Reincarnation of the Fist King Chapter 44

< King of Fists, you are out of luck this year >

"There have been many championship contenders mentioned so far. This is because the Martial Arts Alliance and the Emperor's Association have different champions in their respective affiliations."

Hwa Eun-seol counted two fingers.

"The Murim Alliance has chosen two: Jin Gyeol of the Hwasan faction and Im Ji-ryeong of the Wudang faction. Their participation is uncertain. It's not because they're on bad terms with the Murim Alliance; the Hwasan faction is known for risking their lives even in non-combat situations, while the Wudang faction dislikes outside activities."

Danwoo-seong stared blankly at Hwaeunseol.

I thought she was a shy woman, but when she spoke, it was different. There were things I knew, but since the siblings were trying to help me, I decided to listen silently. Above all, Hwa Eun-seol's voice, like my older brother's, was pleasant to listen to.

When Hwa Eun-seol looked at her older brother, Hwa Eun-wol, who had always been so talkative, gave her a look telling her to continue talking.

Hwa Eun-seol's words continued.

"The Emperor's Association is considering Dokgo Han and Nangong Wei. However, if they face each other before the finals, neither of them has a good chance of winning."

“Why is that so?”

"These two are rivals. They're men who have their eyes on Baek Li-eon, known as Gangnam's most beautiful woman. There's even a rumor that they're participating in the Yongbongdaeyeon to publicly humiliate each other."

Danwoo Sung smiled faintly.

'Baekriyeon… That little boy is already all grown up.'

Dan Woo-seong remembered Baek Ri-eon as a young lady. Time had passed so quickly, and now she was called "Gangnam Jeilmi," and now she was the woman adored by the princes of the Sega clan. It felt strange. Dan Woo-seong, who had been an old man, was now Baek Ri-eon's peer.

Hwa Eun-wol looked at her younger brother and smiled.

“Well, from the tone of her voice, I have a feeling Eunseol won’t leave Baekri-eon alone.”

Hwa Eun-seol responded with surprised eyes.

“Why me?”

"Just kidding. Surprisingly, even if you win, don't hit Baekri-eon in the face."

“Face?”

"I'm afraid that if Baekriyeon's face gets hurt, the entire Gangnam region might turn against the Hwa family. Of course, that won't do. I won't allow it either."

Hwa Eun-seol grabbed her forehead.

"If you fight, your face might get hurt. Of course, I wouldn't hit you on purpose."

"Yes. You too, be careful. Baekriyeon is also a favorite to win the Phoenix Festival. And there's something missing from your words. If you're going to provide information to the Grand Duke, you should be thorough."

The Yongbongdaeyeon competition was held separately for men and women, and occasionally the winners would compete in a final duel. Otherwise, each division produced a winner.

Hwa Eun-seol looked at her older brother.

"My brother is also a candidate for victory. However, no one is expecting him to win."

“I guess so.”

"Let me tell you a secret about my brother: he's never been in a martial arts match. He's never fought anyone. Honestly, I'm surprised he even came to watch the Dragon and Phoenix Festival. He's always been a bother to me."

Danwoo-seong looked at Hwaeunwol.

It was a somewhat understandable statement. There didn't seem to be any kind of fierce fighting spirit. It seemed like that was his nature.

Or maybe he's a really scary guy…

It's as if there's absolutely no reason to show off your skills in a later index competition like the Yongbongdaeyeon.

Hwa Eun-seol said.

"And while it's not widely known, there's a rumor that the disciples of the Haenam faction are strong. We've never seen them, so we've only heard rumors. And the Grand Duke is also a contender for the championship."

Hwa Eun-seol pointed at Dan Woo-seong with her white hand. In any case, this meant that the Haenam faction's disciples and Dan Woo-seong had become variables.

Danwoo Seong said while taking a sip of tea.

“I heard you well.”

Hwa Eun-wol asked with a smile.

“Your Highness, what are your thoughts?”

Danwoo Seong replied.

“I’m sorry to say this to Jin-gyeol, Im Ji-ryeong, Dok-go Han, Nam-gung Wi, and the Haenam faction disciples, but this year will be unlucky for you.”

That's because the King of Power participated in the war.

“······.”

Hwa Eun-wol and Hwa Eun-seol stared at Dan Woo-seong, their eyes wide. They waited for the Grand Duke's next words, but that was all he had to say.

What more needs to be said?

As soon as Hwa Eun-wol realized Dan Woo-seong's curious remark, she burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha······.”

Hwa Eun-seol, who had been secretly teased for a while, started to counterattack against her older brother.

“If you want to be lucky, you should skip out.”

Hwa Eun-wol was choosing what to say and then replied like this.

"Brother, I've always been a lucky guy. Don't you know why?"

“You always avoid fights.”

As if it were an important story, Hwa Eun-wol pointed at her younger brother with her finger.

"That's exactly it. It's not something a man trained in martial arts can easily do. I find beating someone up with words more enjoyable than punching them. That's enough for me."

But who knows Hwa Eun-wol's true feelings?

If I were to participate in the war, my goal would naturally be to win the Hwaeunwol Championship.

As his younger sister put it, Hwa Eun-wol was always a pleasure-seeking rascal, not a man seething with a fierce fighting spirit.

But Hwa Eun-wol knew herself better than anyone else.

This means that once he sets his mind to it and starts fighting, he is a man who will see it through to the end.

However, no matter how much I tried to understand the Confucius of the Milky Way while drinking tea, I couldn't find out anything more.

'He's a troublesome man.'

I knew he was a man who had mastered both external and internal martial arts, but I still didn't know what his main martial art was.

This was clearly because Hwa Eun-wol's level and experience were inferior to that of the martial arts leader, Yu Jeong-hong. Even if Hwa Eun-wol were as intelligent as he was, it was something he couldn't have known right away.

Because experience is a field that cannot be ignored. Moreover, Danwoo Sung's expression revealed no sign of favor or interest toward his younger sister.

Hwa Eun-wol laughed while waving her fan.

'I told you he's not an easy man.'

Then suddenly this thought occurred to me.

'The mindset might be completely different.'

If you were solely focused on becoming stronger, you might not have noticed the beauty of Hwa Eun-seol and Baek Li-eon right now. After all, not many men could remain so calm in the presence of Hwa Eun-seol, known as the Snow Phoenix.

Then I thought my role ended here.

Since they had connected, I thought the rest was up to their fate.

Hwa Eun-wol said.

“We have a decisive battle coming up, so let’s go rest now.”

The tying and severing was really neat.

At Hwa Eun-wol's words, the two people stood up. Dan Woo-seong paid the bill first and then spoke to the Hwa siblings.

“Master Hwa, Master Hwa, let’s meet again.”

“Take a look.”

Danwoo Sung and Hwa Eunwol met eyes and nodded slightly. Then Danwoo Sung spoke to Hwa Eunseol.

“Thank you for the information. I will keep it in mind.”

“Don’t worry. Take a look.”

As Danwoo-seong left, Hwaeunwol looked at her younger brother with a smile.

“What a blunt man.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“He doesn’t seem like a womanizer.”

“I guess so?”

“A playboy has always been someone who looks cool whenever he sees a beautiful woman.”

"Aren't there cases where people feign indifference? They just pretend to be blunt for no reason."

“Yeah, no. He just didn’t seem interested in you.”

Hwa Eun-seol, perhaps feeling somewhat dejected, simply smiled faintly. Then Hwa Eun-wol soothed her.

"You seem like a man with a clear purpose. There must be some kind of standard firmly entrenched in your heart. As the Grand Duke grows stronger or achieves his goals, you'll be seen differently, so don't worry too much about it."

Hwa Eun-seol responded with a look of absurdity.

"Brother, I just saw you today. Do I look like a fool who falls in love so quickly? I'm not like that either."

Hwa Eun-wol burst into laughter.

"Let's say that's true. How could I possibly know the hearts of men and women? I don't know much about the world, Seol-ah."

“Yes, brother.”

"Look, feel, and enjoy to your heart's content. There are cases where a man as powerful as the Grand Duke of the Higher Order is like that. There are also cases where the so-called Grand Dukes of the Sega are despicable. Not everyone in the Martial Arts Alliance is a swordsman, and not everyone in the Black Swordsman class is necessarily of low status. See with your own eyes, listen carefully, and then choose a man to become your lover. What I said earlier was a joke, so don't worry about it."

Only then did Hwa Eun-seol respond politely.

"Understood, Brother. By the way, what do you think, Brother? Even though I lack the discernment to judge people, I can sense that the Archduke is incredibly strong."

"That's why those contenders are unlucky. Look at me. Of course, you have to fight to know for sure. Both defeat and victory are valuable experiences. But people have their own things like luck and momentum. I've finally met a good friend, and it's not pleasant to see them bickering in the finals, just to win a tournament like this, before we've even built a friendship. I'll give in to the Grand Duke. Muhak needs to take a long-term view."

Hwa Eun-seol listened with an almost absent-minded expression.

"and······."

My brother's words, flowing like a winding valley, ultimately led to his decision not to participate in the war. It felt both utterly ironic and amusing.

Hwa Eun-seol said.

“Your words are truly like flowing water in a green mountain. It is a compliment, Brother.”

“The autumn leaves fall in the clear mountain stream······.”

"yes?"

“There is something like that.”

As soon as Hwa Eun-wol saw the face of the man passing by Dan Woo-seong, she spoke to Hwa Eun-seol.

“I’ll explain later, so go up and rest.”

As a look of displeasure crossed Hwa Eun-wol's face, Hwa Eun-seol noticed and quickly stood up and responded.

“Yes, brother.”

A young man wearing a white robe with red lines around the edges of his black uniform approached, glanced at Hwa Eun-seol's back, and spoke.

“Prince Hwa, I was looking for you anyway, and you’re here.”

Hwa Eun-wol replied, pointing to the opposite side.

“Have a seat.”

Before sitting down, the tall man placed his weapon next to the table. It was Dokgo Sega's signature weapon, known as a "heavy sword." At first glance, it looked more like a long spear made of black iron than a sword.

For over two hundred years, the Dokgo family was one of the most prestigious families among the four major families, and was always evaluated as the best in the world in terms of skill in handling heavy weapons.

The man was Dokgo Han, who was considered a strong contender for the championship.

Dokgo Han suddenly remembered the man passing by and turned around again, muttering.

“Do you know who that guy is? He came from this direction.”

When Dokgo Han looked at Hwa Eun-wol again, Hwa Eun-wol also stuck her head out, glanced at him briefly, and replied like this.

“Who? I don’t know.”

“Your gaze is unpleasant.”

"Can your gaze be offensive? It's not because I don't avoid eye contact. How old are you, and you're still having staring contests?"

Dokgo Han chuckled.

“Hey, Eunwol. Why is it so sunny?”

“Coming to the Murim Alliance, the weather can’t help but be cold. By the way, how did the great Dokgo family’s son end up in such a shabby place?”

Dokgohan said.

"Why would you come? I came to discuss matters. What reason would there be to come to you, the next Supreme Commander of the Imperial Council?"

“That sound again.”

"That's what my father said. Watch your words. I didn't watch the pre-event, but the family members keep talking about the Galaxy Merchant. The onlookers are talking about the increased number of potential winners."

"Since we defeated the Gu Yang-saeng family, we're naturally a contender for the championship. It's a new······."

Dokgo Han's expression hardened.

“Do you think I’m weaker than Senior Gu Yang-saeng?”

"How would I know that? Don't frown. I'm not your servant. Just tell me what's going on."

Dokgo Han responded with a trembling expression.

"How about you participate this time? If you can defeat either that merchant's son or Namgung Wi, there will be a winner at the Emperor's Association this year."

"You're using strange logic. I could fight you. Do you think the Dokgo family could even influence the matchup? That's impossible."

“There are so many participants, that’s impossible.”

Hwa Eun-wol said, fluttering her fan.

"You and I both have a long training schedule ahead of us, so there's no need to be so anxious about a single competition. And this year, there won't be a winner from either the Emperor's Association or the Martial Arts Alliance, so feel free to participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Competition."

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

Hwa Eun-wol poked her head out and glared at Dokgo Han as she spoke.

“The Imperial Council, this is advice from the next Generalissimo.”

< King of Fists, You're Out of Luck This Year > End

ⓒ Eugene Sung

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