Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: The Backer of the Peak Expert (1)
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Cheongwol was unable to concentrate at all, even until the moment she climbed onto the stage.
The lingering scent of the previous day still hovered thickly around her.
When she lay down to sleep, the spot on her forehead where Han Seojin’s lips had pressed felt hot.
Even when she woke up, she felt as if she were floating on clouds, unable to regain her senses.
She kept touching her forehead like a fool, staring blankly into space.
Her fellow disciples whispered among themselves upon noticing her strange behavior, but since she had been engaging in so many eccentric actions recently, even that didn't last long.
Cheongwol continued to fiddle with her forehead, constantly recalling the events of yesterday.
When she had put on her face veil and descended to the village below Mount Song to compose herself, everything felt like a dream.
It was hard to believe that she had crawled along this very road yesterday—a road now dizzily trampled by passing people.
Could it be that someone among them saw our acts and is keeping silent?
Surely, no one caught us, right?
Even after it was over, worries bit at her tail one after another, adding a sense of immorality to her heart.
Cheongwol retraced the walking path she had taken yesterday, mulling over what had happened with Han Seojin.
She didn't know how to describe the indescribable sense of elation she felt when facing the sincerity he had shown her.
That elation still remained, making her heart flutter.
Even though she had been forced to do such lowly and ugly things yesterday, happiness remained in Cheongwol's heart rather than unpleasantness.
Could there be a play as clean as this?
Usually, a faint sense of discomfort always lingered after their plays.
Thinking that this was all a memory that solidified her trust with Han Seojin, her heart felt much more at ease.
Cheongwol walked to the back mountain of an inn, to the place where a small Buddha statue was placed.
The blind monk she had seen yesterday was sitting there.
Cheongwol tried to pass by due to the tension rising upon seeing him, but the monk spoke to her first.
"Good morning, Donor."
Cheongwol couldn't avoid him in the end and answered, stuttering.
"Ah, Amitabha. Good morning."
"Hmm? Is that Monk Cheongwol?"
Cheongwol flinched and trembled. How on earth does he know that?
"Do... do you know me?"
"How could I not know the protagonist of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly?"
"..."
She wanted to ask how he knew when he couldn't see, but the young monk answered first.
"There is much one learns once the eyes are closed. I may not see what is in front of me, but I can distinguish voices better than anyone else."
Cheongwol ended the conversation with the monk, considering it a thousand fortunes that she hadn't barked, even clumsily, yesterday.
"Cheongwol!"
And as she finished her walk and turned back toward the temple, she encountered her Eldest Senior Sister, Hye-yul, who had been looking for her.
"Where have you been? Come quickly!"
By the time she came to her senses, she had been dragged to the tournament arena.
She was still dumbfounded.
Even with countless people chanting her name in front of her, Cheongwol touched her hot forehead.
Waiting for her turn, she turned her eyes to the spectator seats.
Specifically, towards where Han Seojin was.
She had applied the Tracking Scent on him, so she knew his location well.
"..."
In the past, this Tracking Scent was the only means to support her anxious heart, but now, the very fact that she had applied it was pricking her conscience.
Since some time had passed, the scent was continuously fading.
She had a few more hidden Tracking Scents, but it seemed she should stop applying them to him now.
It was a scent that would disappear in a month anyway.
Cheongwol looked at Han Seojin.
Han Seojin was looking at her today as well.
As their eyes met, Cheongwol's hardened heart began to beat hotly.
Han Seojin clenched his fist for the first time, wishing her martial luck.
Cheongwol also nodded. A smile mixed with tears threatened to leak out, but she had to hold it back.
Now, a being who truly believed in her had appeared.
A home where she could rest had appeared.
"...Tang Soran of the Sichuan Tang Clan!"
Han Seojin said he had bet his entire fortune on her.
If so, Cheongwol needed to earn money for him.
Before, she had felt quite... uncomfortable when he became wealthy.
Because the number of women approaching him aiming for that wealth increased countlessly.
But not anymore.
Cheongwol had reached the depths of the person named Han Seojin, and there was no need to be anxious any longer.
"Cheongwol of the Emei Sect!"
Cheongwol climbed onto the stage at the call.
On the opposite side stood Tang Soran, whom she had beaten once in the past.
Cheongwol clasped her hands in greeting. Tang Soran did the same.
Two eyes settled coldly.
Dark circles under the eyes.
Tang Soran was originally cold in front of Cheongwol, but today her momentum was even rougher.
...It didn't matter.
She was going to win... Huh?
"Begin!"
As the host shouted the start, Tang Soran's energy suddenly exploded.
—Boom!!
A rough wind rose from the center of Tang Soran, spewing out ferocious momentum.
Everyone gasped in surprise at that sight.
At the moment when everyone firmly believed the true protagonist was Cheongwol, Tang Soran stole the attention.
‘What?’
‘Su, surely...!’
Flutter, flutter. Tang Soran's martial uniform shook.
At Tang Soran's icy expression, Cheongwol also stiffened her face.
Tang Soran looked as if she would cry at any moment.
But she said nothing. She didn't ask questions, nor did she argue about anything.
Even Cheongwol hadn't predicted this appearance of Tang Soran.
She didn't feel like this when they fought at Mount Emei.
No, she had never shown this kind of appearance even once during the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly.
Like a final dagger saved solely for Cheongwol, or perhaps for the finals.
The internal energy of Tang Soran, which had suffocated everyone, gradually subsided.
However, that rough momentum wasn't weakening; it was condensing into one point.
A massive energy gathered and gathered, focusing into Tang Soran's body.
The green energy flowing from Tang Soran's body became distinct enough for even the eyes of the ignorant to see, then it settled into her body.
Then, Cheongwol could be certain she saw it.
That a beast-like glint began to flow faintly from Tang Soran's eyes.
At that moment, the Abbot of Shaolin and the masters of all the sects and clans watching rose from their seats.
‘Su, surely...’
‘It can’t be...’
‘At that age?’
Martial artists who can reach the Peak Realm are but a handful in this vast Central Plains.
Some through endless support. Some through miraculous encounters. Some through effort. Some through talent...
Regardless, there is no disagreement that it is a realm one can only reach if chosen by the heavens.
Even the rising stars, whom no one doubted would become the Best Under the Heavens, often grow old in despair, blocked by the wall of the Peak.
And sometimes, a dullard whom the heavens seemed to have abandoned would soar and cross the realm.
With a single enlightenment, a person crosses the wall, and through their respective enlightenments, a martial artist transforms into a singular, heterogeneous existence that is no longer human.
A third-rate martial artist can beat a second-rate one, and a second-rate one can beat a first-rate one, but a first-rate martial artist cannot dare to covet a Peak Master who has attained enlightenment, even if they die and wake up again.
The realm that rises so unfairly is the Peak, and one becomes unreasonably strong to that extent.
"Senior... Surely..."
"Forfeit."
That was Tang Soran's first word.
The moment Cheongwol glanced at Han Seojin, Tang Soran spoke with the eyes of an abandoned puppy.
"...Cheongwol, I have crossed the wall."
Tang Soran was the one chosen by the heavens.
I'm screwed.
I felt like the ground was collapsing.
I bet all my money?? It’s a box of gold?
One box of gold can be considered equivalent to about ten boxes of silver.
Since there were so many people gathering at this Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, including wealthy merchants, gambling was quite exciting.
And I had bet all of that just now...
Without realizing it, I was clutching my hair until it was a mess.
Even the uncles [of the Beggars' Sect] had eyes as wide as surprised rabbits.
I expected Tang Soran to become a Peak Master, but why so fast??
It’s too fast, even if it’s fast. Even Black Dragon hasn't crossed the wall of the Peak yet, so how did you?
My breathing became rapid.
The shock was doubling because the existence I knew had crossed the wall of the Peak faster than anyone else.
My head was too complicated due to this sudden phenomenon.
Of all the people participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, I naturally thought if anyone crossed the wall of the Peak, it would be Cheongwol first.
After all, since the Yeongcheon group are all people who have crossed the wall of the Peak, I thought their companion Cheongwol would cross it before long too.
...But Tang Soran crossed it first?
That brat?
That kid who is an expert at scratching people's nerves gained enlightenment and rose to a realm beyond human?
At that moment, Tang Soran looked my way while holding a dagger.
I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
She, who had been making tired eyes the whole time, smiled brightly at me, then faced Cheongwol again.
My money...
My money...!!
No, to be precise, Namgung Yeon’s money...!
What do I do about Namgung Yeon!!
I asked around and heard she got torn apart by Cheongwol and locked herself away; how am I supposed to handle this situation where I should be supporting her!!
The only thing I could do was bring her money, but now I’m in a position where I can’t even do that.
A strange sense of guilt was creeping up in my chest.
At that moment, Tang Soran began to storm forward.
"Haa...! Haa...!"
Cheongwol gasped for breath.
It had been a truly long time since she felt the sensation of facing a colossal wall.
A sensation she had only felt when receiving teachings from her Master or the Sect Leader.
However, unlike then, anxiety was eating away at her.
A variable that arose at the moment she had to live up to Han Seojin's trust.
Cheongwol was trying to endure somehow, but she was continuously being pushed back.
She was enduring because she didn't want to give up, even knowing it wouldn't work no matter how hard she struggled.
"Amazing."
Tang Soran's voice rang out from somewhere amidst the thickly blooming poison fog.
"Amazing. I didn't know you would feel this light."
"Ugh...!"
"They say once you stand on the wall, the ground below looks incredibly distant. It really feels like that."
—Puk!
A needle flew from somewhere in the poison fog and embedded itself in Cheongwol's thigh.
"Ugh!"
Despite the stinging sensation, Cheongwol quickly threw her body backward to dodge the follow-up attack.
Her head was complicated as she had to circulate her internal energy to detoxify the poison while pulling out the needle stuck in her thigh, all without a moment to breathe.
She tried every method to utilize her internal energy.
No matter how much she opened her senses, she couldn't feel Tang Soran.
She thought she didn't lag behind anyone when it came to the ability to sense opponents, but she was realizing just how terrifying the difference in realms was.
Cheongwol lifted her sword to the side and created a sword wind.
The poison fog scattered for a moment, then gathered again as if it had a will of its own, blocking Cheongwol's vision.
Will I lose like this?
"...Haa... Haa..."
Then what about Han Seojin who believed in me?
Han Seojin trusted her and bet his entire fortune.
Didn't they even engage in such intimate play yesterday?
"Haa... Haa...!"
Cheongwol did not want to betray that trust.
She absolutely did not want to see his eyes turn cold.
She looked around. The poison fog was thick, and she couldn't see anything.
The choice was all too quick.
Right now, what she feared more than anything was disappointing Han Seojin.
At the same time, she couldn't use the Extermination Sword.
She didn't want to hold a sword that killed people right now.
...But, doesn't she have to be that threatening to suppress the opponent?
She can't swing the Extermination Sword, but is it fair for the opponent to use poison?
‘...Kill.’
Someone whispered in Cheongwol's mind.
‘Swing it with the intent to kill. Even then, you might not be able to win.’
"Haa... Haa..."
‘Are you planning to have everything taken from you? You know the reason why Tang Soran is acting like that.’
While caught in the obsession that she couldn't use the Extermination Sword but had to break the opponent.
A belated agony began for Cheongwol as well.
It was always a question.
Why did the Emei Sect take up the sword? Why did they lift the sword while following the principle of non-killing?
Why do they insist on the Shaoyang Sword Technique, yet the destructive Extermination Sword remains and is passed down to the inner sect disciples?
She felt stifled.
The sword technique was limiting her abilities.
It would be more effective if I did this. It would be more destructive if I did that.
Perhaps that freedom lay in the Extermination Sword, which is why the sword technique that fitted her best might have been the Extermination Sword.
One must not be afraid to violate taboos.
Violating beliefs one set for oneself is a problem, but complying with taboos one doesn't even know why one must follow is a foolish thing.
Didn't Han Seojin teach her that?
How much liberation and freedom did the forbidden acts she crossed with him bring her?
Cheongwol's mind went blank even within the poison fog.
As the enlightenment deepened, she became increasingly buried in her thoughts.
Non-killing must not become a taboo.
It is a path and an attitude, but it must not become the goal itself.
The nature of the sword does not change according to the situation.
The sword technique she wields must not limit her.
One shouldn't choose non-killing just because it's the Shaoyang Sword Technique, nor choose massacre just because it's the Extermination Sword.
True freedom lies in casting off the restraints one thought were rules and violating taboos.
The moment one becomes obsessed with the moves, this frustration follows.
There is no need to mind the Master. No need to mind the Sect Leader.
She must become free.
...Doesn't Han Seojin affirm her? He would affirm her no matter how ugly her appearance.
—Whoosh...
Cheongwol felt an energy she didn't know she had blooming from her dantian.
The moment her body accepted the enlightenment and embraced the imagery that came with it, a deeper and purer internal energy than ever before began to bloom.
The energy flowing from her body began to drive away the poison fog.
The thick fog that wouldn't disappear no matter how many sword winds she made began to scatter.
Just a little more.
Something is coming.
Cheongwol reached out toward that realm.
I must keep the trust. I must defeat the opponent.
She didn't want to become a disappointing pup...py.
—Kwaaa!!
Internal energy exploded outwards.
The arena was filled with the screams and shouts of all kinds of people.
An energy twice as rough and crude as the energy Tang Soran had bloomed shook Mount Song.
The Abbot of Shaolin and the sect masters couldn't even stand up from their seats this time.
"Haaa..."
That comfortable feeling.
This sense of liberation.
Cheongwol understood.
She, too, had crossed the wall.
"Are you done?"
At that moment, someone spoke to Cheongwol.
Cheongwol blinked her eyes in her daze.
Tang Soran was standing quietly right in front of her.
"Huh?"
While Cheongwol was regaining her senses, thud, something pushed her lower abdomen.
Cheongwol was pushed back helplessly and fell.
"Ah!"
There was no footing behind her, so she had to fall like a fool.
—Thud.
When she came to her senses, Tang Soran was standing on the stage, and Cheongwol was not.
After a deep enlightenment that felt like a day, when she regained her senses, not much time had passed and... she was in the middle of a tournament.
"Winner! Tang Soran of the Sichuan Tang Clan!"
The host shouted loudly.
"Uh...??"
Cheongwol's eyes trembled.
. . .
"Ow, Owner..."
The moment the tournament ended, Cheongwol hurriedly sought out Han Seojin with her face veil on, unable to do anything else.
Han Seojin was sitting blankly with his mouth open and a face that looked like his soul had been sucked out.
The thought that she had betrayed his trust, the thought that he was disappointed in her, made her knees weak.
Cheongwol bit her lip, then grabbed Han Seojin's wrist and led him to a small space between the houses.
"Ow, Owner... I, I'm really sorry..."
Cheongwol had never felt fear like this at any time.
It felt like the moments when she was scolded by the Sect Leader were less scary.
The sweet time from yesterday remained vivid in her memory, but to end up like this already.
"I, I'll pay it back somehow. Huh? So... so, do, don't hate me—"
"—It's okay..."
Han Seojin whispered.
His dim eyes curved weakly.
"Ha, haha! Why is this your fault?"
"But..."
"Who would have known Tang Soran would cross the wall of the Peak? It’s just unfortunate. You crossed it too; I want to praise you more for that."
His eyes were speaking the truth.
He was just hurting from the sense of loss of losing his entire fortune; it wasn't an expression blaming Cheongwol.
Rather, he patted her arm to soothe the anxious Cheongwol.
"Really. You worked hard. How is this your fault? I'd be the strange guy if I blamed you; you, who did your best, aren't the strange one. I saw clearly how hard you tried."
"..."
But no matter how much she listened to his words, the anxiety didn't go away.
Because there was a part that pricked her conscience as well.
Since she thought Han Seojin had married Gayeong, she hadn't been able to train.
Even though Tang Soran continued her training as if possessed by something throughout the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, Cheongwol couldn't.
Perhaps that difference was what had been revealed.
Cheongwol asked him, casting her eyes down weakly.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"You aren't disappointed in me?"
"I said I'm not."
"...Then hug me."
"What?"
"If you hug me... I think I'll feel a bit reassured."
Cheongwol craved his warmth with her head lowered weakly.
She herself knew how shameless a request it was.
But conversely, because it was so shameless, she felt like she could believe his words if he hugged someone like her.
Han Seojin stood stiffly awkwardly, then slowly opened his arms.
She didn't know how hot the relief she felt was when she saw his opening arms.
Just as she was suppressing the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes and trying to embrace his broad chest.
—Tak!!
"Uh-uh!"
Suddenly, Han Seojin's body stumbled and was dragged to the side.
Surprised, Cheongwol grabbed Han Seojin's remaining arm.
The one pulling him from the other side was Tang Soran, wearing a face veil, evident to anyone.
Cheongwol felt her head heating up.
"Wha, what are you doing?"
"Wol-ah, I'll take the Young Master."
Tang Soran spat it out as if it were the most natural thing.
A fierce anger bloomed in Cheongwol's chest.
"With what right?"
"With what right are you stopping me?"
"Why are you both doing this!"
Han Seojin shouted as if troubled between them.
Then, Tang Soran burst into a pfft scoff.
But unlike before, it wasn't a playful scoff; it looked like a scoff truly meant to mock.
"Young Master, I heard you were betting all your money on Cheongwol all this time? You must have become a pauper."
"..."
"A beggar became a beggar again. Foolish person. Pfft! Isn't Lady Gayeong going to run away too? Who would trust a husband like this?"
As Han Seojin was teased, even Cheongwol felt shame.
It was naturally not the pleasant shame she felt with Han Seojin.
"Still, don't worry."
Tang Soran said.
Then she grabbed Han Seojin's ear and whispered sokdak-sokdak something.
Han Seojin's eyes also snapped open at that moment.
"Owner...?"
"..."
Han Seojin, who was agonizing, looked into Cheongwol's eyes.
He spoke.
"Wol-ah, I... I'll go talk with Lady Tang for a moment."
"What?"
"Don't worry. Everything will work out well."
"Wha, what is it about...!"
Haha, Han Seojin laughed awkwardly and answered.
"That... The Lady said she might be able to pay back the money a bit..."
"..."
Soon, Han Seojin smiled awkwardly and released Cheongwol's arm.
Tang Soran gave a glance to Cheongwol once... and smiled slightly.
"Ugh!!"
That smile hurt more than any attack in the duel.
It was an attitude as if she was taking the prize since she won the duel.
An attitude that since she won the duel, this was now hers.
Of course, it was a leap to say he was taken away, and he was likely just going to talk.
"..."
Not a single word came out.
Since it was money lost because of her, she had nothing to argue with.
A sense of defeat rushed in like a wave from her heart and swallowed her whole. It wasn't simply the emotion of having Han Seojin taken away.
The defeat coming from being a poor nun.
An overwhelming sense of powerlessness that made the years of endless training and coughing up blood seem meaningless.
As if shoving in her face that all her training was a futile effort, a regret like an abyss slowly encroached upon her body.
Cheongwol's fingertips trembled. For the first time, a desperate question of whether her training was insufficient dug deep into her heart.
Cheongwol watched the backs of Tang Soran and Han Seojin drifting away amicably.
The anxiety she couldn't soothe because she couldn't be held by him slowly encroached upon her chest.