Episode 304: The Martial Arts Tournament

The martial arts tournament kicked off the very next day.

As Tang Mujin and his companions approached the tournament grounds, a martial artist discreetly sidled up to them.

“Greetings. You must be the head of the Tang family, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’m Son Uigun, the head of the Son family from Bongyang. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Could we have a word?”

“Of course.”

That was a mistake.

The speed at which people gathered to speak with Tang Mujin far outpaced his ability to entertain and dismiss them.

‘What’s going on here?’

Tang Mujin was taken aback.

He had expected to exchange pleasantries with a couple of people at most, not to be swarmed by a crowd.

Yet, it wasn’t easy to cut the conversations short and walk away.

Unlike seasoned family heads, Tang Mujin was inexperienced in handling such situations. He had no idea how to respond or extricate himself.

Thud, thud, thud—

As he continued to entertain endless small talk, the sound of drums announcing the start of the tournament reached his ears.

Tang Mujin seized the opportunity.

“It seems the tournament is about to begin. Let’s catch up later!”

He deftly extricated himself from the crowd and headed straight for the tournament grounds.

Namgung Myung, walking beside him, asked, “Why did you entertain all that pointless chatter?”

“It wasn’t by choice. I just couldn’t figure out how to get out of it. It felt like being caught in a web.”

Namgung Myung chuckled.

“Seems like you didn’t know how to handle it. It’s just like a fight, really.”

“And how should I handle it?”

“Just draw your sword and cut down the easiest target. Everyone will be too shocked to approach you. Try that next time.”

”…Right. I was wondering when you’d start talking nonsense.”

“Didn’t you know? That’s how all the famous families do it.”

It was a joke so absurd that even a fool wouldn’t fall for it, so Tang Mujin responded with a rude gesture.

The drumbeats ceased, and the voice of the tournament announcer rang out.

He wasn’t using any internal energy to amplify his voice; he just naturally had a booming voice.

“Attention, everyone! We will now begin the draw! Participants, please gather!”

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed they weren’t planning to organize the matches in advance. Tang Mujin pondered.

‘Well, with so many participants, it makes sense. The tournament has no restrictions other than age.’

Even the age restriction was somewhat ambiguous. Who was to determine if someone was over thirty?

The registration clerks would just take a look at the participants and accept anyone who didn’t seem outrageously old.

The announcer began drawing wooden plaques from a large box, reading the inscriptions aloud.

“Wi Hyo-eum of Jinryongmun from Geonyang!”

“Wi Hyo-eum! Wi Hyo-eum! The hope of Jinryongmun!”

“Man Gok of the Man family from Hubei!”

“Man Gok! Man Gok! Knock them all down!”

As each name was called, acquaintances in the crowd cheered loudly for the participants.

Most had left straightforward introductions on their plaques, but some were more creative.

“A promising swordsman who claimed the top spot among the Eight Swords of Gansu with his lightning-fast swordplay, Hak Haedong!”

Adding a bit of flair to one’s name was considered normal.

“At twelve, he defeated a tiger with his bare hands, and the following year, he ascended to the heavens with the Black Dragon’s spirit from the depths of the Heilongjiang, only to return to the mortal realm two days ago…”

Some had clearly written jokes on their plaques.

Even as the crowd burst into laughter, the announcer maintained a serious expression, reading the plaque to the end. Such antics were a tradition of the tournament.

Of course, the person who claimed to have ascended with the Black Dragon did not appear at the tournament.

Finally, when twenty participants had gathered in the arena, the announcer shouted energetically.

“Let the battle commence! The condition is to remain until only five are left! Severe injuries or falling to the ground will result in disqualification! Using strange hidden weapons will also lead to disqualification!”

Following the announcer’s instructions, a chaotic battle ensued until only five remained.

It was a clever approach. It quickly weeded out the riffraff and compensated for the typically dull fights between lower-skilled participants with sheer numbers and scale.

Even if the skill level wasn’t high, a large-scale battle guaranteed a certain level of excitement.

Initially, a couple of weaker participants were quickly eliminated, and the remaining fighters naturally split into two factions: a few with decent skills and a majority with lesser abilities.

If the goal had been to crown a single winner, they would have banded together to eliminate the strongest first.

But with five winners, there was no reason for the skilled to turn their swords on each other.

“Argh!”

“Stop right there!”

After a lengthy battle, the outcome was decided.

Four of the five who had formed an implicit alliance remained, along with one lucky participant from the weaker group who advanced to the finals.

The next group followed a similar pattern: a few skilled fighters and many hopefuls. The only difference was the presence of Namgung Hyun.

Namgung Hyun didn’t bother to blend in. At just twenty-six, having surpassed the pinnacle, the other nineteen were all equally weak in his eyes.

Even with another pinnacle-level fighter among them, it was the same.

No surprises occurred in the second group. Two pinnacle-level fighters and three others of at least first-rate skill advanced to the finals.

Namgung Hyun, with a stoic yet arrogant expression, scanned the surroundings until his eyes met Namgung Myung’s.

Not expecting to see Namgung Myung there, Namgung Hyun’s eyes widened. He quickly bowed and saluted Namgung Myung.

Tang Mujin nudged Namgung Myung’s side.

“What’s this? He recognized you right away?”

“Of course, we’re from the same Namgung family.”

“What’s your relationship with that Namgung Hyun?”

“He’s my cousin. We used to hang out when we were kids.”

It sounded as if they stopped associating once they matured, but in reality, Namgung Myung had been expelled from the family and couldn’t associate with them anymore.

He didn’t want to share his embarrassing past in front of the two doctors and Seolhwa, so he chose his words carefully.

“Your cousin… Is he related to Elder Namgung Jinya?”

“He’s not Uncle Jinya’s son.”

“I see.”

Then came the third group’s match.

”…Hong Gyeon from Jueul Village, representing the Beggars’ Sect!”

Finally, Hong Geolgae’s alias was called.

Hong Geolgae entered the arena unarmed. He feared that bringing his staff might reveal his identity.

Tang Mujin scrutinized Hong Geolgae’s face. Though unfamiliar and slightly stiff, there was nothing overtly suspicious.

‘Will anyone recognize Hong Geolgae?’

The group watched the arena with mixed feelings, half hoping no one would recognize Hong Geolgae and half curious to see him exposed and humiliated.

However, no one recognized Hong Geolgae, nor did anyone pay him much attention. Neither the participants nor the spectators seemed interested.

It was the first successful application of the trick they called “Reversal Technique.”

Doctor Yang whispered quietly.

“Did it work?”

“Yes, it did.”

“Incredible!”

The two doctors were particularly pleased.

For someone who had only just begun to sense energy, leaving a mark on the martial world was a remarkable achievement.

Though they weren’t sure if this “Reversal Technique” would have a lasting impact.

Namgung Myung also seemed quietly pleased. Given Hong Geolgae’s penchant for shady dealings, he would likely find the technique quite useful.

“Here we go.”

The third match unfolded similarly to the previous ones: a few skilled fighters and many hopefuls.

Tang Mujin and his companions watched eagerly, anticipating the moment Hong Geolgae would reveal his skills.

‘How will he handle this?’

Without his staff, he couldn’t use his staff techniques. Would he employ the Eight Drunken Immortals or the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms?

But Hong Geolgae surprised them with an unexpected move.

He erased his presence and concealed his skills, quietly retreating to a corner of the arena. He appeared as if he had given up on the match or was too frightened to join the fray.

“What’s he doing?”

“Who knows? He must have a plan.”

Hong Geolgae’s presence was so faint that neither the spectators nor the fighters paid him any mind.

Occasionally, someone would notice him, but they quickly lost interest. A beggar with no weapon and only two knots on his belt was neither a threat nor an asset.

As the match neared its conclusion, no significant surprises occurred in Hong Geolgae’s group.

Five competent fighters and Hong Geolgae remained.

The group watched with bated breath, curious about what would happen next.

‘What’s his plan now?’

A small twist occurred then. As a first-rate fighter approached to eliminate Hong Geolgae, another fighter from behind kicked the back of his knee.

Out of nowhere, a top-tier martial artist found himself sprawled on the ground.

The announcer shouted, “Dujinpoong of Bowangmun, eliminated!”

The man called Dujinpoong looked around in confusion before jumping to his feet and yelling at the announcer, “Eliminated? Me? Why?”

“If you hit the ground, you’re out!”

“Come on, it was a sneak attack!”

“Those are the rules.”

Dujinpoong turned to glare at the man who had tripped him. It seemed they knew each other.

“You, Takjongui! What the hell was that?”

Takjongui smirked. “Just returning the favor for what your uncle did to my father.”

“You lunatic! That was over twenty years ago. We were just kids back then!”

“A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after twenty years.”

“You idiot! Whatever grudge there was between my uncle and your father was settled over a decade ago. What revenge?”

“Did you really think a few words could wash away that humiliation?”

It seemed revenge was just an excuse. Takjongui simply wanted to eliminate a strong competitor before the finals.

The two argued fiercely, but the audience didn’t care about their family feud.

The crowd jeered at Dujinpoong. “Boo, get off the stage! What a disgrace!”

“Get lost!”

With no chance to continue the match, Dujinpoong approached the announcer, pleading his case. “This is ridiculous! It should be that bum over there who gets disqualified, not me!”

“But he wasn’t injured, didn’t hit the ground, and never surrendered.”

“Does that matter? He’s useless! Do you think I avoided him because I was scared?”

Despite Dujinpoong’s protests, the announcer remained firm, knowing that bending the rules could backfire on him.

Dujinpoong changed tactics, lunging at Honggeolgae, his hairy arms reaching for him.

Dangmujin expected Honggeolgae to counter with a swift move, but instead, Honggeolgae let himself be grabbed, looking tense.

Dujinpoong shook him violently. “See? This guy’s nothing! I could crush him with one hand, and he’s going to the finals instead of me?”

“There can be no exceptions to the rules.”

“This isn’t an exception! It’s the obvious outcome! The tournament is supposed to find the strongest, not leave us with cowards and fakes!”

Fuming, Dujinpoong ranted for a while longer before tossing Honggeolgae aside.

Honggeolgae used a subtle technique to land gracefully, avoiding a fall.

And Dangmujin saw it.

‘He’s serious.’

Honggeolgae’s eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation, and a dark, satisfied smile played on his lips.