Book 23 Chapter 8

The silver-haired boy (?) and the passerby

-The person you were looking for

It starts with the smallest of things, disguised as a seemingly insignificant coincidence. He who has eyes to see will see, and he who has no eyes to see will never find it. But it's not uncommon for the little things to intertwine and become the precursors or triggers of great things.

With a prize pool of around 500,000 yuan, applicants for the big-money speculative tournament were swarming like locusts, and the reception desk at the Cylinder Arena was overwhelmed and paralyzed just one day after the tournament began. It became their job to weed out the eligible applicants from the crowd. To kill two birds with one stone, they started charging 50 silver coins as a participation fee. This reduced the number of applicants, but it was still too much for one window. To decentralize the workload, a reception desk was set up here and there, and a qualification gate was set up next to it. Only those who passed through all three gates would be eligible to participate in the qualifiers, which were as follows

First, a new measurement - the long jump.

Second, measure the hollow - lift the cauldron.

Third, they had to show off their destructive power by cutting stones with swords, breaking rocks with long, short, angular, and ji methods, or stamping their hands.

It was said that they filtered out the good ones in advance because if they couldn't pass the gateway, their lives would be in danger even if they participated, but there was a secret. The cylinder arena's sincerity was that it would not be a box office success if people who were not that good participated because their lives were precious. Moreover, if a contestant fails to pass these three gates, the entry fee is not refunded. It's a really unfair system that's full of substance. Even with such a strict screening process, people are bound to fall into fantasies, and there is no medicine for this. Somehow, they feel like they're the only ones who can win the prize. This illusion has a drug-like effect, fueling the delusions of many.

"Everyone's freaking out, it's just too risky to participate with that kind of skill."

Na Yerin, who was out for a walk with Yunbi, looked at the crowds of applicants lining both sides of the boulevard. She didn't understand the mechanics.

"People like to live in illusions," he says, "and they're all deniers, looking away from the bitter reality."

Yeonbi replied in a cheerful voice. It was then.

"Excuse me… get out of the way!"

A faint cry echoed through the crowd.

"C'mon, what if I can't get out of the way?"

A sinister voice followed.

"That's… that's……."

The owner of the voice seemed very distressed.

"I haven't even applied yet, isn't it just anyone who passes the three gateways?"

"Maybe I could have done that yesterday, but not today. Because this reception desk is manned by these three old men. We're closed for the day, so everyone go home, now is a good. time. When. to. do. it!"

The last was almost threatening, and apparently not aimed at one person; it was addressed to everyone in the long line behind him. The people who had been laughing and enjoying the embarrassment and fidgeting of the boy a few moments earlier had visibly darkened in complexion as they realized that they, too, were being targeted.

He could laugh all he wanted when others were in trouble, but when he found himself in the same situation, he couldn't seem to find the words.

As thousands of people flocked to Ganghorando to participate in the terrifyingly expensive speculation, a whole new set of characters began to emerge: a group of rough-around-the-edges contestants who took over one of the scattered reception centers and tried to weed people out through self-censorship. They felt that even three gates were too few, so if they didn't test themselves, they wouldn't be bothered. In fact, if there were more people, they would only become a nuisance, so they tried to weed them out in advance with threats and bullying. This is not an easy thing to do with so many people unless you have some confidence in your skills. The young boy who had initially asked them to move out of the way had probably been caught in the middle of such an unfortunate situation.

These three men were called the Gangnam Three, and they were infamous in the province of Gangnam. Upon hearing of their fame, the crowds began to weigh their reputation and their own to see if they could win or lose. However, there was one person who was not part of this calculating game. He was the boy who had first gotten in the way of the trio.

"Please move out of the way."

While they were still trying to figure out what to do, the boy looked up at the three of them again and spoke. The words were the same. At that moment, all three of their eyebrows twitched at the same time. There was a child here who didn't understand what was being said.

Na Yerin and Yunfei naturally made their way to where the shouting had come from. From their current vantage point, they could only hear voices, but couldn't make out the boy's form in the crowd. As they pushed their way through the crowd, a boy stood out, surrounded by three warlords. The atmosphere was sinister, with each of the men displaying a weapon of some sort. These were the infamous Gangnam Three, but Yan Bi and Na Yerin were not interested in that; it was not a name they would listen to. It was something else that caught their attention.

He approached, and the sound of his voice caused Na Yerin to turn her head for a moment. The boy's eyes were large and piercing, his skin was milky and flawless. Most distinguishing of all was the color of his hair. It was fine silver hair that looked like it had been sprinkled with silver dust, a pale grayish color.

"That's unusual, silver hair. You look young."

"Sure."

Surrounded by three really rough men, the boy's hair was silver, and it hadn't lost its shine even when surrounded by dirty, fierce men.

"Silver hair… could it be a bloodline mutation?"

Even Na Yerin, who was mostly indifferent to her surroundings, was intrigued by the faint color, which was different from her normal white hair.

"Well… it's clear you're not a half-elf, and you don't seem to be a foreigner. But that silvery tinge of color must be due to some non-martial influence she's picking up, though I don't know what."

Na Yerin nodded in agreement.

"You're amazing at such a young age, it must take a tremendous amount of time and diligence to master your craft to the point of physical transformation."

A cavity is simply an accumulation of qi. Qi is the most fundamental substance in nature, and it is the basis of existence. It is not far-fetched to say that existence is composed of a highly compressed mass of chi formed in the center of the fluctuating yin and yang. Therefore, the amount of qi that can be absorbed through the practice of inner qigong is very small compared to the physical body. However, the qi that makes up the physical body cannot be used as qi itself. However, it can be used more readily if it is concentrated through a specialized qi formula. Therefore, to build up enough internal qi to make a difference in the body requires a great deal of practice.

Their skill can be gauged to a certain extent by the fact that their martial qualities are so clearly evident in the way they use their salt and ice swords. They are called Adepts because there is a level after which they become ordinary again, but it is not known how many have reached that level.

But no matter how you look at it, the boy was too young. If so, he must have used unorthodox methods.

"I've never heard of a place that has martial arts that exhibit those characteristics."

If there had been, it would have been in Na Yerin's own ears.

"This is suddenly interesting."

I said in a tone that said Yeonbi is fun.

"What do you want me to do, Yeonbi, go out and help you now?"

Na Yerin's question was answered with an excited voice about Yeonbi.

"Let's wait and see, I'm curious to see what kind of martial arts he has, and I think he has other secrets."