Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Catching Up to the Silent Swordmaster
----------------------------------------------------------------- ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Yi Da-hye stared at the ranking window with a face frozen stiff.
Realizing her own expression, she let out a faint chuckle.
'I'm not some kid. Getting worked up over this? Not like me at all.'
Her fated rival, who always beat her in tournaments,
had taken first place again, which stung her pride,
but this wasn't some official contest anyway. ⚙ OVERALL RANKING ⚙ [RANK 01. Nationalist Swordsman Yi Hae-chan] (View Details) [RANK 02. 2Da-hye] (View Details) [RANK 03. Eom Gil-dong's Lust] (View Details) [RANK 04. Eom Gil-dong 1496 Try] (View Details) [RANK 05. Gil-dong, Go Break Some Trees] (View Details) [RANK 06. Eom Gil-dong's Right Arm] (View Details) [RANK 07. Gil-dong, Go Do Mark 2 Speedrun] (View Details) [RANK 08. Eom Gil-dong 888 Try] (View Details) [RANK 09. Third-Rate Swordsman] (View Details) [RANK 10. 30-Year Demon Realm Incheon Survivor] (View Details) Relaxing as she scrolled down to the top 10, a snort of laughter escaped her.
"What the heck? I lost to Mr. Eom Gil-dong's lust?" 💬 Comments — Viewer LOLOLOLOL — Viewer LOLOLOLOLOLOL — Viewer Eom Gil-dong gang is no joke lol — Viewer Viewers are way too good lol — Viewer Damn, they're scary af lol "Don't just laugh—try doing it yourselves. It's lonely with nothing but Eom Gil-dong fans." — Viewer — Viewer Sis, wait a sec!! I'll climb up soon!!! — Viewer Sword training day 1 starting today — Viewer Back to day 1 again? — Viewer Da-hye gang always back to basics (no persistence) Just seeing these sweet, adorable viewers
made her heart warm right up.
With such great people watching,
it felt wrong to sulk alone.
"Too bad I didn't snag first, but oh well. Yi Hae-chan always dominates sword content." — Viewer Sis, we're evenly matched — Viewer We're always runners-up — Viewer That's why it's 2Da-hye lol — Viewer That's why it's 2Da-hye lol — Viewer Plz no jammin "Quit teasing. Before I ban you twice." — Viewer Bans lift right away anyway — Viewer LOLOL?? — Viewer This chat's super chill! Still, she had to give credit where it was due.
Yi Hae-chan's skills outshone her own.
As Yi Da-hye was wrapping up the Silent Swordmaster Chase challenge,
a video donation popped in. Nationalist Swordsman Yi Hae-chan donated 10,000 won! "Yi Da-hye got second again? Yi Da-hye got second again?" "......"
A blatant taunt from the victor, complete with a prepared clip
to rub it in.
Yi Da-hye's brow twitched at the provocation.
She prided herself on her cool, mature allure,
a poised image she wanted to uphold.
But being this thoroughly underestimated?
Her swordsman's pride wouldn't stand for it.
"I'll beat that guy's record."
Eom Gil-dong had sparked the Silent Swordmaster Chase craze.
As time passed and the hype started fading,
Yi Da-hye and Yi Hae-chan's record battle reignited the flames.
Even off-stream, mentions of the Silent Swordmaster kept surging,
pushing the buzz higher and higher.
This all unfolded during week two
of the Silent Swordmaster's intensive training period. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 5.
Amid the raging Silent Swordmaster Chase fever,
Hae Eung-eung devoted herself to what she called "intensive training period"—
or "closed-door seclusion" for short—
oblivious to the outside world.
By week two, she had achieved her initial goals. ⚔ REALM WINDOW ⚔ [Realm] Third-Rate (Lv 80) [Promotion Conditions] — Defeat third-rate foes (37/100) — Defeat second-rate foes (1/1) — Reach realm level 50 (80/50) — Acquire second-rate martial art (1/1) Meet two or more of the above to promote at any time. Note: Forced promotion if five martial arts reach 5-star realm. Third-rate martial arts mastery at level 80.
Just 20 levels shy of the enlightenment threshold of 100.
All that remained was picking two more third-rate arts,
mastering them swiftly to hit level 100.
Choosing candidates had been tough at first,
but she did have one obvious option.
'Shadow Gate. Their arts should fill the third-rate slots easily.'
Yet she hadn't learned them.
Because she harbored no fondness for the Shadow Gate.
Haenam Sect.
Her sect of choice had taken her in solely for sharing their surname.
It was packed with kind-hearted elders,
so their finances were shaky,
and they fell helplessly into the Shadow Gate's schemes, buried in debt.
—Come with us if you want to protect your sect's signboard, girl.
—No! Eung-eung, ignore those scum!
—Hahaha, you shouldn't flaunt treasures you can't defend. Too late for regrets now.
The girl, who had gained a new family and could smile innocently again,
saw that smile shattered by pure goodwill—to show her the world beyond narrow Haenam Island.
Her first taste of the jianghu upon venturing out.
By the end of her debut,
her beauty was known across the Eight Southern Provinces.
The Shadow Gate coveted Hae Eung-eung, dubbed the "Top Beauty South of the Yellow River,"
and applied crushing financial pressure on Haenam Sect.
'Back then, Haenam Sect was my second family. Still is, even now.'
Just as Haenam Sect had reached out to the overnight orphan Hae Eung-eung,
she willingly chose to sell herself to the Shadow Gate to save her sect.
'That was the start. Days of clinging desperately to past happiness.'
The girl whose beauty was the talk of the Eight Southern Provinces.
The Shadow Gate polished her into their ultimate courtesan.
Many powerhouses lusted after her.
Jealous rivals abounded too.
She was exquisite.
All wanted to break her.
None wanted her as family.
'Desperate days.'
Hae Eung-eung took up the sword.
She had to grow strong, lest stronger foes
rape her by force or threaten her anytime.
She wielded but one style.
Haenam Sword Technique.
The strongest she knew.
Thus, Three Mysteries Sword Technique vanished from her life.
'I reclaimed that Three Mysteries Sword Technique, only to learn Shadow Gate arts again...'
The past two weeks.
Had she regained martial mastery?
Or the joy of training?
Before she could answer,
her motivation fizzled.
Pickpockets, gamblers, errand boys, courtesans.
Shadow Gate arts from society's dregs
were all filthy, without exception.
Origins tainted.
Purposes vile.
Weaklings greedily preying on weaker prey,
or tricking the strong to steal theirs.
Their teachers' hearts were rotten too.
—Tch. Without that face, you'd have starved on the streets at your age.
—I hate you. Beauty denied to this hag. I'd steal it if I could.
—Rest? Don't make me laugh. Know how many courtesans are pouring drinks and smiles for men right now to cover your tuition?
Ultimate courtesan.
Shadow Gate's ace informant.
Tool to curry favor with the powerful.
No room for fond memories.
Just endure, endure, endure.
—You're lucky, girl.
—...?
—His Imperial Majesty has taken notice of you.
The end came abruptly.
The elderly matriarch, who always drove her with a stern glare—
Shadow Gate's leader.
The night before departure.
She bared her true heart, first and last time.
—To escape Nine Yin Vein Blockage Blockage pain without relying on a man's favor... A chance denied to me. I'm envious.
The leader, whose life path was half-forced, without even choice.
Back then, the old woman's bitterness seemed mere pretense.
But now, with time and peace of mind,
Hae Eung-eung saw what she'd missed.
'Impossible for Shadow Gate—one of the two great info networks with the Beggars' Clan—to fail blocking intel to the Imperial Palace.'
To her, mere enemies.
Too risky to think they'd hand a top courtesan to the palace without revenge potential.
Best to hide her.
They could've caged her forever if they wished.
Someone opened the cage.
Only one could: the Shadow Gate leader.
'Did her own Nine Yin Vein Blockage Blockage weigh so heavily?'
If she had such humanity,
why not show it before touching Haenam Sect?
Far too late.
The mercy came,
and her realization too,
after everything had transpired.
'I won't forgive what you did to me and Haenam Sect.'
But with all karmic ties knotted now,
perhaps she could learn the sound arts the leader taught personally. [Ordered Xun.] [Ordered Pipa.] Rare in 2050,
traditional Chinese instruments.
The moment delivery arrived, she recalled old memories and played.
Unaware of neighbors upstairs and next door perking up their ears,
Hae Eung-eung revived ancient sensations.
'Thought I'd forgotten it all, but even trivial stuff sticks.'
A brief lull in the serene, gentle melody,
drifting toward sleep.
Screeeeech! — Neighbor Fuck, that hurts — Neighbor My ears! — Neighbor You suck at playing! Curses from the neighbors.
Why'd her fine playing turn sour?
To Hae Eung-eung, this was normal.
Sound arts were martial arts, after all.
For foes.
Dissonance to shatter balance
was perfect training for mastery.
Screeeeech!
Screeech!
Endless ear-splitting shrieks.
Maddening noise pollution. [Management Office Notice: Complaints about inter-floor noise from instrument playing. Please be considerate, residents.] 'Right. This isn't the jianghu.'
The inevitable end: a flood of complaints. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇