Chapter 95: Preparation (4)
“I lost….”
After panting for a while, Yung Pung finally let those words slip out.
The ground around him was completely torn up, a chaotic mess of dirt and debris. On one side, there was a pile of broken wooden swords.
He had long since exhausted all his Qi, leaving him too weak to even lift his sword.
They had continued their duel from the early hours of the day until nightfall, so it was no surprise he felt like this.
“Good work.”
Yung Pung turned to look at the owner of the voice.
‘…So strong.’
That was the only thought running through his head.
The martial arts skills of the individual named Muyeon, who was guarding Gu Yangcheon, were simply astonishing.
With the upcoming tournament so close, Yung Pung was relieved to have a strong swordsman approach him first for a duel.
However, he never expected him to be this strong.
In a flash, Yung Pung recalled Namgung Bi-ah.
Immediately, he felt his cheeks grow warm at just the thought of her name.
It reminded him of a somewhat embarrassing memory from not too long ago.
She had been the catalyst for why he challenged Gu Yangcheon to a duel, and, in a way, it was also thanks to her that he had gained his enlightenment.
Still, he couldn’t help but think about how immature he had been back then.
‘It seems similar… but feels completely different.’
Yung Pung was aware that Namgung Bi-ah was a direct descendant of one of the Four Great Clans, the Namgung Clan. Yet he noticed that she trained without hesitation, even with an audience watching, whether that was due to her personality or her family’s upbringing he couldn’t tell.
It was as if she was inviting onlookers to enjoy a splendid sword dance, demonstrating beautiful sword techniques.
The refined cuts in her sword technique were like a rapid succession of movements that conveyed various aspects of combat.
Those who trained independently often developed certain peculiarities in their techniques. To put it negatively, one could argue that Namgung Bi-ah’s swordsmanship had a chaotic quality to it.
Yet, despite that chaos, her agile form and natural talent turned those chaotic movements into advantages.
At least, that’s how it appeared to Yung Pung.
Still, if they were to fight, he was sure he would lose.
‘But this person…’
In stark contrast was Muyeon.
Clean, polished, and incredibly skilled— his fundamentals were rock solid.
He was, quite simply, a model swordsman.
Yung Pung quickly analyzed the reasons behind his loss.
Muyeon’s swordsmanship didn’t rely on unique variations or exceptional intuition— it was simply focused on a strong foundation.
The reason for Yung Pung’s defeat was just that Muyeon’s sword was faster and heavier than his own.
With no excuses to muster in light of the undeniable reason, Yung Pung let out a sigh.
‘There’s no end to the world outside this well.’
Observing Gu Yangcheon’s talent shattered his pride, and being reminded of Namgung Bi-ah brought another wave of embarrassment as he confronted his inadequacies.
Now he felt the same emptiness when looking at Muyeon.
‘There’s no time to boost my confidence.’
Yung Pung felt the title of “Sword Dragon” that he had earned becoming heavier by the day.
Muyeon calmly extended his hand toward Yung Pung.
“Thank you. I learned a lot from this duel.”
“…Not at all, Master Muyeon. It should be me thanking you for spending the whole day with me.”
Yung Pung took Muyeon’s hand and stood up.
His entire body was covered in dust, but a few light shakes were enough to get rid of the dirt.
Muyeon, looking at Yung Pung, spoke again.
“You’ve been out for a long time. I should be heading back now. Are you planning to stay longer?”
“Yeah, I think I’ll practice a bit more before leaving.”
He needed practice to calm his agitated mind.
At least, that’s the only way Yung Pung knew how to ease himself.
Muyeon nodded at Yung Pung’s words.
After finishing the cleanup, he started descending the mountain path to head back to the lodge.
As he walked, enjoying the cool breeze, Muyeon’s expression remained stern.
It felt like the first time he had done nothing but duel for an entire day without focusing on his duties as an escort.
‘What was the meaning of all this anyway?’
Just like Yung Pung, Muyeon was hiding his own complicated feelings.
Though he had stepped out to seek something, the only emotion he returned with was a severe sense of guilt.
“An escort that’s completely incompetent…”
In the whispers carried by the wind, there was a heavy weight of self-reproach.
How many times had Gu Yangcheon faced dangers while under his protection?
Was it because he felt a sense of security being in the prestigious Mount Hua Sect? That might have caused him to let his guard down, putting Gu Yangcheon in a perilous situation against exceptional martial artists.
What had he been doing in those moments?
He tried to come up with excuses, but nothing came to mind.
He had merely been complacent.
No one else was to blame but himself.
‘Useless—’
Of course, Gu Yangcheon was also getting better at slipping past his notice, as he was aware that the Young Master was gradually reaching a level of martial prowess where he would require no escorts.
But even that was simply an excuse.
He recognized that he was both sword and shield for Gu Yangcheon.
Any injury Gu Yangcheon sustained should have only happened if he had died.
It wasn’t out of passion for the Gu Clan or loyalty to Gu Yangcheon—it was about responsibility.
If a martial artist lost themselves, they were done.
Those had been the profound words of the celebrated Sword Emperor himself.
Gu Yangcheon was getting stronger by the day.
When Muyeon had first met him, he was just another boy who hadn’t even reached the second-tier status in martial arts.
Now? Gu Yangcheon was already at the first-tier level, soon to reach the peak level.
It was incredible progress in under a year.
But what about him?
How many years had he spent without reaching that peak?
Muyeon knew he shouldn’t feel desperate at this rate.
He believed that time was still on his side, and with consistent effort, he would eventually reach that level.
‘…So when will that be?’
How powerless…
Muyeon felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
What was the point of training if one couldn’t even protect those they were meant to protect?
He pondered about the purpose of his sword.
He didn’t know. He felt like he’d lost the way he had thought he’d finally found.
He wondered what he had gained from the duel against Yung Pung.
‘I realized my potential.’
Unlike before, he could see the possibilities in others.
This applied to Yung Pung as well.
Yung Pung had visibly improved during their sparring match.
Though he had missed five out of ten of Muyeon’s strikes in the beginning, by the end, he was able to parry them all.
Those vulnerabilities Yung Pung had shown initially faded away to the point that there were nearly no openings left for Muyeon to exploit.
While Yung Pung looked disappointed in his performance, Muyeon was forced to hide his own surprise at Yung Pung’s rapid development.
Yung Pung could eventually reach his level. It was entirely possible that he would surpass him sooner than later.
He was confident that it wouldn’t take long for that to happen.
‘And would I still be at a standstill by then?’
Guilt and self-deprecation mingled together.
He could vividly see the solid and massive wall dividing him from the next level.
‘The demon haunting my mind… can it be considered the same…?’
He halted in his tracks.
The gentle breeze urged him to return to the lodge, as if it was nudging him to leave quickly.
But Muyeon’s feet remained glued to the ground, seemingly stuck in place.
‘Just for a moment…’
Let’s take a short break.
It felt like he was coming apart at the seams.
Muyeon resolved to stand still for a moment before heading back, convincing himself that he could act as though nothing had happened.
As he remained rooted in place, he suddenly became aware of some distant sounds.
—Swish!
—Whoosh!
“Eh?”
It wasn’t the sound of wind.
As someone familiar with swords, that sound was far too recognizable.
The feet that had felt heavy with weariness now began to move towards the source of that sound.
—Whoosh! Swish!
As he moved, he found someone swinging a sword in a clearing.
‘…Why?’
Surprised, because the one training was someone he recognized well.
“Maid Wi…?”
It was Wi Seol-Ah.
The direct maid of Gu Yangcheon, her pretty face always attracted attention among the other servants.
And now this same Wi Seol-Ah was swinging a sword alone in the mountains late into the evening when it appeared no one was around.
‘What is she doing?’
—Swish, swoosh, swish!
While her movements seemed haphazard and filled with unnecessary actions—likely because she had never been taught swordplay—there was a strange power behind her strikes.
‘Is she trying to exercise?’
That was the only conclusion Muyeon could draw for now, as Wi Seol-Ah was only a maid.
—Swish…
Suddenly, Wi Seol-Ah halted her swings, tilting her head in confusion, twisting her body to see something.
“Is this not it?”
“Huh…?”
Was she talking to herself? It wasn’t entirely uncharacteristic of her given her quirky personality.
“It feels difficult… but I think this one appears right.”
As she begrudgingly admitted, Muyeon gasped at her technique.
From upward to downward strokes, her cuts were clean and, even to Muyeon, her movements were impressively precise.
Far removed from the clumsy motions she’d exhibited earlier.
‘What in the world…?’
Was he mistaken? No, he was sure he had seen it clearly, yet doubt crept in.
“This way is prettier and feels better, so why should I do it differently?”
Wi Seol-Ah continued talking to herself while Muyeon glanced around, half-expecting someone might be hiding nearby. Alas, he felt no presence.
“…I guess I should go to Grandpa… No, I don’t want to go to Grandpa; he was mean to me!”
Her expression turned slightly sour at that thought.
Muyeon found himself shocked once again by Wi Seol-Ah’s repeated actions.
Those were basic movements, yet each was performed impeccably.
Just simple slashes, yet as she swung her sword, everything seemed perfectly done.
But there was something off about it.
‘How can it be this way?’ Ignoring Muyeon’s astonishment, Wi Seol-Ah finished her sword swings.
“Fine… I won’t do it.”
She seemed to be scolding herself and instantly returned to the clumsy movements Muyeon had first seen her perform.
With disbelief, Muyeon stepped forward, unable to simply watch anymore.
“Maid Wi…?”
“Oh! Brother Muyeon!”
Waving her arms joyfully, she was precisely the Wi Seol-Ah he knew.
“What are you doing here…?”
With a radiant smile, Wi Seol-Ah responded casually.
“I’m learning to wield a sword!”
“From whom…?”
“Well, from—”
Wi Seol-Ah suddenly paused, her eyes darting about in surprise.
“…I was doing it all alone.”
“By yourself…?”
She had changed her statement.
No matter how he looked at it, Wi Seol-Ah was genuinely alone. It didn’t seem like she had lied earlier.
While Muyeon pondered these thoughts, Wi Seol-Ah then asked him:
“Are you heading back to the lodge, brother Muyeon? The Young Master was looking for you earlier.”
“Oh…!”
He felt the weight of realization crash over him.
He felt foolish for not realizing it sooner, hiding this slight annoyance under a thin smile as he replied to Wi Seol-Ah.
“I was too busy training today to focus, so I’ll apologize to the Young Master.”
“Huh? No, the Young Master said it was fine since it’s you. He didn’t say anything more!”
She tried to mimic Gu Yangcheon’s expressions, which made her seem adorably cute.
Feeling as though she reminded him of a little sister, Muyeon instinctively reached out to pat her head but quickly retracted his hand before it could touch her.
Wi Seol-Ah was nice to everyone, but it was palpable she had boundaries no one crossed.
Especially regarding physical contact like head pats; she despised that.
The only ones allowed such intimacy were Elder Wi and Gu Yangcheon, and Muyeon was mindful not to overstep.
As the situation teetered toward awkwardness, Wi Seol-Ah inquired:
“Are you going back now, brother?”
Nodding, Muyeon said, “Yeah, I’ve rested too long already, it’s time to return.”
Cautiously, he glanced at the small wooden sword in Wi Seol-Ah’s grasp and spoke again.
“Um, Maid Wi…”
“Yes?”
“Why did you suddenly start training with the sword?”
She blinked, pausing to carefully consider her answer.
It didn’t take long before she casually replied:
“The Young Master keeps coming back with injuries. It looks like he’s being bullied.”
From minor scratches to severe wounds from dangerous encounters, Wi Seol-Ah felt as though her heart was being ripped out each time she saw Gu Yangcheon in pain.
Even if it wasn’t that bad for him.
She despised that feeling.
She hated experiencing the pain; it became even worse realizing how much Gu Yangcheon must be suffering from his injuries.
“So I want to protect him.”
Muyeon was left speechless after hearing her straightforward declaration.
Everyone knew Wi Seol-Ah liked Gu Yangcheon; it was practically common knowledge among the staff.
And her affection was glaringly evident.
But Muyeon still couldn’t shake off his reservations.
The techniques she had demonstrated earlier were shockingly impressive even in his eyes as a swordsman.
But in the end, she’s just a maid.
He clenched his jaw at that unbidden thought.
He realized he had unconsciously looked down upon Wi Seol-Ah.
Still smiling, Wi Seol-Ah remained blissfully unaware of his inner conflict.
Then, with an excited voice, she exclaimed:
“I want to go down too! The Young Master must be waiting for me!”
Gathering her wooden sword, she began walking away with light, brisk steps.
Muyeon watched her retreating figure, a sinking feeling creeping in.
‘How pathetic, Muyeon. To think that others can’t achieve what you can’t achieve yourself.’
Though he knew Wi Seol-Ah was speaking from her heart, he couldn’t help but harbor prejudiced feelings towards her.
Wake up. There’s a long way to go still.
In a situation like this, he shouldn’t be collapsing.
He roused himself from his thoughts with determination.
Phew…
A resigned sigh escaped him, releasing all the negativity swirling in his mind.
Suddenly, Wi Seol-Ah, who had been merrily skipping off, halted and turned around to approach him again.
“…Maid Wi?”
Unintentionally, Muyeon found himself taking a step back.
Gone was the cheerful smile, replaced instead with a serious and grave demeanor.
“That’s enough.”
“What?”
Her voice was deeper than usual, making him wonder what in the world was happening.
Ignoring his obvious confusion, she continued:
“It seems you know what you need to do, so there’s nothing more to say.”
Her delicate, pale hands reached out to touch his chest.
Instinctively, he tried to move away, yet his body felt paralyzed for some reason.
As Wi Seol-Ah spoke, she fixated her gaze below, not even looking at his face.
“Don’t remain stuck in place; sometimes you need to break through with force.”
—Nudge!
Her gentle push made him step back.
A sudden thudding sensation rolled throughout his body, sparking an intense reaction.
“What the…!”
Was this a surprise attack? That thought quickly crossed his mind.
Why would she do this? Flustered, he tried to regain his composure as he concentrated his Qi, but the impact dissipated in an instant.
Once he collected himself, he quickly rubbed his chest.
“What was that all about—!?”
He intended to ask why she did that, but Wi Seol-Ah had already reverted to her usual self, flashing a bright smile at him.
“What she told me to say!”
“…Who?”
Ignoring the question, Wi Seol-Ah zig-zagged toward the lodge and disappeared from view.
“…?”
The bafflement on Muyeon’s face beautifully reflected his turbulent thoughts.
Was this all just a prank? He had no idea she was capable of such antics.
Despite a sigh of relief, her last words lingered in his mind amusingly.
‘Break the mold.’
Surely a light-hearted jest, yet something about it resonated with him.
Had he stumbled upon some small revelation? He halted in place, contemplating but promptly shook those thoughts away.
“If enlightenment were that easy… I wouldn’t have needed to trouble myself in the first place.”
Nonetheless, her playful words somehow lightened the weight of confusion in his mind.
Feeling a sense of renewal, he followed her, heading toward the lodge.
—
“…What’s happening here?”
Seated on the floor, I watched Wi Seol-Ah enter behind Muyeon who followed shortly after.
When I asked Hongwa about Wi Seol-Ah, she mentioned she went out for a stroll. I couldn’t help but rebuke her for sending Wi Seol-Ah out alone at this hour.
I planned to fetch her myself, but she returned before I could do anything.
However…
“Did something occur?”
Muyeon’s demeanor was a bit peculiar as he entered.
Setting aside his deep thoughts for a moment…
Is it just me?
Perhaps it was merely my fatigue talking…
Coming to my side, Muyeon glanced at me noticing my gaze on him.
“…I apologize.”
“Huh? For what?”
“I took a day off without informing you, and I won’t let it happen again.”
Oh, so it was about that?
“You need to rest at times, and knowing you, you probably trained even while resting, right?”
“…”
“Based on your silence, I take it I’m correct.”
I could easily discern the emotions roiling within Muyeon, yet I had no way to alleviate them.
It’s somewhat different from Yung Pung’s situation.
If Yung Pung’s stagnant progress was due to his arrogance, then bursting through that wall was a simple fix— much like when I did it back then.
Yet, Muyeon had to overcome his own wall himself.
“If you feel the need, take a bit more time to relax.”
“…No.”
“Alright.”
After informing me he’d be more diligent from tomorrow onward, Muyeon completed his greetings and hurried out.
Most likely because he was on night watch now.
I felt a slight concern seeing the fatigue etched on his features. Is it enough to put him in danger?
I’ll have to find time later to check on him.
Even though I couldn’t break down the wall separating him from progress, I still wished to provide him with any assistance I could.
I would usually stay indifferent to such matters, but for Muyeon, he deserved a little help.
It’d be a shame for that talent of his to just wither away.
In light of the future, it might be wise to intervene now. As I concluded these thoughts, Wi Seol-Ah approached me after her bath.
“Younger Master!”
“…You.”
Before I could admonish her for wandering out alone late at night, I swallowed my words.
“I worked hard tonight too!”
“…Right, good job.”
I vaguely returned the praise as I pulled something from my coat pocket and handed it to her.
“…Huh?”
Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at the object in my hand.
Feeling a tad embarrassed, I averted my gaze and spoke, “It’s not anything special, just thought I’d reward you for your hard work.”
The object shimmered with a lovely white light.
I had bought this ornament while out in Huayin with Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-Ah.
I also purchased one for Namgung Bi-ah, but I hadn’t given it to her yet.
“You… are giving this to me?”
“You don’t want it? Then I’ll just give it to someone else—”
“Nooooo!”
She dashed forward, snatching the accessory from my hands.
Holding it tightly, she beamed with joy.
I was taken aback by how much joy it brought her. Is something this trivial really that delightful?
Is it genuinely worth that much?
At this point, I somewhat wanted to ask Elder Shin for his opinion.
Would Elder Shin get mad at me for this?
I had a strong feeling he just might.
Wi Seol-Ah contemplated the gift briefly before a light bulb seemed to go off in her mind, causing her to stare at me intensely.
Feeling the weight of her gaze, I cautiously inquired, “What’s with the stare?”
“Younger Master.”
“Yes…?”
“Can I kiss your cheek?”
“W-What?”
“Thank you!”
“W-Wait—! I didn’t say anything yet—”
Now I realized something important about her: Wi Seol-Ah likely didn’t care about what I had to say.
And the very next day…
The Mount Hua Sect’s annual festival—the day of the tournament—had finally arrived.
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