Chapter 22 - Third-Rate Warrior Welcoming an Uninvited Guest (3)
Gye Cheolyeong was about to enter the annex carrying a wooden box containing a golden toad.
"It is better not to go in right now."
Hong Saryeon said, poking her head out from behind the annex's outer gate and looking inward.
"What do you mean?"
"Senior Brother Jin went in, and the atmosphere feels unusual."
"That punk Jin Sowoon is here?"
"Yes. He is inside right now."
"But what do you mean the atmosphere isn't good?"
"I don't know. It feels like walking on thin ice."
He knew that Namgung San had come here because he had business with Jin Sowoon.
But what reason could there be for the atmosphere between the two to be bad? Surely, it had to be Jin Sowoon, lacking in judgment, making a mistake.
At that thought, Gye Cheolyeong grew anxious.
"I told you the atmosphere is bad."
"Which is why I must go in even more. What if that Sowoon makes a mistake?"
"No..."
Before Hong Saryeon could stop him, Gye Cheolyeong went inside.
* * *
'I hate the Murim Alliance.'
'I especially hate the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Clans that form the core of the Murim Alliance.'
'I hate seeing them commit disrespect so naturally, as if they are justice itself.'
'From the very beginning, they and we do not exist on the same level.'
'That is why such disrespectful actions are possible for them.'
"What do you want?"
After staring silently for a long time, Namgung San spoke up after deep thought, but I shook my head.
"Nothing."
"There is no human who desires nothing. I simply do not know what it is you want."
"I earnestly hope that the Admission Token does not fall into your hands, Great Hero."
There was no chance Namgung San would use the Admission Token himself. He was already a Murim Alliance officer who had graduated from the Murim Academy with excellent grades. Furthermore, he was the elite of the elites belonging to the Dragon-Phoenix Summit.
The reason he was clinging to the Admission Token so desperately was likely because of his sister, Namgung Seonhwa, who needed to enter the Murim Academy this time.
Due to the branch line led by Namgung Sangwon and others, the direct line's power had weakened, and the fact that they could no longer use the clan's power to gain entry into the Murim Academy as they did in Namgung San's time must have felt desperate to him.
'That was why I hated it even more.'
'Because the sight of them cherishing their own families so terribly gave me goosebumps.'
'Because the sight of them shedding tears over a scratch on their palms while ignoring our hearts being ripped out was utterly repulsive.'
"Then..."
Just as Namgung San was about to open his mouth.
"Great Hero Namgung! Are you inside?!"
Gye Cheolyeong shouted resoundingly as he stepped inside.
"Great Hero Namgung! This Gye has come to pay his respects."
"... The situation right now is not very good. Let us talk later."
"Hahaha! What could possibly be bad? How did your conversation with our Sowoon go? You! You didn't make a mistake in front of Great Hero Namgung, did you?"
If Gye Cheolyeong had a tail, I figured it would probably be wagging so fast it would be invisible.
"Could you please excuse us for a moment?"
"If he happens to be unreasonable, please tell me. I will give him a good scolding..."
"Look here. Did I not just ask you to leave?"
As a chilling gaze pierced Gye Cheolyeong, the guy's expression turned into that of a puppy abandoned by its master.
"Ah, ah... Yes. Uh, t-this is what my father asked me... to deliver. I will take my leave. Please, continue your conversation."
Seeing Gye Cheolyeong still manage to open the wooden box to display the golden toad in the midst of all that, I could not help but be impressed.
'If he learns that he will eventually be abandoned by the Murim Alliance despite sucking up to them like that, what kind of expression will he make?'
"Did you see that just now? I could have told Gye Cheolyeong. I am showing you consideration like this."
"Do you call hiding your own weakness consideration?"
"..."
"The moment it becomes known that the Admission Token is in Namgung Seonhwa's hands, Lady Seonhwa will also become Jianghu's target. Does the Namgung Clan currently have the power to protect the Admission Token?"
"!!!"
A severe crack formed on Namgung San's face for the very first time.
"How do you..."
"Is there anything more we need to discuss?"
Only then did Namgung San's face turn serious.
I waited for him with leisure.
* * *
Storming out of the annex, Gye Cheolyeong huffed, unable to hide his resentment.
Hong Saryeon, who knew what had happened without even looking, snorted as if he got what he deserved.
"I told you not to go in."
"... T-To think a punk like Jin Sowoon would treat me..."
"Sigh."
Unable to suppress his anger, Gye Cheolyeong kicked the pebbles on the ground before suddenly shooting his head up like he had been struck by lightning.
"I need to go see the Sect Leader right now."
"... What kind of nonsense is that?"
"The situation inside is highly unusual. Who knows, Jin Sowoon might make a mistake against the Namgung Clan and throw the Taiyi Sect into a crisis."
"Is Senior Brother Jin someone who can't even tell right from wrong to that extent?"
"I'm telling you, this is no time for that!"
As if suddenly in a great hurry, Gye Cheolyeong began to sprint toward the Grand Sage Hall.
* * *
"... Did you know why I came and even the exact situation I am in?"
"Is that important to you, Great Hero?"
"... No. What is important to me is the Admission Token."
"I will say this again, but there is absolutely no way I am handing over the Admission Token."
Namgung San shook his head before letting out a sigh.
"Then how about this? Let us have a sparring match."
'What on earth is Namgung San talking about? Even if he wages something, does he really think I would accept that bet?'
"You will wager only the Admission Token. I will wager the Seven-Hued Jewel, this Heavenly Silkworm Thread, and..."
His hand hesitated as it emerged from his robes. Then, he finally brought out a small wooden box.
"I will wager this Daeyeon Divine Pill."
The Daeyeon Divine Pill, much like the Steel Protection Pill, was a spiritual elixir granted only to the direct descendants of the Namgung Clan. Its efficacy was similar to that of the Snow Plum Pill. It was exceptionally precious, but it was not enough to persuade me.
"Even if you wagered the entirety of the Namgung Clan, Senior, do you think I would accept this unreasonable bet?"
"That depends on the conditions."
"..."
"You have already rejected my offers several times. Yet, you remained seated here. If you truly wanted to refuse, shouldn't you have left?"
"Keep talking."
"I will use only the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique. As for internal energy... what if I use only three-tenths of my internal energy? If you win, I will give you the Heavenly Silkworm Thread and the Daeyeon Divine Pill, not to mention the Seven-Hued Jewel."
If I estimated Namgung San's internal energy at its maximum, it would be around sixty years of internal energy.
The successors of prominent sects were usually around that level, so he would be similar.
Three-tenths of sixty years would be about twenty years.
And he was limiting the martial arts he could use to the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique.
'He probably thinks he's tossed out a very appetizing bait in his own right.'
"You will keep this bet a secret, right?"
As if my answer was completely unexpected, Namgung San's eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
"Even if it is a secret, since you and I both know it, there must be no reneging on the deal. The price for that will be paid in blood."
Right now, my internal energy was at forty-five years, and I had recently proven through the Cangqiong Merchant Group's Milgung Squad that the Sword-Breaking Formula was effective against the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique.
'I would be an even bigger fool to miss out on such a great opportunity.'
"Your answer?"
* * *
"What are you talking about?"
Jin Taesan and Hong Mungi could not understand a word of what Gye Cheolyeong was babbling rapidly after abruptly barging into the Grand Sage Hall.
He was saying something strange about how Jin Sowoon was provoking Namgung San, how it could turn into a life-and-death struggle if things went wrong, and how they needed to hurry and stop it because that would be a huge loss for the Taiyi Sect.
In the first place, what reason would Jin Sowoon have to provoke Namgung San, and why would the two of them ever engage in a life-and-death struggle?
It would be a different story if Jin Sowoon were just unilaterally getting beaten to a pulp by Namgung San.
The opponent was the Genesis Divine Dragon, Namgung San.
One of the rising experts of the martial world belonging to the Dragon-Phoenix Summit.
Even a hundred Jin Sowoons wouldn't be a match for him.
However, Gye Cheolyeong's outcry seemed genuinely desperate.
"I tried my best to stop the two of them. I even offered the gift my father asked me to deliver, but Great Hero Namgung San didn't even spare it a glance and was glaring at Jin Sowoon like he was going to kill him. A major incident might occur at this rate!"
Hong Mungi and Jin Taesan looked at each other, deeply pondering whether they should believe his words or not.
If even a single word Gye Cheolyeong said was true, ignoring it could bring a disaster upon the Taiyi Sect.
But believing it blindly was impossible, since it was absolute nonsense from beginning to end.
"The meeting has dragged on anyway, so let us take a walk and go see."
"Let us do that. He is here as a guest after all, so we ought to pay some attention to him."
Just like that, Hong Mungi and Jin Taesan took the lead, with Gye Cheolyeong obediently following behind them.
From the direction of the annex, two men were walking over, exuding a frigid aura.
Just as Gye Cheolyeong had said, the atmosphere between the two did not look good at all.
In the midst of that, Namgung San merely nodded his head slightly upon making eye contact, while Jin Sowoon politely offered a fist-and-palm salute.
Jin Taesan quickly went over to his son and asked.
"Where are you going?"
"We are heading to the training ground."
"The training ground? Why there?"
"Senior Namgung suggested we spar, so we are on our way."
Jin Taesan, Hong Mungi, and even Gye Cheolyeong all let their jaws drop open.
* * *
The children who had been doing personal practice at the training ground were the first to notice and cleared out.
The children coming down from the training ground scattered all across the Taiyi Sect, spreading the news of the sparring match to their friends. The Hall Leaders and Vice Hall Leaders who overheard passed the word along to others, and the news eventually reached the Elders' Pavilion. It took less than thirty minutes for all the people of the Taiyi Sect to gather at the training ground.
"Wow—"
"They said he's the Eldest Young Master of the Namgung Clan, right?"
"That is the Genesis Divine Dragon."
"But why is he having a sparring match with our Senior Brother Jin?"
The chattering voices of the young disciples could be heard from all around.
To them, he was an existence akin to a soaring hero.
It was only natural to be fascinated and curious after seeing a figure they might only catch a glimpse of once in their entire lives.
"Taesan, what is going on?"
"They say they agreed to a sparring match. On the condition that Namgung San only uses the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique and a portion of his internal energy."
"Why?"
"I do not know."
"At this rate, won't the children be greatly disappointed?"
There was no way the Taiyi Sect's martial arts could withstand the martial arts of the Namgung Clan.
The wall of reality was indeed that high, but wouldn't the young children feel an even greater disappointment than the adults once they realized it?
SHING.
As Namgung San drew his sword, the bustling training ground instantly fell into silence.
I also drew my sword, following his lead, and took my opening stance.
"Since I have imposed restrictions on myself, there will be no need for me to hold back."
"Let us begin."
Before my words even finished, a refreshing breeze tickled the tip of my nose.
I quickly ducked my head to dodge Namgung San's sword. At the same time, I executed the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique.
CLANG!
"Wow—!"
Seeing the splendor-filled Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique after only ever witnessing the plain swordsmanship of the Taiyi Sect naturally elicited gasps of awe from the children, while the adults had to quiet them down.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
In an instant, we exchanged three forms.
Even though the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique was clearly faster, there were no openings to exploit in Namgung San's Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique.
"It seems... you have accumulated quite a bit of internal energy. But is that all your swordsmanship amounts to? That sword technique is lacking to fully utilize your internal energy."
"Do you have the leisure to be giving advice?"
Namgung San's sword surged forward once again.
The sword, splitting into three distinct trajectories, sharply thrust toward my vitals.
I quickly executed the Sword-Breaking Formula.
CLANG!
In that moment, Namgung San's eyes shook violently as his martial move was abruptly cut off mid-execution.
"!!!"
After briefly glancing at his sword, Namgung San began executing his sword technique again.
As if he had already attained Sword Qi, a faint blue-green Sword Qi lingered on his blade.
To avoid being pushed back by his Sword Qi, I heavily infused my internal energy into my Blue Steel Sword.
CLANG! CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
Shards from the Blue Steel Sword flew in all directions.
Namgung San's sword remained completely unscathed.
We exchanged another dozen or so clashes, and his sword, which had swung to slice my waist, was blocked by the Sword-Breaking Formula and deflected back.
"..."
The moment Namgung San stopped in his tracks, feeling puzzled once again.
I took two steps forward and began to pressure him.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
Namgung San parried my sword at speeds barely visible to the eye.
Though he managed to block all the strikes of the swift Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, Namgung San had been pushed back seven steps from where he had originally stood.
"Wow—!!!"
"Waaah!!"
The adults were so engrossed in the sparring match that they didn't even think to quiet the children down.
"What in the world is this..."
Namgung San had the same face of disbelief as the adults of the Taiyi Sect.
In the first place, it was a martial move specifically designed to exploit the weaknesses of that martial art, so unless Namgung San had reinterpreted the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique into his own unique swordsmanship, there was simply no way to block it.
Although Namgung San had achieved superior accomplishments compared to his peers, he wasn't quite at that level yet.
SLASH.
The first to allow a strike was Namgung San.
A piece of his sleeve was cleanly cut off and fluttered down to the training ground.
"Waaaaaah—!!"
"Wow—!!"
When the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique proved ineffective, Namgung San attacked with formless moves.
Even though the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique was a foundational sword technique, it was not so weak as to be pushed back by the formless moves of someone who hadn't even surpassed the Peak Realm.
And whenever he resorted to the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique, I executed the Sword-Breaking Formula.
Finding no other way, he tried to overwhelm me with internal energy, but how could forty-five years of internal energy be pushed back by twenty years of internal energy?
"... Just what kind of trick are you pulling?!"
"Are you saying the exact same thing as Seong Mohyeon, Senior?"
"..."
"Is it absolutely impossible for your own skills to be lacking?"
I began to execute the Counter-Form of the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique.
My momentum strengthened, and killing intent surged.
SWISH, SLASH.
Finally, Namgung San's sword began failing to keep up with the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique.
Various parts of Namgung San's clothing were torn, and his neat appearance began to dishevel.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
As we exchanged another twenty or so clashes in the blink of an eye, Namgung San was pushed back to the edge of the training ground.
I swung my sword desperately, as if I were standing in the middle of a battlefield fighting against a demon.
The only difference from back then was that my Dantian was ceaselessly spewing out internal energy, and because of that, my sword was swung more powerfully than ever before.
CLANG! CLANG!
Whenever Namgung San's sword and my sword collided, a heavy sound echoed, like a hammer striking an anvil.
CLANG!
And in that single moment, Namgung San's sword was pushed back, leaving his body wide open.
Without delay, I slashed forward as if I were severing a demon's neck.
CRASH!
The moment my sword slashed forward, my body was sent flying into the air with a massive impact sound, crashing down into the middle of the training ground.
-------!
----------!!
The venue, which had been filled with cheers, sank into an icy silence as if cold water had been poured over it.
Namgung San's eyes were also shaking violently, as if he himself was bewildered by his own actions.
"Did you not say you would clearly only use the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique?"
That final strike was the Emperor Sword Technique.
The strongest sword technique of the Namgung Clan, passed down exclusively to direct descendants.
And it hadn't just used three-tenths of his power; it was a strike infused with at least five-tenths of his internal energy.
"H-He won!!"
"He won!"
Someone started shouting like that, and the confused children began to cheer along.
"Haha..."
Namgung San let out a hollow laugh.
"I lost."
Namgung San said while shaking his head.
"The Admission Token is yours."
"As well as the Heavenly Silkworm Thread, the Daeyeon Divine Pill, and the Seven-Hued Jewel."
Namgung San let out another hollow laugh.
"Right."
Using the Admission Token as bait, I had obtained not only the Daeyeon Divine Pill but also the Heavenly Silkworm Thread and the Seven-Hued Jewel.
In terms of rarity, the Heavenly Silkworm Thread was a treasure that did not fall short of the Daeyeon Divine Pill. My Blue Steel Sword was nearing the end of its lifespan anyway, and just when it was time to seek out Artisan Old Man Wang, I had acquired some excellent materials.
While I was making pleasant plans for the future, Namgung San spoke up.
"However, the sparring match will continue."
"Excuse me?"
"I should have realized it when the Chief Strategist mentioned it. That you are no ordinary individual. The fact that I was stripped of these items just now is no coincidence either, is it?"
I couldn't fathom what on earth Namgung San wanted.
"Even if I lost the bet, I cannot lose the sparring match. Because that is the reason I am of the Namgung Clan."
Noble pride isn't just maintained on its own. It is maintained only by constantly clinging to it and putting in the effort.
Namgung San began to swing his sword again, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As if the restriction on his internal energy no longer mattered, Namgung San began pouring out even more internal energy.
"Now that I look, you've been hiding quite a lot of internal energy."
As his internal energy became overwhelmingly superior, Namgung San's movements grew even faster.
I used all my strength to execute the Sword-Breaking Formula against his Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique.
SWOOSH-!
BANG!
Although Namgung San's internal energy was far superior, the Sword-Breaking Formula definitely worked.
This time too, Namgung San wore a rather surprised expression, but he quickly started wielding the Emperor Sword Technique.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Every time the Emperor Sword Technique was swung, my body was sent lifting off the ground.
It was heavier and sharper than the heavy sword I had faced at the Iron Sword Sect.
'Damn it.'
Jegal's Three Forms, converted by Zhuge Cheongi, was the Murim's final resort against the Demonic Cult, but the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Noble Clans did not all agree with the idea.
They believed that once the Demonic Cult was wiped out and the era of the Murim Alliance ruling Jianghu arrived, Jegal's Three Forms would soon become a shackle holding them back. Thus, outside of their primary martial arts, they did not convert lethal martial arts like the Emperor Sword Technique into Jegal's Three Forms.
"This is getting fun. Can you not withstand the Emperor Sword Technique?"
"Stop spouting nonsense. How am I supposed to block the profound technique of the Namgung Clan, which is barely known to the world, without any internal energy restrictions?"
"For saying that, you block the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique all too well. Do you perhaps know its weakness?"
"If I knew that, would I just be taking these hits like this?"
Namgung San did not seem easily convinced.
He alternated between the Emperor Sword Technique and the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique as if he were testing something, which brought on a sense of crisis that my true limits might soon be exposed.
'I need to end this quickly.'
Just in time, the Emperor Sword Technique was also slowly beginning to grow familiar to my eyes.
I kicked off the ground and rushed at him.
"--!"
Just as he hurriedly withdrew the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique to execute the Emperor Sword Technique at my sudden momentum.
I scraped the bottom of the barrel and poured every last drop of my internal energy into my left hand. My left hand trembled under the surging Qi.
'After thrusting toward the critical acupoint, it returns back to the lower left.'
Desperately parrying his sword according to the martial move of the Emperor Sword Technique I had memorized in my head, I grabbed the blade of his sword with my bare hand as it tried to return to its original position.
SQUELCH! SPURT!
Namgung San's sword was instantly dyed in blood.
The blood bursting from my grip soaked Namgung San's clothes as well as my own.
"... Crazy!"
While Namgung San was too flustered to even pull his sword away, I brought my sword to his neck.
DRIP. DROP.
The blood flowing from my hand ran down Namgung San's sword and dripped onto the floor.
"Will you continue?"
"..."
Namgung San did not answer.
For the first time, his face was deathly pale, as if he could not believe what had happened.
Instead, the young disciples screamed in cheers, looking as though they might faint.
This time, the Hall Leaders joined them as well.
WAAAAAH—!
WAAAH—!!
