Baek Woo Jin who usually slept and woke whenever he pleased woke up at a set time for the first time in a while.
This was because he had heard that the match draw was scheduled to take place at the main arena of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, and that failure to attend would result in automatic disqualification.
As he left the dormitory, he noticed a crowd heading toward the Grand Martial Arts Arena. He joined the flow.
Along the way, he overheard a few groups engaging in an interesting conversation.
“Who are you betting on?”
“Obviously, I’m betting on Myeong Jin, the genius of Shaolin.”
“You’re choosing the safe route?”
“Better safe than sorry. Who are you betting on?”
“From what I’ve seen of the matches, Namgong Soo has exceptional skills.”
“Hah, Namgong Clan against Shaolin, just thinking about it gets me excited!”
Is that so?
A deep smile spread across Baek Woo Jin’s face as he listened to their conversation.
There’s betting involved?
From the cautious way they were discussing it, it didn’t seem like the betting was happening openly, but considering how often it was mentioned, it appeared to be a well-known secret among those in the know.
The names being mentioned were mostly the same.
Namgong Soo of the Namgong Clan, Myeong Jin of the Shaolin Temple, and Han Baek of the Wudang Sect.
These individuals were referred to as the “Three Dragons” among the students, and it was widely believed that they had already secured their places as the top contenders. They were ahead by two or three levels compared to the other top students.
The public opinion was similar. Even within the strictly regulated grounds of the Jeongmu Academy, the Hao Sect had infiltrated disguised as workers, and their gathered intelligence included detailed information about the outstanding late-stage students within the academy.
“Betting, huh.”
This could be interesting.
He had thought that the only thing to gain from this tournament was a spiritual elixir, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
With a friendly smile, Baek Woo Jin approached the two men who were having a conversation nearby.
“Excuse me, gentlemen.”
“…What do you want?”
One of the men looked at Baek Woo Jin with wary eyes.
“Could you tell me where these bets are being placed?”
“W-What bets are you talking about?”
“Betting in the sacred grounds of Jeongmu Academy? Are you asking for trouble?”
They were quite skilled at feigning innocence but it had no effect on Baek Woo Jin who had already heard everything.
“Let’s settle this peacefully, shall we?”
A menacing aura began to emanate from his smiling face. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the two men quickly changed their demeanor.
“W-We will escort you.”
“Please, follow us!”
The place they hurriedly led him to was an inn on the outskirts of the Academy. It was a place frequented by students and usually bustling with customers, but today, despite the busy season, there was a sign on the door that read “Closed” and the place wasn’t open for business.
“Here it is.”
“…It’s closed?”
“Hehe, just a ruse.”
After all, it’s not something they can do openly.
Indeed, when Baek Woo Jin focused his internal energy on his ears to listen to the sounds inside the inn, he could hear a surprisingly large number of voices. This was quite unusual for a place that was supposedly closed.
“Thank you for the introduction.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“We’re glad to have been of help.”
Baek Woo Jin, who was touched by their continued politeness, called the two men closer and spoke.
“As a token of appreciation for your kindness, I’ll give you an important piece of information.”.
“What…?”
“Bet on Baek Woo Jin.”
He will be the winner of this martial arts tournament.
The two men looked at him with strange expressions on their faces. Their faces were half-smiling and half-twisted in disgust.
To recommend someone we’ve never even heard of!
They had heard rumors before—about instigators who spread false information to confuse people and raise the odds for their chosen targets. The two men were convinced that Baek Woo Jin standing before them was just that sort of person.
What a vile bastard.
Trash!
The oblivious Baek Woo Jin who was now labeled as worthless scum in their minds turned away with a satisfied expression on his face. He was thinking he had done another good deed today.
After briefly straying from the path, he finally arrived at the Grand Martial Arts Arena, where a massive crowd had formed an impenetrable wall like the Great Wall of China.
On the martial stage, all the contestants except for himself were already waiting. They each wore a different expression as they anticipated the start of the match draw.
“Y-Young Master Baek…!”
One of them, Jegal Yeon Ji who was standing at the far left shyly waved her hand at him. As Baek Woo Jin approached her and scanned the faces of the other finalists, he noticed Shin Ye Hwa whom he hadn’t seen at all the previous day.
For some reason, she was standing at the far right which was the exact opposite of Jegal Yeon Ji. And she was glaring at Baek Woo Jin with a resentful look as he arrived late.
What’s her problem?
Wondering if something had happened, he tried to meet her eyes, but she quickly turned her head away.
It seemed she had some sort of complaint, but Baek Woo Jin walked right past her and headed toward Jegal Yeon Ji.
She can handle it herself.
He didn’t want to bother going out of his way to calm her down like she was a child. Baek Woo Jin disliked anything vague or confusing, and that included what people often called “women’s language”.
If she were someone he cared for, he might have taken the time to soothe her but that wasn’t the case here.
Big brother will take care of it.
Besides, Baek Moo Hyeok who was great at reading people and easing tensions was by her side, so there was no need to worry.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Um…”
Baek Woo Jin suddenly grew curious.
“So, how long are you planning to keep stuttering in front of me?”
“Th-That…”
Jegal Yeon Ji began to fidget and twist her body. She was clearly flustered by the unexpected question.
“Th-That’s, I mean…”
It seemed unlikely that she would be able to give an answer.
“Never mind, I was just asking. Speak however you’re comfortable.”
“Yes…”
Her slightly crestfallen expression brought a wry smile to his face.
It felt like he was raising a small kitten or hamster. Just as Baek Woo Jin reached out to pat her on the head, he suddenly felt a sharp gaze on him.
And when he turned to look, he saw a familiar face.
Yoo Hwa Yeon who was standing a short distance away was looking in his direction with an unreadable expression on her face.
When their eyes met, she quickly turned her head away.
“What was that about?”
A sense of foreboding washed over him. Surely, it hadn’t started already.
As Baek Woo Jin’s expression suddenly darkened, Jegal Yeon Ji grew visibly flustered and began to fidget nervously. Meanwhile, Vice Headmaster Eon Jin Seop stepped onto the stage with a large box that had a gaping hole on one side.
“Thank you for waiting! We will now begin the Dragon and Phoenix Martial Arts Tournament finals draw!”
“Waaaaa!”
Thunderous cheers that were loud enough to make the sky tremble followed.
This was a clear testament to how eagerly the people of this era, with their limited forms of entertainment, poured their intense interest into the annual Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.
“Who will be the first to draw their match?”
“I will go first.”
As soon as Eon Jin Seop’s call rang out, Namgong Soo was the first to raise his hand and step forward.
Baek Woo Jin had somewhat expected this.
Such an attention seeker.
Namgong Soo was the type who not only enjoyed but also relished the attention he received.
Not a bad trait, though.
People like him tended to perform even better when they were in the spotlight. And in a martial arts competition like this where large crowds gathered, he had the perfect temperament.
Namgong Soo walked up with confident strides, reached into the box, and quickly pulled his hand out.
“Number 24!”
“Namgong Soo, number 24!”
His nameplate was placed in the lowest of the thirty-two slots on the left side of the large matchboard.
Following Namgong Soo, those confident in their skills eagerly stepped forward to draw their match numbers.
“Shin Ye Hwa, number 12!”
“Hwangbo Jun Geol, number 4!”
“Myung Jin, number 36!”
“Han Baek, number 60!”
The matchboard gradually filled up. At this point, Baek Woo Jin gave Jegal Yeon Ji a gentle push forward.
“Ah….”
Jegal Yeon Ji stumbled a little and then she squeezed her eyes shut as she reached into the box.
“Jegal Yeon Ji, number 42!”
As soon as her nameplate was placed, Yoo Hwa Yeon who had been quietly observing stepped forward.
“Yoo Hwa Yeon, number 48!”
When he confirmed her nameplate, Baek Woo Jin’s eyes widened.
“This is going to be tricky.”
If Jegal Yeon Ji and Yoo Hwa Yeon each won two matches, this means they would be set to face each other in the round of 16.
“Of all rounds, why the round of 16?”
The titles of Dragon and Phoenix were given to the eight students who reached the quarterfinals. If they were to lose in the round of 16, the bitterness would be hard to swallow unless they had been eliminated from the very beginning.
“You, you’re too much…!”
Jegal Yeon Ji who had just returned from the drawing pouted. Her cheeks were puffing up in discontent; she was clearly upset that he had pushed her earlier.
Seeing her like that made him realize that his worries had been unnecessary.
Right, it’s just a match. There’s no need to worry.
He had already cut ties with Yoo Hwa Yeon, and Jegal Yeon Ji was simply a friend with no real connection to her.
If he were to indulge in a bit of selfishness, Baek Woo Jin hoped Jegal Yeon Ji wouldn’t advance to the quarterfinals and become one of the Phoenixes. After all, he had already marked her as the strategist of his team.
The thought of her bossing around her own team with a meek expression on her face brought a smile to his face.
“Hehe, this is good.”
“What’s good…?”
Jegal Yeon Ji tilted her head in confusion at Baek Woo Jin’s ambiguous words.
“There’s something like that.”
He couldn’t bring himself to voice the thought, weighed down by a lingering sense of guilt.
As the match brackets were nearly filled, Baek Woo Jin seized the moment and slowly walked forward.
He rummaged through the few remaining slips of paper in the box and picked one that felt right.
When he unfolded it, the number fourteen was written on it.
“Baek Woo Jin, number 14!”
Baek Woo Jin’s gaze scanned the match brackets.
“Uh… hmm.”
The nameplate of his first opponent number 13 displayed a familiar name.
His eyes rolled as he searched for his opponent and soon he spotted him not far away, frozen in shock with his mouth agape. Baek Woo Jin approached him with a smile and casually slung an arm around his opponent’s shoulder.
“Gu Wang Soo, how are you doing?”
Baek Woo Jin leaned in close to Gu Wang Soo’s ear, who was frozen like a frog before a snake, and whispered.
“It seems we’re fated to meet. Don’t you think so too?”
Gu Wang Soo’s face began to drain of color and it turned deathly pale.
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