Chapter 115
At that time, the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering 'Gap' Preliminary Arena was held.
“Yoo Somyung, Shanxi Yu Family.”
“Yes.”
“Step forward and take the test.”
In the test where the task of striking a Fist into the cliff, Yoo Somyung’s turn approached.
“Huu…”
As she took a deep breath and stepped forward, several worried voices could be heard from behind.
“Oh my…, of all times, it had to be the most Disadvantageous event for Young Lady Yu.”
“I wonder if, with arms that thin, she can even throw a proper punch…”
The Shanxi Yu Family was a Sword Family. Naturally, Yoo Somyung also used a Sword and did not primarily use her fists.
Furthermore, because a typical female Swordsman focused on softness and speed rather than strength, her body lines were slender and light.
And…, Yoo Somyung was even more slender than typical female swordsmen.
They let out sighs, thinking that she might fail because she had faced the wrong event.
However…
Sss-.
“Willow Flower straight Fist.”
A faint scent of willow emanated from her as she circulated her Internal Energy…
Swaeek-!
KWAANG-!
“…!!”
As her Fist lodged deeply into the cliff, all the Martial Artists who had been expressing their worries shut their mouths.
“Huu…”
“Pass.”
Thus, she proudly received a Pass and returned to her original spot.
“Good work, Somyung-a.”
“As expected of Young Lady Yu. Great work.”
When she returned to her spot, not only her elder brother, Yu Jinmyeong, but also disciples from other Noble Families she was usually acquainted with welcomed her.
Unlike the Sects that sent their disciples out in droves to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, a Noble Family entered only its own Bloodline into the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
As a result, while they might be Superior in quality, they were bound to fall behind the Sects in quantity.
The various Noble Families, led by the Five Great Families, would strengthen their relationships like this to keep the Sects, including the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance, in check.
Of course…
“That was a Fist quite like a cat’s soft paw, wasn’t it?”
…it wasn’t as if all the people of the Noble Families were close to each other.
“Paeng Ji-Yeol…”
Yoo Somyung frowned as she looked at the giant young man approaching her.
Paeng Ji-Yeol.
The Second Son of the Hebei Peng Family, one of the Five Great Families.
She had known him, who was of a similar age, for a long time, but their relationship was not good.
And the reason for that was…
“…Are you here to pick a fight again?”
“Pick a fight? I was just stating the facts…”
“What a pathetic guy…”
“Wh-What?! What did you just say, you bitch-!”
…because she had rejected the marriage proposal from the Hebei Peng Family.
He had formally proposed three years ago, but Yoo Somyung had no thoughts of marriage back then in the first place. Moreover, when he should have been begging, he proposed with an air of doing her a favor as a Young Master of the Five Great Families, so there was no way she would just accept it.
So she rejected him, and ever since then, he had been picking fights whenever he had the chance.
“H-How dare you say that to me right now…”
“A pathetic guy! I called you a pathetic guy, you pig.”
“Th-This-!”
If it were the Yoo Somyung of the past, she would have endured or tolerated it no matter how much Paeng Ji-Yeol picked a fight.
However, Yoo Somyung, who had experienced all the hardships of the World after meeting Muyeon and had become as sharp as a well-honed spear tip, was different.
“Anyway, just like a pig, you get excited right away when called a pig. You are a pig, as expected.”
“…!”
Ultimately unable to hold back, the muscle pig emitted the fierce energy unique to the Peng Family and headed toward Yoo Somyung.
Of course, he wasn’t trying to directly harm her, but simply to threaten her.
But right when he took a step forward…!
KWAAAAAAANG-!!
“…!”
“…!”
“Wh-What the-!”
Hearing a sudden roar that shook the Earth, all the Rising Stars present had no choice but To flinch.
It didn’t seem to be from the 'Gap' Preliminary Arena, but rather to be a sound coming from another test site, judging by the direction.
“No, what is this…”
“Just who in the World…”
Just because it was another test site didn’t mean the test content would be different.
At this massive impact created by someone’s Fist, the Rising Stars wore blank expressions and continued to deduce who it could be.
“Since it’s a Fist, could it be a Disciple of Shaolin…?”
“It could be a Disciple of the recently famous Mount Hua Sect…”
And Yoo Somyung was no different in starting her deductions.
Just then, someone’s face popped right into her mind.
“Could it be that this crazy person…”
The Muyeon she had seen was at a level that far surpassed the standard of a Rising Star.
With his level, he could easily produce a roar of this magnitude.
“Does he even have any intention of hiding his identity?”
As worries about him naturally spread in her mind, she saw that Paeng Ji-Yeol, who was standing in front of her, was also wearing a blank expression.
Very unexpected words flowed from his mouth.
“Elder brother?”
“Hmm?”
As she tilted her head, Paeng Ji-Yeol released his energy and answered straightforwardly.
“No…, the energy of the Strike I just felt somehow seemed like the Peng Family’s… Did elder brother do it? No, just how much has this person’s level risen without me knowing?”
Paeng Ji-Yeol was a hoodlum who picked fights with her, but he didn’t have the personality to lie.
“If so, is it really a roar made by the Eldest Son of the Peng Family?”
She was acquainted with the Eldest Son of the Peng Family. Befitting the Eldest Son of the Five Great Families, he was also an outstanding Talented Individual, but…
'I don’t think he was at this level…'
Still, since the Second Son of the Peng Family said it felt like someone from his own Family, it was probably right.
It seemed the Eldest Son of the Peng Family had gained enlightenment while she hadn’t seen him.
Yoo Somyung nodded and placed the Eldest Son of the Peng Family as a Person of Interest.
* * *
“…”
Crumble.
Dongryong stared blankly at the crumbling fragments of the cliff…
“…Pass.”
…As the Supervisor, who was the first to come to his senses, wrote something on paper and gave Dongryong a Pass…
“W-…”
“WAAAAAAAH-!!”
…Soon after, a thunderous roar erupted.
Naturally, the ones letting out the loudest shouts were the disciples of the Zhongnan Sect.
“WAAAAAAAH-!!”
“Jongrimun! Jongrimun! Jongrimun!”
“He blew a hole in the cliff!!”
“WAAAAAAAH-!!”
Dongryong was flustered at first, but his face gradually brightened, perhaps feeling good about the cheers pouring toward him.
Furthermore, when leaving the test site…
“…Never look down on Zhongnan again.”
…he even delivered a final line.
“WAAAAAH-!!”
“This is Zhongnan-!”
“Never look down on Zhongnan again-!”
Hearing Dongryong’s final words, the disciples of Zhongnan went even more wild.
They looked ready to rush at the returning Dongryong and toss him into the air.
Of course, I was included among them.
“Wow. Wow. Fuck, wow.”
I stood at the very Vanguard among the Zhongnan Disciples rushing toward Dongryong and ran at the guy.
“Leader…, no, Senior Martial Brother…!”
In the midst of that, Dongryong, as if truly a Zhongnan Disciple, made a deeply moved expression as he saw me running over.
Seeing that face, I smiled along with him, and then…
CRUNCH.
“I did it…, AAAAAAAAGH-!!”
…I stomped on the top of his foot, fully loaded with Internal Energy.
Unable to endure the pain, Dongryong let out a scream, but it was immediately drowned out by the cheers of the Zhongnan Disciples.
“WAAAAAAAH-!!”
“AAAAAAAAGH-!!”
“WAAAAAH-!!”
“AAAAAGH-!!”
“Master Dong-Bong, why the tears…”
“They say it’s tears of joy, tears of joy.”
“I see-!!”
“AAAAAGH-!”
After appropriately punishing that Bastard Dongryong, I took advantage of everyone’s excitement to send him a Sound Transmission.
'Dongryong, you Fucking Bastard. What did you say? Never look down on Zhongnan again? It seems you want to bury your bones in Zhongnan, so fine. Once this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is over, I’ll just bury you alive on Mount Zhongnan.'
'I-I’m sorry, Leader. Everyone around me was cheering so much that I unconsciously…'
'Seriously, fuck, I’m the idiot for having an imbecile like you as a Deputy Leader!'
Anyway, that Bastard Dongryong, perhaps because he lived his whole life as a loser in the Peng Family, didn’t know what to do when the people around him praised him even a little.
I had felt it since the Bandit King incident. But why is this Bastard such an attention seeker…!
“Huu…”
Still, what’s done is done. I first looked around to Grasp the situation.
“…”
“…”
“…Damn it.”
The gazes of the guys around us were already directed toward Zhongnan. Among Zhongnan, it was Jongrimun. And among Jongrimun, it was Dongryong.
Looking at their reactions now, it seemed the wariness and interest directed at Dongryong would continue until the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering ended.
'It’s not just those guys…'
Today’s news would spread not only here at Test Site 'B' but also to the other test sites and throughout all of Anhui.
The rumors about Jongrimun that I had barely managed to quiet down a bit would be reignited.
“Haa…, fuck.”
As I pondered for a moment on how to respond to this, my eyes caught sight of Dongryong, who was surrounded by people and didn’t know what to do.
The guy continuously rubbed the top of his foot, as if the foot I had stomped on hurt, yet a beaming smile never left his face.
“He likes it, the Fucking Bastard.”
I stared at Dongryong’s annoying face for a long time, and then…
“Wait a minute…”
…a pretty good idea flashed through my mind immediately.
Dongryong and I have the same goal…, so does it really matter who wins?
If our faces are going to be known anyway, wouldn’t it be better for just one person to be known rather than two? And if someone’s face has to be known, it would be better for it to be the Deputy Leader, Dongryong, rather than me, the Leader.
Furthermore, with Dongryong’s level, he could easily chew up and spit out most Rising Stars with his eyes closed.
…
“…Should I just take this opportunity to fulfill Dongryong’s wish and make him the World’s Foremost Rising Star?”
From that moment on, my mind began to fill with schemes to make Dongryong win.