A pained groan escaped Jong Seo-eon as he opened his eyes.
When he opened them, he saw a familiar scene.
Jong Seo-eon realized he was now lying in a hospital room in the Cheonuidang.
‘I was…’
Amidst a splitting headache, Jong Seo-eon retraced his mories.
Yes, he had been dueling with Yu Ji-han.
His last mory was of his opponent rushing fiercely towards him with an iron staff to finish him off.
After that, he had woken up to find himself lying here.
‘…Did I lose?’
Since that was his last mory, Jong Seo-eon had no choice but to think so.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to be lying here like this.
He had ultimately been defeated in the duel with Yu Ji-han. As he belatedly realized this fact, an indescribable sense of sorrow washed over him.
‘I failed to prove that the Dog Beating Staff Technique is superior to the Diamond Staff Technique.’
That was tantamount to the Dirty Cloth Faction losing to the Clean Cloth Faction.
It also ant he had failed to keep his promise to Namgung Il.
As both of these thoughts rushed in at once, Jong Seo-eon couldn't help but feel a considerable amount of guilt.
Thump—!
Jong Seo-eon slamd his clenched fist on the hospital bed.
It was an act of expressing the pent-up anger welling up inside him, but it didn't make all the frustration disappear.
It was then.
Almost at the sa ti as Jong Seo-eon slamd the bed, the door to the hospital room opened and soone ca in.
“What’s this?”
“……!”
“You’re awake?”
The person who entered the room was Namgung Il.
Jong Seo-eon stared blankly at Namgung Il, who had suddenly appeared before his eyes, then his face slowly crumpled as he opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry, Captain.”
“……?”
“You worked so hard for for ten days… but in the end, I couldn’t keep my promise.”
Hearing those words, Namgung Il understood why Jong Seo-eon was on the verge of tears.
“There’s no need to apologize.”
“No, sir. If I had just focused a little more, I could have won the duel…”
“Because you did win.”
“……What?”
As Namgung Il said so nonchalantly, Jong Seo-eon swallowed his words with a blank face.
I won? Jong Seo-eon still didn't seem to properly understand what Namgung Il was saying.
“I said you won the duel.”
“……What on earth does that an?”
“What do you an, what? It ans exactly what I said.”
“……”
Namgung Il imdiately explained to Jong Seo-eon in detail what had happened then.
Even while listening to the explanation, Jong Seo-eon still had a dubious look on his face, and seeing that, Namgung Il could tell that Jong Seo-eon had been completely unconscious at that ti.
“……Did I really win?”
“Yes. You don’t rember at all?”
“……No.”
“That’s a sha. But well, a win is a win, even if you were unconscious.”
Even if he were asked to perform the Drunken Dog Flips Over again, Jong Seo-eon probably wouldn't be able to execute it the sa way he did in the duel.
However, the fact that he had perford it unconsciously ant that he could one day perform it intentionally.
Namgung Il lightly placed a hand on Jong Seo-eon’s shoulder.
“Your Dog Beating Staff Technique was truly magnificent.”
“……”
“You worked hard.”
“……Captain.”
In the end, Jong Seo-eon began to sob just like before.
The pressure he had carried as the successor of the Beggars' Sect. And the efforts he had made for ten days to win the duel.
He felt as if all of it was being rewarded by that one phrase from Namgung Il.
‘Yes, it’s okay to cry now.’
Namgung Il could fully understand Jong Seo-eon’s feelings.
He knew the circumstances of the Beggars' Sect well, and he had spent a considerable amount of ti with Jong Seo-eon.
Usually, he felt the need to correct Jong Seo-eon’s soft heart, but for now, he just silently patted his back and comforted him.
“……?”
It was then.
Namgung Il felt a presence at the entrance and turned his head that way.
‘Yu Ji-han?’
Through the crack of the open door, Yu Ji-han’s figure could be seen.
When their eyes t, Yu Ji-han flinched, but soon, as if he had decided sothing, he entered the hospital room.
“……Excuse .”
Yu Ji-han said as he ca inside.
Judging by his actions and tone, he seed quite cautious.
He felt like a completely different person from when he had dueled with Jong Seo-eon.
“Y-Yu Ji-han!”
Only then did Jong Seo-eon notice Yu Ji-han’s presence and was startled.
Well, it was understandable to be surprised when the enemy he had fought so fiercely with just a short while ago appeared before his eyes.
Namgung Il also thought Yu Ji-han’s appearance was quite unexpected.
“What are you doing here!”
“……”
“Are you here to insult the Dirty Cloth Faction again? If so, I won’t forgive you this ti!”
Jong Seo-eon, his tears having completely vanished, warned Yu Ji-han.
To show such hostility before he had even said a word, even he would feel awkward.
At least, Namgung Il didn't think Yu Ji-han had co here for that purpose, so he looked at Jong Seo-eon and said in a placating tone.
“Jong Seo-eon, calm down for a bit.”
“……”
“Yu Ji-han probably ca here to say sothing else. So calm down and listen to what he has to say.”
At those words, Jong Seo-eon seed to have cald down a little more than before.
Soon, as Namgung Il gestured with his eyes as if it was okay to speak now, Yu Ji-han cautiously began to open his mouth.
“……I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I apologize for looking down on the Dirty Cloth Faction, and for disrespecting your Dog Beating Staff Technique.”
As those words ca out of Yu Ji-han’s mouth, Jong Seo-eon couldn't easily answer.
To think that Yu Ji-han would apologize to him.
Recalling how he had treated him until now, it was an astonishing event.
“Until now, I didn’t acknowledge the Dirty Cloth Faction as part of the Beggars' Sect. I just felt it was foolish to see you clinging to the remnants of a past that no longer exists, only to continue declining.”
“……”
“But… through the duel with you, I learned that the Dirty Cloth Faction has not declined.”
A clear potential was felt in the Dog Beating Staff Technique that Jong Seo-eon had shown.
That could certainly be called the deanor of a successor of the Beggars' Sect.
Until now, Yu Ji-han had not acknowledged that fact, but after dueling with Jong Seo-eon himself, he had no choice but to admit it.
“You are clearly the successor of the Beggars' Sect.”
“……”
“And… the Dog Beating Staff Technique is by no ans a relic of the past.”
Yu Ji-han said and was about to lower one knee.
The loser of the duel kneels and apologizes to the winner.
Since that was the condition they had agreed upon beforehand, Yu Ji-han was trying to keep that promise for sure.
However.
Thud—.
Around the ti Yu Ji-han’s knee was halfway down, soone grabbed his arm.
Because of that, his knee stopped just before touching the floor, and Yu Ji-han looked up with surprised eyes.
“……Jong Seo-eon?”
The person who had grabbed Yu Ji-han’s arm was none other than Jong Seo-eon.
Why is Jong Seo-eon grabbing my arm?
Yu Ji-han couldn't help but feel puzzled by that action.
“You don’t have to kneel.”
“……No, the promise was to kneel and apologize.”
“So I’m saying that’s okay now.”
“No. My pride won’t allow it.”
Although Jong Seo-eon said so, Yu Ji-han was quite a stubborn person.
As Yu Ji-han forcibly tried to kneel again, Jong Seo-eon pulled the arm he was holding up sharply.
“Ugh… that hurts!”
“So it would have been better if you had just listened to nicely.”
“No, the problem is that you just have to accept my apology nicely.”
“If you lost the duel, listen to the winner!”
The two eventually started bickering and fighting.
Listening to the content of their conversation, one couldn't understand at all why those two were fighting, but the parties involved were very serious.
Hmph—.
Watching that scene, Namgung Il unknowingly had a pleased smile on his lips.
‘They get along better than I thought.’
It was as if he were watching his disciples of the past.
Gaedusik and Gangdu. Those guys also had a ti when they bickered like that.
As if recalling that mory, Namgung Il looked at the two with a wistful gaze.
“……Then let’s do this.”
Just then, Namgung Il said and approached the two.
At the sudden intervention, the two looked at Namgung Il with puzzled eyes, and Namgung Il, grabbing each of their arms, brought them together.
“You two have co to acknowledge each other through the duel, right?”
“……?”
“So shake hands. This argunt ends with this!”
When Gaedusik and Gangdu fought, Namgung Il had often reconciled the two in this way.
Namgung Il was acting the sa way now as he had then, but of course, this action couldn't help but be bewildering to the two.
“No, we’re not children, what’s with this…”
“Listening to you two being stubborn earlier, you were at a child’s level.”
“Th-that’s…”
“The loser follows the winner’s words. Since this side said it’s okay, you stop being stubborn too.”
“……”
As Namgung Il said that, Yu Ji-han couldn't say anything more.
Namgung Il watched him for a mont, then turned his head to Jong Seo-eon and said.
“Jong Seo-eon, you’re okay with ending it with this, right?”
“Ah… yes, I don’t mind.”
“Good.”
At that mont, Namgung Il pulled the two’s arms sharply again.
With their trendous arm strength, the two couldn't resist and were forced to shake hands, and Namgung Il, seeing that, smiled pleasedly again.
“Both the Dog Beating Staff Technique and the Diamond Staff Technique are excellent martial arts.”
“……”
“From now on, acknowledge each other and live in harmony. In that sense, a firm handshake!”
“Ah, I get it, so stop treating us like children…”
Just then, an unknown chill was felt from Namgung Il’s eyes.
At that silent pressure, Yu Ji-han’s body montarily froze, and Namgung Il muttered in a low voice as cold as his gaze.
“Do it.”
“……Yes.”
In the end, at the pressure emanating from Namgung Il, Yu Ji-han shook hands with Jong Seo-eon.
Seeing that, Namgung Il once again had a pleased smile on his lips and nodded as if satisfied.
‘Now, I just have to make those guys reconcile with each other.’
Through Jong Seo-eon and Yu Ji-han. Namgung Il saw sufficient possibility.
Just as these two were shaking hands now, couldn't the Dirty Cloth Faction and the Clean Cloth Faction beco one again?
The day would surely co when Gaedusik and Gangdu would also be shaking hands in front of him again.
‘Yes, it will definitely co.’
He would make it so.
Namgung Il quietly made that resolution right here.
“Jong Seo-eon, still, it was I who lost, not the Clean Cloth Faction to the Dirty Cloth Faction.”
“What? Are you still being stubborn?”
“I’m just saying it straight. Soday, this humiliation will surely…”
It was then.
As if by promise, the two simultaneously swallowed their words at the chill they felt from the side.
“……!”
Turning their heads, they saw Namgung Il’s face.
With that cold smile on his lips, Namgung Il said to the two.
“You two, let’s get along, shall we?”
“……”
“Answer.”
“……Yes.”
A strict grandmaster and two junior disciples being quietly scolded.
At this mont, the relationship between the three looked that way.
(End of Chapter)
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