A Crushing Victory and a Shrewd Mercy

Clang! Clang! Slash!

"Ugh!!"

After watching the duel between Lady Cindy and Ga-ryeo, I threw the Linked Twelve Strikes with everything I had, yet she blocked it so easily… I hate to admit it, but she’s a master on an entirely different level from me!

The duel between Cindy and Dang Ga-ryeo had come as a tremendous shock to Dang Min. Having judged them solely by their beauty, he had unconsciously lumped Su-a, Cindy, and Hwa-ryun together as nothing more than lovely women. The spar with Su-a taught him just how foolish that assumption had been.

Su-a had never formally trained in Murim arts, so he couldn’t measure her by those standards, but it became clear after only a few exchanges that she was far stronger than he—an advanced master. And that was while she was clearly holding back. As a man, his pride stung, yet he wasn’t stupid enough to charge in blindly. Instead he analyzed the gap between them as coolly as he could.

Even so, he was being pushed back from start to finish. Su-a’s movements were almost impossible to track with the naked eye, his hidden weapons proved useless against her, and above all else her laser sword sliced through every projectile he hurled and closed the distance with terrifying speed. Each piece had been a meticulously crafted secret weapon from the Dang clan, renowned for their expertise in manufacturing armaments, yet before Su-a they were utterly worthless.

"Damn it! Haaap!"

Clang! Clang!

In the end Dang Min drew the sword at his side and met her blade-to-blade, but the limit came quickly. As a Dang clan warrior who relied primarily on poison and hidden weapons, he soon found himself driven back again. Realizing he could not win through ordinary means, he scattered more projectiles from his sleeve and tried to retreat, searching for a way to turn the tide. Su-a never gave him the chance to think.

Slash! Swish!

"Aaargh!!"

While throwing hidden weapons and wielding his sword, Dang Min finally took a clean hit. His shoulder was sliced open, blood spraying high. Su-a’s follow-up strike hammered his leg, and at last he was forced to his knees before her.

With the same decisive grace she had shown against Cindy, Su-a leveled her energy sword at his throat. Dang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Min swallowed a groan of pain and squeezed out his voice.

"I… I have been defeated… ugh…"

"Winner. Jung Su-a!"

"Min-ah!"

Unlike Dang Ga-ryeo, Seo Bong-hwa moved to rush toward her bleeding son, but Dang Baek stopped her and pointed at Su-a.

"Calm yourself. Lady Jung Su-a is already tending to him."

Seo Bong-hwa regained her composure at her father-in-law’s words and looked toward the pair. Su-a was using her own equipment to administer simple first aid. The sight of Su-a’s breathtaking face, the nano-suit that clung to her perfect figure, and the generous swell of her chest made Dang Min’s face flush crimson even through the pain. He quickly turned his head away.

Oblivious to his reaction, Su-a finished staunching the wound at his shoulder and spoke gently.

"That was only emergency treatment. Please receive proper care right away, Young Master Dang Min."

"Th-thank you, Lady Jung Su-a."

Watching their son blush and bow his head, both Seo Bong-hwa and Dang Seo-gun instantly recognized as parents that he had developed feelings for Su-a. Even Dang Baek smiled at this rare, boyish side of his grandson. Moreover, the thought that Dang Ga-ryeo and Dang Min—both of whom had few worthy rivals among their peers—might grow from this encounter pleased him deeply. His scheme had borne fruit.

Yet one major concern still weighed on Dang Baek’s mind. The judge and announcer, Dang Seo-gun, shared the same worry.

"…Will the remaining two contestants please step onto the stage!"

"Understood."

Hwa-ryun had changed out of her uniform into combat attire. She stood on the stage gripping her spear, while Dang Jung-gi took the opposite side and drew his hidden weapons. After reciting the rules, Dang Seo-gun cast a worried glance at his second son. Unable to defy his own father’s wishes, he reluctantly called out the beginning of the match.

"Begin!"

Swish!

Just like Dang Ga-ryeo and Dang Min before him, Dang Jung-gi hurled hidden weapons at Hwa-ryun, then immediately charged while drawing his sword. His movements could be called fast. To Hwa-ryun’s eyes, however, they looked unbearably slow.

Compared to Su-a and Cindy, her martial prowess had declined since her days as a strategist in Changcheon Murim, and the same held true inside Endless Universe. Even so, that weakness was only relative to those two. Hwa-ryun flicked the incoming projectiles aside with her spear and, in the same fluid motion, whipped the shaft into Dang Jung-gi’s flank.

The spectators gasped at the seamless fusion of offense and defense in a single spear stroke.

Crack! Thud! Rip!

"Guh!!"

Struck hard in the side, Dang Jung-gi staggered sideways with a strangled cry.

"Ugh… you bitch!"

Crude and ill-mannered, Dang Jung-gi forgot even the basic courtesies of a duel. Despite his injuries he hurled curses at Hwa-ryun and swung his sword again. Hwa-ryun, however, watched him with cold eyes and responded with calm precision. Every hidden weapon he threw was batted away by her spinning spear; every sword strike failed to touch her body. As the fight dragged on and the number of blows he received increased, the pain finally overwhelmed him. Unable to contain his rage any longer, he suddenly resorted to the Dang clan’s poison.

"Damn whore! Die!!"

"?! That bastard Jung-gi!!"

Dang Baek roared in fury at the sight of poison being used in a formal duel—an unforgivable act. Dang Seo-gun moved to stop the match, but Hwa-ryun reacted faster.

The moment the green dust appeared, Hwa-ryun had already retreated and triggered the unique magic on her spear. Dang Jung-gi stood stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Hwa-ryun did not wait for him to recover.

Crack!

"Guhuuuhk!!!"

Reversing her grip, she drove the blunt end of the spear into his solar plexus with perfect accuracy. Dang Jung-gi collapsed unconscious. Hwa-ryun turned her emotionless gaze toward Dang Seo-gun.

"As you have seen, Young Master Dang Jung-gi used poison. Would it not be appropriate to declare this match null and void?"

"N-null and void? But… that would be too much of a concession for you, Lady Hwa-ryun…"

Hwa-ryun glanced sideways at An Rok-san. When he gave a slight nod, she continued.

"Unlike the matches with Cindy and Lady Dang Ga-ryeo, this was an unofficial bout. Moreover, I am not a martial artist. Since I also used the magic imbued in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my spear, both sides committed a foul. The offense is mutual."

"…Lady Jung Hwa-ryun. Are you truly fine with this?"

"I am. Elder An Rok-san, may we proceed according to my suggestion?"

"If that is Lady Jung Hwa-ryun’s wish, I have no objection. Patriarch Dang Seo-gun, Poison King, what say you?"

"…Sigh. If she herself suggests it, what can we possibly say? …Thank you. Both of you."

Though visibly flustered, Dang Seo-gun recovered his composure as befitting the clan head and gratefully accepted Hwa-ryun’s consideration for the Dang clan. Dang Baek felt the same. He had never expected his worthless grandson to go so far as to use lethal poison in a duel. Inadvertently, he and the clan now owed a debt to both Hwa-ryun and An Rok-san.

Hwa-ryun had deliberately taken a step back to aid An Rok-san’s diplomatic goals. Had it been only the two of them, the matter might have been different, but with the clan’s senior members watching, Dang Jung-gi’s use of killing techniques left him without any defense—even if Hwa-ryun had killed him on the spot. Instead she showed mercy and even protected the Dang clan’s honor. From Dang Baek’s perspective, it was an act worthy of profound gratitude. Of course, his fury toward Dang Jung-gi only grew fiercer.

Dang Jung-gi… you wretch who has tarnished our clan’s name. I will deal with you personally later!

The unconscious Dang Jung-gi remained unaware of the fate awaiting him. The day’s duels concluded with victories for Su-a and Cindy, and a draw for Hwa-ryun. In truth, all three matches had essentially been triumphs for An Rok-san’s side.

"Have the maids clean the stage. Send that fool Jung-gi to the infirmary at once. And everyone, keep silent about what happened today. Honestly… tsk, tsk, tsk~"

Under the weight of Dang Baek’s anger toward his youngest son, Dang Seo-gun and Seo Bong-hwa broke into cold sweats. They hurriedly carried Dang Jung-gi to the infirmary. Thus the first leg of Cindy’s journey into the Jianghu—the duels at the Dang clan—ended in her victory.

After the duels, the women gathered in Su-a’s room to rest and chat amiably.

"So… you did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all that in the first round because of the way the NPC insulted you?"

"That is correct, Sister. The memory of the replay video Brother-in-law showed us remains vivid even now."

"Wow… they say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but your grudge is on another level, Hwa-ryun… It wasn’t even the real you—it was the NPC Zhuge Hwa-ryun…"

"It was only a petty revenge. I also deliberately induced him to use poison so Lord An Rok-san could gain the upper hand in the negotiations."

"…That doesn’t sound very petty, Hwa-ryun."

"What did you say, Cindy?"

"N-nothing at all!"

The moment their eyes met, Cindy broke into a cold sweat and quickly looked away. Su-a laughed softly.

"You did well. Honestly, seeing that man Dang Jung-gi reminded me of the first round of Changcheon Murim too. Maybe it’s because we’ve just started Endless Universe. Hehe~ I miss those days. Back then I barely knew how to play and struggled so much… Hwa-ryun wasn’t my little sister yet—she was still an NPC… and I hadn’t even met ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you, Cindy. Well… except for that time you secretly logged in to fool around with my husband behind my back. Heehee."

"Aish, Su-a! Don’t bring that up!"

Cindy whined cutely. Su-a, enjoying the rare trip down memory lane, continued chatting happily with Cindy and Hwa-ryun until a knock sounded at the door.

Knock, knock.

"Lady Jung Su-a, may I come in?"

Beyond the door came Seo Bong-hwa’s voice, smooth as rolling jade beads.

"Lady Seo? Yes, please come in!"

Slide.

When the door opened, Seo Bong-hwa entered with Dang Ga-ryeo behind her. Su-a tilted her head in confusion.

"Pardon the sudden visit. I heard from a maid that Lady Jung Hwa-ryun was here, so I came looking for her."

"You’re looking for me? What is the matter?"

"We came to apologize. We are truly sorry."

When both the matriarch of the Dang clan and the Poison Phoenix Dang Ga-ryeo bowed their heads respectfully, Su-a, Hwa-ryun, and Cindy panicked and quickly stopped them. After everyone had calmed down, Su-a finally learned the reason.

"Jung-gi committed a grave offense, and we are aware that Lady Hwa-ryun showed our clan consideration. On top of that, he even used lethal poison during the duel… there would have been nothing we could say even if you had killed him. Lady Hwa-ryun, allow me to thank you once more. We are deeply grateful."

"Please think nothing of it. We had no desire to create enmity with the Dang clan, and such things can happen during a duel."

"Thank you for saying so. While it may not be sufficient as an apology, we have brought fine tea and refreshments. Please enjoy them before the banquet begins. Ga-ryeo."

"Yes, Mother. I’ll prepare it right away."

Dang Ga-ryeo brewed the tea she had brought and served the group. The women spent the time until the banquet chatting warmly and harmoniously.

"Cindy, does that mean you have been learning martial arts for less than ten years?! That’s incredible!"

"Hehe. Giving birth is difficult, but it is equally rewarding. Lady Jung Su-a will understand one day. I’ll teach you some helpful post-partum recipes."

"Thank you, Lady Seo! This is incredibly helpful information!"

Having deepened their friendship with the women of the Dang clan, Su-a’s party rose at the maid’s announcement that the banquet was ready and headed toward the banquet hall together.