Sichuan's Mad Dragon (Novel) - Chapter 113 - Mad Dragon
Chapter 113 – Mad Dragon
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Edited by Celestial Knight
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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The training ground floor was neatly paved with stone.
Once the Alliance warriors had the participants lined up, the examiner there shouted loudly.
“Right, the test is simple. Use your martial skill to pierce this iron plate. Time limit is one-quarter of a ke.”
A pitch-black iron plate stood upright in the center of the training ground like a stele.
Its thickness was nearly two finger joints.
One warrior voiced his complaint.
“Wait, if the test is piercing, doesn’t that overwhelmingly favor those with swords or wolf-fang clubs or iron maces?”
Another warrior chimed in.
“Exactly! What about those who train bare-handed? That big fellow… what are those who practice unarmed combat supposed to do? Are you telling them to go home?”
“Huh? Me?”
Ju-seong was bewildered to suddenly find the warrior’s finger pointing at him.
The examiner snorted and countered.
“So, what’s the problem?”
“A matter of fairness!”
“Fairness, you say… In a real fight, does an enemy put away their weapon just because you’re unarmed? Does an opponent in iron armor strip it off when they see your blade? What do you all think?”
“…”
Before anyone realized, the examiner had switched to informal speech to scold them.
“We’re trying to select strong martial artists. Those who can use their martial skill to achieve the objective, whether bare-handed or with a sword. That way, we who put you on the dueling stage can feel a little less embarrassed. Understand?”
The warriors fell silent.
“So… put aside this nonsense about fairness and come forward to pierce this damned iron plate.”
Suddenly, the warrior who had pointed at Ju-seong earlier shouted at him again.
“Hey, you, the empty-handed big guy! How can you be so calm? How can bare hands pierce an iron plate!”
“Hmm.”
Ju-seong gave the man a disinterested once-over. He was carrying a pair of boxwood cudgels.
Piercing an iron plate with wooden cudgels would be maddening indeed.
Clearly lacking confidence, he was latching onto Ju-seong.
Ju-seong shrugged once, then stepped forward.
It was cast iron, not steel.
If he packed his internal energy down tight and swung with intent, the plate would shatter to pieces.
But Ju-seong didn’t want to do that.
‘From now on, I need to build presence.’
He knew it instinctively.
He would keep getting stronger, but that took time. Meanwhile, the forces targeting him wouldn’t wait.
He had to build recognition, befriend prominent figures of jianghu. He had to become memorable enough to lodge in people’s minds.
Only when he wore fame like armor and donned connections like a helmet could Ju-seong train in peace.
Ju-seong took off his silk robe and tossed it aside. It pained him, but for dramatic effect.
He curled one corner of his lips crookedly and declared.
“I’ll do it without internal energy.”
“What…!”
The room immediately buzzed.
The examiner narrowed his brow quizzically.
Piercing an iron plate without internal energy?
‘He’s basically limiting himself to commoner level, or the level of a third-rate martial artist?’
On top of that, the man was bare-fisted. Unless he had a godly weapon, if he didn’t wrap his hands in energy for protection, his skin would be shredded immediately.
Ju-seong smirked and removed the Silkworm Thread gauntlets from his hands, tucking them into his robes.
“Watch closely. I’ll show you that bare hands can pierce an iron plate.”
Ju-seong had drastically strengthened his body through Samadhi Body Refinement.
So he could easily crush the iron plate with powerful arm strength and internal energy.
But if internal energy was removed from the equation?
His only asset was his body, transformed to near Bone Cleansing and Marrow Washing level.
‘This is a good chance to properly test it.’
Ju-seong inhaled deeply. For the next quarter-ke, he intended to survive on this single breath.
-Tang.
His first punch lightly tapped the iron plate and withdrew.
“Huh?”
“Well… that guy stepped up so confidently.”
The warriors sighed softly, assuming this wasn’t going to be much of a show.
But Ju-seong’s second, third, fourth punches…
-Taang! Tang! Teong!
…and then the punches came faster and faster.
-Teodeodeodeong!
“Wh-what is that?”
Ju-seong’s fists were now almost invisible.
Meanwhile, the warriors in the room realized that not a trace of internal energy flowed from Ju-seong.
Normally, when using internal energy, one’s presence revealed itself and the nature of the energy could be felt.
Even assassins moving in stealth let their energy and presence be sensed once they were noticed.
“He’s really not using internal energy…”
“How on earth?”
As Ju-seong’s barrage continued, the center of the iron plate began to glow red.
His relentless pounding was heating the iron itself.
‘Crazy bastard…’
The examiner felt a cold trickle of sweat run down his neck as he thought.
That man was truly using no internal energy. No… even if he were secretly using it, such a feat wouldn’t be easy.
To hammer punches weak enough not to pierce the plate, at that insane speed, precisely into one spot to heat it?
Such a feat was only barely possible for the most promising rising stars of the Seven Sects and Three Families.
‘A monster I’ve never seen before has entered the Ascending Dragon Assembly.’
-Teodeodeodeodeong…!
The black iron plate heated up, a red circle spreading across its surface.
At the center of the red circle, an orange circle appeared and began devouring the red.
A yellow circle bloomed from the center of the orange, and at its core, a white circle brightened like the dawn.
-Teodeodeodeong… Puhwak!
Red molten iron splattered. Ju-seong’s fist punched through and withdrew.
Ju-seong quickly shook off the droplets clinging to his hand.
-Tutuk!
The warriors scrambled aside to avoid the searing drops.
The examiner stared blankly at the round hole dripping molten iron, then finally spoke.
“Pass…”
A hush fell over the room.
-Tok…
Just then, the incense timing the test broke and fell… the sound rang unnaturally loud in the warriors’ ears.
Ju-seong’s martial robes were tattered and singed from the violent exertion.
Ju-seong brushed off his clothes, then donned his silk robe with a stylish flourish.
Ju-seong had once been a performer. He knew how to captivate an audience.
-Peolleok.
A dazzling green swept grandly, teasing the onlookers’ eyes.
The examiner pulled a token from his robes and asked with trembling hands as he picked up a fine brush.
“Name?”
“Red ‘Ju.’ Star ‘seong.’ Ju-seong.”
“…Here it is. Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Taking the token made of ox horn, Ju-seong ambled out.
He paused briefly and turned to the cudgel-wielding man who had pointed him out.
“That’s how you do it.”
“…”
“Well then, have fun.”
Ju-seong strolled out of Training Ground C with a grin.
* * *
Ju-seong waited at the original gathering point for Red Beggar.
After about half a shichen, Red Beggar came swaggering over from the distance.
“You passed, right?”
“What kind of question is that? Obviously. I cleanly pierced it with just ten palm strikes.”
“Impressive.”
“How many times did you hit the iron plate, elder brother?”
Red Beggar grinned, planning to tease him if it was fewer than ten.
Ju-seong counted seriously and said.
“Let’s see. Probably over five hundred.”
“…”
Red Beggar’s face drained of color momentarily before he forced his composure back.
“Ha… haha! You’re fifty times worse than me! Hmm, five hundred… Is that even possible in a quarter-ke?”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re great.”
“By the way, I wonder if Chun-mong can pass.”
“Chun-mong? Why?”
“I’ve never seen him actually fight. I haven’t known him that long to begin with.”
“You’ve never seen him fight? How long have you known him?”
“I first met him when I returned to Henan Province after parting with you, elder brother. He’d slipped into the Beggars’ Sect while I was away. He’s sharp and has clear eyes, so I used him for important tasks… but I’ve never seen him really fight.”
“Do you know he uses a sword?”
“Hmm, I know he carries one. I know he practices sword at night too. Of course, I’ve never watched his practice.”
“He’s absolutely nothing to worry about, so don’t stress.”
“Really? Anyway, where’d that guy go…”
Red Beggar and Ju-seong returned to the inn for a meal, then visited a tavern to drink with a view of the Yangtze from a window seat.
“Ah, nice. I’ve stared at this river until I’m sick of it… but seeing it from up high while sipping expensive wine is something else.”
“The night breeze is pleasant.”
Just as they were about to wrap up and head back, a group of warriors entered the inn.
“Are you Ju-seong?”
Ju-seong raised one eyebrow and nodded.
“I am. And who are you?”
The warriors exchanged glances, then faced Ju-seong and spoke.
“The Jiangnan Coalition. Ascending Dragon Assembly participants from south of the Yangtze.”
South of the Yangtze was generally considered demonic faction territory, so there weren’t many Assembly participants from there.
Most occupied an ambiguous position between orthodox and demonic rather than claiming to be orthodox.
Naturally, the consensus was that Jiangnan would be at a disadvantage compared to Jiangbei.
‘But they don’t look disadvantaged.’
The men before Ju-seong now appeared to be quite skilled.
Among them, a man who would have been quite handsome if not for his fiercely upturned eyes stepped forward.
“I’m Cho Yu-gyeong from Guangdong. Do you know how the upcoming team battle works?”
Ju-seong wrinkled one side of his nose, then shook his head. Cho Yu-gyeong smiled and explained.
“As you saw from the first test, the Alliance divides the Central Plains into five regions to classify participants. The team battle likewise draws people evenly from each region to form one team.”
To summarize: three people from each region were randomly selected to form a team of fifteen for the team battle.
Three from Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. Three from Shandong, Northern Zhili, and Henan… and so on.
This was to prevent one team from being stacked with people from the same hometown who might gang up by numbers.
“Our Jiangnan Coalition has agreed to ally beforehand to gain an advantageous position in the team battle. Since Jiangbei is orthodox territory… shouldn’t Jiangnan folks stick together for better odds?”
Ju-seong tilted his head sideways, studying the man, then asked.
“Sichuan is roughly Jiangbei, isn’t it? Why recruit me?”
Cho Yu-gyeong smirked.
“After that display at the test, wasn’t that your signal to come join us because you want your talent recognized?”
Ju-seong’s expression twisted slightly.
‘I just wanted to make a name for myself.’
This was why, in jianghu, one should be strong first and foremost. When a strong person acted, people assumed there was some hidden intention behind it.
Cho Yu-gyeong continued.
“From what I’ve heard, you’re not from a prestigious sect either… Shouldn’t those outside the elite band together?”
Ju-seong stared at Cho Yu-gyeong for a moment, then spoke.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you’re fine? You’re threatening. If you don’t join, our Jiangnan Coalition will make you priority target number one in the team battle.”
“Hmm.”
Ju-seong nodded slowly, and in the next instant, he was in Cho Yu-gyeong’s face with movement bordering on phantom transposition.
-Pang!
So fast was his movement that the dust piled on the floor blew outward in a ring.
“Stop with the stink of rotten blood, and get out of this inn, you dregs. Who do you think you’re threatening?”
“Haha… Well, well. What hurtful words.”
Cho Yu-gyeong’s face went cold in an instant, and he turned on his heel to descend the stairs.
The warriors who had followed him also turned to leave.
Having reached the lower landing, Cho Yu-gyeong glanced back and said.
“I thought you were Sichuan’s Sleeping Dragon, but it turns out you’re a Mad Dragon with no sense of consequence.”
Ju-seong took a swig straight from the bottle, then hurled it down to the first floor.
-Jjanggeureang!
“If you’re seething to get even, come back up and fight.”
“Private disputes are forbidden during the Ascending Dragon Assembly. We’ll meet on the dueling stage.”
“Ayu, what a cute little punk…”
Ju-seong grinned, then let his face go cold as he pointed at the door.
“Get out.”
After the Jiangnan Coalition vanished, Red Beggar sidled over and asked.
“Elder Brother, why’d you go so hard on them?”
Ju-seong tapped his nose and replied.
“It’s not just the scent of martial artists’ blood. That guy… no matter how I look at it, he’s demonic faction. He’s infiltrated in disguise.”
At Ju-seong’s words, a faint smile bloomed on Red Beggar’s face.
“This is going to be fun.”
“You said it.”
Red Beggar casually fished some iron coins from Ju-seong’s money pouch and set them on the table.
“By the way, didn’t you just gain a new alias?”
Ju-seong glared at Red Beggar and retorted.
“What? Mad Dragon? You think I’ll wear an alias some nobody made up? Not a chance.”
A few days later, Ju-seong would learn that the world doesn’t always go as planned.