Chapter 152
I wanted to seize Yang Gyojin by the scruff of the neck and drag her down immediately, but this was hardly a situation I could barge into.
I tapped Yeon Ryang’s shoulder, stamping my feet in agitation.
“Brother, I think she’s lost her mind.”
“Hmm. I’ve never met anyone who defied every expectation quite so thoroughly. Still, if she wants experience, there are few better choices than a martial tournament.”
Yeon Ryang’s unruffled murmur made my insides churn.
That wasn’t the problem! Why was she competing in a tournament to choose a husband?
What in the world had she been doing to end up on that platform?
While I stood there speechless and sputtering, the spectators, who had no idea who Yang Gyojin really was, whistled and cheered.
“Cut him down!”
“Smash him to pieces!”
The atmosphere was so heated that I wondered whether money had changed hands.
Wasn’t this supposed to be a tournament to choose a husband? Apparently no one cared who became the family’s son-in-law. They had simply gathered to watch people fight.
Noticing my anxiety, Yeon Ryang gave me a gentle pat to calm me down.
“Nothing will happen. From the looks of it, she climbed up there because she was bored. Once she gets a little exercise, she’ll be satisfied and come back down. We can make her withdraw afterward.”
“That’s what we’ll do. Judging by this, we can’t leave her alone.”
Swallowing a sigh, I glared at Yang Gyojin.
She twirled her sword with a mischievous expression, then settled into an opening stance.
Her opponent was a somewhat older swordsman.
He appeared to be in his late thirties. The many small scars on his face suggested that he had considerable experience in real combat.
“I do not know who that young hero is, but it is unfortunate that his first opponent should be the great martial artist Feng. There is no one in all of Yueyang who can rival him.”
“You never know. You cannot judge a man’s true measure until you put him to the test. That young hero may be a skilled outsider.”
“Ahem. Did you wager on him?”
“I decided to gamble. I believe his name was Young Hero Yang. The odds were fifteen to one.”
After listening to the spectators, Yeon Ryang spoke with a hint of regret.
“Hmm. Perhaps we should have placed a wager too.”
“...Please don’t, Brother.”
We were supposed to stop her, not bet on her.
The boisterous crowd fell silent as if by prior agreement when the other swordsman also assumed his opening stance.
A moment later, Yang Gyojin’s sword collided with the man’s.
CLANG!
Sparks flew. Yang Gyojin took one step back and smoothly deflected the man’s blade.
“You’re not bad.”
The man muttered under his breath, scowled, and swung his sword fiercely.
His heavy blade hurtled toward Yang Gyojin’s chest.
“Ugh! So rough!”
Letting out a frivolous shriek, Yang Gyojin dodged lightly and soared into the air. Her movements were as nimble as a swallow skimming across water.
I stared at her as if entranced.
Perhaps it was because I was finally seeing the techniques we had only discussed in words, but the path of her sword was vividly clear to me.
Will she bend the tip of her sword next? Oh, she did!
As I snorted excitedly and focused on the match, Yeon Ryang chuckled.
“Water.”
“Water?”
“Yeah. Heir Apparent Yang’s sword is as fluid as water.”
Mindful of the people around us, Yeon Ryang had changed how he addressed her.
“It suits her temperament. Water can become anything. It can be a gentle stream, a crashing waterfall, or a raging wave that overturns ships.”
“She does seem skilled at changing her sword’s nature. But when you say it suits her temperament, don’t you just mean she does whatever she feels like doing?”
“Exactly. It’s an interesting sword.”
Yeon Ryang chuckled in agreement. He might not have been particularly interested in Yang Gyojin herself, but her sword clearly fascinated him.
When Yang Gyojin received the man’s attacks without yielding an inch, someone shouted in admiration.
“They’re evenly matched!”
“Not at all.”
Yeon Ryang shook his head. It did not look even to me either.
The man’s large, heavy movements merely made it appear as though he was driving Yang Gyojin back. In reality, she was plainly toying with him.
The man seemed to realize he was at a disadvantage. Breathing heavily, he began swinging his sword wildly, yet his blade could not even touch the hem of Yang Gyojin’s clothes.
“You slippery little loach!”
Unable to contain his fury, the man cursed and imbued his sword with killing intent.
Several spectators sensed it and gasped.
Revealing killing intent during a spar went beyond discourtesy. If his opponent took his life in response, he would have no grounds for complaint.
At that moment, Yang Gyojin’s previously tranquil energy changed abruptly.
“S-Sword energy!”
“It’s sword energy!”
Water-colored sword energy surged from Yang Gyojin’s blade, prompting cheers from every direction.
Yang Gyojin grinned at the crowd’s excitement, and her hair billowed dramatically despite the complete lack of wind.
...Was she using internal energy just to look impressive? She certainly had energy to spare.
Could I do that too?
Curious, I gathered internal energy around my head, but my hair refused to billow as naturally as hers.
As I smacked my lips and fiddled with my hair, Yeon Ryang chuckled and whispered, “There’s a trick to it. I’ll teach you later.”
“You can do that too, Brother?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing special. You just shake your energy out like you’re flicking water off vegetables after washing them.”
“What does that even mean? I don’t understand at all.”
I turned my attention back to the platform—and stared in horror.
Yang Gyojin’s sword appeared to slash toward her opponent’s neck, only to slice cleanly through his hair instead.
The gesture practically declared that she could have cut off his head but had chosen to show mercy. My knees went weak just watching it.
It seemed that having a killing blade aimed at her had irritated her after all.
Only then did the man recognize the gulf between their abilities. He planted his sword in the floor.
“...I concede.”
He appeared to have suffered an internal injury. His face was filled with resentment as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
At his declaration of defeat, the referee, who had been pacing anxiously beneath the platform, struck the great gong again.
CLAAANG!
“Gyojin of the Yang Family Estate wins!”
“WAAAAAH!”
Evidently delighted by the thunderous applause and cheers, Yang Gyojin spent quite some time waving at the spectators before hopping down from the platform.
She perched beneath the dais and looked toward the next prospective challenger, apparently intending to watch the following match.
But no one climbed onto the platform.
After a renowned Yueyang martial artist was utterly demolished in the very first match, the frightened competitors hurriedly withdrew.
Perhaps I expected too much. I knew it wouldn’t compare to a tournament filled with promising young talents from the Nine Great Sects, but I thought it would at least be entertaining. That was nothing.
The spectators also grumbled and began leaving after the match ended so quickly.
I pushed through the dispersing crowd, approached the platform, and called Yang Gyojin in a low voice.
“Yang Gyojin! Yang Gyojin!”
“Oh, you’re here?”
Yang Gyojin spotted me and approached with an innocent smile, waving cheerfully. I hurried over and grabbed her shoulders.
“What happened to you? You vanished without a word! Why are you here?”
“Sohae, the young lady of this family bought me braised lamb ribs. I ate five plates.”
“Hey! You followed a stranger because she offered you food? What are you, a dog? Even a dog knows better than to follow strangers!”
Overcome with frustration, I smacked her on the back. Yang Gyojin shrieked and hurriedly defended herself.
“B-But she said she’d feed me and give me a place to sleep.”
“Of course she did! Did you think they’d gather potential husbands here and refuse to feed or house them?”
“O-Ow! My back! My back!”
Yang Gyojin writhed dramatically. Her cries drew the attention of those nearby. I flinched and glanced around, then seized her arm and dragged her somewhere more secluded.
“Ow! Aagh! That hurts! Sohae! Ow!”
“Yang Gyojin, do you even understand what you’ve done? Withdraw right now!”
Yang Gyojin struggled with tears welling in her eyes, then muttered dejectedly, “I-I can’t withdraw.”
“Why not?”
“I made a promise to the young lady of this family. I promised I’d win and marry her.”
“You promised to do what?”
“To win and marry the young lady of this family.”
“...”
Yeon Ryang, who had been watching quietly, shook his head.
“Good grief. She truly is hopeless.”
My mind went blank at this utter departure from common sense. I did not even know where to begin.
Seeing the pure innocence in Yang Gyojin’s eyes, it seemed that she was acting out of genuine kindness, which made it difficult to rebuke her.
Estate Head Yang... How could you send someone like this out of the house? I could honestly cry...
Part of me understood why her mother had driven her out. At the same time, releasing someone like this into the world seemed downright irresponsible.
Struggling not to raise my voice, I said, “Absolutely not, Yang Gyojin. Stop talking nonsense and withdraw. You can’t become a live-in son-in-law in the first place. You’re committing fraud right now—marriage fraud. If you actually win, you’ll cause trouble for both yourself and your family. How do you plan to deal with the consequences?”
“I told you, I already made a promise. Besides, the young lady here knows I’m a woman.”
“Break the promise. This isn’t something you can afford to be stubborn ab—What? She knows? Then why did she tell you to win?”
Just as I jumped in shock and demanded an explanation, I sensed someone approaching us.
I closed my mouth and slowly steadied my breathing.
Yeon Ryang raised a hand to his forehead, looked over the wall, and shrugged.
“It seems the lady at the center of this marriage tournament has arrived.”
Just as he said, a young woman in a red palace gown was approaching with graceful steps. A girl who appeared to be her personal maid and a guard accompanied her.
“Miryeo!”
Yang Gyojin waved happily, then whispered to me, “That’s her. She’s the young lady who bought me braised lamb ribs.”
Frowning, I glared at the Braised-Lamb-Ribs Lady.
I resented her for whatever remarkable trickery she had used to coax this fool into participating in her deception.
Even under my openly wary gaze, the Braised-Lamb-Ribs Lady remained perfectly composed.
“Are these the companions you mentioned at the inn?”
“Yeah. This is Sohae, my benefactor.”
“I am Jang Miryeo of the Golden Dragon Trading Company.”
Jang Miryeo’s red lips curved into a languid smile as she looked at me.