Chapter 106

The central city of Sichuan, Chengdu.

Famous as the capital of Shu, but even before that, it was an ancient city that had established itself as the center of Sichuan.

Nestled among mountains, it boasts the most fertile land and breathtaking peaks in the area, it’s safe to say this place is blessed by the heavens.

Amongst this, the western district of Chengdu, Shunju County, developed alongside the gentle Min River.

With gentle and smooth currents, the Min River is the perfect place for lighting lanterns and sending boats afloat.

Naturally, with such a riverside, it’s packed with all sorts of teahouses, lively spots for tourists, and gambling dens.

Now, imagine if a tourist visited Chengdu.

On the first day, they’d likely shed tears over the spicy Sichuan food, only to realize later that this is true mala, the joy of spiciness.

However, they’d struggle a bit at night.

On the second day, they must visit Qingcheng Mountain.

The famous Qingcheng sect is located on the front mountain.

The back mountain, with its gentle slopes and diverse vegetation, has been praised as the world’s most tranquil scenery.

If luck strikes, they might even catch a glimpse of the Great Bear!

Despite its name, Giant Panda, it’s not a cat but a type of bear.

If Qing saw this adorable creature, they wouldn’t be able to contain their excitement and would surely shout, “Wow! Pandas! You know about pandas!”

Then, on the third and fourth days, after enjoying sights like Dougang Pavilion or Bufu Temple, one might find themselves stumped on what to do next.

In such a case, just head to Shunju County.

You can mess around on a boat in the Min River, drink, gamble, and have a blast.

Just as boredom starts to creep in, a suspicious man would approach.

“Hey there. You seem to be having a bit of fun. Want to see something really wild?”

With a mix of curiosity and skepticism, if you follow this man, you’d find yourself descending stairs into a vast underground arena with a colossal stage at the center.

Here lies the infamous Chengdu Underground Deathmatch Arena, a place everyone in Sichuan knows about.

Betting on fights between chickens is called cockfighting.

Betting on fights between humans is called gladiatorial combat, and this place is the pinnacle of life-and-death duels that happen daily.

Today, the Underground Deathmatch is rocking it.

Blood covers the stone floor, and human remnants are scattered, giving a hint of the heat of the atmosphere.

The commentator, with a charming tone, captivated the audience.

“Finally, today our challenger raises the gauntlet to the Four Kings of Sichuan! After ten full days, defeating one opponent each day, hailing from Haenam, please welcome this supreme warrior! Let’s hear a loud cheer!”

The iron doors beneath the bloodied stage creaked open.

A man walked in with firm steps.

“A master of the ghostly Left Hand Sword, the sword demon from Haenam, Nang Yacha Yeok Tae-gang!”

The crowd erupted in roaring cheers.

The announcer, with a voice that might just give out, continued.

“And who will the mighty King of the Underground Deathmatch be to accept this challenge? Here they come!”

The opposite iron door swung open, revealing a figure fully clad and barely visible, save for a pair of eyes obscured by a veil.

Though she was of considerable height for a woman, she dragged a massive sword that seemed too heavy for most men.

“The third-ranked King of the Underground, the mysterious and enchanting Lady Hangjeok has stepped up to the challenge! A reincarnation of the legendary Xiang Yu! Lady! Hang! Jeok!”

“—-!!!”

An overwhelming roar erupted, far beyond anything witnessed before.

It felt like a collective delirium had approached.

Lady Hangjeok responded to the crowd’s enthusiasm, raising her hands playfully.

If Qing’s acquaintances were present, they might wonder why she went to such lengths to obscure herself.

At last, the two stood face to face on the blood-stained arena.

“Lady Hangjeok, you’re quite a joke.”

A light taunt typically tossed before a life-and-death duel.

Yet, should the battle turn to words, Qing was already above natural instincts, facing off against celestial beings.

Lady Hangjeok was well-known for her sharp tongue, having attracted quite the crowd.

She had a reputation for being very particular about her opponents.

“Eh, you’re nothing special… Let’s wrap this up quickly.”

Qing flicked their finger in a casual dismissive gesture.

Tae-gang’s eyebrows twitched.

“Ha. Alright, Lady Hangjeok, let me see how mighty you really are to carry such a proud name…”

Tae-gang let his words trail off.

Boom! Whoooosh!

The weighty sound sliced through the air menacingly.

With a length of five feet and a width of one foot, that sword must weigh at least twenty pounds, swinging effortlessly in his hand like a twig, causing shivers with just the sound it made.

For the faint-hearted, such an encounter would likely bring them to their knees instantly.

Regardless of martial prowess, this was an action simply beyond what humans should be capable of.

“Wow, strength is definitely your thing, Lady Hangjeok. But martial arts require skill to overcome such differences. As a true warrior, I’ll show you the boundaries of our strengths…”

Tae-gang let his words drift once again.

The air crackled as he summoned his inner energy.

Was this supposed to be a form of pressure?

Wasn’t there a river flowing in Dao?

Qing’s understanding of martial energy was but the tip of the iceberg among the transformative realms.

Lacking enlightenment, they could only unleash brute force without crafting a refined path.

That resulted in a dense wave of inner energy that surged like a blunted blade.

Tae-gang shouted triumphantly.

“Stop right there! Today, I’ve realized that I’m just a frog in the well! One must know their limits and retreat when necessary, so will you allow me to withdraw?”

The audience erupted into chaos with a chorus of insults and mockery.

—-

The submanager of the Underground Deathmatch, Cheg Bal-seong, wore a displeased expression.

Today’s match was supposed to be the highlight of the event and had ended pathetically.

“Didn’t kill anyone today, huh?”

But Qing responded.

“No, Cheg. If anyone heard that, they’d think I’m a murderer. I’m quite the virtuous person, you know. I serve the righteous sect!”

“……? You always claim that.”

Cheg Bal-seong could only blink in confusion.

The audience at the Underground Deathmatch generally tends to prefer brutal and ruthless fighters.

And Lady Hangjeok was the most popular fighter in the arena.

With her fights, the betting stakes would change.

Today, it wasn’t about how many pieces her opponent would be cut into.

She was supposed to be in her prime and was facing the best, so the enjoyment for the bettors was far diminished.

Instead, they were betting on how many pieces her opponent would be reduced to, which was completely different from the usual stakes.

Yet, there were occasional times like today when she nonchalantly let her opponent go and even today she’d received complaints from the spectators.

“This won’t do. We can’t keep digging ourselves into this hole. So next time, we’ll have to raise the stakes to the supreme level.”

“What? I’m at my peak already, why put me against the supremes? I might as well just quit.”

As Cheg was rubbing his palms together, he said lightly.

“Don’t say that. How about you take on a novice supreme? Add your brute force to that sword of yours, and you should easily win.”

“Hmmm. Is that so?”

Qing stroked the chin area of the mask, pondering.

While their martial level might not have risen drastically, it was possible they may need to take on foes beyond the peak.

The usual trouble when facing supreme fighters was sword aura since blade techniques couldn’t contend.

But having blocked Grandpa’s strong auras a few times, those lacking enlightenment could fill the gap with brute output.

Of course, the exchange rate was pretty miserable.

If the inner energy required for blocking was 10, then merely pushing them back with brute force could demand 50 or even 60 units.

That’s why since ancient times, the wall between the peak and the supreme level has been held in high regard.

Given the dismal exchange rate, the volume of true energy also significantly favored the supreme level.

Unless one had foolishly consumed elixirs or experienced a special case like Qing, peak-level inner energies were rather evenly matched.

Furthermore, Qing’s physical strength had surpassed what was once human capability.

No matter how skilled a warrior was, they couldn’t ignore the sheer difference in weight.

“Alright. Let’s have a match against a newbie supreme next time.”

“Good thinking. Here’s today’s wager.”

Cheg tossed a fairly hefty purse that seemed to weigh quite a bit.

—-

When Qing arrived in Sichuan, they had a plan.

First, check on Seomunhee’s safety in Chengdu, then temporarily leave Choi Riyong in the care of someone before heading to Ami-pa.

However, after sending news to the fifth-largest gambling den, there was no word at all, despite searching the area top to bottom.

When Choi Riyong inquired about their lack of news, Qing divulged the situation, to which they clicked their tongue and replied.

“Well, going by your words, didn’t you leave first? You dashed from Tianma Peak to Sichuan, and even if they’re fast, there’s no way they’d have made it to Chengdu before you.”

Indeed.

Qing had arrived first.

However, that didn’t mean they could head to Ami-pa just yet.

Choi Riyong was currently too weak.

They were in the process of replacing sixty years of inner strength with a new technique.

So, Qing found themselves stuck in Chengdu, not because they found Sichuan cuisine tantalizing or enjoyed lounging about, but genuinely stuck because of Choi Riyong.

But Chengdu’s prices were extortionate.

As is often the case in popular tourist spots, especially for outsiders, prices skyrocket.

In the Central Plains, it’s common knowledge to overcharge outsiders.

Merchants instinctively understood this, and even those being ripped off accepted it passively.

When Qing complained about the high prices, the only response from Choi Riyong was a sulky face.

With no money and nowhere to escape, Qing was contemplating how to continue this idle lifestyle.

Then they discovered the Underground Deathmatch.

It had already been a month and a half since.

When Qing returned, Choi Riyong clicked their tongue.

“Tsk. Did you just spend your time swinging swords at that shabby place again?”

From Choi Riyong’s perspective, it was natural to disapprove of Qing swinging blades in a suspicious gambling den.

Qing furrowed his brow, thinking about who was the reason for their nightly hardships.

Of course, most fighters there were villains, so Qing gathered some merits by defeating them, which resulted in decent training points.

The thrill of taking down villains and receiving cheers in return certainly topped the job satisfaction scale.

No matter how fun and beneficial it was, it was still work.

“They say there’s no difference between jobs, whether high or low.”

“……? What kind of bizarre nonsense is that? How can there be no difference between jobs?”

“Oh! There was here. My mistake!”

This was ancient, uncivilized China.

A world where the merits and demerits of jobs were laid out clearly like a chart.

“In any case, Grandpa. Hurry, hurry. Didn’t I ask you to prepare ahead of time? I said we’d leave right after I return.”

“We can just go as we are. But seriously, do you really enjoy eating that much?”

“No way! It’s the ultimate mala soup, you know? Ultimate! How can you resist ultimate?”

Exactly.

Today was the day Qing had made a reservation for.

A dish that one must try when in Chengdu.

A dish that one ought to eat before dying.

A dish worth crossing the Central Plains for to have a bowl of.

The ultimate mala soup made by the world-renowned chef Bai Changja was waiting!

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