Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 85

Un-hyun was speechless.

Until now, Un-hyun had thought that the events at Waryongheon were a misunderstanding, but could it really just be a misunderstanding?

Could the Divine Master and Sword Saint have decided all of this based solely on a misunderstanding?

Perhaps Un-hyun was the one who was mistaken.

As she watched Un-hyun lost in thought, the Young Palace Lord continued.

“By the way, isn’t it time to end the mock battle?”

The Young Palace Lord’s face had turned cold again.

Her expression seemed to urge him on, and Un-hyun responded with a firm face, not wanting to be outdone.

“I believe I’ve already said that I won’t.”

“Thirty years ago.”

The Young Palace Lord continued, cutting off Un-hyun’s words.

“No one who challenged the Sword Saint in the Northern Sea survived. But that’s precisely why the Northern Sea knew he was a true warrior. He risked his life, and his opponent’s, entirely on a single sword.”

The Young Palace Lord’s gaze towards Un-hyun was extremely cold.

She asked Un-hyun.

“What about you? Are you risking your life on your sword?”

It was a rather challenging question, but Un-hyun’s answer was simple.

“I am not a martial artist.”

Un-hyun said clearly in a firm voice.

“I am merely a scholar who enjoys swords. And I don’t believe that the way of the sword necessarily requires taking someone’s life.”

This time, the Young Palace Lord was momentarily speechless.

In the Northern Sea, facing a sword is an extremely sacred and incredibly cruel act.

It is the Northern Sea, and the law of the Northern Sea, where losing one’s life and everything in a single sword strike is accepted as a matter of course.

Therefore, Un-hyun’s resolute words were something the Young Palace Lord could not have imagined, especially coming from the successor of the Setting Sun Sword, who carried on the will of the Sword Saint.

But perhaps it was the most natural and obvious thing to say.

Because that is exactly what the scholar Un-hyun, whom the Young Palace Lord had seen so far, would say.

The Young Palace Lord, who had been staring at Un-hyun with a bewildered expression, eventually let out a light laugh.

“Hmph. I really can’t tell whether to believe your words or not. But such naive thoughts are something only a scholar could have.”

The Young Palace Lord, who had been chuckling softly, looked at Un-hyun again.

“So, you mean you won’t take Bingseol’s life? And you won’t harm me in any way?”

Un-hyun looked puzzled at the Young Palace Lord’s words.

“Why would I do anything to the Young Palace Lord…? Huh?”

Un-hyun stopped speaking for a moment.

Then, he frowned slightly and slowly looked around.

Regardless of Un-hyun’s actions, the Young Palace Lord said.

“Is that so? That’s truly a relief. But thanks to that…”

Swish.

The Young Palace Lord took a step back.

At the same time, shadows of people began to appear in the surrounding bushes.

“My carefully prepared plan has become useless.”

Rustle.

Someone emerged from the bushes.

A cold face and a unique aura emanating from his entire body.

It was none other than Binghon.

“Binghon?”

Un-hyun was not surprised by Binghon’s appearance.

After all, it was not strange for Binghon to be by the Young Palace Lord’s side.

Rather, it would have been more strange if he had not been here until now.

However, what Un-hyun was concerned about was the presence of other people in the surrounding bushes who were emitting a similar aura to Binghon.

‘Ah!’

Un-hyun realized what the Young Palace Lord had meant when she said that the lives of the Yongbong Tournament participants were at stake.

If so, what did it mean that Binghon had appeared here now?

“Could it be…?”

Un-hyun said with a serious expression.

However, the Young Palace Lord did not answer Un-hyun’s words and turned her head towards Binghon.

“Binghon.”

Binghon immediately lowered his head. The Young Palace Lord said briefly in a quiet voice.

“Terminate the plan. Await further instructions for the next action.”

Binghon’s eyes flickered for a moment, but there was no objection.

He bowed his head and accepted the Young Palace Lord’s command.

Rustle.

Binghon disappeared into the bushes without a word.

And at the same time, the aura that the other people around him had been emitting gradually faded away.

“They came in case I needed to escape.”

The Young Palace Lord said in a calm voice.

“Although I wouldn’t be able to do anything to you, the lives of all of them would have bought me at least some time. But since you said you have no intention of ending the mock battle, my plan has become useless.”

Un-hyun swallowed unconsciously.

The thought of all of them attacking him was dizzying.

“But thanks to that.”

The Young Palace Lord said with a bright smile.

“The young people of the Yongbong Tournament have been spared.”

Un-hyun could tell that her words were neither lies nor exaggerations.

“Then we will now withdraw.”

From that voice, Un-hyun realized that the Young Palace Lord had been stalling for time.

That must be why the conversation had been unusually long for her.

“Bingseol, get up.”

Rustle.

Bingseol, who had been bowing her head, quietly stood up.

Her face, which was close enough to touch if he reached out his hand, had no expression on it, but Un-hyun could tell that her eyes were shaking.

Swish.

Bingseol silently moved to the Young Palace Lord’s side.

Confirming that she was standing next to her, the Young Palace Lord said to Un-hyun.

“Since you have not ended the mock battle, this mock battle is not over yet. When you come to the Northern Sea, the one who will face you will be this Bingseol.”

It was almost a threat, but Un-hyun just shrugged it off.

‘Anyway.’

He just wouldn’t go to the Northern Sea.

He had no intention of going, and in the current situation, he should actively avoid any opportunity to go.

Step.

Suddenly, the Young Palace Lord took a step closer to Un-hyun.

The Young Palace Lord’s figure, walking quietly, was as beautiful as a painting under the blue moonlight.

But what sparkled with each step was a hostility as sharp as a knife.

Step.

The Young Palace Lord stopped right in front of Un-hyun.

Un-hyun was about to step back slightly because she was too close, but her red lips opened and a low whisper escaped.

“Dark Heaven Demon Emperor, and Azure Dragon Sword Lord.”

Un-hyun flinched for a moment.

It was partly because of the familiar names that had popped out unexpectedly, but perhaps it was also because of her breath whispering right in front of his nose.

“They may be the same person, or they may be different people. But the Murim Alliance [A large organization of martial artists] should pay attention to these names. And…”

A slight smile appeared on the Young Palace Lord’s lips.

“If you want to know about the person behind all of this, the Sage, you will have no choice but to come to the Northern Sea. So…”

The Young Palace Lord, who had been whispering, suddenly leaned towards Un-hyun.

“Oh!”

Un-hyun momentarily thought she was collapsing and reached out his hand.

The Young Palace Lord’s slender and soft body nestled into Un-hyun’s outstretched arms like a feather.

Rustle.

The fragrant scent of her hair brushed past Un-hyun’s nose, and he could feel her delicate breath on his ear.

In that brief moment, her lips moved lightly and whispered a few words.

Words that no one but Un-hyun could hear.

Tap.

The Young Palace Lord immediately pushed Un-hyun away with force.

As Un-hyun took a step back, the Young Palace Lord had already retreated and was standing next to Bingseol.

Rustle.

That gesture showed that she, too, had trained in martial arts.

“The day we meet in the Northern Sea.”

The Young Palace Lord said, flashing a captivating smile under the moonlight.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

The Young Palace Lord nodded slightly to Bingseol, and Bingseol, as if she had been waiting, placed her hands on the Young Palace Lord’s waist and kicked off the ground.

Flutter.

The two figures disappeared, their clothes fluttering.

And only Un-hyun was left alone in the empty field where they had disappeared.

‘Uh…’

Feeling her breath still lingering in his ear, Un-hyun was dazed for a while.

Thump, thump.

His heart, which had been calm even during the mock battle, was pounding violently.

***

“Bingseol.”

At the Young Palace Lord’s low voice, Bingseol immediately landed on the ground.

Step.

Bingseol landed softly on the ground, and the Young Palace Lord stepped out of her arms.

The Young Palace Lord lightly straightened her clothes and turned her head to look at Bingseol.

“…You knew?”

Bingseol was silent. But it wasn’t because she didn’t know what she meant.

How long had the silence lasted?

Bingseol opened her mouth in a low voice.

“I didn’t know he was the master of the Setting Sun. I just wanted to compete with him someday.”

“Since when?”

“Since the first time I met the Sword Saint in the Murim Alliance.”

What Bingseol was referring to was the moment when the Sword Saint unleashed his aura towards the younger generation who participated in the Yongbong Tournament.

It wasn’t just the Sword Saint who felt Un-hyun building a sword of the mind there.

“I see.”

The Young Palace Lord nodded silently. And looked at Bingseol again.

“Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

Bingseol didn’t answer.

The Young Palace Lord, who had been examining her for a while, smiled slightly.

“Okay. After all, you don’t have an obligation to report everything to me.”

The Young Palace Lord continued quietly.

“But honestly, it was unexpected. No matter how much the opponent is the master of the Setting Sun, it is a complete defeat against an unknown opponent who is not even a Sword Saint…”

The eyes of Bingseol, who was bowing her head, shook violently.

“It will be quite shocking news in the Northern Sea.”

After pausing for a moment, the Young Palace Lord watched Bingseol’s reaction.

A slight smile flashed across the Young Palace Lord’s lips as she confirmed that her eyes were shaking.

“Of course, depending on the point of view, it can’t be said to be bad news.”

The Young Palace Lord took a slow step, looking at her feet.

“It will be a good stimulus for the Southern Forest Faction, which has been lazy with its hopeless peace theory, and for the Jeongnam theorists, who have been excited by the power given by the Sage. Perhaps it will be quite noisy for a while because of this issue. Either way, they will try to give it a meaning that is advantageous to them.”

The Young Palace Lord turned her head and looked at Bingseol.

“Which side are you on? Are you on the side that defends your defeat?”

“I am a member of the Twelve Flying Dragons of the Northern Sea, I will only follow the will of the Northern Sea.”

Bingseol’s answer was without hesitation. The Young Palace Lord smiled as if satisfied with her answer.

“I thought you would.”

The Young Palace Lord’s gaze turned to the side they had come from.

It was the direction where Bingseol and Un-hyun had fought the mock battle just now, where Un-hyun was left alone.

“The new master of the Setting Sun. It’s an unexpected person, but it’s not just a bad thing. Especially if you think about the journey ahead, there may not be a better opportunity than this.”

Whoosh.

A soft breeze blew from the lake at night.

Fluttering her gorgeous clothes, the Young Palace Lord muttered to herself.

“Should I have said, ‘I will not forget today’s grudge’?”

Her gaze was still directed towards the empty field.

And Bingseol didn’t answer either. Because she knows that the Young Palace Lord is not expecting an answer.

The Young Palace Lord’s red lips, looking at the Seohwa Lake where the moonlight was falling, held a faint smile for quite a long time.