Plum Blossom Fragrance Overflowing (4)
On the day of the match, Yu Han sat in the waiting room. From the morning, he couldn't contain his trembling heart.
Tremble, tremble.
His hands shook uncontrollably from the tension, making it hard to even grip his sword.
It was then that cheers erupted from outside the waiting room.
To me, life was a total shitshow, whether before or after my regression. What kind of bullshit fate is this, dragging on like a never-ending sticky thread even after looping back...
Damn this cursed destiny.
And among it all, the fate of having to fight in this bimu felt the heaviest.
Bimu. A simple, straightforward term meaning "to compare martial prowess."
Yet those two characters hit me with more complexity than anything else.
Ah... memories of the past flashed by.
I'm barely fifteen, so why has my life been such a rollercoaster?
If all this struggling made me look cool, I could at least console myself, but no—I'm just a pathetic worm clinging to my gut.
Gut, gut... Perfect lyrics for a song.
Today's match was no different.
Who wins, who loses—that decides the fates of two people.
Or three, if you include me.
Come to think of it, another bimu.
Damn it.
Until now, I'd only thought about myself.
What happened to others was their problem—I ignored it, didn't care.
Sure, I'd occasionally butt in with some advice...
But it never went beyond watching from the sidelines.
This match today weighed on me heavily.
Knowing what happens next is useful most of the time.
But I think it's also the most brutal at others.
I was deep in thought when a familiar voice boomed from outside.
A voice thick with rage, bellowing at the top of its lungs.
Tsk tsk, someone's really pissed.
The Grand Elder must be hosting today's match.
If it were an elder from another sect, the Supreme Patriarch would've slapped his cheek and lounged back carefree.
Now that I've got some time in the Namgung household, the scene plays out clearly in my head.
"Looks like Father's here today."
He must've come to watch the finals.
Only our old man could boss around the Namgung Grand Elder like that.
By the way...
I wonder if Grandfather Sinui and Old Man did well.
I got the report, but I haven't checked in person since I was focused on training.
A moment later, my name was called.
I stood from the waiting room.
Today, one person's fate would be decided.
It could be a new fate.
Or the original one.
As I climbed onto the arena, Yu Han approached from the opposite side.
Yu Han turned his head, gazing at one spot.
I'd sworn to myself: once out of the waiting room, stare straight ahead and walk.
But that vow went to hell the moment I stepped up.
His gaze swept over the crowd, then slowly, slowly stopped.
Yu Han's eyes fixed on one place and didn't budge.
In that instant, the tension strangely melted away.
His hands stopped shaking.
A voice from the past echoed—one he might never forget for the rest of his life.
-From now on, I'm your family.
Master...
At the end of Yu Han's gaze stood Jaming Jin-in.
And for some reason he couldn't pinpoint, Yu Han felt anger surging.
Seeing the deepened wrinkles on his master's face fueled his rage.
The frail figure squeezed among the mighty martial artists irritated him.
While others shone with fierce light in their eyes, his master sat with eyes closed, humbly praying—that clenched his fists.
Why does he look so haggard?
I shrugged at Yu Han's furious expression, one I'd never seen before.
Then cheers exploded.
"Woooaaah!!!"
"He's here!!! The Loach Dragon Young Noble!!!"
Loach Dragon this time? Swap out the loach part first, and it'd be perfect.
Another voice rang out.
"It's the Huashan Ghost Young Noble!!!"
Him? He had a certain refined air fitting a young noble...
But if he's a young noble, why am I the Loach Dragon? Honestly, looks-wise, I'm the better catch.
Anyway... unexpected.
I thought he'd waver a bit.
But amid the rowdy crowd, Yu Han stayed perfectly composed.
The Yu Han I knew would've been shaking just from standing before so many people, but there wasn't a trace of nerves on his face now.
It was like...
Looking at a different person.
Yu Han and I walked slowly to the center of the arena at the Grand Elder's signal.
The Grand Elder stepped between us.
"Any moves allowed except excessive lethal strikes. Victory when your opponent admits defeat. Falling out of bounds counts as loss. And..."
Familiar rules to me, who'd been through plenty of these.
I half-listened, scanning the surroundings.
Fate doesn't change easily.
I know, because I've changed it a few times.
To alter fate, you always need a corresponding price.
That's why someone like me prepares ahead. I'll make Yu Han pay up later.
I scanned the stands for Grandfather Sinui.
Luckily, easy to spot—right next to my damn father.
Grandfather Sinui met my eyes and gave a short nod.
Father noticed and scowled faintly.
For a second, I nearly yelled defeat before the match even started, fate be damned.
Whew...
"Blah blah blah..."
The Grand Elder's explanation dragged on.
Normally it'd be over by now, but on this stage, he kept piling on relevant and irrelevant side notes—it didn't look like it'd end soon.
Then I spotted the Daoist grandpa.
His complexion was rosier than last time.
Breathing seemed easier too.
As expected of Grandfather Sinui.
I could leave the Daoist grandpa to him without worry.
The Grand Elder's speech neared its end.
I quickly rolled my eyes around again.
"Over here! Youngest Young Noble, here!"
Crazy bastard. Don't need him.
"Win, Young Noble!"
"Long live the Young Noble!"
"Kyaaah! Young Noble, you're so handsome today too!"
I gave a little wave to the maid sisters.
Suddenly, a woman stood and waved enthusiastically at me.
"What the—why stand up!"
"Can't see now! Mind your manners in public!"
"Young Noble!!! Your loyal servant! Daegal Tong No. 1! Right here!"
"Hoho, sorry. It's her first time like this."
"Ilhyang! Hurry!"
"Got it! Why's this kid embarrassing me!"
The maid sisters pulled the woman back.
p>Whack! And smacked Daegal Tong on the head.
First time seeing the maid sisters so chummy with an outsider.
Her face rang a bell...
Hm, can't place it. Whatever, ignore.
No time left, so I shifted my gaze.
Thankfully, spotted Old Man nearby.
He was with the monk grandpa and mustache grandpa.
Our eyes met, and Old Man raised one finger.
Ten percent.
My cut if I win the match.
All preparations complete.
"...With that, begin the match!"
Right on cue, the Grand Elder's announcement ended.
He stepped back.
Shing.
Yu Han drew his sword.
I regulated my breathing and glared at him.
The way he gripped the sword looked like a totally different person from our last meeting.
Shing.
I drew and swung mine immediately.
Come on! Let's see a light test.
Of the skills that earned me the title Sword Ghost before regression.
Yu Han easily stepped back, dodging.
I didn't stop, slashing upward right after.
Yu Han tilted his head back.
Most would end here.
But I stepped forward.
My sword tip aimed at his throat.
Twirl.
With his body arched back, Yu Han stomped swiftly, spinning around to my side.
My sword sliced empty air.
He targeted that gap perfectly with his attack.
His lower body stayed perfectly balanced.
Solid basics.
No, excellent.
Not inferior to the blockheads at all.
I tried to retreat to dodge his strike.
That was the moment.
Here it is!
A perfect opening.
Yu Han attacked without hesitation.
More precisely, his body moved on instinct.
But as his sword neared Namgung Daeso's flesh, he suppressed it, consciously braking the blade.
That split-second gap he created.
Whish.
Namgung Daeso counterattacked.
Yu Han swiftly raised his sword.
Clang!
Swords clashed.
Heavy.
Yu Han looked up at Namgung Daeso in shock.
The Namgung Daeso from his childhood wasn't some martial prodigy.
No, the kid had zero talent, even if you searched with wide-open eyes.
The young Namgung Daeso's soft hands bore no calluses.
Instead, they held boring paintings and poetry recitals that induced yawns.
He hadn't seen him since, but advancing to the Sawangjeon finals meant he'd trained diligently.
Another strike from Namgung Daeso came down from above.
Growing faster, heavier.
Clang!
Yu Han blocked with his sword.
Tremble.
His hands shook—not from that old memory.
Bam!
Each clash intensified the shaking.
Bam! Bam!
After several blows, Yu Han dropped to one knee.
I deliberately hammered down relentlessly.
To keep Yu Han from thinking of anything else.
But surprisingly, he held up well.
So I got a bit excited.
Daegalbak!
Oh? He blocked that?
Then how about this?
Blockhead!
Blocked that too?
Try this!
Daegal Tong!
Oh? Again?
Daegari!
Still blocking?
Good. Playtime's over. Time to get serious.
I put a bit more power into the next downward strike.
Just light 3rd-star internal energy.
But the martial art unfolding was anything but light.
Cheonroe Jewang Singong.
A faint but real thunderous power stirred in my body.
To that, I added my unique fusion technique.
One could call it a new martial art.
Daecheongang Geombeop.
Jongnam Sect arts are inherently heavy.
Because they prioritize the practitioner over the technique itself.
Making them the safest of all.
Among them, Daecheongang Geombeop embodies the heaven attribute.
Conversely, Cheonroe Jewang Singong—as the name suggests—is the pinnacle of instability.
Lightning energy defies control by nature.
So you just let it flow.
The body is a vessel for inner energy.
Meridians are pathways, blood vessels the roads.
In the long history of martial arts, some used lightning in fist arts, but never sword arts.
Fist arts just let it flow and punch.
Sword arts add the blade—one more step.
Unlike the controllable body, sword and lightning mix like oil and water.
No method existed to infuse lightning into a sword.
Even if one did, mishandling the erupting lightning could kill you.
But what if someone embodied all martial arts?
Someone who could calculate the effects and synergies?
Krarung!
The lightning-charged sword descended.
I looked at Yu Han, down on one knee, and said,
"What? Huashan isn't all that."
My fate hangs on this match too.
No matter who you are, I won't lose.
Show me if you qualify to tear fate apart with your own hands.
Yu Han!