One-Day Sword Class (2)
It was the opposite choice from Dang Jihwan, who had pushed forward aggressively with offense.
Clack! As my wooden sword clashed with Mo Yongyeong's, it rang out like a wooden fish statue shattering.
"Hmm? This puny thing's got some real power, huh?"
She spat that out, but the way her lips stiffened made her fluster obvious.
"I'm five—same as six."
Being able to withstand Mo Yongyeong's strength was surely the result of my steady training all this time. Grateful even for learning the Tang Family Fist, I calmly stepped back.
Crack—
'Isn't that sound coming from my wrist?!'
I yanked one hand off the sword in horror at my throbbing wrist. It was the right call anyway, since gripping hard was impossible.
"Opening!"
...I was about to get hit. Without even changing my stance, Mo Yongyeong's strike targeted my shoulder in a motion utterly unlike any Tang Family Fist form.
Still, my body moved on reflex.
'Huh?'
"You dodged that?"
Shockingly, it missed—just barely grazing past. The moment I realized it, my chest burned with confidence.
'I dodged Sassy's attack!'
Of course. Ever since handing Sohee over to the Bi Yeon Pavilion Master, I'd trained Eye Law so obsessively I couldn't tell rice from maggots. And no matter how much she was the Sword Lord's granddaughter, a seven-year-old wasn't cheating. She wasn't projecting sword qi or anything, and unlike the Tang Family Fist—which had endless potential even in one stance, shifting like Full Sky Flower Rain—a wooden sword came down to distance from the opponent, right?
Diving right into Mo Yongyeong's guard at the perfect moment meant she couldn't hit me.
"Can't even land on a five-year-old, huh?"
"Urk—"
Buoyed by confidence, I taunted her with flashy steps, dodged, and even blocked a few exchanges from her attacks flying in from all directions. There was an angle that eased the strain on my wrist. My soles felt like they might catch fire from tension, but my body felt lighter than ever.
'I might not win, but I don't feel like losing either?'
The sky looked bluer, and even the distant crowd came into sharp focus, one by one. A thrill unlike any training surged through me. I waved toward where Sohee was.
"Sohee! I'll do my best!"
After a few more exchanges like that, Mo Yongyeong's movements changed somehow. Unlike the start, she hesitated, glancing back at her dad.
"Father?"
Confirming his daughter's pleading eyes, Mo Yongjae nodded.
"Mm! Good."
In the middle of the spar, Mo Yongyeong suddenly bent at the waist and dropped something from inside her skirt.
"Sandbag?"
It wasn't on her ankle but strapped to her thigh, and from the way it thudded down, it looked heavy.
'No wonder her movements felt sluggish—she was wearing that?'
"Alright, no more holding back!"
Declaring it boldly in front of my horrified self, Mo Yongyeong raised her wooden sword high. Then she swung it at a speed my eyes couldn't follow.
Wait a sec—beating up a total beginner under the guise of a spar—
...This was a critical hit.
I'd seen it in classic murim webnovels like WinterX.
"You tricked me!!!"
"What're you yapping about, you little brat!"
→ → ↑ ↓ ← → ↓ Pain!
Like a final flash before death, my past life flickered by. Come to think of it, even when I was setting fires everywhere, I never got beaten. Overtraining fatigue was different from real physical blows.
"Oh? Still not surrendering?"
"Surrender? What's that?"
"Can't even hold your sword anymore—pathetic."
'Now that Sassy's let her guard down, it's my chance.'
She was right; holding the wooden sword any longer was impossible. But I glanced down at my legs. I'd mostly taken hits to my upper body, and my legs—tortured by Uncle's hellish stamina training—stood firm with unyielding will.
I took a moment for deep breaths. Mo Yongyeong waited, as if sensing something, though her mouth kept up the pressure.
"You've held out this long—doesn't that prove your spirit?"
Adult approval? Yeah, maybe that's what I'd wanted. But if you're gonna go all out, you should've trained Tang Family Fist harder. No way the Tang Family Fist-obsessed grownups would acknowledge you just for beating one kid.
Maybe I hadn't been that desperate anyway.
"Hoo..."
Who was I, and why was I even sparring this sassy brat? Self-loathing washed over me, but suddenly I wondered what Mirror Ghost would've done. Even with just Tang Family Fist, she'd pulled off Full Sky Flower Rain effortlessly. Meaning, I had to leverage my given strengths.
Finally resolved, I opened my eyes.
"Not happening, Mo Yongyeong."
"What?"
A Tang kid grabbing a sword for the first time beating Mo Yong Clan's early-education genius? A five-year-old topping a seven-year-old? Might be impossible. But so what?
'Sparring's all about riling up the opponent anyway, right?'
Instead of answering, I stomped on Sassy's foot.
Mo Yongyeong suffered something she absolutely shouldn't have.
"This...!"
I twisted my planted foot as a pivot, spinning to press my body against hers. An application of Tang Family Fist's rotational motion.
"You—!"
Our hips were at different heights, but that wasn't hard to overcome. I hopped up. Hip met hip. I threw my full weight to shove Mo Yongyeong away!
If I had to name it, maybe Hip Chain Strike or something?
Thud—
We tangled and toppled to the ground. Mo Yongyeong scrambled in panic, but it didn't turn into grappling.
"Dang Yohwan! To think you'd pull something more shameful than mounting in a spar!"
'That punk finally knows my name...'
Even the almighty Dang Chehwan knew this body's name. Felt kinda proud, somehow.
—via Radiant Light Heart Language
The Bi Yeon Pavilion Master signaled the match's end with Radiant Light Heart Language.
"I didn't drop my sword... so it's a draw, right?"
"You're still such a child."
Shaking her head, the Bi Yeon Pavilion Master sighed. If I had to guess her intent, it was a foul loss.
"Hahaha!"
Mo Yong Uncle—his mountain-like shadow suddenly looming—hoisted me up, instead of raging that I'd targeted his daughter's butt.
"Claiming it's your first time with a sword, yet so bold."
"Yeah, I'm pretty amazing!"
"The kid's got a real knack for cheeky tactics," came Yang Wife's added commentary from afar, fanning herself gracefully.
Glancing at Mo Yongyeong, her glare could kill.
'No way she's gonna hit me now that the spar's over?'
Just in case, I dropped my sword and scurried to the instructor for safety. He welcomed me more kindly than usual.
"Yohwan, you okay?"
"I lost—what's okay about it?"
"Don't take it too hard. You just picked up a sword, and she's had years of training."
"Yeah, figured."
That's what I thought. A one-year gap at this age is huge! Mo Yongyeong with her sandbag was totally five-year-old level. If I'd shown Tang Family Fist, I'd have smacked her forehead!
"...No, look a little down."
My grinning face must've irked him; he trailed off.
"Yohwan, you were weaker, so nothing for it."
"Sohee!"
"Next up's Sohee. Good luck."
"Yes, Instructor."
As he said, the last in the rotation was Sohee. She bowed politely to our instructor, then trotted off to pick up the sword I'd ditched.
"Why are there so many people now?"
There'd been a crowd before, but now it was several times bigger. Even folks on rooftops.
"They're all here to see Poison Insect's new disciple, I bet."
"Sohee?"
"Yeah."
Now the murmuring spectators' chatter made sense.
"After the Fifth Young Master, it's that kid?"
"Poison Insect's new disciple..."
"Up close, she really looks like Poison Shadow."
'Sohee's mom was a pretty famous powerhouse?'
Poison Shadow was a title for women, so I tucked that deduction away tight. Meanwhile, Sohee and Mo Yongyeong faced off and bowed.
"Begin!"
No one moved first after the call. Mo Yongyeong bragged loudly.
"I'll yield the first strike."
"Why's your voice so loud, big sis?"
"What?"
"It's super noisy."
'First time seeing Sohee talk so sharply!'
It shocked me, but made total sense. Sassy had been extra sassy. Mo Yongyeong's face twisted like she'd bitten a bug at the retort.
"The Fifth Young Master too—Tang kids are all sharp-tongued!"
Anyway, Mo Yongjae Uncle was still thrilled even at Sohee's roast. Was he just overlooking his daughter's rudeness, or a genuinely laid-back guy?
"Our son isn't like that..."
"Well, Jihwan lacks competitive fire."
"My, Second Young Master. What did you just say?"
Ignoring Yang Wife and Dang Chehwan starting to growl at each other, I focused on the spar. Sohee moved first. She took her initial step slow and deliberate, gripping the sword one-handed like it weighed nothing. The wooden blade traced a path through the air—a long, flattened arc, more oval than semicircle. It evoked a bow somehow.
"I'll fix that attitude!"
The instant Mo Yongyeong charged, Sohee pulled her foot back taut like a bowstring.