Chapter 17. An Unexpected Clash (3)

Surrounded by the Qingcheng Sect members, Lee Byeok and Jaegal Somi left the inn.

They crossed the streets of the darkening market. Then, in an open area crowded with people, Gong Myeong-ja stopped walking.

“Well then, let’s do it here.”

Murmur, murmur.

In the center of the crowd, the disciples of Qingcheng formed a circle. A wide space was cleared in the middle.

“It is only right that a misfortune caused by the sword be settled by the sword again. Is it not?”

Gong Myeong-ja’s smiling face swept over Lee Byeok and Jaegal Somi. Jaegal Somi’s brow furrowed.

“……”

“Uhak, since your junior brothers met with misfortune due to a lawless attack, you shall give that boy a lesson in the name of Qingcheng.”

“Yes, yes~”

And the disciple called Uhak swaggered into the center.

“Lee Byeok, don’t step forward.”

“There seems to be no other way.”

Jaegal Somi grabbed Lee Byeok’s collar. But they both knew. This was not a situation that could be resolved with words.

“…Endure as long as you can.”

A brief exchange of glances.

Soon, Jaegal Somi’s hand fell away limply. Lee Byeok looked at her for a moment before walking forward.

He faced Uhak.

“I am Lee Byeok. Please take care of me.”

“Hey, someone lend that guy a sword. It’d make me look ridiculous if I used a real blade against a wooden sword, wouldn’t it?”

Snickers erupted from among the disciples. Hwik. And a sword, scabbard and all, flew over.

Lee Byeok snatched the sword.

Seureung. As he drew the blade, the cold, chilling sensation of a real sword’s edge enveloped his body.

Kkadak kkadak!

“Come at me whenever you’re ready.”

“……”

I can't win.

Lee Byeok felt his opponent’s presence.

Even though they were disciples of the same generation, he felt a refined presence that was incomparable to the ones he had subdued at the inn.

Even when dealing with them, Lee Byeok had only used an opening when they were off guard; there was no way he could win against a disciple of a prestigious sect in a head-on fight in the first place.

The presence or absence of inner energy was absolute.

No matter how much he endured with skill and technique, there was a fundamental difference in every single movement, like that between an adult and a child.

But he could not back down.

Tat

“Oot, that was surprising.”

Lee Byeok thrusted his sword in a straight line.

And the Sword-Drawing and Sword-Withdrawal Forms of the Azure River Sword Style began to unfold one after another like flowing water.

Chaeng! Chaeng!

“Heh, interesting?”

In an instant, several exchanges of the sword came and went. A look of interest flashed across Uhak’s face, as if it was unexpected.

Hung, chaeng!

“Eh? What?”

The next moment, Uhak swung his sword widely. Lee Byeok’s sword was flung away in vain.

“The sword path is quite interesting, but your inner energy is terrible, isn’t it? No, is it completely absent? Hey, what are you?”

“……”

Lee Byeok charged again.

He carefully unfolded the Azure River Sword Style.

It was not an attack to defeat his opponent.

It was just to tie up his hands to prevent him from unfolding a proper technique, to avoid getting hit.

Chaeng! Chaeng!

But it was of little meaning.

Uhak’s sword was proficient, befitting a promising disciple of a prestigious sect, and after about ten seconds, large and small sword wounds began to be carved into Lee Byeok’s body.

Ttuk, ttuk!

Lee Byeok’s blood dripped onto the ground. With the bleeding, his stamina was rapidly depleted.

Every time their swords clashed, Lee Byeok’s sword bent as if it would break, and the axis of his body shook uncontrollably.

“That stopped being fun real quick.”

“……”

“That’s enough. Let’s end this now.”

Ppeok!

The moment Lee Byeok’s sword was flung away, Uhak’s kick struck Lee Byeok’s chest.

A blow filled with inner energy.

Ulkeok. Blood surged from his throat, and Lee Byeok’s body was helplessly pushed back.

Woong!

And the next moment, Uhak’s sword vibrated lightly.

Sensing that he could not block it, Lee Byeok hurriedly tried to create distance.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Tat. In a single step, the distance was closed again as if by a lie. And an eerie smile blossomed on Uhak’s lips.

Swaek!

Uhak’s sword was swung.

He had neither the strength nor the skill to block it.

The trajectory of the sword came into view. In that moment, Lee Byeok sensed that he was about to lose his right arm.

Chaeng!

But Uhak’s sword sharply changed direction. It deflected a flying dagger that had come at him.

“…What is this?”

Uhak turned towards Jaegal Somi.

“…No, isn’t this a bit too much? Does a disciple of the great Qingcheng Sect really have to go that far against a village kid?”

“That filthy wench!”

“She launched a cowardly sneak attack!”

Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng!

The surrounding disciples of Qingcheng all drew their swords at once. They glared at Jaegal Somi as if to kill her.

“…Hey, hey, hey, that’s enough. Don’t get excited.”

Uhak looked around and waved his hand lightly. He shrugged and met Jaegal Somi’s gaze.

“Well then, we’re done with the brother. How about the young miss pays for the remaining sin instead?”

A lecherous face.

A distorted smile blossoms.

“…Haa.”

Jaegal Somi let out a low sigh.

Jeobeok jeobeok. She began to walk forward. She passed by the collapsed Lee Byeok.

“Lee Byeok, give me the sword.”

“…No.”

Kwajik!

Jaegal Somi stomped on Lee Byeok’s hand. Jaegal Somi picked up the sword that fell from his weakened hand.

And she faced Uhak.

“Well then, what kind of sword will the self-proclaimed precious daughter of the Jaegal Clan show us?”

“……”

“Coming? Or should I go?”

Tat!

Jaegal Somi extended her sword.

Chaeng!

“What, the Three Talents Sword? Are you kidding me?”

Chaeng, chaeng!

“…Still, you’re pretty good.”

Five exchanges came and went.

A flawless Three Talents Sword unfolded from Jaegal Somi’s hand.

But her opponent’s sword path was unrestrained and ruthless.

“But you’re just as weak as your brother. Still, it would be a bit much to cut off the young miss' arm.”

Uhak licked his lips.

Seuk. The sword drew a trajectory.

Tat.

Jaegal Somi reflexively took a step back. The next moment, the front of her clothes was slit, revealing her white skin.

“……”

“Oh my, my apologies! Excuse me, young miss!”

Uhak spoke in a flustered voice. To an outsider, he would have looked genuinely sorry.

Wahaha, kideuk kideuk. Suppressed laughter spread among the surrounding disciples of Qingcheng.

“Ahem! Compose yourself, Uhak!”

“Yes, yes~”

“……”

Jaegal Somi extended her sword again.

But her sword no longer reached Uhak.

Uhak dodged here and there, extending his sword in passing.

Red lines were drawn one by one on Jaegal Somi’s skin. None of them were major wounds.

Deliberately, a little at a time, as if playing.

He was toying with Jaegal Somi’s body.

“……”

She herself must be the one who felt the opponent’s intention better than anyone. But Jaegal Somi did not back down.

A sword path that did not connect.

But she repeated it silently.

Why?

Lee Byeok could not understand.

His nerves tightened his body.

A pain as if grinding his mind and body enveloped him. In his place, his senior sister was enduring humiliation.

That fact was so painful it made the wounds on his body seem trivial. He had no power. So he could not protect what he had to protect.

Lee Byeok felt anger.

He needed the sword of Seonwoo Byeok.

Lee Byeok longed for power.

With a burning desperation, he discovered a stream of water flowing within his body as if it were natural.

It was a single, thread-like stream. Like an underground river flowing beneath a dried-up riverbed.

Just a handful of power.

It was the same as when he faced the tiger.

…No, it was even less than then. The energy consumed in the previous battle had not yet fully recovered.

Lee Byeok had an intuition.

Once he consumed this power, his body would shrivel up like a dried leaf once again.

But there was no room for hesitation.

Tat!

Lee Byeok kicked off the ground like a hummingbird.

He placed his hand on the wooden sword at his waist.

In one leap, he overtook Jaegal Somi and extended his wooden sword.

Taang!

“…Huh?”

Uhak’s sword and the wooden sword clashed.

Despite facing a real sword, the wooden sword did not break and instead formed a stalemate.

Bureureu. The sword and sword trembled finely in the air.

A dumbfounded sound escaped Uhak’s lips. But Lee Byeok’s sword was not finished.

There was no time for a prolonged fight.

He had to settle the match at once.

[ Azure River Flowing Leaf Sword Style: Sword-Withdrawal Third Form: Flowing Sword ]

Ossak!

The moment Lee Byeok’s wooden sword blurred and disappeared, Uhak’s body instinctively unfolded a sword technique.

Kwaaa!

The Azure Wind Sword Art of the Qingcheng Sect.

A sharp presence like a gale poured towards Lee Byeok.

But the movement of the wooden sword was gentle, and it roamed the air as if dancing.

Soon, it scattered the wind.

Paak! Pak!

The next moment, blood spurted from Uhak’s left shoulder and thigh.

Uhak hastily pulled his body back.

“…Wh-What?”

“……”

It didn’t… connect properly.

Lee Byeok’s qi and blood convulsed.

Kulleok. Lee Byeok vomited blood. He lost his center of balance and slowly tilted.

Kwak. He planted his wooden sword into the ground. He barely supported his body.

“……”

Uhak looked back and forth between Lee Byeok’s sword and his own. His opponent’s weapon was a wooden sword without even a sharp edge.

If it hadn't been a wooden sword.

Uhak felt fear, if only for a fleeting moment. And his pride was wounded by that fact.

“U-Uhak! Are you alright?!”

“Yes, Elder. It’s nothing. Just a scratch~”

After glancing at Gong Myeong-ja, Uhak turned his gaze back. Tat. Jaegal Somi took the opportunity to close the distance.

“Sorry, young miss, but your brother’s sin has grown, so I can’t let it pass with just a little eye candy.”

Tang, peok!

One sword strike deflected Jaegal Somi’s sword, and a subsequent kick struck her side.

Jaegal Somi’s body flew a considerable distance before rolling on the ground. She tried to get up again, but couldn't.

“……”

Jeobeok jeobeok. Uhak took a step. He barely supported his body and approached Lee Byeok.

“I don’t know what your real identity is, but it was unlucky meeting you, and let’s not see each other again in the Murim.”

Hwoong!

Uhak’s sword was swung.

Peok!

And blood spurted out.

“Kraaak!”

Uhak’s eyes widened.

Someone who had suddenly appeared from the surroundings had wrapped their body around Lee Byeok, taking his sword strike instead.

What was most bewildering was that the figure was wearing the Daoist robes of Qingcheng.

“Keoheuk, keueuk!”

“U-Usun…?! Why, of all things?!”

Uhak hastily withdrew his sword.

The one struck by the sword was his junior brother, Usun.

But Usun himself looked as if he didn’t know what was happening.

Teolseok. The seriously injured Usun collapsed. It seemed he had lost consciousness.

“Aigoya. I’m so sorry about this!”

Just then, from the spot where Usun had been standing until a moment ago, a strange man popped out, bowing obsequiously.

“Ehehe, I was watching and accidentally missed my step, pushing the young master… what should I do?”

“……”

“I don’t have much else, but I happen to be a medicine peddler… shall I apply some wound medicine for you?”

“……”

“Ah, of course, it’s not free.”

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