The Prestigious Lady Hides Her Clan (Part 2)
Sister.
Her... sister?
“She’s your sister?”
｢Yeah.｣
“Wait, hold on a second.”
The woman standing before me—Jung Ah-yeon, Jeonghye’s younger sister—was actually a fairly prominent character in Regression Dunce. She was never part of the harem, but she had contributed significantly to tearing down the Changcheon Cult. Her lack of involvement with Leon’s harem simply came down to having almost zero overlap with him. She never attended the Academy, and as the heir to the Changgeom Gate, her schedule was constantly swamped. Not every promising talent converged on the Academy, and Jung Ah-yeon standing right before my eyes was living proof.
Still, her official character illustration had turned out gorgeous, earning her quite a devoted fanbase, with more than a few readers vocalizing their disappointment that she had been left out of the protagonist’s retinue. But none of that mattered right now.
‘Hey... if she’s your sister, then don’t tell me you’re...’
｢Whatever you’re thinking, you’re probably right.｣
Jung Ah-yeon was the heir to the Changgeom Gate because she was the daughter of the Sect Master. And that very Jung Ah-yeon was Jeonghye’s younger sister. Which meant Jeonghye was the Sect Master’s child—a bona fide noble of the highest standing.
‘...Why the hell didn’t you tell me?’
｢Did I need to?｣
‘Then why leave your family registry completely blank?’
Seeing how her Academy dorm lacked a single copper and her family registry was left completely empty, I had assumed she had survived some brutally destitute upbringing. But the daughter of the Changgeom Gate? In the world of Regression Dunce, the Changgeom Gate was one of the premier martial powers across the realm. Officially recognized and revered by the Empire, an endorsement from their masters routinely fast-tracked martial artists into the Imperial Knight Orders.
Jeonghye hadn’t merely been born with a silver spoon in her mouth; she was born clutching one made of solid diamond.
My head spun at the sudden influx of revelations. Even if she wasn't the official heir, possessing that direct bloodline should have granted her immense authority. And as Jung Ah-yeon's older sister, she wasn't from some distant cadet branch—she was pure, direct lineage.
While a storm of thoughts crowded my mind, a voice cut through the silence.
“Cat got your tongue? Oh, did you finally learn some manners at the Academy?”
Jung Ah-yeon, smiling down at me with curled lips, spoke. Or rather, instead of merely speaking, she was blatantly picking a fight.
‘Are you two on bad terms?’
｢...It’s not really that we’re on bad terms.｣
Taking my silence—trapped as I was conversing with Jeonghye in my head—as a reaction, Jung Ah-yeon turned up the heat.
“To cast aside the sublime swordsmanship of the Changgeom Gate only to indulge in vulgar fisticuffs... I truly cannot fathom what goes on inside that head of yours!”
｢It’s more like she openly despises me,｣ Jeonghye muttered dryly.
From what I could see, Ah-yeon was radiating blatant hostility toward Jeonghye. I had no way of knowing who was in the right or the wrong—at least not yet. In Regression Dunce, Jung Ah-yeon had a slightly sly, teasing cadence, but she was never a character who spouted venomous insults. If anything, she was portrayed as exceptionally capable, routinely demonstrating cool-headed pragmatism.
Yet that didn't automatically mean Jeonghye was to blame, either. From what I had experienced, Jeonghye had a bit of a... foul temper, sure. But she never went out of her way to attack someone unless they struck first.
Either way, I was the one who had to deal with Jung Ah-yeon right now. I had no desire to cause a scene. Besides, the elderly servant hovering beside her, looking thoroughly distressed, was beginning to look rather pitiful. So I simply stepped forward.
Watching me move, Jung Ah-yeon twisted her lips in mockery.
“What? Don’t tell me you’re actually angry?”
I brushed right past her, ignoring her entirely. There was nothing productive to say right now anyway, and Jeonghye had fallen uncharacteristically quiet.
‘So, where do we need to go?’
｢...See that large pavilion ahead? There’s a storage shed beside it. Head over there.｣
Jeonghye supplied the directions, perhaps appreciating my quiet attempt to avoid drama. Leaving Jung Ah-yeon and the elder behind, I walked straight ahead.
Not long after Jeonghye walked past without a backward glance—
“Pfft...”
Jung Ah-yeon let out a sharp scoff beside the old servant.
“Pwahaha! Ahahahahaha!”
Unable to contain her amusement any longer, she burst into unrestrained laughter, turning toward the elder.
“Is that really the same Sister who acted so haughty when we were young? Walking right past with her mouth shut, pretending she doesn't care in the slightest!”
Wiping the mirth from her eyes, Jung Ah-yeon looked squarely at the old man.
“Inform the Sect Master. Tell him his troublesome daughter has finally crawled back home.”
“...Young Lady, surely—”
The elder hesitated, his expression clearly reluctant.
Catching his reservations, every trace of amusement vanished from Jung Ah-yeon’s face. Her voice dropped to a frigid whisper.
“...Old man? I am well aware you have doted on my sister since childhood. But who is the master you serve today? Oh, don't tell me you intend to defy an order from the heir of the Changgeom Gate?”
At those words, the elder bowed deeply, lowering his gaze to the cobblestones.
“...I shall obey your command. Legitimate Heir of the Changgeom Gate.”
After a few minutes of walking, I arrived before the storage shed.
“Can I just walk in?”
｢Yeah.｣
Taking Jeonghye’s word for it, I shoved the wooden door. With a long, groaning creak, it swung open without resistance.
“There isn't even a lock. What kind of security is this?”
｢They don’t store anything important here. The real treasures are locked away in the underground vault.｣
“Wait, didn’t you say we came here to find a martial arts manual? Were you just planning to pick up some leftover junk?”
I didn't actually believe that, of course. Inside our shared mindscape, every time I called her ‘Master!’, the corners of her mouth would twitch upward in suppressed delight. But ever since we ran into Jung Ah-yeon, the mood had turned distinctly somber. I was merely tossing out a light joke to dispel the gloom.
｢No, not at all. In fact, there probably isn't a technique in this entire world better suited for you than this one.｣
Jeonghye replied calmly. Still, ever since setting foot inside the Changgeom Gate, she seemed weighed down by something heavy.
Stepping inside, my eyes swept over the cluttered space. Vibrant ceramic vases, mundane armaments like swords and spears, and bizarre scrolls lay haphazardly strewn across tables and crates. No matter how generously I looked at it, nothing here screamed 'legendary heirloom.'
As I stood dumbfounded by the sheer disarray, Jeonghye spoke up.
｢It’s a manual, so it should be on the bookshelves.｣
Following her instructions, I began sifting through the rows of dust-laden shelves.
｢It’s quite an old text, so look closely.｣
I pulled out manuals one by one, scanning their faded spines. After sifting through more than thirty volumes, Jeonghye’s voice suddenly rang in my head.
｢Hold on. That’s the one.｣
When she gave the cue, the book resting in my palms bore a deep violet cover. I squinted at the weathered calligraphy embossed upon the binding.
“Po Chang Kwon (Spear-Breaking Fist)...?”
｢Yeah. That is the martial art you are going to learn.｣
— The Fist That Shatters the World's Frame
More than two centuries ago, a madman was said to have walked the land.
“The world is like a window caging us all! Humanity is cursed to live their entire lives imprisoned!”
The lunatic perpetually lamented his own existence while pitying the blind mortals around him. Yet not a single soul ever dared mock him to his face, for his martial prowess was utterly insurmountable.
Po Chang Kwon (Spear-Breaking Fist).
The martial art of liberation he so fervently preached. True to his conviction to smash through the oppressive panes of the world, it wielded monstrous, cataclysmic destructive force. And living up to his title as a madman, he enacted a stunt that defied all convention.
Normally, prominent martial clans and sects guarded their secret arts with their very lives. For an outsider to inherit their core techniques, spending years groveling at the bottom of the sect hierarchy was considered standard. Such was the sacred weight carried by an authentic martial legacy.
He, however, cared nothing for tradition. Instead, he 'persuaded'—via overwhelming physical violence—a prominent printing house in the Imperial Capital to mass-produce and distribute manuals containing the profound secrets of Po Chang Kwon across the realm.
It was an unhinged act that shattered every boundary of common sense. Yet in the end, not a single person was capable of properly mastering his art.
Po Chang Kwon consumed a gargantuan, ruinous volume of qi. Anyone possessing an ordinary dantian could never even dream of attempting it. And the few geniuses blessed with the necessary reserves had already committed themselves to their own signature arts long before encountering the text.
When his printed manuals flooded the Eastern realm, fierce debate and wild gossip erupted across the martial world.
“This is no art meant for a mortal vessel!”
“The creator must surely carry the blood of an ancient spirit beast.”
“Nonsense! It is merely a grand ruse to obscure his true martial lineage!”
Whatever rumors spread, the madman paid them no heed. He traveled the continent freely unleashing his fist art, even accepting disciples along the way. Yet when none of them could grasp even the threshold of his technique, he seemed to sink into bitter despair and vanished without a trace.
Because he had always worn a mask that hid his features, only a single physical trait remained etched into historical record: his ears had been unusually long.
｢That’s the basic story. Any sect with a long enough history probably has a copy gathering dust in some corner.｣
Having finished her explanation of Po Chang Kwon, Jeonghye revealed why she had brought me to the Changgeom Gate in the first place. Hearing the full context, her choice made absolute sense. Ever since swallowing the Dragon Pearl, Jeonghye's dantian possessed a boundless reservoir of celestial energy. It could effortlessly endure the ridiculous consumption demanded by an art like this.
Furthermore, the sheer explosive power appealed to me immensely. If the destructive output was overwhelming enough, it could mask my glaring lack of real-world combat experience.
“So we just take this and leave?”
｢Pretty much. Nobody here has any use for it anyway.｣
Reassured by her answer, I tucked the violet manual securely inside my robes and stepped out into the courtyard. But as I made my way back toward the estate’s main entrance, the same elderly servant who had let me in earlier suddenly materialized in front of my path.
“Young Lady... As you have returned after such a prolonged absence, the Sect Master requests an audience.”
Delivering the summons from the Master of the Changgeom Gate, the old man’s face looked heavy with unease.
｢Haaah...｣
Inside our shared mind, Jeonghye let out a deep, exhausted sigh. Just what kind of history existed between them? A wave of dizzying dread washed over me.