Chapter 78: Not Ugly
“Brother…!”
A sobbing voice echoed, contrasting the blurry sights and chilly season with the warm sunlight.
This was a memory from my childhood.
In those days when I wandered through the woods near our house,
I toddled forward with short steps.
I was the seeker in our little game of hide and seek.
It was scary to hide alone, so I preferred being the one to find.
Brother had said he was confident in hiding; he told me not to worry about finding him alone.
“Brother… where are you?”
I moved forward, brushing against the tree branches.
Brother wasn’t as good at hiding as he claimed.
He always left some telltale sign.
This time too, I could see a little bit of his clothing peeking out from behind a tree far ahead.
My tear-filled eyes lit up instantly.
I quickened my pace.
“Found you!”
I leaned in to surprise him.
“Huh…?”
But unexpectedly, Brother was not there.
Only his clothing, belonging to the Gu clan, remained.
“Brother where are—”
“Boo—!”
“Kyaah!”
I screamed and dropped to the ground after being startled from behind.
I was so scared that tears started to flow.
When I turned around, Brother was laughing.
He had fierce-looking eyes, but when he smiled, he had a kind and gentle face.
“Did I scare you?”
“I… I was so scared…”
“I knew this would work.”
His look of pride irked me.
With annoyance, I poked my small fists at Brother’s shoulders a few times.
But he just kept on laughing, as if he didn’t feel a thing.
After a minute of laughter, he extended a hand towards me, inviting me to take it.
I made a pouty face but accepted his hand anyway.
“Let’s go back; Mom is probably waiting for us.”
“Already…?”
“Yeah, if we stay too long, she might get mad.”
That was impossible.
I had never seen Mom get angry.
I just nodded, enjoying Brother’s company.
The hand I held felt warm.
Before I knew it, the clothing he claimed was meant to surprise me had found its way onto my shoulders.
It was because it was chilly today.
Despite the cold season, I could bear it because we were together.
“…Sister Yeonseo bullied me again earlier.”
“Sister?”
“Yeah… She glared at me, saying that Mom is hers, even though she’s our mom…”
“I see.”
Brother gently ruffled my hair after hearing what I said.
His touch melted my heart.
“Sister is family too; she can say that, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Brother’s gentle gaze was always warm.
I liked that.
I disliked Father’s cold, piercing stare, but the looks from Brother and Mom were warm, and I cherished that.
That was enough for me.
That was how Gu Ryunghwa felt back then.
“What should we eat today?”
“I want to eat fish!”
“Fish? Okay, let’s go ask!”
“Yeah!”
As we walked along, we caught sight of home.
The lights were already lit, and I saw Mom waving from afar.
“Mom!”
I waved enthusiastically.
I dashed over and jumped into her warm embrace.
Mom’s hands were cold from waiting outside for a while,
But I loved those cold hands.
Mom then lovingly patted Brother’s head as he followed me.
Even in this cold season, Gu Ryunghwa felt warmth around her.
That was all I needed in life.
I thought I could be happy as long as I lived like this.
That was a tiny dream I held in my youthful heart.
But heaven seemed set against it.
One week later,
Everything was destroyed, and Gu Ryunghwa’s life fell into despair.
*
Every summer, the Mount Hua Sect gathers its disciples to hold an event called the Plum Blossom Tournament.
While it’s a simple match for the students to compete, it serves as an important test for selecting the future swordsmen of Mount Hua.
All second-generation disciples who aren’t already among the swordsmen are required to participate, while participation for the third-generation disciples is optional.
So considering this, Gu Ryunghwa, as a second-generation disciple, was technically required to join, but given her circumstances, the elders allowed her to skip and participate among the third-generation instead.
However, Gu Ryunghwa rejected that.
She had no desire to participate among the third-generation students, and for the honor of her Master, she believed she must not retreat.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The wooden sword swung heavily in my hands without pause.
Many a time since joining Mount Hua, I had swung it relentlessly.
I couldn’t perform the Plum Blossom Sword Arts yet and had plenty of other skills left to learn from Mt. Hua I hadn’t yet grasped.
I was feeling anxious.
Even I knew I was getting anxious.
But on the contrary, my Master told me not to rush, that I had plenty of time yet, given my youth.
However,
Even if I shine in the future,
Would that even carry meaning without my Master by my side?
Gu Ryunghwa bit her lip at that thought.
The year the Immortal Healer said was nearing an end was getting closer.
There was still so much to accomplish before my sword could bloom with plum flowers.
Even so, Gu Ryunghwa desperately wished to show her Master her sword blooming with those ethereal flowers.
‘If I had talents like… that person.’
The younger member among the third-generation,
And also the one bearing the name of the future of Mount Hua,
The Sword Dragon, Yung Pung.
If only I had his talents, perhaps I wouldn’t be feeling this desperate now.
Without realizing, Gu Ryunghwa had begun to resent Yung Pung.
Knowing she couldn’t become like him only tightened her heart further.
Was it that?
Today, as I swung my sword, it felt unwilling to obey.
“Hoo”
Was it due to continuously swinging? My palm stung from the effort.
Even so, I was resolved to keep swinging.
My Master wasn’t in a position to teach me right now.
So I had to fill in the gaps myself.
“Tch…”
As desperate as I had become, things just weren’t going my way.
Today felt especially frustrating due to what I witnessed earlier.
The sight of Gu Yangcheon playing around with those girls.
The relative I hadn’t seen in ages appeared more lackluster than ever.
The brother from my memories had already died.
He died the same day my mother departed from this world.
At least, that was how I felt.
That sweet boy, once filled with warmth, was scorched to ashes by the blazing flames of the Gu Clan.
All that remained was a malevolent spirit of resentment.
“I… I had held a shred of hope.”
But the Gu Yangcheon I saw was different.
He wasn’t the warm brother of my memories, but he wasn’t the grotesque image I had of him before either.
It appeared as if he had shed the vile desires lurking in his once-sharp eyes.
So I still held onto that flicker of hope that he’d return to the brother I once cherished.
But such hopes were futile.
“That’s impossible.”
I hadn’t shed the past even if I thought I had run from it in fright.
Distracted by these thoughts, I decided to swing my sword again to push them away.
It was a day for quiet, as no students from the Mount Hua Sect came to train.
Most likely due to the tournament.
I found that environment preferable.
Because working in such discomfort with others was not easy.
Just as I resumed my training…
Whoosh
I halted due to unusual sounds.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Swoosh!
The sound of someone else wielding a sword.
Yet, it had a different quality to it.
Unlike the usual swordplay of the Mount Hua Sect, which demanded rules, this was different.
And what was this sharp sensation lingering in the air?
I moved towards the direction of the sound. But what if it turned out to be a martial artist from our sect?
That thought gave me pause but didn’t stop me.
Upon reaching the source of the sound, I was greeted by the sight of hair swaying beautifully, cut by her swift sword movements…
‘…What?’
I was captivated by her enchanting beauty.
With white hair glimmering and those mesmerizing blue eyes solely focused on her blade, it was a sight both stunning and vexing.
Each of her steps, interwoven into her sword art, looked light and agile.
Yet, I was certain that each strike held a weight far beyond their apparent softness.
Elegance.
How could I perceive grace amongst fierce movements?
I couldn’t comprehend.
Was it beyond my understanding? Did it mean she was just vastly more skilled than I?
Countless thoughts spiraled in my mind, but my eyes remained glued to her swordplay, unable to look away.
How can she move so fluidly?
What feelings guide her sword?
I wondered in my heart,
If one day, I could wield my sword with such mastery…
As I funneled all my focus into her spectacular display,
I could hear my heart racing.
Driven by intense concentration, I felt as though I might gain insight if I could witness this until the end.
But just as she was about to finish the next movement, crafting a breeze with her ethereal blade…
“Hoo”
She halted abruptly mid-swing, leaving the moment unfinished.
Seeing her stop, I felt an overwhelming sense of regret and thirst for knowledge.
If only I had the chance to observe just a bit longer, maybe I would have gleaned something valuable.
But past the regret loomed a more significant issue.
The fact that I was eavesdropping on her training.
Worse still, I had hoped to gain insights from her efforts.
I hadn’t intended to peer in; it was like I was entranced.
Maybe I could say that an outsider practicing here offered me no right to complain?
While I contemplated this, her gaze connected with mine.
“…Huh?”
With a more careful look, her face seemed somewhat recognizable.
She possessed pale skin, similar to her flowing white hair, and those striking blue eyes.
Although the sweat adorned her figure, rather than appear dirty, she looked utterly captivating.
She was dazzling beyond words, whether one shared her gender or not…
It was undoubtedly one of the girls who had been seen with Gu Yangcheon.
‘…She’s a martial artist?’
I had overlooked that in the earlier scene, thinking she was just an exquisite girl following my brother around, yet finding out she’s a martial artist…
During our eye contact, beads of sweat collected on my forehead.
Her expressionless face revealed nothing about her thoughts.
She simply tilted her head after appraising my face, then nodded at the wooden sword I held.
What does that mean?
Panic surged within me, wondering if I would be reprimanded for observing her training without permission.
Yet, the words she uttered were completely unexpected.
“…Want to…”
“Pardon?”
“…Duel?”
I grimaced, thinking I misheard her words.
*
And thus, back to the present.
Fortunately, she showed no signs of outrage over my sneaky observation of her training.
In fact, it appeared she didn’t pay that matter much mind at all.
I found it odd for a martial artist.
How could she not care…?
Naturally, I was left stunned after she challenged me to a duel.
I pondered briefly if it was a test for sneaking a peek, but I quickly brushed that thought aside.
I accepted the duel, recognizing an opportunity like this was rare for martial artists.
Thus, our serious duel commenced.
I diligently attempted to land hits for what seemed like forever, yet I couldn’t even graze the hem of her garment.
My attire had become caked with dirt through rolling around in the dust while attacking her, and I felt weak from exerting so much energy without a break.
Looking up at Namgung Bi-ah, tired, I thought,
‘…How can I not land a single hit?’
Each attempt barely came close, making it seem as if she deliberately dodged my sword.
‘…But why?’
Is she trying to instruct me?
Then why…?
After several heavy breaths, I finally managed to rise again.
Namgung Bi-ah stood calmly, showing no signs of fatigue, markedly different from during her training session.
Upon closer inspection, she seemed slightly bored.
At her ability level, she seemed fully capable of besting any second-generation disciple in our sect.
I wasn’t sure of her exact age, but she seemed to be around 20 or a little older.
Not much older than Yung Pung; the world was filled with this much talent.
This thought weighed heavily on my pride.
Having pondered that, Gu Ryunghwa dared to speak up.
“…We saw each other this morning.”
“…?”
“What’s your relationship with that guy?”
My inquiry caught her off guard, striking a nerve.
Despite her still expression, something shifted within her.
Her eyes widened slightly, and it looked like one of her brows furrowed ever so briefly.
After pondering my question for a while, Namgung Bi-ah finally replied…
“Fiancée…”
“…He’s not someone worthy of you.”
“…Huh?”
“I don’t know what happened to make you be with him, but it’s such a waste… For you to associate with a lazy, ugly, angry guy who never puts in the effort… it’s just… such a waste.”
“…”
“So it’s not too late to—”
My words got caught in my throat.
The atmosphere had suddenly shifted—
The same emotionless face remained, yet something about her was altered.
Thump.
I raised my sword instinctively as she took a step forward in my direction.
‘…What the?’
Something had changed, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
The woman before me reminded me of someone at that moment…
The Sword Mistress.
My own Master…
Not so long ago, when my Master had shown me her powerful presence in much better health.
I felt that same pressure radiating from the woman approaching me.
Danger sirens blared in my mind, and I had no choice but to channel every ounce of Qi left into my sword for defense…
The woman then spoke.
“…Not ugly.”
“Pardon…?”
“He’s not ugly.”
Is she angry?
Her voice, previously soft and weak, now had a new strength.
Feeling that overwhelming aura, I began to understand.
She had been holding back before; I already knew that, but I didn’t anticipate her being this… powerful…
I searched for a way to correct what I presumed had been a misunderstanding, but my body remained frozen out of fear.
I was terrified.
“If you speak like that…”
Her steps picked up speed, her form vanishing from my sight in an instant.
“You deserve to be punished…”
With a flash of blue light, a wooden sword aimed straight at me.
Thump!
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Was it my blunder?
Because just before I closed them… I thought I glimpsed flames encircling me from all angles…
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