The Youngest Participant (2)

Four days after the qualification exam ended, the World’s Best Spear Technique Tournament finally opened.

Since it was a local cultural event hosted by the regional government office, residents and a variety of people flocked in, creating a bustle.

Was it because major forces, including the Nine Great Murim Sects, didn’t participate? Most of the rising victors were from prestigious clans.

Yu Jinsan still had many turns remaining, so he sat in a corner of the stands with his granddaughter.

“Who do you think will win, Grandpa?”

“Hm. I’ll pick the left one.”

Two young men stood in the arena with their spears crossing.

Their skills didn’t seem far apart, but the one on the right looked slightly more composed.

And yet she chose the left one. Yu Seol quickly extended her index finger.

“Then I’ll choose the right!”

“Alright. No changing your mind again.”

They looked like the weakest among the participants.

The more novice the fight, the harder it is to predict the outcome. You can pick the side with higher win probability, but even small variables can flip the result.

The rule was: if a wooden sparring spear touches the opponent’s body three times, you win. Or one of them can declare surrender.

The grandfather and granddaughter watched their fight with sparkling eyes.

As expected, the spearman chosen by the granddaughter overwhelmed his opponent from the start, scoring two points before the third exchange passed.

“Hehe.”

Yu Seol’s mouth was already stretched into a grin.

“It’s not over yet, wait. You only know who’s longer or shorter by trying.”

“Is that so~?”

“Let’s watch until the end.”

Though she said that, it was a situation where it wouldn’t be surprising if it ended at any moment.

Yu Jinsan watched with sweaty hands, as if he himself were fighting.

After a little more time passed.

“Ah?”

The smile on Yu Seol’s face returned to normal. The spearman who was about to deliver the finishing blow had slipped in his footwork.

It was the result of overconfidence in his skill and forcing techniques beyond his limit.

Though it was a small mistake, his opponent would not let it pass.

The one who had been on the defensive attempted a counterattack for the first time — a desperate onslaught as if not to miss a final chance.

Yu Jinsan raised a hand to cheer him on.

“That’s it! Exactly!”

Meanwhile, Yu Seol grabbed her head with both hands.

“No!”

But it was too late to turn back — the defender’s feet tangled and he fell.

From the fallen position he was struck three times in an instant and, sadly, was defeated.

Yu Jinsan placed his palm on his granddaughter’s frowning forehead.

“Come on, stop. Weren’t you the one who suggested this?”

“…Hiiing.”

He pulled his middle finger like a bowstring and released it with all his strength.

Smack!

“Ouch!”

Tears welled at the corner of Yu Seol’s eye as she grabbed her forehead.

It wasn’t from pain — the granddaughter, who had Profound’s body, wouldn’t feel this much hurt.

She was simply aggrieved.

“One more match!”

Yu Jinsan shook his head quickly as if there was no question about it.

“Playtime’s over. It’s time to stop.”

“Do you think I don’t know that? Looking at your eyes, you might kill your old man with a twitch.”

The granddaughter huffed in frustration, but what could be done? Yu Jinsan had no intention of playing this dangerous game again.

“Grandpa, that’s mean!”

“Didn’t I tell you? You shouldn’t make bets recklessly. Take this as a lesson.”

Yu Seol wiped her tears like she was heartbroken. She hadn’t expected her grandfather to be so mean.

“…Hung.”

Watching her, Yu Jinsan felt he’d been a bit harsh and patted her shoulder.

Then he comforted her in a gentle voice.

“Now it’s Dong-gu’s turn. We should cheer him on.”

“…mister Dong-gu?”

“Yes, he’s coming out over there.”

It was the match they’d been waiting for.

The referee continuing the event introduced the two.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Finally, the long-awaited former officer of the Heavenly Martial Army has appeared!”

The Heavenly Martial Army — a legendary unit that fought on the front lines in wartime and a pride of the government troops.

They were famed across the nation and very popular among the people.

A retired officer from that unit wouldn’t be ordinary. Cheers erupted from all around.

“Waaaa!!”

“Waaaaaa!!!”

A hot fervor dominated the stands.

One eye was covered by a blindfold. A slash ran from cheek to under the chin. His face was full of battlefield scars.

“What a man. Such a dry, emotionless gaze is not shown by just anyone.”

Yu Seol narrowed her eyes and glared at her grandfather.

“How’s my gaze?”

Yu Jinsan just chuckled.

Yu Seol had never killed an opponent, so she couldn’t possibly mimic him.

“Compared to that man, Seol, your eyes are like a rabbit’s. The number of people killed by that officer is probably at least in the hundreds.”

“So he’s a bad person…?”

“You can’t say that for sure. Murder is bad, but killing enemies to protect the nation is a different matter.”

Just as Yu Jinsan was about to add an explanation.

A familiar figure appeared and the referee continued his introduction.

“This participant… um… only introduced himself as the rural warrior Dong-gu. He didn’t state his sect, but his skill is remarkable, so please give him a warm welcome!”

Dong-gu, gripping his wooden spear, bowed with a flushed face.

It was his first time standing before so many people, so he couldn’t help but feel shy.

Out of fear of embarrassment, he hadn’t revealed that he was from the Dong family house; even if he did, few would know.

Consequently, there was hardly any response from the crowd.

“Uuuu!”

“Uuuuuu!”

Instead of cheers, they jeered.

A completely different reaction than that for the retired Heavenly Martial Army officer.

Seeing that, Yu Jinsan clicked his tongue in pity.

“They really have no shame. Even if he’s not charismatic, at least give some support.”

He glanced aside briefly because his granddaughter gave no response.

Yu Seol simply clenched both fists as if angry.

“No way?”

It seemed she was drawing up her qi from the dantian.

As expected, the ominous prediction did not fail.

Rumble!

Suddenly the sky began to tremble.

Then a fierce roar erupted from somewhere, instantly silencing the crowd’s jeers.

[Mister Dong-gu, you can do it!!!]

A thunderous roar shook the stands.

Startled spectators sprang to their feet and looked around.

“Gasp!”

“What, what’s that?”

“Where did that voice come from?”

“Who on earth was it?”

No one could tell the direction the sound had come from.

It was the legendary Six Harmony Transmission Voice — a technique only usable by those whose inner skill reached the true-stage.

Yu Jinsan pressed his forehead with his left hand as if his head ached; Yu Seol, on the other hand, folded her arms with a satisfied look.

“Child, didn’t I tell you not to use martial arts in here?”

“Huh? Who used martial arts?”

He was dumbfounded at his granddaughter’s denial.

“Then did Grandpa do it? You must hide your identity as much as possible. Otherwise it’ll bring trouble.”

“Because we are the Yin Yang Twin Monsters? I already know~”

What ridiculous nonsense was that.

At that moment Yu Seol’s index finger pointed somewhere.

It was one of the participants waiting in a corner of the arena for his turn.

A middle-aged man in a gray jacket kept smiling as if he were a kind-hearted fellow.

Apart from the oddness of his smile, there was nothing particularly unusual.

A band marked with the number thirty-six, his participant number, was tied to his arm.

“What’s with that guy?”

“He changed into someone else.”

“What do you mean?”

“The number thirty-six we saw during the qualification was a different man.”

Did she memorize the appearances of all those people? Yu Jinsan couldn’t even dream of such memory.

But his granddaughter wouldn’t lie.

“There must be something going on.”

“See? He’s been glancing at you since earlier. He saw everything.”

Dong-gu’s match had already started, but there was no headspace to cheer.

Yu Jinsan’s eyes lit up as he began to study the man more closely.

All outward qi was perfectly sealed, making his level impossible to estimate. Warriors like that would not exceed five among all participants here.

And one more thing.

A crushed scar on his neck looked very suspicious — if he had a Blue Dragon troops tattoo, it would be in that same spot.

Moreover, the wound hadn’t fully healed, so it was likely recent. If it was the trace of a removed tattoo, there was no doubt.

‘It seems pretty certain.’

But what purpose would a Blue Dragon Troops have in coming here?

Those who operated in the shadows had virtually no reason to leisurely enter a spear tournament.

Then a memory surfaced in Yu Jinsan’s mind.

It was Baek Gyu’s warning that they had abandoned hunting the Yin Monster and were focusing on capturing the Yang Monster.

‘Is their goal to kill me in the match?’

If they kept winning, they’d eventually meet each other.

From the Blue Dragon Troops perspective, it was the only chance to catch him while avoiding Yu Seol. Those who risked their lives on missions would certainly take such an opportunity.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t anticipated this situation at all.

He had been somewhat prepared. No matter how remote the region, there’s a limit to hiding one’s identity at a martial contest.

He was only surprised at how quickly he was exposed.

To have his movements identified before his first match — their intelligence network was astonishing.

He was lost in thought for a moment.

Suddenly a mischievous glint appeared on his granddaughter’s face.

“Grandpa, we’re in big trouble now.”

“Who says it’s a big deal? Do you think your old man can’t handle a single guy like that?”

“It’ll be tough~ Should I go and fetch him now?”

He didn’t know how strong the suspected Blue Dragon Troops member was, but if his granddaughter stepped in, it would be no problem to go and beat him up immediately.

But that would mean giving up the spear tournament.

He didn’t want to throw away something that had been a lifelong wish.

As a warrior, and as the head of a famous spear family, he wanted to stand proudly, fight, and claim honor — no matter the opponent.

“Let it be. Come on, let’s cheer for Dong-gu.”

“I am telling you this clearly.”

His granddaughter warned him, but Yu Jinsan was not a man to be frightened — he was no longer the frail old man he once was.

The match was already in full swing.

Having taken their attention off number thirty-six, the two began to cheer for Dong-gu.

As expected, the situation didn’t look easy.

He was already down by two points.

“Dong-gu’s in for a tough time, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. Much stronger than the men who came out earlier.”

He was a retired officer from an elite battlefield-hardened unit.

The internal qi was standard, he was top-tier, while Dong-gu was at the entrance to the peak warrior.

But high internal qi doesn’t always mean greater strength.

Dong-gu looked so precarious that defeat could come at any moment.

The problem was that he couldn’t match the technique.

The retired officer’s spear techniques were sharp with all unnecessary motions removed, and his flowing consecutive strikes were admirable.

“If Dong-gu only had a bit more real combat experience, it would have been doable. Tch. It’s a shame he doesn’t know how to use his strengths.”

The government troops’ martial art specialized in group combat, so one-on-one duels generally favor martial artists.

Yet the difference in experience was overturning all that.

The outcome was all but decided.

At that moment Yu Seol spoke cautiously.

“Grandpa, I’ll bet on mister Dong-gu this time. One more match.”

She had just cried miserably after being slapped with a loss, yet she still hadn’t come to her senses.

“Didn’t I say you shouldn’t bet carelessly? Why do you keep doing things you’ll regret?”

“I won’t regret it.”

“Can you really take responsibility for that?”

“Yes. So it’s decided, right?”

If she didn’t understand words, he’d have to teach her a lesson by force.

Yu Jinsan cracked his knuckles and nodded once.

“Alright, do as you please. This time I won’t go easy on you even if you cry.”

“Okay.”

What on earth made her so confident?

No matter what, it didn’t seem possible to reverse the result.

Up until now……

“Hm?”

Suddenly Yu Jinsan’s pupils dilated.

Dong-gu’s movements, who had been on the defensive, began to change.

He abruptly turned to the opponent’s left, aiming for the flank.

He targeted the blind side of a one-eyed opponent and slipped into the dead angle — impressive.

Moreover, his attacks became offensively forceful — abandoning finesse to press with power.

That wasn’t all. As the exchanges went on, his technique links smoothed out in response to the opponent.

Faced with Dong-gu’s changed offense, the retired officer’s posture gradually broke down.

‘Could it be that she is?’

Yu Jinsan quickly turned to the side.

His granddaughter’s expression, looking at Dong-gu with shining eyes, looked serious.

“Seol, you’re giving guidance to Dong-gu via qi transmission, aren’t you!?”

The distance between the stands and the arena was too great for transmitted voice. But for a granddaughter who had reached the rank of Profound, it was another story.

“Hold on, Grandpa. This is important.”

It was really absurd.

Yet he couldn’t tell her not to. It made him want to jump in madness.

Besides, it wasn’t against the rules. If you’re a participant’s acquaintance, you’re allowed to come near the arena to cheer and give advice.

‘This is big trouble.’

He was confused whether to be pleased or worried about the situation.

Yu Jinsan’s head slowly turned to the right.

Sure enough.

Yu Seol was already cracking her knuckles.