Chapter 230
230
I wiped the sweat from my palms onto my sleeves, trying to maintain a nonchalant expression.
Curiosity welled up in my throat, but I couldn't dare to ask, considering who he was.
"But you hate crowds, so why did you come to Muhan? Are you looking for a disciple?"
"Well, that wouldn't be so bad."
Gwisu-sin, answering lightly, glanced at me.
When I gave him an awkward smile, he raised the corner of his mouth and looked at Grandfather again.
"But a more interesting sight comes first. Give me the match list."
"Anyone would think I left it with you."
Grandfather grumbled something and took out a rolled-up paper from his sleeve, handing it to Gwisu-sin.
"Group 8..."
Gwisu-sin, leisurely examining the match list, rolled the paper back up and handed it to Grandfather.
"Do you have any youngsters you're keeping an eye on?"
"I have no reason to tell you."
"Such a temper. Fine. I'm leaving. So-hye, let's go."
Grandfather gestured and strode past Gwisu-sin. I bowed to Gwisu-sin and quickly followed him.
Group 8 is Namgung Hwi… Why is Gwisu-sin interested in Namgung Hwi's match?
I was curious, but it didn't seem like it would be good to know. I decided to lose interest.
When we arrived at the arena, the Tang Clan Members who saw Grandfather stood up and bowed.
"You've arrived, Elder."
"Yes."
After exchanging greetings with the family elders, I sat down in a chair next to Grandfather and made eye contact with Dang Gyeong-won.
'Your wrist.'
I mouthed, and he smiled, showing me his wrist with a splint under his sleeve.
The swelling had definitely gone down since this morning.
His match is on the last day, I wonder if it will be healed by then. It's fortunate that his muscles weren't damaged.
"Why is Gyeongwon here?"
"I was just greeting him."
I answered, inwardly surprised, and fidgeted with my hands.
There were so many Tang Family's Others living here, it was amazing that Grandfather remembered even the distant relatives.
"Yes. It's never bad to get close. The branch family youngsters revolve around him."
"Yes."
Why is such a guy being beaten as an outlet? Did he step up to prevent the others from being touched?
The thought that he might have a different side made me see him in a new light.
Dang Gyeong-won blinked at my gaze, as if asking why.
I waved my hand to tell him not to worry and turned my gaze to the Martial Arts Stage.
Yang Gyo-jin was stretching his legs back and forth below the Martial Arts Stage.
"Now, we will begin the third match. The third match is Yang Clan's..."
Before the referee could finish speaking, Yang Gyo-jin jumped onto the Martial Arts Stage and looked around, then shouted cheerfully.
"Oh, it's So-hye!"
Yang Gyo-jin, waving happily, saw Grandfather and bowed at a 90-degree angle.
"What a boisterous child."
Grandfather muttered and chuckled. I smiled and waved back.
The referee, awkwardly looking at Yang Gyo-jin, then introduced Dang Hwa-yeop.
Dang Hwa-yeop, ascending the Martial Arts Stage, had an uncomfortable expression.
Seeing that he hadn't cheered up even after the commotion since morning, it seemed like something was not to his liking.
Tsk. He's really showing off his Young Master attitude.
Whether Dang Hwa-yeop showed his displeasure or not, Yang Gyo-jin greeted him with a cheerful smile.
"Hello. You're my hundredth opponent."
"What?"
"My Hundred-People Sparring Journey. If I win one more time, it'll be a hundred wins. You're the first Tang Clan Martial Artist besides So-hye, so I'm looking forward to it."
Dang Hwa-yeop's face twisted horribly.
"How dare you compare me to that bastard? You insolent thing…!"
Grandfather's eyes flashed with anger at the remark that belittled me in front of everyone.
I swallowed a bitter smile.
Doesn't he still know that Grandfather can't stand anyone tarnishing the family name? He's digging his own grave.
Yang Gyo-jin scratched his head, as if he didn't understand.
"Then who else would I compare you to? I don't know any other Tang Clan people besides So-hye. You have a bad personality."
The veins in Dang Hwa-yeop's neck bulged at the unexpected criticism.
"You better watch that tongue. My Hidden Weapons have no mercy."
"Isn't it said that swords have no eyes? Is that what Tang Clan people say?"
"Shut up!"
"See? I told you, you have a bad personality. You're number eight."
What's number eight again.
"Mi-ryeo assigns numbers to people. Number one is someone who will return favors twofold, number two is… Oh, what was it?"
The guy tilted his head, as if he couldn't remember, then said cheerfully.
"Anyway, Mi-ryeo told me not to get close to number eight. She said they're annoying and not worth the trouble. What was it, a frog in a well, thinking they're the best in the world, but actually their head is empty and they sulk if you don't cater to them…"
"I'll tear that mouth of yours!"
Dang Hwa-yeop, shouting, rushed at Yang Gyo-jin, and Grandfather, with a constipated expression, pressed his eyes as if he couldn't bear to watch.
"What is he doing, rushing at a Swordmaster first? I'm going crazy."
Every time the wrinkles on Grandfather's forehead deepened, there was a sound of swallowing saliva from the direction of the family members.
The one who was most aware of Grandfather's mood was Dang Bu-kyung.
He looked apologetic and didn't know what to do every time Grandfather clicked his tongue.
That uncle is having a hard time too.
I awkwardly smacked my lips, swallowed a sigh, and turned my gaze back to the Martial Arts Stage.
The difference in the two people's skills was clear enough for even an ordinary person to see.
Yang Gyo-jin also blinked blankly, as if surprised, and asked.
"You're so much slower than So-hye. Are you broken or hurt somewhere? Or are you just weak?"
"I told you not to compare me to that bitch!"
"Hmm, you're really weird. You get angry whenever I talk about So-hye. Do you feel inferior to So-hye?"
"Eek!"
Gyo Jin… Your Inciting Tactics are getting better every day… It's amazing that there's no malice in that question at all.
I suspected that his vocabulary for scraping people had become more diverse due to Jang Mi-ryeo's influence.
In any case, it seemed certain that Dang Hwa-yeop was extremely angry at his words.
That's because he took out Poison, which was forbidden in the tournament, unable to control his anger.
Seeing that he was even wearing gloves, it seemed like he was really planning to use a deadly Poison, not just a simple threat.
"If you utter nonsense one more time, I will inflict the pain of your bones and flesh melting away, tournament or not."
"Oh. Didn't you hear that you can't use Poison in the tournament? You'll be disqualified if you use that."
"Even if I'm disqualified, I'm going to tear your mouth apart! You seem too stupid to understand!"
Dang Hwa-yeop, shouting, glared at Yang Gyo-jin, and Yang Gyo-jin pouted.
"Aww, you're really boring. I was looking forward to it."
Dang Hwa-yeop, provoked by the voice full of disappointment, unleashed Hidden Weapons fiercely and spewed out abusive language.
"There's no courtesy to be found. It's just like a family that raises a bastard who was born from the seed of a man who doesn't even know where he crawled out from as a successor."
"That's strange. Where else can you find my own bloodline as certain as one born from my own womb?"
"Shameless. That's why you act as the Imperial family's dog, and even after being abandoned, you shamelessly call yourself a Martial Artist and hold your head up high."
"It's not being abandoned, it's retirement. We even have an Imperial Arrow bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor in our house. Ah, an Imperial Arrow is something that can even forgive treason…"
Gyo Jin. It's omnipotent. Omnipotent.
Dang Hwa-yeop, screaming in a frenzy, was a novel sight.
It felt refreshing to see him barking loudly like a frightened dog, unable to rush in easily, whether it was a instinctive defense mechanism or not.
Was Dang Hwa-yeop always so talkative?
I was wondering what he was like before, and I missed Dang Hwa-yeop's voice as he was saying something.
But that one missed word seemed to have touched Yang Gyo-jin's reverse scale.
That's because Yang Gyo-jin's expression, which had been blankly blinking, froze coldly.
Everyone held their breath at the suddenly changed atmosphere.
Grandfather also cursed, calling him the biggest idiot in the world.
"That moron. Insulting the opponent's Sect in front of everyone? Who taught him that?"
Dang Bu-kyung couldn't lift his head and was sweating profusely at Grandfather's fierce scolding.
"Even if the Yang Clan isn't big, they're the old-timers of Luoyang. They're clearly a member of the Alliance. What good is it to make an enemy of their successor…! Aigo. My head."
I also swallowed hard at Yang Gyo-jin's appearance, which I had never seen before. His eyes, burning with anger, felt unfamiliar.
"Apologize."
"So you know what an insult is, huh?"
"I told you to apologize."
Yang Gyo-jin, saying it nonchalantly, threw his sword.
The sword rolled across the floor and fell with a thud below the Martial Arts Stage.
"It's okay if you call me stupid. It's true anyway. I know I'm not smart."
The referee, who was watching the atmosphere of the Martial Arts Stage, picked up the sword and stepped back.
"But… it's a different story if you insult my family."
Yang Gyo-jin, muttering, rolled up his sleeves.
At the same time, a watery Strong Energy began to ripple on the Ink Bracelet he was wearing on his right wrist.
The Ink Bracelet, transformed in shape as Inner Energy was injected, became an ink-colored spear and was held in Yang Gyo-jin's hand.
Yang Gyo-jin, gripping the spear shaft so tightly that the veins stood out on the back of his hand, spat out as if chewing.
"It's okay. You don't have to apologize if you don't want to. You'll want to apologize if you get hit with the treasure bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor."
Then he swung the spear violently.
Finally, the first day of the Rising Stars Martial Arts Tournament finals had arrived.
