Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Black and White Sword Ghost (2)
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Anyway, the match was still going on.
Seo Miryeo, the Black and White Sword Ghost, was putting up a decent fight in her own right, but the gap between crossing that wall or not was bigger than expected, and she started to gradually fall back.
Her lips were tightly shut in concentration. Just moments ago, she was saying something with every swing of her sword, but now she was completely silent.
"Something not working out? Getting tired?"
That chain sickle and bizarre outfit. Only now did I recall who the madwoman really was. Flowing Slaughter Valley Lord Je In-ik.
The longer the fight dragged on, the more the chains wrapped around her body came loose, and there had even been a challenge going around about how long you could last against Je In-ik's chain sickle.
In the game, the crazy bitch concept wasn't bad at all, but seeing a real lunatic up close was off-putting, no matter how pretty her face was. From what I knew, she was around seventy years old.
Impossible.
Anyway, compared to me, this was a battle between true masters, so there was plenty to learn.
Especially from Seo Miryeo, since she was a fellow swordmaster, I observed her intently.
How she put power into her swings depending on the direction. Where to place her feet.
I had no swordsmanship of my own to begin with, so I absorbed everything I saw like a sponge. That move where she spun in the air with her sword—cool. I've got to try that one.
Dong-
In any case, it didn't take long for the fight to reach its conclusion.
Seo Yul-hye, who had been watching with a puzzled expression, grew serious and jumped into the fray.
A massive surge of magical power erupted from the divine armor around her neck with the sound of a temple bell, disrupting the demonic energy. The madwoman spat up a gush of blood and swung her chain wide, staggering back several steps. Her eyes were filled with dismay.
She wore an expression of utter disbelief.
"W-what is this? Why? Why am I being pushed back? Did you use some kind of trick?"
You're right, it was a trick—if you count gear as a trick.
But in this hyper-realistic world, relying solely on your own cultivation level felt like way too naive thinking. What would that make me, having sunk millions into gear enhancements? Levels aren't everything.
Seo Yul-hye and Seo Miryeo seemed to have recognized the Flowing Slaughter Valley Lord's identity as well, looking quite shocked.
Was I always this strong? They were probably thinking something like that.
At that moment, her venomous eyes turned toward me.
"You little rat hiding behind them the whole time. Guess I'll have to kill you instead."
"Me?"
"Scared? I'm not ready to retreat just yet. I don't know what your connection is to Moon Phoenix, but killing you ought to get a reaction out of her, right?"
She must have decided there was no winning here today and was trying to create an opening.
With a shwoop, she whipped the chain toward me. Seo Yul-hye leaped in immediately and knocked it away. Seeing that, the corner of the Flowing Slaughter Valley Lord's mouth curled up.
"So that's your weak spot?"
No.
"Ah, sorry. It was just a reflex..."
"It's fine. Go help her. She seems like a precious little sister to you."
"......"
Seo Yul-hye looked flustered, as if she'd moved without thinking, but I sent her back to Seo Miryeo's side and casually flicked away the next incoming chain with the back of my hand.
The Flowing Slaughter Valley Lord fell silent for a moment, stunned by how effortlessly I'd blocked the attack.
"Did we win?"
Seo Yul-hye murmured softly as she watched the woman retreat into the distance.
It ended more easily than expected.
Judging by the fact that she hadn't used any ultimate techniques, her preparation time must have been quite long.
The Flowing Slaughter Valley Lord clashed blades a few more times after that before hurriedly withdrawing. With the difference in their cultivation levels, chasing her down to capture her was impossible. And so, the situation resolved itself with the Flowing Slaughter Valley Lord's retreat.
But we still had one more matter to address.
"Seo Miryeo."
Chak. Seo Miryeo sheathed her sword with crisp precision and froze just as she was about to vanish somewhere.
"I have no idea who you're talking to. I'm the Black and White Sword Ghost who just defeated the Flowing Slaughter Valley Lord—"
"Seo Miryeo."
"......"
As Seo Yul-hye's voice dropped lower, Seo Miryeo's shoulders began to tremble. It seemed their sect hierarchy had been firmly established. Realizing she couldn't escape, Seo Miryeo slowly removed her mask. An awkward smile appeared on her face.
"...L-long time no see, Big Sis."
It had been a long time. Seo Yul-hye had awakened just a year ago, after all. Even amid her immense shame, I could sense genuine joy.
Seo Yul-hye slowly approached Seo Miryeo. Then she pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Little Sis, I've missed you."
Tears welled up in Seo Miryeo's eyes.
"Me too... I've missed you so much..."
"But what's with that getup? Why the mask? And why are your clothes all torn up? Black and White Sword Ghost? When did you get such a cool nickname?"
"Kekekekek."
But the moment "Black and White Sword Ghost" came up, Seo Miryeo awkwardly pretended to choke on her words with some terrible acting.
I covered my mouth with my hand. Oh no. It was so hard not to laugh.
Seo Yul-hye, of course spotting the fake cough, smiled faintly and grabbed the back of Seo Miryeo's collar, lifting her up as she hunched over. She rose straight up without resistance. Now that I looked, their heights and builds were almost identical.
Their faces were a bit different, though. Seo Yul-hye had a flashy, fox-like beauty, while Seo Miryeo had sleepy eyes and a chilly aura like a cold autumn wind.
She had a beauty mark under her eye, too.
"Quit it and tell me. How did you end up becoming the awesome Black and White Sword Ghost?"
"W-well... But who's that guy? Did you have an uncle, Big Sis?"
After taking a verbal beating for a while, Seo Miryeo glanced my way. Then back to Seo Yul-hye. Then me again. Then Seo Yul-hye.
Catching the meaning of her gaze, Seo Yul-hye gave a sly smile.
"Who knows. Not an uncle, though..."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Seo."
Things were heading toward more teasing, so I greeted her first. As I stepped forward confidently, she retreated just as quickly.
"Ah. D-don't talk to me directly... It startles me... Y-yes, pleased to meet you too..."
I chuckled at her reaction. Her shy behavior was cute, contrasting her appearance.
"No need to be so tense. A friend of Yul-hye's is a friend of mine. Let's get along from now on, Miss Seo."
"Ah, uh... Yes..."
When I extended my hand, she shook it lightly, barely touching, then backed away again.
Then, feeling it wasn't enough, she clasped her hands in greeting and bowed deeply, revealing her inherently kind heart. She seemed a bit awkward with people, but the type who'd give up her seat to the elderly faster than anyone.
And the granny who got the seat would misunderstand her because of that cold face, making it hard to even strike up a conversation if she stayed quiet.
After the greetings, Seo Miryeo scurried over to Seo Yul-hye with a soft sasasak sound from her mouth and hid behind her back.
"Hehe... She called me a friend..."
I watched her like some exotic creature. Seo Yul-hye, used to this side of her, wore a warm smile.
"So, what happened with that sword?"
"Ah, well..."
"You don't have to say if it's trouble. I'm just worried it might have a bad influence on you. Whatever its true nature, I won't tell Master. I'm out here secretly myself, after all."
"Huh? Master told me you were awake, but you snuck out?"
Seo Yul-hye sidled up and hugged my arm tightly.
"I figured forgiveness would be easier than permission. Pretty bad of me, huh?"
Seo Miryeo's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide.
"U-Uncle? Wait, your age?"
"Didn't know it before, but I like this type."
"Whoa..."
She looked impressed. From what she'd said before, Seo Yul-hye had never been interested in men, so the shock must have been even greater. Glancing at my stubbly, unshaven face, then at Seo Yul-hye clinging to my arm, she murmured softly.
"He really is a thief... but this..."
Sorry. I did my best. It was just inevitable fate. Swallowing my excuses, I cleared my throat and spoke up.
"Miss Seo, do you know what my profession is?"
"Thief... or what?"
"I'm a martial arts merchant. I wander around selling all sorts of things. So naturally, I know what your sword is."
"...Uh. Eek. What?"
Seo Miryeo visibly panicked. Having wielded the sword herself, she'd gotten a feel for what it was, so she couldn't stay calm. No matter how kindly you looked at it, the form and power screamed demonic sword.
Yet she kept carrying it, so there had to be a reason.
Thinking back to her Black and White Sword Ghost persona, I had a rough idea what Seo Miryeo wanted. Maybe she was cut from the same cloth as me.
"It's a sword that's not easy to handle, but the way you've tamed it with your own power rather than being consumed by it is impressive. You must have trained tirelessly. However, wandering around in that outfit risks exposure to anyone with a keen eye, and that hastily made mask is so crude it's unflattering."
A torn Emei Sect uniform and a mask with just crude holes.
The name Black and White Sword Ghost was almost wasted on it.
I immediately pulled some unused coord items from my pouch.
A mask of pure white with black concentric circles. A luxurious robe perfectly split between black and white.
The moment she saw them, she didn't even care that they'd come from my small pouch—her head tilted more and more toward the mask and robe. Like a kid staring at a toy locked in a showcase, her face screamed she wanted it bad.
She knew style. Grinning, I held them out to Seo Miryeo.
"Want to try them on?"
Her eyes sparkling, she nodded her head vigorously.