Chapter v9c18

Special training of Goyakhan

“Hmph! I’ll retreat for today, but someday I’ll make sure to take the chance to split open your belly! Remember it well.”

“What do you mean…”

Neok Gi Han didn’t try to hide his puzzled gaze. It’s best to resolve curiosities as they arise.

Dragging them out could turn into a disease, which is much worse.

“Are you worried about your health to the point you can’t sleep? My medical knowledge may not be deep, but I do want to make sure that your organs are properly attached!”

“What?”

“Don’t worry about it! I just wanted to check that your liver and gallbladder were attached correctly. Just that, nothing more! No hard feelings, so relax!”

Despite his words, malice was certainly mixed in.

‘Ugh!’

Neok Gi Han’s face hardened instantly at Goyakhan’s barbed venom. His shoulders flinched. And he felt a twinge in his gut. He felt stomach pain without even having a disease.

It seemed true that the mind could create illness. However, the pressing issue was not gastric pain accompanied by stomachache.

Goyakhan seemed to be unhappy with his own behavior.

‘Really a tough customer.’

But he could not admit defeat just yet.

“I appreciate your concern, but I would prefer to decline. How could I, still young, ask such a thing of an old and ailing man? You should find some light chores suitable for your old age instead of—”

‘You greasy, disgusting flirt!’

‘A cantankerous, damned old man!’

The two glared at each other, sparking flames of hostility. Indeed, old ginger was spicy, and the young fox was cunning.

“Damn that wretched old man!”

Back to reality, Neok Gi Han gritted his teeth as he recalled Goyakhan’s face, who he had just defined him as a wretched old man.

Even though it was late at night, the lights were still brightly lit at the residence of Neok Gi Han, who was in charge of preparing the Hwasan covenent .

“Goyakhan’s behavior is too dangerous now. He might know something.”

“He hasn’t caught on yet, has he?”

“Of course, but… it’s dangerous. The suspicious looks we’ve been getting lately are extraordinary. It’s clear hostility.”

Neok Gi Han was speaking with honorifics, but his conversation partner’s voice was the only thing audible; their form was nowhere to be seen in his residence.

“Even so, we must not jump to conclusions. We can’t be hasty!”

The invisible voice cautioned Neok Gi Han’s impatience.

“Shouldn’t we impose sanctions before we receive more threats? If things continue this way, we might suffer. He’s too extreme.”

Clearly, Neok Gi Han was concerned about the presence of the Goyakhan.

“It’s alright! It’s not time yet. Let’s wait and see! They haven’t noticed yet! Don’t rashly expose us! Everything has its order and timing. Make sure not to trouble that person now! Whoever betrays his trust will not be forgiven by him!”

“I will bear it in mind.

“I am the messenger! I will issue the command.”

“Yes!”

Neok Gi Han knelt, showing the utmost respect.

“Handle everything quietly and secretly.”

“Understood!”

Chang!

With a sharp sound, the twin swords of Hyo-ryong were directed toward Bi Ryu-yeon.

“Do we have to do this?”

Bi Ryu-yeon asked.

“It’s unavoidable.”

Hyo-ryong’s response was stern, but his swords remained aimed at Biryu-yeon. Left hand for defense, right hand for attack—the basic stance of the Twin Sword Technique was stable and unyielding.

“I knew such a day would come.”

Hyo-ryong spoke, keeping his eyes on Bi Ryu-yeon’s movements.

“Really? You have good foresight! I commend you!”

Bi Ryu-yeon chuckled. To him, Hyo-ryong was no longer the lifeless friend from yesterday. It was as if one of the shackles binding him had been broken.

“Oh? Did you get some good news? You’re not the same dejected Hyo-ryong, the second-rate pitiful figure of yesterday?”

“Hmph! What… good news? There was no such thing! Don’t jump to conclusions!”

Despite his words, he couldn’t hide the blush on his face. Last night’s events at the Yunyang Pavilion suddenly played out before his eyes. It was too stimulating for the naive him, But when the scene of a weeping woman followed, he felt a sudden weakness throughout his body.

“Hehe… Did I hit the mark?”

“Don’t blame me!”

Hyo-ryong shouted, brushing off Bi Ryu-yeon’s words. It meant to stop the small talk and just fight.

“Of course! You, especially, shouldn’t blame me! It’s a matter of honor, so I can’t back down. If you have to blame someone, blame old man Goyakhan with the nasty temperament.”

“I won’t do such a thing!”

The two stood on a thin line suspended about one ‘jang’ (approximately 3.3 meters) in the air.

The members of the Black Sword Faction were all watching these two.

Before the confrontation between Hyo-ryong and Bi Ryu-yeon, there had been a festival of fairies. It was something that hadn’t been planned. The beginning of this event can be traced back to the special training.

This special training, which Eun Seol-ran had struggled to have the opportunity to observe, was specially devised by old master Goyakhan, master of the Ghost-Killing Sword. It was a type of training that even Eun Seol-ran, who had seen and heard various things from both Heavenly Demon’s Pavilion and Cheonmu Academy, was experiencing for the first time.

The method of this special training was to connect thin lines in the air at different heights, angles, and tensions without any specific pattern, and to compete in martial arts while maintaining balance on them at their discretion.

The lines were so slack that they were bound to sway, which was common sense! The key was to maintain balance on the swaying lines and to find out how to effectively execute martial arts.

The point to note here was that the line must never be broken. If the line you were stepping on broke or if you fell from the line, it meant defeat.

It was a training that could not be accomplished unless one’s sense of balance and movement technique reached a certain high level.

“It’s very hot. Just watching is enough to feel the passion!”

The blood, sweat, and passion of those aiming for the Hwasan covenent could be felt by Eun Seol-ran, who was on the observation tour.

“Of course.”

Mo Yong-hwi replied with a proud voice. It was natural for a disciple to feel joyful when their sect was praised.

Even though those around him doubted, he was certainly a human being and therefore definitely possessed one of the seven emotions of joy (喜, happiness). And at this moment, he was rarely savoring and feeling that emotion. However, he never ended up making eye contact with her.

After that night, Mo Yong-hwi, whose face had become inexplicably hot and was thus unable to look properly at Eun Seol-ran, found it extremely difficult to meet the gaze of his protection subject.

Nevertheless, as he was tasked with the heavy responsibility of her personal escort and couldn’t simply cast it aside, the only thing he could do under the circumstances was to carry out his duty silently; there was nothing else.

Seeing that she praised others without hesitation, it seemed she had some trust. Maybe she still didn’t feel threatened after leavinh the Heavenly Demon’s Pavilion. It was what one might call the composure of a victor, so it was understandable that she smiled broadly and praised the strength of others.

‘What kind of training has she undergone to have such pride?’ he wondered, but he couldn’t ask. If it were Bi Ryu-yeon, he would have asked straightforwardly without hesitation. He harbored feelings of hatred, almost loathing, for everything in this world that bound him. Because of these feelings, which bordered on hatred, he always strived to act freely. In contrast, Mo Yong-hwi was too bound by the rules, common sense, and the framework around him, confining himself.

Thud!

Another contestant fell off the wire. The match had been decided.

“That’s quite harsh training,” Eun Seol-ran commented as she watched the special training. It seemed to be a challenging practice that required the maximization of the body’s abilities.

“If not, you can’t get stronger!” Mo Yong-hwi replied curtly. However, what was different from before was that his curt manner now seemed forced, not genuine.

“That’s right! The passion and fighting spirit towards the Hwasan Convention is the same everywhere, regardless of location. It’s a shame that we have to divide into sides.” she lamented.

“Humans can’t help it!” Mo Yong-hwi couldn’t find a more extensive response.

“But it’s truly a unique training! To think of such a method, Goyakha is not just someone who looks severe,” said Eun Seol-ran, clearly very interested in the training method and admiring of Goyakhan who had devised it.

“Would you like to try it?” The one who spoke up first was, surprisingly, Na Yerin.

“Really?” everyone expressed their varied reactions to Na Yerin’s comment, unable to hide their surprise.

“Really? Can I do it?” Na Yerin nodded her head. It was a sign of consent. It was an offer that Eun Seol-ran found very enticing.

It was rare for Na Yerin to extend her hand first, as rare as beans in a drought. Eun Seol-ran was also curious about the widely rumored skills of Na Yerin. It was the same for Na Yerin. There could be no distinction between men and women in martial arts.

“Shouldn’t we get permission first?” Eun Seol-ran trailed off, but by then, the Goyakhan had already nodded in consent.

Their movements were so light and splendid that they could be mistaken for celestial nymphs dancing. Everyone was captivated by their dance-like duel.

Ding, ding. Lightly! The wire quietly rang under the light footsteps of the women.

Eun Seol-ran and Na Yerin were both equally skilled.

“Excellent technique!” Despite showing off her brilliant technique, Eun Seol-ran never lost her smile. It seemed that She wasn’t just pretty and smart. Her martial arts were also exceptional. Everyone was amazed by Eun Seol-ran’s skills, which were not easily overshadowed by Na Yerin’s sword, which inherited the progress of the Sword Empress.

“You flatter me. The martial arts of Miss Eun are truly amazing…”

“That’s too kind!” Eun Seol-ran’s five-colored belt, which she used as a weapon, reached out towards Na Yerin. It was a move intended to bind Na Yerin’s limbs. However, Na Yerin’s sword did not allow the belt to invade her space. A stream of white energy reminiscent of a white peony flowed from Na Yerin’s sword blade.

The two celestial maidens exchanged several moves as they flew lightly over the thin wire. It was an exchange of dazzling techniques. Eun Seol-ran and Na Yerin had no choice but to acknowledge each other’s skills.

As they matched each other, Eun Seol-ran felt a playful urge to know more about Na Yerin’s deep skills. It would end as a mere exemplary match. If that happened, it would be quite regrettable. So, Eun Seol-ran decided to show a more advanced technique.

“It would be quite a shame if it ends like this, wouldn’t it?” Eun Seol-ran said, and Na Yerin’s eyes sparkled. She had caught on to what Eun Seol-ran was implying.

“Chilchae Yunmu (Seven-Colored Cloud Dance)!” True to the name of the technique, Eun Seol-ran’s belt shone with seven colors of the rainbow, creating a dazzling wind. Na Yerin could not afford to be careless.

It was a technique that had reached the extreme of variation. To break through this technique, one had to either cause a greater variation or seize the one second to stop all changes. The time for a decision was short.

“Hansang Okryeong Shin Gum (Jade Spirit Sword), Wolhabihyeon (Flight Under the Moon).”

A single streak of white sword energy, representing the swallow in flight, plunged into the storm of flowers without hesitation. In an instant, the thousands of flower petals that had been dazzling before the eyes disappeared, and Eun Seol-ran’s figure was fully revealed. Surprised that her technique had been so easily broken, Eun Seol-ran quickly retrieved her belt to prepare for defense.

However, Na Yerin’s sword move did not continue to the next form.

Clap, clap!

The sound of two claps.

“That’s enough!” Goyakhan stopped their splendid dance with the sound of his claps. It was a regrettable interruption for the male spectators who had been momentarily entranced.

To Goyakhan, it seemed that unless the two went all out, the winner would not be easily decided. He judged any further confrontation to be a waste of time.

“Thank you!” Eun Seol-ran sent a message of admiration for Na Yerin’s martial arts with a word of thanks.

“Thank you”Na Yerin also responded to Eun Seol-ran’s courtesy. Na Yerin likewise admired Eun Seol-ran’s martial arts. The two exchanged glances and smiled slightly. It was a rare smile from Na Yerin.

The combined smile of the two celestial maidens was an intense stimulus for the spirited young people. As a result, Goyakhan’s training had to be temporarily suspended.

It took longer than expected for people to recover their lost spirits.”