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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Granddaughter of Namgung Sega Returns
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Tap—tap-tap! Thump!
A quarter-hour turned into half an hour, then half an hour stretched on, and now, it had already been two `sijin`.
Seolhwa and Seop Mugwang had been engaged in this game of chase for two `sijin` now.
It had been a long time since the quarter-hour promise of `tanghuru` had passed, but Seolhwa hadn't given up.
No. By now, stubborn pride had taken hold.
Whoosh—thwack, swoosh—tap-tap!
Seolhwa thrust her sword with her right hand, while her left unleashed a palm strike, aiming for where he would dodge the sword.
"Too hasty."
Seop Mugwang easily dodged, as if he had anticipated it.
His arms, crossed from beginning to end, showed no sign of uncrossing this time either.
Thud.
In the end, Seolhwa raised the white flag.
"Hah... Haaah... Hah..."
Seolhwa stood in place, wiping away the sweat that poured down like rain with the back of her hand.
"Still, you're quite impressive. A few times, your strikes were so sharp they even surprised me."
"Is that Master Seop's footwork?"
"Yes. It's footwork specialized for my sword art, called Noeyeongbo."
Noeyeongbo. Footwork like the shadow of thunder.
It was a fitting name for his martial arts, all of which contained the word 'thunder'.
"Have you ever seen the shadow of thunder?"
"No."
Isn't thunder something that's hard to see even a trace of, let alone a shadow?
Seop Mugwang chuckled.
"Of course, you haven't. Thunder is light itself. Where would light have a shadow?"
"..."
"Hahahahaha!"
He truly seemed delighted.
He didn't care that Seolhwa's expression had stiffened, laughing heartily before wiping away a tear and continuing.
"Thunder has no shadow. However, it's called Noeyeongbo because the footwork itself is like a shadow."
He moved his feet lightly.
It was a light, yet swift and precise movement.
"That's what footwork is. It's the absolute foundation of all martial arts. No matter how well you wield a sword, or how skillfully you handle a spear or a fist, if your footwork is a mess, it's all for nothing."
Think about it. No matter how fast your hands are, if your feet are slow, you won't be able to reach your enemy, will you?
"Just like you were a moment ago."
"..."
He seemed to be enjoying teasing her gently.
Seolhwa glared at the pebble resting stably on top of his head.
"That's why I put the most effort into this footwork, do you understand?"
"Yes."
She knew footwork was important.
But no one had ever told her why it was important, or why she should spend so much time mastering it.
Although it was frustrating that she ultimately couldn't make the pebble fall, Seolhwa enjoyed this time.
'This is enjoying it, right?'
Considering she wanted to learn more and hear more.
"Alright, then from now on, I'll teach you each and every movement of the Noeyeongbo. Come over here."
Seolhwa trudged over to him.
"Before that, there's something I want to tell you."
"?"
As Seolhwa approached and stood on her tiptoes, Seop Mugwang naturally bent down to match her height.
"What do you need to whisper about?"
The moment he bent down, something dropped with a soft thud by his feet.
Seop Mugwang lowered his gaze.
It was the pebble he had placed on his head.
"..."
He looked back, and a delighted smile spread across Seolhwa's face.
She had taken advantage of him bending down to knock it off with her scabbard.
"I never said I'd give up."
"...That's cheating."
"A battle isn't over until it's over, is it?"
"Haaah."
Seop Mugwang straightened up, letting out a laugh of exasperation.
"Alright. Complacency is forbidden. I've learned something too, so I'll buy you `tanghuru` on the way back."
Seolhwa's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
She stood beside Seop Mugwang.
"Wait a moment."
Chuckling, Seop Mugwang went into the forest, picked up a few more pebbles, and placed them in front of Seolhwa.
The pebbles were all different in shape and height.
Some were the size of Seolhwa's foot, some were fist-sized, and others were barely the size of two fingers.
The spacing and arrangement of the pebbles were also varied.
Finally, he placed the pebble that had been on his head in front of Seolhwa, dusted his hands, and straightened his back.
"From now on, you must dodge my attacks by stepping only on these pebbles."
"...What?"
"Don't worry too much. I'll swing moderately."
Seop Mugwang, who had retrieved his scabbard at some point, swung it with a whoosh, whoosh.
"For the first round, I won't specifically attack. First, just step on the pebbles and go to the end and back. But if you touch the ground, you get a flick on the forehead."
His 'hoho' laughter seemed genuinely amused.
Seolhwa's mouth opened to say something, then closed again. She turned her gaze to the pebbles laid out on the ground.
Right. Even if he acts like this, isn't he Pungnoesin?
In her previous life, it was a martial art that had been lost without a single successor. How grateful was she to be able to learn it now?
'He must have a reason.'
Let's do it.
After a short deep breath, Seolhwa hopped, then lightly sprang onto a pebble.
There were no pebbles large enough to place both feet on.
Tap, tap-tap, tap.
Some she stepped on fully, some she barely balanced on with her toes, and others, contrary to their appearance, were sharp, forcing her to immediately jump to the next pebble.
There were moments of crisis where she almost lost her balance and touched the ground, but she didn't fall.
"Hooo."
She's actually doing it, just because I told her to?
Seop Mugwang's lips curved in interest.
He had told her to do it, but he hadn't expected her to succeed on the first try.
Navigating by stepping on various pebbles required instantaneous judgment and precise distribution of strength.
He had intended to teach her that.
'She's better than I thought... no, beyond what I thought.'
He knew she had mastered martial arts, that she possessed the Cheonmujiche, and that she had talent for martial arts, but witnessing that talent with his own eyes was still astonishing.
'Is it instinct? Or does she truly understand the fundamental principles of martial arts?'
At thirteen years old, with this level of talent...
Seop Mugwang felt a chill.
For a moment, the future where this child would grow to command the world flashed before his eyes.
'She's a child to look forward to even just a few years from now.'
To be able to teach his martial arts to this child was truly a blessing.
The corners of his lips curved with irrepressible joy.
Thud, tap-tap, thud!
Seolhwa, who had gone to the end and back, stood on the last pebble.
The child looked up at Seop Mugwang with bright, clear eyes.
"Is this right...?"
"Very..."
Seop Mugwang ruffled Seolhwa's hair vigorously.
"Excellent."
You little brat.
Footwork training continued until sunset.
After repeatedly traversing the path for a long time, Seop Mugwang gathered more pebbles, placed them in a circle around them, and then stood on one himself.
Even though many of the pebbles were small for Seolhwa, he didn't waver in the slightest.
Seop Mugwang attacked Seolhwa while stepping on the pebbles, and Seolhwa barely managed to dodge his sword.
Just as she was getting used to it, Seop Mugwang's sword would become impossibly fast and sharp.
Sweat poured down like rain, and she was breathless.
But she was happy.
An overwhelming joy welled up within her, enough for her to clearly recognize the feeling of happiness.
The sun had already dipped below the mountainside.
By the time they bought `tanghuru` and returned home, it was already dark night.
"Martial arts are ultimately about repetition. You seem to have grasped footwork to some extent, so tomorrow I'll teach you movement techniques."
"Yes."
As they chatted and entered the inner hall, they heard a distant shout of 'Young Miss!'
It was Ryeon.
"What is it?"
"He's awake!"
"Hm?"
"It's the young Taoist of Mount Hua! He just woke up! The Head of the Medical Hall is examining him!"
Seolhwa whipped her head around to look at Seop Mugwang.
"Go on."
Seolhwa immediately ran towards the pavilion.
As she entered the pavilion, the Head of the Medical Hall was giving instructions to the medical practitioners there.
Spotting Seolhwa, she smiled brightly and greeted her.
"You're here, Young Miss? I was about to feel a little sad, thinking I wouldn't get to see you before leaving."
"How is he?"
"He's very healthy. His wounds are healing well, and the prognosis isn't bad. He'll need to stay in bed for a few more days, but his recovery speed is fast, so he should be up soon."
"Good..."
That's a relief.
"Hehe. Go on in. He's awake. Oh, he seems like a very good-natured child, doesn't he? Hmm..."
Choryeon gazed intently at Seolhwa.
"Why?"
"Nothing. Go on in."
Choryeon smiled sweetly and made way for her.
Seolhwa thanked her and then stepped inside the pavilion.
Thud. Choryeon, looking at the closing door, murmured softly.
"A cat... and a big... dog...?"
He freely offered his arm and chattered endlessly throughout the treatment.
He must have been in pain, but instead of showing it, he just kept grinning like a puppy.
Where did she bring such a big puppy from?
It was a different kind of shock than when she first met the Young Miss.
"Ah—I'm really curious what they'd be like together, but?"
I shouldn't peek, should I?
If I get caught, the Young Miss might try to kill me, right?
Choryeon swallowed her regret and turned away.
Inside the room, the faint scent of medicinal herbs wafted.
Yugang, his body wrapped in bandages, sat on the bed looking at the brightly risen moon.
At the sound of the door opening and closing, he turned his head.
Upon seeing Seolhwa, his face lit up even brighter than the moon.
"Wow—you came to see me?"
