As the disciple of the Sword Saint Na Yerin,
it was only natural to work in the Murim Alliance as the grand disciple of the righteous Hongseong clan.
Especially since Hongseong members believe it’s right to lend a hand to the weak.
After all, being part of the Murim Alliance meant not only could one gather information to save them, but also receive support.
So, it wouldn’t be surprising if Hongryeon, who had built her reputation while serving as the leader of the Murim Alliance, was given the position of inspector.
On her first day as an inspector,
when she went to catch a Chachik, a monster with three legs, four bat wings, and a snake head,
she met her.
She was quite the intriguing woman.
With pitch-black hair and deep, captivating eyes.
Her toned body made it clear she wasn’t an average martial artist, as she confidently donned the uniform of Moonjeong, Hongseong’s rival, saying,
“Let’s have a spar.”
It was ridiculous.
There were countless tasks for Hongryeon in the Murim Alliance, and she was busy dealing with evil monsters.
But here was a martial artist from Moonjeong, casually suggesting a spar?
Hongryeon turned her down and headed off to capture the Chachik tormenting a mountain village.
And there, she witnessed it.
The power of the woman who initiated that bizarre encounter.
A martial artist pursuing extreme joy, striking like a ray of light.
It wasn’t that her competitive spirit wasn’t stirred. Hongryeon was also a martial artist, and she certainly had the desire to measure her skills against a competitor of her age.
Thus, after defeating the Chachik, she pointed her sword at her, saying they could face off again.
It felt like an unavoidable fate, the grand disciples of Hongseong and Moonjeong aiming their weapons at each other.
The first match ended in Hongryeon’s victory.
Chaejin was strong, but just a tad lacking to defeat Hongryeon, who had gained experience fighting many foes in the Murim Alliance.
In the end, Chaejin acknowledged her defeat, but that didn’t mean she’d give up.
Hongryeon couldn’t help but smile at her fervor and spirit, but she held back the laughter.
She was far too busy to keep accepting sparring requests.
Of course, while her skills increased by sparring with Chaejin, she’d end up bedridden for days afterward, making Chaejin not the most enjoyable sparring partner.
There was simply too much to do.
But smashing her to pieces wasn’t an option, as the gap between them was tiny, and she’d suffer substantial damage herself.
Ultimately, Hongryeon started to avoid sparring her, the more she did, the more Chaejin clung to her.
How long had that been?
Even right now.
She had to find a potion for the youngest disciple, yet Chaejin came looking to spar.
Considering how drained she felt after just one, there was no way she could agree to that.
Thus, despite Chaejin’s visit, she dodged her. What was the point in fighting when there was nothing to gain?
But now,
there was a reason to fight.
“Whooo…”
Suppressing an unfathomable annoyance rising from within, Hongryeon lifted her great sword.
At the same moment, a bright red aura surged forth.
The moment it wrapped around the sword, Hongryeon swung it swiftly.
“HAAAAAA!!”
Accompanied by a ferocious roar, a tremendous sword energy erupted.
She poured out a blow resembling the glow of a red star, obliterating the training arena, before finally collapsing to the ground.
Usually,
after this much, she’d be feeling okay.
But oddly, her heart wasn’t settled at all.
“…Tch.”
Clicking her tongue, Hongryeon got back up.
“Senior Sister!!”
She turned her head. Coming towards her was one of Hongseong’s younger sisters, flustered as she handed her a letter.
“Moonjeong’s Chaejin…”
“…Hahaha!!”
A laugh escaped her.
The contents of the letter were just a single line.
“Let’s meet at the inn.”
But it was enough to set her heart racing for various reasons.
It was enough to make Hongryeon’s heart race.
Training that started in the daytime continued until night. By the time the black moon aimed at the sky, it had moved just in front of Chaejin’s eyes.
Yet, there was no change in any other aspect.
Only the movement of the Do.
She had to unfold the slowest of the Do’s while focusing on the movements.
Even while practicing the dull, Chaejin’s mind was filled with the past.
She thought she had to win.
As the daughter of the Doje and the great disciple of the righteous sect Moonjeong, she firmly believed that she must defeat Hongseong.
She had to show her worth as the great disciple of Moonjeong.
She needed to prove it.
The chains that bound her body were nothing short of a curse.
That’s why, the moment she entered the Murim Alliance and met Hongryeon, she made a resolution.
“I will definitely beat you and prove that Moonjeong is better than Hongseong.”
But it wasn’t easy.
Hongryeon had a wealth of experience unlike her. It was only natural that in a situation where even martial arts prowess slightly tipped in favor of one, victory would be hard to come by.
Thus, Chaejin could not afford to stop.
The chains that constricted her body turned into a curse as she fought against Hongryeon, winning and losing.
A curse that vowed to definitely defeat her with confidence.
A curse that promised to overcome someone trusted by everyone, unlike herself.
Therefore, Chaejin had no choice but to mindlessly attack Hongryeon.
“Hoo…”
Releasing a low breath, she slowly drew her Do. With the white light reflecting in the moonlight, she lowered her blade and stared blankly at the sky.
The white moon.
The burden she carried.
Ultimately, the moon she had to surpass.
Memories of the moonlight martial arts she had seen from her Doje came rushing back. The sun, the moon, the stars.
A powerful technique capable of slicing through the world.
One sword strike.
Having been captivated by that, Chaejin had entered the martial arts but even now it was an insurmountable wall.
Right. I haven’t even surpassed Hongryeon yet, so how could I surpass that?
But that’s okay.
Calmly, Chaejin raised her Do. Unlike the dull training until now, the slow yet clear movement of the Do began to slice through the air.
At that moment.
— Swish!!
A rock in the backyard was cut cleanly and slid away.
It was so precise it hardly seemed like it had been cut without a blade drawn.
Chaejin examined the flat surface of the fallen rock and couldn’t help but chuckle.
If it had been her past self, she would have only been able to stare at such a level.
Gently lifting her head, she gazed at the brightly lit room. Just thinking about the person working there put a smile on her face.
Then, a sticky feeling surged within her, causing her to grit her teeth.
As she bit down on her lip, Chaejin swung her Do once more. Watching the rock get sliced again, she closed her eyes.
She envisioned her beside him.
In that moment, Chaejin trembled with an overwhelming sense of fear.
More terrifying than the fear of defeat.
More dreadful than the fear of incompetence.
An even greater fear.
“…That shouldn’t happen.”
Right.
It can’t.
So…
Chaejin made an effort to quell the thoughts and ramped up her training.
By now, a letter must have arrived at Hongseong.
“…Hongryeon.”
She muttered briefly, glancing at the upper floor of the inn.
This time, for sure.
The day after Hongryeon received the letter.
Thanks to the Pachoseon and the Changwoongi installed in the inn’s basement, the food tasted even better, attracting more guests.
Because of this, when the lunch service ended, the tired Jeomsoi and Innkeeper would close the inn for a rest, but today was different.
Hongryeon, the great disciple of Hongseong.
Chaejin, the great disciple of Moonjeong.
The two rivals sat facing each other at a single table.
“You didn’t run away, huh?”
The first to speak was Hongryeon. With a smirk pulling at her lips, Chaejin shrugged her shoulders.
It was Hongryeon. Seeing her lips curl up, Chaejin shrugged her shoulders.
“This is where I belong, after all.”
Once again, the heavy atmosphere settled in. It was dense enough to make anyone eating feel like they were going to choke on their food if there were guests around.
In this place, where even the Jeomsoi and innkeepers trying to take a break had fled elsewhere, there was no one to bring them tea.
And yet, amidst this heavy ambiance, someone capable of managing their duties came down.
“You’ve arrived earlier than expected. Care for a cup of tea?”
“Oh. Yes. I’m here. Hehe. I’ll enjoy it.”
With a bright smile, Hongryeon displayed a somewhat restrained demeanor that seemed uncharacteristic for her.
This caught Chaejin off guard.
Hongryeon… using honorifics?
No, no. Just the other day, you were talking to her informally, weren’t you? Why the sudden change?
“They’d be shocked if they saw this at the Murim Alliance.”
“Is it that strange? Given my age and the fact that I have a lot of reliance on our Hongseong Clan, I should change, right?”
Chaejin laughed, thinking how ridiculous Hongryeon was trying to act relaxed. Then, she grabbed Yu Wol, who was bringing over the tea, leaned in, and whispered in his ear.
“Earlier, the training posture was a bit off. When you write your reflection, the flow of internal energy…”
“Oh, is that so? Thank you.”
“Hehe. Just a little something.”
As Chaejin naturally pulled away from his ear, smiling, Hongryeon tightened her fist.
Surprisingly, both women, who considered each other rivals, were thinking the same thing.
”This little thief cat…?”
“I believe everyone knows why you two have gathered here.”
As they shot each other dagger-like glares, Yu Wol took out a prepared sheet of paper.
He handed one part to both Hongryeon and Chaejin.
The two, who had been staring at each other, quickly received the paper and tilted their heads after reading the neat handwriting.
“…What is this?”
“I hope you won’t overdo it in the sparring session. To avoid serious injuries…”
“Right. While small injuries are one thing, I’ve heard stories of people getting seriously hurt during sparring and needing long-term recovery. To be frank, I’d rather avoid that.”
“But it’s sparring; things get heated, cuts and bruises happen.”
“Martial artists shouldn’t fear that kind of stuff.”
They spoke in unison as if to counsel each other, but Yu Wol remained firm.
He merely looked at them seriously.
“There are three reasons. The place where you two previously sparred must be at the Murim Alliance. Since the divine master is there, it’s unlikely to be dangerous even with severe injuries.”
“That much is true…”
“The second reason: you are both people I work with. For me, as someone who needs to provide an affidavit, if either of you gets hurt, I’ll look like a foolish idiot causing my own loss. You want me to become that, huh?”
“…Well, that’s…”
“…not exactly.”
“Finally, the third reason.”
Yu Wol stared them down.
“I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”
“……”
“…..”
Both Hongryeon and Chaejin were left speechless. All they could do was sigh and put their signatures on the pledge.
After collecting the signed pledge, Yu Wol calmly tucked it away.
“When do you plan to spar?”
“Well, is there any reason to delay? If there’s a location, I can do it right now.”
“Hongryeon, you feel the same?”
“Of course.”
Yu Wol nodded at the bravado of both women.
“In that case, I know a suitable place. The training ground at the government office is available for the next few days. Plus, there’s a physician, and medicine is on standby, so even if an unavoidable injury occurs, treatment can be administered.”
What a prepared person.
When did they prep all this?
How on earth…
How…
The two, lost in a daze while watching Yu Wol, suddenly snapped back to reality.
If they were to hold the martial arts competition today, this was no time to be daydreaming.
They needed to warm up a bit more.
“Let’s schedule the competition for sunset. Alright, let’s all prepare well and meet at the government office.”
“I thought I could show you my achievements.”
“As I said before, those achievements—I hope I won’t have to see them.”
He had mentioned this before; seeing them would mean a dangerous situation, which he did not want.
Hongryeon remembered those sweet words and nodded in agreement before leaving, while Chaejin pointed to the pledge document.
“But is that really okay? Shouldn’t we summon the Sword Saint?”
“Of course, we will. But it’s not because I think you won’t keep your promise; it’s to ensure an accurate judgment of the results. I’ll notarize it, but I lack the martial skills compared to you two, so I can’t determine the outcome precisely. I plan to seek the Sword Saint’s assistance for that.”
Chaejin merely nodded in agreement and left without saying another word.
Yu Wol, left alone in the inn where the two had just exited, let out a heavy sigh.
*
In our crafted scenario, if Moonjeong and Hongseong could form an alliance or at least create a solid foundation for a connection, it would be the best possible outcome.
After all, it would mean the power of not just two extraordinary beings—the Sword Saint and the Doje—but also two formidable factions.
But saying it is easier than doing… I thought about that, but then…
I caught a glimpse of the potential for success.
The common ground between Hongryeon and Chaejin, channeling their jealousy and competitive spirit into something positive.
Nothing is quite as cool as a rival who becomes an ally, right?
If Hongryeon and Chaejin could treat each other as rivals, that would work well.
I glanced at the pledge documents the two had given me earlier.
I had expected resistance, but seeing them willingly put their signatures made it look promising after all.
Of course, as Chaejin said, this wasn’t something with any force behind it, but still, would someone from a righteous faction go back on their word?
“Ah.”
Lost in thought, I realized it was time to prepare.
This was an important matter for me too, so after praying to Jesus, Buddha, and Allah, I set my body and mind straight and headed to the government office.
Inside the military camp of the government office. When I arrived at the training ground, I saw the two women staring at each other.
And in the corner, there stood the Sword Saint, silently watching with her arms crossed. As I gave her a slight nod, she responded with a slight bow of her head.
I hoped that she would fulfill my request…
“I shall summon the participants.”
“Mm.”
I raised my hand to the officer.
The spectators, who had hoped to witness the duel between the remarkable warriors, Na Hongryeon of the Falling Sun Sword and Chaejin of the Moonlight Sword, somberly stepped back. The officer bowed and left.
I stepped forward towards the training ground.
I glanced back and forth between the two and thought:
Perhaps this was the last chance to change their relationship.
So, failure was not an option.
The tension brought a freeze to my face, though I didn’t have the luxury to focus on that now.
What mattered most was that this competition ended without anyone getting hurt.
With that in mind, I looked at them with the utmost seriousness I could muster.
Both of them were waiting for my signal.
Both of them.
Perhaps even the Sword Saint.
Naturally, I was as well.
All four of us in this training ground were anticipating what was to come.
With the same gravity as tossing a stone into that tension, I spoke as seriously as I could.
Please, keep your promise to me.
“Begin!”
And at that moment, the two women collided without even a roar.
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