Chapter 119

• The Unprecedented Duel and Beef Jerky

"Wow! There are so many damn people!"

Bi Ryu-yeon said with his mouth open.

Such a big match was always crowded with people.

Jin Ryeong of the Vermilion Bird Squad, who had followed along, also slightly frowned her beautiful eyebrows.

"Ugh! The smell of sweat!"

Since they were sitting so tightly packed that there was no room to even stick a needle, it was to the point where one would get a heat rash even in the middle of winter. But now it was early autumn, and the heat of midsummer had not yet completely gone away. There was no way they would not sweat. If they had not learned internal energy and could not control their metabolism, the situation would probably have been dozens of times worse than now.

At least, since there were many among them who had reached a realm where they did not sweat even in midsummer and did not feel the cold even in the middle of winter, the situation of being drenched in sweat could be prevented. But they could not prevent the smell. The fishy smell, also called the smell of men. It was natural to cover one's nose and frown. Indeed, the interest in the Sword Saint Exhibition final, where Moyong Hwi and Cheong-heun were competing, was enormous.

"Could you make some way?"

Bi Ryu-yeon said, looking at Yeomdo.

Yeomdo did not say, 'No. What skill do I have!'. He just emitted killing intent from his body. Yeomdo, in a state where killing intent was billowing, tapped the back of the person in front of him.

"What punk..., Huk!"

An academy student, who was preparing to shout, 'What kind of son of a bitch is it!', and was turning around, could not help but suck in a breath. Because a terrifying red pupil was glaring at him as if to eat him. For a moment, his knees went weak. A sense of crisis that he might be beaten to death came over him. He had to get out of this place somehow. At that, the other people also had no choice but to reluctantly make way.

Bi Ryu-yeon was once again feeling that a disciple was indeed useful in many ways.

Seuk!

"?"

Bi Ryu-yeon stretched out his hand towards Namgung Sang. Namgung Sang just stared blankly, not knowing the reason. He had to put something in his hand... Looking at Namgung Sang, who was standing blankly, Bi Ryu-yeon clicked his tongue.

"Tsk, tsk! To be so lacking in sense! How will you get through this rugged world..."

"I'm sorry."

It was Namgung Sang, who apologized first without knowing the reason, in a fluster.

"Beef jerky!"

Bi Ryu-yeon said each syllable clearly. Namgung Sang's face turned ambiguous.

There was no way he had it. Why beef jerky all of a sudden in a place like this? Namgung Sang had no choice but to confess the truth.

"I haven't prepared it!"

Ttaak!

"Ouch!"

There was no mercy in Bi Ryu-yeon's hands. Fortunately, Bi Ryu-yeon's blow was too fast, and everyone's gaze was focused on the two on the duel stage, so no one had noticed his blow. Therefore, Namgung Sang was barely able to avoid the fate of being disgraced in front of numerous academy students. Well, for Bi Ryu-yeon, he had been considerate(?) in his own way.

"What have you learned and what have you felt so far? There's no progress at all."

Bi Ryu-yeon interrogated Namgung Sang in a calm tone. It was a tone that was truly pathetic.

"I'm sorry! Great Senior Brother!"

It was the poor Namgung Sang, who had become a target of his anger for no reason. But what if he was not guilty? He just bowed his head and apologized. If it was a sin to have met a bad great senior brother, it was a sin, but he had done nothing wrong...

"Look! A fight of this unprecedented scale is best watched while tearing at some beef jerky! If you're told one thing, you should know three thousand li, have you still not realized such a simple and unparalleled principle?"

"Huh?"

For a moment, Namgung Sang had to blink his eyes blankly and roll his head to check if he had misheard.

What day was it today! It was the final of the Sword Saint Exhibition, where the rising new star of the Jianghu, the Seven Absolutes Divine Sword, Moyong Hwi, and the unyielding great mountain, the Three-Section Sword, Cheong-heun, were competing with their martial arts. To be looking for beef jerky of all things before such a rare great event...

Bi Ryu-yeon, with an indifferent face, had reduced the duel between the Seven Absolutes Divine Sword, Moyong Hwi, and the Three-Section Sword, the Flying Heavenly Dragon, Cheong-heun, which would be an unprecedented duel, to the level of a mere marketplace fight. How would Namgung Sang, who was serving such a person as his great senior brother, feel! He could not help but be absurd and dumbfounded!

'To be looking for beef jerky before a great confrontation that should be watched with bated breath, even forgetting to breathe, is he in his right mind?'

But Namgung Sang rushed to get the beef jerky before Bi Ryu-yeon could raise his hand again. He had to get the damn beef jerky quickly before the duel began in earnest. If he said that he had missed such a duel of the century because of a piece of beef jerky, it was obvious that he would become a laughingstock of those around him.

"Wait!"

The owner of the voice that had caught him, who was about to rush out like a shot arrow, was none other than Yeomdo, who was sitting next to Bi Ryu-yeon. Namgung Sang felt as if he had met a ray of light.

Namgung Sang looked at Yeomdo with a hopeful gaze. It did not make sense to miss the opportunity to watch a duel of such high-level masters just because of a piece of beef jerky. As a teaching master, Namgung Sang had expected Yeomdo to stop Bi Ryu-yeon's childish behavior. But it took only one breath to know that that expectation was in vain.

"Bring mine too when you come!"

That was the end of it. And then, Yeomdo looked at the duel stage in front of him again. It was a sign to go, as his business was over. Bi Ryu-yeon glanced at such a Yeomdo. His gaze was somewhat suspicious.

It was clearly a gaze that meant, 'Are you planning to be on equal terms with me now?'.

Yeomdo tried to ignore Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze. The reason why he was in this place now, and not in the comfortable and good-viewed judges' seat, was all because of Bi Ryu-yeon, if one were to look at it. Bi Ryu-yeon, the owner of foresight who had judged that the final of this Sword Saint Exhibition would be quite crowded, had brought in Yeomdo to secure a good seat. As expected, when Yeomdo showed his face, the academy students made way and seats for him. This incident had proved that Yeomdo's ruthless impression was very useful in many ways.

Namgung Sang had no more time to delay.

Judging from the situation, it was clear that the two would maintain a state of confrontation for a while. Before that, he had to get a bundle of beef jerky somehow. If he had literally brought only two pieces of beef jerky, it was obvious that he would be openly rebuked, saying, 'You just did as you were told! Were you such a dullard with no sense or flexibility?'.

He would have to get at least one bundle. Time was short. It was an impossible thing for a martial artist to miss such an unprecedented duel. Namgung Sang raised his true qi as much as he could and put more strength into his feet, accelerating his body even faster.

"Damn it!"

A curse came out on its own, without being told.

The confrontation between the rising new star of the Jianghu and one of the Three Sages of Cheonmu, the young man rumored to be the successor of the Sword Saint, the Seven Absolutes Divine Sword, Moyong Hwi, and the current top master of the Nine Orthodoxies Association and one of the Nine Dragons, and the top martial artist of the Nine Orthodoxies Association, the Three-Section Sword, the Flying Heavenly Dragon, Cheong-heun, was enough to attract the passionate interest of the public.

It even felt as if the finals of the other competitions were just a sideshow for this competition. In other words, it meant that Bi Ryu-yeon's advance to the finals was not receiving any attention from the public at all. Even though his advance to the finals was a sufficiently astonishing, shocking, sudden, and unusual event, it was also proof that the interest gathered in the final of the Sword Saint Exhibition was that special and great.

Not only the academy students, but also all the martial arts masters and officials of the academy were paying extreme attention. It was said that the Righteous Heaven Alliance, the righteous path Murim Alliance, had even dispatched people to directly judge the skills of these two. That was no different from the intention to include them there. So, all the conditions were in place for the final of the Sword Saint Exhibition to be the focus of the public's interest.

It felt as if all the blood in his veins was running wild and playing on its own. His heart rate was more than twice as fast as usual, and his body temperature was also gradually rising, as if his blood were boiling.

'Am I nervous? Or am I excited?'

Recently, Moyong Hwi had never been excited or nervous in front of an opponent. He had always calmly analyzed his opponent and had responded accordingly. But now, his heart was beating violently, as if he were throwing away all the training he had done so far. He had to admit it to himself.

'This is excitement! It's proof that every single nerve in my body is now rejoicing in this confrontation.'

Moyong Hwi, after entering the Jianghu, had never once fought a worthy opponent. His true opponents had always been only the elders, brothers, or grandfather of his family. But this splendid lineup made Moyong Hwi realize how great the people of their family were when he came out to the Jianghu.

No one had been his opponent. Compared to the elders of his family, other people were nothing to him. From the first time Moyong Hwi had seen Cheong-heun's match, this decisive battle was an unavoidable fate.

Only after standing in this place could Moyong Hwi finally realize that fact. The opponent who had first made him waver after coming out to the Jianghu, that Cheong-heun, was now standing in front of his eyes like Mount Tai. For the first time, he finally recognized the existence of defeat.

Cheong-heun's current feelings were not much different from Moyong Hwi's.

It had already been three years since he had entered the Cheonmu Academy, and it was no exaggeration to say that there were almost no people who could be his opponent, except for the leader. If he had to pick, it would be only a few seniors who belonged to the Four Sword Souls of Cheonmu, whose faces were hard to see. Even among the upperclassmen, the number of those who could face him was so small that he would have fingers left over if he counted them.

But now, facing Moyong Hwi, he had abandoned the mind of underestimating his opponent. Indeed, the extraordinary spirit was worthy of its fame.

'Is this really the spirit of a first-year student who has just entered the Cheonmu Academy?'

It was Cheong-heun, who was filled with admiration. He finally understood why there had been so much talk about Moyong Hwi since he had entered the Jianghu. After admiration came expectation. The expectation that he would be able to unfold everything he had against this opponent had excited him.

He had never done his best in any duel since his last sword enlightenment. They had all not been his opponents. But today, he had to admit that he had to do his best against the person in front of his eyes. His eyes shone sharply. The excitement that he had forgotten for a long time was taking over his whole body. The one who opened his mouth first was Cheong-heun.

"You've finally come this far. Indeed, a sword ki worthy of its fame, it's excellent."

Although he had not drawn his sword, he could easily read the opponent's level just from his posture.

"You are also excellent, senior. I can't help but be impressed."

"Hahaha! It's an honor to hear such a compliment from the successor of the Sword Saint, the great hero Moyong."

"How can I tarnish my grandfather's name? I am still just immature. It is a shameful thing to be mentioned along with his name."

"No. I don't know for sure, but your grandfather would have been proud of you. Who could not cherish a genius of the world like you, and a blood relative at that?"

That was Cheong-heun's honest feeling.

"It's such an excessive compliment that I'm rather embarrassed."

"Hahaha! There's no need to go easy on me just because I complimented you. I'm also a person with a sense of shame."

"How can I have any room for that? I feel a lack even if I do my best."

Moyong Hwi was sincerely thinking so.

"That's a grateful word. Please do your best. Let's have a good fight, without any regrets. You're hoping for that too, right? I can feel that your sword is hoping for that."

Moyong Hwi quietly nodded his head. It was a fateful heart of those who held a sword to want to cross swords with a strong person if there was one.

"I know well that your sword is hoping for the same thing as my sword."

Cheong-heun made an expression that said, 'as expected'. A thin smile spread across his face.

"I'm glad you know. Don't disappoint me. Then shall we begin?"

"Anytime!"

Finally, the swords of the two left their scabbards and shone brilliantly under the sunlight. At the same time, a terrifying momentum began to rise from the bodies of the two. The unprecedented great clash had finally begun.

For Moyong Hwi, this match was a match that he had to win. He himself could clearly feel the extreme tension that he had never felt before biting at his heart.

Because if he lost in this match, he would be tarnishing the name of the Sword Saint, Moyong Jeong-cheon, who was the martial artist he respected the most in the world and his grandfather. The fact that he was just a first-year student was not a legitimate reason to lose. He had the teachings he had received from the Sword Saint, who was even revered as the god of the sword, which others had not received.

It was Moyong Hwi, who had trained in such advantageous conditions and in an environment where he had received an excessive amount of benefits. That's why he always tried to win. To protect the name and honor of the Sword Saint...

This promise was a promise with the Sword Revered, Gongson Il-chwi, who was on par with the Sword Saint, Moyong Jeong-cheon. He had to show it. He had to prove the appearance of a successor who had inherited a shining name. It was the same even if the opponent was the Three-Section Sword, the Flying Heavenly Dragon, Cheong-heun, the martial ultimate of the Nine Orthodoxies Association.

For Moyong Hwi, the thought that his grandfather's light would be damaged because of him was an impossible, even unimaginable, terrible thing. Therefore, he had to win this duel by any means necessary and protect the honor of the Sword Saint.

The desperation to win was the same for Cheong-heun. Although he was a direct disciple of the great Wudang Sect, he was also the martial ultimate of the Nine Orthodoxies Association's martial and literary twin ultimates. In other words, now that the leader was absent, he was the person who represented the military power of the nine great sects among the academy students.

Although his affiliation was not the Heroes Association, if one were to look at it, he had to fulfill his responsibility in the duel with Moyong Hwi, who was no different from having come up representing the Heroes Association (everyone thought so). His mission was to win the Sword Saint Exhibition and protect the honor of the nine great sects.

For both Moyong Hwi and Cheong-heun, it was a battle where they had bet their honor, which was more precious than life in the Murim. In the minds of the two, the two words 'defeat' did not exist. The only thing that existed was victory, and the belief in certain victory.

The energy of the two rose roughly like a wave, fiercely like a wildfire, and sharply like a forest of swords, filling the duel stage.

"Wow! It's worth watching!"

Bi Ryu-yeon said a word.

"They're pretty good!"

It was Yeomdo's words.

"It's dazzling and nice. There's a lot to see, and it's good for the eyes!"

Bi Ryu-yeon was treating the swordplay of the masters as nothing more than eye candy. Yeomdo just nodded his head silently.

"Oh, oh! If he goes out like that, he could get caught by the scruff of his neck... That punk Hwi is going out too hastily!"

Bi Ryu-yeon said in a tone that suggested he could see everything, looking at Moyong Hwi, who was sweeping towards Cheong-heun, scattering a starlight-like sword ki. Cheong-heun's complexion, who was receiving Moyong Hwi's sword, was still calm.

"He still has to work harder to get to his grandfather's waist, let alone his toes!"

Yeomdo also did not stay still and threw in a word from time to time. And yet, the two were still not letting go of the pieces of beef jerky from their mouths.

"You punks, watch carefully too! There won't be any punk among the Azure Dragon Squad punks who is stronger than those punks! In other words, if you're confident of winning against just those punks, you can win against them all! How about it, is it a little difficult?"

No one answered. For a moment, a sharp light flashed across Yeomdo's face.

"It seems you're not confident?"

Bi Ryu-yeon diligently fanned the flames of the burning house.

"Are you saying you can't do it now?"

Yeomdo's red hair began to flicker like a burning flame. It was because his true qi had been activated unconsciously.

It was dangerous. They all quickly shook their heads. These days, Yeomdo was worse than Bi Ryu-yeon once he exploded. It was also Yeomdo who was teaching them until they shat blood. His competitive spirit towards the Ice Sword, Gwan Cheol-su, was second to none.

The members of the Vermilion Bird Squad had to spend a relatively arduous day every day. Bi Ryu-yeon was just in a position to watch and enjoy from the side.

Yeomdo was nagging, and Bi Ryu-yeon was leisurely...

The only ones who were caught in the middle and were being pushed around were the poor members of the Vermilion Bird Squad.