Chapter 234
Chapter 234
The morning dew-covered grass brushed against his ankles.
Hiding his footsteps, Jin-sung swung his wooden sword horizontally.
Clang!
"Ugh! Granduncle-Master! You said we were just going to warm up lightly!"
Song-gwang, struck squarely by the wooden sword, cried out and rubbed his tingling arm.
"That's why I used a wooden sword."
"You should match my standards, not yours, Granduncle-Master. At this rate, I'll be carried away before I even get to the Martial Arts Stage, ack!"
Song-gwang, grumbling, failed to avoid the wooden sword flying towards his crown and fell backward with a thud.
He made eye contact with Jin-sung, who was looking down at him with a stern face, and felt a little wronged.
It was time to understand that no matter how hard he tried, it was difficult to match Jin-sung's level.
His stubborn Granduncle-Master didn't seem to even consider that there were areas impossible to reach with effort alone.
'Even my master doesn't scold me like this...'
As sorrow welled up in Song-gwang's eyes, Jin-sung, who had been holding his sword loosely, extended a hand.
"Get up."
"...Yes."
"You are a Three Great Disciples. This is a tournament where you compete under the name of Wudang, so you must avoid looking ridiculous."
Feeling appeased by the words that implied, 'I'm doing this because you're a Three Great Disciples,' Song-gwang grabbed Jin-sung's hand and jumped up.
"Yes, Granduncle-Master."
"Now go and prepare. It's your first match."
"Yes!"
Jin-sung, averting his gaze from Song-gwang, who was moving away with great enthusiasm, readjusted his wooden sword and calmly continued his training.
The sword, which had been smoothly slicing through the air like flowing water, stopped the moment he reached a certain thought.
'Song-gwang is in Group 9, and Group 10 is...'
Dang So-hye.
'The preliminaries will be easy for you, so wait for me in the main rounds.'
Recalling the playful voice, he smiled faintly and looked up at the sky.
The dark blue sky, resembling Dang So-hye's eyes, was clearing up.
He quietly watched the brightening sky before putting away his wooden sword and preparing himself.
Song-gwang's match proceeded without major setbacks.
As Jin-sung had guessed, he made mistakes and recovered as Jin-sung had predicted. But seeing that he didn't lose his advantage, it seemed he could easily defeat his opponent.
"Granduncle-Master. Dang Sojeo is here."
Jin-sung, who had been calmly watching the match, turned his head towards the outside of the Martial Arts Stage at Songin's prompting.
He saw Dang So-hye approaching from afar, guided by a staff member.
Dang So-hye busily moved back and forth behind the Martial Arts Stage, then plopped down on the ground and looked around.
Then, as if she had found him, she widened her large eyes and made a delighted expression.
The moment he faced Dang So-hye, who was smiling brightly and waving her hand, Jin-sung's lips softened.
'...Ah.'
Jin-sung, unaware that his cheeks were twitching, watched Dang So-hye's movements with gentle eyes.
Jin-sung, who had been watching him as if possessed until Dang So-hye turned her back on him, buried his face in his large hands.
His Adam's apple bobbed greatly as he roughly rubbed his eyes.
To think that just seeing someone's smiling face could make him feel so good.
It was a strange thing.
Struggling to erase the thoughts floating in his head, Jin-sung took a deep breath and said to Songhwa in a subdued voice.
"It would be good to watch Dang Sojeo's match before leaving."
"Understood, Granduncle-Master."
Songhwa, who answered obediently, tapped the Three Great Disciples and signaled them to stop.
The Three Great Disciples, who had already lost interest in Song-gwang's match, were busy watching Jin-sung, who couldn't take his eyes off Dang So-hye.
Jin-sung, who would normally have noticed immediately and scolded them, was unaware that he had become the subject of his Disciple's amusement and was only chasing after Dang So-hye's back.
Songhwa swallowed a hollow laugh.
'He's only doing things that show he has feelings for her, but he doesn't realize it at all, this is a big problem.'
Perhaps it was because he had grown up in a Taoist temple his whole life. Jin-sung rarely recognized his own emotions.
He cared about Dang So-hye's every move so much that he ran out as soon as he heard she was in town, but he only thought that the people around him were teasing him.
'That's like Granduncle-Master, but... he needs to realize what he truly wants.'
He clicked his tongue and looked at Jin-sung with a slightly pitiful gaze.
He followed Jin-sung as an elder of the Sect, but he also cherished him like a brother.
That's why he kept worrying about him.
If he knew everything and made his own choice, there was no reason for him to interfere.
But if he was missing an opportunity without realizing it, wasn't it his duty as a senior in life to help him seize the opportunity, even if it meant pushing him from behind?
A sword that misses its timing cannot be turned back. The same goes for relationships between people. Once a missed opportunity is gone, it doesn't return.
Songhwa hoped that Jin-sung wouldn't miss the opportunity and regret it later.
Didn't Granduncle-Master Taeheo have the same worries?
'Songhwa. Do you think Jin-sung has feelings for Dang Sojeo?'
'Yes. Not only me, but all the Disciples see it that way.'
'Then why does he keep saying he doesn't like her? I told him I'd let him get married if he wanted to, but he begs for forgiveness whenever I mention Dang Sojeo, it's driving me crazy.'
'Ahahaha. Is that so?'
'You're the only one who can talk to that blockhead, so go and tell him in a way he'll understand.'
'...Me?'
'Yes. Casually go and suggest that a life of growing old together with a lover in the same blanket isn't so bad.'
'If I did that, I'd be beaten black and blue under the guise of sparring, Taeheo.'
'This Taeheo is frustrated, that's why. Affection isn't just any ordinary emotion. I'm afraid that if I leave him like this, he'll be consumed by regret and develop a Heart Demon in the future.'
Songhwa, recalling Taeheo's lament, also felt complicated.
There was another problem.
His young Granduncle-Master was not only ignorant of the ways of the world compared to others his age, but he was also unskilled at making new friends.
The Taoist of Wudang would understand and accept whatever Jin-sung did, but wouldn't the people he met in the secular world be different?
Could Jin-sung be competitive among other men?
Could he win a woman's heart by acting so clumsily?
No matter how he thought about it, there seemed to be no hope with that lack of awareness.
Songhwa's anguish deepened as he watched the rookie who didn't even know what kind of eyes he made in front of the person he loved.
Jin-sung, who was sitting next to him, was completely unaware and lost in other thoughts.
'What kind of training did she do?'
Jin-sung twitched his eyebrows and swallowed hard.
She didn't seem to be much different when they met again...
As if proving the saying "rapid progress," he couldn't find any trace of Dang So-hye's appearance from years ago in the Dang So-hye who was facing Cheol Myeon Gae (Iron Face Dog).
Everything was different from his memory, from the way she put her hand in her sleeve, to the way she gripped her Hidden Weapons, to the footwork she used to create distance from her opponent.
The Martial art move, which had been sloppy but sometimes struck in, was also neatly organized.
Unlike before, when she seemed clumsy but occasionally struck in, there were no ups and downs.
Her ability to calmly deal with any move without panicking resembled the skill of a seasoned master.
Jin-sung seriously pondered.
Could he easily gain the upper hand as before if they faced each other again?
The answer was 'no.'
Rather, he might be rolling on the ground with a single mistake.
The Dang So-hye before his eyes was practically a different person from when they lived together on Wudang Mountain.
Unlike before, when On-jeong was evident in her hand movements, there was not even a small hesitation in her hand movements as she cornered her opponent as if she were driving prey.
"Wait, wait!"
"Where's the 'wait' in a Martial Arts Competition!"
Hot blood boiled in Jin-sung's body at the sight of Dang So-hye breaking the staff and charging at her opponent.
He wanted to be in that place.
He wanted to receive him with his sword.
He wanted to feel the thrill of mixing swords in sync with Dang So-hye's breathing.
He clenched and unclenched his fists, taking deep breaths due to a strange competitive spirit.
He was unfamiliar with his own desires, and his head kept heating up.
The result of the match was obvious. It was Dang So-hye's victory.
"Sichuan Tang Clan's Dang So-hye, victory!"
"I thought it was an exaggerated rumor... I guess it was the opposite. This Cheol Myeon Gae (Iron Face Dog) has learned a thing or two."
"I've learned a thing or two as well."
As the judgment was made, Dang So-hye exchanged greetings with Cheol Myeon Gae (Iron Face Dog), then came down from the Martial Arts Stage with a triumphant expression.
A faint smile appeared on Jin-sung's face at the sight of her looking like a small beast, proud of her successful hunt.
He wondered who Dambi resembled, and it seemed she resembled her owner.
"...Granduncle. Granduncle-Master?"
"Ah, yes."
"The match is over. You should go."
Jin-sung, who had been lost in reverie, came to his senses at Songhwa's call and got up.
The Martial Arts Stage was already empty.
'Will I be able to meet Dang Sojeo up there...'
He felt acutely disappointed that Dang So-hye would be returning to Sichuan when this tournament was over.
\ \ \
The Martial Arts Competition with Cheol Myeon Gae (Iron Face Dog) ended anticlimactically.
Unlike his appearance as a Wanderer who had been rolling around on the streets for decades, his Martial Prowess was not very high. Thanks to that, she was able to seize victory without much effort.
But the joy of her first victory didn't last long.
Oh no. It's on my sleeve!
I grimaced as I shook off the unidentified lump stuck to my Long robe.
Anyway, after going through the round of 32, I felt somewhat relieved.
That was because there were no participants as noticeable as Yang Gyo-jin, Namgung Hwi, and Jin-sung.
Jin-sung even finished his match in one move, gaining a reputation worthy of his 40% payout.
I need to be wary of Jinseong disciple too.
Determined, I handled my Hidden Weapons and replayed his sword in my head dozens of times.
It was impossible to rule out the possibility that there were participants who hadn't shown their skills, but if things continued like this, there wouldn't be any major variables.
The next day, at the hour of the snake, the Alliance announced the round of 16 matchups.
Groans erupted from the Martial Artist who checked the matchups posted on the wall.
The person who looked the most like he was about to die was Songhwa. The reason was simple.
Group 2. Dang So-hye. Songhwa.
Songhwa's next opponent was me.
"...Can't I forfeit?"
"I don't care, but wouldn't the elders of the Sect object?"
"There's no way I can be Dang Sojeo's opponent. Breaking my arm twice is enough."
"Um. I'm sorry, Do-jang (Master). I'll say it again, it wasn't intentional."
"Oh, no. I didn't mean to blame Dang Sojeo. ...Well, if I forfeit, Granduncle-Master will break my arm himself."
Songhwa, who had muttered, sighed with a resigned face. I smiled awkwardly and checked the other group assignments.
Namgung Hwi, of course, made it. Dang Gyeong-won also made it. This person... who was it? Was he a secular disciple of Emei?
As I fumbled with unfamiliar names, familiar names came into view side by side.
Group 7. Jin-sung. Yang Gyo-jin.
...Oh. This is going to be interesting?
