Friends (2)
“So, what did you want to see about me, Lord Hwangbo? It’s not about my son or some deal between our families, right?”
“I wanted to confirm something.”
“Confirm?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of confirmation?”
“Whether my son really lost fair and square.”
Jin Yeo-rip furrowed his brow at those words. This guy, could he be...?
Not just smarter now—his instincts had sharpened too. Jin Yeo-rip could already guess what the man had in mind. Those eyes had already flicked toward the training ground once, and now his hips were shifting like he was about to stand.
But why me? What’s the point of showing off my skills?
“Come on out. I’ll spar with you to check.”
“Lord Hwangbo, I...”
“Young master! This is a golden opportunity!”
“...Huh?”
He was about to refuse and stop the man’s advance when Im Pilsaeng’s eyes lit up and he jumped in.
“A match with Lord Hwangbo? Where else are you gonna get a chance like this? Come on, Young Master!”
Suddenly Wang Seok was fired up too. Typical martial artists, both of them.
But Jin Yeo-rip didn’t want to. Why pick a pointless fight? Especially with his father’s friend. As someone proud of his Eastern etiquette heritage, how could he raise a fist against an elder?
“Yeo-rip.”
“Yes?”
“Get up and follow.”
“Pardon?”
Jin Yeo-rip’s face twisted in disbelief. He hadn’t expected his father to push him too.
“You may be in the merchant world, but do you think I don’t know a martial opportunity when I see one?”
“O-opportunity?”
“No, merchants and the murim are much the same.”
“...”
“It’s said that conversing with someone superior in commerce broadens your thinking. Likewise, martial artists yearn to learn from great masters and crave spars with experts.”
“But still, he’s the head of the Hwangbo family—and Father’s friend.”
“What does that matter? He’s Shandong’s top expert. Just exchanging a few blows will surely help you immensely.”
With even Jin Ha-seong on board, Wang Seok and Im Pilsaeng redoubled their urging.
“Exactly! This won’t come around again. A merchant young master sparring with Lord Hwangbo? Get up now!”
“What’re you waiting for? Want me to drag you?”
Im Pilsaeng was practically leaping onto the platform to haul him up.
Ah... damn it. No escaping now.
“Haa... fine. I’ll go.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Jin Yeo-rip rose and approached Hwangbo Mungang, who’d been waiting.
“What’ll it be?”
“No need for training weapons in a spar. Let’s do fists.”
“Fists? Against me?”
“Doesn’t matter who it’s against—you can’t wield a weapon bare-handed.”
“Ha! Acting like some otherworldly warrior, eh? I like that spirit. I’ll yield the first three moves. Show me what you’ve got.”
“Shandong’s finest expert? I won’t hold back.”
“Good.”
Hwangbo Mungang grinned warmly and faced Jin Yeo-rip.
But... hands behind his back?
“Your stance...”
“Haha!”
“Like that?”
“Uhahaha!”
What’s so funny? For Jin Yeo-rip, whose only spars had been with Im Pilsaeng, the man’s casual pose was baffling.
“Young master! Give it everything!”
“Yeah, push to your limits—that’s how you learn the most!”
Im Pilsaeng and Wang Seok shouted encouragement from the training ground’s edge.
Everything? He hasn’t even taken a stance.
“What’re you doing? Lord Hwangbo’s waiting!”
“Sorry, my lord—my young master’s not used to murim ways. Young master, show some respect! Hurry—this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!”
Im Pilsaeng even apologized for him. What’s with everyone?
But what could he do? They were all riled up.
Jin Yeo-rip clenched his fist tight and assumed his stance.
“Here I come.”
“I’ve been waiting.”
Hwangbo Mungang stood ramrod straight, hands still behind his back.
Feeling dismissed, Jin Yeo-rip slowly circulated the Twelve Flows.
His internal energy, spread through his limbs and torso, gathered in his dantian like a whirlwind, spun, then flowed out and connected as one.
Was it the Reverse Heaven Method’s wonder? Tension vanished, replaced by pure fighting spirit.
“Hoo... ugh!”
As his eyes gleamed with swirling qi, Jin Yeo-rip held his breath and exploded forward, stomping the ground.
Boom!
For his first move, Jin Yeo-rip chose the Ak family spear art Baji’s Danpo—End Cannon. A straight thrust like a cannon shot. No spear, but with Twelve Flows channeling his power, it could shatter rock.
Whoosh!
His fist rocketed straight at Hwangbo Mungang like a gale.
“Hoo?”
Hwangbo Mungang’s eyes sharpened at the sudden close-range blitz.
How could he not recognize it? The rival Ak family’s art, executed with fists like a spear firing. Impressive. He’d properly inherited the Ak techniques.
Now he understood why his son had lost.
But too straightforward. For such honest power, it needed more force—Jin Yeo-rip’s punch was still weak and slow.
Waiting till it neared his body, Hwangbo Mungang shifted his feet and twisted aside. The fist sliced empty air.
But as it passed, Hwangbo Mungang’s eyes widened. Jin Yeo-rip stomped to halt, twisting his body.
“Tch!”
Next came the elbow.
About to eat a face full, Hwangbo Mungang urgently dropped his hands and smacked the elbow upward.
Clang!
“Kuh!”
With a sharp crack, Jin Yeo-rip’s side opened up. Yielding the first move, Hwangbo Mungang had instinctively unclenched his fist and retreated.
“What? Brother, what move was that?”
“F-Flip Thrust... maybe?”
“...Maybe? Isn’t that Ak spear technique?”
“Well, it...”
Wang Seok’s question left even Im Pilsaeng unsure.
The first was clearly the swift thrust Danpo. But the follow-up? Like the twisting Flip Thrust... or not.
Fists shouldn’t change the form.
“Wait, doesn’t that mean he already used two moves?”
“Ah! What a shame... but good attempt.”
“Mm.”
Hwangbo Mungang had nearly been caught off-guard—forced to drop his hands. They’d seen it clear as day.
Astonishing. A mere merchant, freshly of age, troubling Shandong’s strongest.
Im Pilsaeng turned to explain to Jin Ha-seong.
“Ahh... Yeo-rip, you...”
“...”
But he couldn’t speak. The lord was trembling, eyes wide—clearly moved.
Letting Jin Ha-seong savor it, Im Pilsaeng watched the ground.
“Tch! So close.”
“...”
Hwangbo Mungang eyed his hand, asking Jin Yeo-rip, who regretted the miss.
“Hm, what was that just now?”
“Pardon?”
“Your attack.”
“Oh, that was Ak’s Baji.”
First Danpo, second an adaptation. Backspin blow... something like that? He’d improvised on the dodge.
But how to explain? No elbow in the forms, and “backspin blow” wouldn’t land.
As Jin Yeo-rip pondered, Hwangbo Mungang shook his head.
“No, not your movements.”
“Pardon?”
“The internal energy in your attack.”
“...”
“What was that?”
Eh? Wait, why ask that?
Jin Yeo-rip’s heart sank.
Stronger than Im Pilsaeng, right? Had he noticed? The Reverse Heaven Method...
“Curious.”
“...”
“Exploding qi at the peak—truly unique.”
“Ah, that’s...”
“Shaolin heart method, perhaps?”
“Pardon?”
“You stayed there long. Makes sense. Explains why you held your own against Wonpyeong.”
“...”
“Shaolin arts would do it.”
Jin Yeo-rip stayed silent.
Whew, close call. Scared him. If exposed, he’d be a murim criminal...
Luckily, chalking it to Shaolin—he nodded along.
“Haha, you know a lot about me.”
“Heh, common knowledge. Any murim folk worth their salt knows Shaolin took you in—and how hard they protected you. Even the Alliance couldn’t sway them.”
Suddenly praising Shaolin’s grace. Grateful, sure.
“Anyway, solid. But now that you’ve used two moves, give your all on the last...”
“Pardon?”
“Hm?”
“I’ve only used one.”
“What? Think I don’t know Ak spear arts? You did Danpo then Flip Thrust.”
“Who said that was Flip Thrust?”
Backspin blow.
“It wasn’t?”
“Of course not. It’s a linked form I developed after long study.”
“What nonsense is that?”
Hwangbo Mungang barked a laugh. Jin Yeo-rip glanced at Im Pilsaeng.
“Uncle Pilsaeng.”
“Yes?”
“Looked like Flip Thrust to you?”
“Well... it seemed a bit different.”
Im Pilsaeng hedged, so Jin Yeo-rip smugly turned back.
“See? Even Uncle Pilsaeng doesn’t know.”
“What?”
“You don’t know Ak spear arts better than him, right, Lord Hwangbo?”
“Well.”
“And ‘Gwiyeong’ wouldn’t lie.”
“Mm.”
“One move. A variation on Danpo.”
Hwangbo Mungang burst into booming laughter.
“You rascal. Fine, got it.”
Merchant’s son through and through—not yielding a single form.
One or two? Didn’t matter to him. If anything, curiosity piqued.
Creating variations? Absurd for a fresh adult.
“Good. Keep going. I expect the next to top it.”
“I’ll try. But... can I use that?”
“Hm?”
Jin Yeo-rip pointed to the weapon rack without stance.
“A weapon?”
“Yes.”
“Earlier you...”
“I may be of age, but still teenage—moods change like reeds.”
Jin Yeo-rip grinned wide. Hwangbo Mungang chuckled and nodded.
His elbow throbbed unpleasantly. Knowing his method unseen, he itched to show true Ak spear mastery.
The Reverse Heaven Method’s battle lust, probably.