Chapter 250: The Unexpected Proposal (1)

A showdown between Jin Gyun and I.

Despite being part of the same Eight Great Warriors who had surpassed all boundaries, it was widely believed that Jin Gyun would emerge victorious.

However, things turned out differently than expected. Instead of being overpowered by his decades of internal qi training, I was the one pushing back.

Pssssss!

Jin Gyun’s feet, planted firmly on the ground, were forced three steps backward.

This caused a collective gasp of astonishment from everyone present.

I was confident I wouldn’t be pushed back too much since I had absorbed Revolting Mother’s internal qi and crossed the wall. However, I didn’t expect such overwhelming dominance either.

- If you keep it up, victory will come easily.

Short Sword said,

She made this comment because the fight wasn’t solely about internal qi.

Chachachang!

The tip of Jin Gyun’s blade flew through the air and collided with Iron Sword, falling momentarily. Perhaps he was so surprised by my push that his concentration wavered momentarily.

However, the blade quickly flew up toward Iron Sword.

“... truly wonderful.”

Jin Gyun blurted out with a flushed face.

The fact that there was no disturbance when he spoke after raising his internal qi meant that he hadn’t fully exerted it yet.

- You haven’t either.

Right.

He was one of the Eight Great Warriors, that’s for sure.

Moreover, the capacity differed since only the lower end of our qi was being utilized.

If it was going to be a long-term duel, Jin Gyun would likely face a significant disadvantage.

Jin Gyun spoke up.

“Honestly, it’s quite a bit.”

I was planning to respond casually, but it was better to maintain a tough appearance. This wasn’t a matter of life and death; it was just about preserving our fame and avoiding looking foolish here, relying solely on maintaining our reputation.

“That is... an exaggeration...”

I spoke as if I were taking heavy breaths and deliberately having a hard time. I also furrowed my brow. Seeing me like that, his eyes showed relief.

-Isn’t that just hope before torture?

What if I won here?

-Then you want to try and lose?

Who was going to lose?

I was just trying to finish it with a nice limit.

-How are you going to end it?

I should strain my face a bit and then end it; even though he was a senior, he wouldn’t be able to comment about it.

-His eyes refuse to lose.

As Short Sword said, the fighting spirit was alive in Jin Gyun’s eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted.

“It’s been a while. My blood is boiling after a long time.”

He wanted to see the end. In response, I secretly sent a message to Jin Gyun.

[... senior. With so many people watching, should we end it here? Please spare this junior’s dignity.]

[I had originally intended to, but how often do we get the chance to have an equal fight like this?]

‘Originally intended?’

What else did he mean?

I wondered briefly, but Jin Gyun’s internal energy surged even more. I had assumed that he would be using nine or ten-star internal energy, but he appeared to still have some reserves. After all, he had earned his reputation as one of the Eight Great Warriors for a reason.

Pssss.

With the increase of his internal qi, the sand around our feet rose up, indicating a high level of internal qi control.

Observing the veins on his face that extended to the forehead, it was evident that his internal qi had been completely maximized.

Chachachachang!

Iron Sword’s blade clashed with his opponent’s in mid-air, resulting in a resounding clash of iron meeting iron.

Everyone watched in awe, holding their breath. The spectacle was truly astonishing.

I knew he was around 70 years old, but even at this age, he possessed an impressive level of concentration. Unlike my sword, which moved freely with its own finesse, he relied on internal qi to combat me.

Just like a true warrior, he fought head-on.

-But he won’t last much longer.

It was evident that he was depleting his internal qi rapidly. His mind seemed scattered while his internal qi surged. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Drip!

Beads of sweat dripped down Jin Gyun’s face. He became aware of his perspiration and turned to me with trembling eyes.

‘...!?’

Ah... I couldn’t do that here.

Aside from breathing and wearing a strained expression, I couldn’t control the sweat in my body.

-Got caught.

He realized I wasn’t giving it my all.

Perhaps that was why I could see anger in his eyes. It must have felt like he was being betrayed.

And he said,

“Are you mocking me now?”

“... I’m not.”

[Regardless of the reason, give it your all if you’ve chosen to compete. This clumsy display against me is an insult.]

Although I felt sincerely sorry for making him say that.

But I had pushed myself to the limit, utilizing my internal qi to the fullest since I wouldn’t be able to utilize the Blood Demon Arts here.

[Give it your all. I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve too.]

Tricks up his sleeve?

What did he mean? Was he not pushing his internal qi to its peak?

Either way, I should give it my all.

Wearing a proud smile, Jin Young made everyone think that victory belonged to him. However, someone’s voice interrupted.

“Is this the victory of the Flame Emperor Great Blade?”

Jang Mun-ryang was present, observing the scene.

“What do you mean?”

“If this isn’t his triumph, then what...”

People stared at him in shock as Jang Mun-ryang raised his hand in the air. Naturally, everyone turned to look in that direction and were filled with awe.

‘...!!’

The reason for their reaction was that Iron Sword was still suspended in the air. At the same time, Jin Gyun’s blade had fallen instantly onto the roof of the warehouse.

They had missed this turn of events because they were too focused on what was happening below.

“The blade has disappeared!”

“The sword of the Little Immortal Swordsman is still flying!”

“Hold on then....”

All eyes turned toward the two of us.

They were all confident in his victory, so what was next?

“A tie!”

“Ah!”

“The fight ended this way.”

Everyone was shocked. Now there were two winners.

The competition between internal qi and Air Sword happened at the same time.

Jin Gyun was so fixated on me that his concentration was disrupted.

“Ahh...”

Even Jin Gyun momentarily forgot about it and turned to the Iron Sword floating in the air.

‘This way, we maintain our dignity.’

It appeared to be a satisfactory match. As it ended in a draw, I no longer needed to defend myself.

When considering it from this perspective, it appeared that my ability to manipulate the sword on its own was much more deceitful than anticipated.

‘Come back, Iron Sword.’

I extended my arm and summoned it.

Then, I respectfully bowed to him.

“Thank you, senior.”

To which he gazed at me and burst into laughter.

“Hahahahaah!”

Jin Gyun, who had been chuckling for some time, shook his head.

“It is as the ancestors say. Not even ten years have passed, and I have already learned a lesson from you.”

Chak!

And with a bow, he showed his respect.

I was concerned that his pride may have been wounded, but I was relieved when he accepted me without hesitation. However, he suddenly spoke silently.

[Can you spare some time for me?]

‘Huh?’

Curious about his request, I followed him into an empty room.

I expected it to be a private conversation, but one of the individuals seated at the second-floor table decided to join us.

As soon as I closed the door, Jin Gyun waved his hand, causing qi to envelop us, ensuring no sound would escape.

“Please have a seat.”

Jin Gyun gestured towards a chair, and I followed suit after he had seated himself.

Suddenly, I found myself wondering what he could possibly want to discuss.

“Senior, may I ask why you requested a private meeting like this?”

“Before we delve into that, I must apologize.”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”

“Actually, I initially intended to end it by simply acknowledging your skills. However, my greed took over, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to engage in a friendly spar.”

Ah...

So, that was what occurred.

But why the need to understand my skills? If it was solely about my martial arts progression, he would be capable of gauging it to a certain extent.

“If my actions have offended you, I am willing to make amends.”

“No, there’s no reason for me to be offended.”

“Nothing has changed since I last saw you. Just like your skills, your personality has grown properly. Clearly, your master taught you well.”

I bowed, expressing my gratitude.

“That is too kind.”

These words of courtesy seemed to be going on longer than necessary. Why was he dragging this out?

Jin Gyun glanced at the middle-aged man sitting at the table, nodded, and then turned his attention back to me.

“I will speak now.”

“Please proceed.”

“We require your assistance.”

“Huh? My assistance?”

“Yes.”

“What is this even about?”

In response to that, Jin Gyun said,

“I need your support to become the Murim Alliance’s leader.”

‘...?!’

What now?

I thought I heard something wrong for a second, but then something even more shocking came.

“It hasn’t been announced officially yet, but the current leader, Baek Hyang-muk of Wuhan, has been impeached at the meeting of elders.”

‘...!!’