麻豆工作室

 The first martial arts tournament he entered after stepping foot into the martial arts world.  

 The romance of exchanging swords with the strong opponent he met there and discussing righteousness and chivalry with them.

 If you were to talk about this Dragon Phoenix Tournament, that opponent would naturally be Namgung Jincheon.

 That was why he couldn’t hold back his anger.

 No, he couldn’t endure the unjustness.

 He wanted to discuss righteousness and chivalry with his opponent, but he was being misunderstood as a child lover by that very person. It was driving him insane.

 “No! I really don’t have such tastes! I like mature and sharp-looking beauties!”  

 When his frustrated cry rang out, the servants who followed Namgung Jincheon started whispering.

 “Sharp and mature…”

 “Doesn’t this sound exactly like the Poison Phoenix…?”

 “He’s gone. Fallen. Totally smitten.”

 At their gossip, Mok Riwon’s face turned bright red.  

 “N-No… That’s not what I meant…!”

 “Oh myyy, look at how red his face is turning.”

 “My goodness…”

 He was so embarrassed he wanted to hang himself in shame.

 But that wasn’t something he could do in someone else’s home.

 His mind was praying that someone would intervene in this situation.

 “Soah, go to your room.”  

 Namgung Jincheon stepped up.

 He handed her over to a servant with his usual emotionless expression and waved his hand back and forth.

 The servants left.

 Namgung Soah was just glancing at Mok Riwon and repeating the words, ‘mature’ and ‘sharp’.

 “S-Sword Dragon! I really don’t have such tastes…!”

 “No need to explain. I don’t care.”  

 He said that and tried turning around to leave.

 “W-Wait!”

 “What is it?”

 “I feel too wronged! I clearly told Soah! I can’t be your husband!”

 “I said I don’t care. Whether you have bizarre tastes or Soah considered you her husband.”

  Freeze–  

 Mok Riwon’s movement stopped.

 His expression began to frown with doubt.

 It was because of the discomfort rising in his head.

 “…Even towards your younger sister? You have no interest in Soah’s matters either?”  

 Perhaps that was the reason.

 They were clearly family with the same blood coursing through their veins, but Namgung Jincheon seemed to have no feelings even towards his own sister.

 No, even looking back on what had happened thus far, it seemed he rarely expressed any form of emotions.

 In the current instance, he looked just like a person whose emotions had all dried up.

 “Do I need to care?”

 Namgung Jincheon’s chilling blue eyes glared at him.

 Mok Riwon scratched his cheek, not knowing how to answer, then hesitantly blurted out.

 “Well… Nonetheless, she’s blood-related, so you can show some interest, can’t you?”

 “Is that a reason?”

 “I believe so. Why not? Don’t they say blood is thicker than water? A hero is someone who protects his family. That’s what I know at least.”

 “I never said I would become a hero.”

 What could those words mean?

 Mok Riwon had such a question.

 His doubts weren’t for trying to figure out the hidden meaning of those words.

 It was just a theoretical question about the sentence itself.

 He was confused.

 “If you aren’t going to become a hero, why are you learning the sword?”

 “Power is a means. The stronger, the better. Especially in this martial world.”

 “…A means for what?”

 “All under heaven.”

 Namgung Jincheon was monotone even while saying that.

 “A means to grasp what I should rightfully have in my hands.”

 Mok Riwon’s eyes slightly widened and then sank.

 His fingertips curled, and his open hand became a fist.

 What he wished to say was filled with disappointment.

 “…You are just sharpening your sword to cut.”

 “All swords exist to cut. Whether it’s life, honor, or status.”

 “There are also swords to protect.”

 “That is a deviation from the purpose of a sword. A sword exists to cut.”

 “The one who wields it is a person. If the person holding the sword desires to protect others, then it can become a sword to protect.”

 “It’s inefficient. If you truly want to protect something, you should hold a shield instead. If not, build an impregnable fortress that none dare to look down upon.”

 “It’s because of that inefficiency that one can become a hero.”

 “I’ll say it again. I never said I would become a hero.”

 Mok Riwon finally understood Namgung Jincheon.

 He was a ruthless person.

 No, he was a heartless person.

 He was a person who made him recall something he had heard from Mok Seon-oh.  

  –A sword lacks judgment. It cannot discern friend from foe, nor tell apart good from evil. A sword only has the will of its wielder.

 The words he had uttered to comfort him after he realized his true nature, the memory of that moment was resurfacing.

  –What does it matter if a sword appears slightly tainted or unsightly in form? If the hand that wields it knows of chivalry and righteousness, is that not enough? Then, would that sword not be considered a hero’s sword?

 If you were to say that the intention of the swordsman determines the will of the sword as Mok Seon-oh said, then his sword would be a heartless sword.

 His values were ones that directly contradicted the values Mok Riwon learned throughout his life.

 Of course, Mok Riwon had no greater authority to argue with him over those teachings.

 If there were a hundred people, then all a hundred of them would have different values.

 However, Mok Riwon still felt regretful.

 “Why do you say those things?”

 It was regretful that Sword Dragon Namgung Jincheon of all people held such values.

 He was born under the Emperor’s Star.

 A name that would rule over this land.

 Still. Mok Riwon couldn’t help but feel regretful that someone who should have overflowing love in his heart for the common folk was so heartless.

 “Sword Dragon, can’t you help others? You have the ability, the status, and the power to do so.”

  Isn’t he different from me?

 Isn’t he someone who is capable of receiving the expectations and blessings of all just because of the star he was born under?

  Isn’t he a man who can make the world more righteous with his blessings?

 “To obtain power for the sake of wielding it… Is that not…”  

 Mok Riwon hesitated, knowing his words would be rude.

 However, he still ended up uttering those words.

 “Is that not exactly the way the Unorthodox Path would think…?”

 Namgung Jincheon’s eyebrows slightly rose.

 “It’s different.”

 “What’s different?”

 “They have no order.”

 He continued as if stating an obvious fact, without showing even a speck of change in his emotions.  

 “They have no order. However, I do. I can establish my will under an unshakable order, so what I will achieve is an ideal Orthodox Path.”

 Only now did Mok Riwon realize.  

 ‘Ah…’  

 Words wouldn’t get through to this man.

 This man was truly arrogant and firm, with no gaps in him.

 But there was one fortunate thing.

  Clench– 

 His hands rolled up into a fist, and his mouth hardened into a straight line.

 Looking at Namgung Jincheon with a determined will, he said.

 “…Then Sword Dragon, you must prove it.”

 “Prove? It’s not something necessary for me.”

 “No. You must. To none other than me.” 

 Namgung Jincheon examined his expression.

 Because he had never heard such words before, a foreign feeling was rising within him.

 “Prove what?”

 “That your ideal is truly right, that you are someone who is worthy of saying such things.”

 Mok Riwon’s qi leaked out, along with his uncontrollable emotions.

 “This is the martial world. Therefore, Sword Dragon, you must prove your qualifications to me through strength.”

 “It won’t be difficult.”

 “It will be difficult.”

 Mok Riwon gauged. The difference between them, how far behind his inner cultivation was, the skills he had seen so far, and also the moves he had yet to show.

 A smile formed on his lips.

 ‘There’s a scene that comes to mind.’

 This argument reminded him of a certain scene from the book that influenced his life.

 He felt very pleased.

 “In Chapter 1 of Tales of the Martial Heroes, the protagonist Sword Hero said.”

 The protagonist of the first chapter had an overwhelming popularity even in the non-mainstream book called Tales of the Martial Heroes.

 He said this while giving a lesson to an arrogant martial artist.  

 “Those who think of trials lightly cannot become true martial artists.”  

 Who Mok Riwon loved the most was the Demonic Hero.

 That great will overcame even his own nature to uphold chivalry.  

 But it was fine to be different now.

 Mok Riwon wanted to be a trial that would teach chivalry to a man who would shine brighter than anyone else.

 “…How arrogant.”

 Namgung Jincheon responded that way, but he didn’t have a displeased expression.  

 “However, I look forward to it.”  

 He was merely expression his own pleasure at a kind of provocation he had never experienced before in his life.

 “Try to endure for three seconds.”

 With that, he turned around and left.

* * *

 “Did something happen?”

 In the quarters of the courtyard house, Tang Hwa-seo asked him upon seeing that his expression was different from usual.

 “Hm! No. I just met the Sword Dragon for a while!”

 “The Sword Dragon? What kind of conversation did you have?”

 “It was about the upcoming match.”  

 Tang Hwa-seo was surprised.

 Not about Mok Riwon, but the fact that Namgung Jincheon would even engage in such talks.

 “Did he talk about those things? That’s strange. I have never seen him have a conversation about a match even once.”

 “Well… It was a one-sided conversation.”

 When Mok Riwon smiled awkwardly, Tang Hwa-seo made an ‘Ah’ sound and chuckled.

 ‘Somehow I can picture it.’

 She imagined this sociable man clinging onto Namgung Jincheon and chattering away without end.

 “You didn’t cause him any trouble, right?”

 Mok Riwon flinched.

  -Is that not exactly the way the Unorthodox Path would think…?

 The words he said in the heat of the moment. It was clearly an insult.  

 Tang Hwa-seo’s eyes narrowed.

 So Mok Riwon, startled, began shaking his head vigorously.  

 “I-It wasn’t that big of a mistake! The Sword Dragon didn’t get too angry at my words either!”

 “Not that he didn’t express his anger?”

 “…”  

 In fact, he had the feeling that might be the case and broke out in a cold sweat.

 Tang Hwa-seo sighed.  

 “Reflect on it. And make sure to apologize.”

 “Understood…”

 Mok Riwon became sulky.

 She thought he looked like a scolded puppy, so she stroked his head while giggling and asked.

 “So are the preparations for your match going well?”

 “As always!”

 “That’s a relief. I hope you achieve a good result in the match.”

 “I will. I believe I will win.”

 “Confidence is good, but…”

 “It’s certainty.”

 Tang Hwa-seo blinked.

 Then, Mok Riwon asserted with his signature radiant smile.

 “The Sword Dragon cannot defeat me.”

 Tang Hwa-seo’s lips quivered, not knowing how to respond to him.

 Confidence was good of course.

 His spirit to smile before the match ahead of him was nice to see, very much like Mok Riwon.

 However, wasn’t there a difference in level?

 Namgung Jincheon had reached the Pinnacle of the Peak Realm.

 The inner qi he possessed was already at the level of a decent Supreme Realm martial artist.

 Compared to that, Mok Riwon was at the first cycle, which was average among Peak Realm martial artists.

 His swordsmanship was excellent without a doubt, but in terms of delicacy and explosive power of his qi wave, it was true he was far behind Namgung Jincheon.

 Thus, Tang Hwa-seo asked.

 “…Why are you so certain?”

 Mok Riwon felt her hand that was stroking his head stop and noticed the worry in her eyes.

 So he smiled brightly enough for her not to worry and said.

 “I will never lose to someone who is not a hero.”

 The answer he gave was, as expected, very much like him.

 It was funny in a way.

 A strange situation occurred where both sides entering the match were convinced of their own victory.

 But in the end, a match ultimately had a winner, and a loser.

 A week passed like that.

 And the last match of the Dragon Phoenix Tournament, in which no one was certain of the outcome, began.

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