Bi-ah moved a little closer to me. Bringing Namgung Bi-ah along, I squeezed into the seats. Reserved seats had already been secured. They say seats in the spectator stands are secured through reservations made long in advance, but when I asked Moyong Hi-ah yesterday, she got them without any fuss. When I asked how she managed to get seats that were reserved a month ago and the reservation period had ended.

‘Do you really need to know?’

She said that chilling phrase, so I decided it was better not to know. Anyway… it’s good that she got them, right?

After barely making our way through the crowd, we found two seats and sat down. They were the worst seats among the available ones. In the very front were seats for renowned guild leaders or sect executives. Moyong Hi-ah said she could get those seats too if I wanted, but I refused.

‘That would be a bit too much.’

Seats that are just adequate are enough. Sitting down, I quietly stared at the empty martial arts stage. The murmuring sounds came from all directions, but I paid them no mind. My eyes were fixed solely on the martial arts stage.

Perhaps sensing my gaze, Namgung Bi-ah asked me.

“…Seol-ah… are you worried about her a lot?”

“What?”

At her words, my eyes widened slightly. Turning my head, I saw Namgung Bi-ah’s calm eyes looking at me.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“…That’s why… you came today…”

“…”

I couldn’t deny Namgung Bi-ah’s words. Honestly, what other reason would there be for me to come? I just gave an awkward smile.

“That’s true. But I didn’t come because I was worried.”

“…Then?”

“It’s more because I’m looking forward to it than worried.”

Yes, anticipation. I am worried about Wi Seol-ah going onto the martial arts stage alone. However, that wasn’t the fundamental reason. It was the same for Tang Soyeol and Wi Seol-ah. The anticipation for how those children might have changed from their past lives. Seeing them spread their wings and soar on their own. I suddenly wanted to see that.

“…”

Namgung Bi-ah, who had been watching me quietly, raised her hand and stroked my head.

“What?”

“…Just because.”

It felt strange, but I didn’t particularly refuse. As we waited for a moment, an attendant appeared and handed us something. It was a few sheets of paper, likely a miniaturized match list. I immediately unfolded it and looked for names.

‘Sung Yul… seems to have gotten matched up somehow… Yongpung is here too?’

I saw the name of Yongpung, the foremost genius of Mount Hua and the Sword Dragon. Besides him, there were several other Mount Hua disciples. I saw Peng Woojin and the Sword King too. And finally.

“…Huh?”

I paused for a moment at the name written on the match list. Yoo Yeon of Shaolin versus Wi Seol-ah of Shanxi.

“…Haha.”

Seeing it clearly written on the match list, I burst out laughing. Yes, I said, contorting my face sternly.

“You… sons of bitches.”

I could feel the Alliance’s manipulation right from the start.