Book 20 Chapter 27
The Lady of Mystery
- Ascension Martial Festival
Yoo Yun-bi’s preliminary test supervisor was Yoon Jun-ho of the Huashan Sect.
‘He looks so weak.’
At first glance, Yoon Jun-ho appeared incredibly frail.
‘How could someone so weak become an examiner for such a major test?’
Not a speck of respect for the senior stirred within her.
‘Maybe he’s not as formidable as I thought!’
Confidently assured of her victory before the fight even began, Yoo Yun-bi inwardly smiled a triumphant smile. However, that smile didn't last long.
‘Huh?’
The test was to block Yoon Jun-ho’s ten attacks appropriately, and in between, to unleash five techniques when given the chance.
‘That’s as easy as taking candy from a baby!’
But Yoon Jun-ho’s sword, which had seemed so frail, was surprisingly tenacious. It coiled and twisted like a pliant plum branch swaying in the wind, causing Yoo Yun-bi to repeatedly miss the trajectory of his sword. It contained the realm of ‘softness’—pliant but never yielding.
And it wasn't as if her own attacks were landing effectively either. In a desperate attempt to salvage her pride, she relentlessly unleashed the ultimate moves of the Four-Day Sword Technique, but her confident thrusts missed their mark every time.
Clap, clap, clap!
“Wow! That was an amazing thrust. So this is the renowned thrust of the Damo Sect.”
Yoon Jun-ho applauded with genuine admiration.
‘Is he mocking me?’
But his smile was too innocent for that to be the case.
“Am I disqualified?”
Having failed to land a single successful blow, it seemed highly probable.
“No, you passed.”
“What?”
“For some reason, most other people can’t withstand my ten strikes. Only five people have passed so far, including you. Their movements were so sluggish, I couldn’t even bear to watch. Were they all sick? Surely it wasn’t collective food poisoning…”
Yoon Jun-ho scratched the back of his head, speaking with an innocent face.
Gasp!
Yoo Yun-bi was speechless.
***
Yoo Ran’s test supervisor was not as nonchalant as Yoon Jun-ho.
Her opponent was Na Ye-rin.
“You only need to block or evade for one second.”
Na Ye-rin’s condition was much simpler.
The match was over in the blink of an eye. Before Yoo Ran could even swing her sword, which had suddenly appeared at her chin, she had only managed to take half a step back.
‘I failed!’
Yoo Ran despaired inwardly. She couldn't believe how pathetic she was for freezing up like a fool.
“You passed.”
Na Ye-rin said in a monotone voice.
“What? Why?”
Yoo Ran’s question was closer to a shout.
“Do you have a complaint?”
“No, not at all… I just want to know why.”
“You moved half a step.”
Na Ye-rin replied in her usual indifferent tone.
“What?”
Yoo Ran needed an explanation.
“If you can even lift your heel, you pass. After all, you’re the first to move half a step. I’ll give you extra points.”
She hadn’t even expected her to block or evade in the first place.
Gasp!
Yoo Ran’s jaw dropped in astonishment at the woman’s words, which stated the extraordinary as if it were utterly commonplace.
***
“The moment has finally come!”
Gongsun Jeol-hwi couldn’t contain his tension. The moment he had longed for, the moment he had both desperately wished for and simultaneously hoped would never arrive, had finally arrived. His opponent was none other than the Seven-Cut Divine Sword, Mo Yong-hwi.
“We’ve met before.”
Mo Yong-hwi had seen Gongsun Jeol-hwi once when he was caught up in a scheme to lure out Yi Shi-geon.
“Yes, we have.”
Gongsun Jeol-hwi swallowed hard. Mo Yong-hwi, standing with his sword sheathed, was utterly unshakeable.
‘As expected of his reputation!’
He had only caught a glimpse of him then, but facing him as an opponent now, the presence was different. To have achieved such a level at such a young age. He couldn’t help but feel envious. However, he had been secretly following him and devising countermeasures all this time.
‘Today, I will defeat Mo Yong-hwi and elevate the status of the Gongsun family!’
Gongsun Jeol-hwi vowed inwardly.
However, the difference in their skill was greater than he had anticipated. As the test began and Mo Yong-hwi’s sword strikes flew, Gongsun Jeol-hwi could only focus on evading. He felt that if he sought an opening for a counterattack, he would be defeated immediately. He desperately tried to unfold his family’s sword techniques, but Mo Yong-hwi’s cunning attacks constantly interrupted them.
‘Oh no!’
He couldn’t afford to be defeated without a single counterattack. He had to attack, even if it meant taking a risk. Gongsun Jeol-hwi judged that there was no chance of victory at the current close range and quickly pushed off the ground, creating distance from Mo Yong-hwi.
‘At this distance!’
Mo Yong-hwi did not pursue. He wanted to gauge Gongsun Jeol-hwi’s skill.
“Haaap!”
With a clear battle cry, Gongsun Jeol-hwi unleashed the ultimate move of the Supreme Sword Technique from the tip of his sword.
Supreme Sword Technique (至尊劍法) Secret Art (秘技).
Supreme and Unrivaled (至尊無上).
Brilliant sword energy erupted from Gongsun Jeol-hwi’s sword.
“You created the interval yourself, so ten points are added!”
Mo Yong-hwi said.
“However, there’s too much waste in your technique, so twenty points are deducted.”
Although the technique appeared brilliant and powerful, Mo Yong-hwi saw too much waste and complexity. He was expending excessive internal energy on parts unrelated to delivering an effective blow to the target.
“This is not very effective in battles between masters.”
Seemingly not needing to use any particular technique, Mo Yong-hwi blocked them with a few movements of his sword.
“A friend of mine told me, ‘Save yourself to live.’ Try to conserve your movements a bit more.”
Mo Yong-hwi, who had now approached Gongsun Jeol-hwi’s face, offered advice.
“Uh…”
Clang!
The symbolic treasure sword of the Gongsun family spun and flew into the air. The gap that could not be bridged by sheer determination and will alone was a stark reality. The treasure sword, which soared about five feet high, then fell and plunged into the ground.
“Truly a scion of the Gongsun family. You showed great skill.”
Mo Yong-hwi sheathed his sword with a swift and concise movement, expressing his admiration, but his praise felt like mockery to Gongsun Jeol-hwi.
“Please don’t mock me. I lost. Am I disqualified, then?”
Gongsun Jeol-hwi asked with a dejected voice.
“What are you talking about? No one has made me move as much as you have. Everyone else practically self-destructed before they could even take a single step. You passed. Congratulations.”
However, Mo Yong-hwi’s congratulations did not reach his ears.
Gongsun Jeol-hwi, drawing his treasure sword from the ground where it was plunged, left the arena with the steps of a dazed person.
“Why is he like this?”
Looking at Gongsun Jeol-hwi’s dejected back, despite clearly passing, Mo Yong-hwi tilted his head in confusion. He had been so focused on the insurmountable wall he had to overcome that he hadn’t noticed Gongsun Jeol-hwi’s fighting spirit or desire to challenge.
It goes without saying that this indifference inflicted an even deeper wound on Gongsun Jeol-hwi.
Gongsun Jeol-hwi, walking with a vacant expression, found a secluded spot and sat down. He then buried his face between his knees and wept like a child.
As he wept, a large shadow fell over him. The sunlight, which had been shining harshly as if to reprimand him, disappeared, and Gongsun Jeol-hwi stiffened in surprise. Before his face, peeking out from between his knees, a handkerchief held in a beautiful hand awaited him.
He raised his head and looked up. The one blocking the sunlight and casting a shadow was an umbrella with a black veil. The owner of the dark umbrella was a woman, dressed in black silk, standing gracefully like a solitary crane.
“It’s hot, isn’t it?”
The woman said with a gentle smile. It was as if she were saying, ‘Your face must be messy from the sweat caused by the heat. I haven’t seen any tears, so don’t worry and take it.’ Gongsun Jeol-hwi’s body sprang up as if propelled by a spring. He stood rigidly at attention, tense, and stammered,
“I… I’ve shown you a shameful sight.”
He wished he could burrow into a mouse hole and disappear.
“Shameful? Everyone’s eyes get a little sweaty sometimes, don’t they? It’s not like only women have the privilege of getting tears in their eyes, is it?”
Her words, acknowledging the situation while pretending not to, and offering comfort, made Gongsun Jeol-hwi feel overwhelmed by her deep consideration.
“B-but……”
Behind the veil surrounding the umbrella, the woman seemed to be smiling gently.
“Is something bothering you?”
“Y-yes.”
“Like failing the test?”
There wasn’t much else to cry about here.
“Ah, no. I passed.”
Even though he lost, he had passed.
“I see. Then what is it that’s bothering you…?”
“I… I lost to someone I shouldn’t have lost to.”
Gongsun Jeol-hwi replied in a subdued voice. Admitting that to himself was incredibly painful. But losing was losing, and he couldn’t deceive himself about it.
“Was it an important match?”
The woman asked.
“It was someone I absolutely had to win against. With the fulfillment of my family’s long-held wish at stake.”
Gongsun Jeol-hwi replied, clenching his fist.
“If you don’t mind me asking, I’m curious who this opponent you absolutely had to win against was.”
“It was Seven-Cut Divine Sword Mo Yong-hwi!”
“Ah! That perfectionism…”
“What?”
“Um, it’s nothing. It’s fine, if that was the opponent. It’s okay to lose sometimes. You’re still young, the point is not to give up.”
“B-but?”
“If you get discouraged by one loss, you’ll never achieve anything in life. Besides, you didn’t fail; you passed, so you have opportunities to challenge again, right?”
“That’s true.”
“You have plenty of chances to make up for it, whether it’s in a year or two, so you don’t need to be too disheartened, right?”
“W-well, indeed.”
It made sense. But no one had ever told him it was okay to lose, that he could win next time.
“Excuse me… would it be rude to ask for the young lady’s name?”
Gongsun Jeol-hwi hesitated and began to speak.
“…Well. It might be rude. Hehe.”
A clear, bell-like laugh echoed from the woman’s red lips. Gongsun Jeol-hwi felt his face flush and took a breath. The woman extended her beautiful hand to him again and said,
“Well then, I must be going. I wish you good results.”
By the time the woman finished speaking, the handkerchief, which he didn't remember receiving, was in his hand. As Gongsun Jeol-hwi was flustered by the sudden throbbing in his chest, the woman gave a light nod and gracefully turned away.
“H-hey……”
He came to his senses late and opened his mouth, but she was already far away, wearing her black umbrella. He instinctively reached out as if to grasp the shadow of the mysterious woman in veils, but there was nothing in his hand.
“Will I ever see her again…?”
He gazed endlessly at the retreating figure of the woman with dazed eyes, as if bewitched.
***
“Your footwork is terrible. You can’t even hold a sword properly yet, and you managed to reach the preliminary round?”
Namgung Sang scoffed, looking down at a contestant tumbling disgracefully on the floor.
“Th-then?”
The answer had already been decided from the moment he unleashed his single strike.
“You are disqualified.”
“Waaaaaaaah!”
Tears streaming, a contestant ran out of the testing grounds.
“I made them cry again! But to cry over something like this as a man…”
How many times had this happened? There was a limit to being faint-hearted. To even consider challenging the Ascension Martial Festival with such a state of mind was astonishingly reckless.
“Next!”
Namgung Sang shouted with a hint of annoyance.
Swish.
A woman, with a jet-black umbrella draped over her shoulder, glided in gracefully.
‘What’s with the umbrella?’
Regardless of its material, the umbrella had a jet-black base that shone like a black pearl, adorned with a plum tree embroidered in gold and silver thread, both elegant and ornate. The golden plum branches possessed a slender, elegant, yet dignified character, and the dazzling silver blossoms were as beautiful as they were breathtaking. Namgung Sang’s gaze naturally drifted downwards, but a veil covered more than half of the woman’s face. However, judging from her well-defined nose, graceful lips, and slender jawline, she appeared to be a considerable beauty. Furthermore, the woman wore a simple yet graceful black silk robe, which further accentuated her slender figure like a willow branch and her skin as white as jade.
“Please take care of me.”
The woman said with a gentle smile.
“Ah, please take care of me.”
Namgung Sang, who had been staring blankly, stammered in response.
“I’m curious about the test content.”
The woman in the black silk, holding her black umbrella at an angle, asked in a calm voice.
‘What, what is this presence?’
Despite being a test supervisor, Namgung Sang couldn’t help but feel nervous. This woman was on a completely different level from the other minor contestants he had tested.
‘Am I being overwhelmed?’
It was impossible. Yet, the woman’s aura, emanating from her stillness, was astonishing.
“Is it enough to just stand there to pass?”
The woman in the black silk asked again. It was an indirect jab.
“Ah, I apologize. The content is simple. If you block or evade all ten of my strikes, you pass, and if you touch the hem of my clothing even once, you get extra points.”
“Ah, really? That’s simple.”
The woman in the black silk said with a faint smile.
‘Well, is it really that simple?’
Up until now, the number of contestants who had met that requirement could be counted on one hand. And that was with him going easy on them; otherwise, it would have been impossible.
“Oh, can I ask one more thing?”
“By all means.”
Namgung Sang readily agreed.
“How many people have touched my clothes so far?”
To that question, Namgung Sang smiled triumphantly and said with confidence,
“Not a single one.”
The woman, far from being surprised by the answer, said in a composed tone,
“Then I will be the first.”
Where did the source of that unfathomable confidence come from? Namgung Sang found himself feeling cheerful for the first time since he started supervising tests.
“If you can, by all means.”
Namgung Sang replied in a spirited voice.
“Hmm, is any method of touching acceptable?”
“Of course!”
“…You’re quite straightforward.”
The woman brought her sleeve to her lips and smiled slightly again. At that moment, Namgung Sang felt a sudden chill.
‘Wh-what is this? This cold sensation?’
Suddenly, a chilling coldness ran down the back of his neck.
‘Is it my imagination?’
He was probably just tired. Thinking about it, he had been pushing himself too hard lately. He wished he could finish and rest. Namgung Sang thought so.
“Then, please, come forth.”
The woman requested.
The woman’s graceful movement across the ground, as if gliding, while holding her umbrella, resembled a dancer on ice. What was even more astonishing was that she maintained a perfect posture despite holding the umbrella. Namgung Sang’s sword strikes were powerful, but the woman in the black silk skillfully dodged them with the ease of someone strolling through a garden.
‘A-amazing!’
Namgung Sang was surprised, not having realized the woman’s skill was this high. The calm presence he had felt earlier was not an illusion.
‘I wonder whose student she is?’
He prided himself on his broad knowledge compared to the past, but he was insufficient to grasp the depth of the woman’s martial arts. It seemed he still needed more training.
Even if it wasn't a fight to the death, during a sparring match, thinking about various things naturally leads to openings.
The woman was not so foolish as to overlook such a significant opening.
If any method was acceptable, she seemed determined to display a cool and flashy move.
Whoosh!
As the dark umbrella rose into the air, Namgung Sang’s gaze was momentarily captivated by its trajectory.
‘Ah!’
It was a mistake born of a laxity of mind that he would never usually make. But it was too late to regret it.
The woman’s hand, piercing through the opening, was merciless.
Thump!
The woman firmly stomped her foot. Simultaneously, she channeled the strong recoil into her elbow and sharply struck Namgung Sang’s side.
“Cough!”
Namgung Sang, in the midst of the terrifying impact, had a delusion that his side was being cut in half. It was such intense pain that it was a wonder he wasn’t spitting blood.
“You were careless.”
The woman, who had delivered the decisive blow to Namgung Sang’s side, caught her umbrella as it slowly descended, standing in an elegant posture as if nothing had happened.
Turning, the woman looked down at Namgung Sang, who was still unable to straighten his back, and smiled gently.
“It seems test supervisors also have a lot on their minds sometimes, don’t they?”
Namgung Sang, with foam at his mouth, couldn’t answer her.
“Well then, as you said, am I qualified?”
“Gh, bu……”
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!
“Bu……? Am I disqualified?”
Namgung Sang, in a desperate state, squeezed out all his strength to answer the question.
“P-p-passed.”
He was still oscillating between this world and the next.
“Ah, I see. Thank you. I hope to see you again…”
After finishing her greeting, the woman gracefully departed. And in the center of the testing ground, only Namgung Sang, half out of his mind, was left with white foam at his mouth.
It was the bitter decline of a man who had even defeated the Divine Nun Ami.