âWhatâs going on hereâ¦?â
Gu Ryeonghwa asked as she took in the scene unfolding before her, fresh from her early morning training.
âWhat does it look like?â
She turned to her older brother, who was lazily yawning beside her, and asked. Gu Yangcheon wiped the sleep from his eyes and answered matter-of-factly.
âIsnât it obvious? Theyâre about to spar.â
âNo, I meanâ¦â
Why now, of all times? Thatâs what she wanted to ask but held back.
There was more she wanted to say, a mountain of words she had to suppress.
âWhat is this nonsense?â
Forcing herself to keep her swelling frustration in check, she narrowed her eyes at the scene ahead. On the gravel bank by the flowing stream, two young men stood facing each other.
One was a neatly dressed youth clad in the pristine white martial robes of the Mount Hua Sect.
The other, with pale skin, wore a tattered martial uniform that looked like it had been scavenged from somewhere. According to her brother, this youth was a friend of hisâa supposed acquaintance of Yeongpung.
âDid he say he was from Kunlun?â
Gu Ryeonghwa wasnât entirely sure. Sheâd never seen a Daoist from the Kunlun Sect before, but this young man seemed far from what she imagined a Daoist would look like.
âThereâs something⦠chilling about him.â
Sharp and coldâthat was the impression he gave her.
âAre they really going to spar?â
âWhy else would they be standing there?â
Gu Yangcheonâs typically rude tone grated on her nerves.
âThis brother of mineâ¦â
He hadnât even responded to the countless letters sheâd sent. Now that theyâd finally met after so long, his attitude was as insufferable as ever.
âWe may not have had the best relationship, but isnât this a bit much?â
Their sibling bond had never been particularly strong, but she had tried to bridge the gap. Seeing him act like this made her effort feel like a waste.
Even so, Gu Ryeonghwa swallowed her anger, knowing now wasnât the time to let it out.
She turned to her brother and asked, âDo you really think that man can beat Yeongpung?â
Sheâd heard the stakes. If that pale stranger won the spar, they would reveal why they were heading to Wudang.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
When she first heard it, she had to suppress a laugh.
âThatâs ridiculous.â
The stranger was clearly Yeongpungâs age and appeared far less physically imposing.
Thin and frail, as though heâd gone hungry for days. Could someone like that possibly defeat Yeongpung?
âNo way.â
Gu Ryeonghwa was confident. That wasnât going to happen.
This wasnât just anyoneâit was Yeongpung.
The youngest Plum Blossom Swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect, hailed as the sectâs most talented martial artist in generations.
And now, with his recent fortuitous encounter, Yeongpungâs growth had only accelerated.
A fellow disciple of his generation capable of defeating Yeongpung?
In Gu Ryeonghwaâs eyes, such a person didnât exist.
âButâ¦â
Her thoughts trailed off as she glanced at her brother.
There he was, yawning again, looking as nonchalant as ever.