Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Chapter 35: Myojin Sect (4)
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The rift happened in an instant.
As the fight reached its final stage, the bandits began charging in without regard for their lives.
"You little punks!"
Whoosh-!
A massive cleaver swung through the air, smashing into the floating scabbard.
Clang!
"Tch!"
As the fourth sword was knocked away, Baek Ri-seol clicked her tongue.
Too many opponents.
A chaotic melee against multiple foes was nothing like a one-on-one duel.
It was disorienting enough with attacks coming from all directions, but their skills varied wildly too.
Especially the giant right in front of her.
This scarred brute radiating killing intent was on a whole different level from the others she'd faced.
"Heh heh heh. What's wrong? Losing your edge?"
He was right.
My energy is running dry.
It was the result of the nonstop forced march combined with her aggressive early onslaught.
"You're getting all soft now."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Pow!
Baek Ri-seol swung her sword repeatedly to retreat from the enemy spinning his cleaver like a pinwheel.
"Hah!"
But unlike in a duel where she had room to fall back, enemies lurked behind her, stabbing with daggers.
Tap.
She barely escaped using White Crane Divine Step, but the giant's cleaver was vicious.
Slash!
"Gah! Bandit chief! Why?!"
To think he'd even cut down his own ally. Baek Ri-seol, who'd instinctively hidden behind the bandit's back, was horrified.
"Die!"
"Hmph! As if-."
Her eyes flashed with venom at the strike aimed at her chest.
Do I have no choice?
Instinctively, she parried the cleaver with her left sword, then thrust her right sword at the man's throat.
Swoosh.
The blade tip sliced through the air straight into his windpipe.
Killing. I didn't want to.
She couldn't hold out any longer. This was
a real battlefield where you kill or be killed.
Bracing for the sensation of piercing flesh and warm blood, she squeezed her eyes shut.
That was when it happened.
"Hehe~."
A languid voice whispered in her ear.
Thud.
Slash!
"Gurk!"
The bandit with a pierced shoulder staggered back and collapsed.
A warm body pressed against her back.
"Not yet, I said."
An even warmer whisper in her ear.
Her heart fluttered, but Baek Ri-seol tried to stay composed.
"If it has to happen someday, better now."
"Gaining experience too early won't do you any good. Just get a feel for it for now."
"But I really can... ."
"Listen to me."
Her pleading tone didn't inspire confidence anyway.
The instructor whispered in her ear.
"Swinging your sword more isn't everything, right?"
"...Yes."
"You've tried multiplying your swords. Now, try reducing them."
"Yes. I will."
"Floating multiple swords looks flashy, but it loses the weight in each individual strike."
From now on, pour everything into a single sword.
"With the weight of all four swords."
The warmth vanished with the whisper.
It was a shame to lose the cozy heat that had just warmed her heart.
"Baek Ri-seol! Here he comes again!"
Baek Ri-seol shouted resolutely.
Chu Un-hwi moved leisurely.
"Why's everyone so mad?"
But he wasn't shirking his duties.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Bandits charging from all sides collapsed one after another.
Jegal Tan's face, who'd been sweating against their furious assaults, lit up.
"Jegal."
"Yes, Instructor."
"Move your sword before you overthink it."
"Abandon cold logic and let your instincts take over? But that way-."
Smack!
Jegal Tan's head snapped to the side.
Blood trickled from his nose as he straightened it.
"Need more explanation?"
"No. There wasn't any to begin-."
Crack-!
Jegal Tan quickly righted his head again.
As Chu Un-hwi raised his fist once more, Jegal Tan flinched.
"What should I do?"
"Sometimes, just go with what your heart tells you."
"What my heart tells me."
"Think you can afford to hold back against guys charging at you like they're ready to die?"
"I am going all out."
Tap tap. Even in battle, he pointed at Jegal Tan's pristine uniform in reproach.
"Go wild. Don't play chessmaster from the sidelines."
Only then did Jegal Tan look around, blushing as he saw his battered comrades fighting desperately.
"I'll correct that."
Yeah. Good luck then.
Next was Nangong Yun-ho.
Seeing him impassively repelling foes like an iron wall, Chu Un-hwi launched a flying kick.
"Urk."
"You idiot!"
"Wh-what did I do?"
"What's footwork for if you learned it! Your comrades are suffering because you're just standing there blocking swords."
"Ah-."
He had footwork.
"I forgot. Training alone turns into a hindrance sometimes."
Admitting his oversight immediately was pure Nangong Yun-ho.
Chu Un-hwi spoke more gently.
"Standing still makes it a point. Moving turns the trajectory into a line."
"I need to read more changes and create more trajectories."
"It won't be easy."
"Isn't this why you said I'm ready now?"
Nangong Yun-ho was pleased, feeling like he'd grown.
No one kept the promise of "not questioning the guidance" as faithfully as this guy.
"I'd love to say more, but no time."
"Something urgent?"
To an instructor strolling through the melee?
As Nangong Yun-ho blinked in surprise, Chu Un-hwi said,
"Leave her like this, and So-hye becomes a murderer."
"Ah-."
Chu Un-hwi vanished from sight, dashing toward Moyong So-hye.
Nangong Yun-ho chuckled lightly at the carefree movements and took a step.
"If points form a line..."
Boom-.
Bronze Hall's basic footwork, First Step.
"You punk!"
Chu Un-hwi grabbed the scruff of Moyong So-hye's neck as she tried to smash her iron fist into a retreating bandit.
Whoosh!
"Gasp!"
The bandit collapsed in terror from the wind pressure alone, his bangs whipping wildly.
"Hey! Hey! Stop it!"
"Hic-ek. Hic-ek."
"What did the bandits do to deserve this? Why are you so ruthless?!"
"It just. Happened. In the fight. Hic-ek. Hie-ek."
"Calm down. Be good? Please, just relax."
Moyong So-hye's state as she tried deep breaths to control her rage was indescribable.
Her hair was a mess, her clothes torn in places with frayed threads everywhere.
And her whole body was soaked in blood.
Chu Un-hwi swung his sword to drive off bandits as he spoke.
"Be good, my little Yul-seo. Calm down."
"Yes. H-hek. H-huek."
The bandits watched with dread as she huffed deep breaths.
The trembling kids settled back into place.
Soon, victory was clear.
Half of the three hundred bandits were down, the rest cowed.
With some breathing room, Chu Un-hwi got greedy.
"Shall we add a handicap?"
"Handicap?"
"Yeah. Hold out both hands."
As Moyong So-hye extended her hands, he placed iron weights on the backs.
"Don't drop the iron weights from now on. Use Wooden Man Hundred Hands."
"How do you fight like this?"
"The trick is not losing centrifugal force when flipping your palms. Punch short and pull back quick."
Like this. Like this.
After a quick demo, Moyong So-hye looked shocked.
So this is possible?
She shook her head vigorously.
"Good. Let's start right away."
He went to the others, eventually placing silver weights on each of their blades.
"Don't drop the silver weights. Execute your forms."
Questions came at the harsh demand.
"Is there meaning in swordsmanship without dropping the silver?"
"You're learning not to lose the sword's center."
Think of training lightness skill.
Your core dantian must always stay stable, right?
"Same with the sword. Just like a person needs balance at their center."
"...I don't get it."
Baek Ri-seol grumbled but didn't drop the silver.
Jegal Tan asked something else.
"Instructor. What if we drop the silver?"
Or even lose it.
Chu Un-hwi grinned brightly at the mutterer.
"Why live after losing my precious silver?"
Jegal Tan paled.
Less than half a shichen later, most bandits were down.
Only the chief remained.
The precarious part was that Instructor Shim Ui, exhausted from energy depletion, left Seo Tae-myeong to face the chief alone.
"I'll take you to the afterlife with me!"
"Think I'd accompany a coward bandit hiding in the mountains?!"
"This seat is the Brigand Mad Blade! I'm the one taking your head!"
"In your dreams!"
So that was why Seo Tae-myeong stepped up.
He was a considerable expert himself.
"Was an advanced instructor, they said."
Clang clang clang!
After fifty exchanges, he split the heavy axe.
Clang clang clang!
Twenty more moves, and Seo Tae-myeong's sword was at the chief's chin.
"Damn it!"
As the chief admitted defeat, the bandits muttered dejectedly.
"Ah. Even the chief."
"Can't fight anymore."
"Cursed luck."
To the foes who'd lost all will to fight, Seo Tae-myeong shouted,
"Fight more, and you die. Surrender, and I spare you."
At his roar, bandits dropped weapons and bowed one by one.
The battle ended.
"Right. Where's the loot?"
Whirl-. Looking around, he spotted Jeong Yang collapsed amid ten bandit corpses.
"Oh dear."
She'd promised a cool show.
"Didn't expect this cool."
Chu Un-hwi snickered.
After the battle.
Cheongyang Sect disciples found people locked in the back of the bandit lair.
"Waaah. Thank you."
"Sob sob. We're saved."
"Thank you, great hero."
Instructor Shim Ui chuckled at the villagers' bows.
"Just what any righteous warrior should do."
"Great hero, at least tell us your name."
"A sect taught this passerby grass what justice means. Shim No of Wudang suffices."
He humbly soothed them, then Cheongyang Sect Leader Seo Tae-myeong returned.
"Instructor Shim. All bound."
"Haha. Good work. No troubles?"
"Some resisted, so I sealed their pressure points to paralyze and bound them."
"You can do pressure points."
Pressure points weren't just injecting energy into meridians.
You needed precise knowledge of the 360 acupoints and their functions.
In short, advanced energy control and medical expertise.
Seo Tae-myeong replied sheepishly.
"Picked it up peeking over shoulders at Divine Martial Academy."
"Haha. Impressive. Not easy to learn."
"More importantly, what now? Night's deep."
Time flew during cleanup.
Instructor Shim Ui looked up at the sky, face darkening.
"You're right, Sect Leader. Too delayed."
"Not sure the injured and weak can endure a dark mountain path."
They had one choice.
"We stay here tonight."