Chapter 253

Swish!

There was no opening stance or anything of the sort. The instant the flag signaling the start of the duel rose, the two combatants charged at each other.

As the distance of roughly ten zhang¹ closed in a flash, a dazzling beam of light erupted from the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s waist.

Sword Energy right from the start?

Everything had its advantages and disadvantages.

Sword Energy was tremendously powerful, but it consumed an enormous amount of internal energy.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon had chosen a swift victory over a drawn-out battle.

Whoosh!

Blue energy streamed from his Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword and slashed down toward Cheongpung’s shoulder.

A clean strike, stripped of all wasted motion. He had probably followed that same trajectory countless times since the day he first picked up a sword.

But…

If I can see it, Cheongpung can see it too.

Boom!

Half a step. That was all it took for Cheongpung to evade. The Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword, wreathed in blue Sword Energy, slammed into the dueling platform.

But the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon was an experienced Peak master. As though he had anticipated the dodge, he twisted his sword and swept it toward Cheongpung’s ankle.

“Oops!”

Swish! Swish-swish-swish!

Cheongpung twisted away from the sword with a playful cry.

The Sword Energy raked and split the air in every direction like the claws of a wild beast. The loose hem of his robe caught in its path was shredded into tatters and scattered through the air.

Screams and gasps rose from the crowd.

“Eek!”

“Gasp!”

But I could see clearly. Cheongpung didn’t have so much as a scratch on him, and a smile played across his lips.

He was enjoying himself. Dancing lightly out of the sword strikes, Cheongpung broke into a broad grin and clapped.

“Wow! That was the Great Clarity Sword Technique, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon answered reflexively, his face blank with bewilderment.

And who could blame him? Anyone would have reacted the same way. What was that? How did that bastard dodge? His mind had to be overflowing with questions.

“The sword path is really interesting. Have you perhaps not learned the Taiji Wisdom Sword?”

“Why would you ask that…?”

“I’ve always wanted to see it. My grandfa—no, someone I know praised it several times. He said it was an excellent martial art.”

The Taiji Wisdom Sword was Wudang’s greatest secret art, famous enough that even I had heard of it a few times.

Cheongpung had spoken with pure intentions, but to anyone unfamiliar with his personality, his words were unbearably rude.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon standing before him was no exception.

“Our sect’s martial arts exist neither to be judged by you nor to entertain you.”

His expression stiff, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon raised his Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword and pointed it at Cheongpung.

“But if you desire it so badly, I will show you just how fearsome it is.”

A gentle yet powerful aura arose and bore down on their surroundings. At the same time, the tip of his sword moved slowly, tracing a circle.

Taiji.²

The essence of Wudang’s martial arts was about to unfold in his hands.

“The Taiji Wisdom Sword! It’s the Taiji Wisdom Sword!”

“Give this everything you have. Otherwise, you will regret it.”

Whoosh!

The moment he finished speaking, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon vanished like a phantom.

The next moment, blue Sword Energy rippled through the air and aimed at Cheongpung’s upper body.

That was when Cheongpung’s sword, which had remained sheathed throughout the duel, finally appeared.

Screeeech—boom!

Sword Energy collided with Sword Energy. It was only a single clash, but who held the advantage was obvious.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon skidded back a full zhang, his eyes wide. Blood flowed from his torn hand.

“W-What is this?”

“Can I go this time?”

With that question, Cheongpung’s figure scattered like an illusion.

The Dark Fragrance Drift of Huashan. It was the exact movement I had grown sick of watching during my duels with him in the past.

A year had passed, and his Dark Fragrance Drift had become even more secretive and faster.

Swish!

A faint violet aura gathered around the tip of the sword sweeping toward the crown of the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s head.

He avoided attacks as much as possible, and only used Sword Energy at the exact moment of striking.

It was proof that he was reducing unnecessary expenditure of internal energy while controlling his own power perfectly.

“Gah!”

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon, startled, hurriedly knocked his sword upward. But this time, things were different from before. The Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword slid along Cheongpung’s blade and changed direction.

Softness overcoming hardness.

That was the foundation of Wudang’s martial arts and the principle embodied by the Taiji Wisdom Sword.

But…

“Oh, I know how to do something similar too.”

Shhk.

Cheongpung’s wrist rotated fluidly as he spoke with childlike innocence.

The Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword had clung tenaciously to Cheongpung’s blade, pressing it down. But with that single motion, it was swept aside as if it had no strength at all.

The Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword wavered in midair, and Cheongpung’s blade immediately ensnared it.

“Got it. This is how you do it, right?”

“……!”

“Or not? Wait, I think it’ll work better like this. Ah, that’s it.”

Cheongpung abruptly withdrew his sword and sank into thought. Then he smiled brightly.

In contrast, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon stared at him in utter shock.

So did every martial artist watching the duel.

“Gah!”

“T-The Taiji Wisdom Sword…!”

Strength was overcome by greater strength. Softness, by even greater softness.

Wudang had built its martial arts upon the principle of softness overcoming hardness, and the Taiji Wisdom Sword was its greatest supreme technique. Cheongpung had just defeated it through that very same principle.

The shock was immense.

Cheongpung is one move ahead of the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon. No, at least two moves ahead.

There was no way the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon, who was facing him directly, hadn’t realized it.

“H-How did you do that?”

“Hmm. You just have to think of embracing your opponent. Then your body reacts on its own and knows where and how to move. Easy, right?”

“……”

Easy, my ass. You crazy bastard.

More importantly, was that really something a person could do?

And this is the guy who supposedly spent a whole year eating nothing but dumplings.

As I stared at Cheongpung in disbelief, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s eyelids trembled from the shock.

Then he suddenly charged.

Tzzzz!

Blue Sword Energy blazed more brightly than ever. He had clearly gathered every last bit of his internal energy into that one strike.

The blade approached as though it would split Cheongpung’s chest open at any moment. Just as the spectators began screaming at the sight of Cheongpung standing there blankly—

Swish-swish-swish-swish!

Brilliant violet light-flames filled the dueling arena. The sword in Cheongpung’s hand traced a beautiful path through the air.

That single movement told me exactly which martial art he was using.

The Thirty-Six Plum Blossom Swords.

It was supremely fast and smooth.

For a moment, it seemed as though the scent of plum blossoms brushed the tip of my nose. The violet Sword Energy of the Zaha Divine Technique burst like flower buds and bloomed into thirty-six plum blossoms.

The next instant, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword stopped dead in front of Cheongpung’s chest.

Crack.

The Sword Energy that had poured from it in torrents only moments ago had vanished. Hairline fractures spread like a spiderweb across the straight, snow-white blade.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon stared at his cherished sword, and a weak voice slipped from his lips.

“Plum blossoms… I see. You are a disciple of Huashan.”

Cheongpung jumped and stammered.

“Ah, I’m not.”

“Well, I suppose it hardly matters.”

Resignation—and understanding.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s arm slowly sank. His Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword shattered into hundreds of fragments that tumbled across the dueling platform.

“I concede.”

Only then did the silence break.

The judge came to his senses and lowered the flag. The pent-up roar of the crowd burst free like a dam, sweeping through the arena from every direction.

“How was I? I did well, right?”

The innocent voice pulled me from my thoughts. Cheongpung’s face was inches from mine, his eyes sparkling like a child’s.

“Whoa, you scared me. Let’s cut that out.”

“Benefactor, I asked how I did.”

Was the young man pestering me for an answer really the same person who had just fought?

The Invincible Divine Sword had utterly overwhelmed the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon, one of the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes and the future of Wudang.

Watching the duel had reminded me once again that Cheongpung had long since surpassed the realm of young prodigies.

Was he always this strong?

The higher you climbed, the more of the landscape you could see. The same was true of the mountain called Cheongpung. A year ago, I hadn’t been high enough to see this view.

He’s incredible. It’s almost impossible to believe that all of this comes from natural talent.

His martial prowess was astonishing, but his talent was even more so.

Watching him, even I could almost believe he was a System user.

“Benefactor. Why aren’t you answering?”

“Are you a child? Do I have to praise you for that too?”

Cheongpung muttered with a slightly downcast expression.

“Grandpa always told me I did well…”

“That’s your problem.”

Just as I answered him curtly on purpose—

“Wow, that was a great duel, friend!”

At the sudden voice that seemed to leap out of nowhere, Cheongpung turned around with a brightened expression.

“Jongni Chu!”

“Oh! You remember me, friend!”

“Of course I remember you. Of course I do—uh, yeah, of course!”

“……”

What a pair of fucking idiots.

I silently watched Jongni Chu and Cheongpung embrace and laugh together. Then a thought occurred to me.

“Wait. You two.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Why?”

“Aren’t you each other’s next opponents?”

The two of them stared blankly at each other, then both gasped.

“T-That’s right!”

“I-I see. You’re my next opponent, Kang Pung.”

I could already hear their friendship cracking.

I clicked my tongue as they awkwardly pulled apart.

Well, the result is more or less obvious anyway.

As with everything else, luck played a part in the Star-Array Grand Banquet. In that respect, Jongni Chu had been blessed by the heavens.

For some reason, he had kept drawing middling opponents and made it all the way to the semifinals.

Of course, the opponents he had defeated only seemed middling to me. They had all been comparable to Jongni Chu or even stronger.

And apparently he even got a bye yesterday.

From what I’d heard, Jongni Chu’s quarterfinal opponent had suffered a severe injury and withdrawn.

Whatever else one might say about him, the bastard’s luck was phenomenal.

Still, making it to the semifinals is no small feat.

Cheongpung wasn’t someone who could be defeated through luck. Perhaps they knew that too, because they exchanged a few words with regretful expressions.

“Sorry. I’ll go easy on you. No, wait—sorry, pal. I’ll go easy on you.”

“If you would, I’d be grateful. Please do.”

One openly promised to go easy on the other, while the other thanked him without a shred of pride. Neither of them was in his right mind.

I shook my head.

“You two childhood friends can settle that yourselves. I’m leaving. I have a prior engagement.”

“A prior engagement? But Benefactor, you don’t have any friends.”

“What? Did you have any friends besides me?”

“……”

The saddest part was that I couldn’t deny it.

Just as I found myself at a loss for words, the judge’s shout, amplified by internal energy, rang through the arena.

“Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi, Jin Taekyung! Come up to the dueling platform!”

“Yes, I’m coming.”

Cheongpung and I each had one more step to climb before we could face each other in the finals.

I stepped lightly onto the dueling platform and looked at my opponent.

“You got lucky too. I never thought you’d make it this far.”

My semifinal opponent muttered gloomily.

“Our sect’s Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms is one of the five greatest palm techniques under heaven.”

“But you’ve only mastered five tenths of it.”

“That is correct.”

“Then concede.”

“If I did, my Master would beat me like a dog on Boknal.³”

“Then?”

“There is only one path left.”

Gung Gibang, the Successor Beggar of the Beggars’ Sect, spat out a thick gob of phlegm. He pointed his well-worn bamboo staff at me and continued.

“Our sect’s Dog-Beating Staff Technique is the greatest under heaven. I’ll beat you senseless like a back-alley dog.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Gung Gibang clung to my calf, both eyes swollen, and shouted,

“I’ve only mastered five tenths of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique!”

“……”

Why was this bastard stuck at five-tenths mastery with everything?

As I tossed aside the bamboo staff, now split in two, the judge lowered the flag.

“Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi, Jin Taekyung advances to the finals!”