Un Ji Gyeong opened her mouth towards Nam Gung Yu Cheong.

“Even if you can’t win, at least secure a high rank.”

I frowned.

Although it was a natural reaction given that Ak Wi Cheon was participating, she was too readily accepting that Nam Gung Yu Cheong would lose.

I asked Un Ji Gyeong.

“Isn’t it possible for the righteous faction to win? Why are you acting like we’ve already lost?”

Un Ji Gyeong shook her head at my words.

“Who could defeat Ak Wi Cheon? Can’t you see that?”

At Un Ji Gyeong’s words, I turned my head. I could see Ak Wi Cheon competing in the preliminaries.

I saw the martial artist facing him collapse after just a few swings of Ak Wi Cheon’s sword.

Overwhelming strength for his age.

Ak Wi Cheon clearly possessed skills on a different level from others.

“As I said earlier, it’s important for people to know their limits, young lady Nam Gung.”

Un Ji Gyeong said this while pulling up one corner of his mouth. He seemed somewhat angry.

“Will young lady Nam Gung defeat Ak Wi Cheon for us? I saw you perform excellently in the preliminaries. But that’s all.”

“Un Ji Gyeong, what on earth are you saying……”

Nam Gung Yu Cheong’s face contorted as he tried to step forward at his words.

He was about to get angry on my behalf.

The one who stopped Nam Gung Yu Cheong was me.

I met the eyes of Un Ji Gyeong and the students of Cheonha Academy.

Un Ji Gyeong was now filled with inferiority and a sense of defeat.

I grabbed Nam Gung Yu Cheong’s arm. Then I opened my mouth to declare to them.

“Then keep watching from there. Standing still, unable to progress.”

I saw Un Ji Gyeong gritting his teeth.

“Your friend will face Ak Wi Cheon directly in the main tournament, they say.”

“……”

“I should prepare to comfort your friend after a miserable defeat.”

“You’re a pitiful person.”

I said this while looking at Un Ji Gyeong.

“There’s no need to worry about Ji Cheon Wu. He’ll have an excellent match regardless of victory or defeat.”

I met his eyes.

I could see Un Ji Gyeong’s eyes shaking incessantly.

[This is the timeline separator]

Un Ji Gyeong glared at Nam Gung Lin walking in front of him.

‘Tell me to stand still and watch?’

After Nam Gung Lin’s words, his mood became unbearably unpleasant.

Nam Gung Lin’s appearance reminded him of his past self.

The image of himself before participating in the Cheonha Festival. He recalled the naive boy who believed he could achieve good results at the Cheonha Festival.

Un Ji Gyeong gritted his teeth and thought.

‘She speaks like that because she doesn’t know anything. The righteous faction’s martial arts world is finished. They say Danghwa Ryeong is somewhat strong, but she’s in seclusion. This Cheonha Festival will end with miserable results again.’

Un Ji Gyeong had heard rumors about Nam Gung Lin. They said that the daughter of Nam Gung Hyun, whom he respected, was incompetent unlike her father.

‘My elder brother also said that Nam Gung Lin is arrogant and immature.’

His elder brother was acquainted with Nam Gung Hwa Su. Thus, Un Ji Gyeong could hear various facts from his brother as well.

He heard that Nam Gung Hwa Su was expelled from the Nam Gung family after falling into a trap because of her.

He had come to at least see the face of Nam Gung Lin, whom he had only heard rumors about, when he learned she would participate in this Cheonha Festival.

It was to confirm if she was really like the rumors.

That’s why his words weren’t polite at first.

‘Yu Cheong said she wasn’t like that, so I tried to believe his words.’

Nam Gung Yu Cheong used to habitually tell people who misunderstood Nam Gung Lin that she wasn’t that kind of person.

Of course, Nam Gung Lin was different from the rumors. She looked smaller and more delicate than rumored.

But in contrast, her hands showed how much harsh training she had endured.

He too had such a time like Nam Gung Lin.

A time when he worked hard with hope.

‘Her martial arts seem quite powerful though.’

Unlike his brother’s words, Nam Gung Lin’s martial arts seemed quite strong.

However, that didn’t mean she could defeat Ak Wi Cheon.

He gritted his teeth.

It reminded him of when he first participated in the Cheonha Festival.

When he first came to Cheonha Academy, he had a different mindset.

What did the seniors say to him then?

Un Ji Gyeong thought they were pathetic.

Those who gave up without even trying.

So he worked hard.

Nam Gung Yu Cheong and his classmates at Cheonha Academy did their best to win at the Cheonha Festival.

They honed their swords until their hands blistered every day.

And it would be the same for Nam Gung Lin.

Un Ji Gyeong spat out the same words to Nam Gung Lin that he used to find pathetic from them.

That fact couldn’t be more miserable.

‘I know my level. I know how far I can go.’

Even if Nam Gung Lin luckily passed the preliminaries, the main tournament would be different.

Un Ji Gyeong firmly believed that Nam Gung Lin would be miserably defeated by Ak Wi Cheon.

And she would realize the reality.

The fact that there’s a sky above the sky. And she would also realize that she couldn’t reach that sky.

Just as he realized that fact. Un Ji Gyeong tightly closed his eyes.

It was because Nam Gung Lin’s clear eyes looking at him came to mind.

[This is the timeline separator]

Nam Gung Yu Cheong was at a loss beside me.

“Lin, they’re not usually like this… I’ll go and give them a piece of my mind.”

“No, it won’t help even if you do. There’s no need to waste time. And I’m fine.”

I understood the sense of defeat they had. In fact, in Cheonma Jijun, they become extras who don’t even get screen time, consumed by that sense of defeat.

‘It’s also sad.’

[Mandu, you’re too kind.]

Uncle Dagger replied in a gruff tone. From his perspective, they might seem pathetic.

He was a person who had endured various hardships.

[It is pathetic. Aren’t they hoping others can’t achieve what they couldn’t?]

‘No, that’s not it.’

[Then why are they acting like that?]

‘They’re hoping someone will win for them.’

[Hoping someone will win for them?]

‘Yes, they’re frustrated with a reality they can’t escape from, and they hope someone will achieve what they want instead of their powerless selves.’

I shrugged my shoulders.

In fact, I didn’t want to criticize Un Ji Gyeong much.

I too had been in a situation like Un Ji Gyeong’s.

I was like that in modern times too.

At that time, I was engulfed in a sense of defeat. I despaired at the reality that didn’t change no matter how much I struggled.

That’s why I liked Cheonma Jijun.

Because Ji Cheon Wu showed something different from me. So I could understand how Un Ji Gyeong felt.

‘Because I was like that.’

[You? I can’t imagine it.]

‘It’s because I have you, uncle.’

I intended to show Un Ji Gyeong.

The hope in my heart that I felt watching Ji Cheon Wu.

[This is the timeline separator]

Time passed quickly.

Before we knew it, the time had come for Ji Cheon Wu and Ak Wi Cheon to face each other in the main tournament. Was it because it felt like the original work was really starting?

My feelings were strange.

‘I even heard that key officials from the Murim Alliance will be observing this time.’

In short, it was a very important moment.

I looked around.

The preliminaries and main tournament were definitely different.

Martial artists who had made a name for themselves in the righteous faction were participating to watch the Cheonha Festival.

Iron Sleeve Flying Sword, Jade Hand Sword, Hwasan Divine Hand……

There were many martial artists whose names alone inspired admiration.

‘Many Cheonha Academy students came too.’

Many Cheonha Academy students who would lead the righteous faction also participated.

Some of them would face each other in the main tournament. I examined the faces of the people from the righteous faction.

I could see the teachers from Cheonha Academy and key officials from the Murim Alliance.

As it was a martial arts competition for young late-stage chi users, the Murim Alliance leader did not participate.

‘They said if you win, you can see the Murim Alliance leader.’

Of course, that was only for martial artists from the righteous faction.

There was no expectation on their faces. They all thought Ji Cheon Wu would be miserably defeated.

That deep sense of defeat seemed like seeing Nam Gung Yu Cheong’s classmates after the preliminaries ended.

The righteous faction of this era is certainly weaker than the demonic faction.

It was a part where I could understand why the title of Cheonma Jijun was Cheonma Jijun.

In fact, when people from the demonic and righteous factions faced each other in martial arts matches, most of the demonic faction members were winning.

‘In Cheonma Jijun, the righteous faction was just a foil.’

The faces of the Cheonha Academy students darkened. It was the same for other martial artists from the righteous faction.

I heard the righteous faction members next to me clicking their tongues.

“This is a bit harsh.”

“The demonic faction seems even more overwhelmingly strong than in the last Cheonha Festival.”

“Even so, it wasn’t this bad before……”

It was truly a massacre.

In such a situation, expectation was disappearing more and more from people’s faces.

I could understand why conflicts arose in Cheonma Jijun.

‘You must be nervous, Ji Cheon Wu.’

I looked at Ji Cheon Wu.

It was just before he was about to go up to the arena.

I patted Ji Cheon Wu’s shoulder.

Nam Gung Yu Cheong nodded behind me, and Shin So Gyeong clenched her fists as if to cheer him on.

“Ji Cheon Wu, you can do well.”

“Cheon Wu, keep remembering the teachings your mother gave you.”

I saw Ji Cheon Wu going up to the arena. I fell into thought watching his back.

‘We need to change things gradually. It’s fortunate my martial arts opponent forfeited.’

I automatically advanced to the first round of the main tournament. My martial arts opponent was originally someone from the demonic faction.

He was one of the disciples of Dae Ryeok Sin Ma, but he had to urgently return to the demonic faction due to personal circumstances.