A Harmonious Family
Jegal Hye was showing an exceptional rate of growth, far exceeding expectations.
'Is this the power of the Five Elements Body? She seems to be growing even faster than the historical sect leaders of the defunct Maoshan Sect.'
The Five Elements Divine Art was, in truth, a martial art derived from the Maoshan Sect.
Though they were originally a sect focused on Daoist sorcery, they had converted some of their spells into martial arts to avoid falling behind the times.
That conversion resulted in the Five Elements Divine Art, which was only a half-success.
'It inherited the flaw of sorcery, where everything depended entirely on the caster's innate talent. That's why, despite creating a martial art comparable to other divine techniques, they ended up fading into the dustbin of history.'
Yet, that very legacy of the Maoshan Sect was now shining brilliantly once more in Jegal Hye's hands.
"Haap!"
Whoosh!
A blade of flame erupted from the fan Jegal Hye swung, flying forward like a slashing sword strike. She had channeled the fire element among the five elements to execute her fan technique.
Tang Hwi deflected each and every strike with palms tempered by his Vajra Indestructible Body.
If he used too much force, the shockwaves would hit his own body; if he used too little, he wouldn't be able to push them away. With meticulous control, he embodied the principle of overcoming hardness with softness, deflecting every single blade of fire.
While Tang Hwi was busy deflecting the flames, Jegal Hye immediately moved to her next tactic. She infused pebbles with her qi, scattered them, and charged forward.
She didn't throw them blindly; instead, she flicked her wrist smoothly as if throwing hidden weapons, tossing them precisely according to her calculations.
Hummmmm.
A makeshift formation materialized in an instant. A simplified Five Elements Array was established, but no dramatic physical change occurred.
'After all, the effect of this formation is strictly supportive.'
This formation had the effect of amplifying the energy of martial arts belonging to the five elements.
As someone only at the mid-Peak Realm, exchanging blows with Tang Hwi would have been utterly impossible without at least this much assistance.
The moment the formation took shape, Jegal Hye reached Tang Hwi's immediate vicinity and unleashed a palm strike.
The earth energy loaded into her strike contained the profound principles of the Internal Heavy Hand Technique, specifically designed to bypass the Vajra Indestructible Body.
'She chooses the optimal method right on cue. If an opponent has strong external resistance like the Vajra Indestructible Body, it's indeed best to strike them with earth qi, which is the very essence of the Internal Heavy Hand Technique.'
An attack based on the elemental affinities of the five elements.
Because she had learned just how sturdy Tang Hwi's body was through their recent training sessions, she immediately came up with the correct answer.
Tang Hwi thrust his own palm forward, also imbuing it with the principles of the Internal Heavy Hand Technique, to neutralize her strike.
"Ugh!"
Or rather, because his palm was far larger, even if she suffered no actual injury, the sheer impact she had to absorb was immense. Jegal Hye grimaced and was sent bouncing backward.
Yet, despite her scowl, she acted as if she felt no pain at all, her other hand continuously fluttering the fan without a moment's rest.
This time, it was a gust laden with wind energy. A fan technique was already specialized in manipulating wind, but when infused with pure wind qi, its intensity became truly formidable.
It pushed Tang Hwi back, giving off the impression of a miniature tempest.
"Hmm? Impressive."
Feeling a sudden heaviness around his ankles as he was pushed back, Tang Hwi looked down at his surroundings and let out an admiring chuckle.
Pebbles had been hidden within the gale she had just conjured. She had pre-emptively laid a trap formation at the exact spot where Tang Hwi would be pushed back, blending earth and fire qi to generate a sticky, mud-like energy that bound his feet.
"Aren't you being a bit too relaxed?"
"I am in the Master Realm, so I can afford to be."
"...Do you have any idea how incredibly obnoxious that sounded?"
Jegal Hye clicked her tongue but did not follow up with another attack. After all, this sparring session and lesson concluded here.
No matter how much she struggled or how brilliant her tactics were, it was impossible for a mid-Peak Realm cultivator to defeat a Master Realm expert like Tang Hwi.
Thus, they exchanged a few blows, and he brought it to a close at an appropriate point.
Having traded moves with her, Tang Hwi began to point out her flaws one by one.
"First of all, your movements are sluggish."
It wasn't an incorrect assessment. While she was slightly faster than the average mid-Peak Realm martial artist, that was only because many martial artists in the world lacked access to proper movement techniques.
Despite possessing the Jegal Clan's signature footwork, the Footwork of Heavenly Secrets, her sluggishness stemmed from her physical body being unable to keep up with the rapid processing speed of her brain.
Because her mind calculated things too quickly, her body lagged behind. Usually, it was the other way around for most martial artists, but in Jegal Hye's case, it was the exact opposite.
"I understand that having large breasts imposes certain physical limitations, but even putting that aside, many of your movements were far more sluggish than they should be. It seems you've put on some excess fat. I think we should cut back on your theoretical formation lessons a bit."
"What did you say?! Is that any way to speak to a lady?!"
"It's not as if you and I are actually getting married, is it?"
As Jegal Hye shrieked in outrage, looking as though he had touched a massive sore spot, Tang Hwi merely shrugged with an indifferent expression.
Veins throbbing on her forehead, Jegal Hye quickly covered the lower half of her face with her fan. She couldn't allow anyone to see her grinding her teeth in such an unrefined manner.
The grinding sound was loud enough to render the gesture pointless, but perhaps it was a matter of preserving her own peace of mind.
She spoke in a chilly voice.
"We are going to be allies in the future. Is there really any need to deliberately upset me like this?"
"Wouldn't I feel far more guilty if I failed to train you properly and you, my ally, ended up getting hurt later on?"
"Hmph. Just how often do you think a daughter of the Five Great Noble Clans finds herself in mortal danger for you to worry like this?"
"My lady, you shouldn't underestimate the Jianghu. Look at me—I have struck a deal with you and am currently planning to cripple the Monster Dragon."
"......"
Unable to find a counterargument, she fell silent. Tang Hwi looked at her with a serious expression and continued.
"I wish for our relationship to last as long as possible. Therefore, it is my duty to do everything in my power to train you so that you never come to harm."
"Honestly... always saying things that confuse a person."
"?"
Noticing Tang Hwi tilting his head in confusion, Jegal Hye snapped her fan shut and cried out with an unreadable expression.
"Fine! Physical training! I'll do it! I'll do it, okay?!"
"A wise decision. From now on, show up at the Hour of Jin (7:00 AM to 9:00 AM). As you can see from my own physique, helping you shed a bit of weight won't be difficult. There are training robes prepared at the training ground of the Patriarch's Pavilion, so just make sure you aren't late."
"Understood. But there's something I've been wondering about..."
Trailing off, Jegal Hye asked cautiously.
"Is it really alright for an outsider like me to visit the Tang Clan's Patriarch's Pavilion so freely? I heard this place... is restricted only to the direct line, specifically the Patriarch's immediate family."
"That is indeed a question you should have asked much sooner."
Jegal Hye glared at him with a pout.
"I know that already, so could you please not point it out and embarrass me..."
"Hmm. To answer your question, it is primarily to avoid raising suspicion. If you, my fiancée, enter the Patriarch's Pavilion alone and spend a few days here, busybodies will naturally spread rumors. Won't that make the Jegal Clan Leader and the Monster Dragon lower their guard even further?"
"On the contrary, it might make them suspicious, thinking I gave up on the succession too easily. Because of our fake engagement, some of my supporters have drifted away, leaving only a few fiercely loyal ones, but I am still holding onto as much authority as I can."
"If we are going to deceive them, isn't it better to make the deception absolute? Once the Monster Dragon is crippled anyway, you will become the Young Clan Leader."
At that, Jegal Hye wore a flat expression before covering her lower face with her fan again.
"Because if I let go of my grip entirely, Father will never return that authority to me. He holds the archaic view that a woman's place is inside the home, supporting her husband. He even grumbles about how we should revive the practice of foot-binding."
"...He must be mad. Foot-binding for a martial artist?"
Foot-binding was one of the worst customs of the Central Plains.
It was a horrific practice where a young girl's feet were tightly bound with cloth from childhood to forcibly stunt their growth, all under the pretext that smaller feet were more beautiful and elegant.
Even though forcing such growth resulted in feet that were merely tiny, while being completely deformed and functionally useless.
Though foot-binding had briefly been fashionable in the Jianghu once, it quickly died out as numerous powerful female martial artists emerged and condemned the absurd practice.
Reviving it now was practically tantamount to declaring war on every female martial artist in the Jianghu.
The Emei Sect or other all-female sects might very well launch a direct assault over it.
"Of course, he only talks. He would never actually propose it in a formal meeting. If he did, sects like Emei would look upon us with extreme hostility. He only refrains from acting because he meticulously calculates the gains and losses and realized it would be disadvantageous."
"If he harbors such thoughts, you are certainly right to remain vigilant. You must have a difficult time dealing with such a father, my lady."
In his own case, he had been able to claim Tang Suryeon thanks to Namgung Bu-ryun.
But that was a story for after he had regained his memories of his past life.
Before that, Tang Hwi himself had been a scoundrel who caused his family endless grief, but he had suffered even more because of Namgung Bu-ryun. Thus, he could console her with genuine empathy, feeling a shared sense of pain.
Jegal Hye found herself momentarily speechless at his sincerity.
To think that the man who genuinely worried for her was her business partner and future ally.
If only this man could truly become hers...
'No, that's impossible. He is already the Young Patriarch. There's no way he could ever be mine.'
Coolly assessing the reality of the situation, she suppressed her rising emotions as if plucking a budding sprout before it could bloom, and nodded calmly.
"Well, I suppose so. Since today's lesson is over, I'll see you tomorrow."
The next morning.
"Wait, are these the only training robes you have?! My breasts are practically half-exposed...!"
And so, the day began with Jegal Hye throwing a fit first thing in the morning over the revealing physical training robes she had been forced to wear.