Martial Arts Tournament – 2

Her gaze is fixed on me.

How should I introduce myself? Should I say I’m someone learning the Yomryun Skill?

“I am….”

As I try to introduce myself, the Grand Master’s gaze is sharp.

I glance at the Grand Master’s face and see him subtly shaking his head.

‘Ah… he did say it was unorthodox.’

The Three Great Inherited Martial Arts of the orthodox sects are said to adhere to the principle of one-person inheritance.

The Grand Master took me in as a disciple through unorthodox means, so the moment I say I’m learning the Yomryun Skill here, the Grand Master will be in trouble.

“I, I am….”

“This person is a servant. I’ve been bringing him along since Sichuan.”

As I stammer, the Grand Master cuts in first.

“Sichuan? Ah, there was the Blood demon subjugation.”

At the Grand Master’s words, the man called Ice Sword slowly nodded.

“I thought Ice Sword you would also come to Sichuan.”

As the Grand Master smiled, Ice Sword replied.

“Let me tell you that there are many other threats in the world besides Blood demons.”

“Oh ho, is that so? It seems the Alliance Leader gave you a separate mission. Hmm hmm, I understand.”

“That’s beside the point, a servant. I’ve never seen you bring a servant along… Ah, about ten years ago, your Master had a servant….”

“Ice Sword. I don’t know about you and your disciple. But we are hungry. So let’s save the rest of the story for later.”

The Grand Master cut off Ice Sword’s words decisively and entered the inn.

Ice Sword didn’t particularly stop the Grand Master, so Master followed the Grand Master into the inn.

“……”

Feeling like I couldn’t just pass by, I bowed to them and entered the inn.

Even as I entered the inn, Cheong-yeon’s gaze continued to follow me.

When I entered the inn, the Grand Master and Master had taken a seat in the corner.

I hurried over to them and sat in the remaining chair.

“I will eat dumplings.”

The Grand Master’s menu selection.

“Then I will eat choban.”

Master’s menu selection.

And both of their gazes turn to me.

I clapped my hands and called for the Shopkeeper.

“Hey Shopkeeper, make me a bowl of carbonara.”

I said something I had always wanted to say.

“What kind of outlandish nonsense is that? Don’t talk nonsense and choose something to eat.”

I felt a little relieved that I had said what I had only kept in my mind.

“Then I’ll have the same as Master. Two orders of dumplings and choban.”

I told the Shopkeeper the menu, and the Shopkeeper went into the kitchen, loudly calling out the names of the food we ordered.

“Huhu, Inho is fun, unlike how he looks.”

The Grand Master, who had been watching the whole process, said while resting his chin on his hand, and I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.

“Haha, thank you.”

“What’s so fun about it?”

Master muttered while drinking the tea that had been placed on the table.

Seriously, the Grand Master had just praised me, but he’s ruining the mood….

I glared at Master as much as I could, but Master didn’t budge.

“It seems like it’s only been a little over two months since you’ve been together, but I’m glad you’ve become so close.Seeing our appearance, the Grand Master smiled as if satisfied.

Master flared up in the middle, but the commotion was quickly buried because of the food that came out right away.

“But Grand Master. Who was that Ice Sword we met earlier?”

I asked, thinking they didn’t seem to be on good terms, and the Grand Master shrugged as if it was nothing.

“Ah, you wouldn’t know. He’s the current Bingryungong successor and his disciple.”

“Oh… Bingryungong?”

It was a little fascinating to see the user of the Three Great Inherited Martial Arts that I had heard so much about.

I was sure it was a Martial arts that used cold energy, so I wondered if he could shoot ice from his hands.

“But, you don’t seem to be on very good terms?”

I cautiously asked the Grand Master, and Master showed a little discomfort at my curiosity, but the Grand Master didn’t care.

“Well… how should I put it. Ice Sword has a sense of rivalry with me.”

“When we were young, I unilaterally won against Ice Sword in a martial arts competition, and he’s had a sense of rivalry with me ever since.”

“Ah….”

There are quite a few cases like that.

“That sense of rivalry has continued to this day, and it seems to be passed down to Soyou and Cheong-yeon… But aren’t they both the same Three Great Inherited Martial Arts anyway? Rather than thinking about who is superior, it would be more constructive to think about how to work harder for the peace of the world.”

After finishing his words, the Grand Master took a big bite of a dumpling.

He didn’t seem to have any intention of saying more, so I focused on my food as well.

After the meal, the innkeeper guided us to our rooms.

There were two rooms that we were guided to.

One was a room for the Grand Master to use alone, and the other was a room for Master and me to use.

Because we had been sleeping together while camping, I didn’t really care about the distinction between men and women.

After washing up, Master and I lay down in our places.

We had to go to the Martial Arts Alliance tomorrow to apply for the martial arts competition, so we had to go to bed early.

I was about to say something, but after seeing Master, who was soon making even breaths, I stared blankly at the ceiling with my eyes wide open.

Was it because it was a good place to sleep after a long time? I felt like I couldn’t fall asleep. The food I ate for dinner didn’t seem to be digested yet.

In this case, a night walk is the best.

I carefully got up, opened the door, and went out.

I was nervous that Master would wake up in the middle, but Master didn’t wake up, probably because she was quite tired.

After tiptoeing out of the hallway like a thief, I was finally able to reach the small garden behind the inn.

The cool night breeze cooled my body.

“Wow… so many stars.”

I felt it even when I was the Young Cult Leader of the Black Heaven Cult, but this dimension is a good place to see stars.

Just straightening my back and looking at the sky allows me to see the stars pouring down like a shower.

I step on the stone path and keep looking at the stars.

I think about how to prepare for the upcoming martial arts competition.

I have no intention of being eliminated in a disgraceful way.

Even if I am eliminated in the preliminary rounds, I want to show a proper fight.

“Master will advance directly to the main round.”

The power of the title of the 37th disciple of the Yomryun Skill was great.

“I’m in the preliminary round. Match 2.”

On the other hand, I have to fight two matches to get to the main round.

This is also said to be the result of the Grand Master using his power.

Originally, people like me who have not made proper proof are not even allowed to apply for the martial arts competition held by the Martial Arts Alliance.

“I don’t even want the main round.”

I want to prove the results of the short but hard training I had.

That was my heart.

“Deadly move that threaten the opponent’s life are prohibited.”

This is a rule that will work in my favor.

If I have the certainty that I won’t die, the choices of strategies I can choose will increase.

I had never won a match against Master, but at least I had grasped a clue as to how to get through this martial arts competition.

So now, I just need to concretize the plan based on that clue.

“What are you doing here?”

I turn around at the sudden voice from behind.

“Um… good night?”

The woman I met in front of the inn today speaks to me up close.

Her blue hair gave off an even more mysterious atmosphere under the moonlight.

“Ah… yes… that….”

“Cheong-yeon. Call me Cheong-yeon.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Cheong-yeon. I am Kang In-ho.”

As I introduce myself, I instinctively reach out my hand.

Ah, that’s not how you greet people here.

I try to take my hand back and make a fist and palm salute, but Cheong-yeon grabs my hand tightly.

“Wh, what are you doing?”

“Your hand. Weren’t you going to hold it?”

She asks me instead.

I could feel my face getting hot.

“Ah, yes. I was, but.”

I shook my hand up and down slightly and carefully let go.

Cheong-yeon stared at her hand.

Then she points at me with her finger.

“You. Good person.”

It was an unexpected thing to say.

“Me?”

“Yeah. You seem good. Your energy is good too.”

“Ah… yes….”

“But, why are you with Yomryun Skill?”

…?

What is she talking about?

“What are you talking about?”

“Yomryun Skill. Bad.”

She keeps spouting incomprehensible words.

Then she slowly approaches me.

As Cheong-yeon takes a step towards me, I take a step back.

“Yomryun Skill. Dangerous. Follow me.”

Cheong-yeon says, reaching out her hand to me without paying attention.

I can’t do anything and keep stepping back.

“What are you doing now?”

A voice is heard from above my head.

Using the moonlight as a spotlight, Master was slowly descending from the sky.

Master landed, separating me and Cheong-yeon, and then turned her back to me.

Master’s gaze was fixed on Cheong-yeon.

Cheong-yeon also slowly looks at Master.

I felt like time was freezing.