Chapter 734

The fourth round had concluded.

The matches, which had stretched late into the night, were over. Now, only sixteen competitors remained.

With only a few steps left before a new Champion was crowned, the scorching heat of the Hanam region felt particularly intense that day.

Though summer had officially ended, the lingering heat wasn’t entirely due to the martial arts tournament. If one were to pinpoint the cause...

“Let me meet So Yeomra just once!”

“I—I’m the head of the Northern Jade Trading Company! Someone from the Baekhwa Trading Company, please—”

It was undoubtedly because of the crowd packed outside the gates.

The area outside the lodging, which should have been quiet in the early morning, was instead bustling with noisy individuals.

It was already chaotic enough after Paejon stirred up trouble the other day.

But this time, it was even worse.

“So Yeomra is here, isn’t he?”

“Just one word—please!”

…And this time, it was more than half my fault, so I couldn’t even make excuses.

“Ugh...”

I pressed my aching forehead. It wasn’t even noon yet, and already this many people?

‘Damn it.’

I’d expected this might happen, but there were far more people than I imagined.

Should I just run away now? There were still two days until the round of sixteen began, so wouldn’t it be fine to hide out in the mountains for a while?

I was seriously considering it when—

“If you’re thinking of running away, I’d advise against it.”

A sharp voice from ahead erased that thought immediately.

“You’re not seriously thinking of disappearing after causing this mess, are you?”

“Of course not.”

I forced a smile at the voice’s owner—Moyong Hee-ah.

She nodded at my response and sipped her tea.

Her movements were still as elegant as ever.

“The Northern Jade Trading Company... the Milong Escort Agency... some truly hard-to-see faces have shown up.”

By reputation alone, they were all quite famous in Zhongyuan.

“Those people never even showed their faces when we tried to open trade routes with them... yet here they are, practically groveling.”

Her sharp smile sent a chill down my spine.

“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve used you much earlier.”

“Haha. Right?”

“Right...?”

Crap.

It seemed I’d said the wrong thing. Moyong Hee-ah’s expression grew colder.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Uh... no... I mean…”

“I went through hell trying to keep things under wraps for you. If you were going to cause trouble, you should’ve done it sooner.”

“...Sorry.”

“If you were going to stir up chaos, you could’ve at least done it in a way that we could use for publicity! You should’ve given me some kind of warning!”

“...”

That was the issue—being caught off guard.

I nodded as her reaction made sense.

‘I agree.’

In fact, that had been the plan.

If I was going to reveal my strength, it should have been on a higher stage—somewhere worthy of showing off.

But during the Divine Dragon’s fight, I’d ended up revealing far more than intended.

‘I got carried away…’

Maybe it was because he had potential.

Or maybe it was because he begged me to show my full strength.

The reason was hazy, but I’d definitely gotten swept up in the moment.

I was excited.

His determination to stand and fight ignited something in me.

Even as his hands bled and his skin tore, he continued climbing the wall I’d placed in front of him.

‘If I had to pick the one most different from my past life, it’d be him.’

He didn’t crumble. He didn’t break.

What he showed was exactly that.

And yet, in the past, he’d been utterly ruined.

The thought made me wonder how that had ever happened.

“Sir, what are you thinking about right now?”

“...Nothing.”

“You were definitely thinking about something.”

“No, I was focused on what you were saying.”

“What did I just say, then?”

“...You said if I was going to cause trouble, I should’ve done it better.”

“That was ages ago…”

Apparently, the conversation had drifted that far while I was lost in thought.

Seeing my distracted state, Moyong Hee-ah sighed and ran a hand down her face.

Even after just one day, she already looked noticeably worn out.

It seemed she’d been through a lot.

“…I was talking about the sponsorship offer from the Yujeon Trading Company.”

“Ah, right. That.”

Honestly, I hadn’t heard a single word of it, but I nodded anyway.

“Yes, the sponsorship... exactly.”

“Are you going to accept it?”

“No, I don’t need it.”

I rejected it outright. Moyong Hee-ah responded as if she’d expected that.

“Yujeon Trading Company is on par with Baekhwa Trading Company. Are you sure?”

On par with Baekhwa Trading Company.

In other words, one of the top five trading companies in Zhongyuan.

Those trading companies like the Northern Jade Trading Company and various escort agencies might be somewhat famous in their own right.

But in the grand scheme of things, they were just ordinary.

However, if we talk about the world above them, the story changes.

Some of those groups might have more wealth than even renowned noble families, and among them, the Yujeon Trading Company occupied an especially high position.

“I don’t need money, and I’m not interested in grabbing onto hands that are only reaching out now.”

Money wasn’t an issue.

Over the years—and in my past life—I had steadily built my foundation using information. Even without that—

“My official sponsor is already the Baekhwa Trading Company. Sending someone now, knowing that, is nothing more than testing the waters.”

Even if the head of their company had come personally, I wouldn’t have welcomed it. Sending some random representative to ‘have a chat’ wasn’t a great look either.

Especially considering that my relationship with Lady Mi was publicly recognized as that of a mother and son.

“If any other companies reach out, turn them down too.”

“‘If’ other companies reach out? Most of them already have.”

With that, Moyong Hee-ah placed a thick stack of letters onto the table.

It looked ready to collapse if I so much as nudged it.

“Do you know that all the talk in Hanam right now is about you?”

“More or less…?”

“It’s only Hanam for now, but it’ll spread nationwide soon. Word is that even the Beggar’s Sect has started moving.”

Two months, give or take.

By then, the rumors would have reached even the most distant regions.

Just like how the tale of the Divine Dragon’s fight had spread overnight.

“Of course, even if the story spreads, shutting down talks about trading companies won’t be too hard.”

Naturally. That’s exactly why I tied myself to the Baekhwa Trading Company in advance.

And it wasn’t just any company—it was Baekhwa.

Being sponsored by such a company, and officially recognized as their ‘son,’ meant it was easy to turn down other offers.

But—

“But… it’s going to be difficult to move around unnoticed from now on. Are you okay with that?”

This time, it wasn’t like before.

It wasn’t just a matter of changing my nickname and letting things fade out.

My appearance and identity were out there now, along with all the names that had become attached to me.

The Next Great Master of the World.

The Monster That Shattered Stars.

The Martial Artist of the Comet.

A Genius Destined for History.

The Secret Weapon of the Gu Family.

The list went on.

“Ugh…”

Damn it. I felt sick.

What the hell was all this? It was disgusting.

Seeing my expression, Moyong Hee-ah shook her head.

“You’ll just have to endure it. Besides… it’s not like any of those titles are wrong.”

Not wrong, my ass.

Maybe it seemed that way to others, but none of it felt right to me.

It churned my stomach—this feeling of being pushed onto a pedestal I hadn’t asked for.

But—

‘I have to endure it.’

This, too, was something I had to withstand.

It wasn’t a matter of preference but of necessity. I had no choice but to push through it.

“Sir, if I may ask…”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Why, exactly, did you grab the Divine Dragon’s head…?”

“...”

I let out a dry laugh at her question, which was filled with genuine confusion.

I could guess why she was asking.

The rumors that had spread alongside my new titles probably had something to do with it.

-So Yeomra completely crushed the Divine Dragon.

-Even when the Divine Dragon begged for mercy, So Yeomra pummeled him without stopping.

-The Divine Dragon clung to So Yeomra’s leg, bleeding all over the place.

-After the match, So Yeomra grabbed the Divine Dragon’s head and humiliated him.

Stories like these had been circulating as part of the aftermath of the match.

“Who beat who now?”

I was dumbfounded.

How could such ridiculous rumors even spread?

Crumpled him?

‘…Well, that part’s true.’

I did beat him into a wreck during the fight.

But the same could be said for me.

‘The places he hit still ache.’

His Hundred Steps Divine Fist had struck me right in the chest, flames burning through my defenses.

I’d taken hit after hit, blocking most of it with Qi, but my bones still felt like they were cracked.

Honestly, it would be fairer to say we both went too far.

‘Not that I couldn’t have ended it sooner.’

It wouldn’t have taken more than two or three exchanges if I’d gone all out.

But I’d dragged it out a bit—let him struggle more.

‘…I got carried away too.’

It had been a moment of indulgence—wanting to see what he was capable of.

“But humiliation? That’s ridiculous.”

“Then you didn’t grab his head?”

“I did.”

“…What?”

“But not for that reason.”

Humiliation? What a joke.

‘After all the trouble I went through to help him.’

His body had been wrecked, and his Qi reserves were completely drained.

His breathing had become shallow, signaling the onset of Qi deviation—a condition that could kill him or leave him crippled.

For a single sparring match, that outcome would have been too tragic.

So I acted.

-“Shut your mouth and breathe through your nose. If you force anything, you’ll die.”

I’d grabbed the Divine Dragon’s head and immediately stabilized his Qi.

I calmed the chaotic energy, purified the impurities building up inside him, and burned off the excess.

I couldn’t fix his broken bones, but at least it prevented Qi deviation.

Whether it was the sudden energy flow or sheer exhaustion, the Divine Dragon had passed out immediately.

And that’s how the rumors started.

-Unable to endure So Yeomra’s humiliation, the Divine Dragon fainted.

-Or—

-So Yeomra enjoys tormenting the weak.

-He’s arrogant despite his talent and indulges in women and pleasure.

Seriously.

Why the hell were the rumors about me filled with so much nonsense?

‘How am I supposed to live with this crap?’

Especially that part about indulging in women and pleasures—where the hell did that come from?

As if there’s anyone cleaner than me in how they live.

“Should I request the Beggar’s Sect to issue a correction about the rumors?”

“…Forget it. It’ll die down eventually.”

“No matter how I look at it… it doesn’t seem like it will.”

“Anyway, that’s enough about this. Just wrap up the matters with the trading companies like we discussed.”

“Understood.”

I downed the rest of my tea in one go, trying to cool the burning irritation in my stomach.

‘Now then… what’s next?’

I’d already adjusted my plans to match the changing schedule, but the martial arts tournament still had about seven days left.

‘I’d like to make it all the way to the end if possible.’

The problem, though—

‘When will the Sword Union Leader arrive in Hanam?’

Depending on his arrival, I might have to move my plans up.

There was something I needed to take care of when he got here.

“Hm…”

I’d already sent word to the Pillar Horse Clan.

The Hwangbo Clan should be making preparations, too. So now, I just needed to keep an eye on the Mount Hua Sect and feel out the Martial Alliance.

Looking at it this way, things seemed to be falling into place.

‘No, I can’t let my guard down.’

I absolutely couldn’t afford to get careless.

Whenever things started going smoothly, it always meant something was about to blow up in my face.

My damn luck had always been like that.

‘Something’s bound to go wrong if I relax now.’

I couldn’t let that happen.

No matter what, I had to handle everything properly.

I steeled myself, tension sharpening my focus—

“Sir?”

“Hm? What?”

“You weren’t listening again, were you?”

“…Sorry.”

Moyong Hee-ah must have been saying something earlier.

I apologized briefly, and she didn’t even react anymore—she’d grown used to it.

“So, what were you saying?”

“I mentioned that we have a guest waiting.”

“A guest? Oh.”

I finally remembered.

When Moyong Hee-ah had come to see me earlier, she’d asked if she could bring someone along.

She’d said the person had come specifically to see me, and I’d told her it was fine.

“They just arrived. Since they’re from a trading company, I thought I should let you know first.”

“A trading company?”

I frowned at that.

Hadn’t I just told her to reject anyone from a trading company?

And yet, the guest she brought turned out to be one of them?

Judging by her expression, it definitely wasn’t someone from Baekhwa Trading Company.

“Who is it?”

“They’re from Evergarden Trading Company.”

“Evergarden Trading Company…?”

I widened my eyes at her words.

If it was Evergarden Trading Company—

‘That’s the richest trading company in Zhongyuan.’

Setting aside their influence, they were officially the wealthiest group in the region.

“If martial pride can’t be bought with money, then you must not be offering enough.”

That was a famous quote from one of Evergarden’s former leaders.

And true to those words, he’d once hired none other than the top martial artist of the time, the Iron-Blooded Leader, as his personal bodyguard.

When people asked how much he’d paid to hire the greatest martial artist in the world, his response had been calm and simple:

-“I paid an amount befitting my worth.”

Money enough to make the world’s strongest move.

That was wealth beyond imagination.

And now—

‘Someone from that company came to see me?’

First it was Yujeon Trading Company, and now Evergarden Trading Company.

Had I really shown them something worth moving for?

It felt oddly refreshing.

But—

“Like I said earlier, even if it’s not the head of the company but just an employee, this still—”

“They’re not just an employee.”

“Then what, did the company head come here personally?”

“Yes.”

“What…?”

“…They came to see you in person.”

“What?”

As I stared at her in disbelief, I felt a presence just beyond the door, as if it had been waiting for this moment.

Knock, knock.

I’d sensed it earlier, but now it was clear.

“…Who is it?”

-“Greetings. I’ve come from Evergarden Trading Company.”

A calm and trustworthy voice flowed through the door.

“Come in.”

I hesitated for a moment before granting permission.

The door opened, and a man stepped inside.

“Thank you for granting me this audience.”

He looked to be in his forties, with a gentle and kind appearance that exuded sincerity.

And yet, the moment I saw him, my expression hardened.

‘This guy…?’

I knew that face.

Even if the wrinkles were lighter than before, it wasn’t a face I could fail to recognize.

I didn’t know him well, but he was someone worth remembering.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jang Yoo-myung, the head of Evergarden Trading Company.”

And of course—

Jang Yoo-myung, head of Evergarden Trading Company.

He had been the same head in my past life as well, a tycoon among tycoons.

“Please, just call me Jang.”

More importantly—

He had been the official sponsor of Wi Seol-ah, the Divine Sword.