Chapter 135: Qinggong Competition (2)
Blue Dragon Hall. Acting Secretary (Third Class Cadet) Murong Maoyao of the Sword Forest.
As a playboy with handsome looks and fluent speech, he was equipped with knowledge about all the beauties within the Ascending Heaven Academy.
“Alas, how lamentable…”
Murong Maoyao lamented while covering his face with a fan.
“A clash of a ragtag crowd has ultimately escalated into a fight between two flowers, so how can we not discuss the events of the ancient Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods? There was a mulberry field on the border of Wu and Chu. The women raising silkworms grabbed each other’s hair and fought over the mulberry leaves in this field, which eventually escalated into a war between King Helü of Wu and King Zhao of Chu, Xiong Zhen. Even after countless heroes died, the owner was never decided, and eventually, the mulberry field turned into the blue sea. Just as we look at the distant past and lament today, someday someone in the distant future will look at us and lament. How…”
“Hey, Mr. Murong. Shut your mouth and just watch the match.”
When the cadets next to him scolded him, Murong Maoyao shut his mouth for a moment.
In the meantime, Namgung Yul and Ho Ye-yang stood before the long rope bridge.
The appearance of the lecture building of the Ascending Heaven Academy was somewhat peculiar.
Four Divine Trees rooted in the cardinal directions of east, west, south, and north, growing as if they would reach the end of the sky.
This lecture building was the very structure constructed by placing building materials between the trunks and branches of those Divine Trees.
Therefore, numerous bridges were elaborately connected like spiderwebs between the four Divine Trees and their branches, and this rope bridge here was also one of those structures.
But no matter how elaborately it was constructed, what was dangerous was dangerous.
Whoosh…
Since it was a height of ninety-nine stories, even a single gust of wind made the branches move subtly and the ropes shake.
Although it was a perfect environment to practice Qinggong, a slight mistake could lead to a very dangerous situation.
“Do not overdo it too much.”
“Yes, senior. Thank you for your consideration.”
Namgung Yul, the representative of the Sword Forest, and Ho Ye-yang, the representative of the Blade Mountain, were raising their competitive spirits toward each other.
‘They said there is a lively junior in the Chaste Stage, so I should see how good she is.’
‘Is that Lady Namgung Yul, the most famous senior in the Householder Stage? She doesn’t look much older than me, but she is amazing. I will definitely watch and learn this time.’
Neither of them held any ill feelings toward the other.
There was only a light curiosity and a bit of competitive spirit.
Although it was merely a practice in an elective class, since they ended up carrying the honor of the organizations they belonged to, they could not easily lose.
Therefore, winning quickly and ending this troublesome dispute was the most efficient way.
At that time, Namgung Yul turned to Ximen Qing and spoke.
“Even if it is the result of the drawing of lots, running under the same conditions as my junior makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. Would it be alright if I yield five paces?”
“Do as you wish.”
Ximen Qing replied in a lukewarm tone.
“I will gladly accept the concession. Please guide and instruct me.”
Ho Ye-yang bowed her head, showing flawless courtesy.
‘She has good manners. What a waste. If she had come to the Sword Forest, I would have doted on her a lot.’
‘Contrary to the rumors, she seems like a gentle person. What a pity. If she were in the Blade Mountain, there might have been more opportunities to get close.’
Unlike the Blade Mountain and the Sword Forest, which were at loggerheads, the two actually had a decent impression of each other.
Soon, Namgung Yul and Ho Ye-yang stood before the rope bridge.
The length of the rope bridge was about thirty zhang.
Below, due to the drifting clouds and fog, it looked as if waves were surging.
The two women recalled the rules of the practice.
“Touch the opposite side and return here, then it is over. The one who arrives first is the winner. The added rule is that I start five paces behind. Right?”
“Yes, senior. That is correct. Since we have to leave a finger mark when touching the opposite side, we should apply red ink paste.”
Namgung Yul and Ho Ye-yang stood before the rope bridge with red ink paste applied to their fingertips.
Namgung Yul stood at the starting point, and Ho Ye-yang stood five paces ahead, and the fanatic supporters of both the Blade Mountain and the Sword Forest all judged this to be fair.
“Start.”
Ximen Qing opened his mouth in a dry voice.
Simultaneously.
Bam!
Namgung Yul and Ho Ye-yang began to dash forward at tremendous speed.
Whoosh…
The wind blew with formidable force.
Ho Ye-yang thought as she shot forward.
‘What?’
It was strange.
Although she was yielded five paces, the gap between her and Namgung Yul did not narrow.
She showed no sign of pulling ahead at all.
‘Why?’
Even when she glanced to the side, Namgung Yul was not visible.
Even though she definitely had the skill to pull ahead.
‘…!’
Instantly, Ho Ye-yang turned back and flinched.
Namgung Yul was already close behind Ho Ye-yang’s back before she knew it.
Only then did Ho Ye-yang realize.
‘She was dodging the wind behind me!’
After yielding five paces, Namgung Yul did not bother to catch up.
And while Ho Ye-yang, running ahead, took the wind resistance, she hid behind her to conserve her strength and internal energy.
She probably planned to explode all her power right before arriving at the finish line.
In other words, she was using Ho Ye-yang as a shield.
‘To recycle even a disadvantage into her own weapon, is this indeed the experienced skill of a senior? But I won’t let it happen easily!’
Ho Ye-yang twisted her body.
She leaped upward and stepped on the rope knots on both sides of the bridge, and soon began to shoot forward diagonally.
‘Did she notice?’
Namgung Yul dashed forward in a straight line the instant Ho Ye-yang cleared the path ahead.
The two women were heading toward the midpoint, stretching forward at lightning speed from both sides of the bridge.
Soon, the wall on the opposite side came into view.
Slap!
Ho Ye-yang moved first.
She reduced her speed with a clean movement and pressed the window frame with her finger to leave a fingerprint.
And just as she was about to turn around and run straight back.
Boom!
Namgung Yul passed in front of Ho Ye-yang at an incredible speed.
The moment Namgung Yul touched the midpoint wall, she did a somersault in the air and kicked off the wall with both feet.
A movement like changing the turning direction when swimming unfolded in midair.
Everyone watching this opened their mouths in ceaseless admiration.
“To reverse direction in that way, that is truly a realm beyond humans!”
“Lady Namgung has already transcended the cadet level! Even the Qinggong instructors can’t do that kind of thing!”
“How can even the sight of her performing Qinggong be so beautiful.”
“Did you see our sister’s force just now? I feel like my heart is going to burst…”
“Pull yourself together, girl. Why is Lady Namgung your sister? She is younger than you.”
“I don’t know, if she’s cool, she’s my sister…”
The distance widened significantly when turning at the midpoint.
Namgung Yul instantly reclaimed the five paces she had yielded to Ho Ye-yang and stretched far ahead.
‘…It is futile.’
Running alone, Namgung Yul suddenly thought.
The Qinggong technique she had used just now to turn at the midpoint was actually mimicking ‘that person’s’ movements.
The Ba-Shu Snowy Mountains where snowstorms raged.
Corpse Ghost Beigong Seol, who was the leader of the assassins and the master of the Jiangshi.
The man who fought without retreating even a single step from such a terrifying demon.
Because she wanted to resemble his back even a little, because she wanted to follow his footsteps even a little.
Namgung Yul was taking each earnest step filled with such a wish.
That is to say, she wished in her heart that these steps she was running right now would reach toward that person.
……Right then.
Whoosh…
Lost in her thoughts, Namgung Yul instantly felt a faint gooseflesh rising on the back of her neck.
“…!?”
Behind her back, in a close place, was Ho Ye-yang.
She used Namgung Yul, who was running ahead, as a shield to reduce wind resistance.
‘My technique exactly?’
But that was not all.
Thump!
Ho Ye-yang’s footsteps stepping on the planks of the bridge were also familiar to Namgung Yul.
‘Isn’t that Young Hero Chui’s footwork?!’
Namgung Yul was internally shocked.
The footwork that the pursuer was showcasing right now was definitely his.
How on earth was Ho Ye-yang, that junior, mimicking it?
‘C-could she have watched and learned from my footwork just now? If so, it is truly a terrifying talent.’
Breaking into a cold sweat, Namgung Yul accelerated her steps.
However, Ho Ye-yang was thinking slightly differently.
‘…Senior Namgung’s steps are strangely similar to Mr. Lucky’s steps from before.’
She had witnessed Chui’s Qinggong twice in the past.
Once, albeit hurriedly, in the alley of a dumpling restaurant in the marketplace on a night when it poured rain.
A second time, during the Blood Oath Ceremony at the Namgung Clan, the death of Namgung Paeng-saeng, and the intervention of Namgung Cheon.
The memory of that time had left a powerful inspiration in Ho Ye-yang.
The spark that had been budding in her subconscious was right now combining with the back of Namgung Yul, who was replicating Chui’s footwork, to sprout a hot bud.
‘I am not such a genius that I can copy something I’ve seen once, but I can definitely copy something I’ve seen three times!’
The back of her senior Namgung Yul became a great catalyst, adding to the results of her constant efforts.
Ho Ye-yang’s feet became faster and faster.
Namgung Yul advancing like a ghost, and Ho Ye-yang narrowing the distance as she watched Namgung Yul.
The contest between the two was so tremendous that it kept everyone watching on the edge of their seats.
Right then. An unexpected turn occurred.
Whoosh…
The blowing wind changed.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter!
Suddenly, fat raindrops mingled with the wind and flew in.
It was a sudden shower that fell without warning.
“…”
“…”
A look of frustration appeared on the faces of the two running women.
Since they had already gained acceleration, they could not easily stop.
Moreover, if they stopped, they would lose the contest, so that was also a matter of concern.
Thud!
The wet rope bounced at a different angle than usual.
Inevitably, the two women slipped almost simultaneously.
“Ah!?”
“Gasp!?”
Slipping from the rope bridge, Namgung Yul and Ho Ye-yang flailed downward at the same time.
The watching cadets rushed out in surprise, but in the first place, it was not a distance their hands could reach.
“Kyaaaaaah!?”
Screams burst out from the crowd.
Since the two women who had been running well just moments ago disappeared beneath the sea of fog where the shower fell, it was a natural reaction.
“M-my goodness! What a tragedy! Hopefully there is a net below… was there one? There must have been, right? Ah! Please!”
Murong Maoyao jumped up and down with a face pale as ash.
Everyone around showed a similar reaction.
…At that very moment.
Rumble…
Everyone witnessed it.
The sea of fog that had swallowed the two women suddenly drawing a whirlpool and condensing.
And soon.
Boom!
All the clouds and fog in the vicinity gathered in one place, forming a shape like a dragon.
It seemed to soar straight up from beneath the bridge, but suddenly changed direction and shot toward the window where the crowd gathered.
And.
The crowd saw.
“…”
The falling raindrops all stopped in midair in an instant.
And the swirling fog burst in all directions with a powerful shockwave.
Here, a single footstep stepping on the window frame.
…Clack!
The one who burst the whirlpool and blew away all the surrounding raindrops was a single man.
“…?”
“…?”
Namgung Yul and Ho Ye-yang. The two women, who were completely soaked, were flustered by the firm grip strongly holding their waists.
It was only natural, as they were falling furiously beneath the bridge just moments ago, only to suddenly be caught by someone’s hand and pulled up.
“…Namgung Yul of the Blue Dragon Hall. Ho Ye-yang of the White Tiger Hall.”
But regardless of whether they did or not, the voice of the man who had fished Namgung Yul and Ho Ye-yang up from beneath the bridge was hoarse and sharp.
When had he gone down below the window frame?
“Your evaluation grade is ‘Passable’ (Ga).”
There stood Assistant Instructor Ximen Qing with an expressionless face.