Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Kang Hosan laughed awkwardly as he spoke.

“Ha, haha Chowon, can’t you go a little easy on me?”

Unfortunately for him, Kang Hosan’s opponent this time was Kang Chowon. And he was already in a state no different from defeat.

Unable to block all of Kang Chowon’s swift sword strikes, he had twisted his body to evade them, yet even so, his body was far from unscathed.

Letting out a deep sigh at the realization that he no longer had any Internal Energy left to squeeze out, Kang Hosan sheathed his sword.

“I surrender.”

“Kang Chowon, victory!”

As if affirming that Kang Hosan’s judgment had been correct, even the Referee nodded and announced Kang Chowon’s win.

Kang Chowon giggled and stuck her tongue out mischievously at Kang Hosan.

“I won again, didn’t I?”

“Ugh…… are you that happy about beating me?”

“Of course!”

“Just prepare for your next sparring match. You’ll need to recover even a little stamina if you want to win.”

The two conversed as they headed toward the waiting room where the Asura Squad was gathered.

Youngho looked at Kang Hosan walking toward him and frowned in displeasure.

“You should have lasted at least a Quarter-Hour longer.”

“I couldn’t win anyway.”

“So you’d give up in war just because you can’t win? Next time, even if it’s your little sister, struggle to the very end.”

“Ugh…… understood.”

“And Chowon, you hurry and recover your stamina. Your next opponent is most likely that bastard.”

“Yes!”

In Kang Chowon’s eyes as she answered, a blazing fighting spirit burned fiercely—something never seen before.

Jongpal approached Youngho and spoke.

“Is it really acceptable to call the Namgung Clan’s Young Patriarch ‘that bastard’?”

“Ah, it’s a habit. In any case, if she wants to defeat the Young Patriarch, she needs to recover even a little.”

“Chowon’s already doing Circulation and Breathing Exercises.”

“Then that’s fine.”

Watching Namgung Cheon’s sparring match still in full swing, Youngho thought to himself.

‘To already have risen to the position of Young Patriarch…….’

The situation differed from what he remembered before the Regression. As far as he knew, Namgung Cheon would only have been able to sit in the Young Patriarch’s seat around the age of forty.

That was because he had an older brother—ten years his senior—who had been his rival.

‘Did he already defeat Namgung Ye?’

Namgung Ye, Namgung Cheon’s older brother, had been the one competing with him for the position of Young Patriarch.

Namgung Ye had been a good man. Realizing early on that his own capacity was inferior to Namgung Cheon’s, he had deliberately acted as a wall for him.

Well, he had only been able to do that until the age of forty.

Still, Namgung Ye must have played an important role in allowing Namgung Cheon to grow into both a good man and a great leader.

Youngho grinned.

‘You’re growing.’

The Namgung Cheon he had known had already been complete. Seeing the version of him who was still growing gave him a strange feeling.

Thus, the semifinals began.

Cheon Muback’s opponent was Tang Gunhyeon, and Namgung Cheon’s opponent was……

“Go on, Chowon.”

“Yes.”

The lively girl from moments before was nowhere to be seen. In her place, the Sword Ghost opened her eyes—possessing only the cold heart of a Swordsman.

When the Referee called Kang Chowon and Namgung Cheon, the two ascended the Sparring Stage.

“It has been a while.”

“This time will be different.”

“I look forward to it.”

After exchanging greetings, they performed the formalities of sparring and took their distance.

She sank down. As if plunging into a deep, unfathomable sea, her body naturally loosened its muscles.

She descended. Into a depth akin to the abyss.

Chill—!

Upon seeing Kang Chowon’s eyes, which had sunk to a terrifying depth, Namgung Cheon unconsciously swallowed.

Nothing had changed. No—rather, she had advanced even further. Time had passed, so it was only natural her skill had improved.

But Kang Chowon’s growth followed an entirely different trajectory.

Even the Referee seemed to sense her monstrous concentration, swallowing dryly before declaring,

“Begin!”

Boom!

At the same time, Namgung Cheon and Kang Chowon charged at one another.

Unlike the previous Dragon–Phoenix Gathering, Kang Chowon made the first move this time. Namgung Cheon’s eyes widened, but he quickly gripped his sword hilt tightly and shouted.

“Haaap!”

Kuwaaaaa!

It was an overwhelmingly powerful Heavy Sword. It seemed impossible that Kang Chowon’s slender frame could block it.

In truth, Namgung Cheon had thought the same. He believed she would once again deflect or redirect the blade.

Clang!

But contrary to his expectations, Kang Chowon blocked Namgung Cheon’s sword head-on.

Kagagagak!

As sword collided with sword, sparks scattered in all directions.

With a chilling expression reminiscent of Youngho’s, Kang Chowon bared her white teeth in a grin.

“I told you… this time is different!”

Clang!

“……!”

When Kang Chowon knocked his sword aside, Namgung Cheon’s eyes grew so wide it seemed impossible they could widen any further.

Still grinning with her teeth exposed, Kang Chowon looked almost mad.

Swish!

Her terrifyingly swift sword grazed Namgung Cheon’s side.

Fortunately, it only sliced his clothing, but had his reaction been even a hair’s breadth slower, it would have carved deeply into him.

Namgung Cheon’s eyes trembled as though struck by an earthquake. Confusion, doubt, awe—his gaze embodied the feelings of everyone present.

“She blocked the Orthodox Dragon’s sword!”

“Is that even possible?”

“I heard a rumor she replaced the Flame Dragon—seems it’s true!”

The two engaged in a battle so tense it could only be described as evenly matched.

After briefly creating distance from Kang Chowon, Namgung Cheon nodded and said,

“From this point on, I will be serious. So I ask that you come at me seriously as well.”

“Of course…!”

Boom!

Stomping the ground so forcefully that the entire Sparring Stage trembled, Kang Chowon shot forward like a ray of light toward Namgung Cheon.

At that moment, white Sword Qi gathered along Namgung Cheon’s blade.

Wooooong—!

As formidable Internal Energy began to fill his sword, a majestic hum resonated from it.

His blade, as though alive with breathing Internal Energy itself, slashed violently from above downward.

Kuwaaaang—!

The solid Sparring Stage made of Blue Steel Stone was literally split apart. Cleanly divided in two, it revealed just how sincerely Namgung Cheon had swung his sword.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Kang Chowon’s forehead as she narrowly avoided that strike.

Yet her eyes remained as cold and deeply sunken as ever.

The moment Namgung Cheon swung, Kang Chowon drove her body forward and threw a punch.

No matter that it was a woman’s fist—if that fist was imbued with Fist Energy, the matter was different.

Namgung Cheon responded with Palm Force.

Yet the one being pushed back was Namgung Cheon.

‘It doesn’t land.’

Even the most absurdly powerful strike was useless if it failed to connect. In that regard, Namgung Cheon’s sword was currently failing to fulfill its purpose.

Boom! Kwaang! Kkwagagak!

Though he pressed her repeatedly with the Namgung Clan’s formidable Internal Energy, there was not the slightest ripple in Kang Chowon’s eyes.

Everyone except the two engaged in the sparring match could not help but stare in shock at the fierce battle unfolding before them.

“I-Is that even possible?”

Her movements were nearly impossible to believe.

Even the Namgung sword could falter. Above all, there was not a trace of mercy in Namgung Cheon’s blade.

A single misstep would mean instant obliteration.

Yet Kang Chowon advanced boldly as though none of it was visible to her.

At times, she closed in so tightly he could not even swing his sword, striking with her fists instead.

She used moves that were no different from gambling with her life as naturally as breathing. Watching her, Youngho clicked his tongue.

“I told her not to do that.”

“I know. I told her not to fight like that.”

“Why? Isn’t that what you’re good at, Young Master?”

“That’s exactly the problem. It’s only because her opponent is Namgung Cheon and their martial traits happen to be compatible. Otherwise, she would’ve come back as a lump of blood long ago.”

“If their compatibility wasn’t good, Chowon wouldn’t be fighting like that in the first place.”

“She learned strange things from me, tch.”

In truth, Kang Chowon’s combat style resembled Youngho’s more than her own Master’s.

The moment she spotted an opening, she would pounce and tear into it with relentless tenacity. And even the cunning movements she used to force openings into existence—

At times like a monkey, at times like a cat, at times like a swift weasel—her movements were strikingly similar to Youngho’s.

“Chowon’s truly something else. It’s not easy to replicate my movements just by watching.”

A faint smile curved at the corner of Youngho’s lips as he said it.

Youngho’s movements were so mysterious they were nearly impossible to imitate. Yet Kang Chowon had succeeded in reproducing them.

‘As expected of the genius I acknowledged.’

Perhaps realizing that he could not win by continuing as he was, Namgung Cheon lightened the Internal Energy wrapped around his sword.

At once, his movements began to accelerate astonishingly.

In terms of sheer speed, he seemed slightly faster than Kang Chowon. Surprised by his sudden increase in speed, Kang Chowon’s eyes widened.

As though determined not to lose sight of him for even an instant.

But having abandoned power in exchange for speed, Namgung Cheon still had no clear method of victory.

Kagak! Clang!

Namgung Cheon and Kang Chowon waged a fierce duel worthy of being called a life-and-death struggle.

Soon enough, Kang Chowon collapsed first from exhaustion. Seeing this, the Referee recognized that the sparring match could no longer continue and declared Namgung Cheon’s victory.

“Namgung Cheon, victory!”

“Waaaaaah—!”

The moment the declaration fell, a tremendous roar erupted from the audience.

The cheers were thick with fervent excitement. Feeling the passion contained within those cries, a faint smile settled on Kang Chowon’s lips.

As she tried to steady her trembling legs and rise, Namgung Cheon extended his hand to her.

“That was a fine sparring match.”

He meant it sincerely. He had truly enjoyed this match. It was the first time he had ever been pushed so relentlessly.

Above all, those mysterious movements were surely deeply connected to Youngho.

He had no evidence, but at least Namgung Cheon believed so.

Kang Chowon accepted his offered hand without hesitation.

“Thank you for saying that.”

They clasped their fists in salute and spoke simultaneously.

“I have learned much.”

“I have learned much.”

It was a dignified exchange until the very end. But not everyone looked upon them kindly.

“An Unorthodox rabble.”

“She’s got a pretty face at least.”

“Such lowly blood….”

Every one of those voices reached Kang Chowon’s ears. They had spoken loudly enough for her to hear; there was no way she would not.

Namgung Cheon heard them as well, but he merely lowered his head deeply, unable to conceal his shame.

Those speaking were members of the Orthodox Sect as well. If they had spoken such words to another Orthodox member, he could have rebuked them for their insult.

But Kang Chowon bore the status of an Unorthodox member—one who walked the path of the Black Faction.

‘They ought to know shame!’

Namgung Cheon clenched both fists tightly.

“So fierce. Even if you hugged her, she wouldn’t taste good.”

That remark crossed the line completely. Just as Namgung Cheon was about to unleash a Lion’s Roar—

-It’s alright.

At Kang Chowon’s Voice Transmission, his movement halted abruptly.

-Thank you for your concern, but please do not forget your position.

With that brief advice, Kang Chowon stepped down from the Sparring Stage.

Namgung Cheon stared blankly at her retreating back for a moment, then laughed hollowly before stepping down as well.

“It’s become the opposite.”

Muttering incomprehensibly, he returned to the waiting room.