Chapter 249: The Rumors Were True (4)

“Uhhhhhhh”

Jin Young’s forehead, red and slightly swollen, made him groan.

Despite circulating his internal qi, his mind felt dizzy from the shock.

“Ahh....”

Chung Myung from Mount Hua, who had kindly attempted to join Jin Young in the spar, couldn’t hide his shock as he spoke.

Jin Young’s martial arts skill wasn’t far behind Chung Myung’s. One could say it was just at a lower stage.

The fact that someone of his stature could be taken down with a simple flick to the forehead indicated that the outcome would be the same for him.

Whisper!

The previously quiet guesthouse suddenly filled with noise once again.

“Did you see that?”

“Did he really get thrown back with just one flick?”

“Why couldn’t anyone stop it?”

“His body turned a couple of times with just one snap.”

“Huh... I guess it wasn’t a lie that he’s one of the Eight Great Warriors.”

“Has anyone in their 20s ever reached that level?”

On the contrary, my own reputation was enhanced by this. If Jin Young were to duel me and endure for just 10 seconds, his fame would have risen. However, the only thing left for him now was just embarrassment.

-A challenge without a second thought.

Short Sword chuckled, enjoying herself.

I needed to demonstrate this so that people with nonsensical ideas about me would reconsider. If rumors spread about how I cared about the opponent and engaged in a duel, only more bothersome situations would follow.

I then said to Chung Myung.

“Are you ready to go? There are a lot of people here.”

“T-that...”

His eyes trembled at that question.

He was aware of the people’s gazes. He realized that he hadn’t been paying attention at all, so the right decision was to stop.

However, he justified the duel with a desire to learn from me, so quitting would negatively impact his reputation.

-But wouldn’t he simply give up if it ended like this?

Well.

People of the Justice Faction had a strong sense of honor. They were not like the Forces of Evil who would prioritize their more practical interests.

While it would be preferable if he gave up, he would lose in an undignified manner if he didn’t fight; at least, that would be how it was from his perspective.

Chung Myung gulped, adjusting his expression before speaking.

“Let us go then.”

It appeared that he had made up his mind.

Just as we were about to leave the guesthouse, Chung Myung turned to the middle-aged man who appeared to be the establishment’s owner.

“Is there any space available?”

“Well, where can we find any space this big? There is one that’s not very developed, but it does have a storage room.”

“Can we use it then?”

“As long as it doesn’t get damaged...”

Chung Myung, who got permission from the guesthouse owner, then said,

“There are a lot of people near the entrance, so there’s a chance it could get damaged. Let’s go to the backyard instead.”

I snorted at those words. It was a sneaky way of saying he wanted to avoid drawing attention as much as possible.

Warrior Chung Myung kindly requested understanding from the people in the guesthouse.

“This is just a friendly match between the senior and junior, so we prefer to have fewer spectators. We apologize for not allowing others to witness it.”

Upon hearing this, the onlookers couldn’t help but smile, as his intention was quite clear.

It was essentially telling Jin Young not to come out to the backyard and watch to avoid a similar incident.

‘These Justice Faction people are...’

At times like this, they become very obvious.

However, it appeared that I had stopped considering myself a member of the Justice Faction without realizing it.

Considering that my father was the head of a different order and I lead the Blood Sect, it would be amusing to think of me as part of the Justice Faction.

“Let’s go,” Chung Myung said.

His face showed annoyance, but Chung Myung covered it up.

I sighed and laughed, following him.

And then the murmuring of the crowd grew louder.

The reason was Jun Gyun, who had been on the second floor, approached us with his hands behind his back and caught the attention of the onlookers.

“Two of the Eight Great warriors in one place?”

“Isn’t this an incredible sight?”

Shocked voices echoed throughout the guesthouse as I finally greeted Jin Gyun.

“It’s been a while, Senior.”

“Indeed.”

Jin Gyun nodded and walked past me.

‘...’

He then walked toward Jin Young, who was still unable to stand and placed his hand on his forehead.

“Uhhhh.”

Jin Young trembled as white steam escaped from his mouth and nose.

Jin Gyun did this to expel any remaining qi in the wound.

“Grandfather?”

Now fully aware, Jin Young must have understood the situation as his face turned red with shock.

He never could have imagined that this would happen.

“You fool. Tsk, tsk.”

Jin Gyun looked down at his grandson, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

Jin Young quickly made an excuse, anticipating a scolding.

“Grandfather, this wasn’t a fair spar. If he suddenly made a move without warning, anyone could...”

“Close your mouth.”

“Grandfather...”

“You said that knowing your opponent is also a skill. I talked about this, but nothing has changed with you.”

“... I apologize.”

Jin Young, who was scolded, lowered his head and apologized. It had been a hasty decision.

The more excuses he made, the more he’d get scolded. Jin Gyun looked away from him and turned toward me.

-He seems angry.

As Short Sword said, the expression on him was no joke to me. I wouldn’t have really noticed it much, but with him being so close, I guess he didn’t like how things turned out.

Jin Gyun then spoke to me,

“Do you know about the Air Sword?”

“...yes.”

I wondered why he was asking me that.

Confused, I watched as Jin Gyun smiled and spoke.

“Don’t worry. I have been practicing this technique for over ten years.”

Shhh!

As Jin Gyun let go of the hilt, the blade soared into the air. The movement seemed fluid and refined, just as he had claimed.

It was the first time I had witnessed such raw power.

“Ohhh!”

“It’s the Air Sword!”

As Jin Gyun released his grip on the blade, it soared through the air, showcasing enhanced skills just like his own.

This was the first time I witnessed techniques performed solely with internal qi, unlike my own.

“OHHHH!”

“The Air Sword!”

“The Flame Emperor Great Blade can do that too!”

The spectators went wild.

While I admired their abilities, I couldn’t help but wonder how it set him apart from the rest.

The Iron Sword uttered.

-Wonhwi, I’m prepared.

He was eager to take flight. Well, I found myself in a situation where I wouldn’t refuse either.

If this occurred, would it be a clash between the Iron Sword and Jin Gyun?

Srrng!

Iron Sword emerged from its sheath and soared into the sky.

And it was a spectacle that left people astounded.

“Incredible!”

“A clash between the Air Sword and Air Blade!”

“To be able to witness this in our lifetime, I will have no more regrets.”

Thanks to the spectators, the atmosphere started to become more tense. Jin Gyun came up to me and said,

“If we only compete with this, we won’t be able to strike the opponent directly, so let’s add something else.”

I suppose he had something more to offer. After all, a spar was about subduing the opponent without causing any harm.

If we only showcased the Air Sword, it would be quite unclear.

“What do you have in mind?”

“You know how the Air arts demand concentration, so let’s compete in that aspect.”

If the confrontation was about internal qi, the winner would be the one with superior power.

However, this technique also required mental strength, so the fight was not as easy as it seemed.

‘To do this until...’

Jin Gyun’s face was filled with confidence. In this stance, he displayed his determination to establish his superiority.

And he declared,

“If it is challenging, we can always resort to fighting with just our Air arts.”

... such an obvious provocation.

He wasn’t saying this out of consideration; he was saying that he would step down if I couldn’t do that.

How should I handle this?

I told him,

“I don’t mind, but is ‘senior’ okay? It could cause internal wounds.”

My question made him frown. I suppose he didn’t expect me to provoke him as well.

“I’ve heard you’re called the Little Immortal Swordsman, but your confidence seems unfounded. Well then, let’s see just how great your confidence truly is. Let’s compete.”

He extended his palms toward me, and I responded by walking forward with my palms pressed together.

Then, some muffled discussions merged.

“Isn’t the Little Immortal Swordsman at a disadvantage in this fight?”

“Even if he surpassed the wall, the Flame Emperor Great Blade had done so decades ago.”

“It is a significant disadvantage to fight with internal qi.”

People were also judging this fight negatively on my behalf.

Jin Young grinned confidently as if he had absolute faith in his grandfather’s victory.

Jin Gyun locked eyes with me and declared,

“Phew. Let us commence.”

“I understand.”

Swish! Swish!

The moment our words ceased, his blade and Iron Sword clashed in midair. Simultaneously, Jin Gyun unleashed his internal qi.

Ohhhhhhh!

With his strength, the sand around his feet rose up, creating a swirling motion.

I had expected him to slowly increase his internal qi, but he surprised me by raising it sevenfold instantly. His actions clearly showed his determination to launch an attack.

Yet, his widened eyes indicated that something unexpected had occurred.

‘...!!’

He had intended to shock me with the sudden surge of internal qi, but it seemed that an entirely unforeseen event had taken place.

“You!”

I could see the surprise in his expression. He had underestimated my ability to hold my ground in this fight. Looking directly at him, I spoke confidently,

“Senior, could you go harder?”

“What?”

Jin Gyun was taken aback.

Even without that, I was curious about the level of my internal qi after taking it from Revolting Mother, so it still went smoothly.

“Then let’s try to increase the internal qi.”

I instantly raised my internal qi from six-fold to eight.

“Huh!”

Jin Gyun’s face turned red, veins bulging, and his wrist swelled.

He tried to raise the internal qi even more as if he didn’t want to prolong this, but so did I.

Paaak!

And the area around Jin Gyun’s feet, which supported him, started giving way.

This sight caused a lot of commotion.

“OH MYYYY!”

“The Flame Emperor Great Blade is being surpassed in terms of internal qi!”