A familiar sword movement appeared.
It was the same movement as the Xing Ming Sword’s sixth form.
Something that I thought would never happen was happening to me. Someone was using that sword technique like this.
I didn’t even have time to think and retreated ten paces.
It was no longer a matter of avoiding or blocking a technique.
-How did this happen…
Iron Sword was also in shock. All I could hear from him were words of denial.
However, it was definitely the truth that the Wind Wave King was using that technique. It was so similar that I could even feel his intentions.
[Young lord, isn’t that your sword technique?]
Sima Young sent me a question, her tone clearly indicating her shock.
So this wasn’t just my eyes playing tricks on me.
She had seen me using and practicing this technique many times, allowing her to recognize it at once.
I asked Iron Sword a question.
‘… did the South Heavenly Swordsman pass his techniques to that man?’
-That is impossible. While they used their martial arts, he simply advised him on how to use a sword when he was young, but he never taught him any techniques.
Iron Sword clearly denied it.
He had suffered a miserable end, but Iron Sword also stayed with him until that end.
There was no way he could be wrong. So then, how could he use this technique?
“What is this?”
When I made some distance using footwork, he looked displeased.
Was he really in a position to act like this right now? As many people were watching, I asked him silently.
[How do you know the Xing Ming Sword technique, senior? And why are you me sajae?]
South Heavenly Swordsman had no disciples, after all. Hearing my question, he stared back at me.
“Curious?”
You could say that.
He looked at me and aimed his sword.
“He always worked to improve his sword technique. If you made progress with this, then you would need to show it to protect the Xing Ming Technique.”
This wasn’t what I had planned for.
Pah!
The Wind Wave King rushed towards me.
His movements were so quick that he seemed to blur in the vision of others. However, I have learned the Wind Shadow Steps, one of the fastest techniques in Murim.
Shhh
I couldn’t use it openly here since someone might recognize it. However, I could show something beyond that if I used it properly with the Xing Ming Sword.
Chak!
Beginning from where I stood, the floor split in a straight line. Those surprised by this took a step back.
Wind Wave King turned his head back and smiled.
“You seem quite good at using the space around you.”
“I am still lacking in comparison to senior.”
“No need to be this humble. Just show me the sword technique.
I felt a headache coming.
Why did this man want to fight me using the same technique?
I had no idea how he learned it, but I had no intention of giving him a proper fight, either.
[Was this a test for the escort services?]
“It’s a bit of both.”
If I send you a message through qi, I expect the same in return!
Was there a reason for him to do this? Well, if he was going to act like this, I needed to move on.
“Even if I call you senior, the sword technique of our…”
Flinch!
The chill that ran down my spine made me move further back. There was a sense of anticipation of a sword cutting through the space, parting my hair at a strange angle.
I could see something shine.
‘He is not letting me talk.’
-Neck!
After hearing Short Sword’s warning, I lowered my head without a second thought.
The Wind Wave King’s sword appeared in front of me like a silver light.
Was he aiming for my throat?
“Are you using assassination techniques now?”
“It was inevitable.”
“… That shouldn’t be a problem, though.”
Hearing me, the Wind Wave King spoke coldly.
“Do you think this is a joke? You increased a level yet still continue to retreat like that.”
He was deliberately provoking me.
Did he think I would fall for it?
I spoke as if addressing everyone listening.
“I am not running. Didn’t you call me your sajae from your own mouth? You might be a disciple to my teacher, so I don’t want to fight without knowing everything.”
Whisper.
This declaration sent ripples through the crowd.
He said this himself at the start of the test, but everyone seemed to have thought it was a mistake. When I mentioned it again, the crowd became sure.
“What does he mean by calling him sajae?”
“Does that mean that they are from the same sect?”
“Come to think of it, the sword technique that the Wind Wave King used earlier wasn’t the same as the South Heavenly Swordsman’s?”
Quite a few people were here, so a decent number seemed to know of my technique. There were also some older people around us.
It would be hard for the older people to ignore the Wind Wave King’s words unless they were hard of hearing.
The Wind Wave King shook his head.
“The one called as his disciple seemed to know how to use his head.”
“This is definitely an issue that has to be addressed.”
“How stubborn. Right. Let me teach you the technique that I, the Wind Wave King, had learned alone all my life. Even this technique, footwork, and movement were all made from a combination of the Heaven, Land, and Human techniques and common third-rate martial arts.”
‘…!!’
What was this now?
Was he trying to say he reached his absolute level without a teacher or guide? Everyone around us became silent at hearing this.
But the man didn’t care as he continued.
“There is none who I could call my teacher. Perhaps, all of the warriors that I fought against were the ones that taught me martial arts.”
“Are you saying that you learned techniques by competing against them?”
“Yes.”
I felt goosebumps rise on my body.
All this time, I had seen so many people with natural talent. There were also those like Baek Hye-hyang and Lee Jeong-gyeom who were nurtured.
However, this was the first time I’d heard of someone who learned martial arts through fights instead of training.
If this was true, this man was a genius and a monster beyond imagination.
‘Wait…’
But wasn’t this closer to stealing those martial arts?
Sure, what he did was amazing, but this didn’t really give him a position to call himself my sahyung.
“You claimed that I was your sajae, but aren’t you just saying that you dueled with my teacher and then learned his techniques without permission.”
“I, the Wind Wave King, learned these martial arts myself, and only one person taught me the sword.”
Was he referring to that 15-day spar?
“For the very first time in my life, he satisfied the thirst that I couldn’t satisfy alone.”
Hmm.
It seemed that he had been quite moved from the advice that my teacher gave him during those 15 days.
Well, if someone who came from far away and no one had heard of came to compete with a renowned warrior, they would take any advice that was given. Everyone would agree with the logic of this. Did the Wind Wave King end up fondly remembering the South Heavenly Swordsman for his kind nature and considered him his teacher as well?
“Because I received his teaching, I have lived my entire life considering him my eternal gift.”
My expectations were right, and this story was quite touching.
Still, to consider this enough for a sahyung and sajae relationship…
“… isn’t that just your opinion?”
“You are so doubtful. He had acknowledged me.”
“Uh?”
What nonsense was this now?
South Heavenly Swordsman?
Iron Sword?
-No! There’s no way that such a thing happened. On the 15th day, after the last fight, this man simply bowed to my previous master and left.
He bowed and left?
And what did the South Heavenly Swordsman do?
-All he could do was nod his head. He didn’t meet the man after that.
Ahhh…
South Heavenly Swordsman.
-What is it?
Even you, who was beside that man, don’t seem to understand much about humans.
Accepting the bow meant that your former master acknowledged having taught this man, even if he wasn’t his disciple.
In a sense, this man was the only disciple of the South Heavenly Swordsman who was taught by him.
-You are also a disciple of my former master, Wonhwi.
That’s right.
I learned from the horrid marks and slashes he left behind before his death. In a way, though, this man in front of me was a true sahyung to me.
Because both of us received the teachings of the South Heavenly Swordsman.
-Will you acknowledge it?
There was no other choice.
He was someone who was recognized by the South Heavenly Swordsman.
Why even bother trying to deny such a person?
Pak!
I turned Iron Sword around and politely bowed to him.
“Junior, no So Wonhwi, greets the sahyung…”
Before I could finish my greeting, the Wind Wave King raised his hand and halted me.
“There is no need for such an act during a fight. Raise your sword if the question has been answered.”
… this man was truly…
Did he want to see how different the technique was after thirty years?
Or was he simply trying to test to see how much I have embodied the technique’s essence?
-What will you do?
One of the Eight Great Warriors, a man with renown and fame as the Wind Wave King, had declared that he had been taught by the South Heavenly Swordsman in front of many people.
It was inevitable now.
-Then, what will you do? Didn’t you side with an escort service?
I won’t do much.
Perhaps it would be better to maintain a relationship with this man. No matter what, he was one of the Eight Great Warriors at the peak of Murim.
Shhh!
I raised my sword to block.
The Wind Wave King smiled as he slowly walked to me. As the distance lessened, he released his sword technique.
‘Loach Shaped Sword technique.’
The third form of the Xing Ming Sword technique. A sword that moved gently, like a willow branch.
It was truly shocking.
Even though he didn’t learn the technique through standard methods, the fact that he managed to learn this from just observation was impressive.
Moreover, he copied this thirty years ago, before the Xing Ming Sword technique was refined further. Yet, the sword being shown by the Wind Wave King showed no weaknesses that were visible when I first learned it.
He was indeed a monster to learn this while fighting against a great swordsman. If I didn’t fight properly, this would only be an insult to the South Heavenly Swordsman.
‘Nice.’
Then I will show him the new sword.
The New Loach Shaped Sword.
Iron Sword’s blade dug into Hyeok Cheon-man’s technique like a swimming mudfish, disturbing and changing the Wind Wave King’s sword like a willow branch.
“Hooo.”
The Wind Wave King showed surprise at this.
He seemed surprised by a technique that had changed further from when he first encountered it.
But then his feet moved and changed his technique, shifting it from a willow branch into one that grabbed the sword like a barbed thread.
Chachachang!
This was the first time I have seen the Loach Shaped Sword being used in this manner.
To use it in such a way…
Chang!
I stepped back and pulled the sword back before it was trapped.
This was not a trap I could step into.
“Nice. Nice. So how do you plan to respond to this?”
The Wind Wave King stepped forward.
He was using the Chasing Until the End technique.
Wheik!
The sword touched me like a whirlwind and ended up shattering me.
The more the sword was used, the more violent it would become. Still, I knew how to break that.
‘Body Sword Union.’
Iron Sword’s blade shone bright white. In that state, I simply thrust my sword into the center of his technique.
Hyuk Cheon-man’s eyes changed. He was clearly curious about how I would respond.
I focused my thrust at one point.
The tip of the sword shuddered, sending large changes through the attack.
This was also how the Immortal Sword’s techniques were shattered.
Chang!
I simply lost my sword technique helplessly. If I had focused on the rapid vibrations of the Wind Wave King’s sword, I might have missed my chance.
At that moment, Hyuk Cheon-man unsheathed the other sword on his back, the Black Star.
Pak!
‘Uh?’
He then pushed his other sword into the whirling force. The tip of the sword, which enacted great changes, and the tip of his sword collided.
Taaang!
This was too much of a reaction.
Hyuk Cheon-man was a natural talent. How could one respond like this with just improvisation?
“Is this it?”
The Wind Wave King said this as he blocked Iron Sword with his other sword.
If he decided to push just a little bit more, I would end up being pulled into the whirlwind.
I have to pull the sword out….
‘What?’
The tip of our swords was clashing, but it didn’t fall. The point of contact!
He was using a technique that stopped his opponent from unleashing their sword.
‘Even Ja Gyun would have been no match for him.’
His sword technique was superior to mine.
So I needed to change this.
‘Did teacher show him any secret techniques?’
-No.
Nice.
I slowly closed my eyes and opened my mid dantian. At that moment, the internal energy was transformed into innate qi and became stronger.
Chang!
The swords, which had been stuck, then separated. Hyuk Cheon-man’s eyes opened.
Now I needed to show him.
Papat!
I immediately widened the distance.
‘Twelve Heavenly Viewing Sword.’
This was a technique of the New Xing Ming Sword. Traces of white light shone in the air, and 12 swords appeared in an instant and moved as if they were flowing in water.
It was like a supernova in a large universe. Seeing this, the man smiled.
Chang!
He crossed his two swords and rushed towards me.
Like a beast holding swords, he continued to rush into my technique.
Chchachang!
An intense wind pressure appeared as sharp sounds filled the air.
Chachachak!
If the audience hadn’t spread out before this, they would have gotten caught up in the intensity of our attacks. Each time our swords collided, it felt like the skin of my palm was peeling off.
That was just how strong he was. The feeling was so intense that guessing who might win was impossible.
At that moment, the Silver Dragon sword in his right hand moved into a full circle, like a flower ready to bloom.
‘This…’
I recalled my duel against the Wicked Moon Sword.
He was trying to break my sword technique in the same way as Sima Chak. At that moment, I changed the direction of my sword.
As I blocked the path of his Silver Dragon sword, I raised my own sword and struck him.
‘…?!’
Chaaaang!
The sword bounced up with a loud sound.
His eyes shook as if he didn’t expect me to know this.
‘This is the chance!’
I made a move with my left hand, but his Black Star Sword moved like lightning and stopped at my neck.
I could feel myself breaking into a cold sweat.
‘….’
I lost.
This was an advantage of having dual swords.
He came out as the winner in the end and said.
“If you had used a longer sword, this match would have been even more fun.”
Short Sword in my left hand had stopped just before his elbow.
Even if I moved to stab him, my neck would have been sent flying first.
“Still, I wouldn’t have won.”
I wasn’t sure if we fought with only the Xing Ming Sword technique, then I might have the advantage. Still, he also had the experience to respond.
This man was also a sword genius.
I probably would have had to use everything to even come out safely.
He then said,
“You carry his legacy. The perfection of his sword technique has improved a lot more than I expected.”
At least I managed to preserve the honor of the South Heavenly Swordsman. Judging by the expression on his face, he was quite satisfied with this duel.
It seemed like he genuinely respected my teacher. His face then broke into a grin.
“Are you going to stay humble and claim that you’re not one of the Eight Great Warriors, sajae?”
As soon as he said that, everyone cheered.
“Woahhhhhh!!!’
The crowd looked at us with excitement as they cheered.
“Oh my god!”
“To fight on par with the Wind Wave King!!!”
“Who can call such a person just a New Star!?”
“The Youngest of the Eight Great Warriors!”
It eventually all led to this.
As I had to concentrate on the fight, I ended up showing everything to them.
Things were already tiring, and now the people would begin to say that the Wind Wave King and I were of the same sect.
As my head began to hurt, he asked me.
“Sajae, which one is your escort service?”
Ahh…
I even forgot the purpose of all this.
This didn’t feel all that good, though.
“… Hwang Young Escort Group.”
Hearing my reply, he nodded and declared.
“The Hwang Young Escort Group has passed the test! They will come with me on the first ship!”
‘…!!!’
“WOAHHHHHH!!”
“OHHHHHHH!!!”
The crowd cheered wildly at this. The other members of my party had covered their mouths with their hands.
As if the bidding hadn’t been enough, we were sharing a ship with this man.
… I am ruined.
