Chapter 0044 – Much More Comfortable Than the First Day – Absolute Returns

“You’d better go back and get some rest, you look exhausted.”

I said, turning to leave. At that moment, she suddenly spoke:

“I’m ashamed.”

I stopped and looked back at her.

“Didn’t I say so? The reason I won was pure luck.”

“I’m ashamed of more than just losing the contest.”

I realized then that what really shamed her was something else.

“I was, to my surprise, saying things like, ‘Don’t punch me in the face,’ and now I think about it, I feel ashamed.”

Those were, the words that came out of her mouth when she had my sword pointed at her face.

Don’t punch me in the face!

“That’s normal, everyone has something they care about. If it were me, I’d say the same thing.”

“Of course an ordinary person would say that, but I’m a One Flower Sword Venerable, and I’d rather be pierced through my body by your sword than, well, have you point it at my face!”

It seemed that she was very chagrined and ashamed of herself for saying that.

I can certainly understand her feelings. She was someone who cared a lot about her appearance, even more so than her pride and the name of Sword Honor. What she wants to hear is not “you can fight”, but “you are beautiful and young”.

“So, do you understand now why I want to fight you again?”

“I see.”

“Will you fight me then?”

Her tone was full of anticipation. But I still, without hesitation, turned her down.

“No.”

I turned and walked away, and behind me, came, the sound of her unwilling cries.

“Mr. Li!”

“Wouldn’t you just let me, for a moment, enjoy, this rare victory?”

One Flower Sword Venerable suddenly said:

“I promised someone once that I would never lose to anyone.”

“With whom?”

“I won’t lose to anyone but him.”

Him? Who would be the person who could make the One Flower Sword Venerable, so revered?

“Could it be ……”

In my mind, a name suddenly flashed across my mind, and what Swordsman Ichika said next confirmed my suspicions.

“I promised the Sect Leader that I would never lose to anyone.”

I suddenly remembered, what my father had once said to me:

–Swordfather, she’s a person with a story.

It seems that something must have happened between father and Swordsman Ichika.

“When did you promise him?”

The One Flower Sword Venerable did not answer my question, but said in, a tone of incomparable reverence:

“In this world, there is only one person I admire the Bishop.”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

She actually admires my father so much? Then why did she have to, for the sake of competing for the position of Sect Leader, go on a killing spree? What is this all about?

“I cannot break, my promise to the godfather.”

She seemed to be afraid that I would misunderstand, and hurriedly explained:

“Don’t get any ideas, my admiration for the Sect Leader is from the bottom of my heart, there is never any blasphemy.”

“I’m not imagining things.”

“That’s good.”

“My father, what is it about him that deserves your admiration?”

The One Flower Sword Venerable smiled, but did not explain.

She brought out my father, it was her last move and I couldn’t resist.

“Okay, I promise to fight you again.”

A happy smile appeared on the face of One Flower Sword Honored One. This is the first time I, have ever seen, a smile from her heart, more sincere and brighter than any smile, before.

“You’re happy?”

“Well, I’m happy.”

“This time, I’ll give it my all.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

The second battle between us was even more exciting than the first. Sword Honored One Flower did not take the enemy lightly anymore, and her eyes were filled with a burning battle intent.

Of course, the fight between us is not about life and death, but simply about martial arts.

We fought back and forth for more than 300 rounds, and it was still hard to win.

As the battle progressed, we gradually forgot about victory and defeat and immersed ourselves in, well, pure martial arts.

I was impressed by her, out-of-this-world swordsmanship and her, keen insight.

“She’s really strong! Worthy of being a ‘Sword Exalt’!”

If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I wouldn’t have been able to imagine that her swordsmanship had reached, such a point of purity. Her swordsmanship, let me see, the shadow of my father’s approach to martial arts.

We were like, old friends who hadn’t seen each other for years, discussing each other’s swordsmanship and exchanging ideas in between battles.

At that moment, I felt, unprecedented joy, this joy, even more than, I have experienced, any life and death battle.

I realized that I had, before, misunderstood Swordsman Ichika.

Her good nature and self-esteem was not meant, to hide the emptiness inside, but rather it stemmed from, her love and pursuit of the way of the sword.

At least, when it came to the way of the sword, she was serious, pure, and truly strong.

The two of us, like two lonely travelers on the sword path, have finally found a soulmate who can understand and appreciate each other.

In the end, we tied. Because, neither of us, fighting as hard as we could, just wanted to split the difference.

“You should, still have a backhand, right? This match, count me as a loser.”

The One Flower Sword Venerable, looking at me with unblinking eyes, suddenly said:

“Thank you, Mr. Lee.”

With that, she turned and left.

Although, I don’t know, what she’ll do later, the expression on her face when she left was clearly much more relaxed than when she arrived.

Perhaps she will come back to me again; after all, she had promised my father that she would not lose to anyone. Or perhaps, today is the last time we will meet.

I don’t know, what this contest, means to her, but I’m sure it will be an, unforgettable experience for her.

I’ve decided, from now on, to run a good relationship, with her. It’s not easy to take in a talented person.

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