Chapter 34 : Jaseung, Keeps His Promise

Chapter 34: Jaseung, Keeps His Promise

Baek Seolyoung stared at the old woman with unfocused eyes.

The old woman only gave her a gentle smile in response.

Though everything looked hazy under the influence of alcohol, the old woman’s eyes alone seemed so clear and deep. It felt like they held insights from a place as deep as the ocean, a place Baek Seolyoung could never fathom.

When she was little, she had once asked her father, “Is the tavern granny really a martial arts master?” Her father had only smiled in response.

Come to think of it, even back then, she had already been a grandmother. Just how old was she?

Baek Seolyoung couldn’t resist the wave of drowsiness washing over her.

“I’m… sleepy.”

“Get some rest.”

Just then, the door opened and someone walked in. She glanced up out of habit, and her eyes widened in surprise.

Shockingly, it was Lee Jaseung. Baek Seolyoung shot up and shouted.

“Hey!”

She had intended to say something more, but she staggered and flopped back into her seat. She was barely conscious.

With half-lidded eyes, she said,

“Since you’re so amazing, answer me!”

Lee Jaseung looked completely thrown off. He didn’t even have time to express his surprise at seeing her again by coincidence.

“You’re drunk.”

“Hmph! Yeah, I’m drunk. What are you gonna do about it? I paid for my own drink, what’s it to you?”

Lee Jaseung sat down to the side and spoke to the old woman.

“Give me a drink please.”

Being ignored made Baek Seolyoung flare up again. She tried to stand, but her legs gave out and she smacked her forehead against the table.

“Ow!”

The way she reacted like a child made Lee Jaseung smirk. It didn’t suit her at all, and that’s exactly why it was funny.

Lying face down on the table, she muttered,

“You jerk, ignoring me again, huh? Answer me! Come on!”

The old woman brought out the drinks, grinning as if something were terribly amusing. She handed over the snacks that had been sitting in front of Baek Seolyoung.

“She didn’t touch it, so just eat this. I’m too lazy to make more.”

Baek Seolyoung shouted in protest.

“That’s mine! Don’t give it to him! It’s mine!”

“So childish.”

“Yeah, I’m childish. What are you gonna do about it? You can’t even answer me.”

“What exactly do you keep wanting me to answer?”

Still lying on the table, she muttered drunkenly,

“Hey. Stop acting like you’re all that...”

She mumbled a few more things no one could understand, then fell asleep just like that.

The old woman sat across from Lee Jaseung and spoke.

“That girl must think you’re really something.”

“She’s got the wrong idea.”

The old woman poured Lee Jaseung a drink and held out her own cup.

“Pour me one too.”

“Of course.”

Lee Jaseung poured a drink for her.

Truthfully, he had come here because he wanted to see the old woman. He couldn’t explain it exactly, but there was something about her that drew him in.

“That girl asked me something earlier. How should a person live well? What do you think?”

After finishing his drink, Lee Jaseung set his empty cup down and answered.

“I’m not sure.”

The old woman smiled.

“I don’t believe that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You seem like someone with firm principles about life.”

“You’re mistaken.”

At his sharp reply, the old woman rubbed her eyes as she spoke.

“Well, I guess my eyesight’s been getting worse lately anyway.”

Lee Jaseung gave a soft smirk and emptied his cup.

The two of them drank a few more rounds without much conversation. Despite the silence, it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable in the slightest.

After emptying a bottle completely, Lee Jaseung stood up.

“I’ll come again.”

“Just don’t forget our promise.”

“I won’t.”

As Lee Jaseung turned to leave, Baek Seolyoung suddenly sat up.

“Hey!”

By the time he turned around, she had already rushed toward him. He considered stepping aside but stayed where he was. She was so drunk and unsteady that if he dodged, she would surely fall and get hurt.

She grabbed his collar as if to embrace him. Lee Jaseung let her. She was still barely conscious. Holding tightly to his collar, she said,

“You bastard! Promise me too… that you’ll beat that guy.”

Slip.

Baek Seolyoung rested her face against Lee Jaseung’s chest.

And just like that, she fell asleep standing up, still gripping his collar with both hands.

Lee Jaseung looked down at her with a slightly troubled expression.

The old woman smiled and said,

“All the pretty ones have terrible drinking habits.”

Lee Jaseung handed her over to the old woman and replied,

“First time I’ve ever heard that.”

Then he strode out of the place. Watching his back, the old woman shouted.

“I’ve got a drinking habit too! All beauties do!”

Lee Jaseung smirked and left.

The old woman looked down at Baek Seolyoung in her arms with a deep gaze. Then, with a gentle smile, she spoke.

“If you ask me, you’re living very well.”

* * *

The day of the semifinals had finally arrived.

At the appearance of the two competitors, a roar erupted in the arena. From the spectators' perspective, this was a fight between two completely unknown rookies for a spot in the final.

The winner of this match would face the victor of the bout between Jin Yang, the Greatest Sword of Central Plains, and Hwa Pungsu, the Blade Master of Ten Thousand Waves.

Jin Yang and Hwa Pungsu were older martial arts masters, while Lee Jaseung and Gwak Pil were young. No matter who won, it would be a showdown between the old and the new.

Lee Jaseung asked Dan Woobin,

“What are the betting odds?”

“If you win, we get sixty times our bet. In other words, we’ll earn twelve million silver coins.”

It was an astonishing amount of money, enough to play a decisive role in their future plans.

“Will they really cough it up without a fuss?”

“We’ll make them cough it up. And if patting their backs doesn’t work…”

Dan Woobin added with a meaningful expression,

“We’ll just swallow the whole bastard who swallowed the money.”

Knowing it wasn’t a joke, Lee Jaseung gave a faint smile. Either way, getting the money was Dan Woobin’s job.

“I guess I won’t have to worry about my appearance anymore.”

“Correct. There’s no need to win narrowly this time.”

Lee Jaseung leapt lightly onto the fighting stage. Gwak Pil walked up from the opposite side.

Yang Sebang, sitting in the VIP section, smiled with satisfaction as he watched them.

“Hahaha, one of those four will become the Lord’s spouse. I’m very curious to see who’ll win.”

He looked pleased as he gazed at Gwak Pil.

Baek Seolyoung only offered a faint smile. She had ultimately given up the commission on the Golden Ants. No, she had never truly intended to accept it. If she had made such a choice, she would have become no better than her enemies.

The referee brought the two contestants to the front of the VIP section.

Gwak Pil bowed to Baek Seolyoung first, then offered formal greetings to the other notable figures present, especially Yang Sebang beside her.

Then it was Lee Jaseung’s turn to greet. He gave a slight bow only to Baek Seolyoung.

Their eyes met. Remembering how she had behaved while drunk, Baek Seolyoung’s face turned red. When she had come to, she was already back in her room at the clan.

When Chu Sang-gi had asked in disbelief if she remembered what happened, she had said she didn’t remember a thing.

It was a lie. She remembered most of it clearly. If anything, she wished she could forget. Her memory being too good was the real problem.

Especially the words she had said while grabbing Lee Jaseung’s collar at the end remained vivid. Her memory cut off right after that. She had no idea how she had been brought home.

She remembered what she had said to him.

“You bastard! Promise me too… that you’ll beat that guy.”

Both her cheeks flushed pink.

To think she had made such a blatant request while completely drunk. The mere memory was enough to make her bury her face in shame.

She had no idea why she’d said it.

‘Yeah, it was all because of the alcohol.’

But she knew it wasn’t just the alcohol. At that moment, she had felt like she could believe in him. Like he really would keep that promise. At least in that moment, she felt that way.

But now that she was sitting here, sober and watching the duel, reality hit her hard. Judging by the previous matches, the odds of him defeating Gwak Pil were low.

And yet, she had taken no measures against Gwak Pil and was simply sitting here. Even though it would be much harder to act if he made it to the finals.

‘I… really am the worst.’

She sighed, berating herself.

After greeting the VIPs, the two contestants walked to the center of the platform.

With the referee’s signal, the duel began.

The two men stared at each other down for a moment.

Lee Jaseung focused his attention on Gwak Pil’s Qi.

Cold, sharp, and refined through countless battles.

It had the precision of a finely honed blade. This kind of aura was usually found in assassins.

But Gwak Pil was no assassin. No matter how he tried to hide it, he lacked the murderous intent unique to assassins. That left only one possibility.

He had been trained professionally from a young age!

Without a doubt, he had been raised as a swordsman from childhood.

Given his age, that meant he had been trained for at least twenty years. But back then, Yang Sebang hadn’t been a clan Elder, but just a minor martial artist instead. Could he have been the one to raise Gwak Pil from the start?

Maybe Dan Woobin’s guess about another backer was right.

Gwak Pil’s expression shifted.

He had watched Lee Jaseung’s previous matches and had seen that his skills were formidable. But facing him now on the platform, it felt completely different.

There was no way to explain it. His instincts whispered to him. This man was more dangerous than anyone he had ever faced.

‘I’ll have to eliminate him.’

Gwak Pil made up his mind to kill Lee Jaseung.

Sensing the killing intent, a cold smile appeared on Lee Jaseung’s lips.

The bloodlust before a battle always exhilarated him.

Gwak Pil struck first.

Swiiish!

He sliced through the air.

His sword flew forward in an instant, aiming straight for Lee Jaseung’s heart. It was a one-strike attack to kill Lee Jaseung in a flash.

Baek Seolyoung shot up.

“Watch out!”

She shouted without realizing it. That was how fierce Gwak Pil’s attack had been.

Lee Jaseung dodged by a hair, stepping back.

After about twenty strikes from Gwak Pil, there was a brief moment.

In that instant, Lee Jaseung’s body darted forward like lightning.

Swish!

Slice!

The sound of air splitting, flesh tearing, and then silence.

Gwak Pil clutched his throat and staggered back.

Gush.

Blood poured from his mouth. Crimson seeped between his fingers as he gripped his neck.

He looked at Lee Jaseung with nothing but disbelief. He had undergone hellish training, accumulated real experience by assassinating powerful masters. But he had never seen such a fast attack.

He still had much to say and many techniques left to use, but his body no longer allowed it.

Gwak Pil collapsed to his knees, then fell forward. He did not move again.

Lee Jaseung had killed him with a single strike.

Baek Seolyoung was already on her feet. Yang Sebang’s face twisted in shock. It was hard to believe what had just happened. He obviously believed Gwak Pil would win.

‘How could this be?’

Only silence remained in the arena for a brief moment. No one had expected the match to end so quickly. And with just one strike from Lee Jaseung at that.

The judge confirmed Gwak Pil’s death and shouted,

“Victory to Seop Mu-pyeong of the Flying Dagger Sect!”

With that cry, the crowd erupted.

“Seop Mu-pyeong wins!”

“Fortune favors the lucky man again!”

To the gathered warriors, his one-strike kill didn’t seem like skill, but a miracle instead.

Baek Seolyoung’s eyes trembled.

He really won.

Lee Jaseung didn’t look her way and walked off in the opposite direction.

Despite the surprise and confusion, Baek Seolyoung felt a pang of disappointment.

‘He could’ve at least looked back once.’

Just before stepping down from the platform, Lee Jaseung sent her a voice transmission with his back still on her.

“I kept my promise.”

As soon as those words reached her heart, she felt a sudden surge of emotion.

It was the first time her heart had been shaken since meeting him.

After her father died, everyone had broken their promises with her.

Oaths to protect the family with loyalty had been thrown away like garbage.

She had lived with the resolve never to trust anyone again, never to believe in anyone’s promise.

And now, this man had told her-

He kept his promise.

By the time she calmed her heart and tried to send him a reply back, he had already vanished.

Baek Seolyoung bit her lip.

‘I told him not to act all high and mighty.’

But her lips curled into a smile. Her face looked brighter than ever.

The judge once again loudly declared Seop Mu-pyeong the winner.

With that, Lee Jaseung had advanced to the final.

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