Chapter 88: Chapter 88
“Young Hero Little Sword Dragon. Are you not coming out?”
A moment of silence.
Soon after, a cheer on a completely different dimension from Seok Do-myeong’s erupted.
Who was the Little Sword Dragon?
The eldest son of the Namgung Clan, the son of the Sword King, and the rising star of the contemporary era most skilled with the sword.
It was an obvious fact that he would become one of the key figures leading the Righteous Path’s martial world in the future. Perhaps he might even become the Alliance Leader. After all, among the successive Alliance Leaders, quite a lot had hailed from the Namgung Clan.
There were even people who had come from far away solely to see Namgung Jin’s duel.
Just like that, everyone’s gaze focused on Namgung Jin.
Even Tang So-yeon and Jin Un, who were beside him, gave awkward smiles from the sheer pressure for no reason.
Namgung Jin’s expression was sunken low.
“Song Yi-yeon…”
For a mere merchant, and a rising star of Anhui at that, to point him out was simply absurd.
Namgung Jin rose from his seat and grabbed the Azure Sky Sword placed beside him. As he did, cheers erupted once again.
Thinking it was noisy, Namgung Jin frowned and looked toward the seats where the leadership of the Martial Alliance had gathered.
Whether fortunately or not, his father, the Sword King, was not there.
Soon, Namgung Jin let out a sigh and stepped onto the sparring stage.
Song Yi-yeon was shamelessly smiling with that handsome face of his.
“Let us have a good duel, Young Hero Namgung.”
“Is it because of the Dragon and Phoenix Society matter? If it is about that, it has nothing to do with me. In the first place, whether you bastards join the society or not, I have no interest…”
“No.”
Song Yi-yeon replied resolutely.
At that, Namgung Jin asked in a slightly lowered tone.
“Then why.”
The Namgung Clan was an emperor.
An emperor did not permit subjects to crawl over him.
The Anhui Song Clan was a small clan doing business beneath the shadow of the Namgung Clan, and Song Yi-yeon was the eldest son of such a place.
Naturally, such a Song Yi-yeon should never have called him onto the sparring stage.
At Namgung Jin’s question, Song Yi-yeon smiled faintly.
“Just because.”
“…”
“I just called you. Does there need to be a particular reason?”
Having spoken thus, Song Yi-yeon drew the White Flower Saber.
Since the opponent had stepped onto the sparring stage, conversing any further would only dampen the audience’s excitement.
Namgung Jin glared at such a Song Yi-yeon with a dry expression before drawing his Azure Sky Sword in return.
Two well-crafted blades, saber and sword, aimed at each other.
Somehow, just that heated up the atmosphere in the spectator stands.
Because the exact picture that people usually associated with martial artists unfolded upon the sparring stage: strikingly handsome appearances, stances stylishly presenting saber and sword, and even burning gazes glaring at each other.
“It seems you have lost fear after hanging around with Cheon Woo-jin. I will teach you again after so long.”
A blue energy barrier covered Namgung Jin’s Azure Sky Sword. The distinctive refreshing yet overbearing qi took over the sparring stage in an instant.
It was not his first confrontation with Song Yi-yeon. Having been born and raised together in Anhui, they had engaged in quite a few confrontations while conscious of each other. Clashing saber and sword directly was not the only form of confrontation.
Namgung Jin had beaten Song Yi-yeon from birth.
The reputation of the Anhui Song Clan could not compare to that of the Namgung Clan.
Furthermore, he had won once more by obtaining the moniker of Little Sword Dragon. For at the time, Song Yi-yeon was merely a nameless saber wielder without even a moniker.
In recent times, he had won yet again in the Martial Alliance selection examination. Namgung Jin had passed with higher marks than Song Yi-yeon.
Thus, Namgung Jin had no memory of ever losing to Song Yi-yeon in his entire life. It was not a particularly joyful thing. It was merely a natural outcome.
“Oof, vicious.”
Song Yi-yeon smiled while looking at the blue sword qi clinging to the Azure Sky Sword. Although he pretended to be composed, facing Namgung Jin directly like this made him keenly feel the weight of the moniker Little Sword Dragon all over again.
Of course, Namgung Jin was not oblivious to those inner thoughts.
“You seem to regret it already. How dull as expected.”
At the same time those words ended, a signal firecracker burst high in the sky.
Simultaneously, both of them charged at each other as if by prior agreement.
Clang!
The distance between the two was fairly wide, but as soon as the signal firecracker burst, they clashed saber and sword at the midpoint.
As if facing lifelong archenemies, they were giving their all against each other.
Commoners grew wild with excitement, simply calling the spectacle marvelous, while martial artists were able to see a bit more.
At the start, their distance from each other was ten paces.
Song Yi-yeon advanced four steps, and Namgung Jin surged forward six steps.
From the very first exchange, he was outmatched in speed by Namgung Jin.
Naturally, both of them knew that fact as well.
Even so, Namgung Jin’s expression was utterly languid. In the first place, victory over Song Yi-yeon was not a joyful matter.
Realizing that fact, Song Yi-yeon gripped the White Flower Saber more fiercely. Soon, saber qi resembling a magnolia draped over the pure white blade.
It was a saber qi that suited the moniker of White Flower Saber to perfection.
“Ho, quite impressive.”
Namgung Jin exclaimed in admiration as if praising a young child. It was because the density of the saber qi was fairly high.
Soon, the two backed away a step each.
Once Namgung Jin confirmed his superiority through the single exchange earlier, he finally felt tension unraveling. Even that fact felt unpleasant.
‘Was I actually concerned about him?’
Namgung Jin frowned. Ever since entering the Martial Alliance, not a single thing had been to his liking.
From failing to claim first place in the selection examination, to failing to distinguish himself during missions.
Above all, the fact that his father, the Sword King, favored and acknowledged Cheon Woo-jin and Song Yi-yeon so much.
Even down to the cowardly and filthy behavior of the Dragon and Phoenix Society.
Those unpleasant feelings loaded into the sword.
The Azure Sky Sword flaunted its unique refreshing qi in all directions.
Namgung Jin slightly twisted the tip of his foot.
Preparation for the next leap.
He also confirmed Song Yi-yeon’s gaze shifting downward.
At the same time, Namgung Jin surged forward.
As expected, Song Yi-yeon’s pure white blade lifted upward. Where the saber method held superiority over the sword art was in speed and sharpness.
But with his speed taken away, there was nothing Song Yi-yeon could do.
Clang!
He deflected Song Yi-yeon’s blade.
Simultaneously, spinning his body like flowing water in a single motion, he slashed horizontally in a long sweep.
Song Yi-yeon blocked it once again, but his reaction was slower than before. Namgung Jin continuously extended his sword. He had no intention of granting him room to breathe.
Truly, it was a smooth movement worthy of the moniker Little Sword Dragon.
Namgung Jin observed and anticipated everything, including Song Yi-yeon’s breathing, footwork, pupil movements, and the trajectory of his blade.
Everything happening upon the sparring stage flowed according to Namgung Jin’s intention.
There were no variables. He thoroughly controlled and led the overall duel.
Song Yi-yeon’s blade blocking Namgung Jin’s Azure Sky Sword gradually slowed. With each clash, Song Yi-yeon’s steps were pushed back half a pace, and his breath was minutely stolen away.
‘It must be overwhelming. This is the sword of Namgung.’
It was not a sword that a merchant could block.
Namgung Jin’s offensive grew progressively faster and stronger.
Amidst the people’s bursts of admiration, Namgung Jin’s sword cut through Song Yi-yeon’s clothes one slash at a time.
First the sleeve hem, then the flank, then the thigh.
Song Yi-yeon’s footwork became disordered, and his eyes wildly lost their direction. His grasp had already reddened from being unable to bear the force, and the muscles of his forearms bulged as if ready to burst at any moment.
Having calmly confirmed all that, Namgung Jin was certain.
One strike.
It would be the final strike.
Merely winning was not enough. Taking this opportunity, he intended to clearly imprint upon Song Yi-yeon the difference between a sword clan and a merchant clan.
Having driven Song Yi-yeon all the way to the edge of the sparring stage, Namgung Jin suddenly took two steps back.
At the same time, he raised the Azure Sky Sword toward the clouds.
While most were puzzled, several individuals recognized the stance and cried out in admiration.
“T-The Emperor Sword Form!”
The supreme art of the Namgung Clan.
The supreme martial art that only direct descendants of the Patriarch could display.
It was arrogant enough to pierce the heavens, yet that arrogance was by no means seen as laughable. Rather, it felt as though it had every right to be so, causing facing opponents to shrink back.
The sword of an emperor knew no defeat.
Although he had not achieved great mastery, it was more than enough to show the power of an emperor to the child of a merchant clan.
Namgung Jin thought thus. The Azure Sky Sword filled with the Namgung Clan’s distinctive blue energy, releasing a grand sword cry.
Buzz!
Song Yi-yeon was seen urgently closing the distance.
Namgung Jin sneered. It was not a bad judgment, but decisively, with that guy’s speed…
It was then.
Song Yi-yeon slipped out of Namgung Jin’s line of sight, if only for an instant.
Namgung Jin’s eyes shot wide open.
The figure of Song Yi-yeon, which he had lost sight of for just a moment, had already drawn right before his nose. Namgung Jin hurriedly struck downward with the Azure Sky Sword.
It was a domineering strike containing the energy of an emperor, yet Song Yi-yeon did not step back or dodge.
Rather, containing the nobility of the white flower, he thrust forward his long saber.
Having lived his entire life crushed beneath the shadow of the Namgung Clan, he could never back down in a duel.
Had it been actual combat, it would have been a strike prepared to perish together.
Two men of fierce pride thrusted saber and sword at each other.
“W-Wait!”
A gasp erupted first from the Martial Alliance leadership’s side.
It was already too late. It had long surpassed the format of a duel.
The two had reached a situation where they could no longer retrieve their weapons.
Left as it was, both would suffer fatal injuries.
While it was something that could easily occur in duels between vigorous rising stars, everyone was so immersed in their duel that they had not thought to stop it.
Just like that, the moment Song Yi-yeon’s White Flower Saber was about to touch Namgung Jin’s chest, and Namgung Jin’s Azure Sky Sword was about to touch Song Yi-yeon’s shoulder.
“Haha, fiery indeed. Fiery.”
“You have worked hard.”
A gentle voice and a dry voice squeezed in between the two.
The White Flower Saber and the Azure Sky Sword failed to touch each other’s bodies and abruptly halted in midair.
Alliance Leader Bukli Cheon caught the Azure Sky Sword with his bare hand. Not a single person had seen his movement.
But what was even more astonishing.
Cheon Woo-jin was also holding Song Yi-yeon’s hand that gripped the White Flower Saber. Likewise, no one had seen Cheon Woo-jin’s movement.
Only the Alliance Leader and Cheon Woo-jin recognized each other.
“Young Hero Song, you have proven enough.”
Cheon Woo-jin’s calm voice settled Song Yi-yeon’s somewhat excited heart.
Letting out a deep breath, only then did Song Yi-yeon sheathe the White Flower Saber.
Namgung Jin also shoved the Azure Sky Sword into its scabbard irritably.
The martial artist in charge of hosting, who approached belatedly, asked the Alliance Leader.
“Um, Alliance Leader. Who… won?”
Not only Song Yi-yeon and Namgung Jin, but everyone’s gaze turned toward the Alliance Leader.
The Alliance Leader looked at the two for a moment before chuckling softly.
“Who won? It is a draw.”
Song Yi-yeon grinned, while Namgung Jin’s expression crumpled drastically.
The superiority in their relationship had always belonged to Namgung Jin.
Yet, they had come to stand on the same level.
It was a duel that became a bitter defeat for Namgung Jin, and a somewhat regrettable victory for Song Yi-yeon.
Spectators made disappointed noises as if feeling empty, but martial artists familiar with the Namgung Clan considered it Song Yi-yeon’s victory.
While walking down from the sparring stage with a hardened face, Namgung Jin suddenly turned his head and asked.
“Song Yi-yeon.”
“Ah, Young Hero Namgung. It was a good match.”
‘A good match,’ he said. Well, since he had won, he would be pleased.
Although that bright smile was quite unpleasant, Namgung Jin was utterly curious, so he asked.
“That last strike. Did you hide it until the end?”
Song Yi-yeon’s final movement against the Emperor Sword Form was fast on a completely different dimension compared to before. To the point where it was questionable whether he himself could achieve such quickness even if he unleashed his movement technique with full force.
Song Yi-yeon smirked.
“Naturally I hid it. The only thing in which I could hold an advantage over Young Hero Namgung was speed.”
“Why did you think that? It is not as if the Namgung Clan’s sword art is some terribly slow heavy sword.”
Namgung Jin became even more displeased. Was that punk Song Yi-yeon not saying he had been certain he was faster even before the duel?
Yet Song Yi-yeon was still beaming with a grin.
“Ask Young Hero Jin Un. Just how fast a person can become. We are people who almost died running, after all.”
“…What kind of nonsense is that.”
Namgung Jin clicked his tongue and came down from the sparring stage.
Song Yi-yeon burst into snickers at that sight.
That punk Namgung Jin would probably never know in his entire life: just how harsh Young Hero Cheon’s lightness skill training was, and what it felt like to run while vomiting.