135 - Blue Dragon Rain Dance Society (5)

"I will be on my way." On the day of the preliminary round of the Blue Dragon Martial Arts Meeting, Ilwoon pressed his palms together in front of the venue, where dozens of stages for martial contests were tightly packed together in the distance. "Ilwoon Sifu! Fight on!" "You must not have eaten meat today...! For this Jeokalsan! I support you, Sifu! Please go and return!" The members of Yongbongdan had gathered today to cheer for Ilwoon. He was moved by the overwhelming sense of support, a feeling that surged through him solely because of Dang Hwa-seo's influence. Despite having her own heaps of responsibilities, Dang Hwa-seo always found herself buried in work, even when others might have free time. Yet today, she had pushed aside her mountain of tasks just to come and support this contest. Ilwoon didn't know what to say. He was simply trembling with emotion, and the members could only giggle as they watched him. "I hope you achieve great results. I'll be watching here with the members." Dang Hwa-seo said. The shadows under her eyes tell tales of her fatigue at first glance. Ilwoon smiled softly, turned his body, and headed for the martial contest stage. With his back to the members, he wiped the smile off his face and adopted a determined expression. * The Central Plains are vast. Ilwoon had never realized the depth of this truth as much as he had recently. It was inevitable. This year’s Yongbong branch meeting introduced him to Mok Riwon, the always formidable Namgung Jincheon, and the Sun Dragon Prefect – his rival whom he could never surpass. Was it just them? He thought they were the ultimate rivals the world could offer, only to be confronted with an even broader martial world. Joining Yongbongdan was indeed the best decision. Traveling across the Central Plains, meeting masters, humans, and demons, Ilwoon expanded his horizons. The more he experienced, the humbler he became. Ilwoon reminisced. “Always…” He could never be the protagonist. His enemies, without exception, were indescribably powerful adversaries, and facing them were exclusively Mok Riwon and Namgung Jincheon. Though it was a logical decision, it wasn't enough for Ilwoon's emotional acceptance. “It’s humiliating.” Though he had become a Buddhist practitioner, not meant to cling to competitive spirit or ambition, his unyielding temperament still furiously protested. That he too wished to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. That he desired not to merely follow behind. His blood cried out for this. "Kwonryong Ilwoon! Approach the martial contest stage!" The referee announced. Ilwoon ascended the stage. His first opponent was an unnamed warrior, but not lacking in martial strength, appearing to be at the threshold of perfection at least. "I'm called Kang Hae, from the Zhejiang province." The man pompously stated, toying with the sword at his waist, his posture arrogant. The more people Ilwoon met, the more he observed. Even with limited information like attitude, conduct, cultivation level, and origin, Ilwoon could infer quite a bit about this man named Kang Hae, even trying to view him without bias. “He must have lived a life of admiration.” He appeared to be about thirty. His home region of Zhejiang, neither a famous orthodox sect nor a large demonic sect’s territory, was a tranquil place. Growing up there, his sect would likely be just a local martial school, at best known locally. Delving deeper into that notion, it was clear. In such places, the depth of martial arts could not compare to the great sects. Yet, with talent, he must’ve always been admired, the root of his arrogance. A frog in the well. Like Namgung Jincheon once was, like Ilwoon himself in the past. Ilwoon offered a slight smile and pressed his palms together. “I kindly request your guidance.” “Sorry to say.” “Hmm?” “You're not making it easy. Being the only member from Yongbongdan to participate in the preliminaries, won’t you lose face in front of your comrades?” “I’ve never learned to contemplate defeat before a battle.” “But still, you say.” Kang Hae leaned on one leg, his head cockily tilting, causing his hair to swish back and forth. “Well, I don’t mean to be rude, but compared to other members, don’t you seem a bit less... significant? I’ve heard rumors that this event's Shaolin can't be considered the North Star of Big Dipper anymore.” He seemed aware it was impolite yet chose to speak. Why? Ilwoon didn’t ponder it deeply. Trying to bring down someone from a higher position was part of human’s embarrassing characteristics. “However.” That mentality wasn’t particularly appealing. It wasn’t about personal offense. “Shaolin is steadfast.” Ilwoon said with a gentle smile. "The North Star of Big Dipper of all martial arts.” That was a name that Ilwoon held with utmost pride. He didn’t spew anger. Instead, he humbly refused to bow his head. Ilwoon clenched his fist. “No need for further words. We are martial artists. Let our martial arts do the talking.” Kang Hae laughed uproariously. “Ah, very well. Very well. I’ll gladly be your opponent.” The referee hesitantly raised his hand then finally dropped it. “Begin!” As the hand fell, Ilwoon thundered forward with a stomp and thrust his fist outward. In that moment, Kang Hae had closed the distance right to Ilwoon’s face, but the fist Ilwoon extended was thrust precisely into his solar plexus. Crack― “Gah…!” The ribs cracked accurately. A stifled breath hissed out. Kang Hae’s eyes bulged as if they would pop out. And then, with a thud, he fell to the ground. Kang Hae, tears perilously close to spilling from the corners of his eyes, looked up at Ilwoon. Ilwoon smiled lightly and said, “I have proven it. Shaolin, the North Star of Big Dipper.” After that, he pressed his palms together and turned away. The referee, with a bewildered expression, belatedly raised his hand and announced, “Kwonryong Ilwoon! Victory!” It was an echo in the void. * Several more rounds of Ilwoon’s contests followed. Among the members who were watching, there was joy, and amidst it, astonishment. “When did Sifu Ilwoon grow so much?!” It was Hyewon. Though she had been quite close to him as a fellow practitioner, she expressed an unspeakable astonishment at Ilwoon’s markedly enhanced prowess displayed in this contest. ‘Wasn’t he just slightly better than me?’ But now, she didn’t think she could win against him even after several attempts. The fist carrying an unshakable resolve, the hesitation-free techniques, and the ensuing victories. He was indeed, unmistakably, a step ahead of the realm Hyewon knew. “It’s only natural! Sifu Ilwoon has worked harder than anyone!” Mok Riwon exclaimed, pride evident on his face. “Sifu Ilwoon has always pondered! What true martial arts is, what power is, what an immovable mind is, and what camaraderie is!” “…How would you know that, Great Void Abbot?” “It’s because we pondered together!” Mok Riwon smiled broadly. The sentiment felt out of place suddenly recognizing how surprisingly handsome he was. However, she couldn’t dwell on the thought for long, as she sensed a killing intent from the direction where Dang Hwa-seo was, causing her to gasp in astonishment. “Nevertheless, I’m amazed too.” Mok Riwon was watching Ilwoon’s fifth contest. His opponent was in the mid-phase of culmination, and perhaps due to bad luck with matchups, Ilwoon had been facing only culminated challengers since his initial appearance in the contest. Despite what should have been exhausting bouts, he showed no sign of fatigue. “He must have undertaken bone-crushing efforts. You can feel his energy bubbling fiercely, yet without showing it off? It speaks volumes about his focused control over his energy to hone an unshakable spirit.” Hyewon couldn’t grasp it. Occasionally, she felt that Mok Riwon depended on intuition when explaining something. And such intuition was often beyond the understanding of anyone who wasn’t as skilled as Mok Riwon. Hyewon looked at Namgung Jincheon, who seemed to understand Mok Riwon’s words as he quietly nodded. “Thoroughly controlled. Thoughts, emotions, energy. Everything.” Hyewon soon gave up trying to understand. ‘Anyway, it’s good news that he has grown.’ Would he be pleased if she quietly prepared a meat dish for him? If he refused, she could just forcibly offer it into his hands. Then, the next day, the leftover packaging might be found neatly discarded somewhere. As Hyewon delved into these thoughts, Dang Hwa-seo spoke up. “Take a lesson.” “Huh?” “Concentrate on your training. Stop wandering around.” Hyewon made a face as if she had heard enough nagging. Now, Dang Hwa-seo didn't bother with honorifics and treated her like a trouble-making child. While it didn’t upset her, a sullen feeling arose, and Hyewon retorted, “Well, at least I’m better than you, Miss Jegal.” “Hmm? Eh, would Sifu Hyewon even be a match for me?” Sparks flew between the two. The atmosphere turned exceedingly hostile, stemming from a recent conflict when both tried to seduce the couple running a fabric shop and were caught by Dang Hwa-seo. “Huh? Honestly, if it's about martial strength, aren’t I superior?” “Even though I dislike fighting, this kind of underestimation is troubling.” “It’s not underestimation if it’s true, right? Why, want to have a martial contest?” “Again with that approach. It's not a good habit to silence others with fists.” “Scared, huh. Well, figures.” “Both of you, please calm down…” Mok Riwon struggled to pacify them. Namgung Jincheon, as always, focused solely on the contest on the stage. The one to finally silence the two troublemakers was Dang Hwa-seo’s broadside slap. Thwack! Both troublemakers closed their mouths after being squarely hit on the head. * The first day of the preliminaries concluded. Ilwoon finished 15 matches with complete victories, eliminating 90% of the contestants on the first day. It was a forced march. However, there was a reason for this intense schedule. About a hundred participants had already reached the great culmination stage. Meaning, only 28 spots were left in the top 128, selected from a pool of 5,700 contestants; hence, the exceptionally long schedule. So, the first day acted as a pruning. The Blue Dragon Martial Arts Meeting was a chance extended only to those deemed worthy. The intention of the Martial Alliance was clear: “Only those capable of enduring such a forced march deserve to move on to the main event.” In any case, that was over. “Now, the remaining contests should be a bit more leisurely!” At the dining hall of Yongbongdan. Mok Riwon spoke as the members gathered around. Ilwoon nodded in agreement. “Yes, fortunately, now that we only have to participate in one contest every other day or two, there's room to refine our posture and concentrate on training.” “That’s right! You now have a week of rest! You’ve worked hard today, so take a few days to relax!” A week of rest after the strenuous march. For the participants, this period was a time for recuperation, and for the spectators, it was a time of anticipation, further heating up the excitement for the contests that had begun. Ilwoon smiled lightly and shook his head. “Where is the time to rest? We must train more diligently than ever.” “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” “Are we not martial artists? This is nothing to us.” Moreover, Ilwoon had a goal in mind. ‘...Master Sun Dragon will also be participating.’ Sun Dragon Prefect, who had defeated him at the Yongbong branch meeting, was participating in the Blue Dragon Martial Arts Meeting. Due to scheduling conflicts, they hadn’t had the chance to greet each other, but the news Ilwoon had heard indicated that he too had passed the first day. Ilwoon clenched his fists tightly. ‘This time...’ He wouldn’t be defeated so easily. He had only one desire. Ilwoon wanted to avenge his defeat at the Yongbong branch meeting.