NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55
Chapter 55: I Thought He Was a Heroic Swordsman
Having stuffed myself with pork, eel, and a hearty mix of vegetables, I began my squats at the Gongdong Training Ground, combining them with Kegel exercises.
My sahyeong was in the room, and since other guests weren’t using the training ground, it was my stage alone.
This meant I could freely practice my color spectrum techniques without a care.
Unlike the dusty Grand Martial Arts Venue of the Gongdong Sect, the floor here was neatly paved with stone and equipped with training tools like wooden swords and staves.
Only for receiving guests, huh?
The wealth of the Seomun family was astounding.
While waiting, I felt the need to give it my all.
“Hoo.”
As I performed my Kegel exercises with breath regulation, a fiery column shot up as if it were about to tear through my pants.
I continued my squats in that position.
After all, squats are the king of lower body training.
They were the basics for building a steel-like waist. With a sturdy waist, one could master cloud and rain pleasure.
I left the fiery column as it was. Maintaining the yang energy was crucial for strengthening my lower half.
While continuing my lower body training for the future cloud and rain pleasure, I suddenly heard a sharp scream near my ear.
“Kya, kyaaaah!”
Wait, a scream?
I turned my head.
Standing there was someone I never expected.
A young girl with exquisite ebony hair and fair white skin, about the same age as my sahyeong.
‘Is that… Geombong Seomun Cheong-ha?’
Geombong Seomun Cheong-ha.
The youngest daughter of the Seomun family, once known as Gansu’s Finest Beauty before Seoharin showed up.
Later, she’d become more famous under the title “Patheon Sword Maiden.” She secretly admired the Gongdong Sect since childhood, and after maturing, she became obsessed with my sahyeong, chasing after him.
I remembered that her unrequited love for my sahyeong turned into a complex affection, further damaging the already strained relationship between the Seomun family and the Gongdong Sect.
Her martial skills and looks were definitely inferior to Seoharin’s, making things even worse.
Thinking back, if the rumor about her and my sahyeong having that sort of relationship in their past life were true, it would explain how Seomun Cheong-ha turned dark.
In the future, she’d remain single, living as a middle-aged beauty, but right now, her youthful self was blushing while looking at me.
“W-What is going on?! What kind of lewd behavior is that?! You’re so shameless!”
Seomun Cheong-ha shouted at me, covering her flushed face with both hands.
Could it be that this girl sneaked in undetected?
Currently, Seomun Cheong-ha, a promising talent recognized as Geombong in the martial world, had reached a high level of skill.
Of course, if she cloaked her presence, my inferior senses wouldn’t be able to find her.
Damn it.
If I had sensed her earlier, I wouldn’t have made such a blunder. I never thought there’d be a lunatic following me right in the heart of the Seomun family.
But it was already spilled milk.
Moreover, I was currently engaged in a clandestine struggle against Jincheongyeomwang.
Naturally, I couldn’t back down and apologize to Seomun Cheong-ha.
That would mean giving Jincheongyeomwang a weakness to exploit.
Instead, I needed to act boldly.
I slowly suppressed the fiery column and confidently looked at Seomun Cheong-ha, saying, “It is incredibly rude of you to hide your presence and eavesdrop on someone else’s training. Do you not know that spying on someone practicing is a taboo in the martial world? When a man with strong yang energy practices internal and external arts simultaneously, it naturally stimulates the lower regions, leading to such… natural physiological reactions.”
In reality, it’s tough to achieve that effect using the Minor Yang Heart Method, but as a disciple of the Gongdong Sect, I could claim the practice implied such results, and she, an outsider, had no right to question it.
Asking about the origins of martial arts and training techniques is a taboo in the martial world.
“W-Well… But even so, shouldn’t you do that during the day?! How can you, as a member of an esteemed sect like the Gongdong Sect, engage in such shameless acts?”
“Of course I can.”
Seomun Cheong-ha’s face turned an even deeper shade of red at my shameless response.
It seemed she realized I was a member of the Gongdong Sect by the emblem of the Yin-Yang embroidered on my black martial robe.
She bit her lip and then struck a martial pose, saying, “Let me introduce myself formally. I am Seomun Cheong-ha of the Seomun family, known as Geombong among the martial world.”
Her revealing her name and title was a clear invitation to engage.
I returned the greeting and said, “A member of the Five Dragons’ Sect and recognized as Gansu’s Finest Beauty, Miss Seomun Cheong-ha. It’s an honor to meet you. I am Lee Cheol-soo, a disciple of the Gongdong Sect.”
“Let’s skip the pleasantries. To be frank, you appear to be nothing more than a second-rate fighter. You would be short of practice even with rigorous training, and yet you are here engaging in such indecent behavior! Do you believe you can win against the Heukryongbang in the upcoming martial arts contest? Do you understand that the contest is not merely a rivalry between two forces, but it determines the fate of Gansu and Sichuan? Let me warn you: the martial arts contest is no joke. If this is how you plan to proceed, you should just give up now.”
Seomun Cheong-ha said this with a mixture of disappointment and a hint of disdain in her eyes.
There were records of her secretly admiring the Gongdong Sect in her childhood. Seeing me, a disciple of the sect she admired, in this state surely disappointed her.
What was wrong with me?
I suddenly felt anger rising.
How could she be disappointed rather than charmed by my strong and splendid physique, my ideal body shape, and my boiling spirit of righteousness?
I couldn’t just let it slide.
I looked back at Seomun Cheong-ha, who was glaring at me and said, “I didn’t call this training practice just for show. A true master must harmonize their internal and external energies. How could there be anything wrong with pursuing a training method that seeks that harmony? And I have no intention of stopping. I know that the martial arts contest is no joke, and I am confident I will win.”
“Not you, but your sahyeong?”
She mentioned my sahyeong again.
I replied without even blinking, “Yes. I intend to take on at least two of the Heukryongbang’s top fighters.”
“…That’s absurd. I cannot believe it.”
“A man’s promise is worth a thousand gold pieces. As a man, I will take responsibility for what I say.”
“Are you saying you will also take responsibility for showing such indecency to a woman? To shamelessly insist it’s a training method after exposing such distasteful behavior! I would like to hold you accountable immediately.”
Seomun Cheong-ha threw her red-faced retort at me.
This was quite a strong card to play.
Using Confucian logic, and as a Geombong of the Seomun family, she had the power to hold me accountable.
It was well-known that Jincheongyeomwang was a total softie when it came to his daughter.
But to me, this level of crisis was nothing.
I replied nonchalantly, “At this moment, we are about to face an important contest against the Heukryongbang. Asking for accountability right now doesn’t seem appropriate. Besides, didn’t Miss Seomun also sneakily eavesdrop on my training? However, if you really desire accountability… then let’s settle it in the way of the martial world. But only after the contest with Heukryongbang. If I lose to you in our duel, I’ll accept responsibility. If you lose, however, you must take the blame for eavesdropping on my training…”
“Hmph. It’s not like I will lose, but if I do, I will accept responsibility for eavesdropping and become your servant!”
Upon hearing Seomun Cheong-ha’s words, I laughed inwardly. A family servant? For some reason, there were too many people, like Wi Soryeon, betting on me becoming one.
Regardless, a duel meant that if I lost, she would essentially become my maid, right?
A cute maid, at that.
There couldn’t be a better deal than this.
Talk about turning a misfortune into a blessing; it fits perfectly in this situation.
Also, the duel with Seomun Cheong-ha wasn’t just a means of resolving personal grievances.
The Seomun family.
Didn’t someone say two suns can’t exist under the same sky? The Seomun family and the Gongdong Sect were destined to wrestle for supremacy in Gansu.
So, winning against her could become a master key to block the Seomun family from intervening in the Gongdong Sect’s affairs.
If the renowned Geombong, Seomun Cheong-ha, lost in a public duel to a nameless disciple of the Gongdong Sect…
The Seomun family wouldn’t have a single comeback left, and Jincheongyeomwang, who treasured his youngest daughter, might end up having a stroke from embarrassment, unable to touch any yang energy.
Of course, I had no intention of losing to Seomun Cheong-ha in our duel.
“Alright. I vow on my name. You, too, should pledge your family name,” I stated firmly.
“Sure. I, Seomun Cheong-ha, name of the Geombong, will name it on the Seomun family as well. Hmph! You shameless colorful horse!”
With my words, Seomun Cheong-ha turned and dashed out of the training ground with graceful lightness.
I watched her go, laughing.
While I had to experience a twist of fate, I needed to restrain my color spectrum practice in open areas.
I decided to practice in the private room I’d been assigned.
Thinking so, I turned and re-entered the Hobin Pavilion.
*
“I can’t believe it! How could there be such a shame for the Gongdong Sect?”
Seomun Cheong-ha had a significant interest in the Gongdong Sect.
Of course, she knew more than just the rumors flowing around, thanks to her family’s influence.
For instance, there were stories about the Gongdong Sect’s leader’s disciple, Yujinhwi, being an unparalleled beauty and exceptional talent, almost too good to be true.
Or that the newly arrived disciple, Lee Cheol-soo, bravely stood to protect his inn, taking on the underworld and throwing down the gauntlet against Heukryongbang.
“I thought he was a heroic swordsman…”
When she first heard Lee Cheol-soo’s tale, she had believed him to be a paragon of virtue.
To be honest, there was a bit of admiration mixed in there. While Yujinhwi was well-known for his looks, what she admired was not merely a handsome man but a heroic figure.
Who was this person really? Her heart fluttered a little at the thought.
Before meeting him in person, she’d spent sleepless nights imagining what he might look like.
But upon their first meeting, he turned out to be not a swordsman but someone indecent.
To show off such… privates while shamelessly claiming it was training in broad daylight was unbelievable.
The boast about taking down the two top fighters from the Heukryongbang sounded like utter nonsense to her.
The expectation and fondness she had felt for him morphed into disappointment.
She realized it was a foolish move, but still, she had applied for the duel.
For someone who had admired the Gongdong Sect for centuries, having a disgrace like Lee Cheol-soo within it was something she couldn’t stand.
She intended to take him as a servant of her family and effectively remove him from the view of the Gongdong Sect to avenge the humiliation.
I’ll just wait until after the Heukryongbang duel, then I’ll deal with you, Lee Cheol-soo.
Seomun Cheong-ha, biting her pink cherry-like lips, sprang forth.
*
Three days later, at noon, after Seomun Cheong-ha had been sent off, it appeared she hadn’t leaked our duel agreement to anyone, as Jincheongyeomwang showed no reaction.
Given Jincheongyeomwang’s well-known doting nature toward his daughter, had he heard about the duel, he would have gone into a frenzy, yet since no one was looking for me, it was clear Seomun Cheong-ha kept her mouth shut.
She’s probably going to wait until after the contest with Heukryongbang.
I felt at ease, finishing my energizing meal today and completing my color spectrum training in the private room before doing light sparring with my sahyeong using wooden swords in the training ground.
At that moment…
“Lee So Hyup, Lee Cheol-soo!”
A voice called from the far side of the training ground.
Turning my head, I saw Gunja-gyeom approaching us with a serious expression, clearly devoid of his usual leisure.
“The head would like to see both of you.”
Just as I had expected, Jincheongyeomwang, whose pants were ablaze due to the media play I orchestrated with Hao Mun, was bringing Gunja-gyeom to urgently seek an audience.
Tsk tsk.
Why can’t they just take a chill pill and enjoy the festivities?