episode_0139

***

“Heo… Heo… Namgung, do you know that? It is said that those who have reached the pinnacle of plum blossom swordsmanship have their sweat smelling like plum blossoms.”

Lying on the ground and breathing heavily.

“Did he get hit on the head so many times that he finally turned around? How dare you call your teacher’s last name carelessly? And I am a woman. That means he’s not my brother.”

“Oh… please just skip it. It’s so hard I’m dying.”

“Is it difficult? Still, I will recognize your tenacity in continuing to take on challenges.”

Sweat flows like rain, soaking not only my face but my entire body.

The feeling of flimsy clothes sticking to my back was not very pleasant.

I didn’t even get used to it.

“How many times?”

“Well, I gave up counting after 300. And do you think it’s right to ask me this? Disciple.”

Taking a steady breath, Master spoke as if he was displeased.

Before I knew it, I saw Master sitting cross-legged, and it seemed like today’s dance was already over.

Well, I started after eating breakfast, but it was already past noon.

Even with the promised number of sessions, my physical strength is limited.

“Wow… I got hit hard today too.”

I had no strength to get up, so I muttered while lying down.

On my way from Sacheon to Anhui, I kissed with Master every day.

As the number of repetitions continued, the time I could endure increased, and around this time, I made a suggestion to my teacher.

[Use weapons?]

I don’t know who will show up at the martial arts competition, so I ask them to pick up a weapon and fight me.

[I use Kwon and Gak. I don’t think it will be of much help to you.]

In response to Master’s strangely lack of confidence, I snapped my fingers and said,

[Ah, the teacher will probably use it better than the idiots who appear in the preliminaries. Isn’t there a foundation for martial arts?]

As they gently put me on the plane like this, my nose became higher again.

It was my teacher who gave strength to my shoulders and said, ‘Hmm, hmm… Is that what you think?’

Anyway, after being hit with various weapons, rolling on the ground, and vomiting, I eventually reached Anhui.

And since today’s matchmaking competition is over, preparations for the matchmaking competition can be considered complete.

If you ask yourself whether there has been a dramatic change, I’m not sure.

Because I still couldn’t speak.

However, that doesn’t mean that nothing was gained.

I am confident that at least I will not be eliminated from the competition.

Yes, I think the two sums will compete. If you’re lucky, three sums?

“Inho.”

“Yes?”

As I got up from my exhausted body thinking about this and that, my teacher followed me and spoke to me.

“Why are you learning martial arts?”

With his strangely serious face, I think for a moment before answering.

“Are you asking because you don’t know? I learn because my teacher tells me to. Ugh!”

Master’s kick hit me directly in the thigh.

My legs broke and I fell to the ground again.

“Don’t play with words.”

I think quietly about the quiet voice of my teacher.

I know? Why am I learning? If I had intended to follow my master, I would have called myself a squire.

Why am I learning a martial art that is not even in the Eight Characters in a desperate attempt to survive?

“Well….”

“Even if you have an empty head, shouldn’t you at least think?”

That’s right. What I’m saying.

“It’s fun.”

“Fun?”

Master frowns.

Yes, it’s a simple reason.

“Learning martial arts is fun. It was a life where I had very little contact with martial arts, but as I started learning, I started to have a desire to do well.”

“……”

Master looks at me and then laughs.

“Huh, martial arts is fun… What an amazing guy.”

“Master, isn’t learning martial arts fun?”

I ask back.

“Well, martial arts was a necessity, not an option, so I never thought about it like that.”

Tilting his head, Master looks at the hill in the distance.

If you cross that hill, it is called Anhui.

“Well, that could be true. I guess it would be more like that if it was Namgungga.”

“No, the Nangong family actually tried to take martial arts away from me.”

“Why?”

Master smiled bitterly at my question.

“Because I had no talent.”

What are you talking about? The Heavenly Demon, who will make the world tremble with fear in the future, has no talent? That’s novel bullshit.

“That’s ridiculous. Master, you say you have no talent? Rather, it would be full and overflowing.”

“Huh, you’re the only one who would say I’m talented. My teacher also said that I don’t have much talent in martial arts.”

“Okay. The Ambassador must have not seen it clearly.”

“Hehe… Thank you even for your words. Anyway, I didn’t stand out that much in the Namgung family. Moreover, since it was a collateral lineage rather than a direct lineage, how would it have been treated?”

“I don’t know much about the affairs of the prestigious Sega…”

“My father proposed an arranged marriage for me. He always said that if you can’t succeed as a warrior, you should get married and help the family.”

“But Master is still old…”

As I blurted out my words, Master laughed.

“Isn’t it funny? It was when I was younger than I am now. It’s like forcing an arranged marriage on a child…”

Master turned his head and covered his face.

“Still, how did you come to become Yan Lun-gong’s disciple?”

“It was luck. If my teacher, who briefly visited Sega, hadn’t chosen me, I would have gotten married as is.”

Master shook his head as if he didn’t want to think about it again.

“That’s why Yan Lun-gong is precious to me. Master helped me remain as a warrior, so I must live up to his expectations.”

For a person filled with that kind of obsession, there would be no room for the ‘fun of learning martial arts’ to get in the way.

“So, I will definitely win this competition.”

I could sense a strong obsession in Master’s words.

“Master, I’m sure you will do well. I guarantee it.”

To brighten the mood, I try to speak in a cheerful voice.

“Ugh, how can you use it for something you guarantee?”

I’m glad to see a slight look of relief on the scoffing Master’s face.

***

Master and I arrived at Anhui, and the Grand Master, who left first with a horse, greeted us.

“It’s a little late.”

Perhaps because it came later than expected, the ambassador had a stern look on his face.

“It was because I was spread out in the middle. sorry. Ambassador.”

Before Master could say anything, I stepped forward and bowed my head.

“Yes, that can happen.”

The ambassador turned away without saying anything in response to my actions.

Master and I followed the master and headed to the guesthouse provided by the Murim Alliance.

The unexpected meeting took place at the entrance to the guest house.

“Yeomjin….”

A man with a cold expression wrinkled his face when he saw the ambassador.

No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t feel like a welcome sight.

Behind the man, there was a woman with bluish hair.

“No, who is this? Isn’t it Binggeom?”

Ignoring the man’s reaction, the ambassador smiled cheerfully.

“Are you here because of the dance competition?”

When the man called Bingeom spoke, the ambassador nodded.

“It’s the easiest way to check my student’s achievements. Don’t you have the same goal?”

Yeom Jin turned his gaze to Cheong Yeon and said.

“……”

Cheongyeon, who received Yeom Jin’s gaze, countered without averting his eyes.

“I feel like you’ve grown since the last time I saw you. It’s no better than our own.”

Yeomjin said after looking at Cheongyeon.

“You’re saying something strange. It’s really arrogant of you to say that I am your student’s enemy. Yeomjin.”

I feel like sparks are flying between the man and the ambassador.

And, the teacher and the blue-colored woman are also exchanging sharp glances.

No, what is this?

“Soyou… It’s been a while.”

The woman speaks to the teacher first.

“…It’s been a while. Cheongyeon.”

The eyes of the woman who received Master’s greeting linger on me.

“By the way, who are you?”

The fact that Master’s eyes tremble slightly in response to the woman’s question must be due to his mood, right?