The opponent’s intention was clear. He must have had his suspicions after seeing the remnants of the magic I had used at the last moment.

But there was no way that opinion would be accepted.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s a quibble!”

“It’s obvious that he fought with the sword of the Namgung family, but he’s making a scene!!”

Because what the spectators gathered here had seen was the undeniable sword of the Namgung family.

And what’s more, hadn’t Namgung Minsu himself admitted that it was the sword of the main family with his own mouth? So they had no choice but to protest even more.

And most of all, since the lightning was not left as evidence unlike the ice, and the lightning magic was also used so cleverly that it was difficult to detect, this time, the judges’ pointing out was bound to cause a backlash.

“Is there a problem?”

I asked, with the public opinion on my back.

The judges, who had shut their mouths in reverse, and the host, who was looking around, rolling his eyes. Since there had already been a controversy over a biased judgment during the semifinals, he could not move his tongue recklessly.

‘There are many eyes watching.’

Not only the large sects from all over the country, but also the heads of the merchant guilds, the members of the prestigious families, the people from the government, the information organizations, and the common people were all mixed together.

If he were to strip the winner of his title by talking about an uncertain sorcery here, the fairness of the Martial Alliance and the Namgung family would be questioned instead.

Because at least the Heavenly Thunder Qi I had shown was real. To deny it even though everyone had seen the unique lightning of the Namgung family was nothing but smearing mud on his own face.

That’s why the voice of the judge from the Namgung family side was quickly dismissed. But even so, the opponent was persistent.

“…Still.”

“Stop.”

Just then, the atmosphere in the venue settled down. It was Namgung Hon-pyeong. At the single word of the ruler of Anhui Province, the surroundings were engulfed in silence.

“He won, the winner is Zhuge Cheonwu.”

It was the official recognition of none other than Namgung Hon-pyeong. Along with that, cheers poured out.

“Waaaaah!!!”

‘He knows how to change the atmosphere.’

Since everyone had seen the ending, if they were to argue pointlessly, only the Namgung family side would be disgraced. He had appropriately intervened in a situation that could have turned into a loss of face and had reversed the atmosphere.

At Namgung Hon-pyeong’s remark, the host, who had been only watching, also quickly proceeded with the procedure.

“Then we will now have the award ceremony for the winner of this Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, the young hero Zhuge Cheonwu!”

A servant in a splendid attire brought the winner’s prize, which was neatly placed on a jade tray held in both hands.

The moment I saw the black wooden box placed on the jade tray, I tried my best to calm the twitching corner of my mouth.

‘Great Return Pill.’

It was the very item that was said to be the best among all the elixirs in the central plains, the best elixir of the Shaolin Temple.

‘This is why they tried to make Namgung Minsu win somehow.’

The Great Return Pill was something that you couldn’t get even if you had all the money in the world.

It was said that just by taking it, you could increase your internal energy by at least half a cycle without any side effects for one time, so it was a dream-like item for a martial artist.

When I took my eyes off the Great Return Pill, Namgung Hon-pyeong had already come up onto the stage.

“Receive it.”

When Namgung Hon-pyeong came out himself and bestowed the Great Return Pill, a round of applause poured out from the surroundings.

It was an unparalleled honor for a martial artist.

“Then, as the winner of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, state one thing you desire.”

Namgung Hon-pyeong’s words continued. Traditionally, the winner of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly can make one reasonable request to the maintainer of the venue.

Reasonable, the word attached in front of it was very restrictive, but a request was still a request.

Usually, they would ask for a nickname, or to be given a key position in the Martial Alliance. In the original work, you could get up to 20,000 nyang in money, and depending on the matter, you could also borrow about five peak-level martial artists.

But what I wanted was not fame, position, or money. The content of the request had been decided from the beginning.

While everyone was watching. I brought out the one word I had prepared.

“Please let me go to the Martial Academy, accompanied by your daughter.”

In an instant, the crowd murmured.

If it was Namgung Hon-pyeong’s daughter, it was only Namgung Bihwa. She was the apple of the Namgung family’s eye.

The fact that Namgung Hon-pyeong cherished his daughter was a well-known fact. Because the rumor that a considerable number of those who had tried to make a pass at Namgung Bihwa’s beauty had disappeared from Anhui Province was famous.

Namgung Hon-pyeong’s gaze was not just sharp, but heavy.

But he could certainly grant something like an accompaniment. On the contrary, it was weak for a request from the winner of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

That’s why the spectators took it as having a different intention.

“Is she his lover?!”

“The Law Dragon is coming out quite boldly!”

“Isn’t that like asking his father-in-law for his daughter?”

The noisy sounds coming from the surroundings.

At that, Namgung Hon-pyeong’s gaze became even sharper. The atmosphere also gradually became heavier.

‘The pressure is considerable.’

It felt as if my whole body was being crushed just by his momentum. But it had to be this request.

‘In order to survive.’

It wouldn’t do to just ask for an escort.

Within the possible range of the existing requests, at best, a few peak-level masters were the limit. If the attack of the Blood Cult could have been blocked with that much manpower, Choi Mi-kyung would not have died.

No matter how much I’m the winner of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, it was difficult to attach a super-peak-level master, who was a strategic weapon of a family.

This was the same even if I revealed that I was being targeted by the Blood Cult. It wouldn’t work to just say that a master who would even kill an elder of the Hainan Sect was targeting me, without any concrete evidence.

But if I were to accompany Namgung Bihwa, the story would be different.

Namgung Hon-pyeong was a representative daughter-lover in the work.

Although Namgung Bihwa herself didn’t know it well, in fact, whenever she went outside, a hidden super-master from the family always protected her.

It meant that she was being protected much more thoroughly than Namgung Minsu.

And on top of that, since my existence, who was called a scoundrel, was added this time, there was a high possibility that more escort personnel would be attached later.

Because even if it were me, if my daughter were to accompany the winner of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, who was called a scoundrel, I would pour in more surveillance personnel.

“Will you permit it?”

At my question, Namgung Hon-pyeong glared at me fiercely. It was a look as if he would come out and separate my neck right away.

But the position of a family head was a position that had to take responsibility that matched its role. Since he had said he would grant a request, he had to grant it within the possible range.

Finally, he, who had been silent, finally opened his mouth.

“…Bihwa is at the main house right now. Since she said she would be returning tomorrow, if you wait here, I will send an accompaniment to match the time when my daughter returns.”

At the words of permission from the family head himself, the cheers of the crowd poured out.

At this, Namgung Hon-pyeong frowned and warned in a small voice.

“Don’t do anything foolish.”

With those words, Namgung Hon-pyeong disappeared in an instant. The host’s voice continued.

“With this, we will now conclude the Anhui Province Dragon and Phoenix Assembly!”

When I went down from the arena, numerous martial artists asked for a greeting. I answered them appropriately and then returned to the inn.

And with the money I had received from the family, I got one of the most expensive and secure high-class inns. In that process, I also obtained a jade stone for a formation through a prominent merchant in Anhui Province.

Now that the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was over, there was something I had to do before returning to the academy. I took out a wooden box from my bosom. What was inside was the Great Return Pill.

“Could you help me a little?”

“Of course.”

Choi Mi-kyung answered as if she had known. Even though the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was over, there were still many martial artists left in the area. Although the Blood Cult would not attack me in the middle of the city, there was no harm in being careful.

After hearing Choi Mi-kyung’s definite answer, I set up a formation that would stabilize the energy in the middle of the room and then sat in a cross-legged position inside it.

‘It’s about time to take an elixir again.’

It had already been several months since I had absorbed the elixirs I had stolen from the Geummun Merchant Guild. Considering the ability of [Transcendent Growth], the digestion and adaptation were already over, and now was the time when the effect of taking the elixir would be maximized.

I opened the wooden box in my hand. The Great Return Pill, which had a crude and yet somewhat brilliant color, was full of a pure energy. I took a deep breath once and then ate it. The Great Return Pill, which melted as soon as I put it in my mouth.

As expected of a top-class elixir with a great reputation, it was a deep and profound energy. A high-density and yet clear energy circulated throughout my whole body. I controlled the enormous airflow that was spreading along the energy veins in my body and gathered every last bit of my internal energy into my dantian.

And so, I continued the great circulation in a state of self-forgetfulness. After a few hours had passed, when I finally opened my two eyes, my whole body was full of a dense energy.

‘I’ve passed one cycle.’

I could feel it instinctively. That my internal energy had increased by about twice compared to before. The realm of a peak level and the internal energy of one cycle, I had finally set foot in the realm of a true master.

And on top of that, if I were to completely melt the remaining energy in my body, it seemed I could raise my internal energy up to one and a half cycles.

The amazing talents. And thanks to the mana blood, I was able to increase the absorption rate to the extreme.

“Thank you.”

When I collected the formation and came out, Choi Mi-kyung and Yang Ha-eun were standing guard there.

“It’s almost morning.”

Choi Mi-kyung said, opening the window. It seemed I had come back in the afternoon and had been concentrating all day until dawn.

After that, after eating the breakfast that the staff had brought to the room with them, a messenger from the Namgung family side came. At the message that Namgung Bihwa would be coming soon, I packed my things.

“I guess I’ll have to return to the academy slowly.”

When I had finished my preparations, Namgung Bihwa was walking along the road that was spread out beyond the window. Along with three escorts who looked strong at a glance.

“It’s been a while.”

When I came out and faced her, Namgung Bihwa slightly gathered her eyebrows. The way she was frowning was similar to Namgung Hon-pyeong.

“Why did you call me?”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we went together amicably?”

When I answered nonchalantly, she let out a faint sigh and then turned towards the roadside.

“We’re leaving right now. The carriage has been prepared, so you can just get on.”

“Ah, just a moment. It’s about time they came.”

After getting a moment’s grace, as I was looking around, two men approached me from a corner of the alley.

“You must be Mr. Zhuge Cheonwu, right? We’ve come regarding the escort matter.”

It seemed the two escorts I had hired after inquiring about them for a while had finally come.

“Nice to meet you. The place that introduced us told us to call you Escort Lee and Escort Jo, respectively. Is that okay?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Haha, yes, well.”

Along with the greeting, I held out one hand to each of them. The expression of Escort Lee, who had to greet with his left hand, became strange, but since I was the client, he couldn’t say anything and took this side’s hand.

And so, the moment the three people’s hands were connected, I injected my internal energy along the energy veins of their palms.

“Ugh?!”

“This… you’re joking too much.”

The two people, who seemed surprised at the peak-level internal energy, gathered their energy and glared at me.

Certainly, although I had injected my internal energy first in a surprise attack, their response was smooth. They had considerable skill.

And most of all…

‘Huh, look at this guy?’

I had been suspicious in many ways since I had hired them in a hurry, but with this, I was able to confirm it to some extent. After organizing my thoughts, I immediately bowed my head to them and apologized.

“I had to check if I could trust you. I’m sorry.”

“…Please be careful next time.”

“Wow, this client is very suspicious.”

They grumbled in their own ways and then joined the group. I thought, rubbing my two tingling palms.

‘Did he even counterattack by drawing his internal energy in that instant? If it weren’t for my status as a client, I would have been the one who was defeated instead.’

Even though I had responded with the sense of [Peerless Body], this was the result. It was an internal energy and proficiency comparable to Namgung Bihwa.

“Then let’s leave now.”

After the commotion had settled down, we got on the carriage and headed to the Martial Academy.

In the rattling carriage, there were the four of us: me, Namgung Bihwa, Yang Ha-eun, and Choi Mi-kyung. Since the two people from the same sect had taken the front, Namgung Bihwa ended up sitting next to me.

“…How did you win? You weren’t at a level to beat my younger brother. And that too, with just the sword of the main family.”

“I had an enlightenment.”

“Then, let’s have a match later.”

Namgung Bihwa showed a surprisingly active attitude.

“I have to get back the price for you bothering me like this.”

The problem was that it was hard to see it as a good direction.

“Please go easy on me. The opportunity will come soon anyway.”

“……?”

“Because the ranking battle will start anyway.”

Since it was a new semester, a ranking battle was scheduled to be held within the intermediate students. At my current level, there would be a chance to fight with Namgung Bihwa, who was the second place last semester.

‘I’ll improve my skills as much as possible until then.’

To the extent that I could surely win against her in a 1-on-1 match. Of course, that was on the premise that I would return to the academy safely.

‘It will be fine.’

The carriage we were on now was surrounded by other escorts who were riding horses in the front and back.

The workers who were driving the carriage and the escorts from Namgung Bihwa’s side were on the roof of the carriage, so it could be said to be an ironclad security.

It was the power of at least two super-peak-level masters and seven peak-level masters. Even the Blood Cult could not rush in easily. As if to prove that, there was no attack until we got out of the outskirts of Anhui Province.

But the problem occurred when we got on a boat in Gangju.

‘This is troublesome.’

I clicked my tongue, looking at the two sailboats that were approaching from both sides, surrounding the boat we were on. Since there were many people rowing, their speed was faster than this side.

The opponent’s sailboat gradually got closer and finally collided with this side.

Kwaaaang!

The hull shook with a considerable impact. As the huge bodies, which weighed at least tens to hundreds of tons, collided, the deck tilted greatly.

“Damn it!”

And soon, dozens of grappling hooks flew in from all directions and got caught on the railing, fixing the boat. At the same time, the Blood Cult members, with veins showing on their faces, jumped onto the deck.

At that sight, the escorts, including me, drew our swords. The sound of iron clashing and blood splattering echoed from all directions.

A battle that had broken out in the middle of the Yangtze River. We couldn’t call for support, nor could we run away.

We just had to fight until one side was annihilated.

The full-scale naval battle began, along with the smell of blood carried on the wind that was blowing from somewhere.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep