novelraw Chapter 190 : Chapter 190
Chapter 190 : Chapter 190
Chapter 190 - You Won't Be Able to Get Married
“This can’t be…”
Eung Gajin was not the only one who thought he had seized the chance for victory.
The rising stars of the Diancang Sect, who had gathered together to cheer, each let out a sigh.
“It’s so unfair. I thought victory was right before our eyes…”
Solbo’s large eyes were filled with disappointment.
However, Biyoung’s thoughts were different.
“There’s nothing to be unfair about. It’s a natural result.”
At those words, not only Solbo but also the other disciples’ eyes widened.
“What do you mean by that? Natural?”
“Nine-Shooting One Flash and Three Strikes No Remainder Twin Brush. The number of possible attacks is certainly higher for Nine-Shooting One Flash. But…”
Biyoung continued, looking at Eung Gajin who was receiving applause.
“The number of attacks is just a numbers game. In fact, an excessive number of slashes can become a disadvantage.”
“A disadvantage… you say?”
“Suppose Senior Brother Solbo and I have the same amount of internal energy. But I have to divide the same power into nine parts, while the opponent only needs to stab once. What would happen then?”
“Then the nine would…”
Only then did Solbo’s face cloud over with a single cry of ‘Ah!’.
“I see. Because the internal energy has to be divided, it can be broken by an attack with concentrated power.”
“Right. Brother Chu probably knew that and brought out the Three Strikes No Remainder Twin Brush. He must have seen through the fact that nine cannot defeat three.”
Then Uma bared his teeth and growled.
“That ugly bastard is smart.”
“Kikil. Still, he did well. It means he has become a swordsman that Brother Chu can only defeat by using his head.”
Indeed, the support of the spectators for Eung Gajin was beyond words.
Just by the atmosphere on site, it was hard to tell who was the winner and who was the loser.
“Well done! I saw a good show!”
“The future of the Diancang Sect is truly bright!”
“Just getting this far is a great achievement! Is the round of 16 an easy feat?”
Amidst the pouring support, Eung Gajin silently picked up his sword with his other hand.
Although he had a large wound on his shoulder and his palm was all torn up, no trace of pain could be found on Eung Gajin’s face.
In a way, he even looked relieved, and with such an expression, Eung Gajin came down from the fighting stage.
The rising stars rushed to meet Eung Gajin.
“You’ve worked hard, Senior Brother Eung!”
“It was a close call.”
“You did well.”
Eung Gajin looked at his fellow disciples and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
It was a defeat he was not ashamed of, but seeing his comrades made a wave of apology wash over him.
“Hooooooooo?”
However, Eung Gajin’s feeling of apology vanished without a trace due to the voice of one man.
“For a loser, you’re quite shameless, aren’t you? Anyone would think you’re a victorious general returning home. What, did you bring back the Heavenly Demon’s head or something?”
“Th-that’s not it…”
Biyoung said with a feigned serious face.
“In a match, being straightforward is no different from being stupid. Even Brother Chu, who knows a thing or two, twists his body and uses all sorts of tricks to win, so why did Senior Brother Eung push forward with only a direct approach?”
It was quite a sharp criticism, but Eung Gajin obediently admitted his defeat.
“Yes. That kind of experience is what I must build upon.”
“Hmph. You’ve been acting like a sage a lot lately.”
Biyoung snorted, but there was no further questioning.
He had just been nagging him a bit because his face was too handsome for a defeated general, but his heart was no different from that of his fellow disciples.
“Senior Brothers, listen well. No matter how powerful a technique is, its power is halved if it becomes familiar to the eye. Especially in a fight between masters like this, such small differences determine victory and defeat. Right now it’s a match, but on a battlefield where life and death are at stake, you have to be careful about overusing the same technique.”
“…………!”
Eung Gajin’s eyes flashed open.
Biyoung’s advice was certainly valuable, but there was a more important expression.
‘A fight between masters…!’
Clearly.
Biyoung had said so.
Weren’t they rising stars who had always been fed only derogatory words like idiot, loser, and moron?
Biyoung had, knowingly or unknowingly, given Eung Gajin a great compliment.
Throb.
An emotion hotter than the wound on his shoulder blossomed in Eung Gajin’s heart.
The words from Biyoung were more meaningful than praise from anyone else.
A ‘master’ of the Diancang Sect, acknowledged by none other than Biyoung.
That was the current Eung Gajin.
‘I don’t think I would be this happy even if I won the championship.’
Eung Gajin looked at Biyoung and showed a picturesque smile.
***
“Chahaaaap!”
A deadly Sword Aura continuously embroidered the fighting stage.
A one-sided exchange of offense and defense.
Although they wore the same martial uniform, the nature of their swords was completely different.
“They don’t look like they’re from the same sect at all.”
Namgung Chu, who had sat down next to Biyoung at some point, showed a bitter smile.
The characteristics of a sword wielded by a martial artist are fundamentally determined by their sect.
The sword of Zhongnan is honest but tenacious, and the sword of Mount Hua is splendid with many variations.
Whatever technique is used, the basic framework does not change.
However, despite being from the same sect, the swords of the two swordsmen were too different.
Clang!
An incomparably rough sword strike was blocked by a slow and beautiful Sword Dance.
The man was like a person who fed on fighting spirit; with each blocked attack, he radiated an even fiercer energy.
The spectators were so overwhelmed by his momentum that they even forgot to applaud.
“They’re only wearing the same clothes; I’d believe it if you said they were sworn enemies.”
“It’s truly a ferocious swordsmanship.”
“I never knew a match between members of the same sect could be this intense.”
A man with a nasty impression continuously wielded a vicious sword at a beautiful woman.
Those who did not know the situation might feel that a frail woman was being persecuted by a villain.
However, the reality was a little different.
‘Damn it…!’
Compared to the man’s heavily crumpled face, the woman’s expression was as calm and composed as it was at the beginning.
Being from the same sect, they knew each other’s swordsmanship all too well.
Solbo, who had been carefully watching the battle, poked Biyoung in the side.
“I think I understand a little now.”
“What?”
“You said it, didn’t you? That Senior Sister Jeong has the advantage in this match. I think I know what you mean.”
“Hoh? Let’s hear your reason.”
Despite being senior and junior, Biyoung asked Solbo like a teacher grading homework.
If people from other sects had heard this conversation, they would have been horrified.
However, it was an extremely familiar scene for the rising stars of the Diancang Sect.
“Senior Brother Uma prefers to take the offensive, and Senior Sister is the opposite. We all learned the swordsmanship of the Diancang Sect. If we both know the techniques we’re facing, the one on the defensive naturally has the advantage.”
“That’s right.”
Biyoung added a supportive remark with a rather satisfied face.
Solbo’s analysis was quite accurate.
If they were facing unknown swords against each other, the one who attacks first naturally has the advantage.
There is the issue of initiative, and when blocking unfamiliar techniques, the efficiency of movements decreases.
One might use excessive force to block when it is not necessary, or respond lukewarmly to a technique that requires careful blocking.
But in a fight between members of the same sect, the story changes.
“If their swordsmanship levels are similar, defense with efficient movements is possible. It will eventually lead to a battle of stamina and internal energy. As you know well, in terms of accumulated internal energy, Senior Sister Jeong has an overwhelming advantage.”
Although they had taken the Cradle-to-Grave Pill together, there was quite a difference in the internal energy of Uma and Jeong-i.
She had received rare spiritual medicines as gifts since Simao, was able to absorb most of them with Biyoung’s help, and had opened the gate to the Profound Heaven’s True Energy Unification Art.
It was not for nothing that Uma had described Jeong-i as a ‘world tree hidden by flower petals.’
“Fifty points.”
At Biyoung’s evaluation, Solbo’s caterpillar-like eyebrows twitched.
“Fifty points? Are you saying my analysis is only worth fifty points?”
“Half of it is right, and half of it is missing.”
“Missing… what am I missing?”
“Senior Brother Uma has a special swordsmanship that can defeat a swordsman of the same skill, no, even one a level above him.”
“You mean the Life-or-Death Extreme Point?”
“That’s right. But the current Senior Brother Uma can’t use the Life-or-Death Extreme Point.”
Solbo stared blankly at Biyoung with a look of complete incomprehension.
Namgung Chu and Eung Gajin, who had become engrossed in the conversation, also kept their eyes on the fighting stage but had their ears wide open.
“The Life-or-Death Extreme Point can only be seen when there is a strong will to kill the opponent.”
“!”
“Kikil. Who knows. If his attacks keep getting blocked like this, Senior Brother Uma might really bring out the Life-or-Death Extreme Point.”
“S-such a thing…!”
Solbo looked down at the fighting stage with a face of disbelief.
In fact, just looking at the swordsmanship he was currently displaying, his killing intent seemed more than sufficient.
But that was just Uma’s temperament being contained in the sword; his feelings toward Jeong-i were not like that.
“…Unlucky.”
Eung Gajin looked at Uma with a complicated heart.
As long as Biyoung was there, winning the championship was out of the question.
It was no exaggeration to say that Uma had participated in the martial arts tournament to learn the Life-or-Death Extreme Point.
But as Eung Gajin had said, Uma was unlucky.
The type of luck was precisely the ‘luck of the draw.’
To use the Life-or-Death Extreme Point, the opponent had to be stronger than him, but he had not met such a swordsman until the round of 16.
The Eagle Talon Twelve Swords were sufficient to deal with them.
And now that he had finally encountered a person with superior skill, to think that that opponent would be Jeong-i of all people.
The Life-or-Death Extreme Point is a swordsmanship created by burning and forging anger and killing intent.
Unfortunately, those emotions were things that could never arise against Jeong-i.
“That’s right. He’s damn unlucky. If it had been the senior brothers instead of the senior sister, the situation might have been different.”
At Biyoung’s words, Eung Gajin squinted his eyes.
“Then, are you saying that Uma could wield a killing sword against us?”
“Kikil. At least the possibility is higher than with the senior sister, isn’t it?”
“Hmph. If you put it that way, the best situation would be when he meets you.”
Biyoung did not deny it.
If he had met him instead of Jeong-i, he would have witnessed the Life-or-Death Extreme Point that he had so desperately wanted to see, to his heart’s content.
Meeting Biyoung in the martial arts tournament.
Perhaps that was a ‘heaven-sent opportunity’ for Uma?
Thwack!
The tip of Jeong-i’s sword stopped right in front of Uma’s throat.
Although Uma also knew Jeong-i’s swordsmanship well, he could not block this attack.
He had already exhausted all his internal energy and was in a situation where he could not swing his sword.
Uma called out to Jeong-i with an exhausted face.
“Senior Sister.”
“?”
“If you keep getting stronger like this, you won’t be able to get married.”
After saying that, Uma fell flat on his back.
It was a virtual declaration of defeat.
“This match is the victory of Jeong-i of the Diancang Sect!”
“Woooooooooooooh!”
The spectators’ cheers, mixed with admiration, poured down toward Jeong-i.
Having already witnessed her matches during her ascent to the round of 16, no one doubted Jeong-i’s skills.
But the victory against a fellow Diancang Sect swordsman felt different.
“That young hero named Uma was also really good, but Jeong-i’s skill was a level above.”
“She’s a lady I can’t understand at all. Her face is so slender, but her internal energy is incredibly fierce…”
“Has Lady Jeong ever allowed a single sword strike so far? I don’t think I remember any.”
“She’s a master of defense. It feels like she tamed a sharp beast with a flower dance.”
“With this, two from the Diancang Sect have been eliminated. But there are still three left.”
“Wait. Now that I think about it…”
“Isn’t Jeong-i the only female swordsman who has reached the quarterfinals?”
“That’s… right?”
The crowd looked at the female swordsman in the dark navy martial uniform with newfound eyes.
She was the only woman within the Diancang Sect, but the same was true when the scope was expanded to the quarterfinals of the martial arts tournament.
No.
In recent years, there had been no cases of a female swordsman placing her name in the quarterfinals of the martial arts tournament at all.
That meant…….
“We still don’t know who the Number One Sword Under Heaven will be… but isn’t the Number One Female Swordswoman Under Heaven a sure thing?”
The dark navy martial uniform and her snow-white skin formed a stark contrast.
The same was true for the sharp Sword Aura that had gathered on her sword and her warm smile.
As Jeong-i rose to become the strongest candidate for the title of female swordsman, the round of 16 of the martial arts tournament came to a close.