Chapter 197
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Rapid Rise Revealed
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Mok Jicheon continued speaking with a smiling expression, oblivious to my inner turmoil.
"Actually, I had no idea Myeong-i possessed such exceptional talent either. But one day, that rascal Myeong-i came to me and said he thought I should become the next head of the family."
I dredged up the memory.
And realized exactly when he'd said it.
'That was just something I tossed out because he was nagging me about visiting the brothels, right?'
But in Mok Jicheon's version of the story, the lead-up was conveniently omitted.
"Then he said, 'Since you were born a man and became a martial artist, shouldn't you make your name resound across the entire Central Plains?' You can't imagine how flustered I was when I first heard that."
"Huh? What's there to be flustered about? Jimyeong's skill level is already enough to say he's made a name for himself across the Central Plains..."
"Young Lady Baek, at that time, Myeong-i's realm was barely second-rate. He'd only just begun handling internal energy at a second-rate level."
"What?!"
Baek Ilyeong's eyes widened in disbelief.
Listening to their exchange, I couldn't even dream of chiming in.
'Yeah. Right after I regressed, I was indeed at second-rate.'
So when exactly was that?
Just...
"Not even a year ago—around this same time last year—Myeong-i was still just scraping by at second-rate."
It had happened a year ago.
"No way!!"
'Hearing it like this, it really does sound impossible.'
Baek Ilyeong stared in shock.
She soon scanned her surroundings with a cheeky expression.
"You're joking, right, Young Master Mok?"
But Mok Jieun, who could serve as a witness, solemnly shook her head.
"It's true."
"..."
Baek Ilyeong's eyes were still filled with doubt.
Mok Jicheon, unperturbed, continued unraveling the old tale.
"It's only natural you wouldn't believe it. I was the one trying to talk him out of it at first. Just imagine: your barely second-rate little brother suddenly declares he's going to make his name known in the Central Plains. What would you say? Back then, I foolishly failed to recognize Myeong-i's talent. No—in truth, no one could have imagined talent on that level."
Mok Jicheon paused there and took a sip of the liquor before him.
Building up the anticipation only to play it cool—it was the mark of a skilled storyteller.
"About two months later, Myeong-i announced he was leaving the clan. Believe it or not, his realm had already reached peak by then."
"Peak from second-rate in just two months? That's utterly ridiculous!"
"It actually happened."
For reference, right after my first brothel visit post-regression, I'd hit first-rate. And immediately after bedding Somwol, I'd broken through to peak.
All the necessary insights were already in my head from the start, so with the Blissful Creation Art to boost my internal energy and a bit of training to temper my body, it had been a breeze.
That said, hearing the story from someone else like this left even me stunned.
'If this were a cheap web novel, it'd get flamed.'
A second-rate martial artist hiding his talent suddenly starts training in earnest upon reaching adulthood and hits peak in two months?
Not even commoners would buy that—let alone martial artists.
And yet, here I was.
The one who'd actually walked that path.
"Phew, Young Master Mok, enough with the jokes. Even looking back through the long history of the martial world, no one's ever done that."
"No one's reached the Enlightenment Realm at twenty either."
Mok Jicheon's calm retort silenced Baek Ilyeong.
To her, he shrugged and added,
"I didn't call Myeong-i a genius for nothing. Talent beyond what ordinary people can comprehend—that's what makes a genius."
By now, my toes were curling in secondhand embarrassment.
And to make matters worse, Mok Jieun chimed in from the side.
"You can ask Elder Baek Soeun of the Mount Hua Sect later. She visited our clan a year ago and met Jimyeong."
"Elder Baek Soeun...?"
"Yeah. She came to take Yeon-i as a disciple, and they met then."
'Right, that happened.'
For the record, that elder Baek Soeun had sized me up as an insolent punk.
She'd dressed it up as 'possessing great spirit,' but the subtext was clear.
As witnesses piled up one by one, Baek Ilyeong now gazed at me like I was some incomprehensible monster.
Her stare grew too embarrassing, and I finally spoke up.
"Alright, let's leave it at that. Talking like this in front of the man himself is making my face burn with shame."
"You?"
I'd meant it sincerely, but Mok Jicheon scoffed.
Mok Jieun just narrowed her eyes at me.
And Baek Ilyeong...
"Him, on that level...?"
She spent a good while longer lost in Mok Jicheon's tale.
***
What had started as a meal had turned into drinks flowing freely.
The talk about me was over, but young martial artists like us had endless topics to share.
"Don't famous swords belong more to those lacking in skill? There's a saying that true masters don't rely on tools. Once you can wield sword energy, even a common iron sword cuts sharper than any famed blade."
"Nah, that's nonsense from amateurs. The greater the artisan, the more they crave superior tools."
The current debate: 'Do famous swords matter more to experts or to novices?'
It had naturally arisen after I'd asked Mok Jicheon about the famed sword his father had acquired.
For the record, among the four of us, I was the only one arguing that 'famed swords should go to experts.'
"Myeong-a, as Young Lady Baek says, whether you wield a famed sword or not makes little difference to your power. But for folks like me, a sword's quality can mean the difference between life and death."
"Of course, even with a famed sword, my power wouldn't surge much, as you say. The absolute best I'd get is maybe a ten percent boost?"
"So what's the problem?"
"Let's assume this: with one sword, your power triples, while mine rises by ten percent. Who should use it?"
"Obviously me."
Mok Jieun and Baek Ilyeong nodded in agreement beside us.
But I promptly refuted them.
"Why? My ten percent is still far greater in absolute terms than your three hundred percent."
"..."
Mok Jicheon was speechless, his face a mask of absurdity at my truth-based verbal smackdown.
To aid him, Mok Jieun jumped in fresh.
"But using that sword wouldn't even give you a ten percent boost anyway."
"True. Maybe a measly one percent?"
"Then I should use it. I'd get three times stronger, like you said."
Mok Jicheon pounced the moment I yielded ground.
But I countered playfully once more.
"Still, my one percent outstrips your three hundred percent."
"Argh, I can't accept that! Fine, as your elder brother, I'll teach you a lesson today! Come outside!"
"Oh, for real?"
My eyes sparkled at the chance to cross swords with my big brother after so long.
But Mok Jicheon's butt stayed glued to his chair.
"Since it's a joyous occasion, I'll let it slide just this once."
His brazen backpedal drew laughter from everyone.
Even the usually stoic Mok Jieun was chuckling softly.
After the brief merriment, Mok Jieun turned to me.
"You seem disappointed. How about me instead?"
Taken out of context, it sounded risky, but she was just proposing a spar.
'Hmm, sparring with second sister...'
I was curious about her current skill level.
But actually facing her gave me pause.
'I might end up disappointed.'
Lately, the people around me were all top-tier.
Setting aside Moyong Hui, who'd reached Enlightenment Realm, there was Cheon Woojin who'd started at transcendent, and Nangong Sua and Sa Hye-rin whose realms had advanced through their ties to me.
And all of them outclassed Mok Jieun in realm.
'Second sister's just hit mid-peak now.'
Objectively, Mok Jieun's level was impressive, but I worried I'd feel let down comparing her to them.
In my memories, she wasn't some fake genius like me—she was the 'real deal.'
As I wavered between curiosity and nostalgia, someone interjected.
"Jieun, leave Jimyeong be and spar with me instead?"
It was Baek Ilyeong, who'd grown thick as thieves with us siblings.
"...With you, sis?"
"Yeah. Our realms are about the same."
As Baek Ilyeong said, their realms matched.
Both mid-peak.
The difference? Baek Ilyeong had reached it long ago, while Mok Jieun was fresh off the breakthrough.
Even within the same realm, proficiency gaps were huge, so Baek Ilyeong held the edge on paper.
'Not just experience, but the techniques she's mastered recently too.'
Still, I had a hunch Mok Jieun might win. Was that just wishful thinking?
Mok Jieun, apparently fired up against Baek Ilyeong, nodded readily.
"Shall we head out now?"
And so, abruptly, the current Sword Phoenix and future Sword Queen were set to spar.