138 – Martial Realm Nymph #8
Many people said that Haildo of the Squirrel Beast was nothing without the Squirrel Beast.
“Title: Bold Opinion – Isn’t Haildo One-Trick Without Squirrel Beast?
Content: What’s left for Haildo when you take away the Squirrel Beast, Honey Ants, Ghost Spider, and Tiger Owls? What’s left when you subtract the Nymphs, his friendships with S-Rank beings, and all that from the Animal Farm episode 1004? That’s what I’m saying.”
└ Ha-ha, you’re taking away so much!
└ I don’t think bodybuilders cut body fat this drastically.
I’ve been rather lucky.
After meeting the Nymphs and receiving plenty of help from cute animals, that’s what I mean.
However, it was somewhat disappointing that all of that became my entire identity.
Because I wanted to prove that I, ‘Haildo,’ could be someone who can do more than enough on my own, even without the help of the Nymphs or cute animals!
And now was a great opportunity to test that.
“How dare you slander and plot against China’s 4,000 years of martial arts history! Haildo, you should not even think of returning alive!”
Swish!
China’s A-Rank #1 Liu Hua lunged at me.
“Yeeoow…! I don’t know what to do anymore…!”
His movement was like a swift bolt of lightning, but what shocked me even more was next.
“Taste my fist, just a little bit!”
Dududududududududududududududududud-!
Liu Hua’s fists hammered me repeatedly.
But it didn’t hurt, and strangely enough, I felt a ticklish sensation.
“What in the world…”
I was greatly surprised.
How is it possible to not feel pain even while having fists swung at you like this?
Is this the realm of A-Rank?
Is this what they call Pancreaton, the ancient martial arts that China boasts about?
“Truly remarkable! I haven’t seen someone who can wildly beat like this in a while in this Inoi!”
“That’s not Kung Fu, it’s Nymph Fu! That’s a plagiarism of the ‘Nymph Art Wild Beating.’ We cannot tolerate such copycats in Illinois! Please call a lawyer for us!”
The Nymphs were greatly impressed by Liu Hua’s skills.
Could this be the first time they’ve praised a martial artist so much?
Swish.
Soon, Liu Hua distanced himself from me and laughed from behind the mask, “ha-ha!”
“Well, how about that? No one has ever survived my Pancreaton! You arrogant and evil fellow! Surrender before I take your life!”
# # #
Inside the VIP room, the spectators were greatly stirred by Liu Hua’s swift and agile punches.
Dudududududududududududududududududud-.
However, Haildo, who received those punches, seemed perfectly fine.
“Is that guy using a defensive energy technique!”
“How can he be so unscathed after withstanding Liu Hua’s punches!”
The elders were all shocked.
But…
Againu, the head of the Huashan Sect, who knew Liu Hua’s boxing skills better than anyone, was breaking out in a cold sweat.
Againu remembered the days of long ago when he taught the secret manual he discovered in the Huashan Mountains of Shaanxi Province to his granddaughter, Liu Hua.
The legendary secret manual ‘Lin Bun In Sun Jong’, said to be written by an immortal who had lived a long life.
Difficult to interpret, it seemed to be a type of punch technique called ‘In’ and palm technique called ‘Jong’.
After Liu Hua partially deciphered the manual and became an Awakened, she climbed the ranks to reach her current position. But…
‘That Liu Hua’s fist technique is incredibly divine and effective, producing great resonance only in wicked individuals with evil hearts! And conversely, it does not harm good individuals at all…!’
Haildo seemed completely unfazed by Liu Hua’s punches.
Does this mean he’s as good-hearted as a rock or a tree?
No, there couldn’t possibly be such a person in the world!
“It’s sorcery…! You, Haildo…! You’re using some kind of sorcery…! Liu Hua, that’s enough with the fist techniques! Quickly grab your sword! Liu Hua…! Can’t you hear this old man’s voice…!”
However, despite shouting anxiously, Liu Hua on the screen continued to swing her fists.
Watching her, Againu realized.
“You, Haildo, you cunning devil! Bringing the Squirrel Beast to the arena might have disarmed Liu Hua! You took advantage of Liu Hua’s nature that desires a fair fight!”
A truly remarkable strategy.
A divine plan.
How could a young man from Korea, who might not have even read the world-famous Chinese military strategy book ‘Iliad’, use such mystic tactics and strategies?
“It can’t be…! Our China is collapsing…! We must prevent Liu Hua’s defeat at all costs! Zhuge Thompson Kong! Isn’t there a good strategy…!?”
Zhuge Thompson is the master of tactics.
Surely, he must be able to come up with a good strategy in this situation.
However, there were too many eyes watching this screen, with VIPs invited from all over the world. This situation was ironically tightening China’s neck.
Truly, self-entanglement.
With the ratings breaking 55%, the elders were so shocked that they collapsed into their chairs.
# # #
“Huff huff… You little fellow… You’re tougher than you look… Huff… You’re the first one not affected after receiving my punches since I entered the martial world…!”
Liu Hua was breathing heavily.
I was wondering if this was some kind of hidden camera thing, but the commotion among the audience makes it seem like it’s real.
“The guy from Korea can fight without the Squirrel Beast?”
“Is this the awakened one from Korea?”
“He didn’t get even a scratch after withstanding that Liu Hua’s punches!”
Whatever it means…
It was an opportunity for me.
I jumped powerfully towards the tired Liu Hua.
And while trying to grab his collar, I lunged into his arms and pulled the collar, causing Liu Hua, who was already fatigued, to yell “Eh-heck!” and fall to the ground with a crash.
I immediately proceeded with a grappling technique, having realized from the YouTube videos I studied that Chinese martial arts tend to prioritize stand-up strikes and are weak in such chaotic battles.
“You little bastard, what part do you think you’re trying to grab? Let go!”
Here I’ll finish with a choke…
Thinking that, when I was on the ground with Liu Hua, who grabbed my waist tightly with her legs and held onto my collar with her hand, yelling, “You, don’t underestimate my Pancreaton!”
Close guard.
She seems to have some knowledge of grappling and ground techniques.
Eventually, as I tried to grab her collar during the struggle, there was a tear and… the cloth ripped apart.
Thus revealed was a pristine complexion.
“Kyaa!”
Liu Hua screamed and trembled, curling her body together like a closing shell.
“…”
I felt many cameras focusing on us.
And I immediately released the hold, taking off my top to cover her body.
“You… You beast…!”
Clunk, roll…
During our tussle, Liu Hua’s mask had loosened and fell off; revealing a face redder than a forge.
Indeed, it was a face deserving of the title “Red-Eyed Swordsman.” She had long lashes, sparkling eyes, and seemed ready to burst into tears.
“…”
“Hmph… we’ll see about that!”
The face as red as magma, Liu Hua couldn’t contain her frustration any longer, picked up the fallen sword, and spun away.
That was it’s only meaning!
A completely perfect victory!
A victory secured solely by my own power without the help of my animal friends!
“I’ve won! The match is over!”
I was thrilled thinking about how this glorious moment would be celebrated online forever!
# # #
I went to the waiting room and searched for my name online.
Already, my name was becoming a hot topic on the internet.
“Title: Haildo defeats an A-Rank without the Squirrel
Isn’t it weird that scenes of him wrestling with a woman aired on TV?”
└ What? She was a woman? I didn’t know that.
└ Haildo, why did you suddenly take off your clothes? Now I know the reason
└ He took off his clothes and pounced?
└ No, he was covering up the torn clothes.
“Title: Is this the first time A-Ranked Liu Hua revealed her face? Isn’t she attractive?
Content: Haildo, I’m jealous of you!”
└ With all the Squirrel Beasts, Ghost Spiders, Honey Ants, and Tiger Owls he has, was it not enough?
On the internet, there were more discussions about A-Ranked #1 Liu Hua of China than about me.
For some reason, it was somewhat unsatisfying.
While I was thinking that way, someone approached me.
“Haildo. It was a good fight. My defeat. I guess I was the one who was arrogant. And… here’s your clothes back.”
Sweeeeeet.
The Red-Eyed Swordsman, Liu Hua, returned the clothes I had taken off during the match.
“I’ve been raised in the mountains by my grandfather since I was young, so I’m not good at showing my face in front of people. It’s common for clothes to tear during matches, but… you’re practically my benefactor.”
That’s right.
When I saw that masked person, I already suspected that they had a severe case of bashfulness.
Chuck.
The red-masked Liu Hua handed me something.
“Your next opponent will likely be Tang So-hae of the Tang Clan. You should apply this valuable antidote before fighting her. Without it, you’ll likely suffer for a few days after being stung.”
Sweeeeeet.
The ointment inside the clamshell looked very ancient.
It smelled bitter, but Illinois, who had been chatting noisily inside the waiting room, said,
“It’s certainly a useful medicine! Applying it beforehand is definitely helpful in resisting bee stings!”
Really?
I applied the ointment to Kong-kung-i, Ahn Ahn, and Bang Bang. This way, I could protect my friends from bee stings!
After applying it all, I didn’t have much left for myself.
But that’s fine.
People don’t die from bee stings anyway.
“It could be worse… The toxin from the Veezak Bees can be more dangerous than hornets in some cases…! If you’re stung badly, your life might be in danger…!”
Ah, but I’m fine.
Seeing me like that, Liu Hua chuckled.
“Haildo, you’re an interesting person! The righteousness and harmony that my grandfather always talks about must be referring to you! Maybe you could help Tang So-hae.”
“Help Tang So-hae?”
“That girl’s filled with poison. She’ll likely do anything to win. She wasn’t originally like that… There must be some reason, I’m sure. She doesn’t tell me what happened, but she must have gone through something unpleasant in the Tang Clan in Sichuan. Since she won’t tell me what happened, I can’t help her.”
“Hmm…”
“Haildo, let’s meet again next time. Come visit… our Huashan! I’ll show you the burning magma! The strange basalt is also quite impressive…!”
With that, Liu Hua spun around and left the waiting room.
My next match was about to start.
When I arrived at the arena, Tang So-hae was already there, hugging giant pumpkin-like honeybees.
“Haildo. You can’t win without my help. Do you know why? It’s because the moment I found you, you were already poisoned! By my terrible venom!”
“Poisoned, you say…?”
“Now the effects should be starting to kick in, right?”
It was an astonishing story, hard to believe. But at that moment, I felt a great thump of my heart.
And my whole body started to feel hot, my lips became dry as if there was a lump of fire in my mouth.
“Colorless, odorless. Invisible. But it’s a poison stronger than any medicine. The poison you’ve been infected with is none other than the ‘Spring Medicine,’ which can’t be resisted even by those who are immune to all poisons!”
“What in the world?”
“Time remaining: 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes are up, you’ll lose your mind and become a lustful devil who attacks women! How does that make you feel? No matter what, I’ll secure the Green Jade Oil by winning!”
Indeed, it was a terrifying story.
Thinking of losing control in front of all these cameras and attacking women due to a poison…!
If that happened, my name would flood the 9 PM news!
Every way you look at it, it’s the end!
“How terrifying is this poison!”
As I was shocked by this, Tang So-hae let out a sinister laugh.
She took out a round bead from her pocket.
Sweeeeet.
Then, opening the front of her traditional Chinese dress, she placed the round bead in her cleavage.
“Or you can surrender. If you surrender to me, I’ll give you the antidote! You don’t stand a chance! Unless you possess the heart of Buddha, that is!”
