Chapter: 164
I recalled the day I first met that bastard.
It was around the time I had just become the Young Lord of the clan.
It was the first time I made an appearance at the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament.
Although it was a few years after my regression.
Typically, when one attains the position of Young Lord, they are no longer seen as a mere young prodigy, but rather as a distinguished member of the martial world.
Because of my useless pride, there was an unspoken rule against attending gatherings for young prodigies like this.
But the fact that I became the Young Lord was unofficial from the get-go,
And since I had never stepped outside the clan, I needed to build connections now more than ever.
One might wonder how I could meet others and form friendships with my personality back then, but what choice did I have? It was what the clan demanded of me.
Sure, I had a body more developed than now, but my state of mind was a different story altogether.
My unbearable self-doubt and the weight of the burdens I was meant to bear could easily crumble a young man.
Now, I’m sure my reputation would seem more like just a distant rumor, but back then, the gossip surrounding me as I turned twenty was much worse.
The Evil Spirit of Shanxi.
The Disgrace of the Gu Clan.
Just thinking back on those names made it clear how different things were.
Naturally, I couldn’t have had a normal time at those banquets.
Honestly, my memories of that day were a bit hazy.
I couldn’t even remember if Wi Seol-Ah was there, or if Tang Soyeol and Moyong Hi-ah were present.
What about the Water Dragon?
The Lightning Dragon?
I couldn’t even recall how many familiar faces I might have spotted.
That just goes to show how out of my mind I was back then.
However, there was one thing I remembered quite clearly.
— Nice to meet you, Young Master Gu.
The hand that bastard extended.
The crescent-shaped eyes sparkling with laughter.
The voice that feigned kindness.
All of it remained vivid in my memory.
— My name is Jang Seonyeon.
It wasn’t because I felt particularly sentimental about it.
And it definitely wasn’t because I was touched by a guy approaching me while I was alone.
No way would I have been moved just by some guy doing that.
The only reason that seemingly ordinary moment stuck in my mind was one.
— I am undeservingly called the Rising Star.
That was the moment I truly loathed him.
The day of the tournament finals had arrived.
As the days passed, here we were.
It was just around sunset when time ticked on.
One might wonder why they scheduled a match for such a late hour, but in Hanam, this was when people were most lively.
Thanks to that, I was able to eat well and catch some good rest before heading to the fight, which I gladly welcomed.
“Give it your all, Young Master!”
Wi Seol-Ah shouted cheerfully.
Maybe it was because I had eaten a good lunch, but she seemed particularly bright.
I gazed at her for a moment before ruffling her hair.
“Ugh…”
“I’ll try.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure about giving it my all.
I didn’t even know if he was worth my full effort.
“Why would you come see me in this cold weather?”
Being in the middle of winter, the cold was biting.
Just extending my hand outside felt painfully sharp on my fingertips.
“But…”
“What do you mean, but?”
Sometimes Wi Seol-Ah would look at me like that.
Like a mother looking after her child headed off to school.
She seemed so carefree and youthful to anyone else, so why was she looking at me like that?
I knew we didn’t exactly have a traditional master-servant relationship, with only a formality remaining between us, yet it felt strangely surreal.
“I almost thought you were my mom for a second.”
“…Wha?”
Her confused expression made me chuckle.
‘Oh no, I just brought up my mother.’
Suddenly, I felt a chill go down my spine at the thought of what I just revealed.
Did I forget about her now?
‘No. I can’t forget.’
That wasn’t the case.
I couldn’t afford to forget it.
This was something I would soon need to ask my father, something I wanted closure on.
Regardless of the wind blowing, I quietly observed Wi Seol-Ah’s face.
Then I shifted my hand from her head to adjust her hair accessory.
It might have been because it wasn’t particularly expensive, but the texture wasn’t that great.
As I kept fiddling with it, Wi Seol-Ah suddenly jerked back, creating some distance between us.
“Hmm?”
I looked at her, puzzled by her reaction, and saw her urgently cover her head with her hands.
Especially where the hair accessory was placed.
“What’s wrong?”
“I-I’m not giving it back!”
“Giving what?”
“It’s mine! The thing Young Master gave me… it’s mine!”
Did she think I was going to take back the hair accessory I gifted her?
With a fierce glare that seemed out of character, Wi Seol-Ah stared me down.
I shrugged while looking at her.
“I’m not taking it. What would I do with that?”
“Y-You could give it to another person!”
“What, take a used hair accessory and give it to someone else?”
What a wasteful and tacky thing to do.
“It’s important to me…”
Seeing her protect that accessory with zeal left me at a loss for words.
What was it to her anyway?
It was simply a random gift I haphazardly selected off the streets.
Was it Wi Seol-Ah’s reaction that made it hard for me to look her in the eye?
I was about to let out an awkward cough, but a voice suddenly interrupted.
“…Me too.”
It was Namgung Bi-ah, looking as if she’d been lost in her thoughts, her eyes half-heartedly open.
Upon seeing her, I sighed.
“I told you to sit down and rest.”
“…I am resting.”
“Who would think you’re resting right now, idio—”
Why would you come all the way here when you have a perfectly fine spectator seat?
Especially since she was a patient!
“It’s fine…”
“Well, then is there something that isn’t fine?”
“….”
Namgung Bi-ah fell silent, pondering my question.
What was there to think about…?
After a moment of thought, she finally spoke again.
“…I’m hurt…”
She wasn’t really thinking through my question, she just gave up.
Now she was using her patient status as a shield.
A smile involuntarily came to my face—a smile that sprouted from how absurd this was.
And where did Tang Soyeol disappear to in the meantime?
Is she off searching to see the Snow Phoenix again?
It seemed she had been visiting Moyong Hi-ah quite often lately.
“What? Should I help you? Want me to blow on it?”
“…Will you?”
“Are you crazy…?”
She took my playful remark seriously.
I had to head up to the fighting stage soon, and with the headache creeping in, I felt like I was on course to lose.
I couldn’t blame a patient for being bothersome like this.
As I stared at her, Namgung Bi-ah wiped her disappointed expression away and leaned her head toward me.
“What?”
“…Pat me…”
“Why do you seem to be getting younger as time goes by?”
It felt like her child-like antics had increased.
Thinking back to my past life, it felt like she had undergone a complete transformation.
Just months ago, she wouldn’t even ask for head pats due to her shyness, instead shyly leaning in her head. Now, she was asking for it outright.
Of course, I had my part in this for not objecting to it much.
‘If it were my past life, I would’ve been shocked to the core.’
I’d probably have said something along the lines of ‘What the hell is this crazy girl saying?’ and frowned.
These subtleties seemed to accumulate and reshape one’s outlook, didn’t they?
“You said you were going to show me something last time, right?”
I asked as I brushed her white hair aside.
Namgung Bi-ah flinched at my words.
At the same time, I noticed her ears turn the faintest shade of red.
“…Oh.”
There wasn’t a response from her.
All that accompanied my inquiry was her ears, now flushed red.
I shifted my hand from her hair to gently grasp her ear.
It was warm.
Especially with the bitter cold surrounding us.
“…I’m sorry.”
Out of the blue, Namgung Bi-ah apologized.
What was she apologizing for?
I looked at her, slightly taken aback.
“I didn’t get to show you…”
Oh.
So that was what it was about.
Namgung Bi-ah seemed to think she wasn’t able to show me anything because she lost.
She really had no clue about herself, did she?
She had shown me so much—it was impossible for her to say she hadn’t at all.
Namgung Bi-ah had demonstrated her boundless potential.
She showcased just how much she could improve all by herself.
She was never someone who needed saving.
I never considered her incapable of standing on her own.
Did she even understand?
Even now, she was being dubbed as the Sword Dancer or the Young Sword Queen.
Sure, her most popular title was something absurd like the Zenith of Beauty or whatever.
Even with her defeat, Namgung Bi-ah gained so much.
She might have even obtained more than I did.
“I saw a lot, so don’t worry.”
I had never offered consolation to anyone before, so this was about all I could manage.
“I saw everything. Not a moment missed.”
I watched her with such intensity I learned new things about her.
That was why I sincerely hoped she would stop pulling that expression.
“So stop making that teary face and rest. It’s cold.”
Her injury might not have been severe but it didn’t give her license to move around like this.
I could tell she was using her Qi to protect her body right now.
Using Qi in that manner wasn’t wise unless you had gallons of it.
I contemplated scolding her for a moment but realized I didn’t have the time for that.
I had to head up soon.
“Take her with you to sit down.”
In the end, I had to pull Wi Seol-Ah up and give my request with urgency.
Otherwise, she might not have left.
“Hngh… I want to see here too…”
The trouble was that Wi Seol-Ah was particularly disobedient.
But thankfully, there was a solution for situations like this.
“Should I call Hongwa?”
“I’ll leave…Sis, let’s go.”
Sounds like Wi Seol-Ah couldn’t resist Hongwa’s authority.
After observing them head out with disappointed expressions, I made my way slowly to the tournament stage.
My thoughts ran incessantly.
Slowly, but steadily towards an end.
Namgung Bi-ah had aimed to show me something;
So it meant it was my turn to reciprocate.
Once I reached the stage, I found Jang Seonyeon already there, waiting.
He looked remarkably unscathed despite the considerable injuries he seemed to have sustained during his bout with Namgung Bi-ah.
And then, our gazes locked.
The bastard offered a slight smile before opening his mouth to speak to me.
“Nice to meet you.”
— Nice to meet you, Young Master Gu.
It was merely a casual greeting, but for some reason, the words echoed in my mind as if they resonated from my previous life.
The context was different; I was younger than then, and his voice, despite now resonating higher, still felt intricate.
“Who would have thought we would meet like this? I didn’t expect this when we first met.”
“I did.”
Jang Seonyeon tilted his head slightly at my signal.
“You knew we would meet in the finals?”
“Yeah, I already knew.”
I should have been formal now, but frankly, I lacked the desire to respect him.
More importantly, I simply couldn’t bring myself to extend any courtesy to that bastard.
“It was bound to happen this way, you know? This was part of the plan.”
“Hmm…”
Perhaps my comment had been a bit severe.
But hey, Jang Seonyeon would have made it to the finals regardless of the draw.
‘Unless I had encountered him from the beginning.’
In the end, the stakes were raised to create a performance spotlighting him.
“Can I ask for a reason?”
Jang Seonyeon inquired.
“What reason? Why am I so certain?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Why does Young Master Gu display hostility toward me?”
The question was jarringly cold.
Still, he continued to smile, which was exceedingly disconcerting.
“I have done nothing to warrant Young Master Gu’s animosity.”
“Right. You haven’t.”
“But, somehow, it seems Young Master Gu holds resentment against me. I can’t figure out why.”
It was a fair point.
The bastard hadn’t done anything to me.
At least not yet.
Suppressing the instinct to lash out, I replied instead.
“Am I not allowed to dislike you?”
“I can’t dictate someone else’s feelings, but it’s just a bit unfortunate for me…”
“You hate me too.”
At my interruption, Jang Seonyeon became quiet.
He probably fell silent not just from my interruption but from the accusation laid bare.
“Am I mistaken?”
“…How do you figure?”
I could see Jang Seonyeon’s demeanor cracking slightly.
Why would he think that way, you ask?
Simple.
It was clear as day that I was his least favorite person.
My recollection of past events made it downright obvious how he’d treat and view me.
The Abyss Incident of my former life.
What many had acknowledged as a natural disaster, an incident where many talented youths participating in the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament were sent to the Abyss—
That was, however, a farcical representation of the truth.
The culprit was none other than Jang Seonyeon himself.
It was likely the Water Dragon that was his target.
The bastard was burning with a desire to kill the Water Dragon.
His hatred had snowballed into a grand catastrophe.
By the time I discovered the truth of what had unfolded, it was painfully late.
“Don’t feign some insincere kindness; I find it distasteful. Let’s end the small talk.”
“Hmh.”
“I tried my best to acknowledge you, but it was a challenge. You should reciprocate.”
I really did try.
I held back and attempted to ignore him.
But then I realized, I didn’t need to tolerate him like that.
It simply wasn’t in my nature.
Talking back to him felt like the only way to endure.
“Young Master Gu.”
Maintaining the facade was becoming increasingly burdensome for Jang Seonyeon as his smile faded.
He had appeared unfazed at first, but it seemed his tolerance had reached its limit.
“What a great expression you have. Wear that face; it makes me feel relaxed too.”
“… How can someone from a noble clan make such mistakes?”
“I’m about to make an even bigger mistake; by the way, I came here permitted to cause as much chaos as I want.”
Oh, of course, my father hadn’t approved it.
But it should be alright. The Second Elder would back me.
Since I wouldn’t back down, Jang Seonyeon finally let out a long sigh and regained his composure.
“I recognize you, Young Master Gu. You are endowed with remarkable martial talent.”
“Many say so.”
I felt a tad embarrassed to speak of it myself.
Yet, he didn’t seem to pay heed and pressed on.
As proof of the biting cold, steam puffed out with every word.
“Even if you possess great talent, it seems you lack humility.”
What he spoke rang true, yet somehow coming from him made me smile involuntarily.
It almost felt like watching someone’s laughable past.
“So?”
“Young Master Gu, may I ask that you find the humility you lack in this fight.”
What he implied is that he’d teach me that humility.
I had plenty to retort to that, but I held my tongue in consideration.
Just the sickening glint in his eyes was enough for me.
I’d rather have it this way.
“I’m relieved.”
“…?”
Jang Seonyeon was puzzled by my unexpected comment but didn’t flinch.
It seemed he picked up something from his fight with Namgung Bi-ah.
“I was a little worried, you know.”
As I ventured my thoughts, the referee’s voice chimed, signaling it was time for the match to commence.
— Finals, Gu Clan’s Gu Yangcheon versus…
“I was apprehensive wondering what I’d do if you turned out to be a nice guy at this point.”
“What are you going on about suddenly…?”
“It’s nothing just some scattered thoughts. But meeting you cleared everything up nicely.”
— Taeryung Clan’s Jang Seonyeon.
“Oh, just a heads-up, should you wonder…”
— Begin.
“I won’t hold back, so you should use everything from the get-go. Don’t do anything pointless like prodding me for weaknesses.”
“What do you mean…!”
Bam!
“Ughh…!”
As Jang Seonyeon was speaking, an unexpected force caused him to groan in pain.
At that moment, his sense of certainty was rattled as his vision became a blur.
He felt his body lift as though weightless, surrounded by intense heat.
There wasn’t even an instant to process the pain throbbing in his chest.
It was far from a single blow.
Crack—!
The second impact came down, smashing Jang Seonyeon’s face into the arena floor.
One could determine just how potent the force was from the debris flying everywhere and the cracks spreading across the arena floor.
In that chaos, Jang Seonyeon couldn’t comprehend what maneuvers had even led to his predicament.
It had all unfolded in the blink of an eye.
‘I need to get up…’
Pushing aside the pain, he attempted to rise,
Yet just before him, a voice echoed.
“First…”
The voice resonated like it came from inside a cavern.
And the rough undertones swirling within it left Jang Seonyeon bemused.
“Should I start with the arm?”
With that dispassionate statement dripping from my lips,
Jang Seonyeon felt a chilling horror course through him.
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