Chapter 80 – Martial Arts (3)
Since Hong Yeon-hwa found out about the shield made of nightshade wine, there was an additional task of appreciating the nightshade wine every night, but other than that, nothing had changed.
As usual, they joked around, trained, flirted, and joked around again…
Days passed, and it was the tenth day since the attack. Finally, the suspended Yongbongji meeting resumed.
As a precaution, even though it was not the final match, the martial arts prince himself attended, and many of the martial arts warriors were placed in the audience seats.
There were also some changes in the match schedule.
First of all, since Hong Yeon-hwa was disqualified, the person who was originally scheduled to face Hong Yeon-hwa won by default.
This was a natural outcome.
On the other hand, there was something unexpected… surprisingly, the person I was supposed to face, Jegal Yeong-yeong, declared a forfeit.
He said that his strategy was backfired from the beginning, and the tactic he prepared at the last moment was a weak illusion that would not have any effect if it was used, so he would have lost if he continued.
He had been silent until now, but maybe he gave up because he saw Hong Yeon-hwa’s reaction?
Or maybe this attack was not only aimed at the martial arts alliance but also at Jegal Se-ga.
If there were still people outside, they might cause some problems.
Either way, there are many things to worry about, so it’s better to be careful.
Anyway, I was also given a default win instead of a rematch, and I watched Pung So-so’s martial arts with Hong Yeon-hwa and Paeng O-jin from the VIP seats.
And now, Hong Yeon-hwa, who has proven to be the best in the current martial arts world, was…
“Munch munch.”
…sitting on my lap, eating the lunchbox that the servants had prepared for us.
“Is it that delicious?”
“Gulp. Meat is the most delicious when it’s freshly grilled, but this is still delicious even when it’s cold.”
Hong Yeon-hwa smiled happily, chewing on the meat that looked like an improved version of beef jerky.
I’m a little curious about the taste.
“Let me have a bite too.”
As soon as I said that, Hong Yeon-hwa froze as if she had been hit by a time stop.
There were only three lunchboxes in total, which means this is the last one. And since she ate everything from the meat to the rice, the last piece she grabbed was the last one.
Anything becomes precious when it’s labeled as the last. But what if it’s the last of the last?
Needless to say, it would be extremely precious.
In fact, Hong Yeon-hwa struggled for a while as if she had made a fatal mistake, but soon raised her head with a determined expression as if she had made the decision of a lifetime.
“Ah, ah… try it.”
Hong Yeon-hwa trembled as she moved the meat to my lips with a shaking hand.
Oh my god… I just said it without thinking, but she’s actually sharing it with me!
I remembered how she hugged the dumplings and guarded them before, and for some reason, she started to look brave now.
“Ah~”
I opened my mouth and carefully chewed the meat on my tongue.
First of all, I didn’t feel any of the greasy and bitter taste that usually comes with cold, hardened fat. Did they use a part of the meat with no fat?
Such parts are usually tough, but surprisingly, this one melted in my mouth quite smoothly.
The seasoning that seeped out with each bite seemed to have been marinated for several days.
As Hong Yeon-hwa said, this was really delicious even when eaten cold.
I wasn’t expecting much from a lunchbox, but it feels like I received an unexpected gift.
As I pushed aside the lingering regret in my mouth and came out of my reverie, the first thing I saw was Hong Yeon-hwa’s gloomy expression.
Anyone who sees her would think that I stole her food.
I wanted to kiss her lips that were pouting in disappointment, but we were outside, and it was the VIP seats where many martial arts experts were gathered.
Instead of a kiss, I placed my hand on her small chin and gently stroked it with my fingertips.
“Thank you. It feels even more delicious because you fed me, Yeon-hwa.”
“…Is that so?”
Her pink eyes glanced at me briefly, filled with a hint of expectation.
Hmph… I have no choice but to live up to her expectations!
With one hand, I stroked Hong Yeon-hwa’s head without stopping, and with the other hand, I hugged her soft waist and showered her with compliments.
At first, she only showed a slight reaction, but as my words continued, her expression gradually softened, and she even pressed her back against my chest and wriggled around.
Watching Hong Yeon-hwa, who was making cute cat-like gestures with her narrowed eyes, I unconsciously moved my hand up.
Just as I was about to grab her swaying breasts and hold them tightly, I suddenly realized that we were outside.
This damn temptation! It’s driving me crazy!
I ended up pressing her small chin with my thumb.
“Uh… huh?”
Hong Yeon-hwa looked confused as I suddenly teased her.
“Let’s do it at the mansion next time. We’re outside now.”
“Ah.”
Finally, Hong Yeon-hwa came to her senses and looked around.
Paeng O-jin was making his usual expression of disapproval.
The others around me had a complex expression on their faces, like me in my past life when I first learned that more than half of the duck and raccoon pictures floating around on the internet were fake composite photos.
And now, even the baby pictures are fake composites?
No, this can’t be.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who was wriggling in my arms, seemed confused about whether she had truly achieved the great state of being a martial arts expert.
Especially the female disciples who had been pampering Hong Yeon-hwa with snacks were even worse.
As if she noticed their gazes, Hong Yeon-hwa puffed up her cheeks and hopped off my lap.
Then she walked over to the female disciples with a bounce in her step.
“Would you like to try a bite? There’s only rice and side dishes left… but it’s still delicious.”
“Excuse me? Oh, no, I don’t eat meat anyway, so it’s okay. Just one bite, then….”
Hong Yeon-hwa started chatting away as she shared the lunchbox with the Amipa masters who had surrendered to her.
The awkwardness disappeared quickly, and I felt proud watching her laughing and chatting like before.
What charisma!
As I looked around the martial arts arena, Paeng O-jin’s fight began not long after.
And Paeng O-jin lost.
***
His opponent was a guy named Nam Gung-hyuk.
“That kid is the famous…”
“I didn’t expect him to achieve that level of success so soon.”
“He’s going to be the next Nam Gung-se-ga of the next generation.”
As I listened to the murmurs from the VIP seats, it seemed like Nam Gung-se-ga’s son, who was known for his exceptional talent from a young age, was the talk of the town.
Well, in terms of talent, Paeng O-jin would never lose.
After all, he had to live up to the name of the Paeng family and learn the basics of martial arts. And his talent was not ordinary, as he had reached the peak of his abilities on his own.
So I thought he could handle it to some extent… but I was wrong.
As soon as the fight began, Paeng O-jin swung his big sword relentlessly. His movements were reminiscent of a wild beast, flexible and elastic.
Each strike was filled with an irresistible force that could not be ignored, more powerful and threatening than ever before.
It was only natural that Hong Yeon-hwa, who had received guidance from Paeng O-jin and even learned the Oho Danmun sword technique, was growing day by day.
But Nam Gung-hyuk was unfazed.
No matter how strong Paeng O-jin’s sword was, or how difficult his moves were, Nam Gung-hyuk calmly received them all.
Like a stone thrown into a calm lake that doesn’t cause any ripples, Nam Gung-hyuk showed a level of skill that seemed like it was drawn in a picture.
As time passed, Paeng O-jin became more tired and anxious, while Nam Gung-hyuk remained calm.
In the end, Paeng O-jin pushed himself too hard and exposed a gap, which Nam Gung-hyuk did not miss.
Nam Gung-hyuk swiftly pushed away Paeng O-jin’s sword and aimed his own at his neck, ending the fight cleanly.
Paeng O-jin watched with a sour expression and clicked his tongue.
“As expected, there’s nothing we can do against that guy.”
“What do you mean?”
“That guy, Nam Gung-hyuk, has something that So-so doesn’t have.”
According to Paeng O-jin, my guess that So-so lacked talent was wrong.
It was just that the environment they grew up in was quite different.
Nam Gung-hyuk received full support from his family, unlike So-so.
As the eldest son, he formally trained in the Changgungmu sword technique, which only the head of the family and the heir could learn.
From the start, So-so, as the youngest daughter, could not learn the Honwon Beollyeokdo, which was like the Paeng family’s secret technique, and focused mainly on the Oho Danmun sword technique.
In addition, Nam Gung-hyuk was supported in every possible way, such as eating medicine like rice, spending a fortune to invite wandering masters to teach him, and having the head of the family and the elders stick to him to help him train.
He was given every possible means to focus solely on martial arts, and he himself was obsessed with it, never letting go of his sword for a moment.
As a result, he became a blessed genius who reached the peak at the age of 23.
That’s Nam Gung-hyuk.
“…I think he’s my next opponent in the tournament.”
“Well, even if he is, isn’t it important to fight well?”
Paeng O-jin patted my shoulder.
Sigh…
