The Tiger And The Phoenix And The Wolf. (2)

Sword Empress Soso and Yin Monster Yu Seol.

They matched so well that they lost track of time while playing together.

The strange game continued without a single pause.

Right now they were playing tag while blindfolded.

Taat-! Taat-!

Soso and Yu Seol’s bodies leaped up at the same time.

Even with their eyes covered by cloth, their movements were unhindered.

The two, running along the roofs, flew over the estate wall and headed toward the valley.

As Soso passed, the stream split violently and sprayed aside.

It was truly a light footwork skill worthy of its reputation.

But Yu Seol who was chasing after her was no less formidable.

Their game of tag continued, always just barely out of reach.

For once a smile stuck to Yu Seol’s face.

It was the first time she’d found someone strong she could relax and play like this with.

She was overwhelmingly stronger than anyone she’d met so far, strong enough to accept everything she had.

“Seol-ah, hurry and catch unnie!”

The two running through the valley even began to flow upward against the waterfall.

Their act of stepping on the falling stream and leaping up made them look like immortals.

Tatatatat-!

The moment the terrain changed, Yu Seol’s movements suddenly sped up dramatically.

She unfolded a whirling-sword footwork, turning into something like an arrow caught in a gust.

She was nearly as fast as the speed of light.

In an instant Yu Seol closed the distance and quickly reached out her small, fern-like hand.

“Got you…?”

Before the cheer could finish, a dazzling flash suddenly burst over Soso’s whole body.

When the light faded, the distance between them had already expanded by three feet.

It was the Sword Empress’s light footwork skill Lightning Flying Shadow Step, considered the top evasion technique in the murim world.

Of course Yu Seol had never heard of such a martial art before.

It was a technique she was encountering for the first time in her life, so she had no choice but to miss it.

“Unnie, that’s unfair!”

Just as an irritated Yu Seol tried to increase her speed.

Soso hurriedly stopped her light footwork skill and removed her blindfold.

“Let’s stop here. At this rate I’ll end up beating you up.”

At her teasing words mixed with laughter, Yu Seol pouted her lips.

“How did you just do that?”

“Unnie, it’s the light footwork skill Lightning Flying Shadow Step passed down from my father.”

“Lucky you… My grandpa never taught me anything like that.”

Soso found Yu Seol adorable and stroked her cheek with the back of her hand.

“Then I’ll teach you.”

As if she’d been waiting for that, Yu Seol widened her eyes and asked.

“You’ll teach me too?”

“Yes, it’s not difficult. Seol, you could learn it within a day.”

Yu Seol clenched her fists and hopped about with joy — she was clearly very envious.

“Puhuhu. Thanks, unnie!”

“Shall I teach you right now?”

“No, tomorrow!”

Soso tilted her head and asked why.

“Huh? Today?”

“I have to go help grandpa with his training now.”

Lately Yu Seol had been helping her grandfather’s training for an hour each day.

Now Soso nodded as if she finally understood.

“Seol, you’re such a dutiful granddaughter. You help with training every day?”

“Yes. He says I need to get stronger quickly.”

Yu Seol also wished her grandfather would quickly finish his Muscle Changing Technique training.

Then they could resume traveling the murim world, taking one more step toward the Murim Alliance leader.

Soso understood their intentions as well.

“Then should I help too?”

“Really? Thank you so much, unnie!”

Yu Seol grabbed Soso’s hand and led her to the pavilion.

Right now Yu Jinsan was not doing physical conditioning but qi cultivation.

Two people helping with that, it was, by all reason, impossible.

But what kind of people were the Sword Empress and the Yin Monster? For these two peerless warriors at the pinnacle of martial arts, that didn’t apply.

Creak-!

When the door opened, Yu Jinsan sat with his back turned. A soft golden radiance shimmered around him, indicating he was training the Muscle Changing Technique.

A mischievous look appeared on Yu Seol’s face.

“Grandpa~ don’t move from now on, just stay still.”

Yu Seol pressed her forefinger to her lips and signaled to Soso.

• Unnie, shh. Let’s surprise him.

• To grandpa? Is that okay?

• Yes. Come quietly.

The Sword Empress was reluctant, but what could she do? She had to go along with the scheme.

Moments later, Yu Seol’s palm pressed first against her grandfather’s lower back.

He wasn’t surprised — it was something they did every day.

As his granddaughter’s internal qi joined in, the golden qi surrounding Yu Jinsan intensified.

Fwoooosh-!

To maximize the training’s effect, one had to concentrate completely.

In a moment he was about to slip into a selfless absorption.

Suddenly a startled groan escaped Yu Jinsan’s lips.

He was taken aback — another wave of true qi flooded in suddenly.

He had to focus all his nerves just to handle the qi his granddaughter was sending.

But now the force had doubled, so of course he was shocked.

As time passed, the blood vessels throughout his body swelled as if about to burst.

At this magnitude, it had to be the Sword Empress’s qi. It was incomprehensible.

‘Why on earth is the Sword Empress doing this…’

But he had no time for deep thought, he had to focus every nerve on the flow of qi.

The fortunate thing was the differing true qi weren’t colliding, Soso and Yu Seol were controlling it well.

• Seol, how about lowering the intensity a bit? It seems like it’s too much.

• It’s fine, unnie. Our grandpa isn’t that weak.

To break through limits, an appropriate shock is sometimes necessary.

Yu Seol was convinced her grandfather could endure it.

Reluctantly, Soso matched the support.

Yu Seol’s qi aimed into the blood channels of his upper body, while Soso’s qi concentrated on supporting his lower body.

Yu Jinsan was so tense he could hardly breathe.

Then a brief moment passed.

Fwoooosh-!!!

In an instant a bright flash lit up the room and then quickly faded.

The stalled flame of the Muscle Changing Technique had broken through seventy percent and reached eighty percent.

Yu Jinsan couldn’t contain his joy.

‘Finally, it’s succeeded!’

But a momentary lapse led to a mistake.

Suddenly his qi and blood twisted and his breath choked off.

“Guhk!”

His face began to turn pale as if about to fall into a demonic possession.

In the urgent moment Yu Seol shouted.

“Grandpa!!!”

Startled, Yu Seol changed the flow of qi. Soso adjusted her support and added a cycle of force.

It was a technique that would have been impossible to attempt without two Profound Realm-level practitioners.

The twisted qi and blood in Yu Jinsan gradually returned to stability.

After a moment, having caught his breath, he spoke with difficulty.

“Stop…”

His face, as he slowly turned around, was extremely haggard.

Yu Seol asked with a sulky face.

“Grandpa, are you okay?”

“I appreciate the help, but you should at least warn me beforehand. Weren’t you startled?”

“I won’t prank you anymore.”

As if being fooled once or twice was new to him.

And even if it was his granddaughter, why did she…?

Yu Jinsan glanced at the Sword Empress.

She flinched with a guilty expression, stammered, and then sent a short message.

• I- I was just doing what Seol asked me to…

It was ridiculous that the famed Sword Empress had joined the granddaughter’s prank.

Yu Jinsan sighed and rose from his seat.

“Phew. You don’t have to help grandpa train for a while.”

When he stepped outside, Yu Seol put on a serious expression.

“This is bad, unnie. I think we upset him by surprising him.”

“What should we do then? Isn’t there a good way to make things normal?”

After briefly resting her chin and thinking, Yu Seol asked slyly.

“Do you know how to cook, unnie?”

“W-well, a little…”

“Then if we make grandpa something tasty, he’ll forgive us.”

“What does he like?”

“Hmm. Dongpo pork and noodles and also…”

Meanwhile, having gone outside, Yu Jinsan had been listening to their entire conversation.

‘Those are all foods you like.’

His granddaughter’s scheming mind was no ordinary thing.

He shook his head and went to sit in the pavilion.

He intended to take the rare chance to clear his thoughts in the breeze.

‘This is going to be troublesome.’

His granddaughter teaming up with the Sword Empress to prank him.

It seemed fatigue would not stop until she left.

He sighed blankly, and then it happened.

Some familiar-looking people were approaching this place.

A moment later their boisterous shouts reached him.

“Great warrior, are you here!?”

At that moment Yu Jinsan, who had been sitting, sprang up — he recognized who they were.

They were the friends from the murim world he’d seen with his granddaughter at the market, known as the Extreme Five.

He strode toward them and motioned with his hand.

“You lot, come here.”

The five Evil factions warriors who spotted Yu Jinsan flinched in embarrassment.

“Y-Yang Monster Great Warrior, you’re here too?”

“H-hello, Great Warrior.”

Yu Jinsan had matters to settle with these rascals anyway.

As if the timing were perfect, he placed both hands on his waist and approached.

“What great warrior? These rascals, without shame, incited the Yin Monster to raid the Murim Alliance’s division?”

It had happened only a short while ago.

While he had been away, his granddaughter had followed these Five people and had helped plunder a Murim Alliance depot.

He was incensed that they’d lured his granddaughter into it.

“Um, it was the Yin Monster Great Warrior’s decision.”

“R-really. She’s right there, ask her!”

One of the Five pointed somewhere.

On the wall, his granddaughter poked her head out and watched the scene.

As Yu Jinsan hardened his gaze, Yu Seol quickly bowed her head — it looked like a turtle hiding its head.

Rejected by the Yin Monster, the five of them became even more flustered.

Then Yu Jinsan’s shouting continued toward them.

“Are these rascals going to keep lying until the end!?”

The five people realized their excuses weren’t working.

They began to beg humbly, no matter the reason.

“We committed an unpardonable sin.”

“We’re sorry, Great Warrior.”

“Please spare our lives!”

Perhaps because they showed some remorse, Yu Jinsan’s fury subsided somewhat.

“But what brings you here this time? What are you scheming?”

Cheon Woo-hwan, the eldest of the five, fidgeted with his hands and spoke cautiously.

“Actually, we’re being chased by the Murim Alliance right now…”

“Why would fugitives come to my house? Are you crazy?”

Yu Jinsan more or less guessed what was happening.

They had stirred up the sleeping Murim Alliance, so pursuit and revenge would naturally follow.

The question was: who was chasing these fellows?

If five warriors past their peak were frightened, the pursuer couldn’t be an ordinary opponent.

But whoever it was, it wouldn’t be a problem, the Sword Empress and the Yin Monster were here together, after all.

“Please spare us. This is the only place we can rely on.”

He couldn’t just turn away the friends his granddaughter had made in the martial world.

Yu Jinsan crossed his arms and examined them one by one.

They all looked filthy, as if they’d been fleeing without food for some time.

“Why did you go and do such insane things? Can’t you just behave yourselves?”

Cheon Woo-hwan was desperate, as if he had nowhere to retreat.

“Let us stay for a few days. We’ll do anything you ask, please…”

It might even turn out to be a good thing.

He needed people to help with chores in the household so he and his granddaughter could focus on training for a while.

“Hmm. But there are guests at the house already, so it might be a bit inconvenient.”

“Don’t worry. Whoever’s here, we’ll stay as quiet as mice so we won’t cause discomfort.”

“No, it’s you who will be uncomfortable.”