Ownership VS Cheongyeon-1

-Pu-etch!

I cough loudly and open my eyes.

Blinking. I move my swollen, stiff eyes.

‘A strange ceiling’ is too cliché.

My last memory is of being incredibly cold.

My body feels heavy, so I lower my head slightly, and see thick blankets piled on top of me.

“I lost, and the aftereffects are lingering.”

Normally, I should be sweating profusely by now, but even under the pile of blankets, I’m cold.

How long have I been lying here?

The brightness seen through the bars was dim.

Did I faint until night after being attacked by Cheong-yeon?

Surely, I haven’t been lying here for more than two days.

“……”

I sense someone nearby and turn my head.

I see Master sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Closing his eyes and regulating his breathing, it seems he’s meditating.

Ah, it’s night now, so it’s nocturnal meditation.

……

Did Cheong-yeon knock me senseless?

I don’t know why I’m like this.

I move slowly so as not to disturb him.

Even moving is difficult because of the weight of the blankets.

I struggle to sit up, and the thick blankets are draped around my waist.

I rub my still shivering body with my hands, starting up my mind, which hasn’t fully returned yet.

I spread out my right hand.

Hmm….

I slowly draw out the energy in my core and circulate it throughout my body.

Feeling the flow of energy circulating throughout my body, I focus on my index finger.

With the feeling of circulating the energy in my index finger faster than elsewhere….

-Whoosh!

The flame that bloomed from my index finger flickers.

Yes, this was the method.

When I was trapped in the ice created by Cheong-yeon, I circulated my inner energy quickly throughout my body to escape somehow.

As a result, I felt my whole body heat up, and at the same time, I had a feeling that I could create a flame.

Normally, I would have slowed down the rising body temperature, but thanks to Cheong-yeon’s ice, the body temperature balance was just right.

As a result, I succeeded in creating a flame and hitting Cheong-yeon in the face.

In short, to ignite, I need to circulate my inner energy at a certain speed or higher.

And once I realized this principle, I understood why Yomryun Skill involves hand-to-hand combat. It’s because I need to speed up the flow of inner energy in an extremely small part of my body to ignite the fire.

Of course, I could cover my whole body in flames, but it would put a lot of strain on my body. Strain on my body, rising body temperature, and so on….

Perhaps, even Grand Master or Master wouldn’t be able to maintain it for long, I dare to think.

Like a flame on a candle stuck in a cake, I stare at the flame flickering at the tip of my index finger and blow it out.

And again, I circulate inner energy in my index finger to create a flame.

It’s a more natural movement than before.

“Oh… I think I’m a bit of a genius.”

I feel good because I can ignite the fire as I want.

I lost to Cheong-yeon, but I don’t feel resentful at all.

Rather, I congratulate myself on hitting the jackpot.

Of course, Cheong-yeon showed me some mercy, but… still, the fact that I landed a valid hit on one of the heirs of the Three Great Inherited Martial Arts is undeniable.

“You’re awake?”

While I was spacing out watching the fire, I hear a voice from beside me.

Master has broken his long silence.

“Yes.”

“How’s your body?”

“I’m okay, except for a slight chill.”

“Cheong-yeon seemed to have pulled back his strength at the end. If he had swung his sword down with all his might, you would have frozen to death.”

“It’s a tournament where killing isn’t allowed in the first place.”

“He could have said he killed you by [mistake] in a moment of excitement. Would they even punish the heir of Bingryungong for killing a nameless martial artist?”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Anyway, that’s enough.”

“You’re not saying anything?”

“About what?”

“You know. I lost to Bingryungong, so it’s a disgrace to Yomryun Skill. I thought you’d scold me like that.”

At my words, Master looks straight into my eyes.

Then he slightly raises the corners of his mouth, creating a faint smile.

“You did well.”

“Yes?”

I ask back at the unexpected praise.

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

With a stern face, Master glares at me.

Then he sighs and opens his mouth again.

“You did well enough. You showed all the methods you could, and you even awakened ignition in a short time. I’m proud of you, at least for today.”

He slightly averts his gaze, is he embarrassed?

I shouldn’t provoke Master’s displeasure by talking unnecessarily.

I’m a good disciple.

“Thank you. By the way, what’s the next match?”

“Cheong-yeon has advanced to the finals by default, and I have a match tomorrow.”

“The semi-finals. How’s your opponent tomorrow?”

“Well, he’s a fairly famous martial artist. But he’s no match for me.”

Master puffed out his chest and boasted.

“The finals are the day after tomorrow. Cheong-yeon gets a day off, but Master doesn’t.”

“That doesn’t have a big impact. What matters is how much you’ve trained so far.”

Ooh, a famous saying.

“Have you ever fought Cheong-yeon before?”

“I’ve sparred with him a few times.”

“Excuse me, but… what’s your record?”

“6 wins, 0 losses. I have 6 wins.”

“Oh, then victory is guaranteed.”

“Well. It’s been a long time since our last spar, so it’s hard to judge rashly, but….”

Rarely, Master trailed off.

His lack of confidence bothered me, so I pretended to be boastful.

“Still. There’s such a thing as human compatibility. You always said that Yomryun Skill is the strongest Martial arts.”

“Heh, that’s true. Anyway, what I want to say is that no matter what the record is, I won’t let my guard down.”

“Good attitude.”

“Hehe, thank you.”

When I praised Master with a thumbs up, Master shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

“……”

After boasting for a while, Master tilted his head for a moment and looked at me.

“Huh? Why? Is there something on my face?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Master’s face gradually crumpled.

“Who are you to treat me like I’m your junior?”

Uh… come to think of it?

Watching Master’s increasingly crumpled face, I hurriedly made excuses.

“Uh… well, I’m older in real life… Ugh!”

Thud!

Master’s knuckle strike landed squarely on the top of my head.

I fell back onto the bed as it was, and Master, watching the scene, snorted and said.

“Presumptuous brat. Anyway, rest more. The chill of Bingryungong can’t be shaken off with just one day of rest.”

“Thank you for your coooonsideration.”

I rubbed my throbbing head and answered sullenly.

Master chuckled again and got up.

“You seem to be fine since you’re being presumptuous. I’ll be going now. Rest.”

“Yes. Have a good night, Master.”

Master left the room, and I pulled the blanket over myself again and tried to sleep.

The next day, as Master said, Master passed the semi-finals without much effort.

It was a bit disappointing that the match seemed to be decided so easily for a tournament featuring young martial artists with bright futures.

And the day after that.

This force is felt even in the general seating where I’m sitting.

The match hasn’t even started yet, but this battle of wills as they stare at each other.

“Now, get ready!”

The referee’s loud voice echoes.

The fight between Yomryun Skill and Bingryungong.

Everyone, from the VIP seats to the general seats, holds their breath and watches the arena.

“……”

“……”

“Then! Start!!”

At the same time as the referee’s hand went down, unusual energies exploded from under Master and Cheong-yeon’s feet.

A huge explosion created at the same time as Master stepped on the ground.

And ice that quickly eats away at the arena as if to quell the explosion.

The battle between masters has begun.