****
Neung Ryeo-un did not know that Cheon Muryang would go this far, but because of that, he had no choice but to grasp his sword.
“You must keep the promise.”
“Right.”
Since it came to this, it couldn't be helped.
Since he said he would not make an issue of this matter if I won, wouldn't it be fine if I just won?
“…….”
The confrontation between the two people continued.
Rain still poured over the empty training hall.
Swa-a-a!
The rain that started as drizzle had become thick like a heavy downpour before long.
Receiving the rain falling in streams, Cheon Muryang stood without an inch of shaking.
“Eu……!”
He was clearly a pathetic mangnani Eldest Gongja.
However, Neung Ryeo-un could not move rashly.
‘What is this unknown spirit?!’
Instinct warned.
Do not underestimate him.
It was an instinct that used to be displayed when meeting a strong person.
“Why? Are you afraid?”
“E, eek!”
“If you won't come, I will go.”
“……!”
Cheon Gwang moved.
It was merely a simple swing, a horizontal cut drawing from left to right.
‘As expected!’
There was nothing I couldn't block.
Neung Ryeo-un ignored his instinct.
How shoddy was this strike?
Swi-i-ik!
Although Neung Ryeo-un’s sword moved belatedly, since it was surpassing Cheon Muryang superiorly in terms of speed, it was not late.
Ka-ang!
Two swords met in midair.
Neung Ryeo-un thought he would have the upper hand in strength.
“……!”
Tuk.
However, that was a delusion.
Neung Ryeo-un ended up dropping his sword due to the rebound force pushing him back.
It was a losing move.
Hoo-ung!
Cheok!
The vibrating Cheon Gwang touched Neung Ryeo-un’s neck.
Ju-reuk!
A scratch appeared on the neck.
Blood flowing through that gap.
Neung Ryeo-un could not move an inch.
‘I could have died in one strike.’
Looking at Cheon Muryang’s two eyes which had sunk coldly, Neung Ryeo-un felt a chill.
‘When did he become this strong?’
He could not believe it.
How did that mangnani Eldest Gongja become this strong?
To Neung Ryeo-un who was taking an awkward posture with dazed eyes, the cold voice of Cheon Muryang was heard.
“Did you learn like that in the Cheon Family?”
“……!”
“I clearly said it was a life-and-death duel. Even so, did you swing the sword complacently with an opponent in front of you?”
“Euk!”
“Pathetic. You bastard have no qualification to lift this sword.”
Cheon Muryang withdrew the sword.
Then, he picked up Neung Ryeo-un’s sword that had fallen on the ground.
“Think about what the reason you must lift the sword is. If you discover that reason, seek me out again.”
“……!”
“At that time, I will compete with you again with this sword at stake.”
Why was it?
Even at Cheon Muryang’s scolding, Neung Ryeo-un could not retort a single word.
“I, I am……!”
Cheon Muryang, who looked at Neung Ryeo-un who could not find words to say with cold eyes, soon withdrew his gaze.
“Wolyeong.”
“Yes, Gongja-nim.”
“Let’s go back.”
“Yes.”
Was it because the excitement cooled down?
Cheon Muryang left the training hall.
Hil-kkeut.
Just before leaving, Cheon Muryang’s gaze directed somewhere.
However, no one noticed that gaze.
Jeo-beok, Jeo-beok.
Looking at the back view of him leaving, Neung Ryeo-un tried to catch Cheon Muryang.
“Wai…… wait!”
Meom-chit.
Cheon Muryang’s footsteps stopped.
“Do you have something to say?”
“……!”
Neung Ryeo-un could not say anything.
It was because of Cheon Muryang’s two eyes that had sunk deeply like an abyss.
‘If it was real combat…….’
I was cut.
I was already a dead life.
“If there is nothing, I will go.”
Tuk.
What could I say?
Neung Ryeo-un could not catch Cheon Muryang who was leaving.
At this, Cheon Muryang left just like that.
Neung Ryeo-un, left alone, asked himself back.
‘Why did I pick up the sword?’
A doubt arose.
It was a fundamental question about why he picked up the sword.
To find the answer to that, Neung Ryeo-un asked and asked himself endlessly.
Swa-a-a-a!
The heavy downpour still pouring.
In that, Neung Ryeo-un stood blankly.
‘No, what on earth did I want to confirm?’
Neung Ryeo-un disliked Cheon Muryang.
However, Cheon Muryang during the recent month was clearly not the mangnani he knew.
‘Did I hope he would remain as a mangnani forever?’
Maybe I did.
Because when I ridiculed Cheon Muryang, I felt as if I had become something.
‘What on earth was I doing?’
Neung Ryeo-un did not move in the rain like that.
“…….”
It was then.
The gaze watching the departed Cheon Muryang and the remaining Neung Ryeo-un moved.
<><><>
Wolyeong blocked Cheon Muryang’s front immediately and bowed her head.
“S, sorry, Gongja-nim. I shouldn't have stepped forward……. Seeing them ridicule Gongja-nim’s effort, I suddenly got choked up and just……. It was unlike me. I am sorry.”
Certainly, it was unlike Wolyeong.
Because the woman in Cheon Muryang’s memory was a woman who maintained composure at any time.
However, I did not dislike that.
The fact that Wolyeong stepped forward was, after all, for my sake.
“There is no need to be sorry at all.”
“Yes?”
“You stepped forward for me, didn't you?”
“Ah…….”
“You remember the words I said, right?”
Wolyeong vividly recalled the words Cheon Muryang said.
『I will endure insults toward me. However, I will not endure insults toward the person who cares for me.』
Hwa-kkeun.
Wolyeong’s face turned red.
“It is just like those words.”
“…….”
“I will not endure insulting my people, whoever the opponent is.”
Wolyeong lowered her head.
Was it because she was hidden in the rain?
Tears came out for no reason.
“Gongja-nim…….”
Wolyeong never thought that Cheon Muryang had changed.
‘You have returned.’
In the past, he merely returned to the Cheon Muryang Wolyeong remembered.
The emotion was brief, a heavy aura flowed out from somewhere.
“Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Wolyeong’s heart sank.
Hwaek!
Along with that, Wolyeong’s head turned like lightning.
However, Cheon Muryang had already turned his entire body and was facing the owner of that voice.
“Yes, Uncle.”
Cheon Seon-hak.
He was Cheon Muryang’s uncle, the General Unit Leader of the Cheonryong Sword Unit and Cheonbong Sword Unit, and one of the three pillars supporting the Cheon Family.
Also, he was the martial artist whom Mumyeong trusted and followed the most in the past.
‘I did not know I would face you in this way, Unit Leader.’
Even though the rare mangnani called Cheon Muryang became the Gaju of the Cheon Family, the reason why it did not perish immediately and its reputation continued somehow was largely thanks to the existence of this Cheon Seon-hak.
So, Cheon Muryang felt deeply moved.
Of course, Cheon Seon-hak did not.
“Uncle, is it…….”
Cheon Muryang showed courtesy to such a Cheon Seon-hak.
However, Cheon Seon-hak did not accept that courtesy.
“I did not know you knew how to show such courtesy.”
Coldness exuded from Cheon Seon-hak.
It was understandable since to Cheon Seon-hak, Cheon Muryang was merely a mangnani with no room for turning over a new leaf.
‘Therefore, Gongja Cheon Muryang was particularly afraid of Unit Leader Cheon Seon-hak.’
A mangnani could only act like a mangnani to those on whom that status worked.
It did not work on those who possessed martial power and status where that did not apply.
‘Should I say he was strong to the weak and weak to the strong.’
Cheon Muryang cursed Cheon Muryang.
What could I do?
Since that was the truth.
“Because I was ignorant in the meantime, I could not visit you, Uncle.”
Cheon Seon-hak sometimes guided the training of the trainees as well as the Cheonryong Sword Unit and Cheonbong Sword Unit.
Therefore, Cheon Seon-hak used to appear occasionally in the training hall where Cheon Muryang ran every day.
“I heard you ran in the training hall without missing a single day for the past month.”
During that time of one month, the two people did not pretend to know each other.
Cheon Seon-hak appearing like this was also an unexpected event for Cheon Muryang.
“Yes. That is correct.”
“What wind blew?”
“I am merely fulfilling the duty I must do as the Eldest Gongja of the Cheon Family.”
“It is funny. For you to mention duty.”
An aura like a storm rose from Cheon Seon-hak.
It was a posture as if he would draw the sword tied to his waist right now.
“Speak, what kind of scheme is it.”
“……I have already told you, but.”
Cheon Muryang’s whole body trembled.
It was because his training was not yet sufficient to oppose Cheon Seon-hak’s aura.
However, even if Cheon Muryang trembled his body, he did not avoid his eyes at least.
‘Unit Leader Cheon Seon-hak is a true martial artist. Flattering words do not work on him.’
He was not a person on whom words would work just because I said something.
“…….”
“I do not trust you bastard.”
Cheon Seon-hak’s distrust toward Cheon Muryang transcended imagination.
Therefore, Cheon Seon-hak asked not Cheon Muryang.
But the sibi who served him.
“What is your name?”
“I, I am called Wolyeong.”
“Right. You try speaking. What the scheme of this mangnani Eldest Gongja whom you serve is. Do not discuss lies by any chance.”
Hoo-ung!
Cheon Seon-hak did not draw his sword.
However, it seemed he could cut a person with just his aura.
“Because I really do not want to draw my sword.”
It was a clear warning.
Beol-beol-beol.
Wolyeong’s slender body trembled.
In an instant, her lips turned pale.
It was not an aura a mere sibi could endure.
Because it was the aura of an absolute master that could not even be compared to Neung Ryeo-un’s sword.
Kka-deuk!
At this, Cheon Muryang tried to step forward even if by force.
It was then.
“T, the Eldest Gongja-nim…… always smiled during the past month.”
“Smiled?”
“Yes. While running in the training hall, the Eldest Gongja-nim was always smiling.”
“…….”
Hil-kkeut.
Cheon Seon-hak’s gaze directed at Cheon Muryang, although briefly.
‘Tsk. Did I do that?’
It seemed I smiled without myself knowing.
‘Actually, it was because it was too hard.’
It seemed I practiced the teaching of the past Gaju to rather smile when it is hard even after reincarnating.
Wolyeong’s words continued.
“Also, even if he heard sarcastic sounds from the surroundings, he acted as if he heard them or not. Clearly, if it was the Gongja-nim of the old days, he would have gotten angry or run away…… sorry. He would have left the training hall.”
Cheon Muryang just shrugged his shoulders once and answered that it was okay.
Um-jjil!
Of course, Cheon Seon-hak’s aura wrapped around Cheon Muryang more strongly as a sign of warning not to act rashly.
“However, Gongja-nim never got angry nor r…… sorry. Nor did he run away even once. Rather, he picked up the sword for the first time for my sake.”
Cheon Seon-hak’s aura remained the same.
However, for some reason, Wolyeong felt as if that aura had thinned.
“I believe in Gongja-nim.”
“Believe, you say…….”
There was not a speck of lie in those words.
Knowing this, Cheon Seon-hak did not say anything.
He, who was silent for a while, suddenly said to Cheon Muryang.
“I hear you intended to enter the Cheonryong Library?”
“Yes. Although I could not enter because I did not have that qualification.”
“What is the martial art you know?”
“Cheon Yang Divine Art is all.”
If he learned the Cheon Yang Divine Art, it meant he only learned the basic arts related to it.
In other words, it also meant the condition was the same as the trainees who wanted to become official martial artists of the Cheon Family.
“Two months.”
“……?”
“I will give you two months.”
The time of two months.
Cheon Muryang vaguely grasped Cheon Seon-hak’s intention.
“Try defeating the head trainee within two months.”
Ssi-ik.
It was always like that.
Cheon Seon-hak used to give a test to Mumyeong in this way.
And every time, Mumyeong made Cheon Seon-hak’s test even more difficult.
“No.”
“…….”
“One month is sufficient.”
“Did you say one month?”
“Yes.”
Cheon Seon-hak nodded his head.
“Good. Let’s do that.”
With those words as the end, the aura surrounding the area was released.
“I will look forward to it.”
Cheon Seon-hak left.
Swa-a-a!
The heavy downpour still pouring.
However, Cheon Muryang’s body heated up.
“This won't do. I have to run.”
“Gongja-nim!”
“Going back to the training hall is a bit so, so I will run inside the family at least and come back.”
“Cheer up. I will prepare warm water.”
“Right. I ask of you.”
Wolyeong left first.
Then, to cool down his heated body, Cheon Muryang pierced through the heavy downpour and ran to his heart's content.