I dodged the attack. The instant I slipped away by a hair, I widened my eyes.

“What the hell are you doing?”

A sudden burst of offense. If I’d been even a little slower, I would’ve been cut.

I narrowed my eyes and demanded an answer from Yuyeon, but—

SHHRIIIK—!!

Instead of a reply, the sword came flying in again.

ZZZT—!

Sensation surged up from my dantian.

Heat flared in my eyes.

The Moon-Thread Sword Path. My Moon Eyes decided to flex on their own.

GRIP—!

I dodged Yuyeon’s sword again. In that moment—

‘Huh.’

The routes my Moon Eyes showed me multiplied to a frightening degree.

‘How many?’

How many possibilities was that? This many was a first.

And—

‘None of them stand out.’

The most likely line should’ve been brighter than the rest, thicker than the rest.

But there was nothing like that.

‘They’re... uniform?’

How could they look that steady and identical?

It was disorienting as hell.

That was why. Because I froze for a split second, I realized too late.

THUD—!

By the time I noticed, Yuyeon was already in my space—

and her kick slammed into my chest, bouncing my body back.

BOOM—!!

“Kgh!”

KRRRUNCH—!!!

I got shoved straight out of the quarters, and I had to roll with everything I had.

I tumbled twice, tried to get up—

and then.

CHILL—!

Something snagged in my senses.

I lifted my gaze.

‘What is it?’

I tried to see what was flying at me, but—

it was already too late.

Slide.

“......”

Yuyeon’s sword was already resting against my throat.

[ Tsk tsk.... ]

With Yoo Cheongil’s tongue-click, the light vanished.

Yuyeon was standing in front of me, blocking the sun as she looked down at me.

“......What are you doing?”

What kind of situation was this?

I couldn’t understand it, so I asked Yuyeon, but—

“......”

Of course no answer came. And not long after, Seongheon answered in her place.

“Long ago. I made a wager with your master.”

“......A wager?”

“You’ve never heard of it?”

“......”

No. I haven’t.

I flicked my eyes toward Yoo Cheongil.

[ ......A wager? ]

Even that old man looked like he didn’t know wha—

[ Ah. ]

‘...You’ve gotta be kidding me.’

Like it finally hit him, he lightly clapped his hands. Is he insane?

What wager did he make?

‘You did something like that and never told me?’

And you forgot?

I was going to lose my mind.

“......What kind of wager is this, exactly?”

I ignored Yoo Cheongil and asked Seongheon.

“It’s nothing much. Kid, it’s what we said when we exchanged that sacred item you mentioned.”

“......You made a wager back then?”

You swapped it, forgot, and now you’re pulling this?

[ ......Ahem. ]

Like he’d realized something, he kept coughing into his fist. That crazy malicious ghost, seriously?

“Yes.”

“What—”

“When we raised disciples someday, we’d make the two spar, and whoever won would take everything.”

“......”

“That was the wager.”

“......”

I went blank. The contents were so childish and stupid I didn’t even have words.

Make disciples fight, and the winner takes all the sacred items?

What kind of bullshit wager is that?

Are you serious? Is this real?

I stared at Yoo Cheongil like that.

[ ......Heh heh heh.... ]

He tried to smooth it over with laughter. So it was true. Damn it.

‘What kind of dogshit is this.’

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even laugh.

“......So I lost just now.”

“That isn’t quite it.”

Seongheon smiled.

“This was only this old man’s bad-tempered prank. No matter how I looked at it, you seemed like you didn’t know.... And even aside from that.”

Slurp.

Seongheon took a sip of tea.

“Yoo Cheongil. I didn’t think that man would remember this.”

“......”

[ ...... ]

Painfully accurate.

“You can choose whether to believe there was such a wager. But those words were truly spoken.”

“......It’s my first time hearing it, but I believe you.”

“Oh? That’s a relief.”

Seongheon set the teacup down and spoke to me.

“Then what will you do? Will you draw your sword again to fulfill the wager?”

“Honestly, I’d need to think about that.”

Tap, tap.

I nudged Yuyeon’s sword aside and stood. I had to dust myself off after rolling on the ground.

“Why? Not confident?”

Maybe he was trying to provoke me, but—

unfortunately for him, I wasn’t the kind of person who took bait like that.

“Yes. I’m not confident, for one. And even aside from that.”

And—

“My body isn’t exactly in good shape right now. You can see that, can’t you?”

“......”

I had my own justification.

My current physical problem. When I brought it up like I was pinning him with it, Seongheon’s expression stiffened slightly.

“Ah.... Perhaps you can’t tell just by looking?”

I scratched my cheek, watching his reaction.

Seongheon’s face hardened for a heartbeat, but it was only for a moment.

“Hmm. I didn’t know you were unwell. Then should I take that as you refusing to carry out the wager?”

“If I refuse, can we exchange it the peaceful way?”

“That would be difficult. Unfortunately, our disciple likes that robe.”

“......So you’re telling me to wear that black robe instead?”

“If you want.”

Hmm. That might not be bad, actually.

Either way, both were clearly incredible items. Why not just use it?

The moment that thought crossed my mind—

[ Hey now! That won’t do! ]

The old man erupted.

[ Do you know what kind of item that is, to trade it for something that trashy and wear that instead?! ]

‘...Trashy?’

I only glanced at it, but even at a glance it looked good.

Why was he so obsessed with that white robe?

[ That robe isn’t just a robe. You’ll understand when you wear it later, but it was made to match the Blue Moon Heart Art better than anything. We have to get it back, no matter what. ]

Something that matched the Blue Moon Heart Art best....

It was weird seeing Yoo Cheongil obsess that hard, but—

‘And you still put it up in a wager?’

What he did made no sense to me.

Yoo Cheongil flinched, like he’d caught what my eyes were saying.

Damn it. A useless old man, through and through.

‘Anyway.... We have to get it back.’

I sighed without meaning to, but he was right—getting it back was the priority.

But—

‘I can’t just take it.’

If I had to beat Yuyeon in a fight to take it....

‘Tsk.’

I clicked my tongue silently.

Then I said to Seongheon,

“It doesn’t feel like something I can decide right this second. Could you give me a little time?”

I needed time.

“Even if I’m fine with it, you know my teacher won’t want that.”

“Hmm. Time.... Kid, you won’t have that much time on Mount Hua.”

I laughed inwardly at that.

What he meant was obvious: since he had no intention of accepting Jegal Jin’s request, I’d have to go back to Henan soon.

“Yes. I won’t need long....”

“All right. Do that.”

Seongheon nodded, and I gave a formal bow.

“Thank you. Then I’ll see you next time.”

I greeted him and turned to leave—

and then.

Squeeze.

“Hm?”

Yuyeon grabbed me.

What? I looked at her, puzzled.

“.......”

Unable to speak, Yuyeon stared at me and mouthed words.

“Ah.”

I read her lips and laughed without meaning to.

Sor.

Ry.

That was what Yuyeon clearly said to me.

“It’s fine. My chest hurts a bit, but I’ll just spit on it and it’ll heal.”

It didn’t really feel like Yuyeon’s fault, and I didn’t have much bad blood.

Because—

‘The ones who caused the accident were the old men.’

I was the one stuck cleaning up their mess.

“See you.”

Tap, tap. I patted Yuyeon’s shoulder a couple times and started walking.

*****

“......”

Right after Bang Sungyeon left.

Left alone, Yuyeon stared in the direction he’d gone.

She’d hit his chest hard, but he’d left like it was nothing.

Slowly.

Yuyeon rubbed her own shoulder. The spot Bang Sungyeon had patted twice.

As she lightly brushed over it—

“Do you resent it?”

“......”

Her master spoke to her.

Yuyeon heard it and shook her head.

“It’s the pointless stubbornness of old men. It’s fine to resent it.”

Yuyeon shook her °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° head again.

Seeing that, Seongheon laughed low.

Such a good child.

And—

‘A child who will shine brighter than anyone.’

A child who would shine brighter than anyone he’d ever seen.

As he looked at Yuyeon—

ZZZT.

“......!”

Seongheon frowned and clutched his chest.

“Hmm.”

He let out a low breath. Yuyeon startled and moved toward him.

Seongheon raised his palm at Yuyeon. Don’t come closer.

“I’m fine. I was only startled for a moment.”

“......”

“I should rest, it seems.”

After speaking, Seongheon slowly steadied his breathing.

‘...Hoo.’

He knew.

He didn’t have much time left.

‘...Jin. I’m sorry, but.’

There wasn’t room to spend time on anything else.

The moment he saw that child—Yoo Cheongil’s disciple—he knew.

‘A peculiar body.’

He would need to touch it to be certain, but even just looking, he could sense something was wrong.

And—

‘He seemed like he already knew.’

The way the boy reacted, it looked like the boy understood the state of that body.

‘Is that why.’

The matter in Henan, too.

And the reason he came looking for him, too.

It felt like something was tangled up.

‘Cheongil.’

Did that man leave something behind?

‘...Heh heh heh.’

He’d asked for secrecy until the very end, but—

‘Forgive me.’

Even if the boy knew the secret, nothing would change.

Seongheon didn’t have time.

‘There isn’t even enough time to spend on that child.’

Even if he gave more, even if he placed more into those hands, it still wouldn’t be enough.

‘Forgive me.’

He would have to be greedy.

That was the apology he owed.

*****

After leaving Seongheon’s quarters, I walked while rubbing my aching chest a beat late.

My expression was stiff as stone.

[Does it hurt?]

Yoo Cheongil spoke.

I ignored him.

[That girl looked like she held back, but does it hurt that much?]

My chest wasn’t the problem.

I was just pissed.

Yeah. Now that he said it, that was right. I was furious.

Because Yoo Cheongil didn’t tell me about the wager?

Sure, that was part of it, but—

‘It’s not like I expected anything from that old man anyway.’

No expectation meant no disappointment.

The reason I was angry wasn’t that.

[You said it yourself.]

Yoo Cheongil spoke to me.

[You always think too much.]

“.......”

I stopped walking.

[You feel it now, don’t you?] 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

I couldn’t answer.

Because it hit dead center.

‘Back then.’

When Yuyeon ambushed me.

‘If I hadn’t hesitated.’

If I’d trusted instinct and moved first, I probably wouldn’t have lost so pathetically, looking that incompetent.

But I got stuck turning thoughts over—

and the result was a humiliating defeat.

That fact made me furious in a way that didn’t make sense.

At myself.

[So didn’t I tell you?]

Yoo Cheongil walked closer.

[I told you to take what you can from that Sword Emperor bastard. I told you he was perfect for it.]

“.......”

[It’s good to see you finally feel the need. Remember it well.]

A hand that couldn’t touch prodded at my chest.

[That competitive urge and that sense of defeat you’re feeling right now.]

A spirit hand couldn’t touch skin—

but the words he spat pierced my heart with ridiculous ease.

[That’s going to become your fuel from here on out.]

Yoo Cheongil smiled.

And I frowned, because I didn’t like the word competitive.

It didn’t suit me at all.

But it lodged inside me, strangely deep.

‘...So I’m a martial artist after all, is that it.’

As my realm rose and I saw more, maybe I’d started thinking like that without realizing.

A feeling I’d never once held in my life settled into place.

‘I want to win.’

I didn’t want to lose like that.

I wanted to win.

Truly.