Where The Sword Points (1)

“Have you returned?”

Jin-hyeon looked Seol So-ha up and down.

“Looks like you’ve caught a few grazes from a blade?”

“Ah, yes. But…”

“You won, right?”

“I did.”

Jin-hyeon grinned.

“Good work. I knew you would.”

Even Seol So-ha’s doll-stiff face held a small smile. It had been hard, but she had faced and defeated an experienced master, so she couldn’t help feeling good.

“Are you watching the duels?”

“Yes.”

Then Han Cheol-sang asked.

“How did things go over there?”

“Hard to say.”

Jin-hyeon shrugged.

“If he understood, good. If not, I won’t see him again. Either way it is no loss to us.”

“That is a relief.”

Seol So-ha blinked.

“Come to think, where did you go?”

“Oh, somewhere. Compared to the bouts of young warriors, it’s nothing worth remembering.”

Unless that man changed his mind that is. He swallowed the thoughts that nearly leapt to his throat and looked at the arena.

The arena was in an uproar.

A youth who had removed his bamboo hat burst into dazzling sword-flurries, and his opponent avoided the many sword strikes with unhurried movements.

Jin-hyeon’s eyes gleamed.

“Oh ho, look at that one.”

The man fighting the youth in the black-cord bamboo-hat was Ha Jun of the Cheongyang Association.

Ha Jun’s footwork and fist-and-palm arts were impressive.

The bamboo-hat youth’s sword art was of a first-rate school and his grasp of martial arts was excellent. Yet Ha Jun took it all in stride, avoiding without letting even a single sword edge graze him.

‘Footwork aside, his upper-body balance is superb.’

He was not showing crushing power in his fists and palms, but from that movement alone one could tell he had trained harshly.

By contrast, the youth’s face was full of anxiety. Chasing Ha Jun’s ghostly footwork and the movement arts that opened distance in an instant, he was overusing overly aggressive attacks.

Jin-hyeon clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘It is not a matter of real-combat experience. He looks like he has barely even had a proper duel.’

Even so, the fact he had read his opponent’s Qi showed his inborn talent was excellent.

‘But.’

His face stayed anxious, yet his eyes burned hotter.

‘He’s getting used to it.’

PAAAK!

The arc of his slash widened for a moment.

At that broad flash of his slash, even Ha Jun seemed surprised and swiftly performed an Iron-Plate Bridge. His movement was relaxed, but had he not avoided in time, he would surely have been cut.

The bamboo-hat youth took a light breath.

‘He’s not pressing the attack. He steadies his breath and reviews what he grasped.’

Jin-hyeon read the youth’s state at a glance.

‘He learned from a good teacher. His calm nature helps as well.’

Many try to seize the initiative with a fierce follow-up the moment they see the opponent flustered. If one has the skill, that’s fine. The youth had neither the skill nor the craft for that.

At such times, it is best to take a breath and steady the mind. It’s easy to say, yet hard to do, so the youth’s composure deserved high marks.

‘But his opponent has no intention of holding back now.’

Ha Jun straightened his stance and wore a faint smile. He had a thoroughly relaxed face, yet unlike before, his eyes had gone cold.

Jin-hyeon clicked his tongue openly.

“Still young.”

Han Cheol-sang’s diagnosis was sharp and direct despite his flat tone.

“One has no duel experience at all. The other loses his cool easily out of excessive pride. Either would lose their heads within three months if they stepped into the Kangho.”

“Judging by nature, the inexperienced one is better. If taught well, he will become a fine sword.”

“I think so too.”

Seol So-ha found their words puzzling.

She too had seen Ha Jun’s changed eyes and knew his pride was not worth a brass coin.

Yet their quiet praise of the opponent was hard to understand. To her eyes he was endlessly clumsy.

“Is that youth in the bamboo hat truly that gifted?”

“Not merely gifted.”

“Huh?”

Han Cheol-sang picked up Jin-hyeon’s words.

“There is an enormous amount of internal energy sealed inside that youth.”

“Sealed?”

“I don’t know if it’s a seal or what, but it hides in the form of potential. The quality and quantity are so great that if he can make it his own, by internal energy alone he could call himself a region’s hegemon and it wouldn’t be strange.”

Seol So-ha was shocked. Im Yeo-wol also stared at Han Cheol-sang in surprise.

“Of course it won’t be easy. To accept that much internal energy will require a high level of realization. With ordinary talent, even a lifetime might not suffice.”

“H-how would he have so much internal energy?”

“I don’t know. From here, neither I nor the Patriarch can tell that he has such potential. It is sealed so well that you would only know by facing him and examining delicately with Qi sense.”

In that moment Seol So-ha recalled how Han Cheol-sang had stared intently at the youth when he ate noodles.

‘So that’s why…’

As if anew, she looked at the bamboo-hat youth.

“Internal energy is not everything.”

Han Cheol-sang looked at Jin-hyeon.

A line of puzzlement rose on Jin-hyeon’s face as he watched the youth with deepened eyes.

“That fellow is hiding his real martial art.”

“Huh?”

“He seems to know an external art more advanced than the sword art he is using now, yet he doesn’t use it.”

Han Cheol-sang also looked back at the bamboo-hat youth.

As if the play was over, under Ha Jun’s fearsome volley the youth dodged in haste, and his wrist gave a slight turning, then stopped.

Han Cheol-sang’s eyes shone sharply.

“I see it. He flinches for a moment each time.”

“Exactly.”

Seol So-ha shook her head.

“I do not understand what you two are talking about at all.”

“If you focus, you will see it too, Lady Seol.”

Jin-hyeon tilted his head.

“In a dire moment, it tries to burst out by instinct. It means it has embodied in him to a degree, yet he is forcing it down.”

“Yet he has no duel experience.”

“That is the key.”

“Yes, it’s no ordinary talent.”

Now Seol So-ha only felt wonder. It was as if the two could see everything about the youth from head to toe.

“Still, he’s not on Brother Han’s level. In pure martial talent, you slap most geniuses, do you not?”

“Where did that terrifying praise come from all of a sudden?”

“I mean it.”

“If I am a genius, are you a monster?”

“My case is different.”

It was then.

PEONG!

With a single blast, the bamboo-hat youth staggered back.

The force that burst in midair knocked his left shoulder back. That one blow broke his stance.

The instant Ha Jun sensed victory and charged like lightning.

Swoosh!

With a broken stance, a single thrust nicked Ha Jun’s cheek.

Thud!

Struck in the chest by Ha Jun’s fist, the youth flew three meters back and fell.

“Match over!”

At the judge’s words, Ha Jun flinched. He had been about to rush in and throw another punch.

Relaxing his stance, Ha Jun took a deep breath and bowed his head to the youth.

Cheers rolled through the crowd. It was a clean bout with a perfect finish. Anyone would have admired it.

But those with a sharp eye watched Ha Jun oddly. They knew he had toyed with his opponent early, then when the youth’s skill suddenly rose, he tried to put him down with all he had.

The staggering youth resheathed and cupped fist to palm toward Ha Jun.

Ha Jun approached smiling and took the youth’s arm.

As the youth started, Ha Jun lifted the youth’s arm high into the air.

“Waaah!”

“Ha Jun! Ha Jun!”

“As expected of the Cheongyang Association!”

The crowd went wild at Ha Jun’s big-hearted gesture.

The dazed youth looked at Ha Jun, then as Ha Jun said something with a smile, his face hardened.

Soon the youth forced his arm down, saluted the judge and the crowd, and left the arena.

To the crowd, he looked like a child whose pride was hurt by defeat. Boos for the youth mixed into the cheers.

The youth trudged along after leaving the arena.

How far did he walk?

“Hurry to your quarters and circulate your energy.”

Startled, the youth looked back.

There stood Jin-hyeon and Han Cheol-sang, with Seol So-ha and Im Yeo-wol.

“Ah, you are…”

“Go quickly. Go and circulate your Qi.”

“Huh?”

Jin-hyeon spoke with a serious face.

“Ha Jun’s last strike was not a simple fist technique. It was a form of internal fist technique, using Seeping Energy to wreck the inside.”

“?!”

“You pulled your body back at the moment of impact, so it ended at that. But a trace of the force will have seeped in, so wash the acupoints near the heart and lungs with True Qi. Ignore it and even the Okdang Acupoint will get crushed.”

The youth was shocked.

“S-Seeping Energy?”

Seol So-ha murmured like a sigh.

“The Cheongyang Association’s Jade Immortal Seal…”

“Did he emit the force of palm arts through fist techniques? Not bad.”

The youth was flustered.

“Y-you mean I was hit by Seeping Energy?”

“You took your body back and kept the power to a minimum, which is why you can still stand there. It seems that he was angry and used it without meaning to.”

“!!”

“In two hours the Seeping Energy will start to become active. Circulate before then.”

Turning as if he were done, Jin-hyeon went ah and spoke as he looked back.

“And if that guy invites you, do not go. Your sword cut his face, so he will be immensely angry. He will find a pretext to humiliate you, or to break you.”

“…”

“Go. Quickly.”

Hesitating, the youth bowed to them and headed for his quarters.

Frost settled over Seol So-ha’s face.

“He is truly vile. To use Seeping Energy when it’s not even a life-and-death match.”

Jin-hyeon gave a wry smile.

“Even if someone calls him out, he will play ignorant. He’ll say it came out by instinct, that he didn’t know. Who will say more?”

“Utterly petty…”

“He is likely your next opponent, Lady Seol. Can you land a proper hit?”

Lady Seol answered coldly.

“Not one. I’ll land a dozen if needed.”

At that icy voice, Jin-hyeon snickered and Han Cheol-sang even shivered.

“By the way, when are the semifinals? Today?”

“No. They should start tomorrow morning.”

“And the finals the day after?”

“Most likely.”

“Mm. Then we have time.”

Jin-hyeon turned.

“Yeo-wol, come with me for a moment.”

“Me? Ah, yes!”

Im Yeo-wol quickly followed behind Jin-hyeon.

“You two rest. Brother Han, if you are willing, you can guide Lady Seol’s martial arts a bit.”

Han Cheol-sang gave a small laugh and asked,

“It seems you’re quite busy today. Where are you heading off to this time?”

“To teach Yeo-wol some martial arts.”

“Oh-ho?”

Both Im Yeo-wol and Seol So-ha were startled.

“M-martial arts?”

“Why? You don’t want to?”

“No. I want to.”

“Let’s go.”

And so the two left.

Han Cheol-sang inwardly cocked his head.

‘If it’s martial arts, they would start with a heart method. There would be no need to avoid others for that.’

He suddenly recalled how the day after they had drunk heavily, Im Yeo-wol’s complexion had been unusually pale. And the odd awkwardness on her face unlike her usual.

Lost in thought for a moment, he soon gave a wry smile.

“…So that’s it. The Sichuan Branch Leader, was it?”