After what felt like a stomach-churning meal, something started to change with Wi Seol-ah.

Perhaps it started from the moment she dropped that bombshell on me earlier that morning. For some reason, Wi Seol-ah’s behavior began to shift.

It became more noticeable after we began the afternoon training session. After finishing the tiresome theory lesson, during a short break, I felt a gaze on me.

When I looked around to find the source, I saw something poking out from the doorway. It was someone’s head.

“Huh?”

It was an eerie sight at first, but then I recognized the face. Naturally, it was Wi Seol-ah.

I was startled at first, thinking I must’ve been mistaken, but no—it really was her.

Why is she doing that?

It wasn’t just me who noticed Wi Seol-ah’s odd behavior; the other members of the group were also casting strange glances her way.

Wi Seol-ah was already attracting plenty of attention just by being the rumored successor of the Sword Master, one of the Three Sages.

As she grew, her appearance had blossomed as well, earning her even more interest, especially from the male students.

It made sense. With a face like that, who wouldn’t stare?

Personally, I preferred how she looked when her cheeks were round and chubby back in the day.

“Hyung-nim?”

Even Pae Woo-cheol noticed her and called out to me.

“I see her.”

Thud.

I stood up the moment I made eye contact with Wi Seol-ah. It was clear she was here to see me.

If she wasn’t, that would hurt a little... but I was sure I was right.

As I approached her, Wi Seol-ah flinched, but fortunately, she didn’t run away.

Lately, she had a habit of fleeing every time we saw each other. Maybe she’s finally decided not to run anymore.

‘What is she, a wild animal?’

It had become that difficult to approach her. The thought made me chuckle as I asked her.

“What are you doing here?”
“Ah…!”
“What’s with the ‘ah’?”

I was already standing right in front of her, so it was too late to be startled. Her wide eyes, as usual, revealed how large and expressive they were.

Her sharper gaze was beginning to resemble that of her past life, but the way she reacted now showed she was still far from being the Sword Master she once was.

“Do you need something?”
“No, not really….”

Her hair, which used to be short, had grown quite a bit over the years, now reaching down to her waist. Golden strands shimmered here and there as she moved.

Then, Wi Seol-ah quietly said, “I just wanted to see you….”

It was a statement that burrowed deep. I hadn’t expected to hear something like that from her.

“...”

The words left me speechless.

As I stood there, stunned by what she said, Wi Seol-ah took the chance to dart off, just like before.

Why does she keep running off after saying something?

Is she really a wild animal?

Wi Seol-ah’s strange behavior didn’t stop there.

Throughout the training session, she would peek in whenever she got the chance. Whenever I tried to approach and exchange a few words, she would flee again.

But I could sense one thing for sure—Wi Seol-ah was trying to do something, even if it wasn’t clear what.

At least she wasn’t running away immediately like before.

However, her constant glances were starting to get on my nerves.

Why is she acting like that?

My head was already a mess from what happened earlier in the morning, and her behavior was only making it worse.

If her goal was to confuse me further, she had succeeded.

I was thoroughly bewildered.

After finishing all the day’s training sessions, it was time for personal practice.

Normally, this would be the time we gathered to have dinner, but since everyone had mentioned having other plans, I decided to skip dinner altogether.

Lately, I had been feeling mentally foggy, and I thought maybe I wasn’t training enough. In that sense, it was a good opportunity to focus on my own practice.

Dinner was usually the only time we saw each other, so I tried to make an effort to attend, but it had been a while since everyone went their separate ways.

Moyong Hee-ah had been busy lately, and Tang So-ryeol had mentioned she had plans with Peng Ah-hee.

Namgung Bi-ah, out of nowhere, said she was going to have dinner with Gu Yeon-seo.

When did those two become close?

Or should I say they got closer?

I heard they were paired up in the same group. It seemed they were spending a lot of time together.

I had been a bit concerned about Gu Yeon-seo, but since Namgung Bi-ah was with her, I was relieved.

Rumor had it that Namgung Bi-ah was highly regarded within her group.

Considering that each group’s most talented individuals were standing out, it made sense that Namgung Bi-ah was doing well.

The same could be said for the others.

Whoosh…

Warm breath dissipated into the wind.

I was in a quiet field behind Sinryong Hall.

The training grounds were undoubtedly crowded.

If I went there, I’d end up coaching Pae Woo-cheol or pushing Gu Jeol-yeop again.

This time, I wanted to find a quiet place to focus on my own training.

Groan.

I rotated my internal energy through my dantian and checked my condition.

The amount of qi remained the same.

Compared to the focus I had placed on spiritual cultivation, the growth had been slow.

It made sense, though. My current level of qi was already at the level of a high-level martial artist, and I had consumed countless opportunities along the way.

I had reached a point where basic improvements were no longer feasible.

What about my physical body?

‘It feels hollow.’

I had broken down and rebuilt my body repeatedly, aiming to solidify my foundation. My body was much stronger than that of my peers.

But that was only in comparison to others my age.

When compared to other masters, I was still a bit lacking.

The level I had reached was ultimately…

Built on the combination of my past life’s experience and my mastery of internal energy manipulation.

The vast amount of internal energy I possessed had allowed me to construct a tower that appeared impressive but was, in reality, fragile.

It wasn’t a tower that would collapse easily, but it wasn’t a well-built one either.

‘Tsk.’

Once the support of my internal energy faltered, the tower would be at risk of crumbling.

Strengthening my body and solidifying the foundation would solve that, but…

That would take too long. Physical training was time-consuming.

Thinking of opportunities that might help, the only thing that came to mind was achieving Hwangoltalte (complete physical transformation), but that wasn’t a perfect opportunity either.

I wasn’t even in the right state to dream of such a thing.

‘What should I do?’

The heat-filled qi still circulated through my body, filling my middle dantian and regularly flowing toward the upper dantian.

‘The path feels smoother now.’

Compared to when I first attempted to reach the upper dantian, the path now felt a bit cleaner.

But I still hadn’t fully reached it.

‘Why?’

I couldn’t understand why.

Why was I only able to reach it but not pass through?

It wasn’t because I lacked qi. I could reach it with just enough qi.

That made it all the more puzzling.

‘It’s not like I don’t have enough qi.’

I had an abundant amount of qi. So why did it feel like it wasn’t enough to reach the upper dantian?

The issue was likely something else.

I suspected it was a matter of shin (mind).

There was some mental block preventing me from fully utilizing my internal energy.

What could it be?

There were so many things on my mind that it was hard to pinpoint one.

When I first regressed, it had been my weak body and pitiful amount of qi that were the problems.

Now that I had dealt with those, was it my mind’s turn?

Why did it feel like the further I went, the more problems I encountered?

Sigh…

I let out a deep sigh and withdrew my qi back into my dantian.

As the heat left my body, I could finally feel the chill of the winter breeze.

A light mist formed with each exhale.

I turned my head and spoke.

“It’s cold, so come out already.”
“…!”

Among the trees, something flinched.

“Stop sneaking around. Just come here.”

I gestured for the figure to approach, and finally, the person hiding behind the trees cautiously stepped forward.

As expected, it was Wi Seol-ah.

Her sneaky approach was quite memorable.

Seeing that, I circulated a bit of internal energy to warm the area around me.

“Is this a hobby of yours?”
“Huh…?”
“Sneaking around. Is it a hobby now?”
“N-no.”
“Then why have you been doing it all this time?”

I grabbed Wi Seol-ah’s cheeks with both hands and stretched them out.

“Mmph…!?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected me to grab her.

Though her cheeks had slimmed down from before, they were still soft enough to pull.

It was strange how much her face stretched, despite it being thinner now.

“What’s with this morning and now? Are you trying to mess with me?”

Wi Seol-ah’s eyes wavered at my question, and I let go of her cheeks.

Although I hadn’t grabbed her too hard, it seemed she had felt the pressure, as she began rubbing her cheeks.

“What’s going on?”

I had no idea what was going through her mind, but I knew she had her reasons.

I wanted to understand her thoughts.

After a moment of hesitation, Wi Seol-ah’s lips trembled as she spoke.

“…They said… if I did this, it would work.”
“What would work? Who said that?”
“…They said if I kept looking at you, I’d be able to seduce you….”

Seduce?

Did she just say "seduce"?

“…Seduce?”

Even after thinking it over several times, I couldn’t comprehend it, so I said it out loud.

It was just too strange to associate that word with Wi Seol-ah.

Wi Seol-ah, knowing this or perhaps embarrassed, quickly turned her head.

“Wait… did you really spend the whole day staring at me just to seduce me?”
“...”
“…How is that supposed to work?”

While I had little experience with the concept of seduction, it seemed impossible that simply staring at someone would count as seducing them.

Maybe someone with a sultry gaze or a seductive aura could pull it off, like Moyong Hee-ah, but Wi Seol-ah wasn’t that type.

Where on earth did she learn such a method?

‘No way…’

Wi Seol-ah’s looks alone might be enough to attract men just by staring at them.

If that’s what she was aiming for...

‘…No, that can’t be it.’

Yeah, that didn’t seem like it.

‘Still, seduction…’

Regardless of how or why, if Wi Seol-ah had truly been trying to seduce me...

‘…’

My brain momentarily froze.

I couldn’t think straight.

How did it come to this?

Should I respond to this? While I was hesitating, trying to figure out what to say, Wi Seol-ah spoke again.

“…Since this didn’t work, I’ll try something else next time.”
“What?”

Her words snapped me back to reality.

Next time? Something else?

“What are you going to try next? Wait, what are you even doing?”

I had no idea what Wi Seol-ah was trying to achieve.

She had confessed her love this morning, and now she was talking about seduction.

What did she want?

When I asked, her eyes, which had been trembling earlier, grew more resolute as she replied.

“Effort.”
“Effort?”
“Yes. Effort. I can’t just do nothing. So I’m doing whatever I can. Please… don’t hate me too much.”

She smiled faintly as she said it, but for some reason, it struck a chord in my heart.

Because of that, I couldn’t say the words I should’ve said.

Words like "How could I ever hate you?"

Maybe it would’ve been better if I had said it.

Perhaps that’s why, as my foggy mind began to clear, a slight headache crept in.

It wasn’t unbearable—just a mild throb.

As I noticed the sensation, Wi Seol-ah spoke again.

“Gongja-nim.”
“Yeah?”
“…Can I… hug you?”

Her voice was careful, as if she had been thinking about it for a long time.

I couldn’t help but be surprised.

Not because of the request itself, but because it reminded me of something she had once said.

• "At times like this… just hug me."

It was from a time she probably didn’t remember.

A memory only I held onto.

Wi Seol-ah moved before I could give an answer, either yes or no.

She slipped into my arms.

Even though she had grown taller, she was still smaller than me, fitting snugly into my embrace.

Should I put my arms around her back?

As the thought crossed my mind, I realized that her body was trembling slightly.

Unable to ignore the trembling, I gently patted her back.

That was all I could do.

How pathetic.

I knew I had so many things to say, yet I chose to stay silent.

Until I resolved my own issues, there wasn’t much I could do.

It was the best decision for myself and for those around me who mattered.

With that thought, I finally spoke, my voice strained.

“…Can you ease up a little? I think I’m going to die.”

Just like before, Wi Seol-ah was holding me so tightly that it was hard to breathe.

“…No.”

My polite request was firmly denied.

Since I couldn’t ask her again, I just endured it.

The awkward situation dragged on for a few minutes until Wi Seol-ah finally let go and ran off, leaving me once again.

   
   ******************
   

As the moon hung low in the sky by the window, Peng Ah-hee, a descendant of the Peng family and heir to one of the Four Great Families, walked with a cup of warm tea in hand.

She was heading to see a close friend.

When she arrived at her destination with the tea, she found Tang So-ryeol gazing out the window, where the wind did nothing to block the view.

"What are you doing?"
"Oh, you're here?"

Tang So-ryeol smiled slightly upon seeing Peng Ah-hee bringing the tea.

"Is there something outside?"
"No, I was just admiring the night. It's quite beautiful."

Beautiful? Though a few stars dotted the sky, it didn’t seem like an especially stunning night.

Peng Ah-hee found Tang So-ryeol’s comment a bit odd but placed the tea in front of her anyway.

"You didn’t eat much earlier. Are you okay?"
"I just don’t have much of an appetite these days."

Tang So-ryeol sipped the tea as she spoke, and Peng Ah-hee, observing her closely, casually threw out a question.

"Did the Gu scion do something?"
"Pfft…"

At Peng Ah-hee’s words, Tang So-ryeol immediately spat out her tea. Peng Ah-hee, used to this, calmly wiped the tea off the table.

"What… What are you talking about, Ah-hee?"
"Judging by your contemplative expression, I figured it had to be that. Am I wrong?"

Tang So-ryeol hesitated, her lips twitching as if struggling to respond.

"…You're half right."
"I knew it. Should I go beat him up for you?"
"No, don’t! He won’t hold back just because I'm a woman…!"
"Oh? So, you're sure I'd lose? I might feel a bit hurt, you know…"

Despite saying this, both knew the reality.

Gu Yangcheon, now recognized as a True Dragon, had risen to the highest ranks among his peers. In contrast, Peng Ah-hee, who was referred to merely as a talented younger generation fighter, stood no chance in a fight against him.

"…I just feel a little insignificant lately."
"All of a sudden?"

Peng Ah-hee’s eyes gleamed as she heard Tang So-ryeol’s self-deprecating words.

Tang So-ryeol, known as the Venomous Phoenix, the greatest masterpiece of the Tang clan, feeling insignificant?

It didn’t make sense.

"Why would you think that?"
"I don’t know, I just do."

Tang So-ryeol smiled as she spoke, but her crescent-shaped eyes appeared somewhat melancholic.

"Gu Yangcheon is quite popular, isn’t he?"
"…Yeah, I guess."

Though Peng Ah-hee didn’t quite understand, she had to admit that Gu Yangcheon was indeed surrounded by an unusual number of women.

And not just any women—each one was extraordinary in her own right.

"Like Bi-ah unnie…"

Namgung Bi-ah, one of the leading candidates to become the next Sword Empress.

"And then there’s Moyong So-jeo…"

Moyong Hee-ah, who might not excel as a martial artist but was highly talented in other areas and famous for her intellect and abilities.

"…And Seol-ah too."

Wi Seol-ah, the direct successor to the Sword Master.

‘…This is absurd.’

The more she thought about each one, the more Peng Ah-hee felt like gasping in disbelief.

How did Gu Yangcheon manage to attract so many amazing women? It was truly baffling.

‘Though, I guess I can see it now…’

If it had been the old Gu Yangcheon, a total troublemaker with no hope for redemption, she would have advised against it. But the current Gu Yangcheon had changed—at least a little.

He was still difficult to deal with, but he no longer acted so poorly toward the women who showed interest in him.

Besides, for a martial artist, reaching a high level of cultivation was equivalent to gaining honor.

His title as the youngest martial artist to reach the Pinnacle was something any clan would covet.

In other words, there was a chance he might become the best under heaven one day.

Even Tang So-ryeol’s esteemed uncle, the Poison King, might be forced to swallow his pride if it came to that.

‘Though, if he knew about the other women, that might change things.’

He’d probably want to kill Gu Yangcheon the moment he found out. That was almost certain.

But now, here was Tang So-ryeol, feeling like she was falling short compared to the others.

"Why do you feel that way? You’re also—"
"I know. I know I shouldn’t feel like this. But it’s hard not to when that’s what I see."

Tang So-ryeol continued smiling, taking slow sips of tea.

"Logically, I know I shouldn’t compare myself to them, but I can’t help it. Without the name 'Venomous Phoenix,' I’m really nothing."

Even as she voiced such melancholy thoughts, her face remained calm as she sipped her tea. Peng Ah-hee found Tang So-ryeol’s ability to evaluate herself so serenely both impressive and puzzling.

If she had been in Tang So-ryeol’s position, she would have found it incredibly painful.

"So… are you thinking of giving up on Gu Yangcheon?"
"Huh?"

Tang So-ryeol tilted her head at Peng Ah-hee’s question, and Peng Ah-hee, in turn, was confused by her reaction.

Wasn’t that where this was headed?

"Why would I give up on Gu Yangcheon?"
"I don’t know… I thought maybe you’d decided to stop pursuing him because you felt like you didn’t measure up compared to the others."

Tang So-ryeol chuckled softly at Peng Ah-hee’s suggestion.

"So that’s not it?"
"No, it’s not."

After laughing for a moment, Tang So-ryeol returned her gaze to the night sky.

"Give up? If I were going to give up, I would’ve done so a long time ago. I’ve always known I wasn’t as good as Seol-ah or the others."

"Then?"
"Knowing I’m lacking just means I need to find another way."

"Another way?"
"Yeah. If I’m lacking, I’ll just fill in the gaps."

As Peng Ah-hee blinked in confusion, Tang So-ryeol’s face came into view.

There was something different about her smile today—something that set her apart from her usual self.

Had she come here just to vent her frustrations?

"Ah-hee."
"Yeah?"

Tang So-ryeol looked at Peng Ah-hee as she spoke.

"Will you help me?"

Her eyes were calm—remarkably calm—as she made the request.