Chapter 129
Yeon Ga-hye had ordered that we be treated as honored guests... but to be honest, I expected to hear some gossip behind our backs.
And understandably so, since the fact that she was kidnapped by Tang Sowol and me hadn’t simply vanished.
But contrary to my expectations, they really did treat us with respect, showing not only no hostility, but not even curiosity.
The reason was simple—all their attention was focused on Peng Woojin.
“The Peng boy must’ve gone through a lot.”
Watching from a distance as Peng Woojin stood surrounded by Yeon Clan’s retainers, sweating profusely, Seo Mun-Hwarin shook her head.
“Well, thanks to that, we’re quite comfortable, aren’t we?”
“True, but… I can’t help feeling a little sorry for him.”
To a certain degree, I agreed.
The Peng and Yeon clans had long been on bad terms, and in recent years, their conflict had reached its peak. So it was only natural that the man Yeon Ga-hye brought home as her chosen one—Peng Woojin—wasn’t met with warm looks.
Still, because Yeon Ga-hye had clearly instructed them to be respectful, and because Peng Woojin had thrown himself into danger to protect her, they weren’t openly hostile.
Instead, they watched him with extremely critical eyes, questioning him thoroughly whenever something came up.
And it wasn’t just one or two people—every Yeon elder he encountered was like that. It had to be driving Peng Woojin insane.
“Well… even if we wanted to help, it’d be awkward for us to step in.”
“Not to mention, the real show hasn’t even started yet.”
“Hmm. When is the Clan Head of the Yeon Clan supposed to arrive?”
“Considering the time it took for the letter to arrive and the journey here, they said it would take about seven days and nights.”
“I see. So we’ve got some time. In the meantime, try resolving things between Sowol and Hyang.”
“I’ve been trying, but… it’s not easy.”
It’s not like they had a fight. The misunderstanding about them sleeping together had been cleared up.
In fact, Tang Sowol still talked to Seol Lihyang like usual, sometimes teasing her playfully.
But lately, Seol Lihyang had started avoiding Tang Sowol—and me as well.
As if she was guilty of something.
I could guess what she was thinking, but... I couldn’t just let her keep running away. So I kept trying to talk to her.
Even now, Tang Sowol was probably chasing after Seol Lihyang somewhere.
“Then why are you here right now?”
“Because I have business with you, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin.”
“With me?”
She tilted her head in confusion. Her long white hair flowed to the side, and her sparkling red eyes blinked curiously.
No matter how I looked at her, she still appeared to be just a cute young girl.
But I knew better.
Inside that form dwelled a veteran martial artist whose age, combined over my past and present lives, still surpassed mine—someone on the level of a clan head or sect leader.
“If… if you have business with me, then surely…?”
For some reason, her expression flushed as she suddenly bounced with excitement.
Her eyes sparkled with hope, and I nodded solemnly.
“Yes.”
“So you’ve finally decided to become my adopted son after seeing how amazing I—”
“I feel like I gained a small insight recently. Would you be willing to spar with me for a bit…?”
“???”
“???”
We blinked at each other in confusion.
Then, realizing what kind of misunderstanding she had made, Seo Mun-Hwarin’s eyes went vacant.
And then, as if something inside her had short-circuited, she plopped down in place, her face blazing red.
“Kyaaahh!”
“W-wait, don’t be so embarrassed. It’s a common misunderstanding.”
“Kyaaaahh!”
“People tend to notice only what they’re focused on. I was preoccupied with my insight, and you, Senior… well, you were focused on that.”
“Kyaaaahhh!”
Curled up on the floor with her ears covered, Seo Mun-Hwarin still reacted to every word I said—
She was clearly listening, despite the attempt to block out sound. Her sensory perception as a Flowering Stage master couldn’t be dulled that easily.
“Oh, and while we’re at it—my answer hasn’t changed. I’m sorry.”
“S-stop! That’s enough! Please, just stop already…!”
“Mmmp!”
Maybe she really couldn’t take it anymore.
Still sitting, she suddenly leapt up and clamped her hands over my mouth.
Tears welled up in her eyes from sheer embarrassment.
Now sparkling again for a slightly different reason, Seo Mun-Hwarin nodded furiously.
“Fine! A duel! That’s what you want, right?! Then let’s just do that! Just stop stabbing my heart with your words…!”
“I don’t recall stabbing you, but... alright, let’s go to the training ground.”
As I led the way, Seo Mun-Hwarin followed behind, completely deflated.
The training ground we arrived at shortly after had a strangely calming atmosphere.
It wasn’t that the Yeon Clan had installed a formation to induce mental clarity or gathered natural energy here.
They had simply taken some precautions to ensure the demonic aura that pervaded the rest of the Yeon estate didn’t leak into the sparring area.
It’s not like the surrounding demonic aura could drastically impact one’s martial arts—but still, it was better to be without it.
It wasn’t about whether I was used to Demonic Aura, or whether it got naturally suppressed by my killing intent-enhanced qi.
It was just... different. Unfamiliar.
Nodding inwardly, I took position a short distance from the center of the training ground.
And then, as if nothing had happened, Seo Mun-Hwarin stood across from me, exuding sharp, refined energy.
Her face was still a little flushed, but her expression was now that of a seasoned martial artist.
She took a deep breath and spoke.
“I know your level is half a step short of Sub-Perfection, but in a life-or-death duel, you can take on even established masters at that level. I saw it myself when you beheaded the Black Sky Sword Emperor.”
“Yes. With enough internal energy, I could reach Sub-Perfection at any time.”
“But the Blood Flame Fist Demon wasn’t just any Sub-Perfection master. His refinement was formidable, and his Flame Yang Technique was extremely tricky. To be honest, I thought you’d die, or come very close.”
“You were right. If it had been the usual me, I wouldn’t have won.”
Just like how I’d lost to him multiple times before my regression.
“I heard that Hyang’s martial arts helped reduce the Flame Yang Technique’s advantage.”
“Even with that, we were still a step short. By some stroke of luck, I was able to take that final step.”
“You still don’t believe that step is truly yours, do you?”
As she said—I had meditated and swung my sword countless times, trying to replicate that final strike...
But it always felt just out of reach, like a shape in the mist.
“I understand how that feels. At times like that, you need an opponent who can take your full strength. You’ve come to the right person. I can handle everything you’ve got, so don’t hold back!”
“Thank you.”
I bowed deeply to Seo Mun-Hwarin, who puffed out her chest with pride.
She had often helped me in my past life too—offering guidance or helping me embody insights.
Even now, she was supporting me like this again.
I couldn’t help but feel grateful.
“I’ll make sure to repay you someday, Senior.”
“You’ve already done more than enough… but I am a little curious. How do you plan to repay me?”
“Hmm… I suppose the fairest way would be to grant you one request? As long as it’s not anything too outrageous.”
“A wish token...!”
Something about that seemed to fire her up.
Seo Mun-Hwarin clenched her fists, her voice filled with excitement.
“Then come! Let’s begin!”
“Hoo…”
I chuckled at her sudden good mood and drew my sword.
“Here I go, then.”
Dark blade—
From its surface, a blood-red energy rose like smoke, soon coiling into the shape of roaring flames.
A martial technique formed by pure internal energy without any willpower mixed in.
Logically, without the support of proper energy channels and qi flow, this Blood Flame Sword Aura should’ve been weaker than in my past life.
Yet somehow, it felt just as powerful.
That alone would’ve been good news. But the problem was—I had no idea why.
My dantian and energy channels hadn’t changed drastically.
So why did my control of internal energy feel so much more fluid?
And it wasn’t just internal energy.
“Hup!”
I dashed forward.
But not using the explosive leaping of Thunderclap Steps.
Instead, I took short, rapid steps—
Boom! Boom!
Internal energy exploded through my pressure points in rapid succession.
Though quieter than a typical Thunderclap acceleration, it echoed ceaselessly through the training ground.
In truth, this was a half-measure that didn’t make full use of Thunderclap Steps.
But when mixed with the core of Ghost Shadow Steps, it became something else.
Each step carried a different rhythm and speed.
Even though I was moving in a straight line, it was impossible to get used to.
Seo Mun-Hwarin’s eyes sharpened with interest.
“I knew you weren’t limited to Thunderclap Steps… this is quite amusing.”
“It’s about to get more so.”
Originally, I developed this movement technique to help reduce the consumption of Seol Lihyang’s yin energy during our battle with the Blood Flame Fist Demon.
I refined it further afterward, and the results exceeded expectations.
Grinning, I swung my sword.
A sword that always targeted the opponent’s vital points with uncanny accuracy.
Every strike contained the best possible trajectory and method based on the situation.
The collarbone, waist, armpit, neck, wrist, eyes—Blows that, if even one landed, would be fatal or crippling.
Sometimes fast, sometimes heavy, sometimes flashy to deceive the eye.
I’d done this countless times before.
But each strike now felt familiar—yet strangely different.
Had I always been able to swing my sword this quickly?
This forcefully?
No.
I had now re-examined what I once believed I had already fully internalized—and made it truly my own.
This was proof of that.
Ever since I grasped Divine Sword Unity and gained full control over my sword, I thought that was the limit of my precision.
But now, as the mental image of each move became clearer, the path of the sword grew sharper too.
Of course, it still wasn’t enough to land a hit on Seo Mun-Hwarin, but—
“Impressive.”
Kaang! Kagakak!
It sounded like metal against metal, but that wasn’t the case.
Her Qi-enhanced fists had shattered my sword aura, broken its rhythm, and struck my defenseless blade aside.
Despite the fierce assault, she didn’t even blink. She didn’t counter, just focused on receiving my strikes.
Seeing that, I decided to push further. No holding back—I focused solely on cutting down the opponent before me.
My concentration rose to a peak.
The sense of unity from Divine Sword Unity heightened, and the sword in my hand felt heavier, more alive.
Just like in the fight with the Blood Flame Fist Demon, the history of my sword flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern.
Following my own path, I swung.
At first, Seo Mun-Hwarin tilted her head at the sudden simplicity of the strikes.
But as the swordplay continued, her eyes widened.
And when I finally poured out everything—My body moved before I could think, carving a trajectory I couldn’t even comprehend.
“Tch.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin frowned and threw a punch—
KWAANG!
Her first strike not to defend, but to counter.