The Falling Night
Just as everyone was left dumbfounded by Seom Seong-gyeong's sudden, out-of-nowhere action,
my eyes were fixed solely on Cheon Hye-in.
And my brow was deeply furrowed.
Is that piece of work seriously trying to get under my skin again?
I was far more infuriated by Cheon Hye-in than by Seom Seong-gyeong.
Can't she just lay off? Why does she keep pulling this crap?
That was the situation.
Seom Seong-gyeong stepping forward out of the blue? Claiming he wanted to see the old man's sword through me?
It wasn't even funny.
Just look at his face.
Seom Seong-gyeong was constantly walking on eggshells, scanning the room.
The problem was...
The one he's looking at isn't Wolseongeom or the Sowol Daeju.
Who exactly was Seom Seong-gyeong trying so hard to read?
I figured the culprit was Cheon Hye-in.
I was already sure of it back at the dining hall.
Seeing her reaction back then had confirmed that Cheon Hye-in was the one who had put a tail on me.
I had planned to just stay on guard and not overthink it, but...
She just keeps being a nuisance.
Her petty antics were starting to get on my nerves.
I shouldn't let this get to me.
If she kept pushing my buttons like this...
My old temper is going to flare up.
The temper I had been suppressing was rising straight to my head. I couldn't let that happen. If I did...
I'll end up living just like I did in my past life.
I might end up doing the very things I swore I wouldn't do in this lifetime.
Sssss.
The stars scattered across my body fluctuated briefly, as if synchronizing with my emotions.
It was dangerous.
I glared at the expressionless Cheon Hye-in for a moment before turning my head away.
[Child.]
The old man spoke.
[Fix your face. You look like you're about to slaughter a few people. I swear, how does someone with such a dull face make an expression like that...]
Calling me dull-looking. That was a first.
"Bang Seong-yeon."
I looked up at Wolseongeom's voice. I almost let out a dry laugh when I saw his face.
He's out of his mind.
He looked amused. In fact, everyone else around him had similar expressions, except for the Sowol Daeju.
...Of course.
I was certain now.
The Blue Moon Sect had a pretty name, but it was a total circus.
A mere disciple had just disrupted a formal test, ignoring all protocol, and this was how they reacted?
I was too dumbfounded to speak.
[But honestly, it is quite entertaining.]
The clueless old ghost chimed in.
Whose fault do you think this is? Whose side are you even on?
Damn it. It felt like absolutely nothing in this world ever went my way.
"Sigh."
A sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Just then.
"Bang Seong-yeon."
Wolseongeom called my name a second time. Come to think of it, I hadn't answered him.
"My apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment."
"Are you finished now?"
"Thanks to you."
Wolseongeom had suddenly dropped his honorifics. Was he planning to treat me like a mere disciple during the test?
Not that I cared.
"My disciple has made his desires clear. What about yours?"
"Will my answer change the procedure? From what I can see, this test seems to be a rather important tradition."
"That is true. However,"
Wolseongeom smirked.
"I believe traditions are meant to be broken once in a while."
That was easily one of the worst things a sect leader could possibly say.
[Hahahahahahaha—!!!]
Yoo Chun-gil burst into roaring laughter, clearly delighted by the response.
They were both out of their minds.
"Of course, if you do not wish for this, we can proceed as originally planned."
"Will there be any disadvantage to me if I refuse?"
"Of course not."
I asked just in case.
Obviously, there shouldn't be.
I'm sure there won't be.
But the onlookers would be disappointed, and I'd probably end up with some unwanted prejudice attached to my name.
Was that what Cheon Hye-in wanted? Or did she have some other motive for pulling this stunt?
It didn't seem like she did this purely to screw with me.
Consider every possibility.
I turned the thoughts over and over in my head. No matter which path I chose, it was in my best interest not to engage in this petty power struggle.
Logically speaking, yes.
But I'm pissed.
I was genuinely annoyed.
Why does every little thing have to mess with me? I just want to live a quiet life.
I just wanted to spend this lifetime in peace.
Getting dragged into these bizarre situations...
Everyone around me itching to push my buttons...
And this current situation...
I hated all of it.
No matter how hard I tried to suppress my emotions, it wasn't working.
"..."
I turned my head and stared directly at Yoo Chun-gil. I didn't even try to hide it.
Normally, I would never look at him so openly.
[Hmm?]
Looking straight into his blue eyes, I spoke to Wolseongeom.
"I'll do it. I'll fight him."
"Oh?"
It sounded like I was answering Wolseongeom, but in reality, it was a warning directed at Yoo Chun-gil.
I'm going along with this, so you better do your part properly.
Otherwise...
I will seriously flip the table this time.
I'd throw everything away and walk.
As I conveyed that warning through my gaze...
[Haha.]
Yoo Chun-gil chuckled. I broke eye contact.
"Seom Seong-gyeong. Take your position opposite Bang Seong-yeon."
At Wolseongeom's command, Seom Seong-gyeong rose from his knees and stepped forward.
At the same time, the other martial artists stepped back, clearing a spacious area for us.
The Sowol Daeju stood in the center. It seemed he was acting as the referee.
"We shall now begin the Blue Moon Dance."
"I have a question."
The Sowol Daeju looked at me.
"Do I have to win?"
"..."
The surrounding area fell dead silent at my question. I could feel the collective disbelief radiating from the crowd.
"...There is no need for that. The evaluation is up to the Sect Leader, and losing does not mean you fail."
"Ah, I see."
All I needed to do was earn recognition. That was what his words implied.
But...
"So if I win, it's an automatic pass?"
If one could pass even in defeat, then victory surely guaranteed it.
When I asked that, the Sowol Daeju's brow furrowed.
"Is that correct?"
"...Yes. Assuming you can actually pull it off."
"Hmm."
He seemed highly displeased by my question.
I already knew the man didn't like me, but...
The reaction from the crowd isn't great either.
The reactions of the Sowol Squadron members who heard my question were no different.
Did I offend their pride?
I briefly considered apologizing, but decided against it.
Seeing that I had no more questions, the Sowol Daeju took a step back.
"...Prepare."
Shring.
At his word, Seom Seong-gyeong and I drew our swords. Seom Seong-gyeong wore a strange expression as he looked at me.
I let out a quiet sigh internally.
...I hope the old man doesn't pull that 'I won't help you' crap again.
Last time, I trusted him and made a move, only for him to refuse to help. What if he did the same thing now?
What else? It'll really be the end.
Even if I had to bite my tongue and die, I would throw in the towel.
Just as I steeled my resolve...
[Do not worry.]
Yoo Chun-gil's voice echoed close to my ear.
[I will not do that this time.]
...Is he seriously reading my mind?
I wondered how he always managed to reply to my silent thoughts.
Regardless, it was a relief that he was going to help.
If there was one thing making me anxious...
The possession time will be short. Will it be enough?
Since only a few days had passed since the last time, it probably wouldn't last more than a few dozen seconds at best.
As if reading my anxiety once again, Yoo Chun-gil replied.
[It does not matter. It would have been a problem not long ago, but...]
Along with his words, I felt something slowly seep into my body.
[Now...]
"That fleeting instant is more than enough."
Yoo Chun-gil took possession of my body. At that exact moment...
"Begin."
The Sowol Daeju announced the start of the duel.
Absurd.
The Sowol Daeju recalled Bang Seong-yeon's words as he looked at him.
'So if I win, it's an automatic pass?'
Clench.
The Sowol Daeju clenched his fists. Strength poured into his hands of its own accord.
Arrogant brat.
How dare he...!
Anger welled up inside him.
To speak of victory so easily?
The boy's realm was second-rate at best. The Sowol Daeju had recognized Bang Seong-yeon's level the moment he saw him.
Normally, a martial artist of that caliber wouldn't even dream of entering the Blue Moon Sect.
Yet such a boy dared to speak of victory in front of the Blue Moon Sect's elites? It was preposterous.
He truly does not know his place.
Even putting that aside, those who had entered the Sowol Squadron through outright victory in the history of the Blue Moon Sect could be counted on one hand.
The sixth and seventh sect leaders of the distant past had done so, as had the current Moonmaster, Wolseongeom.
All of them had defeated the youngest member of the Sowol Squadron at the time of their entry.
Especially...
The Sword Saint...
Not only had he easily overwhelmed his opponent...
...but he was also famous for expressing his disappointment right after his victory, calling it a boring fight.
His opponent hadn't even lasted ten exchanges.
He had been twenty-three years old.
Until Cheon Hye-in appeared, he had been the youngest to ever pass the Sowol Squadron's test.
With the history filled with such monsters, Bang Seong-yeon expected to add his name to that list?
It wasn't even laughable. Furthermore, his opponent wasn't even the youngest member.
Seom Seong-gyeong is strong.
He was mid-tier even within the current Sowol Squadron.
Though his growth had slowed down recently for some reason, he was still a formidable martial artist in the eyes of the Sowol Daeju.
The probability of Bang Seong-yeon winning was practically zero.
What if, by some miracle, Bang Seong-yeon did win?
It would go down in history.
A new history would be born, surpassing the legacy left by the Sword Saint.
Which meant it was an absolute impossibility. The Sowol Daeju stared at Seom Seong-gyeong.
Show him.
Show that arrogant brat the terror of the Sowol Squadron.
Just as he was thinking that...
Bang Seong-yeon tilted his head. Watching this, the Sowol Daeju felt a strange sensation.
...What is this...?
Something was different.
Nothing should have changed, yet he felt an inexplicable shift.
And whatever that difference was...
...it forced the Sowol Daeju to feel a deep sense of wariness toward Bang Seong-yeon.
A wariness so intense that his hand instinctively drifted toward his own sword.
The moment the duel began,
Seom Seong-gyeong and Bang Seong-yeon stood watching each other.
It was Seom Seong-gyeong who moved first.
"I will yield the first strike to you."
Seom Seong-gyeong said to Bang Seong-yeon.
"Hmm."
Bang Seong-yeon stared quietly at Seom Seong-gyeong.
Then...
Whoosh!
A sword sliced through the empty air.
Bang Seong-yeon had suddenly swung his sword with a light flick.
"There, I took the first strike. Satisfied?"
"...!"
Seom Seong-gyeong's eyes widened at his words.
"What on earth are you..."
Seom Seong-gyeong tried to speak, but...
"Stop playing around and grip your sword properly."
Bang Seong-yeon cut him off, his tone dripping with annoyance.
"I don't want to hear any excuses about you letting your guard down when you're lying on the ground later, so take this seriously."
"..."
Seom Seong-gyeong felt insulted, but he didn't show it.
He couldn't.
Gulp.
He swallowed hard.
Cold sweat broke out on his back as he stared at Bang Seong-yeon.
Before he could even wonder why he felt this way, Bang Seong-yeon continued speaking.
"Normally, I would have liked to show you something a bit deeper, but we're short on time."
Bang Seong-yeon lowered his sword.
"And it's not just the kid—I'm also quite pissed off about this whole situation, so I can't help it."
"...What are you talking about?"
"Raise your sword."
Bang Seong-yeon moved as the words left his mouth.
It was a leisurely movement. So slow it was almost yawn-inducing.
...He's too slow.
It was strange. If he was capable of noticing not just his own presence but also his martial uncle's, Seom Seong-gyeong had assumed the boy was hiding his strength or had some trick up his sleeve.
Was I mistaken?
He was simply too slow for that to be the case.
If I was mistaken, that's actually a relief.
There would be no unnecessary danger, and it would be easier to fulfill Cheon Hye-in's request—which was more like a threat.
Should I just play along and match his pace?
That should be enough to satisfy Junior Sister Cheon.
Seom Seong-gyeong thought to himself.
But as he looked ahead, his eyes suddenly widened.
"Huh?"
Before he knew it, Bang Seong-yeon was standing right in front of him.
Hadn't he been walking slowly from far away just a moment ago?
The unexpected situation left his mind struggling to process what was happening.
It was then.
"It's your head. Block it."
Bang Seong-yeon spoke, and Seom Seong-gyeong instinctively raised his sword.
At that moment...
Swoooosh—!!!
Night descended upon his head.