After finishing her match, Tang Sowol only bothered to retrieve the fallen hidden weapons before heading straight back to our seats in the audience stand.

Then, she pushed aside Tang Jincheon’s seat and claimed the spot next to me, planting her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest.

“Ahem!”

Her eyes curved into a mischievous crescent, as if savoring what’s to come. Her lips twitched, like she wanted to say more but was holding it in. Her chin tilted upward—not in arrogance, but in playfulness.

With her hands at her waist, she naturally leaned her upper body toward me. Maybe because of that, or perhaps the curve beneath her generously cut martial robe, I found my eyes drawn in despite myself.

Did she notice I’d been momentarily distracted? She slowly cracked open her eyes again and spoke once more.

“Ahem!”

“What the…”

I gave a short, incredulous laugh and clapped my hands loudly, making sure she noticed.

“More praise, please!”

“I knew your poison arts were remarkable, but I didn’t expect your hidden weapon techniques to be at this level.”

“More~!”

“This was your first official match in the main tournament, and yet you elevated the Tang Clan’s prestige in front of countless spectators at the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. The baseless rumors that followed your inactivity should end here.”

“Mm… Not bad, but something’s still missing.”

Tang Sowol tilted her head, arms still at her waist.

Her once neatly tied hair had loosened slightly from her earlier movements, and a few stray strands danced about.

As I watched, a sudden thought popped out of my mouth.

“As expected, my fiancée is the best?”

“Hiya! That’s it! I knew it! I’m the best for you, right? Yup, I knew it!”

Euskeuk, euskeuk.

She wriggled her shoulders in joy, happier than when she actually won her match.

Meanwhile, Tang Jincheon, bumped one seat over, looked sour watching the exchange.

And across from us, Seo Mun-Hwarin’s eyes started to cloud with gloom.

Tang Jincheon’s reaction made sense, but why was Seo Mun-Hwarin affected?

As I blinked in confusion, Tang Sowol leaned even closer toward me.

Her upper body naturally pressed against my abdomen. The soft, yet weighty sensation left me frozen, barely able to breathe.

But she didn’t seem to notice at all. Instead, she reached out and grabbed Seo Mun-Hwarin’s hand, shaking it excitedly.

“Sister Hwarin! You saw, right?! What did you think?!”

“Eh, uh, what?”

Flustered, Seo Mun-Hwarin made odd noises before clearing her throat.

“Kuh-hum. Of course I saw. The true strength of the Tang Clan is shown in life-and-death battles. In a regulated match like this, one is bound by many restrictions, so I had little expectation. But... You far exceeded my imagination.”

“Hehe, thank you, Sister Hwarin.”

Tang Sowol smiled sweetly at her fluent, seemingly rehearsed answer, patted the small hand she held, and then pulled back.

Ever since the three of them—Tang Sowol, Seo Mun-Hwarin, and Seol Lihyang—had a private talk some time ago, their dynamic had shifted slightly.

No matter how many times I asked, they wouldn’t tell me what they discussed, which irked me a little…

Still, their relationship didn’t seem worse. In fact, it might’ve gotten better.

Even if there was some awkwardness, it was probably a good change.

I nodded to myself in thought, but then, perhaps because that soft pressure on my stomach vanished, I felt a sudden emptiness and awkwardly swallowed.

To distract myself, I brought up something else.

“Anyway, it’s almost Seol Lihyang’s turn. You said her opponent, Lady Wei Ji-Su-Lian, is a friend of yours, right? Could you tell me what kind of person she is?”

Tang Sowol puffed her cheeks and said nothing.

I mentally reviewed what I said and corrected myself.

“…Could you tell me what kind of martial arts Lady Wei Ji-Su-Lian, your friend, uses?”

“Puhuh.”

Finally deflating her cheeks, Tang Sowol nodded.

“Well, I don’t know Su-ryeon’s martial skills in detail either.

I tried to visit her while I was traveling through Shaanxi Province, but due to some incident, I ended up staying at the Zhongnan Sect for a while before returning home.”

“Right, I remember.”

“After that, we only exchanged letters. When I arrived in Wuhuan City, our schedules didn’t align, so we couldn’t meet… Oh! I did see her briefly when you were kidnapped, but I was pretending to be heartbroken—er, I was heartbroken—so we didn’t talk much.”

“I… I see.”

Hearing it laid out like that, I felt guilty for being so reckless back then.

I took her hand in mine to convey both thanks and apology—

“Mm. Hm-hm. Hm-hm.”

—but Tang Jincheon had been glaring at us from earlier, so instead, I gently brushed the back of her hand.

Thankfully, Tang Sowol seemed content with even that, letting out a giggle with crescent-moon eyes.

“Fufu. Once the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering settles down, I’ll set up that proper meeting we discussed, so don’t worry. Also, while I don’t know the details of her martial arts, I’ve got a general idea.”

“A general idea?”

“Yes~ I’ve seen her briefly, heard some rumors, and now that my level’s higher, my energy sensitivity has improved too.”

With that, Tang Sowol turned her eyes toward the arena, where the next match was nearly ready.

“Her level is first-class… but she feels like she’s already half a step into the Peak Stage.”

“She’s said to be among the top juniors of the Huashan Sect.

If she’s being called that, it’s only natural.”

Generally, reaching first-class before the age of twenty is enough to be called a prodigy.

Reaching the Peak Stage before thirty marks you as a genius.

Of course, within the Nine Great Sects or the Five Supreme Clans, with excellent martial arts and ample support, such geniuses appear at least once every generation.

Tang Sowol had reached the cusp of first-class around age twenty, and attained Peak Stage at twenty-three.

Her older brother Tang Cheong reached Peak Stage even before thirty, and though he wasn’t as talented as Sowol,

with continued training, he’d likely reach Flowering Stage like Tang Jincheon eventually.

That would mark a true generational shift for the Tang Clan.

Anyway, if Wei Ji-Su-Lian was one of Huashan’s top juniors, then nearing Peak Stage wouldn’t be strange.

She must have long surpassed Seol Lihyang’s current level.

“I just hope Lihyang doesn’t get too discouraged.”

“Hmm? Ohh… so that’s what you’re worried about, Young Lord Cheon?”

Tang Sowol blinked wide-eyed in amusement, then chuckled.

“Lihyang isn’t as weak as you think. Sure, it’ll be hard for her to win. But—”

She turned to look toward the arena.

Indeed, the referee was calling the names of Seol Lihyang and Wei Ji-Su-Lian.

From here, I could see Seol Lihyang stepping onto the arena, her face tense as she took a deep breath.

Opposite her, Wei Ji-Su-Lian waved confidently toward her fellow Huashan disciples with a relaxed expression.

Two starkly contrasting figures.

Yet perhaps Tang Sowol saw something different, for she rested her chin on her hand and murmured quietly.

“She won’t break that easily. Win or lose, she’ll show us something.”

“I’d be relieved if she doesn’t lose heart.”

“Yes. And this part is the most important—”

Tang Sowol leaned in and whispered directly into my ear:

“Both I and Lihyang… if we show something unexpected at this Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, it’s all to show you.”

As I flinched, she pulled back and smiled brightly.

At the same moment, Seol Lihyang and Wei Ji-Su-Lian exchanged formal salutes atop the arena.

“Ah! No wonder she looked familiar. You were the swordswoman with Sowol back then, weren’t you?”

“Ah, yes! That’s right. I’m Seol Lihyang.”

“Oh my~ I’m Wei Ji-Su-Lian, eleventh-generation disciple of the Huashan Sect. Whatever the outcome, let’s make this a duel without regrets!”

Wei Ji-Su-Lian bowed with a flawless, radiant smile.

Seol Lihyang returned the gesture, but her expression was far from calm.

‘She said she’s a friend of Tang Sowol… right?’

Tied neatly into one braid, her black hair framed her fair face.

Her robe, in shades of white and red, bore elegant plum blossom embroidery on the sleeves.

And her gentle voice and composed confidence only added to her aura.

To Seol Lihyang, Wei Ji-Su-Lian was a graceful person.

But not just graceful.

Now that her Pure Yin Physique had begun to awaken through proper training, Seol Lihyang, gifted in internal energy control, could sense it—

The sharp edge hidden beneath Wei Ji-Su-Lian’s soft demeanor.

‘Not quite on par with Tang Sowol… but she must be strong.’

A beautiful and strong woman.

They say friends resemble each other—and Wei Ji-Su-Lian was very similar to the Tang Sowol that Seol Lihyang had admired and aspired to catch up with.

And now, Seol Lihyang was standing across from her on the martial arena.

‘I know. If we fight… I’ll lose.’

She hadn’t been slacking these past three years.

Fainting from exhaustion was a daily occurrence. Her hands never went long without blisters.

Though she hated to admit it, if it weren’t for Cheon Hwi-da’s persistent pushing, she might’ve given up long ago.

But her opponent would’ve gone through even more.

What Seol Lihyang had learned from her master, the Dark Soul Unit Leader, wasn’t something that could be mastered quickly.

Time, effort, discipline—that’s what training was.

The weight of Wei Ji-Su-Lian’s accumulated training from childhood surely exceeded Seol Lihyang’s three years by far.

‘But…’

After saluting, Seol Lihyang briefly raised her head.

Even among the vast crowd, there were two faces she could clearly see—

Cheon Hwi-da with his usual stoic look, and Tang Sowol offering a faint, encouraging smile.

‘I have to show them.’

That she’d grown this much since they helped her.

That even if she’s lacking now, she’ll repay them with more than what she received—someday.

If that time comes…

Swallowing the rest of her thoughts, Seol Lihyang took her stance.

One foot forward, the other sideways behind.

She unraveled the whip from her waist, letting it hang loosely, gripping the handle tight.

It was the most fundamental stance—ready to strike, move in any direction.

Wei Ji-Su-Lian also pointed her sword toward Seol Lihyang with relaxed grace, assuming her posture.

And then—

Ding!

The bell rang, announcing the start of the duel.

And with it, a cold, biting chill surged through Seol Lihyang’s meridians.