Chapter: 413
Even with the arrival of summer, my day didn’t change all that much.
If a bit of heat causes a change, that would be stranger still.
I just feel that time is gradually passing with the changing weather.
“Ha.”
After finishing an arduous training session, I took a short break.
With my slightly warmed body still at rest, I gazed straight ahead.
Unlike me, who was taking a breather, the air in front was filled with heat.
It was the heat generated from the betting that the duelists were giving off.
Clang-! Clang clang-!
A harsh sound echoed repeatedly.
The breeze carried a thick mixture of bets and warmth.
Where was this sound coming from? It was the sound of Namgungbi-a and Jamryong engaged in a heated duel.
You might wonder why these two were dueling all of a sudden, right?
Well, it became a trend after the day that the White Lotus Sword caused some trouble.
I was watching with mild curiosity.
‘This is a first for me.’
A duel between two people.
Jamryong and Namgungbi-a.
These were geniuses who, in their previous lives, would have never crossed paths.
By the time Namgungbi-a properly appeared on the Central Plains, Jamryong had already passed away.
So, it was simply amazing that these two were now dueling right before my eyes.
Moreover,
‘It’s quite intense.’
The duel between the two was extremely fierce.
The previous duel with the White Lotus Sword was similar, but this felt different.
The similarities in their realms were evident.
Both were at the peak of their powers.
While they hadn’t quite reached the realm of Hwagyeong, they certainly weren’t weak enough to get beaten up anywhere.
Crash-! Blades clashed, and sparks flew into the air.
The traces of the energy imbued in their swords were also distinct.
What’s more,
‘Fast.’
Since both focused heavily on speed, their physical speed, as well as their decision-making, were quite impressive.
My gaze turned toward Jamryong.
Even if I didn’t know much about Jamryong’s martial arts, one thing was clear.
‘Now that I look closely, the movements are quite rough.’
He seemed a bit too raw for a Taoist.
Are all shamans like that?
‘Not necessarily.’
That guy is just something else.
That much was certain.
Compared to other Taoists’ disciples, he felt distinctly different.
Take Yeongpung, known as the Sword Dragon, for example.
It’s said that the Plum Blossom Sword Technique is one that can’t be used if it’s too rough.
Yet Yeongpung exhibited a neatness that closely adhered to the basics.
You could say it had a true-to-basic feeling.
In contrast, Woohyuk…
‘He’s insane.’
He’s barely holding onto the framework of the fabric called ‘wave’ that the shamans pursue as he moves wildly.
Could this be the reason countless people nicknamed Woohyuk “Sleeping Dragon”?
Such movement is simply impossible unless you are a genius.
Breaking free from the swordsmanship of the shamans, he builds his own sword path with just a framework, and he moves about flawlessly using it?
An ordinary martial artist would have to focus all their energy to not be trapped by the mold of martial arts.
But Jamryong is the opposite, which is why they call him a genius.
And this applies equally to his opponent, Namgungbi-a.
Thud-! Brain energy endlessly poured from Namgungbi-a’s body.
I unwittingly chuckled at that sight.
‘It’s increased again.’
The amount of brain energy spilling out had grown.
That means Namgungbi-a’s capability had increased.
Or is she secretly consuming some elixir? Why does it seem to increase each time I see her?
‘Even the control abilities….’
The useless movements of her brain energy had diminished.
That signifies that Namgungbi-a is becoming more accustomed to mastering it, and furthermore,
‘The weight of the Emperor’s Sword form has also increased.’
Her sense of employing the Namgung family’s secret techniques has grown as well.
Namgungbi-a truly was.
“Day by day….”
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Getting prettier…!?”
Suddenly interrupted by a voice, I whipped my head around.
There was the White Lotus Sword, grinning as she looked at me.
“Yikes!”
Startled, I instinctively backed away.
Having seen my reaction, the White Lotus Sword put on a hurt expression.
“… What’s this? Are you reacting as if you’ve just seen a bug?”
“What if you suddenly pop out…! It startled me!”
“Then as your escort, am I supposed to quietly walk around without making a sound?”
“Why do you have to say that to your own escort?”
“There’s a saying—if you want to deceive your enemy, first deceive your own allies!”
Letting out a deep sigh over Baekryeon Sword’s childish comments, I couldn’t help but think that’s not the kind of thing to say in a situation like this.
‘Why on earth does she act like this?’
She occasionally pops up like that, leaving me perpetually surprised.
I shot her a disapproving glare.
Her expression of delight at having startled me was downright infuriating.
It definitely wasn’t like this the first time I saw her… Now I was completely baffled by how things had changed.
With the passage of time, there had been some changes in my relationship with the White Lotus Sword.
To put it another way, I would say it’s an evolution of my perspective.
First off, there were no issues with handling her casually.
‘… What should I call this?’
As a junior, I might as well say it wouldn’t matter if she acted a little presumptuously, as long as it wasn’t anything excessively rude.
To say it in a positive light, she’s open-minded; alternatively, one might even call her a bit dull.
Now that I understood that, I could approach her with a different attitude.
‘Even beyond that.’
I occasionally glanced at the shoulder of the White Lotus Sword.
This was the place we agreed to place the seal.
‘I never thought you’d truly do that.’
If she didn’t trust herself, I was willing to enforce the seal more seriously.
I never thought she would actually ask for it.
Someone who has reached the level of Hwagyeong should know how dangerous it is to seal oneself.
Yet the White Lotus Sword accepted the seal effortlessly.
It’s unclear whether she understood what I was going to do with it when she so readily accepted.
Of course, thanks to that, the White Lotus Sword wouldn’t have the same mishaps as before.
But her mishaps caused a change that was decidedly different.
“How does it look?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Those two. Who do you think will win?”
Looking back, the frequency of the White Lotus Sword initiating conversations with me had markedly increased.
Given that she was always around as my escort, it made sense.
However, that also meant it had made me a bit mentally disoriented. Just as her character suggested, she often posed strange questions.
Like right now.
‘Who do I think will win?’
I slightly squinted at the question posed by the White Lotus Sword.
That was a tricky question.
Jamryong and Namgungbi-a had a strikingly similar level of skill.
Both on the precipice of hitting the peak level.
For two people who had just crossed their twenties, it seemed a bit beyond them.
‘… I may be an exception.’
I’m an exception given that I’ve gone back in time, considering I’m not a genius by any stretch.
The original peak.
By average standards, a talented martial artist from a renowned family generally reaches it around the age of thirty after years of hard work.
Once you work for an additional ten years, you reach the mature peak.
That’s how you can understand why the current group of talented juniors are termed the Meteor Generation.
In that regard, those two people have already surpassed the maturity frame.
‘Do I really need to judge who will win?’
If it were close, I might not know, but no matter how I looked at it, they seemed similar.
But.
I found my gaze unwaveringly fixed on Namgungbi-a.
Crash-!
With a wild clamor, her energy mingled within the atmosphere, leaving trails in the air.
As I mentioned, it was brain energy that was incomparably potent compared to my first sight of it.
‘Hmm.’
The brain energy radiated but failed to weave through Woohyuk’s protectorate.
It couldn’t break through the shaman’s flow.
‘Such smooth flow.’
The flow represents the fundamental goals a shaman seeks in martial arts.
Though Woohyuk’s swordplay seemed erratic, it remained true to its essence.
It absorbed and redirected attacks.
Woohyuk’s sword picked up the sword energy that Namgungbi-a scattered and swung it again.
The extended sword energy flew rapidly in repetition.
Namgungbi-a’s meticulous control was astonishing enough to make even the elegant gasp.
Yet Woohyuk’s spirit of capturing and shooting energy back was equally remarkable.
Just watching it made me involuntarily chuckle.
‘Damn geniuses.’
There wasn’t a single thing I appreciated about these so-called geniuses.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and refocused on the duel.
Baekryeon Sword’s question about who would win.
While I claimed I didn’t know much, instinctively I was aware.
My gaze returned to Namgungbi-a again.
Without a hint of frowning, she carried on with her battle, but I felt I knew.
That duel.
“Namgungbi-a will lose.”
My assertion was that Namgungbi-a would indeed be the one to fall.
Upon hearing my firm statement, Baekryeon Sword widened her eyes in disbelief.
“Unexpected?! You’re more assertive than I anticipated…?”
“Is that not why you asked me, White Lotus Sword?”
As I spoke, eyeing her with slight disdain, Baekryeon Sword smirked.
“I thought you would give a different answer since your ‘friends’ were fighting.”
“This is separate from that.”
“Yet you still don’t deny that child belongs to you.”
“…”
I didn’t respond to Baekryeon Sword’s teasing remarks and simply turned my head away.
While the duel was still ongoing, my furrowed brow showed no signs of softening.
‘What’s going on with her?’
Outwardly, it appeared there were no significant problems, but both I and the White Lotus Sword would know.
Somehow, something felt off about Namgungbi-a.
While the destructiveness and remarkable control displayed no issues, the duel itself exhibited problems.
Her movements exuded an unknown malaise from within her heart.
How could a woman whose life was solely focused on wielding a sword harbor such negativity?
I found this question somewhat puzzling.
I recalled the Demon Sword Master from my former life.
Her singular goal was to witness the tipping point of her sword, and no distractions existed along that path.
But why did Namgungbi-a now show such mental turmoil?
Having considered that, my eyes drifted back to Baekryeon Sword.
Baekryeon Sword, noticing my look, awkwardly addressed me.
“What do you want to say?”
“I don’t intend to say anything.”
She surely must have known.
Immediately following Baekryeon Sword’s duel with Wi Seol-ah, Namgungbi-a, and Dang So-yeol simultaneously, she must have noticed that Namgungbi-a experienced something inexplicable.
Was there something she sensed at that moment?
Could that be the reason she was undergoing such mental disarray?
Even if true.
‘…’
There was little I could do about it.
I had no reason to blame Baekryeon Sword.
Rather, I pondered…
‘Why do I feel relieved?’
Seeing Namgungbi-a struggling with her soul left me simultaneously worried and comforted.
Because, in her past life, she pursued the end of her blade without ever living as a human.
Perhaps the sight of her battling a mental struggle appeared more human-like, making it seem like she was embarking on a distinct life than before.
‘Sure, it might not be pleasant for her, having to confront her inner turmoil.’
The sight of Namgungbi-a wrestling with her issues inexplicably brought me solace.
Furthermore, I had faith.
I believed that she would conquer this mental battle without significant difficulty.
As I glanced towards the White Lotus Sword, she seemed displeased, puffing out her lips.
“I don’t like your expression.”
“What do you mean, suddenly?”
“I dislike the prideful glance you’re giving me. It’s reminiscent of old…”
“Excuse…?”
“No, never mind.”
Why did she suddenly halt her words?
As I exchanged a few more words with Baekryeon Sword,
Clang-!
The duel between the two came to a bone-jarring conclusion.
The result was as anticipated…
The tip of Woohyuk’s sword rested against Namgungbi-a’s neck.
Her defeat was assured.
At that moment, Namgungbi-a stared at Woohyuk with wide eyes.
Post confirmation, I turned around.
Observing my movement, Baekryeon Sword called out to me.
“Hmm? Where are you going?”
“Having seen it all, I need to wash up.”
“Is it alright not to approach that child?”
“Not necessary. It’s probably better to leave her alone right now.”
While I could likely intervene on her behalf if necessary, I didn’t desire that.
I was rooting for Namgungbi-a to overcome this alone and find her footing.
I was resolutely confident that she would.
In this lifetime, I believed she was certainly capable of it.
‘No, she must have had that potential in her past life, too.’
The Demon Sword Master surely possessed such potential.
But I simply never knew.
As I was about to stride away to the valley,
I heard Baekryeon Sword whispering behind me.
“…She shouldn’t take after that part too.”
“What did you just say? Who did you say I resemble?”
“No, nothing. Oh, if you’re going to wash up, I can help you with that…”
“No need.”
Shooting back disdainfully at Baekryeon Sword, I hastily exited the area.
Seriously, that lady is so clearly unhinged.
I shook my head as I headed toward the valley.
Left behind, Baekryeon Sword gazed at my retreating figure and whispered with a bitter smile.
“They really are alike… too much.”
Her voice carried a deep sense of longing.
Leaving Baekryeon Sword’s nonsense behind.
I proceeded toward the valley to wash off my sweaty body.
Roughly stripping off my top, I felt the damp sweat clinging to my skin.
Just after reaching the seventh level of Gu Yan Hualun Gong, my body became one that wouldn’t shed a drop of sweat with normal training.
Yet, I had been sweating continuously each day.
That surely signified the intensity of the training.
I grimaced, envisioning the mad old man who led this training.
‘What a crazy old man.’
Paejon was indeed a lunatic.
I hadn’t truly grasped it until he commanded me to dig through caves while channeling Tuapacheonmu.
Only after starting the second training session did it truly sink in.
I had been sparring with Paejon every day without fail.
After beginning my night training with the Dark King, I thought there’d be some relief during the day.
—Until I learn the first volume, I’ll continue sparring every day.
The dueling wouldn’t come to a stop.
There were additional problems, though.
‘You want me to spar while demonstrating Toua Pacheonmu?’
That was utterly absurd.
Even though it felt like I would pass out from the pain, his order meant getting hit while utilizing it.
‘I’m seriously supposed to do that again?’
I twisted my aching body around and gave a hollow laugh.
As expected, it hurt like crazy.
‘What a mad martial art.’
Was it because the creator of the martial art was a lunatic?
The martial technique was quite crazy as well.
Just casting it came with its own pain.
Getting hit while doing so doubled the agony.
Paejon said it was because I hadn’t fully integrated it yet.
Looking back at this, it was understandable why he warned against using it in actual combat without permission.
‘If I got hurt while using this…’
I could very well have died from the pain.
When I was struck by Paejon, I often questioned whether that was even right.
Because of that, I had to focus my entire spirit on enduring the pain.
‘And then at night… play with the Dark King?’
Ha! How ridiculous.
I’d rather tell him to die.
If training with Paejon was painful,
Dueling with the Dark King was a nightmare in itself.
‘Yes. It’s a nightmare. A complete nightmare. Truly.’
Over the last month, since initiating my training with the Dark King, my number of ‘deaths’ had continually risen.
On the first day, I had died nine times, and today, I was easily overshooting twenty.
Wasn’t that reminiscent of a statement the Dark King would make to me?
Despite all my efforts, I cannot reach you.
It felt like he was saying that.
Perhaps that was why I felt considerable mental exhaustion.
Because it increasingly seemed there was no way forward.
‘What on earth am I supposed to feel through this grueling training?’
Paejon seemed to be hoping I would grasp something through this process.
Currently, I was in a state where I couldn’t feel a thing.
What could I learn after going through such numerous deaths?
No matter how I pondered, I couldn’t fathom it.
‘This is tough…’
As my mind grew weary, my body began feeling exhausted too.
Even while trying to shake off the weariness from my thoughts,
I finally arrived at the valley.
By the time I reached, someone else had evidently washed up first and was heading this way.
My eyes widened as soon as I spotted her.
“Hmm?”
“Ah.”
It was Wi Seol-ah.
This was Wi Seol-ah, visibly fresh from washing up, with her hair still wet.
“Your Majesty!”
Upon spotting me, Wi Seol-ah’s face burst into a bright smile.
That smile sparkled, shining brightly.
I recalled Wi Seol-ah’s wet hair back when she served me.
The moment I thought, I took a step towards her and began drying her hair with the towel I held.
“Huh? Your Majesty? Ugh!”
“STOP IT! You don’t need to! What are you doing?!”
With how she looked, how many guys would be staring her way? What’s she doing trying to appear this irresistibly charming?
Why doesn’t she seem to improve as time passes?
Wi Seol-ah’s half-shriek drew me in, yet she seemed to accept my rough treatment quietly.
How absurd.
“Good?”
“Yes… it’s good.”
“…Ah, fine.”
She answered my teasing question so plainly, I was left speechless.
While doing this, I suddenly thought.
‘Now that I mention it, I should’ve just dried her with heat instead.’
If I let out warmth, it would’ve dried faster than all this fuss, so why did I ever bother?
As soon as the thought struck, I snatched back the towel and exhaled heat.
For some reason, Wi Seol-ah looked disappointed at the warm air.
“Make sure you dry it properly. What are you doing?”
“I was just about to dry it…”
“That was a lie.”
“…”
After being called out, Wi Seol-ah pondered briefly before nodding reluctantly.
It appeared she still couldn’t lie very well.
Perhaps dissuaded by my taunts, she adopted a slightly sulky demeanor, which made me chuckle.
“Should I give you some sweets?”
“Huh…!”
At the mention of sweets, Wi Seol-ah’s eyes sparkled, but after a moment, she quickly turned away.
“I’m not a child anymore.”
“What was that reaction just now?”
“I had no reaction.”
It seems she still enjoyed sweet things.
But I had no idea why she pretended not to like them.
As I observed her, I grinned inwardly.
The thoughts that had previously burdened my mind seemed a bit lighter.
As I looked at me, Wi Seol-ah suddenly contorted her expression, and then cautiously reached out to touch beneath my eyes.
Her hand was cool, probably due to just coming into contact with water.
“What’s wrong? Did you get something on you?”
“No… that’s not it… Your Majesty, are you alright?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“… You seem very fatigued.”
The concerned expression on Wi Seol-ah’s face appeared pitiable.
I was momentarily taken aback by those words.
Do I really seem worn out? Me?
‘Is it that obvious?’
Lately, it did seem as though everyone I met asked if I was doing okay.
I must’ve had a weird expression.
Upon realizing that, I forced a smile.
“I’m just fine.”
“…”
Of course, Wi Seol-ah wore a dubious expression.
‘What am I to do? I must stand firm.’
If it’s hard, then I’ll endure. That’s all there is to it.
“I’ve simply been having nightmares lately.”
“Nightmares?”
“Yep.”
Nightly visits from dreadful nightmares.
Even for someone like me, experiencing such a multitude of deaths was somewhat overbearing.
I felt tired.
At this moment, I only felt that much.
Then I found myself speaking to Wi Seol-ah, who had been touching my cheek with worry.
“You… no, Wi Seol…”
“Yes?”
I almost called out her name, but the words suddenly caught in my throat.
Why does it feel so difficult to say her name?
“It’s nothing significant… but… if you keep having nightmares, what do you think you should do?”
The question came out rather trivial.
In fact, it had no direct correlation with nightmares.
Why had I asked something so random?
I suddenly grew bashful at using her name and shifted the conversation.
Wi Seol-ah, completely unaware of my inner hesitation, kept tilting her head in confusion.
Every time she did, her hair swayed, which became slightly distracting to me.
“Nightmares…?”
“I was just asking, so it’s nothing to get worked up over…”
“Shouldn’t you try to wake up…? Since it’s a frightening dream.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle silently at Wi Seol-ah’s response.
That really made sense.
If it’s a nightmare, I would’ve wanted to wake up first…
‘Huh?’
All of a sudden, something flashed through my mind at Wi Seol-ah’s suggestion.
‘If it’s a nightmare, I need to wake up!’
For some unexplainable reason, those words resonated deeply within me.
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