Chapter 155: Round of 16 (1)

“Hah… Diancang has certainly produced a talent.”

“That final strike made even I shudder.”

“How long has it been since we’ve seen a Sun-Shooting swordsman…”

The elders murmured amongst themselves.

— WOOOOO────────!!

The crowd cheered without understanding the significance of it.

Standing alone in the center of the arena, Hwangbo Hyeji forced herself to compose her hardened expression.

“…How underhanded.”

This wasn’t really winning.

She squeezed her eyes shut before opening them, then moved with heavy steps.

One particularly intense gaze followed her. Standing before it, she forced a smile as a sharp voice reached her.

“Do you want to see that smug look on his face? How much leeway did you give him to achieve enlightenment mid-match?”

“Mother… but I still…”

“Hyeji. Haven’t I told you countless times? You can only rise by always giving your all to crush your opponents.”

“Still, I was bestowed the Phoenix title…”

“Is that what matters right now?”

Her mother Hwangbo Seorin’s sharp eyes swept over her.

“Listen to what people are saying around us. The ignorant spectators may be making noise about your victory, but those who understand martial arts aren’t even interested in you.”

“But…”

“Diancang. Diancang. Do you want to hear this even after winning? I’m saying all this for your sake. So why can’t you just do as I say?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Hwangbo Hyeji bowed her head. Despite being treated, her injured shoulder still throbbed particularly painfully.

Watching her quietly, Hwangbo Seorin sighed.

“I’m sorry for the harsh words, but you can do better next time, right?”

“Yes, Mother…”

Hwangbo Hyeji thought to herself.

A change of heart can make such a difference.

Eun Wiryong’s final sword strike had been dazzling. Hard to believe it came from someone who’d been acting like a dead fish.

Setting one’s heart right.

Reaching lofty heights through conviction in oneself.

Hwangbo Hyeji also had ears; she could hear, she could understand. Thus, to climb any higher, she needed conviction in herself.

But what good was knowing? Life is difficult precisely because there’s a difference between knowing how to do something, and doing it. If one could act according to their knowledge, they’d be an immortal.

“Congratulations, Young Lady Hwangbo. Are your injuries alright?”

“Young Expert Namgung… Yes, I’m fine.”

Hwangbo Hyeji smiled in greeting Namgung Myeong, but seeing her face, his eyebrows twitched.

“Young Lady, did something happen?”

“No, nothing at all. Aren’t you disappointed, Young Expert Namgung? The top eight was right there…”

“I’m fine. I can challenge again next time.”

Namgung Myeong smiled as if truly unbothered before another voice interrupted them.

“Huh? What’s this? What’s my little brother doing there?”

After turning to see, they saw Seojun grinning at them.

“Ah, Brother.”

“Yeah yeah, lil bro. In the middle of romance business?”

“That’s not…!”

As Namgung Myeong startled, Seojun chuckled. Then he looked at Hwangbo Hyeji once and nodded.

“Myeong.”

“Yes?”

“When in doubt, just go all in.”

“I don’t understand what you mean…”

“Don’t worry about the consequences. Besides father-in-law, you’ve got me. If push comes to shove, there’s that old Fist King too.”

Fighting! Leaving those final words, Seojun disappeared.

Namgung Myeong stared blankly at where he’d been and scratched his cheek.

“I suppose when you reach the Transcendent Realm, you can read minds too.”

“They say your perspective changes entirely.”

Hwangbo Hyeji laughed awkwardly. Watching her quietly, Namgung Myeong reached out his hand.

“Uh, uh…?”

Hwangbo Hyeji’s face turned red as he grasped her hand.

“Young Lady, I’d like to meet your mother once.”

“M-Mother…?”

“Would that be alright?”

“Y-Yes…! Of course!”

He smiled faintly, watching her nodding enthusiastically.

This might be dangerous to go any further.

Hwangbo Hyeji didn’t look to be in good condition. Young martial artists at this age often developed inner demons. It wasn’t unusual for young martial artists who hadn’t yet found their path.

He usually tried not to interfere in other families’ affairs, but…

It’s better to act decisively now than regret not trying later.

He’d learned this from watching his elder brother.

If worst came to worst, he had the Namgung name behind him. The family’s power was cultivated precisely for times like these.

Hwangbo Hyeji’s mother, Hwangbo Seorin, was a Peak Realm martial artist. Her husband had married into the family and continued the Hwangbo lineage.

She had originally devoted herself to martial arts, but lacking talent, now managed the clan’s affairs. She’d also distinguished herself as a strategist, building some standing within the family.

Namgung Myeong had heard about her. Including the excessive expectations placed upon her daughter, unable to abandon her own martial dreams.

He went directly with Hwangbo Hyeji to find Hwangbo Seorin and offered his greetings.

“This junior pays his respects.”

Hwangbo Seorin looked at him and her daughter, following along with her hand caught in his. Her face was bright red.

After staring at her daughter blankly for a moment, she collected herself and received his greeting.

“You’re Namgung’s Young Lord, I see. What brings you to see me?”

“I know this is sudden, however, there is something I must say.”

Namgung Myeong pulled Hwangbo Hyeji to stand beside Hwangbo Seorin. He had words for both of them.

“This may be impertinent of me, but it seems time to let your daughter go.”

It was certainly impertinent.

Hwangbo Seorin looked utterly flabbergasted.

“I’m sorry, what… What are you saying?”

“At this rate, an inner demon will take root in Young Lady Hwangbo’s heart. A martial artist must establish their own will. If your will and Young Lady Hwangbo’s will clash internally, she could suffer qi deviation.”

“…That is for me to handle. Young Master Namgung, is that all you had to say?”

“No.”

Namgung Myeong looked at Hwangbo Hyeji. Her eyes shook greatly at this completely unexpected turn.

Should I have watched the situation longer…?

Hesitation was rearing its ugly head, but he shook it off. This wasn’t the time to lose faith. It was already too late; now that he had started, it was better to see it through to the end.

I’ll trust in Brother.

When in doubt, just go all in.

His elder brother must have seen through his concerns and given that advice.

Namgung Myeong said with a serious expression.

“Young Lady, I don’t mean you should oppose your mother. Family members should respect each other’s opinions. However, your own will cannot be absent from that.”

“Y-Young Expert Namgung…”

“If you truly believe your mother’s words are right, there is no issue… However, that is not the way it appears to me. I hope you will seriously take into consideration what your true will is.”

Caught between Hwangbo Seorin and Namgung Myeong, Hwangbo Hyeji finally hung her head.

“P-Please leave now…”

“I shall.”

He’d never intended to change anything with mere words.

“I was truly impertinent.”

After offering proper courtesies, Namgung Myeong left the Hwangbo clan residence.

“Whoa? For real?”

Seojun’s eyes widened. Hwangbo Jun nodded with a complicated expression.

“Yeah, that’s why I can’t return to our residence. The atmosphere is so murderous…”

The Namgung clan residence. This was where Hwangbo Jun had taken refuge after being half-forcibly expelled.

“But why come here? Don’t you have friends?”

“…When this happened because of the Namgung clan, where else would I go?”

“A friend’s place, you bastard.”

“Hmph.”

Hmph my ass. Looking to get smacked.

Seojun clicked his tongue while admiring Namgung Myeong’s boldness.

“I didn’t know my little brother had that kind of drive.”

To suddenly charge into the Hwangbo residence and say such things.

He’d told him to go all in with Hwangbo Hyeji, but he hadn’t expected him to go this far.

“As expected of my little brother. When you gotta do it, you do it.”

Anyways, he liked it. Regardless of how it turns out, it’s better to make up your mind and do it when the time comes. It would surely work out in the end, wouldn’t it?

“So what am I supposed to do?”

“Hey, if sister-in-law is your grand-niece, wouldn’t her mother be like a niece? Why are you so scared?”

“The world… doesn’t run on blood relations alone.”

“Just give her a good smack or something.”

“You crazy fucker. You can’t solve everything with force.”

“Can’t you?”

“You’re less than human. You probably beat your wife too.”

“What did you say, you bastard?”

“…Sorry. I misspoke.”

Seojun lowered his raised fist.

Well, Myeong will probably handle things fine on his own.

He was wiser than himself, after all.

If worst came to worst, well… he could lend even a cat’s paw worth of help, couldn’t he?

They were family.

He could definitely help his little brother’s love life.

From the Round of 16 onward, two matches were held per day.

It seemed rather leisurely, but they probably had their reasons for this schedule.

Perhaps they were considering the rising stars’ condition as the tournament approached its climax.

While sitting around and waiting for Chunbong’s match to start, Seojun thought to himself.

Hold on, weren’t the Hwangbo and Namgung clans on bad terms?

From the Namgung clan members’ reactions before, they didn’t seem particularly close.

Is this it? Is love blooming between hostile camps?

You know, like Romeo and Juliet.

Just like a romance movie.

“Hoho, you’re already here.”

At the familiar voice, he turned to see an old man approaching.

“Ah, that…”

“I’m Eun Yudo of Diancang. In the martial world, I’m called the Sun-Piercing Sword.”

After brief greetings, Eun Yudo got straight to the point.

“I am truly grateful for the advice you gave my disciple. ‘A frog in a well sits observing the sky.’ It perfectly captured both Wiryong’s situation and Diancang’s martial arts. You couldn’t have known much about Diancang’s techniques. I suppose a genius sees things differently.”

“Is that so?”

He’d just said what came to mind, but apparently it fit perfectly.

When Seojun smiled, Eun Yudo also wore a gentle smile.

“I understand the Geum Clan’s heir has a match today.”

“Yep, she does.”

“I believe the opponent is Wudang’s Muhye? She’ll be a difficult opponent, will you be alright?”

“There’s no reason I wouldn’t be alright.”

Now the question was whether Chunbong would be alright or not… But he thought she probably would be.

“Twenty moves.”

“Hmm?”

“I think it’ll end within that.”

Wudang’s Supreme Polarity?

My Chunbong already prepared ahead of time with the Primordial Sun-Moon Reinforced Qi.