Chapter 616: I’ve Kept You Waiting Too Long

“You’ve all worked hard,” Baek Suryong said, looking around at the students who had returned to the lodgings.

Dejected and resentful faces stared back at him.

Baek Suryong sighed. The mood was excellent when Wiji Cheon flattened the Diancang Sect’s prodigy. After that, though, our luck went straight to hell.

The Azure Dragon Academy’s bracket overlapped with the Heavenly Martial Academy’s an unnatural number of times. Whenever it didn’t, the Azure Dragon Academy faced the most promising prodigies from the other academies.

Finally, Shaolin’s Divine Dragon Ilgak broke Tang Soso’s arm as soon as the final duel of the day began.

“I’m sorry, I truly didn’t mean to hurt Young Lady Tang so badly. I reasoned that no ordinary threat would make her back down, so I couldn’t afford to go easy on her...” Ilgak apologized sincerely before descending the stage.

His Adamantine Immovable Movement Art had left a golden afterimage as it crossed the stage. Tang Soso spent the whole match preparing to unleash her Rain of Ten Thousand Blossoms, but it never got to bloom.

The crowd cheered fervently in admiration of Ilgak’s overwhelming prowess, which wiped away every trace of Wiji Cheon’s dominance.

And so, the first day of the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament ended.

“My opponent was just too strong. Of all the people to draw, last year’s champion? I really thought I’d win at least the first match and advance. Some Vice President I am, huh?”

“Soso, you did fine, you were just unlucky.” Dokgo Jun sighed as he tightened the splint on her right arm.

Tang Soso bit down hard on her lip. “......”

Whatever the reason, losing still stung. She had been trying hard to appear unbothered, but Dokgo Jun’s words finally made her hang her head.

The mood in the room was gloomy. More Azure Dragon Academy students lost in the tournament than won.

Mok Hyungwoo, a fourth-year student, joked with his juniors in his usual laid-back manner. “Why does everyone look so miserable? Anyone walking in would think someone died.”

At times like this, the upperclassmen were better suited than the instructors to break the tension. Geo Sangwoong and the other seniors chimed in right behind Mok Hyungwoo.

“Does anyone here have any regrets? I trained so hard that I don’t have room for regrets.”

“So? You juniors lost once. Big deal. Since when has winning been the norm for us? This is honestly weird.”

The juniors nodded sheepishly.

Their seniors had a point. Since when had winning ever been the norm for the Azure Dragon Academy? Losing, being ignored, and being treated as though they weren’t there at all—that was what they had always experienced. This year’s focused hostility was the genuinely unexpected part.

“Exactly. Besides, everyone who we expected to advance succeeded, right?”

Tang Soso’s head snapped up from where it had been hanging.

Dokgo Jun blinked in shock. “Soso? Weren’t you crying?”

“Why on earth would I be crying?”

Tang Soso stared at Dokgo Jun, utterly baffled. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed to slits. “Oh, I see. Right, you won your match. Are you rubbing salt in my wound because I lost?”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I...” Flustered, Dokgo Jun waved his hands, trying to explain himself.

A barrage of jeers rained down on the Student Council President, questioning his character. Of course, they were playful jeers, aimed squarely at clearing the air. After all, he, Hyonwon Kang, Wiji Cheon, and Yoo Yiran were the only four Azure Dragon Academy students still competing after the first day of the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.

Once the gloom was lifted, the students turned their attention to a far more interesting question: Who would be crowned champion this year?

“The champion is obviously Wiji Cheon.”

“Obviously. Didn’t you see him completely trash an actual Dragon?”

“Did you hear what he said afterward? ‘Do your best, or worst. I’ll beat you no matter what you do.’ Seriously, I got the chills when I heard that!”

The Champion Wiji Cheon theory rapidly took over the room.

Hyonwon Kang, who had been listening in silence, couldn’t help but start twitching his eyebrow. “Hey, you little bastards are really pushing it. I won in nine exchanges, you know? If we’re going by time, I won way faster than Cheon did!”

“But Wonkang, your match didn’t have any wow factor at all.”

“You kept trying to start a staring contest with Peng Sahyuk, but he ignored you. That was a bit...”

“Kinda petty, honestly...”

Seniors and juniors alike piled criticism onto Hyonwon Kang. Every single one of them had imagined torturing the worst delinquent at least once, so they were delighted to finally have the oppotunity.

Though... If Wiji Cheon and Hyonwon Kang went at each other seriously, who will win?

Everyone at the Azure Dragon Academy knew of Wiji Cheon’s genius. However, Hyonwon Kang was hardly less talented, and when it came to martial arts, his growth had been far more explosive. Many students still remembered him witnessing him defeat the Ten Great Villains.

Hyonwon Kang. Wiji Cheon.

On the surface, Wiji Cheon had the edge, but the students were largely divided in their opinions.

Unaware of their thoughts, Hyonwon Kang pouted and grumbled. Meanwhile, Wiji Cheon scratched his cheek awkwardly.

CLAP!

Baek Suryong, who had been quietly observing the whole scene, clapped his hands together. Every eye in the room turned to him.

“Everyone, focus.”

He looked over the students with obvious approval, pleased that they had shaken off the taste of defeat without an instructor’s help. He decided it was safe to tell them the truth about the doping and match fixing now.

“You didn’t lose because of a lack of skill.”

“Huh?”

The students exchanged puzzled looks.

Baek Suryong continued as casually as if he were discussing the weather. “I looked into it. Those Heavenly Martial Academy brats went to bed last night after swallowing expensive elixirs. On top of that, it seems the Principal of the Heavenly Martial Academy personally taught each of them a secret technique. I also have a strong suspicion that the matches were not, in fact, random...”

“No wonder...!”

“Those cheating bastards!”

Emotions that had just subsided flared up again. This time, instead of the sting of inferiority, they were filled with rage aimed squarely at the other side.

Had Baek Suryong told them sooner, he might have spared them from their earlier bout of self-pity. However, he had deliberately held back because he wanted them to climb out of that hole on their own.

“So what? Are you planning to insist that you actually won just because the fight wasn’t fair?”

“......” The students’ complaints died in their throats at the coldness in Baek Suryong’s voice.

They understood the message he wanted to convey. Since the fight was unfair, they had no reason to dwell on a loss that wasn’t entirely their fault. Regardless, they couldn’t take comfort in this consolation. A loss was still a loss. In real combat, they had to win even under disadvantageous conditions.

That should be enough of a jolt.