By the time we were halfway through the market, I had no choice but to speak to Sahyeon again. After all, I was the one who needed help here.
“So, anything here look gift-worthy?”
When I turned around and asked, he was staring blankly at a rabbit-shaped candy made of hardened sugar. After pretending to think about it with zero actual effort, he picked up the dragon-shaped one beside it.
“Hmm, how about this?”
The sugary dragon looked less like a majestic beast and more like a glittery, transparent worm. Probably sweet enough to melt your damn tongue.
And seriously, who the hell gives candy that’ll be a melted blob by tomorrow as a birthday gift? And not just to anyone—this was for the Young Master of the Moyong Clan! A fully-grown adult about to get married, no less!
When I stayed silent, Sahyeon held the candy up closer to my face and gave it a little wiggle.
“Impressive, right? Total beast, huh? Doesn’t it just ooze heroic spirit?”
What the fuck is wrong with this guy? I was actually embarrassed that I’d once felt something weird for him, even if it was just for a second.
“I’m out of my damn mind for coming all the way here on your word!”
I stomped away. Behind me, I could hear him apologizing to the candy vendor and rushing after me.
“You’re still mad?”
“I was never mad!”
“Oh, come on, I know my lady’s pissed-off face by now. What’s got you so cranky?”
“Get lost!”
What a clown. I ignored the brownnosing bastard walking beside me and stared straight ahead, determined. Even with our faces covered, stallkeepers kept calling out energetically from every direction.
“You two lovely lovebirds—how about a bowl of noodles? They say you’ll stay in love forever if you share a bowl!”
“Buy your sweetheart a hair comb! It’s a sign of lasting love!”
Because of the height difference, everyone must’ve figured we were a man and a woman out on a romantic date. Like hell. What kind of couple walks around looking like this? Does everyone in this place need their eyes checked?
I was about to snap at the noodle vendor when Sahyeon suddenly grabbed my wrist and dragged me straight toward him.
“Do you sell steamed buns too?”
“Oh, of course! Just steamed—hot and soft, fresh from the pot.”
“I’ll take two.”
“Don’t want noodles? They say long noodles mean lasting love.”
“Thanks, but we’re already overflowing with love.”
“What a load of crap.”
I cut in flatly, rejected the pitch, snatched the buns the vendor handed over, and paid. Behind me, I heard Sahyeon muttering softly.
“She’s always cute, but she gets shy in public. We’ll come back for noodles next time.”
“Oh please do. I’m always right here!”
He flashed a charming smile and caught up to me. Then he reached into the paper bag I held and pulled out a bun. I thought he was going to eat it, but he suddenly lifted my veil and stuffed the bun right into my mouth.
Warm steam rose up and tickled my nose. I glared at him, but Sahyeon just slipped the other bun under his own veil and started chewing like nothing happened.
“The vendor’s got skill. Thought you’d like it.”
Okay, fine, it’s tasty. And I was getting hungry anyway. I kept glaring at Sahyeon but still finished it without a word. He took his time eating, scanning the area around us.
“What’s the best gift you’ve ever received, my lady?”
“Me? Why?”
“Well, if it was something you liked, maybe the Young Master would like it too.”
Huh. Maybe? Truth be told, I don’t have much experience receiving gifts. Thinking it over, the best one I’ve ever gotten was probably from Young Lady Dang.
“Restoration pellets.”
“Hmm… Kind of hard to find something like that at a night market. And unless it’s pretty damn rare, it probably won’t even make a dent on someone from the Moyong Clan.”
Tch. Yeah, figures. The Moyong Clan’s one of the top five clans in the Martial World. He’s the firstborn and the future Clan Head. He’s probably eaten more tonics than most people see in their lives.
I started to sulk a little. Then Sahyeon looked at me quietly and asked,
“Come to think of it, when’s your birthday, my lady?”
“How would I… I mean, why do you want to know that?”
“So I can get you something, of course.”
“Don’t bother. Who cares about birthdays.”
I waved him off. Truth is, I didn’t even know when Moyong Yeonhwa’s birthday was. Not that I knew Seol Danhae’s either.
The oldest memory I’ve got is my parents’ backs as they walked away. Why would I remember something like a birthday?
“You don’t know your birthday?”
“After you’ve lived this long, it stops mattering. I even forget how old I am.”
“You’re still young, but you talk like some old man on their second life.”
“You little shit, how dare you say that to a young lady.”
That hit too close. I picked up the pace just to shake it off. That bastard’s always sniffing around trying to dig things out of me—can’t let my guard down for even a second.
I looked around to distract myself. That’s when I noticed a big crowd up ahead.
“What’s going on over there?”
“Not sure. Some kind of street performance? Want to check it out?”
Sahyeon asked gently. I nodded without hesitation. If that many people were watching, it had to be interesting.
And hey—if I got lucky, maybe I’d find something perfect to give to Moyong Muhyeok!
Without thinking, I grabbed Sahyeon’s sleeve and took off running. He followed without protest.
As we got closer, the crowd turned out to be bigger than expected. I tried to see what was happening, but with people jostling us from every side, it was hard to push through.
Then Sahyeon smoothly wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. It was such a natural gesture, like it was the obvious thing to do.
He tapped the man in front of us and asked,
“Excuse me. Any idea what’s going on up there?”
The man hesitated for a second, maybe because Sahyeon looked a little shady with his veil on at night. But once he spotted me in his arms, he answered gruffly. Probably thought Sahyeon was my bodyguard.
“Some wandering martial artists are dueling. Heard the prize and the payout are huge. Since last night, scary-looking fighters started showing up all over the place, and now they’re all here.”
Holy shit. How the hell did I miss this? Why the fuck is something this fun happening without me?
“Who the hell’s sponsoring this? Who put up the prize?”
Sahyeon asked casually. The man gave us a suspicious once-over, then seemed to get it.
“You’re not from around here, huh?”
“What makes you say that?”
“If you don’t recognize that ridiculous mansion, you’ve gotta be outsiders.”
“Wait, who owns that place?”
I couldn’t hold it in anymore and blurted the question. The man, acting like he was the owner or something, puffed up and answered,
“All the houses from the end of that alley to here belong to the Sharp-Crane King. Hell, nearly the whole block’s his. Outsiders can’t even imagine something like that.”
Sharp-Crane King? If he’s called “King,” does that mean he’s related to the Emperor? What’s he doing all the way out here in Liaoning instead of the capital? Why host a duel like this? Is he just stupid rich?
I glanced over—Sahyeon’s face had gone stiff. Looks like he knew something about the guy.
“Oh, I’ve heard a lot about him, but this is my first time in the region. Didn’t realize. Thanks for the info. Well then…”
He looked like he was about to bail, so in a panic, I pinched his chest. Wasn’t trying to go for that specifically, but I was still half-squashed against him by the crowd, so it just happened.
Startled, Sahyeon looked down at me and mouthed, “What?” The man had already lost interest and was craning his neck to see over the crowd again. I whispered quickly.
“I found the perfect gift for the Young Master.”
“What?”
“I’m gonna enter the duel too.”
Sahyeon’s eyes went wide as saucers. No time to waste. I shouted “Excuse us!” and dragged him forward. People cursed as we shoved past, but I didn’t care.
Up front, the gate was open, but guards were blocking the way like a fortress.
“We’re a little late, but I want to enter. Let us through.”
“You? Enter? You even know how to hold a sword?”
The guard gave me a full-body scan like I was insane. The one next to him even snorted.
“Forget a sword, looks like you’d struggle with a kitchen knife. There’s some real monsters here today. You sure you wanna bleed all over the place?”
“Doesn’t matter what I use—sword or frying pan, I’ll fight. Just let me in.”
When I didn’t back down, the guards exchanged glances, then reluctantly stepped aside. They kept glancing at Sahyeon too, probably assuming he was the one entering.
Whatever. I grinned and stepped through the massive gate.
Inside, there were even more guards than outside. They looked more like a wall of people than a security detail.
At the back, on an elevated seat, sat a middle-aged man in luxurious clothes, lounging arrogantly. Dressed in blue silk embroidered with gold thread—guy looked like he’d never lit a fire himself in his life.
The courtyard had a wide dueling ring set up. Martial artists were gathered around it. Definitely the wandering fighters the man mentioned earlier. Their outfits weren’t those of noble houses or orthodox clans.
“Wooooooo!”
Suddenly, cheers—or maybe boos—erupted from all directions. Must’ve been the end of a match.
A giant lifted a sword almost the size of my body and roared. Blood was splattered all over his face and blade. So much for “duel.” That bastard didn’t seem to be holding back at all.
One person who’d just come to watch looked like they were about to puke seeing a body sprawled on the ring.
Well, it’s not like you see that every day. Of course, I’m used to it. I glanced at Sahyeon, just in case. Hard to see through the veil, but he didn’t look too shaken.
“Doesn’t seem like anyone else has the guts to fight, huh? Then I’ll gladly take the prize—!”
“I’ll fight!”
The moment the guy’s sentence got cut off, his face hardened.
All eyes turned to the new challenger. I raised my hand high and spoke again.
“I’ll take you down and walk away with the prize.”
“You look like some brat who just started martial arts. Don’t waste your life and get lost.”
That kind of line? I’ve heard it about five hundred times in my past life. Doesn’t even register anymore.
I stepped forward boldly. Sahyeon grabbed my sleeve from behind. When I turned, he shook his head. And suddenly, an idea struck me.
“Hey, lend me that for a sec.”
Without warning, I yanked off Sahyeon’s hat veil. His startled face was fully exposed. I grinned and shoved it onto my own head, then quickly wrapped my veil around his face.
His clear eyes peeked out from over the gauzy fabric. I looked at his confused face and said confidently,
“Don’t worry. I’ll go make us some money.”
Sahyeon couldn’t stop me. Or maybe I just didn’t give him a chance—I jumped forward immediately.
The hat veil narrowed my field of view a bit, but it was bright enough that it wouldn’t affect the fight.
I leapt onto the dueling ring, and the bastard holding the massive sword snorted.
“If you thought I’d go easy just ‘cause you’re a girl, you’re fucking mistaken!”
“Good. You don’t look like someone with the brains to go easy, anyway.”
“What?”
Hey, I wasn’t wrong—but the bastard flared up, eyes burning, like I’d just spat in his face.
“Draw your weapon!”
Ah, right. I shouted toward the Sharp-Crane King’s seat.
“Came in a hurry, forgot mine. Mind lending me one? You’re rich, bet you’ve got something nice?”
The crowd stirred. Yeah, I get it—it’s absurd. A martial artist without their weapon is like someone leaving home without their heart.
But what else could I do? No way I’m fighting that ridiculous sword barehanded. The Sharp-Crane King chuckled like he was thoroughly entertained and agreed to lend one.
A few guards wheeled out a rack full of weapons. There were all kinds—but most looked more decorative than practical.
Guess when you’re decorating, flashy and oversized is the trend, not function. I stared at a longsword but changed my mind—too long for me.
In the end, I picked a pair of short swords. Plainer than the rest, but light, well-forged, and looked decently useful. A few practice swings confirmed it.
I faced the bastard again.
“These’ll do. Thanks for waiting. Shall we?”
“Hah. You think it’s all about guts, huh, rookie? That little body of yours is gonna get crushed by this blade, and you’ll regret it too late.”
He didn’t even bother to take a stance, like I wasn’t worth the effort. I raised both swords. The grip felt strange and familiar all at once. Heat started to pulse through my body.
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