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Chapter 7: A Day Like Any Other

Summer had arrived, yet my day wasn’t any different.

A little heat in the air? It’s nothing to stir the pot.

I merely felt the weather changing as time trickled by.

“Sigh.”

After finishing a grueling training session, I took a moment to rest.

With my slightly heated body, I stared straight ahead.

In contrast to my respite, the front was brimming with heat.

Heat generated from the bets of martial artists.

Clang! Clang-clang!

Rough sounds echoed continuously.

The air was thick with mixed energy from the winds.

So where was that racket coming from? It was the sound of Nangong Bi-ah and the Sleeping Dragon fiercely sparring.

You might wonder why these two were engaged in a duel out of the blue.

Ever since the day Baek Cheon-gyeom stirred trouble, it had become a trend.

I was watching with a great interest.

‘This is a first for me.’

A duel between the two.

Sleeping Dragon and Nangong Bi-ah.

Genies who wouldn’t have even crossed paths in a previous life.

By the time Nangong Bi-ah truly made her entrance into the Central Plains, Sleeping Dragon had already passed on.

Just witnessing those two duel in front of me was nothing short of miraculous.

And,

‘It’s quite vicious.’

Their spar was exceptionally fierce.

The last duel with Baek Cheon-gyeom had a similar vibe, but this was different.

The parity in their realms was apparent.

Both had reached perfect mastery, just shy of the Transformation Realm, but certainly not weaklings.

Clang! The sounds of their blades colliding created sparks in the air.

The imprints left by their strong energies were striking.

To make matters even more intriguing,

‘So fast.’

Both were swordmasters who emphasized speed, not only in their physical movements but also in their decision-making.

I directed my gaze at Sleeping Dragon.

Even if I didn’t know much about his martial arts, one thing was clear.

‘Those movements are quite rough.’

There was an undeniable clumsiness to his technique.

Did the Wudang practitioners all fight this way?

‘No, he’s the odd one out.’

That much was certain.

Compared to other practitioners, his style was notably different.

Take Yeongpung, known as the Sword Dragon, for instance.

Plum Blossom Swordsmanship is deemed not rugged enough for actual combat, yet Yeongpung possessed a cleanliness closest to the basics.

It exuded a sense of fidelity to fundamentals.

In contrast, Woo Hyeok was—

‘He’s insane.’

He moved haphazardly while only adhering to the “wave” that the Wudang sought.

The reason many had dubbed Woo Hyeok the Sleeping Dragon likely stemmed from this.

Such movements were simply impossible without being a genius.

The ability to jump out of the Wudang’s sword arts, building a sword path freely while executing it without breaking a sweat?

An ordinary martial artist would focus so intently on not being swallowed by their martial arts that they’d be consumed with effort.

But Sleeping Dragon, on the other hand, was precisely why they labeled him a genius.

And this held true for his opponent, Nangong Bi-ah as well.

Zap! Zap! Lightning energy continuously poured from Nangong Bi-ah’s body.

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

‘She’s gotten even better.’

The amount of lightning energy she emitted had increased.

That meant Nangong Bi-ah’s inner strength had expanded further.

Or perhaps she was secretly taking some elixir? Why did it seem like she was improving every single time I looked?

‘And her control over it is…’

The wild flares of her lightning energy were now decreasing in erratic movement.

This meant she was growing accustomed to controlling it, and furthermore,

‘The weight of the Imperial Sword Form has also increased.’

Her skill with the Nangong clan’s secret techniques was clearly improving.

Nangong Bi-ah truly was.

“Day by day…”

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Beautiful!? What do you mean!?”

Suddenly interjecting, I turned to see Baek Cheon-gyeom beaming at me.

“Yah!”

I jumped back in surprise, widening the distance.

Seeing my reaction, Baek Cheon-gyeom feigned an injured expression.

“Look at that! Reacting like you saw a bug or something?”

“Why do you just pop out like that! It’s startling!”

“I’m a guard, not a noisy distraction! I have to be quiet.”

“Why do you have to say that to the person you’re guarding?”

“There’s a saying: deceive your allies before you deceive your enemies.”

With Baek Cheon-gyeom’s bright and cheerful words, I couldn’t help but sigh.

That saying certainly hadn’t been intended for this type of situation.

‘What on earth is wrong with this woman?’

She often appeared out of nowhere, leaving me continuously startled.

Glaring at Baek Cheon-gyeom, who seemed to enjoy teasing me, I couldn’t shake off the annoyance.

When I first met her, she was nothing like this… but somehow, here we are now.

With some time past, I had to admit there had been changes in our relationship.

In other words, my perspective of her had shifted.

For one, I could treat her casually without repercussions.

‘…What should I say about this?’

From a junior standpoint, unless I used intense profanity, being a little cheeky didn’t seem to bother her at all.

If I were to put it positively, she seemed broad-minded; but on the downside, she was a bit dull.

Knowing this allowed me to approach her with a different attitude.

‘Not that it’s unrelated, though.’

I glanced at Baek Cheon-gyeom’s shoulder.

It was a part that we’d agreed to bind with the Golden Binding.

‘I can’t believe she really took it seriously.’

Baek Cheon-gyeom had insisted on this binding, claiming she didn’t trust herself, and I was surprised she actually accepted it.

She must understand how risky it is for a martial artist who has reached the Transformation Realm to bind themselves.

Yet Baek Cheon-gyeom had taken it quite nonchalantly.

I wondered if she truly intended for me to use this against her.

Of course, thanks to that, Baek Cheon-gyeom wouldn’t get into any mishaps like before.

However, this had inadvertently caused a change in our usual dynamic.

“How does it look?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Those two. Who do you think will win?”

Indeed, the frequency of Baek Cheon-gyeom speaking to me had increased significantly.

It probably had to do with her staying close as my guard.

But this made things a bit mentally taxing. Knowing her personality, she often threw bizarre questions my way too.

Just like now.

‘Who do I think will win?’

Baek Cheon-gyeom’s question made me raise an eyebrow.

What a tricky question.

Sleeping Dragon and Nangong Bi-ah’s skill levels were remarkably similar.

Soon, they would reach mastery as perfect experts.

For those who had barely surpassed their youth, the level they were at was astonishing.

‘…I might be an exception.’

For me, who had defied time, I was an exception all right. After all, I never claimed to be a genius.

Typically, mastery is something obtained by a martial artist from a prestigious family after years of effort, ideally around thirty.

If they work a decade more, they reach perfect mastery, making it clear why these later-stage talents are called the generation of Yuseong.

In that regard, those two had already surpassed the boundaries of later-stage talents.

‘To guess who might win?’

‘…’

Inconclusive as it may seem, it looked rather similar to me.

That said,

My gaze was particularly fixated on Nangong Bi-ah.

Zap!

With an exuberant clash, the energy from their swords left traces in the air.

As mentioned earlier, it was lightning energy that far exceeded our first encounter.

‘Hmm.’

However, the energy couldn’t sink into the chaos surrounding Woo Hyeok.

He was adept at harnessing the flow that Wudang sought after.

‘What a flow.’

Despite the roughness of his swordplay, he adhered carefully to that essence.

His strikes absorbed the chaos left by Nangong Bi-ah’s freedom, only to strike back rapidly.

The precision of Nangong Bi-ah’s delicate control could leave one breathless,

Yet the relentless spirit with which Woo Hyeok absorbed and retaliated was nothing short of astounding.

Just looking at them could elicit a hollow laugh.

‘Darn geniuses.’

All those geniuses seemed to share a certain trait I couldn’t stand.

As I inwardly clicked my tongue again, I shifted my focus back to the sparring.

The question Baek Cheon-gyeom posed about who would win?

I wasn’t entirely oblivious, but in truth, it was instinctual.

Once again, my gaze settled on Nangong Bi-ah.

She was engaged in a duel without a flinch, yet I sensed something amiss.

In that fight,

“She’ll end up losing.”

I proclaimed with conviction that Nangong Bi-ah would be the one to fall.

Hearing my resolute answer, Baek Cheon-gyeom’s eyes widened in surprise.

“That was unexpected. You’re more decisive than I thought…?”

“Well, you thought you could ask since you felt the same way, didn’t you?”

Feeling her not-so-pleased stare, I shot back.

Baek Cheon-gyeom grinned, “I thought you’d swap your answer to cover for them.”

“This is separate from that.”

“Still, you don’t deny she’s on your side, huh?”

“…”

I chose not to respond to Baek Cheon-gyeom’s teasing words and turned my head away sharply.

While the duel continued, the frown on my brow refused to ease.

‘What’s going on there?’

It appeared there wasn’t much issue from an outsider’s perspective, but both I and Baek Cheon-gyeom surely sensed it.

Something on Nangong Bi-ah’s side felt off.

There were no problems with her destructive force nor her remarkable control.

Yet, the duel itself had issues.

Nangong Bi-ah’s movements— within those gaps, I felt a strange evil spirit.

How did a woman, whose life revolved purely around wielding a sword, become entwined with that spirit?

That puzzled me.

I recalled the former Demon Sword Queen.

Her sole goal had been to see her sword’s tip; no evil spirit existed on that path.

So why then did this Nangong Bi-ah carry such distortions now?

Having sifted through these thoughts, my eyes landed on Baek Cheon-gyeom.

Noticing my gaze, Baek Cheon-gyeom seemed flustered and asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m not thinking anything.”

She must have been aware as well.

Baek Cheon-gyeom had just faced Wi Seol-Ah and Nangong Bi-ah along with Tang Soyeol, not long ago.

It was then that unexplained changes began surfacing within Nangong Bi-ah.

Did she feel something from that duel, leading her to experience such an evil spirit?

If that were true,

‘…’

There was nothing I could do.

I couldn’t blame Baek Cheon-gyeom either.

Even more than that…

‘Why am I relieved about this?’

Watching Nangong Bi-ah, entangled with such evil spirits, stirred both worry and relief within me.

Having not lived a human-like life in her previous incarnation while chasing the sword’s tip, seeing her now struggling with an evil spirit felt oddly human-like, suggesting a different trajectory in this life.

‘It wouldn’t be enjoyable for her, being bound by an evil spirit.’

In that state of turmoil, Nangong Bi-ah oddly was giving me a sense of relief.

Moreover, I believed in her.

I felt she would overcome that evil spirit without much difficulty.

Nangong Bi-ah in this life surely could do that.

‘No, I believe even in her previous life, she could do it.’

The former Demon Sword Queen could have too.

I just hadn’t recognized it.

Right as I was about to make my way to the valley, I overheard Baek Cheon-gyeom whispering from behind.

“…She shouldn’t be taking after that part, though.”

“What did you say? Who is taking after who?”

“Nothing. Oh, if you’re gonna wash up, I could help you wash….”

“I don’t need that.”

I retorted with contempt and hurriedly left.

That woman was seriously out of her mind.

Shaking my head, I walked toward the valley.

Left alone, Baek Cheon-gyeom gazed at Gu Yangcheong’s back with a bittersweet smile.

“Too much alike….”

Her voice was filled with nostalgia.

Leaving the nonsensical words of Baek Cheon-gyeom behind,

I headed toward the valley to wash my sweat-drenched body.

As I carelessly shrugged off my upper garment, I could feel the moisture soaking into my skin.

Ever since reaching the seventh star with the Technique of the Flame Wheel, my body, which used to break a sweat only with regular training, was now drenched.

That must mean my training had intensified significantly.

I grimaced, recalling the crazy old man leading this maddening routine.

‘That insane elder.’

He truly was out of his mind.

It hadn’t felt real until he told me to tunnel through a cave while performing the Tua Pacheonmu.

After starting my second training session, I realized it was no joke.

I had been sparring with Pejon every single day without fail.

With the King of Demons training me at night, I thought I might rest during the day.

—Until I learn the first authority, I will spar daily.

Indeed, there was no respite.

Besides, the real issue lay with the orders he gave.

‘Spar while using Tua Pacheonmu?’

That was unacceptable.

Even without it, I was on the verge of collapsing from pain, and he suggested using the technique while taking a beating.

‘Now I have to do that again?’

Rubbing my aching body, a hollow laugh escaped me.

As expected, it hurt unbearably.

‘That crazy martial arts.’

Was the one who created this martial art out of his mind?

The technique itself was as insane as its creator.

Just casting it alone was torture, but when hit while in that state, it would only amplify.

Pejon had claimed that it was because I had yet to fully integrate, which made sense as to why he forbade me from using it in real combat without permission.

‘If I got hurt while using it…’

I probably would have died from the pain alone.

When taking hits from Pejon, I often questioned whether this was worth it.

Thanks to that, I had been consumed by the need to endure the pain.

‘And during the nights… I have to spar with the King of Demons?’

Haha. What a joke.

I might as well wish for death.

If sparring with Pejon was agony, then sparring with the King of Demons was a nightmare incarnate.

‘Exactly. A nightmare. Truly.’

Over the past month since sparring with the King of Demons began, the number of times I died had increased substantially as time passed.

On the first day, I died nine times, and now I’d easily surpassed twenty.

It felt almost as if the King of Demons were telling me, “No matter how hard you try, you’ll never reach my level.”

That sentiment left me drained emotionally.

I felt there was no way ahead.

‘What exactly am I supposed to feel from this kind of training?’

Pejon hoped I would come to some realization from this ordeal, but

I was in no position to grasp anything.

Amidst all the numerous deaths, what was there to learn?

No matter how much I pondered, I couldn’t figure it out.

‘It’s difficult.’

Exhausted in mind, my body felt drained too.

Ignoring the musings circling my mind tirelessly,

I finally arrived at the valley.

As I reached my destination, I noticed someone emerging from the water.

As soon as I recognized them, my eyes widened.

“Hmm?”

“Oh.”

It was Wi Seol-Ah.

Her hair dripped with water, reinforcing the notion that she had just washed up.

“Prince…!”

Wi Seol-Ah brightly smiled upon seeing me.

That radiant smile was particularly dazzling.

It reminded me of the time when Wi Seol-Ah faced me, her wet hair cascading down while she was my attendant.

At that memory, I went over to her and began drying her hair with the towel I was holding.

“Wait!? Prince!? Eek!”

“Y-you! Cover up! Hurry!”

Why was she trying to walk out looking so alluring, knowing how many men were likely staring at her?

Why hasn’t she gotten better at this even after all this time?

Startled by my rough touch, Wi Seol-Ah either enjoyed it or was just comfortable enough to lean in closer.

How ridiculous.

“Is it nice?”

“Yes… it’s nice.”

“…Oh, really now.”

Taken aback by her playful reply, I found myself at a loss for words.

As I dried her, a thought crossed my mind.

‘…Maybe I should have just dried her with heat.’

Using my energy would’ve been faster, why bother doing this?

As soon as I thought this, I reclaimed the towel and exhaled warmth.

By the time I blew warm air toward Wi Seol-Ah, she wore a somewhat regretful expression.

“Just dry me off. What’re you doing?”

“I was about to dry you off….”

“You’re lying.”

“…”

When I pointed her out, Wi Seol-Ah’s expression turned contemplative, and she nodded softly.

It appeared she still couldn’t handle deception.

Maybe because of my tease, her face took on a slight pout, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Do you want some rice cake?”

“Eh…!”

At the mention of rice cakes, Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes sparkled.

But that spark lasted only a moment before she quickly turned her head away.

“I’m… not a child anymore.”

“What was that reaction just now?”

“I didn’t react at all.”

She still seemed to enjoy sweet delicacies secretly.

Why was she persistently forcing herself to act indifferent about it?

Watching her made me smile inwardly.

The heavy feelings that had burdened me began to lift a little.

While I was busy regarding Wi Seol-Ah, she suddenly had a curious expression and cautiously touched beneath my eye.

Her hand was cold, still moist from being in the water.

“Why do you ask? Did something get on my face?”

“No… that’s not it… Prince, are you alright?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“…You look really tired.”

Her expression as she asked me was pitiful.

Hearing this made me feel a twinge of surprise.

Tired? Me?

‘Is it showing?’

Somehow, it seemed that everyone I met lately asked if I was alright.

Apparently, my face must have looked strange.

Realizing that, I forced a smile.

“I’m fine.”

“…”

Yet Wi Seol-Ah wore an expression as if she didn’t believe me.

‘What can I do? I have to endure.’

When I felt tired, I just needed to endure; that was all it came down to.

“Just had some nightmares lately, that’s all.”

“Nightmares?”

“Yes.”

I meant every night, I experience relentless nightmares filled with death.

Even for me, that number of fatalities was somewhat overwhelming.

It was tiring.

At this moment, that was all I felt.

Then, while Wi Seol-Ah’s fingers gently trailed over my cheek, I suddenly asked her a question.

“You… uh, no. Wi Seol….”

“Yes?”

I cut off mid-way, abruptly halting in my tracks as I struggled to call her by her name.

Why was it so hard to address her directly?

“It’s nothing really… but what would you do if you had nightmares every night?”

It was a frivolous question since it didn’t directly relate to the nightmares I actually faced.

What made me think to ask such a thing?

Mostly, I just wanted to avoid calling her by her name.

Clearly oblivious, Wi Seol-Ah furrowed her brow at my question.

Her head tilted with every movement, and her hair danced along with it.

“Nightmares…?”

“Well, it’s just something I asked so don’t put too much thought into it….”

“Maybe one should try to wake up? Since the dreams are scary.”

With Wi Seol-Ah’s innocent suggestion, a slight laugh escaped me.

Her words weren’t wrong.

If one recognized it was a nightmare, they’d likely want to wake up.

‘Huh?’

At Wi Seol-Ah’s response, something flashed across my mind.

‘If it’s a nightmare, I should wake up.’

That phrase resonated within me for some reason.

 

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