Chapter 107

As they conversed, they arrived at the contest venue. The entrance to the venue was divided into two main parts: one for participants and VIPs, and another for general seating. A low wall had been erected along the pathway for participants and VIPs, and those who couldn't secure general seats were all clinging to this wall to catch a glimpse of the beauties.

There was so much whispering and so many piercing gazes that even Cheong-ra, who usually enjoyed and liked people's attention, felt somewhat uncomfortable. He hurried into the venue. And for a moment, he was mesmerized by the scene that unfolded before his eyes.

The place where beauties from all over the Central Plains had gathered was truly... a breathtaking sight, as if he had come to paradise. Could this be what the celestial realm, said to be filled with beautiful men and women, looked like? A subtle, pleasant fragrance wafted from all directions, and laughter filled the air.

Having never seen so many beauties in his life, Cheong-ra almost failed to maintain his composure. He barely managed to pretend to be nonchalant as he walked, but he couldn't completely hide the flush rising to his cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes. There were so many beauties that even if he bumped into someone while walking, it would be a beauty.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Young Master. I wasn't looking where I was going."

Even though it was just a slight bump, a delicate beauty in a red short jacket apologized to Cheong-ra with regret.

"No, it's alright. Are you unharmed, Miss?"

Cheong-ra unconsciously asked about the other's well-being in a very soft and gentle voice. The beauty's face, seeing Cheong-ra's clear smile that slightly revealed his white teeth, also flushed red. The other shook her head shyly with a smile.

"I was so distracted that I ended up causing you trouble. If you have time later, please look for Ban So-so at the Mind-Cleansing Inn. I'd like to treat you to a meal as compensation."

As the beauty retreated with a lingering glance after leaving these words, Cheong-ra felt the piercing gaze of his companion while smiling at her. He quickly came to his senses and hid the happy smile he had been wearing. He cleared his throat and pretended not to notice the gaze, but Dang Ran-yeong didn't let it slide. He heavily placed his arm on Cheong-ra's shoulder, causing him to stagger.

"Beauty, are you happy?"

"What are you talking about? Suddenly asking if I'm happy..."

"It seems like you're enjoying yourself more than I've ever seen before."

Dang Ran-yeong's words hit the mark, causing Cheong-ra's gaze to waver slightly. As Cheong-ra, who would never admit such a thing, was about to deny it,

"Do you like beauties... that much?"

As he said this, bringing his very handsome face suddenly close, Cheong-ra froze. Do I like beauties that much?

Pursuing beauty... it was almost like an instinct that formed Cheong-ra's self, so honestly, he couldn't help but like beauties. How could he control his gaze being naturally drawn to beauties and his heart fluttering? Other than trying not to show it outwardly, there was nothing he could do.

So when Dang Ran-yeong brought his face so close that Cheong-ra could clearly see the tear mole near his eye, his heart raced and his face flushed even more. Reading this reaction, Dang Ran-yeong smiled with curved eyes. However, his pupils were not particularly gentle.

"What should I do? I don't like it much, but since you enjoy it so much, I can't even correct your habit."

"When did I ever say I enjoyed it?"

Cheong-ra tried to push Dang Ran-yeong away, pretending to be cold. Fortunately, this time he was pushed away easily. However, it bothered him a bit that Dang Ran-yeong spoke as if he had the right to correct his habits. The right to correct his habits belonged to the elders of Moon Lake Sect, his senior martial brothers, and his master. But as it was an awkward place to point this out, he just let it go.

"Then I'll see you at the mansion later, Beauty."

After saying this just loud enough for Cheong-ra to hear, Dang Ran-yeong disappeared towards the VIP seats. Cheong-ra watched the back of the man walking away without looking back for a moment before turning his head. He didn't forget to compose his expression once more, wondering if he had shown too much happiness as Dang Ran-yeong had said.

The waiting room was bustling with wealthy VIPs who wanted to be close to beauties and beauties who wanted to connect with the wealthy and influential. Even among the beauties, Cheong-ra stood out like a crane among chickens, attracting countless gazes.

However, people who tried to approach him stopped when they saw the aura he exuded and the sword at his waist. They didn't want to risk offending the faction the martial artist belonged to or incurring his wrath and losing their lives for coveting a beauty. Martial artists were known for their high pride, willing to throw away their lives like straw.

Thanks to this, Cheong-ra was able to easily pass through the clear laughter and secret glances.

The entrance for contest participants was divided into two lines, one for men and one for women. At the entrance, a person who seemed to be of quite high status was examining each participant one by one, handing out number tags, and filtering out those who didn't meet the standard. However, for martial artists of second-rate level or higher, they were letting them in unless they looked particularly shabby.

So there were people leaving with deeply hurt pride, while others didn't give up and got back in line after grooming themselves again. When it was Cheong-ra's turn to enter, the examiner looked him up and down, then let him pass with a pleased expression. It wasn't a particularly pleasant gaze to feel.

'If it feels like they're selecting good sacrifices, is it just my imagination? No, it's not imagination, they're likely to actually be Blood Cult members. Especially seeing how martial artists are passing without question.'

Hadn't Mi-a, the woman who once deliberately spread rumors with Cheong-ra, seemed ordinary at first glance but was actually a Blood Cult member? To select high-quality sacrifices, it would be most effective for Blood Cult members to assess directly. Cheong-ra passed through the entrance, carefully observing the man's face.

The stage for the Phoenix-Qilin-Iris-Orchid Contest was set up outdoors, positioned in the center so that hundreds or thousands of people could watch directly from the audience seats. There were also judges' seats, VIP seats, and others visible. Unlike the general seats, these had awnings to block the sun, creating a special distinction.

The waiting area for participants was also under awnings, and considerately, numerous tables and chairs had been set up. The sight of beautiful and cute beauties and handsome men sitting and enjoying the refreshments provided by the organizers was truly rare and precious. Cheong-ra sat down and enjoyed watching this scene for a while...

Soon coming to his senses, he carefully examined the tea leaves placed on the table. Knowing they were provided by Blood Cult members made him hesitant to touch them easily.

'If it were Dang Ran-yeong, he could probably distinguish them just by tasting.'

Although Cheong-ra had the Poison-Resisting Bead given by Dang Ran-yeong, he didn't dare think of tasting it. Instead, he secretly hid small pieces of the tea leaves and refreshments in his bosom.

Soon the preliminaries began. With so many people, even though each had less than half an hour, it took a long time, and gradually bored expressions appeared on the participants' faces. Unlike them, Cheong-ra wasn't bored as he was enjoying watching the handsome men. He just wished this time could last as long as possible.

The participants each took the stage to show off their talents. Some sang, some recited poetry, some played instruments, some performed skills, and so on. Of course, there were quite a few who couldn't do anything and just blushed shyly before coming down. Many of these seemed to be martial artists.

Perhaps they thought it was too much to show off their talents in front of so many people, being straightforward people devoted solely to training and having high pride. Or maybe they were confident in their looks.

'Well, if it weren't for the Vermilion Face Fruit, these proud fellows wouldn't attend such an event.'

Thinking this while waiting, it was soon Cheong-ra's turn. He stood up and walked towards the stage with light steps. There was not a trace of nervousness in his appearance.

Dang Ran-yeong's eye for beauty was excellent, and the silk long robe he had gifted made Cheong-ra's appearance even more clear and pure. Even without applying any makeup, his skin was fair, and as he stood under the sunlight, his dark eyes sparkled with intelligence. His features were so distinct that even from afar, there was no difficulty in recognizing his beautiful appearance, causing cheers to erupt from the audience.

As Cheong-ra ascended the stage amidst these cheers, the man in charge of the proceedings said,

"Participant Baek Ri Cheong-ra, Moonlight Flashing Sword. Young Master, please show us the skill you have prepared..."

Before he could finish speaking, Cheong-ra's sword flashed, cutting through the air. The man lost his words at the surprising speed of the sword draw. The fierce aura was such that even the noise from the audience momentarily subsided.

In contrast to the sharp sword draw, Cheong-ra suddenly smiled and then began to take light steps. It was a lively and light movement, as if dancing or using martial footwork. And indeed, it soon led into an elegant dance.