Chapter 31 : Jaseung, Competes in the Quarterfinals

Chapter 31: Jaseung, Competes in the Quarterfinals

Lee Jaseung drew his inner Qi in response to Dan Woobin’s question.

Woong-

The air around them trembled, and soon a dome-like barrier formed. It was a sound barrier that prevented any sound from escaping.

But Dan Woobin didn’t think that was necessary.

Even if they stood in the middle of the streets and loudly asked whether to strike the Orthodox Faction or Demonic Cult first, not a single person would care. They’d either think it’s a joke, or believe them to be madmen.

Still, Dan Woobin was more tense than he had ever been since meeting Lee Jaseung. Not even when he had to come up with a strategy to face thousands of enemies had he been this nervous.

Lee Jaseung’s answer would determine all the plans they would make moving forward.

After a moment of deep thought, Lee Jaseung replied with a question instead.

“What do you think?”

Dan Woobin expected this answer. He always asked for his opinion before making major decisions. That was why he had organized his thoughts beforehand.

“I think it’d be better for us to strike the Demonic Cult first.”

Dan Woobin chose the Demonic Cult. He calmly explained his reasoning.

“The Asura Demon Sect is strong. Incredibly powerful. But they have one fatal weakness. It’s the fact that they split from the Heavenly Demon’s cult. Their roots are shallow which means they can be shaken.”

“But what about the Murim Alliance? Aren’t they more corrupt than ever right now?”

“That’s true. But that doesn’t mean the entire Orthodox Faction is corrupt. Many in the Orthodox world know their Alliance is rotten. They are waiting for an opportunity to reform it. If we strike the Alliance first, we’ll only provide that opportunity for them.”

That was what made the Orthodox Faction truly dangerous. Even if their leaders were corrupt, countless martial artists longed for justice and unity.

With that said, Dan Woobin asked again.

“What will you do, my Lord?”

Lee Jaseung finally spoke. His answer shocked Dan Woobin.

“I intend to face both the Orthodox Faction and Demonic Cult at the same time.”

“...!”

Dan Woobin hadn’t expected that response in the slightest.

He stood still blankly for a brief moment. Dozens of thoughts swirled in his mind. Every reason told him that such a thing was impossible. Just as he was about to voice the strongest reason, a realization struck him.

‘There’s no way that he doesn’t know that.’

Dan Woobin looked at Lee Jaseung again. The determination in his eyes didn’t come from recklessness. It was resolute. After all, he wasn’t the type of person to act on impulse to begin with.  

‘In that case…?’

Dan Woobin’s eyes gradually widened.

“Ah! I understand what you are thinking now.”

To face both sides didn’t mean open war with both.

It meant provoking a fight between the Orthodox Faction and Demonic Cult, then profiting by playing both sides with the ultimate goal of seizing control of the whole world.

“We must become righteous as the Orthodox Faction, and as ruthless as the Demonic Cult.”

Dan Woobin’s heart stirred when he heard Lee Jaseung.

He closed his eyes and envisioned what lay ahead.

Lee Jaseung silently observed Dan Woobin who was deep in his thoughts. Countless plans were forming and dissolving within that small head of his.

At last, Dan Woobin finished his thoughts. His eyes shined as he gazed at Lee Jaseung.

“It’s worth trying.”

* * *

The rumor that Hae Ryang killed the Phantom Demon spread across the world.

The Demonic Cult was feared by everyone. Because of that, it was enough for Hae Ryang to become everyone’s hero as a man who killed one of their Elders.

There was even talk that his disqualification of the tournament should be overturned, and allow him to advance to the finals.

But the Northern Sky Clan didn’t approve. Involvement with the Demonic Cult wasn’t something to take lightly. Of course, Baek Seolyoung also wanted no further entanglement with Hae Ryang.

And so, the quarterfinals began today.

Lee Jaseung’s opponent was formidable. He was the second most favored to win, Myeong Do the Fist God.

Right as Lee Jaseung was about to step up to the stage, Dan Woobin spoke quietly.

“It would be best to win this match by luck again.”

Bets could still be placed until the semifinals were set. Once the top four were determined, no more betting was allowed. Because of that, big sums of money typically poured in at the end.

Since the final odds weren’t set yet, it was advantageous to appear as weak as possible. If too much money was bet on Lee Jaseung, then the potential payout would decrease.

“I’ll try.”

Dan Woobin smirked. He knew Lee Jaseung had been training late into the night yesterday.

‘You don’t have to try that hard.’

But that effort was the foundation of everything. Dan Woobin staked his dream on Lee Jaseung’s absurd dream of unifying the whole world because he believed in that effort.

‘Yes, even if we end up failing and I die in some unknown field… It would be all worth it with a leader like this.’

That’s why Dan Woobin wasn’t afraid. He wanted to succeed no matter what. He too would give it his all. That’s why…

Lee Jaseung slowly ascended to the stage.

Many people watched him, and that included Baek Seolyoung.

She never imagined him to make it to the quarterfinals. Of course, he was lucky to have advanced from the round of sixteen for free, but that luck wasn’t going to last any longer.

Her gaze shifted to his opponent.

The Fist God, Myeong Do. He was a massive man with solid, iron-like muscles. He was twice the size of an average man.

His title said everything about him. It was him who was strongest in fist martial arts.

There was another reason why he became famous. It was his personality. Like his skills in martial arts, he was known to be arrogant and extremely prideful.

Myeong Do spoke with a loud voice.

“Step down now, and you might grow old with your body intact. Junior, I offer mercy for your future’s sake, so don’t waste it and leave the arena.”

Lee Jaseung spoke with a smirk.

“If you truly believe in giving the weak a chance, then you should be the one stepping down. Isn’t that what mercy is?”

Laughter erupted from the crowd at Lee Jaseung’s refreshing reply.

Myeong Do’s face noticeably stiffened. Since earning his title, no one dared speak to him so boldly and rudely like this.

He clenched his fists.

Woong-!

An impactful wave vibrated from his fists. The crowd cheered after sensing Myeong Do’s strength.

Myeong Do walked toward Baek Seolyoung’s seat.

“I will win no matter what, for you.”

His confident voice echoed in the arena.

Baek Seolyoung gave a polite bow and smiled respectfully.

But she was cold on the inside. At the very least, she had hoped he wouldn’t win.

What she knew of Myeong Do wasn’t just rumor, but fact. It was confirmed by someone close.

He was described as someone who acted like an arrogant king. Moreover, he also looked down on women.

She didn’t think she could handle that enormous bulk. Let alone the authority and his belittlement that would come along with it.

Living under a man’s thumb, catering to his whims truly sounded like miserable life.

Suddenly, she realized her ideal man wasn’t so great.

All she wanted was someone who truly understood and connected with her. Someone who didn’t push her for explanations in any situations. Lee Jaseung was exactly the kind of man she wanted.

That was her not so grand dream.

But she realized at that moment. That dream of hers wasn’t small at all, at least for her. It was much harder than meeting a supreme martial art master of Jianghu.

She closed her eyes and calmed herself.

‘Seolyoung, Seolyoung, don’t try to cling onto happiness anymore.’

Her path wasn’t a path of happiness, but one filled with blood and chaos.

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze seemed calmer than ever.

Ahead, she saw Lee Jaseung’s back.

He was very rude and cold. She obviously didn’t want him to win. But at the very least, she hoped that he would win this match.

Meanwhile, there were some who cheered for Lee Jaseung.

“Man of great luck! I hope you win and claim her love!”

Because of the rumor of Lee Jaseung and Hae Ryang fighting for Baek Seolyoung, many misunderstood the situation.

Myeong Do had heard the rumor as well.

‘So you’re saying you’re her lover huh?’

His desire to kill him surged in his mind. The moment he saw Baek Seolyoung directly himself, he wanted to make her his. She was far more beautiful than the rumors described her.

‘He’ll be troublesome if I leave him alive.’

He lived as an Orthodox man, but not necessarily a chivalrous one. There were times he killed people because of misunderstandings.

But he continued to live on without guilt. No one had held him accountable because of how strong he was.

‘I have to live nicely because I belong to the Orthodox Faction? That’s like telling someone to live as a fool.’

He lived by his own rules. He believed that he could live as he wanted as strength justified everything.

Therefore, he was only able to come up with one conclusion for an opponent who was tied to the woman he desired.

‘I’ll smash your skull.’

Lee Jaseung sensed Myeong Do’s killing intent. He knew the man made up his mind to kill him.

A cold smile formed on Lee Jaseung’s lips.

‘Better for me, if you want to play dirty and brutal like that.’

Lee Jaseung disliked the people of the Orthodox Faction. They always preached righteousness, but they rarely lived it.

Even now, Myeong Do planned to kill his opponent because he was blinded by a beautiful woman.

So much for being the Orthodox Faction.

Not only that, but there was also the Demonic Cult that was divided. Jianghu was in true chaos.

Such chaos like this was the strongest fuel for Lee Jaseung to walk his path.

Myeong Do’s killing intent was noticeable to everyone, but no one cared.

There were already those that died in this tournament. But no one was held accountable. Once in the arena, your life was no longer yours.

Thud! Crack!

Myeong Do stomped once and the duel began with an incredible impact on the ground.

Lee Jaseung rushed forward with a dagger.

Shwaaak!

Myeong Do’s fist flew in at an incredible speed. He was truly worthy of the title ‘Fist God’. His fists were like massive iron cannonballs.

The first attack missed. Normally, the other fist would’ve followed right after as it was a chained technique meant to compensate for the miss.

But Myeong Do leaped back instead of continuing his attack.

Dribble-

Blood streamed down from his arm. Not only did he miss his first attack, but a dagger cut his arm.

He was shocked by the wound. He was already at a level where blades couldn’t penetrate his skin, but just grazing it made him bleed like this.

Myeong Do’s gaze became cold.

“So it’s true that the dagger you use is a treasure weapon!”

Lee Jaseung shrugged.

“It’s a pretty decent dagger.”

“You should know shame, to rely on a weapon as a martial artist.”

Then, Lee Jaseung responded calmly.

“And you should be embarrassed, throwing punches with that massive body of yours.”

Laughters erupted from the crowd.

For someone of Myeong Do’s level to complain about weapons was truly pathetic. He brought up his opponent’s dagger as he let his pride get the better of him after being wounded, but it only ended up worse for him.

Anger surged in Myeong Do’s eyes after he was mocked. Powerful killing intent poured out from his eyes. He was too proud to tolerate such insults.

“Fine, I’ll show you why I’m the Fist God!”

Myeong Do took a deep breath. His muscles swelled up even more.

A man twice as large as Lee Jaseung, was now three times larger.

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