Chapter 99: Tournament (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: Tournament (4)
The tournament, which had begun just after noon, was shaping up to be a lengthy affair.
The third-generation disciples had prepared extensively for this day, and their seriousness was evident. Since they all belonged to the same sect, their sword techniques were fundamentally similar. They knew each other’s moves too well, leading to protracted battles where achieving a decisive victory was difficult.
To an outsider, such drawn-out matches might seem tedious. Yet, the crowd’s enthusiasm showed no signs of waning.
“Their reactions are incredible.”
“They all seem to be genuinely enjoying it.”
Though the audience was small, their excitement and fervor rivaled that of crowds at major events hosted by the Murim Alliance.
I, however, couldn’t stifle a feeling of boredom.
…Is it because I’ve been spending so much time with Yung Pung lately?
Having only Yung Pung as a recent reference point, the martial arts on display seemed woefully inadequate to my eyes. Their flexibility was severely lacking compared to the true swordsmen of Mount Hua. Furthermore, the flow and reaction time of their qi usage were deeply disappointing.
To be brutally honest, I felt I could knock these youngsters out with a single blow. Even Yung Pung could do the same, not to mention someone of Namgung Bi-ah’s caliber.
…I suppose that’s why they pitted Yung Pung against the second-generation disciples.
Now I understood the reasoning behind that decision.
It wasn’t that these disciples were weak. They were martial artists of the Ten Sect Alliance, disciples of the prestigious Mount Hua Sect. They were certainly stronger than most their age…
The sense of underwhelming I felt stemmed purely from the fact that the people I’d recently encountered were simply on another level.
It makes sense. It’s not common for someone under twenty to reach the realm of a first-rate martial artist.
Geniuses like Yung Pung and Namgung Bi-ah were extraordinary outliers.
I glanced at Namgung Bi-ah, wondering if I was the only one finding the tournament dull. Her face was obscured by her veil, but I noticed a subtle movement.
I couldn’t help but ask. “You yawned just now, didn’t you?”
“…”
She flinched at my question and averted her gaze. As her head turned, I saw her meticulously tied hair sway. My eyes lingered on the hair accessory for a moment before I turned to Wi Seol-Ah.
Unlike Namgung Bi-ah and me, Wi Seol-Ah was watching the fights with a distinct sparkle in her eyes.
“Is it fun for you?”
“Yeah!”
She responded without hiding her emotions.
I guess it’s different for her. She’s not watching with my jaded perspective.
-Woahhh-!
As the crowd cheered, I shifted my gaze back to the arena just in time to see a wooden sword clatter to the ground.
“…I lost.”
“You did well.”
The winner gripped the loser’s shoulder reassuringly. The defeated disciple seemed younger or perhaps had joined the sect later than his opponent.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd around me.
“They’ve improved so much since last year.”
“To see such growth in just a year… it makes me proud.”
“This is the true essence of the Mount Hua Sect…! Indeed!”
Their perspective was certainly different from mine. I suppose that was the difference between normal individuals and martial artists.
Have I changed?
Am I arrogantly placing myself in their realm just because I was given a second chance at life through regression and absorbed some qi?
If that were the case, I needed to correct my thinking immediately. Such arrogance would surely come back to haunt me one day. I had to be careful; I’d experienced similar consequences before.
As I was organizing my thoughts, Namgung Bi-ah spoke softly.
“…She’s come out.”
My eyes widened at her words. The murmurs around us intensified.
“What? There’s a girl among the disciples?”
“There wasn’t one last year… Is she new?”
“Impossible. Even the wealthiest families tried to enroll their children recently, but Mount Hua isn’t accepting any new disciples right now.”
A girl stood poised in the center of the arena. She wore the symbolic white attire of Mount Hua, a wooden sword held steadily in her hand. Her black hair was tied back neatly as she calmly surveyed her surroundings. Despite being the center of attention, she remained remarkably composed. Or perhaps she was just pretending, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
I kept my gaze fixed on her.
Soon, she drew her wooden sword and settled into a battle stance. Before the duel began, the two opponents exchanged formal introductions.
“…I am Yung Jin—a third-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“I am Gu Ryunghwa—a second-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”
Their voices were not loud, but they were clear enough for all to hear. The content of Gu Ryunghwa’s introduction sent a shockwave through the spectators.
After the introductions, a voice amplified by qi reverberated across the grounds.
“Begin!”
And so, Gu Ryunghwa’s duel commenced.
* * *
-What the… a second-generation disciple? But she looks so young!
-This is the first time I’ve seen her. Perhaps she hasn’t been officially introduced until today.
I tried to ignore the murmurs, but they still echoed in my mind.
Gu Ryunghwa focused all her attention on her opponent, Yung Jin, who stood opposite her. An annoyed expression was plastered on his face. He seemed offended, likely not because he was facing his senior, but because he probably didn’t even acknowledge her as such. His disappointment stemmed from being matched against a young girl, robbing him of what he considered an honorable and worthy duel. His demeanor was palpably negative.
Gu Ryunghwa’s breathing grew rough.
-I want to participate on the first day of the tournament.
She had genuinely wanted to compete alongside the other second-generation disciples. But she had suppressed that desire, choosing instead to participate with the juniors. To insist otherwise would have seemed stubborn and foolish. It concerned her pride as her master’s disciple, but in the end, she had let it go.
Shinhyun had asked her with worry if she was truly fine with this decision. She had simply nodded, her face etched with astute determination. His question had carried many layers of meaning, and she was aware of every one of them.
Slowly, she raised her wooden sword and trained her gaze on her opponent.
I’m scared…
She was terrified. So much so that she wanted to turn and run right then. The frown on her opponent’s face and the sharpness in his gaze frightened her. It became hard to breathe as memories surfaced of a person who had never turned back, even when she cried and screamed for help.
“Begin-!”
The moment the match started, her opponent charged straight at her. He swung his sword, intent on ending this farce quickly. Yet, there was almost no power behind his strike, as if he was deliberately going easy on her.
Gu Ryunghwa clenched her teeth at the sight. She swung her sword in response.
All her training—the grueling practice she endured every single day—was for this moment. This was her chance to blossom. She had lost count of how many times her hands had ripped and bled during intense training. Nosebleeds were a daily occurrence. All of it was driven by her will to make beautiful plum blossoms bloom within her sword.
-Smack-!
“…!”
Yung Jin, her opponent, was shocked when she blocked his attack. He hadn’t considered for a second that she would be capable of it. She was still lacking in pure strength, so she opted to redirect his attack rather than block it head-on. As she drew a crescent with her sword, shifting her body in tandem, Yung Jin’s strike was deflected.
This created an opening for her to counter-attack. She swung at the opening, but Yung Jin managed to block her strike.
…I was too slow.
She had hesitated for a moment. Her fear of committing fully to her sword strikes had been her downfall.
Yung Jin regained his posture, his composure seemingly restored after that single exchange. It was clear he would no longer underestimate her.
“Whew…”
Her breath still trembled slightly.
The reason Gu Ryunghwa wished to make plum blossoms bloom in her sword was for her master—the Plum Blossom Sword Queen. She wanted to bring peace to her master’s heart before her eyes closed forever. That was why she had subjected herself to an excruciating training regimen, even cutting into her sleep.
But now, she realized that forcing oneself to blossom wasn’t so easy. Furthermore, when the Sword Queen awoke and began to regain her health, Gu Ryunghwa felt a sudden hollowness, as if she had lost her purpose.
What reason do I have to learn the sword now?
She was overjoyed that the Sword Queen was healthy and they could train together again. But Gu Ryunghwa still didn’t know what her own goal in life was.
Noticing her disciple’s aimless state, the Sword Queen had said:
-The meaning you wish to channel into your sword is something you must find for yourself.
To find the meaning of the sword—that was the first true homework the Sword Queen had given Gu Ryunghwa. It was a significant departure from her usual step-by-step instruction, a sign that she was entrusting her disciple with a greater responsibility.
-Swish!
Yung Jin’s sword skimmed past Gu Ryunghwa’s hair. Unlike before, his attacks now carried substantial power, his swings firm and heavy. Whether he was fully serious or not, he was certainly putting more effort into the duel.
Gu Ryunghwa maintained her calm, refusing to feel pressured by the sword swinging before her eyes.
If not blooming plum blossoms, then what must I put into my sword?
That question had revolved in her head a thousand times over. What was etched onto the desperation that had been swept away? Was it revenge? The desire for revenge against her family for what they did to her beloved mother? The resentment she felt for the brother who had simply discarded her? Was that the intent she needed to channel?
“Ugh!”
A tremor ran through Gu Ryunghwa’s body as she blocked Yung Jin’s sword, nearly overpowered. His attacks grew progressively harsher.
The Sword Queen’s style focused more on defense than offense. She had said that even when learning the same sword art, the result could look different depending on the meaning each person channeled into their blade.
Don’t be scared. You can simply make it all flow away.
“Huh…?”
Yung Jin gasped in shock. The attack he believed was unblockable was effortlessly guided and redirected by Gu Ryunghwa. Her previously rough breaths began to calm.
I don’t want to put such dark things in my sword.
The painful memories that made her afraid still remained, but she didn’t want to choose revenge to overcome them. She still resented her brother, Gu Yangcheon. Yet, despite everything, a part of her had harbored hope for him after seeing him change. Once again, her eyes had sought him out, her focus gathering on her brother.
She felt foolish. Even after all the pain, part of her was still that little girl tumbling on the floor, crying out for her brother, waiting for him to return and show her affection.
Then she remembered the words she had desperately spoken without even thinking:
-Can we be like before?
She had asked with hope and desire in her heart. If Gu Yangcheon had said yes back then, she might have tried to pretend that nothing had ever happened. It would have been her way of escaping reality—living as if the past horrors had never occurred, deceiving herself into feeling better.
But would that truly make me feel better?
She might have been able to forget that moment of despair. She could have completely erased her painful past, feeling a sense of relief and escape. Living in willful ignorance.
However, Gu Ryunghwa knew deep down that wasn’t what she truly desired.
Even while deflecting Yung Jin’s attacks, her eyes scanned the spectator seats. It didn’t take long to find him. There were only so many people wearing a red uniform with sharp, fierce eyes.
As expected, she found Gu Yangcheon sitting amidst the boisterous crowd. When she saw him, she almost laughed. He had said with a careless expression that he was just there to watch her perform, yet he wore such a worried look…
She wondered what had happened to her brother in the span of a year to change him so much. Just a glance at the emotions stirring in the depths of his eyes told her he felt guilty and apologetic. She also knew he wished to apologize but couldn’t bring himself to do so.
Yet, Gu Ryunghwa never complained about his silence. They were already too distant for such words. And she was sure her brother wouldn’t try to bridge that gap either.
Thinking this far, Gu Ryunghwa felt an inkling of what she wanted to do.
-Swoosh-!
Her sword pierced through a careless opening, connecting lightly with Yung Jin’s shoulder. She had held back, intending not to cause serious harm, but the fact that her attack landed was what mattered.
Yung Jin’s face flushed immediately. His pride was wounded, both by her success and her consideration not to hurt him.
Despite the hostility in his gaze, Gu Ryunghwa remained calm. She focused her power into her feet. Qi flowed from her dantian, spreading throughout her body to enhance the strength in her legs.
If there was a distance between them, she would close it. If he wouldn’t come to her, she would go to him. If she couldn’t return to the life she had before, then she would create a new one with her brother.
She would still feel resentment. She would still shout in anger and vehemence. She would cry over the deep scars that might never wash away from her heart. But she still wished to forgive him.
If not plum blossoms, then this intent—this desire for reconciliation and a new beginning—was what she wished to channel into her martial art.
Gu Ryunghwa moved fluidly between Yung Jin’s sword strikes. Her talent was blooming right then and there.
She was disadvantaged in terms of physique, raw strength, and qi accumulation. Yet, for some reason unknown even to herself, Gu Ryunghwa felt no fear. Not even for a second.
She deflected every attack that came her way, inching closer to him step by step. Her relentless advance gradually sowed shock and bewilderment in Yung Jin’s mind. His initial thoughts of an easy victory and moving on to a real duel were completely crushed.
Yung Jin had been serious from the moment his first strike was deflected.
What in the world…
This feeling of being overwhelmed wasn’t entirely new to Yung Jin. In fact, it was a shared experience among all the third-generation disciples. Yung Pung had been just like her when he was young. He had joined much later than the others but became an official swordsman of Mount Hua in just a few years. Because of this, all the third-generation disciples harbored immense jealousy and hatred towards him.
A sword that contained emotions other than the swordsman’s pure intent could never be firm. This was precisely Yung Jin’s problem at this moment.
As his movements gradually deteriorated under the weight of his emotions, Gu Ryunghwa did not let the opportunity slip away. Her practice duels against Namgung Bi-ah had taught her well—to seize any opening without hesitation.
She deflected Yung Jin’s sword, creating a clear opening, and struck decisively at his wrist.
“Aghh!”
With a sharp cry, his wooden sword clattered to the ground. Simultaneously, the tip of Gu Ryunghwa’s sword came to rest at Yung Jin’s neck.
The crowd, which had been silently focused on the duel, erupted into loud cheers.
As the duel concluded, Yung Jin, his face a mask of desperation, picked up his fallen sword and lowered his head.
“…I lo…!”
Suppressing his frustration and rage, he was about to admit defeat when he glanced at her face and stopped short.
Gu Ryunghwa was smiling.
It was unlike the perpetually frowning expression she usually wore. Uncharacteristically, a bright, innocent smile bloomed on her face, as if she had genuinely enjoyed fighting him.
She spoke while looking directly at him.
“You did well.”
“Ah… Yes…!” he stammered in response.
She then turned and made her way out of the arena. Wiping sweat from his forehead, Yung Jin stared after Gu Ryunghwa as she walked away. For some reason, he felt he would remember that smile for the rest of his life, charmed by its innocence and beauty.
* * *
The duel ended amidst the crowd’s boisterous cheers. The outcome was shocking for several reasons.
“…She won.”
Namgung Bi-ah’s voice sounded genuinely surprised. I couldn’t see her face, but I was sure she felt that way. After all, I felt the same. I could never have imagined Gu Ryunghwa winning a match in this tournament.
What happened?
It was even harder for me to process because I had memories of the Gu Ryunghwa from my past life—a martial artist whose fame had never spread throughout the world.
“…But her appearance just now…”
Anyone with even a basic knowledge of martial arts could see what had transpired. The potential Gu Ryunghwa had displayed was immense. As if to confirm this, I looked toward where the sect elders were seated and saw them engaged in animated discussion about her.
What she had shown wasn’t something that could be achieved through a sudden enlightenment during battle.
It was as if she had released something she had been suppressing until now.
As she walked down from the stage, our eyes met by chance. She looked in my direction and waved.
Seeing her like that, I realized something fundamental within her had changed. Watching Gu Ryunghwa smile so brightly, I felt as if a rusted part of my own inner self had begun to melt away. When I had met her earlier, it seemed like she was trapped by something hindering her spirit. Now, it appeared she had broken free from that shackle during this duel.
While I’m still stuck, even after regressing.
Unlike me, that young girl had found her own way out. Unlike her incompetent older brother.
“Cute.”
I smirked upon hearing Namgung Bi-ah’s sudden comment.
“So sudden?”
“…Her smiling face is sooo cute.”
“Yeah! It’s like how the Young Master smiles!”
“…I don’t think so.”
“Hey.”
Namgung Bi-ah refuted Wi Seol-Ah’s words in a strict, blunt tone.
Well, she’s not wrong, but I still feel pretty shitty about it.
While mentally nagging at Namgung Bi-ah, I looked toward Gu Ryunghwa and waved back.
That’s that, but…
My thoughts turned to Gu Ryunghwa’s opponent. I remembered him staring daggers at her after the duel ended.
“…I’ll have to ask Yung Pung what that guy’s name is later.”
I wasn’t planning anything severe, but I didn’t like him one bit.