Chapter 120
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Sword Lesson at Wudang
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The gazes fixed on Yu Hyun and Un-sang, who glared at each other, brimmed with tension.
Most of the second-generation disciples predicted their master's victory. Nangong Seong watched them with a sigh laced with worry.
It was, of course, concern for Un-sang facing off against Yu Hyun.
The rumors hadn't spread yet, but this was the man who'd punched through that monstrous qi barrier expert, Bang Haegun, and won.
Nangong Seong alone knew that Un-sang was more sincere when smiling like that than when openly furious—and that realization marked the start of this tragedy.
His uncle was dead set on beating the tar out of him now.
He knew from experience. He could bet the entire Nangong Clan fortune that the guy wouldn't move for three or four days after.
With the insults already flying and the coffin of this duel already open, there was no stopping it...
“…….”
It was an utterly exasperating situation.
If he just stood by, relations with Wudang would sour for sure, and if luck was bad, recruiting Yun Hyun might go up in smoke too.
But if he tried to intervene under the guise of stopping it, he'd be turning Yu Hyun's earnest sincerity upside down...
After agonizing for a long while, Nangong Seong finally steeled himself with great difficulty.
Fine, it was just a spar, right?
Warriors often deepened their bonds through martial exchanges like this—frequently, routinely, happening all the time.
Even if something unfortunate happened during the duel, as long as it didn't result in death or crippling, not even Wudang's sect leader could interfere.
They'd started with the informal speech first, and the provocation was basically on their side too.
Besides, as a swordsman pursuing the pinnacle of the blade, how often did a chance come to witness Wudang swordsmanship?
Just watch. He wouldn't turn the guy into mincemeat, surely.
This was Wudang, after all, and his uncle was sharper than anyone at judging right and wrong... right?
You're just going to spar, aren't you, Uncle?
As Nangong Seong cried out desperately in his heart, Un-sang, facing off against Yu Hyun, spoke up.
"Aren't you even going to take a ready stance?"
"Why bother with that crap?"
“…….”
Un-sang's lips twisted oddly at the cheeky reply.
"I see. It's common for unorthodox warriors lacking skill to skip the ready stance to hide their techniques. Aiming for surprise... but! Such tricks won't work against me!"
“…….”
Yu Hyun's mouth fell open slightly in disbelief at Un-sang's words.
What twisted logic.
Skipping the ready stance makes you unorthodox scum?
Sure, he knew each sect's forms and stances had unique flavors, but the arts he'd learned were fragments of the true essence. No fixed forms or postures.
The ready stance this Un-sang punk was taking was just tacked on later to look plausible—it didn't exist originally.
And what? Surprise? Tricks?
Ha, renowned clan blockheads, really...
As Yu Hyun shook his head, Un-sang's eyes twitched.
Not some street thug, but in a duel, skipping the ready stance and slinging the sacred sword over his shoulder?
A guy who didn't even know duel etiquette. Latent Dragon Leader or whatever, time to thrash him and send him packing.
"Fine! I'll take that as your preparation complete and start the duel. As your senior, I should yield, but I can't overlook your arrogance, so I'll take the lead—don't hold it against me!"
“…….”
Un-sang, who had been circling lightly, reached Yu Hyun's blind side and instantly closed the distance, thrusting his sword straight.
Pa-at!
The concise sword tip shot toward Yu Hyun's throat.
“…….”
How adorably predictable.
Closing in with one step to target acupoints was fine, but too many unnecessary movements.
The Flowing Cloud sword form was modeled after drifting clouds.
He wanted to crush him in one blow, but first, he had to break him. The goal was to show what was wrong.
As the sword tip neared his throat and a victorious smile bloomed on Un-sang's lips, Yu Hyun stepped back one foot and bent at the waist.
His movement matched the sword's speed, maintaining distance...
Pa-ak!
As power surged into his back-stepping foot, Yu Hyun casually tilted his head, slipping under the blade.
"Hup!"
The confident smile on Un-sang's face turned to shock.
Every sword art predicted and countered opponent movements, but Yu Hyun's dodge was outside the script.
Then Yu Hyun's wrist twisted, and the sword on his shoulder traced a vertical arc.
Draw and cleave.
Two of the sword's ten basic motions— a simple draw into a vertical slash—but it caught Un-sang off guard, and Yu Hyun's blade had no wasted motion.
"Su, Uncle!"
The second-generation disciples, too inexperienced to parse that brief exchange, just gawked, while Nangong Seong's eyes bulged as he shouted.
Paa-ang!
The sword halted above Un-sang's forehead with a harsh whoosh.
"Three Fundamentals Sword, vertical slash."
“…….”
After kindly naming his technique, Yu Hyun withdrew his wooden sword and stepped back from Un-sang.
"Huu..."
It was the moment Nangong Seong, who'd feared Yu Hyun might crack his uncle's skull, sighed in relief and patted his chest.
Zzzt, zzzt-zzzt.
Un-sang's taiji-patterned Daoist robe split cleanly in half and fell to the floor, his neatly bound hair scattering everywhere.
The wind pressure from the halted blade had sliced it.
What was astonishing was that despite the robe being perfectly severed, Un-sang's head bore not a single scratch.
"What are you spacing out for? You aren't scared after just one technique, are you? For reference, your thrust lacks speed. So strip the unnecessary flourishes from the form and focus on thrusting."
“…….”
Yu Hyun, sword back on his shoulder and head tilted, offered his lesson indifferently, twisting Un-sang's face.
Humiliation in front of the second-generation disciples he taught. His face flushed, soon turning beet-red like an overripe persimmon.
"You've got some backbone, punk."
“…….”
Listen when someone points out your flaws and how to fix them.
If that strike hadn't stopped, it'd be your skull split, not the robe.
Self-important types who only know pride, calling themselves elite disciples...
"Fine, I underestimated you as a scrub. But this time will be different!"
“…….”
Yu Hyun sighed at the sight of Un-sang gripping his wooden sword tightly.
Yeah, yeah, sure it will.
If you were the learning type, would he have started with informal speech?
Yu Hyun raised his empty hand toward his opponent and crooked his index finger lightly.
"Come at me."
"You bastard!"
At the taunt, red veins burst in Un-sang's eyes, and the attack followed.
Kung!
Stamping the ground hard, his form shot low toward Yu Hyun's legs.
“…….”
Truly exasperating.
Using Ladder Cloud Step, which should be light as stepping on clouds, so heavily...
Step on clouds like that and you'll fall. Didn't they teach you?
"Hap!"
“…….”
Still, with renewed resolve, his sword strikes were sharper.
Even without infusing qi for the spar, countless variations layered onto the wooden sword in his grip.
Using Flowing Cloud Swordsmanship's defensive forms offensively...
Impressive, but no matter how many changes, the core was singular.
Grinning as he lowered his stance, Yu Hyun retreated while thrusting straight.
Shuwaaak!
With a light wrist flick, the wooden sword bent softly.
Stirring the tip wildly to nullify the opponent's assault.
Tak, ta-ta-tak!
Sweeping away the variations, then thrusting.
"Kuk!"
With a short groan, Yu Hyun's sword tip brushed Un-sang's throat like a butterfly, then withdrew.
"Three Fundamentals Sword, thrust."
“…….”
"If I point out the flaw this time, you put too much power into your footwork, gripping the sword too lightly. So the changes are flashy but powerless, easily deflected."
Silence descended on Silver Spirit Hall.
“…….”
Nangong Seong patted his chest again, watching Yu Hyun speak softly with impassive eyes before stepping back.
Damn, thought he'd punch a hole in his throat.
Oblivious, Yu Hyun returned to his initial stance and said.
"Still, good attempt."
“…….”
Like a master instructing in a training duel, but no way that praise felt good.
Yu Hyun grinned at Un-sang's noticeably ragged breathing.
Shock must be deep, but he was far from done. If the goal was just this level of embarrassment, he wouldn't have stepped up.
"You aren't calling it quits after just two crushed techniques, right? You seem to have strength left."
“......”
Eudeuduk.
Un-sang's face flushed to bursting as he ground his teeth.
"You dare... mock me! You dare!"
“......”
So he knew what mockery was. Good, he'd worried he might quit midway.
Fluttering robes showed he'd even roused his inner energy.
Blind to the mercy, and killing intent mid-spar?
"Sigh, hopeless case, totally hopeless. Head full of shit. And this guy's called a Daoist..."
At the oh-so-Daoist(?) display, Yu Hyun shook his head.
Words wouldn't get through to this blockhead. Ears plugged tight, after all?
No choice. Time to drill open those clogged ears.
Hwiririk! Kuuk.
"Come."
Paaaang!
As Yu Hyun gripped his sword firmly and swung down toward the ground, Un-sang charged with a blue gleam of qi, spewing murderous intent.
With killing intent plus inner energy, the incoming assault was stronger than expected.
This... he'd meant not to use spirit energy...
But you brought this on yourself.
Thump-thump, paaa!
Chill settled in Yu Hyun's eyes as his heart pounded vigorously, spirit energy surging through his meridians.
"Haaap!"
Yu Hyun lightly stepped forward into the storm of sword qi approaching with ground-shaking stomps.
Deliberately entering the whirling sword qi was madness, but this much was manageable.
Dodging the vertical drop, parrying the sweeping strikes, advancing another step.
"Uwaaa!"
Realizing his sword had no effect, Un-sang swung faster with manic eyes.
Sword qi layered on sword qi, a storm of energy raging from all directions.
Enraged, Un-sang's blade lost its edge, while Yu Hyun's steps were unhindered.
Ttaak! Ttak!
Despair crept into Un-sang's eyes.
Despite unleashing everything to evade the approach, he couldn't halt Yu Hyun's advance.
Against his endlessly varying sword, Yu Hyun used just two: slash and thrust.
Yet not a hair out of place, steps unflagging.
He was the attacker, yet pressed by Yu Hyun, who only defended.
Finally, Yu Hyun reached Un-sang's face, like the eye of the storm.
Ttaaak!
And backhands.
Un-sang's wooden sword, birthing the storm, shattered into qi fragments and scattered.
"Three Fundamentals Sword, horizontal slash."
“......”
Despite giving his all, achieving nothing, Un-sang stared at Yu Hyun with disbelief before limply dropping his arms in defeat.
Finally realizing from the start, he hadn't been Yu Hyun's match.
"Three Fundamentals Sword... I... lost."
“......”
Ears unblocked at last, but now he didn't feel like explaining.
"I'm not done yet?"
“......?”
"Let's finish it."
Yu Hyun smiled brightly, like a clear sky after clouds parted.
"Now... I'll teach you down to your bones. That in the jianghu, it's not the Wudang name that matters most—it's your skill."
"What do you—"
Shuwaaak! Paga-gak!
Vertical slash drops his shoulder.
Shuak! Pueeok!
Horizontal slash twists his waist sideways...
Whoong! Kuuk!
Thrust stops his breath.
The impossibly simple three techniques of the Three Fundamentals Sword relentlessly pounded Un-sang's body.
Ppak, ppapak! Ppababapak!
"Kraaak!"
Shut up, you punk!
What's that?
Born in a scholarly family, so what? Don't know warrior life?
Child's play? You think this is play to your eyes?
Me? The guy who finished that hellish training to stop the future jianghu calamity, coming from the future!
Acting all high and mighty without knowing shit!
I know more Wudang arts than you, punk!
Jjeok! Jjeojik! Jjeok-jjeok!
“......”
As the wooden sword broke, Yu Hyun switched to fists, pummeling Un-sang. Nangong Seong stared blankly, soul fled.
Un-sang had requested the duel and bared killing intent despite mercy twice, so no major repercussions. But Wudang and Latent Dragon relations were trashed.
Anyway, now was not the time to...
"Kahat-hat-hat!"
Intervene. No point stepping in and getting thrashed himself.