Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 143

143. Her Own Feelings

The Murong Family’s meeting finally concluded in the evening.

As the Family Head still had matters to discuss with the Chief Manager, Murong Mei bowed and quietly left the office.

Click.

Murong Mei closed the office door and turned to find her brother, Murong Jin, standing there.

“What’s wrong, Brother?”

“Um, well, that’s…”

Murong Jin hesitated for a moment.

Murong Jin gave a wry smile to Murong Mei, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t tell you sooner.”

“About what?”

“About Master Yun teaching the disciples.”

At those words, Murong Mei smiled faintly.

Murong Jin, who had been adopted into the family, used to be cautious of Murong Mei and Family Head Murong Dancheon.

She thought he had overcome that habit after regaining his confidence, but it seemed some of his old insecurities remained.

“That kind of thing…”

Murong Mei was about to say that she didn’t care.

“Seeing your expression change made me realize it. Your face has been stiff ever since.”

Murong Mei frowned slightly.

“…Did it?”

“Yes.”

Her brother, Murong Jin, nodded.

“I wonder if I should be saying this, but if there’s something you want to say to Master Yun, don’t miss the opportunity.”

Murong Jin said with a serious expression.

“Once he leaves this place, we don’t know when we’ll see him again.”

It was a brother’s concern for his sister.

Murong Mei realized that her thought that her brother was being cautious of her was a misunderstanding.

And at the same time, she realized that Murong Jin’s advice, ‘We don’t know when we’ll see him again,’ was shaking her heart.

That fact made her flustered.

‘…Why am I like this?’

She thought she didn’t have any particular feelings or thoughts.

But Murong Mei couldn’t understand why she was so shaken.

Murong Jin smiled at Murong Mei, who remained silent.

“Master Yun is probably at the training grounds right now. I hope it goes well, Miya.”

Murong Jin waved his hand lightly and left.

Step, step.

Murong Mei stared at Murong Jin’s receding figure with a bewildered expression.

It was the first time Murong Jin had called her by her given name, but Murong Mei didn’t even notice.

It wasn’t her brother’s words, but her own reaction that was making her flustered.

Murong Mei bit her lip slightly.

It was already getting dark, but Murong Mei still couldn’t decide where to go.

***

Even as dusk settled, the tension at the training grounds showed no signs of easing.

The training grounds, lit on all sides, felt even hotter.

“Haa!”

Thud.

At the same time as stomping his foot forcefully, dozens of swords drew arcs in unison.

The sharp blades reached their apex, and then all the swords stopped moving at once.

Not even a breath could be heard.

That silence disappeared with Yun Hyun’s quiet voice.

“…Good.”

Sighs of relief leaked out from here and there.

Before his colleagues’ postures could falter, Go Jin-cheol shouted loudly.

“Return swords!”

Clang.

The young disciples sheathed their swords.

Even that posture was full of discipline, and the movements ended almost simultaneously, even though it wasn’t intentional.

The tension that had been hanging over the training grounds dissipated.

But no one left or moved.

They simply exchanged a few words with the person next to them, all thinking that the training would continue soon.

“Great Hero Go.”

“Yes!”

Tap.

At Yun Hyun’s voice, Go Jin-cheol rushed over without delay.

He had been very embarrassed when he first heard the title of Great Hero.

They were only in a position to be called Little Hero out of courtesy.

He even thought they were making fun of him.

But Yun Hyun’s expression was utterly serious.

As if he had no doubt that Go Jin-cheol would become a Great Hero.

Was that why?

The excessive title of Great Hero now felt natural.

And without Go Jin-cheol himself knowing it, his eyes and attitude were already filled with the desire to become a martial artist worthy of the title of Great Hero.

Yun Hyun said to Go Jin-cheol, who had run over in an instant.

“Let’s finish today’s training now.”

“Already?”

Yun Hyun smiled at Go Jin-cheol’s puzzled expression.

“It’s quite dark.”

Only then did Go Jin-cheol look around.

And he realized that quite a bit of time had passed, as Yun Hyun had said.

When did it get so dark?

“And Great Hero Go.”

“Yes.”

Go Jin-cheol turned his head again at Yun Hyun’s words.

“I’m sorry, but could you ask them to come to me one by one?”

“One by one?”

Yun Hyun nodded.

“Yes. It’s nothing great, but there’s some advice I’d like to give.”

Go Jin-cheol’s face lit up.

The advice of a supreme master is never easy to obtain.

Not to mention Yun Hyun’s advice, who had been watching their training all day?

“I understand.”

Go Jin-cheol immediately ran to his colleagues.

***

By the time Murong Mei arrived at the training grounds, darkness had completely fallen.

She was worried that it might be a wasted trip, but contrary to her expectations, the training grounds were brightly lit.

Scribble.

‘Huh?’

Murong Mei, who was entering the training grounds, saw a strange sight.

Contrary to her expectations, the disciples were not training.

The young disciples were scattered in groups of twos and threes around the training grounds, talking or practicing simple sword forms.

And about half of the disciples were gathered in one place, waiting anxiously for something.

‘What’s going on?’

Murong Mei naturally looked at where they were looking.

Yun Hyun was there.

Yun Hyun, dressed as a scholar as usual, was talking seriously with a disciple a short distance away.

As Yun Hyun wrote something and spoke, the young disciple nodded and listened with a serious expression.

Murong Mei was puzzled.

Anyway, it didn’t seem like they were training, so she started walking towards Yun Hyun.

“Ah!”

The person who discovered Murong Mei was Go Jin-cheol, who was waiting for his turn.

As soon as he spotted Murong Mei, he bowed his head and paid his respects.

“Greetings to the Outer Hall Lord!”

Go Jin-cheol’s loud greeting was enough to attract the attention of the other disciples.

The young disciples immediately paid their respects to Murong Mei.

“Greetings, Lord!”

Murong Mei was a little embarrassed.

The young disciples had never paid their respects so respectfully before.

However, Murong Mei soon bowed her head and returned their greetings.

“It’s alright. Continue.”

At Murong Mei’s words, the disciples returned to what they were doing.

Murong Mei watched them for a moment, then moved her feet and approached Yun Hyun.

“You seem busy.”

Yun Hyun also stood up from his seat and returned the greeting to Murong Mei, who was paying her respects.

“Ah, yes…”

Yun Hyun mumbled.

The young disciple who was with Yun Hyun answered for him.

“Master Yun was giving us some… advice.”

Murong Mei lowered her gaze slightly.

Yun Hyun was holding a thin brush and a piece of paper with writing on it in his hand.

It seemed like he had organized the advice he was giving to the young disciple, but the writing was quite dense for ‘some advice’.

“I see.”

Murong Mei smiled.

Yun Hyun had also given advice to Pa Jin-han of the Namhae Sword Sect at the previous Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

Although he was initially rejected outright.

Swish.

Murong Mei turned her head and looked at the gathered young disciples.

It seemed that they were waiting to receive advice from Yun Hyun.

‘Come to think of it.’

Murong Mei noticed that the other disciples were all holding pieces of paper with writing on them.

The disciples were unfolding their sword forms or sharing their opinions while looking at the contents.

“I’m sorry, but.”

Murong Mei turned her head at Yun Hyun’s voice.

Yun Hyun said with an utterly serious expression.

“Would you mind stepping aside for a moment?”

“Yes?”

Murong Mei wore a puzzled expression.

Yun Hyun continued in a polite but firm voice.

“A martial artist’s sword is his pride. Although you are the Lord of the Outer Hall, I would appreciate it if you could step aside for a moment. It will be over soon.”

At those words, Murong Mei was a little taken aback.

But Yun Hyun’s words were right.

If there is someone else present in a place where shortcomings and things to be corrected are pointed out, it can be criticism rather than pure advice for the person concerned.

“I see.”

Murong Mei fully understood Yun Hyun’s intentions.

But she couldn’t help but feel her voice hardening.

“Then I’ll…”

She was about to say that she would go back as she was.

But at that moment, her brother’s advice brushed past her ears.

—Don’t miss the opportunity. We don’t know when we’ll see him again.

After thinking for a moment, Murong Mei said quietly.

“…I’ll wait.”

Murong Mei said briefly, turned her body, and walked away.

Scribble, scribble.

Yun Hyun watched Murong Mei’s back with a bitter smile.

He was worried that he might have spoken too harshly, when suddenly he heard the voice of a young disciple.

“Thank you.”

Yun Hyun turned his head.

The young disciple’s gratitude was sincere.

No matter that she was the Lord of the Outer Hall, who would want to be humiliated in front of the family’s beautiful young lady?

“But I wonder if she’s angry.”

Yun Hyun smiled.

“It’s alright. The Lord of the Outer Hall will understand well enough, so you don’t have to worry.”

With those words, Yun Hyun’s expression became serious again.

“As I said, the strengths of the Great Hero’s sword are…”

The young disciple soon focused on Yun Hyun’s words.

He did not show any resistance to the teachings of others, nor did he put forward any petty pride.

This was because he was already convinced that Yun Hyun’s advice was truly for his own good.

Rather, the young disciple listened to Yun Hyun’s words, lest he miss a single word.

His eyes were shining brighter than ever.

***

Murong Mei stood a short distance away and looked at the training grounds.

And only then did she realize.

That the disciples waiting were keeping their distance from Yun Hyun.

‘Hmm.’

It wasn’t just her that Yun Hyun had made step back.

It was nothing much, but that alone made Murong Mei feel a little better.

‘…He’s working hard.’

Yun Hyun’s expression was serious.

He was writing something and speaking quickly, and the young disciple was listening with shining eyes, lest he miss a single word.

Finally, Yun Hyun lifted the paper full of writing, blew on it once, and handed it to the young disciple.

The young disciple carefully received the paper with both hands.

His eyes were shining as if he had obtained a peerless secret manual.

He left, and another disciple ran to Yun Hyun.

‘It was like that back then too.’

Murong Mei looked at Yun Hyun and recalled the previous Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

She had felt it when she first saw him, but Yun Hyun was a slightly clumsy yet pure scholar.

But that appearance looked good to Murong Mei.

She was tired of the vain and calculating appearances of the young men from prestigious martial families.

Yun Hyun’s anger for Pa Jin-han, who had been humiliated in the competition, was also fresh and appealing to Murong Mei.

Maybe that’s why.

The fact that he was actually an amazing master, known as the successor of the Sword Saint, and a mysterious person associated with the Azure Dragon Sword Lord was embarrassing.

‘A little bit.’

Murong Mei sighed without realizing it.

‘…I was also disappointed.’

At that moment, Murong Mei, who was continuing her thoughts, was startled.

‘Disappointed? Me?’

Murong Mei suddenly fell into confusion.

It was an inevitable reaction of a young lady facing her own emotions that she had not yet realized.