Chronicles of the Sword That Shook the Heavens

Chapter 4. Falling Sword Sect (2)

‘…That’s impossible.’

The qi center is the foundation of martial arts.

The principle of all martial arts that exist in the world is ultimately to accept and refine the inner power of nature to overcome the limits of the body.

And the place where such qi accumulates in the body is precisely the qi center, or the place called the Gate of Vitality acupoint.

Therefore, a martial artist who loses this qi center instantly becomes worse off than an ordinary person.

Forget martial arts, they are in a situation where they are lucky if they can even move properly.

That is why many martial artists would rather give up their lives than lose their qi center.

“…”

That is common sense that doesn't even need to be mentioned.

For someone who has lost their qi center to use qi is more unrealistic than a hawk flying with its wings cut off.

However.

Right before Lee Byeok's eyes, Lee Jincheon had already used his qi several times. There was no way he had seen it wrong.

“Hey, kid. Are you going to snap out of it?”

The girl said.

Lee Byeok awoke from his thoughts.

The training ground in the evening, past the hour of the pig.

The girl had advised him to descend the mountain, but of course, Lee Byeok did not accept. There was no reason to back down.

Then, after finishing the meal, the girl stood up from her seat without a word. She gestured with her head to Lee Byeok, as if telling him to follow.

After heading out to the training ground, the girl picked up two wooden swords. She promptly handed one to Lee Byeok.

“If you’re so determined to throw your life away in this mountain sect, as the senior disciple, I need to check your level. So prove yourself with your sword.”

“S-Senior Sister, still, he’s a child the Sect Leader brought personally, kicking him out is a bit….”

“Ah, you stay out of it, you big bear!”

On one side, the said giant man was watching the two. Contrary to his appearance, his words and actions were quite meticulous.

However, he certainly wasn't worried about the girl. Rather, his concern was directed towards Lee Byeok.

“……”

Lee Byeok gripped the sword.

The feeling in his hand. As always, he felt his chaotic mind slowly calming down.

The Sect Leader has no qi center.

To think it was a simple bluff, it seemed to be a very natural fact for both the girl and the giant man.

If there is something unknown, he just needs to confirm it himself. Whatever the case, following him was his own decision.

In addition, being continuously treated like a kid and being looked down upon didn't feel very good either.

“I am Lee Byeok. I ask for a lesson.”

Lee Byeok politely performed a clasped hands greeting.

“Ha! So your surname is Lee? I bet that’s not your original surname, right?”

But the girl snorted.

“Alright, kid. This big sister is called Jaegal Somi. You get it, right? If you lose here, Lee or whatever, you’re leaving obediently?”

Lee Byeok silently brought the wooden sword to his waist. He lowered his stance and tensed his body.

The basic form of the Seonwoo Clan's unique martial art, the Azure River Sword Style, begins with the sword-drawing stance.

He had no intention of being careless just because his opponent was a woman. The weight of one who holds a sword is equal.

“Hmph, look at that stance. Full of ostentation.”

On the other hand, the girl’s stance was an unremarkable middle stance. The tip of the sword, held near her navel, pointed at Lee Byeok.

Taat

Lee Byeok kicked off the ground.

While closing the distance, he drew his sword like a thunderbolt. He went straight for her waist.

Taang!

“Oh? Not bad—.”

It was blocked.

But he had no intention of giving her a moment's rest.

Taak, Lee Byeok pushed forward with strength, sword and all. And he advanced one step and extended his sword again.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

Sword and sword began to intertwine.

The sword-drawing form of the Azure River Sword Style is honest.

It pursues an unhindered, straight path of the sword from himself to the opponent.

However.

“Wh-what is this!”

It may be obvious, but it cannot be blocked.

Lee Byeok’s sword, relentlessly pushing forward. Pushing away, advancing, and extending the sword, his form was consistent like a flowing river.

But from the opponent's perspective, there was no room for boredom. Especially for an opponent facing the Seonwoo Clan's sword for the first time.

Straight, Fast, Strong.

The essence of sword drawing is further divided into three branches. One form, three branches of force.

Thus, even with the exact same stance, its speed, weight, and the direction of force change with every move.

Taang!

“Keuk! This!”

The girl repeatedly stepped back.

But even as she retreats, she does not allow a single attack to touch her body.

Lee Byeok was quite surprised.

In the past, Seonwoo Byeok was a prodigy.

Except for the elders of the clan, no one could withstand the Azure River Sword Style he wielded for more than ten seconds.

Of course, now that his inner arts were gone, his sword was just an empty shell, but it should be the same for the girl.

She was somehow keeping up with the Seonwoo Clan's sword, which she must have never experienced before, with just her momentary senses.

A talent that was by no means inferior to Lee Byeok's.

Slowly, a sense of joy began to well up in Lee Byeok's heart. The very sensation he had always yearned for.

Taang!

“Hmph! I’ve pretty much adapted!”

Then, the girl's sword drew a horizontal line.

A sharp sword that accurately pierced the gap between sword forms. Lee Byeok's offensive, which had been flowing like a river, was cut off.

Taat!

Lee Byeok retreated for the first time.

But the girl, as if she wouldn't let him go meekly, thrust her sword tip deep.

Taang!

“Keuk!”

But the next moment, it was the girl who let out a groan.

Lee Byeok’s sword, which had been extended while retreating, had been retrieved like a snake and grazed the girl’s wrist.

The second form following the sword-drawing form.

Sword Withdrawal Style. He withdraws the extended sword.

“……”

A brief lull.

Gazes were exchanged in silence. Neither Lee Byeok, nor the girl, nor the giant man spoke for a while.

Pak!

“Ah! Annoying!”

The girl kicked the ground.

“That hurts! You’re so damn persistent!”

“……”

While clutching her reddened wrist, the girl continuously kicked the ground.

“Ah, really! The more I think about it, the more pissed I get! Where did this human pick up another monster like this!”

“S-Junior Sister… should I just do it?”

“Shut up! I told you to stay put, you big bear!”

After snapping at the giant man, her sharp gaze turned back to Lee Byeok.

“What are you doing! Not coming in!”

“……”

It had landed properly.

He intended to strike her wrist and make her drop the sword. But the girl did not let go of the sword.

Either he lacked strength, or.

…Should I dig in a little deeper?

Taat, Lee Byeok closed the distance again. Straight, fast, strong sword drawing. But this time, it doesn't end there.

Curved, Changing, Soft.

Bending, changing, and softly.

Unlike the sword-drawing form, which has its essence in honesty, the three subtleties contained in the sword-withdrawal form made it impossible to grasp the path of the sword.

As the sword drawing and sword withdrawal, a total of six forces, mixed, soon openings began to appear all over the girl's body.

Here and there, Lee Byeok's sword tapped the girl's body. There was no decisive blow, but that too was only a matter of time.

Huu, Lee Byeok felt his breath quickening.

The Azure River Flowing Leaf Sword Style, the superior martial art of the Azure River Sword Style and the secret martial art of the direct line of the Seonwoo Clan head, could not even be performed with his current body without inner arts.

Therefore, Lee Byeok was currently performing everything he could.

“Uwaaah! This is driving me crazy, really!”

And the end began to come into sight.

The girl's sword form collapsed rapidly. Now, only the final blow remained.

But Lee Byeok suddenly felt a subtle sense of unease. The opponent's talent was certainly outstanding. But…….

“……”

No, he doesn't think.

He focuses on the current match.

Taang!

Finally, the girl's sword was pushed back greatly, and her chest was exposed. In the instant the opening appeared, Lee Byeok extended his sword without hesitation.

Puk!

“…Keok.”

Thud, Lee Byeok knelt.

Feeling the sharp pain shooting up from his abdomen, he lowered his head and looked at the dagger embedded in his stomach.

A thin thread was tied to the end of the dagger. Following the thread with his eyes, the girl's left sleeve appeared.

Gulp, blood welled up from inside his throat.

Fortunately, it was the handle part that was embedded, not the blade, so it wasn't a fatal wound.

Of course, in a normal case.

But in Lee Byeok's case, there was an internal injury that was in the process of healing, and permanent damage to his qi center.

Cough!

“S-Junior Sister! What are you doing! No matter what, that’s not right! That’s cowardly!”

“N-no, that, I just got angry and….”

His vision grew dark.

Lee Byeok lost his strength and collapsed.

And he realized the identity of the unease. Certainly, the girl's talent was real. But the swordsmanship she used, compared to such talent, was merely the Three Talents Sword.

At the same time, in his fading consciousness, knowledge about the Jianghu Murim that he had remembered long ago flashed past.

The powers that represent Murim.

Among them, the five great clans of the world were the goal that the Seonwoo Clan had tried to approach.

And in one of them, the Jaegal Clan… the martial art of handling flying daggers was famous as their specialty…….

Thud.

* * *

Lee Byeok opened his eyes.

He realized his body was lying on a blanket. And the memories of the past came flooding in.

The duel with the girl.

The final blow, the flying dagger art.

“…Did I lose.”

Sword-drawing form and sword-withdrawal form.

He had poured out everything of the Azure River Sword Style and still couldn't win. It was a strange feeling he had never experienced before.

His abdomen, where he had been attacked, and various parts of his body still throbbed.

In the first place, his body was one that had struggled up a mountain path carrying a cart. On top of that, he had even had a duel, so it would be strange if he were fine.

Suddenly, a clamorous sound was heard.

Looking out the window, the sun was high in the sky. And there was a savory smell of food.

Slide!

After getting up, he opened the door.

Then the said training ground appeared.

Sizzle!

“Noona! Me! One more for me!”

“Me too, me too! Me first! I call it!”

“Ah, shut up, you guys! Go away! This isn't for you, so stop whining!”

“……”

But there was no trace of the past duel there anymore.

All that was there were the village children.

A dozen or so children were gathered in a circle. Each held a plate in their hands and was eating something eagerly.

And in the center, the said girl was diligently grilling that something in front of a brazier.

Jaegal Somi… she said her name was.

Lee Byeok sat down, leaning against the door frame.

Again, it didn't look like a martial arts sect in any way. Not training from broad daylight and grilling food in the training ground.

Suddenly, his eyes met with Jaegal Somi's.

Flinch, her expression crumpled at once. She turned her head away and ignored Lee Byeok.

“……”

Like that, Lee Byeok stared blankly at the scene in the training ground for a while. No one paid any attention to Lee Byeok.

A peace that was like a lie.

It was too unrealistic for Lee Byeok. As if he had not yet woken from a dream.

Poke, poke!

Someone pulled on his sleeve.

“Ah, um.”

When Lee Byeok turned his head, a little girl had approached him.

She hesitantly held something out.

“This, Somi… told me to bring it to you.”

It was a plate and chopsticks.

Was what's inside flower pancakes? It's a food made by placing flower petals on rice cakes and frying them thinly with oil.

“Thank you, young mistress.”

“Ah….”

As Lee Byeok took the plate with his reply, the girl's face flushed red.

She hastily turned and moved away.

“Pfft!”

And a burst of laughter followed.

“Y-young mistress, she said. My goodness. Pfft….”

Turning his head to the opposite side, the said giant man was approaching from a few steps away.

A face trying to hold back laughter.

“Ah, um, sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop… If you were offended, I apologize.”

“…I don’t particularly mind.”

“That’s a relief then. Pfft, puhaha!”

Bursting into hearty laughter, he approached Lee Byeok. As they sat down side by side, it felt like the ground rumbled, thump.

“Hey, we haven't properly introduced ourselves, have we? I'm Hyuk Dae-woong. You said your name is Lee Byeok, right? How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

“Oh, then you’re the same age as me!”

Lee Byeok looked back at the giant man.

Though there was a hint of youth, he didn't look like a boy who hadn't passed the age of twenty, no matter how you looked at it.

“Hey, aren’t you going to eat that? It’s delicious.”

Hyuk Dae-woong pointed to the plate in Lee Byeok's hand. There was no hostility in his smiling face.

Lee Byeok silently picked up the chopsticks.

He tore a piece of the flower pancake and put it in his mouth. The savory aroma spread in his mouth.

“It’s delicious, right? Our junior sister, though her hands, feet, and mouth are rough, she’s good at making food.”

“What do you want to say?”

Lee Byeok said.

Is it a dismissal again?

In last night's duel, Lee Byeok was defeated. According to the conditions… he should leave this place.

But.

Hyuk Dae-woong scratched his head.

“No, um. It's humble, but right now, we're sort of having your initiation ceremony. Welcome to the Falling Sword Sect, junior brother.”