I could feel I-seol’s subordinates were flustered by my words.
What they had seen from Yongji Maeng until now was a calm and serious martial artist, and yet suddenly, I was throwing out lines that sounded like something a street thug would spit out while licking his teeth.
Nevertheless, one subordinate regained his composure and shouted.
“Looks like the thunderbolting fool has some skills but is just talking nonsense!”
He pointed a finger at me and declared.
“Follow me to the training hall!”
I-seol’s subordinates and the newcomers all put down their meals and rushed over to the training hall. It goes without saying that the guy and I faced each other in the center of the hall.
“Looks like I need to teach you some manners!”
“Yeah, I’ve been contemplating whether I should teach you how to play dice. How can thirty-five guys lose to just one?”
“Y-you…!”
“Chang-ung! Flatten that guy’s mouth!”
I examined I-seol’s subordinate in front of me. If we were just comparing appearances, one could believe that this Julu wasn’t the boss but rather this guy. He was a head taller than me with a heavily built frame resembling a bear, and he wielded a weapon to match that bulk.
Anyone would have their spirit crushed just standing face to face with him.
But I am Ho Cheon-an.
I no longer fall within the category of ‘ordinary’ people.
“Draw your sword! Let’s see if your skills matches that loud mouth of yours!”
I placed my hand on the sword to gauge the weight of I-seol’s subordinate and pondered. How should I deal with him? Should I take him out in one blow or toy with him for a while?
“Hah, have you suddenly grown timid? Draw your sword already!”
“Alright.”
A sword feels best when it cuts cleanly. Let’s dive into this head-on.
I casually released my inner energy and immediately unfolded the first move of the First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword: Azure Cloud’s Assault.
The sword containing the subtleties of the river’s flow cut upward towards Chang-ung. Chang-ung looked at me disdainfully and swung downward with his weapon.
Boom!!
The clash of upward and downward strikes.
The watching crowd would have predicted Chang-ung’s victory. The upward strike had to overcome the weight of the sword while the downward strike could utilize the weapon’s mass.
And that wasn’t all.
The physical disparity between Chang-ung and me was evident as was the difference in weapon mass. A reasonable assumption would be that Chang-ung would gain the upper hand since his weapon and mine collided directly.
However, the result was a deadlock.
Neither side was being pushed back in this stalemate.
Chang-ung’s eyes widened. Did he think that with his imposing size and muscular arms, he would naturally prevail?
How naive, how naive.
If you engage someone who clearly looks stronger than you in an unfavorable position, you should have assumed they would also be equally confident.
Though the clash didn’t reach its peak, the flow of Azure Cloud’s Assault still cascaded downward.
Chang-ung, who had believed he would seize the initiative with his downward swing, hastily braced for defense.
But it was already too late.
The momentum from Azure Cloud’s Assault was showcasing its most destructive features. There was no way he wouldn’t suffer losses with such a flimsy defense.
Crack!!
Boom!
“Kuh…!”
Chang-ung, unable to completely withstand the blow from my sword, staggered backward to release some control, the distance pushed back was a full three paces. His face turned red with embarrassment as he narrowly avoided colliding with the companions watching the match.
I looked down at Chang-ung, who took a stance silently, and nodded my sword.
Ah, what a true expert vibe!
This is something I’ve wanted to experience sometime, and finally, the wish is fulfilled.
“You!”
Chang-ung was fuming at my stylish provocation, but he didn’t recklessly charge in. Since he’d been at a disadvantage in a maneuver that allowed him to utilize his strengths and suffered a loss, it was only natural he’d be cautious now.
“Now I won’t go easy on you anymore!”
I silently nodded my sword again. After seeing this, Chang-ung lifted his weapon high, readying himself to unleash his qi.
And I did the same, releasing my qi at full strength while simultaneously forming my sword aura.
Swish!!
“…Sword Aura!”
“How is it so vivid!”
Chang-ung bit his lips tightly. As he began to deploy his qi, the difference in our capabilities became starkly clear.
Whether it was about forming sword aura or not, my qi controlled a much more expansive space, and the quality of the qi spread across that space was superior.
“Are you not coming at me?”
“…Kuh!”
Chang-ung grimaced in frustration but didn’t launch an attack.
Right now, Chang-ung could not afford to attack recklessly. That was because he had to enter my qi’s domain.
Martial experts often say they can sense victory or defeat before a fight begins, and that’s largely due to the domain of qi.
Who can expand their qi domain more widely?
That is the key factor in predicting the advantages and disadvantages of a match.
The one with the narrower qi domain must eventually deal with the pressure from the opponent’s qi when trying to shorten the distance, meaning the one with the wider domain starts the battle from an advantageous position.
Chang-ung’s face was mired in torment.
If this were a real fight, he would have easily compressed his qi domain and pushed forward.
Even though the momentum between us was fierce, we were still fellow sect members engaging in a duel. It would be admitting inferiority to reduce the scope of qi and increase density before exchanging blows.
Pride or practicality.
“Hah!”
Surprisingly, Chang-ung quickly made a decision, narrowing his qi domain while instantly closing the distance.
After all, if he loses, his pride would be shattered, which makes sense; he must win at all costs.
“Whoa..!”
Gasps erupted from the spectators. Chang-ung’s momentum was truly fearsome as he charged forward swinging his weapon. The explosive energy emanating from his solid physique was indeed intimidating, but…
It wasn’t enough.
While he had plenty of power and momentum, it lacked the overwhelming pressure needed to instill fear in someone like Ho Cheon-an.
There’s Tang Do-yeon, a recognized master of technique in the Sacheon Tang Family.
Then there’s the Black Cat, who not only has talent in the Taiyin constitution but also wields the Nine Yin technique.
And there’s Miss Yeo Il-ye, who can annihilate her opponents at the same level with just her qi, being a madwoman with her skill.
I’ve been continuously challenged and trained by these three fine individuals.
How could Ho Cheon-an, who had become accustomed to the pressure of peak experts, feel intimidated by just Chang-ung’s momentum?
Crack!!
I lightly stepped back and deflected his attack. Since leaving Sacheon, I have faced peak-level assaults daily; I had developed to the point where I could easily counter such moves.
Even while taking on the overwhelming attack from a peak expert, I felt relaxed.
It struck me again how much I had grown.
Until I purified the impurities in Barley Lotus Pool, I hadn’t realized just how arduous my journey with martial arts truly was. Simply performing martial arts was tough enough, but I had to utilize both spiral and dual-spiral forms to channel my qi properly; it was as if I had been twisting my whole body while performing martial arts.
Looking back now, after the impurities have been significantly removed, it’s hard to believe I managed to use martial arts back then.
“Haha…”
I felt the smooth flow of my inner energy extending from my qi meridians, crisp and refreshing.
Thus, I swung my sword vigorously, which had been focused on defense until now.
Boom!!
Chang-ung’s hefty blade crashed against my sword head-on. I didn’t overwhelm him with sheer strength, but the sword energy within my weapon breached Chang-ung’s domain. Nevertheless, for a moment, a spark of energy ignited on Chang-ung’s face.
If I continued to pull back and nibble away at Chang-ung, relying on my superior experience, he would have nothing but defeat awaiting him.
Yet here I was, abandoning that advantage and going on the offensive, so he’d surely think he found an opening.
Shingdingding!!
I unleashed the next move of the First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword: Crescent Moon’s Drain.
My blade slices ferociously through the air, targeting Chang-ung’s vital points. Although Chang-ung fell into a defensive stance, attempting to parry my strikes, he couldn’t resist the torrential downpour of my attacks.
Splish splash!
“Hah!”
With my relentless torrent of attacks, Chang-ung continued to backpedal and contorted his face.
Seeing his expression made me burst into laughter.
It had been a long time since I had tasted the joy of victory while living as a martial artist! Especially with the impact and satisfaction that comes with each strike!
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
What a thrill!
Observing Chang-ung, who seemed terrified by my laughter, I thought to myself.
Hey, make this more enjoyable for me.
* *
“Ha ha ha ha!!”
Yongji Maeng burst into maniacal laughter as he relentlessly attacked.
All eyes in the training hall were on Yongji Maeng, who laughed maniacally with a pale complexion, watching with wide eyes. It was not unusual for someone to get hyped over a winning fight, so seeing him laugh was not that strange.
However,
“Hee hee hee hee hee!!”
Yongji Maeng’s laughter, sparkling with joy as if a lifelong loser had finally experienced victory, was genuinely chilling!
I-seol’s subordinates were terror-stricken watching Yongji Maeng unleash his madness. With the finesse of his inner energy and the control over his qi, his sword’s aura indicated he could chew through most peak experts. He must have amassed numerous victories with his skills!
Not a life-and-death battle, but simply a match could elicit such exhilaration!
‘This guy’s… crazy!’
Bang!
“Argh!”
Chang-ung, feeling mentally and physically beaten by Yongji Maeng’s attack, ended up losing control of his weapon, rolling on the ground. Although he was not grievously injured, there was a pallor to his face as Yongji Maeng’s qi ravaged his body.
“I-I lost….”
“Well… I see.”
Yongji Maeng, looking dissatisfied, licked his lips as he gazed at Chang-ung. Chang-ung shuddered under Yongji Maeng’s gaze.
He looked as if he wasn’t satisfied at all, despite the intense beating.
His eyes were hostile yet fixated with the kind of obsession that made him look terrified as he avoided Ho Cheon-an’s gaze.
“Well, there are other people around.”
As if trying to calm himself, Yongji Maeng muttered, causing I-seol’s subordinates to flinch.
Ho Cheon-an cast his eyes over I-seol’s subordinates, searching for the next prey.
Rustle!
The gaze of I-seol’s subordinates automatically dropped to the ground. They averted their eyes left and right as Yongji Maeng scanned the area with a gleam in his eyes.
“You! Didn’t you just tell me to back off? You seemed quite dissatisfied with my skills.”
“W-what are you talking about! I never said such a thing!”
“Did you just insult me, calling me a liar? Duel me! Draw your sword!”
A madman!
Such thoughts crossed everyone’s minds at that moment.
“What are you all doing here!”
A chilling voice echoed throughout the training hall.
Dokgo I-seol, just coming back from the Amryong Dang, found the separate building empty and went directly to the training hall.
I-seol’s gaze radiated coldness as she narrowed her eyes.
Having just taken Yongji Maeng as her subordinate, she expected her subordinates to attempt to rearrange their hierarchy, and she was willing to acknowledge that aspect, giving Yongji Maeng permission.
However,
To have caused such a ruckus in the training hall while she was away for just a brief moment!
“Lord!”
I-seol’s subordinates all knelt down in a rush. I-seol almost scolded them, but paused.
They were gazing at her with bright eyes, as if saying, ‘We survived!’
“Tsk.”
And even Yongji Maeng, sheathing his weapon, clicked his tongue.
‘What on earth happened here?’
Curiosity colored I-seol’s expression.
