Chapter 112
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Duel of the Sabers
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At Seol Hwa-un's question, Jeok Rang-do flinched involuntarily.
'Damn it, even for me, the North Heaven Dragon is...'
None of the masters Seol Hwa-un had faced in the Central Plains were pushovers.
Especially the Blood Sound Four Armies he had slain—they were on another level entirely. Jeok Rang-do wasn't confident he could last more than ten exchanges against him.
But having come this far, backing down meekly wasn't an option either.
"Are you trying to intimidate me with your power right now?"
"Intimidate?"
Seol Hwa-un gave a faint smile.
"What if I face you with saber arts?"
"Saber arts?"
"Exactly. Something even our palace warriors can learn."
Jeok Rang-do perked up.
'That changes things...'
He had already heard that Seol Hwa-un's fist and sword techniques were extraordinary.
Mastering two martial arts was no easy feat, so there was no way he could be proficient in saber arts too.
'Hmph, looks like he underestimates saber arts... Swordsmanship is a different beast altogether, kid.'
The corner of Jeok Rang-do's mouth twitched.
"You'll stand by those words?"
"Of course."
"All these ronin here are witnesses. If you use any other techniques..."
"I'll quietly back off. And I'll throw in ten taels of gold as a bonus."
"Hoh!"
"But you promise too. If you lose, you leave the Shanxi ronin market."
Jeok Rang-do's face hardened.
"What?"
"Why? Lacking confidence?"
As Seol Hwa-un's question hung in the air, the ronins' gazes turned to him.
'This bastard!'
Now it was a matter of pride, regardless of anything else.
"Fine!"
"Then it's a deal, Jeok Rang-do."
"Absolutely!"
Seol Hwa-un smiled in satisfaction.
"Oh, right—I don't have a saber. Anyone care to lend me one for a bit?"
He scanned the ronins as he spoke, but they only exchanged glances, none daring to step forward easily.
"No need to lend it long. Just a quarter of an hour. In return..."
Seol Hwa-un pulled out some silver from his robe.
"I'll give you this silver."
Still no reaction, so he added more.
Two taels, three taels, four taels—the ronins' pupils dilated wildly.
'Lending a saber for a moment, and he's offering that much silver...'
"Five..."
Before Seol Hwa-un could finish, three sabers flew through the air and embedded themselves in the ground.
Thud thud thud!
Three ronins had tossed their sabers simultaneously.
Jeok Rang-do glared at them.
'Those guys...!'
But they paid him no mind. One ronin urgently raised his hand.
"M-Me! I threw mine first!"
"What are you talking about? Mine!"
"Hey, it was mine!"
Seol Hwa-un raised his hand.
"That's enough. The owner of the saber I choose gets the silver."
Amusingly, all three sabers were different.
A relatively large-bladed yan Yue dao, a朴刀 pu dao, and a narrow, long straight saber.
As Seol Hwa-un's hand moved slowly, tension rippled across the ronins' faces.
'Pick mine, pick mine!'
'Please!'
In that instant, Seol Hwa-un selected one.
"I'll borrow this one."
In his hand was the straight saber—the one most similar to the long straight sabers commonly used in the Cold Family of the Ice Palace.
The chosen ronin shot to his feet with a shout.
"Yes!"
The other two couldn't hide their disappointment.
"Damn, he picked that skinny thing."
"He clearly knows nothing about sabers. A true saber has to be hefty to unleash its power."
Having paid up, Seol Hwa-un finally faced Jeok Rang-do. A strange tension filled the arena.
"You haven't forgotten the promise?"
At Jeok Rang-do's question, Seol Hwa-un nodded.
"You seem worried. But no need. I don't go back on my word."
"Hmph, you'll regret this."
Jeok Rang-do drew his saber—a hefty, sharply curved moon blade.
Shing!
He assumed a serious stance. Confident in victory, yet he didn't underestimate Seol Hwa-un.
'He's probably waiting for me to let my guard down. But what if I don't?'
In contrast, Seol Hwa-un's grip on the straight saber looked awkward from the start.
"Hmm, was it like this?"
After a moment's thought, Seol Hwa-un slowly took his stance.
"...!?"
Suddenly, a sharp aura erupted from him. Jeok Rang-do's eyes widened involuntarily.
'What the—?'
Incredibly, it was the presence of a true saber master.
'No way! This can't be.'
He tried to stay calm, exhaling deeply.
"Huu."
"..."
Seol Hwa-un quietly observed him.
"Impressive. Fooling even me."
At Jeok Rang-do's words, Seol Hwa-un tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"Hmph, pretending to be a saber expert? I'm not fooled."
"Is that so."
Jeok Rang-do unleashed a thick killing intent.
"I'll cut you down in one strike, North Heaven Dragon."
Taat!
He kicked off powerfully. His form swayed wildly left and right as he closed the distance.
It was Jeok Rang-do's secret footwork, the Pendulum Step.
A technique that shifted positions irregularly, making it hard for the opponent to pinpoint his exact location.
Using this footwork from the start was his declaration of no holding back.
'As expected of one of the Ten Great Ronin? Fine footwork.'
But Seol Hwa-un's admiration ended there. His eyes tracked Jeok Rang-do's form precisely.
"Hah!"
Now within a zhang, Jeok Rang-do swung his moon blade in a wide arc.
Shuuuuaak!
The blade, infused with sharp saber qi, sliced toward Seol Hwa-un's flank.
"..."
Even then, Seol Hwa-un stood motionless, straight saber held at his side.
'Got him!'
Seeing no movement, Jeok Rang-do was certain the strike would land.
Probably flustered by the unfamiliar Pendulum Step.
That's what he believed.
But Jeok Rang-do's certainty was premature.
Cliiing!
A sudden, intense metallic clash rang out.
"Kuh!"
Jeok Rang-do staggered back, unable to withstand the shock transmitted through his blade.
"...!"
Incredibly, Seol Hwa-un's straight saber had perfectly blocked his.
'No sign of movement at all?'
Seol Hwa-un addressed the surrounding ronins as if explaining.
"The saber art I just used is our palace's Silver Star Saber Style. As you see, it's excellent in speed and defense."
The Silver Star Saber Style was one of the various saber forms learned before the Cold Ice Sword Method—a unique style without fixed forms, focusing solely on saber handling.
It was one of the techniques Seol Hwa-un had been permitted to teach at the temporary Five Peaks Assembly.
Seol Hwa-un spoke to the dazed Jeok Rang-do.
"Come at me again."
"...!"
Jeok Rang-do glared at Seol Hwa-un with a grave expression.
'Fast saber type, huh. Tch, didn't expect such quick reactions.'
Now knowing the style, he had a counter.
'Alright, this time I'll crush him.'
Paat!
Jeok Rang-do's moon blade moved again. Slower than before, but the energy in the blade was no less potent.
'If I overwhelm him without giving him room for fast saber moves!'
Indeed, as the moon blade drew nearer, Seol Hwa-un felt the heavy pressure intensifying.
"..."
It was the orthodox counter to fast sabers. But Seol Hwa-un only smiled faintly.
'Does he think Silver Star Saber Style is just simple fast saber?'
Seol Hwa-un no longer waited and swung his straight saber.
Paht!
One swing dispersed half the pressure.
Paht!
A second swing reduced it to a quarter. Now the pressure was no hindrance to executing fast saber techniques.
"...?!"
By the time Jeok Rang-do sensed something amiss, it was far too late.
Paht!
Seol Hwa-un's blade was already at his chin. A truly astonishing fast saber strike.
"This... how?"
Seol Hwa-un said calmly.
"Do you admit defeat?"
"..."
Jeok Rang-do couldn't bring himself to speak.
"You said you wouldn't let your guard down, but you did. Otherwise, you'd have unleashed the Shattered Wolf Saber Method right away."
The Shattered Wolf Saber Method was the secret technique that made Jeok Rang-do one of the Ten Great Ronin.
"Your pride wouldn't let you, since you knew the saber art I was using wasn't our palace's supreme one."
Jeok Rang-do's face twisted.
"Urk."
Seol Hwa-un's gaze turned icy.
"I won't ask who ordered this nonsense. Keep your promise and get out."
"..."
As Seol Hwa-un withdrew his saber, Jeok Rang-do turned and swiftly left the arena.
Only then did the ronins erupt in shocked cries.
"Woooah! Incredible!"
"The North Heaven Dragon beat Jeok Rang-do with saber arts!"
"Unbelievable. So that's the North Sea Ice Palace's martial arts?"
Seol Hwa-un spoke as if he had been waiting.
"This Silver Star Saber Style is just one technique passed down to our palace warriors. We have sword arts, spear arts, palm arts, fist arts, and more—all around the same level."
"Oooh!"
Seol Hwa-un glanced at Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won standing behind him.
"Now it's your turn."
"...Pardon?"
"Dong, demonstrate the Cloud Flash Spear. Mu-hwi, show the White Wolf Hand."
All were supreme arts permitted at the Five Peaks Assembly.
"Yes, Little Palace Lord."
The two performed their demonstrations, leaving the ronins slack-jawed.
'Martial arts of that caliber!'
'They're really going to teach us those?'
Gulp.
They swallowed dryly without realizing it. Watching from the back, the corner of Seol Hwa-un's mouth curved up slightly.
'This is a success.'
Once the demonstrations ended, Seol Hwa-un announced.
"Those who wish to become our palace warriors, come to the Taegok branch by noon tomorrow. We won't take just anyone, of course. You'll undergo suitable tests before being hired as warriors."
With that, he left the scene. Afterward, the ronin market buzzed with heated debate for quite some time.