Chapter 51: Honing (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: Honing (3)
While a sword fight was unfolding in Mokryun Hall, the Second Cloud Promotion Exam was reaching its final stages at the main fortress of the Azure Heaven Association.
“Baekri Cheong! Congratulations on your promotion to the Second Cloud!”
At the congratulations from Iron Tower Hall Master Dan Jung-se, Baekri Cheong bowed politely and lowered his gaze.
His clear eyes reflected the Blue Jade stone tablet. The cross-section of the horizontally split tablet was incredibly smooth.
It was the result of a single strike.
‘I heard Little Brother also cut it with a single strike.’
Baekri Cheong wanted to examine the sword mark on the Blue Jade stone tablet that Namgung Jun had cut. He knew they wouldn't be identical, and he was curious about the differences.
It was a pity he couldn't see and compare them in person.
‘Perhaps I am still lacking.’
Baekri Cheong checked his blade. Though the damage was microscopic, the edge that had first struck the Blue Jade stone tablet was marred.
This meant it was not a flawless sword strike.
Feeling his achievement was lacking, Baekri Cheong didn't sheathe his sword, instead staring intently at the damaged edge.
Observing him, a muscle in Dan Jung-se’s cheek twitched.
‘Baekri Cheong. It seems he isn’t satisfied.’
Despite passing the promotion exam with outstanding marks, his reaction was lukewarm, and he seemed unable to leave the spot.
Seeing through the thoughts hidden in the young man's gaze, Dan Jung-se chuckled.
“To have a worthy rival with whom you can compete in martial arts is truly a blessing.”
“Hall Master.”
“You must want to cross swords with Namgung Jun again.”
With his inner thoughts laid bare, Baekri Cheong lowered his head. While there was nothing wrong with a competitive spirit, he felt a bit embarrassed.
After all, Namgung Jun was several years younger than him, and it hadn't even been a year since he started learning martial arts.
After a moment of hesitation, Baekri Cheong spoke cautiously.
“I heard Little Brother is also at the main fortress, so I was planning to visit the Heavenly Sword Hall soon.”
“There is no need for that. There is a much better stage.”
“Pardon?”
Baekri Cheong was slightly surprised by Dan Jung-se’s explanation.
‘A competition to select the rising stars who will participate in the Mount Song Gathering.’
It was an opportunity to trade blows not only with Namgung Jun but also with the other promising rising stars of the Ten Halls of the Azure Heaven Association.
‘Furthermore, at the Mount Song Gathering, I can meet the disciples of the Three Sects and One Gang, and the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects.’
Baekri Cheong was someone who always thirsted for rapid growth.
Opportunities to meet so many skilled martial artists of a similar age were rare. Especially if they were rising stars from the Three Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, they would be ranked among the very best in the Jianghu.
By competing with them, he could not only find clues for his own growth but also gauge his current standing in the world.
“When does the competition begin?”
“It will be officially announced in three or four days. Right now, only the Hall Masters know about it.”
“Thank you.”
“Since the Martial Conquest Hall Master is away on a long-term mission, your hall will be slow to get the news. It's no big deal, so don't worry about it.”
Only after hearing Dan Jung-se’s words did Baekri Cheong turn away, his heart feeling lighter. Now, even the time he’d just spent standing there felt like a waste.
He intended to immerse himself in training the moment he returned to the Martial Conquest Hall.
‘I should immediately consume the spirit elixirs I received as mission rewards.’
He had originally planned to take them later, but he changed his mind. He would throw himself into this competition with everything he had.
There was no way Namgung Jun would miss an event like this.
He would surely appear as one of the rising stars representing the Heavenly Sword Hall.
The heat of his burning passion was evident in his quickening pace.
“I envy the Martial Conquest Hall Master and the Heavenly Sword Hall Master.”
Watching Baekri Cheong disappear past the wall, Dan Jung-se flexed his powerful muscles.
Namgung Jun and Baekri Cheong.
Though they were newcomers who had just entered the Azure Heaven Association, they were demonstrating an astonishing speed in both martial achievements and accumulating merits.
Naturally, their names were heard frequently within the main fortress.
In particular, several Hall Masters deeply regretted not being able to recruit the two into their own halls.
Even though he knew that both of them were swordsmen and thus ill-suited for the Iron Tower Hall, Dan Jung-se couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
That was how brilliant the talents of these two juniors were, and how unstoppable their strides.
“I must move quickly as well.”
Dan Jung-se thought of the rising stars of the Iron Tower Hall whom he would send to this competition.
Though they fell short compared to Namgung Jun and Baekri Cheong, they were not so weak as to be helplessly pushed aside. Dan Jung-se had never trained the Clouds under his command half-heartedly.
‘This competition is like a miniature version of the Ten Halls Strength Evaluation.’
The Ten Halls Strength Evaluation was a major event of the Azure Heaven Association held once every three years.
True to its name, it was an occasion where all of the Ten Halls competed for superiority and to select the new Three Powerhouses.
Since all the promising rising stars of the Ten Halls would clash, this competition was also a very important event.
Moreover, the time for the triennial Ten Halls Strength Evaluation was gradually drawing near.
The Hall Masters would surely use this competition to get a rough idea of their respective strengths.
“I look forward to it.”
* * *
Seeing Namgung Jun return covered in blood, the swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall gasped in shock and rushed over.
“What in the world! How did you end up like this?”
“I’ve been uneasy ever since you said you were going to Mokryun Hall.”
“Gold sore ointment! And bandages!”
Heo Il and Man Ye-won stopped their duel and hurried over to examine Namgung Jun. Blood seeping through his tattered uniform made for a dreadful sight.
“Young Hero Namgung. Did the Mokryun Hall Master do this to you?” Heo Il asked in a low, subdued voice.
“Did that Sword Demon have a Qi Deviation? I'm telling my grandfather right now!” Man Ye-won’s face flushed red, her fists trembling with rage.
Namgung Jun placed his hands on their shoulders.
“Don’t worry. They are all shallow wounds. They’ll heal quickly once I apply some gold sore ointment.”
After calming the two of them, Namgung Jun turned his head. His gaze fell upon Gong Jun-am.
A chilling coldness emanated from Gong Jun-am’s eyes as he silently stared at the dark red stains spreading across the torn uniform.
If Namgung Jun hadn't insisted he was fine, Gong Jun-am looked ready to storm off to Mokryun Hall that very instant.
“That’s enough. Everyone, go back to what you were doing.”
At a word from Lee Se-ha, who had been observing quietly, the members of the Heavenly Sword Hall swallowed their anger and stepped back.
Lee Se-ha gestured with a flick of her wrist, her expression unreadable. Namgung Jun had no choice but to follow her.
“Sit.”
Her demeanor was unusually cold.
Led all the way to the Hall Master’s office, Namgung Jun sat down quietly.
Without a word, Lee Se-ha took out the gold sore ointment and bandages. She then removed his uniform and began treating his wounds.
As a heavy silence hung in the air, Namgung Jun asked cautiously, “Master. Are you angry?”
From the beginning, Lee Se-ha had been reluctant to let him get involved with the Sword Demon. Seeing him return injured like this, she was bound to feel even worse.
“You aren't reckless, Jun. You must have had your reasons.”
Her touch was gentle and delicate as she cleaned his wounds and applied the gold sore ointment, as if she wished he would feel no pain.
Lee Se-ha wiped the blood from his face, her own face close to his.
“Still, from your refreshed expression, it seems you gained more than I thought you would.”
“Yes. I gained a valuable insight.”
Lee Se-ha examined the wound on his shoulder and pouted.
“Hmph. One of these days, I'm going to drive my sword into that Sword Demon bastard's shoulder in the exact same way.”
The sword wound on his side was deep. Any deeper, and gold sore ointment wouldn't have been enough.
Lee Se-ha voiced her minor grievance.
“I could have taught you plenty without you getting hurt like this.”
“I know. Your teachings are the best, Master.”
“You certainly have a way with words.”
Though her reply was blunt, Lee Se-ha’s expression softened slightly, as if she was secretly pleased.
“I know it goes without saying, but I wish you wouldn't get hurt, Jun.”
Lee Se-ha’s quiet voice fell gently upon a newly bandaged wound.
It wasn't the first time she had seen Namgung Jun bleed. Besides, injury was something a martial artist could never entirely avoid.
Even so, it was hard for Lee Se-ha to watch her disciple get hurt. Her heart ached, as if she had received the exact same wound herself.
Staring at Lee Se-ha’s slender profile, Namgung Jun spoke slowly.
“Please wait just a little longer.”
“For what?”
“I will become strong enough that you won't have to worry about me anymore.”
Lee Se-ha sighed and lightly tapped the neatly wrapped bandage, a gesture that carried a sense of relief.
“My only disciple never listens. You’re always making me worry.”
“That hurts, Master.”
“I tapped it so it would hurt.”
Once the treatment was finished, Lee Se-ha swept her hair back roughly and raised her voice.
“You know, now that I think about it, this is pretty outrageous, isn't it?”
“What is?”
“My disciple, who lets my words go in one ear and out the other. And the Sword Demon, who put my disciple in this state.”
Namgung Jun let out a chuckle. He knew she was being deliberately playful to lighten the mood.
“Master. How about a duel? It's been a while.”
“What are you talking about? I just finished bandaging you up.”
“You can wrap them again when we're done.”
“A disciple ordering his master around… Seriously, is this how it's supposed to be?”
Though she replied with a pout, Lee Se-ha ultimately smiled brightly and gripped her sword.
“Are you sure you're okay?”
“Yes. I want to show you the insight I gained at Mokryun Hall.”
Standing side by side on the training ground, the master and disciple locked eyes for a moment before slowly drawing their swords.
Their steps were light and slow, as were the swords that extended with each forward step.
Sssring!
The two blades brushed against each other gently, ringing out with a clear metallic sound.
The master and disciple crossed swords incredibly slowly, as if performing a sword dance. They did not use any internal energy.
The two swords moved at a speed that even a child who had never learned martial arts could easily track.
Yet, their duel was neither clumsy nor superficial. Even as the blades moved slowly, their paths shifted endlessly.
Lacking explosive dynamism, their slow exchange was instead infused with profound martial principles. Often, the two swords sliced through empty air, never meeting.
As the duel progressed, a distinct difference emerged in their sword paths.
Lee Se-ha’s sword path was strictly linear, while Namgung Jun’s curved and twisted in various directions.
Namgung Jun sought to entangle his master's sword path, while Lee Se-ha aimed to cleanly sever his.
Endlessly twisting and changing in midair, the two swords chased each other, dancing like a pair of butterflies.
An hour passed, yet they had exchanged barely a dozen blows. Despite the slow pace, Namgung Jun’s forehead was drenched in sweat.
This was because he had to constantly refine the insights flashing through his mind, trimming the excess from his sword paths and honing them to perfection.
Otherwise, he would be blocked by Lee Se-ha’s sword, unable to even extend his own.
If he could not extend his sword, the duel would end right then and there.
‘Excellent.’
By evading Lee Se-ha’s slow strikes, he cleanly refined the insights into the Illusion Sword and the Changing Sword that he had gained at Mokryun Hall.
Clang!
Once again, the swords of the master and disciple clashed. This time, the two blades seemed glued together, showing no sign of separating.
With their edges locked, only the blades shifted back and forth.
Grind!
The two swords twisted endlessly, each suppressing the other and preventing it from extending in a different direction.
As the standoff continued, Lee Se-ha was the first to smile and speak.
“So this is the insight you obtained at Mokryun Hall, Jun. It's a sword of an entirely different nature.”
“Thanks to you, Master, I was able to hone it even more cleanly.”
Exchanging these words, the master and disciple withdrew their swords at the same time.
As Lee Se-ha lightly swept her hair back, the moonlight scattered in fragments through her fingers.
“All that thinking made me hungry. Shall we get something to eat?”
“I’ll go buy some dumplings.”
Lee Se-ha immediately fell in step beside him.
“No, let's go together. We can take a night walk, too.”
The master and disciple set off together for a walk toward an inn located within the main fortress of the Azure Heaven Association.
And so, the competition for the Mount Song Gathering rapidly drew near.