Hobuk Branch (2): One Kick to Crush the Prodigy
Namgoong Juhee's condition was far from normal.
No, forget "far from normal"—her entire right side had been half-blown away. Any ordinary person would've been dead ten times over.
Even a martial artist would've needed months of bed rest.
But Namgoong Juhee got up anyway.
It wasn't because she was tougher than other martial artists.
She was just more stubborn.
Lying around would just waste time, she said, so she might as well do some light exercise.
Yi Hayeon and Hwangbo Un, who'd overheard that from the sidelines, nearly exploded.
And so, Namgoong Juhee faithfully participated in the rest of the Hobuk Branch tournament.
Round of 32: Victory over Da Cheongsangjeon.
Round of 16: Victory over Seo Seoksu.
Semifinals: Victory over Hwangbo Un.
For the record, Hwangbo Un forfeited without even swinging a single punch.
Something about not being able to strike an injured opponent.
Even though Yi Hayeon in the round of 16 had been injured too, and he'd swung at her like he wanted to kill her.
What a load of unconvincing bullshit.
And so, the finals!
Namgoong Juhee's opponent? Cheongmyeong!
The Wudang Sect's top disciple and another Peak realm master!
In baseball terms, he'd be a top-seven draft pick rookie.
A perfect all-rounder with impeccable personality, martial arts, and demeanor.
The guy's literal poster boy for "strict parents' perfect kid." The old-school sect instructors were always like, "If you were half as good as Cheongmyeong..."
If we're talking pure fame, he was probably number one among all the later-generation disciples.
"Pleased to meet you, Namgung Sojeo!"
The world's most annoying person, fully aware of his own greatness.
In that sense, Cheongmyeong was truly insufferable.
"Oh, up close, that scar looks pretty deep. Might make it hard to get married. What a shame!"
That smug tone and relaxed attitude.
Not a hint that he thought he might lose.
"But I, Cheongmyeong, believe a woman's true charm comes from the heart—not the other chest, mind you. Though yours are quite large and beautiful, of course."
Namgoong Juhee got a little pissed watching that.
Why's this asshole acting so goddamn cocky?
As a man of the Land of Propriety and Courtesy of the East in spirit, she couldn't stand it.
Not that she was exactly polite herself.
"What the hell, you punk? Why are you acting so cocky?"
"……?"
Namgoong Juhee's mouth moved the instant her brain reacted—a frog snapping at a bug.
So yeah, you could call her bug-like.
"We're here to spar, so let's spar. Keep flapping your gums in my face and I'll punch you."
Cheongmyeong blinked at her two-liner.
He looked like he'd already taken a hit before the match even started.
"D-Did you just say that to me?"
"Who else is here but you?"
Cheongmyeong looked around frantically.
Like he was seriously checking if someone else was there.
"To me, really?"
"Goddamn it."
And just like that, Cheongmyeong unlocked an achievement: Midlands' First Person Less Reasonable Than Namgoong Juhee.
A rare feat with a 0.001% clear rate.
"Alright, alright! That's enough! Enough!"
Right as a pre-match bench-clearing brawl seemed imminent, the announcer-slash-referee stepped in to calm them.
The Hobuk Branch was Hubuk Province's biggest festival and tournament, and this was the finals.
Pumping up the crowd was the announcer's job.
Handing that off would be disqualification.
"Ahem! First, introducing the Red Side swordsman!"
The guy's voice matched his confidence—thunderous.
His massive resonance filled the air, and the crowd erupted in cheers. A perfect finals atmosphere.
"Wudang's pride! This generation's Sword Dragon! Wudang's next sect leader!"
"Cheongmyeong! Cheongmyeong! Cheongmyeong!"
"No matter how skilled with the sword you are, you'll kneel before this man's presence. Introducing Wudang's top swordsman, Cheongmyeong!"
"Waaaaaaaaah!!!"
Amid the thunderous roars, Namgoong Juhee scanned the crowd.
What the hell? They rehearse this?
The intro and cheers felt too seamless. Like watching pro wrestling.
Namgoong Juhee smirked subtly, pretending otherwise.
Yi Hayeon would've died from cuteness overload.
She was secretly hoping her own intro would be that cool.
What an immature brat.
"Now, introducing the Blue Side swordsman."
Huh? But the vibe shifted weirdly.
The announcer's tone dropped half a note.
Felt like Cheongmyeong was the hero and she was the third-rate villain.
And her gut was spot on.
"To make it this far—is it luck? Skill? The female swordswoman of the now-declining Namgoong Clan!"
"Booooooo!"
"Scarred face! No shred of dignity in her sparring! Introducing, Namgoong Juhee!"
"Get out!" "Go back to Anhui, idiot!" "Drop dead!"
Yeah... Namgoong Juhee pretended it didn't faze her, but it stung a little.
She was just starting to settle into this world, and this was the treatment.
Then again, who cheers for a half-flayed ugly girl?
This was Hubuk, Wudang's home turf.
Logically, louder cheers for Cheongmyeong made sense.
"Heh, don't take it too hard, Namgung Sojeo. As I said, you're plenty charming."
Cheongmyeong added that line.
His social awareness...
Explained why he'd never had a girlfriend despite his background.
"……Namgoong Juhee of the Namgoong Clan. My arts are Luk Hap Sword and Emperor Sword Form."
"Excuse me, Namgung Sojeo. Your response..."
As Namgoong Juhee began her sword salute, the jeers and boos went dead silent.
Her swordsmanship was, with a bit of exaggeration, world-class.
Just looking at the Peak realm foes she'd beaten: Whirlwind Ghost, River Warrior, and Golden Justice Sword—all top hundred masters.
How could her aura match ordinary later-gen disciples'?
Luk Hap Sword filled the arena with plum blossom fragrance; Emperor Sword Form brought crushing gravity that froze everyone.
Even Wudang veterans, lifelong martial artists, found it alien.
So they all shut up and watched.
"I am Cheongmyeong of Wudang Sect. Sword: Supreme Pure Sword and Taiji Beneficent Sword. Footwork: Ultimate Cloud Step."
Cheongmyeong's salute was beautiful but didn't match her shock value.
The crowd murmured: Is Cheongmyeong gonna lose? Nah, no way!
"Sparring begins! Swordsmen, to your positions—ready!"
Sensing the bad vibes, the announcer quickly lined them up.
Cheongmyeong piped up again.
"Heh, nice salute, Namgung Sojeo, but salutes and sparring are different. Me? Undefeated in spars, sliced three Peak realm masters on the road. We're not in the same league."
Losers always run their mouths.
Even demons did it; a greenhorn like Cheongmyeong was no exception.
Namgoong Juhee smirked, knowing it.
She wasn't planning a long fight anyway.
"Sparring start!"
Namgoong Juhee hopped forward and stared Cheongmyeong down.
One line before the kill shot.
"Left foot."
"What does that—?"
Her left foot vanished, reappearing in front of Cheongmyeong's face.
Then—SMACK!
"Guhk…."
Cheongmyeong's face slammed into the ground; Namgoong Juhee ground her heel in.
A reward for some, pure humiliation for him.
Lucky for him, he passed out immediately and missed the sight.
"……."
The announcer stared blankly.
Too unbelievable to process.
But what could he do? Unbelievable or not.
He had only one job.
"……Winner: Blue Side swordsman, Namgoong Juhee."
What an anticlimactic final.
. . .
Two rewards for the Hobuk Branch champion!
One: Taecheong Dan.
Namgoong Juhee chugged inner pills like water on the road, but this was different.
Refined from millennium snow ginseng unearthed from deep mountains—dodging spirit beasts and birds—with ice crystals from Lake Baikal's frozen heart slathered on, then mixed with Joseon ginseng, roasted, and molded.
Rivals Shaolin's Great Return Pill.
Said to purify qi and blood better than even that.
Perfect for Namgoong Juhee's twisted meridians! Hwangbo Un explained till her ears blistered.
"So don't go provoking Jin Hyeon Jin-in."
The second reward: a private audience with Wudang's sect leader.
Frankly, Jin Hyeon didn't seem that intimidating to Namgoong Juhee.
Hadn't he allied with trash like the Divine Healing Sect? Or was it Heart Yang Sect?
Wudang's aggressive expansion started under him, Yi Hayeon egged on from the side.
Probably tons of sects running wild under Wudang's protection, like that one.
"You gotta get proper compensation, Hee-ya. One Taecheong Dan ain't enough."
Sparks flew between Yi Hayeon and Hwangbo Un's glares.
She'd come back from the dead, and these two hadn't changed a bit.
Namgoong Juhee narrowed her eyes at them.
"So? What now?"
"Don't provoke Jin Hyeon." "Might as well say everything—good and bad—while you're at it."
"……."
Namgoong Juhee sighed deeply.
If only she could see evil karma numbers floating over heads like in some game.
Judging people from stories alone was too hard.
"Namgoong Juhee of the Namgoong Clan! The sect leader summons you!"
Just then, a shrill voice rang from afar.
Yeah, overthinking wouldn't solve it.
Worrying didn't suit her anyway.
"Got it."
Namgoong Juhee waved casually to Yi Hayeon and Hwangbo Un—"be back soon"—and strode off.
Off to meet Jin Hyeon Jin-in, ranked thirteenth among the world's top hundred masters.