The match between Chunbong and Namgung Suah began with Chunbong making the first move.
Whoosh!
Breaking from her usual style, Chunbong exploded forward, dropping low as she swept her blade toward Namgung Suah’s legs.
Slash!
Namgung Suah used her long sword as a support to jump skyward.
Chunbong spun instantly, her sword becoming a blur of thrusts targeting the airborne Namgung Suah. But her opponent twisted like a leaf in the wind, using her grip on the greatsword to dance around each strike.
In a fluid motion, Namgung Suah kicked off the ornate poml of her scabbard and drew her greatsword mid-flight.
Shing!
The scabbard clattered across the ground as Namgung Suah coiled her body in descent, bringing her greatsword down in a devastating arc.
“Tsk.”
Chunbong clicked her tongue, raising her sword to et the incoming strike.
Whoosh!
The air itself seed to scream as the blade cleaved through it. A head-on block would be suicide.
In that split-second assessnt, Chunbong angled her blade against the descending greatsword, redirecting its montum sideways with a forceful push.
Screech!
tal scraped against tal, and then—
Boom!
The deflected greatsword crashed into the arena floor, sending tremors through the ground.
Her lips twitched as she stepped back from the sheer force of the blow.
Adjusting her bamboo hat, she drew in a short breath and shifted her stance.
Thump- Thump-
She bounced on the balls of her feet, her movents light and coiled with tension.
Across from her, Namgung Suah stood tall, letting her massive greatsword rest against the ground.
Then Chunbong, lightly bouncing, suddenly charged towards her at high speed.
Clang clang clang!
She danced around Namgung Suah like a butterfly, her sword weaving delicate patterns in the air.
In contrast, Namgung Suah stood immovable as a mountain.
She either stepped behind her vertical greatsword like a shield or redirected it to intercept Chunbong’s fluttering blade.
Then suddenly,
────────────
Namgung Suah’s body beca a whirlwind, her greatsword sweeping out in a horizontal arc.
Chunbong’s sword traced a desperate circle in response.
Screech!
The massive greatsword rode the montum skyward.
This pattern of exchange continued for a while, with Chunbong attacking relentlessly while Namgung Suah defended and occasionally counterattacking.
“Hmm, this might take quite a while.”
“...You seem very relaxed.”
“Surely not.”
Namgung Suah smiled faintly as she deflected the rapid thrust.
Their eyes t over their locked blades before Namgung Suah’s leg whipped up.
Chunbong blocked with her knee, launched skyward, twisted mid-air, and unleashed a flurry of kicks at her opponent’s abdon before springing back.
The previously silent crowd erupted.
“Woooah───!!!”
“Spectacular...!”
“Hey, can you see what’s happening? All I see are blurs.”
“Even at a glance, it looks impressive!”
“Well... that’s true.”
The martial artists showed various reactions as they watched the match.
Those who could read the intense exchange of techniques kept their eyes wide open, not wanting to miss a single mont. Those who realized the significant difference in skill level hung their heads, while those who felt their competitive spirit blazing up fidgeted.
Seojun was one of those staring intently at the match with his fists clenched.
However he had a slightly different reason from the others.
She’s already so tiny and fragile, won’t it be really bad if she gets hit there...?
Of course, before that happened, either Namgung Suah would stop or Jongin or the referee would intervene, but it was still worrying.
He had to be ready to jump in and stop it at any mont.
— Number 78!
“Tsk.”
Of all the tis.
Clicking his tongue, Seojun stood up and robotically moved while keeping his eyes locked on his younger sister.
His opponent who ca up to the arena opposite him made a fist-palm salute.
“I am Guyang. May we have an honorable match.”
“Yes.”
Seojun returned the salute half-heartedly, his gaze still on Chunbong’s match.
— Begin!
This was undoubtedly a huge opening.
Guyang’s eyes lit up as he charged at Seojun with his fist wrapped in fist qi.
“Please do not bear a grudge!”
His fist ripped through the air.
The inner qi imbued in his fist was dense. He was well-trained.
But that very intensity made it all the more visible to Seojun’s qi detection. Without taking his eyes off Chunbong, he extended his hand.
Swirl—
His wrist rotated, tracing a small circle, a technique he had learned after being hit by it many tis by Chunbong.
Swoosh!
Guyang was shocked as his fist was deflected.
“So easily...!?”
He saw a palm rapidly approaching his eyes.
Guyang twisted his head to escape, but the hand seed to read his intention, following his movent perfectly before seizing his face.
“Wa-!”
Boom!
It slamd Guyang’s head into the ground, convulsing before passing out.
— Winner, Lee Seojun!
Along with the referee’s declaration, Seojun clicked his tongue.
— Winner, So-so!
The result of the other match was decided.
*In the arena, Chunbong lay fallen with a greatsword stuck next to her neck.
A shadow fell over her as she lay there blankly.
“Are you alright?”
Namgung Suah held out her hand.
At that mont,
Crack—
Her bamboo hat split and fell off.
“Oh my...”
Chunbong grabbed her hand as she smiled awkwardly with her face now revealed.
“...I’m fine.”
“It was a close match.”
If Chunbong’s sword had cut even slightly deeper through the bamboo hat, she would have been the victor.
“You weren’t using your full strength.”
Chunbong blurted out grumpily as she got up holding Namgung Suah’s hand.
Namgung Suah chuckled softly.
“Wasn’t it the sa for both of us?”
“...Hmph.”
“Please speak comfortably like you did earlier. I liked it, it felt like we were getting closer.”
“...I don’t want to.”
“How an.”
The spectators murmured as they watched the two won conversing.
While Chunbong’s face wasn’t visible, Namgung Suah’s revealed face caught their attention.
“Does anyone know who that woman is?”
“With beauty like that, she can’t be unknown.”
Not just civilians, but even martial artists couldn’t recognize Namgung Suah.
“Ah...! I’ve seen her before! The Flower of Anhui! Namgung Suah!”
Just then, one martial artist recognized her.
Namgung.
At that na, the arena instantly beca noisy.
“The Namgung Clan!”
“What business does Namgung have in Shaanxi?”
There were countless types of gazes directed towards her.
“This is why I kept it hidden.”
As she sighed, soone walked onto the arena.
It was Seojun.
He picked up Chunbong, her head lowered, and quietly looked at Namgung Suah.
“...”
“...?”
Namgung Suah tilted her head curiously at his hostile stare.
Slap—
Seojun slapped his own cheek and shook his head. His faintly glowing golden eyes returned to their normal black color.
“Chunbong’s nesis!”
“Pardon?”
“No, nothing. I’ll see you on the arena later.”
“Fufu, are you confident? There’s no need to hide my martial arts now that my face is revealed.”
“Am I confident?”
Seojun waved his hand over his shoulder as he left the arena.
“Of course I am.”
Namgung Clan or whatever, there was no reason he couldn’t win.
*“Hey, you okay?”
Seojun asked as he quickly left the tournant grounds and headed towards the inn.
In his arms, Chunbong didn’t say a word.
Feeling the wetness on his chest even through his martial arts uniform, Seojun patted her back.
“Does it hurt a lot? Let see your arm.”
“...”
There was a sword wound on her arm, and she had also been kicked in the abdon during the fierce fight so she probably had a bruise there.
Seojun, trying hard to calm his insides boiling, gently rocked Chunbong in his arms.
“Big brother will avenge you. He’ll really beat the shit out of her.”
“...Hic.”
Chunbong’s body trembled, a sob leaking unknowingly.
“Oh no...!”
Seojun quickened his steps.
After returning to the inn and entering their room, he put her down.
“Why is my Chunbong crying!? Does it hurt?”
“No that’s not it...”
“There, there.”
“Eek...!”
When he patted her head, Chunbong shook her head vigorously.
She seed quite upset.
He rembered the Weapon Wound dicine that Namgung Suah had given him before and rummaged through their belongings to find it.
“Give your arm.”
He grabbed her listlessly outstretched arm and applied a generous amount of the dicine, causing Chunbong’s expression to contort.
She looked like she was about to cry, not from the pain but from frustration. She was surprisingly competitive.
Seojun crouched in front of her and spread his arms.
“Co here.”
Though her lips were pressed together in a prominent pout, fighting back tears, Chunbong kept shaking her head stubbornly, her tiny fists clenched at her sides.
“...I-I’m fine.”
“Hey, it’s just here. What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
“It’s just... sothing so... small...”
Chunbong’s eyes widened, trying to hold back the tears from falling.
It was slightly funny, but also pitiful.
When he forcibly hugged her and patted her back, his shoulder beca wet when she had finally burst into tears.
“Hic...! Uuu...”
“My Chunbong’s so good.”
“I-I... wanted to win... and get you a sword... as a gift...”
“A sword?”
Now that he thought about it, was there a sword among the tournant prizes?
From first to fourth place, winners could choose their prizes in order, and it seems she wanted to pick the sword and gift it to him.
“No, you need to eat the spirit pill and recover quickly. What are you saying?”
“...I don’t want to.”
“What?”
Chunbong’s small hands tightly gripped Seojun’s shoulders.
“If I grow... my cheeks will get thinner...”
“You little...!”
So she had actually been managing her chubby cheeks!
He couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it.
“Miss Geum, your body recovering cos first. What’s this about cheeks?”
“...You’re the one who cares about it the most.”
“Ah.”
That was true, but it was still silly nonsense.
If needed, he could fatten Chunbong up to maintain her chubby cheeks.
“You just suck on a tanghulu and watch. Big brother will go beat them all up.”
A broken sword?
I’m a martial artist, not a swordsman anyways.
Maybe I’ll try being a weapon master this ti.
Starting with a half-sword.
Not a blade, but literally half a sword.
I wonder if they know about the Invincible Half-Sword?
*There was one important thing left to do before the martial arts tournant.
“Master Chunbong.”
“Yeah...”
Chunbong with her puffy eyes, pouting lips, and swollen cheeks were just too much for Seojun to resist.
“Co here...!”
Squish squish.
Just moving his hands a few tis brought peace to his mind.
This is life. He felt like this might be the ultimate goal of being human.
“Huff...!”
Seojun snapped back to his senses, having completely forgotten what he was about to do.
“You temptress!”
“...What are you saying?”
“Anyways, I got an important announcent to make.”
Seojun held up one finger.
“That Jongin guy recognized you because of the Blue Cloud Divine Art’s qi, right?”
“That’s right.”
“So wouldn’t it be a good idea to learn a martial art that can hide that?”
She tilted her head curiously.
“And how do you know a martial art like that?”
“Well... cause I made it yesterday?”
Chunbong smacked her forehead.
“...You’re a real crazy bastard.”
“Hey now! You’re talking to your heavenly big brother!”
Seojun puffed out his chest.
“So starting today, you’re no longer Master Chunbong! I’m Master Seojun! I’m the master and you’re the disciple!”
Chunbong sighed.
“Haah... Maybe it was better when he was quiet...”
Is there a way to make it half and half?
She pondered seriously.
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