Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Hand
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"......Hand?"
She looked down at Moo Yeon-jun's outstretched hand. In her line of sight was his swollen right hand. Could it be out of worry? No, that couldn't be. They weren't close enough for that.
Moo Yeon-jun nodded. His eyes were emotionless. As expected, it wasn't a question born of concern.
Wi Sung-cheon casually raised his hand and extended it toward Moo Yeon-jun. It was his own swollen right hand. He was curious how Moo Yeon-jun would react.
His expectations were for naught. Moo Yeon-jun grabbed Wi Sung-cheon's hand without any reaction whatsoever. Naturally, it hurt when his swollen hand was gripped.
But more than the pain.
An unannounced surge of inner power startled Wi Sung-cheon's acupoints. Wi Sung-cheon flinched in surprise and tried to pull his hand away from Moo Yeon-jun's grasp.
But Moo Yeon-jun's grip was firm. He squeezed Wi Sung-cheon's wrist even harder.
"You crazy bastard......!"
Wi Sung-cheon's inner power reflexively resisted the inner power pushing through his meridians. Power surged from his dantian, racing through his meridians to repel Moo Yeon-jun's intrusion.
Crack!
The muscles in Wi Sung-cheon's forearm bulged. Moo Yeon-jun stared at him coldly from right in front of his face. It was an inscrutable gaze. There was no killing intent, not even hostility.
That didn't make it okay. Wi Sung-cheon had no idea what he was trying to do, but Moo Yeon-jun had struck first. Wi Sung-cheon's left hand shot out. His hand whipped like a lash toward Moo Yeon-jun's throat.
Moo Yeon-jun's eyebrows twitched as he responded. Wi Sung-cheon's left hand clashed against Moo Yeon-jun's right with a sharp smack. The contact lasted only a moment. Wi Sung-cheon's flexibly bent hand wrapped around Moo Yeon-jun's wrist.
'Got him.'
He had no idea why Moo Yeon-jun was suddenly acting like this. But one thing was clear.
He had Moo Yeon-jun.
"What is it."
Moo Yeon-jun spoke before his words were even finished. A chilling sword energy bore down on Wi Sung-cheon. He immediately yanked Moo Yeon-jun's wrist and shifted his body, but the closing sword energy ultimately failed to reach him. Something suddenly intervened, colliding with it.
-Clang!
The writhing chain sword bounced upward.
Shhrrrrk!
The extended chain sword rapidly retracted.
"......Seems like there's a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?"
Wi Sung-cheon spat the words as he watched the chain sword return. ......Honestly, he was surprised.
The one who had swung the chain sword was Biyeon Sang Irin. She had been quite a distance away from where Wi Sung-cheon and Moo Yeon-jun were facing off.
He had been curious about the chain sword's reach, and now he knew just how far it could extend, if only briefly.
"Perhaps you should let go of his hand first."
"If you let go first."
Sang Irin's piercing gaze fixed on them. She still gripped her chain sword as she strode toward them.
"Sang Irin."
Moo Yeon-jun called her name.
"It's fine."
"But that guy......!"
"It's a misunderstanding."
"So what the hell is the misunderstanding?"
Wi Sung-cheon growled, glaring at Moo Yeon-jun. ......There was still something bothering him. Whatever had deflected Sang Irin's chain sword—he hadn't sensed it at all.
"I needed to check your inner power."
"What?"
"I looked into the Heavenly Flower Sect. Heard you were once part of the Black Snake Union. That was all the immediate info I could get, but it bothered me. Since you used to be unorthodox."
Moo Yeon-jun muttered as he released Wi Sung-cheon's hand. A stinging pain clawed through his right arm from the inside.
"Sorry for the rough method. It was the only way to be sure."
"......What, you think I'd have said no if you'd asked nicely? Why would I refuse if I had nothing to hide?"
"If you're confident in your inner power, there's no way you could fake it if you tried."
Moo Yeon-jun said it without changing expression. What kind of guy is this...... Wi Sung-cheon's eyebrow twitched.
In the meantime, Sang Irin approached right up to them. Seeing that Wi Sung-cheon still gripped Moo Yeon-jun's wrist, she widened her eyes.
"Stop."
A quiet voice halted Sang Irin. Wi Sung-cheon turned toward the source of the voice.
Amid the stares of startled students stood a woman in red martial robes. ......A second-year. How long had she been there? In that brief moment, Wi Sung-cheon took in her appearance.
Her long hair was pinned up with two crossed daggers. Flanking her were women in identical red martial robes, positioned as if guarding the central figure.
"Don't you two think ganging up is a bit cowardly?"
The woman smiled faintly as she spoke.
"It's a misunderstanding."
Moo Yeon-jun said. Her escorts' eyes gleamed with inhuman menace more than hers did. Sharp fangs flashed in their slightly parted mouths, and their forked tongues hissed softly.
"If it's really just a misunderstanding, why not start by biting that rude junior?"
"Sang Irin."
"......Let go of that hand first."
Sang Irin spat. Wi Sung-cheon's insides boiled. Moo Yeon-jun was the one who had grabbed him first and started the inner power clash.
It could have turned into internal injuries if things went wrong, and Wi Sung-cheon's counter was self-defense. So why was Sang Irin angry?
"Apologize first."
Wi Sung-cheon said, glaring at Moo Yeon-jun. Should he let go or not...... He could just release him, but he asked anyway.
"Sorry."
Surprisingly, Moo Yeon-jun bowed his head easily. Sang Irin's pupils trembled at the sight. Wi Sung-cheon didn't miss the veins bulging on the back of her chain sword-gripping hand.
'Easy to provoke, huh?'
He had sensed it somewhat when he first saw her in the training grounds. Now it was confirmed. Wi Sung-cheon slowly released Moo Yeon-jun's hand.
"......So. How was it?"
"What?"
"You said you needed to check my inner power."
"Pure. Surprisingly profound."
Probably thanks to the summoning pill his father had given him.
"Sorry for suspecting you."
Moo Yeon-jun glanced at his own wrist, which Wi Sung-cheon had just been gripping. It was a sudden situation, but he'd been caught once. No big deal, though. Nothing would have happened even if he was grabbed.
"......Thanks."
He had just come to eat.
His appetite was gone. Wi Sung-cheon ignored Sang Irin and Moo Yeon-jun as they walked away and bowed his head to the woman who had helped him.
"I just helped because you looked troubled."
The woman covered her mouth with her wide sleeve and laughed. Ah. She suddenly realized something and stopped smiling.
"Do you know who I am?"
"You're Serpent Princess Dang Seona, senior."
No doubt about it.
With such an obvious presence, it would be weirder not to recognize her. Second-year Serpent Princess Dang Seona. Top of the Dragon-Phoenix rankings, and Poison Maiden Dang Heeran's older sister.
Heir to the Tang Clan.
The two beside her were pure beastkin, Tang Clan retainers not bound by blood.
Beastkin normally couldn't cultivate martial arts, but they were exceptions in a certain sense.
Twin-Headed Venomous Serpents.
As her attendants, they had formally taken the exam to enter Uicheon Academy and continued serving Dang Seona here. Part of why Dang Seona was called Serpent Princess or Snake Sovereign was because of these ever-present Twin-Headed Venomous Serpents.
"Oh my. Thanks for recognizing me."
Dang Seona smiled brightly.
"I've heard about you from Heeran."
She said as she passed by Wi Sung-cheon.
"Take good care of Heeran."
The serpents' hissing tongues faded into the distance.
* * *
"Wasn't Hwangbo Seong-woo first?"
Bang Jun returned near evening. He had looked disheveled leaving the dorm that morning, and now sweat and dirt smells were added. It was enough to make Wi Sung-cheon's nose wrinkle involuntarily.
"You gonna wash up or not?"
"I will. Not today, though."
In the dorm's first-floor lounge, the central chair was basically Bang Jun's designated seat from constant use. But Bang Jun didn't sit there and instead pointed to the stairs leading to the second floor.
"Come on up. Hard to talk here."
As expected, Bang Jun's room was filthy. Wi Sung-cheon rubbed his twitching nose like it was a reflex and leaned against the cleanest-looking wall.
"Answer me. Wasn't Hwangbo Seong-woo first?"
"Yeah."
"Then why'd you pick a fight with Moo Yeon-jun?"
"You heard too, right? He started it. Misunderstanding or whatever."
"Man, I wasn't there, but it sounded pretty serious. Sang Irin even drew her sword. And then the second-year Serpent Princess jumped in."
"No big deal."
"It ended without a big deal. If blood was spilled, even if they overlook student scuffles to some extent, pulling that shit in front of the crowded cafeteria would've gotten everyone disciplined."
Bang Jun shook his head and flopped onto the bed.
"Still, I learned one thing from it."
"What?"
"Sang Irin provokes easy."
After Hwangbo Seong-woo comes Sang Irin.
"......Start with Hwangbo Seong-woo."
Bang Jun clicked his tongue.
"First off, remember this. What kind of stage do you want to take down Hwangbo Seong-woo on?"
"What're you talking about?"
"In front of everyone?"
"That'd be ideal."
"The easiest way is you go to where Hwangbo Seong-woo is, provoke him. With his temper, he'll swing at your face right away."
Bang Jun scratched his head as he spoke.
"Hwangbo Seong-woo's hot-blooded. Scratch him a bit and he bites."
"But losing after picking the fight first looks bad."
"You care about that?"
"Doesn't look good."
"You said losing's fine before."
"If that's the only way, I'd provoke first. Prefer not to."
"Ah."
Bang Jun's eyes narrowed.
"You want it clean, huh."
"If possible."
To keep sparks from flying to the already fragile Heavenly Flower Sect.
Bang Jun chuckled at Wi Sung-cheon's answer.
"Two weeks from now."
He lifted his pillow. Underneath was a crumpled letter.
"Basic Practical in two weeks. Closest chance."
"What's that?"
"Class schedule two weeks out. Should proceed as is unless issues."
Info requested from Open Faction's Zhongjing branch. Students get it after ten days, but 'outsiders' can buy it early with money.
Customers wanting it were mid-tier students thirsty for points and good grades. Not as crucial as academics, but in a martial academy with 'grades,' preview mattered. Especially for mid-tiers.
"Two weeks from now, joint practical with upper class."
Basic Practical.
"Format not set yet, but past joint classes were similar."
Upper and lower classes had fewer students than mid. So not often, but occasionally upper and lower joined.
"Lower class weaker than upper, obviously. We ambush, they defend."
"Record so far?"
"We win any? All losses."
Bang Jun grumbled.
"Anyway, if you don't wanna provoke and fight, fastest is joint practical in two weeks. After that...... well...... Uicheon Festival sparring tournament?"
"That's months away."
"Need luck with brackets too."
Uicheon Academy holds Uicheon Festival every fall, opening gates for festivities. Highlight: student sparring tournament.
He had considered it, but Bang Jun was right. Meeting Hwangbo Seong-woo there depended on draws.
"Two weeks, you say?"
"If no issues."
Bang Jun muttered, picking his ear.
"But you. Why pick such a hassle? If you wanna crush Hwangbo Seong-woo, Dragon-Phoenix, Four Blossoms, why not upper class instead of lower?"
"Could I?"
"If not all talk, your skills fit upper. Why lower placement...... Hmm, I get it."
"Why? Lower class is good. Gets looked down on plenty."
"......What?"
"Nothing to lose here. Bottom means room to rise higher. Easier to drag down the ones above."
Wi Sung-cheon pointed at the ceiling.
"And you're here."
Open Faction's Third Conclusion Disciple Bang Jun.
First time seeing his name in Deputy Commander Woo's records, he resolved to connect with him. Not sole reason for lower class, but one of them.
"......You want more from me?"
Bang Jun asked with a sullen expression.