Seolhwa calmly gazed at the astonished face of the Red Dragon Squad Leader. The expression, as if he had not expected her to come at all, was quite to her liking.
“Na, Namgung Seolhwa…?”
“You should call me Young Lady. How dare you.”
Seolhwa's eyes glinted with killing intent under the darkness. The thick killing intent that rose up flowed like a snake and coiled around the Red Dragon Squad Leader's neck. The Red Dragon Squad Leader's legs gave out, and he staggered back without realizing it.
But he was soon blocked by a wall and slumped to the ground.
“Wh, what brings, brings you here…?”
“I hear you've been up to some interesting things.”
Seolhwa walked step by step toward the slumped Red Dragon Squad Leader. As she drew closer, the ever-thickening killing intent choked him, and the Red Dragon Squad Leader began to gasp for breath. The Red Dragon Squad Leader hastily stretched out his hand and shouted.
“I-Is it because of the Red Dragon 11th Squad? Th-that was unavoidable! For squad members to fight within the family grounds! It wasn't a sparring match, and such things must be properly punished to maintain order in the martial division…!”
The corner of Seolhwa's mouth twisted into a sardonic smile.
“Do you think I came looking for you over something so trivial?”
At this time of night. And so secretly. As Seolhwa's figure was fully revealed from the shadows, the red energy shimmering around her like a heat haze appeared even thicker.
Seolhwa recited the list of crimes the three Outer Hall brothers had investigated about the Red Dragon Squad Leader.
“Using a Unorthodox Path Sect to bleed the merchants traveling to and from Hefei dry, and not only that, you brought those Unorthodox Path bastards you used into the Namgung as squad members, and took bribes to arbitrarily evaluate the skill of your members.”
“…!”
“There's more besides this. Should I recite the rest?”
“Wh-what is that… I-I know nothing about it!”
“For someone who knows nothing, you have a terrified expression.”
Seolhwa grabbed the Red Dragon Squad Leader's chin and lifted it. His eyes flickered like a lantern in the wind.
“Wh-what do you want from me…?”
“What I want… well…”
If I had to say, I want fear. But that was something I sought only when I was in the Blood Sect.
“That is for you to figure out.”
In the Namgung, there must be a way befitting the Namgung.
“Red Dragon Squad Leader. Namgung Suhak. Cousin to the Red Dragon Unit Leader, Namgung Jangyang. Since Namgung Jangyang is my twelfth cousin. You and I are…”
Seolhwa shrugged her shoulders.
“No different from strangers, are we?”
Seolhwa's killing intent intensified. The Red Dragon Squad Leader's teeth chattered. Though he was a Unit Leader of the Outer Hall's martial division, he had never in his life faced such a thick and suffocating killing intent.
“If I were to kill you here, who would remember you?”
He had only ever reigned over his squad members as a martial unit leader; the Outer Hall's martial division never took on dangerous missions. Common sense dictated that a Namgung young lady couldn't possibly commit murder on a whim, but his mind, frozen with fear, was incapable of even such basic judgment.
“…P-please, sp-spare me…”
“I could spare you, yes. We do share the same surname, after all.”
Seolhwa firmly stomped on the Namgung unit leader's ankle.
“But, you see.”
As she put force into her foot, the Red Dragon Squad Leader's face turned pale.
“N-no…!”
Seolhwa sealed his mute acupoints. Tears streamed down from the Red Dragon Squad Leader's terror-filled eyes.
“After breaking another's wings, let's not be stingy about a mere ankle.”
The corners of Seolhwa's lips curled into a grin.
“…!”
“Young Lady!”
The one who colored the early morning with commotion was not Yeoyul, but Ryeong. Today was the day of the first selection for the Inner Hall members. Seolhwa, who had finished her dawn training in her private training ground instead of with the squad members and was now washing up and dressing, turned toward the door.
For a moment, a clattering sound was heard from beyond the door, followed by Ryeong's agitated voice.
“Young Lady! It's been lifted! They've lifted the ban so they can apply for the selection!”
Her voice was brimming with emotion. Seolhwa, who was adjusting her collar, smiled. The Heavenly Martial Tournament has begun.
Kaang—!
A vein popped on Namgung Jipyeong's forehead.
“Kkeueueueu…”
As he pushed his sword with force, a look of bewilderment spread across his opponent's face. The opponent's eyes darted between Namgung Jipyeong's face and legs.
‘Wh-what is this monstrous strength…!’
There isn't a single Red Dragon Squad member who doesn't know what kind of squad the Red Dragon 11th Squad is. They were men whose martial strength was great, but who stagnated, unable to advance due to a lack of backing.
A squad that exists for those who try to climb higher a few times, but upon realizing the invisible wall, leave the Namgung of their own accord. Among them, Namgung Jipyeong was not just stagnant water, but rotten water.
Many had seen the Red Dragon Squad Leaders troubled by him, who refused to leave on his own two feet even after realizing the truth.
‘I heard he hasn't even been training properly lately…!’
This promotion was an important opportunity not only for himself but also for his merchant caravan, which wished to form a connection with the Namgung. The amount of money he'd spent for this! It was supposed to be arranged for me to advance this time…!
I even took an elixir for it…!
‘And yet I'm being pushed back? My strength…?’
His sword was being pushed back. He could no longer withstand Namgung Jipyeong's strength.
‘I can't let this continue!’
Kwaak—!
In his urgency, the Red Dragon 12th Squad member stomped on Namgung Jipyeong's foot.
However.
“A hundred pounds! A hundred pounds! A hundred pounds! A hundred pounds! A total of four hundred pounds!”
“…?”
What is he saying?
“I endured four hundred pounds, you think I can't handle your little foot trick?!”
Thump.
The strength that had endured four hundred pounds was channeled into Namgung Jipyeong's leg. In that moment, the 12th Squad member mistakenly thought his body had turned into hard rock. At the same time.
“Uwaaaaaaah!”
“Aaargh!”
Whoooosh— The 12th Squad member's body flew through the air. He wasn't just pushed over by the force pushing back his clashing sword and the force shaking off the stomped foot; he was sent flying. With a series of thuds, the 12th Squad member's body rolled across the sparring ground.
Soon, he shuddered from the impact and let out a pained groan.
“Ha… haa… ha…”
Namgung Jipyeong, who was catching his breath while looking at the whimpering 12th Squad member, suddenly felt a thrilling sensation.
‘…I won.’
And so easily at that. He had won against opponents in the first selection before, but never this easily, this overwhelmingly. The thrill was so intense it made his head tingle.
This, this victory is truly…
‘Too easy…!’
It felt like all his past training was rewarded in a single moment. Just as Namgung Jipyeong, filled with an unbearable surge of emotion, was about to let out a triumphant roar…
“Namgung Jipyeong. Disqualified.”
“…!”
The judgment struck his ears like a bolt from the blue. Namgung Jipyeong, who had been in the middle of clenching his fists to raise his hands in victory, stared blankly at the judges' seats. In that instant, he sensed that his victory was once again being thrown to the ground.
“Namgung Jipyeong of the Red Dragon 11th Squad. Were you told to cross swords, or to show off your strength?”
The Red Dragon Squad Leader's voice, as he said this, was filled with ridicule. The indifferent expressions of the five Unit Leaders were also crystal clear to see.
“When on earth are you going to show us some proper swordplay? It seems you've been stuck in the 11th squad for quite a while.”
“Keuk, I see. No wonder his face looked familiar. Is this what they call a beggar's persistence?”
“Hey now, a beggar's persistence? What kind of thing is that to say to someone who's trying his best? Well, he does seem a bit foolish, though.”
The Unit Leaders chuckled, exchanging words that belittled Namgung Jipyeong. Among the laughter, the one who seemed most pleased was none other than the leader of the Red Dragon Squad, to which Jipyeong belonged. With one leg wrapped thickly in bandages, he sneered at Namgung Jipyeong with a more vile expression than anyone else.
‘Even the Namgung's Young Lady has no power inside this sparring ground.’
Unable to withstand Namgung Seolhwa's threat, he had lifted the confinement order on the Red Dragon 11th Squad. However, he couldn't just hand over the position of an Inner Hall warrior so easily.
‘If some undeserving fool becomes an Inner Hall warrior, how can I face that person.’
If he fell out of favor with that person, it wouldn't end with just a broken leg. Not only would he be kicked out of his position as Unit Leader, but he could also be secretly killed for knowing too many secrets.
‘First, I have to survive.’
The Red Dragon Squad Leader immediately changed the first selection sparring match to a private one, restricting entry to the sparring ground to only the five Unit Leaders and the two warriors competing. No matter if she was from the Namgung direct line, she couldn't just barge into a private sparring match.
‘Unless the Family Head himself comes, the outcome of the sparring matches in this ground is in our hands!’
“Know your place! No, well, it does take some people a long time to realize their place, indeed! Those without skill are always persistent, indeed! Hahaha!”
Every single word the Unit Leaders exchanged with laughter stabbed at Jipyeong's heart. Even though he had pushed through with strength at the end, it wasn't as if he hadn't crossed swords at all. And this sparring match was meant to judge strength and weakness, not just ‘sword skills’ alone.
‘Again.’
Jipyeong's hand gripping the sword tightened so much that veins bulged. This time, he had worked so hard he could have coughed up blood, he was confident, and the result was overwhelming.
‘I knew it, it's impossible. For me…’
The Young Lady had used her influence to lift the ban that had even prevented him from applying. Yet this time, the result was the same. Jipyeong simply felt sorry toward Seolhwa, who had believed in him and helped him grow steadfastly.
‘This time, I'll really leave the Namgung.’
There's no longer any reason to stay here.
Just then.
The sound of clapping—clap, clap, clap—was heard from somewhere. Namgung Jipyeong, the Unit Leaders, and even the 12th Squad member lying on the sparring ground floor all looked toward the source of the sound.
‘Who is it? No one should be able to enter.’
The Red Dragon Squad Leader also turned his head with a chilling sensation.
“So there was such a fine talent hidden in the Outer Hall.”
They all rose from their seats in astonishment and clasped their fists in a salute.
“We greet the Family Head!”