Chapter 69:

Chapter 69:

Ugh.”

Amidst the intense pain felt on her forehead, Jegal Jin-hee opened her eyes.

“You’re awake.”

Upon hearing Jegal Hyun’s voice from beside her, she realized she had been lying down all this time and quickly grasped the situation.

“I’m sorry, Elder.”

As she spoke while bowing her head swollen with shame, Jegal Hyun clicked his tongue once and replied.

“It’s fine. Everything was thrown off the moment Cham-ui appeared.”

Jegal Hyun didn’t bother mentioning the sparring match.

However, it seemed that she was the one who felt regret. Upon opening her eyes, she became determined.

“May I spar with that novice monk Mu-jin again?”

Even though Jegal Hyun hadn’t shown any disappointment when she lost the match, he displayed a hint of disappointment at her question for the first time.

“Tsk. That match was fair. What would change if you sparred again now?”

Jegal Hyun had a vague understanding that she was striving desperately to overcome the discrimination she faced as a woman.

‘Tsk. Sometimes, one needs to know when to step back.’

‘This is why women cannot achieve great things,’ Jegal Hyun thought to himself, clicking his tongue.

But Jegal Jin-hee didn’t want to spar with Mu-jin again out of obsession for victory.

“It’s not for revenge. I just thought I could learn something new if I faced that novice again.”

Right after regaining consciousness, she realized she had been trapped in her own limitations. The next emotion that followed was a peculiar curiosity.

Even after reviewing the match, her level of martial arts was indeed higher. However, she still lost the match.

Especially, Mu-jin’s judgments towards the end far exceeded her expectations.

The child who hadn’t even reached the state of Qi Activation, sustained injuries to seal her arm, and even headbutted her in the final moments.

‘In retrospect, I was merely a pawn in the game Mu-jin set up from the start.’

She was also intrigued by the wit that played with the elder of the Jegal family, known as Shin Gi Jegal.

Though she was called a genius within the family, she never dared to think she could match the family head or the elders.

To her, they were always ‘adults,’ and she was in a position to earn their recognition.

But that child, with just a few words, had toyed with Jegal Hyun, whom she considered an adult, and led the match as he wished.

Jegal Jin-hee was curious about that secret.

If she could uncover that secret, perhaps she too could be recognized within the family.

Realizing the determination hidden beneath her serene and composed demeanor, Jegal Hyun sighed and responded.

“With that bump on your forehead, you want to go out now?”

Jegal Hyun pointed with his finger to the enormous lump growing on her forehead.

After a few days, the special ointment of the Jegal family had reduced her swelling, and Jegal Jin-hee secretly set out without Jegal Hyun’s knowledge.

She knew Jegal Hyun was displeased with her sparring with Mu-jin.

She had dismissed the Hyun Sword Squad, who served as her guards, and secretly arrived at the Musculoskeletal Treatment Clinic, where she encountered an unexpected person at the entrance.

“What brings the lady of the Jegal family here?”

A middle-aged monk holding a wine bottle asked, blowing into it like a trumpet, causing Jegal Jin-hee’s eyes to tense with anxiety.

“Greetings to the esteemed Anti-Demon Monk.”

This was a man whom even the elders of the Jegal family, proud of their intelligence, had given up analyzing. She had come face to face with the mad monk known as Chwi Bul.

“Esteemed? You make me sound old. Just call me by my Dharma name or nickname. Anyway, what brings you here?”

Jegal Jin-hee, contemplating briefly while looking at Hye-gwan, who seemed drunk, chose to be direct.

“...I came to see if I could spar with the novice monk Mu-jin again. Ah, I came on my own, unrelated to the family.”

“Hm. It seems you have no tail.”

Whether he spread his energy to search for the Hyun Sword Squad’s presence, Hye-gwan responded while turning his body and taking another drink.

“Follow me. I will guide you to that Mu-jin.”

Surprised by Hye-gwan’s unexpected compliance, she followed him.

After walking briefly inside the clinic, following Hye-gwan.

“Mu-jin should be in here.”

With those words, Hye-gwan, having finished his task, used his stepping technique and disappeared onto the pavilion roof.

“Whew.”

After taking a deep breath, Jegal Jin-hee pushed open the door of the pavilion.

In her eyes, filled with a slight excitement at the thought of meeting the person who had made her realize her own limitations and possibly broaden her horizons, was...

“Haah.”

Mu-jin, who had taken off his shirt, lifting a massive chunk of iron, revealing his wild, muscular physique.

As she watched Mu-jin’s muscles move dynamically with each lift of the giant iron piece.

“...”

A faint blush appeared on her usually stoic face.

“!!!”

It was an embarrassing and humiliating remark. She wanted to scream in protest, but, true to her prestigious family background, she barely managed to suppress her anger.

As Mu-jin had said, she realized that continuing the sparring in her current state would likely lead to an accident.

‘If I keep sparring like this, I might actually fall for his good looks. Falling for the charms of a novice monk? That’s unacceptable!’

Indeed, the seasoned novice monk had a wealth of practical experience!

However, having recognized the tactic as a charm offensive, she wasn’t someone who would easily fall for it.

‘Yes, this isn’t a flutter of the heart for a man. It’s the thrill of facing a worthy opponent!’

Didn’t the elders always say? A worthy opponent is a catalyst that greatly improves one’s skills, an enemy who is also an ally.

Having sorted out her thoughts to that extent, she took the opportunity of the paused sparring to pose a question to her ‘worthy opponent’.

“What did Mu-jin think of me?”

“Are you referring to Benefactor Jegal Jin-hee?”

“No, no! Not me, my, my martial arts!”

“Ah...”

Mu-jin scratched his chin, which had no beard, as he organized his thoughts while looking at her, who seemed on the verge of screaming again.

She had generalized it as ‘martial arts’, but to speak from Mu-jin’s perspective, encompassing what he had seen, experienced, and felt, it broadly covered external martial arts, internal martial arts, understanding of martial arts, and practical experience.

Even the ‘understanding of martial arts’ included various complex concepts like unarmed techniques, swordsmanship, techniques involving weapons, energy manipulation to create sword energy or fist energy, and movement techniques.

Based on their past sparring sessions and comparing himself to her as objectively as possible, their internal energy levels were similar, her understanding of martial arts was superior, but he overwhelmingly dominated in external martial arts and practical experience.

If they fought ten times, he would struggle, but he thought he would win about seven out of ten times.

However, explaining all these details to someone who had a high probability of dying within a few years, and even if she survived, would likely become an enemy, seemed bothersome.

“Honestly, I thought Benefactor’s level of martial arts was superior to mine. Amitabha.”

“...So, that means I lack practical experience, after all.”

Returning to her calm tone, she lowered her head with a somewhat bitter expression.

‘Tsk. Ignoring the fact that she might die within a few years, knowing this makes avoiding her even more difficult.’

Unlike her usual sharp demeanor, her downcast appearance looked particularly delicate.

‘Yes, if she survives with my help, she might even end up on my side.’

Hadn’t there been similar situations with Mu-gyeong and Ryu Seol-hwa?

If he helped her, she might support him instead of her family.

And above all, Mu-jin thought it would be wrong to leave someone who might die unattended, so he spoke up.

“Though I grouped it under ‘practical experience’, that’s not entirely the case. In my opinion, Benefactor Jegal’s adaptability is quite impressive. Didn’t you counter or block all the moves I altered and used?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

At Mu-jin’s praise, the flower that had been bowed bloomed brightly.

‘She’s more expressive than she looks.’

Mu-jin thought to himself, noticing her immediate and honest emotional expressions.

“Then, what did you mean by ‘lacking practical experience’?”

“I meant the pressure that comes from real combat, and the impatience that arises from not being accustomed to that pressure.”

He was referring to the moment she tried to use an imperfect Fan Qi Technique and ended up counterattacked.

Having already lost to Mu-jin and seen the marks of real combat on his body, she couldn’t deny his words.

“So, you’re saying my ‘martial arts’ aren’t bad.”

“Yes. I am in no position to critique the strengths and weaknesses of martial arts superior to my own.”

As she nodded happily to his words, Mu-jin, feeling uneasy, added,

“Oh. But don’t think about gaining practical experience by going out and causing trouble. Real combat can result in death at any moment. You must not use such reckless methods to gain experience.”

Mu-jin thought it would be troubling if she died a violent death due to his advice, regardless of what the original history might have been.

When he directly addressed his concerns, she responded with a flustered voice,

“I’ve never had such reckless thoughts!”

“...Is that so.”

It was clear to anyone that she had.

“But, are you worried about me right now?”

“...Yes, I am.”

Answering with a reluctant tone, Mu-jin thought,

‘She won’t suddenly scream, ‘Who are you to worry about me?’ will she?’

And then, her face flushed, she shouted,

“I am not so weak that Mu-jin needs to worry about me!”

“Ah, yes...”

By now, Mu-jin was starting to hope she would just leave.