Chapter 43: Dragon Phoenix Tournament (16)

༺ Fifth Chapter – Dragon Phoenix Tournament (16) ༻

Star God Sect.

Eleventh Generation Disciple.

And Young Sect Leader.

Through those three things contained in his sentence, Namgung Hyuk knew.

“So he’s alive.”

Sword Star Mok Seon-oh had not passed away yet.

Namgung Hyuk felt pleased.

His barely contained aura burst out viciously, and Mok Riwon was unable to breathe from the pressure.

“Where is he?”

He asked again, a light flickering in his eyes.

“Where is the Sword Star? Indeed, that Beggar King must be with him as well? Tell me.”

All the forces that made up the space screamed. They crushed, shattered, and slammed into the ground.

It was purely from the energy flowing out; he hadn’t even revealed the fullest extent of his strength.

The Transcendent Realm.

Among all the peerless talents in this vast Central Plains, only those who were considered the best could barely step foot on the threshold of the Supreme Realm, and bearing down on Mok Riwon was one such overwhelming force.

“Ugh...!”

Mok Riwon’s eyes widened. He somehow held onto his trembling legs and maintained the fist-palm salute.

It felt like someone was twisting his neck and squeezing it.

An overpowering sensation made him feel like he would faint at any moment, but Mok Riwon did not collapse.

“I... cannot say.”

“The reason?”

“...Because Esteemed Sword King did not tell me the reason for seeking Master. I do not want to do anything that threatens Master’s well-being.”

Mok Riwon stared directly into his eyes.

Namgung Hyuk observed him while dominating his very being.

His eyes had firm determination and resolution.

Namgung Hyuk continued the silence as if pondering something, then gathered qi.

“...You are absolutely right. As a martial artist and a disciple.”

He continued his words.

“I showed an undignified appearance. I apologize.”

He was a very young junior, and also a man who came to pay respects without even knowing the reason.

Namgung Hyuk felt ashamed that he couldn’t control his momentary emotions even while facing him.

It was then that he could breathe again, and he exhaled deeply.

Then, Mok Riwon bowed his head.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“I will ask again. Where is the Sword Star?”

Mok Riwon’s body began trembling slightly.

An uneasy expression formed on his face.

‘It’s back to the beginning.’

The conversation was not progressing.

While he lacked the brutality Ma Il-seok had mentioned, his stubborn temper was so unsettling that perhaps being vicious would be better.

“Forgiv...”

“I do not intend to harm him.”

Mok Riwon looked up.

And Namgung Hyuk continued in a monotone voice with his usual stiff face.

“I simply have a debt to settle with him.”

“By debt, you mean...”

“We haven’t had a decisive match yet. We need to have a duel.”

Mok Riwon tightly closed his mouth.

At that moment, Ma Il-seok’s words flashed through his mind.

–Do you understand how shameless that Sword King bastard is? If he says he had a duel with Brother, just know it’s a hundred losses out of a hundred matches! Even though he hasn’t won a single time, he persistently sticks to him and says ‘We haven’t had a decisive match yet.’ He’s a real funny guy. He doesn’t even consider the duels he lost as duels. Instead of Sword King, he should be called Sword Lunatic.

The words deeply resonated.

It was merely Ma Il-seok’s biased view, but nevertheless, Mok RIwon couldn’t help but agree.

‘What should I do...?’

Mok Riwon continued to ponder.

First of all, it was clear that there were no ill intentions towards him.

That was because even though he already knew everything about him, he wasn’t even mentioning the ‘Heaven’ of the Heaven-Slaying Star.

Not only that, even while asking for the Sword Star’s location, he didn’t express any negative emotions towards him at all.

Just the desire to win.

That was all he could see coming from Sword King Namgung Hyuk.

“...May I ask one thing?”

“Speak.”

“Why do you desire a duel with Master?”

“...”

For the first time, Namgung Hyuk’s expression changed. His face seemed to say that was an absurd question.

“Is a reason necessary?”

Namgung Hyuk truly couldn’t understand.

There was a strong opponent he had never surpassed in his life.

At the end of his lingering attachment was victory or defeat.

As a martial artist and a swordsman, it was stranger to give up and back down when such an opponent existed.

“I just want to have a match with him.”

“...”

Mok Riwon felt an impulsive desire.

When was the last time he felt this way?

It was the first time since a certain day when he was ten years old, when Ma Il-seok threw him a trap and told him to catch a rabbit, saying, ‘I want to eat meat today.’

There was no other explanation because she was wearing clothes clearly made of precious materials at a glance.

“Who are you, little one?”

Mok Riwon asked with a bright smile.

The girl was startled by that smile and her eyes shone.

“So-Soah...”

“I see, Soah. Are you perhaps lost?”

He asked that question because there was no one take caring of her even though she was wearing such valuable clothes.

The girl who introduced herself as Soah, shook her head and answered.

“No...”

Then she wiggled her fingertips.

When Mok Riwon tilted his head watching that.

Thump–

Soah hugged Mok Riwon’s leg.

“Husband...!”

Soah shouted again with her eyes tightly closed.

“My husband...!”

Mok Riwon was flustered.

It was inevitable.

Who in the world wouldn’t be flustered when a young child suddenly called them their husband?

He smiled awkwardly while scratching his cheek, then patted her head and said.

“I’m sorry. I’m not your husband.”

Gasp!

Soah looked at him with a face as if her world was falling apart.

“You aren’t...?”

“No, I’m not.”

It was a pitiful situation.

Mok Riwon was a man with a good head and... decent common sense, but apart from that, he was ignorant about many aspects of people.

Especially children.

He, who had only interacted with elders or peers until now, had no understanding of a child’s innocence or the admiration a child harbored.

Soah’s face grew increasingly on the verge of tears.

“Husband is gone...”

“Saying gone is incorrect. Gone means something that existed has disappeared, and since Soah’s husband didn’t exist in the first place, ‘Soah doesn’t have a husband’ would be a more correct expression.”

Mok Riwon smiled with satisfaction, thinking he had spoken coherently on the topic.

However, it was a mistake.

“Hic...!”

The truth was too heavy of a burden for the young child.

Soah sobbed more.

So he blurted out panicking.

“Wh-Why are you crying...!”

“Husbaaand...!”

“Huh? Husband? Are you crying because you don’t have a husband? You don’t have to cry! When you grow up and become an adult, you will surely meet a wonderful husband!”

“Husbaaand...!”

“Y-You’re too young to have a husband! So stop crying!”

Mok Riwon relentlessly pushed the child away.

At this point, it would be fine to say something like ‘I’m your husband,’ but it was too much to expect from him who only spoke honestly.

As for Soah. Her full name was Namgung Soah, and for the first time in her life, she met someone who didn’t give in to her tantrums.

On top of that, she had to be an incredibly handsome man whose looks were extremely eye-catching.

It would have been fortunate if she had even gotten angry, but his appearance was too breathtaking.

After all, she had never seen a face in her life that made her feel less angry simply by looking at it.

There was only one thing she could do in the end.

If it doesn’t work, just do it till it does.

Just like her uncle, Blue Sword Namgung Woon always said. For the first time in Namgung Soah’s life, she was persistent.

“Husband–!”

Namgung Soah clung to his leg like a cicada.

He felt his heart jump at that loud cry.

At that moment.

“Soah.”

A man’s voice echoed.

It was Namgung Jincheon.

Namgung Soah slightly raised her head and looked at him.

“...Big brother?”

“Come here.”

Namgung Jincheon waved his hand with an indifferent face.

She hesitated, alternating her gaze between Mok Riwon and him. Then finally, pouting her lips, headed towards her brother.

He picked her up and then looked at Mok Riwon, remaining silent.

“...”

“...”

The silence was uncomfortable.

Dispelling it, Namgung Jincheon asked in a voice without even a grain of emotion.

“Ink Sword, are you attracted to children?”

“No–!”

Mok Riwon felt like he would go crazy from this slander.

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