The duel didnât last long.
At most, it was fewer than twenty exchangesâa fight so clean that neither bore any significant wounds.
Ssss...
The scattered Qi slowly settled.
The lingering heat was evidence of the lightning techniques left behind.
The mist conjured by Silver Wolf Sword was also starting to dissipate.
Swish. Clangâ!
The blades slid smoothly back into their sheaths.
The sound of both Silver Wolf Sword and Namgung Bi-ah withdrawing their swords signaled the end of the duel.
Only after the motions and sounds faded did the spectators finally release their held breaths.
ââ¦Unbelievableâ¦â
âAre you saying the Steel Dragon Lord lost? To that womanâthe Sword Dancer?â
He was one of the Hundred Masters of the Martial Alliance.
A renowned Hwagyeong-level martial artist, trusted to uphold the allianceâyet Silver Wolf Sword had admitted defeat to a woman who wasnât even in her thirties.
Had they only heard about it, they wouldnât have believed it.
But they had witnessed it with their own eyes.
Neither fighter looked seriously injured, and the fight could have continued, yet Silver Wolf Sword himself had declared his loss.
He seemed to have the upper hand in terms of power and momentum, so why did he concede?
While everyone pondered this questionâ
âDamn.â
I silently let out a breath.
âSheâs insane.â
I was genuinely shocked.
Was it because Silver Wolf Sword had lost? Of course.
But more than thatâbecause I hadnât expected Namgung Bi-ah to go this far.
To be honest, I hadnât expected her to win.
The original plan was simply to prove that Namgung Bi-ah was skilled enough to qualify as a formidable warrior.
Even the wager had been settled after her first strike secured the justification she needed.
A victory through ambush.
She had exploited Silver Wolf Swordâs lapse in focus and claimed what seemed like a victory.
Of courseâ
âI may have interfered a little.â
I had ensured that Silver Wolf Sword wouldnât accurately gauge her true strength.
I subtly distorted the flow of Qi around him, making her seem weaker than she actually was.
This minor manipulation caused him to let his guard down, enabling her surprise attack.
That was as far as my calculations had gone.
I had expected Namgung Bi-ah to capitalize on the opening and secure a symbolic win.
âBut thisâ¦â
The duel that followed had completely shattered my expectations.