The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 104

Mugyeol crouched down in the middle of the dim bamboo forest.

Mugyeol’s hand trembled faintly as he placed the hand mirror on the ground, and his face reflected in the mirror was much more rigid than usual.

‘Don’t be nervous. Teacher is nearby too, and that guy might not even show up.’

He hoped Seomseo Iron Fist would appear, but at the same time, he didn’t want to face him either.

Honestly, he wanted to kill him with his own hands.

‘If only I had the power.’

To grab his throat with hands infused with internal energy… Mugyeol shuddered at his own frightening thoughts.

‘Don’t kill carelessly.’

He recalled what Shin Ah had said at Suzaku’s Nest.

Had it been a day since they killed the centuries-old giant snake that had invaded the nest?

Another real snake had crawled into the nest, and Mugyeol had mercilessly raised his sword.

That’s when Shin Ah had stopped Mugyeol.

‘It hasn’t harmed us, not yet.’

Shin Ah had grabbed Mugyeol’s hand holding the sword and lowered it, explaining when it was acceptable for Mugyeol to take a life.

‘When your opponent tries to kill you, when they’ve caused you pain as great as death, it won’t be too late to kill them then.’

When Mugyeol heard Shin Ah’s advice, his heart sank.

Ever since surviving the well as a child, Mugyeol had often felt unbearable rage.

When that happened, he wanted to destroy everything. People, animals, objects.

‘Did Miss realize that?’

That shouldn’t happen – he wanted to show only his good side to Shin Ah.

So whenever rage welled up, Mugyeol would recall Shin Ah’s words.

Shin Ah’s smile and words were like a sedative to him.

Even now, thinking of Shin Ah made his tension subside. Instead, his longing grew stronger.

Wrinkles formed on Mugyeol’s chin below his lips.

“Miss Shin Ah…”

He couldn’t meet her since he’d left the talisman behind, but he called her name anyway.

As he let his longing drift away on the wind that blew through the quiet bamboo forest.

The smell of corpse flowers that had made Ok Chifung shudder began to emerge and gradually grew stronger.

‘It’s Seomseo Iron Fist!’

Mugyeol covered his nose at the nauseating smell that stung his mucous membranes and jumped to his feet.

As promised with Ok Chifung, he had to run away now.

Mugyeol quickly executed his footwork technique.

But Seomseo Iron Fist was much faster. Before he knew it, he had come right up close and blocked Mugyeol’s path with a sinister grin.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked relaxed.

And he had good reason to be.

If he wanted to, he could throw a punch in an instant and cut off Mugyeol’s breath.

“Did you bring it?”

Mugyeol slowly shook his head.

Seomseo Iron Fist’s eyes widened as he unleashed his aura. That alone made Mugyeol’s breath catch.

But the pressure lasted only a moment.

A blade flashed in midair, and in the blink of an eye, Ok Chifung appeared and blocked Mugyeol’s front.

“Hurry and run.”

Ok Chifung reached back and pushed Mugyeol away.

As promised, Mugyeol ran without looking back.

“Stop!”

Seomseo Iron Fist, momentarily shaken by Ok Chifung’s appearance, chased after Mugyeol.

“Where do you think you’re going! Your opponent is me!”

Ok Chifung immediately kicked off the ground and blocked Seomseo Iron Fist.

Seomseo Iron Fist closed the distance with Ok Chifung and threw a punch without hesitation.

Ok Chifung twisted his body to dodge the punch aimed at his shoulder and unleashed his sword techniques.

The sword drew an elegant line, but Seomseo Iron Fist pushed the blade away with his palm.

Not missing the opening when the sword was deflected, he launched a Reverse Strike from the Strange Power Eighteen Fists.

It was a strike that utilized the flow of defending against an opponent’s attack.

His fist struck Ok Chifung’s side.

Ok Chifung exhaled to offset the pain and stepped back to correct his stance.

Seomseo Iron Fist’s eyes flashed.

The aura of the one blocking his path had been extraordinary from the start, and he was standing perfectly fine even after taking a blow from the Strange Power Eighteen Fists.

‘This one has good skills.’

It would be an interesting fight, but Seomseo Iron Fist had no intention of making an enemy of Mount Hua by fighting them.

Meanwhile, Mugyeol had hidden himself in the dense bamboo forest.

Ok Chifung had told him to run far away, but his feet wouldn’t move.

It wasn’t that his body was frozen with fear.

Mugyeol simply wanted to watch the duel between Seomseo Iron Fist and Ok Chifung.

He wanted to capture it with his eyes, remember every detail, and make it all his own.

Whether it was Seomseo Iron Fist’s punches or Mount Hua’s sword techniques.

“I don’t want to get involved with Mount Hua. Just hand over the guy you’re traveling with and get lost.”

“I cannot do that.”

“I have no business with you!”

“But I have business with you. How much medicine have you taken?”

Ok Chifung, who didn’t want to waste time, got straight to the point.

Seomseo Iron Fist Heo Ganghan twisted his lips and clenched his fists tightly.

“A rat from the Murim Alliance.”

“No.”

“I don’t know which part you’re denying, but curse whoever sent you on this task. Today will be your last.”

Seomseo Iron Fist Heo Ganghan flared up his aura.

Whoooosh—

Wind blew, and Heo Ganghan charged toward Ok Chifung.

“Die!”

Ok Chifung gripped his sword properly and glared at Heo Ganghan’s reddened eyes.

“The one who will meet his end today is not me, but you.”

As Ok Chifung finished speaking, plum blossoms bloomed from the tip of his sword.

* * *

Mugyeol watched the duel between Ok Chifung and Heo Ganghan without even blinking.

In truth, someone like Seomseo Iron Fist was an opponent Ok Chifung could easily subdue, but the duel didn’t end quickly.

‘Are you watching, Mugyeol?’

Ok Chifung extended his sword long and aimed for Heo Ganghan’s weak points.

He was personally providing Mugyeol with the martial world experience he had so desperately wanted.

While he was angry that Mugyeol had broken their promise to run away and was watching the duel instead, seeing his burning passion for martial arts made Ok Chifung’s heart grow warm as well.

‘Since it’s come to this, watch carefully.’

Just by watching a real battle where two masters exchanged blow for blow in equal measure, Mugyeol could learn a great deal.

And indeed he did.

‘Ah, I should twist my body to the left there.’

Mugyeol stood up from his spot and followed Ok Chifung’s footwork technique.

‘That’s an opening! If I kick right there!’

Sometimes he mimicked Heo Ganghan’s movements. Though he lacked the strength, his movements were identical.

If children his age who practiced martial arts had seen this, they would have been crushed by despair at his talent.

The eye to recognize good martial arts and read movements, the body that could move as he thought, and the mind that could remember what he saw in detail.

Though he was born with such talent, there was something even Mugyeol didn’t know.

‘Who’s winning?’

Because Mugyeol lacked experience, he couldn’t notice that Ok Chifung was holding back his strength, and therefore couldn’t predict the outcome of the duel.

As the fight continued with neither side backing down—at least that’s how it looked to Mugyeol—Seomseo Iron Fist’s footwork faltered.

Ok Chifung didn’t miss that opportunity, and finally his sword reached Seomseo Iron Fist’s throat.

‘Master won!’

Mugyeol was overjoyed.

Rather than relief that he would be safe, it was joy that came from knowing the person teaching him was stronger.

Since he was learning from a strong person, wouldn’t he become strong too?

“Kill him.”

Heo Ganghan’s voice echoed through the bamboo forest filled with scorching heat unbefitting the night.

At that moment, Mugyeol was startled by a sudden thought.

‘If that person dies, what happens to his fist technique?’

Mugyeol wanted Seomseo Iron Fist’s Strange Power Eighteen Fists.

Then Mugyeol recalled the words Ok Chifung had promised when persuading him to leave Manhyang Express.

‘If you don’t join Mount Hua, there are limits to learning from me alone. I cannot teach you Mount Hua’s sword techniques. So let’s go out into the vast Murim and find martial arts that suit you. I will help you.’

Ok Chifung seemed to be talking about a single martial art, but at the time Mugyeol had different thoughts.

‘I want to learn all the martial arts in the world.’

Among them, he would discard the weak ones and train the strong ones to be even stronger.

That was the resolution Mugyeol had made when leaving Manhyang Express.

So he couldn’t just sit back and watch Seomseo Iron Fist’s Strange Power Eighteen Fists disappear.

‘Master values promises, so he won’t easily dismiss my request!’

Mugyeol sprang out like a coiled spring.

Both Seomseo Iron Fist and Ok Chifung were surprised by Mugyeol’s sudden appearance, but neither took their eyes off each other.

Mugyeol stood next to Seomseo Iron Fist who was sitting collapsed on the ground.

Had he accepted defeat?

He didn’t even think to push away the sword at his throat.

“Master! Wait a moment!”

Ok Chifung’s eyebrows twitched.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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