Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: One Mountain Five Rivers (2)
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Seol, standing right behind him, was so shocked she could barely think straight.
To attack Sang?
She couldn't properly comprehend what had just happened before her eyes. All she could hear was Sang shouting.
"Are you out of your mind? Why are you attacking me?"
Cheonwi raised his hand. The tip of his golden sword gleamed with light.
"You recognized it, didn't you? That Leg Technique?"
Sang's face hardened like stone. A faint smile crossed Cheonwi's lips.
"See? Your expression tells the whole truth."
"What's wrong with my expression?"
"You recognized the Leg Technique, so why the face? You should be exclaiming in delight—that's what's normal, right?"
They say friends start to resemble each other.
Cheonwi and Oho even shared similar speech patterns.
The difference was that Cheonwi's was a bit softer. So soft and natural it sounded like sweet temptation.
"Even when enemies surpassing your skill appeared, you didn't flinch. Ah, you pretended to be surprised. These guys are the same. They charge in swinging swords wildly, but show no interest in the target sisters. Anyone can see that's suspicious, right? With this level of organization and killing intent, they should go straight for the target's throat."
Sang's eyes wavered. He ground his teeth and spoke.
"That's nonsense!"
"It's not nonsense. It's logical."
"Not content with thrusting a blade at me out of nowhere! Why should I endure this outrageous interrogation?"
"Ladies, step back a bit."
Cheonwi ignored Sang's protests and gestured to Seol and Hyang. Seol glared at him with wide eyes and raised her voice.
"Uncle Sang protected us all the way here! What do you think you're doing?"
"Protected? More like surveilled."
Even as he said it, Cheonwi kept gesturing for them to retreat.
As Seol opened her mouth to retort—
Hyang tugged at her sleeve and pulled her back. Seol whipped her head around to look at Hyang. Her eyes shone like starlight.
"See? Your little sister already noticed."
Seol's face went pale.
"Hyang... that man's words..."
"Sister..."
Hyang nodded as she called her sister in a tiny voice. It meant Cheonwi was right. Seol's mind went blank. Cheonwi continued.
"Don't panic. There's good news too."
Good news in this situation? Seol's eyes widened.
Cheonwi glanced back. Oho was leaning out the broken window frame, scanning up and down. Checking for more enemies.
"The good news is simple. That Yeom Seoksan fellow isn't dead. He's definitely alive somewhere."
It was a definitive tone.
Sang drew in a sharp breath. Seol and Hyang behind him gasped even more. Well, Hyang seemed less startled. The shocked Seol raised her voice in question.
"How can you be so sure?"
"You two are alive, aren't you? Is there any surer proof?"
"How does us surviving mean..."
"You saw these guys? Think these thugs couldn't track such sloppy girls? If they wanted you dead, you'd both be corpses long ago."
"That means..."
"They let you live on purpose."
"But why would they?"
"Exactly. Why spare you? That's the key."
Seol's eyes flashed open. She turned to Hyang.
Hyang didn't seem particularly surprised. If anything shocked her, it was Cheonwi's insight itself, not the story.
"The world's simpler than you think. Someone with no grudges or evil deeds suddenly faces danger? Why?"
Cheonwi's words flowed like water. He paused briefly, then continued naturally.
"They learned a secret that shouldn't be known! That's the classic reason. Secrets could be someone's hidden dealings or the location of valuable treasure. They all share the trait of causing trouble if leaked, naturally drawing unwanted interference. Yeom Seoksan probably stumbled on something like that. He's wealthy, so not money-related... Must've touched some unbearable secret info. Unintentionally, of course. What do you think? Sound right?"
Cheonwi suddenly directed his last question at Sang. Sang's endlessly wavering eyes affirmed Cheonwi's guess.
"What secret did Father uncover..."
"Ah, just speculation. Or maybe he's not what he seems. If it turns out he's part of some underworld threat to the martial world, it'd make sense. How should I know the details? His reaction here solidifies my certainty! Anyway, that's my take. Your father, ladies, is incredibly clever. Not easily caught even if pursued. That's why they need you."
"Then we are..."
"Bait for emergencies. To hook Yeom Seoksan."
Cheonwi turned back to Sang.
Sang didn't deny it. Instead, he shook his head once and straightened his hunched body.
He even seemed taller. Seol felt an overwhelming sense of wrongness in that moment. Sang had always shuffled about stooped. His straight back and that silhouette were nothing like the Sang she knew.
"Definitely not ordinary foes."
Sang spoke.
His speech had changed too. Cheonwi replied.
"Of course. You recognized the Leg Technique. Gotta match that."
"So what I saw was right?"
Sang dropped all formality in his tone. Straight to equals. As if a different persona had been hiding all along.
"Yeah. You stuck by these girls to scout our identities."
Killing intent flickered in Sang's eyes.
Now fully revealing his true colors. Cheonwi watched calmly, as if it were the most natural change.
"Think about it, ladies. Desperate Yeom Seoksan asks someone for help—even entrusts his daughters. Shady types can't help but worry. Who's backing Yeom Seoksan? Who does he share that secret with? Unavoidable dilemma."
Cheonwi twitched his sword tip.
Sang shifted sideways lightly. Tension crackled—one wrong move and they'd clash.
"That's the bad news for you ladies. The trusted confidant Yeom Seoksan relied on is actually his top threat. Easier? This guy's the real villain. Hidden fiend, enemy ally!"
Seol's eyes twitched.
She didn't want to believe it. But she couldn't ignore the truth.
Right before her, Sang had changed. That voice, that demeanor—not the Sang she knew.
"Your intent's obvious. No tool as useful as these two? Trace back, find Yeom Seoksan's hideout. Keep them, and he'll show eventually."
The sword tip dipped slightly.
Sang's hand moved lightly. Checking his strike path. Nerve war no different from actual combat.
"Plausible, huh?"
Cheonwi sidestepped and asked.
"Your silver tongue's no joke."
"Just logical. Natural progression."
Cheonwi concluded firmly.
He continued to Sang.
"Oh, and we're not Yeom Seoksan's backers. On second thought, maybe you got played by him too. You delivered the girls to us, after all. No payoff."
"No payoff? Is that so?"
"You know who we are now. Still think you can touch us?"
Cheonwi grinned.
Sang replied in a voice dripping menace.
"Think I can't? Just lowly branch scum."
"Huh? Lowly, huh? Now that's suspicious. Backers that pissed?"
Sang's face hardened further at Cheonwi's words.
Few would act this way knowing Cheonwi's affiliation. If not bluffing, it was like Sang admitting an even bigger backer. He'd spilled a greater secret in the provocation.
"Either way, we'll achieve our goal. No reason to fail against branch whelps."
Sang stepped forward. In his hand, a short, malformed sword about a foot long—unclear when or where it appeared.
"Oho! Now it's scary for real."
Chiring.
Even a slight move produced an eerie metallic ring. Utterly menacing. Cheonwi glanced at Oho.
"Oho, might need you here."
"Shut up. Handle it."
"I'm drained right now. Used too much energy yesterday."
"Night's coming soon anyway."
"Doesn't mean night fixes everything."
"Really? Specific time?"
"Weak anytime compared to you."
"Everyone knows you're weak. Fine."
"Keep the insults coming. Better."
Nonsensical exchange.
Seol and Hyang couldn't understand a word.
But one thing was clear.
Cheonwi and Oho weren't intimidated by Sang's intense aura. If anything, they seemed relaxed.
"Anyway. Time to end this."
Cheonwi said to Sang. Sang raised his malformed sword.
Murderous energy billowed from it in waves.
Cheonwi removed the cloth piece from his nose. He extended his left arm straight and dropped the cloth. It fluttered down like a colorful butterfly. At that instant, the two figures crossed.
Shiiik! Chaeng!
Two metallic clashes rang out.
Cheonwi yielded in power. He slid back barefoot, staggering to regain balance. Sararak—the cloth settled on the floor.
"Ahh, too strong. Can't do this normally."
Whining? Unlikely.
Cheonwi's martial arts were below Oho's. Known to all, and true in practice. But Oho had fully stepped back. No intent to help.
Tadak!
Sang charged again.
He'd revealed himself freely before them because he trusted his skill. Sang was fast and strong. Cheonwi's sword was fast but not as strong.
Shiiiik!
Wind stirred between them.
The fallen cloth fluttered up, twisting in the breeze.
Sang swung his malformed sword viciously from diagonal to perpendicular. The whoosh was savage.
Cheonwi's body tilted. Slowly but naturally, precariously dodging the blade tip.
Then Cheonwi's sword moved.
Not fast this time. But precise. It accurately blocked the malformed sword's path nodes.
Chaeng! Chaeang!
Their blades clashed twice more. Even blocking the tip didn't dull the momentum. Sang's malformed sword bent downward, surging fiercer.
Pishut! Flesh parted.
"Tch."
A thin red line appeared on Cheonwi's side. Blood beaded but didn't flow.
As their exchange ended, the wind-tossed cloth fell back to the floor.
"Saw it all. Fierce momentum, but shallow."
Cheonwi glanced at his side and readjusted his sword grip smoothly.
"Found it?"
Oho asked from behind.
Cheonwi answered without turning.
"Found it."
Sang scowled.
"Found what?"
"Your flaw."
"What?"
"You heard. Flaw."
"Nonsense!"
Sang dismissed Cheonwi's words.
Cheonwi moved first. His bare foot stamped the floor.
The cloth rose again. The vibrant fabric fluttered on the wind like dancing colorful butterflies, following their sword arcs.
Shiiik! Chaeng! Sarak!
The clash didn't last long.
The dancing butterfly split in half. The low-sweeping golden sword from below grazed the windborne cloth and sliced Sang's waist.
"Kuuk...!"
Sang's knee buckled.
Reversal. No—victory decided.
Not just surface flesh. It had carved into his organs.
"Uuk... How...!"
No martial art among the myriad is perfectly flawless.
Near-perfection in technique exists, but flawless execution is mere fantasy.
Thus, every human martial art has weaknesses.
Due to weapon traits, internal energy harmony, training depth, terrain, countless disrupting factors.
The flaw is the term touching the martial art's core.
Superior martial arts aren't forged overnight.
Genius insights may birth moves quickly, but even brilliant ones yield counters upon deep study. Thus, great sects refine over generations, decades, centuries. The martial world praises such polished masterpieces as divine arts.
But are those divine arts seamless as heavenly robes?
No.
Even centuries can't erase some blemishes.
That's the flaw.
Martial arts are aggregates of countless skills: adapting to air flow, utilizing internal energy shifts, absorbing nature's qi, emitting innate qi, robust body use, executing trained forms, wielding weapons aptly, adapting to footing—endless list.
For mortals, harmonizing all perfectly is impossible. Thus, gaps emerge no cover can hide. Strike it, and even a child fells a master.
Hence the saying in the jianghu:
Reveal your flaw, and you die.
To martial artists, flaw is that terrifying.
Sang's fatal wound proved it. His face rapidly paled.