Chapter 29 The Reason for the Fight (4)
A murmur spread through the crowd.
The training grounds were packed with junior disciples and escort warriors who had heard the rumors.
Of course, the Falconry Unit was also there, their expressions utterly miserable.
"Young Master!"
"Oh, Chief Shin."
"W-What in the world is going on?"
Yeon Ho-jeong shrugged.
"It's a long story. Let's just say it happened."
Shin Mo's expression hardened.
"Absolutely not. You have to call off this duel, right now!"
"No way."
"Young Master! That person is...!"
"I know that beast's skills well. Though he's a scumbag, his fundamentals are solid. He's clearly been through some tough fights."
He could sense his opponent's power just by its feeling.
Normally, he'd be impressed by such sharp senses, but this wasn't the time.
"I'll go cancel this duel myself."
"Chief Shin."
"Young Master!"
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
"Your making a scene trying to stop the duel will just dishonor the family."
"……!"
"That's why I said it's complicated. It's already happening, so just trust me and wait. Worrying isn't going to help anyone."
Shin Mo bit his lip.
Of course, he understood Yeon Ho-jeong. But this opponent was far too dangerous.
Even he wasn't confident he could take Chu-seong on easily. Sure, if he unleashed his 'seal,' he could crush him in three moves, but even with his publicly known strength, Chu-seong was skilled enough to make it a tough fight.
He knew Yeon Ho-jeong's skills, but Chu-seong was a different story. And Chu-seong wouldn't pull any punches just because Yeon Ho-jeong was the Yeon family's heir.
"By the way, about what I asked for?"
"Yes? Ah, yes! I have it in storage."
"You didn't bring it. Oh well, it's fine."
Yeon Ho-jeong picked up a spear that was leaning to one side. It was a spear slightly over six ja long, obtained from a nearby blacksmith.
"You're... using a spear? Not fighting with staff techniques?"
"A spear is better."
Just then, he saw the Jegal siblings and Yeon Ji-pyeong running towards them.
Yeon Ho-jeong clicked his tongue.
"Gotta get up there before they start freaking out."
Thwack!
He hopped up onto the training platform.
He covered a distance of well over one jang in a single step. And it wasn't even a powerful leap, but a light footwork, as if he was flying.
Chu-seong, who was already on the training platform, was watching Yeon Ho-jeong with his arms crossed.
"Are you ready?"
"Are you?"
Chu-seong smiled. It was a look that said he didn't need to prepare to deal with someone like you.
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
"No need to drag it out. Shall we start right away?"
"Very well. But spear techniques?"
"Yes."
Chu-seong frowned.
"I thought the Byeoksan Yeon family specialized in swords?"
"You think I need that just to put you in your place?"
This was provocation at its finest.
Tzzzzzzz.
A chilling aura erupted from Chu-seong's body.
The murmurs died instantly. Everyone was stunned by the intense aura Chu-seong was giving off.
It wasn't just power; the ferocity of his temperament was tremendous. It was as if he were a carnivorous beast with its prey in sight.
On the other hand, Yeon Ho-jeong?
Whoosh. Whoosh.
He twirled the long spear in his hand with just his fingers, and fallen leaves fluttered along the spear blade.
'Hmm, not bad.'
The balance was subtly different from an iron staff.
He'd caught that 'subtle difference,' and that was all it took. Just by feeling it, he'd already mastered half the spear techniques.
Whoosh! Thwack!
The spear, spinning faster and faster, snapped to a halt.
Yeon Ho-jeong, with the spear resting on his shoulder, slightly lowered his stance.
Whoooooosh.
A faint blue light flickered repeatedly in his pupils.
Chu-seong's eyes gleamed.
'Not bad.'
His qi was rock solid. He was definitely first-rate.
But that was all. Any young disciple from a great family should be at that level.
'So that's all he's got.'
A faint sense of disappointment appeared on Chu-seong's face.
He'd hoped for something more, but that was it. At least his stance was okay.
"Shall we begin?"
"Fine. I'll give you the first three moves."
"Three moves?"
Chu-seong chuckled.
"You're facing the new commander of the Great Namgung Family's Battle Sword Unit. Since you're so keen on holding me accountable, you should at least take the handicap, shouldn't you?"
His words were filled with arrogance.
But he was someone qualified to say such things. Everyone who heard his words acknowledged it.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been staring at Chu-seong, relaxed his stance.
Chu-seong tilted his head.
"What are you doing?"
"Three moves, you say?"
"That's right."
The blue light flickering in Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes gradually faded to indifference. He had released the Byukra True Resolution.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to duel?"
"I've changed my mind."
"What do you mean?"
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled faintly.
Chu-seong frowned. There was something unsettling about that smile.
Swish.
Yeon Ho-jeong, gripping the middle of the spear, slowly raised it. The spearhead was directed at Chu-seong.
'……?!'
In that instant, Chu-seong felt a tingling sensation in his chest.
'Killing intent?'
No.
It wasn't killing intent, but yeogi—a sharp energy—emanating from the spearhead. Even from a common blacksmith's spear, a needle-sharp yeogi was pouring out.
And the moment Chu-seong sensed the spear's yeogi.
At that very moment, Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes returned to a state of complete emptiness.
"Are you going to back up those words?"
"……!"
"Good. Draw your sword before the third move, and I'll kill you."
And then, Yeon Ho-jeong's attack began.
Step, step.
Yeon Ho-jeong's steps as he crossed the training platform towards Chu-seong were utterly ordinary. Neither fast nor slow, just extremely normal walking.
But Chu-seong's expression grew increasingly stiff.
'What is this?'
Slowly, very slowly.
Watching Yeon Ho-jeong approach, seemingly without any aura, Chu-seong felt a growing sense of unease.
'What's he planning...?'
When the distance between the two narrowed to one jang.
Yeon Ho-jeong raised his spear.
He lifted it above his head as if he were wielding a large sword. It was a motion more akin to wielding a greatsword or an axe, not a spear.
What in the world is this?
Everyone watching was confused. Why was he holding the spear like that? Was that even a real spear technique?
At that moment, when everyone's attention was focused.
Boom!
Yeon Ho-jeong stomped his foot on the training platform.
The whole platform seemed to shake. At the same time, the six-ja spear came crashing down towards Chu-seong's head.
Chu-seong's eyes widened.
'W-What?!'
The spear was bearing down at a terrifying speed.
He could easily dodge it. He could disrupt the stance with a flick of his wrist.
But Chu-seong couldn't easily choose any of those options.
'Hah!!'
Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by a vision.
He was alone on a cliff in a world of darkness, and a giant axe, as big as a mountain, was falling towards him.
Its sheer size, the weight of it crushing the air, the force of it shaking the ground—it was so overwhelming that he was instantly filled with despair.
'Move…!'
Then, Chu-seong met a pair of eyes glaring down at him from behind the giant axe.
He also saw that those eyes were slightly curved like a crescent moon.
'Eeeek!'
Chu-seong threw his arms up in a cross block.
And the spear shaft slammed down onto his forearms.
Thwack!
"Keuk!"
Chu-seong's knees buckled slightly.
'Heavy!!'
It was an incredibly heavy blow.
This wasn't just spear technique. Nor was it just staff technique.
It was a terrifying attack that somehow combined the brutal force of an axe, the deadly precision of a sword, the flowing movements of a staff, and the piercing sharpness of a spear.
'Damn it!'
Whoooooosh!
He quickly drew up his inner energy and poured it into both arms.
His forearms screamed in pain. For a second, he thought they might be broken.
But Yeon Ho-jeong's attack was just beginning.
Bang!
Jingak (震脚) is a technique to gain power by stomping the ground hard and using the rebound force coming up from the lower body.
He stepped forward and stomped again—a jingak—but this one was even louder and more powerful than the last.
And the second attack came crashing down.
Flash!
After the downward strike, he gripped the middle of the spear and thrust it forward.
'Fast!'
It was so fast he forgot the pain in his arms. The spearhead, aimed straight for his heart, pulsed with the killing intent of a predator.
Twitch!
His fingers twitched, instinctively reaching for his sword. But this was only the second attack. Not even a full move, just the second attack.
'Damn it!'
Chu-seong shifted his feet, realizing he couldn't block it barehanded.
Whoosh!
The spear thrust ripped through the air, as if it could pierce the wall of a distant building.
'……!'
A chilling sensation ran down his side.
He didn't have time to look, but he knew. He hadn't dodged it completely.
'I've been cut.'
And it was deep. A moment later, and it would've pierced his organs.
'Damn it…!'
His relaxed posture snapped taut. His back straightened, his shoulders tightening.
He thought he had definitely dodged it, but he hadn't. That's how fast the spear strike was.
Then the third attack came.
Yeon Ho-jeong's wrist, still gripping the spear, flicked with incredible speed and flexibility.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
A flurry of spear points flew at Chu-seong.
He was using one-handed spear techniques, incredibly fast. So fast the spear left afterimages.
'Th-This…!'
But even more terrifying was the timing and precision.
The spear points came in a strange, unpredictable rhythm, throwing off Chu-seong's senses. They struck from impossible angles, like a beast lunging with its jaws wide open.
Chu-seong felt his vision going dark.
He had to block, but each strike was filled with that sharp yeogi. He couldn't tell which were feints and which were real.
'Death?!'
An unfamiliar sensation dominated his entire body.
And the moment he felt that sensation, Chu-seong's hand moved on its own accord.
Clang!
Yeon Ho-jeong's spear was deflected to the right.
"Keuk!"
Chu-seong stumbled back, a jeweled blue sword now in his hand.
Geom-beop (劍法).
He hadn't blocked or parried. He'd used his own ultimate sword technique to counter, neutralizing both attacks.
Chu-seong's eyes trembled.
'I almost died.'
He'd really almost died. That last attack was lethal. If he hadn't drawn his sword, he'd be full of holes.
How long had it been since he felt fear? How long had it been since he experienced tension?
"You broke your word."
Startled, Chu-seong looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had already rested the spear shaft on his shoulder, was glaring at Chu-seong with cold eyes.
"I told you. Draw your sword before the third move, and you die."
"……!!"
"I'll show you that even a few careless words can have serious consequences."
Whoosh!
Yeon Ho-jeong pounced like a beast.
