Chapter 44
With a more comfortable face than the first day of episode 44.
Unfortunately my wish did not come true.
“Lee Gongja, how did this happen??”
Ilhwageomjon's voice trembled, but she remained calm..
Her original plan would have been this. He gave up the first three moves easily, and played with me for the next twenty or thirty moves before trying to win. Rather, she herself was defeated in just three moves..
“Didn't I tell you? It's a dark magic sword, so be careful..”
I said I won thanks to the dark magic sword, but she wasn't weak enough to cover up her defeat with an excuse..
“Even if it was the Heavenly Demon Sword and not the Black Demon Sword, it was a fight I should not have lost..”
I knew better than anyone else that I lost because of my skills, not because of my sword..
“Let me tell you a secret. I have already achieved great success in Bicheon Sword Technique..”
For a moment she was startled.
“Have you already achieved great success? I can't believe it.”
The martial arts level of Bicheongeombeop was similar to the martial arts learned by the Magons..
Her disbelief was natural when I told her that I had already achieved great success in such martial arts skills..
“Do you not know our Father? Are you going to put him in a corner of the net just because he’s your son??”
“Even if Lee Gongja has achieved great success in Bicheon Sword Technique,…….”
“Are you saying it might have been lacking? Didn't I take Celestial Exaltation before??”
“ah!”
I didn't even bother to talk about obtaining the Demonic Order in Socheon-dong..
“I won this match. Do you admit it??”
“…….”
she couldn't admit.
“If I had known that Lee Gong-ja's skills were this high, I wouldn't have let down my guard so much..”
I didn't know my skills, and this happened when I gave up the first strike and third attempt. Moreover, the moment I tried to speak, the attack caused the sword to fly away. A lot of bad news happened to her..
“So you're saying you can't admit it? If it becomes known that Geomzon broke his promise, you will be labeled a coward for the rest of your life..”
“Shut up! There is no need to provoke me with such unnecessary words. I keep my promises. Lee Gongja, what do you want??”
“He said he would even give up his life if he lost..”
“This confrontation!”
She was about to make an excuse, but she closed her mouth. Whether you lost because you were careless or because your martial arts skills were weak, losing was a loss. It was he who was conceited that he would give up three moves..
“Is it my life that you want??”
“Is that possible? I've heard many times that I'm crazy, but I'm not that crazy..”
“So what do you want??”
“please accept my apology.”
For a moment, Geomzon was surprised..
“I apologize for being rude to Geomzon until now. I offer my sincere apologies, please forgive me..”
She looked at me with an expression of incomprehension..
“Are you making fun of me??”
“No, I was rude to my senior today. I wasn't calling my senior there..”
“Why are you apologizing to me even though you won??”
“Can I be honest with you??”
“of course!”
“I would like to apologize like this and gain your favor. So I want to make my senior support me wholeheartedly..”
“sincerity? Are you telling the truth in the succession battle? If you thought that kind of thing was a common ground, you would be disappointed. I didn't know Lee Gongja was so naive..”
“It will vary depending on the opponent. I am a person who, when my opponent throws dirt at me, pushes me into the mud, and when my opponent throws water at me, I respond with shit. But I want to compete with my senior with naivety..”
“Why? Because I seem naive.?”
“no. Because you have a noble character. Among the Palmazons, you are someone who deserves more respect than anyone else..”
If you think about her life afterward, everything she said now is a lie..
But those things haven't happened yet. If meeting me was a turning point and her fate changed, wouldn't the bloody future disappear and a new life unfold? Wouldn't it be possible for flowers to bloom in the bleak wasteland I saw in her eyes??
“I really think so.?”
“Yes, you are noble and elegant..”
She bit her lip slightly. I was happy about the compliment, but at the same time, I felt somewhat complicated..
I walked over, pulled out the Ilhwa sword from the floor, and handed it to her..
“See you next time then.”
After bowing politely, I entered the living room..
I didn't know how long she stayed there before returning because she went in and fell asleep..
* * *
The next night, Ilhwa Geomzone came to see me again..
Her eyes and face were swollen as if she hadn't slept all night..
“I will accept Lee Gongja’s apology..”
“thank you.”
“Instead, I have a favor to ask of you..”
“What is it?”
“I lost the match yesterday. I admit it. Instead, we'll meet again today.”
I refused right away..
“I don't like it.”
“Why do I hate it??”
“Because now you won't be able to win again. If Geomzon hadn't let his guard down, if he hadn't given up on attacking first, I would never have won..”
“Lee Gong-ja achieved great success in Bicheon Sword Technique, right? The power is also sufficient. Even if we fight again, we can win.”
“I can't win.”
“why are you so sure?”
“It was a piece of luck that comes once or twice in life. I am not a person who is proud of my skills..”
“I won't put any conditions on when I win. Instead, when I lose, I will listen to what Gongja Lee wants..”
It's really about restoring self-esteem..
I thought I knew why she became the leader of a religious cult, caused bloodshed, and then collapsed..
What kind of pride is that? I know what to ask for. So foolish and naive..
“Senior, I won’t tell anyone about yesterday’s match. So you don’t have to try to beat me. No one will know what happened yesterday anyway..”
“You can't know what people are doing. I might spit it out under the influence of alcohol.”
“That won't happen.”
I was in no hurry. Since I'm in control, I just need to slowly draw her to my side..
“Sleep well today. Your face looks hurt.”
As I turned around and went in, she suddenly said.
“It was shameful.”
Those were the words that stopped me in my tracks..
I turned back to her..
“Didn't I tell you? The reason I won was pure luck.”
“It's not just because we lost in a draw..”
The cause of that shame was in an unexpected place..
“The more I thought about the saying, “No face,” the more I felt ashamed..”
That's what she shouted when the sword flew.
No face.!
“It can happen. It's a face. As a man, I would be no different..”
“A normal person can do that. But Geomzone can’t do that. I'd rather get stabbed in the face.”
She must have been too proud and ashamed to say those words..
Of course, I understand her when she said that. She was as proud of her appearance as she was of her honor and pride in being a sword master. Because she wanted to be told that she was pretty and looked young more than that she was good at fighting..
“Now you know why I came back?”
“yes.”
“Then will you fight me??”
She was full of desperation, but my answer didn't live up to it..
“I don't like it.”
As I turned around, I heard her shout from behind me..
“scientist!”
“Can't you just let me enjoy this one lucky break??”
Then Geomzon said something unexpected..
“I promised. To never lose.”
“Who is with you??”
“I won't lose to anyone but him.”
Him? If Geomzon is the person he calls himself,?
“no way?”
The person who flashed through my mind for a moment came out of her mouth..
“I made a promise to the teacher.”
The moment I heard that, I remembered what my father said to me..
―Geomzon is a person with many scars..
I could see that there was a deep bond between my father and Geomzon..
“When did you make your promise??”
Instead of answering, Geomzon expressed his respect for his father..
“The only person I respect is the leader..”
I couldn't believe what she said..
A person who respects his father so much would cause such bloodshed in order to take over the position of sect leader? Why on earth?
“I don't want to break my promise to the leader..”
She quickly added, fearing that I might misunderstand something rude..
“If you are thinking any profane thoughts right now, I will tell you clearly. Please don't insult my pure respect for you..”
“No, I didn't think of that..”
“I'm glad you did..”
“Why do you respect your father so much??”
Geomzon only smiled slightly and did not give any details..
If she brought up what happened with her father, it would have been her last move. I couldn't refuse any more..
“great. I have to keep the promise I made to my father..”
Ilhwa Geomzon was happy. It was a laugh of genuine joy that made all the smiles and laughs that had been shown up until now fake..
“Is it that good??”
“great.”
“I will do my best this time too.”
“That's what I want.”
I fought my best in the second match as well..
In fact, I was more excited than the first dance. Ilhwa Geomzon did not let down his guard, and his eyes were full of passion that could not be hidden..
Of course, this fight was not a fight to kill, but a competition only to determine the winner..
A dozen rounds of exploration have passed, over a hundred rounds of relaxing, and over three hundred rounds of splendid herbivores..
The longer the match continued, the more we lost the game..
I fell in love with the pure fun of competing in martial arts. Who would win was a question later..
I was surprised at the seemingly impossible connection between herbivory and even more surprised at how quickly I was able to identify my weaknesses..
‘ah! It's truly amazing! This guy really deserves the nod to the sword..’
Normally, we wouldn't have had time to think about this, but as we had promised, we took a break when we needed to rest..
As we were completely immersed in the fact that we were competing in martial arts, we reflected on the various herbivorous games we had competed against..
This moment of pure martial arts competition was giving me more joy than any life-and-death feeling I had in the past..
I had to admit that I had some misunderstandings about her, just as I felt about my father and Ian..
Her desire for fame and pride were not a struggle to fill her desolate mind. Its origin came from pride in martial arts..
At least when it came to swordsmanship, she was more serious, sincere, and genuine than anyone else in the world. Because his attitude toward swordsmanship was reminiscent of his father's attitude toward martial arts..
The two of us, who had studied only swordsmanship our whole lives, became deeply immersed in conversation with the sword..
The match was a draw. In a fight where there was no will to kill, we were a close match..
“Since you didn't use your deadly move, I lost this match..”
“Isn't it the same??”
“No, this is all I have.”
Ilhwageomjon, who was quietly staring at me, suddenly spoke..
“Lee Gongja, thank you.”
She left those words and turned away..
But what is clear is that he returned with a more comfortable face than on the first day..
It was still unknown how she would turn out in the future. I promised my father I wouldn't lose, so I might come back tomorrow. Maybe today's dance will end forever.
Rubbing with her moved my emotions. What did it mean to her? I didn't know if it was enough to saturate her bleak wasteland-like emotions..
Anyway, investing in her starts now. It's so hard to create my own person.
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