Chapter 3
The RoFan Novel Fan Has Reincarnated Into A Martial Arts Novel
Chapter 3: Watch And Learn
In everyday life, conversations seem to happen very naturally. However, if you delve into them and uncover the numerous nonverbal signals hidden within, you’ll realize that it’s not as simple as it seems.
This holds true even for simple greetings like “hello” or “good morning.” A person sends signals through their facial expression and tone when greeting someone, and the other person responds in a similar manner. Once the individual hears words that do not deviate too far from their expectations, they are able to commence a peaceful morning.
In that sense, Paeng Donghu’s expression at the moment was quite interesting.
“Wh-What did you say?”
Bastard? It was a curse word that the Paeng family’s second son had never been called in his life. The fact that it came out of Hwangbo Yeon’s mouth, of all people, left Paeng Donghu in confusion.
At times like this, the first thing people do is doubt their own ears.
“What did you just say……?”
“Do you want to hear more?”
“What?”
“Retarded bastard.”
At the moment when suspicion turned into certainty, a burning anger swept over him. His face turned red as if it would burst, and his voice trembled involuntarily.
“Did lying in bed for so long make you go crazy?”
Staring at the man with a menacing expression, Yeon chuckled. She had no intention of stopping here. On the contrary, she was determined to provoke him even more.
Yeon recoiled her hand as if she had touched something filthy and said, “You’re the one who’s crazy and perverted. Why did you come here instead of going to the brothel like usual?”
For a moment, a look of suspicion crossed Paeng Donghu’s eyes. It was a look that asked, ‘How did she know that?’ But he had no way of knowing.
“Stop talking nonsense!”
“Whether it’s nonsense or not, it’s something that can be easily determined just by looking at you.”
Paeng Donghu narrowed his eyes at Yeon’s leisurely words. He felt like something he didn’t know was happening. Yeon, who he had thought was timid, quickly added.
“It’s been fun until now, hasn’t it? You’re such a loser.”
“What? How dare you talk to me like that!”
Paeng Donghu raised his hand, then he hesitated and looked around, remembering that he was at Hwangbo residence.
Yeon spat out at him, who was still hesitating.
“Go ahead.”
“…What did you say?”
“I said go ahead, do what you were going to do.”
“Are you telling me to actually do it?”
“Decide whether you’re going to hit me or not already.”
Bang!
Paeng Donghu’s hand then smashed the flimsy table. Because of his lack of training, his palm felt like it was going to break, but Paeng Donghu managed to control his expression.
He glared at the target with the most intimidating face he could make. But in the end, all he got was a sigh.
Unlike Hwangbo Yeon, Yeon had been trained in combat and daily exercises under her father’s supervision, hence violence was not a source of fear for her. On the contrary, it was always on her side.
“Why did you break a perfectly good table? Will it tremble in fear?”
“…Will you only shed tears after seeing blood?”
Yeon looked straight at Paeng Donghu, who muttered the words he had heard somewhere.
“I guess we’ll find out who’ll cry after seeing blood. Let’s go. I’ll kill you, you pervert.”
Yeon got up without hesitation and headed outside. When she opened the door, she saw Sojin, who had been trembling in fear.
“Mi-Milady……”
Maybe she heard what was going on from outside. Yeon spoke to Sojin, whose face had turned pale.
“Tell this to my father, Sojin. The engagement is off.”
Yeon headed to the family’s martial arts training ground, borrowing memories from Hwangbo Yeon. There were a few reasons why she wanted to move to this place. First, she wanted to handle the matter clearly, and for that, she needed witnesses. Second……
‘Hwangbo Yeon is like a precious heirloom in this family.’
Despite being the only successor, Hwangbo Yeon was useless. If it weren’t for Hwangbo Jeonggun’s extreme love for his daughter, she would not have received such treatment and upbringing.
The reason why the reactions of those who saw her wake up were lukewarm was also because of this.
Yeon realized that Hwangbo Yeon was also aware of that. There was always a desire in her heart to stand tall as a confident successor. The problem was that even that desire couldn’t overcome her inherent weakness.
On the contrary, Yeon, who had the opposite nature, wanted to break that part of herself. This was because Hwangbo Yeon’s long-standing wish could no longer be called hers alone.
As they arrived at the martial arts training ground, Paeng Donghu, who still couldn’t accept the reality, tried to persuade Yeon.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but things are irreversible now. Why don’t you apologize? Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
Without answering, Yeon checked her physical condition by tapping her feet on the ground. She clenched and unclenched her fists and turned her body here and there.
Hwangbo Yeon’s body was better than she expected. No, it wasn’t just good, it was even better than Yeon’s own body, who had trained to the point she thought she was going to die. Considering that Hwangbo Yeon had been lying down for a long time, it could be considered to be much better.
Suddenly, a frustratingly sad feeling came over Yeon.
‘Hwangbo Yeon lived so weakly even though she had such a healthy body.’
No matter how good one’s physical condition is, if their mental state is weak, they are nothing more than a piece of paper. It was the words that she had heard repeatedly from her father that came to mind.
Yeon came to understand the real meaning of those words, which she thought she already knew. As she was engulfed in strange emotions, people gathered. They were Hwangbo’s vassals and her father, Hwangbo Jeonggun.
“Yeon! What on earth is going on?”
“Father, how could you accept such a brat as your son-in-law?”
“Yeo-Yeon?”
He was already surprised when he heard of what was happening, but he was still astonished hearing Yeon. Hwangbo Jeonggun’s eyes seemed to pop out at his daughter’s words.
Sojin, who was watching the situation, quickly stepped forward.
“Master, what actually happened is……”
Sojin explained in detail about Paeng Donghu’s actions and what he had said to Yeon. After hearing the whole story, Hwangbo Jeonggun’s expression darkened.
He tried to control his anger and asked Paeng Donghu, “Lord Paeng, is this child’s words true?”
Paeng Donghu, who knew Hwangbo Jeonggun’s gentle temperament, calmly opened his mouth.
“I’m not sure what you heard, but there seems to be a misunderstanding. I was just glad to see Lady Yeon whom I haven’t seen in a long time and wanted to check on her well-being. It was hard to wait for my fiancée who was lying in bed, so I’m really sad to see her like this.”
As he expected, Hwangbo Jeonggun couldn’t act rashly. His words only touched on Hwangbo Jeonggun’s sore spots, and it was difficult to punish the Paeng family’s second son just based on Yeon’s accusations.
Paeng Donghu gained more confidence from how Yeon’s father acted.
“I think I should report this incident as soon as I return to the Paeng residence. After that, we can properly resolve this dispute. We’re no longer waiting for someone now anyway……”
Hwangbo Jeonggun’s face turned red at Paeng Donghu’s ambiguous words. Yeon frowned at his indecisive appearance and called.
“Father.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll handle this, so please step back.”
“What?”
“Sojin’s words are all true. And that guy’s all bark and no bite.”
Hwangbo Jeonggun looked skeptical.
“What are you talking about, Yeon? You’re not suggesting you’d engage in violence, are you?”
“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”
Just as Hwangbo Jeonggun was about to say something else, Yeon yelled at Paeng Donghu.
“Hey, you pervert. Let’s get started, shall we?”
“Haha. You see, Lord Jeonggun? Lady Yeon has been suffering for too long, and as a result, she seems to be acting differently than her usual self.”
Paeng Donghu, who thought he had the upper hand, didn’t realize how rude he was acting. Without saying a word, Hwangbo Jeonggun turned his gaze to Yeon, who was already staring at him.
“Hmm.”
Seeing the worried look in Hwangbo Jeonggun’s eyes, Yeon said, “Don’t worry. I’m stronger than Father thinks. I’ve been taking medicine since I was a kid.”
“Of course, but……”
‘But you’re incapable of using martial arts.’
Yeon seemed to hear the words Hwangbo Jeonggun failed to say and grinned.
“Just watch how I discipline him.”
“Discipline? What do you mean by that, Yeon?”
Unable to understand, Hwangbo Jeonggun couldn’t help but laugh. He was a clueless father who loved his daughter unconditionally. How could he hate her?
“You’ll see.”
* * *
After the chaotic situation was settled, a place for sparring was finally arranged. This was because Yeon had been so enthusiastic, and Paeng Donghu had no reason to refuse.
The person in charge of the proceedings came forward with a look of unwillingness.
“Well, then let’s begin the sparring. Both parties have agreed on this, and neither will use internal strength[1]! If this is violated……”
The person in charge continued with the self-evident rules. The other bystanders surrounding the two were chattering away.
“Tsk tsk, what is the young lady thinking?”
“She can’t even use basic martial arts properly. I don’t know what she thinks she can do.”
“Perhaps what Lord Paeng said was true……”
Ignoring the suspicious glances directed at her, Yeon started a brief practice. She found it refreshing that the audience believed she would lose before the fight even began.
The martial arts that the original Hwangbo Yeon learned came to mind, but she decided to set them aside for now. This was the time to use the technique she was most confident in.
Yeon lightly clenched both fists and raised them up, as if she were defending her face. The posture in which the elbows were placed to protect the ribs was from boxing.
Yeon crouched down and extended both hands slightly forward.
Papang!
After a sharp jab, a solid straight followed. The basic movements of boxing, called “one-two,” sliced through the air and made sounds.
It was from a distant future after a tremendous amount of time has passed from now. The latest martial arts has evolved through countless developments and is being implemented in the world of martial arts through the masters.
However, the eyes of those who watched Hwangbo Yeon remained cold.
“What kind of movements are those?”
“It’s like the Five Elements’ Fist…… but it also looks different.”
“Did she learn some kind of special technique somewhere?”
Pow!
Hwangbo Yeon showed off a swift roundhouse kick as if to ridicule them. The momentum was quite impressive, enough to make some of them flinch, but that was it.
She returned her foot to the ground and stood up straight.
‘Not bad.’
When she glanced at Paeng Donghu, he was standing with his arms crossed as he stared back at her. Judging from his smirk, it was obvious he already thought he’d won.
‘What a fool.’
At that moment, a cry signaled the beginning of the fight.
~
[1] : In Chinese martial arts, strength and power are classified into two distinct groups: External and Internal. Internal strength or Neijia (內家) is a term used in Chinese martial arts to describe styles that prioritize neijing, which is typically translated as internal martial arts. These styles focus on spiritual, mental, or Qi-related aspects, as opposed to an “external” approach that emphasizes physiological aspects.