The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-231

Seol, Seol Hong, and Cheon Ju found a place to stay near Yocheon.

“This has been on my mind the entire way here, but… is it just me, or did it feel like there weren't a lot of people on the streets?”

“It’s strange. From what I know, Yocheon has a large population and attracts a lot of visitors.”

As Seol Hong and Cheon Ju continued their conversation, Seol had finished inspecting the room.

He then gave an answer that seemed to most likely reflect the current situation.

“Maybe the reason there aren’t that many people out on the streets… might have to do with the reason that people are visiting?”

“Ah!”

“Now that I think about it, you may be right.”

It was Yocheon’s biggest tourist attraction and a place that gathered the region’s money like a sinkhole.

The Warrior’s Heart was likely related to the reason.

Gulp…

Seol Hong gulped.

Since she hadn’t explored the city properly yet, it was obvious she would be interested in the Warrior’s Heart—the very symbol of Yocheon.

However, as she was currently in the city for the Dragon War, she contemplated whether it was appropriate for her to go.

“Since the Dragon Trial is related to the Warrior’s Heart, we should investigate it beforehand,” said Seol.

Seol Hong immediately snapped her fingers in agreement.

Snap!

“Perfect! Information gathering is half the battle, right?! Cheon Ju, you should come with us too!”

“M-Me too?”

“Yeah! You have to go to the Warrior’s Heart if you’re in Yocheon!”

“But…”

“Let’s go! Quickly, now!”

“...Yes, Lady.”

Luckily, now that they had secured a room, Cheon Ju could leave her massive luggage behind.

* * *

The Warrior’s Heart was at the center of Yocheon.

In fact, it was even situated in a better spot than the officials’ administrative office, which oversaw Yocheon.

It almost seemed as if the arena was built first, and the city developed around it.

‘That’s why they also call the Warrior’s Heart ‘Yocheon’s Heart’...’

As Seol slowly made his way to the Warrior’s Heart, the emotion that stirred within him wasn't excitement but nostalgia.

Whenever he searched for the traces of his past pieces, he always felt restless. This time was no different. A wave of sentimentality washed over him as long-forgotten regrets resurfaced.

As Seol became lost in his thoughts, Seol Hong interrupted him by pointing at something ahead.

“O-Oh my god… Do you see that?”

“...I do.”

“I can’t believe this many people are gathered in this one spot…”

The arena was loud, audible even from outside, as if the entire population of Yocheon had squeezed into its walls.

“Move! Get out of the way!”

“Do you know who we are…”

“Do you know who I am?!”

“Fuck off! I have a ticket!”

The crowd swarmed around them, creating a chaotic scene that surprised even Seol.

So, what was Seol Hong doing?

“Wh-what should we do?!” said Seol Hong.

“Lady Seol Hong?”

“I don’t think we’ll be able to get in, Cheon Ju! What do we…”

Seol smirked.

"It's probably chaotic because they're letting people in,” said Seol. “I'm sure it will settle down after they all get inside in a few minutes."

“A-Ahem… I see…”

As Seol said, the crowd began to thin out as more and more people were allowed in.

Multiple ticket booths were at the arena entrance, indicating that crowding was common and necessitated efficient handling.

And surprisingly, no resellers were hanging around the entrance, unlike what one might expect.

‘It makes sense, though. Who would be stupid enough to resell tickets at the Warrior’s Heart.’

Yocheon was a special city.

A special city that revolved around the arena, for the arena.

The Khan Empire also accepted this fact, forgiving most violent actions as long as they weren’t directed toward government offices.

It was likely due to that same open-handed response that the Warrior’s Heart had managed to grow so big.

However, its growing funds and loose culture had also attracted a lot of flies that wanted a piece of the cake.

Each time such situations arose, it was the Warrior’s Heart, not Yocheon’s government offices, that took action to deal with them.

As such, the gangs of the area, like a mafia or cartel, were the actual owners of Yocheon.

Furthermore, the sponsor of the gladiator who defeats all other competitors gains control over everything related to the arena. This arrangement was essentially the reason the Warrior’s Heart was born.

- If you have something to say, raise your weapon.

The gladiator becomes the conqueror, and their sponsor becomes the manager of the arena. Together, they wield unquestioned power in Yocheon.

‘I’m sure that’s how Gwak Seong took control of the arena, too.’

It was dangerous to engage Gwak Seong in Yocheon.

Furthermore, there was no way the low-ranking Dragon’s Flowers, who had proven their weaknesses by being pushed back in the succession rankings during the Dragon War, could defeat him.

‘Not to mention… the Dragon War’s rules are helping Gwak Seong, not us.’

There was an important rule during the Dragon War.

- During the Dragon War, the Dragon’s Flowers are revoked of their statuses.

The Dragon’s Flowers were the children of Hong Cheon, the Emperor.

Just because he didn’t show personal interest in them didn’t mean that the Dragon’s Flowers lacked status or were treated differently.

In the end, they were still members of the imperial family.

Those who harmed the Dragon’s Flowers were forced to pay an appropriate price for it.

Well… that was at least before the Dragon War started.

Now, the situation was completely different.

No one would receive punishment for hurting the Dragon’s Flowers during the Dragon War, regardless of what they did.

As such, the Dragon’s Flowers were now trying their best to hide their identities instead of revealing them.

Obviously, no one was directly targeting them, but… you could never predict how things would go.

‘Not to mention, there were Dragon’s Flowers that died for unknown reasons during the last trial…’

Given that there were always individuals opposed to authority, the Dragon’s Flowers could be caught in an unexpected storm.

“So expensive!”

“Lady Seol Hong…”

“Wh-what kind of tickets are this expensive? Why are these so expensive?”

“I don’t have to watch,” said Cheon Ju, awkwardly scratching her head. “Maybe you can watch it on your own…”

“You won’t need to worry about that,” said Seol.

Cheon Ju and Seol Hong had run out of money after arriving in Yocheon.

After all, they hadn’t been doing anything to earn money, so it was no surprise they were penniless.

In contrast, Seol had plenty of money.

Now that he had exchanged his currency, he had no reason to worry about paying for a few tickets.

“If it’s just simple audience tickets, they’re not that expensive as long as you aren’t betting,” said Seol.

“...I’ll pay you back one day, don’t worry.”

“You don’t have to.”

“But I will. That’s how I was raised.”

Seol Hong’s stubbornness could have been due to the fact that her mother had been absent all her life.

She couldn't bring herself to do anything that might harm others, and whenever she received help, she seemed perpetually anxious, as if she couldn't bear it.

“Friends don’t have to pay each other back.”

“...Really?”

“There’s no such thing as favors or debts between real friends,” Seol reassured.

Seol Hong’s expression quickly brightened.

“Th-then could I also get that skewer…”

“As many as you want.”

“For Cheon Ju as well…”

“Ah, I’m fine, Lady Seol Hong!”

“You should have some as well, Cheon Ju,” said Seol.

“A-Ahem… The chickens in Yocheon are known for being particularly juicy…”

The three happily sat down in their seats with a skewer in each hand.

Slide…

Seol carefully placed a veil over their faces.

He did so because he was worried that their identities might be exposed.

“It’s dangerous here. Next time, let’s get the VIP seats.”

“Ah…”

“Also… I’ll be gone for a second.”

Nod…

Seol Hong didn’t know the specifics, but she nodded as Seol had told her that he would be doing something before they arrived here.

And after exactly thirty minutes… Cheon Ju and Seol Hong were completely shocked. They couldn’t believe what they just saw.

“Wh-what is going on…”

“Why…”

The host then continued.

- Kang Seol, the mysterious participant! Uh… So… It was quite a strange way to win. I heard that you were a same-day participant, but…

Cheon Ju and Seol Hong locked eyes.

“Why is he there?”

“Why is he down there?”

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Turning the clock back thirty minutes…

“Additionally, if you are a same-day participant, we will schedule you into whatever fight we want.”

“I understand.”

“Furthermore, since we haven’t assessed your strength yet, your arena rank will be assigned randomly, and...”

“Battle to the death.”

“...Excuse me?”

“I want it to be a battle to the death,” repeated Seol.

“...Do you perhaps know the rules for them?”

Seol’s plan had always been to join the Warrior’s Heart as a gladiator from the very beginning. Now, he was taking the necessary steps to make that a reality.

‘If I want to take advantage of Gwak Seong’s competitiveness, I need to take the necessary steps.’

And the first step was to draw Gwak Seong’s attention by becoming a popular gladiator.

“Yes, I know them all.”

No weight classes. A battle to the death.

As there weren’t any weight classes, there were a lot of participants in this category.

And as killing your opponent was allowed as well, it was the crown jewel of the Warrior’s Heart.

In fact, the majority of the people who visited the Warrior’s Heart came to watch this category.

“...We have included you in our schedule.”

After looking at the piece of paper the attendant handed him, Seol laughed.

“You want me to fight three back-to-back fights?”

“Didn’t I explain this to you earlier? The only fights available were the ones where the previous fighters were injured, and that’s just how the schedule was set up, so…”

“...I understand.”

In truth, it didn’t matter all too much.

‘I guess it might even be good since I’ll be able to end it quickly?’

As Seol waited for his match, he looked at the book of rules.

“Haha…”

The rules written on it were short and simple, to the point that Seol found it refreshing.

‘They basically just want you to fight freely. Even killing your opponent is fine.’

The arena where the participants fought was a collaborative creation, brought to life through the joint efforts of onmyojis, shamans, and Daoists.

They were able to create environments within the arena that not only looked realistic but also felt real.

After roughly twenty minutes…

“Kang Seol! Kang Seol!”

“Here.”

“Enter the heart. It is your turn.”

“Okay.”

"Don’t die. I already had to clean up a corpse yesterday, and it was annoying. If you're going to die, do it when I'm off duty."

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hmph! Your weapon?”

Seol opened his hands, revealing nothing.

“Hah, quite the comedian are you? Did you even listen to my advice?”

- Next, a same-day participant who joined the battle to the death…

“Tch, get out already!”

Seol walked through the dark hallway to the shining arena.

“Yeahhhhhhhhh!”

“Who the hell is that?!”

“Hahahahahaha! I bet he’ll die right away! Bookie! I want to bet!”

“I should bet on him dying.”

Was this how gladiators in the colosseum felt?

Seol’s heart began to pound as he heard their roars and insults. While he wasn’t afraid of the battle, the attention was a little uncomfortable.

With a bored expression, he looked at the fighter in front of him.

It was a muscular man with a massive spear resting on his shoulder, intentionally looking down at Seol by raising his chin.

“Who are you?”

“......”

“Don’t answer me if you don’t want to. I wasn’t interested anyway.”

The host’s voice echoed throughout the arena.

- This next battle is one for the ages! During these fierce death battles between countless stars… Hyung Bi stands proudly as someone who has fiercely won three consecutive battles! He has killed three fighters with his spear!

‘Why is the host explaining that he killed three people when he won three consecutive battles?’

Seol was inwardly confused by the host’s poor casting.

“Yeahhhhhh! Hyung Bi! I’m leaving it to you again!”

“I’m betting on you, Hyung Bi! The next conqueror is you!”

“I’ll kill you if you die!”

- That just proves how cruel Hyung Bi is, right?! And facing him… uh… a same-day participant who chose to jump into the death battles! We don’t need any other explanation with that, right? It’s Kang Seol!

It wasn’t that there was no need to explain, there was simply nothing to explain. Seol hadn’t disclosed anything else to them.

“......”

“...Who?”

“Seriously, who the hell is he?”

“Booooo! Die! Get your head cut off!”

“He’s quite handsome, though…”

“Who cares if a man’s good-looking or not?! Kill him, Hyung Bi!”

The entire audience was practically on Hyung Bi’s side.

‘I wasn’t expecting much, but…’

- Now! We’ll begin right away!

Crackle…

Crackle…

Fwoooosh…

White smoke began to rise from the ground.

It was the work of Daoists and shamans. Still, it wasn’t too high, though. The ankle-height smoke filled the arena with an air of importance.

“Die.”

Fwirl!

[Hyung Bi used Wild Dog Spearmanship: Rampaging Fang.]

[The spear’s sharpness greatly increases, causing a higher bleeding rate from cuts.]

Fwirl!

Fwooooosh!

Fwooooosh!

The audience fell silent as Hyung Bi continued to swing his spear ferociously.

However, the main reason for their silence was Seol's narrow avoidance of each attack.

It appeared that just before Hyung Bi's strikes could land, Seol would narrowly evade them.

“Hahahaha! He’s pretty good!”

“Kill him, Hyung Bi! What are you doing?!”

Seol used those first attacks to gauge Hyung Bi’s skills.

‘He’s weak.’

Had the standards lowered from the time he fought in the arena?

Seol was a bit disappointed.

Still, it made things much simpler.

‘I could end him right away, but…’

It would take much longer to pull Gwak Seong’s attention that way.

As Seol had to return the arena to Khan within the designated time, he had to move efficiently.

Slaaaaam!

Hyung Bi swung his spear down, slicing through the arena floor as if it were made of tofu. Clearly, he wasn't trying to renovate the arena mid-battle, Seol had simply dodged Hyung Bi’s attack once more.

“Urgh…”

Normally, things would have ended here.

Seol could have ended the match by punching him once through this opening.

But…

Fwirl!

Hyung Bi retrieved his spear, scowling as he did.

“What are you doing?”

“As you can see,” responded Seol.

“...I’ll kill you.”

Woosh… Woosh… Woosh!

Recognizing that Seol was simply trying to buy time, Hyung Bi was furious.

[Hyung Bi used Wild Dog Spearmanship: Neck Tear.]

[The spear’s spin rate drastically increases.]

FWOOOOSH!

Small rocks scattered as Hyung Bi swung his spear like a helicopter.

It continued to spin fiercely before he aimed it toward Seol for another attack.

Fwip!

Fwoooosh!

However, Seol was also faster than before.

He still hadn't broken a sweat, but he moved with caution, well aware that a single attack could spill his insides.

“Ahhhhhhhh!”

Hyung Bi pulled out every last trick up his sleeve, but… he still couldn’t reach Seol.

For an entire five minutes.

“Wh-what?”

“Hyung Bi?”

“Why is he wasting time like this? Just kill him already!”

Just as the audience was beginning to sense that something was off, Seol spoke up.

“Time’s up.”

“What…?”

Hyung Bi knew that the situation wasn’t going as he had planned, but he was still confident that he could win.

After all, he was on the offensive the entire time.

However, it took Seol only an instant to turn the tables.

In the blink of an eye, Seol closed the distance, all the while evading Hyung Bi's ferocious attacks.

Baaaaam…

“Bwrgh…”

Hyung Bi felt his body lift up into the air.

The moment Seol's attack landed, Hyung Bi experienced firsthand what an overwhelming difference in strength was.

It wasn’t a difference in technique or understanding of martial arts…

It was simply a difference in raw physical strength.

‘What the…’

Hyung Bi had no second opportunity.

Crush…

Seol’s one attack was more than enough to force Hyung Bi off the smoke-filled platform.

“......”

“Hyung Bi lost?”

“This is a scam!”

Seol turned to look at the seat where Seol Hong was sitting. Her jaw dropped, sauce from the skewer dripping from the corners of her mouth.

Seol had given her a couple of extra coins just in case, and it seemed she had used them to buy a few more skewers.

Regardless, Seol won the first fight.

- Kang Seol, the mysterious participant! Uh… So… It was quite a strange way to win. I heard you were a same-day participant, but…

“Argh… How boring…”

“Are we sure this wasn’t rigged?”

“Hyung Bi couldn’t land a hit…”

“Chu Sang is in the next match, though. We can trust him.”

“It looks like that Kang Seol guy is doing three matches in a row?”

“Three matches? Hah! He’s going to tap out with broken bones once Chu Sang’s done with him.”

Fifteen minutes later…

- With Chu Sang falling down the platform, Kang Seol wins again! Kang Seol turns the tables once more! Chu Sang should hone his skills…

“This has to be rigged.”

“My bets! My bets! That fucker robbed me…”

“Chu Sang! He didn’t die? Let me at him! If he survived that, I’ll kill him myself!”

“I don’t know who that Kang Seol guy is, but… the way he fought was similar to the last battle. Isn’t that… strange?”

“Yeah, it sort of feels like…”

“No way… I bet it’s just a coincidence.”

Fifteen minutes later…

- Seong Ju has lost. With that… Urm… Kang Seol has easily defeated three tough opponents in a row! The thing that we need to keep an eye on is his unique way of fighting…

“God fucking damn it! What the hell is wrong with today?!”

“Who doubted him three times, huh?! Me, you fuckers! I doubted him three times.”

“Are same-day participants still allowed? Let me stab him myself!”

The crowd began to shout and murmur.

But it was about time they realized…

“This time too.”

“It ended exactly after five minutes again.”

“What is he doing? It’s just like…”

“I doubted it at first, but this is just like…”

“...Maybe?”

As the audience began to doubt, the host reaffirmed their suspicions.

- With an overwhelming difference in strengths, he ends the fight after exactly five minutes! Everyone, I’m sure that phrase reminds you of a certain someone, doesn’t it?

“Ah… Now that I think about it…”

“Yeah, five minutes…! I-It’s just like him!”

- The Demon Flash! Could Kang Seol be Dae San’s reincarnation, or is he challenging his legacy? Kang Seol is currently following the same path that Dae San once walked in his life! Countless warriors have paid their respects to him, but none have managed to replicate his feats until today. If Kang Seol is truly trying to emulate him, he must be an amazing copycat!

T/N: Dae San also means big/great mountain.

A gladiator who consistently fought for five minutes against every opponent, bringing excitement to the audience.

He remained undefeated, allowing weaker opponents to showcase their skills while delivering five minutes of thrilling entertainment against stronger challengers.

As Seol stepped down from the platform, he muttered to himself.

“Copycat…? That’s harsh…”

Today, the audience vividly recalled the name of the legendary gladiator of the Warrior’s Heart, Dae San.

“I’m Dae San.”

Dae San, the longest-reigning conqueror of the Warrior’s Heart, was none other than Seol’s piece.