Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Namgung Yu vs. Pung-un
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"Waaah..."
"Who do you think will win?"
"Yeah, who knows..."
Namgung Hyeok, Jeong Seon, and even Seol Yeong had delivered such outstanding performances in their sparring matches that the audience no longer took victory for their own Heavenly Martial Academy for granted.
Instead, they savored the long-forgotten anxiety and tension of possible defeat, their eyes fixed on the arena stage.
And the man who would heighten that thrill stepped up onto the stage.
It was Pung-un making his entrance—the one who had shown such promise back at the Heavenly Martial Academy.
Even as this unfolded, I couldn't shake the words Namgung Hyeok had let slip.
"Never lost to a man, huh..."
"How does Namgung Yu strike you?"
I asked him subtly, only for Namgung Hyeok to turn the question back on me.
What did he mean by "how does she strike you"?
"If it's not about Pung-un, she comes off as pure and refined..."
I hadn't known Namgung Yu long, but that was my honest take.
Right now, up on the stage, she was glaring at Pung-un with a chilling expression, nothing pure about it.
But usually—when Pung-un wasn't around—she was demure, her movements and speech all feminine grace.
Even when I provoked her, she got mad but never dropped her polite speech.
A bit prickly at times, sure, but her looks and demeanor felt refreshingly pure overall.
"They call me the problem child now, but things were different back then."
"..."
Was Namgung Hyeok the one labeled a problem child these days?
He'd abruptly laid bare his own embarrassment and pressed on with the story.
I tuned in, matching his rhythm.
From the flow of it, the Namgung family's problem child of old was—
"Namgung Yu was the problem child back then?"
"Yeah, and a severe case at that."
"...Was it something with guys even back then, like with Pung-un?"
"Nah, she was just a kid then. Wild and violent, plain and simple."
"Violent?"
Hard to picture.
She had that over-the-top obsession, but violent? Not really.
"Back in the day, she left not just her peers but several Namgung clansmen seriously hurt."
Namgung Hyeok spoke with a wistful fondness, like cherished memories, but the details were gruesome.
"Weirdly, she only went after guys."
That jogged my memory of Namgung Yu's fetish I'd glimpsed before.
Sadist. Destructive urges.
Rare combo—burned strong in my mind.
Maybe that violent streak from her past tied into her fetish.
If so, it made sense why she targeted men specifically.
Namgung Hyeok said the clan saw it as a real issue and took decisive action.
Like shipping off rowdy, hyper kids to go lessons or calligraphy classes in modern times.
The Namgung clan had sent her to the all-women Emei Sect to settle her mind.
And it worked wonders—a year later, she returned to the clan utterly transformed, calm as could be.
But put her in a spar with a guy, and the old brutal, merciless side roared back to life.
If anything, the restraint she showed daily made her even more ruthless and savage in the arena.
Thus was born the Namgung Yu who dominated spars against men.
"...Ga-ga."
"..."
Namgung Yu called out to Pung-un nostalgically as she took her stance, and he nodded, raising his sword.
No signal needed—they charged straight at each other.
Kaang!
Every clash of their blades rang out with harsh metal shrieks.
They traded several exchanges without giving an inch.
"Huh."
Honestly hadn't expected Namgung Yu to hold her own like this.
I knew Pung-un's skill well from training together.
Worthy of the Heavenly Martial Academy's fourth fighter, no doubt.
Namgung Yu was matching him blow for blow.
No— as time dragged on, she was inching ahead bit by bit.
Tiny scratches started blooming on Pung-un's body, and the corner of her mouth slowly curled upward.
Kaaang!
The fierce back-and-forth reached its end.
Their swords met, but this time they didn't separate.
Pung-un poured qi into his blade and bore down, pressing Namgung Yu with raw force.
The sheer volume of his qi reminded me of Jeong Seon.
She'd have a tough time against that.
"This one's got a clear winner."
"Indeed. Better start prepping to head up yourself soon."
"Huh?"
"No idea why Pung-un went that route. A Huashan swordsman, no less."
I figured Pung-un had it in the bag, but Namgung Hyeok saw it differently.
And sure enough, even with superior strength and qi, Pung-un began losing ground in the power struggle.
It defied what my eyes were telling me.
"How...?"
"..."
He shot me a cool look when I asked.
"...You've only been training martial arts a month or so, right? Keep slipping my mind."
He let out a short chuckle, then broke it down nice and simple for me.
Reason Pung-un was faltering? Simple.
His opponent was Namgung Yu of the Namgung clan.
The clan's signature sword art, Changgung Sword Technique, was a mid-weight style built on power and heft.
Pung-un's? Plum Blossom Sword Technique—flashy moves, feints to confuse, illusory strikes hunting openings.
Going toe-to-toe with raw power was like a boxer rushing a judoka into a grapple.
He'd picked the worst fight for himself.
And paid dearly for it.
The moment Pung-un twisted his blade to flick it aside, Namgung Yu shoved through with brute force, carving a deep gash into his arm.
The crowd erupted in cheers, mingled with gasps at the first serious wound of the friendly matches.
Namgung Yu stared at the cut, her body trembling.
She gazed at Pung-un with utter rapture.
Deep wound, but Pung-un stayed composed.
Like he was used to it.
Slowly, he lifted his sword and channeled qi into it.
The blade took on a pink hue, leaving trails of pink qi in its wake—like...
"Plum Blossom Sword Technique..."
I nodded at Namgung Hyeok's murmur.
Yeah, just like plum blossoms.
Namgung Yu wouldn't be outdone—she infused her own qi.
Her blue-glowing sword shoved the air aside, humming fiercely.
Pung-un swung languidly, blooming plum blossoms all around him.
Namgung Yu locked eyes on him alone, refusing to be dazzled by the spectacle.
Only possible because she adored Pung-un.
She zeroed in on him instantly amid the flurry of petals.
Even Pung-un cracked a wry smile.
Bad matchup for him here too.
Tadak!
Namgung Yu lunged first.
Distance vanished in a blink; her blue sword whipped out.
Chaeng!
It halted dead.
I rubbed my eyes in disbelief.
What stopped it? One of those "afterimage" plum blossoms.
Even she looked stunned, eyes wide.
Pung-un exploited the gap, closing in.
Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom.
No mere afterimages—a torrent of blossoms erupted from his sword unlike before, shredding her with countless cuts.
"Keuuk..."
She dodged some, but not that storm of petals.
Overwhelming swordplay.
Her wounds might run deeper, but after this exchange, Pung-un looked poised for an easy win.
In the end, Namgung Yu wavered, then took the hit.
"...I yield defeat."
The stands fell silent, then blazed hot again.
I clapped too, satisfied by the high-level bout.
As I applauded the pair, an unwelcome guest sidled up.
A hooded man stopped beside me and spoke.
"You the fifth fighter?"
"...Who're you?"
"Heavenly Martial Academy's fifth. C'mon, let's talk."
"..."
Thought to blow him off, but he mentioned the fifth slot—couldn't ignore that.
I glanced at the arena, then trailed after him.
He strode ahead to some shed.
Not a big warehouse.
The kind stocked with mops and cleaning gear.
"Why'd you drag me here?"
My tone came out snappish without meaning to.
Irked by this hooded creep bantering like we were buds.
"Why're you the finale instead of Pung-un?"
"...His arts are famous. Easy to counter."
"Bull. How do you counter Plum Blossom?"
He scoffed, dismissing me.
Deep down, I agreed.
Watching those blossoms sprout from his blade tip up close drove it home.
No prepping for that.
Cheol-woong's excuse was just that—an excuse.
They slotted me fifth for some other reason.
"One of two things. Either you're stronger than Pung-un, or you're talent too good to waste on a friendly."
"..."
Couldn't argue.
That second bit rang especially true.
Put Pung-un late, and his win streak keeps my turn from coming without exposing me.
"So what's this about, hauling me out here?"
The hooded guy brushed past, shut the shed door, and locked it.
Instantly, the space sealed tight.
"What else? An investment in the future."
He pulled a hidden sword from the corner as he spoke.