Martial Arts Ain't Anything Special-Chapter 121: Dragon Phoenix Tournament (2)

Crack!

Reinforced qi burst from Seojun’s hand, blanketing the area like a shockwave.

The incoming daggers were caught within the imagery of All Rivers Returning to the Ocean and clattered harmlessly to the ground.

Focusing his reinforced qi to retrieve them, Seojun furrowed his brow.

“What kind of bastards are these?”

A threat? Not even close.

The attackers were nothing but small fry. None of them had even reached the Peak Realm.

Even if he just stood still, daggers thrown by nobodies like them couldn’t pierce muscles forged through the Supreme Force Monstrous God Style.

Chunbong and Namgung Suah could’ve deflected them just as easily.

Still, even if it wasn’t dangerous, it was definitely annoying.

We were just trying to enjoy our trio outing, and these idiots toss daggers like they own the place?

Adjusting his grip on Chunbong, Seojun stomped his foot.

Whoosh!

With a single leap, the sky surged closer.

At that height, Seojun scattered the daggers in his hand into the wind.

The assassins quickly tried to hide, but once they’d been tagged by Seojun’s qi sense, hiding was pointless.

Five Elements: Metal, Transformation.

The daggers’ tips split, morphing into hooked blades.

Seojun flicked his hand, summoning a fierce wind.

Swish!

Riding the wind, the daggers twisted through the air in brilliant trajectories...

...and embedded themselves cleanly into the thighs of the assassins hiding among the crowd.

“Urgh...!”

“Kyaaah! Blood, there’s blood...!”

“Martial artists! Someone call the monks! Quickly!”

The street exploded into chaos.

Seojun landed on a nearby rooftop, calmly surveying the scene.

The assassins were down. With yin qi infused into the blades, they wouldn’t be moving anytime soon.

He’d leave them like that for now. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

Given they’d caused a ruckus near Shaolin, it was no surprise monks would show up.

But the group that arrived... wasn’t quite what he expected.

“Wait, does Shaolin have female disciples now?”

“They don’t.”

Saying that, Chunbong climbed out of his arms and stepped onto the rooftop.

Buddhist nuns had encircled them.

Chunbong’s brows drew together.

“What is the meaning of this? You’re not Shaolin. You’re from the Emei Sect.”

The Emei Sect... Seojun knew of them. They were part of the Nine Sects, One Union.

A sect exclusively for women.

Basically, female Shaolin.

Though, more accurately, they were a blend of Buddhist and Taoist teachings, but he didn’t know the details.

Suddenly, something clicked in Seojun’s head. He smacked a fist into his palm.

“Ah! That’s right! Gender quota system!”

“...This crazy bastard.”

Chunbong, who’d stood at his side with a fierce presence, subtly edged away.

She took a step back and whistled, rather unconvincingly, as if to say, “I don’t know this guy.”

“...Young man, you speak without thinking.”

One of the nuns stepped forward, scowling. Her expression bristled with irritation.

Among the Emei Sect members present, about half of the group was bald, and she was one of them.

In any case, since she was technically correct, Seojun sensed the disadvantage and quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, what’s going on here? Isn’t this Shaolin’s jurisdiction?”

“Shaolin is not the only one who answers the cries of the people.”

Apparently, someone had been looking for Shaolin disciples, and upon spotting appropriately bald heads, flagged them down instead.

“If you’re looking to arrest someone, take those guys. I’ll be borrowing two or three, though.”

“You’ve stirred up trouble in Henan with the Dragon Phoenix Tournament just around the corner.”

“What, you want us to really cause a scene then?”

Seojun let his aura spill out.

If nothing else, his presence was closer to the Unrestrained Realm.

As that crushing pressure swept over the nun, she instinctively took a step back, breaking out in cold sweat.

Though she was certainly a master in her own right, the sheer force pressing on both her body and spirit made her feel like her meridians were being twisted.

“...Senior, your jest goes too far.”

Senior? Quickly realizing the nun’s misunderstanding, Seojun smiled casually.

If they mistook him for an older master in disguise, that only made things simpler.

It might cause problems later... but that was a future Seojun problem.

He wasn’t dressed in Namgung Clan robes anyway. It was just his usual black martial uniform, so no one would know who he was.

After a brief pause, he settled on his new role: arrogant martial arts boomer. Easy enough.

“Those bastards threw daggers, and yet the nuns of the Emei Sect come after me?”

“Daggers...? In Henan, now?”

“Yes. In Henan. Now. And since you’ve chosen to confront me too, I see no reason to continue restraining myself.”

As Seojun stared at the nun, she maintained her composure with effort and offered a slight bow.

“I’ve shown disrespect... Then, would it be acceptable if we handed those men over to Shaolin?”

“You think this matter ends with just that?”

“...What would you like?”

The Nine Sects, One Union. A formidable alliance, but Seojun clearly held the moral upper hand here.

Plus, he had indirectly revealed his realm through his presence.

Seojun’s subtly broadcast a pressure that implied he was well above his actual realm, making it plausible to mistake him for someone at the Unrestrained Realm.

Someone like that wouldn’t be easy to deal with, even for the Nine Sects.

Backed by a major faction or running one himself, he’d be untouchable through normal means.

Hmm, should I make them kneel?

As the idea danced through his mind, Chunbong narrowed her eyes and jabbed him in the ribs. A transmitted message flew in.

[Aren’t you thinking about the consequences?]

[Well... won’t future me deal with it?]

[Stop spouting nonsense.]

[Fine.]

With a small grin, Seojun shook his head.

“Just kidding. Do as you like. Take them, leave them. It doesn’t matter to me. But I’ll be taking three.”

“...As you wish.”

The Emei Sect disciples moved quickly.

They secured the remaining assassins, gave Seojun a final bow, and left without another word.

Once the last of them disappeared, Seojun hopped down to the street.

“Tch. What a shame. I should’ve made them all kneel and—mmph!”

“This mouth! This damn mouth! What should I do with you? Have you really lost your mind? Gender quota system? Seriously? You’re lucky they didn’t put a kill order on your head.”

Chunbong snapped, pinching his lips and shaking them like a rug.

From nearby, Namgung Suah stepped out of hiding, chuckling.

“It’s alright, Sister Geum. Even the Emei Sect wouldn’t dare issue a kill order on someone from Namgung.”

That would turn Nine Sects into Eight real quick.

“No, Big Sis, that’s not the point! Do you know how many times he’s almost caused major incidents with that loose tongue of his?”

“But nothing’s actually happened, right?”

“That’s just dumb luck!”

“But don’t you think Seojun says these things with a little... deeper meaning sometimes? He seems insightful, now and then.”

Namgung Suah smiled warmly at Seojun.

He rolled his eyes and sealed his mouth shut with both hands.

Sometimes, being trusted hurts worse than getting yelled at...

I really need to watch what I say from now on.

As he covered his mouth with both hands, Chunbong watched him with a look that said pathetic.

“Sigh... What am I going to do with you? Still acting like this at your age.”

“Geum Chunbong, is that any way to talk to your big brother?”

“Are you kidding me? I swear, one of these days...”

She raised a fist. Seojun hunched over and flashed a grin.

“Aww.”

“Tsk... Haaah.”

She made up her mind then and there.

No matter what happened, she’d have to keep this bastard in check.

With all kinds of sects converging for the Dragon Phoenix Tournament, just imagining the chaos he could unleash was enough to make her blood run cold.

*Seojun dragged the assassins back and handed them over to the Namgung Clan martial artists still stationed at the villa.

They’d likely torture them or do whatever else was needed to get information out of them.

With that matter shelved for now, Seojun’s eyes darkened as he began walking toward the Hao Sect again.

Blood Crow Sect, was it? They seemed to be the ones pulling the strings.

The Hidden Sword in Darkness, just as Sister Yehwa had warned.

Even on the way to Shanxi, assassins had come every other day. Now, with some time passed, another batch had shown up.

It wasn’t as if they expected the attempt to succeed.

Sending killers to Henan now, hoping to take out a Transcendent Realm martial artist?

That would be suicide. And such high-level assassins wouldn’t willingly throw their lives away so easily either.

No... it felt more like a warning to not wander around carelessly...

Tch. This is getting annoying,

A faint red glow shimmered in the depths of Seojun’s.

If he kept brushing this off and either Chunbong or Big Sis got hurt, he wouldn’t be able to contain his anger.

This needed to be handled before that happened.

When the group arrived at Crescent Moon Pavilion and stepped inside, a familiar woman spotted them and approached.

“It’s been a while. Are you here to see the Pavilion Lord?”

“Yeah. How’s he been?”

Instead of answering, she offered a sweet smile and bowed gracefully at the waist.

“I’ll take you to him.”

*“Well, well! Long time no see!”

“It has been. Should I be calling you Heaven-reaching True Qi now? Or do you still go by Mad Hungry Wolf?”

Hyeonwol burst into hearty laughter and greeted the group. He had already dispensed with the meaningless disguise.

“You’re here for the Dragon Phoenix Tournament, right?”

“That’s right.”

“You participating too?”

“Why would I waste my time playing with kids?”

Calling the famous Dragon Phoenix Tournament, the stage for the martial world’s most promising youths, a kids’ playground.

Hyeonwol smirked as he brewed tea himself.

“Well, I suppose you’ve earned the right to say that. After all, you’re Heaven-reaching True Qi, a Transcendent Realm master of the Namgung Clan.”

“Oh? As expected of the Hao Sect Path.”

“Anyone with ears knows this much, not just the Hao Sect. They just haven’t seen your face.”

Once he’d poured tea for everyone, Hyeonwol took a seat.

“So? What brings you here?”

“Nothing major. Just bored.”

“Hah, sounds like you.”

What followed was idle chatter.

Personal topics like recent events and updates on each other’s lives.

When Namgung Suah inquired about a courtesan named Chui-ryeong, Hyeonwol let out a booming laugh.

“Haha, Chui-ryeong will be thrilled. Who’d have thought the Flower of Namgung would actually keep her word?”

“A word from Namgung carries weight.”

“True enough. Anyway, Chui-ryeong has been focused on playing the zither lately. Her playing’s improved a lot, and she’s gained many admirers.”

At that, Suah giggled and gently tugged on Seojun’s sleeve.

“I promised we’d listen to her together. You’ll come with me, right?”

“Of course. I’m curious too.”

The zither, huh...

Drinks and music. That combination couldn’t possibly be boring.

Though Chunbong would have to stick to non-alcoholic drinks, of course.

While chuckling to himself, Seojun suddenly asked,

“By the way, do you know the Blood Crow Sect?”

“Blood Crow? You mean the one tied to the Black Serpent?”

“Yeah. That one.”

“I know of them. Why?”

Seojun folded his arms, paused for a moment, and then bluntly stated.

“I’m going to wipe them out. They’re pissing me off.”