Chapter 303. The Answer Is One (3)
Clang!Claaang!
The clash of father and son's swords rang out with a crisp yet heavy tone.
Pa-ba-ba-bak!
Yeon Jipyeong covered the short distance in an astonishing five steps, his charge a display of sheer brilliance. He had deliberately distributed his power to maximize his momentum—a masterful footwork technique. Riding that elastic force, he thrust his sword like an arrow, his movements razor-sharp.
Yet no matter how stunning the strike, it failed to surprise Yeon Wi. He was the master of all Yeon family martial arts, a supreme expert who had begun to transcend his title of Judge Sword toward the realm of Sword Sovereign.
Yeon Wi's heavy sword traced a crescent moon.
Creeeeang!
Yeon Jipyeong's eyes wavered. His thrusting blade suddenly plunged into the ground. It had clashed just once with his father's crescent arc, yet the impact felt like five collisions layered atop one another.
His sword-gripping hand trembled violently, as if his muscles might seize.
Incredible!
Yeon Jipyeong reeled from the massive shock.
It was just one clash, but my sword endured more than five layers of resistance.
In that split instant, his father had split a single burst of sword force into five overlapping waves transmitted through the blade. Any ordinary master would drop their sword from a single encounter; even if they held on, they couldn't dream of a follow-up and would retreat in defeat.
But Yeon Jipyeong was no ordinary swordsman. If Yeon Wi was the all-round genius of Yeon family arts, then Yeon Jipyeong was the prodigy primed to inherit and master them all.
Boom!
Yeon Wi's eyes gleamed.
Half-Dragon Palm?
His crumbling stance stabilized as he blasted palm force into the earth. And that was just the beginning. In one fluid motion, Yeon Jipyeong regained control and unleashed the Iron Sword Great Swallow Thirty-Six Forms.
Pa-ba-ba-bak! Creeeang! Pshuk!
He evaded several strikes, parried others, but the tip of one sword sliced the hem of his sleeve as he tried to dodge again.
A smile crept across Yeon Wi's face.
Fast, isn't he.
His growth was nothing short of dazzling. Not only his adaptability, but his strikes were sharper and more profound than just days ago.
This wasn't mere talent on Yeon Jipyeong's part.
It's battle experience.
On the recent journey escorting the Western Divine Maiden to the alliance, Yeon Jipyeong had faced quite a few assassins. A swordsman's technique honed sharper with every real fight. Even a single blood-soaked battle marked the difference between heaven and earth.
Yeon Wi's sword whipped out like lightning.
Creeeeang!
He had committed to the Chain Ring Five Swords, not the fastest but elegantly executed in a single breath. Yeon Jipyeong could only retreat in a daze.
Paak!
And that wasn't all. Even with eyes wide open, Yeon Jipyeong couldn't block his father shifting to his rear flank. Martial arts weren't just about speed. Sword force imposed restrictions on movement, subtle footwork seized advantageous positions, and sharp killing intent delayed reflexes by a beat. All executed as naturally as breathing.
There lay the pinnacle of ingrained mastery—the ultimate sword path Yeon Jipyeong must pursue.
Thud!
Yeon Jipyeong froze as if struck by lightning. Yeon Wi's fingertip now rested against his back. Had it been a sword, death would have been instant.
"That's enough."
"Hoo."
Yeon Jipyeong exhaled softly. Though the spar was brief, tension had soaked him in sweat from head to toe.
He's unreal!
The Sword Extreme Thought Qi and Iron Sword Great Swallow had reached perfect maturity. At this level, he couldn't match his father, but he was confident he could surprise him at least three times in an exchange.
It was a delusion. Instead, he was the one awestruck by his father's arts.
He didn't show overwhelming power or untouchable speed. Yet I was utterly helpless.
His father could wield strikes several times fiercer and swifter. Holding back meant Yeon Jipyeong simply wasn't worth the full effort.
"How was it?"
"......A complete defeat, Father."
Yeon Wi chuckled softly.
"You're still a long way from surpassing this father of yours. Your loss was inevitable."
"Of course, but......"
Yeon Jipyeong shook his head.
"It's completely different from the martial arts you showed me before."
"Hm? In what way?"
"Maybe it's just my imagination, but...... Your arts back then were lightning-fast and powerful. Yet they never deviated from the center path, making foes feel like they faced an impenetrable iron wall."
Yeon Wi smiled. It had been three whole years since he'd demonstrated that style. For his second son to recall it so vividly spoke volumes of his insight and memory.
"And now it's different?"
"Vastly so."
Yeon Jipyeong's eyes shone with rapture.
"You still uphold the center path, but it lacks that invincible iron wall's majesty. It felt far softer than before, yet at the moment of clash, it crashed like a tidal wave—heavy beyond measure."
"Hah."
"Freely shifting styles at will. You were once unyieldingly hard and strong, but now you wield supremely flexible arts whenever and wherever."
Yeon Jipyeong beamed innocently.
"You've gained enlightenment greater than my own growth, Father."
Yeon Wi finally voiced his admiration.
"Your insight is truly remarkable. Figuring out our progress from the sword traces was impressive enough, but discerning the shift in style? Astonishing."
"Pardon? Ah, that was......"
"Even masters of great talent couldn't do it. For you, with so little experience, to read that much—your senses are innate."
Yeon Jipyeong scratched his head sheepishly. Such praise from his father felt utterly awkward.
Yeon Wi sheathed his sword.
"But the key is mastering arts worthy of that insight. Your vision is exceptional, but your skills lag far behind."
"Ah, yes."
"Though saying that to someone growing at your terrifying pace feels ridiculous. At your age, your level rivals or exceeds your brother's. Keep at it steadily, and you'll catch this father before you're twenty."
"N-No, I won't!"
"But you're lacking resolve."
"Pardon?"
Yeon Wi called out to Muk Bi, who had been watching blankly from afar.
"Bi-a."
"Yes, Father."
"How was Jipyeong's martial arts? Be honest."
Muk Bi no longer feared Yeon Wi excessively or hid her true feelings before him.
She spoke plainly.
"Jipyeong's arts are impressive. He truly inherits the Yeon family style—similar to yours, Father, yet carving his own path."
"Hm."
"But...... well."
"You saw a flaw?"
"Not a flaw, exactly......"
Muk Bi cleared her throat.
"If I fought Jipyeong seriously, I could take him down in three exchanges."
Yeon Jipyeong's eyes widened round. No bruised pride—just shock. Three exchanges meant a chasm too vast. He hadn't realized his "sister" was that strong. He marveled anew at Muk Bi's prowess.
Yeon Wi shook his head.
"Bi-a saying she could subdue you in three isn't just because her arts overwhelm yours."
"Pardon?"
What did that mean?
Muk Bi scratched her cheek.
"Not many to compare with, but... Ah! You know Ryang, right?"
"Ah, Brother Gang?"
"Brother already? You're that close?"
"Not quite...... He's older than me, anyway."
"Sure. I've sparred with Ryang a few times. Seriously."
Muk Bi shook her head.
"I took him down in fifteen exchanges."
"......!!"
"Strange, right? In realm and especially defense, you're above Ryang. But in a real fight, you couldn't beat him."
"Why is that......?"
"Father already told you."
Yeon Wi nodded.
"Your sword techniques have sharpened from battle experience. But your temperament fails to unleash them fully."
"My temperament?"
"The resolve to truly cut down your foe."
Yeon Jipyeong's eyes shook.
"You cut down unknown enemies for your brother. Natural as blood kin. But drawing blood only for others' sake isn't the proper mindset for a swordsman."
Yeon Wi's face grew solemn.
"Less blood is always better. Yet a swordsman must always harbor the will to cut anyone, anytime, if needed. Know why?"
"I... I don't."
"A sword is a weapon of war—a tool to kill. Calling it righteous or demonic is mere wordplay."
"......!"
"What matters is who, what, and why you cut. But first, you must be able to cut."
Yeon Wi pointed to Yeon Jipyeong's chest.
"I hope you never see blood again. A parent's natural wish for their child to avoid hardship. But having seen it once, hesitate no more."
"......"
"That's a swordsman. That's a warrior."
Yeon Jipyeong felt struck by lightning.
Technique and realm depth alone didn't make a swordsman. A true one knew when to draw the blade—and drew without hesitation when the moment came.
In the recent spar, he'd shown pure skill. No thought of actually cutting his father. And it would be the same against anyone.
Yeon Jipyeong feared harming people carelessly.
"Ryang wasn't like that. His arts lag a step behind yours, but he burned with zeal for victory and survival."
"......"
"Anyone grows with effort. But that relentless ferocity and cold judgment? Not forged by effort alone."
Yeon Wi nodded.
"The resolve to show when needed. Since you've tasted battle, strive to become not Yeon Jipyeong the Yeon second young master, but Yeon Jipyeong the pure swordsman."
Yeon Jipyeong bowed his head.
"I'll keep it in mind, Father."
He didn't yet grasp that resolve's essence. But knowing the flaw, he'd pour effort into fixing it. Painful as the path might be, attempting it beat never trying.
"That said."
Yeon Wi clasped his hands behind his back and glanced around.
"Where's Hojeong? You're here, Bi-a, so he's not training the Myeol Sa Army."
Muk Bi unwittingly spoke in a curt tone.
"No idea. Probably scheming some shady plot to give someone a headache again."
Yeon Wi and Yeon Jipyeong blinked at her.
Muk Bi's face crumpled like scrunched paper, fiercely hostile.