Chapter 39 - Dragon Phoenix Branch Meeting (2)

What is wu (martial arts)?

While Martial Alliance Leader Gao Taihu called it power to protect the weak, the answer differed among martial artists.

Some masters would speak of individual martial might, while some unorthodox practitioners would call it the minimum strength needed to avoid being plundered by the strong.

'What is my fist pointing toward now?'

In the arena packed with crowds, Kim Hyul stood alone, deep in thought about this. Was true martial arts about responding to all these people's cheers and joy?

The reason for such contemplation was also due to the black-haired girl, Bi Wol, whose presence radiated even from afar.

Originally someone Bing Seolhwa said must be killed, though belonging to an unorthodox sect, Kim Hyul clenched his fist while watching Bi Wol, a disciple from a sect with a good reputation among villagers.

'Is killing such a girl truly the martial way I desired?'

There's a look in the eyes that only those who have killed know.

When his village was attacked by bandits in his youth, Kim Hyul had beaten a bandit to death with his bare fists.

The will to kill someone begging for their life, the sensation of taking another's life for the first time - once experienced, there was no going back.

Looking at Bi Wol in the distance, Kim Hyul could tell she had never bloodied her hands.

'...I'd like to ignore that Bing Seolhwa woman's orders.'

It was suspicious no matter how he thought about it.

Two people with white hair and blue eyes representing the Northern Sea Ice Palace. They looked similar enough that strangers might mistake them for siblings.

'Having heard much about Ice Dragon's reputation, I can't carelessly take life without confirming with my own eyes.'

A martial artist who struggled to protect young martial artists and the weak even during the Righteous-Evil Great War, a monster who raised ice walls everywhere to minimize civilian casualties.

Even Kim Hyul had heard rumors about Bing Yeon in the martial world several times - well-known to all except mountain bandits or those ignorant of worldly affairs.

Though classified as unorthodox for forming a sect of civilian laborers by taking in wanderers, vagrants, sick people, and homeless children.

'They say the "evil" in evil path means freedom, not treachery - I'm starting to believe that might be true.'

From what others said, he was a strange one who held orthodox intentions. No wonder one of his sect's rules was to not kill without reason.

Usually, those called unorthodox would capture passersby for soul-stealing techniques or energy absorption to become stronger.

Since the Blood Sect even made pills by grinding people, he could be considered quite unusual among them.

"I'd like to talk with him directly, but that might be impossible even after this match."

Kim Hyul clicked his tongue regretfully while watching his opponent approach. He remembered words from his master, an undefeated strong one called the Invincible Fist God, who had saved his family and his life from the bandit attack.

- You mean my most famous disciple?

The legendary master who was said to break mountains and part seas with a single punch had once proudly boasted about another disciple while laughing heartily.

- There was a man with such tremendous yin energy that the Northern Sea Ice Palace would pay a fortune for him. Well, he came to me with nothing, perhaps having lost some power struggle.

When Kim Hyul looked on enviously, he snorted and continued.

- Now I hear he's even received the title Ice Dragon, what nonsense. A fist should have steadiness rather than flashiness.

Yes, the name back then was definitely.

'Bing Yeon, as someone sharing the same master, I'd like to test how strong you are.'

The master of Ice Dragon Flower Banquet, Bing Yeon.

* * *

I watched Kim Hyul's match from afar.

In the waiting area for tournament participants, though I looked around several times, there was no sign of Seolhwa.

"Do you know my benefactor?"

At that moment, a blue-haired man spoke to me. A distinctive figure with long scars above both eyelids.

"...Sieghart."

Chapter 39 - Dragon Phoenix Branch Meeting (2)

According to the original work, he was the protagonist chosen as the next generation's hero after Verdandi fell into corruption and began killing indiscriminately.

A boy with indomitable will who gradually grew stronger through innate sword talent, despite losing his eyesight.

"Hoho, to know my name without introduction, how surprising!"

He laughed heartily while offering me a handshake. His use of formal speech despite his young age was a setting I had written to distinguish him from other supporting characters.

"I spoke to you sensing a similar energy, and indeed you seem similar to my benefactor."

A man who gained much in exchange for losing his sight. He was a character I had created wondering how nice it would be if there were compensation for a dark life in reality.

"Do you know Bing Seolhwa?"

I asked Sieghart about what had been bothering me. I needed to find out how she could manipulate the original protagonists to her will.

With Bi Wol as my disciple, she wouldn't attack Kim Hyul's village, the same went for Verdandi, and there was no reason for Kang Si-woo to kill Azazel anymore.

So how could she gather these original protagonists with such different personalities in one place?

"Know her? We all received her grace and entered this martial arts tournament!"

Sieghart laughed heartily.

"She saved a boy from bandits, rescued a boy from injustice, and took in a boy who had to kill the demon king."

"You mean..."

"Well, simply put, she saved each of us when we were about to die."

It meant things had flowed similarly to the original work. She had twisted the original protagonists' goals related to the final bosses, holding all their reins herself.

"But why tell me this?"

I suddenly asked Sieghart, wondering. If Bing Seolhwa had truly ordered the final bosses' deaths,

Why deliberately leak such information to me? It could be simple provocation or a declaration of war.

However,

"I also find it suspicious how perfectly she rescued us from our misfortunes."

His words revealed unexpected doubt.

"...As if seeing the future?"

"Exactly."

I threw out bait to create small ripples in that doubt, and Sieghart took it.

This alone revealed much. Bing Seolhwa had threatened the original protagonists to kill my disciples without giving them clear justification.

"Well, she's my life's benefactor, and she's holding my family hostage, so I have no choice but to obey."

"So, do you plan to kill my disciples?"

Our words were buried in the crowd's noise.

The saying about hiding a tree in a forest and a person in a crowd wasn't for nothing.

"...If I learned one thing after losing my sight, it's that when looking at people, you must notice the intentions hidden within."

As he spoke, Sieghart grasped at empty air. A transparent sword formed in his grip.

A master who could turn anything he touched into his sword. That was the protagonist from "A Hero Must Die."

"Actually, meeting their master in person, he doesn't seem like such a bad person, so I'm conflicted."

Sieghart rotated his wrist checking the weight of his sword, then made it vanish before continuing.

"Even though my family will die if I don't kill your disciples."

"Before that, haven't you considered safely sending your family to our side?"

"Impossible. I don't even know where they're hidden. I was grateful they saved my family, but all contact was cut off after that."

I suggested a simple solution, but Sieghart shook his head vigorously with a gloomy expression.

They were probably in the grasp of the Outer God Shub-Niggurath.

If she could possess me and Seolhwa in this world, taking the original protagonists' families hostage wasn't impossible either.

"What if we joined forces to fight her?"

Sieghart was surprisingly cautious.

"That's why I came to meet you first."

Even while being threatened to kill my disciples with his family's lives at stake, he had attempted to contact me first to understand the true intentions.

"...You're saying we're not strong enough yet."

"If you can defeat me and others in this tournament, I think there might be hope."

As he said this, Sieghart rose from his seat.

The original protagonists who were like sons to me.

'Originally, what moved the protagonists was revenge from the final bosses killing their families.'

Seeing how they weren't blindly following the orders of Seolhwa possessed by the Outer God, perhaps her remaining personality had struggled to avoid giving them dark pasts.

Now their families weren't all dead with blame placed on my disciples, but merely held hostage.

"Well then, I wish you strength."

"Yeah, though I hope we don't meet in the main tournament."

"Haha, how could that be possible?"

Sieghart clenched his fist, waved to me, and walked toward the arena tapping his cane on the ground.

* * *

Bi Wol was watching the current match, reading the opponent's movements with her eyes. Simple fist techniques not relying on flashy forms.

- I am Arhat from Shaolin Temple. May we have a good match...

Kwang-!

The Shaolin participant was knocked down with a single punch. As Master Bing Yeon had said, it was a fist so hard and sharp it could be believed to be diamond.

- Is that all? I was worried about the Indestructible Diamond Body, but it seems still immature.

If Kim Hyul had truly mastered the Indestructible Diamond Body, Bing Yeon would know that a third-rate martial art like the Three Talents Sword Technique couldn't pierce it.

'Why did Master teach me the sword?'

Bi Wol fell into thought watching her likely future opponent.

Now there was a doctor famous for divine medicine who could reattach severed limbs, and even a healer brought with difficulty from the Western Regions.

"...No, there must be deeper meaning."

It didn't matter if she got hurt or died.

"My wu is the power to protect Master, and my xia is my heart that admires Master."

Gently patting her cheek, Bi Wol walked onto the stage to prepare for the next match.