An Unexpected Intruder
Whoosh!
A sword sliced through the air. With that single movement, countless lines fanned out.
The world seen through the Moon Eye was always clear yet ambiguous.
Sometimes it showed only a single line.
Other times, it revealed a dizzying cluster of them.
It was a cheat-like ability that offered a glimpse of how an opponent would move, but...
It's really annoying when it shows this many lines.
A question began to sprout. Where did this difference come from?
Does it mean there isn't just one possibility?
Some lines were vivid, while others were faint.
Watching the lines branch out, I moved my body.
Screeech!
The wooden swords clashed. It was the result of thrusting my sword toward the most vivid line.
I knew it.
The vividness of the line was the key.
Out of the countless lines that spread out, I had to identify and counter the clearest one.
I wondered what made Cheon Hye-in's lines so numerous compared to Cheon Ui-jin's, but...
Now is not the time to ponder.
I needed to move my sword instead of wasting time thinking.
Clack!
Damn it.
Even if I could see the lines and sense which one was the clearest, the most important part was how I reacted to it.
...She's too fast. I can't even react properly.
Even if I saw the lines, Cheon Hye-in's sword was simply too fast for me to mount a proper defense.
This is ridiculous.
I tried to execute a technique, but—thwack! Just before I could complete the motion, Cheon Hye-in's sword slipped in and shattered my form.
I couldn't even perform the Blue Moon Sword Dance properly.
I don't even have time to activate the Gwangwolseomgyeong.
Even if I wanted to coat my wooden sword in sword-force, I needed a few seconds to channel it.
And even that is blocked.
Whenever I tried to gather my energy, my Moon Eye caught Cheon Hye-in's incoming attack. She was aiming straight for my neck or vital points.
Her reactions are too fast.
How could someone be so flawless?
There should at least be a sliver of hope...
I can't win this.
The realization forced itself upon me. I had wondered how much of a difference there could be between the Seven Great Talents and Dongnyong, but...
...This is insane.
The difference was like heaven and earth. Even that cliché phrase was insufficient to describe it. Cheon Hye-in's skill couldn't even be compared to someone like Dongnyong.
An insurmountable wall.
That was what Cheon Hye-in looked like to me right now.
"Ugh!"
My body was launched into the air.
Unable to withstand the onslaught, I crashed and rolled across the ground.
"Aaargh..."
It hurt like hell. Where did she hit me? I knew I had been struck, but my entire body throbbed so intensely that I couldn't pinpoint the exact spot.
"Whew..."
I let out a sigh. Even for me, this was a bit too much.
After consuming all those miraculous elixirs and treasures...
Was I still unable to reach her level?
A genius.
A genius of the century. I finally understood the sheer talent of Cheon Hye-in, who was said to rank near the top of the Seven Great Talents.
The woman who, if she continued to grow at this rate, might inherit the title of Sword Saint. Her worth was undeniable.
With that thought, I rolled my eyes. Countless gazes stared down at me from around the sparring arena.
The emotions in them were crystal clear.
Disappointment. Bewilderment. Ridicule.
And a few hints of worry.
There wasn't a single shred of positive emotion.
I let out a dry chuckle.
That was exactly what I deserved to receive if I fought Cheon Hye-in at my current level.
I staggered to my feet.
Just then—
"...How disappointing," Cheon Hye-in said, her face devoid of emotion.
Out of all the eyes on me, the ones filled with the deepest disappointment belonged to her.
"I thought you possessed something special."
The light in her blue eyes dimmed slightly.
"I saw you as an intriguing person who held a value I couldn't quite perceive."
"Are you saying that's not the case now?"
I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.
It stung as it brushed against the cut.
"You are trivial."
A harsh evaluation fell upon me.
"I wanted to observe you a bit longer, wondering if there was something more."
Tighten.
The tip of Cheon Hye-in's wooden sword trembled.
By the time I realized she was channeling her strength, her sword was already right in front of my nose.
"I don't think there's any need for that anymore."
Cheon Hye-in's disappointment poured down like a blade.
Time seemed to slow down, like a revolving lantern. Watching it, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
I have to admit it.
The confidence I had gained from defeating Dongnyong was crushed in an instant.
Not yet.
I couldn't beat Cheon Hye-in.
Not yet.
But...
I had to win this somehow.
Even if it wasn't by my own hand.
So, it's time for you to step in.
I knew my limits now. It was time to get to work.
What pride did I have to lose anyway?
I felt nothing but indifference.
[Tsk, tsk.]
The old man's laughter, which I had been waiting for, echoed in my mind.
[I thought you were getting a bit too big for your boots lately. What a pathetic sight.]
His gloating voice grated on my nerves.
[Step aside.]
I closed my eyes at the words of the old man who would resolve this situation. The strength drained from my body.
At that moment—thud!
My body moved on its own, lunging forward toward Cheon Hye-in instead.
"!"
Cheon Hye-in's eyes widened at the sudden shift.
At this rate, her wooden sword would shatter my skull.
But—
Crack!
"Urgh...!"
The arm holding Cheon Hye-in's wooden sword was deflected, and my fist slammed directly into her abdomen.
Boom!
With a sound like exploding air pressure, Cheon Hye-in's body rolled across the ground.
Watching this, I let out a sigh of relief internally.
It worked.
He possessed me just in time.
Now I could relax. Just as I was about to completely let go of my body's control—
[...Huh?]
Wait...
A voice spoke. It was Yoo Chun-gil.
Yoo Chun-gil was standing to the side, staring at my body with wide, startled eyes.
...Why is that old man out there?
...Then who is...
Who is using my body right now?
A sudden chill ran down my spine.
If Yoo Chun-gil was outside, then who was the entity controlling my body?
Slide.
My body moved of its own accord.
Who are you?
I asked, sensing the presence.
"......"
But there was no answer.
I asked who you—!
I tried to demand again, but—snap!
My consciousness suddenly blacked out.
[What is this?]
Floating in the air, the old man frowned as he assessed the situation.
[...How did this happen?]
He had certainly been enjoying the sight of Bang Seong-yeon getting beaten up by Cheon Hye-in.
He hadn't liked how arrogant the boy had become lately, so he had looked forward to this as a good lesson.
Sure enough, watching him get thrashed had been highly entertaining.
He had been about to step in at the very last moment, but...
[What on earth is this?]
The old man frowned, a rare expression for him.
He should have been able to enter the body easily, but it was as if a wall had been erected, blocking him entirely.
Crash!
With a violent sound, Cheon Hye-in's body was sent flying.
[Ha!]
The old man gasped in shock.
That movement just now...
Was something Bang Seong-yeon could never have pulled off at his level.
Which meant...
[It is not the boy.]
It meant Bang Seong-yeon was not the one controlling that body.
At the same time...
[Who is this bastard?]
It also meant the entity using it was no ordinary martial artist.
[Where did he come from so suddenly?]
Where had this uninvited guest appeared from?
An unknown presence had wrapped itself around Bang Seong-yeon's body and begun to fight Cheon Hye-in.
"Cough!"
Cheon Hye-in retched. The blow had landed so cleanly that she couldn't even steady her body.
Just then—whoosh!
Bang Seong-yeon closed the distance and swung his fist.
"!"
Cheon Hye-in hastily raised her sword to block the fist.
Once. Twice.
Three times, four times.
Bang Seong-yeon's body unleashed a relentless barrage of hand-to-hand strikes.
As if mocking the fact that she used a sword, he fought her using nothing but his bare fists.
Crack!
The sound of something shattering echoed.
"Ugh!"
It was the sound of the protective qi surrounding Cheon Hye-in's body crumbling.
Bang Seong-yeon's fist slammed into her flank.
"Ah..."
A breathless gasp escaped her.
The impact was so severe she couldn't even scream properly.
Her stance collapsed.
Cheon Hye-in staggered, her knees buckling as Bang Seong-yeon stomped down on her joint.
Her upper body bent forward rapidly.
Smack!
Bang Seong-yeon's fist uppercutted her chin. Cheon Hye-in's head snapped back.
Even in that state, she tried to circulate her energy, desperately attempting to regain her flow.
Thud!
"...Ah...!"
This time, Bang Seong-yeon drove his knee straight into her dantian.
Her energy was instantly blocked, unable to flow.
Screeech.
The tip of Bang Seong-yeon's foot spun on the ground, generating momentum.
The resulting force wrapped around his fist, driving it straight into Cheon Hye-in's face.
Bam!
Taking a direct hit to the face, Cheon Hye-in's body trembled violently.
Thud!
Her knees hit the ground completely.
Her body began to collapse toward the floor, but—
Grab.
Bang Seong-yeon caught her by the throat, holding her in place.
Blood trickled steadily from Cheon Hye-in's nose.
It was clear she had lost consciousness.
"......"
The old man's eyes widened as he stared at Bang Seong-yeon's expression.
[This fellow...]
It was completely blank.
His eyes held absolutely no emotion, as if he were looking at a random stone on the side of the road.
[Could it be...?]
The old man knew someone with those eyes all too well.
But that was impossible.
[...No, it cannot be.]
Dismissing the thought, the old man's face contorted.
At that moment—wooooosh!
The air vibrated.
Still gripping Cheon Hye-in's neck, Bang Seong-yeon gathered energy in his other arm.
Gwangwolseomgyeong.
The sword-force that should have coated a blade condensed into fist-force instead.
As the densely packed force solidified, Bang Seong-yeon thrust his fist toward Cheon Hye-in's face.
Just as his fist flew in a straight line, flashing with light, and was about to make contact—
Grab!
Someone caught Bang Seong-yeon's wrist at the very last second.
"That is enough," said Wolseongeom.
He had appeared on the sparring arena and stopped Bang Seong-yeon's fist.
"She has already lost consciousness. Do you intend to commit murder?"
"......"
Bang Seong-yeon stared at Wolseongeom.
As their eyes met, Wolseongeom's brow furrowed slightly.
Flicker.
The light faded from Bang Seong-yeon's fist.
He had withdrawn his energy. Only then did Wolseongeom release his grip.
"......"
Releasing her throat, Bang Seong-yeon turned around and walked away.
He didn't spare a single glance for the battered Cheon Hye-in.
He trudged over to a nearby seat, sat down, and closed his eyes.
He showed no courtesy to the Moonmaster, acting as if the duel held no significance at all.
A heavy silence fell over the crowd.
No one uttered a word.
After a long silence, it was Wolseongeom who finally broke it.
"The duel is over. The winner is Bang Seong-yeon."
He quietly declared Bang Seong-yeon's victory, but no cheers followed.
Cheon Hye-in, who ranked near the top of the Seven Great Talents and was hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius in the history of the Blue Moon Sect, had been brutally defeated by the successor of the Sword Saint—not with a sword, but with bare fists.
Faced with this reality, everyone remained speechless.
*Drip. Drip.*
The only sound in the quiet arena was the blood dripping from Cheon Hye-in's face.