Chapter 157: What’s the Harm in a Little Misunderstanding?
Chapter 157: What’s the Harm in a Little Misunderstanding?
The fervor surrounding the Young Dragon Tournament reached a fever pitch.
As the main rounds commenced, the smaller sparring arenas in the Murim Alliance’s outer court were dismantled, replaced by a single, massive stage at the center. Tiered seating rose around the platform, allowing thousands of spectators to witness the matches simultaneously.
The tournament to determine the champion among the thirty-two group winners began in earnest today.
Anyone who reached the final eight was guaranteed a spot in the Murim Alliance’s elite units. Even for those who fell short, the main rounds were a golden opportunity to catch the eyes of the Alliance’s masters and earn an invitation to join a prestigious faction. For every participant, these finals were a life-altering turning point.
Seo Dae-ryong, however, was burning with motivation for a different reason.
A martial artist’s soul was awakening within him. Until now, Seo Dae-ryong had merely been someone who practiced martial arts; through this tournament, he was being reborn as a true warrior. Even facing the massive crowd of heroes filling the stands, he did not shrink back.
His gaze was fixed solely on his opponent. I remained silent. Everything that needed to be said had already been conveyed during our training. I only hoped he had grasped the essence of those lessons. I trusted in his intelligence.
“So Dang of the Jangpyeong Sword House in Fujian!”
A roar of cheers erupted at the referee’s shout, which was infused with potent internal energy.
So Dang slowly ascended the stage. His expression and gait exuded composure and confidence. He was a seasoned fighter whose goal of winning the entire tournament would surprise no one.
“Seo Ryong of the West Blade Sect in Gansu!”
Another roar shook the air. Surprisingly, the cheers for Seo Dae-ryong were even louder than those for So Dang. While So Dang was a well-known rising star, Seo Dae-ryong was a dark horse from an obscure sect who had stormed his way into the finals. The crowd’s desire to see an underdog cause an upset was just as strong as their respect for the established elite.
Hearing the cheers, Seo Dae-ryong looked back at me standing below the stage. He sent a message via Voice Transmission.
—I’m going to make sure last night’s dream stays a pipe dream before I come back down.
What more needed to be said? Instead of verbal encouragement, I gave him a firm nod, my eyes conveying my absolute trust.
At the referee’s signal, the duel began.
So Dang was a martial artist who had been rigorously trained in swordsmanship since childhood. His attacks were sharp, and his defense was rock-solid. He stood like an impregnable fortress, unyielding against any assault.
I knew exactly how frustrating this felt for Seo Dae-ryong. Fortunately, it was a frustration he had experienced plenty of during our training sessions leading up to this moment.
‘Don’t get lured in!’
Usually, fighters lose their cool against such a defense and overextend, only to be crushed by a counter-attack. The core of So Dang’s swordsmanship lay in the counter.
If Dae-ryong could turn the tables and make his opponent feel the pressure instead, he would surely find a weakness. However, I hadn't given him this answer directly. I wanted him to find it himself.
Blade and sword clashed, sending sparks flying. The spectators held their breath. The techniques being exchanged were of a level far beyond what one would expect from a clash of mere rising stars.
Seo Dae-ryong fought aggressively but never rushed. He was painting his own grand picture. The title of that painting was Patience. He had found the answer on his own.
After hundreds of exchanges, the painting was finally complete. He had succeeded in making his opponent anxious. He had created an atmosphere where, if the match were to be decided by the referee’s judgment, the more aggressive Seo Dae-ryong would clearly hold the advantage.
That inverted pressure forced a tiny opening, and Seo Dae-ryong did not miss his chance.
Slash!
Seo Dae-ryong’s blade cut deep into So Dang’s arm. Blood sprayed, and So Dang’s sword clattered to the floor. Despite the significant injury, So Dang tried to continue, but the referee stepped in and declared Seo Dae-ryong the winner.
Cheers erupted for both men. Regardless of the outcome, it had been a magnificent duel worthy of the main rounds.
When Seo Dae-ryong stepped down from the stage, his legs gave out, and he slumped to the ground. Many eyes were on him, but he didn't care. Perhaps his dazed, exhausted state made him seem more human, as many passersby offered him a fist salute in respect, while others applauded from a distance.
I said nothing. It wasn't because of the onlookers; I simply wanted Seo Dae-ryong to fully savor the weight of this moment on his own.
Among those offering congratulations was the woman who had cheered for him before.
“Congratulations on your victory!”
At the sight of her bright smile, Seo Dae-ryong scrambled to his feet. “Thank you.”
Once the woman smiled and walked away, Seo Dae-ryong sat back down beside me.
“You looked like a corpse a second ago, but now you look like you could go another round,” I teased.
After confirming she was far enough away, Seo Dae-ryong shook his head and slumped back down. “No, I’d die if I tried. That was incredibly hard. The next opponent will be even stronger, won't they?”
“Probably. Why? Do you want to quit?”
“Yes, please send me home!”
“And what will you say at the next drinking party? That you came back because you were too scared and exhausted at the final moment? Well, Commander Jang and Lee An are kind people, so I’m sure they’ll comfort you. They’ll say you did well enough. But in their hearts, they’ll be thinking: ‘If it were me, I would have fought to the end.’ Every time they look at you, they’ll think, ‘If it were me…’”
“Stop it.”
I grinned and held out my hand. Seo Dae-ryong gripped it tightly and pulled himself up.
“Thank you. If you hadn't sparred with me, Pavilion Master, I never would have won.”
“I was just the practice partner; I’m not the one who won the match. You did well.”
“This is really addictive, isn't it? When I beat that guy and the cheers erupted from all sides… it felt insanely good.”
“If you go truly insane, you’re just a madman. But if you’re just the right amount of crazy, no one can touch you. Stay just the right amount of crazy.”
As we returned to the inn, an unexpected person was waiting for me. Jin Ha-ryeong was sitting inside, eating noodles.
Seo Dae-ryong and I paused at the entrance. He whispered worriedly, “I hope noodles are the only thing that lady has developed a taste for.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“You know exactly what I mean. Why would a woman of her status come back just to eat noodles again?”
“She’s probably here for treatment today.”
“What treatment?”
“Her pride suffered a wound.”
“You did that on purpose, didn't you?”
I couldn't deny it. At the very least, I was putting in my best effort to get closer to her.
“It’s all because of the Heavenly Mandate Society.”
“The problem is that she doesn't know that,” Seo Dae-ryong muttered.
He headed straight up to our room, and I walked over to her.
*
Jin Ha-ryeong watched Geom Mu-geuk’s hand as he approached. She found herself thinking that his hand was smoother and fairer than the one that had reached out to her on the cliff in her dream.
Geom Mu-geuk arrived at the table and greeted her. “Your duel is in three days, isn't it? Our young master’s was today.”
She really had to hand it to this attendant’s sociability. They had only met a few times, yet he spoke to her with the ease of an old friend.
“May I sit for a moment?”
She nodded.
“Please make sure to pay for your noodles today, My Lady.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, on the first day we met, and the second time as well, you left so abruptly that I ended up paying for the drinks and food.”
She was momentarily flustered. Come to think of it, that was definitely true for the second time. She had been so angry that she had just stormed out. Had she done it the first time too?
In her entire life, had she ever stiffed someone on a bill? It was a blatant oversight. Her face flushed slightly. This man constantly found ways to catch her off guard.
Is this why you appeared in my dream? To tell me to pay you back?
She had intended to take control of the conversation from the start, but she had already lost the initiative.
“How much is it? I simply forgot.”
“No, instead, buy me noodles and drinks twice in the future.”
Is he using that as an excuse to see me again? She wondered if this seemingly innocent man was actually a smooth talker.
‘It won't be that easy. Do you think you’re the first one to try?’
If she lined up all the men who wanted to marry her to change their lives, the line would probably wrap around the walls of the Murim Alliance. After seeing so many people lusting after her background and beauty, she had developed a near-loathing for men.
“I’ll pay it all back today. Order whatever dish you like, not just noodles.”
“No, I don't feel like it today.”
Such a blunt rejection from an attendant! Feeling as though she were the one being treated like a servant, she ordered some liquor.
“I need a drink.”
Only after knocking back two cups in a row did she bring up that day.
“To be honest, I was angry that day. Just as I was about to honestly introduce you as an attendant to my friend, you spoke up first and called yourself a junior disciple. It made me feel like I was deceiving my friend, and it made me angry.”
Would saying this change anything? She knew it wouldn't, but her stubborn personality demanded she say what was on her mind. She met Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes.
They were eyes that didn't suit an attendant at all. Calm and deep, yet utterly unreadable—they reminded her of her late father’s eyes, and also of her grandfather, the Alliance Leader.
With that gaze, Geom Mu-geuk asked calmly, “Why do you keep dwelling on that?”
In that moment, she thought to herself: I really hate this part of my personality.
“Because I don't like being misunderstood.”
“Because you’re afraid you’ll look like someone who looks down on attendants?”
“Yes. Because I’m not that kind of person.”
“What’s the harm in a little misunderstanding?”
“I don't like it.”
“Have you ever considered that such a mindset might actually be more insulting to the other person?”
She bristled instantly. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“An attendant is a person too. They think the same things a master does; they just hold their tongues. If someone looks down on an attendant from the start, the attendant can just dismiss them as ‘that kind of person’ and look down on them in return.”
“So you’re saying my consideration is worse than someone who actually looks down on servants?”
“I wouldn't go that far, but let me ask you one thing. Is that consideration for the other person? Or is it for yourself?”
“...!” Jin Ha-ryeong flinched.
“Oh, it’s fine even if it’s for yourself. But you shouldn't let it show. Once it shows, we have to start taking it seriously too. We start thinking, ‘Ah, so eating and talking with us is something she has to agonize over that much. She’s trying so hard not to hurt us.’ It forces us to think thoughts we didn't need to have. All so that you can feel better about yourself.”
Jin Ha-ryeong couldn't say a word. Her face was flushed deep red. It was a perspective she had truly never considered, and she didn't know how to respond. She felt wronged and frustrated. She knew that once she got home, she would regret not having a better comeback and would end up kicking her blankets in frustration.
Is this why he appeared in my dream?
That thought led back to self-reproach. ‘Ah! I really am selfish.’
Even in this moment, she was only worried about herself. She was trying to bandage her wounded pride by telling herself that the attendant appeared in her dream only because he was the type of person who said such unexpected things.
“You are far too arrogant for an attendant. You should consider it an honor to eat at the same table as me.” After speaking coldly, she added, “Like that?”
“Yes. Isn't that much better? If I were in your position, that’s what I would think. Most people eating here would do the same. So, you should do it too. Don't think too deeply about it. You’ll only hurt yourself.”
After staring at the man for a moment, she stood up abruptly.
“I won't! Who do you think you are, lecturing me? You’re just a young attendant!”
As if putting her new lesson into practice, she spoke her mind without hesitation.
“I admit it. And it suits you well. Take this opportunity to take off the mask and live comfortably.”
“Shut up! You insolent attendant!”
She snapped at him and stormed out of the inn.
Immediately after, Seo Dae-ryong scurried over and sat down across from me as if he’d been waiting. It seemed he had been eavesdropping from the top of the stairs.
Sipping the liquor she had left behind, Seo Dae-ryong remarked, “Fated love always ends in tragedy.”
How could I not know he was saying that out of concern? But since the mood wasn't meant to be serious, I teased him back.
“Is love ever that easy to achieve? You should know better than anyone that it doesn't even work out when you’re in the same organization.”
I was referring to the fact that Seo Dae-ryong had once had a meal with a junior from the Huangquan Pavilion he liked, but nothing had come of it.
“Do you have to poke where it hurts? I have ladies cheering for me too, you know!”
Looking at Seo Dae-ryong’s pouting face, I smiled.
Dae-ryong, I couldn't have a fated love even if I wanted to. The moment I start to love, the destiny known as Hwa Mu-gi will surely say: ‘How dare you play at love while I am here?’ As long as that destiny is closing in on me, love is nothing but a luxury. Right now, I don't even have time to feel my own heart, let alone its beating.
“Investigator Seo, let’s go practice.”
“Yes! For us loser monkeys, training is the only way to survive!”
“What do you mean, ‘us’?”
And as I stood up, I realized. Jin Ha-ryeong had left without paying again today.