Chapter 77: An Ominous Feeling
“Strange? What exactly is strange about him?”
Jin Gwangung immediately asked after hearing Tang Soyeon's words.
She answered carefully.
“The Pyeongsan Sword Hall that produced Lee Munjeong was a small martial school in Henan.”
“And?”
“It had been established there for quite a long time, but there was nothing particularly remarkable about it.”
She paused.
“In fact... it was closer to a third-rate martial school.”
“Third-rate?”
“Yes.”
Everyone looked somewhat surprised.
Of course they did.
The fact that someone from a third-rate martial school had reached the semifinals of the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament was shocking enough on its own.
Tang Soyeon continued.
“And Lee Munjeong was the master of Pyeongsan Sword Hall.”
“The master?”
Jin Gwangung tilted his head.
“He looked awfully young to be running a sword hall.”
I agreed inwardly.
Lee Munjeong looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties at most.
A hall master at that age?
No matter how I looked at it, that was unusually young.
Tang Soyeon nodded.
“It hasn't even been two full years since Lee Munjeong became the hall master.”
“Less than two years?”
Jin Gwangung frowned.
“Why did he become the master so young?”
Tang Soyeon took a breath before answering.
“Originally, his father, Lee Munrip, led Pyeongsan Sword Hall.”
“But two years ago, they became involved in a dispute with another martial school.”
Her voice lowered slightly.
“Lee Munrip was badly injured during that conflict... and eventually died.”
Martial artists died all the time in the martial world.
That fact alone wasn't particularly shocking.
Then Yu Gwangcheol, who had been listening quietly, spoke in a puzzled tone.
“Hm...”
“Pyeongsan Sword Hall itself doesn't sound impressive at all.”
His brow furrowed.
“Then how is Lee Munjeong displaying that level of martial skill?”
“That part is strange.”
Tang Soyeon immediately agreed.
“According to what I found, when Lee Munjeong inherited the position of hall master, his martial arts were far inferior even to his father's.”
She paused.
“But...”
Yu Gwangcheol's eyes narrowed.
“But?”
Tang Soyeon continued.
“For the past year, Lee Munjeong's whereabouts have been completely unknown.”
“He disappeared as though he'd vanished from the world...”
She looked at us.
“and then suddenly appeared at this Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.”
“As you all know, he's now reached the semifinals with overwhelming momentum.”
Jin Gwangung rubbed his chin.
“Maybe he stumbled into some fortuitous encounter somewhere.”
He shrugged.
“A year isn't exactly a short amount of time in the martial world.”
Then his gaze slid toward me.
“We've got a similar bastard right here, after all.”
I deliberately avoided his eyes.
If I reacted...
that old man would probably start messing with me again.
A moment later, Jin Gwangung smirked.
“Well, whatever fortuitous encounter Lee Munjeong had doesn't really matter, does it?”
He looked straight at me.
“If you beat him tomorrow, that's the end of it.”
He chuckled.
He wasn't wrong.
If I defeated Lee Munjeong, that would be it.
Tomorrow's semifinal would be his last match in the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament.
Because I would stop him there.
Maybe my determination showed in my expression...
because the atmosphere in the room began heating up slightly.
Then Myeongjeon cleared his throat.
“Ahem.”
He smiled casually.
“Can we eat something and rest first?”
Everyone looked at him.
“We've been preparing for the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament this whole time without getting much proper rest.”
He grinned.
“Wouldn't it be better to take at least a little break?”
It seemed he was deliberately trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
There wasn't even the slightest shadow of today's quarterfinal defeat on his face.
Maybe...
he hadn't expected to reach the quarterfinals in the first place.
That might've been why he could speak so comfortably.
Yu Gwangcheol smiled.
“You're right.”
“There's no need to give ourselves a headache over things we can't change.”
He nodded.
“And those fighting tomorrow need proper rest.”
Everyone in the room agreed.
It was almost dinner time anyway...
so we decided to head outside for a meal.
People started leaving the room.
I was just about to follow when...
“Senior Brother Mujin.”
Yu Seola called my name quietly.
I stopped and turned.
“Hm? What is it, Junior Sister Seola?”
She bit her lip for a moment.
Then spoke carefully.
“Be careful.”
I tilted my head.
“Careful?”
Yu Seola glanced away briefly...
then met my eyes again.
“You'll understand once you face Lee Munjeong's sword yourself...”
She hesitated.
“but his sword... is different.”
“Different how?”
Yu Seola thought for a moment.
Then continued.
“It's hard to explain clearly...”
Her expression darkened.
“but it felt... dark.”
Dark?
Something about that word gave me an ominous feeling.
Still...
I didn't show it.
“Don't worry.”
I answered confidently on purpose.
“Whatever kind of sword Lee Munjeong uses...”
“the one still standing at the end tomorrow will be me.”
And I truly believed that.
Yu Seola's expression gradually brightened.
“Yes...”
She nodded.
“If it's you, Senior Brother, I'm sure you'll win.”
After reassuring her once more...
I headed outside to join the others.
The next day.
The final day of the Dragon-Phoenix Awakening Tournament finally arrived.
The semifinals and finals would both take place today.
