Chapter 120

Bowing and greeting to the Martial Alliance elders whose faces I don’t even know?

That’s possible.

I’m not just a kid anymore, and since I caused trouble, I have to clean up after myself. Even if it’s just to see my senior’s face.

Going to get food and ending up listening to a talkative woman’s myth about a chatterbox?

That’s possible.

Meeting someone I know in an unfamiliar place, even if we’re not close, is still nice, and the story was somewhat interesting.

…But having a one-on-one conversation with a gay master who likes cross-dressing pretty boys?

“The nobility of Dongyeong has a common culture of keeping pretty boy attendants by their side and doting on them. It’s a splendid culture.”

This is mentally tough.

“Such advanced culture should be accepted in the Central Plains too. Don’t you think so, Mantian-chan?”

Mo Yongbok… Gay-gay… What are you even saying…

Such nonsense drains my energy.

“I don’t get it. There are much prettier girls, so why like a pretty boy who’s already taken? It’s a strange culture.”

In response to my cynical reaction, Mo Yongbok’s lips curl in a displeasing manner.

“You really don’t get it. It’s good because they’re taken.”

…Our thought processes are just different.

Such a bold answer makes me close my eyes tightly.

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

Tired of the aimless conversation, I probe his intentions.

“Mantian-chan, do you know how to tell the gender of a cross-dressing man or a woman dressed as a man?”

Mo Yongbok answers with another irrelevant response.

“People say you can tell just by looking at the face, but it’s harder than you think. Just look at the Huashan Sect’s disciples; their internal energy techniques make their faces fair and pretty.”

That’s true. One thing that surprised me in the Martial Alliance was how many pretty boys there were.

That’s probably one reason why Sososo’s cross-dressing wasn’t discovered.

“Next is the bone structure. This also varies by person, making it ambiguous. Especially the line from the slender yet firm calves up to the thighs and buttocks—pretty boys often have better lines than most girls.”

“Even if they look delicate, they’re still men, so they have more muscle mass and less unnecessary fat than women.”

Wondering how far this nonsense will go, I silently stare at him.

Mo Yongbok laughs lightly, as if amused, and finally spreads his hand to reveal the answer.

“The answer is the hands. Of course, there are other answers, but by looking at the hands, you can roughly tell the gender, whether they’re cross-dressing or not.”

I understand the intent of the question. Now we’re getting to the point.

“People think I came today to flirt with the famously pretty boy Namgung Sososo. But my eyes aren’t just holes.”

A ridiculous laugh escapes from Mo Yongbok, leaning against the railing.

“If you can’t read the atmosphere and can’t tell if the person in front of you is a man or a woman, you shouldn’t call yourself a master.”

He’s known for a long time that Sososo is a girl.

A sharp aura contrasts with his playful, nonsensical tone, sending a chill down my spine.

“The skilled ones are just playing along with Namgung Cheon, that old man. The younger disciples just believe what the adults say and think he’s a man.”

After scoffing disdainfully, he looks at me with interest.

“In that sense, judge for yourself. I’ll give you full marks for confidently treating Sososo-chan as a girl, trusting your own judgment. Full marks~ Mantian.”

An arrogant gaze that fundamentally looks down on others.

“What a martial artist should truly believe in is themselves. Don’t be swayed.”

Like the brightest North Star in the night sky, the center of the world is only oneself.

“……”

I had to admit it. Mo Yongbok is indeed a master.

And though it’s frustrating, ‘Full marks Mantian’…

It’s catchier than I thought. I’ll have to use it later.

“Mantian-chan, as a senior in the martial world, I’ll give you some advice. If I’m attracted, then no matter what anyone says, she’s a girl.”

…Well, he’s a master, but a bit of a crazy one.

“First, I understand that you’re a lunatic.”

“Haha~ No need to be modest. From what I see, you’re quite the lunatic yourself.”

Anyway, the conversation with Mo Yongbok ends here.

Only another of the Ten Great Masters can face a Ten Great Master.

“Hey~ That’s enough nonsense, Mo Yongbok.”

The Martial Alliance Leader, Jaro, appears to save Mantian.

“Ah~ Jaro Senpai~ Long time no see. Have you been well?”

Mo Yongbok waves his long fingers towards the familiar face from the same era, and Jaro sighs.

“I haven’t been well because of you. Aren’t you ashamed of bullying young kids at your age?”

“Bullying? That’s harsh. I was just giving some advice as a senior in the martial world.”

Mo Yongbok shrugs nonchalantly.

“Well… I did keep him a bit too long.”

He smiles at me with his uniquely handsome yet irritating smile.

“Mantian-chan, you asked what I wanted to say earlier. To answer that, I have nothing to say. As I said at the beginning—.”

The gaze of a master at the peak scans me like an appraiser examining a treasure.

“Today, I really just wanted to see what kind of person you are.”

“You seemed like a greedy person who gets what they want, similar to me… So if we meet again, let’s see each other then.”

Mo Yongbok leaves with those meaningful words.

“Mo, Mo Yongbok-sama…! Are you done with your business?”

The cute boy lover, Cheonghwa, who had been anxiously hovering around, worried that his beloved’s attention was on another man, Mantian, approaches.

“Hoho~ Your jealous look is adorable enough to bite, but it’s not the kind of attention you’re thinking of. Don’t worry.”

“I, I wasn’t jealous?!”

Cheonghwa denies with a red face, embarrassed at being caught, but it only fuels Mo Yongbok’s affectionate sadism.

Roughly yet tenderly pulling Cheonghwa into his embrace, he slides his large hand down to firmly grasp the boy’s shapely, elastic buttocks.

“……!!”

“Throwing a tantrum… Like a bitch.”

He whispers love into the boy’s ear in a low voice.

“Come with me, I’ll pamper you as much as you were upset.”

“…Yes.”

Mo Yongbok walks towards the banquet hall with Cheonghwa, who shyly nods with the face of a girl (?) in love.

…Witnessing such shocking displays of affection between men.

Mine and Jaro’s faces naturally contort in disgust.

“Senior, aren’t you teaching your juniors properly?”

I logically argue that the fault of the subordinate is the fault of the superior.

“Sigh…”

My senior sighs deeply, then raises his fist and strikes my pretty head, which has no place to hit.

Thud-!

“Ugh?! Ah! Why did you hit me!”

“Teaching a disrespectful junior. Why? Want more?”

Jaro ignores Mantian’s grumbling and turns his eyes from the chaotic banquet hall to the quiet night scenery.

“Have you eaten?”

“I was busy greeting people… I just had a snack.”

As I shrug and answer, Jaro senior, imagining the situation, smiles bitterly and says.

“Don’t think too badly of it. They’re trying to accept you into the righteous martial world.”

“It’s not my place to say, since I caused trouble, but they’re accepting me. I thought they’d ignore me or treat me more hostilely.”

“Even if they act high and mighty, martial artists ultimately pursue martial arts. Those who fight well and are talented are always welcomed.”

“I am quite the charming and talented guy.”

Well, realistically speaking, it’s not just for that reason.

With the Martial Alliance Leader Jaro senior, Elder Noyushim of the Open Sect, and Jiegal Yang all supporting and protecting me.

They just let it slide~ nicely~.

Especially Jaro senior, who must have suffered greatly cleaning up after this mess. I’m just grateful.

“Anyway, your mouth is something else…”

Jaro chuckles at the ridiculous self-love of his junior, who’s almost like a grandson to him, and takes out a cigarette.

An act that would make Taoists frown.

He lights the cigarette with a blue flame formed from his energy at his fingertip, the Samadhi True Fire, and takes a deep inhale and exhale.

With a more relaxed expression, he speaks his mind towards the peaceful night scenery.

“Sigh… I don’t want to be the Martial Alliance Leader.”

The leader of the righteous martial world, the Martial Alliance Leader, saying he doesn’t want to do it… To some, it might sound like a deceitful complaint.

“Then why did you become the Martial Alliance Leader, senior?”

I ask curiously, as it’s a question I’ve had for a while.

Back in the day, it might have been different, but from what I see now, senior doesn’t seem to want to change anything through his position.

He doesn’t seem particularly attached to the position either.

“I didn’t become one because I wanted to. Do you think I became the leader because I’m good at politics?”

I scrutinize Jaro senior with focused eyes. The judgment doesn’t take long.

“Hmm… Not at all.”

Jaro looks at the cheeky brat in front of him, wondering if he should hit him one more time, then speaks.

“I was chosen as the leader because I was the strongest in the righteous martial world at the time. …And I had a sense of unnecessary responsibility.”

The gaze of an old man now recalls the distant past.

“Young people like you probably haven’t heard of it.”

“Back when I, Mo Yongbok, Jiegal Yang, and… that bastard Namgung Cheon were active…”

Memories and darkness mix, taking the shape of a person. An existence that no martial artist of that era could ever forget.

The conversation I had when I faced that guy, representing the crumbling Martial Alliance, comes to mind.

“The number one under heaven. It’s a thrilling title, but it’s meaningless.”

The towering mountains that rise from the ground to touch the sky.

Is Huashan higher or Taishan higher? To people, they both seem high.

“There are differences, but once you reach a certain level, it’s all the same. To others, we’re all just masters, the number one under heaven.”

Thud- thud-.

Step by step, just walking. The illusion of the ground shaking as the distance closes.

“Well, it’s better than being called the number one of all time.”

If the dead and the living fight, who wins? The one with an open mouth wins.

“Beating a mute corpse to elevate yourself is a shameful act. …So these two characters are enough for self-proclamation.”

An overwhelming presence, a mix of arrogance and humility, covers the sky.

“I am the Heavenly Demon. Who are you?”