A Clash of Legacies
"...Brother."
Dang Ye-ran furrowed her brow the moment she saw Dongnyong.
Watching them, I sensed a strange tension in the air.
What's going on?
I had just heard that Dang Ye-ran reserved the training hall... so Dongnyong being here meant something had gone wrong.
Just as that question crossed my mind, Dang Ye-ran spoke, looking at Dongnyong.
"...What are you doing here?"
Her reaction confirmed it. Something was definitely off.
At her question, Dongnyong replied, continuing to stretch his arms.
"Can't you tell? I was training."
"I mean, why are you doing it now? I was supposed to have this time slot."
A hint of sharpness crept into Dang Ye-ran's voice.
I was a bit surprised by her tone. It was a voice I had never heard from her before.
Dongnyong tilted his head and looked down at her.
"It's not like you actually care about training anyway."
"...It's not about whether I care. I submitted the request myself, so I have every right to ask."
"Is that why you brought outsiders who aren't even of our bloodline?"
"..."
Dang Ye-ran froze at his words.
Uh-oh.
Seeing her reaction, I let out a silent sigh.
Judging by her face, bringing us here really was a problem.
"That's..."
"Forget it."
Just as Dang Ye-ran tried to explain, Dongnyong cut her off.
"You were probably just trying to run away from your duties again."
Dang Ye-ran's fair forehead creased deeply.
But Dongnyong didn't stop there.
"Have some shame. How long do you plan on living like this?"
"..."
Dang Ye-ran couldn't find the words to reply to his harsh rebuke.
Her lips remained tightly shut. She had looked ready to argue just a moment ago, but her spirit was crushed in an instant.
Seeing this, Dongnyong clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. Foolish girl..."
He looked at her with utter disdain and began to walk forward.
He slowly closed the distance between them.
"As I've always said, I don't care if you indulge in trivial hobbies or chase foolish dreams while forgetting your duty."
With every step he took and every word he spoke, Dang Ye-ran's small shoulders flinched.
"But I truly wonder how much longer you intend to embarrass us. Well? Are you following the Patriarch's wishes?"
"...That..."
"Of course you aren't. You never do."
His attitude showed he didn't even need to hear her answer.
It was a look of pure disgust, as if he couldn't stand talking to her any longer.
And he wasn't done. Dongnyong continued to pour out his venom.
"Your indecisiveness, your constant attempts to escape reality—it's sickening to watch."
"..."
"Dear sister."
Dongnyong brushed past Dang Ye-ran, lightly patting her shoulder as he did.
"Know your place. A girl like you can't accomplish a single thing."
"..."
Dang Ye-ran glared at him, stung by his cold, biting words.
Meeting her gaze, Dongnyong merely smirked.
"What? Don't like what I have to say? Then draw your dagger. I'd be happy to entertain you."
If you have a problem, fight me.
That was the gist of it.
Dongnyong spoke with absolute confidence, while Dang Ye-ran could only bite her lip in response.
"Hmph. Pathetic."
Disappointed by her lack of action, Dongnyong scoffed and walked past her.
Bump! He made sure to shoulder-check her on his way out.
And then,
Dongnyong turned his gaze toward me.
"..."
Our eyes met.
Just as I knew who he was, he undoubtedly knew my identity as well.
However,
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue.
And then,
"To think the successor of the Sword Saint would be of such low caliber, chasing after a woman's skirt."
He spat out those insulting words out of nowhere. His tone was dripping with the same contempt he had shown Dang Ye-ran.
Look at this bastard.
I tilted my head and asked him.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Who else do you think I'm looking at?"
"Well, I'm not blind, so I knew that. I just asked to be sure."
I locked eyes with him, narrowing my gaze.
"Because I had faith that one of the Seven Great Talents wouldn't be this stupid."
"...What?"
Dongnyong's eyes flared with sudden fury.
His already sharp features contorted with anger.
"What did you just say?"
He asked as if he couldn't believe his ears. I smirked and replied.
"You treated me like I was blind, but it seems you're the one who's hard of hearing."
"...Ha?"
"Want me to repeat it?"
Keeping my eyes locked onto his, I leaned forward.
The distance between us shrank significantly.
"I said you're stupid."
The moment the words left my mouth, the surrounding air turned ice-cold.
Dang Ye-ran's eyes widened in sheer panic.
Though I couldn't see him, I felt Do-hyeong shifting his hand toward his sword.
Dongnyong was no different. His eyes narrowed into slits, radiating a murderous aura.
"I assume you know exactly who you are speaking to?"
His freezing voice pierced my ears.
I was actually a bit surprised. I thought he would fly into a rage immediately.
I guess he really is the Poison King's son.
Keeping that in mind, I spoke to him.
"Oh, I know very well. But it seems you're the one who doesn't."
"What?"
"Do you even know who I am?"
"Ha."
A mocking laugh escaped Dongnyong's lips.
"I came here knowing full well you are the successor of the Sword Saint."
"So you do know."
"...Are you mocking me?"
"No, just curious."
Since he knew exactly who I was...
"Why are you acting so stupid despite knowing that?"
Clench.
Dongnyong clenched his fists.
He squeezed so hard that I could hear his knuckles popping.
"Keep running your mouth and you will regret it. Do you not realize where you are?"
"Exactly. Running your mouth leads to trouble, so why do you keep doing it?"
We had long since dropped honorifics. I had tried to hold back, but he kept scratching at an itch that wasn't even there.
So, looking at him with a face of utter bewilderment, I said,
"I don't care if your sibling relationship is a total mess, but why drag me into it? Are you just bored?"
"You bastard...!"
"Because otherwise, this makes no sense. No matter how immature you are, you shouldn't be acting like such a child—"
Before I could finish my sentence, the voice spoke, and my body reacted instantly.
I stepped back with my left foot and pulled my upper body away.
In that split second,
Whoosh!
Something brushed past my neck. It was Dongnyong's hand.
He had tried to grab me by the collar.
When he missed, panic flickered in his eyes. He clearly hadn't expected to miss.
Looking at him, I spoke.
"Unbelievable."
I spoke mockingly, but internally, I was sweating.
I hadn't even seen his hand move. If Yoo Chun-gil hadn't warned me, I would have been caught.
That was how fast he was.
"What do you think you're doing?"
I demanded an explanation, but Dongnyong just stared at his own hand.
Then, his expression shifted as he looked up at me.
"Were you hiding your strength?"
"..."
As if I have any strength to hide. It seemed he had completely misunderstood my dodge.
"I see. So the rumor about you defeating the Little Azure Sword wasn't a lie."
Jumping to his own conclusions, the anger in Dongnyong's eyes gave way to a cold, calculating focus.
"Why? Now that you think I'm worth something, are you going to change your attitude?"
Despite my smirk, Dongnyong just stared at me silently before speaking.
"My grandfather once told me."
He suddenly brought up his grandfather out of nowhere.
"He said his greatest regret was never settling the score with the Sword Saint."
"...Hmm?"
At Dongnyong's words, both I and Yoo Chun-gil, who was watching from behind, reacted with bewilderment.
"...What does that have to do with anything?"
"He said it was deeply frustrating that their score remained unsettled even after a hundred battles."
"..."
If they fought a hundred times and never settled it...
Does that mean they were tied fifty-fifty?
I glanced back at Yoo Chun-gil.
He did not look pleased.
In fact, that laugh of his was a clear warning sign.
And sure enough,
His spectral face contorted with rage as he trembled.
Yoo Chun-gil roared so loudly that my shoulders vibrated from the sound waves.
Yoo Chun-gil thrashed around in midair, consumed by indignation.
Watching his massive spectral form thrashing in the air was giving me a headache.
"...Uh... well."
I forced myself to focus and spoke to Dongnyong.
"That's not quite what I heard."
"...What do you mean?"
"I heard the Poison Sovereign never beat the Sword Saint once in a hundred fights. He just got thrashed and ended up face-down on the dirt every single time."
Yoo Chun-gil clapped his hands in approval.
His excitement was a bit pathetic to watch, but I needed to use it to my advantage this time.
The moment those words left my mouth,
"...You..."
Shiver.
Whoa.
I almost rubbed my arms.
A sudden chill swept through the room.
Just as the cold reached its peak,
"How dare you—!"
Dongnyong exploded.
"How dare you... How dare you insult my grandfather!"
"I'm not insulting him. I'm just repeating what I heard—"
"You have finally crossed the line."
"..."
He was completely deaf to reason now.
You've been skipping rope over the line this whole time, and now you're complaining?
Dongnyong suddenly gripped something in his hand. It was a throwing dagger.
"You seem to have grown arrogant after defeating the Little Azure Sword. Know your place."
"...Hmm..."
I scratched my head.
Dongnyong was definitely on a different level compared to that Namgung bastard.
The sheer pressure radiating from him was entirely different.
The Seven Great Talents.
The title bestowed upon the most exceptional geniuses among the younger generation of the Murim.
The Little Azure Sword was considered a genius, but he wasn't good enough to make the cut.
But the man standing before me was different.
One of the Seven Great Talents.
He was hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius alongside Wol Mu-hui.
"Draw your sword. I will make you take responsibility for your words."
A monster like that was looking at me with eyes full of murderous intent.
Normally, I would have panicked and thought I was doomed.
"...Ah, this is bad."
Yet, strangely enough, I wasn't afraid.
The feeling was entirely different from when I faced the Poison King.
"Why don't you reconsider?"
"Why? Are you finally feeling scared?"
"...No, not really."
I was asking out of genuine concern for him.
But Dongnyong didn't seem to get it.
Just then,
Yoo Chun-gil spoke to me, his voice burning with rage.
Hearing that, I wiped my face with my hand.
Once again, a peaceful resolution was out of the question.