"Damn it...!" Ji-sang growled, pouring every ounce of energy into his final strike. His nine spectral tails lashed out at once, converging on Kyung-min from every direction.
The crowd held their breath as Wooyun thought there was no possible way he could dodge this!
But Kyung-min didn't even have to try.
Just as the tails were about to land, his body vanished.
Ji-sang's eyes widened—what?!
Before he could react, a knee slammed into his stomach, sending a shockwave through his entire body. The sheer force lifted him off the ground causing his breath to get caught in his throat.
Time seemed to slow. Ji-sang's vision blurred. He could barely process the pain before Kyung-min's fist came crashing down next.
BOOM!
The entire arena shook as Ji-sang was slammed into the ground with devastating force. A cloud of dust and debris erupted, obscuring the aftermath.
All that was left was silence.
When the dust finally settled, Ji-sang lay sprawled in the crater his body had created, coughing weakly. He tried to move but—his body wouldn't respond. It felt like every single bone in his body had broken—and if he had been a normal human, they most likely would've been.
Kyung-min exhaled and straightened, brushing off the dust from his robes as he briefly glanced at his fallen foe. "It's over." He said in a tone devoid of any feeling.
The prim and proper young master persona left his body in that split second before returning to his face once he turned to the crowd.
The referee hesitated before stepping forward. After a brief moment of checking that Ji-sang was in fact down and wouldn't be getting back up, he raised his hand.
"Winner—Yang Kyung-min!"
The audience erupted into cheers and applause. The Celestial Jade had lived up to his name, and Elder Yang who had been watching from the side gave a short smile at his precious disciple.
Ji-sang lay still, staring up at the sky. He clenched his fists, frustration boiling in his chest. He wanted to curse out, hurl insults and words of degradation to Yang Kyung-min but knew they wouldn't serve anything.
For too long the neutral sects had been overlooked. He wanted to prove to everyone that they could be just as good as the righteous sects, but alas, the young master proved to be too strong for even a talented man such as himself.
Even now... I still can't reach him.
Kyung-min glanced down at him, expression unreadable. Then, to Ji-sang's surprise, he extended a hand.
"You got stronger," Kyung-min said simply. "But you're still not at my level."
Ji-sang scowled but begrudgingly accepted the hand. As Kyung-min pulled him up, Ji-sang muttered, "Next time... I'll win."
Kyung-min smirked. "We'll see."
As Ji-sang limped off the stage, Wooyun exhaled, still stunned by what he had just witnessed.
"That... was on a whole different level."
Eun-woo nodded though his face didn't indicate he was impressed by the fight. Wooyun couldn't help but wonder if there was anything that could ever impress him.
Meanwhile, further away from the stands a figure titled his head as he tapped his fingers against his chin. His piercing gaze broke through the crowd as it landed on a certain bright-eyed young man.
~*~
The first round had ended and the fights were scheduled to resume in thirty minutes. Since Wooyun was hungry and hadn't had anything to eat this morning, he decided to make his way towards the food stalls that had been installed near the arena.
Wooyun's eyes gleamed as he eyed the delicious food in front of him. The stalls really reminded him of those food markets that would open up during the holiday season filled with tasty street foods. The ultimate destination for foodies. One particular treat caught his attention—rice cakes that were drenched in a bright red sauce. Two skewers were being sold for 5 star coins which surprised him considering how simple street snacks were usually sold for 1-2 star coins.
"I guess capitalism still exists even in a fictional world." He muttered to himself.
But despite his frustrations, he lined up and asked the vendor for two skewers. Just as he was about to reach from his bag, he was shoved from behind. "Hey! Can't you see there's a person standing here?" He yelled. He swerved around and was met with a tall man with long flowing black hair tied back into a high ponytail with some strands framing his face.
The first thing to catch Wooyun's attention were his striking eyes. Black in colour yet they carried a hint of purple in the irises. He had an ethereal , almost otherworldly appearance with a face that would make you double back, and blink several times if you were to pass him on the street.
His skin was pale and created a contrast with his dark attire. The man wore a black robe adorned with intricate gold embroidery, featuring swirling patterns and ornate designs. The high collar and structured shoulders of his outfit gave him a regal and commanding presence, practically screaming I'm a rich young master with a net worth of 5 billion dollars. He looked down at Wooyun, his perfectly shaped eyebrows lifted as he wondered what the commotion was about.
"I'm sorry?" He spoke, his voice light and airy but carried a hint of self-importance.
Great, Wooyun thought. Another pretty boy. What's with this world and its saturation of pretty men? What exactly is this author?
"You heard me. You shoved me and didn't even have the decency to apologize."
The young man's eyes carried a hint of surprise but widened once he got a look of Wooyun's face. "Oh, I apologize young miss, I didn't see you there."
Wooyun heard a snorting sound not too far away from him, and saw Eun-woo was not too far away from him so he was able to hear the young man mistake him for a woman.
His eyes narrowed before turning to look at him. "Do I look like a woman to you?"
"My apologies. I didn't realize you were a man…" he said as he scanned Wooyun with his eyes.
"You are very beautiful, it is hard for me to make the distinction."
Wooyun furrowed his brow, not at all happy to hear that he was confused for a woman. Perhaps he had gone a little too crazy with the powder. The young man on the other hand looked to be in a daze as he stared at Wooyun. Jin Hae-ryun had never believed in love at first sight.
Infatuation, certainly. He had seen countless beauties in his life—men and women alike—who batted their lashes and sighed at his every word, vying for even a shred of his attention. He was used to admiration, to having the world bend slightly when he entered a room.
But this—this was different.
Across the bustling crowd that had gathered near the food stalls, stood a vision. A slender figure cloaked in a white and blue robe, long raven hair cascading over delicate yet strong shoulders, lips slightly parted in clear awe as they gazed at endless options before them. Their face was partially obscured by a straw hat, but with his sharp eyes, he was able to catch a glimpse of a beautiful face that left him awestruck.
Jin Hae-ryun felt his breath catch.
Exquisite. Was what he thought.
He stepped forward, weaving through the crowd with the grace befitting a young master of the Jin Clan. His confidence never wavered, nor did the easy smile he wore as he purposely bumped into the figure as they were reaching out for something in their pocket. Just as he was about to speak up, the figure beat him to it, uttering words he had never thought could be used against him.
"Hey! Can't you see there's a person standing here?" They yelled.
Hae-ryun's brows furrowed when he heard the voice. It sounded deeper than he had anticipated, but he brushed it off. Women could have deeper voices as well. In fact, he liked the way it sounded in his ears. The person then turned. Hae-ryun found himself gazing into eyes like cold steel. They regarded him as if he were some kind of annoyance even after taking in his appearance.
This surprised him and so he apologized, telling the young woman he hadn't seen her when he had in fact.
The young woman's eyes narrowed, and her next words would send Hae-Ryun in a state of shock. "Hey, are your eyes just for decoration or something? What about me resembles a woman?"
That's when he saw it —the sharpness of the jaw, the slight tension in the throat, the subtle but unmistakable features that told him the truth.
This was no delicate maiden.
It was a man.
And in that instant, Hae-ryun had two choices: retract his words and pretend it had never happened… or double down.
He chose the latter.
"My apologies," he said smoothly, not missing a beat. "I didn't realize you were a man…" he said as he scanned him with his eyes. "You are very beautiful, it is hard for me to make the distinction."
The young man, who Hae-ryun now saw had an air of quiet intensity beneath his aloof demeanor, merely raised a brow. "Is that so?"
"Indeed," Hae-ryun said, folding his arms as he tilted his head, appraising. "Tell me, have we met before? Surely I would have remembered if we had."
"No," came the flat reply.
The sharpness of it nearly made Hae-ryun laugh. Oh, this is fun.
"I see," he mused, a playful lilt to his voice. "Then fate must be working quite hard to introduce us now."
The young man let out a breath—not quite a sigh, but close. He looked Hae-ryun up and down, his gaze assessing, unreadable.
And then, in the clearest, most succinct voice imaginable, he said:
"I'm not interested."
For the first time in his life, Jin Hae-ryun was stunned into silence.
A beat passed. Then another. Somewhere in the distance, a merchant was shouting about fresh peach juice, but Hae-ryun barely heard him.
"…I beg your pardon?" he asked, blinking.
"You heard me," the young man—who was, upon closer inspection, actually quite small compared to him—said evenly. "I'm not interested."
Hae-ryun narrowed his eyes slightly, considering. "Ah," he said at last, lips curving into a knowing smirk. "It's because I'm a man, isn't it?"
The young man—Hae-ryun decided he would learn his name later—snorted. "Hardly."
"Then—"
"I don't care if a man loves a man or a woman loves a woman. Love whoever you want." Wooyun's voice was calm, unbothered, as if they were discussing the weather. "But you're not the one I want."
There was no cruelty in his words. No malice. Just a fact.
And for the first time in years, Jin Hae-ryun felt something dangerously close to offense.
He had been rejected before—of course he had. There were those who played hard to get, those who pretended to resist only to fall just the same. But this?
This wasn't hesitation. This wasn't pretense.
Wooyun simply didn't want him.
How fascinating.
Before he could conjure up a reply, movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention.
A man stood not far off, watching.
Tall, lean, dressed in dark robes, with a presence that felt almost too still—like a predator just before striking. Hae-ryun recognized him. Eun-woo. His gaze was piercing as he watched him and Hae-ryun's gaze flickered between the two.
So he's taken.
"I see. Then I apologize for my brash advances. The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable." He said.
Too bad you already did, Wooyun thought.
"May I at least know your name?" He asked.
Wooyun narrowed his eyes. A big part of him wanted to say no and leave, but because he was no longer acting like some entitled guy, he let his annoyance go. "It's rude to ask another person for their name if you haven't given yours first." He said simply.
A light smile tugged at Hae-ruin's lips. The more Wooyun spoke, the more he liked him. "You are right, where are my manners?" He chuckled. "My name is Jin Hae-ryun, second master of the Jin Clan."
Wooyun narrowed his eyes. For some reason that name sounded familiar. That's when he remembered the Jin Clan, a prestigious family who were the first people to conduct business with the Blood Moon Sect after their first success in the trade of rare goods.
So he really is a rich young master. A little smile Wooyun didn't realize he had on his lips appeared, shocking Hae-ryun greatly. "Well, it's nice to meet you young master Jin. My name is Han Seo-yoon."
"Han Seo-yoon… a beautiful name for a beautiful person."
Wooyun had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. What a corny dude, he thought.
"Well I better get going." He said as he stepped back. Just as he was about to leave, he called back to him. "It was nice seeing you as well young master Seo-yoon. I hope to see you again."
Wooyun didn't answer back as he made his way back to the stands. "It's not easy being a woman, or a man as a matter of fact. It's hard being a human. Period." He mumbled to himself.
A pensive look appeared on Eun-woo's face as he said this.