Chapter 43. The Engagement Ceremony (3)
The Outer Courtyard Hall, where most of the guests resided. Among them, I headed to the place that had only recently begun to be inhabited.
An unexpected scene unfolded before me.
"What are you doing?"
"Can't you see? I'm training in martial arts."
Seol Lihyang was trembling in a horse stance. I scanned her up and down carefully—then, I was startled.
"Unless it's a special exception, all martial arts start from the lower body. Strengthening your lower body deepens your martial foundation and increases stamina. It's tough, but it's a win-win situation."
"If you understand that, then just go away already. I'm dying here, don't distract me."
"But with that posture, you're just making it difficult for yourself without actually training properly."
"What?"
Seol Lihyang's eyes widened. However, her limbs were still trembling so much that she didn't look particularly threatening.
"Your posture is a complete mess."
I let out a deep sigh and placed my hands on her shoulders and elbows.
"Look. Extend your arms straight, and relax your shoulders. Don't try to lift your arms using your shoulders. Ah, and don't forget to keep your arms parallel to the ground."
"Huh? Wh-what?"
Seol Lihyang made a strange sound. I shook my head at her dumbfounded expression and pressed lightly on her legs.
"Your thighs should be parallel to the ground, just like your arms. If it's too hard, don't half-raise them awkwardly—spread your legs wider instead."
"Where do you think you're touching?!"
"Obviously, your thighs. They're bent at an angle that's putting unnecessary strain on your knees. Lower yourself more—think of it like sitting in an invisible chair."
"M-my butt…"
For a moment, Seol Lihyang's face flushed red. But she soon let out a long sigh and corrected her posture as instructed.
"Good. Now, hold that position and count to a hundred."
"You suddenly show up out of nowhere, and now this…!"
"Ah, fine! I'll do it! Just stop looking at me like I'm some incomprehensible creature!"
Shouting, Seol Lihyang began counting. Seeing her putting in the effort was rather satisfying.
As I watched with amusement, she somehow managed to count all the way to a hundred before collapsing onto the ground, sprawled out in the open training area.
She didn't even have the energy to shout anymore—just panting quietly.
I picked her up and carried her over to a shaded area under a tree beside the training ground.
"Ahh… that feels nice."
"Well, of course, it's cool. You're in the shade."
"As if I didn't know that? I was thanking you for moving me."
"Then just say thank you from the start."
"Thank you! Happy now?!"
"Well done."
I chuckled at Seol Lihyang's exaggerated way of emphasizing each syllable and ruffled her long, sweat-drenched hair.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Wiping off the sweat I got on me from carrying a certain someone who was stupidly overexerting herself in training."
"I-I take back my thanks! I don't need it, just get lost!"
"This is the only shaded spot around here. Besides, I came to talk to you—I can't just leave now."
Seol Lihyang shot a glare at me without a word.
Her gaze was sharp, but for some reason, it didn't feel threatening at all.
Maybe it was because I was too used to the Seol Lihyang of my past life.
Back then, she was hostile to nearly everyone except for a select few she had opened her heart to.
Even for me, it took months of enduring her sharp glares before she even started to acknowledge me.
It wasn't surprising that I ended up being sent to Ironblood Hall.
Despite her extraordinary talent and mastery of the rare Sound Arts, she clashed with others far too often.
Even though the Black Lotus Sect belonged to the unorthodox faction, it was still an organization. Having a single outstanding individual was good, but internal discipline was far more important.
Of course, I was also demoted because I had a habit of drawing my sword at the slightest provocation.
Seol Lihyang, who had been glaring at me, eventually sighed in resignation and asked,
"So? What did you want to talk about? Shouldn't you be busy preparing for your engagement with Sister Tang?"
"I am busy. That's why I ran away… No, I came to see you before things got even busier."
"???"
Seol Lihyang tilted her head in confusion, but I ignored it and continued.
"Oh, but first, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"I heard that while you were looking for a decent martial art to practice, a Tang family martial artist was assigned to guide you in your fundamentals. Have you always been training alone with such a terrible stance?"
"No! My instructor teaches me well. My posture only got weird because I was practicing alone. Normally, they correct me properly."
"Then what was I looking at just now?"
"Uh… actually, today was supposed to be my rest day, so I was studying literature all morning, but…"
"But?"
"My head started hurting, so I took a little break, and, well… this happened."
So basically, she used training as an excuse to avoid studying.
As I stared at her with mixed feelings, Seol Lihyang covered her face with her hands and shouted,
"D-don't look at me like that!"
"Well, I can understand."
After all, when I first started learning to read, I also made similar excuses to escape to the training grounds—only to be dragged back by the Ironblood Hall Master multiple times.
"Still, when you're told to rest, you should actually rest. Make sure you follow that one rule."
"Fine, fine. I'll just spend the rest of the day studying properly."
"I'm not just saying this for nothing. I don't know who your instructor is, but the Tang Clan wouldn't assign just anyone to train you. He's probably not quite a master, but at least an experienced instructor. There's a reason why he told you to rest today."
"Oh! Right. He's the vice-captain of the Dark Soul Unit. I've seen him a few times on my way here."
"The vice-captain of the Dark Soul Unit?"
Of all people, they assigned her a vice-captain from one of the Tang Clan's two major combat units?
I had seen him a few times while traveling to Guangdong. He was a seasoned martial artist, nearly at the peak level, and a formidable female warrior at that.
Although the Dark Soul Unit primarily specialized in hidden weapons, she also carried a whip at her waist, meaning she was skilled in unconventional weapons as well.
"The Tang Clan must have high expectations for you. Don't waste this opportunity."
"I know. He even volunteered to teach me. There's no way I'd take it lightly."
"He volunteered?"
"Yeah. He said he had a similar past to mine. The Tang Clan gave him a new chance, and he hoped I'd get the same."
"Huh."
That made sense. Tang Sowol once told me that the only two requirements to join the Dark Soul Unit were skill with hidden weapons and absolute loyalty to the Tang Clan.
If unmarried, members were sometimes arranged to marry into a branch family of the Tang Clan.
Only highly vetted individuals could join, and at the same time, all of them had no choice but to be deeply loyal to the clan.
"Well, lucky you. But if you knew all this, why did you still overwork yourself today?"
"Ugh! I-I won't do it again, so drop it already!"
"I'm not scolding you. I'm just concerned."
"…Concerned?"
"Yes. Usually, when you're told to rest, it means they're going to push you to the brink of death soon, so you should recover while you can."
Seol Lihyang's face stiffened as she realized she had dug her own grave.
I chuckled at her pale expression before finally getting to my main point.
"By the way, after the engagement ceremony, Tang Sowol and I will be traveling to Shaanxi for a while. I'll be gone for some time, so I wanted to let you know in advance."
"…What? Just the two of you?!"
***
And a few days later—
Tang Sowol and I held our engagement ceremony.
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[TL]
Happy Christmas! <*~*>