Chapter 164: The Thing I Wish To Show (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164: The Thing I Wish To Show (4)
My first encounter with that bastard happened shortly after I’d become the Young Lord of my clan. It was also my debut appearance at the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament.
These events occurred a few years later than they have in my current, regressed life.
Typically, when one assumes the title of Young Lord, people stop seeing you as just a promising talent and start treating you as an influential figure in the world. Back then, fueled by a useless sense of pride, I’d stubbornly refused to attend any gatherings for young prodigies.
But my own appointment had been unofficial to begin with. Since I was known for never leaving the clan, I was ordered to start building connections. One might wonder how someone with my shitty personality could possibly make friends. But what choice did I have? The clan had given me a direct order.
While my physical condition was better back then, my mindset was far from ideal. My foolish pride, combined with the weight of the responsibilities I would eventually shoulder, was enough to torment any young man.
At that point, I was merely considered a troublemaker. But the rumors that swirled around me as I approached my twenties were something else entirely.
Shanxi’s Evil Spirit.
The Gu Clan’s Disgrace.
Titles like those defined me. It was a world apart from my current situation. This was why I couldn’t have a normal experience at that banquet.
To be honest, my memories of that day are hazy. I’m not even sure if Wi Seol-Ah, Tang Soyeol, or Moyong Hi-ah were present. What about Yung Pung, the Sleeping Dragon? Or the Lightning Dragon? I honestly can't recall if there was a single familiar face in the crowd. It just goes to show how unstable my state of mind was back then.
However, one memory remains crystal clear.
"Nice to meet you, Young Master Gu."
That bastard’s outstretched hand. His eyes, crinkling into crescent moons as he smiled. His voice, dripping with feigned kindness and righteousness. I remember it all vividly.
"My name is Jang Seonyeon."
It wasn't because I felt anything special. And I certainly wasn't moved that someone had approached me while I stood alone. Touched? Just because a guy came up to me? Please.
There was only one reason that ordinary moment became permanently etched in my memory.
"Undeservingly, I am called the Rising Star."
That was the reason I began to hate him.
* * *
The day of the tournament finals arrived. The match was scheduled for around sunset. One might wonder why it was set for such a late hour, but the reason was simple: that was when the people of Hanam were most energized. Thanks to that, I had time for a good meal and a nap beforehand, which I certainly welcomed.
“Give it your all, Young Master!” Wi Seol-Ah shouted with energetic vigor.
Perhaps because she’d had a good lunch, she seemed brighter than usual. I stared at her for a moment, then patted her head.
“Oough…”
“I’ll try,” I said.
‘Giving it my all’? I wasn’t even sure if he was worth my full effort.
“And why would you come to see me off in such cold weather?” I asked.
It was the middle of winter, and the cold was intense. Just pulling my hand from my pocket sent a sharp sting through my fingertips.
“But…” she began.
“What do you mean, ‘but’?”
Wi Seol-Ah looked at me with a certain expression she sometimes wore. It felt like I was being stared at by a mother sending her child off to school. To anyone else, she seemed young and carefree, so why did she look at me like that? I knew our relationship wasn't conventional master and servant, and she was mostly maintaining formality, but it still felt strange.
“I almost thought you were my mom for a second.”
“…What?”
Hearing her confused response, I smirked. Oh wait, I talked about Mother. I was surprised by what had just slipped out. I had spoken about my mother with my own mouth. Had I forgotten? No, I will never forget. That wasn't it. It was something I could never afford to forget—a story I needed to ask Father about in the not-so-distant future, a story whose ending I needed to see.
Despite the wind, I stared at Wi Seol-Ah’s face. I moved my hand from patting her head to touch her hair accessory. The cheap material made for an unpleasant texture. As I fidgeted with it, Wi Seol-Ah quickly stepped back, putting distance between us.
“Hmm?” I looked at her, wondering about her reaction.
She hurriedly covered her head with her hand, specifically where the accessory was.
“What’s wrong?”
“I… I’m not going to give it…”
“Give what?”
“It’s mine…! The thing Young Master gave me… it’s mine.”
Did she think I was going to take back the hair accessory I’d gifted her? Wi Seol-Ah glared at me fiercely, which was out of character.
“I’m not taking it. Where would I even use that?”
“Y-You could give it to another person.”
“…Do you think I would give a used hair accessory to someone else?”
What a cheap action that would be.
“It’s important to me…”
I had nothing to say as I watched her protect the accessory with everything she had. What was it to her, anyway? It was just some random gift I picked up off the street. Whether it was her reaction or something else, I found it hard to meet her gaze.
I was about to let out a fake cough when another voice interrupted.
“…Me too.”
Namgung Bi-ah spoke, her eyes tired, as if she’d been lost in thought. Seeing her, I sighed.
“I told you to go sit down and rest.”
“…I am resting.”
“Who would think you’re resting right now, idiot?”
Why had she come all the way here when she had a perfectly good spectator seat? Especially as a patient.
“It’s fine…”
“Well, then is there something that isn’t fine?”
“…”
At my question, Namgung Bi-ah fell into deep thought. Why was she even pondering that? After a moment of silence, she spoke, though it seemed less like she’d finished thinking and more like she’d given up.
“…I’m hurt…”
Now she was using her patient status as a shield. An involuntary smile escaped me, born from the sheer absurdity of the situation.
And where was Tang Soyeol in all this? Had she gone to visit the Snow Phoenix again? It seemed she’d been paying frequent visits to Moyong Hi-ah lately.
“What? Do you want me to do something about it? Do you want me to blow on it?”
“…Will you?”
“Are you insane…?”
She was taking my joke seriously. I had to go up to the stage soon, and now a headache was creeping in, making me feel like I might lose because of it. It wasn't as if I could bonk a patient on the head.
As I stared at her, Namgung Bi-ah wiped the disappointment from her face and leaned her head toward me.
“What?”
“…Pat me…”
“Why do you seem to get younger as time passes?”
Her childish behavior had increased lately. Compared to my past life, it was a complete transformation. Just a few months ago, she would only shyly lean her head forward when embarrassed; now, she was bluntly asking for it. Of course, it was partly my fault for indulging her without protest. I would’ve passed out in shock if it was me in my past life. I probably would have frowned and thought, 'What the hell is this crazy bitch saying?'
Perhaps subtle changes like these can accumulate and reshape one’s entire mindset.
“You said you were going to show me something last time, right?” I asked, gently brushing her white hair.
Namgung Bi-ah flinched at my words. I noticed a slight reddening of her face.
“…Oh.”
No further response came. All I got were her reddening ears. I moved my hand from her hair to lightly grasp her ear. It was warm—especially considering the chilly weather.
“…Sorry.”
She suddenly apologized. What for? I looked at her with slightly shocked eyes.
“I didn’t get to show you…”
Oh. Was that it? She thought she hadn't shown me anything because she was defeated. She really didn't know herself at all. She had shown me so much. Namgung Bi-ah had shown me that her potential was limitless. She had shown me how much she could improve on her own. Not that she was someone who needed protection in the first place. I had never considered her incapable of standing on her own.
Did she even know? Even now, she was called the Sword Dancer, the Young Sword Queen. Though her most popular title currently was something like the Zenith of Beauty. Despite her defeat, Namgung Bi-ah had gained a tremendous amount—possibly even more than I had.
“I saw a lot, so don’t worry.” I wasn't good at consolation, so this was the best I could do. “I watched everything without missing a moment.”
I had watched so closely that I'd learned something new about her. I truly hoped she would stop making that expression.
“So stop making that teary face and go rest. It’s cold.”
Her injury might have been minor, but that didn't mean she should be moving around like this. I could tell she was using her Qi to protect her body right now. It was quite stupid, given her Qi wasn't overflowing. I thought about scolding her, but there was no time. I had to go up soon.
“Take her with you to sit down,” I finally said, grabbing Wi Seol-Ah and giving her the instruction. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have left.
“Hngh… I want to watch from here too…” The problem was that Wi Seol-Ah never really listened to me.
Thankfully, I had a solution. “Should I call Hongwa?”
“I’ll leave… Sis, let’s go.”
Wi Seol-Ah always listened to Hongwa. After watching them leave with disappointed expressions, I made my way up to the arena stage.
There was no end to one’s thoughts. They might be slow, but they crawl endlessly toward a conclusion. Since Namgung Bi-ah had tried to show me something… it was now my turn to answer her.
When I climbed onto the arena, I saw Jang Seonyeon had arrived before me. He’d taken a good number of injuries during his fight with Namgung Bi-ah, but he seemed in better shape than I’d expected. Our eyes met. The bastard offered a slight smile.
“Nice to meet you.”
"Nice to meet you, Young Master Gu."
It was just a casual greeting, so why was I hearing it alongside the voice from my past life? The situation was different; I was younger now, and his voice was more high-pitched. So why did it sound exactly the same?
“So we meet. I didn’t expect this when we first crossed paths.”
“I did.”
Jang Seonyeon tilted his head. “You’re saying you knew we’d meet in the finals?”
“Yeah, I already knew.”
I probably should show some respect right now, but I had none to give. More than that… I simply loathed the idea of being formal with this bastard.
“The situation was set up this way, you know? This was all planned.”
“Hmm…”
That was a little harsh. Jang Seonyeon would have made it to the finals regardless of the bracket. Unless he’d met me in the first fight. The bracket was just designed to attract the most attention to him. It was bound to happen.
“May I ask for a reason?” Jang Seonyeon inquired.
“What reason? About how I’m so certain?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Why does Young Master Gu harbor such hostility toward me?”
It was an extremely chilly question. And throughout it, he never erased that annoying smile from his face.
“I didn’t do anything for Young Master Gu to have any hostility toward me.”
“Right. You didn’t.”
“Then, I can’t help but wonder why Young Master Gu despises me. I really don’t understand.”
It was the truth. The bastard hadn't done anything to me. At least, not yet. I suppressed the killing intent trying to escape my body.
“Am I not allowed to hate you?”
“I can’t really do much about someone else’s feelings, but it’s just a little sad for m-”
“You hate me too.”
Jang Seonyeon shut his mouth when I cut him off. He fell silent not because I interrupted, but because of what I said.
“Am I wrong?”
“…How come you think that way?”
I noticed a crack in his smile. Why did I think that? It was simple. No matter how I looked at it, I was clearly the one he despised the most. I could discern his thoughts by recollecting my past life.
The Abyss Transportation Incident from my previous life. When the young prodigies participating in the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament were taken into the Abyss, it was widely considered a natural disaster… but that wasn't the case. The one responsible was Jang Seonyeon. His goal was likely the Sleeping Dragon. The bastard hated the Sleeping Dragon with a burning passion, so much that he caused a massive catastrophe. Unfortunately, by the time I pieced together the truth… it was already too late.
“Stop trying to be nice, it makes me sick. Let’s just stop talking.”
“Hm.”
“I tried my best to accept you, but it really wasn’t easy. So you should stop as well.”
I had tried. I tried to hold back, to ignore him. But when I thought about it, I really didn't have to. It simply wasn't in my nature. I felt like I could only endure if I talked shit to him.
“Young Master Gu.”
Maintaining his composed facade was becoming a challenge for him; his smile gradually disappeared. He seemed fine at first, but he’d reached his limit.
“Nice expression. Live with that expression. It’s more comfortable for me too.”
“…How could a bloodline member of a noble clan think of making trouble?”
“I’m actually gonna make a bigger scene right now. Hey, I came here with approval; the approval that I can cause as much trouble as I want.”
Oh, of course, Father hadn't given me that approval. But it should be fine. The Second Elder would take responsibility. After my persistent arguments, Jang Seonyeon finally let out a sigh and adjusted his posture.
“I admit it, Young Master Gu. You have great talent as a martial artist.”
“Many do say that.”
I felt a little embarrassed saying it myself. But he didn’t seem to care, as he kept talking. Steam billowed from his mouth in the cold air.
“You may have outstanding talent, but your humbleness seems to be quite lacking in comparison.”
What he said was true, but because it came from his mouth, an involuntary smile formed on my lips. It felt like watching someone’s embarrassing past.
“And?”
“The humbleness you lack, I pray that you find it in this fight.”
He meant he would teach it to me. I had many retorts, but I chose not to bother. Just seeing the blatant, sickening mindset in his eyes was enough. I actually preferred it this way.
“I’m glad.”
“…?” He was confused by my sudden remark, but he didn’t flinch. He seemed to have learned something from his fight with Namgung Bi-ah.
“I was a little worried, you see.”
As I spoke, I heard the judge announce that it was time for the fight to begin.
-Finals, Gu Clan’s Gu Yangcheon versus…
“I was worried about what I would do if you were a nice guy at this point in time.”
“What are you suddenly…”
“It’s nothing, I just had something on my mind. But I met you and it all cleared up nicely.”
-Taeryung Clan’s Jang Seonyeon.
“Oh, I’m going to say this now, just in case, but…”
-Begin.
“I have no intention of holding back, so you should use everything you can from the start. Don’t try to do something pointless like feeling me out first.”
“What are you trying to say…!”
Pow!
“Ughh…!”
As Jang Seonyeon was mid-sentence, a sudden impact forced a groan from him. His vision shifted instantly. With the sensation of his body being lifted into the air came an intense heat. He didn't even have time to register the pain in his chest, because it wasn't just a single impact.
Slam-!
A second impact followed, and Jang Seonyeon’s face planted into the arena stage. The force was evident from the rocks flying into the air and the cracks spreading across the stone. In the midst of it all, Jang Seonyeon was utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend what kind of movement had brought him here. It had all happened in an instant.
Setting aside the pain, he tried to force his shaky body to rise… but then he heard a voice right in front of his nose.
“First…”
The voice echoed as if from inside a cavern, carrying rough and brutal emotions that left Jang Seonyeon utterly perplexed.
“Should I start with the arm first?”
As I calmly uttered these words… Jang Seonyeon was confused why a sudden chill ran down his spine.