Chapter 50

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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**

After Su-gyo, who finished speaking, left the spot.

“I have heard the rumors that you are the youngest to pass the True Martial Pavilion. I am Beom-jung, from the Buddhist faction of the Kongtong Sect.”

Although the sharp-looking young monk had a displeased look, he did not particularly bicker with me, who had been put forward as the assistant by Su-gyo.

In addition, there was also someone who showed goodwill toward me.

“I am Tang Si-hyeok of the Sichuan Tang Clan. I have heard much of the rumors about Wudang Sect’s Bringer of Chaos. Brother Jong-hyeok also asked me to pass on his regards.”

“Ah, you are a relative of Brother Tang. Brother Tang is doing well, right?”

“Ah, he entered closed-door cultivation this time, so he could not come to the Murim Alliance meeting, but he praised Taoist Yeon until his lips were worn out. He said you played a decisive role when defeating the Red Yang Demonic Immortal.”

At those words, the eyes of the surrounding people widened.

Although some of them did not know well who the Red Yang Demonic Immortal was, those who knew, knew.

“He defeated that Red Yang Demonic Immortal?”

“The young hero did?”

“Does that mean it was not just a groundless rumor?”

“Although I heard that it was also the young hero who blocked the attack of the River of Three Crossings assassins last night. It seems Taoist Priest Su-gyo, the Qingyun Chixia, did not choose the young hero as his assistant for nothing.”

An atmosphere in which a significant number of the group members acknowledged me began to form.

Of course, that did not mean the gazes of suspicion and hostility had completely vanished.

The man who had been casting the most hostile glare among them stood in front of me.

Wearing a light armor of yellow silk with a colorful chrysanthemum pattern embroidered on it, the warrior from the Namgung Clan’s Firmament Sword Squad was a man whose face hardened particularly toward me, even considering that everyone was sensitive and hostile due to last night’s attack.

“I am Namgung Hyeok of the Namgung Clan’s Firmament Sword Squad. You are from the Wudang Sect’s True Martial Pavilion?”

“That is correct, but what of it?”

“I will speak honestly. I cannot trust Young Hero Yeon.”

In a way, it was only natural.

Although all the group members were young, they were past the age of twenty.

On the other hand, I was barely fifteen.

It was understandable that they found me unreliable.

Even if rumors and reputation had been established, the saying that seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times did not exist for nothing.

“Young Hero Namgung.”

“Still, he is the assistant appointed by the leader, so if you speak like that, does it not also lower the leader’s authority?”

Although there were those who tried to stop him, there were also not a few who glared with fire in their eyes behind Namgung Hyeok, as if waiting to see what would happen.

“I simply want to see your skills.”

With that, Namgung Hyeok placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. Just by looking at his posture, the characteristics of the opponent’s martial arts were grasped.

‘A posture specialized in drawing the sword.’

The natural yet skilled touch was that of a trained swordsman.

‘Did they say that the martial arts of the Namgung Clan handle the wind?’

The Beggars’ Sect’s Drunken Eight Immortals Steps became the foundation for the creation of the Slender Willow Flutter, and the Fibonacci sequence tied to the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Sword influenced everything from the Four Symbols Wind and Thunder Palm to the Cotton Palm.

Since the Namgung Clan’s sword arts were famous as the supreme peak of the secular world, I was extremely eager to see them.

Aside from such a desire, if I displayed my skills here, there would be no need to persuade one by one those who were dissatisfied with me taking the assistant role.

Broadening my experience and at the same time creating a situation to lead the mission?

‘It is killing two birds with one stone, isn’t it?’

Hiding my excited heart, I deliberately lowered my voice.

“Does saying you want to see my skills mean you want to have a duel?”

“That is right.”

Listening to Namgung Hyeok’s confident reply, I grasped his aura. Following the breathing of the Namgung Clan’s Firmament Great Derivation Mind Art, his true qi fluctuated like a pendulum’s motion, going from the middle dantian to the lower dantian, and from the lower dantian to the middle dantian.

The true qi flowed linearly and grandly.

‘A breathing pattern specialized in pouring all one’s strength into a single strike.’

The characteristics and proficiency of the opponent’s martial arts were gauged through their breathing and posture.

He was almost on the verge of the Elixir Condensation Stage.

It was comparable to the accumulated cultivation of Senior Brother Myeong-hun. Even though the internal cultivation of the secular world was superior in the speed of gathering qi compared to the mountain Taoist, orthodox Mysterious Sect internal cultivation methods, it was a considerable achievement considering his age.

However, compared to his accumulated power, his eyes seemed to be dim.

“Very well. Let us add a condition to that.”

“What is it?”

“Three stances.”

“Three stances? Are you saying you will endure my swordplay for only three stances?”

Considering the difference in age, Namgung Hyeok’s words were natural, but I shook my head and corrected the error in his statement.

“It means that if I cannot break Young Hero Namgung’s swordplay within three stances, I will step down from the assistant role.”

Sparks flew from Namgung Hyeok’s eyes.

**

“Is that not overdoing it? Although I have heard and know well of Young Hero Yeon’s skills, still, Young Hero Namgung is a warrior of the Firmament Sword Squad. Three stances is…”

“It is fine. If by some chance I lose, someone else can take the assistant role, so that is good in its own way.”

Despite my reply, Tang Si-hyeok’s expression did not ease. Just as he said, it might indeed be an overstretch.

The reasons for deliberately provoking the opponent were two.

One was because of the advice Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang had given at the very end.

– If your reputation becomes too high, you tend to get caught up in unintended trouble for no reason. In such cases, taking a strong stance might actually be better.

The advice of an experienced person was always like a golden rule.

If the reliability of the source of that advice was high, the value of the advice rose even further.

Further, it was also a kind of challenge for me.

Three stances.

Since that was the number of stances calculated in my head to dismantle Namgung Hyeok’s martial arts, the words came out naturally.

Since being able to actually implement what was calculated by the mind meant my insight had also risen. Since the hypothesis had been established, it was a situation where experiment and proof were needed.

Namgung Hyeok and I stood at a distance of about two zhang. A distance of two zhang was the best distance to display swordplay. It was my judgment that to break his spirit, it was best to show him something definitive, and I did not think that giving him the distance would be a major problem.

On the other hand, Namgung Hyeok was looking at me with fire in his eyes.

“Three stances was arrogant. Today, I will teach you that the Jianghu is not so easy.”

Along with the words, Namgung Hyeok drew his sword.

Simultaneously with the drawing of the sword, a light wind flickered around the blade.

The principle of wind generation.

In this case, it occurred due to the pressure difference and frictional force.

He triggered the Release of Force by flicking his wrist.

It was the maximization of the friction between the blade and the air through the Release of Force.

It was the drawing stance of the Namgung Clan’s Great Derivation Celestial Wind Sword.

The step taken at the same time accelerated by riding the wind generated by the sword drawing. Taking in the unique technique of the Namgung Clan’s secret, the Unimpeded Clear Flow Steps, which I had only heard about, I thought.

‘Instead of merely reacting to the surroundings, he actively changes the environment.’

The style, which was hard to find in Taoist martial arts, broadened my horizons. However, I could not just stand there and admire it. I lightly took a step to the side.

As the sword wind flickered, the hem of my clothes, which had been cut by the assassins last night, fluttered.

“First stance!”

Along with his words, Namgung Hyeok slashed his sword grandly in a horizontal line.

The sword wind gathered on the blade was compressed like a knife edge.

Since the format of compressing air through true qi was the result of using upper dantian telekinetic force like the Release of Force formula.

‘I might be able to apply this to the overlapping of true qi in the Four Symbols Wind and Thunder Palm as well?’

Realizing anew how to utilize what I possessed, I stretched out my hand. It was human nature to put thoughts into action immediately.

An eye for an eye.

A tooth for a tooth.

And for wind, it was wind.

**

The first sword stance that Namgung Hyeok unleashed.

It was the stance of the Namgung Clan’s Great Derivation Celestial Wind Sword Art’s first form, Gale Opens the Path. Watching Yeon Baek-jung skillfully evade the Gale Opens the Path, Namgung Hyeok sneered inwardly.

‘He indeed has some skill, but…’

Although he did have some skill as much as he had gained a great reputation compared to his age, his sword stances were only just beginning.

When Yeon Baek-jung spoke of three stances, Namgung Hyeok had inwardly rejoiced.

Since the connected sword strikes starting from the Great Derivation Celestial Wind Sword’s Gale Opens the Path and continuing were called the Three Stances of the Developing Wind. If properly unleashed, it was a sequence of connected strikes that even an ordinary renowned master of the Jianghu would find difficult to receive.

‘Take this as well!’

Shouting in his heart, Namgung Hyeok unleashed the second of the Three Stances of the Developing Wind.

He displayed the stance of Northern Wind Breaks the Branch.

As the internal power of the Firmament Great Derivation Mind Art resonated with the natural qi and compressed the true qi onto the sword blade, the sword wind that was flickering around the blade was sharply honed.

Namgung Hyeok swung the sword carrying the northern wind grandly in a horizontal line.

Since the easiest way to avoid a thrust like Gale Opens the Path was stepping sideways, blocking that lateral step was the purpose of this Northern Wind Breaks the Branch stance.

If he retreated backward or evaded to the side, his body would be injured by the sword wind.

‘Either leap upward, or bend down below.’

He restricted the opponent’s movement with the connected stances.

The sword of a prestigious clan was profound like that.

‘As expected!’

Yeon Baek-jung’s body tilted downward.

Now, splitting the opponent with the final stance of the Three Stances of the Developing Wind, Rising Wind Brings Down the Sun, was the last of the three stances, so he tried to swing the horizontally moving blade to point the sword upward.

However, Yeon Baek-jung, who had bent his body down, suddenly took a posture of supporting and lifting the horizontally flowing blade with one hand while holding it wide open.

At that same moment, two contradictory forces traveled along the blade and shook Namgung Hyeok’s wrist.

One was an upward pushing force, as if helping the upward path of the sword strike.

The other was an attractive force that sucked in the sword wind gathered on the blade.

As a result, the sword wind that had gathered on the blade dispersed, and instead, palm wind formed around the opponent’s palm center, the Daling acupoint.

The path of the strike was twisted, and the space under his armpit opened wide.

‘What on earth is this!’

Yeon Baek-jung’s single palm strike, which had sucked in the sword wind, approached his lower abdomen just like that.

Namgung Hyeok closed his eyes, sensing a complete defeat. If he suffered internal injuries from the palm force now, he would have to leave the group. However, since this was also something Namgung Hyeok himself had to bear, he resolved to accept the result.

However.

‘Huh? Why is there still no sensation at all?’

Namgung Hyeok, who was adding resolution to resolution, carefully opened his eyes.

Yeon Baek-jung’s palm was touching his lower abdomen. However, there was no pain as if his intestines were tearing.

At that moment, he could tell.

‘Did he withdraw the palm force at the very last moment!’

Along with the realization, the young boy before his eyes no longer looked young to Namgung Hyeok. Dismantling the Three Stances of the Developing Wind was enough to acknowledge Yeon Baek-jung, but displaying the free control of true qi to withdraw the Release of Force at the very last moment was the final nail in the coffin.

Yeon Baek-jung, who smiled brightly, withdrew his palm and opened his mouth.

“Three stances. Correct?”

At the boy’s question, Namgung Hyeok nodded with a dazed face.

‘If he had mishandled the true qi even slightly… the one who withdrew the palm force could have suffered internal injuries instead!’

Because it was a point where one could recognize Yeon Baek-jung’s character in addition to his profound internal energy.

“I, Namgung, cannot suppress my admiration for the skill and character of Wudang Sect’s Taoist Yeon. I am ashamed of myself for daring to doubt Taoist Yeon’s skill. Please forgive me.”

Not only Namgung Hyeok’s head but also his heart bowed of its own accord.

**

Following the duel with Namgung Hyeok, any group member who expressed disagreement or hostility toward me taking the role of Group Bing’s leader assistant disappeared.

Rather, most of the group members showed goodwill toward me.

“What is that palm method you showed at the end? Since it looks different from what I have heard of the famous Cloud-Dispelling Palm Method…”

“It is a palm method called the Four Symbols Wind and Thunder Palm. It is a palm method that I am also still training in, as my mastery is not yet deep.”

“It is my first time hearing of it! As expected, they say the Wudang of the South’s martial arts are not inferior to Shaolin’s, and it is exactly as those words say!”

“You may speak comfortably. Are we not in a relationship where we will carry out the mission with our backs to each other from now on?”

“Ah, in that case, would it be fine to call you Little Brother Yeon?”

“Of course.”

“Haha. It is my first time having a junior who is superior in martial arts to me, so it is a bit awkward.”

“Then you may call me Brother.”

“Hahaha. A friendship that transcends age is always a good thing!”

“If one’s martial arts are superior, then he is the elder brother. From today, Taoist Yeon is my elder brother.”

From those who laughed off the joke to those who took it seriously.

As the awkward atmosphere eased, we began to discuss our future plans.

“Our mission destination, Liuzhou in Guangxi, is nearly four thousand li away from this Shaolin.”

Four thousand li.

It was a distance that would take nearly a month to reach at the walking pace of an ordinary merchant caravan.

Therefore, the first opinion brought up was regarding the method of traveling to Liuzhou.

“Going by waterway would be the most comfortable. Since Hubei to Hunan are all connected by waterways, we can conserve our physical strength compared to going on foot, and the speed will also be faster than walking.”

“However, mobile strikes are important for this mission. To go by waterway, we would have to board a boat, which ultimately leaves us with no choice but to come into contact with people. It cannot be good for operational security.”

The first person to express an opinion was Tang Si-hyeok, and the one who suggested going by land was Namgung Hyeok.

The gazes of the group members gathered on me.

Although I was the assistant leader, it was because Taoist Priest Su-gyo had left the deciding power to me.

Ultimately a situation where I had to make the decision, I weighed the pros and cons of the two options.

‘The waterway is comfortable for the body and fast, while the land route allows for slightly more covert movement.’

A situation where both opinions had clear advantages and disadvantages.

Suddenly, Su-gyo’s face, who was standing still and hiding his presence, caught my eye.

With that, the decision became easy.