Chapter 17: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (13)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 17: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (13)
Unlike our last duel, this one would involve internal energy. The outcome could be very different from when we fought with swordsmanship alone.
I put a moderate distance between myself and Jin Myeong-woo as we faced each other.
Just as we were about to begin, Family Head Jin and Jang Seo-young appeared. They were watching us. Jang Seo-young’s cold gaze was fixed on me, while the Family Head watched us with a blank expression.
The air in the training ground grew heavier. This no longer felt like a simple duel between brothers, but a battle for the future of the Jin family.
Jang Seo-young’s eyes shifted to Jin Myeong-woo, a look of expectation in them. It was as if she was hoping her son would finally defeat his ruffian of a brother.
I couldn't read anything from the Family Head's face.
Seol-hee stood some distance away from the Family Head’s group. Her eyes were fixed only on me.
The duel began amidst the palpable tension. Jin Myeong-woo took the first move.
His sword moved swiftly, cutting through the air like a bolt of lightning.
I parried the blow with ease. Sparks flew with a clang of metal. Jin Myeong-woo’s eyes widened. He clearly hadn't expected me to block his strike so easily.
Clang! Clang!
A flurry of attacks followed. His sword danced, striking at me from various angles.
Screech!
Sparks flew as our swords clashed. A duel with internal energy was certainly different from before.
The exchange continued. Jin Myeong-woo’s swordsmanship had changed. It seemed he had been training diligently. Perhaps spurred on by the shock of his previous defeat, his strikes, now imbued with internal energy, were sharp.
An incomplete blue aura emanated from his sword, creating sparks as it collided with mine.
‘I might lose if I’m not careful.’
But I still had room to breathe. The physical abilities I’d gained from my stat increases compensated for my shortcomings. This was the moment for my 45 points in Strength and Agility to shine.
Swish!
I attacked with even greater speed. My sword cut through the air, grazing the hem of Jin Myeong-woo’s clothes. His eyes couldn't keep up with my movements.
"Huk…"
Jin Myeong-woo staggered, sweat beading on his forehead. But he quickly corrected his posture and unleashed an even more powerful assault.
A continuous stream of strikes poured down on me. His sword danced like a living snake, each blow infused with internal energy that sliced through the air of the training ground.
I parried his attacks one by one. A flicker of anxiety crossed Jin Myeong-woo’s face.
"Haaah!"
With a sharp cry, Jin Myeong-woo’s blue sword aura split the air. The strike, imbued with internal energy, flew toward my face at lightning speed.
I angled my sword and twisted my body to the side. I heard the wind whistle past my ear as his attack cut through empty air.
But his assault didn't end there. He immediately spun the missed sword into a follow-up attack, aiming for my flank.
Swish!
I heard the sound of fabric tearing. I had dodged by a hair's breadth, but his sword had left a shallow cut where it grazed me.
Jin Myeong-woo’s eyes grew fierce. Landing the first blow seemed to have boosted his confidence. His attacks became even sharper.
The onslaught continued. The arcs his sword drew became faster and faster, and the aura of his internal energy grew stronger.
For a while, our exchange was relentless. The training ground was filled with the sound of swords clashing, sparks flying, and sword energy cutting through the air.
Gradually, the tide of the battle began to turn. Jin Myeong-woo was panting, clearly exhausted. Sweat dripped from his chin.
In contrast, I stood calmly. Thanks to my increased stats, my stamina consumption was minimal. In fact, I felt I could press him even harder.
‘Time to end this.’
I could see his ragged breathing and the faltering of his sword form. Maintaining that incomplete sword aura seemed to have taken a huge toll on his stamina. It was time to land the decisive blow.
As if he knew this was his last chance, he let out a great shout and threw all his strength into one final strike. The energy radiating from his sword grew more intense. It was an attack filled with the will to decide the match.
His internal energy reserves were greater than mine. Meeting him head-on would be foolish.
I mixed a feint into my attack, making it seem as if I was going for a direct confrontation.
I dodged his honest strike, which came straight for my chest. My posture became unstable for a moment, but I launched a counterattack from that very position.
My sword flew toward his neck.
Jin Myeong-woo’s pupils dilated. He looked as if he had just seen the shadow of death.
My sword stopped just short of his neck.
The training ground fell silent. Jin Myeong-woo stood frozen, drenched in a cold sweat. The duel was over.
"…I've lost."
Jin Myeong-woo’s voice trembled. His face was a mask of frustration and defeat.
"You fought well, little brother."
I said, sheathing my sword. The training ground was quiet. Jang Seo-young’s shocked gaze and the Family Head’s expressionless face were fixed on us.
Seol-hee watched us from a distance. A smile played on her lips, as if she had expected my victory all along.
I walked over to Jin Myeong-woo, placed a hand on his shoulder, and whispered softly.
"You'd be surprised how tight Seol-hee's pussy grips. It's quite fun, fucking the woman you so desperately wanted every single night. Every night she wails, crying out 'Young Master Myeong-woo' over and over."
Jin Myeong-woo’s body froze. His shoulders trembled. The mix of rage and despair on his face was quite amusing.
"And it wasn't long before she was gasping for pleasure. It was such a turn-on. Her mouth is so lewd… If you'd seen how happy she was drinking my semen, your fantasy about the woman you loved so much would have shattered."
My whisper was quiet enough for only him to hear, but the weight of my words pierced his heart more cruelly than any sword.
The color drained from Jin Myeong-woo’s face. His hand, still gripping his sword, trembled violently. It was the moment his last shred of pride was shattered into pieces.
Without another word, he left the training ground. His retreating figure looked utterly pathetic.
"Your skills have improved beyond recognition."
The Family Head approached and said. A faint hint of satisfaction crossed his stoic face.
Jang Seo-young, standing behind him, had a cold expression. The disappointment of a mother who had just watched her son lose was plain to see. But an even greater wariness was present in her eyes.
"I still have a long way to go."
I replied, feigning humility.
"You truly have changed. Take this."
The Family Head took a small box from his robes and handed it to me.
"What is this?"
"An elixir. I originally intended to give it to Myeong-woo, but it seems you need it more now."
Jang Seo-young’s face twisted. She was clearly displeased that the elixir she had prepared for her son was being given to this ruffian.
"Thank you, Father."
I accepted the elixir. The small box felt heavy in my palm. It was a precious medicine that could increase my internal energy.
Jang Seo-young looked at the Family Head, her eyes filled with resentment and complaint. But he ignored her gaze and left the training ground.
‘I didn't expect this…’
I knew about the elixir, but I never thought it would fall into my hands so easily.
The Family Head led Jang Seo-young out of the training ground. Her gaze remained fixed on me until the very end.
"Young Master! Are you hurt anywhere?"
Seol-hee ran up to me and checked my body. Her white hands gently touched my arms and chest.
"I'm fine."
"Whew, you have no idea how nervous I was watching."
Her voice was filled with relief. I tucked the elixir into my robes, wrapped an arm around Seol-hee’s waist, and pulled her into my embrace.
"Ah… Young Master… isn't it dangerous out here…?"
"Shall we go to my room?"
"Yes…!"
A quiet anticipation laced Seol-hee's reply.
With my arm still around her waist, I left the training ground. As we walked down the corridor, Seol-hee kept her head shyly lowered, but her body was growing hotter and hotter.
*
Man Chu-sam, the Sect Leader of the Black Dragon Gate, listened to the report while being attended to by naked women.
"So. How are things with the Jin family in Jilin?"
"There have been no unusual movements, sir. It seems they haven't noticed anything."
"Hmm, I hear that Jin fellow's wife and daughter are such great beauties. I can't wait to have a taste."
Man Chu-sam’s hand caressed the waist of the woman beside him. Her body trembled in terror.
"Also, Sect Leader, I discovered a stunning beauty at the Jin residence."
"Oh? Describe her in detail."
"She was an incredible beauty with faintly glowing white hair and pure white skin. Her beauty surpassed even that of the Jin family's wife and daughter, so much so that I doubted my own eyes."
"Haha. From your description, she sounds more beautiful than any of the Four Great Beauties of Murim."
"Thinking you might be curious, Sect Leader, I had one of my more artistically skilled men draw her likeness. Here it is."
The subordinate handed over a drawing, which Man Chu-sam examined. It was a delicately drawn portrait of a beautiful woman. An immense greed filled Man Chu-sam's eyes.
"…What a desirable face…"
His voice grew rough. The women around him trembled in fear.
"Heh heh… I was planning to devour them slowly… but I can't hold back any longer. To think such a beauty exists in Jilin! Summon the Black Wolf Grand Commander at once."
"Yes, sir!"
The subordinate quickly departed. Man Chu-sam licked his lips, staring greedily at Seol-hee’s portrait. A cruel madness glinted in his eyes.
"Sect Leader… this deviates from our plan…"
The voice that came from behind Man Chu-sam was difficult to identify as male or female. A figure whose face was covered by a black mask stood like a shadow.
"Don't you worry. Do you really think we'd lose to the likes of the Jin family and the Jangbaek Gate? The Black Dragon Gate, led by me, Man Chu-sam of the Iron Light Twin Axes, can crush insignificant families and sects from the frontier and still have strength to spare."
Man Chu-sam said, his eyes still fixed greedily on the woman in the portrait.
The masked figure looked at him as if he were pathetic. The Black Dragon Gate, for all its power, was still just a frontier force. Though it dominated the entire Black Dragon Fortress region, it wasn't a particularly strong power when considering the Central Plains as a whole.
‘It can't be helped. This man is beyond my control.’
With a deep sigh, the masked figure took a small pillbox from their robes and handed it to Man Chu-sam.
"Hm? What's this?"
"It's the elixir I mentioned before."
"Oho! So this is the medicine that can advance one's realm!"
Man Chu-sam opened the box and peered inside greedily. A reddish pill glowed faintly. Endless avarice overflowed from his eyes.
"I've included a generous amount. You can give them to your most trusted disciples or subordinates."
"Hahaha, I'll put them to good use!"
Man Chu-sam’s laughter echoed through the room. The masked figure simply watched him with a blank expression.