After that, I followed the young master of the Han family to a separate building. The young master, walking ahead of me, said,
"Are you Baek Woong? I am Han Jin-seong, the young master of the Han family. I hope we can get along well."
"Can I stay as a guest here?"
"Of course. However, there are a few requests I need to make."
I glanced at Han Jin-seong. He was a handsome young man, but he possessed considerable martial arts skills. Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained unharmed from the qi waves during my confrontation with Han Baek-ling just now. From his age, he seemed to be a talented martial artist.
Han Jin-seong closed the door of the separate building and said,
"Have you heard of the Huanggong Yuchandahui (皇宮御前大會)?"
"Isn't that a martial arts competition?"
"You know well."
The Huanggong Yuchandahui!
It was a kind of martial arts competition, but unlike ordinary competitions, the emperor himself would personally attend and watch. Therefore, I heard that experts from various sects across the continent would participate, and even the leaders of major sects would join. Since the competition was held once every four years, martial arts sects would often send their best to gain glory.
However, the winners from first to third place would be forced to join the Jin Yi Wei. Therefore, winning the competition and gaining honor was something to consider carefully. After all, it would be problematic if a leader or elder of a sect suddenly became a member of the imperial guard.
So, martial arts sects would usually send a guest who, while not as well-known as a sect leader, was highly skilled to participate in the Huanggong Yuchandahui. Therefore, it was generally the late disciples in their 20s to 30s who would compete. Occasionally, middle-aged experts in their 40s would participate, but they didn't receive much attention.
Perhaps the people I had seen, like Liu Zhaozhang and Guo Zhaozhang, were also extremely skilled individuals who had ranked highly in the Huanggong Yuchandahui. They must have shown skills on par with the elders of the Nine Great Sects. As I was thinking about all this, Han Jin-seong said,
"The Twin Gate Sect has the right to participate in the Huanggong Yuchandahui without going through the preliminary rounds. Each sect is allocated two spots, starting from the main round of 128 participants. In exchange, the sect's martial artists cannot enter the preliminaries."
"What are you trying to say?"
"The head of the family wants you, Baek Woong, to represent the Han family as one of the two participants."
"..."
I was so astonished that my mouth dropped open.
The Huanggong Yuchandahui, held once every four years! It was a competition that put the honor of the sects on the line and also a stage for the next generation of martial artists to compete. To offer such a prestigious spot to a guest who had just arrived today was truly absurd.
I said,
"That's ridiculous. If you're trying to mock me, I won't stand for it."
"It's not a joke. There are circumstances that make it necessary."
"What circumstances?"
Han Jin-seong sighed.
"Our head of the family doesn't particularly like the Huanggong Yuchandahui. In fact, if possible, he doesn't want to send anyone at all. Therefore, we usually send guests instead of our own martial artists. This time, we were selecting a participant from among the guests, and you caught the head's eye."
"There must be many other guests who are experts."
"But no one else can make the other guests nervous just by their presence. At least, I believe you have the necessary qualifications."
It's too suspicious.
Accepting such a proposal would be foolish.
I was tempted to reject this offer and leave immediately, but I soon calmed myself down.
'Right. I decided to risk my life to gather information, didn't I?'
A place like the Huanggong Yuchandahui would at least ensure I wouldn't be ambushed. Moreover, it was a place where I could gain practical combat experience, which was exactly what I wanted. It seemed to be the ideal training ground. Even if it was a trap, the bait was too tempting. I nodded, prepared to be betrayed and die.
"Alright. Who else will be representing the guests?"
"The person you saw earlier, Gilongshenjun, will be the other representative. He is the most skilled among the guests."
"Hmm."
I didn't know much about Gilongshenjun, but I agreed with Han Jin-seong's assessment. Among the many experts who surrounded me earlier, Gilongshenjun's aura stood out the most. He must have had skills on par with the elders of the Nine Great Sects.
"What if I win a prize and become a member of the Jin Yi Wei, what then?"
"Well, if you win, then you win. We have no intention of saying anything about it."
"......?"
This is really strange. Normally, a sect wouldn't just hand over a powerful martial artist to the imperial side without any consequences. Even if they send a guest, wouldn't they feel some regret? As I looked at Han Jin-seong with suspicion, he said,
"Hmm... Now that I think about it, what I said could be easily misunderstood."
"Of course it can. It feels like something is stuck in my throat."
"I'll be more honest. Our family has no particular attachment to the Huanggong Yuchandahui and doesn't want to participate at all. We don't want to expose our martial arts to the world. Therefore, we recruit guests and offer them the opportunity to represent us, which is a win-win situation."
Not wanting to expose the family's martial arts!
That was indeed a significant reason. I nodded, recalling how Jin So-cheong had tried to keep his secret techniques hidden.
"Is that why you recruit guests?"
"Of course, not all guests come here to get a spot in the Huanggong Yuchandahui. We treat our guests very well, and some have stayed for decades because they like it here. The Huanggong Yuchandahui is not an easy competition to win, so don't take it lightly."
"… I understand."
"Since you are a guest, I will provide you with a separate building. You can stay here from now on."
I glanced around the separate building. It was indeed wider and more comfortable than most houses, and the furniture and utensils were very high-quality. It might even be better than the house I bought with gold. After some thought, I said,
"No. I'm sorry, but I've already bought a house and would like to stay there."
"But then there's no point in being a guest..."
"Why not?"
"Hmm... How about this."
Han Jin-seong smiled.
"The Huanggong Yuchandahui will be held three months from now. Please return to the main house four days before the competition to prepare. Is that acceptable?"
"I have one more question. If I represent the guests, won't the other guests be angry?"
"If they have any complaints, they will challenge you to a duel to earn the right. I expect you to handle it."
In other words, they wouldn't interfere or care if the other guests challenged me to a duel. I was so taken aback by their casual attitude that I was speechless. I realized the Han family's intentions and said,
"You don't care who represents the Han family."
"Exactly. As long as it doesn't bring shame to the family, anyone is fine. You meet that condition."
"Alright. I have my own goals, so I'll accept your offer."
I glared at Han Jin-seong and growled,
"But don't underestimate me. If you try to use me, you'll pay a heavy price."
This is not an empty threat.
I have already accumulated countless grudges from my previous life. Especially against the Eight Gates of the Demon Sect, I am filled with the desire to take revenge when I have the time and opportunity. There is nothing more foolish than making an enemy of me in this world. Han Jin-seong said,
"Don't be so angry. You knew we would be using each other, didn't you?"
"That's true, but..."
"It's getting late, so let me treat you to dinner. Please enjoy it."
I followed Han Jin-seong to the dining room. After he left, I looked at the lavish food the Han family had prepared and got up. The two maids standing beside me were surprised and said,
"Oh..."
"Why are you doing this?"
I said to them,
"I'm sorry, but I'm not very hungry. Please tell Han Jin-seong that I enjoyed the meal."
Whoosh!
After saying that, I left the Han family's residence. For some reason, I had developed a habit of not eating or drinking anything offered by others unless I was completely sure it was safe. It might be due to an unconscious fear of being poisoned and dying a miserable death.
I found a random inn, booked a room, and lay down.
'The Huanggong Yuchandahui.'
I might die or become disabled in the competition. If that happens, what should I do? If I die, it might be a relief, but if I become disabled, that would be a problem. It would likely mean a life of suffering and wasted time. I decided that if I became disabled, I would cut my own heart to end my life.
I also thought that this time, I would fight to win the Huanggong Yuchandahui without holding back. By fighting the peak experts in the competition, I could improve my martial arts skills, and as a bonus, I could join the Jin Yi Wei to observe their current situation. It seemed like a win-win situation.
But thinking about Han Baek-ling made my mind complicated.
'What is her true identity?'
She, who introduced herself as the head of the Han family, was clearly a master of the art of rejuvenation and a peak expert. Given that she could speak of the Blue Dragon so casually and was willing to kill her disciple without hesitation, it was likely that she didn't have a good relationship with Li Guang. Although it was hard to believe, her internal energy was not much weaker than mine, who had consumed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng multiple times.
I also knew that the head of the Twin Gate Sect was said to be even more skilled than the head of the Han family. Could such a person exist? Additionally, the fact that the Han family was one of the wealthiest in the Central Plains was also concerning. It seemed like there was a connection I was missing.
In any case, I now had three months left.
Since Han Jin-seong had given me a grace period, I could do as I pleased during this time.
I went to the official to receive the documents and seal for my house. The official handed me the documents and said,
"I specially hired someone to clean the house. You can just move in and live there."
"Thank you."
"Hehehe. You got a good deal. There's no one as kind as me."
I inwardly sneered at the official, who was smiling and shaking his catfish-like mustache.
'Who do you think doesn't know that you pocketed several hundred taels of silver as a kickback?'
He probably handed over the gold to the rich man, who might have given him only three hundred taels of silver, and also collected a commission. The amount of money the official had skimmed off was considerable.
But I had given the gold to the official anyway. This was because, having received such a large sum, he would keep his mouth shut and work hard to ensure there were no complaints. The official might have thought I was an easy target, but I had simply chosen the best way to avoid trouble.
I entered the house and enjoyed the warm sunlight. It was so pleasant that it made me forget all the hardships I had endured in my previous life.
'Actually, owning a house like this was my dream.'
In my first life, while working as a bodyguard and living in extreme poverty, I had desperately wished to live a comfortable and leisurely life in a large house. Using the gold I obtained from the ruins, I easily achieved that dream. The wealth I gained in an instant was something I could never have accumulated in decades of bodyguard work.
As I was about to take a nap on the wooden floor, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
... Do I really need to work hard anymore?
The tragedy of Taegyeong Village seemed sealed away. Could I just live a comfortable life with the remaining wealth?
If I wanted to, I could live a peaceful life with several beautiful concubines, using the money I had. The remaining nine gold ingots were more than enough for that.
"......."
It's too tempting.
I definitely had the means to live a comfortable life without the premise of dying. If I were sent as a guest representative to the Huanggong Yuchandahui, I could simply reject the offer and live comfortably in this house.
'Right... Why do I have to fight the commander of the Jin Yi Wei? The sorcerers are gone, so there's no need for human sacrifices. Whether they gather the Seven Desires or not, it doesn't really concern me now!'
I felt a numbness in my head.
Because I realized that I was at a crucial moment in my life.
Should I continue moving forward, or should I stop and give up?
It didn't matter which I chose, but if I chose the latter, I wouldn't have to feel the pain of death anymore. I sat there, lost in thought for a long time. This was undoubtedly the longest and most painful period of contemplation in my current life.
After pondering for half an hour, I muttered,
"No. I can't stop yet."
After careful consideration, I couldn't stop. Not only had I not yet mastered the martial arts of the Nao Shen School, but I also hadn't avenged the grudge of being beaten to death like a dog by the Eight Gates of the Demon Sect. Most importantly, I couldn't call myself a man if I didn't give the commander of the Jin Yi Wei a taste of his own medicine.
The grudge I had harbored while watching the commander's head roll!
I couldn't choose a peaceful life until I avenged that grudge.
Swish, swish
A short while later, I got up and began quietly practicing my sword skills in the empty courtyard of the house.
"Commander. I will definitely cut off your head."
Life is not a series of disconnected moments.
Because my actions now will affect my future, I must live carefully.
In the next three months, before the Huanggong Yuchandahui, I planned to perfect the techniques and martial arts of the Nao Shen School. Additionally, I needed to practice using the latent potential of my internal energy, which I had not yet fully tapped.