Chapter 130 - The Black Flame Dragon Who Steals Opportunities (5)

'I shouldn't have shown off for no reason...'

In truth, there was no need for me to fast to such an extent.

It would have been enough to just look a little haggard without overdoing it, but things ended up like this because I pushed myself to create a dramatic scene.

"What are you doing, not getting up?"

Zhuge Somyeong was getting ready to head out at a moment's notice.

"No, I mean, why do I have to have a sparring match?"

"Didn't I just say it? In your Dantian..."

"I'm saying, why are you so shameless after peeking into someone else's Dantian?"

At my words, Zhuge Somyeong stroked his chin for a moment and fell into thought.

As if he himself didn't know why he acted that way.

A moment later, as if his brilliant mind had reached a conclusion, he spoke.

"Because I can?"

"Haa..."

Although it was something morally wrong, the ways of the world didn't always flow according to common sense, and even though it made no sense for a mere disciple of the Taiyi Sect to punish the Murim Alliance's Chief Strategist and the Supreme Patriarch of the Zhuge Clan.

'Still, isn't it a bit ugly to be that shameless?'

Zhuge Somyeong, who was looking at my face, spoke.

"Judging by your expression, you don't seem very convinced."

"Does that sound convincing to you?"

"It usually is for most people?"

"..."

I never dreamed in my life that I would end up having such an absurd argument with Zhuge Somyeong, the man known as the Number One Brain in the World.

Could he perhaps be a demonic practitioner wearing Zhuge Somyeong's human skin mask?

"Do you perhaps still think there is nothing to gain from me? I am the Murim Alliance's Chief Strategist. You are an academy student of the Murim Academy.

There are tens of thousands of people in the Murim Alliance waiting just to have a single conversation with me, and thousands of people selling off their palace-like homes to sprinkle bribes just to show off their martial arts in front of me once.

I am offering you two such opportunities right now, and you're refusing?"

That was just something those bastards crazy for success would do, and as someone who knew perfectly well that the Murim Alliance would be devastated in the future and relocate to the North Sea, what reason did I have to look good to the Chief Strategist?

"Yes."

"Hoho."

At my firm refusal, Zhuge Somyeong grabbed his chin again and fell into thought, as if he hadn't expected it.

As for me, I was filled with the desperate wish that he would please just go back.

Even though my Essence, Qi, and Spirit were fine, it was no different from having not eaten for several days, so all I wanted to do was eat something delicious and sleep in.

However, contrary to my wishes, Zhuge Somyeong was... persistent.

"Then how about this... You applied to the Gwigung Sect for a martial arts tutor, right?"

Since Moyong Jaehwa had decided to discard the sword and take up the bow, I thought he needed someone to build his foundation even if it was a path he could walk alone, so I had established a special class course.

"I'll have to cancel that."

"..."

"Ah, and the second event you're preparing, the special guest instructor to teach the White Tiger Sword Array... I'll have to cancel that too."

"What do you mean... The White Tiger Sword Array is already the official sword array of the Murim Alliance."

They would learn it anyway once assigned to the Murim Alliance, but I intended to spread the Murim Alliance's White Tiger Sword Array in advance so that I could teach the White Tiger Sword Array that I knew.

Zhuge Somyeong nodded.

"That may be so, but it feels like a waste to spend the budget to force the academy students to learn such a useless sword array."

"..."

"And the third event you planned, the one inviting the array masters of the Mount Mao Sect and the Mount Heng Sect..."

"!"

This event was prepared in case we ended up facing the Corpse Mountain Blood Cult.

Even if not, it was an important event that could save thousands of warriors when fighting against demonic practitioners in the future.

It wasn't just the lives of the Murim Academy's academy students that were important.

Since most of the academy students would go on to become officers of the alliance, if they couldn't deal with evil arts, it would be the lower-class warriors under them who died, so this was an event prepared to prevent an even greater tragedy.

"I clearly applied for the budget while following the norms and adhering to the formalities. Abolishing a set budget due to personal feelings like this is an unjust action."

"I know."

"Pardon?"

"I know. Even so, I am the one who can do those unjust things, and you are the one who must follow."

Zhuge Somyeong pointed at himself with his finger, then pointed at me.

In this moment, I imagined how nice it would be if Zhuge Somyeong were a demonic practitioner.

Then even if I broke that damn finger, the Taiyi Sect wouldn't be annihilated, and my junior brothers wouldn't end up locked in the Golden Jade Prison.

"Haa... Fine. I'll do it."

"Good. Let's go."

"But I have a condition too."

"A condition?"

"Yes."

"Didn't I just say you aren't in a position to set conditions?"

A firm tone, as if explaining that water flows from top to bottom.

Even so, it simply wasn't in my nature to just sit back and keep taking it.

"Don't you want to see my true skills?"

"..."

"As you said, even if I can't act, I can scam a little. If I just play along and lose, would you be satisfied?"

"What do you want?"

"The Mantong Bureau has the Demon-Subduing Divine Wood, doesn't it?"

"... Huh?"

"Please give me that."

"Do you even know what that is!"

"... It's not like you have anywhere to use it anyway."

The Demon-Subduing Divine Wood was a tree that had served as a pillar in a spiritually potent temple.

When a temple burns down entirely due to a thunderbolt, all of the temple's spiritual energy concentrates in the final remaining piece of timber.

It was an item that couldn't be made intentionally in the first place, but since its uses were unknown right now, it wasn't considered that precious.

"..."

"At most, you'd just use it to make a signboard or something, wouldn't you?"

The Demon-Subduing Divine Wood was exceptional as a talisman to protect the mind and spirit.

The wood itself wasn't very large, and once the burnt parts were removed, there wouldn't be much left.

If I asked the Daoists of the Mount Heng Sect to perform an exorcism ritual and fashion it into a talisman, it would definitely exhibit great effectiveness in future battles against demonic practitioners.

"Where do you plan to use it if you take it?"

"... There is something I personally want to make."

Zhuge Somyeong pretended to think for a moment.

But it felt like obvious acting because I knew full well that, compared to the grandiose name of the Demon-Subduing Divine Wood, the item wasn't currently considered very precious.

As I expected, Zhuge Somyeong nodded a moment later.

"Fine. However, if you lose to your opponent, I won't give it to you."

Since I was confident no matter who my opponent was among my peers right now, I replied as well.

"Understood."

"Let's go."

"Wait a moment..."

"... What is it this time?"

"Can't I eat something before going? I'm feeling a little dizzy right now."

"..."

* * *

"What's with your expression? You look like someone who's suffered another unjust thing."

I had roughly expected that one of the academy students would be the opponent.

I thought that even if it wasn't some random nobody, it would be a disciple of the Nine Sects and One Gang, or perhaps someone like Ilgak who seemed to hold a grudge against me over the Soul-Extinguishing Array incident...

"Isn't this an unjust thing?"

Arriving at the training ground attached to the dormitories, I couldn't help but frown upon seeing a man in his mid-thirties.

There was nothing special about the aura emanating from him on the outside.

But conversely, that meant he was a high-level warrior capable of concealing his own aura.

"Do you know who that friend is?"

"I don't."

This was the real problem.

His face, his movements—it was the appearance of someone I was seeing for the very first time in my life.

If I were to pick someone with similar movements, the Murim Alliance Leader would come to mind, but the man was too young for that, and his skeletal structure and habits were completely different.

"But just looking at the calluses on his palms and his flawless aura, I know he's an existence I can't face."

"Since you're smart, you'll have a way to win."

At Zhuge Somyeong's words, I spoke with a feeling of bursting frustration.

"How can a rabbit beat a tiger by using its head?"

At my words, Zhuge Somyeong simply nodded without much of a reaction.

See, my prediction was dead on.

"Fine. I'll give you the Demon-Subduing Divine Wood even if you just manage a draw."

"I just told you, please bring someone who is actually a match for me in the first place."

"Hurry up and start. If you keep grumbling, I'll tell that friend to teach you a harsh lesson."

Zhuge Somyeong waved his hand dismissively after saying that.

In the end, having no other choice, I drew the Black Dragon Sword, stepped forward, and cupped my fist.

"I shall receive a lesson from you."

"..."

The man merely nodded without a word.

He seemed to be quite a taciturn person.

As I assumed the starting stance of the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, he also stepped one foot back and lowered his sword so that it hung downwards.

The man's starting stance was one I was seeing for the first time in my life.

Since he was here by the Chief Strategist's order, he must have been a member of the Murim Alliance, yet it was surprising that it was a martial art I had never seen before.

"Come."

With the man's words, I erased my distracting thoughts, closed the shortest distance to him, and unleashed the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique.

SWOOSH!

The Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, imbued with 7-star internal energy, shot out like a single beam of light with the profound principle of extreme speed.

CLANG!

The man deflected the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique as he lifted the sword he had left hanging down.

After recovering the Black Dragon Sword, I fired the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique once more.

SWOOSH!

The philtrum, the solar plexus, the groin.

I unleashed it as if attacking all three points that a person instinctively reacts to simultaneously, but the man merely took two steps back and neutralized the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique in a single breath.

"Sharp."

"Is that so? Then I'll keep going. I have something I need to receive from the Chief Strategist."

Using the momentum of recovering the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, I spun my body around once and scattered the Great Heaven Sword Technique.

Over a dozen phantom swords formed around the Black Dragon Sword, completely sealing off all eight directions around the man.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

The man took another five steps back and swung his sword a total of five times.

It was the exact same as the number of true swords hidden amidst the phantom swords.

HUMMMM!

The Black Dragon Sword, impossibly hard from being forged with Vajra Indestructible Iron, was vibrating intensely.

It meant that the sword the man wielded was also a treasured sword not lacking in the slightest compared to the Black Dragon Sword.

"You have a fine sword."

"Undeservedly so. But it seems yours is no less impressive, Great Warrior."

"Indeed... undeservedly so."

A smile flickered at the corners of the man's mouth.

"Since I yielded three forms, it should be fine to do this properly now, right?"

I was wondering why he didn't react much, and it turned out he had been yielding three forms on his own in the meantime.

"Still, if you look favorably upon a junior, you should concede about ten forms."

The man looked at Zhuge Somyeong for a moment, then shook his head.

"To make a bet on a sparring match with me, I truly cannot forgive it."

"The Chief Strategist truly has loose lips. With a mouth like that, how will he accomplish great—!"

CLANG-CLANG!

Before I could even finish my words, the man's figure disappeared with a WHOOSH!, and before I knew it, he appeared right under my nose and swung his sword.

I drew out the 10-star Lesser Heaven Sword Technique to defend desperately while simultaneously struggling to grasp the origins of the man's sword technique.

If the Chief Strategist had called him, it was certain he would be an expert from either the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Noble Clans.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

The man's sword was incredibly fast.

It wasn't quite to the level of when the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique was pushed to its absolute limit, but it was still fast enough to be called a fast-sword technique.

However, for a fast-sword technique, it didn't extremely shorten its sword trajectories either.

It looked like an awkward sword technique that was neither here nor there, but every single form aimed for a vital point, and blood was already flowing from various parts of my body.

SLASH!

Another sword came slicing toward my neck, and since it was obvious a chained movement would follow even if I blocked it with my sword, I executed the Taiyi Eighty Thousand Divine Steps and retreated backwards.

As I left behind an afterimage and retreated five steps simultaneously, his sword cleanly sheared off the afterimage's neck and right arm.

"A fascinating footwork."

"It is our sect's secret footwork recovered after five hundred years."

"Is that so?"

The man moved again without being particularly surprised.

Unlike his relaxed tone, his body had become even faster than before.

As I swung the Black Dragon Sword toward his incoming blade, I felt a tremendous repulsive force.

BAM!

Pushed back by the energy, I retreated three steps, whereas he merely stood perfectly fine in his place and looked at me.

'I have absolutely no idea.'

We had already exchanged over a dozen bouts, and I struggled to find the origin of his sword technique, but I couldn't figure out its roots at all.

Yet, it was slightly lacking to say he had reached the realm of enlightenment where one abandons forms altogether.

I had seen a few such people among the Demonic Cultists, but those who reached that level possessed an overwhelming presence.

However, far from anything overwhelming, the presence of the man before my eyes was hazy.

'His presence is hazy?'

Being fast without being a true fast-sword technique meant he was moving efficiently.

The fact that his footsteps sounded as small and light as a breezy walk despite moving at the speed of lightning meant his usual footwork was feather-light.

SWISH-SWISH-SWISH!

That same sharp sword now split into seven and thrust toward my death points.

A sword technique whose origin I still couldn't tell.

However, I saw clues that allowed me to at least make a guess.

'I roughly get it now.'

The Twin Heaven Sword Art scattered from my hand.

Dozens of sword shadows blossoming chaotically before me shot straight toward the man's sword.

The man showed no fear even though he countered with merely seven strikes.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Along with seven friction sounds ringing out in an instant, I retreated another five steps backward.

"I heard that the Black Flame Dragon does not know how to back down."

He spoke as he lowered his sword again.

"That's a distorted rumor. I occasionally like to step back. Of course, I make sure to inflict damage on my opponent."

"Hmm?"

FLUTTER.

Before the man could even realize it, his coat strings were sliced off, and his martial robes split wide open.

"..."

The man looked quite surprised. He immediately bent his knees, as if about to spring forward.

Considering he hadn't shown such a posture once so far, it was a resolve to go at it in earnest.

I quickly raised my hand to show him.

"May I ask one question for a moment?"

"Can't you do it after the sparring match is over?"

"It's because it's related to the sparring match."

"... What is it?"

As he paused for a moment, I spoke.

"Do you perhaps belong to the Alliance Leader's Pavilion?"

"..."

Motionless movement and an unchanging expression. However, his pupils were trembling violently.