There was one pair of eyes watching her.
When everyone was focused on Namgung Hye and Jong Ji-hang, only those unwavering eyes were watching her.
More precisely, they were watching everyone.
His eyes passed over Namgung Hye and Jong Ji-hang, Gwang-un, and Yeon Yeong-ha to encompass the entire Central Great Road.
People's appearances and clothing entered his eyes as if taking photographs. As if being sucked in, all those images were embedded in his mind and turned into data.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
"People."
Prey, quarry, and.
Those who make one excited to the point of trembling....
"Why? Does seeing those fellows make you interested in that Heavenly Youth Martial Arts Tournament thing or whatever it is?"
Madmen.
Dong Bong-soo was always interested in those things, and would forever be so.
Why?
Because without them, there was no meaning to living. Because a hunter was born to hunt.
"That's right."
"I'm not looking down on you, but with only External Energy Arts that are barely usable, you won't be a match for those fellows over there. Is that still okay with you?"
Dong Bong-soo turned his gaze to look at Soldier Eccentric.
Behind him, Hwa Ye-ji and Hwa Seon-hyang, who had somehow crossed over, were also visible. They were also paying attention, seemingly interested in Dong Bong-soo's answer.
As expected, humans were strange.
They paid attention even when he was simply standing still. In fact, his current appearance was not particularly well camouflaged. Perhaps it was closer to his original self, minus instinct.
Being unusual even while doing nothing.
For the first time, it did not feel unpleasant or bothersome.
That didn't mean he had completely taken off his mask. The moment he removed his mask, they would realize he was perfectly different from them.
"It isn't barely usable."
"Then isn't that even more of a problem? If it's not even to the level of barely usable, how could you exert any strength in a martial arts tournament that flying, crawling, and swimming fellows from under heaven participate in?"
Dong Bong-soo turned his head toward Central Great Road once more and said indifferently,
"If it were barely usable, I wouldn't have made it this far."
At his words, the expressions of Soldier Eccentric, Hwa Ye-ji, and Hwa Seon-hyang all changed strangely. Though it meant he was unusual and strong, his tone was too plain.
The content was showing off, but a bland tone that absolutely didn't sound like it.
It was ambiguous. And somehow incomprehensible.
Soldier Eccentric felt this especially.
Within his knowledge, one could never become an outstanding master with only External Energy Arts. However, for some unknown reason, he felt belief and interest.
This... fellow.
But come to think of it, he still didn't know his name.
"Hey, you."
Dong Bong-soo turned his head to look at Soldier Eccentric. His eyes still weren't visible because of his bangs.
"What's your name?"
"Dong..."
Bong-soo.
"Guang-chuan."
Then he turned his gaze back to Central Great Road.
Looking at his back, all three repeated the name Dong Guang-chuan.
Dong Bong-soo—his real name was still unknown to anyone.
He hadn't found his name yet. There was no need to find it, nor was there any such reason.
Among the seasons, the most cruel and most beautiful spring had come. And the madmen hiding in the darkness gathered here, in Zhengzhou, while seeping into the clouds and shadows.
***
"Are you going to apply now?"
Soldier Eccentric asked after glancing once at Dong Bong-soo. Application naturally meant the application reception for the Heavenly Youth Martial Arts Tournament.
Dong Bong-soo looked over Central Great Road once more. It was still a chaotic situation with spectators and applicants mixed together. However, only the area near the path where Jong Ji-hang and Namgung Hye were passing was somewhat spacious.
"When is the deadline?"
He was asking because it seemed today wasn't the only day applications were possible. If so, there was no reason whatsoever to apply for the tournament today.
"Don't know. How would I know that? Maybe those young ladies would know?"
Soldier Eccentric indicated Hwa Ye-ji and Hwa Seon-hyang behind them with a chin gesture. At his words, Dong Bong-soo turned his head to look at Hwa Ye-ji and Hwa Seon-hyang.
His hair flew slightly and his indifferent eyes were revealed slightly.
Tensed.
Their bodies trembled faintly. From that, one could tell they were already quite deeply immersed in Dong Bong-soo's role-playing.
"..."
"Ten days. Ten days for application reception, the tournament starts in a fortnight."
Ten days of leeway. As expected, there seemed to be no need to apply today.
Also, the tournament would start in a fortnight, on the Awakening of Insects. [PR/N: Awakening of Insects is the third of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. In 2026, it begins on March 5 and ends on March 20.]
Dong Bong-soo stored the two pieces of information Hwa Seon-hyang gave him deep in his mind and made a courtesy.
"Thank you. In any case."
"Hehe—. For what."
Hwa Seon-hyang, who answered while rubbing slightly below her nose as if embarrassed, was quite cute. Of course, this was a guess that it would be so when seen from ordinary people's eyes, not Dong Bong-soo's eyes.
Hwa Seon-hyang was examining Dong Bong-soo closely while making her crescent moon-shaped eyes sparkle. She was undoubtedly interested. The beginning of that interest was the moment when Dong Bong-soo and Hwa Ye-ji had collided in mid-air just before—his movement and response.
Dong Bong-soo already instinctively knew what people of this world, especially martial artists, were interested in and how to make them happy.
He hadn't investigated what women here particularly liked or what kind of men they felt favorable toward either. However, judging from the current reaction, they didn't seem greatly different from women of that world.
Capable men with prospects.
Explained simply, it was this.
How simple and clear. It was a universal truth. At least, it was a universal law that Dong Bong-soo felt in both worlds.
Humans were complex animals, yet on the other hand, they also had a tendency to greatly simplify themselves. That's why it became easy for humans like Dong Bong-soo to deceive them.
The two 'female humans' placed before him now were likewise simplifying themselves greatly. That's why they were so easily bewitched by the simple illusion Dong Bong-soo was planting.
Ability in that world was money and power.
That of this world was strength and martial arts.
Things like background would be important in any world, but Dong Bong-soo was covering that with mysteriousness. Knowing his weaknesses well, he packaged and concealed them so they wouldn't be revealed more, and added caution to his acting.
The slight strength and martial arts he had shown, and talent equivalent to prospects, and lastly, the accessory called Soldier Eccentric beside him added mysteriousness to that.
Though these women's interest was still merely curiosity or interest rather than favorable feelings or admiration, who knew how it might develop in the future. If necessary, he could heighten emotions further from here.
Naturally, there was no need to go further yet.
He had to do it when necessary, in the right place at the right time.
And.
It wasn't time yet.
"Ah, this bastard. Really a fellow who'll never hold a woman's hand in his lifetime. If you're grateful, just be grateful. Why add 'in any case' again? Add it? Tsk-tsk."
Soldier Eccentric clicked his tongue and pointed out Dong Bong-soo's blunt manner of speech and interjection.
Dong Bong-soo glanced once at Soldier Eccentric and immediately turned his head again.
He couldn't tell if he'd never held hands, but this was a man who had never properly dated.
He did not understand women. Not at all.
He completely failed to read that thanks to that rough manner of speech and interjection just now, the degree of interest in himself flowing in their eyes had deepened. He didn't even know the basic thing that depending on the surrounding atmosphere and environment, a bad guy becomes a cool guy.
Perhaps Soldier Eccentric might never have properly held a woman's wrist in his lifetime. Or perhaps he might be a lifelong solo in that world's terms.
Not that Dong Bong-soo cared.
Thud!
Dong Bong-soo suddenly leaped toward the quiet path on the Inner Court side, leaving behind Soldier Eccentric's tongue-clicking sound.
"That, that bastard! While an elder is speaking!"
Soldier Eccentric shouted, but Dong Bong-soo had already reached the ground. Not only Soldier Eccentric but also Hwa Ye-ji and Hwa Seon-hyang were dumbfounded by his unexpected action.
His actions had absolutely no sense of propriety.
Though not a bubbly woman, he was a person whose actions were unpredictable—that was the Dong Bong-soo they saw.
"Heh heh heh. As expected, a funny fellow."
Soldier Eccentric rather chuckled lowly at Dong Bong-soo's such action and took one step forward to stand at the edge of the roof.
"Then, Young Misses. We'll meet again next time."
"Excuse me! Wait a moment! Elder!"
At Hwa Ye-ji's call, Soldier Eccentric stopped trying to jump down and turned to look at her.
"What is it? Young lady? Could it be that you're interested in me?"
Would an aged rogue throw such low-grade jokes?
Though it was a remark Soldier Eccentric threw as a joke, no one laughed at that joke or showed interest. Both its timing and content were a complete mess.
It was the reason why despite having both strength and martial arts, he had never held a woman's wrist once in his entire life. At this rate, he would be like that for life.
"I should at least know your honorable name so I won't make a mistake when we meet next time."
"Honorable name? Well, it's not really worthy of being called honorable... then for now, let's say Bukgung Gi. Then, farewell."
Thud!
Soldier Eccentric finished speaking and jumped down chasing after Dong Bong-soo. With the absurd expectation that they might perhaps call him again.
However, they merely repeated his name lowly.
"Bukgung Gi?"
"Bukgung Gi?"
It wasn't a name that came to mind immediately. But it was a name they had heard somewhere. Though they couldn't remember well because it was very old, it was definitely three characters they had heard.
"Ah! Bukgung Gi!"
Hwa Seon-hyang, having remembered first, let out a short exclamation.
"Did you remember?"
"Yes, Young Miss. That person, you know. That person's name was Bukgung Gi."
"That person?"
"Ah, that person, that person's epithet was..."
Having remembered the name but being at a loss how to explain, Hwa Seon-hyang mumbled her words, then soon widened her eyes again and said,
"Sparring Hammer Eccentric!"
"Sparring Hammer Eccentric!? Ah!"
Only then did Hwa Ye-ji remember too.
Sparring Hammer Eccentric.
Though it was uncertain if it was the same name, about ten years ago, the name of the eccentric person who traveled the Central Plains doing sparring journeys was Bukgung Gi.
A name that suddenly appeared in the Martial World and caused a great disturbance, then suddenly disappeared one day.