Try Living Well Without Me

“Umm… That…”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you very much for saving me!”

“Ho.”

“The favor of this rescue! I will surely repay it someday…”

The interesting gaze of Hong Ryun observing Namgung So, who was bowing to her.

“Quite amusing.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Did you feel like this when you saved me, Master?”

“Master?”

“Living all my life only accumulating sin, I finally tried doing a good deed, and it wasn’t too bad.”

“…?”

Namgung So wore a puzzled expression, but regardless, Hong Ryun continued her monologue.

To her, who had lived as the Pavilion Master of the Salgak Pavilion and the first assassin in the land, conversing with others was exceedingly awkward.

“There’s such a thing. Is your body well?”

Responding to the inquiry about her condition, Namgung So smiled gently.

“Yes, thanks to my benefactor.”

“Is that so? Fortunately, if anything had happened to you in front of my eyes, I wouldn’t have had the face to meet him.”

“…him…”

“Hmm? Why that expression? Do you have any complaints?”

At first, Namgung So had been clueless, but she had already grasped the situation.

“Is the benefactor truly betrothed to my eldest brother?”

“Will be soon.”

“…? Soon…?”

“Ask too many unnecessary questions. It’s annoying.”

“???”

Though there were many questions she wanted to ask, Namgung So shut her mouth.

For some reason she couldn’t understand, her benefactor seemed shy and was twisting her body.

“Ask any questions that aren’t pointless, it’s fine. No need to be mute like that.”

When Hong Ryun casually addressed Namgung So’s silence,

“Then… may I know your honored name?”

After a moment’s thought, Namgung So asked the question that she deemed most necessary to her.

“My honored name? What do you intend to do with it?”

“Ah, knowing it would allow me to repay the favor later… and the benefactor knows me, but I do not know the benefactor…”

“Repay the favor? Could our little sister possibly help you?”

“That, that’s not what I meant…”

“Are you worried about not recognizing me? There aren’t many people with pink hair like mine in all of Zhongyuan, so don’t worry about it.”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…”

“Understood, so that’s enough.”

“Yes…”

Hong Ryun, still inexperienced in conversation with others.

Namgung So wasn’t a very agreeable person due to her quirkiness either, so only awkward exchanges filled the space between them.

“Um… but…”

Not wanting to leave her savior in such an atmosphere, Namgung So gathered her courage and continued to speak.

“Why… are you infatuated with my brother?”

Based on her observation of Hong Ryun within this short time, Namgung So was trying to create a conversation topic.

A topic they, as women, could perhaps easily chatter about.

“Hmm? Is that considered a question?”

“Ah, no… B, Big Brother is branded as trash across all territories… H, How can you still be infatuated with him?”

Though the topic slightly veered off due to being caught off guard by Hong Ryun’s prickly atmosphere,

“Uh, does benefactor also know that big brother was falsely accused…? That’s why you saved me from the Huangbao family…?”

“Hmm? Falsely accused?”

“Ah… You didn’t know…?”

“Ah, so it was a false accusation. It did seem odd that such a righteous person could commit such acts.”

“R, Really didn’t know? Then you mean you loved brother despite believing the rumors…?”

At Namgung So’s inquiry, baffled by the incomprehensible answer based on her understanding,

“Are you talking about those children being violated and evil deeds? Didn’t you just say those were fake?”

“They’re fake, but you didn’t know until now. How could you fall in love with him by believing those?”

Hong Ryun answered calmly as if asking a completely obvious question.

“What do those children have to do with me? Regardless of what happens to those whom I’ve never met, it has nothing to do with my affection for him.”

“And, if you’re going to delve into this, shouldn’t we first deal with the fact that the Sword Sage killed my mother?”

“Wha…? Did, did Sword Sage kill your mother…?”

“As for covering up that fact, he didn’t just kill other enemies either. But why bother bringing up past matters?”

“…”

Though the conversation itself was egocentric due to Hong Ryun’s personality, Namgung So had no particular complaints or questions.

Rather, she had no time for such things, overwhelmed by a wave of self-loathing.

‘Why did our little sister suddenly become so dejected?’

Naturally, Hong Ryun, an assassin among assassins, could not fail to detect Namgung So’s change in mood.

“Anyway, there’s something more important right now, isn’t there.”

“Huh?”

To save Namgung So from her self-recrimination, Hong Ryun changed the subject abruptly.

“Just have a good look.”

Shurak.

As Hong Ryun slipped out of her outer robe, the smooth light pink skin beneath it, reminiscent of lotus petals, was revealed in the moonlight.

“Wha…! W, what are you doing!”

Namgung So quickly covered her face with her hands and turned her head, as the sight was unbearably embarrassing for her, who had only ever seen Namgung Cheolbin.

Hong Ryun removed Namgung So’s hands, continuing with her speech.

“Our little sister shouldn’t do this. You must observe and give your evaluation.”

Thus, Namgung So’s blue eyes were filled with… pressure bandages.

The appearance of the pressure bandages, tightly wrapping Hong Ryun’s chest, let Namgung So let out a sigh of relief, but only for a moment.

As Hong Ryun stretched her back, the great mounds compressed by the bandages were highlighted, forcing Namgung So to catch her breath again.

“The result of my dedicated practice intended to seduce the Sword Sage.”

They were enormous, incomparable to herself or anyone else she’d ever seen.

Even through the bandages, the overwhelming presence conveyed a sense of superiority, instilling in Namgung So a feeling of relative deprivation.

Especially since she was already grappling with feelings of inadequacy as a romantic rival.

“How about it? Does it seem like he’ll fall for you when you look like this?”

“…”

Namgung So could feel defeat, both mentally and physically.

*

“Wu refers to martial arts, Gong refers to study. Thus, Wugong means the study of martial arts.”

“Cutting, striking, blocking, evading, throwing—starting from these fundamental actions.”

“Progressing through the training of body and mind, becoming the fertilizer for a sturdy spirit and body.”

“Delving into the essence of good and evil, handling the five elements and eight trigrams’ energies spread across nature.”

“One may stand by the side of Tathagata like Bodhidharma, or become an immortal like Lü Dongbin.”

“One may also become the epitome of evil like the Blood Demon, or the harbinger of destruction like the Celestial Demon.”

“And finally, all that remains is emptiness.”

‘The True Celestial Ice Flame Sword Technique is at the stage of the five elements and eight trigrams. ‘

The True Celestial Ice Flame Sword Technique.

A sword technique that ascends to the heavens, carrying the two opposing energies of ice and flame.

It bears the characteristics of water and fire from the five elements.

Though not part of the five elements, just like the royal sword technique of the Namgung family that I have learned, encompassing thunder.

“Maybe… I should try it myself.”

While beside Jin Gayoung, I memorized all the forms of the True Celestial Ice Flame Sword Technique.

Though I noticed several obvious issues just by looking at it, it’s best to try it out firsthand.

With that thought, I picked up a wooden sword and began to execute the True Celestial Ice Flame Sword Technique.

“Hmm?”

Something feels off.

Having too many useless movements, or overly complicated and unnecessary techniques is not the issue here.

There’s a sense of ‘awkwardness’.

The transitions between forms aren’t smooth, and the center of gravity shifts around inconsistently.

So, I tried again, but it’s still the same.

“What is it?”

Certainly, according to the forms, the center of gravity should move from the waist to the shoulder when transitioning from the fourth to the fifth form, but…

The effort keeps accumulating in my wrist.

No matter how hard I try not to, that happens naturally when continuing the forms.

Yet, when I perform the forms separately, that doesn’t happen.

There’s no problem with the individual forms, but when strung together, issues arise.

“Was Jin Gayoung exerting force in her wrist because of this?”

When I asked if she felt awkward while executing the forms, she just tilted her head.

“I don’t feel any awkwardness…”

“…Really? Given how extreme the awkwardness is?”

“I don’t. And isn’t it natural to feel awkward when using a new sword technique for the first time, no matter what you say?”

“Please demonstrate it from start to finish. ”

“Aah, alright… Huh… But I’m busy…”

Though it’s somewhat of an unreasonable request, since it’s impossible not to notice such severe awkwardness, I have no choice.

I need to check her posture again.

Given my high level of understanding in swordplay, it feels too awkward to be just from using a new technique for the first time.

“Ah… You’re making me blush by staring so intently…”

Huwoong! Sharak!

“How’s it, does it work, does it work?”

“…”

“Does it work, does it work? Why aren’t you answering? Should I show you again…?”

“No, stop now.”

“Yes… I wanted to stay with you longer…”

Slightly showing a hint of disappointment, she moved away, and I returned to the training ground.

Focusing on the ‘awkwardness’ as I observed Jin Gayoung’s sword, I noticed unexpectedly many flaws that weren’t visible before.

The awkwardness that arises when forcing flawed movements together.

However, the problem is that those flawed movements have been practiced for so long that they’ve become ingrained in the body.

And that’s why Jin Gayoung doesn’t feel the awkwardness that I sense.

“Sigh… How should I fix this awkward sword technique?”

Rather, what exactly makes it awkward?

Searching the original manual for any missing parts in the movements, but the forms themselves were sound.

And so were mine when I used them.

The only problem is that when strung together, they create a skill full of flaws.

“Let me try it one more time.”

Shwoak! Sharak!

The imbalance of weight, and the awkwardness.

The more I use it, the more clearly I feel it.

What if the absence of energy is the problem? But even when I executed it with ice and fire qi, it was the same.

“Unless… Is it…?”

At that moment, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

“Is the weapon wrong?”

The weight feels off, and it always strains the wrist.

Isn’t this… a characteristic of heavy weapons?

The great sword, the war mace, the battle axe…

“Unless that’s it, it doesn’t make sense.”

At the edge of the training ground hung a massive axe.

It was hung so respectfully that I casually asked someone about it.

“Back in ancient times, it was used by the Founder Patriarch when he didn’t have a sword. I don’t know its name… It’s practically a relic to honor him…”

“The Founder of the Taewon Jin Clan used this instead of a sword?”

Based on his martial arts, it seemed like he used this when he didn’t have the axe…

“Hm… Can I take it down?”

“Isn’t there nothing you can’t do, my lord? I’ll take it down right away.”

“Is that so?”

Ever since, the people of the Taewon Jin Clan have mistakenly thought I’m their secret power broker, but I suppose I can let it be since Jin Gayoung doesn’t particularly object.

“Oi, here you go.”

“Thank you, you’ve worked hard.”

“If you need anything else, just call for me, my lord.”

“I will.”

The battle axe handed to me was quite heavy, just like its appearance.

The blade appeared to be made from black steel, and the handle… Goodness, the handle and the axe shaft are entirely made of black steel too.

The founding master must have had an incredible amount of money.

Though it’s not quite as valuable as the Qing Guang Bao Jian that I used, it still required quite a bit of money to make a battle axe like this from black steel.

“What’s important now is not this.”

Gripping the massive axe in one hand, I attempted the True Celestial Ice Flame Sword Technique.

An ordinary person wouldn’t dare lift it, but to me, this feels no different from the wooden sword I wielded earlier, so there’s no problem.

Huwing! Huwuung!

“Ah, yes, this is it.”

It’s powerful and fierce.

The essence of the heavy weapon, the heavy axe, is present.

“Haha, it’s not the True Celestial Ice Flame Sword Technique but the True Celestial Ice Flame Axe Technique. It must have been distorted somewhere along the way, huh?”

To leave such excellence behind and…

Swords and axes are different.

Unlike swords, which are balanced throughout the blade, axes are weapons with most of their weight concentrated in the heavy metal part at the end.

Therefore, they’re usually swung with large movements like crescent blades or staves.

When using the True Celestial Ice Flame Sword Technique with this massive axe, they fit perfectly.

The reason why effort was concentrated on the wrist was to support the weight of the axe, not the sword.

The awkwardness in the transitions was due to the difference between axes and swords.

When swinging an axe, you need to gain momentum again after each swing, unlike a sword that can quickly change direction and cut in an instant.

“This feels refreshing.”

Huuwing! Hooong!

The True Celestial Ice Flame ‘Axe’ Technique.

It seems like the parts that need to be modified have decreased considerably, which is fortunate.

…But, if I give this axe to Jin Gayoung, can she even wield it properly?

No, she probably wouldn’t even be able to lift it.

“…”

Well, I should work on modifying that point from now on.

After all, it’s my work and I can’t just do it carelessly, right?

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