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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“…I look forward to a good match.”
“Likewise.”
‘Why is she staring at me like that?’
Hye-ryeong tilted her head, puzzled, as she returned the formal greeting.
Cheong Mae-hyang’s gaze was fixed on her, specifically on her chest.
It was strange, no matter how she looked at it.
A woman she had never met before was staring at her with a dazed expression, then shook her head and drew her sword.
If they weren’t in the arena, it would have been perfectly normal to ask if she was feeling alright.
Hye-ryeong’s lips parted slightly.
“Miss?”
“…Oh! I apologize. I just…”
The match had to begin. Hye-ryeong slowly drew her sword and took a starting stance.
Cheong Mae-hyang, known as the White Plum Blossom and one of the most beautiful women in the Central Plains, also took her stance.
The male spectators, captivated by the two beauties, were completely oblivious to the starting stances, and the arena fell silent.
Except for the occasional sound of someone being smacked on the back of the head.
‘Mister said the White Plum Blossom is about half a level or a full level above me…’
“Let’s go.”
Hye-ryeong moved like flowing water, her steps following the unpredictable path of the Flowing Water Steps, confusing Cheong Mae-hyang.
She moved to the right, then instantly turned and darted in the opposite direction, moving forward, then backward, like unpredictable waves. That was the essence of the Flowing Water Steps.
Cheong Mae-hyang, maintaining the starting stance of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique, followed Hye-ryeong’s movements with her eyes, trying to grasp the pattern of the Flowing Water Steps before engaging.
All footwork techniques had a set sequence and form.
Understanding the footwork meant understanding half of the martial art. So, for Hye-ryeong to reveal her footwork first and initiate the attack was a risky move, but—
‘…I have to focus.’
…There was an unexpected variable:
Hye-ryeong’s swaying chest as she moved, constantly drawing her gaze.
No matter how much of a woman she was, it was natural for her eyes to be drawn to such ample curves.
Mae-hyang felt as if she, who was supposed to be mesmerizing her opponent with the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, was being mesmerized instead.
And in that moment of distraction,
“Ha!”
Hye-ryeong’s sword finally swung towards Mae-hyang. From top to bottom, a simple diagonal slash. An ordinary attack with no form or technique.
Mae-hyang easily deflected it.
As if expecting her to do so, Hye-ryeong spun along the deflected path of her sword and unleashed the first form of the Haenam Sword Sect’s Thirty-Six Sword Technique, Rippling Waves.
A dozen sword strikes descended, cascading like waves.
Each strike, filled with powerful momentum, threatened to engulf Mae-hyang, but she was a strong contender who had reached the top sixteen.
She wouldn’t be defeated by such a simple attack.
Mae-hyang’s sword flashed like lightning, deflecting Hye-ryeong’s attacks, catching the sunlight.
Once. Twice. Thrice. Four times…
There was a clear difference in their skill.
Hye-ryeong withdrew her form, spun clockwise, reversed her grip on the sword, and switched it to her left hand.
‘She changed her sword hand?’
Unlike ordinary sword techniques, which assumed the use of the right hand, the Haenam Thirty-Six Sword Technique utilized both the right and left hands to attack.
The sword of the Haenam Thirty-Six Sword Technique, created during battles against Japanese pirates, aimed to efficiently subdue opponents by catching them off guard.
That sword once again targeted Mae-hyang’s chest.
It would have been understandable if she had been caught off guard by the unexpected attack, but Mae-hyang leaned back slightly and evaded it.
Unlike Hye-ryeong, her chest was only moderately sized, so Hye-ryeong’s attack missed.
Mae-hyang felt a strange sense of despair.
“Tch.”
Hye-ryeong switched her sword back to her right hand and swung at Mae-hyang.
Never lose the momentum of your attack when facing an enemy.
That was what William had always emphasized during their sparring sessions, so Hye-ryeong tried her best to maintain the initiative.
She knew that if she lost the initiative, she, as the clearly weaker opponent, wouldn’t get another chance.
“Huu…”
She inhaled and exhaled deeply.
Her continuous attacks were taking a toll on her stamina.
And that meant an opening for Mae-hyang to go on the offensive.
Finally, a sharp plum blossom began to bloom from Mae-hyang’s sword.
“Ooh, the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique! It’s as beautiful as the rumors say!”
“To bloom a plum blossom at such a young age… she’s a promising talent!”
The signature martial art of the Huashan Sect, the symbol of the Huashan, the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique, had finally been revealed, and the atmosphere in the spectator stands heated up.
It was only natural.
They had traveled a long way to witness the legendary martial arts of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans.
William, observing the scene, watched Mae-hyang’s sword with sparkling eyes.
‘So she shapes her internal energy into the form of plum blossoms and scatters them. It would be quite intimidating in actual combat, as it disrupts the opponent’s focus.’
Having something that could break one’s concentration on a battlefield that demanded extreme focus was a serious problem.
That was why William considered the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique to be a powerful martial art.
“…She’ll be overwhelmed at this rate.”
“Indeed.”
As they said, Hye-ryeong was gradually being pushed back.
It couldn’t be helped.
In the Murim, the difference in realm directly translated to a difference in skill. For a weaker opponent to defeat a stronger one, they either needed extraordinary talent or divine intervention.
Hye-ryeong, while a promising talent, wasn’t a fully polished gem yet, so it was inevitable that she would be pushed back by Mae-hyang, who was comparatively more refined.
“She’s lost the initiative.”
“The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique is also known as a ‘first-sight kill’ technique. Its beauty mesmerizes the opponent, disrupting their focus, confusing their vision, and tripping their feet. It’s truly worthy of being called one of the best sword techniques in the world.”
“…It’s been a while.”
“Haha, it has. Brother Wi. How have you been?”
“As you can see, I’m enjoying the martial arts tournament.”
Jegal Hyeon-sang, his face hidden behind his white fan as it had been during their first encounter, looked at the arena.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying the tournament.”
‘Why is he here?’
Had he just come to chat?
As William looked at him with a questioning gaze, Jegal Hyeon-sang smiled and said,
“Just a wandering martial artist greeting an old friend, so don’t worry. Ah, and there’s a big drinking party two days after the tournament ends… how about it? I know some good friends—”
A wandering martial artist?
Friends?
“I’ll think about it.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
Jegal Hyeon-sang turned to leave, as if he was running out of time.
“I hope you enjoy the rest of the tournament.”
He left, maintaining his enigmatic demeanor.
“The winner of this match is! Cheong Mae-hyang, the White Plum Blossom!”
And the victor was decided.
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“Hmph… Mister, I lost.”
“You did well.”
There was a significant difference in their fundamental skills. For someone who had just reached the first-rate level to push her opponent, who was at the mid-first-rate level, that far was already a commendable feat.
William let Hye-ryeong nuzzle her face against his palm as a gesture of comfort and thought about Jegal Hyeon-sang’s offer.
What was his purpose?
Just making friends?
His unnecessarily suspicious demeanor made it difficult to figure him out.
He didn’t seem to have any ill intentions, though.
“Benefactor, then I’ll be going.”
“Ah, do your best.”
Mokgyeong was the protagonist, so he would win, of course.
William gave him a casual send-off and sat down to chat with Hye-ryeong.
“How did it feel to fight against her?”
“Hmm… It was very disorienting! At first, she seemed a bit flustered, so I pressed my attack… but it felt like she was easily deflecting everything? Unlike when I spar with you, my attacks seemed to be somewhat effective, but once I was on the defensive, I didn’t know how to turn things around.”
“It’s natural to be disoriented by a sword technique that confuses the eyes. Don’t worry too much about it. You just need to get stronger.”
For someone who had just reached the first-rate level to perform that well against someone who was at the mid-first-rate level was already a great achievement.
“Do you think I can get stronger?”
“Of course.”
He could confidently say that much.
In the original story, she had reached the transcendent expert realm at a young age through sheer hard work. She had the potential to become a transcendent expert in this world as well.
She was like a lottery ticket he already knew was a winner.
“I’ll help you reach a higher realm, so don’t worry too much.”
“Okay…”
Why was she so happy?
William watched the upcoming match between Song Muhan and Dan Mokgyeong with Hye-ryeong, who was leaning against him with a bright smile.
He wondered how long Song Muhan would last.
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