"I said I would definitely find it."
"Yeah, you did. If it was a rabbit, you said you'd find it, kill it, and take it away, right?"
"Since it was originally mine, the expression 'take it away' doesn't fit logic."
"You little shit, so picky. Well, anyway. While I was handling that, my mind changed."
As Soldier Eccentric said this, he put his hand into his bosom and pulled it out. Then, in his hand appeared a hammer that was at least two meters long.
"..."
"You see. I came to want that thing."
Thud!
Having finished speaking, Soldier Eccentric rushed at Dong Bong-soo like lightning and swung the hammer downward even faster. That swiftness was truly befitting one of the Twenty Great Masters under Heaven.
Whoooo—!
Since the blunt part of the hammer was coming down, if it struck as it was, Dong Bong-soo's head would certainly be pulverized on the spot.
However, Dong Bong-soo merely watched calmly without any thought of moving. He was too composed to say it was because it was terribly fast. He didn't even blink an eye.
Tap—!
A few centimeters.
The hammer stopped exactly at a distance of about one finger joint from Dong Bong-soo's forehead.
"Why didn't you dodge?"
Dong Bong-soo answered while still looking up at Soldier Eccentric with his eyes wide open.
"There was no killing intent or desire."
It's a general principle. Ordinary people cannot kill others without the will to kill, and cannot steal without the desire to steal.
Very occasionally, really very rarely, there are peculiar humans.
Only such inhuman types can commit murder or theft without such emotions. Though he's treated as a madman by the world, called Eight Skills Soldier Madman or Soldier Eccentric, in Dong Bong-soo's view he was also a normal person belonging to the general category. Of course, being incredibly strong was exceptional.
"That sounds like you're saying if there had been killing intent, you could have dodged?"
"That's right."
"Heh heh heh. Crazy bastard. You really are a crazy bastard. Well, you still don't know exactly who I am yet, so I guess that's why you're saying this, but that alone is impressive. Right, right. Then let's say you could have dodged—what were you planning to do after dodging?"
"After dodging..."
"After dodging?"
"I would have killed you."
"Huh, huh-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! As expected, as expected, you're an interesting guy. This is why I couldn't help but wait for you. Hah, hah-ha-ha-ha!"
Soldier Eccentric was pleased. He liked Dong Bong-soo so much.
Beyond simple interest or curiosity, he felt favorable toward him.
But there was something he didn't know....
In fact, the source of all this favor was Dong Bong-soo's acting. It was merely the result of showing only words and appearances that Soldier Eccentric would like, within the bounds of not departing from the role model of 'fake hero' he had set for himself.
Even if Soldier Eccentric died and came back to life, he wouldn't be able to know such a fact....
"Now, let's go. I'd better show this to you quickly so I don't get killed by you."
Though he didn't specify what he had to show, it was understandable. The 'new item' made by melting down the [Novice's Sword] he had entrusted before. It must be that.
Soldier Eccentric got up first and walked toward the door.
Dong Bong-soo watched Soldier Eccentric's back for a moment, then slowly rose from his seat.
Crack, creak.
A sudden sound like bones being crushed echoed out.
Soldier Eccentric stopped.
Dong Bong-soo halted his movement at the strange sound.
His ears quickly found the source of the sound. Though faint, the wavelength was lengthening. That meant it was moving away from him. Which meant....
Creeeak.
The door opened and Soldier Eccentric turned his head to look at Dong Bong-soo.
"What are you doing? Aren't you following?"
"..."
"Ah, this? I just refined it a bit. The old man told me to try not to walk around the Alliance with my face if possible."
"Is it okay to show me?"
"Yeah. Doesn't the qualifier 'if possible' mean you don't have to keep it when it's not possible?"
"..."
"To me, you're an important guest —someone for whom it's not optional."
In a very short time, Soldier Eccentric's face had changed to that of a clean-featured middle-aged man.
Only then did Dong Bong-soo realize that one of the eight skills Soldier Eccentric possessed was Transformation.
Soldier Eccentric winked one eye playfully at Dong Bong-soo, then stepped outside the door and said,
"You know this is a secret, right?"
"I understand."
"Ah, this guy. At least pretend to be surprised. Really such a damn boring guy. I'm more embarrassed for saying it's a secret. Goddammit. Ha-ha-ha."
Even while saying things like boring and goddammit, Soldier Eccentric laughed loudly. That must mean he felt that much favor toward Dong Bong-soo.
Dong Bong-soo just followed Soldier Eccentric expressionlessly toward the entrance.
"These damn things. There's a shitload of them gathered here."
Was it still unrelated to his face becoming clean-featured?
Soldier Eccentric's manner of speech was still the same thick speech like radish soup in a rag bucket.
When Dong Bong-soo followed him out, as Soldier Eccentric said, many people were gathered. Looking at where the long corridor of Jibin Pavilion ended, people were swarming so that it seemed no one could pass through.
It must be because the application for the Heavenly Youth Martial Arts Tournament was today, so they had opened Muhwa Gate.
"Well, paths aren't only on the ground."
Soldier Eccentric looked around in all directions, then raised his head to look up at the sky. Seeing this, Dong Bong-soo could easily guess what he was trying to do.
"You know enough Lightness Arts to get up on the roof, right?"
"That's right."
"Well, with such a well-cultivated body, even with External Energy Arts alone, that much should be easy."
Whoosh—.
Having finished speaking, Soldier Eccentric immediately flew up onto the roof of Jibin Pavilion.
And.
Dong Bong-soo also kicked off without any hesitation and leaped up.
***
A proclamation to all comrades of the Martial World.
Due to the massive provocations by Heavenly Demon Castle that have continued over the past year, the Martial World has fallen into hardship. Therefore, the Murim Alliance intends to recruit the rising heroes of the Martial World to repel those rebellious and immoral Demonic Path people of the frontier.
Around the time of Rain Water (one of the 24 solar terms, the 15th day after the Beginning of Spring) this year, at the base of Cheongsin Mountain in Zhengzhou, we will accept applications for a martial arts tournament to select young heroes (under thirty years old) who will lead the next generation, so we hope for active participation from rising stars.
Murim Alliance 15th Generation Alliance Leader Hyeoncheon.
"Young Miss, now that we've come up on the roof, we really can see the entire Murim Alliance at a glance."
At Hwa Seon-hyang's words, Hwa Ye-ji put the Murim missive she had taken out back into her bosom. Just as Hwa Seon-hyang said, having come up on the roof of Jibin Pavilion, various parts of the Murim Alliance were spread out before their eyes as if they could grasp them.
Compared to when they were below, it was like a new world had unfolded. Since applications for the Heavenly Youth Martial Arts Tournament had begun, the path from Jibin Pavilion to Central Great Road was already packed tightly with people, so from below they couldn't secure any view at all.
Central Great Road.
It was originally the most complicated road within the Murim Alliance.
On the left and right of the road, buildings that handled the Murim Alliance's external activities, such as Jibin Pavilion, Demon Subduing Hall, Evil Conquering Hall, and Manmu Hall, were lined up in abundance. Also, to get to the Inner Court, one had to pass through this road, and to leave the Murim Alliance, one had to pass through here as well. In short, it was the most crucial transportation point within the Murim Alliance.
Though it was such a central great road, this level of crowding was probably the first time since opening Muhwa Gate.
"Hee-yaa~ It's really just like a marketplace, isn't it? It's probably because it's the first day, right?"
Hwa Seon-hyang said with her mouth wide open. As she said, that vast Central Great Road was packed so tightly there was no room to step, no gap to squeeze one's head in.
Among them, near the six halls lined up on both sides of Muhwa Gate, people were piled three or four layers deep, or even more. It was so complicated that dust rose white in this early spring, making it difficult to properly observe people's movements—it was in such a chaotic state.
All six buildings were probably temporary reception offices accepting applications for the Heavenly Youth Martial Arts Tournament. Those clumped together there like they'd become jerky were undoubtedly people waiting to apply for the tournament.
"Shaolin, Wudang, Beggar Sect... Murong Family, Hebei Paeng Family... Zhejiang's Black Dragon Gate, Jiangxi's Huangbo Family, Hainan's Hainan Sword Sect, huh!? That's clothing from Dongying... Huh!? Those people look like they came from Cheonggu... Wow— Young Miss, really so many came. But the Murim missive clearly seemed to only invite Central Plains people, yet they came from all sorts of places?"
Not to mention monks, Taoists, beggars, and merchants in colorful clothes, there were those wearing shoes oddly split on both sides, people with topknots tied up—people from various regions had all gathered, so the current Murim Alliance seemed like it could truly be called an assembly of people from under heaven without exaggeration.
"As you said, people really did gather like clouds. But I think it's less than I expected."
Hwa Ye-ji said, tilting her head slightly.
Of course, it was hard to deny that an enormous number of people had gathered, but she felt it was less than what she had anticipated. Even considering it was still morning.
It was a martial arts tournament after a really long time, and the fact that its host was the Murim Alliance, which was leading the current Martial World, meant that a truly tremendous field of opportunity had opened here. Moreover, today was also the first day for applications.
"You call that few?"
Hwa Seon-hyang said, widening her phoenix eyes round. The sight of her even sticking out her tongue was quite cute.
"Yes. It's probably because of that ghost incident that supposedly happened in Zhengzhou city last night. But it doesn't seem to have a big impact. Most of the martial artists who will apply for participation seem to have already come in, and it's probably the spectators who have decreased significantly."
"Ah? That rumor about ghosts appearing? Hmm! I see!"
"Right. It's an unreasonable rumor, but for ordinary common people, such things can feel real and also be frightening."
"Hee-yaa—. Then if all the spectators had come in too, it really would have been packed so tight there'd be no room to breathe, right?"
"It probably would have been."
Hwa Ye-ji responded to Hwa Seon-hyang's words while continuing to quickly scan here and there as if surveying.
'Haven't they come yet?'
Could it be that they were not participating in the Heavenly Youth Martial Arts Tournament? Surely they were not over thirty? Or perhaps they had not come to Zhengzhou at all?
'Jong... Ji... hang.'