麻豆工作室

  That vulgar thought was the first thing that came to mind when she saw Hyeun leaning on Mok Riwon’s shoulder.

 It felt like her blood was on fire. Her fists were clenched so tightly that something seemed to crack, and her teeth were grinding to the point of making a sound.

 Tang Hwa-seo knew that the affection she was finally aware of was spewing rage at that scene. 

 The meditation she had done before stepping onto the arena and the unshakeable will she had attained through it were being shattered as she breathed heavily and stared at them.

 “Do you have the luxury to think about other things?”  

 An icy cold voice pierced her ears.

 Startled, Tang Hwa-seo turned her head to see a man with an indifferent expression.

 Namgung Jincheon.  

 “…What are you trying to say?”

 “The literal meaning. I asked if you have the luxury to think about other things.”  

 As if saying… How dare you, while standing before me.

 He didn’t have to say them explicitly, but Tang Hwa-seo could tell there were implications.

 However, he wasn’t angry.

 He just truly didn’t understand how she could be distracted before him, that there exists something more important than him in this world.

 ‘As unpleasant as always.’  

 He didn’t feel human and was also arrogant.

 Though, that was also why he was so detached.

 Tang Hwa-seo felt herself freeze at those emotionless blue eyes. 

 “It won’t interfere with the match, so don’t be concerned…”

 “The Ink Sword.”

 “…”

 “What have you been doing for six years that you’ve only managed to hook a man in the end?”

 It was an inhuman feeling question this time as well.

 Tang Hwa-seo felt her anger rising as he continued speaking.

 “Six years ago, you seemed at least suitable, but now you’ve become no different from the others.”  

 Namgung Jincheon’s gaze swept across her.

 “You’ve regressed.”

  Clench–  

 Tang Hwa-seo rolled her fists into a ball.

 “…If you say that before we even fight, you might regret it.”

 “Are you perhaps an idiot? What kind of thought process led to the conclusion that I would lose?”

 “It seems you’ve only been training your mouth, oh mighty Sword Dragon. Seeing you trying to provoke your opponent with a war of words.”

 “Your choice of words has also regressed. I do not provoke. There’s no need for such things.”

 Tang Hwa-seo turned fierce, and naturally, the atmosphere heated up in turn. The innocent announcer caught between them started looking all over.

 “Well… Shall we start…?”

 “Whenever.”

 At Tang Hwa-seo’s response, the announcer stepped back and composed himself, then shouted loudly.

 [T-Then, let’s start the match! Poison Phoenix! Sword Dragon! Step forward!]

 The announcer raised his hand.

 Then, Namgung Jincheon lowered the hilt of his sword, and Tang Hwa-seo began to spread her qi wave.

 When his hand dropped, the match began.

 Tang Hwa-seo refined her inner qi to the fullest to aim for that one moment.

 ‘If I can’t land the first move, it’s a sure loss.’

 Namgung Jincheon was strong.

 That was why he was arrogant.

 This was also the only weakness Tang Hwa-seo could find.

 If he was a man who did not know how high the sky truly was, he would surely try to receive the first move head-on.

 ‘First…’

 Tang Hwa-seo combined the poisons within her body.

 Anesthetic poison, paralyzing poison, and even poison that stiffened and destroyed muscles.

 Even that Namgung Jincheon would become bedridden for a week from the deadly poisons within her qi.  

 [Begin–!]  

 The announcer’s hand dropped.

 At the same time, Tang Hwa-seo burst forth and scattered her qi wave.

  Hwaaak–!

 It was like a flooding wave; a dark green qi surged from the ground, enveloping his body.

 Even then, Namgung Jincheon was simply playing around with this sword.

 ‘Got him!’

 As expected, thanks to him not moving, the poison made direct contact.

 While Tang Hwa-seo was making her judgment,

 “…Is this all?”

 Namgung Jincheon’s eyebrows narrowed.

 The change in expression he showed for the first time since stepping into this arena was clearly disappointment and anger.

 A blue qi wave exploded.

* * *

 “I knew it would be like this.”

 Hyeun clicked her tongue.

 Her gaze was directed at Tang Hwa-seo, who was being swept away like a fallen leaf.  

 “She lacks information. He only ever properly used his qi after the semifinals. Since the Poison Phoenix has not faced Namgung Jincheon for nearly six years, she’s bound to make such a basic mistake.”

 “He pushed away the poison with his internal force.”

 “It’s easy for someone at the Peak Realm.”

 “Are you able to do it, Monk Hyeun?”

 “…I could if I trained a little more.”

 Mok Riwon looked down with a sunken face.

 ‘…It’s overwhelming.’

 It was a bitter feeling.

 That was because Namgung Jincheon had yet to swing his sword.

 He was forcing her back by merely releasing his overflowing internal force through his qi wave.

 Yet, Tang Hwa-seo was already a complete mess.

 ‘I expected it, but…’  

 The difference in weight class was simply too great.

 “How is it? Benefactor Mok, do you still believe the Poison Phoenix will do well?”

 Upon hearing her question, he stopped talking.

 But as Hyeun smiled triumphantly, he opened his mouth again.

 “…Yes. I do not believe the Young Lady will be defeated so easily.”

 “Ha! You still…”

 “The Young Lady hasn’t shown anything yet.”

 Hyeun shut her mouth.

 Mok Riwon had been watching the fight thus far, so just where did this idiotic unwavering belief come from?

 However, he had a clear conviction in her.

 ‘The Young Lady can do it.’

 At least, Mok Riwon could tell.

 The Heaven-Slaying Star.

 There was something he felt because he was born bearing that evil martial talent.

 ‘Show me.’

 Tang Hwa-seo had already reached the end of the wall.

 Her inner qi had already risen sufficiently to surpass the wall separating her from the Peak Realm.

 But she was unaware of it.

 ‘Erase your hesitation.’

 She still lacked confidence in herself.

 She lacked a fundamental belief in martial arts.

 And she also lacked a clear image of the path she had to walk to develop as a superhuman.

 ‘Think about it. What do you truly want to become?’

 If she just had that, Tang Hwa-seo could overcome the wall.

* * *

 Tang Hwa-seo felt like vomiting from the pressure weighing down on her shoulders.

 ‘Damn it…!’

 She couldn’t move a single fingertip.

 Seeing that he couldn’t even feel the poison she thought she had injected, it was clear that everything she had attempted so far was all in vain.

 It was infuriating.

 The frustration was almost driving her mad.

 She was angry at herself, who could only do this much, at the gap between them, and her body, which could only collapse without fighting back.

 However, something else infuriated her more than all those things.

 ‘Is this all?’

 The chilling blue eyes looked down at her with a look that seemed to say,

  Is this all you can do?

 That was it.

 “Is this the end of what you prepared? Do you really have nothing more?”

 Namgung Jincheon still did not swing his sword.

 He was just confirming again with a disappointed tone.

 The reaction was natural for him.

 “The look in your eyes shows you haven’t given up yet. If you have more to show, then show it.” 

 Namgung Jincheon still remembered the Dragon Phoenix Tournament finals six years ago and the vicious aura she showed that day.

 The overflowing spirit she possessed when she charged like she would die that very day.

 “Until then, I will not swing my sword. That is my vow.”

 All of that happened in only three seconds, but for him, those three seconds were more novel than anything else.

 To the point that the emotion he felt then still remained in his memories.

 For him, who was still playing along with this child’s play to feel that stimulation again, Tang Hwa-seo pathetically losing was unacceptable.

  Bite–

 Tang Hwa-seo bit her lips, bright red blood flowing down her chin.

 It was to shake off the pressure with pain.

 ‘I know.’ 

 She knew it was an opponent she couldn’t defeat.

 However, she still had to win.

 Because she made a promise to herself, a compromise she made to protect the feelings she had finally become aware of.

 So Tang Hwa-seo had to win this match even if it was to keep that almost forced desire.

 ‘Is this all, my ass…!’

 She wanted to punch that arrogant face at least once.

 No, even more than that, she wanted to soak his entire body in poison.

 And after winning, she wanted to tell Mok Riwon with confidence,

 Please come with me.

  Crack–

 Tang Hwa-seo broke her left wrist.

 The pain felt like her eyes were going to pop out, but with that, the pressure gradually subsided.

 Namgung Jincheon’s eyebrows slightly rose.

 And she wobbly stood up.

 “You damned bastard…!”

 “Is foul language all you prepared?”

 “As… if.” 

 Tang Hwa-seo felt her vision flashing.

 The price of twisting her wrist was so severe that she couldn’t speak properly.

 No, that wasn’t the only problem.

 When Namgung Jincheon saw this unexpected behavior, he unleashed even denser qi and pressured her again.

 If someone were to put their hands in her brain and squeeze it, it would feel just like this.

 Tang Hwa-seo recollected her dazed mind and connected her thoughts, then continued thinking.

 ‘I can’t fall.’

 What could she do?

 No, what must she do?

 ‘It’s not enough.’

 Her cultivation was lacking.

 The concentration of her poison was insufficient.

 And she didn’t have the strength to push back the pressure and drive a fist into his face.

 ‘What more do I need?’ 

 There was one more.

 It was her realm.

 She needed to gain the power to reach out and close this absurdly wide gap.

 So she was desperate.

 The Peak Realm was something she had always longed for, but at this moment, she was more desperate than ever.

 It wasn’t only because of her desire to improve, but also her sincere prayer.

 ‘I must not lose.’

 Tang Hwa-seo knew herself.

  Her nature to fiercely struggle through any situation meant that if something went wrong, she would not hesitate to resort to evil.

 It was the same for Mok Riwon’s goodwill.

 Because she was greedy and couldn’t easily let go of what was hers. Therefore, if she lost this match, she would still try to tie him down somehow and use him as a shield.

 Whether through sympathy or threat, she would try to keep him by her side while doing the same despicable things as the Tang Clan she hated.

 Tang Hwa-seo didn’t want to do that though.

 That was what her promise was for.

 She wanted to become more confident in herself and gain the right to stand by his side to walk alongside each other.

  Thud–

 Tang Hwa-seo took a step forward.

 The pressure intensified again.

 Nonetheless, the arena fell silent as she stood up unrelentingly.

 ‘Move.’

 That arrogant man vowed one move.

 He wouldn’t break that promise himself.

 In that case, she had to do her best to pour all of her strength into that promise; she had to surpass her limits.

  Thud–

 Tang Hwa-seo took another step.

 As she drew upon the myriad of poisons coursing through her veins, she made no distinction between their types.

 She simply unleashed a chaotic burst of poison qi, engraving one single thought within.

 ‘Just one.’

 It was an extreme poison that could bring that man to his knees with a single blow.

 A lethal poison that even if that man felt threatened, he wouldn’t dare think of dodging.

 The moment her thoughts caught up to that point, Tang Hwa-seo suddenly grasped a vivid image in her mind.

 And she smiled while staggering.

 ‘…Right, if it’s a poison like that, I know of one.’

 The dark green qi wave intensified, and within it was a pure energy.

 Tang Hwa-seo clenched her fists tightly.

 ‘A poison that would make any great figure in the world kneel.’

 It was not a poison that inspired fear or wonder but one that broke the spirit itself, forcing them to bow their heads.

 ‘A poison stronger than anything else.’

 A poison that makes one forget even their own crisis, and embrace the heat in the face of danger.   

 ‘A poison that is so sweet you can’t escape it.’

 One that would make you want to fall into it and die.

 There was a poison like that which Tang Hwa-seo was aware of.

  Hwaaak–

 The qi wave spread low. Her poison qi dispersed outward like a fog and began extending beyond the arena to the seats where the audience was.

 A sickly sweet scene filled the entire venue.

 “—–!”

 She couldn’t understand what that ringing was saying.

 It was a dangerous situation in which the match had to be stopped.

 However, none of the martial artists interfered.

 The masters who sensed something from Tang Hwa-seo’s current aura quietly surrounded the arena with qi barriers to block the poison qi.

 In the distance, Hyeun looked at Mok Riwon in surprise.

 He was smiling with satisfaction.

 “How…”

 “I could just tell.”

 Mok Riwon focused on Tang Hwa-seo while saying that.

 ‘It’s truly pure.’

 Although it was called poison qi, the feeling was far too pure.

 It felt both comforting and oddly sweet, tempting one to immerse themselves fully in it.

 This was the answer Tang Hwa-seo arrived at, her own interpretation of the poison she sought.

  Thud–

 Tang Hwa-seo took another step, her head going blank.

 Along with a strange sense of exhaustion that caused her mind to float away, drowsiness taking its place.

 However, despite this, Tang Hwa-seo couldn’t succumb to that feeling.

 In that moment of urgency, she came to a realization that gave her an unknowing sense of regret and hurriedly reached out her hand.

 ‘This is what true deadly poison would be.’

 A third-rate poison simply suppresses and overpowers.

 A second-rate poison advances unnoticed.

 However, a first-rate poison, one that is truly extreme, is embraced even when one knows it is poison.

 At some point, the distance between Tang Hwa-seo and Namgung Jincheon had closed to about two steps.

 She looked at his face.

 Her vision was blurry, making it difficult for her to see him clearly as her thoughts began to fracture under the pressure of the qi bearing down on her and the accompanying pain.

 However, Tang Hwa-seo was able to smile.

 “I showed you.”

 It was a scene that couldn’t be perceived with mere sight; instead, it had to be etched into her eyes through her mind.

 Tang Hwa-seo reached out her hand, aiming for his stomach. 

 Then she detonated the inner qi that was unleashed.

 Love.

 That was the name of the poison she had created.

  Puhak–!

 A wave of ethereal dark green qi engulfed Namgung Jincheon in an instant.

 …That was the extent of Tang Hwa-seo’s struggle.

 “Quite…”

 He reached his hand out for her while still drenched in poison.

 “…impressive.”  

 And with a tap, he pushed her head back.

  Crash–

 Tang Hwa-seo collapsed.

 Looking down at her, Namgung Jincheon still had an indifferent face.

 The announcer, who had evacuated far away, finally peeked out and looked at the arena.

 While calming his pounding heart, he grasped the situation.

 ‘H-He’s unaffected by that poison?’

 The announcer felt amazed.

 The poison that had permeated the venue made him feel like his heart would stop the moment he slightly inhaled it.

 If the expert beside him hadn’t neutralized the poison, he couldn’t imagine what would have happened.

 Yet Namgung Jincheon stood there calmly after facing it directly.

 The announcer’s voice trembled.

 [S-Sword Dragon…!]

 At a certain point, he even thought, ‘Is it possible?’ about her unexpected change.

 When Namgung Jincheon inhaled the poison and was engulfed by it, he began to believe in that ‘Possibility’.

 But as expected.

 [SWORD DRAGONNN!!! VICTORYYY!!!]

 This time was no different as well.

 Sword Dragon Namgung Jincheon.

 In the truest sense, he was a man who would transcend above all beneath the heavens.

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