Chapter 53: High-Caliber Interruption
Under normal circumstances, traditional martial arts matches didn’t result in environmental collateral damage.
Take taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, or boxing, for example. When those athletes competed, the damage was confined to the human body—bruises, sprains, or broken bones. The surrounding ring remained largely intact.
Yet here, a martial style governed by those exact same foundational principles had just sent a grown man flying—with far greater violence than Si-Eun’s earlier ejection from the ring.
Propelled like a cannonball, Su-Hong slammed into the distant seating area, smashing straight through a heavy table and causing every guest in the venue to catch their breath in unison.
Nobody had anticipated such raw, violent destruction. It was no longer just a matter of cracked ribs or fractured bones—it was the sheer force needed to pulverize solid wooden furniture upon impact.
"Sigh. I went overboard... Wait, no. I didn’t even know that old man’s move would have this kind of impact without Qi," Ji-Hong muttered, tilting his head as he recalled the opening cinematic of The Path of Heavenly Martial Arts, where the Patriarch of the Heavenly Cloud Sect made his grand entrance.
Amid the surrounding shock, the ones who reacted fastest were Butler Lee, along with A-Ji and Ji-Ga.
They quickly moved to calm the guests affected by the shattered table, escorting them to a new seating area while A-Ji stayed behind to check on Su-Hong’s condition.
’Whew! Luckily, it’s just a few broken ribs and heavy bruises—nothing life-threatening,’ A-Ji thought, glancing back up at Ji-Hong. ’I guess it wasn’t even intentional? The Young Master himself seems surprised by the outcome. Well, the greater the force, the more devastating the counter.’
A-Ji’s gaze drifted toward a specific table where Donape sat calmly.
’Such a miraculous outcome... and yet only a few people realize its value. Truly a wonder shop!’
If Ji-Hong hadn’t spared any expense paying for them to experience that VR game, A-Ji knew he would never have understood the profound technique his young master had just demonstrated. In fact, his own martial comprehension would have remained stagnant without the advanced VR Capsule.
Soon, many others began reacting and moving to manage the situation, as three people alone were far from enough to handle the commotion.
The Great Guardian himself approached Su-Hong alongside the medical team and Su-Hong’s subordinates, while venue staff took steps to reassure the rattled guests.
The third-generation descendants were at a complete loss as to where to look, but fear had unmistakably begun to take root among them.
"This... how could this happen?!"
"This has to be a b-bad dream!"
"How could that wastrel defeat and throw Big Brother Su-Hong so violently?!"
"Isn’t his body constitutionally damaged? He couldn’t even manage light exercise! How did he dodge so effortlessly?"
"What actually just happened?!"
Anxious murmurs from the lower-ranked descendants were inevitable, while those at the top wore increasingly grim expressions. Confusion and disbelief filled their minds, but a deep, cautious wariness was also beginning to take hold.
’That move?! There’s no mistaking it—that’s from the VR game in that shop!’ Si-Yeon thought. Even though she had only played it once for five hours, the experience had left a profound impression on her due to its startling realism.
’Can it really be implemented into real life? Can it actually be used to train and gain real combat experience?! But then... how is that wastrel able to move like that?! Is it because of that shop again?!’
Si-Yeon’s mind struggled to process the event. Questions flooded her thoughts, spawning endless theories and assumptions.
Meanwhile, Li-Jae, along with representatives from the Nam and Jin Families, expressed deep confusion.
The primary question baffling everyone in the audience was whether Ji-Hong’s broken constitution had somehow been fully healed.
Only after that came the secondary mystery: where on earth had he learned such a fluid, gentle martial art, and was that specific technique what allowed him to overpower Su-Hong so effortlessly despite the massive difference in size?
"This is too much! You need to stop this sparring once and for all and investigate that brat!" Elder Baek Su-Su flared, completely unable to contain her rage any longer.
Her children—who belonged to the second generation and were of similar age to Baek Ji-Gal—began rising from their seats, clearly preparing to intervene.
Beside her, Elder Baek Li-Si stared with wide eyes, unable to formulate answers to any of the frantic questions filling his mind. Meanwhile, Elder Baek Si-Jin stood with his arms crossed in a calm, composed manner, yet his thoughts were in the exact same state of turmoil as Si-Yeon’s.
’That shop must be behind all of this... Origins VR Cafe, what kind of place are you?!’ Si-Jin’s mind raced. The plan to seize the shop was already fully prepared, with only the execution date left to be set.
However, seeing this demonstration forced him to reconsider. He now had to carefully weigh whether carrying out such a takeover held greater benefits—or far too high a risk.
"Do not rush into reckless decisions," Patriarch Baek spoke soothingly. "If you panic and cause a scene here, the guests will grow restless."
Elder Su-Su refused to back down. "You only say that because he isn’t from your direct line! Have you no compassion for your elder sister’s family?!"
"Sigh. Mind your words," Patriarch Baek replied, his voice firm as he glanced toward the standing members of the second generation. "And besides, Su-Hong is fine. Mareum is over there with the medical team and already signaled to me that his life is in no danger. Sit down, all of you. There is no need to make a fuss. That is my order as Patriarch—Su-Hong is fine, and I guarantee you that much."
Meanwhile, Su-Hong gasped as he woke from his stupor.
"Gasp! W-What happened? Why am I here—Agh!" Su-Hong began to demand answers, but a sharp spike of pain in his chest cut him off.
"Though your condition is stable, I advise you not to move around too much," Mareum said calmly.
"Great Guardian?!" Su-Hong looked around in utter confusion before the reality of the situation washed over him.
"Impossible! There’s no way I lost to that wastrel! This result is invalid! No real martial arts work like that! We have to rematch—Agh!" He tried to protest, but his injured chest kept his voice muffled, every breath sending another wave of pain through his fractured ribs.
"I have already warned you, Young Master Su-Hong: speak less and move less if you want a speedy recovery," Mareum advised, helping Su-Hong to his feet before handing him over to his subordinates. "You need to proceed to the medical room immediately. Proper first aid and a detailed examination are critical. This is the Patriarch’s direct order, so please comply, Young Master."
Gritting his teeth, Su-Hong had no choice but to submit. As his subordinates supported his weight, he glared toward Ji-Hong—who was casually exiting the arena—his eyes burning with a volatile mix of helpless rage and a desperate craving for revenge.
Ji-Hong strolled out of the arena with his chest puffed out. His grand plan to shock everyone with his fully restored body and martial skills had been a resounding success—countless eyes remained pinned to his every move, accompanied by a constant buzz of hushed whispers.
Catching Ji-Hong’s smug expression, Li-Jae snapped, "Hey wastrel. Did your broken constitution completely heal?! And where did you learn that martial art? Don’t get arrogant just because you won with cheap trickery."
Ji-Hong stopped in his tracks, turning his head to stare directly at Li-Jae and his group.
"If winning by ’trickery’ makes me a wastrel, then what does that make the person who lost to it? Trash? Piece of shit?" Ji-Hong smirked. "Besides, my name is Baek Ji-Hong, not ’wastrel.’ You’ll save yourself a lot of embarrassment when you lose to me if you start addressing me properly. But suit yourself."
Turning back around, he resumed his casual walk, softly muttering his usual butchered idioms to himself.
"How did that saying go again? Ah, right... A dog barks while the lion stares with the eyes of a predator. Hehehe."
Ji-Hong slid back into his seat with an insufferably wide grin, leaning back as if he had just conquered the entire empire.
Donape didn’t even look up. He calmly picked up a skewer from the table, took a slow bite, and chewed in complete, unbothered silence.
"It looks like the event is going to be called off," Ji-Hong noted casually, causing Donape to freeze mid-bite.
"What do you mean?"
"The impact of that Heavenly Cloud martial art was a bit too dangerous. There’s no way they’re letting the sparring matches continue."
"But the birthday banquet itself is still continuing, right?!" Donape pressed, his tone suddenly tense.
All he cared about was his System Quest. He knew with absolute certainty that if the banquet got canceled or postponed, the quest completion notification wouldn’t appear. He had only one goal in mind: ensure the event ran smoothly until the very end without a single hiccup.
"Probably," Ji-Hong replied playfully.
For Ji-Hong, his grand reveal was already complete. He needed nothing more from the birthday banquet, save for the inevitable interrogation from his parents and Patriarch Baek later on.
Donape, on the other hand, was instantly overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. His appetite vanished in an instant as his quest status hung in complete limbo.
As Donape racked his brain trying to figure out what to do next, his eyes suddenly snapped wide open. The hairs on the back of his neck stood dead on end.
He felt a harsh, unnatural shift in the atmospheric air pressure.
In a fraction of a second, Donape flared his Qi Perception to its absolute limit and bolted upright from his chair, startling Ji-Hong.
"What the hell?! What’s wrong, Boss Don?"
Donape didn’t answer. His gaze locked instantly onto the VIP section.
"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!"
BANG!
A violent sniper shot pierced the air, echoing thunderously as it shattered through the venue.