Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Overwhelm (3)
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"This time will be different."
"Let's begin."
As Mujin settled into his stance and gathered strength in his heels, Namgung Yeonhwa raised a hand to stop him.
"Hold on! Why are you in such a rush? It's not like someone's gonna eat you!"
"I'm not rushing at all."
Where's the rush here? She asked for a spar, and he was obliging just as she wanted.
"Aren't you curious?"
"Curious about what?"
She hadn't expected such a blunt response, and Namgung Yeonhwa was left speechless. If he truly wasn't curious, as he said, there was nothing left to ask. It was perfectly logical. But that indifference grated on her nerves.
"To improve through martial arts spars, there has to be some give and take, right?"
"Give and take? I don't need any."
Crunch, crack!
Namgung Yeonhwa's face twisted fiercely.
His words were easy to understand. There's nothing for me to learn from you, so why should I bother asking? It was crystal clear—no need for interpretation. He was polite on the surface, but he showed her no consideration whatsoever.
After her first defeat, she'd challenged him five more times. And ended up with a dismal record of five straight losses. By now, anyone would at least drop a hint out of curiosity. But no—he started the moment she said the word and beat her senseless every time.
Far from learning anything, she got pummeled one-sidedly and woke up on the cold floor much later. Sleeping on hard ground like that could even mess up her jaw.
Huuu!
Namgung Yeonhwa summoned unfamiliar patience. Rage boiled inside her, but she couldn't lash out. Mujin had gladly accepted every spar and just as gladly thrashed her. No demands, no suggestions—just pure beatdowns... spars.
"Five one-sided results like that, and it's hardly a spar anymore."
"Do you want guided training instead?"
Yes! He wasn't completely oblivious.
Her face lighting up with hope, Namgung Yeonhwa made her plea.
"Could you?"
"Why should I?"
Spars ended quickly, but guided training meant responding to every move, critiquing her internal energy and techniques.
What kind of person is this!
Even now, Mujin was just loosely warming up, clearly eager to wrap it up fast. She could see it plain as day—he wasn't even trying to hide it.
"You're the worst!"
"We're not gonna see each other often, so don't ask for the impossible."
As Namgung Yeonhwa dropped the pretense and revealed her true colors, Mujin stopped holding back on his words too.
"Man up and stop acting like a whiny kid!"
"If you want a favor, offer something in return. You can't expect freebies without going bald."
"You sneaky, filthy bastard!"
"Talk trash, and I'll hit harder."
Pop!
Mujin cracked his knuckles, and Namgung Yeonhwa flinched back. She knew he wasn't the type to joke around—at least not about that. A guy who beat her black and blue in the middle of Namgung family grounds wouldn't care about onlookers.
Watching him stand with legs spread wide, cracking his fists, she could practically smell the back-alley thug.
"What do you want, anyway?"
"I want to meet the Sword Emperor."
"...What?"
"Don't play dumb. I want to see the Sword Emperor."
"You think that's easy?"
"Then forget it."
Mujin's swift dismissal ignited Namgung Yeonhwa's fury. He brings it up, then quits negotiating the second I say no? What am I supposed to do with that!
"Let's start."
"Hey! I wasn't done talking!"
"You said no."
"You could at least try."
"Too much hassle."
He wasn't that desperate to see the Sword Emperor. His quick acceptance stung her pride. Every martial artist dreamed of meeting her grandfather. His insights, from the pinnacle of martial prowess, were priceless opportunities worth a fortune. For warriors, such fortunes came only by heaven's grace.
Of course, she had to give it her all with desperate resolve. Yet this arrogant punk treated her grandfather's wisdom like roadside pebbles.
See him or don't. No big deal.
Why bother seeing someone inferior to me?
He didn't advertise it, but Mujin prided himself on being unrivaled under heaven.
Even the Demon King wasn't my match.
-It was a draw.
Despite Cheon-gyeong's protests, Mujin didn't give the Twenty-One Elites of the Divine Continent special treatment. Most had died before the wars even started, skewing the era's history.
He was just curious about the Sword Emperor's absence and wanted to check his status. No need to curry favor with Namgung Yeonhwa for that. And in any deal, showing eagerness meant losing ground. Better if the other side didn't know you cared.
Mujin stayed nonchalant.
"Gotta finish quick and grab a drink."
"Hey, you punk!"
Her temper was flaring.
Fiery woman. Whoever ended up with her, as long as it wasn't him, fine.
"Some people just don't get it with words."
"...Wait! I might be able to arrange it."
As Mujin raised his fist to show he was done waiting, Namgung Yeonhwa panicked. At this rate, no learning—just another one-sided beating and waking up sprawled on the cold floor. This guy didn't discriminate between men and women. She wanted this, but the frustration was unavoidable.
"For sure?"
"No guarantees."
"Then let's wrap it up."
"I'll try! I'm Namgung Yeonhwa, you know!"
"No need."
"I said I will! Why don't you trust me?"
"It's not certain."
"You think Grandpa meets just anyone? We have rules and procedures."
"Oh?"
Mujin looked reluctant but relented grudgingly, and Namgung Yeonhwa sighed in relief—mixed with annoyance. Do I really have to beg this jerk for guided training? Regret washed over her.
"You're getting off easy. This ain't worth my time."
"That's my line!"
"Huh? Guided training still hurts, y'know."
"Is that a threat?"
"Depends on you."
The nerve!
Namgung Yeonhwa was too stunned for anger. Someone threatening her in the Namgung family? His guts were made of steel.
Whoosh!
Mujin's aura shifted, and Namgung Yeonhwa's eyes widened, mouth agape. This was different from before.
"Guided training!"
"I know. Gonna fill in your gaps."
"...Stay back!"
"Come here. I'll show you."
Namgung Yeonhwa's weakness was desperation. Raised in comfort within her clan, she'd never tasted life-or-death stakes or raw urgency.
Through five spars, Mujin had pinpointed it. He admired her pure passion and drive for martial arts. But mere enthusiasm had limits. The future War Queen bloomed from battlefield desperation—a flower etched with scars. She refused facial wounds, so he'd try another way.
I'll show her the asura's field.
He unleashed the killing intent and aura from his battlefields. Kill on sight. Kill and kill, wake up and kill, kill mid-meal. It became routine, but the ingrained bloodlust was top-tier.
Whoosh!
Namgung Yeonhwa's vision darkened.
...Shouldn't have asked!
Regret surged, but she didn't back down. A demon beckoned from before her. Fleeing in fear wasn't the mark of a true warrior.
"Damn you!"
"Language."
If she wanted more beatings, fine.
Not his body.
Taejin and Cheolho's storm raged on into the top sixteen.
Zhuge Mok of the Zhuge family and So Jeonghyeon of the Mun family fell as sacrifices. They'd hoped for close fights from the top sixteen, but it wasn't enough to stop Taejin and Cheolho's advance.
Especially Zhuge Mok's defeat marked the Five Great Families' first loss. Burning with resolve to avenge his father, Zhuge Mok only exhausted himself. Taejin exploited the openings from his overzealous excitement.
And then the quarterfinals.
The Five Great Families' later-generation talents regrouped, blocking Taejin and Cheolho's path.
Taejin's quarterfinal opponent was, coincidentally, the Zhuge family's last bastion: Little Heavenly Sword Zhuge Min. Zhuge Min had no choice but to fight after Zhuge Mok's fall.
Taejin and Zhuge Min took the stage and locked eyes.
Zhuge Min's eyes twitched at Taejin's unchanged calm aura. That serenity irked him. Even reaching the quarterfinals dominantly, Taejin was different from the others he'd faced.
"Your arrogance ends here. I'll teach you there's always a sky above the sky."
"I'll do my best."
Taejin didn't waste time on banter. He accepted calmly and drew his wooden sword.
"Insolent fool! You'll regret this!"
Zhuge Min hated that composure. Pine Tiger Sect was a drop in the bucket compared to Zhuge family. No prestige, massive scale gap. He shouldn't be so calm—he should be terrified.
"Quarterfinal match, begin!"
Dong, dong, dong!
The drums sounded, and Taejin and Zhuge Min charged. No probing—just aggressive assaults against expectations. Their gazes held steady.
Tatata!
Bodies propelled by footwork cast lightning shadows, accelerating sword speed. Sounds outnumbered visuals. Exchanges transcended sight—territory of the discerning eye.
Chiii!
Clash, flow, swords intertwined and crossed.
Neither sword was fancy. Just thrusts and slashes. Speed would decide the flow.
Shwoong!
Amid the dazzling symphony of precise clashes, a thrust bewildered Zhuge Min's senses.
Tang!
Zhuge Min's rhythm faltered against the unpredictable thrust.
Stagger!
Taejin seized the moment, sword pivoting from thrust to slash, predicting Zhuge Min's recovery footwork.
Kraaaang!
Like a starving tiger's roar from pine shadows, tearing space.
Pa-pat!
Zhuge Min instinctively deployed Heavenly Mechanism Foresight to escape Pine Tiger Gale, but lost momentum.
Taejin wasn't satisfied with one gain.
Stepping into Pine Wind Stride, he pursued the foresight footwork relentlessly. No breather. Then the thrust—Pine Tiger One Thousand pierced the sky.
Shuuuung!
Cornered, Zhuge Min switched to counterattack instead of evasion. Despite disadvantage, he trusted his superior internal energy.
Great Heavenly Star Sword Art, Sixth Form: Star River Falling Star.
Not perfect mastery, but Zhuge Min could infuse his blade with energy.
Kwaaaang!
A star's fall empowered by heaven's qi.
Harsh air-ripping, shattered wood fragments scattered.
Kudada!
He tumbled off the stage, rolling to a stop and staring blankly at the sky.
"How..."
He'd trusted his energy to overcome the disadvantage. But the result was hollow. Only the lonely hilt remained, proving harsh reality.
"...Pushed back in internal energy!"
As direct Zhuge lineage, he'd received elite training and countless elixirs. Unacceptable. Energy was his edge, at least.
"Pine Tiger Sect's Kang Taejin wins!"
Waaaaaaaa!
The arena erupted. A clash leagues beyond prior matches. Perfectly matched skills, decisive outcome. Quick, but true prowess shown.
I guided it, but he was reckless.
Still dazed, Zhuge Min played into Taejin's plan. Five Families' resources should mean energy superiority, but Taejin was an energy monster.
Morning, lunch, dinner, bedtime snacks—absurd elixirs from Dad daily. He felt fewer rivals in pure energy as tournaments progressed. No envy for prestigious sects or families.
Dad!
Victorious Taejin sought his father, regretting earlier resentment during the event.
"...?"
Regret, my ass!
No sign of Dad anywhere. Little Dragon Tournament quarterfinals apparently not worth his eyes. Or zero interest.
Grrr!
Zhuge Min foaming, refusing defeat. If he knew the circumstances, might not stop at fainting.
Ignorance is bliss.
