The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 362

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – Episode 361

Goblin Goblin Goblin (2)

I couldn’t deny that most of it was self-inflicted, but it still felt a bit strange hearing it from someone else.

Instead of answering, he downed his glass and smacked his lips.

The types of alcohol the goblins brought were diverse, ranging from makgeolli [Korean rice wine] to various fruit wines and distilled spirits. They certainly lived up to their reputation as a race that loved alcohol.

For snacks, they grilled and boiled pork, and even slaughtered cattle. It seemed a bit insufficient, considering all the goblins from Shinshi had gathered for the drinking party.

Yoo Seong-woo said to Baek Woo-hyun,

“Woo-hyun, bring that out.”

“Ah, you mean that?”

Baek Woo-hyun took out a small pouch from his pocket. It was a subspace artifact [a magical item that can store items in another dimension].

As soon as he opened the pouch, an endless stream of buckwheat jelly and pork poured out.

He had brought it along, thinking it might be needed to persuade the goblins.

The goblins cheered as the buckwheat jelly and pork poured out, devouring it ravenously.

Dohwa grabbed a handful of buckwheat jelly and pork with one hand, stuffing it into her mouth, and then poured alcohol into her mouth to wash it down.

Jeanne was momentarily stunned by her uninhibited appearance.

“Khaaa─! Today is a good day! Isn’t it!”

“That’s right─!!”

“You got that right─!!”

Laughter and cheers echoed from all directions.

At first, the goblins were wary. No human had sought them out in the Hidden World for thousands of years since they had retreated there.

It was only natural for them to be cautious, wondering if they were spies of the Jade Emperor’s Palace [a celestial bureaucracy in Chinese mythology], or if the gods’ gaze had finally reached them.

Goblins were simple, but not stupid. The current Goblin King was also an unprecedented wise ruler.

Such a king had accepted humans and even thrown a drinking party, so they realized there was no need to be wary. Besides, the humans had somehow known to bring their favorite buckwheat jelly and pork.

The drinking party continued.

Even after dark, they lit fires, and the goblins danced and drank.

They sang songs and talked about their lives. Could there be anyone else with such deep-seated sorrows?

They, too, were beings who had lived among humans on the Korean Peninsula.

Dohwa shouted,

“Bi-hyung died, and Gil-dong died! All of our brothers who went out into the human realm have died! Because the gods of the heavens thought we shouldn’t befriend humans!”

The gods of the heavens feared the goblins. More precisely, they feared that goblins, who could wield power without any restrictions, would dominate humans and diminish their influence.

Therefore, whenever goblins disguised as humans appeared in the human realm, they harassed them in various ways to drive them out or kill them.

Bi-hyung of Silla [an ancient Korean kingdom] was killed by Kim Yu-shin, a hero of the time, who was manipulated by the gods of the Jade Emperor’s Palace who feared his power to command goblins, and Hong Gil-dong of Joseon [another Korean kingdom] left Joseon after his acts of chivalry.

Because he had reached a point where he could no longer handle it.

“Our sons, brothers, and ancestors tried to fix a world that was gradually falling apart, but they always failed. Because the gods of the heavens didn’t want it!”

A god is not needed in a peaceful era. Rather, the more chaotic and turbulent the times, the more the existence of a god shines.

Dohwa rose from her seat. The giantess held up her glass and shouted,

“The time has come. We have lived subserviently until now, but the time has come to avenge our family on the gods of the heavens! Raise your clubs, put on your hats! Let us lead the way for our friends here and open the path to them!”

A clear declaration of alliance.

Yoo Seong-woo smiled, thinking things were going well, and was sipping his drink when Dohwa plopped back down and put her arm around Yoo Seong-woo’s shoulder, saying,

“But before that, we need to see how strong our friends are. Ssireum [Korean wrestling]! Prepare the ssireum ring!”

“…I knew it would come to this.”

At Dohwa’s words, the goblins used their magic. As they intertwined their fingers and released their energy, the drinking table in front of them disappeared, and a giant ssireum ring appeared.

Dohwa patted Yoo Seong-woo on the back with her huge hand and said,

“Come on, come on! It’s not every day you get a ssireum match! Today, this is where we decide the strongest under heaven! Seol-jung! Show us your skills!”

“As you wish!”

A male goblin named Seol-jung stepped onto the ssireum ring, took off his top, and tied the satba [a cloth belt used in ssireum] he had around his waist tightly around his waist and legs.

The white goblin, born in the snowy Daegwallyeong [a mountain pass in Korea], grinned, revealing his teeth. He seemed excited about who would come up as his opponent.

“Woo-hyun, you go. You’re not going to lose, are you?”

“Would I ever.”

Baek Woo-hyun got up from his seat, slapped his cheeks with both hands to make a loud sound, and stepped onto the ssireum ring.

Then, like Seol-jung, he took off his top and tied the satba that Seol-jung handed him tightly.

“Get ready!”

At Dohwa’s shout, Baek Woo-hyun and Seol-jung grabbed each other’s satba tightly.

Just by grabbing the satba, they could roughly gauge each other’s strength.

It would be a difficult fight.

“Start!”

Dohwa shouted again, and Seol-jung and Baek Woo-hyun put strength into their legs and arms without hesitation.

Ssireum is a sport that harmoniously combines strength and technique to knock down the opponent.

Baek Woo-hyun knew the basics of ssireum, having occasionally done it with friends when learning swordsmanship at the Bonkuk Sword Association.

However, his opponent was a ssireum specialist who had been doing ssireum for hundreds of years.

Seol-jung quickly closed in and inserted his leg between Baek Woo-hyun’s legs, then swept his inner thigh.

Baek Woo-hyun was taken aback by the smooth technique, but he quickly lifted his leg to avoid it and regained his balance to resist being 넘어갔다 [overthrown].

“You have good strength, but ssireum isn’t just about strength!”

Seol-jung smiled and used his technique again. Baek Woo-hyun calmly responded to the rapidly moving legs and center of gravity, enduring his techniques several times.

Seol-jung smiled at Baek Woo-hyun’s ability to withstand, even though it was precarious, and pushed even harder.

However, the more Baek Woo-hyun blocked the techniques, the less he wavered. He was gradually getting used to ssireum.

Baek Woo-hyun, who had only been defending, launched his first attack. His leg stretched out like a ray of light, aiming for the outside of Seol-jung’s right leg.

“Hmph!”

“Kuh…!”

However, Seol-jung stood firm and countered. As time went on, the number of times Baek Woo-hyun countered gradually increased.

An exciting ssireum match. Sand flew in all directions, and the goblins’ cheerful songs gradually heightened their excitement.

“Good job! More! More!”

“Eolssigu! Jeolssigu!” [Traditional Korean cheering phrases]

Baek Woo-hyun’s and Seol-jung’s legs, which were almost like kicks, collided in the center, and a gust of wind swirled with the shockwave.

Seol-jung and Baek Woo-hyun did their best not to lose. It was just ssireum, but it wasn’t just ssireum.

And, gradually, they both felt exhausted. Baek Woo-hyun and Seol-jung, as well as the watching goblins, felt that a conclusion would be reached soon.

Seol-jung and Baek Woo-hyun put their strength into it. So that they would not be pushed back, so that they could knock down their opponent.

And then, the two’s legs collided in the middle, unleashing an even greater shockwave than before.

The sand of the ssireum ring soared high into the sky, and dust covered all directions.

And when Dohwa waved her hand to clear away the dust, two people who had been engaged in a fierce battle were lying unconscious on the floor of the ssireum ring.

Seeing this, Dohwa laughed and shouted,

“Hahahaha─!! It’s a draw! Applause for the two excellent players!”

Cheers and applause poured from the goblins. Baek Woo-hyun and Seol-jung’s battle was excellent in anyone’s eyes.

It was also a great appeal to the goblins.

“Then, next, next! Drag the two out!”

As the goblins dragged the unconscious Baek Woo-hyun and Seol-jung off the ssireum ring, Dohwa looked around, wondering who to put forward next.

But before she could point anyone out, Yoo Seong-woo got up from his seat and said,

“Dohwa, come up. The most enjoyable thing is a battle between kings, isn’t it?”

“…Puh-ha, you sure know how to talk!”

“We’ve seen the skills of our subordinates, so all that’s left is the two of us.”

As Yoo Seong-woo walked onto the ssireum ring, Dohwa soared into the sky from her seat and landed on the ssireum ring, causing the earth to vibrate.

Then, she took off the blue durumagi [a traditional Korean overcoat] she was wearing and untied the satba around her waist, tying it tightly around her waist and legs like Seol-jung.

Yoo Seong-woo grabbed the satba that Jeanne threw him from behind and tied it tightly.

Slowly taking off his top, he revealed his scarred body in front of Dohwa.

The height difference was considerable. Dohwa was over three meters tall.

“You’re a bit tall. I can’t even grab the satba.”

“Is this good enough?”

Then, Dohwa snapped her fingers, and her appearance shrank with smoke, becoming about the same height as Yoo Seong-woo.

Only then did they become a suitable weight class, and Yoo Seong-woo and Dohwa bent down and grabbed each other’s satba.

Just by grabbing the satba, they could feel each other’s strength. Their two feet on the ground were like Mount Tai [a symbol of stability and strength].

The hands grabbing each other’s satba were like the curse of the sky.

There was no need for a start signal.

Dohwa made the first move. Her leg dug into Yoo Seong-woo’s inside and swept his inner thigh.

A move with the strength to kick Mount Tai.

Yoo Seong-woo lifted his leg to avoid it, but that was what Dohwa had 誘導한 [induced/lured].

Dohwa’s extended leg changed direction and aimed for the leg that had not fallen in an instant. At the same time, she put her weight forward and tried to press Yoo Seong-woo down as he was.

“That’s not enough…!”

However, Yoo Seong-woo firmly planted the opposite leg he had lifted into the ground and reduced the impact by leaning his body forward instead.

Then, he headbutted Dohwa’s face with his forehead. She smiled at the shock and smiled on her face.

“Hmph, you sure do ssireum rough!”

“This is nothing!”

This time, Yoo Seong-woo went on the offensive. He lowered his center of gravity and kicked off the ground, pushing Dohwa away.

Dohwa also lowered her center of gravity to block Yoo Seong-woo’s rush.

Just by doing that, the air in the ssireum ring was heated up, and sand flew in all directions.

Neck and neck, evenly matched, a battle between dragons and tigers [an idiom for a fierce battle between equals].

A pure battle of strength without using aura or demonic power. The blood vessels on the two’s arms and legs stood out clearly, and the texture of the muscles was beautifully revealed.

As the two victors tried to knock down each other, who were like Mount Tai, the goblins, who had been noisy until now, became quiet and watched the two’s match.

In the meantime, a slender voice echoed over the ssireum ring.

“G-Good luck! Mister!”

Nox’s voice cheering for Yoo Seong-woo. Yoo Seong-woo chuckled at the voice and said,

“Hey, Goblin King.”

“What?”

“Let’s not drag this out, let’s have a cool match.”

I’ll show you a great reversal.