Chapter 223

“Hmm. So, who do you think will win?”

“Wang So-hyeop has quite a bit of real combat experience, but can he really be compared to the rightful successor of the Gu Daemun Sect? Plus, if it’s Bung Sai-in, then it’s even more tricky.”

Bung Sai-in was a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, known by the nickname Ok Rugum. He was incredibly sensitive and would cry whether he was happy or sad, even at the sight of someone else in tears, which earned him that nickname.

“Is that so? By the way, what’s the betting odds?”

“Wang So-hyeop is seventy-eight for one, while Bung Sai-in is just one for, well, one.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll bet one tael on Wang So-hyeop.”

Qing placed a bet on the outcome of Wang So-hyeop’s match.

At that moment, Je-gal Lee-hyun chimed in.

“Sister, why waste a whole one-tael coin on a clearly inferior warrior’s outcome?”

“Come on, it’s just for fun, right? Betting on Bung Sai-in would only earn you a coin at best! But if Wang So-hyeop wins, I might actually get back seven coins or so.”

“That sounds like a surefire way to lose your money.”

“Well, it’s not like I’m betting a fortune…”

And so the martial arts competition began.

Surprisingly, the use of chairs in the martial arts looked quite impressive.

They weren’t standard square chairs; they were the long, narrow ones used in taverns for this purpose.

The edges of the seats were reinforced with iron plates, and the legs were wrapped with thin wire for extra grip.

A show of using these special chairs like weapons was truly a sight to behold—deflecting attacks while simultaneously thrusting with the legs, spinning, or twisting to target joints and strike with the iron-edged corners.

Bung Sai-in was panicking, backing away continuously, making Wang So-hyeop’s victory seem inevitable.

“Whoa, he fights pretty well!”

“I didn’t expect him to hide such skill. But the true strength of Kunlun hasn’t been revealed yet. Can we really judge the Kunlun Sect warrior’s victory without seeing that technique that makes them move like a dragon over the treacherous Kunlun mountains?”

“Hmm. Is that so…?”

As the competition continued, it grew increasingly intense, lasting over thirty exchanges.

Qing spoke up again.

“When is that true strength going to show up?”

“Ah, I’m deeply ashamed.”

Je-gal Lee-hyun, despite being the best among the muscular men, seemed unable to rise above the limitations of his physique.

Bung Sai-in’s sword suddenly lodged firmly in the center of the chair. When Wang So-hyeop forcefully twisted and pushed the chair, it could no longer withstand the pressure, and the sword snapped off.

“The winner is Wang Bang from Nannyeong!”

With that, the crowd’s reactions swung wildly between joy and despair.

This had been the biggest upset in the martial arts competition so far, leading to many people losing substantial amounts on their bets.

“See? Betting against the odds is the way to go! Look, I just made seven taels sitting here!”

“Actually, it’s not seven taels but six taels and eighty-nine coins, sister.”

“Je-gal, how crass! Just accept your loss gracefully.”

Je-gal Lee-hyun let out an exasperated sigh.

“Grr! How can human intellect lose to the wildness of beasts?”

“You should thank Hyang-yi. If it weren’t for her, you would have taken a serious beating.”

“Hmph! Now I understand why I brought Hyang-yi along.”

“Boy, are you in for a beating.”

“How did that blow to my crown come from that angle…?!”

This was the result of training in the Yulryu Yeonryeon, which has greatly enhanced her joint flexibility, allowing Seomun Sulin’s main attack skills to extend immensely.

Yeah, perhaps all that pain endured was worth it after all.

Not to mention, there were some insights gained about the weaknesses in Supreme Hand-to-Hand Combat.

Qing’s beautifully white hands, even after hammering with emotions, remained intact. However, they were utterly helpless when it came to joint locks.

Right, the next training session is in seven days…

A glimmer vanished from Qing’s eyes.

No matter how good the martial arts, such torture-like training—no, it was truly torture! A meticulously crafted torment that only left limbs partially damaged without leaving any crippled state of being.

“Sister?”

“Ah, um, yes? What?”

“So, are you going to bet against the odds again?”

As Qing trembled for a moment, several more matches passed, leading to another bout between a disciple of the Gaoshan Sect and an Independent Warrior, Wu So-hyeop.

“Of course! A man should stick to his decisions. Here, one tael on Wu So-hyeop!”

And Je-gal Lee-hyun suffered another defeat.

“I hear ‘bravery needs wisdom,’ so it seems even the beast’s audacity requires a reason too? Can you really argue back and forth like that?”

“Grr…! This humiliation…!”

Throughout the competition, Qing realized that indeed, orthodox warriors tended to be kind-hearted.

Whichever sect or family they came from, their wrongdoings rarely exceeded fifty points, even at their worst.

However, those independents who advanced past preliminaries boasted wrongdoings in the middle to late two-digits—not enough to reach three digits.

By her own standards, they weren’t exactly villains, but maybe they were more like prospective ones.

“But, weren’t only the young orthodox martial artists competing? Did they just allow anyone studying on their own to register?”

“What do you mean? Even if they’re independent, those martial artists have established themselves in their regions and passed careful accreditation.”

“Really…?”

With that reasoning, their wrongdoings seemed a bit high, huh?

Of course, not everyone could numerically confirm wrongdoing like Qing, but still.

The martial arts tournament was full of surprises.

Independents who advanced past the preliminaries and took victories continued, too, which only confirmed Je-gal Lee-hyun’s mounting losses and the misfortunes of those looking to win safely.

The atmosphere in the hall grew stifling, and the faces of many were nearly in tears as they didn’t know what to do.

After some time, it was now the turn of Shaolin disciple Wolbong.

“Sister, are you betting against the odds again this time?”

“Hmm. Let’s see. Excuse me.”

Qing caught a passing betting merchant and asked,

“What’s the current betting odds?”

“Wolbong is three to one…”

“What? Three to one?”

Qing repeated, stunned. Three to one meant one could only win thirty coins for every ten thousand wagered—that was horrible!

“It should be eight to one. Wu So-hyeop has eighty-two to one. How about taking a life-changing chance?”

“No thanks.”

There were limits to against-the-odds betting; there was no reason to gamble on a ludicrous fight.

From the way Wu So-hyeop was betting, it looked like he had hardly any money, and the betting merchant sighed heavily as he walked away in despair.

“Hmm. The odds are outrageous.”

“Well, considering he’s a disciple of the Shaolin, being a disciple of the Great Master Muhak, of course, that’s to be expected. With the Number One in the World competing, it makes sense. So, you’re betting on Wu So-hyeop this time?”

“My Master said that he’s set to be my semi-final opponent. If that’s the case, I must advance clearly, but betting on three to one seems foolish.”

At that point, Je-gal Lee-hyun’s expression hardened.

“Sister, how can you have one mouth yet speak in two tongues? You said a man should stick to his decisions…!”

Je-gal Lee-hyun ground his teeth in frustration.

“Hmph! You’re still far behind. Didn’t you face something similar when you were in Luoyang? Seemed I heard you babbling something like that back then.”

“That time, it was Brother Peng who lost, not I!”

“Still, that doesn’t mean you didn’t learn anything from what happened, did you?”

“Grrr…!”

Je-gal Lee-hyun feigned yet another annoyed posture.

At that moment, the Shaolin disciple Wolbong entered the arena, and cheers erupted from all around.

-From the Shaolin, the number one academicians!

-A disciple of the Great Master Muhak!

-The successor of the Number One in the World!

Qing felt a surge of irritation rise within her.

What the heck? When I came out, nobody said a thing, but now that he’s winning, they’re cheering like crazy.

Separated from that, the shrill screams of women were barely audible.

Qing suspected that perhaps the monk’s baldness was playing a major role there.

From the odds, it was clear that the outcome had been determined from the beginning, so it seemed more like a guided match rather than a true competition.

Using only basic techniques, he easily closed the distance to establish command with his fists.

In efforts to keep the distance established, he backed away, providing his opponent with a chance to reveal their martial arts skills.

Seomun Sulin had advised to split into ten exchanges before determining the winner or not.

So Qing’s espionage was in vain.

To her, the line of martial arts had straightened as it progressed.

“He’s very straightforward.”

“Considering he’s from the Shaolin, the origin of all martial arts, is it not to be expected? Stronger, faster, and more efficiently.”

“But the first martial art was the Moon Woman Sword Technique, wasn’t it? So shouldn’t the origin be the Moon Woman Sword?”

“The Moon Woman Sword Technique only exists in form; it’s merely an imitation devoid of true essence. It’d be more appropriate to call it the first martial skill than the first martial art.”

When the Moon Woman taught her sword techniques to the soldiers of Yue, the concepts of martial arts and even martial skills weren’t yet established, after all.

So, they could only mimic the outer appearances without understanding the actions and functions.

Even just that allowed the Yue soldiers to achieve an overwhelming combat strength of one against a hundred.

This was when the technique of swordsmanship first made its appearance in history.

Even now, the Moon Woman Sword Technique remained one of the most accessible martial arts styles available.

Of course, it was nothing compared to the advanced and refined aspects of the genuine techniques Qing had learned, but still.

Amidst all that, Wolbong wrapped up the match cleanly in fifteen exchanges.

Je-gal Lee-hyun judged Wolbong’s performance.

“I thought we’d finally have an opportunity to witness the martial arts of Shaolin, but it ultimately ended with something as basic as the Six Harmony Fist… What a pity.”

“Six Harmony Fist? That one sold at the market?”

Qing had also trained in the Six Harmony Fist.

She picked it up merely because the white ones with green borders were available for cheap. So, the Six Harmony Fist belonged to that category.

“Of course, the Six Harmony from Shaolin is inherently much more elaborate and profound, but since that Six Harmony has been widely spread, its form shouldn’t be vastly different.”

Moreover, almost all such easily accessible techniques sold on the streets were merely cheap adaptations originating from Shaolin’s foundational techniques known as the ‘Shaolin Seventy-two Techniques.’ At least, that was evidently true regarding fist techniques.

“Hmm. In the end, we didn’t see any real techniques. I suppose experiencing it first-hand might help me understand better.”

Je-gal Lee-hyun missed out on seeing any of the officially introduced techniques from Shaolin.

Nahan Shin-kwon, Baeklyun Shin-kwon, Gasa Bokma Kwon, Nahan Shibpaljang, Dae-ryeok Geumgangjang, Baekbo Shin-kwon, Tanji Shintong, Geumgangjie Yeondae Gu-pum, and so on—he searched for every one of those high-level techniques. But instead of finding any purple divine skill, he could only find the standard Six Harmony.

Thus, the second day of the Martial Arts Tournament, the sixtieth round, concluded.

Being a martial arts tournament, it was expected that the competition wouldn’t completely showcase everyone’s true abilities; hence, there was a tendency for the schedule to be somewhat relaxed.

The next round was set for four days later, where the thirty-second round of competitions would take place in a single day. So, in the meantime, it was best to continue practicing the painful techniques to get accustomed to the sensations.

By now, everyone would have had a chance to tend to their families, and some thought it wouldn’t be bad to regroup with their companions from the Double-Sword Guild once more.

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