Chapter 97
Chapter 97
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Sisters' Duel
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wi Seongcheon watched Dang Heeran's retreating back. He never imagined she had called him to ask for revenge. And even after saying all that, she hadn't waited for his answer.
In the end, she didn't forfeit and stepped onto the arena. Wi Seongcheon smacked his lips, recalling the glare she'd shot him.
"I wasn't even sure I could beat her."
It was the honest truth. Dang Seona was that strong, enough for him to admit it outright. When he'd fought the Poison Blood Demon, he'd seen Dang Seona's full power.
She hadn't been able to show off against an opponent using the same poison, but her strength had honestly exceeded expectations.
'Our matchups are terrible.'
Wi Seongcheon grimaced and scratched his head vigorously. Poison was a bad matchup for him. He'd learned that the hard way enduring the Demon Blood Poison River. Dang Seona's poison might not be as vicious as that, but poison was poison.
'Though my answer probably didn't matter anyway.'
A roar of cheers erupted. Dang Heeran had been trembling right up to the end. While polishing her hidden weapons and fastening them to her body. Her shoulders and fingertips had shaken the whole time. He hadn't comforted her. If he'd reached out...
Would Dang Heeran have burst into tears? He couldn't picture it easily. But somehow, it felt like she might have.
In the end, it was Dang Heeran who chose to fight instead of forfeiting. She was desperate too. Wi Seongcheon couldn't fully empathize with the pressure weighing on her. She was an illegitimate daughter unrecognized in the Tang Clan, orphaned of her mother since infancy, constantly compared to her ridiculously talented older sister. And that sister harbored a twisted affection for her, suppressing her since she was a sniveling child.
'I want to run.'
All those memories flashed through Dang Heeran's mind. She was already standing in the center of the arena, yet she couldn't even tell where she was. The roaring cheers clouded her reason. Was this the Tang Clan training ground? Or her own room?
"You've got guts."
That voice jolted her back to reality. She composed her expression and looked ahead. Dang Seona had long since mounted the arena, facing her.
"You must've wanted to forfeit. Isn't that right?"
Dang Seona said with a smile. Dang Heeran blinked, staring at her half-sister. Her emotions slowly settled.
Amid the roaring cheers, only Dang Seona's voice rang clear. Dang Heeran steadied her breathing and lifted her gaze a bit higher.
In truth, the crowd's cheers weren't that loud. The east arena hosted preliminaries for groups one through five. With preliminaries happening simultaneously in the east, west, south, and north arenas, the spectators were divided accordingly.
The west arena probably had the biggest crowd right now. Group six featured the Heavenly Person Mu Yeonjun, group seven had Sword Peak Woo Hayeon, and group ten had Fist Bone Hwangbo Seongwu. With three Young Phoenixes competing there, it drew the masses.
Sure enough, neither the Martial Alliance Leader nor the Black Society Leader was visible in the stands. Hardly any students either. Only the students competing in the east arena sat in the spectator seats.
They'd fight sequentially after Dang Heeran and Dang Seona's match.
The size of the crowd didn't matter. She spotted her father. The Poison Sovereign stared at the arena with his dull eyes. It was the same hateful expression she'd seen countless times as a child.
Her uncle sat beside him, wearing an earnest look unlike her father's.
"...I'm not doing it."
Dang Heeran muttered. She lowered her gaze again to face forward. Dang Seona's lips twitched upward.
"Yeah, I get it. You've 'this time' psyched yourself up. No running away... Why is that? You used to only know how to flee. What made you change?"
Dang Seona murmured as she clenched and unclenched her fingers.
"Is it because you made a friend? Or did something in Gansu make you delusional?"
"...Neither."
"Is that so? I know you well. I've watched you since you were little. You're a coward, and you can't lie to save your life. Look, your hands are shaking. You still want to run, don't you?"
Dang Seona chuckled mockingly. Dang Heeran bit her lower lip hard.
"Both, huh. The friend influencing you must be Wi Seongcheon, right? Why? Seeing that kid fight bravely without fleeing made you feel pathetic? Or did being insignificant compared to the Potential Dragon bother you? You're misunderstanding something. Wi Seongcheon is different from you."
Dang Heeran didn't deny it. She had been undeniably influenced. Ever since Wi Seongcheon arrived at the Heavenly Academy, she'd stuck by his side. He was incomprehensible in so many ways.
He'd challenged Hwangbo Seongwu to a fight, and now he was targeting even the Little Buddha Jinuu. The bat of the Heavenly Flower Sect, once scorned, was now called the Potential Dragon.
"You've made a bad friend."
Dang Seona said with a sigh.
"You're not a kid anymore, and neither am I. I thought I could give you some freedom... but I guess I was wrong. Guiding a little sister is an older sister's duty, right? Even if we came from different mothers, we're still sisters."
Don't waver. Dang Heeran clenched her fists tight. Her body felt heavy. With dozens of hidden weapons strapped on, of course it was. She'd never felt the weight before, but now it dragged on her unbearably.
"...You hate that I've changed, don't you?"
Dang Heeran said in a small voice.
Dang Seona's smile faded.
"I know. You like me too much, Sis. You've always been that way since we were kids. Taking everything I showed interest in, trying to control me. How could I not hate it?"
Dang Heeran spat it out without breathing.
Boom!
It was time. The massive drum announced the start of the match.
"I know why you got mad in Gansu. I did what you told me not to. And it humiliated you that your always-weaker little sister helped you?"
Her heart pounded wildly. Had she ever raised her voice to her sister like this?
"I really hate it. I'm sick of it...! I'm not a kid anymore, or your possession. Who I befriend, what I do with my own hands—none of it's your business. I'm fed up with watching my step...!"
The pent-up emotions burst out. Her heartbeat drowned the murmurs of the crowd. Her temples throbbed.
Inner energy surged from her dantian, racing fiercely through her body. Her expanded vision focused on a single point. Now, even her father's dour expression and her uncle's earnest one vanished from sight.
In the center of her view, only her sister's figure stood sharp. Her sister wasn't smiling. Could she do it? Really? Her head spun.
Excitement and elation like being drunk fueled her mouth.
"Come at me, you...!"
Slash! Daggers dropped from her sleeves into both hands.
"...bitch!"
The curse she'd wanted to hurl since childhood finally escaped. Her chest felt wide open.
Dang Heeran kicked off the ground, leaping back while swinging both arms.
Whoosh!
Hidden weapons shot toward Dang Seona simultaneously.
"...Really..."
From the moment Dang Heeran vented her emotions, the smile had vanished from Dang Seona's face. Staring at the onslaught of hidden weapons, she murmured like a sigh.
Clang!
Dang Seona's hand moved. Her wide sleeve swept the weapons aside. She strode forward with legs extended, a bright smile blooming on her face.
"Such foul language."
Chills ran over her entire body. Hearing her beloved little sister spew long-buried feelings made her shudder. And when her sister cursed. Ah, really. Had she ever imagined a day like this?
No. From the moment she'd arranged this match through the Firefly Girl and the Medical Academy professors, what she'd envisioned was always the same: her terrified, cowed little sister. Not this fierce defiance.
But she didn't hate it. Quite the opposite—it was good. She'd disliked her sister's change, but this version was endearing too.
Before she knew it, Dang Seona held a long iron fan. Seeing her sister draw the Black Fan, Dang Heeran hardened her expression.
Her sister's weapon of choice since childhood. Whenever Dang Seona gripped the Black Fan, Dang Heer's first thought was always to flee.
Strangely, she didn't feel like running now. Fleeing here would mean living forever in her sister's shadow.
For the first time in twenty years, she mustered courage. If she got crushed... could she muster it again?
'I can't.'
I'm not that strong. Dang Seona approached, Black Fan in hand.
Celestial Killing Hidden Arts. Every Tang Clan warrior learned this hidden weapon art. Only direct bloodline descendants could access the secret transmission.
Even as the bastard child of an illegitimate line, Dang Heeran had been acknowledged as the Poison Sovereign's daughter, allowing her to inherit the Celestial Killing Hidden Arts' secrets.
But her hidden weapon arts had never once surpassed her sister's. They'd both learned the Celestial Killing Hidden Arts. Both inherited the secrets. Yet Dang Seona always outshone Dang Heeran.
At some point, Dang Heeran stopped challenging her. The outcome was too predictable.
The gap between sisters widened starkly. At ten, her sister became the Poison Dance Lord's disciple and inherited the Poison Blood Mighty God.
Dang Heeran never got such a chance. While Dang Seona trained under the Poison Dance Lord, inheriting not just Celestial Killing Hidden Arts but Poison Blood Mighty God, Dang Heeran was neglected. The Poison Sovereign showed no interest in his less talented daughter. There was no reason to. The heir would be the eldest anyway.
'I know.'
Poison Toad Dang Jinhu glared down with wide eyes. Dang Seona advanced fearlessly, swinging her Black Fan.
As Dang Seona closed in, Dang Heeran retreated, firing hidden weapons. But Dang Seona's Whirlwind Iron Defense captured every projectile flawlessly, redirecting their paths.
Whirlwind Iron Defense, the Tang Clan's standard anti-projectile technique, was mastered by all warriors. Yet Dang Jinhu found Dang Seona's version—deflecting from all directions with a single iron fan—nothing short of miraculous.
Dang Seona was only twenty-one. How many in the Tang Clan could perform Whirlwind Iron Defense so perfectly?
'I know.'
Dang Jinhu clenched his fist. Having grown under his brilliant older brother, he understood Dang Heeran better than anyone. His talented brother became family head, leaving Dang Jinhu as just an elder.
If his talent had been greater, he might have become head.
But he'd long abandoned competing with his brother. Fled. Not being the eldest made a convenient excuse.
That regret lingered.
That's why his eyes turned to Dang Heeran. While everyone focused on Dang Seona, Dang Jinhu paid more attention to Dang Heeran. The inferior little sister mirrored his own youth.
But Dang Heeran differed from Dang Jinhu.
'You were always diligent, even without eyes on you.'
Dang Jinhu wasn't illegitimate. Compared to his brother, he faced no scorn.
'You filed your nails daily, polished your weapons. You never feared blades, even when they cut your hands repeatedly.'
Dang Heeran had understood her position early. That desperation fueled her.
'You despaired at the gap with Seona, but you never gave up.'
The first loss to Dang Seona.
Dang Heeran had bawled.
She lost again and again, swallowing her frustration each time. The repetition bred fear of Dang Seona but never surrender. She always threw her weapons.
'You stopped challenging Seona... not from giving up.'
Just lacked courage.
Now that child had found it. How could he not cheer her on?
'I can't break through.'
The arena floor bristled with embedded weapons. Dang Heeran steadied her breath, grinding her teeth. Her fingers and wrists throbbed.
She'd hurled weapons endlessly. The weight pressing her body had lightened considerably—proof her arsenal was thinning.
"You're the same as always."
Dang Seona murmured. Unlike Dang Heeran's ragged breaths, hers remained steady.
Their stances were polar opposites, utterly one-sided. Dang Heeran unleashed constant attacks; Dang Seona only defended.
The gap was blatant, obvious to all. Dang Heeran's flashy hidden weapon arts never once touched her sister.
A slow sweep of the fan with Whirlwind Iron Defense. Yet every trajectory cleared the projectiles.
'The difference is too vast.'
Wi Seongcheon gazed down with a stiff expression. He hadn't expected such a chasm. The outcome was predictable, but he thought it'd be a fight...
This was too one-sided. Dang Seona hadn't used poison arts or even thrown a single weapon.
"As expected of the Serpent Beauty."
"The Poison Dance Lord's disciple, indeed..."
"Heaven is unkind. Not content with the Poison Dance Lord, it bestowed her successor on the Tang Clan too."
"Who knew it wouldn't even be a fight..."
"The Poison Butterfly isn't weak. Mastering Tang hidden weapons so proficiently at her age is impressive."
"She's just up against too much..."
The elders murmured. Wi Juseok, arms crossed beside Wi Seongcheon, frowned.
"Looks like she's got more up her sleeve."
"Pardon?"
"She hasn't given up. She should probably forfeit now and step down."
"...If there's something she can do, she should try."
"Sometimes it's better to quit without trying."
Wi Juseok spat.
"So you leave room."
"...What do you mean?"
"For self-consolation. Like this: 'I didn't go all out, so it's fine.' That sort of thing."
"That's just a mental victory."
"Sometimes you need that. To avoid total despair."
He said it, but he'd never managed it himself. Wi Juseok smacked his lips. Wi Seongcheon didn't catch the self-mockery in his father's voice.
"Thunderbolt Iron Chain, Soundless Seven Kills, White Flame Thrust, Whirlwind Ring, Thunderbolt Needle Formation, Four Flames Flash Claw, Cold Kill, Throwing Monkey Backstroke, Flying Bird Descent..."
Dang Seona shook her fully opened Black Fan. She advanced no further; Dang Heeran retreated no more.
"Impressive. You execute Celestial Killing Hidden Arts' secrets flawlessly. You must've worked hard. Without proper guidance... Wait, your uncle did watch over you, didn't he?"
Dang Seona still smiled.
"Still amazing. No choice, I suppose? Celestial Killing Hidden Arts was all you could learn. Nothing else, so you had to pour everything into it. Yes, good job. But... that's it. Heeran, you tried hard, but this is all you amount to."
"...Not yet."
Dang Heeran spat. Her strained voice was endearing. Dang Seona giggled, shaking her head.
"Still not giving up? When did you grow so bold? You used to quit faster. ...Maybe because you haven't suffered pain? I don't want to hurt you."
Click.
The Black Fan folded. Dang Seona pointed the extended fan at Dang Heeran.
"But no helping it. I have to make you see what you can't do. All that's left is Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky, right? Truth be told, I didn't want to go this far. Mastering Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky... that's your pride, isn't it?"
Dang Heeran's eyes wavered. Dang Seona gazed at her face with delight.
"I didn't want to shatter that. But no choice. If you won't quit, I'll force you. Go on, show me. Celestial Killing Hidden Arts ultimate: Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky. Use it with killing intent. I'll forgive you."
...Hoo.
Dang Heeran steadied her breath once more.
As expected.
Her sister was incredible. To think... not even a graze.
'What did I expect?'
She'd known her sister was superior forever. Dang Heeran lifted her head. Her uncle's earnest face. Beside him, her father's unshaken, expectant one.
She lowered her gaze to her sister again. Dang Seona pointed the extended Black Fan at her, urging Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky.
Dang Heeran easily pictured what followed. Her sister would charge straight through it.
As always. Sweep aside the barrage with her Black Fan, close in, and end it. Predictable.
'Not yet.'
Dang Heeran didn't give up.
She leaped silently. As if expecting it, Dang Seona tracked her with eyes and raised hand. High in the air, Dang Heeran's arms blurred with afterimages.
"Tch."
The Poison Sovereign clicked his tongue. The crowd gasped in admiration. They sensed they were witnessing the Tang Clan's famed ultimate technique: Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky.
Exposing that renowned art didn't matter. It was too famous anyway. Tang hidden weapons were overly notorious despite their nature.
But symbols must endure. Tang arts must remain untouchable, no matter the fame.
Especially Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky. The Poison Sovereign's displeasure stemmed from everyone seeing it 'blocked.'
'On the flip side, Seona's prestige rises.'
Small consolation. Still... he could praise her a bit. He'd never dreamed his youngest could perform it.
Hands blurring grabbed varied weapons. Those in Dang Heeran's grip shifted endlessly. Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky deceived with flashiness, raining weapons like a floral downpour across the sky.
Simply put, unleashing a stupid number at once—but refined beyond imitation, hence ultimate.
Ultra-fast arms and infused qi made airborne weapons seem suspended.
Then they all launched together. Perfect execution demanded swift grasping, precise throws, and exquisite qi control to hold and release simultaneously.
Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky began. Weapons poured. Dang Seona felt joy at her sister's dazzling growth. Effort alone couldn't reach this level.
Hidden by Dang Seona, Dang Heeran was a genius too.
That thrilled Dang Seona more. Her sister's genius, mirroring her own, proved their blood tie despite different mothers.
Thus.
It saddened her. Her sister's efforts would crumble now. Would she despair after? Fine. Cry in despair, and I'd hold you. The Black Fan bloomed open.
Dang Seona expanded her awareness. Her absurd spatial perception read trajectories her eyes couldn't fully capture.
Swish-swish-swish!
Ceaseless Whirlwind Iron Defense with the Black Fan altered paths. Endless projectiles embedded densely around Dang Seona. Dang Heer's Myriad Blossoms Falling from the Sky shattered against the Black Fan.
'...?!'
Dang Seona's expression changed.
The hand motions for Myriad Blossoms had shifted. This wasn't Celestial Killing Hidden Arts. No arts linked to Myriad Blossoms anyway.
It was the finale, the ultimate. Linking anything denied that. Attaching to a sure-kill like Myriad Blossoms was pointless.
Thus, not Celestial Killing Hidden Arts, not ultimate. Just Dang Heer's childhood addition, born of dissatisfaction with Myriad Blossoms alone unable to beat Sis.
Serpent Killing Hidden Arts.
"Flying Butterfly Teases Serpent."
Spitting it out, Dang Heeran shook both hands.
It pierced every Celestial Killing Hidden Arts formula, seamlessly following Myriad Blossoms.
Splash!
The blocking Black Fan pierced by Dang Heer's weapon. It grazed Dang Seona's cheek thinly.
Dang Seona stared wide-eyed at the hole in her fan and the beaming Dang Heeran beyond.
"You...!"
Dang Seona lunged, grabbing Dang Heeran. Who didn't resist, letting herself be caught.
Thud!
Unthinkingly, Dang Seona slammed her body to the ground. Regaining senses late, she looked down.
"Hee... hee hee."
From the impact, blood trickled from Dang Heer's mouth. Her forcibly twisted arms hung dislocated. Penalty for forcing a nonexistent 'next' after Myriad Blossoms.
"First... time."
Dang Heeran murmured up at Dang Seona's face.
"Making Sis... bleed..."
Dang Seona flinched, touching her cheek. Thin cut, blood flowed.
"Making Father... shocked too."
Dang Heeran murmured, smiling.
The instant she pierced the Black Fan with Flying Butterfly Teases Serpent.
Before being grabbed. She'd seen Father's eyes widen and Uncle tear up in emotion.
"...That's enough."
Dang Heer's body slumped limp.
Dang Seona said nothing, staring down at her unconscious sister.
Until the referee approached to declare victory, Dang Seona blankly embraced her sister's body.
Dang Seona's win was as everyone expected. But the hidden weapon art Dang Heeran showed at the end had touched her.