So This Was Your Goal
"You said you wanted to challenge me, didn't you?"
Jo Pacheon turned his head and flashed a cold smile at Sa Un-yeong. "Then let's do it. I accept your challenge."
And so, the first duel of the third round began.
Sa Un-yeong was quite formidable. His cultivation had already reached the 2nd-grade Martial Warrior Realm. The 3-star sword technique he unleashed, the Chaotic Cloud Wind-Splitting Sword, was incredibly sharp. However, it was not enough to overcome the swordsmanship of White Cloud City.
Crash!
Sa Un-yeong’s body slammed hard onto the ground right in front of the table where Bukjin was sitting. Strands of Sa Un-yeong’s hair, severed by Jo Pacheon’s blade, fluttered through the air. He staggered to his feet and spat out a mouthful of blood. Gritting his teeth, he forced out the words.
"...Young Master Pacheon. I will surely repay this 'favor' in full later."
Having said his piece, Sa Un-yeong limped back toward his grandfather. An old man in black swordsman robes with a thin beard, Sa Hyo-bong, let out a deep sigh. Without a word, he reached out and pressed his hand firmly onto his grandson’s shoulder. He was stabilizing the Mystic Energy currently raging out of control within Sa Un-yeong’s body.
Today’s result clearly showed that the Sa Clan’s capabilities were still lacking. Sa Hyo-bong knew that saying anything more would only make his grandson feel more miserable.
Having crushed Sa Un-yeong, Jo Pacheon shot a provocative look at Bukjin. However, Bukjin looked as if he hadn't the slightest interest in the duel that had just taken place.
A short while later, challenges began to break out all over the place among the young swordsmen. Soon, the air was filled with the rhythmic clashing of blades.
"Senior. Why didn't you step forward and help Sa Un-yeong just now?" Baek Geum-un leaned in close to Bukjin and whispered in a curious voice.
Because she leaned in so close to whisper, her hair tickled Bukjin’s ear. Bukjin turned his head with an annoyed expression and gave a sharp puff of air—Whoosh!—blowing her hair away.
"He’s the one who challenged Jo Pacheon knowing he might die, so what does that have to do with me? Why would I... Ugh, seriously, why are you like this with me?"
At Bukjin’s blunt response, Baek Geum-un’s pale face flushed bright red. Then, her large eyes narrowed like sharp daggers, flashing with a hint of murderous intent as she glared fiercely at him. Bukjin looked back with an expression that said he genuinely couldn't understand her reaction.
Not far away...
"Ow, ow! I said it hurts! Take it easy!"
Im O groaned in pain and quickly yanked his arm out of Im Jin’s grasp. "What is wrong with you?"
When Im O turned to look at her, he saw Im Jin glaring intensely at Baek Geum-un, who was sitting next to Bukjin. To be precise, she was glaring at Baek Geum-un’s... chest?
Im Jin looked down at her own chest again.
"Brother, who is bigger?" Im Jin asked.
Im O’s brow furrowed instantly. 'What on earth is this tomboy thinking in a situation like this?'
"Don't you think I'm bigger? Men like them big, right?" Im Jin asked again. She was asking with complete confidence, without a hint of hesitation. Her attitude was as serious as if she were questioning a complex academic problem.
Im O was starting to regret bringing his younger sister out of the villa. He had never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would receive such an absurd question from her. Moreover, it was baffling to see his sister, who was known as the 'Little Fairy,' acting this way.
"I see now. He likes that type of girl." A look of realization dawned on Im Jin’s face as she watched Baek Geum-un.
Seeing Bukjin blow Baek Geum-un’s hair away and the blush on the girl’s face, Im Jin felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She felt like she had finally found the answer to a problem that had been bothering her—specifically, why Bukjin hadn't been giving her the time of day.
Im Jin threw a third question at Im O.
"How can I make them bigger?"
Im O, a general of the North Sea Empire’s elite Dragon Shadow Unit, found himself speechless in the face of Im Jin’s question. Because...
"Jin-ah. As you know... your brother hasn't exactly met many women yet either..."
Time passed, and the duels were nearing their end. Jo Pacheon was on an unstoppable roll. After defeating every challenger, the genius of White Cloud City crushed his final opponent, Song Gyeol-il, and then pointed his sword in a certain direction.
His blade was pointed at Bukjin... and Baek Geum-un, who was sitting beside him.
"Do you want to try?" Jo Pacheon said with an arrogant expression. "I've already seen enough of Unmong City’s 3rd Junior Academy’s number one coward. Surely you aren't a coward like him, are you?"
Hearing this, Baek Geum-un jumped to her feet. "There are no cowards in the 3rd Junior Academy!"
The petite girl snarled as if she were truly enraged. Seeing her, Jo Pacheon gave a mocking sneer and beckoned her with his finger.
Shring!
Baek Geum-un drew the sword from her waist and stepped forward. Bukjin merely gave her a passing glance and said nothing. He didn't even seem to have any intention of stopping her. A duel was just a duel. It wasn't a real battle where life and death were on the line. Bukjin figured it wouldn't be a bad thing for the immature and reckless Baek Geum-un to get a taste of the harsh reality of the world.
The great sword in Baek Geum-un’s hand looked even longer than she was tall. As she fought, it didn't look like she was swinging the sword, but rather like the sword was swinging her. The sword technique Baek Geum-un unleashed was the most basic of basic styles. It was a style with a solid foundation consisting of one move per form, with a very logical flow. However, her skill level wasn't even close to that of a genius from White Cloud City like Jo Pacheon, let alone the likes of Hyeol-yeom, Song Gyeol-il, or Sa Un-yeong.
Jo Pacheon didn't even bother with a proper counterattack; he simply parried her strikes. Even so, Baek Geum-un found it difficult to withstand the powerful recoil every time her blade clashed with Jo Pacheon’s. But Baek Geum-un was a girl with unyielding persistence and a personality that didn't hesitate to take risks. This was the same trait she had shown when she first received the invitation to the Sigeom-ji-yak.
Even if her internal energy became disordered and her Mystic Energy tangled, she simply grit her teeth and swung her sword like a madwoman.
A moment later, the basic swordsmanship Baek Geum-un had been using shifted into a 1-star sword technique. It was the strongest technique she could perform. It was a star-grade technique that Cho Heun, the grade dean who had recognized her monstrous talent, had privately passed down to her once her Mystic Energy reached the 6th grade. It was a technique that ordinary first-year students couldn't even dream of learning.
However, a 1-star technique wasn't enough to change the situation. As Jo Pacheon began to use his movement technique, his figure moved like a flash of light, constantly shifting positions.
Clang!
Blades collided, sending sparks flying. Baek Geum-un was sent flying backward from the sheer force of the impact. Just as she had been knocked back about ten feet, Jo Pacheon’s figure already appeared behind her, swinging his sword. While still in mid-air, Baek Geum-un had no choice but to twist her body to block his strike.
Clang!
Her body bounced like a rubber ball and flew off in another direction. Jo Pacheon continued to flicker and reappear using his mysterious movement technique, relentlessly attacking her. Each time she collided with Jo Pacheon, Baek Geum-un was sent flying here and there.
To any observer, it was a fight that could have ended in a single blow. But Jo Pacheon was dragging it out, seemingly deriving pleasure from tormenting her. Baek Geum-un didn't even have the chance to open her mouth to admit defeat. And even if she could have spoken, she had no intention of surrendering so easily.
Baek Geum-un gripped her great sword with both hands, desperately blocking Jo Pacheon’s relentless strikes. Blue veins bulged on her jade-white arms. Tiny beads of blood began to seep from her pores.
Jo Pacheon’s voice rang in Bukjin’s ear. It was as if he had leaned in and whispered directly to him. Bukjin was startled. Mystic Sound Transmission. It was a technique just like the one he had read about in martial arts novels back on Earth—a voice that only he could hear. Others could only see Jo Pacheon’s lips move slightly, but they couldn't hear what he was saying.
Bukjin turned his gaze toward the battlefield where Jo Pacheon and Baek Geum-un were dueling. He could see a faint murderous intent swirling in Jo Pacheon’s eyes. Jo Pacheon was glaring at Bukjin with the expression of a snake toyinh with its prey.
Bukjin raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose. 'So this was Jo Pacheon’s goal in challenging Baek Geum-un. But can he really commit murder in a duel like this?'
As Bukjin pondered, Jo Pacheon’s voice transmitted again.
Jo Pacheon’s voice echoed in Bukjin’s ear like the whisper of a demon. Bukjin’s complexion shifted subtly. He turned his head to look at the veteran swordsmen seated around them. Their expressions seemed normal. But when Bukjin’s gaze fell on Cho Heun, he noticed something was wrong. Sweat was pouring down Cho Heun’s forehead. He looked as if he were straining with all his might against some invisible force.
Bukjin turned his head again to look at Baek Hae-geum. The Sword Saint was watching Jeong Sam-seok with a piercing, razor-sharp gaze.
'Grade Dean Cho Heun is being suppressed by someone’s threat, and Master Jeong is being watched so closely by Baek Hae-geum that he won't be able to intervene in time. The other seniors or the City Lord are unlikely to step in at the critical moment...'
Having grasped the full situation, Bukjin felt a foul mood settle over him.