Chapter 130
“Mount Hua is forfeiting the sparring match…?”
“…Y-yes.”
The one who relayed this to me wasn’t the disciples or the Sect Leader, but an Elder of Zhongnan. This was the Zhongnan Elder who had come along to protect the disciples participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
“I-it’s what the Murim Alliance said directly…”
“…”
For a moment, A giant question mark formed in my mind.
And rightly so, why the sudden forfeit…?
“…Why forfeit all of a sudden? Is there a reason…”
“…Mount Hua hasn’t said a word.”
“Then what about the Sparring Match scheduled for today…?”
“I don’t know what will happen with that either. We’re also so confused…”
Due to the sudden situation, Great confusion also filled the Zhongnan Elder’s eyes. But soon, he looked at me and smiled as if to reassure me.
“Still, just wait a little longer. The Sect Leader has personally gone to the Murim Alliance Headquarters, so we’ll soon know all the details.”
“Ah…”
So that was why the Sect Leader was nowhere to be seen since morning.
“The Sect Leader will be back soon, so…”
“…But, Elder. May I step out for a moment? The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering starts in the afternoon anyway, so just for a bit…”
“…What? Where are you going in this sudden situation…”
“Just a moment! I’ll be right back!”
“W-wait! Mu-Yeong-!”
I couldn’t just sit around twiddling my thumbs until the Sect Leader brought back news.
I had to gather information in my own way.
That was why I ignored the Elder’s words and immediately dashed out of Zhongnan’s lodging.
And the place I headed to was an abandoned building in the back alley, where Munseok specifically was.
Bang.
Munseok was there as expected, going up to the second floor of the abandoned building that looked uninhabited.
“Munseok-!”
“Ah…, you’re her…”
“Never mind that. Is it true? Did Mount Hua Sect really forfeit the Sparring Match?”
I asked Munseok abruptly without even taking the time to greet him.
Nod.
Munseok answered by nodding his head. But he too had an expression that said he didn’t know the reason.
“I heard the same thing from a Murim Alliance spy I bribed with a large sum. It seems to be true.”
“…You don’t know the reason?”
“I don’t.”
“Haa…”
Zhongnan was honestly reliable, but I could trust this man more than anyone else.
If Munseok said so, it was true. Mount Hua must have truly expressed its intention to forfeit the Sparring Match.
[…Why?]
Questions bloomed in my head like a cumulus cloud.
And rightly so, why would this protagonist bastard suddenly forfeit the Sparring Match?
I recalled his last appearance from yesterday.
He glared at me resentfully for beating down the Mount Hua Sect’s chief disciple, Un-Hyeon. The will to punish me absolutely was also burning in his eyes.
[Don’t tell me he suddenly chickened out…?]
I considered that possibility but soon shook my head.
In the first place, I hadn’t revealed enough power to make the protagonist tremble in fear, and he wasn’t the type to avoid a match just because the opponent was strong.
Furthermore, the prize for winning this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was indispensable for his growth, so this sparring match could be considered incredibly important.
[But he threw that away and suddenly gave up on the Sparring Match…?]
…Why?
Why on earth?
I couldn’t understand it at all.
As I rested my chin on my hand and pondered, Munseok hesitated and spoke to me.
“Well…, there is one piece of unconfirmed information…”
“What is it? Tell me.”
“They say this forfeit was expressed by that Mount Hua Sect disciple going personally to the Murim Alliance leader.”
“He personally went to the Murim Alliance leader?”
Why go that far?
If he wanted to forfeit, he could have just told his Sect Leader, right?
But this question was forgotten the moment I heard Munseok’s next words.
“And they say he yelled when he went to the Murim Alliance leader. As if he were angry.”
“…Ah?”
He got angry at the Murim Alliance leader…?
Is he crazy…?
No matter how much the Murim Alliance leader was the epitome of incompetence, his authority was still absolute. And above all, the protagonist valued his elders and didn’t show his emotions easily.
That upright Taoist priest bastard got angry at the Murim Alliance Leader…?
It felt like the common sense I held was crumbling.
And…, I could also vaguely guess the reason.
[It must be because of me.]
The future that had been progressing identically to the original work changing was undoubtedly due to my existence.
But that made it even more questionable.
[What did I even do to make him go as far as forfeiting the Sparring Match…]
Could it be…
[Did he report to the Murim Alliance Leader that my identity is suspicious?]
Thinking about it that way, the pieces fit together a bit.
Ha Jinseong personally went to the Murim Alliance Leader and reported that my identity was suspicious…, and the Murim Alliance Leader ignored his words because it was difficult to stop the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering based purely on circumstantial evidence.
And if the angered Protagonist yelled at the Murim Alliance Leader and declared his forfeit…
[Fuck, it makes absolutely no sense, but it also kind of does.]
Above all, given the lack of information, this seemed to be the limit of what I could come up with.
As I grabbed my head and groaned, Munseok patted my shoulder and spoke.
“Don’t rack your brain so much. Still, isn’t it a good thing for us in the end?”
“A good thing?”
“Isn’t our goal to win as soon as possible and take the prize? Of course, I’m not doubting your skills, but the most bothersome person among those remaining has dropped out, so it’s a benefit for us.”
“…”
…Right. Munseok’s words were correct too.
Beating the protagonist in a sparring match while hiding my strength would have been no easy task, but the guy had dropped out on his own.
Viewed simply, it was a good thing.
Of course…
[It feels so uncomfortable, like a thorn in my side, but…]
I decided to somehow think about it simply.
As I made up my mind and nodded to myself, Munseok asked me in a slightly grave voice.
“By the way, Muyeon. I have something to ask. Wasn’t our plan for the deputy leader to win originally, not you?”
“Ah. It was originally, but it changed. Just to me winning…”
“Ah, fuck.”
“Hm?”
For a moment, I couldn’t help but flinch. It was the first time in my life hearing Munseok spit out a curse word.
But I soon found out the reason.
“No! Then you should have told me too! I didn’t know that and bet money on Deputy Leader Dongryong!”
“What? Puhahaha-!”
While Munseok’s expression turned serious, a smile bloomed on my face.
Wait, this gentleman gambled?
I laughed out loud and asked Munseok.
“No! Where did a gentleman with debts get the money! Hahaha-!”
“…I scraped together all the money I had and bet it to clear that debt! But fuck, I blew it all! I bet everything on Deputy Leader Dong winning-!”
“Hahahahaha-!”
“Don’t laugh, you bastard!”
Munseok’s goatee trembled, and he got angry at me, but I couldn’t stop laughing.
It was because seeing the ever-capable Munseok, who could do everything, get angry over losing money and swear when he usually didn’t, felt so human.
“Ahaha-! I told you, gentleman! Who told you to gamble? Don’t you know gambling leads to the ruin of one’s family?”
Actually, I was going to do it too but couldn’t because I didn’t have time, though I didn’t bother mentioning that.
“It’s karma, karma! Hahaha-! Look at this mess! A Haomun branch leader is getting into debt, blowing money on gambling. Ahaha!!”
“Isn’t it all because of you!”
Well, I suppose it is?
If it were anyone else, I would have pulled a 'Who cares?' here, but Munseok was special, so I stopped laughing and threw my arm around his shoulder.
“Munseok. Why are you so petty? You shouldn’t get red in the face over losing that kind of pocket change.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll make way more money hanging around with me in the future anyway. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you earn several times more than what you lost today.”
“Huu…”
“Honestly, I like you more than the Haomun leader, man.”
“No, you don’t have to go that far…”
Anyway, after cheering Munseok up like that, I hurriedly returned to Zhongnan’s lodging.
Because everyone would think it strange if I were away for too long on the day of a sparring match.
And when I returned to the lodging, the Zhongnan Sect Leader who had left in the morning was back.
“…Instead of the semifinal sparring match with Mount Hua today, it has been agreed to hold the final match with the Shanxi Yu Family in advance.”
…Along with news about the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
* * *
The information that Mount Hua’s Ha Jinseong had gotten angry at the Murim Alliance Leader was not false.
He had actually yelled at the Murim Alliance Leader.
“Alliance Leader!! Please make the right judgment!!”
“…”
“…”
…And with very deep anger, at that.
At this, the Murim Alliance leader and the Mount Hua Sect Leader, Myeonghwa, who were present, couldn’t help but be flustered.
The Murim Alliance leader gladly accepted the Mount Hua Sect disciple Ha Jinseong, who suddenly requested a conversation saying he had an important matter.
Mount Hua was an important sect to the Murim Alliance leader, and he had wanted to have a chat with Ha Jinseong, who would lead Mount Hua in the future.
Because he was a rising star rumored to be gentle and polite, Murim Alliance leader Namgung Hwa-Cheon had looked forward to the meeting with Ha Jinseong even more.
But what was the result now?
As soon as he saw the Murim Alliance leader’s face, he spouted sophistry at the Murim Alliance leader, and now he was even yelling.
“Hah…”
As Namgung Hwa-Cheon wore a blank expression at this absurd situation, the Mount Hua Sect Leader Myeonghwa was startled and scolded Ha Jinseong.
“Jin-A…! What is that behavior toward the Alliance Leader…!”
But Ha Jinseong, who usually followed the Sect Leader so well, absolutely did not back down this time.
“We must stop the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering right now. Otherwise, many people will die…!”
Since yesterday, Ha Jinseong has changed somehow.
The boy who only held a competitive spirit in his eyes when the sparring match ended turned pale and started trembling in anxiety on the way back to the lodging, as if he had seen something.
And what he was claiming was…
“Right now, in this place…, …!”
“…”
“…”
…Because it was so utterly absurd, the two could only shake their heads.
At this, Namgung Hwa-Cheon let out a sigh and spoke to Ha Jinseong as if looking at a madman.
“…Look here, do you think that makes any sense right now? This place is Anhui. It is Anhui, the center of the Righteous Murim and where the Murim Alliance Headquarters is located.”
“That’s why it’s even more of a crisis…! Those monsters are in Anhui right now…!”
“Enough.”
Namgung Hwa-Cheon raised his hand and stopped him. Then he continued.
“…I understand what you’re saying. So I will deploy warriors to strengthen the border. Now, will this do? So the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering will proceed as scheduled…”
Naturally, Namgung Hwa-Cheon did not believe Ha Jinseong’s words. However, since Ha Jinseong had expressed his intention to forfeit the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering if push comes to shove, Namgung Hwa-Cheon was just playing along with Ha Jinseong’s absurd claims to prevent it.
But…
“…No.”
…The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering had already left Ha Jinseong’s mind.
That was why, with a stiff expression, he…
“…If the Murim Alliance won’t stop them, then I will.”
“…Look here!”
“Jin-A-!”
…After saying that to the Murim Alliance leader and the Mount Hua Sect Leader, he immediately left his seat.