Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Meanwhile, at that time. At a tavern  in Sangsan .

Having poured high-proof liquor down her throat, Oh Ryeong frowned and roared.

“Keuhaaa! I feel alive! Boy waiter ! One more bottle of this!”

“……Even if you drink, drink quietly. It’s embarrassing.”

“What does it matter? It’s a good day. The Sect Master told us to rest too!”

At Oh Ryeong’s drinking antics, Seomun Cheok sighed and slightly turned his gaze toward the window. It wasn’t exactly wrong after all.

—A martial artist is like a bowstring.

Yesterday, after the first gate ended.

Baek Riyun gathered the Muryeon Hall trainees and said that. That a martial artist is like a bowstring.

—When shooting a bow, the bowstring must be pulled taut. Only then can you send the arrow far. But if it’s always pulled taut, it quickly loses its tension.

—That’s why when not in use, you always loosen the bowstring to prepare for the next shot. And martial artists are the same.

To fight properly when fighting, rest is necessary. Isn’t this a Grand Competition that progresses over the course of a week? If you maintain tension continuously during that long time, it becomes poison instead.

—Rest well until tomorrow. After that, prepare for this gate. Preparation for the Grand Competition is already sufficient.

That’s why Baek Riyun designated the next day, today, as a rest day and forced the Muryeon Hall trainees to rest. So even Oh Ryeong’s way of resting can’t really be criticized. After all, that’s just her taking rest as Baek Riyun said.

“Kiyaaa. The liquor tastes like honey! How many months has it been since I drank!”

“How much are you drinking?”

……She can’t be criticized.

But isn’t that a bit too much?

“Tomorrow training starts again. Drinking is fine, but drink only enough that it won’t interfere with tomorrow’s training.”

“Shh. What hangover would I get from this much? It’s fine. It’s fine.”

“Doesn’t look fine…….”

“Ehei. You sure talk a lot. I said I’ll handle it. By the way.”

At Oh Ryeong, who waved her hand dismissively at Seomun Cheok’s continued nagging, she looked around and shrugged her shoulders.

“Would’ve been nice if the Sect Master and Yeon-i came along too. They left just us disciples and ran away. Right, Seohwa?”

“Wouldn’t it have been problematic in its own way if the Sect Master was here in this atmosphere?”

“Hehehe. That’s true too. But Yeon-i could have come at least.”

“Well, that can’t be helped.”

At Oh Ryeong expressing regret, Seonwoo Gang smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“Her master came to visit. Since she’s someone who’s quite shy, we can’t invite her to a place like this.”

Dan Riyeon’s master is Muryeonggaek. And Muryeonggaek visits the Murim Alliance every time the Grand Competition is held to watch over his disciple.

Because of that, most Muryeon Hall trainees had encountered Muryeonggaek several times. Muryeonggaek would bring gifts every time he came, asking them to take good care of his disciple.

Of course, they didn’t have long conversations.

“……Even so, we’ve met a few times, wouldn’t it be okay? If you meet two or three times, you can eat together and drink together, can’t you?”

“Don’t speak based on your own standards.”

“Tsk.”

At Oh Ryeong clicking her tongue, Seomun Cheok, who had been shaking his head, spoke in a heavy tone.

“It’s a meeting with her master after a year, isn’t it? She’ll probably be going around eating delicious things on her own. Rather than that, let’s talk. What will we do for the second Grand Competition?”

“……Can we even talk about that?”

“Anyway, we’re just lightly talking while resting, aren’t we? This much shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Is that so…….”

“What will we do? There’s no surefire method, is there?”

At Seomun Cheok’s words, everyone nodded. The first gate and this gate had completely different environments.

This gate, Flag Breaking, was quite different from the first gate. First of all, fundamentally, rather than competing for one objective, the goal is to protect your own flag while breaking the opponent’s flag.

The terrain is manifested through illusions, which is the same point. However, unlike the first gate’s secret manual seizure, the range of that terrain itself is too vast, making it impossible to devise tailored strategies. Moreover, isn’t the flag’s position random?

“Would’ve been nice if it came out as a cave like last time, but that won’t happen, will it?”

“If the organizers have their heads screwed on straight, they won’t do that.”

“Tsk. There are quite a few strategies we couldn’t use, what a waste. Such a waste.”

“The Sect Master’s strategy got us one victory, so now we have to make our way through with our own strength. No need to be too discouraged. We have plenty of chances of victory.”

Having poured liquor into his cup until it sloshed, Seonwoo Gang raised the cup and spoke quietly. He couldn’t guarantee victory for certain, but they had a chance.

The odds Baek Riyun predicted in advance were fifty-fifty. Or sixty-forty. A prediction considering the training so far and individual abilities.

If it becomes something like a plains battle where individual martial prowess becomes important, Muryeon Hall will have a hard time defeating Mujeong Hall. However, isn’t the Flag Breaking gate originally closer to testing guerrilla warfare performance capability rather than individual martial prowess?

The probability of plains appearing is extremely low. No, it can be considered non-existent. If plains appear, those who know the Grand Competition’s purpose could raise objections.

Then what will appear? Where will this gate’s background be set?

“There’s no surefire method. Now we have to make our way through with our own strength. So we should approach it as cautiously as possible……?”

The moment Seonwoo Gang was speaking seriously, he blinked at the sudden silence and looked around. All the Muryeon Hall trainees had already turned their gazes behind Seonwoo Gang.

Emotions different from the earlier enjoyment rose one by one on the trainees’ faces.

Before Seonwoo Gang could interpret what those emotions were.

“So you rat bastard was in this place. How’s the thieving life going? Muryeonggaek.”

A familiar-looking man was there, miserably holding back his indignation.

They say a master is like another parent and should always be respected, but not everyone deeply respects their master in their hearts.

Actually, that’s a natural principle. The relationship between master and disciple is ultimately a relationship between people, isn’t it? No matter how much a master bestows on a disciple, if the master isn’t a respectable person, they won’t receive the disciple’s respect. 

In that respect, Dan Riyeon had never once thought her master was someone who didn’t deserve respect until now.

“Answer me. Or will you run away with those fast legs again?”

Right. Even until now.

“……N-Namgung Daehyeop . It’s been a while.”

At Muryeonggaek, who stuttered and took a cupped fist salute  at the cold-looking man giving him a dressing-down to his face, the man didn’t return the salute and looked at Muryeonggaek with a frowning face.

“Is there a need for courtesy? We’re both unpleasant faces to each other. Why don’t we stop the pretense?”

At the man’s words, Muryeonggaek maintained silence. That’s because the gap between that man and himself was too great to refute those words.

Namgung Su . Vice Commander  of the Namgung Family’s martial force corps, the Azure Sky Sword Corps . Isn’t he a figure with too great a gap from himself, just a nameless martial artist from the countryside?

“The child next to you…… I remember. A Muryeon Hall trainee with fast feet.”

Kkeuddeok.

At the appearance of the opponent who seemed to know her master while looking displeased, Dan Riyeon quickly nodded and tried to take a cupped fist salute to greet him. However, before she could take the salute, Namgung Su lightly pushed Dan Riyeon’s shoulder, interfering with that motion.

“Can’t you speak? Must be mute.”

“No need. I have no intention of receiving greetings from the likes of Muryeon Hall trainees. Moreover, if it’s that cowardly rat bastard’s disciple, even more so.”

Too rude.

At Namgung Su looking at her master with contemptuous eyes, Dan Riyeon clenched her fist and stepped forward to protest. No matter what the circumstances, isn’t he going too far?

Having firmly bitten her lips, Dan Riyeon raised her hand to take out a small blackboard from her bosom and write words to say what needed to be said. But at that moment, rough hands rested on Dan Riyeon’s hands.

“……It’s fine.”

[But Master.]

“Master is fine. It’s something I’m used to.”

Muryeonggaek, who had smiled bitterly, shook his head and restrained Dan Riyeon’s actions.

“It seems I’ve rubbed you the wrong way, Namgung Daehyeop. We’ll vacate the spot, so please have a pleasant evening.”

“Hmph. Obviously. Did you think I would vacate the spot?”

“That couldn’t be.”

“You have no shame either.”

At Muryeonggaek, who showed a forced smile and bowed his waist to express apology, Namgung Su clicked his tongue in displeasure, then suddenly brightened his eyes. As if he had discovered an interesting toy. And again, Namgung Su’s mouth opened.

“Come to think of it, master and disciple are the same, aren’t they? Both are equally vile. Not knowing the grace of being raised and helping the Evil Path, and moreover, Muryeon Hall trainees who can’t do anything without others’ assistance, isn’t that right? Isn’t it?”

“Strategy not from their own heads, and they can’t win without numerical superiority. Hahaha! So vile it’s exactly like looking at you, Muryeonggaek.”

At Namgung Su specifically mentioning the appearance of the Grand Competition’s first gate, Dan Riyeon bit her lips. She wants to refute, but there’s no rebuttal to find.

After all, it’s not wrong.

Winning the first gate was entirely because the strategy was good. If they hadn’t gained numerical superiority through strategy, the ones who would have lost would most likely have been Muryeon Hall.

If it had just been that, it would have been fine. If they had won by devising a good strategy, it would have been something deserving applause, not something to be disparaged. 

The one who came up with that strategy is Baek Riyun. Not themselves.

Because of that, Dan Riyeon couldn’t refute.

She thought she had no qualification to refute.

“After all, good grain only grows in good soil. Even if a dragon emerges from a stream, the dragon doesn’t live in the stream.”

Nodding to himself as if convinced, Namgung Su tapped the liquor bottle on the table where he sat with his finger, then turned his gaze again to look at Muryeonggaek and opened his mouth.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you leaving?”

Having let out a sneer, Namgung Su waved his hand dismissively as if shooing away flies. At that motion that felt like intense humiliation even though he was just being told to leave, Dan Riyeon couldn’t do anything.

She must endure. Since the Master, who suffered greater insults, is also enduring. Even if they insult her, insult the Master, insult her fellow trainees.

She must endure. If she causes a problem here, the damage will go to others.

Strength drains away in powerlessness. Indignation wells up to her throat. But there’s nothing she can do in this situation.

Unable to contain her resentment, Dan Riyeon gritted her teeth and turned around.

The moment Dan Riyeon and Muryeonggaek, whose shoulders had drooped just like hers, were about to leave the tavern.

“Kyaak!”

Cheolpeok—!

A piece of meat flew through the air, passing before Dan Riyeon’s eyes.

“……This is.”

Having removed the piece of meat with bite marks stuck to his face with his hand, Namgung Su turned his gaze with a dumbfounded expression toward where the meat piece came from. The appearance of a woman who had approached with an awkward expression.

“Sorry, Namgung Daehyeop! My hand just flew away because I was drunk!”

“……You.”

“I’m a Muryeon Hall trainee called Oh Ryeong?”

“Are you in your right mind?”

“I’m not in my right mind. Because I~drank~liquor~.”

“You’re insane.”

No matter what mistake is made, at this distance, a piece of meat can’t fly all the way here. So this is intentional.

“Insane. Insane? Hihi.”

At Namgung Su standing up from his seat with subtle anger emanating, Oh Ryeong let out a small laugh soaked in intoxication. 

“Kneel down and prostrate yourself in apology. If you do it now, I’ll let it go at that.”

The moment Namgung Su approached Oh Ryeong and spat out those words.

“Wow, how merciful. Then shall we do it like this?”

Oh Ryeong tilted her head crookedly and smiled deeply.

“You apologize first. Then I’ll kneel too.”