Chapter 60
I turned around again. Namgung Ryu-cheong's face was stiff as a board. He parted his lips as if to speak, then snapped them shut.
"Why'd you call me?"
I tilted my head and waited a moment before asking. He seemed to have something on his mind, his mouth twitching several times, before suddenly whipping around.
"Young master?"
Namgung Ryu-cheong's robes flared as he hurried away from me.
What the heck? Didn't he call me because he had something to say?
He seemed to be putting distance between us, but not to my eyes that could see energy flows. Namgung Ryu-cheong, who had been striding away quickly, stopped behind the pavilion, beyond the wooden wall. He hesitated, then turned as if to come back.
That was when Yahul spoke.
"Who's that?"
"Oh, you haven't met him yet. Namgung Ryu-cheong, son of Uncle Namgung Wan."
"Ah, that rude punk."
I nearly jumped out of my seat in shock. Namgung Ryu-cheong hadn't left yet!
No way he heard that? It's just a wooden wall, but of course he did!
I bit my lip hard and forced out a laugh.
"Ha, ha, ha. He's not that bad. He's just a little upset with me, that's all."
Yahul said flatly, "You take me around with you. He's the one in the wrong."
"……"
I was so touched by his faith in me that tears nearly welled up. The moment Yahul spoke, the energy that had frozen in place began moving away from the pavilion again. It felt oddly angry... was that just my imagination?
I soothed my bitter heart while gazing at Yahul's innocent face. Yeah. What would Yahul know...? He was just stating the facts he'd heard.
With Namgung Ryu-cheong finally done with his punishment and out of the ancestral hall, he was resuming training sessions with Seo Ha-ryeong. It was finally time for all that practice to pay off.
Seo Ha-ryeong had been visibly tense since the day before.
It's just a spar. Why's she so worked up?
She looked weary, so I casually asked, and she admitted she hadn't slept well the night before. Seo Ha-ryeong said to me,
"I'll definitely win."
"Yeah, you can do it. But don't push too hard. It's okay if you lose."
Helping Seo Ha-ryeong was also a way for me to test the limits of my eye's ability. It would be enough just to unsettle Namgung Ryu-cheong without outright winning.
Seo Ha-ryeong clenched her fists, her eyes gleaming.
"No! You've helped me so much—you have to let me win this!"
"……Uh, yeah."
With her this fired up, I hoped I hadn't taught her wrong or pointed out a flaw that wouldn't work. Even eternally carefree me started to worry.
As we entered the training ground, Namgung Ryu-cheong was already fully prepared. And this time, there were quite a few spectators. Some looked like Namgung family warriors, his servant was there, and even my and Seo Ha-ryeong's maids had followed us in.
Probably because of what happened last time.
Namgung Ryu-cheong swept his stiff gaze over me and said,
"Why is Lady Baek Ri-yeon here?"
"I brought her."
Namgung Ryu-cheong scowled and snapped,
"Bringing an outsider to training!"
"Yeon-ie isn't an outsider! I invited her!"
Namgung Ryu-cheong snorted.
"You planning to train alone here or what?"
"……"
There was no flaw in Namgung Ryu-cheong's words. Unless you were quite close, people didn't usually watch each other's training. It was tantamount to exposing family sword techniques and secret moves. If an adult showed up like this to spectate, they'd be treated like a thief stealing techniques—prime target for a sword through the gut.
Besides, this was a joint training session. If it were just Seo Ha-ryeong alone, maybe, but with Namgung Ryu-cheong involved, you naturally needed the opponent's consent first.
Seo Ha-ryeong grumbled sulkily,
"But she's a guest of the Namgung family! What's wrong with training together?"
"Together?"
Namgung Ryu-cheong glanced at me. I didn't even have a wooden sword, and I wasn't dressed for training.
"She's just watching."
"……"
"I have no intention of turning my training into a spectacle."
Seo Ha-ryeong bit her lip.
"But Yeon-ie...!"
I cut in, interrupting her.
"Young Master Namgung is right."
"Yeon-ah...!"
Seo Ha-ryeong gripped my clothes like she could never let go.
"That's why I already got Uncle Namgung Wan's permission."
Seo Ha-ryeong brightened, while Namgung Ryu-cheong glared at me.
"......Do whatever."
Namgung Ryu-cheong turned on his heel. Seo Ha-ryeong let out a relieved breath.
"Phew, that was close. Hey, Yeon-ie, when did you even ask him?"
"Yesterday. And Young Master Namgung wasn't wrong. Be more careful from now on."
"Got it...!"
As the daughter of the Suxiang Sect leader, she could act however she wanted back home.
"Alright. Now go on."
I watched Seo Ha-ryeong head off and found a suitable spot on the training ground. The maid who had followed me whispered,
"I've never seen the young master pushed back like that before."
I turned curiously, and she continued with smiling eyes,
"He's our young master, but he's always so... anyway, no one his age could handle him."
Yeah, with his old-soul vibe, it was no surprise typical peers couldn't keep up. I'd regressed, but Namgung Ryu-cheong hadn't—truly impressive in every way.
Seo Ha-ryeong, with protective wraps meticulously around her wrists, walked tensely to the center of the training ground. The weakness I'd taught her wasn't major. Both were still young; neither could use sword qi like their fathers or swing blades too fast to follow. They'd have to rely purely on forms.
And I'd pointed out the brief gap that appeared when Namgung Ryu-cheong chained certain forms. He was sticking to forms he'd used before partly because of Seo Ha-ryeong's skill level. Trying new ones against her relatively lacking ability... well, it amounted to just using what he was comfortable with.
Still, overwhelming her is impressive.
There was a reason Namgung Ryu-cheong found training with Seo Ha-ryeong tedious. He had nothing to learn from her. But that didn't excuse his rudeness and dismissal.
Anyway, he was underestimating her now, repeating the same forms. So if she waited for the one with the weakness I'd taught, she had a shot.
Namgung Ryu-cheong and Seo Ha-ryeong gripped their wooden swords and took stances. The spar began... and I was baffled.
Namgung Ryu-cheong, what the heck are you doing?
Until now, he'd handled her within no more than ten forms. Ten forms? Usually three. But suddenly... how to put it? He started going easy on her.
Seo Ha-ryeong faltered too, her sword tip wobbling for a split second. In that instant, his blade thrust toward her throat—but she barely blocked it.
"What was that?"
His sharp gaze urged her to focus. Seo Ha-ryeong lowered her sword in panic and apologized.
"S-sorry."
I was shocked again. Normally, Namgung Ryu-cheong would've ruthlessly disarmed her the moment she wavered. Dropping your sword hurt a swordsman's pride more than a blade at your throat.
But acting all gentle, giving her just enough leeway to recover? Is that really Namgung Ryu-cheong?
Our eyes met as they briefly parted to catch their breath. He clicked his tongue and looked away. His blatant dislike left me speechless.
"……."
A bewildered voice came from behind—the maid.
"Lady Baek Ri-yeon, um, well... don't take it too hard."
"Hahaha."
Yep, this was one hundred percent because he'd overheard Yahul. Fortunately, Seo Ha-ryeong quickly adapted to his consideration(?) and exchanged blows with him. When she first came to the training ground, her face had been pale with nerves, but now it flushed red with excitement as she grew thrilled.
But at this rate, all our practice would go to waste.
Whatever... I don't know what changed his mood, but if he's decided to try getting along, that's even better. Maybe I should head out?
Judging by his reactions, me sticking around would just rile him up more.
That was when it happened. Namgung Ryu-cheong unleashed that form. I noticed it, and so did Seo Ha-ryeong. As his diagonal upward slash reached the two-thirds mark, the subtle gap between shoulder and nape.
After endless practice for just that moment, Seo Ha-ryeong's wooden sword thrust full-force into the opening.
"……!"
And I was startled by the power in her strike.
Even a wooden sword—that much force to the nape...!
So focused, Namgung Ryu-cheong's eyes widened in surprise—it was crystal clear to me. And in that instant, my eyes caught something unusual.
Inside his wide-eyed body, inner energy surged wildly. From his dantian to his arm, then toward the wooden sword in his grip—a pale rosy energy extended.
No way...!
Just before her sword pierced his throat, in that razor-edge moment, the bolstered wooden sword knocked hers aside. Seo Ha-ryeong's blade grazed his sharply raised chin, and an ominous crack rang out.
Kwachik!
Namgung Ryu-cheong's wooden sword snapped—and hurtled straight toward my head!
Why's it coming this way?!
Shocked cries erupted—I couldn't tell from whom.
"Lady!"
"Lady!"
Fortunately, the trajectory was clear to me. Just a slight turn of the head and—
Oh no! The maid!
My maid was right behind me. My body moved before my brain could catch up. As practiced, I gathered the surrounding energy to my hand as much as possible and thrust it toward the flying sword.
Tak!
A dull thud, and I caught it.
"……!"
Eyes bulged around me. I was shocked too.
It actually worked?
I'd thought deflecting it would be a win, but catching it? Of course, it hurt like hell—my palm felt torn open. With a thud, the maid behind me collapsed, legs giving out.