Of course, Seon Soo Yeon isn’t wrong.
The participants are just a little special; the Seomhwa Village martial arts tournament is literally nothing more than a friendly competition, just a local event.
Naturally, there’s no way they would reveal their full strength.
Strong fighters tend to hide about thirty percent of their abilities. But in this tournament, most martial artists probably participated while hiding more than half of their skills.
Seon Soo Yeon must be doing the same, so I can understand why she would say that…
Still, considering that Sayoon barely used most of the Hongseong Divine Art techniques, she’s also been hiding her strength.
“True.”
If it were me, I would’ve said, “You’re talking big for someone who lost, huh?”
How kind of me.
“…That’s good to know.”
Seon Soo Yeon’s face turned red at that response. As she quickly turned and walked inside, Chaeran, who was standing nearby, said, bemused,
“Guess she knows it’s embarrassing.”
“Hahaha…”
“Well, I can’t blame her for reacting that way, considering her background.”
As Chaekin nodded slightly, Hongryeon glanced at her. At that look, Chaekin slightly scrunched her pretty face.
“What’s with that gaze?”
“Nothing. Just nothing.”
Haha. Thinking about Hongryeon and her martial arts experience, Chaekin had lost plenty too. I captured the strange atmosphere as the two stared at each other.
“Let’s not go too far. It’s a nice day, after all.”
Only then did they relax their gazes from each other. Once the mood settled a bit, I asked Sayoon,
“So, when’s the next match…?”
“In two days.”
“Got it. Who was the next opponent again?”
“It’s a guy named Hyun Yu Do-gak Kang Jun…”
Hyun Yu Do-gak Kang Jun. As a member of Jeongsajigan, with Sayoon’s current skills, winning shouldn’t be a problem.
But being from Jeongsajigan means they don’t only use fair techniques, so being cautious isn’t a bad idea.
“I guess I need to train a bit more this evening. Let’s see how far I can push myself.”
“Yes!”
With the gentle tone of the Sword Saint, Sayoon responded brightly. At that, Hongryeon’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh? So, Master, are you returning to Hongseong today? What about Yu Wol’s escort…?”
At that, the Sword Saint was taken aback.
“Wait?! Oh, no. I plan to have Sayoon stay here for now…”
Today, my escort was the Sword Saint. She wouldn’t give that up lightly. As Hongryeon looked disappointed, the Sword Saint muttered quietly.
“It was her nature. She wouldn’t just give that up. As Hongryeon sighed, the Sword Saint murmured softly.
‘She’s my disciple, but there’s really no room for her to move.’
‘Haha, this much is nothing. If an opportunity arises, one shouldn’t let it slip away, right?’
That’s one of the teachings of the Hongseong. If it doesn’t go against the principle, you must not miss that chance.
Despite faithfully following that, Hongryeon still received a slightly discontented look from the Sword Saint.
‘That’s not a compliment.’
‘But it is a compliment, isn’t it?’
Without saying a word, the Sword Saint quickly clicked her tongue at Hongryeon. Haha, the relationship between the two is quite good.
As evening came, the disciples of Hongseong came down. When I treated them to dinner with the money earned today, I mentioned it was thanks to Sayoon, which made her blush and fidget.
It’s a nice sight.
By the time everyone had eaten their fill, I stepped out into the backyard and took a puff from my cigarette.
While I was lost in thought, Chaekin walked out.
‘Why are you out here alone?’
‘Haha, just pondering some things. But why did you come out?’
By now, I had become quite friendly with the disciples of Hongseong, so joining them for a meal shouldn’t be a problem.
I glanced inside. I could see Chaeran laughing and playing with the disciples in the guest room.
‘Oh… just because.’
‘If it’s because of me, don’t worry about it and feel free to go back inside.’
‘Haha, how can I do that?’
Chaekin smiled naturally and leaned her head against my shoulder.
‘By the way, Sayoon has gotten much stronger. I saw her last time in the Hidden Realm of Hwa-gwang… she’s way stronger than when she came to Moonjeong.’
‘Hmm… is that so?’
Pride swelled in my chest. Not paying attention to me showing no signs, Chaekin placed her hand on my thigh. Then, she fidgeted with my leg as if scratching it with her fingers and sighed softly.
‘It’s good that she’s growing fast, but I worry it might cause problems.’
‘Problems?’
‘Fast growth sometimes implies impatience. I’m worried that if she faces a wall before she’s mentally matured, she might get discouraged and take a wrong path.’
‘Haha. Wasn’t Chaeran like that?’
‘Ren takes life more leisurely than you’d think.’
Removing her hand from my leg, she took my hand instead. As she gently tickled the back of my hand with her fingers, she continued in a tone laced with bitterness.
‘Sayoon has a strong tendency to grow stronger to prove herself.'”
“It’s because I have a strong tendency to become stronger to prove myself.”
“To become strong to prove it, huh…”
“The Sword Saint, the Senior Sisters of Hongseong, and my friend Ryeon. Me, and you. Plus other people. I can’t seem to naturally accept the expectations they have for me.”
While Sayoon feels grateful for what has been given to her, it was said that it might hinder her when she faces a wall later on.
I don’t really know much about martial arts either… Should I ask the Sword Saint and Hongryeon separately about this?
“That’s good advice. Have you talked to Sayoon?”
“Well, I did. But, how should I put this… she was an orphan, right?”
It might sound like a jab at first, but the tone in Chaejin’s voice was filled with genuine concern.
It wasn’t just as a younger sibling; she was seriously thinking about Sayoon in her own way.
Considering from the perspective of Heavenly Bright Moon, it’s truly an unimaginable scenario.
But now, it’s as if Chaejin is proving that a lot has changed as she worries about Sayoon.
I looked at her, and Chaejin continued to speak with a voice still filled with worry, seemingly unaware of my gaze.
“I think that might put quite a burden on her.”
“Indeed…”
That part was something I couldn’t help with. All I could do was cheer her on from the side…
“Isn’t there any way?”
“Well, I suppose ultimately it comes down to managing one’s own heart.”
After softly saying that, Chaejin lifted her head slightly. She then stepped back a little from my side.
“But still, you’re here, and I’m here too. I’m sure it’ll work out somehow, right?”
“Haha. If someone hears that, Chaejin, they’d think you’re the disciple of Hongseong.”
“Ahhahaha. Is that so? Hmm… Well, my obsession with defeating Hongseong has lessened quite a bit compared to before.”
Chaejin laughed softly and reached out her hand to me. As I grabbed her hand and stood up, Chaejin lightly pulled me.
“This must be thanks to you, right?”
A sweet scent wafts from her embrace. Naturally drawing me in, with her arms around my waist and her face nuzzled against my chest, Chaejin gently lifted her head.
“So, please watch over me. There’s not much time left.”
The martial arts tournament was progressing smoothly. Four contenders had been marked as favorites.
Hongryeon, Chaejin, and Myojae from the Murim Alliance, along with Joo Yeryeong from the Cheonhwa Palace faction.
People were intensely debating who among these four would emerge victorious.
And then, one more was added to the mix.
Perhaps thanks to some good luck, Sayoon kept winning, which raised her profile quite a bit.
“But still, there’s no way she can beat Myojae.”
“Right? No matter what…”
Myojae, who even had the nickname Dok-an-ryong, was the deputy head of the Murim Alliance’s enforcement department and had proven herself a strong contender in the martial world.
Though a bit reckless at times, her abilities were virtually unquestionable.
Given that Myojae was facing Sayoon, who had only recently begun to shine, most people were betting on Myojae’s victory.
“What do you think?”
“Hmm… it’s not going to be easy.”
Even Chaeran couldn’t confidently predict Sayoon’s win.
That just goes to show how strong Myojae was.
Because of that, I looked at the Sword Saint beside me. She had reportedly taught a few things to Sayoon in preparation for the tournament over the past few days—had Sayoon fully grasped them?
If she had, there might be a chance.
“What do you think, Sword Saint?”
“Well… Myojae isn’t a fool, so she won’t reveal all her strengths here. That means it wouldn’t be easy for her to just lose.”
Chaeran’s eyes lit up at the Sword Saint’s evaluation. This meant that if Sayoon gave it her all, she could indeed win.
Meanwhile, the two of them, Myojae and Sayoon, were stepping onto the arena.
“If she seizes the opportunity, Sayoon could win… but if she misses it…”
Then it would be defeat, I thought nervously as I watched the match unfold.
“Then, let the match begin!!”
At Yoon-gak’s shout, a gong sounded.
Myojae spun her staff and aimed it at Sayoon, who, unlike before, slowly drew her sword with both hands.
As if sensing Sayoon’s tension, Myojae shrugged her shoulders.
“I’ll concede three seconds as a senior.”
Wait, concede here?!
Sayoon smiled brightly at Myojae’s boldness.
“Really? Then…”
-Kuuuuuuuuuung!!!
As Sayoon gathered her energy, a powerful sound echoed enough to shake the surroundings.
Was Sayoon’s power greater than expected? As a red aura began to take shape around her, Myojae appeared flustered.
“I won’t hold back!”
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