Chapter 20: Something You Shouldn’t Dare Touch (2)

Something You Shouldn’t Dare Touch (2)

“You fucking bastard.”

Gu Jeolyub momentarily thought he had misheard. But the vulgar curse that pierced his ears was real.

“What did you say, First Young Master?”

“…Haa, seriously, just when I try to live quietly, something keeps poking at me. Just leave me be, I want to live peacefully.”

Hoooook!

The heat brushing past Gu Jeolyub intensified. It meant Gu Yangcheon’s internal energy from the Nine Flames Wheel Technique was growing stronger.

“Elder Lee.”

Gu Yangcheon called out to Elder Lee.

“What is it?”

“May we begin the sparring match?”

Was it his imagination?

To Elder Lee’s ears, it sounded as if Gu Yangcheon was asking, ‘May I kill him?’

‘Has he grown stronger again in this short time?’

That couldn’t be right. It’s only been a few days at most.

No matter how much of a god-given genius he was, such explosive growth within that timeframe was impossible.

‘Then does that mean he always had it?’

How efficiently one uses their internal energy cultivation method.

For a martial artist, that was as important as physical training. So what should one call this current state?

‘Strange.’

It was the proficiency of someone who had practiced their cultivation method for decades.

How could that be?

Gu Yangcheon’s internal energy and the level of his martial arts should be far lower than Gu Jeolyub’s. That’s how Elder Lee saw it.

But he wasn’t falling behind.

Their internal energies clashed, and the training ground began to heat up, but neither side was being overwhelmed.

This was the most shocking thing, not for anyone else, but for Gu Jeolyub.

‘…Why?’

The trash of the Gu family, the son of the incompetent family head who was vomiting at his feet just last year.

But what was this situation?

Just one year, less than a year by dates. He could reach this point within that time?

“The sparring match begins.”

Elder Lee spoke. The match began, and Gu Jeolyub watched Gu Yangcheon. He held the wooden sword slanted, slightly bending his upper body.

Nine Dragon Seven Swords (俱龍的七劍).

This was the name of the representative sword technique used by the Gu family.

It was a sword technique that matched well with Gu Jeolyub’s internal energy cultivation method, the Nine Immortal Flame Technique.

Gu Jeolyub’s martial arts, attacking quickly and sharply with more compressed internal energy, were based on swordsmanship techniques.

Seeing Gu Yangcheon staring blankly at him even after the match began, Gu Jeolyub thought.

‘As expected, it was an unnecessary worry.’

He looked full of openings from head to toe.

He was probably using all his mental energy just to block my internal energy.

Just a few steps closer, and he would be within my sword’s domain.

For Gu Yangcheon, who had apparently switched to fist techniques now, defeating me was an impossible fight from the start.

He had been momentarily distracted by the maid named Wi Seol-ah, but he shouldn’t forget his original objective.

No matter how he approached, I would strike his vital points immediately, and Gu Yangcheon wouldn’t be able to block it.

Whatever struggles he made, I would just defeat him in the most pathetic way possible.

Achieving his objective and taking that beautiful maid as well. For Gu Jeolyub, it was killing two birds with one stone.

However, Gu Jeolyub harbored one question right after the match began.

Why, for goodness sake.

‘Why can’t I approach…?’

Gu Jeolyub couldn’t understand himself. He should just run up and attack.

Whether it was internal energy, speed, or strength, he was superior in everything.

But he couldn’t approach.

-Drip

A drop of cold sweat trickled down Gu Jeolyub’s cheek.

‘It’s because of the heat.’

Gu Jeolyub attributed it to the heat. Was he overwhelmed? That couldn’t be.

He was……

“Hey.”

Gu Jeolyub flinched at Gu Yangcheon’s voice.

“What are you doing?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Staring blankly, what are you doing? Aren’t you coming in?”

“…The custom in sparring matches is to yield the first attack to the weaker party.”

“The weaker party? Who? Me? Is that why you’re so scared stiff right now?”

Gu Jeolyub bit his lip at Gu Yangcheon’s taunt. Even he thought his current state was strange.

Just then, Gu Yangcheon spoke.

“I told you before that I was sick for a month after losing to you, remember?”

Gu Yangcheon turned his head left and right, loosening his neck.

The cracking sound every time he moved his neck felt strangely menacing.

“Why… are you suddenly curious about that?”

“Just because I thought that would be about right.”

“…?”

Suddenly, the heat emanating from Gu Yangcheon’s body disappeared.

Why did he get rid of it?

Gu Jeolyub instantly thought of the answer and chuckled inwardly.

‘His energy must have run out. He can’t use it anymore.’

Gu Yangcheon, with his cultivation method released, would barely be able to walk, crushed by the heat.

My master said my Nine Immortal Flame Technique was at a level that even top-tier martial artists couldn’t easily move.

He also said that with time, I would surely become the greatest genius in Gu family history, not someone wielding a sword.

Therefore, Gu Yangcheon couldn’t possibly withstand my internal energy.

He definitely shouldn’t have been able to.

‘Was it just a bluff after all? If it’s like this, then just….’

“I asked if you wanted me to go first, right?”

“…What?”

Gu Jeolyub’s eyes widened. Gu Yangcheon, whom he expected to be struggling to breathe, was looking at him nonchalantly.

“Let me ask again, are you sure you want me to go first?”

“The strong…”

“Yeah, okay then.”

Gu Yangcheon didn’t wait to hear the rest.

Gu Yangcheon, who was in Gu Jeolyub’s vision, vanished in an instant.

‘…!’

A martial artist’s vision is much wider and clearer than that of an ordinary person.

Moreover, for someone like Gu Jeolyub, who would soon be called a top-tier martial artist, to disappear in an instant.

It meant suddenly burrowing into the ground. Or soaring into the sky.

‘Or faster than me…….’

That couldn’t be.

The Nine Flames Wheel Technique, a direct lineage cultivation method, is based on destruction. Conversely, the Nine Immortal Flame Technique is based on speed rather than destructive power.

But there’s no way he could be faster than me….

Bbaak-!

“Kkeueuk!!”

The sudden impact to his face made his vision shake. The violent shaking of his body caused even the cultivation method he was maintaining to completely unravel.

Gu Jeolyub staggered and knelt on one knee.

Blood dripped onto the floor with a ‘jureureuk’.

It was a nosebleed.

“What is this……”

His vision was still shaking. What had happened?

“We’re supposed to be sparring, but you’re full of useless thoughts? You trying to die?”

Gu Yangcheon stood before him. Instead of continuing his attack, he was just standing there, watching Gu Jeolyub.

“I deliberately aimed to miss your jaw, so why are you acting weak and making a fuss? Get up quickly!”

Gu Jeolyub, regaining his senses for a moment, swung his wooden sword, but a sword without internal energy was no threat.

Tak!

The arm swinging the wooden sword was caught by Gu Yangcheon.

There was no time to ponder. Gu Yangcheon immediately struck Gu Jeolyub’s face again.

“Kkeueuk…!”

Hit hard, Gu Jeolyub’s head snapped upwards. Gu Yangcheon then flung Gu Jeolyub far away.

Gu Jeolyub rolled a few times on the ground before stopping about five steps away.

Gu Jeolyub’s body trembled uncontrollably from the impact. He finally managed to get up, but his face was covered in dripping blood from his nose.

Seeing Gu Jeolyub like that, Gu Yangcheon said.

“Let me ask one last time, is it okay for me to proceed?”

Gu Jeolyub’s eyes trembled upon hearing that.

And Elder Lee, watching that, thought.

‘…You already proceeded, you punk.’

He didn’t voice his thoughts.

---

Martial arts.

I was taught that they exist to protect someone.

If not elsewhere, that is the Gu family’s policy.

It’s about learning martial arts for the sake of those the Gu family embraces.

And growing stronger to embrace them.

Although I heard those words endlessly since childhood, to the point they were etched into my ears.

Even when I grew up, I still thought it was a damn ridiculous story.

That’s what I think, anyway.

The essence of martial arts is to tear and to break.

Martial arts were systematically created to kill someone.

Whether one polishes and uses them for protection or for anything else is up to them.

I have experienced the essence I think of to the point of being sick of it.

Tearing and breaking.

Because I’ve experienced it so much it made my teeth chatter.

It was also something I never wanted to experience again.

Seeing that bastard Gu Jeolyub, he must have thought my internal energy had all disappeared.

The heat that was bursting outwards hadn’t disappeared.

Rather, I contained that heat within my body.

The internal energy contained within the body churns inside, forcibly activating the flesh.

This is a technique that can only be realized upon reaching beyond the fifth level of the Nine Flames Wheel Technique.

However, using this doesn’t necessarily make me stronger than Gu Jeolyub.

Narrowing that gap is simply a matter of sensation.

This generation is specialized in dealing with monsters as swordsmen.

It meant there might be a relative lack of proficiency in killing humans. That’s probably why they can easily handle Gu Jeolyub and Gu Yeonseo right now.

Although it felt like my insides were churning, I didn’t show it on the outside.

‘…As a second-level practitioner, the strain on my body is too severe.’

My breath came out as steam every time I exhaled. It wasn’t cold outside, so it was due to my cultivation method.

At most, half a period (about 7 minutes).

That was the limit for now. If I tried to use it longer, I might really fall into cultivation deviation.

‘That should be enough.’

I see the staggering Gu Jeolyub. His ragged breaths suggest he sustained some internal injuries due to his cultivation method being abruptly interrupted by the blow.

“Get up while you have the chance. Don’t spout nonsense later about it being a surprise attack.”

The guy forces himself to stand up at my words. Whether he has the will or not, he assumed a stance and immediately circulated his internal energy again.

The heat was significantly less than before, but it was clear that Gu Jeolyub possessed profound internal energy.

“I apologize for underestimating you, First Young Master. My cultivation was insufficient.”

Gu Jeolyub, seeming to have regained some composure, apologized to me.

“Enough excuses. Shall I proceed again this time?”

“…This time, I shall make the first move.”

“If you say so.”

Gu Jeolyub wiped the dripping blood and assumed a stance. The Nine Dragon Seven Swords technique starts with a draw and ends with a draw.

It required familiarity with using the Nine Immortal Flame Technique to execute the forms seamlessly, flowing like water without gaps.

Gu Jeolyub swung his sword. Energy imbued with heat erupted from the tip of the blade.

I slightly twisted my upper body to dodge. My gaze remained fixed on Gu Jeolyub’s sword.

Judging by the faint energy, the second attack was the real one. Gu Jeolyub leaped, channeling his internal energy. It was a swift footwork. Then, before reaching me, he rotated his body halfway.

The second form of the Nine Dragon Seven Swords, the String-Ready Wheel Sword (備弦輪劍).

The energy of the Nine Immortal Flame Technique, channeled through the rotation, was imbued in the wooden sword. Its destructive power was shallow, but as the name suggests, it was a fast sword.

‘He’s connecting the forms better than I expected.’

Seeing the seamlessness in each movement, it was evident he had trained considerably. But still, a form is just a form.

Flowing naturally also means that if the flow is broken, there’s nowhere to go.

Without hesitation, I charged into Gu Jeolyub’s space. Gu Jeolyub’s eyes showed a flicker of surprise, seeing me charge instead of dodging as he expected.

However, Gu Jeolyub didn’t stop his sword. Just as the heat-imbued sword was about to hit my head directly.

I rotated the Nine Flames Wheel Technique within my dantian as much as possible.

Simultaneously, I released the heat contained within my body all at once.

The released heat instantly filled the entire training ground. Since it was only a discharge, the energy would disappear quickly.

However, Gu Jeolyub, who was right in front of the heat, couldn’t remain unscathed.

Although Gu Jeolyub’s cultivation method shared the same roots as mine, preventing a major blow.

It was enough to stop the movement of the form he was using.

And it even made him close his eyes for a brief moment.

In a martial artist’s spar, a split second is enough time to decide the outcome.

My fist, imbued with internal energy, struck Gu Jeolyub’s solar plexus.

“Keo Heok…!”

This time, I didn’t hold back like before. Gu Jeolyub’s body was also covered in internal energy, but my fist dug deeper than expected.

Gu Jeolyub knelt and vomited.

“Keok…. Keok…. Ugh……”

“Do you know what I hate the most?”

I looked down at Gu Jeolyub and thought.

Should I kill him?

I had been contemplating it since the sparring match began.

I knew I shouldn’t kill him, but the killing intent boiling within me was so intense it felt like my meridians were twisting.

Living while suppressing one’s temper was harder than I thought.

But this bastard kept provoking me.

“Whatever you say to me, whatever attitude you show, even if you covet the position of Young Master. I have no interest in any of that.”

Gu Jeolyub, who was diligently vomiting on the floor, flinched. It was because I let out a bit of my hidden killing intent.

“But someone like you dared to reach for something you shouldn’t covet? That’s what pisses me off.”

I don’t like how he tried to easily grasp something he couldn’t even reach.

I can’t kill him. Annoyingly, his status is too high right now.

That’s why I intended to do just that much, for the month I suffered because of Gu Jeolyub.

Where should I hit? Should I break his arm? Since he used his sword with his left hand, I should break his right arm.

As I reached out, someone grabbed my hand and stopped me.

“This is far enough.”

The owner of the hand was Elder Lee.

I looked at Elder Lee with disbelief.

“Why are you doing this? Elder Lee, the sparring match isn’t over.”

“Jeolyub… is no longer in a state where he can spar. You know that best yourself, Yangcheon, don’t you?”

Blood was streaming from his nose, and his mouth was smeared with vomit.

Because my fist hit his solar plexus directly, his energy must be scattered, making it difficult for him to move.

Still, I wasn’t satisfied with ending it like this.

[There are many eyes watching.]

I had no choice but to stop at Elder Lee’s telepathic message.

“Hoo…”

I sighed and stepped back from him.

He was sent by Elder Il. Naturally, he wouldn’t have been sent alone.

My mind, which had been engulfed in emotion, slowly cooled down.

“Tell Elder Il this: if he acts like this one more time, I might decide I want to become the family head.”

Don’t bother provoking me.

This was such a warning.

As if telling him to handle it himself, I turned my attention away from him and approached Wi Seol-ah.

Wi Seol-ah wasn’t even looking at the half-mangled Gu Jeolyub; her gaze was fixed solely on me.

“Young Master… did you win?”

She asked, sounding anxious.

Was it because she was afraid she’d be sent elsewhere if I lost?

“Yeah, I won.”

Woohoo!

Seeing Wi Seol-ah beam with joy at my words, I also smiled slightly and patted her head.

Just this much.

This position was enough for me.