Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 34

Thus, the cautious Ga Cheon-ryong decided to take the risk and write the Death Pact.

“Sect Leader An! According to the rules of the Death Pact Blood Duel, you set the time and place for the duel, so how about I decide the personnel and method this time?” Ga Cheon-ryong asked with a forced smile.

“Hmph, very well,” Sect Leader An reluctantly agreed.

“Good. Then, let’s make the total number of duelists 100, with each side selecting 50 people for a free-for-all battle.”

Ga Cheon-ryong stated the terms of the duel without hesitation.

“50 people? A free-for-all?”

Even on Sect Leader An’s usually cold face, a look of bewilderment appeared. Typically, in such life-or-death duels, to avoid wasting energy, the number of participants was limited to 20-30 at most, and one-on-one duels were preferred.

However, Sect Leader An couldn’t easily overturn the terms since he had proposed the duel, and he had faith in his three martial uncles, so he was confident of victory. Besides, if he could kill Ga Cheon-ryong, no matter the cost, it would be worth it.

If he could kill that cunning leader of the Arangdan, his subordinates would surely split into factions to seize power. Then, they wouldn’t have time to confront the Seven Mysteries Sect, giving them a chance to breathe.

“Hey, prepare the death arena and the Death Pact!” Sect Leader An sternly ordered towards the Seven Mysteries Hall.

* * *

Following Sect Leader An’s order, about 30 disciples wearing silk robes rushed out of the Seven Mysteries Hall.

Without a word, they set up the arena in the open space of the Seven Mysteries Hall. Their swift movements showed that they were well-trained and not ordinary lower-level disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect.

While they were setting up the duel arena, Lyeo Bi-woo expressed his discomfort to Han Li.

“Are we just going to hide here and watch them duel without doing anything? That’s not right!”

“What’s wrong with that? Your lover isn’t in danger right now and is safe, so let’s wait for their duel, then take advantage of the chaos to secretly get Jang Su-ah out. Then, if you both run away to a place where no one can find you, you won’t have to worry about being sacrificed by the higher-ups.”

“How is that different from eloping? No way. Su-ah wouldn’t agree to that.”

Lyeo Bi-woo shook his head like a swaying tree.

“Then we’ll have to take her even if we have to knock her out. By the time she wakes up, it’ll be a done deal, so she won’t be able to disagree, right?”

Han Li replied, unfazed by his reaction.

“You…”

Lyeo Bi-woo, seemingly angry, stared with wide eyes and remained silent.

While they were bickering, Sect Leader An was solemnly receiving a document as red as blood from one of his disciples. It was the Death Pact, one of which he kept, and the other he sent to Ga Cheon-ryong’s side.

Ga Cheon-ryong, who received it, also with a solemn expression, calmly examined the contents to make sure there were no issues. Then, he nodded and began selecting the members who would participate in the death match.

After much deliberation, the Arangdan selected 13 outstanding experts. And to prevent the loss of talent, they also recruited about a dozen more skilled individuals from other small and medium-sized factions.

The remaining personnel were for the iron guards and the Gold Merchant to protect his side. He was relying solely on the Gold Merchant’s flying sword techniques and divine power [a type of spiritual energy used in cultivation].

Sect Leader An was also deeply engrossed in selecting the people to send to the Death Pact Blood Duel. As the death arena was completed, Sect Leader An walked out of the Seven Mysteries Hall, leading 300-400 people.

Although there was a mix of men, women, and the elderly, their eyes showed that they were all elites of the Seven Mysteries Sect. However, what Ga Cheon-ryong was most concerned about were the three people standing behind Sect Leader An.

At first glance, they looked young, but upon closer inspection, they seemed like old men who had endured the storms of time. One of them had a gentle appearance like a scholar, another had a large build and looked valiant. The last one, wearing gray clothes and carrying a long sword, had a chilling impression.

In Ga Cheon-ryong’s eyes, these three were the martial uncles of the Seven Mysteries Sect. It seemed that the opponent was truly determined to kill him here, staking everything. He turned to the Gold Merchant, who was standing next to him, pointed at the three people, and said,

“What do you think of those three, Merchant? Can you handle them?”

“A few worldly people? The moment I unleash my flying sword, it’ll be over. Don’t you trust me?” The Gold Merchant glared with dissatisfaction.

“How could I dare! I was just asking, please don’t take it to heart,” Ga Cheon-ryong quickly smiled.

“Hmph!” The Gold Merchant calmed his anger after seeing Ga Cheon-ryong’s attitude. He finally relaxed and hurriedly shouted loudly,

“Are you ready? Let’s write the Death Pact.”

With these words, the participants from the Arangdan solemnly wrote their names on the Death Pact, solidifying their resolve by making a pact with death. Sect Leader An, not wanting to be outdone, coldly ordered,

“Write the Death Pact!”

At that moment, disciples who had been pre-selected to participate in the duel stepped forward from the crowd of the Seven Mysteries Sect to write their names on the Death Pact. Han Li carefully examined their faces. His gaze stopped at an old man wearing blue clothes, passing by Sect Leader An’s martial uncles.

When the old man lifted his face, he involuntarily sighed in a low voice.

“Elder Lee!”

Surprisingly, it was Elder Lee, whose life Han Li had saved not long ago. It was unexpected that even he was participating in this death match. Han Li regained his senses and quickly tapped Lyeo Bi-woo’s shoulder.

“Look over there. Elder Lee is there, writing his name on the Death Pact!”

“There’s no need to be so surprised just because Elder Lee is writing his name on the Death Pact!” Hearing the puzzled question, Lyeo Bi-woo turned and stared blankly at Han Li. Then, he said something that shocked Han Li.

“Su-ah… she’s there. She’s also trying to go to the Death Pact Blood Duel!”

After saying this, Lyeo Bi-woo’s complexion rapidly worsened.

“Where is she?” Lyeo Bi-woo hurriedly asked.

“Over there!” Following Han Li’s gaze, they found Jang Su-ah with a pale face in the corner of the crowd. She was standing with two other female warriors who were also participating in the death match. Her figure, standing in a white skirt, looked as pitiful as a white flower blooming in the crowd.

“Are they making such a frail woman participate in this bloody duel?” Han Li muttered as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Su-ah is also a core disciple of the Seven Wonders Hall. Didn’t I tell you?” Han Li was speechless. There were not many experts left in the Seven Mysteries Sect. Moreover, Sect Leader An had no intention of sparing his disciples for this victory.

Seeing that even Jang Su-ah had been selected, it was clear that Sect Leader An had staked everything on this Death Pact Blood Duel.

“Han Li, there’s no more time. I’m going to be with Su-ah. Be careful!” Lyeo Bi-woo hugged Han Li’s shoulder and quietly tried to disappear into the crowd. Before he could take two steps, a sigh was heard from behind, and Han Li followed like the wind.

“What’s the big deal! It’s just a Death Pact Blood Duel, right? We can still call ourselves friends, so shouldn’t we help with this much?” Han Li said with a smile. In response, Lyeo Bi-woo punched Han Li’s chest hard and replied,

“Thank you, friend!”

He followed him because he couldn’t bear to see Lyeo Bi-woo in danger alone, and secondly, he didn’t think that the experts of the Arangdan would be a match for his fire-dart technique and wind-riding technique. Han Li was itching to test his skills directly.

The two of them strode forward, breaking through the crowd and heading towards Sect Leader An. Halfway there, they threw off their Dan Soo Sect clothing, revealing the Seven Mysteries Sect attire. Before Han Li and Lyeo Bi-woo could even leave the crowd, they revealed their true identities, and everyone was so surprised that no one dared to stop them. In that gap, they quickly approached Sect Leader An.

“Lord Lyeo!”

“Sir Han.”

Many disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect shouted in surprise upon seeing the two of them. Jang Su-ah was happy to see Lyeo Bi-woo. If there weren’t so many people here, she would have already buried her face in her lover’s chest and expressed her emotions.

Naturally, Sect Leader An also recognized the two of them and was surprised. Their sudden actions were clearly unexpected.

“Lyeo Bi-woo, the Deputy Leader of the Outer Affairs Hall, greets the Sect Leader,” Lyeo Bi-woo loudly announced.

“We two wish to write our names on the Death Pact and participate in the blood duel. We ask for the Sect Leader’s permission.”

Before Sect Leader An could react, Lyeo Bi-woo made his request first. Sect Leader An swallowed the words he was about to use to scold Lyeo Bi-woo. Then, he smiled warmly with an icy face and said,

“Indeed! You are worthy of being a brave disciple of our Seven Mysteries Sect. If Lord Lyeo participates in the duel, our sect’s chances of winning will increase. However, it would be better for Physician Han not to participate. After all, his medical skills are a great asset to our sect, and if something were to happen to him in the duel, it would be more of a loss than a gain.”

Hearing this, Han Li smiled and began to move before Lyeo Bi-woo could make another request. His body flickered and suddenly disappeared from Sect Leader An’s sight. Surprised, Sect Leader An tried to find him from all directions, but then he heard Han Li’s voice from behind him.

“I don’t know if my skills will meet the Sect Leader’s expectations! But the fact that I’m trying to participate in this life-or-death duel means that I have the ability to protect myself. Please grant me permission, seeing my loyalty.”

Sect Leader An couldn’t help but be surprised. He had never expected that Han Li, who was known for his medical skills in the sect, would display such terrifying movement techniques.

‘What a great divine power! What is his intention? What is his true identity?’ A series of questions flashed through Sect Leader An’s mind.

He turned to look at Han Li. Then, his gaze naturally shifted to his martial uncles.

Their eyes were subtly showing surprise. It seemed that Han Li’s skills had unexpectedly surprised even his martial uncles.

Sect Leader An pondered over all sorts of thoughts and finally made a decision. He laughed heartily and replied,

“Physician Han is showing such sincerity, how can the Sect Leader refuse?”

He selected the two weakest disciples among those who were supposed to participate in the blood duel and replaced them with Han Li and Lyeo Bi-woo. Moreover, he had them write their names first.

Ga Cheon-ryong couldn’t have missed this commotion. Although two more experts had joined the opposing side, he didn’t pay much attention to it.

He believed that they would be no match for the Gold Merchant’s flying sword techniques. Thus, the list of duelists from both sides was completed, and the Death Pacts were exchanged. The blood battle, where only one side could survive, was about to begin.

* * *

The Gold Merchant stood arrogantly in the middle of the death arena, with the Arangdan members gathered behind him.

Ga Cheon-ryong had promised him eight thousand taels of silver if he could eliminate all the participants from the Seven Mysteries Sect before Ga Cheon-ryong even had to step forward.

The thought of having a lot of gold once this was over ignited a fire in the Gold Merchant’s heart. He was ready to kill the people in front of him without delay.

Han Li stood apart from Lyeo Bi-woo, among the other people. This was because he had allowed Lyeo Bi-woo to have a private conversation with his lover. Han Li looked at the Gold Merchant standing on the opposite side.

‘Why is that vulgar-looking dwarf the only one stepping forward? Could he be an expert with some strange martial art?’ Han Li blinked as he thought.
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