Chapter 154: Believe It or Not, I've Only Ever Taken First Place

TL: FoodieMonster007

"What is it?"

Seo Daeryong was still completely unaware of what was about to happen.

"You must enter the Young Dragon Tournament."

At the mention of the Young Dragon Tournament, Seo Daeryong jumped, so startled I felt sorry for him. Seo Daeryong asked in a trembling voice.

"Surely, the Young Dragon Tournament you're talking about isn't the one I know, right?"

"And which Young Dragon Tournament is that?"

"The murim tournament the Murim Alliance hosts for orthodox sect prodigies. So many masters from the Murim Alliance and orthodox sects gather that people from unorthodox sects or our Cult can't even watch, let alone participate. That incredibly dangerous murim tournament. It's not that one, is it?"

"I think that's the one."

Seo Daeryong stared at me blankly, then shot up from his seat. He walked out of the inn without a backward glance.

I did not try to stop him. Instead, I ordered some light snacks and alcohol from the waiter. Training in the mountains had absorbed me so completely, it felt like ages since my last drink.

Just as I finished my second glass, Seo Daeryong returned to the table.

"You're not gonna stop me?"

"Why would I? I knew you'd come back."

Seo Daeryong poured himself a drink and gulped it down.

"No. Absolutely not. What are you even talking about?"

"There's no one else but you."

"That's what shady leaders say to exploit their people. What do you mean there's no one else but me? There are plenty of others if you look! If you look hard enough, you might even find someone in this inn!"

Seo Daeryong tried to think of people around me he could send in his place. He soon sighed, realizing I was only surrounded by oddballs.

"Still, I can't do it."

Seo Daeryong drained his cup again.

"You know who I am, don't you?"

"Of course. You're a power-hungry, cold-hearted man's man who loves only one woman, and when everyone else was silent…"

"Stop!"

I skipped the rest and added only the newly updated information.

"…a coward who couldn't bring himself to fight Yeo Bin in the end, but still my right-hand man, Detective Seo, and now, we'll be adding that you bravely participated in the Young Dragon Tournament."

"No, but still, how can I possibly enter the Young Dragon Tournament?"

"It's not like I can go, is it?"

"No one will recognize you. The beard makes for a perfect disguise!"

"Didn't you call it an amateur's disguise? A dirty beard?"

Sighing, he found another way out. Seo Daeryong lowered his voice and whispered.

"I haven't properly inherited the Master's martial arts yet."

"That's even better. We can't have you standing out. You'll have to fight with only the basics anyway."

Someone at Seo Daeryong's level would have already learned to conceal his demonic qi, so his martial arts would not give him away.

Seo Daeryong bowed his head, exuding a dark aura. Faced with his resistance, I decided to play my trump card.

"Alright, if you can't do it, you can't do it. I guess I'll just have to fail the test Father gave me. My brother will become the successor in the end. I'll probably be assassinated and left in some nameless field to be eaten by beasts. Ah! But I won't blame you. I mean it."

"I'll probably die on a duel stage, stabbed by the sword of some orthodox sect bastard I've never seen before. Then my body will be sent to the front sect of our Cult that provided the fake identity. 'Who is this guy?' 'I don't know. Probably just some guy who was used and killed.' 'What a pity, this short, gloomy-looking fellow. Hurry up and bury him.' Ah! But I won't blame you, Director. I truly mean it."

"Someday, when I become the Cult Leader, I'll look back on this day. Ah, if it weren't for you back then, I never would have become the Cult Leader. Thank you."

"Someday, I'll be reminiscing about today with my grandson on my knee. 'It's because I stubbornly refused to enter that tournament that you all exist.'"

It was a battle of spear and shield. However, no matter how much he resisted, the outcome of this fight was already decided.

"Augh, I can't live like this, I really can't. Then again, who can I blame for this? I was the one who wanted revenge for my Senior when you first came to the Sanzu River Hall, and I was the one who decided to learn the blade arts."

I poured him another drink.

"Thank you."

"As long as you know. I guess doing things you don't want to is just a part of life."

"The people who say that are probably the ones who only do what they want in life."

"Hey! That's my line!"

I knew it was a huge decision for him. He was someone who hated being in the spotlight more than anything.

"It'll be a good experience for you as a martial artist. Just look at the names, it's destiny, isn't it? The Young Dragon Tournament and Seo Daeryong. A great dragon ascending at the Young Dragon Tournament. If the tournament was named the Battle of Lake Chao, I would have called Jang Ho."

My silly joke finally made Seo Daeryong laugh.

"So this is the succession test, then."

"That's right."

"What exactly do we need to do?"

"There's a guy called the Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman. He's going to use this tournament to hatch a plot. He might approach the participants, which is why you're entering. Our goal is to catch him."

"We have to catch him. Catching bad guys is what we do."

"Spoken like my right-hand man."

Once he made a decision, Seo Daeryong did not look back. This was probably the reason I liked him. Behind that small, gloomy-looking exterior was an unbending resolve.

I took a document from my robes and handed it to him.

"Here, this is your new identity. Memorize every single detail. You're good at memorizing, so I'm not worried."

"What about you, Director?"

"I'll be acting as your attendant and bodyguard."

Joy flickered across Seo Daeryong's face. He fought to keep from smiling.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Me? Of course not."

"You just smiled."

"You saw wrong."

"You smiled."

"Ahem, you rascal. Why are you being so frivolous when the Elder says no? Ah, I was just practicing."

I laughed pleasantly at Seo Daeryong's joke.

"For today, just memorize that. We'll go register for the Young Dragon Tournament tomorrow."

We got a large room with two beds.

As soon as we entered, Seo Daeryong tried to dust off my bedding, but I stopped him.

"Don't worry about me. Just think about yourself."

"How can I do that?"

"I just gave you an order that could change your life. You're allowed to do at least this much. You can even piss on my blanket."

"Receiving those orders is my life. Please don't think of it as a bad thing. I, the one accepting them, have never once thought of it that way. Especially not after meeting you, Director."

Right, thank you for saying that.

After roughly unpacking, Seo Daeryong sat by the window. He looked at the scenery outside and spoke with concern.

"I'll have to get as far as possible to find out what that Heavenly Enlightenment Society Chairman bastard is plotting. I'm worried I'll be eliminated too early."

I did not know the exact skill level of the Young Dragon Tournament either, so I could not predict the outcome.

"Don't worry. Elder Blade Demon left a stratagem for you."

"What? What do you mean?"

I took a small silk pouch from my robes.

"He gave me this stratagem pouch, telling me to give it to you when you reach your limit."

Seo Daeryong was stunned. He was more stunned than when I told him he had to enter the Young Dragon Tournament.

"The Master really gave you this?"

To be honest, I was surprised too. I never thought the Blood Heaven Blade Demon would leave something like this.

"Did you happen to see what's written inside?"

"No. Why? Should we open it now?"

"Absolutely not! If the Master said to open it in a crisis, then we must open it in a crisis!"

He must have been curious about the contents, but right now, Seo Daeryong was overwhelmed with emotion that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had given this to him. I could feel his desire to bow toward the distant Blood Heaven Blade Demon as he gazed out the window.

That night, Seo Daeryong could not fall asleep until late, lost in various thoughts.

The next morning, we had breakfast and headed for the Murim Alliance.

In the distance, the magnificent building of the Murim Alliance Headquarters came into view. I could see a giant stone statue of a martial artist, modeled after a heroic warrior.

A strange feeling washed over me as we got closer to the Murim Alliance.

In the future, the Murim Alliance will also be swept away by Hwa Mugi. Will their fate change because I regressed? Or will only the fate of our Cult change? I can't know yet.

Seo Daeryong kept glancing at the female martial artists passing by.

"The women of the orthodox sects are pretty, aren't they?"

"They certainly are. I thought it was just a rumor."

"Since you're here, try dating one. The fateful love between an orthodox sect female warrior and a demon!"

"It would be fun for the spectators, but imagine how hard it would be for the people involved."

Despite his words, Seo Daeryong's gaze kept drifting to the passing women.

The registration for this Young Dragon Tournament was set up in a separate outer hall of the Murim Alliance.

Even though they were accepting applications for nearly five days, the line was long. Countless prodigies from the orthodox sects had flocked here from all over the Central Plains.

We also got in line at the registration area.

As we waited, the martial artists in front of us were talking about the tournament.

To summarize their conversation, it was not just the winner who would be selected. Everyone in the final eight would be recruited into an elite organization of the Murim Alliance.

One of the men in the conversation glanced at Seo Daeryong and me and smirked. It seemed our rustic appearance, as if we had just come up from the countryside, naturally made him feel contemptuous.

I spoke to Seo Daeryong, making sure the man could hear.

"Young Master, are you confident you can win?"

Seo Daeryong's eyes shot me a strong protest that screamed, Win? All of a sudden? but his reply was forceful.

"I am confident."

The guys in front of us exchanged glances and sneered. Still, they did not openly pick a fight or dismiss us.

After a long wait, it was finally our turn.

"Name, Seo Ryong. My sect is the Western Blade Sect of Gansu."

It was a real sect in Gansu, a place run directly by the All-Knowing Hall in preparation for situations like this. If someone were to investigate, they would find a son named Seo Ryong who had left to participate in the Young Dragon Tournament.

"In ten days, the tournament brackets will be posted in front of the Murim Alliance. Check the date and duel stage then. If you're late for your match, you'll be disqualified without exception, so be sure to go early and wait."

"Understood."

After finishing the registration, we left the Murim Alliance.

"Did you see those bastards looking down on us earlier? Now that you mention it, maybe I should just go ahead and win the whole thing."

"There's no reason you can't."

"Can I really do it? Believe it or not, I've only ever taken first place since I was young. Don't underestimate me!"

"I'm not underestimating you. Go ahead. You can win."

"I'll really do it!"

From that day on, Seo Daeryong trained in the mountains until the tournament began. I did not help him. He was learning from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and it was not my place to interfere. I simply trusted the Blade Demon's teachings.

When Seo Daeryong went out to train, I trained as well. Of course, I went to a different place so as not to disturb his training.

I had trained very hard in the mountains even before Seo Daeryong arrived, but this time I trained even harder. This training rewarded me with the best possible result.

"I did it!"

The Four Strides of the Wind God had finally reached the stage of Composition.

Honestly, I'm happier than when I achieved complete mastery of the Soaring Sky Sword Art's Twelth Star.

Now, my Vanishing Step could escape even more dangerous situations faster. The Shadow Step could evade people's eyes like an illusion, and the Hell Step could definitively be called extremely fatal in the face of power.

The Swift Step became frighteningly fast. The consumption of inner arts decreased, but the consumption of mental energy doubled. It was too fast. I even crashed into a tree at first. Truly, without the Divine Eye Technique, it was a speed I could not handle even in a wide-open plain.

Once I get used to this stage of Composition, the Four Strides of the Wind God, with only one final hurdle remaining, will say this to me.

'Isn't it amazing? If Composition is like this, imagine what complete mastery will be like. Come on, let's try a little harder and get there!'

I have to hear those words. Only then, after achieving complete mastery, can I say this to the Four Strides of the Wind God.

'You worked hard too!'

I will definitely say those words.

After that, I will inherit the Nine Calamities Demonic Art and achieve complete mastery in that as well. Even after achieving complete mastery of two martial arts, I will continue to strive without rest.

If I still can't handle Hwa Mugi after all this… I guess there's nothing I can do. In that case, I will gladly die with a smile.

The tournament brackets were announced.

The first duel was the thirteenth match in tomorrow's preliminary rounds. They said that because so many people had gathered, the matches would be held simultaneously in dozens of locations in the outer courtyard of the Murim Alliance.

"If our Cult held the same kind of tournament, would this many people gather?"

"They wouldn't come."

"This is the power of the orthodox sects. For starters, their numbers are probably at least ten times greater."

And it is not just them. The number of reclusive masters is also overwhelmingly higher among the orthodox sects.

This is why we cannot rashly start a war just because we are stronger than the Murim Alliance right now. Even if we pushed them all the way back to this Murim Alliance Headquarters, the real war would only begin on that day.

As Seo Daeryong and I were eating and chatting, a waiter hurried over to our table.

"I'm very sorry, but would you mind sharing your table? We're crowded with customers because of the Young Dragon Tournament."

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Soon after, a woman wearing a bamboo hat joined our table.

The moment she sat down and took off her hat, I was startled. It was someone I knew.

She was a woman of a status that suggested she would never have to share a table in an inn in her entire life. Known as the First Beauty of Hubei for her cold and intelligent beauty, she possessed outstanding martial arts skills. To my surprise, she was none other than Jin Haryong, the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Chairman.