Chapter 80
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: A Genius Has Emerged in Jongnam!
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As my name was called, Seongnuri tore her gaze away from Biryeong and turned to me, her eyes widening.
“Biyeon?”
“Oh, you recognized me even after nine years?”
“That’s because you’ve grown up looking exactly like you did as a kid.”
This was just four years since we last met, and yet she was sniping at me for not recognizing Namgung Seheon back then.
Behind me, my fellow disciples who had overheard the conversation between Seongnuri and me began whispering among themselves.
“Biryeong junior brother and the senior brother know each other, and nine years ago… could it be the entrance exam?”
“I think I might’ve seen him during Selection Hell…”
“No idea. Was there a kid like that? There were five hundred of us—how could anyone remember?”
Seongnuri bit her lip hard. Laughing heartily toward her, I spoke in a gentle tone. There wasn’t much lingering resentment toward her anymore, thanks to the parting shot I’d landed right before leaving the selection exam grounds.
“You must’ve passed the Jongnam entrance exam, huh? See, I told you Jongnam was a level below Mount Hua, so you could make it.”
I was curious if she’d passed by feeding laxatives to another strong competitor, but considering her smooth life in Jongnam since, I didn’t bother asking.
“…You and Juyeong, both still the same as ever.”
I shrugged nonchalantly toward Seongnuri, who shook her head. The stares from the other Jongnam third-generation disciples grew prickly, but had I said anything wrong?
“Anyway, enough catching up.”
I shifted my gaze from Seongnuri and turned back to the Jongnam bastard named Yeoheun. My sword was still pointed straight at the back of his neck.
“Second warning—lower your sword, Jongnam.”
Even at my chilling warning, the bastard’s eyes remained fixed not on me, but on Bihoon. He replied in a leisurely tone.
“Well, I don’t think I can until I see him on his knees.”
“Jeez. Why would my junior brother kneel before the likes of you?”
Our side had started it, sure, but wasn’t he asking for too much?
Hearing my scoff and sarcasm, the Jongnam bastard smirked.
“You’re included too. You think you can mock Jongnam in front of its disciples and then slip away pretending otherwise?”
“Ah, me too? Too bad, then. My knees are a bit too expensive to bend for Jongnam trash.”
At that, Yeoheun furrowed his brow and finally turned his head to glare at me.
He seemed to have a hot-tempered personality he couldn’t hold back, much like Bihoon, but while Bihoon had the refined, handsome young master look, this guy had the fierce, dark-eyed mug of a fighting dog.
Seizing the moment he turned his gaze to me, I curled my lip into a crooked smile and tossed my sword toward Bihoon.
Bihoon snatched it mid-air and slammed down on the sword aimed at his throat. The whole exchange happened in the blink of an eye.
Baring his gritted teeth, the bastard kicked Bihoon’s sword far away with his foot, then swung at Bihoon.
It was the signal for the brawl.
The Jongnam third-generation disciples and Mount Hua third-generation disciples charged at each other all at once.
It had to be my imagination that so many were rushing at me, the one without a weapon in either hand.
Unleashing Mount Hua’s fist technique, the Form-Transforming Fist, I drove deep into the side of one charging at me. As the saying goes, if you have no teeth, use your gums— no sword, so fists it was.
Handling the Jongnam bastards with fist and palm strikes, I casually glanced around.
“I’ve always wanted to smack you at least once! Perfect timing!”
“You? With that skill level, against me?”
“I wanted to beat you up so bad, you even showed up in my dreams!”
“Oops, too late. I was about to tell you not to even dream.”
Biryeong was clashing with Seongnuri. She swung her sword with a face full of fury, while he parried her attacks with a look of utter disdain—quite the contrast.
“Senior brother!”
Bihoon, who had retrieved his sword, called out to me and tossed mine back. I extended my open palm toward a Jongnam bastard’s face to block his vision, then snatched the flying sword with a smack.
Gripping it properly, I forcefully deflected the blade thrusting at my lower body.
Now that my sword was back in hand, I rampaged through the Jongnam bastards like a fish in water, knocking them down left and right.
Soon enough, no more came at me, so I slung my sword casually over my shoulder and watched the fight. It hardly qualified as a brawl—Jongnam was getting pushed back hard by Mount Hua.
Except for one.
I clicked my tongue at Bihoon’s sword, now kissing the dirt again. Yeoheun looked down imperiously at Bihoon, who was bent over and gasping for breath, and issued his command.
“Hey, kneel.”
Bihoon, his face bloodied from a nosebleed, flashed a crooked grin and raised his middle finger.
Just before the bastard’s foot could sweep Bihoon’s legs, I deployed lightness skill and blocked his path.
“Kneel my ass, you prick.”
“Why block him? I was about to make you kneel right beside him.”
No sooner had he spoken than his sword came rushing at me. We exchanged a few clashes in an instant, allowing me to gauge his full power and the martial art he wielded.
The Thirty-Six Swords of the World. Jongnam’s foundational swordsmanship, a tricky one to deal with if mastered properly.
And for good reason—it was a heavy sword style packed with variations. In just a few breaths, it whipped the blade through all thirty-six directions.
His strikes blocked one after another, he gnashed his teeth and desperately stabbed to find an opening. One out of three thrusts landed.
Our eyes met—his like a fighting dog’s.
‘Ah, annoying.’
I spun away from the arc of his sword with footwork, then bit my lip as I thrust back with full force.
To think this Jongnam bastard, whom I’d been conditioned to look down on since infancy, was on par with me.
The match wasn’t decided yet, but it soured my mood worse than losing to Namgung Seheon.
“Stop!”
The sharp cry from behind halted the fierce brawl in its tracks. Even Biryeong, who had been soundly thrashing the swollen-faced Seongnuri by grabbing her collar, roughly shook out his hands.
Yeoheun and I, glaring daggers at each other, sheathed our swords in unison.
“What in the world do you think you’re doing?!”
Striding forward was someone clad in Jongnam disciple robes. He looked about second-generation disciple age.
Crab favors crab, as they say. So it was no surprise which side a Jongnam second-generation disciple would take.
“They started it—picked a fight with us first.”
At the words of one Jongnam third-generation disciple, sharp eyes turned our way.
“Is that true?”
At the stern question, I replied grudgingly.
“Yes.”
After all, the brawl had indeed started with Bihoon’s words.
“Apologize.”
“If you apologize for trampling my junior brother’s pride and demanding he kneel—which carries a price—then we’ll gladly apologize too.”
I met the gaze of the glaring Jongnam second-generation disciple without flinching. His presence was intimidating, but I couldn’t back down.
If word got out that Mount Hua had bowed to Jongnam, that’d be my execution day.
Just then, a large hand landed with a thud on my shoulder.
“Now, now, is it right for an adult to intimidate kids? As expected of Jongnam trash—see a plum blossom and your teeth grind, picking fights with children too?”
My eyes widened at the familiar, welcoming voice. Whipping my head around, I saw Uiseong smiling reassuringly as he patted my shoulder, pulled me behind him, and faced the Jongnam second-generation disciple.
“Looks like mutual fault to me, no matter how you slice it.”
Uiseong alternated glances between the battered Jongnam disciples and the mostly unscathed, tidy Mount Hua ones—pointedly—then grinned mockingly at the Jongnam second-generation disciple.
The indignant Jongnam disciple shot back.
“How is this mutual…!”
“Let’s just let it slide nicely. We’ve all been through it, right? Or… do you want to escalate?”
His voice, playful at first, turned utterly dry without a trace of mirth, making the Jongnam second-generation disciple flinch.
And rightly so—this was a man touted as the next greatest sword of Mount Hua.
In the end, the Jongnam second-generation disciple tucked tail first and led his third-generation juniors away.
“Martial uncle, when did you get here?”
“Right as the brawl was about to kick off?”
“You were here early. Wait, why’d you come all the way to Xi’an? Something happen?”
“Something did. Came to drag you slackers back.”
At the silent look asking how he knew we’d come to Xi’an, Uiseong chuckled and lightly tapped my crown.
“Told you—your antics are our past. Think we never skipped out?”
Ah, so Xi’an—not Harmony—was the time-honored spot for ditching.
Uiseong shoved my back and beckoned the other ten troublemaking martial siblings too.
“Let’s go, you little misfits. Sun’s setting soon.”
“We’re not in trouble for fighting?”
“You didn’t get beat—you did the beating. Why scold you? Kids brawl sometimes.”
At his tone dismissing the fight as no big deal, I let out a relieved sigh.
Thank goodness it was Uiseong and not the other martial uncles or seniors.
* * *
Perhaps after hearing Uiseong’s report, the Sect Leader summoned me.
What he questioned me about was the Jongnam third-generation disciple who’d beaten Bihoon and then matched me. Uiseong had told him the guy held his own against me, but he wanted the full story from me directly.
After I finished, the Sect Leader fell silent for a long while, his expression grave, before sighing.
“A genius has emerged in Jongnam.”
I cautiously asked at his lamenting words.
“Is that a big problem?”
I was just wondering what connection there was between Jongnam having a genius and the Sect Leader’s sigh, but instead of an answer, he posed a tough question.
“Do you know why Mount Hua prospered over Jongnam, despite being in the same Shaanxi Province?”
“Hmm… More money? Or more secular clans?”
“The reason that encompasses all of that.”
I scratched my cheek under his intent gaze.
No clue. I’d heard Mount Hua used to get thrashed by Jongnam somewhere, but isn’t that just [Sword God Returns] author lore?