A Clash of Flowers
Among the Five Flowers of the Martial World, the Fierce Flower, Seo Ryeon, and the Sword Flower, Yeon So-o, shared a similar aura but possessed distinctly different charms. While the Sword Flower certainly had sharp eyes, they were not so fierce as to be intimidating, and her toned, balanced physique captured the hearts of many. In contrast, the Fierce Flower possessed an exceptionally rough, fierce appearance and temperament among the Five Flowers.
However, she had no choice in the matter. Due to the nature of the Hainan Sect, which was located on an island at the southern edge of the Central Plains, they were surrounded by rivers and seas on all sides. Because of this, they fought countless battles against pirates. Even if one started with a gentle personality, training in the Hainan Sect for a long time meant gaining vast combat experience and witnessing the coarse speech and behavior of the pirates they faced as enemies, causing them to unconsciously exude a similar vibe.
Had someone not once said, "He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster"? It was a similar concept. Fighting pirates day in and day out, they eventually found themselves speaking and acting just like them. Moreover, since these pirates were often not even from the Central Plains, they attacked orthodox martial artists with genuine, murderous intent, unlike the river pirates of the Yangtze River Water Clan. As a result, their comrades suffered major and minor injuries in every battle, and in severe cases, often lost their lives. It was an environment where a rough personality was bound to be forged.
Yet, even in the midst of such harsh combat, the martial artists of the Hainan Sect were those who deeply preserved the righteous spirit of the orthodox path and protected the common people on the front lines. In any case, having lived in such a rough and blood-splattered place since childhood, Seo Ryeon naturally showed a bit of coarse masculinity in her actions and speech, despite being an incredible beauty.
Her physical characteristics were also different from ordinary women; her height was similar to that of an average adult male, and because she had fought countless naval battles against pirates and Japanese raiders on ships, her lower body and glutes were incredibly well-developed and firm. Furthermore, her chest, which men highly valued, was also large to match her tall stature, and like other Hainan Sect martial artists, her skin had a copper tan from spending so much time under the sun. Overall, she possessed a striking, healthy beauty, and these traits made Seo Ryeon immensely popular among men who desired a wilder, tougher woman. Even among other women, Seo Ryeon's wild beauty was highly popular, making her the most favored figure among her own gender out of the Five Flowers.
For these reasons, Yeon So-o couldn't help but feel a sense of crisis. She was already anxious that her feelings wouldn't get through to Unwol because of the formidable beauty Biwol by his side, and now it seemed she had gained another formidable rival.
"Sister Ryeon. No matter how much you like him, continuing to travel with someone you just met... don't you think that's a bit rude?"
"Well, but isn't it the same for you?"
"..."
Hit right where it hurt, Yeon So-o couldn't say a word. Unlike Yeon So-o, Seo Ryeon was highly perceptive. Having grown up in an environment where one had to develop incredibly sharp senses just to survive, it was only natural.
"But So-o. You're really not interested in that Unwol person, right?"
"...Yes."
"Alright. Then I'll handle it myself. Thanks for letting me know, though."
"..."
When Seo Ryeon asked that, she swept her sharp gaze over Yeon So-o's face and gestures. The stiff movements, the slight twitching of her facial muscles, and the dark look that slipped out of her eyes unconsciously—putting all of this together, Seo Ryeon realized without a doubt that Yeon So-o liked Unwol.
"...Hmm."
A faint smile played on Seo Ryeon's lips as her competitive spirit flared. Her usual rough, almost masculine personality showed itself in moments like this. While she certainly cherished Yeon So-o like a younger sister, she was not gentle enough to simply hand over the first fated match she had ever met.
"By the way, So-o."
"...Yes."
"It seems your skills have improved a lot since I last saw you."
"I was in closed-door training until just recently."
"Closed-door training?"
"Yes. Ever since I reached the Peak Realm, I hadn't made any progress, so I wanted to focus properly on my training."
"I see."
In the Hainan Sect, closed-door training was extremely difficult to justify. Why? Because while pirates and Japanese raiders raided the villages day after day, for one to simply go into isolation to train? From a martial artist's perspective, there was nothing strange about it, but from a Hainan Sect martial artist's perspective, it could be seen as irresponsible. Due to the sect's nature of highly valuing community, while one's seniors and juniors risked their lives to fight, locking oneself in a safe cave to train naturally carried a negative connotation. In fact, Hainan Sect martial artists who developed a great fear of real combat after losing comrades occasionally went into closed-door training. To them, closed-door training was treated as a cowardly escape—abandoning comrades to hide in a safe place out of fear. Of course, Seo Ryeon fully understood that other sects had different circumstances, so she didn't view Yeon So-o's closed-door training negatively.
"Then, shall we see how much our So-o has improved?"
The reason she brought up realms was to initiate a spar with Yeon So-o. It was a scheme to show the difference in their skills and silently warn her not to covet her man. It was a thought highly characteristic of a rough, practical Hainan Sect warrior. No matter how dense Yeon So-o could be, she could fully understand the underlying meaning behind those words given Seo Ryeon's expression, tone, and the situation.
"If you wish."
Perhaps because of that, her tone came out pouty.
"Haha, alright. Good. Since it looks like it's getting dark today, let's do it tomorrow. The place... hmm, yes. Let's do it at that vacant lot over there."
The place Seo Ryeon pointed to was not far from the market street. Since it had a decent amount of foot traffic, a spar there would surely draw a large crowd. Since Seo Ryeon was already famous for being the strongest among the Five Flowers, it wouldn't be strange if Yeon So-o lost, but since the Sword Flower was also rumored to be strong among them, it was bound to become a hot topic.
"Yes, let's do that."
But one thing to keep in mind was that Yeon So-o also hated losing to anyone. She was actually the youngest daughter of the prestigious Yeon Family. As a family based on extreme Yang martial arts, they possessed a highly combative and rough temperament. The problem, however, was that although Yeon So-o inherited that temperament, her body possessed a severe Yin constitution. Naturally, due to her physical characteristics, she could not learn her family's extreme Yang martial arts, leading to severe contempt from the family elders and her siblings. Because of this, she had left the family on her own feet and headed to the Jeomchang Sect.
Why did she head to the Jeomchang Sect of all places? It lay in the values Yeon So-o had formed since childhood. She often fought with her older brothers who teased and ignored her. Every time, she always struck first and fast, and starting a fight with a blow to a vital point always worked in her favor. No matter how strong and heavy a sword style was, what use was it if the battle started with one's vital points attacked immediately? The essence of the Jeomchang Sect's swordsmanship, which guaranteed the initiative against anyone, was more than enough to captivate Yeon So-o's heart.
This was also why she had so easily agreed to the fight with Seo Ryeon. No matter how much combat experience the other had, and no matter how difficult it was to deal with the Hainan Sect's uniquely rough and bizarre forms, if she stabbed a vital point first, could a proper fight even begin? Indeed, Yeon So-o had won many real battles using her extremely fast sword, so she was confident. No matter how fierce the Fierce Flower was, she would be helpless before her extreme speed.
Seo Ryeon looked at Yeon So-o's eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit, closed her eyes in thought for a moment, and then slowly spoke.
"Come to think of it, the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering is coming up soon. It would be troublesome if we overdid it and got hurt, so let's have a proper match on the day of the gathering."
When Seo Ryeon took a step back, Yeon So-o asked with a slight smirk.
"...Are you perhaps scared?"
Now, her hostility was laid bare without any attempt to hide it. Overnight, the two women, who had maintained a reasonably good relationship, had suddenly entered a war of nerves over a single man.
"Scared? Ahahaha!"
Needless to say, Seo Ryeon was not doing this because she was scared. She was fully confident in defeating Yeon So-o, but she knew that the other's incredibly fast sword would undoubtedly inflict significant damage on her as well, so she made this decision looking at the long-term picture. While winning Unwol, her fated match, was important, she also wanted to claim the title of "Peak" representing martial might, rather than just being a "Flower."
The title she desired was the ultimate title awarded at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, "Divine Peak." Until now, titles containing "Divine" had always been claimed by male warriors, commonly referred to as "Divine Dragons," but she intended to become the first female martial artist to seize the title of Divine Peak.
Seo Ryeon suddenly patted Yeon So-o's shoulder and spoke in a bright voice, completely different from before.
"You're joking too much. With skills like ours, we'll definitely have a chance to clash at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering anyway. There's no need to waste our energy here for nothing."
"..."
"So-o, you know I really cherish you, right?"
Although they were in the middle of a war of nerves, Seo Ryeon's words were not a lie. Even though they belonged to different sects, Yeon So-o's personality and actions were entirely to Seo Ryeon's liking. However, the dense Yeon So-o only racked her brain, wondering what hidden motive Seo Ryeon had for suddenly smiling and saying such things. At that sight, Seo Ryeon let out a chuckle.
"I meant it, so you don't need to overthink it."
"...Is that so."
"Yeah. It's been a while since you came down from the mountains, so let's just have some fun without thinking too much."
As Seo Ryeon spoke easygoingly, Yeon So-o finally relaxed a little and followed her around the streets. All the while, they remained completely unaware of the black-clothed jiangshi tailing them closely from behind.