Chapter 183

Chapter 183

A little while ago.

“At best, they’re just youngsters.”

Gathering his subordinate sword corps members and casually bringing up the topic, Namgung Su’s appearance made the corps members stare at him. Even with those gazes, Namgung Su continued speaking unconcerned.

“Though the martial world is vast and there are many excellent rising stars, treating rising stars highly is only among martial artists of the same generation.”

What kind of organization is Changgung Sword Corps?

It’s the organization with the most active external activities among the groups handling the great Namgung Family’s military power. In other words, it could be called the place that most easily shows Namgung Family’s strength to the outside world.

Being such a place, their pride in their own military power is also exceptional. Changgung Sword Corps’ strength is Namgung’s strength—regardless of reality, Changgung Sword Corps members tend to think that way. And.

Unfortunately, pride in one’s organization was an emotion that most easily transformed into arrogance.

Just like Namgung Su right now.

“Yang. How long have you been learning martial arts?”

“About twenty-five years. Deputy Commander.”

“Right.”

Nodding, Namgung Su continued.

“You’ve been learning martial arts since before those greenhorns were born. In contrast, those greenhorns have, well, considering their age, learned martial arts for at most fifteen years.”

A ten-year gap.

This is definitely not a small difference. Considering that someone their age, Baek Riyun, is their master, you could even say there’s a generation gap between master and disciple.

“Could you lose to such greenhorns? No, should you lose?”

“No!”

“If you have the accumulated years, you must not concede even one victory to them. Fortunately, the martial arts we’ve learned are the great Namgung Family’s martial arts, and the martial arts they’ve learned are from an upstart sect with no foundation.”

We overwhelm them in the quality of learned martial arts. We have deeper years of learning martial arts than the opponent.

There’s no reason to lose.

“Yang.”

“Yes.”

“You’re first. Go crush them.”

Speaking as if chewing, Namgung Su stared at Namgung Yang, and Namgung Yang bowed his head. The shout that followed.

“I obey!”

Looking at Namgung Yang answering confidently, Namgung Su wore a satisfied smile. Surely the opponent wouldn’t send out a strong person from the start either.

‘While three-second defeat  is difficult, within fifty seconds should be manageable.‘

Namgung Yang is an outstanding talent even among regular members. He should be able to thoroughly crush the opponent’s spirit.

Namgung Su, thinking inwardly, stroked his sword pouch. While imagining the distorted expressions of Baek Riyun and Seohwa, pleasantly.

And.

***

Now we arrive at this point.

“……What on earth.”

Namgung Su, his mouth hanging open, stared at Seomun Cheok with a shocked expression. But unconcerned, Seomun Cheok showed a courtesy gesture .

“It was a good bimu.”

“Uk, uueok…….”

Looking at Namgung Yang gasping “kaek kaek” after taking a blunt strike from the bimu spear to his solar plexus, Namgung Su’s eyes turned bloodshot with fury. Because he couldn’t understand the current situation.

‘That was… what kind of martial art was that?‘

A spear is more cumbersome than a sword because it’s long.

That’s natural. The shorter the distance, the more you can do. Though people commonly say spears have an advantage over swords, that’s because they gain the upper hand with their wide range and powerful force, not because spear techniques are freer than sword techniques. There are quite a few techniques that can be implemented with sword techniques but cannot be implemented with much longer spear techniques.

Therefore, when Seomun Cheok charged straight in, he thought it would be an easy victory. He thought that if the spear lacking technique clashed with Namgung Yang’s sword properly trained in Paegeom , Namgung Yang would gain a great advantage. However.

What is this sight before his eyes?

‘A snake… it’s a snake.‘

The sensation of the spear seizing the sword.

Though that should be impossible, the spear seemed to writhe. The strike that slithered in the moment they made contact, sliding along the sword blade, drove its tip into the solar plexus. A one-second defeat .

Does this make any sense?

“Sa, sorcery …….”

“Deputy Commander.”

Just as Namgung Su was about to shout reflexively, the Changgung Sword Corps Commander frowned and spoke, and Namgung Su hurriedly shut his mouth. And watching that, Namgung Yeon let out an exclamation.

“It’s an unfamiliar feeling of spear technique…… Was he originally learning such martial arts? Orabeo-nim. According to your explanation, he used spear techniques faithful to fundamentals.”

“How could it be the same? Who is the opponent?”

Glancing toward Baek Riyun, Namgung Hyeon spoke indifferently.

“From what I’ve experienced, Seomun Cheok isn’t the type of martial artist bound by form or framework. He’s not someone with a preferred style, but rather a martial artist closer to one who extracts useful responses for each situation.”

“……”

“Then even if he learned new martial arts, it wouldn’t have been difficult to adapt. Because he’s not a martial artist bound to specific techniques.”

Strong , Soft , Dominating , Changing .

Not bound to any of them, so even if the depth isn’t profound, the transitions are free. And that free transition would give the opponent facing him for the first time a feeling as if facing multiple martial artists.

“That too started with a strong strike but bent midway. He stole the breathing rhythm, so he broke through in one move.”

“He’s a fearsome person.”

“It also means he’s observing his opponent well. Namgung Yang was absorbed in deploying his sword moves and failed to read his opponent’s breathing.”

It’s Namgung Yang’s undeniable complete defeat.

As Namgung Hyeon made his judgment, Namgung Su ground his teeth and immediately turned his head. The corps members staring at the bimu stage with dumbfounded expressions.

“What are you doing! Hurry and attend to him!”

“……Yes!”

“You go next. Chae Uk .”

“Yes.”

Regular members can’t match them.

Making a cold judgment, Namgung Su called for a squad leader, and Chae Uk, the first squad leader of Changgung Sword Corps, bowed his head and slowly climbed onto the bimu stage. Then Seomun Cheok descended.

Looking at that and frowning, Namgung Su spoke to Baek Riyun.

“Uicheonmunju-nim. Wasn’t the bimu decided as consecutive victories?”

“Ah, he forfeited.”

“What do you…….”

“The opportunity to experience Namgung Family’s sword forms isn’t common. So we agreed among ourselves to forfeit after winning one match. Your side can proceed with consecutive victories, so continue as is.”

“……”

At the sight of Uicheonmun disciples clearly looking down on Changgung Sword Corps, Namgung Su ground his teeth and glared at Chae Uk as if commanding him to win by all means. And at that appearance, Chae Uk nodded and glared at Seonwoo Gang climbing up.

“I am Uicheonmun disciple Seonwoo Gang.”

“I am Changgung Sword Corps First Squad Leader Chae Uk.”

After exchanging courtesy gestures with each other, Chae Uk stepped back and opened his mouth toward Seonwoo Gang.

“Seomun Cheok sohyeop’s martial arts were excellent.”

“Ah, by seniority he’s my sajae. Though in reality he’s no different from a contemporary.”

“……The strangely peculiar martial art of stealing breathing—it won’t work easily on me. Namgung Yang lost due to lack of experience.”

“There’s no doubt about it.”

At Seonwoo Gang’s composed smile, Chae Uk glared and gripped his sword tightly. Immediately, internal energy flowed out vividly.

‘Can’t approach too defensively.‘

If the martial art just witnessed is Uicheonmun’s martial art, then Uicheonmun’s martial art is closer to a one-hit kill martial art that seizes the initiative and drags the opponent around.

Then the initiative must not be yielded. Chae Uk made his judgment while waiting for the bimu start signal. And.

“Both competitors, to your positions.”

‘Once it starts, I’ll strike first.‘

A moment later, at the bimu observer’s signal, Chae Uk positioned himself and drew his sword to measure the distance.

“Bimu begin!”

The signal fell.

“Though unintentional, I apologize in advance.”

“Huh?”

Swaeeaek!

Golden sword energy tore through the air.

‘Hiik.‘

Letting out a sharp scream inwardly, Chae Uk rolled on the ground using Naryeotagon  footwork in an unsightly manner. But immediately following sword energy pursued as if unwilling to let go.

Jeokgong  Derivative. Seonwoo Gang School.

Jeoksocheonkwangong

Cheonrajimang

‘I’m being covered……!‘

One, one more.

The meticulously coordinated sword energy bared its fangs toward the prey’s nape like a beast. Sword strikes that, like a net covering the sky, restrict all room to maneuver and aim for the nape.

Front, back, left, right.

Everywhere is filled with golden sword energy. Realizing the only way to break through is to pierce forward, Chae Uk gripped his sword tightly. And.

“You think I’ll fall for this so easily……!”

The moment Chae Uk drew up his internal energy to tear through the net with his shout.

“That’s enough.”

Jeoksocheonkwangong

Ilkwan

In an instant, a sword strike that penetrated between the sword energy net touched Chae Uk’s nape.

“If you move any further, you might get hurt.”

“……”

“Let’s surrender.”

At Seonwoo Gang’s urging with his sword pressed to the neck, Chae Uk, standing awkwardly with sword still raised, quietly lowered his head. And the answer that followed.

“I surrender…….”

Three-second defeat.

Leaving behind Chae Uk who had declared surrender, Seonwoo Gang descended from the bimu stage, and Namgung Su stared with wide eyes and gripped his hands with tremendous force.

The situation was flowing strangely.

***

Does this make sense?

“Truly……it happened just as Seohwa sojeo said.”

“Anyone could have predicted that. It’s just.”

Watching the bimu intently, Jo Hyeon’s words made Seohwa show an awkward smile. But Jo Hyeon didn’t take her eyes off Seonwoo Gang descending from the bimu stage.

‘To think it would really turn out this way……‘

She couldn’t even have guessed.

Looking at Uicheonmun disciples with fresh eyes, Jo Hyeon recalled the conversation from earlier. Because it was that shocking a conversation.

—First opponent in one second. Second opponent, three-second defeat.

Earlier.

Hearing Seohwa’s words, Jo Hyeon blinked. Because she couldn’t understand what Seohwa was saying.

One-second defeat. Three-second defeat.

Though the numbers differ, they’re clearly numbers only possible when a master gives instruction to an inferior. Don’t they commonly say “couldn’t even achieve three-second defeat”?

Unless there’s an overwhelming gap in ability, three-second defeat cannot be guaranteed. One-second defeat is even more so. Yet.

—Well, I’ll try.

—No problem.

Seonwoo Gang and Seomun Cheok answered that way. At the time, she thought it was the reckless bravado of those who didn’t know the world.

But what about now?

‘They really got everything right……‘

Seomun Cheok achieved one-second defeat. Seonwoo Gang achieved three-second defeat.

Just as Seohwa said, everything was decided within three seconds. A technique impossible without confidence—you can’t do this without accurately knowing the opponent’s ability.

‘Just what……‘

What kind of people are Uicheonmun disciples?

Looking at Seohwa’s eyes sparkling with a strange purple hue that seemed hardly human, Jo Hyeon let out a sigh. At the same time, Baek Risan stood up.

“Now it’s my turn. Got nothing to say to me?”

“Can you finish within ten seconds? It seems better to match the numbers precisely.”

“Even knowing who’s coming out from their side?”

“Probably Deputy Commander Namgung Su will come out.”

“Even so, you think I can win in ten seconds?”

“Yes.”

At Seohwa’s assertion, Baek Risan chuckled and drew his sword. At the same time, flames blazed fiercely along the blade.

“If you say it’s fine, it’s fine. You saw it with those ‘eyes’ of yours, right?”

“……”

“And you placed me in the rear position because of this too.”

The skill gap between Baek Risan and the other two is minimal.

But in terms of explosive power in a single moment, no one in Uicheonmun can match Baek Risan. For deciding a match in an instant, there’s no one better.

“Good. Ten-second defeat.”

Accepted.

Baek Risan, who had struck Seohwa’s shoulder with his palm, looked up at the bimu stage. Namgung Su was already up there, glaring down at them.

“Let’s try it.”

The other two did it.

What can’t I do?

Casually drawing his beloved sword Baekru , Baek Risan smiled broadly. And.

The next moment.

White flames began to blaze.