麻豆工作室

 She opened her eyes while holding her throbbing head.

 “Are you awake?”

 The voice she heard at that moment was Mok Riwon’s.

 She turned to look at him.

 “Young Hero Mok…?”

 “I was so worried, you were lying down for an entire day! Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

 Hearing those words made her aware of the pain in her left arm.

 That wasn’t all.

 Her meridians were all tangled up, and poison qi was leaking out even as she was breathing.

 Surprised by this, Tang Hwa-seo tried to hold her breath, but Mok Riwon waved his hands.

 “I’m fine, so breathe comfortably! I can push away this level of poison qi with my inner force!”

 “Ah…”

 Tang Hwa-seo blankly let out a breath.

 Then, she remembered something about the match.

 The memory from before she collapsed was hazy.

 In the blurry scene, she reached out her hand and released her inner qi. At the same time, it felt like her chest was clearing up and information about a new poison entered her head.

 “The match…”

 Mok Riwon made a bitter smile upon hearing her cracked voice.

 She laughed hollowly.

 “…Yes, I was defeated.”

 “It was a great match. Young Lady showed the most amazing performance among all of the fights I’ve seen since the Dragon Phoenix Tournament started.”

 Tang Hwa-seo’s fingertips twitched.

 I lost…

 She had attained the Peak Realm.

 The wall that had been blocking her path collapsed, and she set foot in a new realm.

 Now she would classified as a genuine ‘superhuman’.

 But what did that matter?

 …A defeat is still a defeat.

 She couldn’t keep her promise to herself.

 Clench–

 Tang Hwa-seo’s fist was revitalized by an unknown strength as a powerful rage frosted over her face. She was enraged that she couldn’t reach Namgung Jincheon in the end.

 “…I suppose I hoped for too much. Well, while I was stagnant, he must have been growing endlessly.”

 “It was an excellent match.”

 “But a defeat is a defeat.”

 Mok Riwon’s face was filled with pity.

 She’s extremely disappointed.

 In reality, she had no chance of winning in the first place.

 No matter how much she struggled, that fight was one she couldn’t overcome.

 Tang Hwa-seo must have known that as well.

 However, she stood her ground until the very end and delivered results.

 Mok Riwon didn’t want someone who had proven herself to be sad.

 “Young Lady.”

 “Yes?”

 “So what was the request you were going to make?”

 She looked at him.

 Ah, he’s trying to comfort me.

 She could tell right away that this innocent man was trying to make her feel better after seeing her disappointed.

 You don’t have to do that.

 Regardless, a defeat was still a defeat.

 Tang Hwa-seo wanted to humbly accept her result.

 “It’s fine. Since I didn’t achieve my original goal, I don’t want to rely on sympathy and make a request.”

 “Why do you think you didn’t achieve your goal?”

 Tang Hwa-seo felt doubtful.

 “…Wasn’t  I defeated?”

 “Yes. But I think that’s a separate story from your goal.”

 “What do you…”

 “The condition Young Lady set in the first place was different.”

 Mok Riwon smiled brightly.

 “The Young Lady set the condition of ‘achieving a good result in the match’ to me. And breaking through your wall during the match is something anyone would call a remarkable achievement. You are more than qualified.”

 Tang Hwa-seo’s expression was blank.

 What kind of nonsense…

 It was wordplay.

 In the context of the conversation at that time, the good result she mentioned meant ‘victory’, and Mok Riwon must have known that as well.

 “Now, Young Lady. What was the request?”

 Nevertheless, he said this.

 With such a beaming smile and warm voice, Tang Hwa-seo suddenly felt a tight feeling in her chest.

 “…You’re so mischievous.”

 “H-Huh?”

 “How can you only say words that bewitch people? Young Hero Mok, you might be a demon.”

 Mok Riwon was startled.

 “Wh-what do you mean by that? I don’t understand.”

 “As if you don’t know.”

 A chuckle flowed out from her lips.

 Mok Riwon became even more embarrassed, and as his long hair fell, it brushed Tang Hwa-seo’s fingertips, who unknowingly grabbed it.

 It’s soft.

 His hair was like silk.

 It was soft and smooth, and touching it somehow made her feel better.

 Tang Hwa-seo’s attention was drawn to it; she began twirling his hair around her fingers. Seeing this, he lowered his head, looked at her with a puzzled face, and made it easier for her to play with his hair.

 “So the request…”

 “Later.”

 Tang Hwa-seo mumbled with a smile.

 Although she was grateful for his consideration and wanted to rely on it, she knew she shouldn’t blindly follow her heart.

 “Can I tell you later? After the Dragon Phoenix Tournament is over?”

 If she made such a request, he would be embarrassed as well.

 So she didn’t want to disturb his mind, especially with the grand finals coming up.

 With this in mind, she gave her answer. Mok Riwon just nodded, unaware of her concerns.

 “Hm! Then I’ll set a condition too!”

 “A condition, you say?”

 “If I win the tournament, Young Lady will have to make the request!”

 “What kind of condition is that? There’s nothing for you to gain from it.”

 “Why would there be nothing to gain? If I do this, you’ll cheer more enthusiastically for me.”

 “What?”

 Mok Riwon was already curled up in bed, his chin resting down.

 With one side of his face pressed by his hand, the corners of his mouth slyly rose.

 Seeing his face, those gently curved eyes, Tang Hwa-seo felt her heart start to race.

 “You want something from me, so naturally, you’d want me to win. If you’re behind me, cheering with all your heart, I’m sure I’ll be able to fight with even more strength. Therefore, I think the condition for winning is quite fair, don’t you?”

 He was a demon.

 His bright smile was taking her breath away.

 How could such a cunning creature exist?

 Even with that innocent look on his face, the words he uttered were so sweet that her breaths heated up.

 In that moment she felt self-loathing again.

 Was it his face after all?

 Was that truly the reason she had fallen for this man?

 She wanted to tell herself otherwise, but found herself unable to do so.

 Of course, she didn’t even dare deny it, Mok Riwon’s face was too handsome.

 That wasn’t the only reason obviously, but whatever it was, it was truly embarrassing.

 She tried to look at him, pushing aside those feelings, but the words that spilled out didn’t deviate much from her thoughts.

 “Young Hero Mok.”

 “Yes!”

 “You shouldn’t smile like that anywhere else. You’ll get ravished by seductresses.”

 Her teasing words were a mask for her true feelings.

 At this, his face paled. She laughed, her shoulders shaking even though her body was aching.

 In her selfish love, Tang Hwa-seo silently wished.

  I don’t want to share that bewitching smile with anyone else.

* * *

 The Dragon Phoenix Tournament was coming to an end.

 However, the debate over victory and defeat which usually died down around this time, had been burning brighter than ever in recent years.

 It was natural.

 Was the tournament this time any regular old event?

 Stories about Mok Riwon had been heard far and wide to the point their ears bled.

 That wasn’t all, stories about Tang Hwa-seo had also become a hot topic.

 The scene of a martial artist reaching the Peak Realm was a rare sight that most couldn’t see even with a fortune. There was no end to the stories about Tang Hwa-seo’s inner arts and poison qi bursting forth at that moment.

 However, the more that happened, the more one person shone.

 Namgung Jincheon, who endured that astronomical poison qi with his bare body and leisurely won.

 It was him.

 “The Sword Dragon is truly indescribable!”

 “That’s the real monster. No wonder they call him the next Unrivaled Under The Heavens.”

 “Whew… How enviable. I am truly envious of him.”

 Their reactions were diverse: some showed admiration; others with reverence, and others with envy.

 Everyone clicked their tongues at his supremacy, which crushed even the slightest possibility of an anomaly into the depths of hell.

 Namgung Jincheon’s dominance this time as well, did not disappoint their expectations.

 And Mok Riwon who had to face him.

 The predictions of who would win or lose between the two men grew more heated by the day, and surprisingly, the betting odds were 1:1.

 “We’ll find out next week.”

 “I can’t wait for the finals. I initially planned to leave after the semifinals, but it’s too exciting. There’s no way I’ll miss it.”

 In the passionate atmosphere, Mok Riwon was spending his days in a typical fashion.

 “I’m sorry!”

 The greed of the renowned clans grew day by day, and today, Mok Riwon was running away to avoid them again.

 As always, his destination was where Tang Hwa-seo was recuperating.

 Mok Riwon was a kind and chivalrous man, always mindful of her plea to him.

 He dashed through the streets, rounded a corner into an alley, and then soared through the sky, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

 Like that, he arrived in front of a courtyard gate.

 “Ink Sword.”

 A dignified man’s voice caught him.

 Mok Riwon abruptly stopped moving.

 Because the one who called for him was someone he shouldn’t just blindly ignore.

 “Blue Sword?”

 Blue Sword Namgung Woon.

 The nephew of the Sword King, uncle of the Sword Dragon, and a Supreme Realm martial artist of the Namgung Clan.

 He approached Mok Riwon with a smile.

 “You’re rather busy today as well. Are you going to where the Poison Phoenix is residing?”

 “Ah, indeed…”

 Mok Riwon smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

 Chuckling at that foolish look, Namgung Woon continued.

 “Don’t be nervous. I did not come here for the same reason as the other clans. In the first place, the Namgung Clan does not have a daughter to marry you.”

 “T-Then if that isn’t the reason…”

 “Ink Sword, may I have your time?”

 Mok Riwon blinked.

 “My time? I’m not entirely free…”

 “The Grand Patriarch wishes to meet you.”

  Flinch–.

 Mok Riwon froze.

 There was only one person with the title of the Namgung Clan’s Grand Patriarch.

 “…Do you mean the Sword King?”

 Sword King Namgung Hyuk.

 He wanted to meet Mok Riwon.   

* * *

 The courtyard house where the members of the Namgung Clan resided was located primarily in the center of Shexian.

 As Mok Riwon entered that place, an exclamation of admiration unconsciously slipped out.

 “There’s a truly elegant ambiance here.”

 “Thank you for your kind words. The Clan Head will be very happy to hear that.”

 “The Clan Head?”

 “Yes, my older brother. He was the one who designed this courtyard. He loves the pine trees of Mount Huang so much that he took a few of them to create that pond.”

 Mok Riwon’s gaze turned to the huge pond at the center. As he said, there were a few magnificent pine trees surrounding the pond at a glance.

 “I see…”

 “Well, let’s stop the small talk and go now. See that building over there? The Grand Patriarch is there. Have a good time.”

 Namgung Woon flashed a bright smile and patted Mok Riwon’s shoulder before leaving, his departure marked by a demeanor free of any hesitation or lingering attachments.

 It was only after he was left alone did he suddenly tense up.

 The Sword King is there…

 Mok Riwon dryly gulped.

 Sword King Namgung Hyuk.

 Besides being a sword master who represented the Orthodox Faction, he also held special meaning to Mok Riwon.

 A martial artist master of the previous generation who still remembers Master.

 Mok Riwon repeated the story he heard from Ma Il-seok until his ears bled when he was a child living in a mountain valley in Jiangxi.

  -He’s an ill-mannered fellow. Do you know how high and mighty he is? I also had a temper when I was young, but compared to him, I would look like a fairy. That’s how brutal he is. Alas, how indifferent the heavens must be, for such a guy to be born into a good family, flaunting his wickedness to the point of making me sick.

 According to Ma Il-seok, he was the most vicious-tempered man among the Orthodox Faction’s masters.

 Mok Riwon thought about all the reasons why such a man had called for him.

 To persuade him into joining them, or a summon to know his grandson’s opponent in advance?

 Several reasons came to mind, but there was one more plausible than the rest.

 …Did he recognize my martial arts?

 He had heard about several unspeakable incidents between his master, Mok Seon-oh and the Sword King, Namgung Hyuk.

 If it was that man, he might have recognized the Star God Technique and Starfall Seven Swords in his match.

 In other words.

 He might be someone who knows the star I was born under.

 Mok Riwon’s expression hardened. His heart started pounding with anxiety.

 If he was summoned to this place because he was recognized as the bearer of the Heaven-Slaying Star, then he might be harmed.

 He calmed his breathing and firmed himself.

 …I’ll know once I meet him.

 There was no point in running away now.

 Mok Riwon chose to confront the situation head-on.

 He stepped towards the building Namgung Woon had indicated, and as he arrived at the door, a martial artist standing guard opened it.

 “Come inside.”

 Sitting upright in the center of the room was a dignified old man, whose presence radiated no trace of inner qi. 

 Returning to one’s natural state.

 An immeasurable inner force that seemed as if it did not exist at all. It was a clear mark of the ‘Transcendent Realm’.

 As Mok Riwon stepped inside, the door behind him closed with a click.

 The room was enveloped in a heavy silence.

 In that vast, quiet space, Namgung Hyuk, after a moment of observation, spoke.

 “Where is the Sword Star?”

 Their eyes met.

 Grasping the situation, Mok Riwon clenched his fist tightly.

 As expected. He knows.

 What should he say back?

 What was the true intention behind that question?

 Briefly lost in thought, Mok Riwon remembered something far more important.

 -Hide your sect. There are those who still remember the Bloodied History. Through your sect, they might discern your identity. Among them, some will consider the star you were born under dangerous.

 Ma Il-seok had told him to hide where his origins, to conceal the Heaven-Slaying Star by masking his proud sect.

 But was there a reason to keep it a secret now?

 No.

 This wasn’t the time and place for that.

 On the contrary, this was the right moment to reveal it.

 The giant before him already knew his identity, prioritizing the well-being of his master over his own identity.

 Therefore, the appropriate action was to pay him due respect.

 “I pay my respects to the Sword King.”

 Mok Riwon assumed a fist-palm salute.

 “I am the eleventh generation disciple of the Star God Sect, the Young Sect Leader Mok Riwon.”

 For the first time since stepping into the martial world, Mok Riwon proudly declared the name of his sect.

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