Chapter 110: This Makes Absolutely No Sense (3)
Chapter 109 – This Makes Absolutely No Sense (3)
In an instant, the atmosphere inside the tavern fell dead silent.
Not to mention the members of the Namgung Clan, even the other customers nearby stopped eating and turned to look directly at Yun Jong-seung.
Hiccup.
When everyone’s attention suddenly focused on him, Yun Jong-seung hiccuped.
‘Damn it, what on earth did I just do?’
Unable to bear listening any longer, he had stepped forward under the influence of alcohol, but he never expected the atmosphere to become like this.
Come to think of it, wasn’t this the very first time in his life he had formally requested a duel from someone?
As he realized the situation too late, his legs trembled.
Just then, the old man subtly furrowed his brows.
He was Namgung Won, the second younger brother of the Clan Leader, Namgung Geom.
Among the family members gathered in this place, he was the eldest.
“Did you say you are from the Mount Huang Yun Clan?”
As a metallic voice flew toward him, Yun Jong-seung was startled inside but replied while pretending to be calm.
“That is correct! I am Yun Jong-seung, the youngest of the Mount Huang Yun Clan!”
At the mention of the Mount Huang Yun Clan, a flicker of ridicule crossed Namgung Won’t face.
The Mount Huang Yun Clan.
Since when did the Mount Huang Yun Clan dare to stand before the Namgung Clan and speak so stiffly?
In the past, they were a minor family he wouldn’t even have spared a glance.
However, times had changed and the Namgung Clan had declined as much as it could, so the current reality was simply lamentable.
Was it not a fact that the Mount Huang Yun Clan was already enjoying more power than the Namgung Clan in the vicinity of Mount Huang?
“It is a pleasure to meet Young Master Yun like this. This old man is called Namgung Won.”
“Yes, nice to meet you, Elder.”
Although Yun Jong-seung strongly reeked of alcohol, he still showed proper courtesy in his own way.
Subsequently, Namgung Hyeon-do and Namgung Jin greeted him in turn, cupping their fists.
The two were Namgung Won’t son and grandson, and Namgung Jin was the young man who had received the challenge for a duel from Yun Jong-seung.
Beside them stood Jang Won-sik and Jang Son-deok, who belonged to the collateral branch, and they also greeted him politely in turn.
Once they finished exchanging introductions, Yun Jong-seung realized anew what he had just done.
“Uh, um… since I was drinking during the day, I think I committed a bit of a discourtesy…”
“It is truly amazing that you reached the quarterfinals in the Joint Conference. I have been wanting to meet the heroes of the Joint Conference anyway, so it is an honor that you are giving me a chance to learn a lesson like this.”
Namgung Jin quickly interrupted him.
‘Where do you think you’re escaping to now?’
From the look of it, his bravado had been triggered by the alcohol, but from Namgung Jin’s perspective, wasn’t this a stroke of unexpected good luck?
If he accepted the duel here and knocked the Mount Huang Yun Clan down a peg, he would be able to restore the family’s prestige even if only a little.
Moreover, he was a quarterfinalist of the Joint Conference.
‘I heard that the youngest of the Mount Huang Yun Clan is quite a scoundrel. The standard of this Joint Conference must have been truly terrible.’
If things went well, this was an opportunity to raise his own recognition ahead of the family’s general assembly.
At the same time, it was also a chance to prove that like Namgung Cheon, he could have easily won the championship had he participated in the Joint Conference.
On the other hand, as his drunkenness gradually faded, Yun Jong-seung wished he could take back his words.
“No, well, even if you don’t necessarily receive instruction from me, it seems like the Namgung Clan is already receiving plenty of excellent instruction…”
“Haha. What a disappointing thing to say. Surely you don’t mean that someone like me is not even worth discussing martial arts with?”
“That’s not it…”
“Then please, show me a lesson by all means. Since you proposed it first, this Namgung is simply filled with deep emotion.”
Hiccup.
Yun Jong-seung hiccuped once more, unable to hold it in.
* * *
“My word, what is going on here?”
“Shh. They say they are going to duel.”
“Why a duel all of a sudden?”
“I hear a member of the Namgung Clan and the youngest master of the Mount Huang Yun Clan are going head-to-head.”
“The youngest master of the Mount Huang Yun Clan… that absolute scoundrel?”
“Shh! He’ll hear you, man.”
A crowd of people swarmed in front of the Mount Huang Tavern.
On the relatively wide main road, Namgung Jin and Yun Jong-seung faced each other. Yun Jong-seung’s face was still flushed red, to the point where it was impossible to tell whether he was flushed from intimidation or the alcohol.
On the other hand, Namgung Jin, who kept a constant smile on his face, overflowed with composure.
Namgung Jin spoke in a loud voice as if to make sure everyone around could hear.
“I sincerely thank Brother Yun, who reached the quarterfinals of the Joint Conference, for offering to show me a lesson.”
At this, the crowd stirred.
“What? Young Master Yun reached the quarterfinals?”
“Wait, I think I heard the news that Namgung Cheon won, but did that absolute scoundrel also reach the quarterfinals?”
“What on earth happened to the Joint Conference this time? Has the standard dropped too low?”
Namgung Jin laughed inwardly at the reaction, which was entirely as expected.
On the other hand, Yun Jong-seung became even more intimidated by the murmuring of the crowd.
‘Damn it, my big mouth is the problem. I can’t even take back what I said.’
But still, wasn’t his opponent from the Namgung Clan?
Although their family fortunes had declined, the martial arts they practiced would not have faded.
Of course, not every martial artist from the Namgung Clan would be able to fly through the sky, but wouldn’t they possess a basic level of martial prowess?
‘Just looking at that Namgung Cheon, for instance.’
A long sigh escaped his lips involuntarily.
But what could he do?
The water was already spilled.
‘Right, let’s not be scared! Even though I look like this, didn’t I defeat the descendants of the Five Great Clans and reach the quarterfinals of the Joint Conference?’
Yun Jong-seung composed his mind and slowly assumed a starting stance.
Fortunately, he was still wearing the arm guards that Namgung Cheon had given him.
“Baek Mu-geuk paid in full for those arm guards. Keep using them for the time being.”
These were the words Namgung Cheon had left for him.
Although he did not fully understand the meaning, it was clear that Namgung Cheon had bestowed something upon him, so he harbored a feeling of gratitude in his heart.
‘Namgung Cheon, even if only for your sake, I must win… I think?’
Although he lacked confidence, he would do his best.
Looking at Yun Jong-seung, Namgung Jin also drew his sword.
Sring.
The sharp blade flashed as it caught the light.
Namgung Jin’s gaze settled calmly.
‘Is it fist techniques? Or palm techniques?’
Seeing that he was wearing arm guards, he would likely confront him with fist and palm techniques.
This was getting more ridiculous by the minute.
It might be different if they had reached the level of masters, but among young experts, the side holding a weapon is bound to be at least slightly more advantageous.
‘Tsk, I feel bad about this, but it can’t be helped. You’ll have to sacrifice yourself a bit for me. In any case, you were the one who proposed the duel first, so you have no right to complain.’
When he glanced to the side, his father Namgung Hyeon-do and grandfather Namgung Won were watching him with expectant eyes.
Namgung Jin took a deep breath and slowly shifted his steps sideways.
Accordingly, Yun Jong-seung moved his steps in tandem.
Namgung Jin’s expression faltered slightly.
‘Not bad.’
Surprisingly, he showed no openings. He drew an imaginary path of the sword in his mind, but the arm guards worn on both of the other’s arms were highly bothersome.
‘Well, I’ll find out once I shake him up!’
Having finished his thoughts, Namgung Jin instantly kicked the ground and lunged forward.
In that split second, Yun Jong-seung clenched his fists tightly and focused his eyes.
‘Here he comes!’
Fwip!
Namgung Jin’s figure blurred in a zigzag motion, charging in bewilderingly.
‘Oh! He is incredibly fast… wait, he isn’t?’
Yun Jong-seung’s eyes widened.
Strangely, was Namgung Jin’s movement not being captured completely in his eyes?
Compared to the sparring sessions he had with Namgung Cheon, it was as if his opponent was rushing at him with as much strength drained as possible.
‘Is he perhaps holding back against me?’
Moreover, wasn’t the weight loaded on the sword also light enough to make him think it was fluttering compared to Namgung Cheon’s?
Since he did not particularly feel the urge to dodge, Yun Jong-seung charged straight ahead.
When Yun Jong-seung unexpectedly clashed with him head-on, Namgung Jin was flustered inside.
‘What? He’s not dodging?’
Swish, clang!
The sword struck Yun Jong-seung’s arm guards, ringing loudly.
“Ugh!”
The vibration transmitted through his hand made even his shoulder tremble.
It was also a regrettable point that he had been unable to fully extend his sword because Yun Jong-seung had suddenly rushed forward.
As Namgung Jin retreated hesitantly, Yun Jong-seung dug into his chest even faster and thrust a palm strike.
Fwoosh!
‘A perfect lotus!’
In that brief instant of panic, Namgung Jin felt as if an eagle were flying toward him.
‘Damn it, not so fast!’
Clenching his teeth, Namgung Jin spun his body with all his might.
Clang!
With a burst of sparks, Namgung Jin’s sword barely deflected Yun Jong-seung’s arm guards.
Fwoosh!
From Yun Jong-seung’s fingertips, which narrowly missed and struck empty air, palm force exploded.
Namgung Jin’s heart went cold.
‘What is this now? What absolute nonsense is…!’
Wasn’t Yun Jong-seung rumored to be an absolute scoundrel of the Mount Huang Yun Clan?
A wicked fellow who wasn’t even very strong in martial arts but bullied the weak.
Yet this was considered not very strong martial arts?
That strike from earlier was at a level that would send him to the grave if he took a single bad hit.
Namgung Won and Namgung Hyeon-do, who were watching from the side, also began to sense that something was off.
However, at this point, they had no justification to stop the duel.
In the meantime, Yun Jong-seung rode his momentum and quickly pursued Namgung Jin.
‘Slow. Definitely slow! Compared to Namgung Cheon, this is… child’s play, isn’t it?’
At first, he thought Namgung Jin was holding back against him.
However, looking at the bewilderment currently on Namgung Jin’s face, that was clearly not the case.
Come to think of it, to have the composure to observe even the opponent’s expression while fighting. Was this not a truly tremendous development?
‘Wait, maybe… I can actually win this?’
A corner of his heart throbbed.
But complacency was out of the question.
A tiger does its best even when catching a rabbit!
Fwip!
Loading internal energy into the tips of his toes, Yun Jong-seung pressed forward even more vigorously.
Bang! Fwoosh! Clang! Clack!
The palm force striking the air and the sword strikes clashing against the arm guards burst into a wild din.
As it unexpectedly became a close match, the onlookers soon found themselves sweating in suspense.
Namgung Jin also gradually regained his composure as time passed. Consequently, power was loaded into his sword and its speed increased, leading to quite heavy attacks.
Clang! Clack!
Fwip!
Yun Jong-seung retreated as he blocked the successive attacks one after another.
His forearms wearing the arm guards burned and throbbed numbly.
Yet, the more they did, the clearer all his senses became.
It was because he had realized the advice he had previously heard from Namgung Cheon on ‘how to get beaten up properly.’
If one got hit properly, not only would the pain be minimized, but one could actually solidify their internal energy even further through the stimulation of acupoints.
This was a characteristic of his family’s inherited cultivation method that even Yun Jong-seung had not known.
‘I feel alive. This is fun. For a duel to be this interesting and enjoyable!’
The sparring sessions with Namgung Cheon had been like hell. It was only scary and terrifying.
The duels he experienced in the Joint Conference had been painful. It was a pain of tearing muscles and breaking bones.
Yet, right now, it was simply enjoyable.
As he frantically blocked the pouring sword strikes with both arms, he felt that he was alive and breathing.
Since he could see the opponent’s movements in detail and his body responded on its own, he couldn’t help but be excited.
It felt as if his body were moving on its own before he could even think.
On the other hand, Namgung Jin grew increasingly anxious as time passed.
‘Why… why isn’t he collapsing! Even after getting beaten up like that, why!’
However, he did not have the slightest clue.
The fact that Yun Jong-seung had already endured getting beaten several times worse than this in the duels of the Joint Conference.
Ultimately, his impatient mind led to the mistake of unleashing a hasty sword stance.
And Yun Jong-seung was not one to miss that.
‘Now!’
In that brief moment, having confirmed that the opponent’s flank was wide open, Yun Jong-seung bent his waist low and darted forward like an arrow.
Swish!
‘This time, a perfect lotus!’
At the moment the internal energy, which traveled along the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian, condensed thread by thread into his five fingers!
Bam!
“Argh!”
Namgung Jin’s scream erupted like gunpowder.
“……!”
The expressions of Namgung Won and Namgung Hyeon-do, who were watching, shook noticeably.
“Jin!”