Chapter: 664
The night passed, and dawn broke.
Gradually, the sun was rising and finding its place in the sky. I moved my body, savoring the unique dawn air.
I tilted my head slightly.
Shhh! A dagger grazed my cheek as it flew by.
Hiss! It’s sharp.
Moreover, with the strong energy permeating my body, if I were to get hit by that dagger…
‘I suppose it would dig in a bit deeper.’
My physical durability has increased significantly, so it likely won’t penetrate—just a slight prick on the skin.
I didn’t check where the dagger had gone.
I simply took one more step forward.
Kiing!
I bent my upper body at the strange sound.
Swish! Though I couldn’t see it, a blade sliced upward.
Kaboom—!!
A loud noise echoed from behind as the blade burst forth.
The intensity and texture conveyed from the sound were not bad at all.
I raised my arms and brought them down.
Just then, as I was about to extend my arms, I collided with a toe flying toward my face.
Bang—!!
The strike made contact with a crashing sound, and I immediately twisted my waist to spin further.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A sharp assault followed my movements.
The flexible sword techniques were difficult to decipher. It still seemed as if the unique flow of Kunlun was being wiped from the sword, yet its individuality remained strong.
No matter what excuse you add, it seemed like it would stick.
‘Hmm.’
I couldn’t help but smirk while observing.
The owner of the sword was Seong Yul.
His murky yellow eyes were darting around in every direction.
It all began at my chest.
I verified whether I was breathing in or out, then scanned down: shoulders, arms, waist, thighs, calves, ankles, and toes.
In an instant, my entire body was being scrutinized.
How did he move? Where would the movement end?
Seong Yul kept a watchful eye on this.
I moved my arms slightly to provide some rebound.
Shhhhh—!!!
The sharp blade plunged deep into my defenses, sealing my movements.
It became clear that it was an illusion.
‘Little brat.’
He’s remarkably quick on the uptake.
That was a good instinct.
The closer I got to the sword, the greater its speed became.
The overall completion was high compared to his current state.
He didn’t fear the battle and didn’t hesitate to advance.
Though the killing intent embedded in the sword was bothersome, it was bearable.
But.
“When you come down, your wrist will snap.”
As Seong Yul’s eyes widened, I shot forward.
Seong Yul seemed flustered and shifted the sword’s path.
“Well, well.”
Despite my warning about his wrist snapping when he came down, he used this move like a ghost.
Tsk.
I extended my arm.
A speedier blow launched with the increased force aimed towards Seong Yul’s arm.
The air pressure’s flow was irksome, yet it wasn’t weak enough to break through Seong Yul’s defense.
Creak!
As my arm made contact, Seong Yul’s defensive energy shattered with ease.
“…!”
Realizing he couldn’t block it in time, Seong Yul desperately tried to retreat, but it was already too late.
“Rolling your eyes quickly is great, but you take too long.”
That’s bound to be an opening.
Bang—!
As the words left my mouth, I slapped Seong Yul’s wrist.
Yikes!
His arm recoiled from the impact.
In the chaos, he somehow managed to keep hold of his sword.
I knew he had guts.
I’ll have to give him some praise for that later.
‘For now, let’s handle this first.’
The violent recoil disrupted my stance, exposing numerous weaknesses in my form.
At that moment, seeing this, I prepared to kick Seong Yul with my foot.
Swish.
Tsk.
As a sensation emerged from behind, I quickly regained my form and turned my body.
Thud thud—!!!
A multitude of daggers lodged into the ground where I had just been.
When I shifted my gaze, I could already see the end of the blade coming at me.
I tilted my head and dodged.
Pick!
The sword grazed my skin, leaving a scratch, but I healed quickly.
As I dodged, I seized the hand of the attacker who had attempted a surprise attack.
But.
Phew.
“Whoa?”
As I caught his arm, it dispersed and vanished like mist.
This was fascinating.
Is it an illusion?
Intrigued, I activated my technique.
Shhh—!
A dagger brushed past the tip of my nose.
Whooosh!
Another offensive assault erupted on the opposite side where the dagger had flown.
It was quite the peculiar sight—one person executing such an elaborate display.
Moreover, each movement was laden with intensity and precision.
It signified that she hadn’t achieved her level clumsily.
‘I guess she learned well from the Dark King.’
The woman wielding the dagger, Dang So-yeol, raised the corners of her mouth.
The reason for this sudden turn of events was that Pajeon had sent word, saying he had some business to attend to and would be away for a few days.
Thanks to that, I had managed to maintain my lifeline while also having some time to train, which made me want to test the abilities of the two of them.
And the outcome?
‘Not bad.’
I could tell that both Seong Yul and Dang So-yeol had strengths that surpassed my expectations.
Especially, Dang So-yeol was outstanding.
Was it about four or five years ago?
The friendly martial arts competition held alongside the Yongbong conference.
Her appearance back then was distinctly different from what I saw now.
In just a few years, Dang So-yeol had evolved from a novice to a perfect martial artist.
Such growth was admirable.
‘What on earth did she do to achieve such progress?’
Thinking about the efforts required for Dang So-yeol, who had once only been an average talent, to reach this point left a bittersweet taste in my mouth.
As I dodged blades left and right,
Jeening.
I felt an ominous presence coming from behind.
Without hesitation, I flared my energy as I turned around.
Wham—!!!
A dark aura came flying towards me.
Bang—!!!
It erupted upon making contact with the sword.
Simultaneously, the two of them launched a combined assault.
Whenever I tried to create distance, daggers and sword strikes would come at me, and if I attempted to move forward, they’d initiate an assault to disrupt my movements.
‘Hmm.’
This was likely the first time they had synchronized so well.
Seong Yul and Dang So-yeol’s assaults were incredibly sharp, as if they had been practicing together for ages.
‘Is it due to perfect compatibility?’
Seong Yul created opportunities for Dang So-yeol, while she offered openings for him to execute fluid sword movements.
‘This is quite impressive.’
At this level, they could handle even a skilled master proficient in advanced martial arts.
If Seong Yul were to reach that level, things would probably change even more.
Taking a slight leap to gain some distance, I nodded.
‘I think this is enough.’
After observing this much, I felt satisfied.
There was no need to continue watching.
The moment I thought that,
Thud—!
I propelled myself forcefully, stamping my foot down.
Bang—!
My body shot forward like an arrow, wind pressure surging around me as I increased my speed.
“Whoa!”
“Ugh!”
The two of them were momentarily taken aback, but quickly adapted to handle the situation.
Seong Yul pushed forward without hesitation, swinging his sword.
However, the attack didn’t reach me.
Whoosh—!
Before he could really gain momentum, I grabbed Seong Yul by the collar and tossed him into the air.
Whoaah—! Seong Yul soared through the air.
He struggled to land safely, expelling force in the process.
“Ugh!”
He raised his sword to block but was sent flying even faster by the force.
After that, I charged straight toward Dang So-yeol.
The approach was no different than before.
Just as I had with Seong Yul, I moved to catch her.
“Ugh…!”
Yet again, Dang So-yeol transformed into mist and vanished.
Seeing this, I turned and extended my hand into the empty air to the left.
I pinched her middle finger with my thumb.
Smack—!!
I delivered a sharp slap.
And then,
“Ahhh!”
A dull thud sound and a scream synced perfectly.
“Gah….”
Dang So-yeol suddenly reappeared, clutching her forehead and collapsing.
She’s quite adept at camouflage, but it seems she can’t conceal the flow visible to my inner sight.
Afterward, Seong Yul finally managed to land and attempted to rush towards me once more.
Crack.
“…!!”
My fist had already made contact with Seong Yul’s chin.
I chuckled while looking at the sweating Seong Yul.
“Game over.”
After saying that, I reset my posture to relax.
Whew… Whew… Whew…
It was only then that Seong Yul released a harsh breath he’d been holding.
When I checked on Dang So-yeol, she was sprawled on the training room floor, taking a rest.
Seeing that made me chuckle.
“What did you do to be so exhausted?”
You barely did anything, and you’re already tired?
This is absurd.
“I guess I need to work on my stamina. Seriously.”
“… Confucius is… strange.”
Dang So-yeol began to complain, hinting that I should stop with such nonsense.
“It’s been over an hour…”
“Huh? Really?”
Has it already been that long?
I thought it was barely halfway, but indeed it had been a while.
But.
“Isn’t it only an hour we’ve been practicing?”
“…Yes…?”
“You need at least two hours to give your body some proper feedback.”
“…?”
The more I talked, the more Dang So-yeol looked at me in confusion as if I were speaking gibberish.
It felt as though she was questioning why we’d need to train for two hours.
‘Is that so unusual?’
Usually, when sparring with a master, practicing for that long is fairly typical.
Most of my time was spent just taking hits, but now I was accustomed to it to the point that one hour didn’t feel adequate.
When it was time for serious training, I’d spend about two hours sparring and then focus the rest of my time on external skill training.
Practicing the methods I’d learned from the Hwasan Sect always left me feeling invigorated by the end of the day.
‘Even a regressor like me trains tirelessly, and here you are panting after such a light session…’
Kids today truly are weak; tsk tsk.
I shook my head and dusted off my body.
If I’m feeling this tired, morning is just around the corner.
So I addressed the two exhausted individuals.
“I’ll tell you what to improve later. For now, let’s wash up and eat something first.”
“…Yes…”
“…Understood.”
In response to my words, the two of them gave feeble answers, looking thoroughly worn out.
Having moved around after a long time, I felt it was high time to wash my face.
Knock, knock.
“Excuse me.”
A gentle voice accompanied the sound of knuckles rapping on the wall at the training room’s entrance.
I glanced over, curious as to who it was, and saw it was Mo Yong-hee.
“What’s going on?”
What was she doing here this early in the morning?
Moreover…
‘Is she dressed up for some reason?’
Although Mo Yong-hee typically dresses up, today she seemed particularly elegant.
It looked like she had applied some makeup.
Her clothes appeared more glamorous than usual.
“Are you done with your training?”
“Um… more or less?”
I had a plan to eat and then train individually, but this marked the end of the morning’s training.
When I replied in that manner, Mo Yong-hee responded.
“Then come with me somewhere.”
“Huh…?”
The unexpected request made me tilt my head.
…You want to go together? Suddenly?
“Where?”
“I have some matters to attend to at the sect. I would like you to accompany me, Your Majesty.”
“That…”
Why should I go?
I was about to ask.
“…What did you say?”
Seeing Mo Yong-hee’s grimacing expression made me quickly stifle my question.
However, it appeared that I was already too late.
“You left me behind last time too! What are you talking about?”
“No….”
“Can’t you just follow along without questioning me? Do you really have to ask so many things?”
“I haven’t even asked yet….”
“You were about to ask, weren’t you?”
“…That’s true.”
Her icy words made me cough awkwardly.
“Who do you think I’m putting in all this effort for? Just follow along when I tell you to.”
“…Who are you working for?”
“It’s because of you!”
Mo Yong-hee yelled at me, her voice echoing.
Hearing that made me flinch involuntarily.
Why is there such pressure from someone who barely made it over the line?
For a moment, I felt genuinely afraid.
“If you lack awareness of your own conscience, how are you planning to live if you don’t know this?”
“…No, that…”
“No. Just live without it. That way, my place becomes secure. It’s better if I make it uncomfortable not to have it. Then I’ll be fine.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Just s-say nothing and follow me. Can’t you at least spend a day with me? Want to say no? If you do, I won’t let you off easy.”
Mo Yong-hee shot me a fierce glare.
If I said no, it looked like she would genuinely bite me.
“I’ll be washing up soon.”
I was planning to take some time to train and sort out my plans, but it seemed trouble would ensue if I didn’t go outside.
Thus, I resigned myself to washing my face first.
Ugh, ugh.
Dang So-yeol, who was sprawled on the ground, suddenly spoke.
Then she barely managed to turn around and look at Mo Yong-hee.
“Is this intentional?”
“What do you mean?”
“You came looking for me right after my training ended! Were you preying on the moment I couldn’t move…!!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Mo Yong-hee chuckled at Dang So-yeol’s accusations.
“Why would I go out of my way to do that?”
“You just want to claim everything for yourself! I want to come too!”
“Then you can come along. I don’t mind if Lady Dang joins us.”
“Fine!”
Dang So-yeol grit her teeth while attempting to stand.
However, the remnants of the sparring seemed to take their toll, so she was groaning, unable to rise properly.
Seeing this, Mo Yong-hee covered her mouth with her hand and said.
“Oh my… You must be exhausted. Just rest well today, Lady Dang.”
“I can do it…!”
“Why are you trying to get up when you’re tired? Eat something and take a break. I’ll be back soon.”
“Oh… Your Majesty…?”
I just suggested they rest because they looked tired, yet when Dang So-yeol heard this, despair washed over her face.
What was with that expression?
I merely told her to rest. Was it really that disappointing of a suggestion?
“That’s right. Just relax. We’re only going to work.”
Contrary to Dang So-yeol’s disappointment, Mo Yong-hee appeared to gain strength back, speaking with a buoyant tone.
“You’re… too much…!!”
“Let’s go, Your Majesty.”
“Uh… sure.”
My eyes involuntarily glanced at her, looking not much different from a squirrel robbed of its food.
Yank—!
Mo Yong-hee crossed her arms, as if time was of the essence, and began dragging me away.
While being hustled along, a thought crossed my mind, and I asked Mo Yong-hee.
“He’s probably resting too. Should I bring him?”
I recalled the Wisul-ah, who might still be around. If I had to go out anyway, wouldn’t it be better to have company?
Since Namgungbiya needed rest, she couldn’t go out, but Wisul-ah enjoyed being outside, so I thought it’d be nice to buy some meals together while we were out.
“Huh, as expected.”
Mo Yong-hee grinned as if she’d anticipated my question.
“I knew you’d say that, so I was prepared.”
“Oh?”
Did that mean she pre-arranged for Wisul-ah to come? Impressive how quickly she handled matters…
“Wisul-ah won’t come out today. I made a ‘request’ for her to stay back. So, even if you say that, there’s nothing that can be done.”
“…Huh?”
It’s not that I informed her to stay back.
‘She requested not to come…?’
I wore a bewildered expression, baffled that such nonsense was a reality.
When Mo Yong-hee caught sight of my expression, she broke into laughter.
“What’s with that idiotic look?”
“That sounds kind of strange.”
“I enjoy your confused expression; it’s so Confucius-like.”
“Is it an insult or a compliment? So confusing!”
“It’s a compliment. Really, a compliment.”
As she continued talking, she loosened her grip on my arm.
“I’ve been pondering this lately: it might be better if Confucius appeared a little more temperamental and clueless.”
“Why not just be blunt with your insults? How’s that a compliment?”
“It is a compliment. That way, no one will ever recognize Confucius’s true value.”
With a sigh, Mo Yong-hee added,
“I already have a headache from knowing too much. I’ve no idea what I might do if I learned more. So it’s best to just remain as I am.”
What an absurd demand, to be told to remain inept.
I frowned at her ridiculous request, and Mo Yong-hee kept walking, arms crossed, quietly adding,
“That would make my reasons for staying by your side much clearer.”
As she spoke, her pace quickened.
Before I even processed it, we were already outside the main door.
A small carriage was waiting for us.
Looking at the tiny carriage, I curiously asked Mo Yong-hee,
“Isn’t that carriage a bit small?”
I thought they usually rode in something larger than this, so I wondered why it was different today.
Mo Yong-hee provided an answer to my question.
“That’s right. With a smaller carriage, it’ll be easier for us to get closer together.”
I received the same reply.
“…Oh?”
“Now, let’s hurry and get to work. Get in.”
Before I could even ask anything further, I found myself pulled into the carriage by Mo Yong-hee’s seemingly minor strength. Then she climbed in alongside me and took a seat beside me.
For some reason, the expression on her face appeared to be the brightest it had been in a while.
No.
At least until the afternoon work began…
That was how it would be.
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