Let’s See What You’ve Got (3)

They were given about half an hour of rest before the final match.

Yu Jinsan was leaning back in a chair in the waiting area while his granddaughter massaged his shoulders.

“Feels good?”

“Yes, very. But why did you do that last night?”

Yu Seol tilted her head and asked back.

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Don’t play innocent, I know you ambushed number thirty-six last night.”

“Oh, that?”

He was taken aback by his granddaughter’s casual reply.

“That? Didn’t I tell you? Never attack first under any circumstances.”

Yu Seol could use martial arts only on his order or when the opponent struck first.

She had been taught that since infancy and had never broken the rule until now.

“No. That man tried to strike me first.”

“You didn’t go up to scare him into attacking first, did you?”

“…My memory’s weird about it. I really only defended myself. Want to go ask him together?”

She was the kind who never forgot once she had seen something.

Strangely, only now her memory was hazy, and he couldn’t exactly go ask the man whether he had been hit first.

He could only laugh at the absurdity of it.

“If just defending did that much, I can’t imagine what would have happened if you’d attacked. Don’t do anything I didn’t order from now on.”

He didn’t fully believe her, but she answered well.

Yu Jinsan closed his eyes gently.

He was trying to focus on resting before the final.

Winning against the Yang family had already achieved his aim, so he felt at ease.

‘Yu Seol’s massage skills are improving by leaps and bounds.’

His shoulders loosened and his body grew drowsy.

After a moment of silence he murmured again.

“Don’t worry too much, child. Surely I won’t be killed by that brat, especially not in a duel.”

Having mastered the Vajra Indestructible Divine technique, he shouldn’t flinch from most blows.

Still, his granddaughter didn’t seem reassured.

After hesitating a moment, Yu Seol pressed her lips to her grandfather’s ear and whispered softly.

“Aim for the left. I broke his ankle.”

How kind of her to even point out the weakness.

Yu Jinsan waved his left hand over his shoulder as if it was nothing to worry about.

“I’ll handle it, so under no circumstances step in. The match could be invalidated if you interfere.”

“Still, be careful. I checked yesterday and it seemed like he was hiding something.”

“What could he possibly be hiding?”

At that moment Dong-gu mumbled as he brought over some water.

“I think it’s wise to be careful, as Seol said. I didn’t expect the Ak Un-pyeong to hit so quickly. Still, the Ak family is the most famous for spear techniques in the Shandong region.”

Yu Jinsan nodded once and downed the water handed to him.

“It was a bit unexpected that he fell so easily. Even if its claws are broken, a beast is still a beast, isn’t it?”

He didn’t show it, but inwardly he kept pondering how to deal with that fellow.

He wasn’t as easy an opponent as Yu Seol and Dong-gu worried; if his body had been fine, there might have been no answer.

That was why, even while scolding his granddaughter, he did not get angry.

The duel with the Yang family was meant to judge spear skill, but this fight was different.

Given the chance, he would try to end his life at any time.

His persistence, unhalted even with a half-disabled body, was staggering.

‘Those bastards must have piled a lot of grudges against me over the years.’

It was common knowledge: the biggest headache for the Murim Alliance at the time was the Yin Yang Twin Monsters.

All the more so for the Blue Dragon troops, a secret organization cultivated through hard, covert work was being hunted down mercilessly.

They had no choice but to eliminate them at any cost.

But Yang Monster had already grown too strong to be handled casually.

So they aimed to take out the brain, him, first, to lure Yang Monster out and create an opportunity to deal with it.

He was lost in such thoughts for a moment.

“Grandpa, they’re calling you out now.”

When he looked up, the referee was preparing the final bout.

Yu Jinsan rose and rolled his shoulders as if to feel refreshed.

“Alright, good job. Thanks to you I feel refreshed.”

“Do well. Our grandpa is the coolest!”

Yu Seol patted her grandfather’s back.

Perhaps because of their physical disparity, the scene looked like an older sister comforting a younger brother.

Dong-gu, watching, couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“Ha ha! Please win, elder.”

“Alright, Seol is watching closely. I’ll make sure to avenge the humiliation you suffered yesterday.”

“I’m fine, just don’t get hurt.”

His tone sounded genuinely worried for him.

Yu Jinsan nodded and walked toward the arena.

He felt strangely odd.

When had the warm sun and the crisp breeze ever felt so pleasant?

He felt he would never forget this moment for the rest of his life.

When he picked up his wooden spear, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“Finally he’s out!!”

“Stay strong, kid!”

“You can win, Tae-san!!”

Those calling him a kid were local residents ignorant of Murim affairs; they made up the overwhelming majority, while martial artists were few.

Yu Jinsan brought his hands together around the spear and offered a salute toward them.

“Wooooaaa!!!”

His popularity had risen further after the spectacular duel with Yang So-cheon.

In contrast, number thirty-six received a very different reaction.

As the swollen-faced man limped forward, boos erupted from all sides.

“Booooo!!”

“Get out and die!”

“Yuck, spit!”

The crowd’s reaction was understandable.

He had inflicted irreversible humiliation on his opponents in every match so far.

Anyone watching would naturally feel disgusted.

His attacks showed no mercy; he was ruthlessly brutal as if trying to kill.

Yu Jinsan knew this well.

The reason he had fought so cruelly beyond necessity.

It was likely to avoid suspicion when pushing him into a corner.

Drums sounded from both sides of the arena, gradually picking up speed.

The start of the final match was imminent.

Then the swollen thirty-sixth’s lips twitched.

“So we finally meet, schemer Yang Monster.”

They already knew each other’s identities, so there was nothing to be surprised about.

He was only upset at being belittled as a schemer by the Blue Dragon Troops.

“So you crawled all the way here just to catch a mere schemer?”

“‘Mere’? Because of you, all our efforts spanning centuries are being undone.”

“That’s quite the news.”

Number thirty-six angled his wooden spear downward, ready to strike.

“The leader said to give you a chance.”

“Ridiculous. What kind of chance?”

“If you join our cause even now, we can erase the atrocities the Yin Yang Twin Monster have committed in the murim world.”

To slaughter a family and then try to coax them was an outrageous offer.

It was the first time a Blue Dragon troops member had mentioned their leader.

He was the one who, under orders from the Murim Alliance leader, ran the organization in the shadows.

If they could capture the Blue Dragon Troops leader, they’d have quicker access to the alliance leader.

“What cause could there be in your madness? I’ll give you one chance too.”

“Tell me who the Blue Dragon troops’ leader is, and we’ll consider leniency for your crimes.”

Number thirty-six shook his head dismissively.

At the same time his puffy face curled into that unpleasant smile.

“You absolutely must die.”

Screeeech-!!

It was the bell signaling the start of the duel.

At the same moment, number thirty-six launched the opening attack.

Having already anticipated the move, Yu Jinsan quickly created distance.

Whoosh-!!

The tip of the opponent’s spear spat wind across his face.

If it had been just a bit deeper, it would have hit him.

‘He’ll try to finish this quickly.’

Since his body wasn’t in normal condition, the longer the fight dragged on, the more it favored him.

If he forced attacks recklessly, he’d create openings, and Yu Jinsan planned to strike then.

But plans are only plans.

Two wooden spears clashed in the air for the first time.

Yu Jinsan was considerably surprised by the exchange.

His feet were sliding back faster than expected.

It was a level of strength completely different from what the man had shown in previous matches.

If he hadn’t been a top expert himself, he couldn’t have held out.

From just that single exchange, he was certain of the opponent’s level.

‘…Supreme realm. Couldn’t you have mentioned that, brat?’

His granddaughter had warned him, but hadn’t mentioned Supreme realm by name.

She probably assumed he already knew and so didn’t say anything.

He hadn’t been completely unprepared for this, but there was a difference in degree.

Even within Supreme realm, the boundary of absolute masters, there are ranks.

The thirty-sixth before him was among the strongest Blue Dragon troops members he’d ever faced, likely someone holding an important post in the organization.

Before he could regain his stance, the next attack came.

It was an indiscriminate assault not bound to forms. The endless flurry left him unable to focus.

Bang-! Kraaak-!!

With each exchanged clash, his posture eroded bit by bit.

The only reason he could still hold out was probably the injury his granddaughter had inflicted.

A battle between Supreme and a Super Peak warrior, that vast gap couldn’t be overturned easily.

‘If I can’t break out of the offense, I’ll be finished.’

Clenching his teeth, Yu Jinsan executed footwork.

It was the Great Body-Shift Technique he’d learned from the renegade monk Jeong Hye.

Until now he’d only used his family’s martial arts, but this was no time for scruples.

His body twisted at a strange angle and began moving to the opponent’s rear.

Sssslip-!

Surprised by the uncanny method, number thirty-six hesitated briefly, but it didn’t last.

He twisted his torso and slashed the wooden spear diagonally from above, likely to strike the rear.

But this time Yu Jinsan had prepared a technique as well.

The Yu family Wind Slaying Spear first form, Fierce Dragon Ascends to Heaven.

The wooden spear, filled with inner force, struck the ground and shot upward.

Kraaaang-!!

He managed to block it, but the shock transmitted through his arms was heavy.

Yu Jinsan’s feet dug into the arena floor, causing cracks to form.

It was a blow struck with the intent to kill.

He seemed unconcerned with winning the match; his sole purpose was to harm him.

The problem began now.

In the blink of an eye, the spear approached his abdomen.

Though only a moment, he saw clearly that a faint spear-qi emanated from the tip.

Emitting qi through a weapon was forbidden in matches.

Yet no one noticed it except Yu Seol.

A precise, instant thrust like that was impossible to dodge by reflex alone.

Though spear-qi pierced toward his abdomen, the sound that came was very strange.

Doooong-!!

It sounded like striking a bell rather than skin.

Number thirty-six’s eyes trembled for an instant; he was puzzled by the situation.

How could he know that Yu Jinsan had cultivated the Diamond Inviolable? Had he known, he would have used raw force instead of spear-qi.

Then his granddaughter’s voice echoed in his head out of nowhere.

• Turn quickly to the left, Grandpa!

He couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Yu Jinsan’s feet began to move erratically once more.