Chapter 704: PAID

Evening had fallen after the conclusion of the preliminaries.

As I finished my meal, I turned my gaze to Bong Soon and asked,

“Nothing happened, right?”

“Huh?”

Bong Soon tilted her head in confusion at my question.

I frowned, realizing she hadn’t understood, and asked again.

“I’m asking if you caused any trouble.”

Finally catching on, Bong Soon nodded emphatically.

“I didn’t! The Sect Leader told me not to do anything!”

“Really?”

“Yep! I really didn’t do anything! I didn’t do anything at all! So let’s ma—”

“Shut up.”

“Okay.”

She had started spouting nonsense again, so I cut her off preemptively.

Did she really not do anything?

Given her track record, it was hard not to be suspicious. Unfortunately, I had no way to confirm.

Normally, I’d have followed her in secret to check for myself.

But infiltrating their formation would be too risky.

The Martial Alliance had set up a defensive formation around the area for the tournament, and while I could likely break through it, the risk of being discovered wasn’t worth the attempt.

Was my suspicion unfair?

“I’m telling you, I didn’t do anything!” Bong Soon protested, sounding genuinely offended.

“I didn’t kill anyone! Not yet!”

Not yet...?

That last bit was unsettling, but I decided to let it slide for now.

“…Fine. Good job.”

“See? I did well! So, about ma—”

“Go away.”

“Okay.”

Surprisingly obedient, Bong Soon sprang to her feet and vanished.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I sighed as I watched her hurry out. Though she’d become somewhat more civilized, she still had a long way to go.

No, maybe she’s more like a beast imitating a human.

That was the impression Bong Soon gave me.

It had been two years since I brought her from the wilds of Gwangju, where she had lived among feral dogs.

I’d found her gnawing on members of the local bandits and decided to take her in.

Back then, Bong Soon was less of a person and more of a talking monster. She could speak, but her actions were purely instinctual.

And yet, somehow, she had reached a level of cultivation that rivaled the peak martial artists of Murim.

It’s strange, really.

Her cultivation clearly exceeded the pinnacle stage, yet her mental state was akin to that of a child.

Who could have trained her to achieve such heights?

It was certain that she was a descendant of the Sword Queen, but it had been over a decade since the Queen’s death.

The likelihood of the Sword Queen having taught her personally was slim.

White and Blue Groups.

Green and Red Groups.