Chapter 167
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Disappointment (2)
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“Hm?”
As Gwan Pyeong stepped out for some fresh air after a night of training, his eyes fell upon a woman heading somewhere.
She possessed a beauty that could topple nations, yet her expressionless face held a coldness that surpassed even Gwan Pyeong’s. Her gait was steady, and the faint demonic energy emanating from her was as sharp as a blade.
“Seoyun.”
Ju Seoyun turned to look at Gwan Pyeong.
He approached with a leisurely stride.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes.”
The Divine Cult of the Heavenly Demon was so vast that it was difficult for the Cult Leader’s disciples to run into each other unless they made a specific effort. In fact, among those who had lived in the Cult for over a decade, there were some who had never even properly met.
“Is this the first time since the Grand Assembly?”
“Yes.”
“Have you been well?”
“Yes.”
The same curt replies as always. Gwan Pyeong smiled, a smile that didn't quite match his characteristically cold atmosphere.
“Your presence is astounding. You’ve grown remarkably again.”
“Thank you.”
“Haha, you should slow down a bit. I’ll be overtaken soon enough.”
Ju Seoyun glanced at Gwan Pyeong.
Her indifferent eyes matched her expressionless face.
“You’ve also trained hard, Brother.”
“Oh? Does it seem that way?”
Gwan Pyeong had transcended human limits after a great enlightenment immediately following the Grand Assembly. The martial arts he had mastered were inherently subtle and not easily revealed, but he, too, was a practitioner of outstanding power, belying his age.
“However…”
“Hm?”
“It’s nothing.”
The smile vanished from Gwan Pyeong’s face.
Ju Seoyun had turned her head away. Her face, so devoid of expression, was difficult to read. Yet, he was able to catch a flicker of disappointment.
He was a man approaching thirty who had amassed power comparable to the leader of a great sect. It was a level of strength that should have inspired awe in anyone, but to Ju Seoyun, it seemed to fall short.
*Hmph.*
Gwan Pyeong asked.
“By the way, where are you headed so early in the morning?”
Ju Seoyun stopped walking.
After a moment of silence, she slowly opened her mouth.
“Brother.”
“Speak.”
“I have no ambition for supremacy.”
“...!”
It was a sudden bombshell. Gwan Pyeong’s eyes wavered.
“So you need not concern yourself with me.”
“I was merely…”
“Then, farewell.”
Bowing her head, Ju Seoyun went on her way.
Gwan Pyeong’s face hardened slightly as he watched her retreating figure.
*No ambition for supremacy?*
They had never exchanged more than a few words whenever they met. Just when he thought they were finally having a conversation, she had stunned him with her sudden declaration.
Gwan Pyeong stood there for a long time, watching Ju Seoyun walk away.
A moment later, a man named Jehan appeared.
“Young Master. Regarding the matter you mentioned before…”
“...”
“Young Master?”
“Ah, you’re here.”
“Yes.”
Jehan followed Gwan Pyeong’s gaze.
“What are you looking at?”
“Jehan.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Have Seoyun watched.”
“The, the Fifth Young Mistress, you mean?”
“Yes. She’s a sensitive girl, so have her watched from a distance.”
“Why the Fifth Young Mistress all of a sudden…?”
“Just a whim.”
Gwan Pyeong’s eyes grew cold.
“I’d rather not have any more whims. That’s why I’m telling you to watch her.”
* * *
“Young Master.”
A look of trouble was visible on Ma Dongpil’s face.
“The Fifth Young Mistress…”
“I know.”
Seo Ryang rolled his shoulders, loosening his body before training.
“Just let her in.”
“Understood.”
A moment later, Seo Ryang stepped out of his room and looked at Ju Seoyun, who was standing to one side of the training grounds.
Ju Seoyun lowered her head slightly. Seo Ryang responded with a shrug.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes.”
That was the extent of their conversation. With a nod, Seo Ryang stepped onto the training grounds and began to warm up.
Ju Seoyun watched his every move.
Tall with long limbs and a body packed with toned muscle, Seo Ryang’s form could well be called a work of art. Dozens of scars crisscrossed his upper body, but they did not look unsightly.
*Thump.*
Stomping one foot down hard, Seo Ryang lowered his stance.
His face grew serious, his fists clenched. His gaze, fixed forward, had become calm.
Ju Seoyun’s eyes sparkled.
*So, the training begins.*
He didn’t mind showing his training to others. In that respect, at least, they had something in common.
*Swoosh.*
Seo Ryang threw a punch.
Every punch, every step, was executed with meticulous care. But the movements were incredibly slow, so much so that one might think he was practicing a Slow Art.
*Is he correcting his posture?*
*Swoosh.*
Slowly, and then even slower.
Though the movements were sluggish, they had a mesmerizing quality. The speed was constant, and the force in his muscles remained the same. While the form itself had many openings, there was no wasted energy.
It was like watching the gentle dance of a courtesan.
*It’s a fist art. Few variations, but the strikes are precise. The style of a Strong Fist.*
Amazingly, just by watching Seo Ryang’s fluid movements from the side, Ju Seoyun was able to instantly discern the nature of his martial art. It was a testament to her extraordinary insight.
Some time passed.
*Drip. Drip, drop.*
Sweat from Seo Ryang’s body fell to the ground.
He was sweating despite using a moderate amount of internal energy. From a power distribution perspective, it was an incredibly difficult and high-level form of training, but it was hard to understand why a master who had reached the pinnacle would sweat like that.
Ju Seoyun was inwardly puzzled.
*It’s difficult, but not so much that he should be struggling this badly. So why…?*
Suddenly, she was startled.
*The footwork?!*
That was it. The focus of Seo Ryang’s training wasn’t the fist art, but the footwork.
The level of the fist art he was executing was so high that she hadn't noticed it before, but upon realizing it and looking again, she saw he was practicing footwork of immense difficulty.
*To think such footwork existed.*
Even with her genius-level insight, she couldn’t tell which direction he was taking. She couldn’t read the ratio of offense to defense, nor could she see what openings he was aiming to exploit.
*However…*
While the art itself was astounding, a question remained.
*He’s executing high-level footwork and fist arts, but for him to be struggling this much…*
Ju Seoyun was filled with deep questions.
Finally, Seo Ryang’s training came to an end.
“Still tough. I should stop.”
Ju Seoyun looked up at the sky. The sun had moved, but less than an hour had passed.
*Already? He’s finishing his training this quickly?*
His face didn’t look like his lungs were about to burst, nor had he depleted all his internal energy. And yet, he said it was tough and decided to stop.
*Is he satisfied with this level of training?*
She had expected a master who had reached the pinnacle to engage in training that others couldn't even imagine. She thought he would be so exhausted he couldn't lift a finger, unable to move for a while.
But that wasn't the case. He seemed quite tired, but it was a level of fatigue he could recover from quickly without needing to circulate his energy.
*How on earth…?*
Confusion clouded Ju Seoyun’s face. How could he be satisfied with such lax training? How could he have become a master?
“Aeng-hwa.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Aeng-hwa, who had been sweeping in the distance, came running over.
“Should we get something to eat?”
“Yes!”
Seo Ryang glanced at Ju Seoyun.
“You want a bite?”
“...”
“Aeng-hwa, set up one more serving.”
And so, a meal was laid out on one side of the training grounds.
Seo Ryang picked up his utensils.
“Let’s eat.”
Ma Dongpil and Aeng-hwa began to shovel food into their mouths.
Ju Seoyun, sitting awkwardly, watched Seo Ryang. He looked as if he was about to wipe the entire table clean.
After eating for a while, Seo Ryang spoke.
“Dongpil.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“A round later?”
“It would be my honor.”
“Good.”
After the brief exchange, the sound of chewing once again dominated the table.
Seo Ryang spoke again after finishing three plates.
“Aeng-hwa.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“You don’t need to leave cooked meat all over the residence. Geumho isn’t coming back anyway.”
Aeng-hwa’s face fell.
Seo Ryang chuckled.
“Don’t worry. He’s probably off living like a king somewhere.”
“Yeees.”
“So I ate all of it, the meat.”
“Ah…”
“It’s already humid and hot. It’s a waste of food if it spoils.”
“My thoughts were shallow. I have committed a crime worthy of death.”
“If that’s a crime worthy of death, I would have died ten thousand times over…”
Listening quietly to their conversation, Ju Seoyun was inwardly astonished.
*There are no walls between them.*
Her third brother treated his escort warrior and maid like friends. What was more surprising was that this atmosphere wasn't forced; it had formed naturally.
“So.”
Startled, Ju Seoyun looked at Seo Ryang.
He was staring at the meat dish in front of her with greedy eyes.
“Are you going to eat it or not?”
“I…”
“If you’re not, give it to me.”
Ju Seoyun passed him the plate. Seo Ryang ravenously cleared it.
“*Chomp, chomp.* So, did you get anything out of it?”
Everyone looked at Seo Ryang.
He turned his gaze to Ju Seoyun.
“You said you came to watch and learn, right? Did you get anything out of it?”
“Not yet.”
“Of course not.”
Ju Seoyun’s eyes wavered. *Of course not?* What did he mean by that?
“Enlightenment is only valuable when you achieve it yourself. But since wasting time is the biggest waste of all, I’ll tell you this: it’s going to be the same from now on.”
“The same?”
Having cleared every plate, Seo Ryang patted his stomach. He looked languid.
“It’s not because of the gap in our martial skills. As you are now, you’d have a hard time identifying your problem no matter whose training you watch.”
“Why is that?”
“Why else? It’s because your obsession is too strong.”
“If you’re referring to my obsession with martial arts…”
“No. It’s your obsession with the belief that your way is the fastest path to growth.”
“...!”
“I won’t tell you to abandon your obsession, but you have to admit that what’s right for you isn’t right for everyone.”
Ju Seoyun mulled over Seo Ryang’s words.
*Obsession? I’m obsessed with my own methods?*
That couldn't be right. She certainly trained harder than anyone, but at the same time, she knew how to rest properly when she needed to. Though, one could argue that even her rest was part of her training.
“It’s the same with relationships, isn’t it? A relationship develops when you understand the other person. Martial arts are the same. There are countless warriors with their own methods. If you don’t acknowledge and contemplate those methods, you’ll forever remain where you are.”
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
“Then again, I suppose I don’t need to be telling you this. At your age, how many rising stars in the world do you think have reached your level? I guarantee you there aren’t more than five.”
“I’m not satisfied.”
“If you’re not satisfied, then broaden your horizons.”
What on earth did he mean by broadening her horizons, that her mind was rigid? When it came to martial arts, she believed her thinking was quite flexible. What was so different between her and this man?
“Phew, I feel alive now that I’m full. I feel energized.”
Seo Ryang rolled his arms and grinned.
“I’m telling you now, I won’t go easy on you.”
Ma Dongpil grinned back.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Look at that confidence. Fine, today I’ll give you two black…”
Suddenly, Seo Ryang frowned.
Ma Dongpil did the same. His eyes turned cold.
The atmosphere shifted. Ju Seoyun was puzzled.
*Why…?*
“Dongpil.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Bring them here.”
*Fwoosh!*
Ma Dongpil moved like a bolt of lightning.