When the fight started up again, it was the Black Path men who panicked.

The one who looked like the overseer barked:

“What are you doing? Get in there and pull him out!”

They hadn’t put the tigers in there for them to be killed.

It was just a setup to separate gems from stones.

Live tigers were precious.

If something went wrong, their superiors would blame them.

Hesitating, they rushed into the cage the moment one tiger fell.

The overseer followed after his men.

But by the time they arrived, the fight was already over.

Cheers from the crowd poured down like rain.

“Damn it. Do you know how much those cost.”

The overseer, about to lose his temper, shut his mouth.

Gyo-ha was looking at him with indifferent eyes.

When the overseer fell silent, Gyo-ha turned his gaze to the tigers.

What he did next, no one expected.

He pressed his palms together and bowed to the tigers.

An act you’d expect from Taoists or Buddhists.

“Treatise on the Response of the Tao, bring peace and goodness.”

A brief scripture came from Gyo-ha’s lips.

So different from before, his reverent demeanor made even the spectators hold their breath as they watched.

Then Gyo-ha raised his head and looked to the Black Path men.

“So what’s next?”

Gyo-ha’s eyes sparkled.

No trace of the ferocity from the fight or the solemnness from the chant remained on his face.

It was the simple smile of a country youth who had just arrived in the city.

Seeing that, the overseer realized:

‘He’s a lunatic.’

This lunatic mustn’t be provoked.

“J-just rest in your room. We’ll send word.”

“Ah… we’re not fighting right away?”

Gyo-ha smacked his lips, disappointed.

Blood was still dripping from his open wounds.

Swallowing hard, the overseer knew again he’d judged right.

“What are you guys doing? Why aren’t you showing the young hero…our great hero to his room?”

“This way, please!”

Startled by the overseer’s glare, a Black Path man hurried to lead.

As Gyo-ha followed, the overseer looked down at the dead tiger.

The hide was a ruin from how rough the fight had been.

At that point its value as a “product” had dropped.

Then there were the applicants watching in frightened silence at the edge.

There were still many left.

How was he supposed to sort them now?

The overseer’s vision went dark.

Gyo-ha glanced around.

A shabby, bare room.

They said it was for main-bracket entrants to rest, and that the main event had yet to begin. He would have to pass two preliminaries tomorrow.

When he makes it all the way through and wins, there will be three matches in the main event.

So the fact there were preliminaries wasn’t bad.

‘The more fights, the better.’

Three fights wouldn’t be enough.

Thinking that, Gyo-ha moved his body.

Pain rose with every motion.

Blood seeped into the cloth wrapped around his wounds.

“…It’s been so long. I really enjoyed it.”

He hadn’t even dodged what he could. Hence his current condition.

But he had no regrets.

How long had it been since he had a real fight?

“It would’ve been better if they’d been in decent shape.”

They’d been starving too long. Their wild instincts were dulled.

And a wide-open space like this was bad for tigers.

They weren’t called kings of the mountain for nothing.

The tiger that moved up slopes and trees without a sound was fear itself.

He regretted not seeing that.

Still, the itch was gone. His dantian had emptied to a degree.

‘If the trial is like this, the real opponents should be even better, right?’

Gyo-ha’s eyes shone with anticipation.

He probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

He poured the dumplings and meat soup the Black Path men brought straight into his mouth.

Then he began to stand on his hands.

And the next day, those expectations collapsed far too easily.

The first man he met in the preliminaries.

The moment he saw Gyo-ha’s face, he panicked and forfeited.

Turns out he’d been one of the applicants left in the cage during the trial.

So the match ended without a single punch.

The second didn’t know Gyo-ha’s face, but the result wasn’t much different.

“Hyaa! Die!”

A wanderer swung his sword with a bizarre shout.

His stern face and straight gaze were masterly enough.

But otherwise—

Whish!

The sword cut empty air. His movements were clumsy.

Gyo-ha swung his iron shackles, and with a scream the man flew in one hit.

Watching the groaning man, Gyo-ha’s cheeks puffed out.

If it was like this, the tigers were better.

No, comparing them was an insult.

‘…Right. These are only preliminaries.’

The main event will be different.

By afternoon, the main-bracket matches began.

The arena was packed with spectators.

Cheers rose from all sides.

“Flying Podao1! My money’s on you!”

“Pyeongnyang’s One-Sword! Don’t you dare lose!”

The fervor was incomparable to that of the trial. Some had even brought out meat and wine to feast as they watched.

When Gyo-ha stepped out, the stench of blood was already rising.

He calmly watched a corpse being carried off on a stretcher.

Even with the dead taken away, the crowd laughed and chattered.

‘Some are born human, yet aren’t like people at all.’

Those were the ones his master always spoke of.

But such people didn’t warrant being killed.

They teetered on the edge of the line.

Tearing his gaze away, he heard the Black Path announcer shout.

“For the next battle—Hapjak’s foremost spearman, Silver-Flash Spear, versus the rising star, the Fierce-Wolf Young Master!”

“Huh?”

Gyo-ha tilted his head at the announcer pointing his way.

Had the order changed?

But the Black Path man signaled that he meant Gyo-ha.

He stepped out, and the cheers swelled.

The wanderer already on the field clicked his tongue, displeased.

Soon the two faced each other.

The wanderer looked him up and down and shook his head.

Bare-chested with only his bundle hung on.

He’d left his upper clothes in the room, so his muscles and wounds were laid bare.

As he set the bundle down, his back muscles writhed.

“The worse the fighter, the flashier the fight. If you’re a wanderer, you’ve heard my name, haven’t you?”

Whish.

Silver-Flash Spear spun his spear once and rested it on his shoulder.

Impressed, Gyo-ha let out an “Oh”. He did look cool.

Then belatedly he answered the question.

“Huh? No.”

He meant he wasn’t a wanderer, but Silver-Flash Spear heard it differently.

His face twisted.

“As impudent as your title. You’re young, so here’s some advice. If you passed the trial, you saw it. The wound on the biggest tiger’s shoulder.”

Pointing his tip at Gyo-ha, he went on.

Gyo-ha’s title meant “fierce wolf,” not “impudent,” but he himself didn’t know that.

“If you don’t want to end up like that, forfeit.”

Only then did Gyo-ha recall the wound on one tiger.

A fairly big one.

But—

‘…It wasn’t the biggest one, though.’

As he tilted his head, the whistle blew.

Silver-Flash Spear stepped in.

He appeared in front of Gyo-ha’s eyes in a flash.

A speed fit for the title Silver-Flash.

“Whoa.”

He backed up, and the spear tip followed like a snake.

He knocked the point at his throat aside with his shoulder.

Blood beaded on his ear as it flicked up and scraped him.

“…Not bad. You’ve got a trick or two?”

Silver-Flash Spear shifted his grip.

The spear darted in fast.

Cutting the air, it thrust three times in a blink.

Ting! Tiding!

Recovering from his first surprise, Gyo-ha blocked calmly.

At the last block, Silver-Flash’s eyes gleamed.

He snapped the shaft.

The spear rippled.

The tip changed line for Gyo-ha’s shoulder.

Gyo-ha swung his iron shackle and batted the shaft aside.

But the spear was faster; the edge grazed his shoulder.

Blood sprayed.

Unlike the ear, it bit in fairly deep.

Silver-Flash smiled, pleased.

Then he saw Gyo-ha’s face and sensed something wrong.

Most would be wincing.

Gyo-ha was beaming.

He looked at the spear like a toy.

Frowning, Silver-Flash extended his spear again.

Gyo-ha blocked, the spear seemed to lengthen and shot forward once more.

But—

“I’ve already seen that.”

“…What?”

Gyo-ha twisted only his torso and evaded the attack.

The tip stabbed empty air.

The principle was simple. Switch from holding the spear with two hands to one and you gain reach.

To an opponent who got used to being attacked by a two-handed spear, it seems to “grow” in an instant.

But pulling it off was anything but simple.

You had to support a heavy spear one-handed and still drive it on line.

It took countless drills to master.

Gritting his teeth, Silver-Flash thrust again.

Boom! Whump!

The spear tore the air for Gyo-ha.

Gyo-ha blocked far more easily now.

He mixed in reach variations, but it was no use.

The point kept meeting the iron shackles.

Krrk.

Silver-Flash snapped the shaft again.

Then Gyo-ha’s mutter reached his ear:

“I’ve seen this one too…”

The tip circled for his head.

Gyo-ha flicked it away with the shackle as if expecting it.

Silver-Flash’s eyes quivered at the sight.

Even he had trouble predicting the spear’s direction when he snapped the shaft.

Gyo-ha didn’t stop there.

He flicked the retreating blade with his finger.

“…!”

Ting.

A small vibration.

But it grew as it traveled down the length, and the blade began to ripple.

It writhed in his hands like a living snake.

He clenched harder.

But the shaft wouldn’t still.

Silver-Flash backpedaled, regripping.

Gyo-ha let out another impressed “Oh.”

Honestly, he’d thought he’d drop it.

‘No, dropping it would be better, wouldn’t it?’

His palms would be a mess now.

For a martial artist, letting go of their weapon was considered disgraceful—something Gyo-ha didn’t know.

This was because his master ,Yun Heo, had not taught him that.

It was quite the opposite.

If needed, throw the blade to make an opening.

So Silver-Flash’s choice puzzled even him.

But he did notice one thing.

‘It seems there’s nothing else?’

No new technique.

Gyo-ha reset his stance with a sulky look.

Staring at him, Silver-Flash planted his spear in the ground.

Then he cupped his fist in salute.

“I’ve lost. I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”

“Eh?”

Gyo-ha blinked.

Silver-Flash had realized it too. If Gyo-ha had been serious, he wouldn’t have been a match.

Gyo-ha had only played along to watch his spearwork.

“W-wait!”

Gyo-ha called out, but Silver-Flash pulled up his spear and headed out of the arena.

Watching him go, Gyo-ha pouted.

“I just got warmed up.”

But Silver-Flash left without a look back.

“The winner is—the Fierce-Wolf Young Master!”

“Wooooaaaah!”