Clang!
The moment their swords clashed, Jo Gul was pushed back.
"Kuak!"
He quickly adjusted his footing to regain his posture, lowered his body further, and glared at Baek Cheon.
"…"
If he hadn't bitten his lips tightly, a groan would have escaped. His wrist holding the sword trembled constantly.
In contrast, Baek Cheon showed no signs of agitation. He simply stared at Jo Gul with an indifferent expression.
Feeling the weight of a mountain's pressure, Jo Gul unconsciously took a small breath.
'Sasuk.'
The disciples of Mount Hua lived like siblings regardless of rank—something other sects could hardly imagine.
And the one who fostered that atmosphere was none other than Baek Cheon.
No matter how much Chung Myung disregarded rankings, if Baek Cheon asserted his authority, no one except Chung Myung would dare oppose him.
But Baek Cheon never did that. He set aside his status as the great sasuk and stood among them humbly, like an approachable older brother from the neighborhood.
Even though Baek Cheon was like that…
'At times like this, he really seems to hold a different position.'
Only those who have faced Baek Cheon sword in hand can truly understand how formidable he is.
"So light."
"…Uh?"
Baek Cheon looked at Jo Gul with sunken eyes.
"Your sword is fast. It's no exaggeration to say it's the fastest in Mount Hua."
"…"
"But it's just as light. Focusing on speed isn't bad, but losing weight while focusing on speed is definitely a problem."
Jo Gul slowly nodded.
It's never pleasant to have your shortcomings pointed out, especially ones you were already aware of.
But Jo Gul didn't mind. He knew Baek Cheon's words were entirely for his own good.
He smiled faintly and spoke.
"Thank you for your words, but…"
He then slightly shook the sword he held out.
"Isn't that something you should say only when you can keep up with the speed of my sword?"
"Ah, is that so?"
Pa-at!
At that moment, Baek Cheon rushed forward and slashed his sword. Startled, Jo Gul raised his sword to block the attack. The moment their swords met, Jo Gul's body snapped back with a thud.
"Kuak…"
"Anyone can say things with their mouth. The important thing is turning words into reality."
Blood rushed to Jo Gul's face.
He struggled to breathe properly as he tried to push Baek Cheon's sword away, but Baek Cheon continued speaking calmly. The difference between them was clear just by watching.
But!
That was so extreme!
Jo Gul didn't give up. He twisted his sword, momentarily pushing Baek Cheon's blade aside, then instantly unleashed a dozen sword forms.
Kakang!
Before the sword could advance, Baek Cheon's plum blossom sword struck the lower part of Jo Gul's blade hard.
Jo Gul was thrown back by the wind and rolled on the ground.
"Kuak!"
Jo Gul quickly picked himself up, gritting his teeth.
Baek Cheon swung his sword lightly once, then slowly resumed his stance as if nothing had happened.
"When you attack with excitement, your swift sword becomes a weapon. But what will you do when you face someone stronger than you?"
"…"
"If you don't want to give up your swift sword, you must learn to endure."
"Damn it, I know that much!"
"Then don't just talk about it—show me."
Kwang!
As if Baek Cheon's words were a signal, Jo Gul kicked the ground and rushed forward. His sword, overflowing with red qi, surged toward Baek Cheon's face, seeming as if it would pierce through in one breath.
Baek Cheon moved to counter the attack.
But at that moment, Jo Gul's sword changed direction, aiming fiercely for Baek Cheon's thigh.
Swish!
Baek Cheon stepped back and dodged. Then, as if waiting for that very moment, Jo Gul launched a storm of attacks.
"…"
Namgung Dan, watching from afar, glanced down at his hand, his palm soaked with cold sweat.
'Is that… really a duel between sahyung-sajaes?'
Jo Gul's attacks radiated a chilling killing intent. Every sword swing was aimed at vital points with lethal precision.
The sword that just brushed past Baek Cheon's face was shockingly dangerous for a spar.
'If the Namgung family had used such techniques during duels, the entire family would have been turned upside down.'
As far as he knew, Mount Hua's Righteous Sword was the great disciple destined to become the sect leader.
If Namgung Dan had used real killing techniques against Namgung Do-Wei, he would have been imprisoned and restrained without question. Using killing techniques in a duel between sahyung-sajaes was that dangerous.
Yet no one pointed it out.
Even the two sparring continued as if it were natural.
Swish!
Red blood splattered from Jo Gul's body.
"Ah…!"
Namgung Dan's eyes widened. The violent sparring had caused something that shouldn't normally happen.
But the truly shocking moment came after.
Jo Gul, chest cut and bleeding, did not back down. Instead, he charged at Baek Cheon as if injuries were just part of dueling.
With great momentum, Jo Gul kicked Baek Cheon in the chest and fell to the ground himself. Namgung Dan flinched at the force of the kick.
"Kuak!"
Jo Gul got up again, eyes burning with poison, swinging his sword more violently than before.
'Fucking insane man.'
It was hard to know who to blame.
There were too many things to point out. Jo Gul, who cursed his sasuk, was strange, and Baek Cheon, who accepted it nonchalantly, was also strange.
But what was even stranger was that others paid no attention to the dangerous spar happening right beside them.
Kwang!
Jo Gul flew away again like a kite with its string cut.
"W-won't he die if this continues?"
The other swordsmen of the Namgung family couldn't hide their shock and murmured.
Having experienced Plum Blossom Island, they now fully understood what it meant to fight with their lives on the line.
But even to them, this training seemed eerily dangerous.
"At least…"
Namgung Do-Wei, who had been silently watching, finally spoke.
"I see how they were able to demonstrate their skills in a real war."
"…"
Everyone could only nod.
Anyone can say their training is like a real battle, but no sect in the world trains as if it were actual combat.
If one mistake could cripple a disciple, what kind of insane person would allow training that could kill?
Yet they did.
"And that isn't the end of it."
"Uh?"
Namgung Do-Wei pointed to a spot a little distance from the sparring pair.
Two people stood watching the spar, holding a basic half-moon stance common in swordsmanship. Training to eliminate distractions and focus was often done in the Namgung family as well.
That sight wouldn't be strange.
But these two had rows of iron chunks the size of human heads hanging from their bodies.
'How many of those are there…?'
The number of iron chunks hanging from the tip of the sword was jaw-dropping. The sword looked like a large hammer because of its weight.
'Are they holding that with their bare bodies? Using internal qi?'
No, they weren't.
If they were using internal qi, they wouldn't be sweating so heavily. They were definitely holding it with brute physical strength.
'They're using sheer strength…?'
The combined weight of those iron chunks was heavier than the rock they lifted during training. Namgung's disciples were out of breath just from holding the rock, yet these two maintained their form with swords weighted down by iron chunks.
Which training was more difficult was obvious.
Whether aware of their feelings or not, Yoon Jong, calmly holding his sword, spoke to Tang Soso beside him.
"Soso."
"Yes?"
"How long has it been since we started?"
"I think about an hour?"
"Hmm. Should we stop now?"
"What are you talking about? We should do another hour."
"…That seems a bit excessive."
"No. As you know, my basics as a swordsman are particularly weak. I have to do more than twice as much as others just to keep up."
"I know that, but why should I be doing this with you?"
"Are you dissatisfied?"
"…No. That isn't it…"
Yoon Jong looked at Tang Soso with trembling eyes and mumbled softly.
"Where did Sago even go? You could just ask Sago to do it with you."
"What are you talking about, sahyung? Of course, Sago left early this morning."
"Early this morning?"
"If others are around, she can't concentrate. She'll probably be back around midnight."
"… There's something I'm really curious about."
"What?"
"Sago doesn't sleep, does she?"
"Of course she does."
"Then how is that possible?"
"Because it's Sago."
"…"
Yoon Jong sighed deeply and calmly said,
"Soso."
"Yes?"
"The tip of your sword dropped half an inch."
"Ack!"
Tang Soso bit her lip in shame and raised her sword.
Namgung Dan, watching as if his soul had been snatched away, heard Namgung Do-Wei's groan nearby.
"I thought Namgung Do-Wei emphasized the basics…"
"…"
When he turned, Namgung Do-Wei was shaking his head.
What shocked Namgung Do-Wei even more was that the person training was none other than Tang Soso.
'Mount Hua really does this kind of training daily.'
Even without Chung Myung's guidance, they trained themselves the same way. Evidence of this was seen not only here but throughout the training ground.
"Okay, then…"
Chung Myung, having given them time to watch, looked calmly at the Namgung family swordsmen.
"I have to see the results of this training with my own body."
Namgung Dan's expression hardened. He understood what it meant to see with his body.
'Is this a spar?'
He instinctively grabbed the sword at his waist.
"Ackk!"
Jo Gul fell backward again, rolling on the floor. He struggled to stand, stumbling several times, but eventually collapsed.
"Kuak… that damned sasuk is…"
Namgung Dan swallowed hard.
'Mount Hua's Righteous Sword!'
If the opponent was that Righteous Sword, nothing was lacking in him.
Since many burdens prevented the young lord from stepping forward himself, Namgung Dan would face Mount Hua's Righteous Sword.
'I will never be easily defeated by that.'
Gaining the upper hand against Baek Cheon, the famous Mount Hua's Righteous Sword, would not be easy, but he firmly resolved not to tarnish the Namgung family's name.
At that moment, Chung Myung shouted.
"Soso!"
"Uh?"
Tang Soso, busy training, suddenly turned to Chung Myung.
"What? Is my form wrong?"
"No. Leave everything behind and come here. Ah, take your sword."
"Yes."
Tang Soso roughly removed the iron chunks wrapped around her body and ran toward Chung Myung.
"Why, sahyung?"
"Do you see that man there?"
"Yes."
"Handle him."
"…Uh?"
Chung Myung shrugged.
"These men want to see for themselves how effective Mount Hua's training is."
Upon hearing that, Tang Soso chuckled immediately.
"Ah, what should I say? What should I do?"
"What should you do?"
Chung Myung pretended to cut his throat with his thumb.
"Handle them."
"Yes!"
Tang Soso smiled brightly and looked back at Namgung Dan.