Chapter 625: Let’s Remember This Moment for a Long Time

Baek Suryong said, "Shame on you!"

The whole city buzzed with excitement as early as the crack of dawn.

“The Dragon and Phoenix Tournament brackets are out! All you masters with an eye for spotting winners, bring your stakes!”

Number One said nothing, though his eyebrows twitched. He knew the pain in their hearts was proof that the Blood Demon’s sorcery was slowly being undone. Little by little, they were slipping free of the curse that had ruled their entire lives and were transforming into people who could think and judge for themselves.

“Limited edition Azure Dragon Emblems engraved with the Heavenly Martial Festival championship seal! Buy now because you won’t be able to get one later!”

“Hey! The results aren’t even in yet! If you peddle something like that, you’ll have to answer for it later!”

“Sweet treats for snacking on during the duels!”

Today was the final day of the seven-day, seven-night Heavenly Martial Festival. Eight students had progressed to the quarterfinals of the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, and each of them was ready to unveil the martial arts they had honed for the chance to be named the world’s greatest prodigy. Connoisseurs sometimes called the last day’s duels the True Dragon and Phoenix Tournament for this reason.

This year, one unexpected result after another had occurred since day one, and the innkeepers and street vendors of the city were thrilled beyond measure.

Not even the mighty Shaolin and Wudang could do a damn thing against the Azure Dragon Hero, could they?

“At this rate, the Azure Dragon Academy might actually win, don’t you think?”

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. The Dragon and Phoenix Tournament could flip the leaderboard.”

“Bro, that’s only because you didn’t see how strong Shaolin’s Divine Dragon was last year. Who knows how much stronger he’s gotten since then? Not one prodigy has withstood more than ten of his attacks yet, am I right?”

“They don’t call the millennium-old Shaolin the pillar of the murim for nothing.”

People pored over the brackets, predicting outcomes and naming champions. Wherever a crowd formed, a heated debate ensued.

“From the Heavenly Martial Academy!

Money constantly changed hands over bets. Arguments over which student to cheer for often escalated into fistfights.

“Hmph ! Not even the mighty Shaolin and Wudang could do a damn thing against the Azure Dragon Hero, could they?”

Ilgak chanted the Buddha’s name as he repeatedly inscribed the character for patience in his mind.

“Haven’t you heard? The Azure Dragon Hero’s students learned the martial arts of the heroes who saved the murim! They’re the real deal, unlike the Nine Sects masters who live immersed in their own little worlds.”

“...Their own little worlds? Did you just insult the Shaolin Temple in front of me, a secular Shaolin disciple? Apologize this instant!”

“You were a secular disciple of Shaolin? No wonder you’re a bit sparse up top...”

“Grrr! This drunkard is spouting filth! Outside! Now!”

The spectator seats were filled before daybreak. Not even the biting cold of a winter morning could dispel the heat radiating from the crowd.

Raucous drinking parties, gambling dens, and brawls had plagued every street since first light. All morning, the Murim Alliance patrols sprinted from one disturbance to the next.

By the day’s end, a new superstar would be crowned. The Azure Dragon Academy might also win the Heavenly Martial Festival overall championship, an honor the Heavenly Martial Academy had never surrendered. Perhaps the prospect of witnessing that piece of history in person was what had everyone so worked up.

“The Azure Dragon Academy is really about to pull off something epic, isn’t it?”

“It isn’t impossible. I hear every martial art the Azure Dragon Hero taught his students is either a divine art or an ultimate technique.”

“The world is so unfair. Not only has he mastered multiple divine arts, he also has a dashing face. How much fun must the Azure Dragon Hero be having?”

The first clash of the final day saw the voices backing each boy collide long before their swords did. The support for Shaolin’s Divine Dragon was overwhelming. He was last year’s champion, Shaolin’s greatest prodigy, inheritor of the Supreme Buddha’s martial arts, and carried the expectations of the entire murim on his back. True to that reputation, Ilgak had yet to engage in more than ten exchanges in a single duel.

If one listened closely to all the chattering and laughing, two phrases would pop up more than any other: ‘Azure Dragon Academy’ and ‘Azure Dragon Hero.’

Sagon took in the sights and sounds of the vibrant city. The first festival he had ever attended was filled with strange and wonderful things. Every experience was new and startling, so much so that the last seven days seemed to have flown by in a blur.

He was privileged to officiate the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals personally and to watch the matches from up close.

“Young man! Have some meatbuns! Since today’s the last day, I’ll sell them to you for cheap!”

An old woman whose face he had come to recognize over the past few days packed a cloth full of steaming meatbuns for him. Hers was the best meatbun stall in the district.

Sagon nodded his thanks and pushed his way through the enormous crowd toward the spectator seats where his friends were waiting. His hands were loaded down with meatbuns, sweets, pancakes, and tanghulu.1

Number Three, who had vanished at dawn, greeted him dryly, “You’re here.”

His eyes went wide and gleamed like a predator sizing up prey.

Sagon pulled out a pancake and held it out, and Number Three did not refuse it.

“Good timing. It’s just about to start,” Number Two remarked as she took a tanghulu from him. Before taking a bite, she lightly froze her snack.

“I don’t need any.”

Finally, Sagon offered meat buns to Number One, who folded his arms and declined. He tried offering every other snack he had, but got the same answer each time. No matter what he tried, the man wouldn’t even look at him.

Sagon glared at him for a moment, then sighed. Ever since meeting their old instructor two days ago, Number One had been acting as though half his mind had wandered off somewhere and never come back. Every so often, he would even mutter something that made absolutely no sense to anyone.

The spectator seats were filled before daybreak. Not even the biting cold of a winter morning could dispel the heat radiating from the crowd.

“He said he’s never forgotten a single one...”

“He wants to teach us again?”

“How could we possibly forgive each other?”

Number One wasn’t the only one like this, either. Each of the apostles sat lost in his or her own thoughts, staring blankly at the duel stage. Their eyes were fixed somewhere far beyond the stage, wavering as they traced their pasts and the trajectories of their lives.

“I feel like...something is squeezing my heart,” Number Three mumbled out of nowhere.

Number Two nodded weakly. “...Me too.”

Number One said nothing, though his eyebrows twitched. He knew the pain in their hearts was proof that the Blood Demon’s sorcery was slowly being undone. Little by little, they were slipping free of the curse that had ruled their entire lives and were transforming into people who could think and judge for themselves.

“......” Sagon quietly observed his friends. Having experienced this process himself, he understood exactly how much turmoil the three of them were currently going through.

Number One said nothing, though his eyebrows twitched. He knew the pain in their hearts was proof that the Blood Demon’s sorcery was slowly being undone. Little by little, they were slipping free of the curse that had ruled their entire lives and were transforming into people who could think and judge for themselves.

I told you before. The martial arts our master taught us are protecting us.

Since arriving at the Heavenly Martial Festival, he had watched them change gradually. These changes were subtle: a shift in tone, a trivial gesture, the way they stared without blinking whenever a junior disciple stepped onto the duel stage, and the quiet breath of relief they let out afterward without noticing.

Suddenly, he couldn’t hold himself back. Throwing his arms around all three of them, he pulled them into a tight hug.

“Hup! W-What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Why, all of a sudden...”

“Let go of me!”