Dang Sohye (3): Gal! Natural vs. Doped Arm-Wrestle
Gal!!! Pang Yujin's bellow crashed down on her in an instant.
"Eh, ehhh…?"
Up until now, he'd only shown that timid side despite his massive, imposing frame. Dang Sohye couldn't keep up with his sudden shift and rolled her eyes in confusion.
I was the one in the wrong at first, but was that really so bad just now? Her mind couldn't catch up.
"Medicine and all that crap? The world doesn't need it. Whether it's health or training or whatever, exercise is the absolute best way."
Of course, Yujin wasn't trying to enlighten the girl in front of him—he was just spitting it out in anger. But it was more than enough to rub her the wrong way and ignite a massive fury.
"…You're straight-up dissing medicine right now?"
And so, the clumsy communication between these two young prodigies hurtled toward the worst possible outcome.
"How dare you dismiss the Dang family's medical arts?!" "You're the one ignoring the value of training!"
They locked eyes, bulging their stares and growling like beasts.
A tense atmosphere flowed through the air, heavy with the sense that a clash could erupt at any moment. The onlookers watching from afar gulped nervously.
"—The Dang family's medical arts are the best in the Central Plains!"
Breaking the heavy silence, the gal-like girl struck a bizarre pose and pulled something from her bosom.
Clamped between her fingers was a small porcelain vial that looked just like a modern lab drug bottle.
"I'll prove with my own body that Waigong is useless."
Waigong is useless? This chick's got a mouth on her now, huh? Talking big like that.
His trembling body loosened up. He steeled himself—he'd give her a proper scolding, no doubt about it.
This was right after he'd taken down Heuk Ung, earning him the title of master among masters. Confidence was bursting out of him.
So yeah, bring it on—he'd accept any challenge that came his way.
Ignoring his reaction entirely, Dang Sohye popped the vial's cork, downed the contents, and haughtily beckoned him with a wag of her finger.
Afflicted by Overwhelming Fatigue and Poison
That self-same vial she'd tossed behind her back was engraved with the words Afflicted by Overwhelming Fatigue and Poison.
Rumor had it this was one of the Dang family's secret new developments.
It had the power to explosively boost the user's muscle strength, if only temporarily.
—Of course, it didn't last forever, but in the martial world where a single exchange could decide everything, that made it a huge advantage.
But there was no visible change. Her slim, delicate arms looked the same as ever, which only irritated him more.
Already bruising my pride, and now what? A roider trash-talking a natural?
Time to teach her a lesson. With a serious expression, he rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.
"Captain, why's the kid suddenly looking so grave?" "…How do I put it? It's a matter of male pride." "What's that?" "It's a thing."
Meanwhile, as the training yard inside the arsenal grew rowdy from their clash, the attention of the arsenal's master naturally turned that way.
And Joo Hyejin stared curiously at this new side of Yujin, grinding his teeth in fury.
It was the first time she'd seen him genuinely pissed off, aside from all that betrayal and affair drama.
"It's a match!"
What grand feat were they about to pull off? A duel? Sparring?
Having heard how Yujin took down that Evil Faction master earlier, Hyejin figured his skills must have shot up big time.
—She watched the two with a tense expression.
Then, on some makeshift platform they'd scrounged up from somewhere, the pair faced each other, clasped hands like it was fate, and sat down.
…Huh?
"So all they're doing is arm-wrestling?"
Hyejin and Wi Eokgi looked at them with a mix of pity and disdain. Were they kids or what, settling it like this?
"He's always been like that—embarrassing, I know. Please overlook it."
Dang Mukno, the Zhejiang physician, chimed in with that addendum.
He knew Dang Sohye well enough that her childish antics were par for the course, but the others didn't.
And Sohye, who usually cared about her image, was too fired up accepting Yujin's challenge to notice.
"The true essence of a strength contest shines in arm-wrestling!"
Yeah, this overly childish side when she got like this was classic Dang Sohye.
"Hngh." "Oh?"
Before the full power clash began, a preliminary pressure started from their gripped hands.
I'd been smirking confidently until now, but I couldn't help feeling a bit rattled.
Ah, so that's why she was so cocky—she had good reason.
"Rules are standard arm-wrestling, as you all know. Everyone ready?"
Tense silence. A soldier who'd naturally taken up referee duties counted down—one, two, three—signaling the start.
"Begin!"
With that call, Yujin and Dang Sohye unleashed explosive force.
The burly, muscle-bound guy and the skinny, frail girl holding even—it was a bizarre sight in its own way.
"Nnghrr." "What, gotta pee or something?" "Shut up!"
But neither cared—they poured everything into crushing the enemy right in front of them.
He's holding out?
Sohye couldn't help but be surprised at Yujin's resistance.
The Sichuan Dang family had always lagged behind other clans and sects in martial prowess.
That's why they'd developed this secret drug as one way to overcome it.
She believed medicine would change the world, proven not by words but results.
Look at this situation—the drug, perfected through countless trials, drew out maximum power without wrecking body or mind.
But facing off against her drug-enhanced self with nothing but raw physical ability, he shocked her.
—She'd never seen anything like it.
Yujin felt the same. It was like pushing against a massive wall—his breath caught, pressure building.
Is she secretly circulating Neigong or something? The suspicion crept in naturally.
But Yujin couldn't use Neigong himself, and yet he'd seen it enough growing up to tell if someone was.
With even that mental excuse gone, victory was the only acceptable outcome. Losing to a "dollface" would make him feel utterly pathetic.
Still, both sides were tiring in this drawn-out war of attrition.
Their eyes met naturally. The stalled clash paused for a decisive burst, shifting to one massive output.
"Here I gooo!" "Take thiiiis!"
The girl's arm, already pale, went ghostly white. The man's muscles bulged, veins popping.
But that tiny gap was enough to show the power difference.
Thud!
"Hmph, nothin' special."
And so, victory went to the promising young girl from the Dang family, Dang Sohye.
"…N-no way."
The sight of the scrawny girl lording triumphantly over the musclebound man was straight out of a fantasy.
Everyone who'd assumed Yujin would win based on looks gawked in shock.
"This is the power of medicine."
The girl who'd defended her beliefs—her majestic pose didn't last long.
"Ughhh, strength's fading." "…?"
The haughty woman who'd struck a victory pose with an "oh-ho-ho" laugh just seconds ago was gone.
In her place, Dang Sohye suddenly went limp and collapsed to the ground.
Seeing her like that finally pierced the gloom settling over Yujin, who'd been sinking into muscle supremacy defeatism—a ray of light.
"…Side effects, maybe?"
At Yujin's question, Sohye nodded with her wobbly body.
"One minute. This drug pulls out every ounce of strength your body would use over days—in exactly one minute."
Regaining his energy, Yujin shot to his feet, confidence restored.
Sohye kept emphasizing her win—"But I still won, right?"—but it fell on deaf ears.
Pill-poppers gonna pill-popper, lol.
Mental victory already ruled his mind. And he vowed inwardly never to stop looking down on pill-heads.
—Yeah, this is the natural way. I swear, I'll stick to this pure path.
Meanwhile, watching this, Hyejin felt like she could read Yujin's thoughts.
Probably just refusing to accept the result.
She'd seen him enough days to spot it plain on his face.
But one nagging doubt wouldn't leave her.
The Dang family's secret drug granted extreme strength for a very short time.
Lucky for them it was arm-wrestling, but with the time limit nerfing it after, was it really useful in real fights?
Wi Eokgi answered for her.
"In battles decided in one second, one exchange—it's hugely important."
A convincing reply. Hyejin nodded quietly.
But as info piled up, a thought struck her.
Yujin was already a monster in Waigong. No Neigong, sure, but pure physical power? Unreal.
…What if he took that drug? A tiny girl like her got freak strength—what about him?
—Worth trying at least once, right?
But he hated it so much it bordered on seizure territory—no forcing him.
…Maybe if he ever needed it, he'd try on his own? Seeing new possibilities was progress enough for him.
As she mulled this over, a subordinate approached, whispered a report, and her eyes widened in concern. She left immediately.