Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Moon Shadow
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Moon Shadow.
The bodyguard of the Third Imperial Princess, Zhu Yeonhwa.
She simply could not stand that woman named So-hyang.
Of course, it was tragic that she had lost her family and home to the rampage of that wastrel Imperial Scion, and fortunate that she had survived and returned alive.
But Her Highness was lavishing far too much attention on her.
To knead Her Highness's body of pure white jade like dough, and let out such vulgar moans.
For a lowly brothel girl, there was a limit to how ignorant of one's place one could be.
Yet as a bodyguard, she could not draw her sword without her master's command.
All she could do was hide her presence, glare with wide eyes, and swallow her anger.
"You there, hiding. Your glare is a bit too sharp."
"…!"
Moon Shadow could not hide her fluster.
The Hidden Submersion Art was a near-perfect concealment technique.
Because of this, Moon Shadow had a habit of not hiding her emotions when using it.
Normally, no one would even sense her gaze, so it wasn't much of an issue.
"Why are you doing that…?"
She blatantly revealed her emotions toward those who pierced her concealment.
Flustered, indignant, and filled with hostility toward So-hyang for spouting nonsense from her heart.
Unable to hide it, she could only glare at So-hyang in helpless frustration—
"Your Highness, mind if I borrow her for a moment?"
That crazy bitch suddenly drew her sword and swung at Her Highness!
Moon Shadow dispelled her Hidden Submersion Art in shock and blocked the attack.
"You crazy—"
As she tried to shout about this outrageous act, stars exploded in her vision.
Her head rang, her skin burned, and finally, intense pain followed.
"…Uh, eh?"
Moon Shadow's eyes glazed over, her mind growing hazy.
The Third Imperial Princess of the Empire, Zhu Yeonhwa, lived up to her name as a true descendant of the dragon.
Unlike most Imperial Scions who merely inherited the blood, she could wield a significant portion of the dragon's power—a true lineage in every sense.
A sturdy body, spiritual intuition, innate charisma—
And Dragon Eye.
The princess's eyes pierced through essences, possessing a mind-reading ability that discerned surface-level thoughts.
Just as So-hyang had grown displeased at the hostility she sensed from Moon Shadow despite no attack,
So-hyang's sword swing carried no malice, so the princess felt no displeasure.
The slap to Moon Shadow's cheek held no killing intent, not even hostility—rather, it felt like advice...? A strike laced with concern.
"So-hyang! My bodyguard has been rude. Would it not be better to let it go?"
But her bodyguard was strong.
Allowing a slap from a sudden attack was forgivable, but in a proper clash, So-hyang would come out the worse for it.
"Moon Shadow has reached the peak realm!?"
A martial artist who had completed the expansion of their meridians, passed through the Life-Death Mysterious Pass, and achieved the Great Heavenly Circulation.
A realm unbound by technique limitations, where one moved inner energy by will and forged Sword Qi.
So-hyang must have some skill, having killed Ju Yeong-in and survived the manhunt, but she would pale before a true master.
"…Huh?"
Yet why did So-hyang wear a mocking smile, and why did her own intuition lean toward So-hyang?
"It's fine. Your Highness, just watch for a bit."
"Uh, uhuh…"
The princess fell into confusion!
With the princess momentarily detained by So-hyang, Moon Shadow quickly regained her senses.
"…You worm! That would have snapped a normal person's neck and burst their cheek!"
Of course, So-hyang had gauged her body's toughness and slapped with just the right force, but Moon Shadow had no way of knowing that.
The boldness to strike with lethal force without hesitation was the mark of the wicked.
"She truly is dangerous…!!"
Moon Shadow's wariness peaked.
Inner energy surged from her dantian with her breath, coursing through her limbs, and lightening the weight of the slender sword in her hand.
What followed was a thrust like a ray of light.
"Ho, that's fast."
And it was effortlessly parried, without even a scratch.
"-!?"
Fast Sword.
A branch of martial arts pursuing utmost speed, with victory in battle divided into two main approaches.
The first: Initial Strike.
Strike first.
This pursued the principle of striking first to gain control to its extreme, ideally ending with the first blow—the virtue of a Fast Sword user.
That Initial Strike had been blocked.
"-!?"
A moment of fluster, but composure was paramount for both a Fast Sword master and a bodyguard.
Her shaken eyes steadied instantly, and she flowed into the next assault like water.
She whipped the rebounding sword as if there were no recoil, regained her stance, and unleashed another attack.
The second: Continuous Strikes.
Strike more than the opponent.
Swordplay was akin to a game of go.
Trading turns, probing for weaknesses, and striking to decide the match.
But Fast Sword chose from the start not to yield turns to the foe.
Fierce Continuous Strikes poured down, her stance unshaken even by the repulsion of clashes, pressing the assault relentlessly.
The opponent could only focus on blocking and dodging, and the unending offense inevitably led to victory.
'But… why…!'
It wasn't matching speed.
Her opponent's sword was clearly slower.
Yet her movements wouldn't connect.
"Whoops, there's an opening."
Strikes that exquisitely slipped into movement gaps to disrupt her stance, not just blocking as if anticipated but countering.
"-This is Dull Sword!?"
A wondrous sword art her master had once demonstrated.
But that was only possible because they shared the same school and knew each other's sword principles—a near-trick technique.
"Distance between swords is relative. Absolute speed isn't that important?"
It made sense, but what miracle was this girl before her performing?
According to the highly refined martial arts of her past life, simply swinging fast and hard hardly qualified as swordsmanship.
The key was a structural understanding of the sword as a weapon, gauging ever-changing distances moment to moment, and piercing the shortest path.
So-hyang was a physicist, surveyor, and guide wielding a blade.
Of course, with supernatural inner energy in play, there were principles beyond mere speed—
But So-hyang could pierce even unfamiliar sword forms.
"Haha, Moon Shadow's sword is unique."
Her face brimmed with amusement as if she had never been angry, showing keen interest in Moon Shadow's Fast Sword.
"Even with inner energy strengthening your power, your movements lack unnatural rigidity?"
Too light for mere muscle suppressing recoil.
Swift strikes without warning.
So-hyang's pale eyes flashed coldly—
"Aha, Lightness Skill!"
She concluded it stemmed from Lightness Skill reducing the sword's weight itself.
Correct.
Fast Sword began from the simple notion of shedding sword weight for speed.
Ultimately, it sought supernatural swiftness by lightening even to negative units, defying logic.
"Aha ha, groundbreaking!"
So-hyang knew of Lightness Skills and their combat use, but only grafted onto existing sword arts.
Building swordsmanship entirely on Lightness Skill—an extreme notion, utterly refreshing.
"Let me see, like this?"
So-hyang's still stance shifted.
"-What?"
Like a mirror, her posture mirrored Moon Shadow's exactly.
Was there greater humiliation for a martial artist?
"Youuuu!!!!"
Her fragile composure shattered, and in emotional frenzy, she unleashed a ferocious barrage.
Sparks flew in the air like constellations, metal shrieks tearing the ears.
"Th, thiiiis!!"
Unlike before, where slower speed was compensated by prediction and skill to preempt Moon Shadow's moves.
Now So-hyang's sword had lightened similarly, clashing head-on at equal speed purely through velocity.
"Indeed, adding weight at impact to supplement power, partially loading for momentary centrifugal force!"
Dozens of clashes per second, each unveiling Moon Shadow's layered swordsmanship.
"A profoundly deep, excellent technique."
And separately, the primal thrill from the rapid successive clashes vibrating through her fingertips.
It gave So-hyang raw pleasure in itself.
"Aha ha, this is kinda fun—"
Moon Shadow's eyes bloodshot at the voice bubbling with uncontainable joy.
Grit.
But Moon Shadow was not foolish enough to deny visible reality.
Incomprehensible, but the opponent possessed overwhelming skill.
Even in her specialty of Fast Sword, they were equal—and she was adapting in real time. No chance in a normal fight.
The opponent was favored by Her Highness.
Even starting this fight warranted severe punishment; she couldn't use Sword Qi turning every strike lethal.
"…Hoo."
Yet there was a way to seize the advantage.
Subduing Dragon Sword.
A sword art centered on the maxim 'Imbue the sword with the dragon's majesty.'
True to its name, it was an extreme Heavy Sword that added weight to crush foes.
"Fast Sword suits you better than Heavy Sword."
However, Moon Shadow's art was a variant: Floating Dragon Sword, a Fast Sword reinterpretation of Subduing Dragon Sword, personally tailored by her master.
To master the variant, one first mastered the original, so Moon Shadow wielded Subduing Dragon Sword proficiently too.
"Now you have a fitting trump card."
Light Wind Chasing Thunder.
Her master's ultimate technique, praised as effective even against superior foes.
A deadly move blending Subduing Dragon Sword principles variably into Floating Dragon Sword.
As their swords accelerated into more collisions—
"Hm…!?"
So-hyang felt an ominous weight suddenly load onto the opposing blade.
Not just the restored lightness of Fast Sword, but a colossal pressure like a boulder crushing down.
Moon Shadow was certain of victory.
The overwhelming mass would shatter the sword, and the impact would send the opponent flying.
No death, but some bones would break.
Inevitable scolding from Her Highness, but fitting retribution, she thought, a smile blooming—
"Ho—?"
So-hyang's lips curved into a smile too.
Starting with Fast Sword and loading heavy power at the end—similar to Blood Chase Squad Leader's Blood Flash Burst, differing only in feint or heavy style.
Though Light Wind Chasing Thunder was more refined, to So-hyang, it was much the same.
She considered deflecting the impact as before, but opted for a bolder counter.
Control the crushing weight with Lightness Skill to deflect—
"-?!"
—but whip it in the opposite direction.
In essence, reflecting Moon Shadow's sword force right back at her.
Visually akin to parrying, but a bizarre technique far removed.
'Reflecting to cancel—shall name it Rebound.'
Rare for So-hyang to name a technique; it was that well-crafted.
"Kugh!?"
With a clear metallic ring, Moon Shadow lost grip of her sword, her body launching into the air.
Did So-hyang suffer no recoil?
No. A new technique, structurally unable to fully reverse all shock.
She returned half the impact; the other half she bore—
"Ei."
But So-hyang dropped her sword to absorb no shock, advancing instantly without stagger or recoil.
"No need for weapons from here."
The fight's purpose was disciplining a rude child.
No blades in corporal punishment; So-hyang's hands served as the rod.
Fists lightly clenched, she unleashed a furious barrage on airborne Moon Shadow.
"Guhk—"
A relentless flurry evoking Wing Chun or Jeet Kune Do hand techniques.
Fists infused with Fast Sword insights were incredibly swift.
Strikes like machine-gun fire shook Moon Shadow's body, vibrating it thoroughly.
In the brief moment before she hit the ground, So-hyang's fists thoroughly thrashed her entire body.
Finally, Moon Shadow thudded down, and So-hyang's fists stopped.
"-Phew."
Meant for discipline, the force wasn't lethal—no cracks in bones or torn muscles.
But tailored to induce pain fitting the purpose.
Some called it flesh-and-bone points, where light taps caused agony; she maximized that principle.
So-hyang guaranteed no meaningful damage, rather promoting blood flow with deep impacts—a beneficial striking method.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!!!!"
"Hic, sob, ngh, kugh!"
"Hey, hands up straight."
No wounds marred Moon Shadow's body, but tears streamed from excruciating pain.
"What was that? You rely on stealth so much you can't hide emotions—a bad habit?"
Regardless, So-hyang made her hold arms up in surrender pose and continued scolding.
"What a waste not properly using your hard-earned skills. Right?"
"Hweeng, hik, Your Highneeeess…"
"Even Light Wind Chasing Thunder! If your face and stance telegraph it, what's the point no matter how good?"
So-hyang's soft, gentle face wasn't ideal for intimidation, but to one who felt its power, it was jarringly off-putting.
Moon Shadow, arms raised and bawling, and the princess, sober and agape.
"Y-You, what is the meaning of this…?"
"Waaaaaah… I’m soooorrry…"