Dang Iheon flinched in surprise but twisted his upper body sharply to dodge. It was an instinctive move.
Thwack!
Which meant my foot ended up slamming into the tree he’d been leaning on. The trunk caved in with a deep footprint, and leaves showered down all around us.
“Oh? You dodged?”
Through the rain of leaves, I spotted Dang Iheon backing away to widen the distance. Yeah, not a chance. I pushed off the ground and closed in fast, striking at his temple, throat, and solar plexus in quick succession. All critical points—places you’d never want to expose in a real fight.
Of course, it’s not like Dang Iheon was some bum who ate the Dang Clan’s food for free.
Each of my blows got blocked by his forearms or joints, snuffed out like they were nothing. Shit, it was like punching a Shaolin monk.
Trying to fend me off, he couldn’t quite hide his flustered expression.
“Y-Yeonhwa, wait! Hold on a second—!”
“There’s no ‘hold on’ in a fight. If I were an enemy, would you say that too? Damn, the Dang Clan’s softer than I thought.”
I grinned as I brought his whole clan into it, and that finally made his face harden. Now he looked ready to take this seriously.
Nothing like taunting your opponent to spice things up before a match.
People think Seol Danhae’s famous just for being good with a sword, but I was also notorious for my mouth. I’ve run it so sharp I’ve seen guys collapse into inner demons before they could even draw their blades.
My heart was pounding. God, it felt so damn good.
Anyway, since it was just hand-to-hand, Dang Iheon didn’t draw any blades or poison. He looked lost for a bit, stuck on defense, but then his eyes sharpened and he lunged with a fierce knife-hand strike.
“That’s it!”
I caught his slicing hand with my right, then swung my leg straight at his knee.
Too bad he launched himself into the air even faster. I had to retreat before his feet could crack my jaw.
His flowing coat whipped past, momentarily blocking my sight.
By the time it cleared, his fist was already in my face. I jerked my head aside just in time.
At some point, Dang Iheon was taking this spar completely seriously. Good. I was ready to jump down his throat if he tried holding back.
I dropped low and swept for his side, my leg skimming the ground—but only clipped his coat hem before he sprang back.
We traded several more moves. Dang Iheon didn’t strike often, but each blow was heavy, his attacks slicing right for vital spots like he could see them glowing. No wonder. The Dang Clan was famous for hidden weapons and medicine; it made sense his precision was lethal.
Even though I landed more attacks, it was starting to wear on me. I could feel myself being pushed back.
“Want to stop here, Yeonhwa?”
He seemed to notice too, asking carefully.
Oh, sure. Then why the fuck was he still trying to palm-strike me? I twisted sideways and knocked his wrist away, letting his strike dissipate.
At this rate I wouldn’t win. Not without pulling some tricks.
I purposely kept my eyes on something behind him, like I’d gotten distracted.
“Oh—hey, big brother!”
A flash of sheer confusion crossed Dang Iheon’s face. The hand reaching for my shoulder hesitated, and he turned to look. Opening a perfect gap.
Gotcha, bastard!
I dropped low and slammed a palm into his gut.
He instinctively jerked back, absorbing some of the impact—but not all of it. My first clean hit.
I wiggled my fingers with a sly grin.
“Fooled you, huh?”
He stared at me like he couldn’t believe it, rubbing his stomach. But he was still smiling.
“That was… kind of cheap, Yeonhwa.”
“There’s no such thing as cheap in a fight. You planning to beg the King of the Underworld for a do-over because it was an ‘unfair death’?”
Sure, it wasn’t like we were fighting to the death here. But how were you supposed to train if you stayed polite and proper? I was out here to keep my own damn head on my shoulders.
“Not coming? Fine. I’ll go first.”
I pushed off hard. Blood and Qi surged through me, finally making me feel alive. Sitting around embroidering or sipping tea? Not my fucking style. No matter how you slice it, butcher’s blood doesn’t wash off so easily.
We exchanged a flurry of blows. I should’ve been exhausted by now, but my body felt lighter instead. Even if I didn’t have inner energy, the experience was all there—just waiting to wake up.
Which meant I could read the flow of battle with ease. It was getting simpler to dodge Dang Iheon’s attacks, to slip in and exploit openings.
Because I’d fought more battles than him. Simple as that.
I blocked a strike at my gut and whipped my left elbow up. He dodged with a tilt of his head and tried to catch my shoulder. We weren’t using inner energy, but our speed made it almost indistinguishable from a real duel.
But I knew. Even if it looked like we were evenly matched right now, my stamina would eventually give out. I needed to end this.
I started easing back, defending only. As I began to retreat, Dang Iheon’s attacks grew heavier—he was trying to finish it.
“Want to stop now, Yeonhwa?”
“Not yet—huff—I still can.”
I panted and glared at him. He clamped his mouth shut and drove his hand at me again. In that split second, I saw it—a gap by his ribs.
“Yahhh!”
I braced my left leg and swung my right into him hard.
Thwack!
It sank deeper than expected, rocking him. He staggered. Perfect. I thrust a straight palm right for his torso.
And then—our eyes met. My heart dropped.
“Ah, fuck!”
Didn’t even finish swearing before he snatched my wrist and grabbed my collar. The whole world spun upside down. As the sky rushed by, all I thought was:
‘Shit, should’ve expected a throw…’
I braced for impact, shutting my eyes tight. But weirdly, it didn’t hurt much. Just felt… heavy.
I opened my eyes to see Dang Iheon’s face right above mine. My head hadn’t slammed into the ground because he’d cradled it, rolling down with me.
I stared up at him, gasping. He hovered like he wanted to say something, but didn’t budge.
It was the first time I’d ever seen him this close. His eyelashes were darker and denser than I’d thought, nearly tickling my forehead. I could see sweat on the high bridge of his nose, his lips parted slightly. Maybe from moving so much, his cheeks were unusually flushed.
Well… looked even more annoyingly handsome like this. If Sahyeon was pretty, Dang Iheon was the carved-from-marble, rugged type.
Nothing broke the quiet but our tangled breaths. Honestly, it felt awkward.
I finally shoved his solid shoulder and muttered,
“I lost, so get off. You’re heavy.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
He jolted like he’d forgotten where he was, carefully lowered my head, and got up. Then he gave me a sheepish grin and held out his hand. I took his rough, calloused grip and let him pull me up.
He cleared his throat a few times, fanning his face.
“I didn’t know you could fight like that, Yeonhwa.”
“That’s just because you’ve never seen it. I’m actually way better. Let’s go again sometime.”
He fell silent for a moment, then burst into a bright smile.
“Yeah. Learned a lot today.”
“I… also had fun—no, learned a lot.”
He even did a formal fist salute, so I awkwardly mirrored him. Our eyes met and we both grinned. The moonlight pooled around us.
I gave his shoulder a friendly thump.
“I’ll make sure you crawl crying all the way to Sichuan. Get ready.”
His face stiffened awkwardly. Didn’t this guy know a joke when he heard one? Maybe the whole Dang Clan was this humorless. Made sense why Dang Choye laughed her head off every time she saw me.
I wiped my sweat with the handkerchief he’d given me and plopped down.
“Kidding.”
“Oh. I know.”
Dang Iheon sat next to me, catching his breath. His cheeks, ears, even his neck were still red. Must run hot.
If it were Sahyeon, he’d have pissed me off at least three times by now. Dang Iheon just worried about me.
“You’re stronger than I thought. I ended up putting in more force than I meant to. You’re not hurt anywhere, right?”
Even if it was a lighthearted spar with no inner energy, I was the one who’d asked for it. Him worrying like this… honestly too soft.
“Worry about yourself. Your side’s gonna bruise.”
“Mmm, probably. That was harsh.”
He didn’t deny it, just laughed. We shared the water he’d brought and sat quietly. A pigeon cooed somewhere, filling the silence.
Then he asked softly,
“Yeonhwa. You’re the Moyong Clan’s treasured youngest daughter. You’ve got so many people who’d protect you. Why are you so serious about learning martial arts?”
Not exactly a shocking question. Most people probably thought the same—that I was just bored out of my mind and trying every silly thing under the sun.
I paused.
There were plenty in the Moyong Clan who wanted to protect Moyong Yeonhwa. But none of them would be able to protect me in the end.
I’d be running from my engagement to the Dang Clan, from the Moyong Clan’s destruction.
And even if my escape failed, no one in the Moyong Clan would be able to save me. They’d all die. Only I knew that.
Back then, when I’d wiped out the Moyong Clan, Dang Iheon hadn’t been there. If there were any Sichuan Dang Clan members on the scene, I would’ve remembered.
No one protected Moyong Yeonhwa. Not even herself.
“How can you be sure there’ll always be someone to protect me?”
“Huh?”
“In the Martial Arts World, having a big name just means you’re exposed to more blades. The Moyong Clan’s one of those big names. Anything could happen. When the biggest wave hits, you’re on your own. I’m the only one who’ll fight to save my own neck. Remember that, dumbass.”
I said it calmly, but my mouth still tasted bitter.
I tried hard not to think about it, but honestly… most of the people I’d met here were good. Foolishly kind.
Still, the future barreled toward us. I’d be rolling in mud just to survive.
Dang Iheon looked slightly rattled. Probably couldn’t understand why I’d go so extreme. After all, he’d always lived a life with people lining up to protect him.
Before he could ask more, I jabbed his side with my elbow.
“Ugh, got all serious. My sweat’s dried, let’s head back. If Hyangah catches me, I’m dead. Gah.”
“You snuck out without telling her?”
“Obviously. Stuffed a pillow under the covers.”
“You do this often?”
“…Sometimes?”
‘My lady, where on earth did you go at this hour?!’ I could already hear Hyangah’s shrieking voice and shuddered. Dang Iheon got up without complaint and followed me.
As we walked, he casually draped his long coat over my shoulders. It was so big it dragged, but he didn’t seem to care.
The sweat on my skin had started to chill, so I just accepted it. It’s not like I’d ever get to wear Dang Clan silk again. Still, I grumbled, wrapping it up to keep it from trailing.
“You know, you really shouldn’t do this for just any woman. I might not get the wrong idea, but others will start dreaming up how many kids you’ll have together. Keep your dignity intact, will you? Tsk.”
Dang Iheon gave me this incredulous look, then suddenly asked,
“Haven’t you ever thought about it, Ahwa?”
“Thought about what?”
“How many kids… you’d want to have with me.”
Was he out of his fucking mind?
I actually went speechless. Why would I be imagining kids with a guy I’d already agreed to break off an engagement with?
Of course, the real Moyong Yeonhwa probably thought about it a thousand times. Whether she wanted one carefully raised child or enough to fill a whole sect—who knows?
But saying ‘never’ might make him suspicious.
“I dunno. Don’t people usually have about three?”
“A daughter and two sons? Or the other way around?”
“If you could choose that, you’d be a god. What kind of nonsense…”
“Wouldn’t two daughters and a son be nice?”
Guess even Dang Iheon could spout silly shit. I didn’t have the energy to play along, just waved him off.
“How would I know? I’m not some fertility deity planning your harvest. And I’m not shameless enough to imagine having kids with a friend. Don’t worry. I’ve moved on.”
I gave him a heartfelt smack on the back. Dang Iheon looked like he wanted to say something, mouth opening and closing. After that, he went completely quiet.
Whatever. I twirled my wooden sword as I walked.
Then I heard it. That familiar, irritating voice. It got louder the closer we got. We both froze, then turned toward it in unison.
It was so late most people were already asleep. There were only a few in the Moyong Clan who could raise this kind of racket in the middle of the night.
And of course, it was exactly who I expected.
Elder Pae.
Why the hell does this bastard only ever throw fits after dark? Does he brew ginseng soup every morning or something?
Elder Pae was kicking a middle-aged man around like he was stomping a rat. The man screamed, rolling across the yard with each blow. Looked like just a servant—no martial arts at all.
A normal person could easily die from being beaten by someone with martial training. Even to me, a so-called unorthodox scumbag, this seemed a bit much.
Dang Iheon frowned too, ready to step in any moment.
Servants gathered nearby, restless. They couldn’t very well drag Elder Pae off, but watching someone get beaten to death was hard to stomach.
As the crowd grew, Elder Pae bellowed again.
“How dare a lowly wretch like you try to sully the Moyong Clan’s honor? Speak! Again!”
“Please, spare me, Elder! I’ll never—I’ll never say such things again— Aagh!”
The servant groveled, bowing so hard his hands were practically feet, but Elder Pae’s kicks only got fiercer. His screams rose in pitch. Elder Pae roared.
“Did I not tell you to say it again?! Just now you were gloating that Moyong Yeonhwa was carrying on some sordid tryst behind her fiancé Young Lord Dang’s back! You filthy dog, spreading lies— I’ll snap your neck to set things right!”
My mouth dropped open. I glanced at Dang Iheon, who didn’t look shocked—just grim.
Around us, it was obvious I was the only clueless one. I suddenly remembered how people had been whispering behind my back these past few days.
“So I was… enjoying some sordid tryst?”
I muttered it under my breath.
Every head in the yard snapped toward me. Hellish silence followed.
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