That’s Not How You Use Martial Arts

Chapter 16
Entering the Jianghu (5)

『 Translator – Divinity 』

I tilted my head, looking at Hwa-ryeon, who was standing still with her back to me.

After pushing me away with a startled look, she continued to avoid facing me.

“Hey, are you really sick? Let me see.”

“D-don’t…!”

“Don’t what? Let me see.”

I held Hwa-ryeon’s shoulder and turned her to face me, checking her condition.

Her usually pale, flawless face was flushed red, and I could feel the heat radiating from it.

When I placed my hand on her forehead, the heat was even more intense.

And for some reason, it seemed like her face was getting even redder.

I finally realized my mistake.

It was early autumn, and the weather was getting chilly, but I had thoughtlessly brought her to this cold forest path.

“This won’t do. Let’s continue our talk tomorrow and head back to the school for now.”

I took off my robe and put it on Hwa-ryeon.

“H-hold on… Young Master?!”

“Just wear this for now. Are you feeling any chills or dizziness?”

“That’s not…”

“You should have told me if you weren’t feeling well. We could have talked in the room instead.”

“T-the room?!”

I took Hwa-ryeon’s hand and started walking back the way we came.

After mumbling something for a while, she quietly followed me.

“Is it hard to walk? Should I carry you on my back?”

“N-no! I’m fine.”

Hwa-ryeon shook her head firmly.

She had always been the type to hide her pain since she was young, so I couldn’t quite believe her.

“Are you sure? I still remember the viper incident five years ago. And the drinking incident seven years ago…”

“…Please forget about those.”

Hwa-ryeon covered her face with her free hand as I brought up those dark moments she wanted to erase from her memory.

Seriously, was she really okay?

Tilting my head in concern, I continued walking briskly and finally exited the forest path.

Since the entrance to the forest path was right in front of the Gun family estate, the wall of my house appeared before my eyes.

But then I saw a dark figure standing in front of the wall.

As I approached to see who it was, I was surprised to find that it was the head of the Gun family, my father.

“Father?”

“Huh? Seong-ah, what are you doing out so late… Hmm?”

Father, who had been surprised to see me, turned his gaze to Hwa-ryeon standing next to me and widened his eyes.

“Who is this young lady…?”

“Ah, come to think of it, this is your first time meeting her, isn’t it? This is Ju… Junior Sister Jang Seol-ran from Cheonpung Martial Arts School.”

At my introduction, Hwa-ryeon let go of my hand, stepped forward, and greeted him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Jang Seol-ran from Cheonpung Martial Arts School.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of you. Is it true that the fish in Simhan River hide beneath the water because of Miss Jang?”

Submerged Fish.

It meant that the fish were so ashamed of their own beauty compared to hers that they hid from sight.

Simply put, he was complimenting Hwa-ryeon on her beauty.

Simhan River, by the way, was the name of the river flowing right next to Gun-gang County.

Hwa-ryeon lowered her head modestly at Father’s compliment.

“You flatter me.”

“Haha, not at all. Seeing you today, I can tell those words aren’t an exaggeration.”

Father was laughing, but his expression was strangely complicated.

I had already explained the situation with Cheonpung Martial Arts School to my family to some extent.

Considering that they had almost been wiped out, it was understandable that they wouldn’t have a favorable view of them.

Hwa-ryeon also seemed to sense this, as she kept her head lowered in front of Father.

I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable, especially since she wasn’t feeling well, so I decided to leave quickly.

“Father, Junior Sister Jang isn’t feeling well. I’ll take her back to the school.”

“Hmm? Ah… Alright. But were you in the forest all this time?”

“Yes?… Yes, why?”

“……”

Father’s eyes widened even further at my answer.

And his pupils started darting around.

Once at me and Hwa-ryeon.

Once at our clasped hands.

Once at my robe draped over Hwa-ryeon’s shoulders.

“Ah…!”

Father let out an exclamation as if he had realized something.

What? What did he suddenly realize?

“I see. So that’s why you suddenly want to venture into the Jianghu.”

“Father?”

“Well, you’re already twenty, so you’re at that age.”

“…Yes?”

“Indeed, I understand.”

“What do you understand? What are you suddenly realizing and understanding all by yourself?”

“Hahaha, our Seong-ah has finally…”

“Father, are you listening to me?”

Father, who seemed to have reached some understanding in his own world, placed his hand on my shoulder and said,

“Don’t worry. I’ll somehow persuade your mother and Su-ae.”

“…What?”

Despite my question, Father didn’t say anything more.

He just patted my shoulder and went back inside the manor.

“Uh…”

I wasn’t sure what train of thought had led to that conclusion in Father’s mind, but one thing was certain.

“At least I won’t have to sneak out over the wall, right?”

“……”

I turned to Hwa-ryeon and asked, but she didn’t seem well.

Her entire face was flushed red like a beet, a sight I had never seen in the past ten years.

Why was her condition deteriorating so rapidly?

Did she eat something bad?

“This won’t do. Get on my back.”

I stood in front of Hwa-ryeon and bent down. Then, I suddenly noticed the Gun family estate, my house.

It occurred to me that it might be better to let her stay in our guest room for the night instead of making her walk further in the cold.

“Hey, why don’t you just stay in the guest room at our house for the night… Huh?”

I turned around to look at Hwa-ryeon, who should have been behind me.

But all I saw was my own shadow reflected in the moonlight.

What? Where did she go?

I straightened up and looked around, and in the distance, I saw Hwa-ryeon running towards the town.

“…When did she get all the way over there?”

She shouldn’t be able to use lightness skills or anything, but she was pretty fast.

Impressed by Hwa-ryeon’s unusual speed, I immediately chased after her.

With a few large strides, I ‘leaped’ forward and quickly caught up to her.

“Why are you running off alone when you’re sick?”

“Kyaah?!”

Hwa-ryeon screamed as I spoke next to her, seemingly startled.

I was more surprised by her intense reaction than she was.

Seeing her eyes wide as saucers and her mouth agape, I chuckled.

“You’re showing me a lot of new expressions today.”

“Wh-what? When did you get here?”

Hwa-ryeon seemed genuinely surprised, unable to regain her composure.

She took a few deep breaths before finally calming down.

Her flushed face also returned to its usual pale color.

Now she looked fine again.

Her condition had deteriorated so quickly, but now she seemed fine again.

“Sigh…”

“Are you okay?”

At my repeated question, Hwa-ryeon simply nodded without a word.

“I’m fine. I’m not sick or anything, so you can go back now.”

Judging from her expression, she didn’t seem to be lying.

I nodded, but I didn’t turn away.

“I’ll walk you back to the school.”

“I said I’m fine.”

Ah, here we go again. This stubborn girl.

“I’m not fine. Does it make sense to leave a woman alone in the middle of the night?”

“……”

She opened and closed her mouth slightly, seemingly surprised by my words.

In the end, as if she had nothing to say, she quietly walked beside me.

“…Why are you suddenly being so kind?”

Ah, so she still had something to say.

She immediately opened her mouth again, after all.

“Suddenly kind? When was I ever unkind? I think I was mostly kind, except when I was playing pranks.”

“That’s not what I meant…! Why are you suddenly walking me back in the middle of the night…?”

“It’s not that I’m suddenly walking you back, it’s just that this is the first time we’ve met at night.”

“…Ah.”

She let out a small exclamation as if she had belatedly realized that fact.

I shrugged.

“I’ve always been like this. If there’s a woman visiting the Gun family estate at night, I walk her home. It’s only natural.”

“…Who?”

“Huh? What?”

“Who did you walk home?”

Hwa-ryeon’s voice suddenly turned cold.

Her face was filled with displeasure.

What? Why was she suddenly upset? There was no reason for her to be.

“Answer me quickly.”

As I looked around, Hwa-ryeon pressed me for an answer.

Wondering why she was asking, I still answered her honestly.

“The girl from the confectionery store, or the lady from the skewer shop.”

For the record, the girl from the confectionery store was a ten-year-old child, and the lady from the skewer shop would be turning fifty next year.

“……”

At my answer, Hwa-ryeon fell silent and started walking again.

For some reason, she seemed to be in a better mood.

***

We continued walking, and soon, Cheonpung Martial Arts School came into view.

“Ah, we’re here.”

“Yes.”

Judging from the light spilling from inside the building, it seemed like Master and Seol-i were still awake.

Arriving at the gate, I faced Hwa-ryeon.

“Well then, go on in.”

“…Yes.”

Hwa-ryeon opened the gate, took a step inside, and then paused.

She turned to look at me.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“…Young Master. Could you come to the school again tomorrow?”

“We already agreed on that, didn’t we? But what do you want to talk about?”

“I want to express my gratitude for helping us, and I have a proposition for you.”

Expressing gratitude and… a proposition?

“What is it?”

“That’s… I’ll tell you when you come tomorrow.”

What? Again, later?

It wasn’t like a commercial break, this was frustrating.

“Not telling me right away is a very bad habit. You should fix that.”

“…Heh. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Hwa-ryeon smiled faintly, said goodbye, and went inside the school.

Watching the gate slowly close, I shrugged and turned back towards home.

Now then, expressing gratitude… What was she going to give me?

I let my imagination run wild.

What could it be?

Usually, people would give money…

But I soon shook my head.

My family was the wealthiest in this village, so they probably wouldn’t give me money.

But if it wasn’t money… a weapon?

Was she going to give me some hidden divine sword?

I imagined a dazzling sword, but that didn’t seem likely either.

“Then what’s left? Hmm…”

After pondering for a while, I suddenly stopped in my tracks as a thought crossed my mind.

“Don’t tell me… an elixir?”

It was quite plausible.

Judging from how quickly Hwa-ryeon and Seol-i’s internal energy had increased, they must have been consuming elixirs.

What if they still had some left and were planning to give them to me…?

“P-please! Please let it be an elixir. Buddha, please…!”

I clasped my hands together and prayed to Buddha, even though I didn’t believe in him.

I really hoped it was an elixir. I needed to do something about my meager internal energy.