“Uncle, I’m a little nervous…”
A little?
I sighed as I watched Hye-ryeong, her face tense, gripping my hand and rubbing her cheek against her palm.
Do you really need to come up with such excuses?
I’m not refusing, you know.
“We could’ve gone straight to the finals.”
Hye-ryeong isn’t short of the boat tickets to do so; she could’ve easily started from the finals with a single word, as she’s treasured by Hainan Sword Sect.
“I want to break through from the preliminaries!”
“You might end up failing right from the preliminaries if you’re unlucky.”
Especially if you encounter Namgung Hwi, some other guy, the Blue Cloud Taoist from Mount Hua, or Abbot Wonyam from Shaolin…
Engaging any of them would be quite a hassle.
Though, everyone will likely start from the finals anyway using the boat tickets.
One could say it’s unfair, but this was a sort of consideration. If the young prodigies from the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans entered from the preliminaries, they might overshadow the other martial artists of the minor sects and the prodigies of the secular world.
Therefore, the martial artists were not particularly concerned that they directly started in the finals.
There might be some who are concerned, but probably only a few.
“I want to go through the preliminaries and showcase my skills anyway!”
“Given that you’ve just entered the first-class level, it seems feasible.”
Rarely are there individuals in the Central Plains who have reached the first-class level at such a young age.
Though first-class may not seem extraordinary, it is actually a level that likely makes up only a third of the martial world. Furthermore, those who attain this level at a young age are almost nonexistent.
Therefore, considering her age, Hye-ryeong’s achievement is exceptional.
…It’s only because I’m a year older that it matters.
There is a chance we might meet during the preliminaries…but it’s uncertain.
Since female martial artists aren’t numerous, they might be grouped separately.
… Although it might not come down to that, the host side would be cautious of any lecherous elements.
“Will you win the championship, Uncle?”
“Of course.”
There’s no situation where I should lose to the protagonist, and in any case, to win the championship now, as the story has already twisted.
As the one who knows the most about the participants in this martial arts tournament, I can utilize that information strategically to gain an advantage.
Even if it wasn’t a martial arts tournament, it’s highly likely that those who make it to the finals will be from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans, so I can roughly predict their martial arts techniques.
“Hehe, if it’s you, Uncle, you’ll definitely win the championship!”
“Boasting is still premature. I’ll be facing formidable opponents.”
I’ll easily pass through the preliminaries; starting from the finals, I must remain vigilant.
In this world, even the peak experts can be killed by first-class experts due to overconfidence. This isn’t a game where you can bulldoze through with mere specs.
There are methods weaker individuals have against stronger ones.
“Great Hero Wi, we look forward to your outstanding performance.”
“Princess Hajin, I expect it as well.”
“Let’s meet at the finals.”
“Older Brother! I’ll definitely come to see you!”
“Let’s meet at the finals.”
Hajin turned around and disappeared with Elder Baek. There are a few more days until the finals, and during that time, they would be watching as spectators.
“The people from Hainan Sword Sect are watching, and I’m a little nervous…”
“You were just saying you were nervous a while ago?”
“That’s different from this!”
“If you say so.”
If you insist, then that’s that.
“Don’t over-stress yourself; just do your best. There won’t be many opportunities to participate in martial contests like this.”
There aren’t many chances to participate in contests like these, and they will serve as a good learning experience for Hye-ryeong.
With good fortune…she might get closer to becoming an expert. Whether she actually becomes one is uncertain.
“The preliminaries will begin shortly! All those who have entered, please gather here!”
“Yay, it’s starting.”
“Let’s go then.”
We stood side by side and headed to the preliminary martial arena.
—————————————-
“Let me explain the rules now. The preliminaries will proceed as free-for-all battles among fifties. Competitors will continue fighting until one person remains.”
At the judge’s explanation, some martial artists raised their hands to ask questions.
“Hey. With a free-for-all, won’t it be difficult to accurately assess skillsets?”
“There are a thousand martial artists participating in the preliminaries. If all of them were to duel individually, it would take over two weeks just to handle the preliminaries. This is the necessary choice, so please understand.”
It’s quite a lot of people.
Mostly, the martial artists sighed and nodded in agreement. With a thousand people gathered to fight in the preliminaries, quick methods to weed out participants and assess their skillsets had to be deployed.
“However, this is also a good experience. It’s rare to have the opportunity to engage in a chaotic battle where one’s life is not in serious danger.”
A chaotic battle signifies that your life might be targeted from unexpected directions. Most of the time, such experiences were only acquired in life-or-death conflicts, making it a valuable experience for young martial artists.
‘Free-for-all, so the goal is to weed out the strongest.’
The eyes of some martial artists began shifting around freely. It’s not easy to assess levels simply by glances, but usually, one could gauge a rough estimate of someone’s strength just by studying their expressions.
‘They are nervous; perhaps they lack confidence in their abilities.’
‘The suppressed prominence of the temple points on that man seems familiar; I can tell his caliber.’
The gathered martial artists at the preliminary venue exchanged covert glances, trying to measure each other’s strength. Gradually, all their gazes converged to a single spot.
‘Colored-eyed person?’
‘He’s awfully big.’
‘Are all people with colored eyes this tall?’
“Uncle, people are staring at us…”
“Pay no mind.”
Curious glances pierced through William’s body. Indifferent to all this, William stood with folded arms, staring at the judge.
After all, there’s no need to care about such sidelong glances for him, and he already knows which martial artists will stand out during the preliminaries, so there’s no need for worry.
He is simply bored standing here.
‘Wish it could start sooner.’
“Now, we will draw lots. Place your hand into the box and draw a slip of paper!”
“It’s about to start.”
Starting from the person in the front row, they began inserting their hands into the box one by one. Next to the judge stood a scribe who looked at the slips handed over by the martial artists, writing down their names under each number.
“Yu Han Rok! Group 2!”
“Sada Guang! Group 4!”
“Yuk Sam Myeon! Group 7!”
As countless names were announced and written down, those who received their group assignments listened carefully, with a mixture of anticipation and tension in their eyes, eager to know who they were grouped with.
Most of the faces might be obscure, belonging to unnamed soldiers, but at least the names of those who have made a reputation would be recognizable.
“A soft group would be nice.”
“Nah, at times like these, it’s actually better to end up in a moderately tough group. You can lie low at first and then come out fighting at the last moment.”
People chatted casually while waiting for their turn. Even though it was progressing quickly, due to a thousand people participating, it took about an hour before Hye-ryeong’s and William’s turn came around, as they were way at the back.
“It’s your turn, Uncle.”
“I’ll be back.”
William moved leisurely toward the judge.
When he stepped forward, the gazes of many martial artists focused on him.
“Which group will that colored-eyed person be placed in?”
“He’s the famous Blue-Eyed Lion who has joined the martial arts contest…This could be a great opportunity to earn a few free drinks with such a story.”
“Blue-Eyed Lion? Is that guy really him? The one who instantly overcame the Iron Wind Fist?”
Amidst the murmuring of unknown individuals, some skilled martial artists eyed William’s back with a competitive spirit.
‘If only I could be placed in the same group as that formidable high-level fighter.’
‘I’ve heard he specializes in fists, but the sword on his waist… Is it for intimidation or does he know how to handle a sword as well?’
‘This form of sword is rare. Does it originate from the Western Regions? I’d like to examine it closely…’
‘…Is he under the age limit?’
“…Great Hero Wi, please draw your lot.”
The judge asked William to draw a slip with a slightly awkward tone. William understood something from the judge’s expression, smiled faintly, and then reached into the box to pull out a piece of paper.
The judge looked at the slip William picked and loudly announced:
“William! Group 9!”
‘Group 9, huh.’
A different group from the protagonist, who’s in Group 12.
William returned to his spot and tapped Hye-ryeong’s shoulder.
“Back in a second.”
“Safe travels.”
“Yim Hye-ryeong! Group 14!”
‘Group 14, huh. Who was it that survived in that group again?’
William, watching Hye-ryeong come back, sifted through the faint memories left in his mind.
‘…I might remember when I actually see it happening.’
It seems impossible to remember every extra character.
‘Hye-ryeong will surely handle it well on her own.’
The concern now lies with William himself, not Hye-ryeong.
‘Being complacent is forbidden.’
William prepared himself for the battle that was about to commence, after an extended break.
