Chapter 322: Practical Training. (2)

Was it after that stomach-churning meal?

Or perhaps, it was since Wi Seol-ah dropped that bombshell on me.

For some reason, Wi Seol-ah started to change.

Around the time we started afternoon training.

After finishing the tedious theory lessons.

During a short break.

I felt someone’s gaze from somewhere.

Wondering what it was, I looked around and saw something peeking out near the door.

It was a person’s head.

“Huh?”

Frowning, wondering what kind of terrifying sight that was.

It was a face I recognized.

Of course, it was Wi Seol-ah.

For a moment, I panicked, thinking I’d seen wrong.

It really was Wi Seol-ah.

Why is she acting like that?

It wasn’t just me who noticed Wi Seol-ah acting strangely.

My teammates in the room were giving her strange looks.

Even without that, she was already drawing attention as the successor to the Sword Master, hailed as the greatest among the Three Masters.

Wi Seol-ah was the center of attention everywhere.

As she grew, her beauty blossomed too.

I heard she was receiving a lot of attention, especially from the guys.

I can understand why.

If someone looks like that, how could you not stare?

Though I personally preferred her when she had chubby cheeks.

“Hyung-nim?”

It seemed Pae Woo-cheol also noticed Wi Seol-ah, as he immediately called out to me.

“I know.”

Deureureuk.

As soon as I made eye contact with Wi Seol-ah, I stood up.

It was obvious she came to see me.

If she denied it, it would hurt, but… she’s probably right.

As I tried to approach her.

Wi Seol-ah flinched in surprise, but thankfully, she didn’t run away.

She had been running away every time I saw her recently.

Is she really not planning to run away this time?

‘She’s not some wild animal.’

It meant approaching her was that difficult.

With a fleeting thought, I chuckled.

I approached Wi Seol-ah and asked.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah…!”

“What do you mean, ‘Ah’?”

I’m already right here, so why is she surprised now?

Her eyes, widening slightly in reaction.

Still showed how large Wi Seol-ah’s eyes were.

Her slightly sharpened gaze was starting to resemble her from my past life, but.

The reactions she showed now.

Seemed to show she was different from Shin-geom.

“Do you have something to say?”

“No. It’s not like that…”

Wi Seol-ah’s hair swayed whenever she shook her head.

Her hair, which wasn’t very long before, had grown considerably over the past few years.

I guessed it reached about her waist.

As I saw strands of golden hair interspersed.

Wi Seol-ah’s voice reached me.

“I just wanted to see you…”

It was a statement that pierced right through me.

I never expected to hear something like that from Wi Seol-ah.

“…”

Perhaps because of that, I lost my words.

While I paused after hearing her words.

Wi Seol-ah seemed to have finished speaking and bolted away as quickly as before.

She keeps running away whenever I try to talk.

Is she really a wild animal?

Wi Seol-ah’s strange behavior didn’t stop there.

She would show her face whenever she had a moment during training.

And if I approached her to talk, she would run away.

What was clear amidst all this was that Wi Seol-ah was at least trying to do something.

The slightly better part was.

That she didn’t run away immediately like before.

But the constant peeking was really bothering me.

Why is she acting like this?

My mind was already complicated with morning matters.

And now the person involved is acting like this…

Perhaps she intends to make me even more complicated.

If so, she succeeded.

Because I’ve become very complicated.

After all the scheduled training for the day ended.

Personal training time arrived.

Usually, around the time we’d eat dinner together.

But hearing they all had plans, I decided to skip dinner.

Coincidentally, my mind felt foggy lately.

I was thinking it might be due to lack of training, so it’s probably for the best.

Since dinner was usually the only time we all saw each other.

I had been trying my best to attend dinner time.

I don’t know how long it’s been since we were split up due to individual circumstances.

Moyong Hi-ah, who had been busy lately, said she had something to do.

Tang Soyeol said she had plans with Peng Ah-hee.

Namgung Bi-ah suddenly said she was eating separately with Gu Yeonseo.

Wait, since when were they friends?

Or rather, did they even become friends?

I heard they were assigned to the same team. It seemed they often stuck together.

I was already keeping a slight eye on Gu Yeonseo.

So, it was somewhat reassuring that Namgung Bi-ah was with him.

Rumor had it that Namgung Bi-ah had a significant position within her team.

As the most outstanding individuals in each team tend to stand out.

It seemed plausible for Namgung Bi-ah.

The same applied to the others.

Hu-wook…

The heat emanating from my body scattered with the wind.

I was in the plains behind the Divine Dragon Pavilion.

The training grounds would obviously be crowded.

If I went, I’d probably just end up watching Pae Woo-cheol’s training.

Or rolling Gu Jeolyub’s training logs.

This time, I sought a quiet space to conduct personal training.

Kkui-gook.

I circulated the energy in my dantian, checking my condition.

The amount of internal energy is the same.

Compared to focusing on heart techniques, my growth was slow.

That’s natural; my current internal energy level is comparable to a skilled Hwa-gyeong master.

Especially since I’ve consumed more than one or two fortuitous encounters.

I had surpassed the level where such things would cause significant increases.

What about my physical body?

‘It’s empty.’

With the intention of building a solid foundation.

I had repeatedly torn and regenerated my body, making it stronger than others my age, that’s true.

But that’s only compared to my peers.

Compared to other peak masters, I was slightly lacking.

The realm I’ve achieved now is ultimately.

A combination of my past life’s experience, internal energy application skills.

And immense internal energy, like a superficially impressive tower built upon it.

It’s not a tower that collapses easily, but.

It’s not exactly well-built either.

‘Tsk.’

If the supporting internal energy runs out.

It means there’s a high risk of collapse at any time.

I could say I should strengthen my body to solidify it, but.

That requires far too much time.

Training external martial arts, in particular, demands a great deal of time.

The only fortuitous encounters I can think of.

Are only body transformations, and even those weren’t perfect fortuitous encounters.

I’m not even in a state where I can dream of a complete body transformation.

‘What should I do?’

The heat-infused internal energy continued to circulate throughout my body.

It gathered in the middle dantian.

And consistently traveled back and forth towards the upper dantian.

‘The path seems a bit clearer now.’

Unlike when I first attempted to enter the upper dantian.

Now, the path feels somewhat cleaner.

But still, I could only reach it, not touch it.

‘Why?’

I can’t understand.

Why can I still only reach it?

I can’t channel my energy to break through.

Because channeling energy just to reach that point was already borderline.

That’s why it’s even more baffling.

‘It’s not like I lack internal energy.’

Because I definitely didn’t lack internal energy.

But feeling insufficient to reach the upper dantian means.

Something else is the problem.

I considered this a problem of the mind (心).

Some lingering stray thoughts.

Are preventing my internal energy from reaching the upper dantian.

What could be the problem?

There were so many things bothering me that I couldn’t pinpoint just one.

When I first regressed.

The problem was my pathetic body and minuscule internal energy.

Now that I’ve dealt with that, is it the mind?

It’s baffling how the problems keep piling up as time goes on.

“Hoo…”

I let out a sigh and recalled my internal energy back to my dantian.

As my heated body quickly cooled down.

Only then did I slightly feel the winter wind.

As faint steam appeared in my breath.

I turned my head and spoke.

“It’s cold, so come over here.”

“…!”

Between the spread-out trees, I saw something flinch.

“Stop spying. Come here quickly.”

As I even beckoned.

Only then did the person hiding behind the tree cautiously reveal themselves.

As expected, the culprit was Wi Seol-ah.

Her stealthy approach was quite striking.

Watching her, I inwardly circulated my energy slightly, wrapping warmth around me.

“Is it a hobby?”

“Yes…?”

“I’m asking if spying has become your hobby.”

“Ah, no.”

“Then what is it?”

“…”

“Why do you keep glancing like that?”

As I spoke, I grabbed Wi Seol-ah’s cheeks with both hands and stretched them.

“Eui…?!”

Perhaps not expecting me to grab them, Wi Seol-ah’s eyes widened roundly.

Although her cheeks had thinned compared to before, it wasn’t a problem to grab them.

Her face was thin, yet it was amazing how much they stretched when I pulled them.

“And what you said this morning, too. Are you trying to torment me?”

Wi Seol-ah’s pupils wavered at my words.

Seeing that, I let go of the cheeks I was holding.

Although I didn’t grab them hard, perhaps feeling the touch.

Wi Seol-ah touched her cheek.

“Why are you acting like this?”

What’s her intention?

I don’t know what Wi Seol-ah is thinking, but there must be a reason.

I wanted to know. In response to my question, Wi Seol-ah moved her lips.

And spoke with trembling eyes.

“…If I, if I do this, it’ll work, they said.”

“Do this? Who said?”

“…If I keep looking at you. The seduction will succeed…”

What the…?

Is she seriously talking about seduction right now?

Seduction, from Wi Seol-ah’s mouth?

“…Seduction?”

I thought about it three times, but still couldn’t understand, so I blurted it out.

Because it was a word that simply didn’t fit Wi Seol-ah.

Whether Wi Seol-ah knew that, or perhaps out of embarrassment.

She quickly turned her head away.

“Don’t tell me you spent all day staring at me as a form of seduction?”

“…”

“…How is that seduction?”

Regarding this strange word, ‘seduction’.

My experience is close to none, but.

At least, calling staring alone a seduction was quite a stretch.

Maybe if she adopted a captivating gaze like Moyong Hi-ah.

Or if her appearance was alluring enough to make people feel that way just by looking.

Wi Seol-ah was definitely not in that category.

Where on earth did she learn this method?

It seems flawed from the start.

‘No way.’

If someone looked as good as Wi Seol-ah.

They might be able to seduce men just by looking at them.

If she used that to do this.

‘…That’s unlikely.’

Yeah, that didn’t seem right.

‘Seduction, of all things.’

Regardless of the process or conclusion.

If it’s true that Wi Seol-ah tried to seduce me.

‘…’

Ah, my brain short-circuited for a moment.

It felt like my thoughts stopped.

How did it get like this?

While I was hesitating, wondering if I should answer.

“…This didn’t work, so I’ll try something else next time.”

“What?”

Wi Seol-ah’s words brought me back to my senses.

Something else next time…?

“What are you planning? No, what are you even doing right now?”

I have no idea what Wi Seol-ah is even doing.

Saying she likes me since morning, now talking about seduction.

I asked, wondering what she really wants.

Wi Seol-ah, her eyes no longer trembling but slightly hardened, spoke to me.

“Effort.”

“Effort?”

“Yes. Effort. I can’t just do nothing, so I’m doing this. So… please don’t hate me too much.”

Her words, spoken with a slight smile.

Somehow pierced my heart.

That’s why I couldn’t say anything more.

Like, ‘How could I possibly hate you?’

It would have been better if I had said it.

Perhaps because of that. My mind, which had been foggy like mist.

Started to feel a slight headache.

It wasn’t pain I couldn’t bear.

Just a slight throbbing.

As I felt that.

“Gong-ja-nim.”

“Hm?”

Wi Seol-ah spoke to me.

“…Can I hug you?”

Her words, spoken cautiously and hesitantly.

I couldn’t help but be surprised.

It wasn’t just that the words were unexpected.

It was because they were the same words she had said to me once before.

-In times like this… just hug me once.

It was likely around a time she didn’t remember.

It was a memory only I remembered.

Whether refusing or accepting Wi Seol-ah’s words.

While I stood unable to say anything.

Wi Seol-ah moved first.

She embraced me.

Although she had grown taller, she was smaller than me, so she fit perfectly in my arms.

Should I wrap my arms around her back?

Such a thought crossed my mind, and I felt Wi Seol-ah’s body tremble slightly as she hugged me.

Unable to bear that trembling.

I gently patted Wi Seol-ah’s back.

That was all I could do right now.

It’s funny.

Even though I knew myself there were so many things I should say.

Ultimately, I chose to keep my mouth shut.

As long as the burdens piled upon me aren’t resolved, even one of them.

There was nothing I could choose to do right now.

For my own sake.

And for the sake of the important people around me, it was something I had to choose.

Remembering that, I struggled to utter a single word.

“…Can’t you loosen up a bit? I feel like I’m going to die.”

Just like before.

Wi Seol-ah’s grip was so strong that it was difficult to breathe.

“…No.”

My plea, uttered with effort, was firmly dismissed.

Since asking twice felt awkward, I just endured it.

The situation that left me bewildered.

Continued until a few minutes later, when Wi Seol-ah released me and bolted away.

---

Around the time the moon hung by the window.

Peng Ah-hee, a blood relative of the Four Great Families and a descendant of the Peng family.

Carried a cup of warm tea and walked.

It was to the place where her close friend was.

Arriving at her destination with the warm tea.

Tang Soyeol was gazing out the window, which wasn’t blocked by wind.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, you’re here?”

Seeing Peng Ah-hee carrying the tea, Tang Soyeol chuckled.

“Is there something outside?”

“Hm? No, the night just looked pretty.”

The night looked pretty? Although the stars were sparsely visible.

It wasn’t exactly a beautiful night.

Peng Ah-hee looked strangely at Tang Soyeol and placed the tea in front of her.

“You barely ate dinner. Are you okay?”

“I haven’t had much appetite lately.”

Tang Soyeol said that and took a sip of tea.

Peng Ah-hee, watching Tang Soyeol strangely.

Suddenly blurted out.

“What did Gu Gong-ja do?”

“Pfft…”

At Peng Ah-hee’s words, Tang Soyeol spurted out her tea.

As if accustomed to this, Peng Ah-hee wiped the table where the tea had spilled.

“Wh-what are you talking about, Ah-hee?”

“Seeing that face lost in strange sentimentality, I figured it must be that. Was I wrong?”

“…”

In response to Peng Ah-hee’s question, Tang Soyeol mumbled with her lips.

“…Half right.”

“I knew it. Should I go beat him up for you?”

“Ah, no…! Our Gong-ja-nim doesn’t go easy on women…!”

“You’re so sure I’ll lose, aren’t you, Soyeol-ah…? I might be quite disappointed…”

Even as she said it, she knew.

Gu Yangcheon, now called the True Dragon, had reached the highest position among his peers.

Compared to him, Peng Ah-hee, who was called nothing more than a late-blooming disciple without a title.

How could she possibly win in a fight?

“…It’s just, lately I feel a bit pathetic.”

“Suddenly?”

Peng Ah-hee’s eyes lit up at Tang Soyeol’s words.

Tang Soyeol, known as the Poison Phoenix and hailed as the greatest masterpiece of the Tang family.

Pathetic?

It was an unbelievable statement.

“Why do you think that?”

“It’s just… something about it.”

Tang Soyeol was smiling as she spoke.

But her eyes, curved like crescent moons, looked somewhat forlorn.

“Gu Gong-ja is very popular.”

“…Uh, yeah.”

It was something Peng Ah-hee couldn’t understand.

But it was an undeniable fact that Gu Yangcheon was excessively blessed with female attention.

Because the women surrounding him were, each one, incredible figures.

“Like Bi-ah Unnie.”

Sword Dancer, called one of the candidates for the next Sword Empress.

“And Moyong So-jeo.”

Though her capabilities as a martial artist might be somewhat lacking.

Her talents weren’t limited to martial arts, making her famously capable, Snow Phoenix.

“…And Seol-ah, too.”

Plus Wi Seol-ah, known as the successor of the Sword Master.

‘…This is really strange?’

Every time she recalled one of them, Peng Ah-hee had to inwardly exclaim in shock.

What on earth did Gu Yangcheon do to have such amazing women clinging to him?

It was truly incomprehensible.

‘Though maybe I understand a bit better now…’

If it were the Gu Yangcheon of the past, whom I considered a hopeless degenerate beyond redemption.

If Tang Soyeol had liked him, I would have tried to stop her.

But the current Gu Yangcheon seemed a bit different.

His personality was still terrible, but.

At least he wasn’t like that towards the women who openly liked him.

Fundamentally, for a martial artist, realm is equivalent to honor.

The reputation of being the youngest peak martial artist.

Honestly, he was a talent any major family would covet.

In other words.

He was someone who might become the greatest martial artist in the world someday.

Even the Poison King (毒王), who cherished Tang Soyeol dearly.

Might have to reluctantly accept it, shedding tears of blood.

‘…If I told her there were many other women besides Soyeol, it might be different.’

Perhaps she’d try to poison Gu Yangcheon the moment she saw him.

She definitely would.

But among those women.

Tang Soyeol herself thinks she’s pathetic.

“Why do you think that? You too…”

“I know. I know I don’t need to think like that. But that’s what I see?”

Tang Soyeol continued to smile.

“I know I shouldn’t compare, but I keep comparing myself. Because without the name ‘Poison Phoenix’, I have nothing.”

Even as she uttered these endlessly pitiful words.

She calmly sipped her tea.

Peng Ah-hee sometimes found Tang Soyeol’s calm way of evaluating herself fascinating.

If I were in Tang Soyeol’s position.

I think it would have hurt immensely.

“So… are you thinking of giving up on Gu Gong-ja?”

“Hm?”

Tang Soyeol tilted her head at Peng Ah-hee’s words.

That reaction made Peng Ah-hee even more puzzled.

Wasn’t that the general sentiment?

“Why would I give up on Gu Gong-ja?”

“No? Like… comparing herself to them and deciding she’s less capable, so she’ll stop.”

Tang Soyeol chuckled at Peng Ah-hee’s words.

“So that’s not the case?”

“Yeah, it’s not.”

After laughing for a while, Tang Soyeol looked back towards the night sky.

“Give up? If I were going to do that, I would have done it much earlier. I already knew I was lacking compared to Seol-ah or the Unnies.”

“Then?”

“Because I felt lacking. It made me look for other methods.”

“Other methods?”

“Yeah. If you’re lacking, you have to fill it in.”

What did she mean by filling it in? As Peng Ah-hee blinked.

Tang Soyeol’s face came into view.

Tang Soyeol’s appearance, speaking with a smile.

Was somehow quite different from usual.

Wasn’t she here just to complain?

“Ah-hee.”

“Hm?”

Tang Soyeol looked at Peng Ah-hee and said.

“Can you help me a little?”

Tang Soyeol’s eyes, as she said that.

Were incredibly calm.