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Chapter 243: The Art of the Fan

The art of the fan, known as the best in the world, is an incredible martial art. Its origin can be traced back to the great ancestor, Sir Waryong, much like most things belonging to the Zhuge family.

However, it is said that the elevation of it into a combat technique wasn’t due to Sir Waryong’s merits.

It’s a simple story. Why would a dragon, particularly a strategist who doesn’t engage in battles, wield a fan and make close combat attempts?

Still, the art of the fan is feared and revered as the best in the world—not just because they are the only family wielding fans as weapons, but because heroes across the martial world dread their fans.

An axe swung down with all its power was effortlessly dodged by the opponent. The winds surrounding Edward did not obey him.

It felt as if he were an open book, every movement easily anticipated. Edward, a seasoned sword expert, felt cold sweat trickling down his back.

How could he, someone who was an expert, be overshadowed by a mere newbie in the mid-level ranks?

Edward knew all too well that the disparity in expertise wasn’t absolute. Still, this was too much. The idea of being overwhelmed was simply incomprehensible to him.

“Old man, you ought to stop acting so emotionally. It would be better for you to remain calm,” said a voice.

“Damn it, shut up, rookie…!”

“Ha ha, are you okay being beaten by a rookie?”

Edward spat curses while glaring at Seong-ryong, who was fanning himself leisurely.

With a nonchalant expression, Seong-ryong traced a circle with his fan. The winds, which previously refused to respond, began to gather on the fan.

“What the… Why is this happening!!”

“Is that all you know before insulting the Zhuge family?”

With anger bubbling over, Edward’s frustration peaked. Seong-ryong flicked the wind gathered on his fan, sending it ricocheting like a bouncy ball, exploding close to Edward.

Despite his struggles to awaken his Elemental Mana, Edward was overwhelmed and knocked down by the storm that burst forth.

“How does it feel to be utterly helpless? Doesn’t seem very enjoyable.”

“Why are you doing this to me?! What does Zhuge have to do with this? Why are you targeting me!”

Watching Edward suddenly play the victim, Seong-ryong’s face turned cold.

Just seeing that sent chills down Edward’s spine, as if cold water had been splashed on the back of his neck.

“I’ll grant you some credit for being brave enough to speak those words after touching a friend of the Zhuge family. But I believe you are well aware that the world isn’t as simple as resolving things with an excuse of not knowing.”

Choi Yeon-woo, who had been watching, turned her head away. Thankfully, she had recovered enough to turn her neck.

Despite her doubts about whether it would be a tough fight, it turned out not to be at all.

‘If it were me, I would have struggled a bit. Did I underestimate Seong-ryong?’

While the disparity in expertise isn’t absolute, it cannot be ignored either. Moreover, Choi Yeon-woo’s approach, mostly relying on experience, tends to be significantly diminished when facing someone with more experience than herself.

To overwhelm a martial artist of a higher realm this thoroughly would be impossible without extreme superiority.

Meanwhile, what was happening over there? What kind of chaos was unfolding? Lying here, no matter how much she turned, she couldn’t see a thing….

“There’s definitely something happening, but since I can’t see it, it’s bothering me.”

“I’ll tell you!! Um… it’s like rainbows bursting out everywhere.”

“Not helpful at all.”

“Hey, why explain like that? The explanation should only convey precise, objective facts.”

“Oooh, Tae-oh, feeling confident?”

“Leave it to me. …Ugh, it’s too bright, I can’t see a thing!”

“Oh, look at me, Tae-oh. Are your eyes okay?”

This barely qualifies as an explanation at all. In the midst of that, Down acted overly protective of Tae-oh, showing no intent to actually clarify the situation.

It was an absolute mess. While pondering that and enjoying the atmosphere, Kim Hang-po could be seen trudging toward the head of the boat.

“Are you okay, old man?”

“Well, this isn’t a conversation I should have with you, but I’m doing alright. This kid has been taking care of me.”

“Oh wow, considering the ominous energy that was radiating, I expected a rather unpleasant character.”

“Perhaps it’s because he took revenge. I feel the same.”

Indeed, Kim Hang-po’s expression looked noticeably relaxed as he spoke.

Not long ago, he had been feeling terrible due to the mana he used to control the ship, but now, thanks to the artifact stabilizing the output and successfully achieving his vengeance, he had transformed into the gentlest grandfather.

“Congratulations. Thanks to you, the battle has been resolved quite easily. I appreciate your cooperation.”

“The one who should be thanking you is us. Thanks to you, I was able to fulfill a long-held grievance. I feel quite relieved.”

Kim Hang-po respectfully bowed to Choi Yeon-woo, who was lying down. What an interesting contrast, with an old man and a young boy both laid out.

“By the way, what are those two doing? If they’re going to fight, I’d prefer it if they did it on land. What will happen if the boat breaks?”

“True enough. I believe Seong-ryong is thinking it through, so you shouldn’t worry too much.”

“Is that so….”

Though Kim Hang-po’s expression still showed unease, he nodded, seemingly persuaded by Yeon-woo’s words. A truly generous gentleman….

A short period of silence passed. Events unfolded on both sides, yet everything felt calm. It was Shar who broke the tranquility.

“Grandfather, what does revenge feel like?”

The child’s hesitant question was profoundly deep. Yeon-woo waited for Kim Hang-po’s response.

Honestly, she was quite curious about it. Although before her regression, she had experienced taking revenge for a comrade, she hadn’t felt any particular sensations regarding it.

In response, Kim Hang-po chuckled awkwardly, stroking his chin, before saying this.

“You kids shouldn’t think about such things.”

Smiling ambiguously, the old man merely added that the best course is to lose nothing at all. Kim Hang-po, with his crimson lance on his shoulder, looked somewhat lonely.

*

The woman fiddled with her crimson-tinged hair. Though she was not entirely complete, she could just about consider herself human, as she reflected on her reflection in the water.

“Give me clothes.”

She made the request, but there was no one left to fulfill it. The dragon had left the world, leaving behind only bones and a thoroughly corrupted soul.

A swirl of negative emotions rushed in through a forcibly bound contract.

It was as if he had truly vanished. He had saved himself and abandoned her entirely.

With that thought, the woman brushed away the part of her right face hidden by her hair.

While alive, her right eye, the part where she had contracted with the dragon, had not regenerated. Her right arm did the same, remaining only a skeletal shell.

Resurrected by a necromancer, it was used for forming a contract with the dragon.

The power she wielded was nowhere near what it once was. Most had already been used up creating a breach for the Kraken. The Demon King’s curse had been completely ripped apart by the pearl.

Compared to when she was alive, her strength was a mere one-hundredth or one-thousandth of what it used to be.

“Still, I will do this.”

A thin coating of mana rested atop the bony fist she clenched tightly. The one to bring an end to this thing must be herself.

[I’ve heard the story, but it seems you’re in a hurry, dear child.]

The voice of an unknown woman echoed in her mind. The dragon knight turned sharply to meet the gaze of a blonde woman standing at the head of the boat.

Could that woman be the external ally the dragon spoke of? The dragon knight thought as she instinctively began to hide her body.

“Please, clothes….”

It would be one thing if no one was watching, but thinking someone was there still made her feel embarrassed….

Moments later, Kwang!!

With a deafening roar, a torrent of mana erupted, plunging the dragon into the unfathomable depths of the ocean. Yeon-woo trembled in surprise.

“What is happening?”

With a faint trace of Nea’s scent, it seemed that the resolution had finally arrived. But who was the person triggering such immense mana? Was there really anyone capable of that…?

By the way, what happened to Red Beard? Had he been annihilated…?

Numerous questions swirled in her head, but not being able to move her body left her with no way to find out. It was incredibly suffocating.

*

Afterward, events unfolded rapidly—especially from Yeon-woo’s perspective. This was primarily because she was unable to get out of bed due to her lower body being nonfunctional.

“I’m sorry, Noel, I didn’t understand even a fraction of your sorrow…”

Of course, it was different in Noel’s case since she was experiencing pain, while Yeon-woo was completely numb, leading to a similar lack of understanding. Yeon-woo rolled about on the bed in their lodgings today.

Fortunately, she wasn’t the only patient unable to move. If she rolled on the ground to another room… ta-da!

“Did you remember how to sleep, senpai?”

“Yeah, I remembered, you brat.”

The mysterious woman lying on the bed was quite a beauty, at least except for the fact that her arms and right eye were skeleton-covered.

“How’s the fit of the eyepatch?”

“Not bad. I just wish I could move.”

“Oh dear, why would you do something like that with your half-dead body?”

“Honestly, I didn’t know it was a spell that recreated that kind of blessing…”

The incantation that not only sank the dragon into the ocean depths but crushed it into powder to turn it into nutrients for marine life was Nea’s.

It was a spell that was a fiery reproduction of Sebek’s blessing, retaining its power but drastically reducing its duration.

However, these types of blessings typically also impact the caster, causing even the dragon knight, whose body was already half-dead, to suffer from the consequences and die a second time.

Watching the dragon knight fiddle with the dragon-patterned eyepatch, Yeon-woo smiled warmly.

“Having you around really steadies my heart. Do you know how I feel?”

“Not really happy….”

Teasing the fully immobile dragon knight was Yeon-woo’s greatest joy. Without this primal pleasure, there was no reason to live anymore.

Surely, people live to tease others, right?

“…Hey.”

“Yeah?”

The dragon knight spoke to Yeon-woo, who was feeling quite content. Her voice was slightly subdued.

“Call me by my name. It’s Lucrecia. Let’s hear my name after a million years.”

“Oh….”

“What? What is it now.”

“Your name really doesn’t suit you… How can a senpai have the name Lucrecia…?”

“I’ll kill you the moment I can get up. Right away, I’ll really do it.”

The world above was peaceful today as well. Tomorrow, the storm of blood would rage on.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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