Chapter 119: Get in Line (2)
Chapter 118 – Get in Line (2)
Gulp…!
Park Chang-su swallowed his dry saliva and slowly turned around.
Whoosh—
Just then, a cold wind blew and whipped against Park Chang-su’s face.
‘What… was that just now?’
He could not react at all.
As if he had become a wooden puppet, his body moved on its own whenever Namgung Cheon tapped him.
What if Namgung Cheon had intended to execute a killing move?
A chill ran down his spine.
Was it a coincidence?
There was no way.
While one could kill a person by coincidence, it was impossible to toy with someone at will by coincidence.
‘How on earth did he…?’
A smell he had smelled long ago drifted from the headwind.
It was the smell that came when one was on the boundary of death.
The smell of a wind bearing the energy of death.
It felt as if Namgung Cheon was standing tall right in the middle of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
To exert such pressure through just his atmosphere alone?
Furthermore, rather than a rising star of an orthodox sect, wasn’t this energy something felt only from an unorthodox martial artist who had rolled around at the very bottom of the sewer-like Jianghu?
As Namgung Cheon took a step forward indifferently, Park Chang-su took a step back without realizing it.
“What are you doing? Do I go first?”
“That is…”
As Park Chang-su hesitated, the onlookers also wore bewildered expressions.
They were also feeling just as confused as Park Chang-su.
Some even wondered if Park Chang-su couldn’t bring himself to point his sword at the young master.
However, looking at Park Chang-su’s current reaction, that did not seem to be the case either.
Park Chang-su was sweating cold sweat.
In the eyes of others, it only looked as if Park Chang-su had rushed toward Namgung Cheon, failed to withdraw his strength in time, and collided with the vice-captain.
But Park Chang-su knew.
He knew that all of it had moved exactly as Namgung Cheon intended.
At the same time, he also vividly remembered the change in his body when Namgung Cheon struck his Jianjing acupoint.
His footsteps had quickened, and weight was loaded onto the tip of his sword.
What? Remember that sensation well?
Wasn’t this like a martial arts master teaching swordsmanship to a four-year-old child for the first time?
“I asked what you are doing.”
When Namgung Cheon asked again, Park Chang-su hardened his expression and slowly took a starting stance.
‘Get a grip, Chang-su! Whether it’s luck or whatever, I’ll know once I check!’
Pulling his left foot forward, he lowered his stance and assumed a posture that looked ready to spring forward at any moment.
It was the starting stance preparing for the first stance of the Boundless Sky Sword Art.
He did not know why, of all the many martial arts, he had chosen this one.
He had simply taken the starting stance as it came to him like an instinct.
But…
‘Uh…?’
Park Chang-su’s eyes went wide.
Not only that, but all the observing Azure Eagle Squad members opened their eyes wide and stared at Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon’s posture.
He lowered his stance while putting his left foot forward, looking ready to spring forward at any moment.
The Boundless Sky Sword Art’s One Arrow of the Azure Sky!
“What? It’s the exact same starting stance?”
“Is he planning to have a duel with real swords?”
The Azure Eagle Squad members stirred.
Park Chang-su furrowed his brows deeply.
‘You look down on me too much! Fine, then I will properly…!’
Park Chang-su, who was hardening his expression, suddenly gaped.
The emotion that rose on his face was bewilderment.
More cold sweat poured down than before.
Despite the chilly weather, his spine was getting drenched wet.
There was none.
Not a single opening!
The Emerald Silk Sword, looking ready to shoot forward like an arrow, was emitting a sharp qi that felt like it would tear through his lungs in an instant.
Namgung Cheon’s eyes, showing no emotion whatsoever, seemed to say:
‘You are already dead.’
Just as those words implied, his entire body stiffened as if he had become a corpse.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind rose, fluttering the hem of Namgung Cheon’s robe and his hair.
However, it was not a wind summoned by nature.
It was a wind of qi blowing out from Namgung Cheon’s entire body.
‘This is… different. Completely!’
They took the same starting stance, but it was entirely different.
He felt as if he had encountered an insurmountable wall.
In that brief instant, the moment Namgung Cheon’s eyes twitched!
‘Damn it! Here he comes!’
Namgung Cheon flew in like lightning, and Park Chang-su did not even have time to fully extend his sword.
The Emerald Silk Sword, flying in like a ray of light, pierced straight through his heart and protruded from his back.
The dizzying pain and his remaining life faded away just like that.
‘And just like that… I die!’
All of this was the progression of events that flashed through Park Chang-su’s mind in the blink of an eye.
The process was so vivid, as if he had experienced it firsthand, that there was no room to doubt it was the future that would unfold.
Was this the killing intent sent from someone of such a young age?
How could it be so rough and domineering…!
At that moment,
Tap!
Now, Namgung Cheon actually kicked off the ground and flew in. At the same time,
Thump!
Park Chang-su knelt down and clasped his fists. The observing Azure Eagle Squad members widened their eyes.
Finally, surprising words fell from Park Chang-su’s mouth.
“I lost.”
Namgung Cheon, who had been rushing fiercely, stopped right in front of him.
“Are you sure?”
“I am not foolish enough to have to taste feces to know it is feces.”
“Fortunately so. Next!”
As Namgung Cheon turned around and spat those words, Cha Mu-jin, who was clenching his teeth, gestured toward a man with his chin.
“You go out.”
“Understood!”
A man with a headscarf tied around his head yelled loudly and stepped forward.
“Let’s give it a try! I won’t be that easy to deal with!”
The man holding a greatsword slowly took a starting stance.
Namgung Cheon smirked while standing with his weight shifted to one leg.
“Your spirit is good, but you have no wits.”
“What?”
“And you’re someone who needs to taste feces to know what it is.”
“Eek!”
In an instant, the headscarf-wearing man kicked off the ground and rushed forward like an arrow.
Swiiish!
Unlike Park Chang-su earlier, he executed sword strikes focused on using a heavy sword.
This time as well, Namgung Cheon closely observed the flow of his opponent’s inner force with the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes.
At the same time, as Namgung Cheon moved as if sliding, he moved like a shadow to the side of the headscarf-wearing man in the blink of an eye.
‘Tch! He’s quite…!’
The headscarf-wearing man spun around and swung his greatsword, but before he could, Namgung Cheon swung the Emerald Silk Sword along with its scabbard and tapped the back of his knee.
“Bend your knees a bit more to get some recoil.”
“…!”
The scabbard that flew in right after tapped his right gluteus maximus this time.
“Load more inner force into your right foot.”
“Urgh!”
“Then charge forward like a rhinoceros.”
Bam!
When Namgung Cheon unleashed a palm strike this time as well, the headscarf-wearing man, who was sent flying as if bouncing off, reflexively extended his sword toward Cha Mu-jin.
Cha Mu-jin spat out curses and drew his sword again.
“Son of a bitch, why does this keep happening only to me…!”
Clang!
This time too, with a loud noise, Cha Mu-jin retreated three or four steps.
In that moment, his pupils shook.
‘Wait… could this be?’
It was the same for Chang-su’s attack earlier, and it was the same this time as well.
Weren’t they persistently digging into the areas he usually found difficult to handle?
Suddenly, goosebumps broke out along his spine.
‘Then, how does he know my weaknesses?’
Of course, it was said that seasoned masters who were highly experienced had the ability to deduce weaknesses just by looking at a martial artist’s stride, habits, or minor actions.
But far from being seasoned, wasn’t Namgung Cheon a child who hadn’t even properly seen the world yet?
But there was one more thing.
What if this was also teaching him something?
What if it was awakening him to a way to defend his weaknesses?
‘Damn it, what am I thinking right now…! Even if that were the case, there was no way.’
Cha Mu-jin shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake off the ridiculous thought.
* * *
“Sister, it is an absolute mess in the back mountain right now.”
Namgung Pyo, who opened the door and entered, grinned.
Namgung Seol-hui narrowed her brows and said with a displeased expression,
“Did you fail to contain yourself and go look already?”
“I did not go myself, but I instructed a servant to take a quick peek and return.”
“Tsk, tsk. The more things do not go as planned, the more composed one’s heart must be.”
“Even if my mind is composed, can’t my body be light on its feet?”
“When the body is light, the mind also becomes light.”
At Namgung Seol-hui’s flawless lecture, Namgung Pyo also stopped talking back and nodded his head.
“In any case, something interesting is happening on the back mountain right now.”
“What is it? Did the Azure Eagle Squad declare their disobedience?”
“It is similar. Well, they say the Azure Eagle Squad members are holding duels against that kid, Namgung Cheon. What could this mean? Isn’t it a mutiny, declaring that they will never follow him unless he proves his martial arts skills? Haha!”
“If it is the Azure Eagle Squad, it is only natural they would act that way.”
“As expected, it seems it was a needless worry. This makes me feel a bit relieved. Now, we won’t have to watch the bastard child of the Great Killing Star lead the main family.”
“Do you know what the biggest variable in the Jianghu is?”
“Well. Your younger brother has short sight, so I do not know. Sister, what is it?”
“It is that no variable occurs.”
“Ah…”
“So do not be swayed by joy and sorrow over small matters, and just watch quietly.”
“Tsk, understood.”
“And stop sending servants to spy.”
“Yes, I will keep my mind off it for the time being.”
Namgung Pyo grinned and nodded.
Still, he seemed to quite like the Azure Eagle Squad’s way of responding.
Namgung Seol-hui narrowed her eyes and looked out the window.
‘A duel…’
* * *
“I lost!”
A man with a burn scar on the back of his hand clasped his fists and shouted loudly.
It was excessively loud for the voice of a loser, but no one paid any attention to that.
Namgung Cheon waved his hand dismissively and said,
“Next.”
“Please guide me well!”
A man with eyes like a weasel stepped forward and clasped his fists.
Namgung Cheon looked at the Azure Eagle Squad members lined up behind the man and said in irritation,
“What is wrong with you guys?”
“Yes?”
“Originally, there were only seven guys who wanted to duel, so why is everyone suddenly like this?”
As Namgung Cheon threw a complaint-filled voice, everyone looked at a distant mountain and feigned ignorance.
He had already faced all of the initial seven people, including the vice-captain Cha Mu-jin.
Yet, the Azure Eagle Squad members were even standing in line, wanting to duel Namgung Cheon.
Was that all?
“Hey, what are you doing here again?”
Namgung Cheon pointed the scabbard at Park Chang-su, who was standing at the very back.
Park Chang-su smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.
“Hehe. I’m sorry. I just wanted to do it one more time.”
“What the…!”
“Please do not decline! I want to receive your guidance!”
The meaning of receiving guidance here was, quite literally, to learn from him.
The Azure Eagle Squad members had realized that Namgung Cheon, while facing the previous seven people, was correcting their flaws and even granting them enlightenment.
Consequently, contrary to what Namgung Cheon had initially thought, everyone was lining up to duel.
‘Sigh. This isn’t what I intended…’
Lo and behold, Cha Mu-jin also slinked behind Park Chang-su.
In the end, Namgung Cheon shook his head.
“You guys are trying to get a free ride. That’s it for today. If you have a complaint, get lost. I am not a philanthropist.”
“Uh? Please teach us! We haven’t even had a turn yet!”
“Be quiet. You should have stepped forward when I gave you the chance.”
“Ah, ah! Young master! No, my lord! Young Patriarch! Master!”
Behind Namgung Cheon, who was walking down the hill with wide strides, the voices of the Azure Eagle Squad members calling out desperately echoed.