Chapter 237
237
I was worried about leaving Yang Gyo-jin alone with Gwisu-sin, but those concerns were unfounded. Yang Gyo-jin ate well, slept well, and lived well.
"Grandfather's friend is incredibly strong. He told me I was losing because of how I used my sword and showed me a single martial art move. I've never seen a sword like that before."
Of course... That person is one of the Ten Supremes...
"He also brewed me herbal medicine, saying I needed to take care of my internal injuries right away."
"The Ghost Hand Divine Doctor did?"
"He even gave me snacks because the medicine was bitter."
"...The Ghost Hand Divine Doctor did?"
That prickly old man personally took care of the herbal medicine and snacks? I can't believe it. I almost died when I first met him.
I was genuinely impressed.
"Gyo Jin, you'll do well no matter where you go."
What did he do to earn that old man's favor?
As I looked up at Yang Gyo-jin with admiring eyes, he seemed to think I was interested in the snacks and held out a small jar.
"So-hye, do you want some too? He gave me the whole jar."
I glanced at the contents and my eyes widened. The jar was full of jujubes, pitted and soaked in honey.
This is what Woon likes.
"No, I'm okay. You eat a lot."
I waved my hand and pretended to straighten my sleeves, averting my gaze.
I had a feeling why Gwisu-sin was carrying those snacks around, and it made me feel strange.
...Hmm, let's not think about it.
"But he looked really tired. He kept dozing off while brewing the medicine."
"Really? That's unusual."
With that much Martial Prowess, he hardly ever sleeps. Even if he does, he only closes his eyes for an hour or two.
I had never seen Grandfather sleep, so I was a little puzzled.
Well, it wasn't my business. A doctor called a Divine Doctor would know his own condition.
I casually let Yang Gyo-jin's chatter flow by as I looked up at the sky.
The afternoon match time was approaching.
"So-hye, are you going to watch the match today?"
"Yeah. The Sixth Division has a family member competing, so I have to go. Grandfather will be watching too."
"Then I'll go too."
"Okay. Let's go together."
I dragged Yang Gyo-jin along to the Martial Arts Stage.
I wonder how today's match will go.
Dang Gyeong-won, whom I saw in the Round of 32, was more skilled than I had expected.
Even though he hadn't learned the Martial Arts Technique passed down only to the direct line, he was better than Dang Hwa-yeop in every way.
Perhaps the fact that he hadn't learned the superior Martial Arts Technique worked in reverse, as all of his Martial art move were faithful to the basics.
He didn't get excited and make reckless moves, and his judgment was good.
That's why Grandfather seemed to feel sorry for him.
'It would have been nice if that kid was from the direct line... What a shame.'
I recalled his regretful muttering and licked my lips.
It was clear that he was a talent that Grandfather took notice of, but due to the nature of the Tang Clan Martial Arts Technique, which specializes in surprise attacks, Dang Gyeong-won couldn't fully demonstrate his skills.
He couldn't use Poison when he needed to use Poison Needles, so he had no choice but to be pushed back by his opponent.
It seemed difficult for Dang Gyeong-won to win today's match.
This was true not only for Dang Gyeong-won but also for me.
Can I beat Namgung Hwi without Poison?
I couldn't easily gauge his Martial Prowess from just one match in the Round of 32.
The way he played with his opponent at will suggested that he was similar to or better than Jin-sung, but he wouldn't show his full strength, so I couldn't get a feel for it.
Considering that Grandfather was wary of him, saying that he was sucking up the Ghost Hand Deity's sword skills, I couldn't let my guard down.
I need to pay more attention to the Round of 16 match.
"Dang So-hye, you're here?"
"Hello."
"Oh, you're here. Gyeongwon was waiting for you."
"Really?"
I exchanged greetings with the branch family members and sat down in the spectator seats when someone sat next to me and spoke.
"We meet again, Dang Sojeo."
Speak of the devil, Namgung Hwi was smiling brightly at me.
Why did he come all the way here, leaving his own family members?
"Ah, yes. We meet again, Namgung Gongja."
I swallowed my displeasure and greeted him, and he widened his eyes with a happy expression.
"It's Divine Dragon. Hello."
"Yes."
He nodded lightly at Yang Gyo-jin's greeting and started making small talk about the good weather.
I responded appropriately while scanning Namgung Hwi.
Unlike his usual self, who wore his hair up in a high bun with ornate hairpins, today he had his hair loosely tied back.
Upon closer inspection, his hair was cut unevenly, as if mice had gnawed at it.
The uneven length made it difficult to tie his hair properly.
I wondered what had happened. Did he get hit by a sword somewhere?
If it were an ordinary person, it would have looked ridiculous, but because of his face, it didn't look too strange.
It even looked like he had styled it that way.
Namgung Hwi, who had been speaking in a soft voice, introduced the man sitting next to him.
"Ah, this is my Bodyguard."
When I turned my head, I felt for a moment that the man was staring sharply at me.
But perhaps it was my imagination, as he smiled and greeted me with a fist and palm salute.
"I am Jeokroe. Dang Sojeo."
"Nice to meet you. I am Dang So-hye."
"Please make yourself comfortable. I am just a Bodyguard."
Jeokroe, who was smiling like a fool, had a strange resemblance to his master. I looked back and forth between the two and said,
"You two look alike."
"Yes?"
Jeokroe jumped at my comment and rubbed his arm as if he had goosebumps.
"...Jeokroe."
He quickly changed his expression at the warning tone, but it was clear that he genuinely disliked it.
Their reaction was more like brothers with a significant age difference than master and Bodyguard, and I chuckled.
I suspected that the two had been together for quite some time.
"What's so funny?"
"Grandfather, you're here?"
"Hello."
"Yes. Our puppy has a wide circle of friends. She keeps bringing other people's children along."
Grandfather playfully pinched my cheek and sat down behind me. Namgung Hwi quickly stood up, bowed to Grandfather, and greeted him with a fist and palm salute.
"Did you have a peaceful night, Elder?"
"Yes."
Grandfather nodded and waved his hand. Namgung Hwi sat back down and started making small talk again.
Is this guy deliberately trying to distract me from focusing on the match?
I glared at Namgung Hwi with suspicious eyes, but soon realized that my suspicion was excessive and shook my head.
...Well, he has no reason to be wary of me. He doesn't know my Martial Prowess, and he probably thinks of me as a childhood friend who used to buy rice cakes together.
Thinking that way, I felt a little sorry for Namgung Hwi. I wondered if he hadn't made any friends his age until he grew up so much.
However, I had no intention of pretending to be friends with a competitor now, so I crossed my legs and focused on the Martial Arts Stage.
As I expected, Dang Gyeong-won couldn't last long against the Swordmaster.
Watching that scene made me feel down.
I don't like the Tang Clan, but it wasn't pleasant to see a Green Robe being pushed back by a Martial Artist from another Martial Sect.
Human psychology is so strange. I might end up growing fond of the Tang Clan.
...Have I already grown fond of it?
In any case, Dang Gyeong-won, who was staggering and cornered to the edge of the Martial Arts Stage, soon admitted defeat.
"Chungsoo of Kunlun, victory!"
With Dang Gyeong-won's defeat in the Round of 16, all the Martial Artist from the Tang Clan except for me were eliminated.
However, Grandfather clicked his tongue but didn't scold him.
"He did well enough. He's not used to fighting without Poison Needles, so it can't be helped. If Gyeongwon had Poison in his hand, he would have won."
At those words, Dang Bu-kyung let out a sigh of relief.
He seemed to have been worried about offending Grandfather.
As Grandfather stood up, the Tang Clan members, who had been watching his mood, also stood up one by one.
I was about to follow Grandfather and tidy up my surroundings when Namgung Hwi asked kindly.
"Are you not watching the next match?"
"No. I'm going to leave now."
"That's a shame. It was a pleasure talking to you, Sojeo. I'll see you again."
I nodded and looked at Yang Gyo-jin.
"Gyo Jin, what about you? Are you going to watch the next match?"
"Um, no. But I'm hungry. Do you want to go out and buy some snacks?"
"Okay. Then I'll go first."
I waved to him and turned around.
\ \ *
The joy of sitting next to her and talking was fleeting, and time passed like the wind.
Namgung Hwi watched Dang So-hye's departing figure without the slightest hesitation.
'I wanted to talk a little more...'
He suppressed his disappointment and stood up from his seat.
If he ate a bowl of noodles, his disappointment would be lessened.
Jeokroe would scold him for eating outside food again, so he was planning to go alone.
"Jeokroe, go in first."
"Where are you going again?"
"I'm going to get some fresh air."
Namgung Hwi waved his hand and left the Alliance headquarters before Jeokroe could answer.
Walking among the crowds in the Market street seemed to calm his trembling heart a little.
As Namgung Hwi leisurely searched for a noodle shop, he encountered an unwelcome face.
Yang Gyo-jin, who was standing in line in front of a dumpling stall, was staring intently at him.
Namgung Hwi ignored him and turned his head away from the burdensome gaze.
However, Yang Gyo-jin didn't care and approached Namgung Hwi, reaching out his hand.
"Divine Dragon, buy me dumplings."
Namgung Hwi doubted his ears at the confident shout.
'Is he talking to me? When did he ever see me?'
He wanted to ignore him and pass by, but he was concerned that he was close to Dang So-hye.
He mustered all his patience and asked back.
"Why should I?"
"You have a lot of money."
"That's absurd. I refuse..."
"You like So-hye, don't you."
"..."
"If you buy me dumplings, I'll tell you something."
Namgung Hwi's expression turned cold at the brazen offer.
'This guy, I thought he was a clueless idiot who couldn't tell the difference between heaven and earth, but he's not.'
He took out a few coins with a grumpy gesture and threw them at Yang Gyo-jin.
Yang Gyo-jin lightly caught the coins and immediately bought two large dumplings, smiling brightly.
"I'll enjoy them."
"What are you going to tell me?"
"So-hye hates acting."
"...What?"
"She hates people who hide their true feelings and wear masks. If you keep acting like that, she'll hate you."
"What's it to you?"
Yang Gyo-jin shrugged at Namgung Hwi's prickly reply.
"You're a smart fool, aren't you? That's why you can't get close to So-hye. She can't tell if you're a friend or foe."
Yang Gyo-jin, as if scolding him for not even knowing that, took a big bite of his dumpling and turned away.
Namgung Hwi's mind was complicated as he was left alone.
'She can't tell if I'm a friend or foe?'
He stroked his chin, pondering Yang Gyo-jin's words.
Come to think of it, he wasn't wrong.
Dang So-hye doesn't know anything.
A man she doesn't even remember suddenly acts friendly, so it must seem strange and suspicious.
A frown formed on his beautiful brow.
'...Was my approach wrong?'
