Chapter 49
Episode 49
Friendly Sparring (3)
No matter how much his martial prowess had improved, achieving such an overwhelming victory was never easy for Daewoong.
"Huff... huff..."
His cheerful conversation with Yeo-seon had been brief.
Daewoong, who had been resting below the training grounds, was now gasping for breath.
The toll on his internal energy had been immense.
Indeed, the reason Daewoong had been able to overpower Beom-pyeong so effortlessly was that he had poured more than half of his internal energy into every single strike—whether firing an arrow or swinging his club.
He had prepared for a one-hit-kill strategy, with no contingency plans or fallbacks whatsoever.
And the downside of that strategy was his current state.
Seeing Daewoong's pale face, the warriors of the Tang Elite Unit sighed in relief, thinking, Well, that makes sense.
It seemed he had used every ounce of his strength to defeat Beom-pyeong, but in this state, he would undoubtedly collapse the moment he stepped into the next sparring match.
But...
Their expectations were shattered in an instant.
—!!
"?!?!"
The warriors of the Tang Elite Unit collectively gaped at the completely unexpected scene unfolding before them.
Tap-tap! Thud!
A series of crisp, rhythmic sounds, like the beats of a percussion instrument, echoed around them.
Se-woon had approached Daewoong and was now relentlessly striking his body—not to inflict pain, but for another purpose.
Whoosh—
Daewoong, who had closed his eyes, suddenly felt energy surging through his entire body.
His expression grew calmer, and vitality pulsed through him.
Just as Abbess Geumhwa had done earlier, Se-woon was using the Energy Pushing Technique to restore Daewoong's condition while rapidly replenishing his depleted internal energy.
The onlookers erupted in admiration at Se-woon's actions.
'Wow, he's personally performing the Energy Pushing Technique for a mere subordinate!'
'Do you know how exhausting and complicated that technique is?'
'...I'm jealous. If I had joined the Tang Elite Unit, I would've chosen the Young Lord.'
Envious gazes poured in from all directions—even from the opposing Tang Elite Unit warriors.
However, Son Geon, concerned about fairness, cautiously spoke up.
"Uh... Young Lord. Isn't this one-sided assistance a bit... problematic?"
"Hm? Problematic?"
"Huh?"
"Isn't this just a rest period?"
"W-well, yes."
"I'm merely helping him catch his breath. I don't see how that's an issue."
"T-that's..."
Son Geon's lips twitched, but he couldn't argue.
Upon reflection, Se-woon's words made perfect sense.
"Besides, I only restored Daewoong's condition to what it was before the first match. I don't have the skill to infuse him with any more energy than that."
"...Then, may I verify that myself?"
"Of course."
Se-woon nodded readily, and Son Geon swiftly approached Daewoong.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, Son Geon probed his internal energy.
As a first-class martial artist and deputy leader of the Tang Family, it didn't take him long to confirm.
'He's telling the truth.'
The inspection revealed that Daewoong's internal energy was precisely the same as before the match—not a drop more.
Son Geon glanced cautiously at Tang Bi before speaking.
"Does the Tang Elite Unit Leader and the rest of the unit agree?"
"...If his condition is truly unchanged, then there's no issue, as the Young Lord said. Proceed."
"Understood."
Tang Bi responded with a bewildered expression.
The Tang Elite Unit had no choice but to accept Se-woon's actions.
After all, they already held an overwhelming numerical advantage in this friendly sparring—twenty-one against three.
If they raised objections now, they would only embarrass themselves in front of Tang Mu-yeol, who had been watching from the start.
"Very well! Let the second match of the friendly sparring begin!"
Woooooah—!
Amidst the roaring cheers of the household members, the sparring resumed.
And moments later—
BOOM!
Another thunderous crash echoed as yet another Tang Elite Unit warrior collapsed onto the training grounds.
'Hah... What in the world...?'
Tang Bi, leader of the Tang Elite Unit, swallowed back a sigh that threatened to escape.
The banquet, which had begun with cheers, was now nearing its end.
On the training grounds before him, an intense battle raged.
Clang! Clang!
Sharp metallic clashes rang out as orange sparks burst into the air.
One of the Tang Elite Unit's most senior members, his expression grim, hurled hidden weapons from his sleeves.
"Haaah!"
Swish-swish!
Zhang Yi, wielding twin short spears, deflected the attacks with fierce swings of his weapons—no, he wasn't just defending.
He was aggressively pushing his opponent into a corner.
To any observer, it was clear Zhang Yi was dominating the fight.
Just ten days ago, Zhang Yi had been ranked near the bottom of the Tang Elite Unit's internal hierarchy.
Yet now, his performance was nothing short of extraordinary—far beyond what anyone would have expected.
'...So Daewoong wasn't the only one whose skills improved.'
Tang Bi exhaled a mix of admiration and frustration.
He had thought Daewoong's sudden leap in prowess was an unfortunate fluke—a freak disaster.
As for the Zhang brothers, he had optimistically assumed their abilities hadn't changed much.
But it didn't take long for him to realize how wrong he was.
'How... How did three people reach the peak of first-class mastery in just ten days?'
Both Zhang brothers had surpassed the initial threshold of first-class and reached full maturity in their skills.
Zhang Yi and Zhang Er.
Within the Tang Elite Unit, they were often called the "Shield and Spear" brothers—not because their words and actions contradicted each other, but because of their fighting styles.
Zhang Yi, the elder brother, practiced the rare Shield Art, uncommon in the martial world.
Meanwhile, Zhang Er, the younger brother, wielded twin short spears.
But until yesterday, that nickname had carried a hint of mockery.
Many had sneered that their inclusion in the Tang Elite Unit was a contradiction—given their lackluster skills.
"Another ring-out! The winner of this match is once again Zhang Yi of the Young Lord's faction!"
After Daewoong, Zhang Yi had taken the stage, blocking every attack with his shield before slamming his opponent out of bounds with a single, energy-infused strike.
Meanwhile, Zhang Er overwhelmed his foes with relentless spear assaults, defeating them one after another.
Their skills were now on par with Daewoong's—no less impressive.
'As for the remaining members...'
Tang Bi glanced at his own side.
What had begun as a lopsided match—twenty-one against three—had now dwindled to just nine warriors remaining on his side.
Daewoong had defeated five.
Zhang Yi, four.
Zhang Er, three.
Twelve warriors had already fallen.
Of course, his unit fought valiantly to the end...
But the results were always the same.
"Guhk..."
Thud.
And then—
"The winner of this match is Zhang Er of the Young Lord's faction—!!"
'Ah...'
Another warrior from the Tang Elite Unit groaned and dropped to his knees.
Now, only eight remained.
Woooooah—!
As Se-woon's faction secured yet another victory, the household members' admiration had escalated into awe.
"How many is that now? One, two... H-huh?! Thirteen?!"
"How are they winning every single match without a single loss?"
"Were those three always the strongest?"
"Tsk, no. It's all thanks to the instructor and the Young Lord's training—they improved at an insane rate!"
As the household members whispered, Se-woon's three warriors remained undefeated.
Not a single loss.
Zhang Er hadn't stepped in because Daewoong or Zhang Yi had been defeated—Se-woon had simply rotated them out, joking that the audience might get bored watching the same outcome repeatedly.
The Tang Elite Unit's pride had already been thoroughly trampled.
How could something so absurd be happening?
Just as Tang Bi sighed unconsciously—
"Hehe, everyone's doing great! Let's keep it up!"
Yeo-seon, still brimming with energy, bounced around like a freshly caught fish.
Tang Bi's eyes gleamed as he watched her.
Her personality was lighthearted—uncharacteristic for the Tang Family, where appearances often masked darker intentions.
If he were honest, he had once dismissed her as frivolous.
But now, he couldn't help but marvel at her extraordinary talent and skill—so much so that he felt ashamed of his past judgment.
'...She tailored countermeasures for each opponent perfectly. How is that even possible?'
As the matches progressed, Tang Bi realized that Se-woon's side had flawlessly anticipated every one of their attacks—both the first and second waves.
But what astonished him even more was Se-woon's unbelievable foresight in recruiting Yeo-seon from the Martial Alliance.
'...How did Se-woon recognize her talent so early?'
While others saw her as mere silver—or perhaps gold—Se-woon had already known she was worth more than ten thousand gold.
It was enough to make anyone sigh in admiration.
At the same time, guilt and shame welled up inside Tang Bi.
'Was it my own arrogance that blinded me from seeing my nephew's true worth?'
Regret flooded his heart.
Even after witnessing Se-woon's every move—even after seeing his battle against Poison Demon Yayul Seung and Abbess Geumhwa's acknowledgment—he had still harbored doubts.
Having watched Se-woon since his frail childhood, Tang Bi had always viewed him with the protective eyes of an uncle—not as a future leader.
But now, he finally understood.
'My nephew... No, the Young Lord is someone far beyond my judgment.'
How could a pigeon ever comprehend the ambitions of a roc?
He was but a commoner lost in the wilderness.
But Se-woon was a Hidden Dragon, biding his time—a Phoenix Chick, waiting to soar.
With this realization, Tang Bi looked at Se-woon with entirely new eyes.
Even now, Se-woon stood motionless, gazing down at his subordinates without a flicker of emotion.
His cold, almost eerie gaze sent shivers down Tang Bi's spine.
Thump-thump!
For some reason, his warrior's heart began pounding fiercely.
There was only one explanation.
If Se-woon were an enemy, he would be terrifying beyond measure.
But he was, after all, the future leader of the Tang Family of Sichuan.
Tap.
At that moment, Se-woon took a step forward.
"Leader of the Tang Elite Unit, Uncle—may I propose something?"
What was he planning now?
Tang Bi, the remaining warriors, and everyone else present fixed their eyes on the Young Lord.
Se-woon spoke.
"This is dragging on. Let's end it in one go."
"—!!"
Amidst the spectators' cheers, the final team battle was decided.