Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 12: Duel (3)

Hae Ak-cheon wore a look of utter bewilderment.

He likely hadn't expected me to perform a supplemented version of the sword technique. After all, I was supposed to keep it as a hidden trump card.

-Look at his face. It’s getting scary.

Just as the Lesser Conversation Sword said, Hae Ak-cheon’s surprise was fleeting, replaced by a terrifyingly grim expression. His face alone looked menacing enough to kill a man.

-Do you think your plan worked?

I wasn't sure. If it didn't, I was in serious trouble.

A memory from three months ago flashed through my mind.

It was early dawn, three months back.

-Swish, swish, swish!

Hae Ak-cheon had demonstrated the forms of the Life Bright Sword Technique from the manual, one by one. These were the seven forms from before the Namcheon Sword Guest had refined them. I never imagined that a fist expert like him could execute sword forms so skillfully.

-It shows just how much he analyzed that manual.

The Lesser Conversation Sword was right. He couldn't have performed the forms that fluently without exhaustive analysis. Still, his competitive spirit was remarkable—to the point of stealing and learning an enemy's martial arts just to defeat them.

[......You are quite proficient.]

[I could perform a sword technique like this with my eyes closed. Heh heh, you’d better memorize these forms well. I’m only going to show them to you for three days.]

[What? Three days?]

[I’ll be watching you all day long.]

[........]

Crazy old man.

He showed me the forms once a day for exactly three days. At least the basic movements were identical before and after the refinements, so that was somewhat helpful. But to expect me to master the forms that harmonize those movements after seeing them only three times? Did he think I was some kind of peerless genius?

Of course not.

To this old man, I was merely a disposable tool for his proxy revenge. He had no intention of putting in more effort than necessary.

-Hey, hey. Just bear with it. It’s better than having him stuck to you, right?

The Lesser Conversation Sword was right. It was better for him to focus his attention on the twins, who were essentially his disciples. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for me to practice the refined forms in secret.

[Now, make sure you remember what I showed you.]

Hae Ak-cheon returned the Namcheon Iron Sword to me and left the cave. As soon as he was gone, the Namcheon Iron Sword muttered in a low, heavy voice.

-Disgusting. I feel filthy. I wish someone would wipe my hilt.

For a guy who usually loved having his hilt touched, he must have really loathed the old man. The Lesser Conversation Sword snickered. Ignoring the laughter, the Namcheon Iron Sword spoke to me.

-Performing the unrefined forms after all this time has made me realize something.

'What?'

-In the unrefined forms, several openings appear in the path of the sword with every move. If that man hadn't stolen the manual, my previous master might never have thought to supplement them.

In a way, it had been a blessing in disguise for the Namcheon Sword Guest.

-Trust me, Un-hwi. My previous master didn't just fix the flaws; he evolved the Life Bright Sword Technique by adding more variations to the forms.

Hearing the sword's confident words was reassuring. Just as the Namcheon Iron Sword said, Hae Ak-cheon would be horrified to see the evolved technique. He never would have dreamed that the Namcheon Sword Guest, the man he wanted to crush so badly, had actually improved his martial arts even further.

'Hmm.....'

But then, a thought occurred to me.

'If I use the evolved technique, will that crazy old man just be surprised?'

-Ah! Right. He might get suspicious.

No, he would definitely find it strange. I had just learned the technique, yet I had not only fixed its flaws but evolved it further? Only a Grandmaster of martial arts, a true genius, could pull that off. If a commoner like me showed that level of capability, it would invite nothing but suspicion. It would be impossible unless the dead Namcheon Sword Guest had come back to life or a master swordsman was helping me.

-But if you don't use the refined forms, you'll definitely lose. He's memorized the technique so well he can do it with his eyes closed—you think he won't see the weaknesses?

The Lesser Conversation Sword made a sharp point. I thought he only knew how to crack jokes lately, but his judgment was sound. I was caught between a rock and a hard place. If I won using the evolved forms, I’d be interrogated; if I lost, I’d be forced to eat the Blood Drum again and spend the rest of my life as a low-rank warrior.

-......I see. Then, Un-hwi, how about this?

'What?'

-If evolving the technique is enough to get you interrogated, why not just show him forms that have their weaknesses patched?

'Just patched?'

-Yes. As you said, evolving the forms further requires a natural talent for the sword, like my previous master had. It’s too much for you, since you’ve only just grasped the basics.

He sure liked comparing me to his old master. But he was right. There was a reason the Namcheon Sword Guest was called a candidate for the Central Plains Eight Great Masters.

-If your opponent were Hae Ak-cheon himself, patched forms wouldn't be enough, but your opponent isn't him, is it?

It was one of the twins.

'Right. Exactly!'

Even if Hae Ak-cheon had taught them the flaws of the Life Bright Sword Technique, the patched version would be more than enough to handle someone at the twins' level. Moreover, if they got flustered, it would create openings I could exploit.

And the plan worked. I was able to hold my own against Song Jwa-baek using only the patched forms. Now, the key was how Hae Ak-cheon would take it.

-He won't be able to interrogate you too harshly. Your decision to leave some flaws in certain movements while performing the forms was correct.

Just as the Namcheon Iron Sword said, I hadn't performed perfectly patched forms. For instance, if the refined version of the 2nd Form, Hidden Convergence Void Sword, had five corrected movements out of sixteen, I intentionally left two minor weaknesses untouched. If I was going to deceive him, I had to be thorough.

'Will this avoid suspicion?'

-There was nothing awkward about your forms.

'That’s a relief. Namcheon, your judgment was right.'

This was the main reason the Namcheon Iron Sword had me focus on only three forms. If I hadn't mastered them to the point where they felt natural, the deception might have failed. Just like a con, you have to be a master of the craft to pull it off.

'I'll know soon enough if the scam worked.'

The duel was already decided. From the moment Song Jwa-baek started running away, it was my victory. It all depended on the judgment of that crazy old man acting as the referee. It would be hard for him to accept, seeing as I had defied his expectations and defeated his successor.

However,

'Ah!'

Hae Ak-cheon, who had been glaring at me with a terrifying face, raised his hand. Then he shouted.

"Hmph! The duel is over. Stop—"

"It's not over yet!"

Song Jwa-baek refused to accept the result. He suddenly stopped his retreat using the Body Lightening Method. Hae Ak-cheon’s eyebrows shot up.

-Un-hwi, what is he doing?

Song Jwa-baek suddenly ripped off his upper garment with a violent motion. It was bizarre behavior for someone who had given up on running. Did he have a hidden ace?

"Hraaaaaah!"

As he shouted and flexed every muscle in his body, a change occurred. His skin darkened, taking on a faint bronze hue.

'What is that?'

-Un-hwi! That’s the Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon's True Blood Golden Body! Get back!

-Flash!

No sooner had the Namcheon Iron Sword’s warning ended than Song Jwa-baek lunged toward me with incredible speed. He was already fast with his superior Body Lightening Method, but now his speed had increased even further.

"The duel isn't over!"

He closed the distance with terrifying speed; it was impossible to pull away.

'Tsk!'

There was no avoiding it. I unleashed the 1st Form of the Life Bright Sword Technique, which I had been saving: the Tiger Fang Momentum Sword. I had to make my move here. As if he had the same thought, he unleashed a fist technique of overwhelming power.

-Clash, clash, clash, clash!

As the fierce momentum of the Tiger Fang Momentum Sword collided with his domineering fist technique, the sound of tearing air erupted, and the snow beneath our feet scattered in all directions. The clash of forms was incredibly violent. As expected, he aimed for the weakness of the Tiger Fang Momentum Sword from before it was refined.

It’s useless.

I dodged his fist and aimed exquisitely for the center of his chest. He would have no choice but to dodge. If he didn't, he could die.

But then,

'!?'

He didn't dodge the sword.

'Is he insane?'

It was as if he was determined to die. If I forced myself to withdraw the sword now, the energy I was channeling would backflow, putting me in danger. Moreover, I could be hit by a counterattack.

'So you want to settle this once and for all.'

He was serious enough about the duel to risk his life. In that case, I had no choice but to respond in kind. Just before the sword made contact, he twisted his body.

-Thwack!

"Guh!"

The tip of the sword entered his shoulder instead of his chest. However, the blade didn't sink deep.

-Grab!

In that instant, Song Jwa-baek grabbed the blade of the iron sword. It was shocking. It was literally a strategy of "giving up flesh to take bone."

"I win!"

With the blade held tight, he swung his fist toward my face. I hurriedly raised my left hand to block it.

-Crack!

"Argh!"

Blocking his bare fist felt like hitting a block of solid iron; it felt like the bones in my left palm had shattered. The pain was excruciating, but if I let go now, I’d lose. Unintentionally, with our hands locked on the sword and each other, we entered a contest of internal strength.

-Tremble!

'Damn it!'

Because his internal power was nearing that of a first-rate master, my body was being pushed back. It felt like my internal organs were boiling.

-Un-hwi!

Was this the end? As expected......

It was then.

-Drip, drip.

Blood began to stream from Song Jwa-baek’s eyes and nose. Why was he bleeding when he had the upper hand in internal power?

At that exact moment,

-Thud!

"Huh?"

"Gah!"

Our locked bodies were suddenly flung apart. Because we were in the middle of an internal strength contest, it could have been dangerous, but by being separated so exquisitely at the same time, we managed to avoid internal injuries.

The one who separated us was, of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠course, Hae Ak-cheon.

'What a monster of an old man.'

He could have just pulled us apart, but he had grabbed both of us by the scruff of our necks with his massive hands, leaving us dangling. The duel wasn't over yet—so who won?

Hae Ak-cheon glared at Song Jwa-baek and roared.

"Who told you to use that?"

"M-Master!"

"I told you the True Blood Golden Body is too much for someone at your level. You reckless brat."

-Thud!

Hae Ak-cheon tossed him aside like a piece of trash. The boy tumbled onto the ground on his backside, gasping for air.

"Huff, huff......"

His bronze skin returned to its original color. Despite scolding him, the corners of Hae Ak-cheon’s mouth were curled up as he looked at the boy. But it was only for a moment. With a terrifyingly grim expression, Hae Ak-cheon turned his head toward me.

"Why didn't you perform the sword forms according to the manual I gave you?"

As expected, that was the question. I was suppressed by Hae Ak-cheon’s aura and felt afraid, but I didn't look away as I spoke.

"I am...... not that foolish."

"What?"

"I know that you, Master, are familiar enough with the manual to perform its techniques fluently."

Hae Ak-cheon’s menacing eyes narrowed.

"And?"

"Then I thought you would surely know the paths and even the weaknesses of the sword forms."

"Ha! So you changed the forms?"

"......Yes."

Hae Ak-cheon asked.

"Did someone give you advice?"

He was suspicious that the forms had been altered.

"You told me not to tell anyone about my sword technique, so how could I have spoken to anyone? And who would dare enter your domain?"

Hae Ak-cheon stared me down with a piercing gaze. He seemed to be trying to intimidate me into revealing a lie, but it was useless. The first thing I learned as a spy was how to keep my expression and eyes steady even when deceiving others. After staring for a long time, Hae Ak-cheon spoke.

"Hmph! Well, at your level, that’s the limit. I can still see the flaws."

Of course. Those were the flaws I had left there on purpose. It wasn't even my doing; these were forms based on the advice of the Namcheon Iron Sword, who possessed twenty years of the Namcheon Sword Guest's experience.

"Naturally, a peerless master as great as you would see them."

"Save your flattery."

"But do you know something?"

"What?"

"Master, you had me learn this technique to fight as your proxy."

"So what?"

"But would the original owner of a technique whose flaws even you know so well have just left it alone all this time without supplementing it? Though I don't know for sure, wouldn't he have developed it even further?"

'!!!'

At those words, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hae Ak-cheon’s expression changed. Even his eyes wavered, as if he were confused.

-Thud.

"Ah?"

Hae Ak-cheon let go of my collar, allowing me to land on the ground.

-Grind!

I heard the sound of teeth grinding. Seeing Hae Ak-cheon’s face changing by the second, I felt an ill omen and quietly backed away. After a long silence, Hae Ak-cheon suddenly let out a monstrous roar and stomped the ground.

"NAMCHEOOOOOOON!!!"

-BOOM!

With a thunderous sound, the ground shook for a moment, and the accumulated snow soared into the air and scattered. It was an incredible display of internal power. The snow within a four-jang radius was blown away. Cracks spiderwebbed from where he had stomped.

'He really is a monster.'

He was so strong it made my tongue go numb. After venting his rage, Hae Ak-cheon huffed and puffed before turning his head back to me. His face now held a sense of futility I had never seen before.

"Whew."

But his expression quickly returned to normal, fitting for someone called "Bizarre." Hae Ak-cheon looked at me and spoke.

"Since a winner wasn't decided, the duel is void."

Ha! So that’s how he’s going to play it. Now that he realized he could never truly defeat the Namcheon Sword Guest, he must have wanted to take his frustration out on me.

"You saw it, so you must know. If we had gone to the end, I would have won."

One look at Song Jwa-baek, who was being supported by his younger brother Song Woo-hyeon, told the story. He was in bad shape. If the fight had lasted a bit longer, his life would have been in danger. This old man knew that, which is why he intervened.

"You don't know that."

So he was going to be petty until the very end? If he was going to be like this, then I had nothing left to lose.

".......You are truly excessive."

"What did you say?"

"Do you honestly think this duel was fair?"

"What?"

"I had a half-baked heart method, while that fellow, who was taught your martial arts, even knew the weaknesses of my sword technique. He was given spirit medicine and had stronger internal energy. You even gave him those precious guards for his wrists."

"........"

Hae Ak-cheon stared at me without saying a word. I poured out everything I was feeling. If the old man was going to refuse to acknowledge the result and kill me anyway, it was a hopeless situation.

"What was I supposed to do in this situation? If you won't even acknowledge my victory in a game rigged for me to lose from the start, are you just telling me to die? Am I just a pawn to you?"

Hae Ak-cheon’s face was turning redder and redder. It looked like he was about to explode. I didn't care. Since I was already prepared to die, I might as well vent my anger.

"If it had been fair, do you think he would have been a match for me? If you hadn't given him that internal energy or those guards, the duel would have ended much sooner—"

It was then.

"Kwahahahaha! Hahahaha!"

Hae Ak-cheon, whose face had been turning red, suddenly burst into manic laughter. For a moment, I thought he had lost his mind from rage. But after laughing for a long time, Hae Ak-cheon suddenly looked toward Song Jwa-baek and asked.

"Did I give you spirit medicine?"

The boy, looking half-dead, frowned and replied.

"......Weren't those small pills I ate every evening spirit medicine?"

"Kwahahahaha! You think those were spirit medicine? You idiot. If I had that much spirit medicine, why would I have given it to you?"

"What?"

Not only Song Jwa-baek, but I was also confused. Hae Ak-cheon, whose eyes were even tearing up from laughter, said:

"Why do you think I, who have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠never raised a successor, taught you two my martial arts?"

".....?"

"Because you two were born with bodies suited for the True Blood Golden Body."

"What does that mean?"

"You brats have blood that circulates faster than other humans. You have constitutions that allow internal energy to accumulate quickly from the start."

At those words, Song Jwa-baek asked in bewilderment.

"What? Then, those pills were...?"

"Until ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you complete the True Blood Golden Body, blood that flows too fast is a poison at your level. That’s why I had to regulate it with pressure point techniques and pills throughout your training. Otherwise, you would have died young."

I never imagined such a reason existed. I thought he was feeding them spirit medicine, but who could have guessed they had special constitutions? Hae Ak-cheon clicked his tongue and said:

"And weapons? Do you even know what that sword you’re holding is before you start blathering?"

"It’s just rusty...."

"It’s just rusty on the surface. That iron sword is a masterpiece mixed with Cold Iron, better than most swords out there."

-Hmph..... That man is finally speaking some sense.

The Namcheon Iron Sword spoke in an agreeing tone. No wonder he had been so offended when I compared him to those wrist guards.

"And yet you were so dissatisfied with his guards while using that?"

"........"

Even if those two things were true, the fact remained that I had been at a disadvantage. But then, unexpected words came out of Hae Ak-cheon’s mouth.

"Well, it is true that you were at a disadvantage nonetheless. Heh heh."

For a moment, I doubted my ears. He had admitted it with his own mouth. Hae Ak-cheon continued.

"Just as you arrogantly said, this duel was rigged from the start for me to win. You were just a pawn for that purpose."

Now he was calling me a pawn to my face. I guess there was nothing left to hide.

"And yet, you boldly deceived me and almost won the duel."

It wasn't "almost won"; it was a victory. To me, as I stood there with a hardened expression, Hae Ak-cheon said with a smirk:

"The deal is off."

He was a petty man to the very end. All my suffering over the last six months felt hollow.

".......So I am just a disposable pawn after all."

"I shall take that disposable pawn as my disciple."

'.......!?'

What did this crazy old man just say?