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EP.12 Gathering of the Nine Dragons (6)

As the Gathering of the Nine Dragons commenced, Peng Ah-Hee was in dire straits.

While it was good that Elder Lee had helped her subdue Peng Woojin, the moment he got up, he declared that he would not back down.

With his cheeks puffed up like steamed buns, Peng Woojin rose and momentarily wore a blank expression.

“I didn’t see this coming,” he chuckled helplessly.

However, he acknowledged that the pact was unbreakable and accepted it. He simply felt it was unfair to have come this far without seeing the Gathering, so he refused to leave.

After all, Peng Woojin was technically a Lesser Clan Leader.

Excluding the Peng Clan Leader and Elders, he held the highest position and was expected to inherit the leader’s seat in the future.

He was someone even Peng Ah-Hee and the Peng Clan’s search teams could not freely mess with.

“I’ll go, but I’ll only leave after watching this,” he stated.

“What’s so important to see?”

“It’s just unfair… coming all this way and leaving without seeing anything.”

“What’s unfair about it? You’re just picking the sword team; the Peng Clan does this all the time. Just hurry back to the clan…”

“If you keep this up, I’ll go complain to Elder Shin about it! I’ll argue about how utterly unreasonable this is!”

Peng Ah-Hee fell silent at Peng Woojin’s tantrums. She knew he was capable of carrying through on such threats.

He swore with his own mouth that he would go back quietly after the Gathering, so she reluctantly permitted him.

‘…Alright, a day is fine. Just one day shouldn’t hurt.’

Calming her irritation, she led Peng Woojin to the venue where the Gathering of the Nine Dragons was taking place. Even though the Heavenly Marketplace had offered a good seat in the Peng Clan’s martial robes, Peng Woojin refused it.

He stated it was an unexpected visit, and he wouldn’t accept any special treatment.

In the end, they sat in the general seating area. She could feel the gazes of those watching, glancing at them in the Peng Clan’s robes.

The crowd was split between disbelief and the understanding that, being martial artists, they shouldn’t approach carelessly.

Peng Ah-Hee felt even more uncomfortable under this scrutiny, while Peng Woojin showed no concern at all.

He was even holding dumplings, which was surprising.

“Big Brother… When did you buy that?”

“Huh? Just a while ago.”

“A while? When exactly is that…?”

Hadn’t he been right next to her? When did he buy it?

Peng Woojin was someone whose actions were impossible to track. Elder’s called him the greatest talent in the Peng Clan’s history as a martial artist, but he was undoubtedly a strange fellow.

‘One would even run away just to play.’

Thinking back to that time, a frown appeared on Peng Ah-Hee’s forehead.

“Here we go, Ah-Hee!”

Whether he realized it or not, Peng Woojin cheered while still holding his dumplings.

To Peng Ah-Hee, the Gathering wasn’t an extraordinary sight.

Coming from one of the Four Great Clans, she grew up among the renowned martial artists of her clan. Watching these lesser clans or branch families compete wasn’t exactly mind-blowing.

Certainly, there were standout performers among the many duels, but none that captured attention overwhelmingly.

In the midst of it all, she was watching Peng Woojin.

He seemed to be watching with interest, yet his eyes bore a hollow look.

This had always been the case with Peng Woojin.

What was he thinking? Why did he pursue fun with such talent?

He had a demeanor that suggested he could leave anytime, yet he accepted the position of Lesser Clan Leader without complaint.

It made her uneasy, the thought of him seemingly ready to leave at any moment.

When her father suggested that she travel with the search teams, she didn’t hesitate to accept it, but it surely wasn’t only due to guilt that day.

Before long, night fell. Every duel in the Gathering of the Nine Dragons had concluded.

“Time to go. Big Brother,” Peng Ah-Hee said, but Peng Woojin remained unmoved.

“Big Brother?”

Curious, she followed his gaze and saw someone entering the vacant central dueling area.

“Who is that…?”

A girl, tall for a female, with her hair tightly tied up, wearing the red robes that symbolized the Gu Clan.

‘Gu Yeonseo…wasn’t it?’

She was a girl Peng Ah-Hee had encountered several times at the Righteous Faction’s social gatherings. Her sister, the “So Sword,” was undeniably a genius, and Gu Yeonseo was said to have remarkable talent as well.

Moments later, Gu Yangcheong stepped into the ring.

His expression was clearly uncomfortable, suggesting he felt as if he had bitten into something slimy. His face practically screamed, ‘I don’t want to be here.’

“Why is that guy going up there?”

“They must be doing the direct dueling.”

Confused, she noticed that Peng Woojin had a strange paper in his hand.

[After the Gathering, a duel of the brilliant stars of the Gu Clan will be held.]

[We kindly request your support.]

“…When did you get that?”

“They were handing them out when we came in.”

When, exactly?

Peng Ah-Hee cast her gaze back to the dueling area.

Gu Yangcheong and Gu Yeonseo seemed to be conversing, but they were too far away to hear anything.

Even trying to enhance her hearing through inner strength yielded no results.

“They won’t be able to hear. There’s a barrier surrounding the dueling area,” Peng Woojin remarked.

“A barrier?”

“With that kind of range, it must be the work of Elder Shin.”

Understanding the discomfort on Gu Yangcheong’s face, Peng Ah-Hee grasped that this was undoubtedly a fight he could not win.

She was more than aware of Gu Yangcheong’s martial capabilities.

Compared to the boy’s bloodline, he was nothing but trivial. If he were to face Gu Yeonseo, he would undoubtedly be crushed.

If something like that were to happen in front of such a large crowd, it would surely be the end for Peng Ah-Hee as well.

In truth, Gu Yangcheong, whom she had never considered pitiful, appeared somewhat unfortunate now.

Despite still conversing, Elder Lee, watching from the sidelines, yelled with inner strength.

Instantly, Gu Yeonseo dashed toward Gu Yangcheong without hesitation.

Peng Ah-Hee’s eyes widened at the speed of Gu Yeonseo.

‘So fast…!’

She had no unnecessary wavering while swinging her wooden sword alongside her leap. It indicated the strength of the inner power supporting her balance.

Step after step.

The smooth sequences made it clear how relentlessly Gu Yeonseo had trained.

‘…Could she win if she engages?’

Honestly, she didn’t have the confidence.

Peng Ah-Hee felt that she would not be able to handle Gu Yeonseo’s seamless sword strikes in that moment.

Her pride, as part of the Peng Clan bloodline, was gradually slipping away.

“Is she the So Sword’s younger sister?”

Peng Ah-Hee noticed Peng Woojin’s eyes sparkling for the first time after watching the duel.

Those eyes that had felt so hollow all day long were now filled with vitality.

Seeing this made her suppress the unwelcome feelings welling up inside her.

“…Yes, she’s a bloodline of the Gu Clan, so she must be the So Sword’s younger sister.”

But she could hardly mask her blunt tone.

To her own eyes, Gu Yeonseo was indeed extraordinary. So extraordinary she could make one envious.

“To have such smooth swordplay is impressive, isn’t it?”

“It’s hard to achieve at that age.”

“Right? Her ability to handle her inner strength seems remarkable, too.”

“Exactly, she’s dodging all of that.”

“Huh?”

A strange feeling arose from Peng Ah-Hee as she felt something off in Peng Woojin’s reply. Had Gu Yeonseo dodged anything?

Gu Yangcheong hadn’t even been able to counter, he was just struggling there.

She followed Peng Woojin’s gaze again.

He wasn’t looking at Gu Yeonseo but at Gu Yangcheong.

‘He wasn’t watching Gu Yeonseo?’

What could he see that led him to feel such a way? She couldn’t comprehend it.

“Half a beat faster.”

“Excuse me?”

“Watch closely; the sword moves half a beat before it reaches its destination, she knows exactly where and how to swing it!”

Listening to Peng Woojin, she finally scrutinized Gu Yangcheong.

Indeed, there was something odd about him. Gu Yangcheong’s movements were considerably slower than Gu Yeonseo’s.

She wouldn’t be confident against Gu Yeonseo, but…

If she faced Gu Yangcheong, she could definitely knock him down right away.

‘True, but how…?’

Gu Yangcheong was slower than her, while Gu Yeonseo was faster.

By all rights, the outcome should have been decided long ago, yet the two had engaged in well over ten exchanges.

“What on earth is going on?”

Peng Ah-Hee couldn’t fathom it.

Time passed, and as the outcome continued to elude them, Gu Yeonseo attempted to make her move, assuming a stance.

A light inner strength coalesced around Gu Yeonseo’s wooden sword.

It wasn’t akin to the sword energy used by top-tier sword masters.

Distinct from the sword intent that one would use at the peak.

From her perspective, it seemed like a significant accumulation of profound inner strength.

At that moment, Peng Woojin spoke decisively.

“This won’t work.”

“Why? It looks impressive.”

“Impressive, yes, but if I were to take that hit directly, it wouldn’t be easy.”

Even if Peng Woojin were to accept the blow himself? That remark stunned Peng Ah-Hee.

“How can you say that? If you get hit, it could end badly!”

“Even then, if it doesn’t connect, it’s all futile. She’s trying to employ something she’s not accustomed to, and her stance is breaking, her breath is messy. Movements born solely of impatience are worth less than garbage!”

Even Peng Ah-Hee, not directly involved, felt a chill run down her spine at his cold criticism. But generally, Peng Woojin never spoke wrongly about martial arts.

At that moment, Gu Yangcheong’s expression shifted. With preparations complete, Gu Yeonseo made a harsh leap.

Gu Yangcheong didn’t take any special action; he simply stepped back and slightly turned his head.

That was all. Yet that minor movement nullified Gu Yeonseo’s strike.

And then—

Crash!

‘What just happened?’

Peng Ah-Hee couldn’t recall turning her gaze away. Yet she heard the sound of something breaking, and Gu Yeonseo was now on the ground.

“What the… What happened?”

“Incredible…!”

Peng Ah-Hee shifted her gaze. Peng Woojin’s expression was one she hadn’t seen in years.

“Gu Clan truly doesn’t just have the So Sword.”

He looked like he discovered something truly enjoyable, his expression that of a bright, innocent child.

 

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