Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Guest - 1
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The recovery period had ended, and the day for full-fledged training finally arrived.
After finishing my dawn training circuit around Jinhyu—which I hadn't been able to do until now—and heading back to enter the estate, I spotted some unfamiliar people standing in front of it.
"Who might you be?"
They were a well-dressed group of three men and two women. They looked at me curiously and asked.
"Do you live in this estate?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Our apologies for the intrusion. We are warriors affiliated with the Heavenly Martial Hall. I am Un Cheon of the Wudang Sect. And these are my colleagues from the Heavenly Martial Hall."
"Hye-seon, a fellow disciple."
"Paeng Yu-seok of the Paeng Family."
"Paeng Yu-ha."
"Gak Jeon of the Yellow Tiger Gate."
Two from the Wudang Sect, two from the Hebei Paeng Family. And the Yellow Tiger Gate was a martial house fairly well-known around Jinju.
Among them, Paeng Yu-ha was a character from the novel—one of the heroines, no less.
"I am Jin Hyun, Sword Heaven's attendant."
When people offered polite greetings, it was only natural to respond in kind. I gave them a fist salute and opened the gate.
"Please wait a moment. I'll inform Sword Heaven that guests have come to call."
"We appreciate your consideration."
Being from the righteous faction, they were quite courteous. Nothing like that bastard Gil Jeong I'd met not long ago.
"By the way... has anyone from the evil faction come looking for you here in Jinhyu?"
"Are you referring to Gil Jeong?"
"Oh? He was here? What do we do, senior brother? Looks like we're late..."
"What happened to him?"
"He's dead."
There was no particular reason to hide it, so I answered plainly. Wait, they didn't know? It was already common knowledge among anyone who mattered in Jinhyu.
The rumors hadn't spread as fast as I'd thought. I greeted the bewildered group and headed inside.
"Who's out there?"
Yu Ye-ryeon was lounging on the main hall floor, swinging her legs as she slurped on the caramels I'd made yesterday.
She looked just like a spoiled young lady from some wealthy household. Even that relaxed pose had no openings whatsoever. She really was something else.
"Guests from the Heavenly Martial Hall have arrived. Shall I let them in?"
"Hmm. Sure. Tell them to come in."
"Understood."
With her permission, there was no need to delay. I went back out and called them in. Un Cheon and his group entered with tense expressions, then immediately bowed politely upon seeing Yu Ye-ryeon.
"Un Cheon of the Heavenly Martial Hall. It is an honor to meet Sword Heaven."
"Yeah. What's the visit this early in the morning?"
"We heard that Sword Heaven recently captured Hu alongside the Namgung Family. The Heavenly Martial Hall has a commission to retrieve Hu's neidan, so we've come."
"I do have Hu's neidan. And? You're not expecting me to just hand it over."
"The Heavenly Martial Hall is offering one thousand nyang in gold."
Whoa. One thousand nyang in gold. It was going for a high price. But unlike my admiration, it didn't seem to pique Yu Ye-ryeon's interest much.
She just popped another caramel in her mouth and shook her head.
"If a thousand nyang won't do..."
"I have plans for Hu's neidan myself."
"Doesn't a neidan hold no meaning for Sword Heaven?"
"True. Spirit medicines mean little to me. Once you reach the level of the Eight Great Heavens of the Nine Provinces, enlightenment takes precedence."
"In that case, with a thousand nyang in gold..."
"I'm thinking of feeding it to that guy."
Eh? Me? But spirit medicines weren't all that significant to me either.
Once I finished a certain level of training, I planned to monopolize the opportunities and elixirs I knew about.
Absorbing even those would be no easy task—throwing in a neidan on top? It had some value, but not a thousand nyang's worth...
"We did hear that Sword Heaven had taken a disciple..."
"He's not a disciple. Just a guest staying here while I teach him the sword."
"Isn't that a disciple?"
"I'm not teaching him my martial arts."
They all tilted their heads, clearly not getting it. But this wasn't something to seek others' understanding over, so I didn't pay it much mind.
"I see..."
What mattered to them was that Yu Ye-ryeon wasn't selling Hu's neidan. As Un Cheon made a disappointed face, Paeng Yu-seok stepped forward and spoke.
"Be that as it may... did Sword Heaven kill Gil Jeong?"
"Gil Jeong? Ah, that guy? He was rude to me."
"...Hah. Though he was from the evil faction, he was still affiliated with the Heavenly Martial Hall. As a fellow member, allow me to apologize on his behalf."
"No need. Jin Hyun killed him."
At those words, they all turned to look at me. Paeng Yu-seok's expression was especially priceless—like he couldn't believe it. I just shrugged.
"Paeng Yu-seok."
"Ah. Well. Sorry about that. Gil Jeong and I were always at odds; I figured I'd end up killing him someday anyway..."
"We've unintentionally robbed the young hero of his revenge. My apologies."
"Apologies... Ah. In that case, could you pass a message to Sword Heaven? What would it take for you to yield the spirit medicine to us?"
I glanced at Yu Ye-ryeon.
"She says that."
"Oh ho. Asking me to yield it. The Paeng Family's got some nerve. Fine. Pass one condition, and I'll hand over the neidan."
With her signature playful smile, she pointed at Paeng Yu-seok.
"You. Fight Jin Hyun. Win, and it's yours."
Suddenly? But it wasn't a bad deal. I placed my hand on my sword hilt. Seeing that, Un Cheon spoke up urgently.
"Sword Heaven, we've only come to purchase the neidan. A fight..."
"Don't worry. It won't be a deathmatch. A simple spar will do."
"In that case..."
"Not something to take lightly, though? I'll give you time—think it over and decide."
At Yu Ye-ryeon's words, they nodded and stepped back. Meanwhile, I stood and followed her inside.
"What's on your mind?"
"The Heavenly Martial Hall wants Hu's neidan. They're probably planning to raise up their later-generation talents with it..."
"Isn't it fine to just sell it?"
"Of course. But selling it outright feels like a waste, doesn't it?"
She grinned mischievously, pinched my cheek, and wiggled it around before bursting into giggles.
"Since the Heavenly Martial Hall wants Hu's neidan, their only option is to deal with me. That means they'll keep sending people."
"Probably."
"And among them, there'll be some on par with you—or a bit stronger. The Paeng Yu-seok who just showed up? He's a notch above Gil Jeong, which puts him ahead of you."
Now I got it. Yu Ye-ryeon was recruiting sparring partners for me.
Fighting was hugely beneficial for improving one's skills. Hadn't I grasped the key to the Flower Redirecting Technique during my deathmatch with Gil Jeong just recently?
Especially against peers or opponents with a slight edge— the gains could even surpass what I'd get from sparring with Yu Ye-ryeon.
"Guidance is important, of course. But nothing beats what you seize through your own struggles. That's why we're using the neidan as bait."
In other words, sparring partners would just line up on their own.
Talk about genius. I expressed my admiration, and she puffed up proudly, hands on her hips.
"Impressive. To think that far in such a short moment."
"Hee hee. More praise. More."
"Good job. Good job. Good job."
"Ahahaha!"
She must've been in a great mood. Laughing loudly, she patted my back and headed further inside. Which left me with the sparring match against them.
A match where a single loss ended it all. The tension was no joke.
"Have you decided?"
I stepped out and asked Un Cheon and the others. They seemed to have finished deliberating. Paeng Yu-seok gripped his dao tightly and took a step forward.
"Paeng Yu-seok of the Paeng Family. I don't shy away from a fight."
"Splendid."
With his agreement, all that was left was to fight.
"One moment! As Sword Heaven mentioned, we can't allow a deathmatch. I hope you understand that."
Un Cheon stepped in to set terms. Well, they couldn't just permit a deathmatch willy-nilly.
Even a simple spar offered gains, so I could concede that much.
"Then let's refrain from dangerous moves."
"What a shame. Someone who killed Gil Jeong—a proper clash would've been nice..."
"Yu-seok!"
"Got it. Got it."
Paeng Yu-seok waved it off lightly to fend off Un Cheon's shout. He fixed me with an aggressive stare and strode forward.
"Then let's begin right away."
"Yeah. Yeah. Get to it."
The Hebei Paeng Family mainly employed robust blade arts, thanks to their innate divine strength and sturdy frames.
Paeng Yu-seok before me looked like a textbook example. His well-developed muscles and tall stature suggested a domineering blade style.
A clash of tyranny versus the kingly path. We arrived at the all-too-familiar clearing, and soon after, Yu Ye-ryeon approached. Paeng Yu-seok drew his dao.
"Paeng Yu-seok of the Paeng Family. I wield the Primal Chaos Thunderbolt Blade Art."
"Jin Hyun, attendant of Sword Heaven. I use the Three Ultimates Sword Art."
"...Three Ultimates Sword Art?"
"Any issue?"
"No... Just curious how you'll fight with that. Well then..."
-Shring.
The dao gleamed as it slid from its sheath. Facing it, I slowly raised my sword into a mid-guard position.
We were ready. Yu Ye-ryeon watched, then clapped lightly and spoke.
"Begin."