"Gasp!"
Nangong Jingyeong, who had been unconscious for quite some time after losing consciousness, suddenly sat up.
"Where is..."
As soon as he raised his cold sweat-soaked upper body, he hastily looked around and immediately began searching for Cheonhwi.
"Th-That man..."
"You're awake."
A voice came from beside him at just the right moment.
"Un-Uncle?"
The man called uncle, the Medicine Hall Master, approached and sat down beside Nangong Jingyeong.
"Where is..."
"This is the Medicine Hall. Is your body alright?"
"Did, did I lose?"
"Worry about your body first rather than that. It may seem like there's nothing wrong now, but you were unconscious for a full half a day."
"Y-Yes, I understand."
At the reproach, Nangong Jingyeong hastily sat in a lotus position and began circulating his qi.
Fortunately, there were no internal injuries either.
"My cheek throbs slightly, but everywhere else is fine."
"Then that's a relief. But you haven't fully recovered yet, so be careful with your body and regulate your inner qi..."
The Medicine Hall Master's worried words continued, but Nangong Jingyeong's mind was already filled with thoughts of Cheonhwi.
'My sword art was completely useless.'
Even after invoking the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art and executing the Heaven-Soaring Unhindered Sword Art, it was no use.
The beautiful sword strike that was swung.
That sword strike split the Heaven-Piercing Flying Thunder completely in half and even cleaved him apart.
'It was an absurd sword strike.'
Having experienced such an overwhelming defeat, even a hollow laugh wouldn't come out.
'I thought only my older brother could be my match...'
After becoming one of the Nine Dragons, he had thought there was no one among his peers who could rival him.
But that wasn't the case.
The martial world was vast and there were many experts.
'That there is a sky above the sky.'
As he reflected on himself, the conversation he had shared with Cheonhwi also started coming to mind.
'I must have been crazy!'
His face turned red with embarrassment.
Suddenly recalling how he had confidently requested a duel and the things he had said during it, his whole body twisted with shame.
How ridiculous must he have looked.
Just as he wanted to bury his head, wanting to hide in a mouse hole out of embarrassment...
"...Did you step forward to solidify your position for the succession?"
The Medicine Hall Master brought up a topic that Nangong Jingyeong had been extremely sensitive about lately.
Nangong Jingyeong, suddenly snapping back to reality, silently nodded.
The Medicine Hall Master squeezed his eyes shut.
On the surface, it was known that Nangong Jingyeong had no interest in the position of Family Head.
But that wasn't the case.
"I thought you had no interest."
"That was the case before."
The eldest son of the Namgung Family, Namgung Cheon.
As the eldest son of the Namgung Family, his martial prowess was outstanding, and his knowledge and character—nothing was lacking and everything was exceptional.
Everyone had thought for a long time that the next Family Head would be Namgung Cheon.
Among them was Nangong Jingyeong.
But his thoughts gradually changed.
The starting point of it all was after he earned the alias Changcheon Sword Dragon.
Originally, he was the second young master, distant from the succession rights, but recently, as Nangong Jingyeong displayed his talents and rose to the Nine Dragons and Five Phoenixes, he began to be considered as a candidate for Family Head.
Because of that, everything changed.
The attention poured on him in an instant.
The occasional admiring gazes.
At first, it was burdensome, but before he knew it, he grew accustomed to it, and through that, it drew out a desire he hadn't even known he had.
The desire for the position of Family Head.
"I thought this was an opportunity to leave my mark on my father and the family members while my brother is absent. Since he was still a young Taoist, I thought I would definitely win..."
He couldn't finish his words.
What would be the point of saying more.
In the end, he lost.
And miserably at that.
The succession rights must have slipped far away now.
"I lost."
As he finished the words he couldn't finish before, a smile bloomed on his face.
He had moved far from the position of Family Head that he had wanted so badly, but for some reason, he felt light.
As if he had shed a long-held burden.
"Are you alright?"
The Medicine Hall Master asked with concern.
"Hahaha. I'm fine. No, rather, I feel refreshed."
Saying that, Nangong Jingyeong stood up.
"Heupcha. I should get going now."
The Medicine Hall Master tried to stop him from leaving but stopped and moved his lips.
"...Come if you feel unwell."
"Hahaha. I understand."
Having even picked up his sword left to one side, Nangong Jingyeong left the Medicine Hall.
Did he really faint for one shichen?
The deep blue sky of midday had already given way to a red-tinted sunset.
"...Alright."
Nangong Jingyeong immediately set off.
* * *
"I expected more since it's a prestigious family among prestigious families in the martial world, but there's nothing to see."
Cheonhwi revealed his disappointment openly.
He had been walking around for a shichen looking at the Namgung Family, but there was nothing particularly worth seeing or interesting.
There were only pavilions and the occasional glares directed at him.
'Still, I learned one thing.'
There was nothing to see, but there was something he realized.
'Every pavilion I've seen here is better than the lodging where I stayed at the Murim Alliance.'
The lodging at the Murim Alliance was quite old, but he hadn't thought it was that bad.
But coming here, he could clearly tell.
That the lodging at the Murim Alliance wasn't just old but was completely dismissive treatment.
'They gave us a place worse than the numerous pavilions scattered around the family?'
Cheonhwi's eyes grew cold.
'They saw us as dog shit.'
A cold smile formed on his lips.
I should flip it over or something.
While recalling what he should prioritize doing first when he returns to the Murim Alliance.
"Young brother."
Someone blocked his path.
It was Nangong Jingyeong.
"Hm?"
What? Trying to pick a fight again?
He still hasn't come to his senses.
Even after being beaten like that, he's trying to come at me again. This time I should beat him even more thoroughly so he can't even try to fight back and make him a cripple...
"Thanks to you, I realized many things."
"Huh?"
A deflated sound escaped him.
'Realized what?'
He couldn't understand.
He was beaten one-sidedly and then fainted, but he realized something?
"After taking your strike, I came to my senses."
Came to your senses after being hit?
'Don't tell me...'
Goosebumps rose for a moment.
He had seen this type of person in his past life.
A crazy bastard who gets excited from being hit.
"Young brother."
When Nangong Jingyeong took a step forward, Cheonhwi immediately took a step back.
"Please don't come closer."
When Cheonhwi spoke coldly, Nangong Jingyeong flinched as if startled.
"W-Why?"
When Nangong Jingyeong tried to approach again.
Flinch!
Cold killing intent enveloped him.
'T-This kind of killing intent!'
Nangong Jingyeong swallowed his breath.
He had never experienced such intense killing intent.
'Like the Demonic Cult...'
He hastily swallowed that thought.
'What am I thinking?'
The opponent was a Taoist of the Hwasan Sect.
The Demonic Cult?
"I don't know what misunderstanding you have, but thanks to you, I realized how arrogant I had been."
So that was it?
He let down his guard.
Cheonhwi watched Nangong Jingyeong.
The words he spat out were not lies; his two pupils weren't wavering at all.
He immediately withdrew his killing intent.
"It's fine."
When Cheonhwi tried to walk away again.
"What were you doing?"
Nangong Jingyeong hastily called out to him.
"Looking around the Namgung Family."
"You mean our family? I'll guide you."
"No. It's fine."
Cheonhwi refused the offer.
"There's nothing particularly worth seeing. Plus, people keep glaring at me whenever I walk around."
Cheonhwi casually turned his gaze.
There, the family members of the Namgung Family were secretly peering and sending sharp glances.
"Haha."
Nangong Jingyeong laughed awkwardly.
"Still, there should be things worth seeing."
"There aren't."
Cheonhwi said definitively.
"The martial art I saw when I dueled you was the only thing worth watching, barely."
Nangong Jingyeong's eyes widened.
"My martial art? But it was utterly defeated by you..."
"'Barely' is the key word."
As he said, it was 'barely.'
It was a martial art he couldn't execute properly, but it was much better than touring the unremarkable Namgung Family.
"I would like to see other martial arts of the Namgung Family if possible."
"Other martial arts of our family?"
Nangong Jingyeong's head shot up.
"I can demonstrate that."
"Did you learn other martial arts besides the Heavenly Thunder Thirteen whatever and the Heaven-Soaring Unhindered Sword Art?"
Nangong Jingyeong immediately shrank back.
"I can't execute them properly like the two sword arts I showed during the duel, but..."
"Hmm."
Noticing Cheonhwi's sign of interest, Nangong Jingyeong spoke cautiously.
"Would you still like to see it once?"
"Then I'd appreciate it."
Cheonhwi immediately said with a smile.
What did it matter if it was a martial art he couldn't execute properly.
It was an opportunity to see other martial arts.
The extinguished spark of interest reignited.
"Then follow me."
Excited, Nangong Jingyeong took the lead and walked ahead.
"There's a place where I often train and meditate."
How long did they walk?
The place where Nangong Jingyeong's steps stopped after walking for quite a while was beside a small lake.
Unlike other places seen so far, it was a quiet place with no signs of human presence around, and a small pavilion in the very center of the lakeside caught the eye.
"How is it? It's secluded, so isn't it good for training?"
"It is."
Cheonhwi gave a perfunctory agreement.
But that alone must have been enough for Nangong Jingyeong as he proceeded with excited steps.
"Let's go inside."
After a while, two distorted silhouettes were cast on the small lake, wavering.
A stillness that even felt lonely.
The lakeside felt like a different space even though it was inside the Namgung Family.
Cheonhwi, who liked the atmosphere, nodded and then flicked his index finger.
"I'll yield the first move, so come."
Nangong Jingyeong let out a hollow laugh.
It was an action that completely ignored him, but he couldn't help but accept it.
The difference in skill shown in today's duel was clearly enormous.
To the extent that the gap couldn't even be grasped.
Especially that sword strike...
Goosebumps rose on his forearm holding the sword.
It was definitely one of the techniques of the Six Harmonies Sword Art, One Blade Bisects.
Despite its grand technique name, it was simply a sword strike that slashed from top to bottom.
But that simple sword strike bisected the Heaven-Piercing Flying Thunder just as the technique name One Blade Bisects indicated.
Pssik—
A laugh leaked between his lips.
A frog in a well who didn't realize the world was vast, caught up in the empty reputation of the Nine Dragons and Five Phoenixes' Changcheon Sword Dragon.
'I am weak...!'
As he admitted his weakness, his mind became much lighter.
Perhaps because of that, even the sword he held felt infinitely light.
'My mind is light.'
He slowly raised his inner qi.
Bzzt— Bzzt—
Seeing Nangong Jingyeong with his hair standing straight up due to the influence of the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art containing lightning qi, Cheonhwi muttered.
"It's much better than during the duel."
The inner qi circulation that had only been released was now smoothly adjusting its strength and weakness.
"I shall demonstrate the Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder."
"Hmm. I've already seen all of that."
"This time will be different."
Nangong Jingyeong's eyes turned blue.
At the same time, he kicked off the ground and rushed at Cheonhwi in one breath, swinging his sword.
Swish!
The sword left a blinding flash, slicing not only the empty air but also Cheonhwi in a single stroke.
But Nangong Jingyeong didn't let his guard down.
'There's no way someone this formidable would be taken down so emptily.'
Just as he thought, the image of Cheonhwi with his waist slashed wavered and disappeared.
It was an afterimage.
"It's definitely better than during the duel, but."
At the voice coming from behind him, goosebumps rose on Nangong Jingyeong.
'Since when was he behind me...?'
Even with Form-Shifting Position Change, was he this fast?
While Nangong Jingyeong was breaking out in cold sweat.
'The inner qi circulation and the way he swings his sword have completely changed from during the duel.'
Cheonhwi looked down at Nangong Jingyeong.
The sword strike just now had a completely different feel from the one he swung during the duel.
The previous one was purely fierce.
But this sword strike suited the name Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder.
The cutting and connecting were definite.
Cutting off before definitely severing.
Like a whip, it generated air-piercing force at the end and amplified its power in an instant.
'It's different from during the duel.'
With that slight change, it felt close to actual lightning.
At that moment, Nangong Jingyeong twisted his sword.
"It's not over yet! Ha!"
Along with a powerful kiai, Nangong Jingyeong twisted his waist and executed the next sword strike.
A sword strike faster than before!
Continuous strikes leaving flashes of light pressured Cheonhwi without pause.
'At this level, it's somewhat usable.'
Cheonhwi changed his evaluation of Nangong Jingyeong.
From a bug to about a dog now.
Cheonhwi, who had only been dodging Nangong Jingyeong's sword strikes this way and that, raised his hand and began to counterattack.
Swish— Thud!
Some sword strikes he deflected with the back of his hand along the blade, and some he struck with his palm on the sword's body, rendering them useless.
As that situation continued repeatedly.
"...!"
Nangong Jingyeong's pupils shook.
With light hand gestures, the Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder uselessly missed and collapsed.
'Even with this, I can't reach him!'
Just as he clenched his teeth.
Thud!
A sharp pain was felt in his chest.
"Keuhak!"
Nangong Jingyeong shook from the impact.
Cheonhwi, who had driven his palm into Nangong Jingyeong's chest, rested his sword on his shoulder.
"I've seen enough of that now."
He spoke as if he didn't care at all whether Nangong Jingyeong was shaking from the impact or not.
"Now let's see the other martial art."