〈Episode 148〉 What I Wanted to Show You. (1)
What I Wanted to Show You. (1)
The night of the Martial Arts Tournament passed, and the Eight Strong Tournament smoothly came to a close.
Or rather, was it really appropriate to say it went smoothly?
For something that did, the ensuing storm was stronger than expected.
Especially since this Dragon and Phoenix Gathering's martial arts tournament was full of unexpected events.
First, it started with Dang So-yeol's defeat.
No one expected the Poison Phoenix to lose in the first match.
Many thought that with the Sword Phoenix not appearing, let alone the Sword Dragon and the Hidden Dragon, the Thunder Dragon, Poison Phoenix, and Snow Phoenix would dominate this tournament.
However.
The Poison Phoenix was eliminated in the first round.
The Thunder Dragon was defeated, vomiting blood without even brushing his opponent's collar.
The Snow Phoenix was faring well as expected, but not showing any particularly outstanding performances.
The defeat of the geniuses who were certain to be the protagonists of this era.
And the emergence of new stars.
Novelty always has a way of heating people up.
-I heard the Fallen Sword's son defeated the Poison Phoenix? They say it was overwhelmingly one-sided.
-The Poison Phoenix shouldn't be weak... The Alliance Lord's son, indeed, like father, like son?
-A tiger doesn't beget a dog, indeed!
Rumors about Jang Seon-yeon spread exceptionally fast.
Even in the few matches that followed, Jang Seon-yeon displayed an absurdly high level of perfection.
Swordsmanship at a level that shouldn't be shown to someone his age.
The skillful use of the Fallen Sword's secret martial arts was also like that.
Hearing this, many people said the birth of a new Dragon was not far off.
And that was just in one day.
Only a single day had passed since Jang Seon-yeon began to stand out.
An even bigger storm burst into flames. One large enough to devour most of the rumors about Jang Seon-yeon.
The Namgung Clan's Thunder Dragon, who was expected to win, was defeated.
By a boy whose name no one had ever heard.
-They said the Thunder Dragon vomited blood? Couldn't even land a scratch on him.
-Are you really talking about that Thunder Dragon? I heard he was still a boy who hadn't shed his childishness.
-That's what I said! Ah, this is supposed to be a secret even in the Beggar's Sect.
-...If you know something the Beggar's Sect kept secret, isn't it no longer a secret?
-Looks like you don't want to hear it.
-...No, no, just tell me quickly.
The man who had been talking for a while caught his breath and continued his words.
-I heard rumors saying that boy has crossed the wall.
-Wall? Is he a thief...? Why would he cross a wall?
-Please don't say such things anywhere else... I'd be too embarrassed to be seen with you.
-...I might not know, why are you being like this.
-For someone living in the Central Plains to not know that...! When they say wall, they mean reaching the Peak realm!
As the man cried out in frustration, the people around him let out scoffs.
-You're spouting nonsense. Hey! Old man! You should bring back proper rumors!
-Last time, I heard someone's kid who entered the Mount Heaven Sect or Cheonjin Sect rose to the third-rate level, and people made a fuss asking if he was a genius, and now this guy treats 'Peak' like some dog's name.
-No, you rotten people... I'm telling you it's true!
Perhaps frustrated by the disbelievers, the man screamed, but the listeners only laughed harder.
That was only natural, as it was impossible for a boy who hadn't even reached his twenties to have reached the Peak realm.
-Not to mention the current Three Venerables, even the past Golden Heaven Golden King would find that impossible.
-No... I'm telling you it's real?
-This is quite entertaining today. Alright, I'll believe you. So stop getting angry and tell me, who is that boy?
His face showed he didn't believe a word of it, making the man feel like he would explode, but even he thought the story was absurd.
The Peak realm, no less. It was an achievement that even the Nine Great Sects and One Union, let alone the Four Great Clans, had never produced.
The man let out a deep sigh and added.
-They say he's a bloodline of the Shanxi Gu Clan.
-Hmm? I've heard of that place.
-Of course you have, the family of the famous Roaming Hero and Sword Phoenix.
-Ah, right! I've heard that name.
-Did they have a son? How come I didn't know?
-It's natural not to know, since this is the first time he's shown himself.
-Setting aside the Peak realm as mere baseless rumor, it seems like he's also like the Alliance Lord's son, a tiger doesn't beget a dog.
-Look here, my friend. If he's a martial artist at the Peak level as the rumors say, it wouldn't be a tiger doesn't beget a dog, but a tiger doesn't beget a dragon, my friend.
-Right, right! Hahaha!
In an instant, laughter filled the cheap tavern.
The man who brought up the topic looked like he was dying of frustration because of the cackling people, though.
Like this, the rumors about Gu Yang-cheon were spreading slowly, yet quickly and steadily.
And the protagonist of the rumors, who didn't particularly care about them,
"You're really something."
"..."
"I heard you went down in one hit? And you're still a Gu? Why don't you just change your surname? I'm too embarrassed to show my face in public."
"...Keugh."
I was in the middle of reprimanding someone.
Because he was crouching, his crown was clearly visible.
Perhaps because he had a lot of hair, a sense of gloom emanated from the dense black locks.
That makes sense, how could it not.
"Hey, are you crying? Crying?"
"N...no."
"Blow your nose first and then talk, you bastard."
"Keuk..."
Gu Jeol-yeop's tearful voice was truly unpleasant to hear.
Why is a grown man sniveling and throwing a fit.
"What did you do so well that you're crying?"
As I clicked my tongue and spoke, Gu Jeol-yeop shouted while curled up.
"I'm crying because I did something wrong...!"
Smack!
"Kkeuk!"
"Why are you screaming! What did you do well!"
I went out of my way to visit him, and Gu Jeol-yeop had been making a crying face in the corner since morning.
I understand.
Gu Jeol-yeop was defeated by Namgung Bi-a in the martial arts match yesterday.
He was knocked down in one hit, so he must be embarrassed.
'That's that, but.'
Anyone seeing this might say, "Losing is already hard enough, why scold him?" but I had my reasons.
"You tripped over your own feet?"
At my words, Gu Jeol-yeop's shoulders flinched.
I was so dumbfounded when I heard about last night's match.
Gu Jeol-yeop's defeat was expected.
Even if Namgung Bi-a came back winning easily, it wouldn't be surprising.
The problem was that she won too easily.
No matter how much higher Namgung Bi-a's level was than Gu Jeol-yeop's.
It wasn't a gap large enough to end it in one hit.
If he had focused, he could have at least held out for a few exchanges.
Nonsense excuses like letting his guard down wouldn't work.
It wasn't as if Gu Jeol-yeop had never fought Namgung Bi-a; in fact, knowing her skills, he would have been extremely tense.
'So instead, you tripped over your own feet?'
Perhaps because he was overly tense, Gu Jeol-yeop's movements were stiff from the start.
And he said his feet got tangled while stepping through his footwork.
This was what I heard from Namgung Bi-a.
"I asked if I could show my face in public after being so embarrassed."
"...I've been doing the work since last time, so why does Il Gongja-nim always have to show his face..."
"You little shit, I told you last time it's because we share the same surname! Does our house have a massive estate like the Mount Hua Sect with hundreds of affiliated martial artists or something?"
"...Don't you, though?"
"Then how many people with the surname Gu are among them, are they all Gus?"
"No..."
"A guy who knows that lost because he tripped over his own feet!?"
"Ugh...!"
A clean defeat in a martial artist's fight is a disgrace.
It meant a defeat where one couldn't even struggle while competing in martial arts.
For Gu Jeol-yeop, since it was due to his own mistake, it must have been even more so.
"It's not like I wanted to be like that..."
"Are you making excuses?"
"..."
"Do you have any excuses to make?"
At my piercing words, Gu Jeol-yeop clamped his mouth shut.
How could he have anything to say.
Everything must have been his own fault.
His hesitating lips stopped.
Gu Jeol-yeop buried his head between his knees again.
I watched that sight and snorted.
'Fortunately, he didn't add anything else.'
If he had spouted nonsense like, "It was a fight I was going to lose anyway," I would have torn him apart.
Gu Jeol-yeop was only belittling himself, without making excuses or blaming others.
'No matter how I look at it, he's not bad.'
| | ...
.
.
.
If you excluded the fact that his grandfather was the First Elder, he was truly at a decent level.
I was curious to know what happened to Gu Jeol-yeop after the First Elder met his end in my past life.
His talent wasn't bad, and his personality was quite decent too.
'Should I raise him.'
If I had the leeway, it was at a level where I thought it wouldn't be bad to take him along properly.
Of course, there was no way I had the time or peace of mind for that.
"Hey."
"...Yes."
It was a reply full of moisture. Hearing that, I cleared my throat a little and spoke.
"Tell him."
"Yes?"
" 'I want to do it properly next time.' "
At my words, Gu Jeol-yeop snapped his head up and met my eyes.
Gu Jeol-yeop's eyes were terribly swollen, and the snot sticking to his knees stretched out.
"...Wow, you look really pathetic right now."
"..."
There was no need to specifically mention who passed on these words.
Gu Jeol-yeop would know from the circumstances that it was Namgung Bi-a.
"Instead of whining, swing your sword a few more times. Only then will you not do that next time."
"..."
It wouldn't be a comforting thing.
Even so, it wasn't bad. Feeling unfairly treated itself didn't mean he had been certain of defeat and had given up beforehand.
"Answer."
"Under...stood."
"If this happens again next time, I'll burn your legs off. Understood?"
"...Ye, yes!"
Saying this, but still not fully relieved of my frustration, I hit the sniveling guy on the head once more and left.
When I came out of the quarters, Namgung Bi-a was waiting.
We didn't come together; did she arrive late and wait for me?
Amidst it all, the way she looked at me was peculiar.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
When I asked, as if I didn't like it, the corners of Namgung Bi-a's lips rose slightly, and she spoke to me.
"...I never said that, though...?"
" "
She heard that.
It was a mistake not to cover my tracks, thinking it would be fine. In reality, Namgung Bi-a hadn't said anything to Gu Jeol-yeop about wanting to fight properly next time.
I just added it in moderately.
'Of all people, she had to hear this.'
I was embarrassed. Because I was caught meddling unnecessarily.
"...I didn't say you did it."
In the end, what I chose was a pathetic escape.
It's the truth, right? Namgung Bi-a never said she said it.
Of course, it was a statement that wouldn't work.
At my pathetic words, Namgung Bi-a only smiled a little more.
"...It's okay."
"What is."
"...Because it's not... entirely a lie."
Smiling as she spoke, she looked like a flower bud.
'Did she not come to find me?'
Thinking about it naturally, it was an extremely embarrassing thing, but I naturally assumed Namgung Bi-a had come to find me.
In reality, it seemed Namgung Bi-a had also come to see Gu Jeol-yeop.
"Are you going in now?"
When I asked if she was going to Gu Jeol-yeop, Namgung Bi-a shook her head.
"...No, it's fine because there's no need for that anymore."
Making an innocent expression again as if she had lost interest, she was truly monotonous.
My business was done, so I was about to return to the quarters, but...
Namgung Bi-a, who was naturally following me, suddenly brought something up.
"...It's unexpected."
"What is."
"...I didn't think you'd care about something like that..."
"That's what I want to say."
That was exactly what I wanted to say.
Because it was an impossible thing for Namgung Bi-a to care about someone else and come to visit them.
But for Namgung Bi-a, who would usually only do something like this around noon, to come looking for Gu Jeol-yeop this morning...
It was even more amazing to me.
Hearing my words, Namgung Bi-a tilted her head as if she couldn't understand.
"It's weird?"
"Isn't it weird?"
"...Why?"
The fact that she didn't know herself was even funnier.
Well, she was originally this kind of person.
It was only now that she had changed a lot, a whole lot...
As we slowly walked together, it seemed Namgung Bi-a still had more to say.
"You know."
I listened to Namgung Bi-a's voice. It was a clear tone I hadn't heard in a while.
"Did you... promise to do something for So-yeol?"
"...Hmm?"
Not understanding what she meant, I furrowed my brows slightly.
Promise to do something? What did I promise to do?
"You said you'd grant a request if you met at the martial arts tournament."
"Ah."
Only then could I recall it.
She was probably talking about the promise to speak casually.
Did Dang So-yeol tell Namgung Bi-a?
"It was just, asking me to speak casually, something like that."
Should that even be called a request.
To me, it felt closer to just an excuse.
Meanwhile, Namgung Bi-a had an expression like she didn't like something.
The corners of her lips that had been slightly smiling earlier were now drooping.
"What's wrong?"
"...Nothing."
It was definitely not a "nothing" expression.
"Do you also want me to do something for you?"
I asked just in case.
Wondering if Namgung Bi-a also wanted to use this as an opportunity to ask for something, like Dang So-yeol.
Fortunately, that wasn't it, as Namgung Bi-a shook her head.
"That's... cheap, so I won't do it."
Just like Dang So-yeol, why do they keep calling things cheap.
It seemed like they were deciding things among themselves without my opinion from the start.
It was also my fault for not saying anything and just letting it happen, though.
"Still... I do want to receive something."
At the casually added words, I replied in disbelief.
"Just ask for it... That would be much better."
Pretending otherwise but ultimately asking me to do something for her.
Namgung Bi-a also seemed to know she was being a bit cheap, as her face was flushed with embarrassment.
Then, as if she remembered something, she grumbled while looking at me sullenly.
"...You don't even... do the martial arts match properly for me..."
"..."
I had nothing to say about that part either.
I said I would, but I barely did. There wasn't a specific reason.
How should I put it, sparring with Namgung Bi-a itself was a bit awkward.
'...Is it because of my past life memories, or because of my current feelings?'
Or maybe the sense of disconnect I felt from it was the problem.
Either way, it was something Namgung Bi-a had every right to feel disappointed about.
That's why she was bringing it up with that expression.
"So..."
"It's fine..."
I tried to apologize, even if late, but Namgung Bi-a cut me off.
"Whether it's a request... or a match..."
The look Namgung Bi-a sent me was clearer than usual.
Her gem-like blue eyes were radiant. It was also a gaze that made me feel burdened.
Because the way she looked at me resembled the time she was in my arms.
It wasn't a gaze I wanted to see for long.
Whether she knew it or not, Namgung Bi-a didn't withdraw her gaze and clearly continued.
"Because you won't be able to avoid it this time."
For some reason, my breathing was disrupted by the words full of determination.
I felt like I somewhat understood the meaning of Namgung Bi-a, who was reluctant to step forward, even attending the martial arts tournament.
As if my answer wasn't particularly important, Namgung Bi-a, who had stopped after finishing her words, walked ahead.
After walking a few steps, she whipped around and looked at me again.
...
I, who had been spacing out, caught my breath when I saw Namgung Bi-a.
Because Namgung Bi-a was smiling broadly with a proud expression, as if she had scored a point on me.
Now, can she even make such playful expressions?
Perhaps because I felt so many changes all at once, my heart pounded.
"...Let's go."
Namgung Bi-a, who quickly erased her smile, whispered in a small voice.
Reaching her hand out toward me was a bonus.
A white, beautiful hand.
I quietly looked at Namgung Bi-a's hand, then slowly walked up and grabbed it.
"...Huh?"
Namgung Bi-a widened her eyes, as if she really didn't expect me to grab it.
Seeing that, my stiff face relaxed slightly.
The reason I held her hand was no other.
In case she might be cold.
Just that.
I decided to think so.
After returning to the quarters and some time passed, around noon.
As if waiting for it, the bracket for the Four Strong Tournament went up.
When I went outside to see the written words, sure enough, Dang So-yeol was already out there looking at it.
However, Dang So-yeol's expression was completely stiff.
I could already tell the situation just from that expression.
Sure enough.
-Shanxi Gu Clan's Gu Yang-cheon vs. Murong Clan's Murong Hui-a.
-Namgung Clan's Namgung Bi-a vs. Tae-ryeong Jang Clan's Jang Seon-yeon.
What I had half-expected was written exactly as it was.