âNext, next!â
âYes!â
Tang Soso slightly bent her knees, lowering her sword, and her stance, that now resembled a cat ready to pounce, and aimed for the opponentâs neck.
Kakakag!
The opponentâs face showed clear confusion as they barely managed to block the attack. It was not easy to showcase oneâs skills in real-life combat. Unlike when swinging a sword with a clear mind, emotions tend to run high in actual combat.
A personâs own sword could either put their life at risk or lead to defeat against the opponentâs sword.
In such moments, maintaining composure was not an easy task. It required a lot of experience.
âRelax your wrists and put strength into your toes.â
âYes!â
If one could not control their body, at least one should keep it stable. That would be far better than any awkward teachings.
Tang Soso focused on calming her breathing.
âI still have a long way to go.â
The other sahyung and sajaes held their swords from childhood. Just because Chung Myung changed the way of Mount Hua and included her in the training, her basic training wouldnât disappear.
Un Geom also focused their efforts on the basics, and the training time with the sword was fixed.
However, Tang Soso was in the process of building a foundation with the sword. No matter how talented she was, even with Chung Myung and Yu Yiseol teaching her intently, she still couldnât catch up with the others.
âWhich is why!â
She didnât think too much.
Trying to jump over the sahyungs in one leap would be plain arrogance to her and insulting to her sahyungs too. There wasnât a single disciple of Mount Hua who would neglect their training, and there was no one who wasnât serious about the sword.
âBe it 10 years or 20, I will catch up one day.â
Chung Myung once said.
Among the plum blossoms which bloomed on the same plum tree, there wasnât a single one that bloomed in a similar way.
Some flowers bloomed early, and others bloomed late, but blooming late didnât diminish their beauty.
Therefore, she shouldnât feel bad for blooming late.
Tang Soso slowly grasped her sword. Her movements were swift and sharp, and her impatience was fading away.
âAlright.â
Yu Yiseol whispered in a low voice as she widened her stance. Just one step apart. That distance was enough to show her trust in Tang Soso.
âSago.â
Understanding the significance of this distance, Tang Soso bit her lip. Protecting her didnât simply mean staying close to her.
The daughter of the Tang family.
A member of the physicianâs guild.
All of these were her, yet at the same time, not her.
âI am a swordsman of Mount Hua.â
The tip of Tang Sosoâs sword began to unexpectedly bring forth plum blossoms. They were not clear or in a sequence. But despite their clumsy appearance, they were undoubtedly plum blossoms.
Even if ten thousand plum blossoms bloomed, no two flowers would be the same. At this place, Tang Sosoâs plum blossoms were blooming for the first time, and this made Yu Yiseolâs lips quiver.
A smile so large that it was an unusual sight on her face.
One step.
Shah!
Yu Yiseolâs feet glide on the snow again.
There was no reason to suppress her sword, just to watch the new plum blossoms around her. She, too, was still lacking, and there wouldnât be many chances to have real fights.
Unlike Tang Soso, her soft and graceful sword flew as if they were embracing her shocked opponents.
Swish! Swish!
Like moonlight shining in the darkness, her sword slowly found the gaps in her opponents.
Simply perfect movement. Her sword was still hers, and yet it was different.
Simple but soft, sharp but flexible.
âAhhh!â
Her cold iron sword was hastily blocked. Yet her gentle slash climbed up the opponentâs shoulder and cut it.
Slash. Slash.
She ensured that they could no longer fight by slashing away at their wrists and knees. However, her sword didnât stop there. It was a terrifying yet mesmerizing sight. For those who faced her sword directly, it was pure horror.
A single sword slash.
Yu Yiseolâs cold voice cut through the air, shocking Tang Soso.
âBe on guard!â
âYes!â
Tang Soso clenched her teeth and chased after Yu Yiseol.
The only one who was there to watch her back was Tang Soso.
â⊠whatâs going on?â
Go Jin-Takâs eyes trembled.
Were they being pushed back? Not only were they pushed, but it was a one-sided fight.
âHow is this possible?â
They hadnât exhausted their strength running all the way here, so it didnât make sense to be dominated by a group of young people like this.
But that didnât mean they were going to be defeated.
They had higher numbers on their side, and since they were human, these children could not defeat them all. However, the fact that a perfect defeat was a real possibility was a shock for him.
âWas the Mount Hua sect this strong?â
It was a sect that didnât even have a name for itself. But he couldnât think of anything further.
Paaah!
There was no way anyone could think of something else when a sword was moving toward their face.
Go Jin-Tak was scared and tilted his head to the side. However, it was impossible to avoid it completely, and his cheek was slashed as blood flowed.
The cut burned as if it was on fire, and Go Jin-Tak corrected his form.
âI am not so weak that you can think about other things as we duel.â
ââŠ.â
Baek Cheon fixed his eyes on him with a cold look.
âBefore you think of your subordinates, you should think about yourself. If not, you will fall before they do.â
At those words, Go Jin-Takâs face turned cold.
âThis is where you stop being so cocky.â
âWith all due respect, I was never cocky. I simply stated the truth.â
âThisâŠ.â
Go Jin-Tak, who was upset by this, gritted his teeth and summoned his internal qi. Soon, white frost began to form on his sword.
âIâve changed my mind. Even if you surrender, I wonât spare your life!â
âIt seems like nothing will change. I had no intention of surrendering in the first place.â
âYOUUUUU!â
Go Jin-Tak shouted with all his might and swiftly stabbed his sword. Despite his excitement, the sword moved true. Seven sword forms rushed toward Baek Cheon.
They were aimed at his face, stomach, shoulders, and legs.
ButâŠ
Shhh
Baek Cheon wouldnât fall so easily. The tip of his sword swayed, and dozens of plum blossoms soon bloomed in the air.
Kang!
The flowers skillfully blocked the flying sword. It wasnât showy, and he didnât aim sharply at the enemy. It was a precise defense without unnecessary movement. It was the most efficient sword technique.
âKuak!â
Go Jin-Takâs sword crossed paths with Baek Cheonâs sword without ever considering surrender.
His fierce sword qi tore through the air and Baek Cheon mercilessly, like a raging storm. It could cut, stab, or do anything.
The Cold Sword Breaking Snow.
This was the technique that Go Jin-Tak was most confident in. One of the Twelve Forms of Ice from the North Sea Ice Palace.
The sight of the pale white swords raging fiercely in the air resembled a whirlwind.
However, Baek Cheonâs eyes showed no hint of fear.
âNo.â
No matter how splendid and complex the sword technique was, it didnât faze him.
Observe.
Like a subtle gust of wind in the dense air.
âIt canât be like this.â
His sword was different.
There were no gaps, even though his opponent released a sword qi that was incomparable to his. Compared to the despair he felt when facing a sword head-on, this meant nothing.
Baek Cheon firmly thrust his sword forward, fueled by his internal qi.
Swish!
The sword glowed bright white with gusts of sword qi, sharp like sunlight piercing through the clouds.
âHuk!â
Upon seeing the white sword qi rushing towards him, Go Jin-Tak had no choice but to dodge.
After rolling on the ground, he halted to gaze in shock at Baek Cheon. The warrior had evaded Baek Cheonâs sword in a disgraceful manner, but those thoughts were no longer present.
Only questions remained.
âHow?â
He had fought countless opponents before, but this was a first for him. Even when faced with warriors of Kangho, there were instances when his sword was overpowered, but the blade had never been destroyed before.
He swallowed hard and leaped back up.
This wasnât a friendly spar. Even if he inquired, the other person would not explain, and there was no guarantee that his life wouldnât be at risk. Completely relinquishing his arrogance towards his adversary, he gritted his teeth and launched an attack at Baek Cheon.
âYOUUUUU!â
Baek Cheon furrowed his brows.
âThe Captain of the Ten Thousand People?â
No, it wasnât that.
It wasnât that he was inferior to that man, but this man was simply more untrained.
SoâŠ.
Pat!
Before Go Jin-Tak could reach him, Baek Cheonâs sword qi rushed again.
Kang!
âKuak!â
The swift sword struck fast and nearly broke Go Jin-Takâs wrist.
Kaaang! đđđđđ€đ«đđĄ.đđ€đ
Once more!
Kang!
And once more!
Go Jin-Takâs energy waned, and his run slowed.
Wheik!
The wind roared, and hundreds of plum blossoms filled the air.
âAhâŠâ
Go Jin-Tak realized that this was the most beautiful sword technique he had ever seen. He was lost in the vista for a moment. This brief moment was not something Baek Cheon would miss.
Swish!
His sword moved like lightning between the plum blossoms. In an instant, Baek Cheonâs blade pierced through the flowers and clashed with Go Jin-Takâs sword. It flew into the air and pierced itself into the ground.
Puak
Go Jin-Tak looked at the sword stuck in the snow.
âYouâŠ.â
Crack
At that moment, Baek Cheon pierced through Go Jin-Takâs shoulder.
His cold eyes met Go Jin-Takâs bloodshot eyes.
ââŠâ
âI learned well.â
Thud.
As Baek Cheon greeted him politely, Go Jin-Tak knelt down. Baek Cheon raised his sword into the air.
Chak.
The blood on the sword dripped onto the snow. Baek Cheon glanced at the fallen man before moving on.
âNext.â
When Baek Cheon spoke calmly, the other warriors flinched and stepped back.
âC-captainâŠâ
âStrong⊠he is too strong.â
Having completely overpowered his opponent, Baek Cheon continued forward to finish off the others.
ââŠâ
Chung Myung, who had been observing the disciples from a distance, touched Baek Ah.
âDong Ryong⊠won. Yoon Jong and Jo Gul are fighting well⊠Yiseol doesnât need to be mentioned, and Soso is fighting well.â
Haha.
ThenâŠ
â⊠thereâs nothing for me to do.â
He usually dealt with situations like these, but only if they needed help. Chung Myung would appear there with a flourish.
No, thatâŠ
âThey had grown too much?â
Chung Myung, a victim of their growth, crouched down and mumbled.
ââŠI need to find something to eat.â
It would get even colder if he just stayed still.
Ugh, it was so cold.