Episode 188

One blow?

Tang Zhan’s eyes widened.

One hit. Just one hit.

Tang Zhan’s gaze turned to Tang Ho, who had fallen to the floor.

‘How did this happen?’

Although Tang Ho was inferior to Tang Zhan, he was still the son of the family head. And he wasn’t at a skill level where an idiot like Jo Gul could beat him. No, it was a level that any strong martial artist would find hard to overcome.

That Tang Ho had lost consciousness in a single hit and fell in an unsightly way.

Was he careless?

It had to be that.

However, that alone couldn’t be the reason that brought upon a situation like this. The skill he possessed where he aimed for the loopholes in an unsuspecting opponent.

Tang Zhan bit his lip a few times as if he wanted to say something but eventually went silent.

Words didn’t mean anything more.

Unlike Tang Zhan, who was trying to hide his expression, Jo Gul’s face was bright.

‘Wah, how…!’

Tang Ho lying on the floor.

A direct descendant of the Tang family.

For the Jo Gul of the past, this was a wall he would have never been able to overcome no matter how much he tried. Tang Ho was like a star in the sky he would always had to look up to.

But now, the wall had collapsed.

With a face of joy and excitement, Jo Gul grabbed his sword.

At that moment.

“Next?”

“…”

A shrill voice pierced his ears.

‘Let’s not look back. Never look back.’

It was obvious what kind of expressions his sahyungs were looking at him with. He couldn’t turn back and give them gaps to yell at him.

“So swordsman-like.”

“Look at him pretending to be cool!”

“That, that one should have been more to the right.”

Wasn’t this refreshing?

It was so warm that sweat was dripping down his back.

‘I shouldn’t make eye contact for a while…’

If he did meet their eyes…

“Next?”

“…”

He wasn’t too bothered with the others, but there was one person he couldn’t even glance at during this time.

Jo Gul, who was a bit embarrassed, coughed and raised his sword.

“Won’t come?”

“…”

Rather than Tang Zhan, Tang Myung, who was there, furiously shouted.

“How dare you!”

As Tang Myung was about to step ahead, a hand encased in a green leather glove blocked his way.

“Hyung?’

Tang Zhan looked at him with cold eyes and said.

“Stand back.”

“But he is too arrogant…”

“He isn’t your opponent.”

Tang Myung’s eyes widened.

It wasn’t because he didn’t know what the words from Tang Zhan’s mouth meant. Tang Myung’s gaze shifted from Tang Zhan, and he looked at Tang Ho lying on the ground.

“…”

There wasn’t much difference between him and Tang Ho. And if Tang Ho was beaten so easily, it would probably be the same for him as well.

Furthermore, Tang Zhan’s words affirmed that it was by no fluke that Jo Gul could defeat Tang Ho.

Tang Myung, who bit his lip, walked into the arena without another word, and Tang Zhan didn’t stop him. He went and picked up his fallen sibling and went back to his place.

“Stay far away.”

“Yes.”

Even if he didn’t acknowledge Jo Gul’s skills, he couldn’t disobey the orders of his Hyung. And even if they were siblings, the position of Tang Zhan was different.

Tang Zhan took his eyes off Tang Myung and looked at Jo Gul and the people of Mount Hua who were behind him, with a relaxed expression.

“My younger brother made a mistake.”

“…”

“But I am different from him. So be careful.”

It was a short conversation with cold words. But hearing him say that filled Jo Gul’s body with strength.

Before his mind could understand it, his body had grasped the strength of Tang Zhan.

‘Is he better than a second-class disciple of Wudang?’

He had already tried fighting with the second-class disciples of Wudang and had even won against them without much difficulty. However, Tang Zhan seemed to be a level higher than them.

Well.

It was impossible to compare the direct lineage of a family such as the Tang Family to a sect like Wudang, which trained multiple people at once. To face Tang Zhan, the Sword Dragon would have to come out in person.

‘The Sword Dragon.’

If it was Jo Gul who had dealt with the Sword Dragon that Baek Cheon had faced then…

‘How strong could I have become?’

Jo Gul’s heart fluttered in excitement. And at that moment.

“Look there, look. Look at him shrugging. He must want a beating.”

“…”

‘Ugh, that goblin bastard!’

The irritated voice of Chung Myung entered his ears.

“People talk so much right in front of him, and how can he not even care like that? It hasn’t even been less than a day since his training started, and he already thinks that he has become something great? Why not put your fingers in your ears too?”

Stab!

Chung Myung’s words stabbed Jo Gul in the back.

“I’ve told you several times that the person who gets excited the most on the battlefield is the first one to die; why don’t you listen to me at all? Are you doing this because you really want to die? Then you don’t have to die in this way. Just go and stick your nose in a river or something. Why die by someone else’s hand?”

Again,

Stab!

Jo Gul shook his body.

Even if a dagger pierced into his body, it wouldn’t have hurt this much. But it wasn’t just pain.

‘I am going crazy.’

‘Am I actually becoming excited about being able to fight an opponent in front of me? Even a child who grabs the sword for the first time wouldn’t make such a mistake.’

‘My head feels cold. And the chest?’

‘My chest is cold too!’

Mount Hua’s martial arts staked everything on the delicacy of the tip of the sword. If a sword couldn’t be controlled perfectly, half of its power couldn’t be shown.

‘Good. Be even colder.’

Jo Gul’s eyes were turning back to normal.

“Huh.”

Chung Myung, who was watching it, nodded his head.

“I need to tell to make him remember.”

‘I know how to do it! I know!’

He had now regained his composure. It was clear that his mind was relieved a little, and it seemed like all the training he did wasn’t in vain.

Baek Cheon, who stood behind Chung Myung, looked at him with a strange gaze.

‘This guy…’

Baek Cheon couldn’t lead the four of them like Chung Myung could.

He couldn’t teach or guide them like this. However, he still thought that it would be better for him to take care of them and lead them in the right direction than leave them in the hands of Chung Myung.

But at this moment, Baek Cheon had no choice but to realize it.

‘I don’t know if he is doing all this for the sake of those four.’

They wouldn’t improve if someone held their hand the whole way. A child would never be able to immerse his feet in water for the rest of his life if the child didn’t know what it meant to put his feet in there. He would constantly think that he would fall or break his feet in the water.

So, it was better to let people go so that they could learn.

Even if he was worried and anxious, he had to trust and let go. Because that is how strong people are raised.

If Chung Myung were to come forward, Tang Zhan wouldn’t have been able to withstand even one technique from him. However, instead of the easy method, Chung Myung was clenching his fist with an anxious heart and looking at his sahyungs.

‘I am still too far away.’

Baek Cheon bit his lip and looked at Jo Gul’s back.

He had to believe.

In his skills.

And the disciples of Mount Hua.

Tang Zhan looked at Jo Gul.

And saw tranquil eyes.

Nothing could be guessed from the fame of Jo Gul, who was aiming his sword.

It was an image of shocking concentration.

No, maybe it was a kind of selflessness that went beyond concentration.

‘Can I be that focused?’

‘No way.’

At least for now, he couldn’t.

But Tang Zhan didn’t think he would lose. Concentration meant nothing in front of a stronger force.

Grip.

The throwing knives were held inside the sleeve and made a terrible sound because of the friction.

Crach!

Grip.

The friction continued to get faster and faster, and it heightened the tension in the atmosphere around them.

And then!

Tang Zhan pulled out the weapons inside his sleeve. At the same time, all the throwing knives flew for Jo Gul with the speed of light.

Swish!

Something flashed for a moment, and the blades were already close to Jo Gul.

Jo Gul’s eyes shone.

Kang! Kang!

Jo Gul, after striking down two blades with his sword, twisted his body. Even he, who was known to have the sharpest sword among the third-class disciples of Mount Hua, failed to strike down all three blades.

So, he had to twist his body to avoid it.

Swish!

And then two more of the throwing knives flew towards Jo Gul again.

Tah!

Jo Gul, whose body was out of balance, slammed his sword into the floor. And with that recoil, he jumped up in the air and managed to avoid the knives again.

Sak!

The blade narrowly glided past his head and cut a few strands of his hair.

‘Strong!’

In the meantime, Jo Gul felt thrilled by the skills of his opponent.

It was just simple throwing.

All he had to do was put strength into a weapon and throw it. However, this technique had been practiced to terrifying perfection, and this was proof of how long this man had trained.

A flawless release and blazingly fast speed.

More than anything else…

Tah!

Five more blades came towards Jo Gul, who fell to the ground.

‘They’re linked!’

As if he had intended for this situation to happen ever since he threw the first two throwing knives, Tang Zhan certainly appeared to be very prepared.

Paaah!

The five of them moved again and came for Jo Gul’s body.

If even a single one pierced his body, it was certain that it would inflict a terrible wound on him. And it wasn’t possible for a blade of Tang to not be poisoned.

‘Strong.’

Tang Zhan was definitely strong.

But!

‘I am sorry, but!’

Jo Gul bit his lip.

And he slowly pulled his legs back and kicked into the air with all his might. After gaining speed with the recoil, which radiated qi from his body, he rushed towards the blade.

‘I fight a monster worse than you every day!’

His fingers clasped onto his sword.

And as if his sword had become an extension of his arm…

Was his opponent strong?

Was he dangerous?

What could that even mean?

Mount Hua’s Plum Blossoms would bloom even in the rain and the wind… it would bloom even in the coldest blizzard.

There was no reason why the Plum Blossoms wouldn’t bloom in any circumstance!

A small flower bud formed on the tip of Jo Gul’s sword.

Bloom.

Bloom!

Eventually, the plum blossom was completed, and the flowers bloomed as they covered the flying throwing knives.

Kang!

Kayaking!

The blade couldn’t penetrate the plum blossom and bounced off it.

Jo Gul was about to rush to Tang Zhan when he had to go still.

Gooooo!

The last throwing knife was coming at him with an incredible speed and was even spinning.

Just by looking at his opponent’s face, he could tell just how much qi was put into this.

‘The eleventh throwing knife!’

He had heard of such a thing in the past. The Tang family’s technique.

‘Beware of the eleventh one. The last one will take down your soul without you even seeing it.’

And that last one was coming to pierce Jo Gul right now.

Wooong!

The blade which left Tang Zhan’s hand, went towards Jo Gul.

Slowly. Very slowly.

Jo Gul looked at the scene with great respect.

It was strange that even rain wouldn’t fall to the ground at such a slow pace. It was so slow that he felt bad for hitting it.

But despite that slow speed, the moment he saw that blade, Jo Gul felt sweat run down his body.

It was coming.

He knew that it would surely come. He knew that it was dangerous.

It was then.

Kwaaah!

The blade, which flew slowly, suddenly moved at an explosive speed. It was a speed he couldn’t follow with his eyes.

And by the time Jo Gul realized that, it had already arrived right in front of his neck.

“Jo Gul!”

“Ack!’

The disciples of Mount Hua were stunned at what they saw, but Jo Gul didn’t waver.

Step.

One foot to the side.

Twist.

He turned his entire body!

Shhh!

With an eerie sound, Jo Gul’s neck was cut by half an inch, and blood spurted from his throat.

Jo Gul’s body shook like it would collapse any moment.

‘Caught him…!’

The moment when Tang Zhan was about to smile…

Jo Gul’s swiftly spun his body around and then rushed to Tang Zhan.

“Uh?”

At that moment, what Tang Zhan saw wasn’t Jo Gul.

‘Plum Blossoms?’

All his vision was covered with plum blossoms drenched in blood.

It was spectacular.

Tak!

A small weight was felt on Tang Zhan’s shoulder.

In that place, the plum blossom suddenly disappeared, and a person was standing there.

Jo Gul, who was bleeding from his neck, was standing there.

And his sword rested on Tang Zhan’s shoulder.

“…”

Tang Zhan didn’t say anything.

“Next one… uh. I can’t.”

Jo Gul smiled and shook his head.

“Well, this is my victory.”

Seeing Jo Gul smile, Tang Zhan closed his eyes tightly.

Defeat.

This was a clean defeat. ¹