The Second Eunuch Regains His Manhood

228th Chapter: Time for Two

[Sounds good. Then please trust me and accept my duel request.]

Swoosh The words of Sangong echoed in Geumhu’s mind.

Trust me.

Sangong’s eyes were saying just that, filled with certainty.

Geumhu knew.

Sangong wasn’t reckless. It was impossible to reach Hyeongyeong in a year by conventional means.

He couldn’t be unaware of that fact.

Having observed Sangong for the past few years, Geumhu knew he wouldn’t act thoughtlessly. Quite the opposite. He was someone who eliminated risks as much as possible and only moved after creating a safe situation.

Such a Sangong was confident. He believed.

Then.

‘Sangong had a plan all along!’

He had a plan to reach Hyeongyeong within a year and finally defeat her publicly.

Thump.

Geumhu’s heart raced. Her face flushed. She didn’t know what scheme Sangong held, but one was certain: it existed.

‘I’ve dared to doubt Sangong. What a shame and I am so sorry!’

Along with that thought, Geumhu felt shame.

For a moment, she had doubted Sangong. That alone filled her with embarrassment.

And she felt remorseful. As a devoted partner, she should have trusted him without question, but she failed to do so.

‘My sins are piling up. I will repay this on our wedding night. Kyaah!’

Geumhu screamed inside and nodded.

[Okay. Sangong. Hehe.]

Geumhu smiled.

She was thrilled to be able to call him Sangong freely through the mind link. She wished to spend a lifetime like this. If only that annoying Yeomwang Jeoksawol wasn’t around, it could happen.

As she thought this, she approached the lovely Sangong, admiring his sturdy physique, and wrapped her outer garment around him. They were alone, but she didn’t want to expose Sangong’s form to the outsider, Jeoksawol.

“I understand. I will accept Eungong’s duel request. Just the two of us.”

Emphasizing “just the two of us,” Geumhu looked confidently at Jeoksawol.

The eyes of the two masters clashed in the air.

The moment was filled with tense anticipation.

“Thank you, Geumhu-senpai. First, I need to erase the traces of our martial arts.”

At Lee Cheol-soo’s words, the tension released.

Geumhu and Jeoksawol simultaneously withdrew their gazes. Lee Cheol-soo began tidying up the scene with the two girls and then headed with Geumhu to the training grounds.

*

The training ground attached to the separate wing.

In the spacious area with high-quality stones laid on the ground, I unsheathed my sword.

Shwing!

The brand new high-quality iron sword I had bought from the forge sparkled.

For the past two years, I had trained martial arts in the Gongdong Sect alongside Sahyeong.

To take down Hyulma, I needed to reach the realm of Saengsagyeong. Therefore, I had to train my martial arts more rigorously than in my past life.

Moreover, as my martial arts grew stronger, my vitality also increased. I had no reason to neglect my martial arts training.

“I’ll defer the first move. Eungong.”

I heard Geumhu’s gentle voice in my ear. She also drew her sword. Shwing. The silver blade of her treasured sword sparkled.

As a true master of Hyeongyeong, her stance appeared casual but had no openings.

“Thank you, Geumhu-senpai.”

I gladly accepted her offer to defer the first move since I wasn’t a boastful person. Along with that, I activated the techniques of Current Solar Energy and Primordial Yin Energy perfected by Sahyeong. Current Solar Energy was the Yang technique, and Primordial Yin Energy was the Yin technique. Each was a higher skill derived from the foundational Minor Yang Heart Method and Three Yin True Formula.

The Yin-Yang energy surged from my lower Dantian. Just as the opposing forces were about to repel each other, I activated the Primordial Unity Energy Technique. It controlled the Yin-Yang energy and reversed its position. Flip!

Following the principle of harmony, my head cooled while my Dantian heated up. With that state, I held the sword.

Crackle!

Energy surged like sparks over the iron sword. Whoosh! Then, a black energy rose like smoke above the sword, thickening and solidifying.

It was the Yang energy.

Whoooooo!

The black Yang energy wrapped around the sword.

I kicked off the ground and jumped up. My thoughts accelerated, and the surrounding scenery began to slow down. Within this slowed world, I followed the intricacies of Demon Sword Technique and thrust the sword blazing with black Yang energy toward Geumhu.

At that moment, as the black flash zoomed toward Geumhu’s chest—

Glint!

A silver radiance burst from Geumhu’s sword. In this slowed down world, she moved faster than me. The silver sword energy glowing on her treasured sword shone brightly.

“Guh!?”

Her sword energy mercilessly struck at the protective spirit energy enveloping my body.

Though she seemed to intentionally miss, I still felt a significant impact. Geumhu’s gaze was fixed on me. I quickly shifted my stance midair. Our eyes met.

Her stance still had no openings. She was a step ahead of me now. I accelerated my thoughts even more.

Guh!

My will and energy knocked against the doors of my upper Dantian. A headache surged in my head, and blood dripped from my nose.

I swung my sword again, adhering to the principles of Demon Sword Technique.

Clang!

Metallic sounds erupted as energy sparked. Geumhu perfectly blocked my strike and counterattacked. The silver flash sparkled before my eyes.

Ugh?!

It was a total disaster. I stepped back using Flowing Cloud and Water, barely dodging Geumhu’s attack while executing the Joining and Parting Divine Skill.

The flow of energy in her attack unraveled. I managed to stabilize just enough to not get hit.

But merely brushing against it depleted most of the remaining protective spirit energy I had. A bit more, and my skin would have split open.

It was dangerous.

Had I been an ordinary master of Hwakyung, I would have lost my protective energy after Geumhu’s strike. But my spirit had already reached the level of Hyeongyeong. Though my body couldn’t keep up, I barely managed to escape.

Smirk.

I smiled.

Fighting Sahyeong was enjoyable, but she overly protected me. So, I couldn’t engage in such a thrilling battle.

Geumhu looked slightly surprised. It seemed this was her first experience with Joining and Parting Divine Skill.

Yeah, that’s what a duel should be.

I felt the thrill and exhilaration while operating the Purple Lightning Demon Technique and Dharma Wheel Holy King Technique simultaneously.

Geumhu didn’t use Mind’s Martial Arts yet.

She merely formed a realm governing the space unique to Hyeongyeong. The flow of energy throughout the training ground was entirely under her control.

If another master were operating the Joining and Parting Divine Skill instead of me, the result of this duel would inevitably end with Geumhu’s victory.

Creating a realm to control the flow of energy and thus the flow of the match.

That’s precisely why a master of Hyeongyeong is called an ‘enemy of ten thousand.’

A master of Hyeongyeong possesses the power to ensure all foes within their domain are bound to lose.

But mere endurance wasn’t enough.

I had to strike Geumhu, even just once.

To do that, I needed the explosive power derived from the insights of the Law and Magic I had researched for the past two years.

Though still incomplete, it didn’t matter. After all, martial arts tend to evolve greatly under extreme conditions.

The Anti-Demon Magic Power and Purple Lightning surged simultaneously, intertwining in my body. The soft Anti-Demon energy clashed with the coarse Purple Lightning. The two opposing energies collided within me.

Guh!

As I pushed my will to the limit, blood spilled from my mouth. I tried to control the power of Law and Magic with Primordial Unity Energy Technique, but the opposing energies rejected my control, refusing to intermingle.

With blood pooling in my mouth, I forcefully infused the wild energies into my sword.

Wooooo!

The blade trembled. The purplish magic and golden Law both enveloped the blade, bursting forth. Just as I was about to unleash this overwhelming and uncontrolled power—

Whooooooo!

The flow of energy surged toward Geumhu. A whirlpool of energy formed centered around her. Meanwhile, the Law and Magic I had barely stabilized started rampaging again.

‘Damn it!’

This couldn’t go on. I reflexively raised the Joining and Parting Divine Skill to twist the flow of energy. I pushed my will to its limit. I unleashed the four techniques I could utilize—Purple Lightning Demon Technique, Dharma Wheel Holy King Technique, Joining and Parting Divine Skill, and Primordial Unity Energy Technique, exceeding my limits.

My perception suddenly expanded. With it came a tremor. The flow of energy, that as of now, was back in my control.

I reached a state of pure focus.

Whoosh!

The Yin energy corresponding to Magic ascended, while the Yang energy corresponding to Law took its place in my Dantian. The Yin-Yang reversal, or rather, the Divine Reversal was, for a moment, imperfectly manifested.

The violently mixed rough Magic and Law created an energy blend of purple and gold, giving birth to a powerful energy. It was the energy of Divine Reversal. In a trance, I poured the explosive energy following the intricacies of Demon Sword Technique toward Geumhu.

Ah!

A flash of light exploded. Dazzling and colorful radiance painted my vision. As my trance broke, my consciousness began to fade.

My sight blurred. My awareness began to dim out slowly. This was the price for pushing my will to its limit while operating techniques beyond my capacity.

But.

The sensation of reversing Law and Magic remained sharp.

Right now, I couldn’t grasp it.

But once I reach the realm of Hyeongyeong, I would be able to wield that explosive power.

It was an overwhelming strength I had not been able to wield in my past life, and its fragments flickered in my grasp.

With this power, perhaps, I could take on Hyulma.

I finally caught a glimpse of the clue.

“Ugh, Eungong?!”

In the dazzling light, I forced a smile as my consciousness faded.

The last voice I heard was Geumhu’s calling my name urgently.

*

Boom-Kwa-Kwa-Kwang!

With a thunderous explosion, a terrifying energy blast struck Geumhu directly. She calmly evaded Sangong’s attack, but not all fragments could be blocked.

Slice.

The fragments of the energy that breached Geumhu’s thick protective spirit energy tore at her garments. The outer garment intended for Sangong got shredded, and part of her top slipped down, revealing a bit of her undergarment.

However, Geumhu paid no attention to her disheveled outfit. The only thing in her sights was Sangong, who wobbled from the recoil after unleashing his strike.

“Ugh, Eungong?!”

Startled, Geumhu rushed forward, cradling Sangong’s body just before he collapsed onto the floor of the training ground, now utterly devastated from the duel. Perhaps because of the aftermath of their spar, her outer garment was torn as she embraced Sangong, revealing his bare chest.

Her heart raced.

That single strike Sangong had just shown was overwhelmingly powerful enough to penetrate her thick protective spirit energy.

Was it possible for someone merely at the Hwakyung level to injure her protective spirit energy and inflict a wound within her realm?

It was utterly absurd.

Yet, Sangong achieved it. Not only that, during their duel, he kept contesting for control over the flow of energy with her.

Such a feat was impossible for an ordinary master of Hwakyung.

‘Now I understand Sangong’s confidence. Hehe.’

Geumhu recalled Sangong’s claim that he would become Hyeongyeong within a year and defeat her. There, he had shown his confidence through his actions today.

With overwhelming joy, she tenderly stroked the head of the unconscious Sangong.

At that moment, all her lingering doubts vanished.

‘Sangong, I will wait for that day a year from now. Hehe.’

Geumhu gazed at Sangong’s sleeping face, continuously smiling.

Meanwhile, Jeoksawol secretly observed the scene in the training ground. Her lips trembled slightly.

From start to finish, Jeoksawol’s face turned pale as she watched the duel unfold.

In this battle, she realized.

She had revealed the absurd potential Lee Cheol-soo possessed, the potential to rise to Hyeongyeong within a year.

That her grand scheme to become the main wife through Cloud and Rain Pleasure with Gaga before Geumhu had turned into a fragile castle built on sand.

As this realization sank in, Geumhu screamed inwardly.

‘Oh, no!’

In that moment, the fates of Geumhu and Jeoksawol crossed paths, alternating joy and sorrow.

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