༺ Fifth Chapter – Dragon Phoenix Tournament (11) ༻
Mok Riwon’s advancement to the finals shook not only Shexian, but all of Anhui.
The sword technique he had finally revealed was so marvelous.
An unconventional swordplay that could only be attained through talent alone.
And overwhelming inner qi that reached the Peak Realm at the young age of eighteen.
For the renowned clans of the Central Plains who desired to dominate the next generation, it would be stranger not to recruit him.
Those clans moved restlessly.
Some prepared wealth, some prepared spiritual elixirs, and others prepared secret manuals.
However, there was one thing they all prepared together without exception.
“A marriage proposal… you say?”
A marriage proposal.
One of the most definite contracts in this land where relationships were solidified by blood.
They presented their clan’s daughters to get Mok Riwon.
If there were one unusual point, it would be that unlike ordinary marriage proposals, the daughters of each of those renowned clans eagerly threw themselves at him.
“Aren’t they doing all sorts of nonsense?”
At an inn in Shexian, Tang Hwa-seo was explaining the current situation to Mok Riwon while in a foul mood. That look was so scary that Zhuge San was unusually quiet today, tilting his cup.
“I-I don’t like that kind of marriage…!”
It was being strongly rejected by Mok Riwon.
“Is marriage not about a man and woman spending an eternity together in love?! I want to marry someone I love!”
Mok Riwon crossed his arms and snorted.
Tang Hwa-seo felt an irresistible sense of satisfaction at that sight, then shook off her emotions and nodded.
“Yes, since that is Young Hero Mok’s intention, I won’t worry too much, but you still have to be careful.”
“Hm?”
“As I said before, the daughters of those families are more promiscuous than you think. The moment they find out about your innocence, they will drool over you and try to devour you somehow.”
“I-Innocence…”
“Young Hero Mok.”
“Yes! What is it?”
“Do you remember what I told you to do when an unknown woman approaches you?”
“Say I’m busy and run away! And I have to tell the Young Lady!”
“Well done.”
Tang Hwa-seo smiled contentedly and Mok Riwon was just happy to be praised.
As Zhuge San watched the farce, he thought to himself.
‘Brother Mok, if you keep following her like that, you’ll be dragged around by the nose one day…’
If you were to pick the most rational person in the room right now, it would be Zhuge San.
It was because he knew that right now, Tang Hwa-seo was pretending to worry about Mok Riwon while tightly blocking his marriage path.
She was getting rid of the entire race of women around him.
‘Well, I don’t think Sister is aware of it either.’
What a frightening nature, to even unconsciously keep her love rivals in check.
As expected of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
As expected of the Tang Clan’s mercilessness.
Zhuge San trembled in fear.
“Ah, isn’t your fight in five days? How are your preparations going?”
In the midst of the ongoing conversation, this topic came up.
Her fingertips trembled for a moment, then she smiled and said.
“I’m preparing with all my heart.”
“I’m looking forward to it! I’ll cheer for you until the end!”
“Don’t expect too much…”
Tang Hwa-seo tried to add something else but stopped and laughed dispiritedly.
What followed were words she uttered while feeling disappointed in herself.
“…No, that’s right. I’ll give it a try.”
Tang Hwa-seo tilted her glass.
‘Right, how can I call myself a martial artist if I get scared and give up before I even try? I should at least do as much as I can.”
It was true when she thought about it. The Dragon Phoenix Tournament was a place she came to in order to show off that she hadn’t lost her skill, so it might be a misstep to be selective about her opponents while displaying her martial arts.
Tang Hwa-seo whipped herself and made up her mind. Then she said.
“Well, let’s put that talk aside and drink today. We haven’t even congratulated Young Hero Mok for reaching the finals yet.”
“Ah, that’s better!”
Mok Riwon accepted her words with a smile, but that didn’t mean he was truly trembling with joy. A bitter smile flashed across his face from time to time.
‘Should I be happy…?’
Although he had been trying to erase it from his mind, Mok Riwon also had his own concerns.
Hyungong went there to lose.
Even in the end Mok Riwon couldn’t figure out the reason behind his killing intent, and the match ended up giving him greater feelings of discomfort than the joy of victory. So he too, wasn’t feeling relieved.
“Come on, Brother Mok. Drink it all up in one go.”
But, harboring thoughts that expressing such concerns could seem ingenuine after winning, Mok Riwon tilted his cup in response to those words.
The hands of the clans aiming for Mok Riwon was something Tang Hwa-seo had been warning him about all along, but there were some unavoidable situations.
“I’m Extreme Blade Peng Dowol.”
A man who somehow reminded one of a tiger.
He blocked Mok Riwon’s path in the middle of the road, but upon hearing his introduction, Mok Riwon made an ‘Ah!’ and smiled.
“I know your name Great Master! You’re the rightful heir of the Hebei Peng Clan who won the Dragon Phoenix Tournament ten years ago, right?”
“I’m honored that you remember. I’d like to have a chat for a moment, is that okay?”
“A chat you say?”
Mok Riwon tilted his head.
Then, a young woman who had yet to lose her baby fat popped out from behind his giant body.
Peng Dowol smiled awkwardly and said.
“This is my younger sister. She was impressed by your martial arts and begged to have a conversation with you. Can you understand my position as her older brother a little and help me out?”
“I’m Peng Jiwol…!”
She said while blushing shyly.
For some reason, Mok Riwon felt a chill running down his spine.
–If an unknown woman approaches…
Tang Hwa-seo’s words flashed through his mind again.
‘W-What should I do…?’
Mok Riwon pondered.
Of course, if he were to follow her orders then he should run away right now, but wasn’t the other party not just anyone?
Extreme Blade, Peng Dowol.
Mok Riwon had heard that name to the point of his ears bleeding. His name carried significant weight in the Central Plains.
Moreover, aside from his name, wasn’t it impolite to reject someone approaching with goodwill?
Stepping back hesitantly, Mok Riwon had a pitiful smile on his face.
“Haaa…”
It was ridiculous that even that pitiful smile was beautiful.
“I-I have someone to meet…”
“Please.”
Peng Dowol was adamant.
In reality, even though he came at the insistence of his young sister, Mok Riwon was also a desirable talent from his point of view.
‘The Ink Sword must not be taken away.’
He must absolutely not be stolen from them.
His swordsmanship was so brilliant, and the talent he possessed was so extraordinary that the Peng Clan desired to have him.
And wasn’t the age difference between him and his sister only three years?
Although her martial arts were rudimentary because she had no interest in martial arts, the sister was also a descendant of the Peng Clan. If her martial talent and Mok Riwon’s were to intertwined, a hero that leads the next generation might be born.
In that strangely flowing atmosphere, someone suddenly appeared whom Peng Dowol did not want to see, but Mok Riwon had been waiting for.
“Greetings, Great Master Peng.”
It was Tang Hwa-seo, with a chilling look on her face like eternal snow. Her gaze, seemingly intent on freezing someone to death at any moment, was directed at none other than Peng Jiwol.
“Eek!”
She quickly hid behind her older brother’s body.
Peng Dowol regretfully sighed and accepted her greeting.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has been six years.”
“I heard the story. That you have a rather good relationship with him…”
Peng Dowol’s mouth closed.
It was due to that light in her eyes.
‘That light in her eyes is definitely saying, you know that, and you’re still trying to make a move?’
Hm, indeed, she was the daughter of the Tang Clan after all.
The ability to shoot out daggers with just a gaze was enough to make one admire her.
“Don’t look at me like that. I was also in a position where I couldn’t refuse my younger sister’s request…”
Peng Dowol ignored his sister hitting his back and continued.
“We’ll be going for today. See you next time, Ink Sword.”
With that, he turned around.
Peng Jiwol looked at Mok Riwon with eyes that said she wasn’t going to give up, then shrank back from Tang Hwa-seo’s gaze and followed her older brother.
Tang Hwa-seo continued to keep them in check.
Starting with the Hebei Peng Clan, which formed the center of the Five Noble Clans, to various other clans and sects that ruled each region, even to the point of the transportations and merchants.
She was busy running around every day to fend off those who drooled at the name Ink Sword.
‘Why am I…’
‘Why am I doing this?’
From time to time she had such doubts, but strangely enough, this time she had no intention of stopping. Her narrow-mindedness simply didn’t have the courage to reflect on herself.
She just focused on driving away those coveting Mok Riwon and devoting herself to personal training, but before she knew it, only two nights were left before her semifinal match.
That was when she met someone she did not want to see.
“It’s been a long time, Young Clan Head.”
On a night when the moonlight dimly illuminated the road, a group of people came out from inside an alley.
There were five martial artists with refined qi.
At the forefront of them was…
“…Tang Woonkyung.”
Her half-brother.
Tang Hwa-seo’s expression darkened.
As he walked out to greet her without losing his smile even while looking at her, he stopped in front of her.
“I hope you enjoyed your outing.”
“…”
“I was surprised. Not only did the Young Clan Head who had not revealed her whereabouts after all this time, suddenly appeared in the Dragon Phoenix Tournament, and not just that, Pyosan also returned in such a state.”
His words neared a whisper, with the intention of reprimanding her.
Tang Hwa-seo looked at him and the martial artists behind him with sunken eyes.
‘…Right, it was about time for them to come.’
Each and every one of them except for Tang Woonkyung were martial artists at the Peak Realm. They were the elites of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Are they here to take me away like this?’
‘No.’
That wouldn’t be the case.
Given the Clan Head’s personality, he couldn’t retrieve her in such a public place, so they must have had another purpose.
‘It’s either persuasion or a threat.’
Well, which would it be?
“Get to the point.”
“Ah, you really have no affection even though we’re siblings.”
“Were we ever on such close terms? I wasn’t aware. I thought you were just giggling while I was enduring such pain under the Clan Head.”
“It was an expression of affection.”
“Expressing affection while watching someone suffer, I didn’t know my younger brother was such a crazy bastard.”
Tang Woonkyung’s eyebrows rose slightly.
Then, his sly-looking impression became a little vicious.
“Hasn’t this little outing been enough?”
“Is this a threat?”
“No, it’s conciliation.”
Tang Woonkyun straightened his back and continued with a deeper smile.
“The Clan Head is very satisfied. He said he didn’t expect that our young head, who had left home, would have such a person in her hands.”
“…What?”
“The Ink Sword.”
Instantly, her breath stopped.
He continued.
“Excellent. As expected, it must be for the clan, right? The Clan Head wishes to see the Ink Sword as soon as possible. Ah, it’s been a while since he smiled so much. He kept saying that if you and the Ink Sword are there, the Tang Clan’s name will be the most exalted in the next generation of the martial world.”
Tang Hwa-seo felt stunned by his shamelessness.
“That old man, you say?”
“You should call him the Clan Head.”
“That crazy old man connected Young Hero Mok and myself in that way?”
Her question was followed by a hollow laugh.
Tang Hwa-seo felt her head getting strangely cold for a moment. The hatred she had been suppressing until now was rising and stopped in her throat.
“Just, what kind of damned face was he making to say such things?”
Tang Hwa-seo took a step forward as a dark green qi began to release around her body.
“You’re too much. Wasn’t he the one who implanted that qi in you? So how could you possibly say such things…?”
“Yes, he did. Even though I didn’t want it.”
Tang Hwa-seo had always thought that before this day came, perhaps the Tang Clan might not come looking for her, and maybe they came to understand her true feelings after seeing Pyosan return like that.
Or that they might have even felt guilty this time.
‘I’ve gone soft.’
She must have had hopeful thoughts while spending time with Mok Riwon, and her heart had become weak as well.
“Rotten bastards.”
She glared at Tang Woonkyung and the martial artists behind him.
Her gaze was filled with hatred as she cursed heavily.
“If it weren’t for this shitty poison immunity, I might have forgiven the Clan Head.”
Tang Hwa-seo couldn’t forgive the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Her painful childhood alone wasn’t enough to explain all of the reasons why.
“You know, I just really can’t understand. How the hell could that old head say such a thing to me?”
Tang Hwa-seo took another step forward.
Her half-brother finally erased the smile that had risen on his face and looked down at her coldly.
And with a resentful gaze, she said.
“Taking away my future, even taking away my chance to bear a child. How the fuck could you possibly intertwine me with a man?”
The bitter truth that came out of her mouth was heavy.
And also humiliating.
What flowed through her veins wasn’t blood, but poison.
Her body was filled with poison, and nothing other than poison could take root.
That was the reason Tang Hwa-seo couldn’t forgive the Tang Clan.
In the worsening atmosphere, Tang Woonkyung opened his mouth.
“…What can’t be done?”
“What?”
“I’m asking what can’t be done.”
Her face went black.
Tang Woonkyung had a cold expression on his face as he shot out words that were like knives to her.
“Young Clan Head, the Tang Clan has many women. Women who can give birth to children.”
“What in the world…”
“I’m saying that there are children who can receive the Ink Sword’s seed instead. Everyone in the Tang Clan will turn a blind eye. You just need to raise that child as your own, don’t you?”
Thump–
Tang Hwa-seo felt like her heart had stopped.
No, not just her heart.
Everything in her body had stopped moving at that single statement.
If words could kill, it would be exactly like this.
If there were heartlessness that trampled on even a sliver of hope, this would be it.
Tang Hwa-seo looked at Tang Woonkyung.
In her eyes, the man before her no longer looked like a blood relative or even a human.
That was why she didn’t know what to say back.
She didn’t know how to speak to something that wasn’t human, so all that was left was the pain of her heart being torn apart.
Her qi dissipated.
Her thoughts scattered.
And she felt empty inside.
At that moment.
“…I can’t listen anymore.”
A very beautiful voice pierced Tang Hwa-seo’s ears.
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