Chapter v16c8

The Divine Might of the Sword Empress

– An Opponent Worthy of Ten Moves –

The sudden duel between the renowned Sword Empress and the unknown Bi Ryu-yeon. It was a classic case of a puppy not knowing to fear a tiger. The audience looked upon Bi Ryu-yeon with disdain.

There was no reason to favor him.

Yi Ok-sang, the Sword Empress, one of the Heavenly Martial three saints. She was a legend, her name revered throughout the Jianghu. And now, this unknown youngster dared to challenge her. His audacity was appalling.

No one in the audience cared who would win. The outcome was a foregone conclusion. The Sword Empress would win. It was as certain as the sun rising in the east.

Their interest lay in the details. How long could this nameless soldier last against the Sword Empress? Would he beg for mercy on his knees, or would he grovel until his fingerprints were erased? Would he do a handstand and bark like a dog?

No one, except for a few delusional fools, believed that Bi Ryu-yeon could win. Betting on him would be an act of insanity.

So their attention shifted to a secondary question: how many moves could he withstand?

Opinions varied.

One move? Three moves? No one believed he could last five moves, let alone ten. He was being completely underestimated.

“Ten moves? Hahaha!”

The audience scoffed.

“He must be joking…”

“Survive ten moves against the Sword Empress? Impossible!”

“Can he even survive one move?”

“I heard he cheated his way into the Academy.”

“Really? People were wondering how someone with no skills, no background, and no status could get in. They said he must have cheated. Haha!”

Mo Yong Hwi, with his keen hearing, couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. He was surprised by the amount of animosity directed at Bi Ryu-yeon. Given his friend’s lack of social skills, it was unlikely that any of them had been personally wronged by him. They were probably just basing their judgment on rumors and assumptions. In their minds, it was righteous to condemn him. They believed it without a doubt. Some of them even seemed to think they were upholding justice. They had no reason to doubt their own judgment.

Mo Yong Hwi wondered how many of them had actually spoken to Bi Ryu-yeon, or even met him. He felt a surge of anger. His friend might be arrogant and eccentric, but he didn’t deserve this. He silently cheered for him. He knew Bi Ryu-yeon would lose, but he hoped he would put up a good fight.

“Are you ready now? Draw your sword.”

The Sword Empress said, expecting a different answer this time. But she was disappointed.

“I can’t.”

Bi Ryu-yeon said.

“Why not?!”

She snapped.

“Because I don’t use a sword. It’s a misconception that all martial artists use swords.”

“What?! What else would a martial artist use? The sword is the king of all weapons!”

“But it seems like that gentleman disagrees with you.”

Bi Ryu-yeon pointed at Do-seong, who was grumbling about swords being “toys for weaklings” and proclaiming that “the saber is the true weapon of a martial artist.” The Sword Saint was trying to calm him down, but he was also being insulted. “Shut up! You’re one of them! You sword-loving bastards! The saber is the dream of every martial artist!” The Sword Empress sighed.

“Then draw your weapon!”

“I don’t need to draw my weapons. They’re always ready.”

“Oh? That’s interesting. Do you think your mind controls them?”

“They move with my will. They’re like my own limbs.”

“Perhaps I underestimated you. Alright, a promise is a promise. If you can survive ten moves against me, you win. I’ll start off easy, with this!”

She drew a silk veil from her sleeve. It was light and delicate, woven from silkworm threads.

“You’re going to fight me with that?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No. It doesn’t matter what weapon you use if you’ve already transcended the limitations of weapons.”

He was right.

“Be careful. Or you’ll die!”

She vanished.

“Huh?”

Before anyone could react, she reappeared in front of him and struck.

The ground shook, and a giant fissure appeared where her veil had struck. The shockwave devoured the earth, creating a crater.

The shockwave, hungry for more, ripped apart a giant tree standing behind Bi Ryu-yeon. The tree, unable to dodge, screamed as it was torn to shreds. A tree that had stood for centuries was reduced to a pile of splinters in an instant. A cloud of dust rose into the air, taking thirty times longer to settle.

“She’s… serious…”

“Hmm, it seems so.”

The Sword Saint and Do-seong frowned. They hadn’t expected her to go all out against a junior.

“N-No way!”

Jang Hong, Hyo-ryong, and Yoon Jun-ho, watching from a distance, felt a chill run down their spines. They were still young and hot-blooded, unable to maintain their composure like the Sword Saint and Do-seong.

What kind of power was this?

If Bi Ryu-yeon had been hit by that attack, he would have been obliterated. They doubted it was really just a silk veil.

“Is this the power of the Heavenly Martial three saints?”

They were still trembling from the shockwave.

“No!”

Na Yerin said, shaking her head.

“She’s only using a fraction of her power!”

The dust settled, revealing Bi Ryu-yeon.

He was standing a mere foot away from the crater, having narrowly dodged the attack. But he didn’t seem surprised.

“Whew…”

He whistled, looking at the fissure in the ground.

“I would have been crushed if I had been hit.”

He said, his voice calm.

“But I didn’t expect the Sword Empress’s sword to be so straightforward.”

He was still composed, even after witnessing the power of her attack.

“I can’t go all out against a junior! That was just a warning.”

She said, her voice emotionless. It wasn’t a compliment.

“But can you dodge this?”

The real fight was about to begin.

“Second move!”

She vanished again, reappearing beside him. She struck, her veil moving like the wind. Bi Ryu-yeon, unable to dodge in time, raised his arm to block the attack.

Thud!

He was sent flying, his body arcing through the air. It was an attack that could split a tree in half. The full force of it had struck him. She was the only one in the world who could use a soft weapon like a silk veil with such overwhelming force.

She leaped after him, striking again before he could recover.

“Third move!”

A loud boom echoed through the air as he was sent flying again, crashing into a boulder.

The boulder shattered, spiderweb cracks spreading outwards. It was an incredible display of power.

“T-This is…”

Na Yerin’s face turned pale.

He was lucky to be alive. But he was definitely injured. It was probably the first time he had been humiliated like this.

‘Has he finally met his match?’

It was too early to tell.

“Is he dead?”

Mo Yong Hwi asked, his voice filled with awe. He hadn’t been able to follow the exchange.

“Not yet.”

The Sword Saint said, his eyes sharp. He could see through the dust.

A battle between masters was a battle of perception. It was about who could see more, who could see better. Power came second.