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**

Teaching your own daughter, huh?

If it weren’t for Jeok-un, I would have scoffed. I have no interest in teaching. I’m only focused on honing my own skills.

But here, I can’t properly train. The only thing I can do is mental training…

Sweating it out through physical practice is far more fulfilling, but this just feels empty. So, I spend the remaining time staring blankly out the window.

Stupid Jeok-un doesn’t say a word to me.

“……”

That phrase sounded kinda rhythmic, didn’t it?

Eun Seol-ran snapped back to reality. She turned to Sua, who was quietly sitting in front of her, and asked,

“What do you want to learn?”

“I’ll happily learn anything you teach me!”

“…Hmmm.”

Well, her attitude passes.

Now then, what about her talent?

“What martial arts do you know?”

“Gu-cheon Blood Demon Technique and Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique!”

“…….?”

I understood the Gu-cheon Blood Demon Technique. It’s a family sword style.

But what’s with this unexpected Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique?

Eun Seol-ran frowned and asked her to demonstrate her swordsmanship.

Before my eyes, countless red plum blossoms burst forth.

In complete contrast to the Gu-cheon Blood Demon Technique.

“What?!”

Her level is impressive. No, isn’t it perfect?

Eun Seol-ran quickly examined Sua’s physique. The buildup of energy was certainly based on the Gu-cheon Blood Demon Technique, but…

Something’s different. The nature of this energy usually has only one characteristic.

But this…

It seems to be mixed with various colors. The base is red, but…

It feels like she could change the color on top of it at any time, like mixing paint?

“What is this… what?! What did Jeok-un teach you?!”

“He taught me swordsmanship.”

“What can you possibly learn from the Gu-cheon Blood Demon Sword?!”

“…Ah.”

Sua smiled brightly.

“I modified it a bit to fit the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique! It suits me better!”

“…So, you adjusted the mental formulation known as the essence of Huashan… without anyone teaching you?”

“If you understand the flow and nature of internal energy, isn’t it easy to do?”

What nonsense is this? If martial arts were that easy, half of the world would be masters.

Eun Seol-ran reluctantly drew her sword. Originally, she only intended to teach basics, but…

This changes everything.

“What I’ve learned is the Yuma Seven Swords. The focus is on ‘Explode,’ concentrating the energy to unleash it all at once. The sustaining power may be lower, but if you overwhelm your opponent in just a moment, you can win against anything.”

“That’s amazing…”

“…However, due to the sect’s traditions, I can’t teach you much. It’s a technique passed down solo. So, I’ll limit my teaching to just the basics. Don’t expect more than that.”

She started moving the sword. Short and sharp movements starting from footwork and ending with sword techniques.

This is the first form of the Yuma Seven Swords. Teaching this is really pushing the limits, but…

Aren’t we fine since she’s Jeok-un’s daughter?

“Like this?”

Sua moved the sword. The moment she stepped, the distance mirrored exactly how much she had moved.

The energy condensed at the sword’s tip awkwardly struck at the air.

—Crack!

The air burst.

Eun Seol-ran’s mouth went agape.

“Wha, what?! How did you do that in one go?!”

“I think it’s still a bit clumsy…”

“No, the fact that you can do it at all is just too strange?! Can you show me again?!”

Sua moved again. Eun Seol-ran frantically followed the tip of the sword with her eyes.

Though it’s still slightly lacking and incomplete…

The movement was undeniably a form of the Yuma Seven Swords!

“…….”

You’re just mimicking what I teach you… and you’re even applying it now, right?!

What the…? This girl… is a real monster?! She’s leagues ahead of me?!

But separate from that…

“…Huff.”

Since she follows along so easily, it feels kind of… satisfying?

“…Want to try this too?”

…

“Sis.”

“Y-yes?”

Ju Ryeongryeong grinned. Sua, who was being held, looked up at her.

“When are you going to stop doing this?”

“Until I die.”

“Ugh.”

Aah, so cute. Soft and cozy.

Just like a little sister. Plus, her face is adorable. Every little movement of hers is equally cute and mischievous…

“Hehehe.”

As raindrops fell, Sua shook her head.

“Sis.”

“Y-yes?”

“I came to learn from you… can you not just hold me but teach me other things too?”

“Ugh! You want to grasp martial arts with these delicate hands?! Just stick close to me, okay?”

“Dad said it’s important to have the strength to protect yourself in times of danger…”

“That’s not wrong.”

Well, since I did call her here to help, I might as well…

Let’s start moving around a bit.

Ju Ryeongryeong waved her hand, summoning a swirling dark energy. Sua’s eyes sparkled with near perfection.

“That’s amazing! Sis!”

That one line made my shoulders stiffen. I promptly swiped my hand aside, breaking a tree.

“Wow!!”

“My little squishy deer… do you want to learn?”

“Yes!”

“It might be a bit hard. The Gu-eum Hundred Ghosts Technique is a supremely rare martial art divided into twelve forms. I didn’t learn it because I wanted to, but there actually are many useful applications once you do learn it. If you’ve learned the Gu-cheon Blood Demon Technique, it might be tough to grasp fully, but if you believe in your sister and follow along…”

Suddenly, a tree next to Ju Ryeongryeong came crashing down.

Sua’s hand blazed with the form of the Gu-eum Hundred Ghosts.

“Hmmm… just following along seems inefficient. How do I use my internal energy here?”

“…….?”

Ju Ryeongryeong rubbed her eyes and looked down at her.

Huh. So that’s what this is.

She nodded her head. She looked at her again.

Did she really just imitate me after seeing it once?

“Did you learn it just by watching?”

“Yes!”

“How?!”

“Umm… it just happened?”

This…

Is completely different from Jeok-un, isn’t it?

“…Sua, you might become a better martial artist than your dad.”

“That’s not true. Dad will always be ahead of me.”

“…….?”

“I’m sure of it!”

Sua beamed.

“So, what do I do now?”

“…Umm.”

To be honest, I had been taking this lightly…

But now, it’s becoming quite rewarding to teach. Really.

“Shall we give it a proper try?”

…

Heuk-danhwa sipped her freshly brewed tea.

“Seu-ah. Let me tell you in advance. I’m not particularly fond of children.”

“…Why?”

“Because they’re selfish and only think of themselves, putting their own needs above others. They’ve learned little due to their age and thus can’t help but think they are the center of the universe.”

Heuk-danhwa set down her teacup.

“So, I hope you’re not like that. I’ll usually say nice things, but remember that I’m not fundamentally a kind person. This is your one warning. If you make three mistakes, there will be no more lessons.”

“…Yes!”

Sua nodded attentively. Heuk-danhwa smiled, satisfied.

I intended to scare her a little, but she seems so sharp and clever that I feel there’s little to worry about.

After all, she is Jeok-un’s daughter.

That means she has more than enough to admire.

“Unfortunately, I’m not going to teach you martial arts.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll teach you about Yuma Illusion Art and formation, but before that, we need to cover something. Sua, what do you think is the base for a female martial artist?”

“…Martial arts?”

“Wrong. The answer is…”

Heuk-danhwa opened her fan wide.

“Elegance.”

“E-elegance…!”

“Even if you use the same techniques, you need to wield them to look more impressive than male warriors. Beautifully and gracefully. Do you know why? Because charm brings an unmeasurable advantage on the battlefield. Sometimes an opponent may hesitate just because of a moment of beauty.”

“O-oo…!”

“Though the direction is entirely different from Jeok-un’s martial arts, I lean more towards that approach. The strength of martial arts? Of course, it’s important. But in the end, isn’t the one who survives the strongest?”

“I think I kind of understand.”

“To survive, you need to use every single method at your disposal. And building that from the basics is Yuma Illusion Art. It starts from tea art to etiquette, dance, song, movement, and everything… all those fundamental learnings are necessary.”

“…….!”

“And so today, we will learn tea art. How to brew tea. How to serve it. How to drink it and dispose of it… you’ll learn the very basics.”

The words were grand, but honestly, it was something I wanted to share.

Jeok-un is kind. A gentle and strong warrior.

But sadly, he’s clueless when it comes to the world of women.

Having strong martial arts earns respect anywhere. But if you lack the basics, people will indirectly look down on you.

They’ll point at you for the same action, calling it vulgar, and some will even sigh.

Removing that difference is precisely what ‘learning’ is for.

“So, sit up straight and begin by straightening your back.”

“…If I do all this… will Dad look at me nicely?”

Heuk-danhwa laughed at the question.

I’m typically not fond of kids, but…

When a child thinks of others, it gives me the urge to teach. That means she’s exceptional.

“Of course. Naturally. So, let’s start by getting your mind in order. Understand? Etiquette training will be scheduled daily from now on, so you can’t skip.”

“Yes!”

…

Baekma rolled her eyes. She stared intently at Sua.

She ended up agreeing out of impulse, but…

Now, having to teach her swordsmanship, she found several issues.

“Isn’t the Blood Sea Organization’s swordsmanship, if leaked, a death sentence?”

But Master,

If she’s Jeok-un’s daughter… is it really considered a leak?

“Hmmm…”

She pondered deeply. Sua mimicked her actions beside her.

If Baekma touched her chin, Sua would follow suit. If she tilted her head, so did Sua.

“Hmmm…”

“Hmmm…”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“Hmmm…”

“Hhhhhh…!”

Sua yawned and then broke into a grin.

“Sis, what are you thinking about?”

“Just a lot of things.”

“Teach me.”

“Do you want to learn?”

“Yes!”

She’s so cute.

Baekma poked Sua’s nose. Sua burst out laughing.

“It tickles!”

“I did it on purpose!”

“Haha. Then you should be tickled too.”

“Oh, oh?! Bring it on?!”

Still rolling around, though handling a child is tough…

It feels strange that she’s approaching me so warmly.

I’m not typically someone who relates well with children.

I’ve often heard I come across as cold. Well, I’m different when it comes to my brother…

I must have heard that I have a cute face quite often.

“Am I scary?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because you always caught me every time I almost fell off the carriage.”

“That was just so you wouldn’t fall…”

“You don’t like bumping into others, do you?”

“…….”

That’s true. To be honest, the very touch of skin against skin feels awkward.

Especially with men. Women are no exception.

It’s not exactly cleanly…

No, it’s just that I dislike being touched altogether.

“But you still caught me. Without showing it.”

“Well, that’s… to stop you from falling…”

“Hehehe.”

“…Hmmm.”

Making me uncomfortable is just like how her dad is.

Baekma cleared her throat unnecessarily and narrowed her eyes.

“I don’t teach easily. I’m the kind of person who teaches strictly while getting mad.”

“I’ll be careful to avoid getting scolded.”

“…Once we start training, no playing around. I’ll be strict with you.”

“I won’t get distracted!”

“…And… and also…”

Oh dear.

Her eyes are just so pretty. The face looking up at me appears soft and adorably squishy.

Huff… I need to calm down…

“Anyway! Brace yourself! Got it?!”

“Yes!”

“You answer well…”

Baekma gently ruffled Sua’s hair. Just like her father.

I didn’t feel any resistance with her. That’s why I helped her out.

“What I’m teaching is a martial art you shouldn’t share with anyone else. Can you promise to keep the vow of silence?”

“What happens if I don’t?”

“…I won’t teach you.”

“I’ll do it!”

“Teasing the adults now, huh?”

“You’re just too cute.”

“Oh? Can you talk to your future teacher like that?”

“Can I?…”

“Come here. Aren’t you coming?”

“Ouch! Hehehe.”

Well, since I’m teaching her anyway, let’s really give it a go.

I’ll just teach her to a level that won’t expose my secrets…

Something should work out.

 

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