The Tournament Resumes: Yeonhwa's Lap Snacks and Soso's Defeat
After learning that the Lukokgu was a jade bead called a night-shining pearl made into a hair ornament, we'd added a nightly routine of admiring the Lukokgu with Hong Yeonhwa, but nothing else had changed. We bantered as usual, trained, had sex, bantered some more... And so a few more days passed until the tenth day after the attack.
Finally, the interrupted Yongbong Tournament resumed. To prepare for any contingencies—even though it wasn't the finals yet—the Murim Alliance Leader was personally in attendance, with Murim Alliance warriors stationed heavily throughout the spectator seats.
There were some changes to the bracket too. First, since Hong Yeonhwa had been disqualified, her original opponent got a bye win. That was only natural. But there was one not-so-natural thing: surprisingly, my opponent, Jegal Yeongyeong, had forfeited.
According to her, her strategy had been turned against her from the start, and the formation she'd prepared for the final moment was just an illusion with no real power, so if they'd continued, I would've won... Why not just shut up and force a rematch? That would've been more advantageous. Admitting defeat voluntarily like that—had to be because she was wary of Hong Yeonhwa, right? Or maybe the attack hadn't just targeted the Murim Alliance but the Jegal family too.
All the attackers had been captured on the spot, but if any were still outside, they might cause trouble. Either way, with so much to be guilty about, she was probably playing it safe. In any case, I got a bye instead of a rematch too, so I watched Paeng Soso's match from the VIP seats with Hong Yeonhwa and Paeng Ojin.
And Hong Yeonhwa, who had now truly proven herself the world's greatest martial artist after the previous incident, was right now...
"Omnomnom."
...sitting on my lap, devouring her third bento box prepared by her maids.
"That good, huh?"
Gulp. "Meat is best when it's hot off the grill, but this is delicious even cold."
Hong Yeonhwa chewed on what looked like an upgraded version of ohyang jangyuk, smiling happily. I was kinda curious what it tasted like.
"Gimme a bite."
At my words, Hong Yeonhwa froze up like time had stopped. She'd brought three bento boxes total. Meaning this was the last one. And since she'd been chowing down on the meat first, this was the very last piece.
Anything feels precious when it's the last one, right? But the absolute last of the last? No need to say it—it'd be super precious. Sure enough, she fumbled around like she'd hit a fatal error, then finally lifted her head with a resolute expression, like she'd made the decision of a lifetime.
"A-ah... h-here."
With trembling hands, she brought the meat to my lips. Holy crap... I was just saying it casually, but she's actually sharing! Recalling how she'd clutched those dumplings and eyed me warily before, I suddenly found the current Hong Yeonhwa kinda admirable.
"Ahh~"
I opened my mouth, and she carefully placed the meat on my tongue. I chewed slowly, savoring it. First off, no trace of that greasy aftertaste from cooled fat. Did they use a lean cut? Those can be tough, but this melted surprisingly soft in my mouth. With every chew, the flavors seeped out—deeply marinated and aged in sauce for days, probably. Just like she said, it was delicious even cold.
I hadn't expected much from a bento, but it felt like an unexpected gift. Shaking off the lingering aftertaste and my reverie, the first thing I saw was Hong Yeonhwa's utterly depressed face. Anyone would think I'd stolen it from her.
I wanted to smother those pouty lips with kisses, but... we were in public. The VIP seats, full of Murim notables. Instead of a kiss, I placed my hand on her small crown and gently stroked it with my fingertips.
"Thanks. Feels even tastier 'cause you fed it to me, Yeonhwa."
"...Is that so?"
Her pink eyes glanced up at me, glimmering with a hint of expectation. Whew... no choice but to live up to it!
One hand kept petting her hair nonstop, the other wrapped around her soft belly in a tight hug as I showered her with praise. At first, she just perked up a bit, but as my words continued, her expression softened—until she was rubbing up against my chest like a cat.
Watching her eyes crinkle sweetly as she acted all cute and clingy, my hand started inching upward on its own. Just as I was about to grab those jiggling breasts and hold them still...
"Oops..."
I belatedly remembered we were outside. This seductive Heavenly Demon! Seducing me like that! I pressed my chin firmly into her crown.
"Nyew... grrr?!"
She made a confused face, like why switch from nice to mean? I whispered softly.
"Let's do the rest back at the mansion. We're outside right now."
"Ah."
Only then did Hong Yeonhwa snap out of it and look around. Paeng Ojin was wearing his usual you can't even act your age look. The others had expressions as complicated as mine in my past life when I learned most baby platypus pics online were fakes. Already looking like a duck-or-platypus mashup, and even the babies were fake...? Nah, that's not it.
They seemed baffled whether the Hong Yeonhwa squirming in my lap was really a Present Realm master who'd reached that supreme realm. Especially the female allies who'd been doting on her, feeding her snacks—they looked extra shocked.
Noticing their stares, Hong Yeonhwa puffed her cheeks slightly and hopped off my lap. Then she trotted over to the women.
"Want a bite? Only veggies and rice left, but... still tasty."
"Pardon? Oh... I don't eat meat anyway, so sure. Just one bite then..."
Starting with an Ami Sect expert in her uniform, Hong Yeonhwa shared the bento and struck up conversation. The awkwardness vanished quickly, and soon they were chatting and laughing like before. Made me feel proud for no reason. What charisma!
I wiped under my nose and turned to the arena. Soon after, Paeng Soso's match began.
And Paeng Soso lost.
Paeng Soso's opponent was a guy named Namgung Hyeok.
"That kid's the famous..."
"To achieve that level already..."
"The next generation of Namgung family will be no joke."
Overhearing the murmurs from the VIP seats, he seemed to be the young heir of the Namgung family, famous for his talent since childhood. Well, if we're talking pure talent, Paeng Soso wouldn't lose at all. She wasn't called a genius for nothing—pushed to peak first-rate on her own after we taught her the basics to live up to the Paeng name.
So I figured she'd put up a good fight... but no.
The moment the match started, Paeng Soso swung her massive saber relentlessly. Movements flexible yet springy, like a feline predator. Each strike carried unignorable power, fiercer and more threatening than ever. It was natural—trained in Five Tigers Gate Severing Saber Art to the extreme, plus Paeng Ojin's personal guidance; she was growing by the day.
But it never reached Namgung Hyeok. No matter how powerful or tricky her saber paths, he blocked them all with a serene expression. Like a pebble dropped in a still lake, barely rippling the surface—he displayed picture-perfect clarity of mind.
As time passed, Paeng Soso grew tired and impatient. In the end, she overextended with a stronger stance, exposing an opening, and Namgung Hyeok didn't miss it. In a flash, he knocked her saber far away and held his sword to her neck. Clean finish.
Watching it, Paeng Ojin frowned and clicked his tongue.
"Can't be helped against that one."
"What do you mean?"
"Means that Namgung Hyeok kid has something Soso lacks."
According to Paeng Ojin, just as I'd guessed, it wasn't a lack of talent on Paeng Soso's part. Just a big difference in environment. Unlike her, Namgung Hyeok had the family's full support.
As the eldest son, he'd formally trained in Cangqiong Wuya Sword Art, which only the family head and heir could learn. Paeng Soso, the youngest daughter, hadn't learned the Paeng secret ultimate Honyeon Byeokryeokdo and focused on Five Tigers Gate Severing Saber Art—different starting lines.
On top of that, elixirs like candy, hiring wandering masters at huge expense, family head and elders personally guiding... Everything to let him focus solely on martial arts. And he was obsessed, never setting his sword down. Result: a blessed genius at the cusp of peak at 23.
That was Namgung Hyeok.
"...Looking at the bracket, he's my next opponent?"
"Hey, just fight well even if you lose—that's what matters."
Paeng Ojin patted my shoulder. Tsk...