Chapter 287

Chapter 287

The Murim Alliance, Sado Alliance, and Demonic Cult joining forces to hold the Greatest Under Heaven Martial Arts Tournament!

News that no martial artist worthy of the name could ignore set the entire Central Plains ablaze. And for good reason—in the long thousands of years of Murim history, never had these three forces united to clearly determine who was the greatest under heaven.

Masters do not fight recklessly. This is especially true for masters belonging to groups like the Murim Alliance, Sado Alliance, or Demonic Cult. If they were to lose, it would create a situation where the superiority between groups would be determined.

Even battles between the Ten Celestials, who encounter each other relatively often, happen perhaps once every few years at most—such is the current ecology of the Murim. It’s also true that without masters challenging the Ten Celestials, high-level battles are difficult to witness.

But what about this time?

Sword Saint, Tae’ak, Illyun.

The three absolute masters of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic paths declared their participation in the martial arts tournament, and masters from both the Orthodox and Unorthodox sides announced their attendance en masse.

For a master, merely watching high-level martial contests is bound to yield many insights.

Thus, all the masters who had a name worth mentioning in the Central Plains moved their feet toward Uichang, the scheduled location of the tournament. To witness with their own two eyes who the greatest under heaven of this generation would be.

“Squad Leader. Did you hear about that?”

Uichang.

“They say a ghost has been spotted. A ghost.”

“Aren’t you scared? They say dozens of people have already witnessed it.”

“Please just shut that mouth of yours. Namgung U.”

“Why does the Squad Leader always pick on only me?”

“Do I need to see blood before you’ll listen?”

At the sight of Namgung U endlessly flapping his mouth, Cheongha, having reached her limit, drew her sword and growled. And at that sight, Namgung U flinched and quickly stepped back.

“Well, isn’t it because I’m bored? There’s nothing to do while on guard duty… It’s not like we’re going to be attacked or anything.”

“If you’re on duty, focus on your duty.”

“I need something to focus on to focus. Besides, if a commotion breaks out, we couldn’t miss it anyway. It’s not like we’re the only ones here, right?”

“Haah.”

At the sight of Namgung U looking around and chattering away, Cheongha let out a deep sigh while pressing her forehead and shaking her head. Normally, she would have reprimanded him for poor duty attitude, but for the moment, his words weren’t wrong.

A martial arts tournament usually has an organizer.

However, in the case of this Greatest Under Heaven Martial Arts Tournament, the organizer wasn’t limited to a single group but was jointly hosted by three organizations. And for good reason—it was a place to determine the greatest under heaven.

Holding a martial arts tournament means guaranteeing the tournament’s credibility.

Therefore, a tournament to determine the greatest under heaven cannot be solely hosted by a single organization. The greatest under heaven refers to the strongest human under heaven, so if the Murim Alliance were to take charge of hosting it, the greatest under heaven would only receive the Murim Alliance’s certification.

“Look over there. It’s the White Bone Corps.”

“Mm.”

“Over there is the Flame Spirit Corps too, and oh my? Over there are even Demonic Cult bastards. I heard they hadn’t made it out of Xinjiang yet.”

“What crazy bastard would rampage in this situation? Unless they’re someone whose brain has been touched by Qi Deviation, there won’t be any. If there’s someone who’d rampage even in this situation, they’d be a master too strong for us to subdue anyway.”

“Do you have no sense of propriety?”

“Ey, Squad Leader. Us? Propriety is—”

At Cheongha’s words, Namgung U snorted and shrugged his shoulders before turning his gaze back to Moyong Hyeyeon.

“So how about it, Captain? The ghost story.”

“……Are you talking about Captain Baekri?”

“Yes. How many people have witnessed it? The ghost of the former Captain, not the current Captain.”

“The Captain is on the casualty list.”

“Isn’t there no one in our squad who believes that?”

It was just recently that news of Baekri Un’s death arrived.

Although news of his death had arrived, none of the Changcheon Corps members—except for the newcomers who had joined while Baekri Un was away—believed the story. And for good reason—they knew all too clearly what kind of person Baekri Un was.

“The former Captain is someone who’d survive even if thrown into hell, so death? That’s nonsense.”

“The Ten Celestials confirmed his death.”

“Well, if the high-ranking people saw it with their own eyes, it must be credible… but that’s exactly why I’m suspicious. This ghost commotion—is it really just a false rumor?”

“I think this whole thing might have been the former Captain’s plan.”

“Becoming a ghost, you mean.”

“Yes. Exactly that. Becoming a ghost. Aren’t there quite a few bizarre and mysterious arts in this Central Plains?”

Soul-summoning arts, teleportation arts, jiangshi arts, bone-shrinking techniques, even changing one’s gender, and mind-controlling arts that manipulate people’s consciousness.

The realm of mystical arts is expanding daily compared to the monotonous past. Aren’t the main families of mystical arts said to be able to read heavenly energy and see future events as clearly as looking into a mirror? If he received help from such arts, becoming a ghost wouldn’t be difficult.

“I haven’t heard of any art that brings resurrection. But.”

“But?”

“I think it’s credible.”

“Does the Captain also think the former Captain is alive?”

“Because he’s not someone who would leave so futilely.”

“He does have a life force like a cockroach.”

“Do you want to die?”

Seeing the sword that had been drawn and thrust at his throat before he knew it, Namgung U swallowed hard and raised both arms in surrender. And watching that sight, Moyong Hyeyeon quietly sheathed her sword again.

“Whether he actually became a ghost or is alive through some mystical technique doesn’t matter. Either way, he must have something in mind. We just need to do what we need to do.”

“Those are wise words. Yes. Yes.”

“……Namgung U. Please grow up. Don’t bother the Captain.”

“Ey, Squad Leader. Where would you find someone as mature as me?”

When will he ever grow up?

Watching Namgung U wave both hands and respond in a light tone, Cheongha let out a sigh, then suddenly turned her gaze at the sound of people murmuring. An unusually large crowd gathered.

—What’s this? A fight?

—I’ll bet one nyang on that young master winning!

—I’ll bet on that young lady winning.

“Namgung U.”

“I’m already going.”

Hearing Cheongha’s words, Namgung U immediately placed his hand on his sword hilt and pushed through the crowd toward the inside, then let out a whistle. Both faces confronting each other inside were familiar.

“Now what interesting situation is this?”

The young master of the Namgung Family, Namgung Hyeon, and the young master of the Baekri Family, Baekri San.

Seeing the heirs of the two great families facing each other with drawn swords, Namgung U smiled broadly.

“I should stop them a little late.”

Somehow, it seemed like something interesting was about to happen.

It may be stating the obvious, but Namgung Hyeon dislikes losing his temper.

This is largely because Namgung Hyeon and those around him were, by nature, all calm in temperament. Take Namgung Hyeon’s father, Namgung Yeoncheon—when angry, rather than explosively venting his fury, he tends to freeze coldly, and the same goes for other members of the Namgung Family.

The Namgung sword is the Emperor’s sword. Therefore, Namgung must also maintain a quiet and dignified atmosphere.

All people of the Namgung Family implicitly hold such thoughts, and because of this, people of the Namgung Family—except for a few outgoing individuals like Namgung Yeon and Namgung U—preferred quietness.

Right now, having drawn his sword and confronting Baekri San.

Namgung Hyeon felt uncomfortable with silence for the first time in a very long while. Because.

As far as Namgung Hyeon knew, at least Baekri San was not someone who suited silence.

She was not someone who could stand there with those rotten pollack eyes.

“What are you doing, Baekri San?”

“If you drew your sword, swing it. Wasn’t that a sword drawn to cut me?”

“If you can’t even cut, why did you draw your sword? Was that momentum just now all bluff?”

Having thoroughly provoked Baekri San, Namgung Hyeon clicked his tongue at the sight of Baekri San still wearing those rotten pollack eyes unchanged. This wasn’t what he wanted.

Baekri San is emotional.

At a glance, she seems cold, but if you look closely, she’s a martial artist who always moves according to her emotions. Wasn’t she the oddball who decided her martial arts based solely on the reason that she liked it, even though it didn’t suit her aptitude?

If someone insults what Baekri San likes, she doesn’t tolerate it. Think about how many times Paeng Jin, who was in the Mujeong Hall with her, got beaten up for joining in on Baekri San’s trash-talking of Baekri Un back in their Mujeong Hall days.

But what about now?

‘She’s completely lost it.’

Seonwoo Gang had told him. He said that since staying holed up in a room seemed to worsen her condition, he assigned her surveillance duties to at least get her outside.

As if truly only for surveillance duties, she seems to be moving in a daze, just going with the flow. Even if you released a puppet moved by mystical arts, it would show more lively reactions to surrounding stimuli than that.

“Pathetic beyond measure.”

“What are you doing now, Ba  ekri San?”

When Baekri San, who had been caught up in the teleportation, returned safely with Namgung Yeon.

Namgung Hyeon was genuinely happy. Because both his friend and younger sister had returned with their bodies intact. It seemed he could escape from the life of sleepless nights plagued by nightmares.

When he heard that Baekri Un had died, he was somewhat surprised but accepted it more casually than expected. Baekri Un had used stratagems countless times, and he surely must have been aiming for something.

He thought that even if Baekri Un died, it wasn’t simply a mistake but aimed at something. But what is this spectacle now?

The very Baekri San who he thought would be fine, the Baekri San who he thought would believe in Baekri Un’s death the least, is now in a corpse-like state, holed up in a room.

“Why did the Uicheon Sect Leader die, Baekri San?”

“He died to protect the Central Plains. He died to protect you, to protect Uicheon Sect, and furthermore, to protect people.”

“But what are you doing now?”

Holing up in a room, simply blocking your ears so no news reaches you, covering your eyes, refusing meals, just withering away to death.

If Baekri San cherished her older brother, she shouldn’t be doing this. Of course, Baekri Un wouldn’t want Baekri San to become a vengeful ghost, but if Baekri Un saw his younger sister, whom he risked his life to save, becoming a cripple, what would he say?

“Pathetic beyond measure.”

Harsh words don’t suit him. He doesn’t even know how to get under people’s skin. So.

He thinks about what he would do if he were in Baekri San’s position. He thinks about what would be most stimulating. He doesn’t care if he receives hatred.

If he can awaken Baekri San who’s half-dead.

“If you won’t use it, I’ll take that sword. Baekri San.”

Quietly.

Namgung Hyeon pointed at the Uicheon Sword carefully tied at her waist and slowly drew up his Sword Qi. And.

“Go huddle far away and cry.”

The moment Namgung Hyeon extended his sword filled with Sword Qi.

Baekri San took a step forward with vacant eyes and struck quietly.