Training...? (14)
Training...? *Ting-a-ling-* The clear, resonant chime from that bastard's mouth was the complete opposite of his bullshit words. For a brief moment, it warmed a corner of my heart enough to soften my battle intent—a strange, enchanting ring. Was there some kind of sorcery at play? But it must've sounded different to the gangsi.
“……!”
“……!”
Focus returned to their dead-fish eyes. Not that they suddenly brimmed with life, of course. Instead, they fixed on me with gazes overflowing with ghostly energy.
“Go!”
*Ting-a-ling-* With the bell ringing out again, the two gangsi's forms blurred.
Fast! Now I understood why Hong Yeonhwa had told me to handle Eon Ju-won instead of the gangsi. These guys were a bit much for me right now. They must've been peak experts in life, and the process of becoming gangsi had only made them stronger.
Well, yeah. No one drags around escorts weaker than themselves. The Eon family of Jinju might not be one of the Five Great Families, but it's a powerhouse on par with them. Direct descendants of such prestigious houses always surpass common sense in their achievements. Even if they didn't have Paeng Soso's insane talent, making it out of the Yongbong Branch Meet at a young age meant at least first-rate. On reflection, it was only natural for their escort gangsi to possess peak-level or higher skill.
But whatever.
Boom! The gangsi charging at me flew off to the left and right with a massive crash.
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
A dumbfounded sound escaped from Eon Ju-won, who had been smirking triumphantly, and Paeng Soso, who was raising her saber with a pained expression.
I hadn't seen it clearly, but Hong Yeonhwa must've smacked them alternately at a speed they couldn't even react to. She yelled as she casually dropped the gangsi like it was nothing.
“Leave that side to me!”
“Y-Yes…? Oh, yes!”
Paeng Soso nodded after a moment of stunned surprise and hurled herself at the gangsi. Her crouched body sprang forward with elastic power, exuding the aura of a fierce beast. Riding that momentum, she brought her massive saber down.
Clang! With a deafening noise, the gangsi that had just started to rise was sent flying backward again. It had somehow crossed its twin swords in front of its chest to block, but it couldn't handle the sheer impact.
“Haaat!”
“…….”
Paeng Soso's relentless, ferocious saber strikes poured down without mercy, met by the gangsi's unshakable twin-sword style even in its unstable stance. She had the offensive edge, but the gangsi's skill was so formidable it wouldn't collapse easily. I'd heard that well-made gangsi could use all their lifetime techniques intact. But sword qi too? These must be elite gangsi made with serious intent.
Anyway, Paeng Soso's side would take time but get done somehow, so I turned to the other side. Where...
Hong Yeonhwa, manifesting her threatening hand-qi shaped like a demon's claw—the same one I'd seen before—was flicking the Heavenly Demon knuckle on the gangsi.
Bam! Though the power was definitely beyond a mere flick. The poor gangsi spun three full rotations backward. Now I saw—its fingers were all broken from the pebble Hong Yeonhwa had flung. She pursued it leisurely, glanced my way, and tilted her head.
“What are you doing? Before that time-corpse-fucking brat escapes, shouldn't you handle him somehow?”
“Uh, yeah. Right.”
No need to worry about this side at all. If anything, Eon Ju-won ought to be the one panicking at Hong Yeonhwa's overwhelming display. In fact, the Eon bastard was already edging backward stealthily.
“W-What is this? No, this can't be... how...?”
He was still denying reality, not fully grasping the situation, but he might bolt once he snapped out of it. Unlike some random bandit, I couldn't let Eon Ju-won get away. Given his personality, he'd keep coming after us relentlessly, using any means necessary, since we knew his dirty secret. Besides, Hong Yeonhwa had gone out of her way to create a one-on-one— I couldn't just let him slip away.
I shook my upper body while glaring straight at him. My center of gravity pitched forward as if I might topple.
*Tap-tap.*
My body followed naturally, kicking off the ground. The instant acceleration technique I'd been using effectively since Hong Yeonhwa taught me. Ignoring the blurring scenery, I focused solely on my target, Eon Ju-won, and swung my sword.
“Die!”
“You—!”
Clang! Despite the surprise attack, he deflected my sword with his forearm without flinching. The sound was metallic, even though it should've been blade on flesh. A mere red line appeared on his exposed forearm through the torn sleeve—no significant damage.
Fists and external arts were essential for fist techniques, sure, but this was too tough. As I grimaced slightly, Eon Ju-won clicked his tongue and hung the bell he'd drawn back on his waist.
“Tch! What the hell kind of monster brat are you? And that woman.”
“Strictly speaking, you're the one who popped out, you premature ejaculator.”
Had his fleeing senses finally returned? Eon Ju-won calmly extended his left leg forward, twisting his right hand slightly at shoulder height into position.
“Unexpected. I figured you'd run right away.”
“Fleeing wouldn't mean anything anyway. At least I should take one of your arms before I go.”
Was he planning to wound me badly so Hong Yeonhwa would be busy treating me while he escaped? Something like that?
“That sounds like you're underestimating me too much...”
“Hm? Aren't you overconfident for someone who can't even scratch me?”
He shook his forearm tauntingly in front of me—the one that had blocked my sword. Probably wouldn't even pierce properly without sword qi. Like an iron gangsi.
Still.
“There's always a way.”
I stepped forward half a pace with my left foot and raised my sword straight at his center, aiming at Eon Ju-won.
“Haha! This is fun. Targeting my eyes, maybe? Even the best external art can't harden the eyes, that's true—but whether you can pull it off with your skill, I doubt...”
Seizing the gap as he blabbered, I lunged forward a full step. Muryeong Singong is the martial art of the mind. Now I understood what Master meant. A pillar of will supporting my body like a second spine. I focused the surging heat from it into my sword and thrust forward.
Whoosh! A simple stab with a short whoosh of air. Despite the clear ambush, Eon Ju-won smirked leisurely and opened his extended fist wide. His opposite shoulder tensed—he planned to grab my sword and counter with the other hand. Everyone's got a plan, right?
“W-Wait...!”
Until it met sword qi, anyway.
Hummm— Halfway extended, the blade quivered faintly, enveloped in a hazy glow. Still imperfect, half-formed sword qi—but enough to pierce his skin. Stab.
“Aaaagh!!”
Palm impaled, he screamed in agony and tried to pull back, counter be damned. As if. I advanced exactly as much as he retreated and swung horizontally.
Slash.
“My hand! My haaand!”
Eon Ju-won clutched his half-severed, mangled hand and cried out like he'd seen the impossible.
“What... what did you do?!”
“Told you. You're underestimating me too much.”
I replied casually and swung continuously, of course maintaining the sword qi.
“Damn! Damn it! How the hell is a barely first-rate hack like you—?!”
His leisurely smile twisted into a scowl. He deflected my strikes by slapping the flat of the blade with his remaining hand, even countering occasionally, but his expression darkened further. Well, yeah. Simple sword strikes without fancy technique are easy to read. But physical abilities maxed out by Muryeong Singong don't care if you read them.
Clang! Thud! Tang! Each hit on the blade made his lone hand tremble more visibly. His body held thanks to external arts, but that power would've shattered bones long ago otherwise. I knew from taking hits from Cheok An Geum Gwi before. Excessive force accumulates shock if not dodged. Even Hong Yeonhwa's hands swelled from it—impossible for a punk like Eon Ju-won to perfectly deflect.
And he was countering now and then... but I wasn't about to let his counters land. His punches and kicks were way slower and weaker than Hong Yeonhwa's. With one arm useless, blocking was easy.
Realizing inevitable defeat, Eon Ju-won's eyes turned feral.
“Hrrgh...!”
He jammed his injured hand into my sword's path to block forcibly. Naturally, his left arm was sliced clean off—but he seized the tiny opening. Bloodshot eyes locked on, he timed it perfectly.
*Ting-a-ling-*
As I lightly rolled my foot, the bell on his waist chimed.
“Ah...”
Hearing that clear sound made my mind ease suddenly. Almost forcibly. Never thought he'd use it like this. Probably meant as a check, but that chime was basically my weakness. If I'd been relying on idle thoughts for Muryeong Singong like before, it'd have shaken me badly. But not now.
Recently, hadn't Hong Yeonhwa taught me? Will maintains thoughts and charts the path. I steeled my will as instructed, steadying my shaken mind. It let me recover fast and respond to his follow-up.
“Hah!”
I didn't know how, but a grotesquely joint-twisting puppet-like fist flew at me. Aiming for my blind spot and vitals, packed with power to drop me in one blow.
...Footwork is ultimately about gaining advantageous position—don't get fixated on form, right? I slid my right foot back half a half-step. Then, pivoting on my heel, I spun a full turn.
“Eh...?”
Aligning the punch's path with my spin dissipated most of the impact. All that remained was Eon Ju-won, stance broken and blurting dumb sounds, and me, ready to swing.
Riding the spin, my diagonal downward slash severed his right arm.
Thud.
“Gaaahhhh!!!”
Armless now, Eon Ju-won thrashed, spraying blood everywhere. Seeing him roll his intact leg to ring the bell, I quickly swung.
Crack.
Something shattered as a deep gash carved his thigh. Legs giving out, he collapsed. No escaping now. Just in case, I stabbed at his lower abdomen to destroy his dantian for good measure...
Stab.
“Oops.”
His writhing made me miss and hit his crotch by accident.
“Guhk... glurk... grrrk...”
Pain maxed out, he just gurgled death rattles, foaming at the mouth.
...Anyway, not my fault!