Chapter 313

Chapter 313

What is the reason for holding a martial competition?

When a martial sect announces they’re holding a martial competition, the reasons can be varied. The most common is for showing off.

To show off how excellent their sect’s disciples are, they hang prizes and hold a competition, entering their sect’s disciples. This is the most frequently occurring format of competition, and wasn’t the Baekgeom Competition that Uicheonmun participated in exactly this format?

While there are cases where martial competitions are held to show off one’s sect’s power like this, there are other cases too. Specifically, holding them for accurate capability assessment.

Most martial competitions held on a grand scale—the entire Baekdo Murim, the entire Heukdo Murim—are of this type. Should I say it’s to confirm how excellent the capabilities of the era’s late-stage rising stars and masters are, and to assign positions or establish strategies according to the results?

Like this, martial competitions are fundamentally for confirming the level of competitors, and the higher the competitors’ levels, the more grandly they tend to be held like festivals. If you think about it logically, naturally a fight between Gupa Ilbang or Odaesega’s sect leaders would be more popular than some country bumpkin martial artists fighting. And.

From that perspective, Uichang’s martial competition was being held more grandly than any competition that had ever taken place.

Because those competing for Cheonhajeil had all participated here.

“Look over there! It’s the Geomseon!”

“Taeak is there too!”

“Who is that beautiful young lady standing beside them? Her appearance is truly exquisite—I’d like to try speaking to her at least once.”

“Wake up from your dream, Brother. She is Ilryun.”

“Heo-eok.”

Geomseon and Taeak, Ilryun.

As those whose names continuously came up as candidates for Cheonhajeil-in of the Central Plains stepped forward to approach the registration desk, the crowd’s attention all focused there. Eyes grew as large as lanterns, as if watching something impossible happen.

“Are they really going to…?”

“They are. They are…!”

One, two, three.

The crowd murmured as they confirmed that Geomseon, Taeak, and even Ilryun all applied to register for the martial competition. And in front of them, Geomseon burst into hearty laughter.

“Heo-heo-heo.”

“Geomseon. Why are you laughing like that?”

“It would be one thing if I were young, but I never even thought I’d participate in a martial competition at my age. Isn’t it the same for you?”

“I wouldn’t know since I’ve never been to a martial competition before. Our cult isn’t large enough to need to hold martial competitions regularly.”

“Heo, then what on earth do you look at to live in Xinjiang?”

“I live looking at the heads of yokai I’ve cut off instead of Central Plains people like you.”

“…Heo-heo.”

Though she spoke with a laugh, at Ilryun’s words with their embedded barbs, Geomseon stroked his beard, let out an awkward laugh, glanced sideways at Taeak who wasn’t saying anything, and nodded. Taeak’s expression seemed to show no particular emotion.

“Taeak. Haven’t you been to martial competitions before?”

“Once.”

“That’s fewer than I thought. Why did you only go once?”

“I killed all my martial competition opponents while advancing.”

“…”

“After that, they wouldn’t accept my participation applications.”

“You mustn’t kill anyone this time.”

“I know.”

“Heo-heo-heo.”

No matter that they’re followers of Heukdo and Magyo, how could they be this ominous?

Swish. Swish.

“Hmm?”

Geomseon, who had been repeatedly stroking his beard and shaking his head, narrowed his eyes at the registration clerk’s actions. The clerk writing their names quite high up on the tournament bracket.

“You there.”

“Yes? Heo-eok, Maengju-nim!”

“Don’t be too surprised. I just stopped you because I have something to ask. Are we not participating in the preliminaries?”

“M-Maengju-nim. That’s correct.”

“Why is that?”

“It-it’s for the sake of fairness.”

“Fairness?”

“If Maengju-nim or the other two entered at the preliminary stage, wouldn’t there be a flood of people who fall without even getting to show their true skills…?”

“That’s…”

He couldn’t deny it. Though he could appropriately receive swords and play around a bit, martial competitions aren’t places for giving teachings.

“Besides the three of you, everyone whose names are listed in Sipcheon, Chilryun, or Samgong all start their matches from the main tournament. It’s a measure for fairness.”

“I suppose that would heat up the atmosphere better.”

“That’s right.”

“How disappointing. I wanted to seize first place from the preliminaries with unstoppable momentum, advance to the main tournament, and claim the title of Cheonhajeil-in.”

“Ha-ha-ha…”

To enjoy that narrative that only unknown heroes can enjoy, he had become too big and too seasoned.

“I understand. Carry on.”

“Yep!”

As Geomseon, who had laughed foolishly and excessively, descended from the platform, Ilryun and Taeak also came down. Soon, glancing at the platform above, Geomseon continued speaking.

“I suppose you’ve both heard the news, but Sangwi is heading toward this place.”

“Mm. I heard it should arrive in about a week.”

“What a tremendous thing. To come from that distant Xinjiang to here in just a week.”

Considering its size, it’s only natural. When it takes at least several Ri with each step, a journey of thousands of Ri wouldn’t be burdensome.

“At least it’s fortunate that its massive body prevents it from hopping around.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“This place is where almost all martial artists with ambitions in martial arts have gathered.”

“…”

“If we fail to stop Sangwi here a week from now, it means this Central Plains Murim will meet its end.”

Murim Alliance Leader. Sado Alliance Leader. Magyo’s number one.

The sect leaders of Gupa Ilbang. The family heads of Odaesega. The leaders of Chilmun Iga. The heads of each major sect. And the sect leaders of small and medium sects. Each sect’s rising stars. Late-stage prodigies and reclusive masters too.

Those here are the total force that Central Plains Murim can mobilize. The past, present, and future of Central Plains Murim are all gathering here.

“We must stop it. Without fail.”

“…”

“I know the feelings between us aren’t exactly good, but there’s no need to stand on pride even in a place like this, is there? So…”

“Are you worried that our cult, driven by vengeance, will charge in saying let’s all die together?”

“That’s not exactly it…”

“Don’t worry. What our cult members have always valued more was the future rather than the past.”

If the Singyo followers didn’t hold such values, the Central Plains Murim would have perished and disappeared long ago.

It’s not even worth discussing.

Ilryun, who had briefly inhaled from her long pipe, exhaled smoke into the air with a whoosh and looked at the tournament bracket being completed. A bracket still mostly empty except for a few places since the preliminaries hadn’t been held yet.

“Mm.”

After looking at that bracket for a moment, Ilryun tapped her pipe, scattering the remaining ashes on the ground.

“Good. This is also entertaining, so let’s make predictions.”

“…”

“If things go as expected, about eight matches should proceed before Sangwi arrives. Who do you think will advance?”

“Excluding the three people here?”

“Obviously.”

One cannot place Talgakja on the same level as those who haven’t achieved Talgak.

At Ilryun’s look as if he were pathetic for staring at her, Geomseon cleared his throat and spoke.

“Five… First, the Sado Alliance Leader will enter. I don’t think there will be any disagreement.”

“Mm.”

“I don’t know Chilryun’s rankings well, but won’t at least one come from Chilryun?”

“No, the most outstanding one sided with Hyeolgyo and died.”

“Hmm, then… it would be Geomje.”

The difference in level between the Sado Alliance Leader and Geomje is a hair’s breadth.

It’s certainly true that the Sado Alliance Leader is slightly ahead, but that doesn’t mean Geomje would be one-sidedly pushed back by the Sado Alliance Leader either. If everyone fought in good condition, could you predict about a sixty-forty win rate?

“After excluding the Sado Alliance Leader and Geomje, there aren’t many left. Geomgwi. Daehwalrbul. Heukmyeonsalma… up to Binggungju.”

Samgong, the absolute masters of the Saeoe Murim. And the reclusive Sipcheon.

Those being listed now have all been inactive for so long that they can’t be accurately measured. They were Sipcheon and Samgong before, so naturally they’d be stronger than the lower ranks of Sipcheon, but determining superiority among them is impossible.

“Personally, I think Geomgwi, Daehwalrbul, and Binggungju will advance. That Heukmyeonsalma fellow is too explosive. If he had achieved some success, he would have rampaged around the Central Plains. What do you think, Ilryun?”

“Geomgwi, Daehwalrbul, Heukmyeonsalma.”

“You rate Binggungju low?”

“Because I haven’t seen him.”

“Well, Xinjiang and Bukae are far too far apart.”

Even going in a straight line is a journey of five thousand Ri, but going straight is practically impossible because the yokai territories overlap too much. If you go around, it’s a distance of ten thousand Ri.

“Since you haven’t seen him, it can’t be helped. But in my opinion, Binggungju is stronger than Heukmyeonsalma.”

“Even if you say that, I have no intention of changing my mind. It’s because I haven’t confirmed Binggungju’s achievements with my own eyes.”

“I have no intention of telling you to change it either. By the way, what do you think, Taeak?”

“…”

What does he think?

“Baek Ri.”

“Geomje? We already agreed to exclude Geomje, didn’t we?”

“Not Baek Rigang. Baek Riyun.”

“…But that child is dead, isn’t he?”

“Strange things occasionally happen in the Central Plains.”

Just because you confirmed death before your eyes doesn’t necessarily mean it’s perfectly complete death. At least not in this Central Plains.

After staring intently at the empty space for a moment, Taeak shook his head and closed his mouth. And at that sight, Geomseon and Ilryun exchanged glances.

“…Has that child become that strong? When I last saw him, he wasn’t at that level.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“About two years ago.”

“Then it would be understandable that you can’t comprehend it.”

Ilryun doesn’t know what level Baek Riyun was at two years ago. She’s never met him and never heard news of him.

But there’s one thing that’s certain. For someone who possessed that level of martial power at that age, one year has to be much denser than one year for others. And that’s still the same now.

“In the end, that child met death while attempting Talgak.”

“…Talgak?”

“Yes.”

That he attempted Talgak means he clearly recognized his own limit.

Though Baek Riyun showed somewhat insufficient martial power compared to those currently being discussed, that alone creates possibility. While Talgak carries the risk of becoming a cripple if you fail, the moment you attempt it, your realm rising to some degree is somewhat guaranteed.

“If he survived through some method there, he might truly be able to compete with them.”

“…”

“I too hope such a thing happened. It seems like many more would survive if that child were here.”

Isn’t this when we need every hand we can get?

“That would be good indeed.”

—From now on!

At Ilryun’s bitter smile, Geomseon nodded and clasped his hands behind his back. Simultaneously, a voice rang out.

—We will now begin the preliminary matches of the Cheonhajeil Martial Competition!