It wasn’t that she disliked Nam Gung Lin.

But having a duel with her was a separate matter.

It was because of Dang Hae Yeol who had grabbed her before she came to the Nam Gung family and kept warning her.

“We have done something wrong to the Nam Gung family, so we must not be rude.”

Un Ryeong, recalling Dang Hae Yeol, frowned.

‘It’s bothersome.’

It would be better to end it quickly.

With that thought, Un Ryeong raised her sword.

“You don’t need to rest?”

At Nam Gung Lin’s question, Un Ryeong nodded. Although she had faced Ji Cheon Wu, her stamina was still in good shape.

Nam Gung Lin had only started learning the sword not long ago.

Dang Hae Yeol had also mentioned Nam Gung Lin before.

“Don’t talk about martial arts in front of Lin. I heard she only started learning martial arts not long ago.”

It did pique her interest a bit.

It was hard for her to understand that the child of the Nam Gung family had only started learning the sword now.

In fact, she had briefly exclaimed in admiration upon seeing Nam Gung Lin.

Because even though she said she hadn’t learned the sword yet, her breathing was quite stable.

However, she thought that was it.

Un Ryeong planned to go easy on Nam Gung Lin while facing her.

Tang!

But that thought disappeared the moment she crossed swords with Nam Gung Lin.

Un Ryeong’s face hardened.

The Daeyeon Sword Art that Nam Gung Lin displayed was something she had faced a few times before.

It was because she had dueled with Nam Gung Hwa Su before.

‘It’s completely different.’

Nam Gung Hwa Su’s Daeyeon Sword Art was terrible. It lacked weight and was light, unable to block her sword for even a few exchanges.

In contrast, Nam Gung Lin’s sword was heavy. Even though she clearly had a weaker physique than her.

Moreover, Nam Gung Lin’s sword also had crude parts like Ji Cheon Wu’s.

As Dang Hae Yeol had said, Un Ryeong could tell that Nam Gung Lin had not properly learned the sword for long.

A few exchanges took place.

Bewilderment was etched on Un Ryeong’s face.

It was a different bewilderment from when she faced Ji Cheon Wu.

At that moment, she thought.

‘I might lose?’

And not long after, her thought became reality.

[This is the timeline separator]

I was startled.

The dagger uncle shouted confidently while looking at me like that.

[Didn’t I tell you? You have outstanding talent!]

The dagger uncle seemed more excited than me. The tip of my wooden sword was touching Un Ryeong’s neck. It was the same position Un Ryeong had been in during the duel with Ji Cheon Wu earlier.

Un Ryeong looked dazed.

He always had a screw loose expression, but his current state was different from usual.

Light shone in Un Ryeong’s dazed eyes. He opened his mouth while looking at me.

“Let’s do it again. I want to do it again. I want to see your sword.”

I shook my head.

“Hmm, I don’t think that’s possible.”

My stamina was still poor, and if I dueled Un Ryeong again, I would surely lose.

“It sparkled and shone, I want to see it again…”

It was Ji Cheon Wu who stopped Un Ryeong.

“Stop it, you’re tired right now.”

Un Ryeong seemed to have come to his senses then. Instead of saying he wanted to duel again, he tightly shut his mouth.

I decided to say what Ji Cheon Wu had said at this point.

“You, how pathetic. You said the world was boring with just that level of skill?”

No, this was too harsh.

I opened my mouth.

“Your skill isn’t at the level to make such a bored expression.”

I thought I had put it mildly. But Un Ryeong’s reaction was different from what I expected.

I looked at Un Ryeong with a startled expression. Because Un Ryeong’s face had instantly turned red.

He couldn’t even answer.

‘What’s this, in the original he was unfazed even after hearing these words from Ji Cheon Wu.’

Of course, he did reveal his competitiveness, but he didn’t get angry to the point of his face turning red. Has it become too different from the original?

Is it because Un Ryeong is younger than his appearance in the original, so he feels more indignant?

Un Ryeong’s eyes blinked rapidly. That’s when it happened.

For some unknown reason, Ji Cheon Wu pulled me towards him.

“You’re done with your business here, right?”

Un Ryeong didn’t answer Ji Cheon Wu’s words. He seemed more out of it than usual.

Ji Cheon Wu, who was looking at Un Ryeong with displeasure, frowned and led me out of the training ground.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ji Cheon Wu pulled Nam Gung Lin and walked away.

Losing to Un Ryeong wasn’t that frustrating. Because he thought if time passed and they fought again, he could win.

Rather, the duel with Un Ryeong sparked his competitiveness.

What grated on his nerves was Un Ryeong’s reaction after finishing the duel with Nam Gung Lin.

The instantly flushing face.

The sparkling eyes when looking at Nam Gung Lin. The same eyes he had when looking at her.

That fact made Ji Cheon Wu feel unpleasant. Un Ryeong’s words came to mind.

“It sparkled and shone, I want to see it again…”

As he said, Nam Gung Lin was a shining person.

Anyone who got to know her even a little would have that thought.

‘Too, dazzling.’

Ji Cheon Wu also thought that way.

Ji Cheon Wu stopped walking.

It was because he realized Nam Gung Lin was looking at him.

Their eyes met. In that moment, Ji Cheon Wu felt as if time had stopped.

But it was Nam Gung Lin who led Ji Cheon Wu, who was like that.

“I like this time. When the family becomes quiet.”

Led by her hand, Ji Cheon Wu arrived at the lake in the Nam Gung family’s back garden.

Before they knew it, night had fallen.

The time when the sun withdrew and the moon began to take its place.

Nam Gung Lin’s eyes reflected in the moonlight were so beautiful it was blinding.

Nam Gung Lin reached out her hand towards Ji Cheon Wu. Like when he first met her.

“Ji Cheon Wu, you know I’m hiding something, right?”

Ji Cheon Wu nodded at her words.

How could he forget what happened that day?

When Nam Gung Lin had sacrificed her body to protect him from the vicious bandit.

But Ji Cheon Wu had never asked Nam Gung Lin for details until now.

Because Nam Gung Lin seemed to want to keep it a secret.

“I will become strong.”

Nam Gung Lin said with a smile.

“I will become strong and protect everyone by my side.”

Ji Cheon Wu grasped Nam Gung Lin’s outstretched hand.

“Do you want to duel with ‘me’ every evening?”

Ji Cheon Wu could tell that the ‘me’ Nam Gung Lin was referring to was not herself.

Nam Gung Lin was trying to give him another unknown connection.

Ji Cheon Wu held Nam Gung Lin’s hand.

At that moment, he made a vow.

‘For life, I will never let go of this hand.’

He would return everything Nam Gung Lin had given him.

As Nam Gung Lin had once told him, he would become the sword that protects her and the Nam Gung family.

[This is the timeline separator]

The dagger uncle spoke in a dissatisfied voice.

[I don’t understand why you go so far for that punk.]

‘To face the Blood Sect, we need Cheon Wu. You know that too, uncle. How much talent Cheon Wu has.’

The dagger uncle clicked his tongue at my words. Then he blurted out something out of the blue.

[Tsk tsk, what a waste you are. Until dirt gets in my eyes, Ji Cheon Wu is a no!]

What I had asked the dagger uncle was to teach Ji Cheon Wu with my body.

[Well, I don’t like it, but that punk isn’t someone who would betray you.]

The dagger uncle reluctantly accepted my proposal.

‘I should go see Un Ryeong once.’

But I couldn’t meet Un Ryeong.

It was because he had returned to the Dang family with Dang Hae Yeol. Yak Ran carefully opened her mouth to me.

“I think the health of the Dang family’s Lesser Patriarch has worsened. I heard he left for the Dang family in a hurry.”

It would probably be a long time before I could see him again. Because some time later, news came that the Dang family had closed their doors.

I started preparing myself. To prepare for the Martial Arts Competition that would take place five years later.

‘I have to follow the flow of the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader. Five years later, at the Martial Arts Competition, I must attend no matter what.’

Only then could I prevent the tragedy a little more. I started training with Ji Cheon Wu every day.

During the day, I did my own training, and in the evenings, the dagger uncle became Ji Cheon Wu’s teacher.

Five years passed like that.

[This is the timeline separator]

Nam Gung Yu Cheong entered the Nam Gung family with an unfamiliar face.

It was almost a year since he had visited the family. Three years ago, when he reached the age to enter the Heavenly Academy, he had enrolled.

And now, he had returned home during a break.

The Nam Gung family had been quiet in the meantime.

‘Of course, the martial world was in an uproar for a while after uncle left the family.’

Nam Gung Yu Cheong gave a bitter smile. After going to the Heavenly Academy, he learned many things.

Nam Gung Jin Cheon’s prestige was sky-high, but that was it.

For over a decade, the Nam Gung family had failed to find a proper successor.

‘I didn’t know Hwa Su had such a terrible time at the academy.’

Nam Gung Yu Cheong sighed.

What he heard upon arriving at the academy was that the Nam Gung family was now in decline.

In fact, when Nam Gung Yu Cheong heard those words, he had nothing to say.

Nam Gung Hyun Jong had graduated from the Heavenly Academy but didn’t go on any noteworthy martial arts journey. It meant his martial prowess was unconfirmed.

People gossiped about Nam Gung Hyun Jong.

“There must be a reason a martial artist doesn’t go on a martial arts journey, right?”

“Moreover, I heard his son also has terrible martial arts skills.”

“Great Hero Nam Gung Jin Cheon is also getting old.”

“The saying that there are no outstanding disciples under a tiger is all in the past.”

On top of that, the things Hwa Su did at the Heavenly Academy were enough to make one’s face flush red.