The Give And Take Of Affection. (4)

Certainly, the Yu-family Heaven-and-Earth Palm needed to be worked on.

It was quite useful for subduing lesser fighters, but its power was weak in a fight against masters, making it impractical.

And it didn’t possess any other special abilities either.

But what if they combined the strengths of Taiji with the Heaven-and-Earth Palm to improve the martial art?

Yu Jinsan was convinced something remarkable would come of it.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, kid?”

Yu Seol shook her head with an unusually serious expression.

“No, I don’t. How can you make a new art just by looking at that?”

Even as a granddaughter of a rare talent, this seemed beyond her.

Of course, that wasn’t surprising.

Unless there were secret formulas, all she had done was imitate moves from memory.

“Child. Is there truly no way? This is for our family.”

The Yu-family Heaven-and-Earth Palm was practically the pride of the Yu family.

He couldn’t bear that it lagged behind the Wudang Sect’s Taiji.

But how easy would it be to tinker with a martial art?

Peerless techniques are forged through countless mistakes, realizations, and years of hard endurance.

“Still, I need to see it properly performed to know.”

Without that, he couldn’t analyze the moves.

A clumsy imitation was no different from a monkey mimicking dance steps.

“Phew. Ask the old man behind you for help.”

A disheveled white-haired old man was watching his granddaughter from a corner of the courtyard.

He was the elder Gwang Neung whose mind had fractured from being forced to train the Taiji Heart Sword.

“This grandpa? He won’t listen to me anymore. He just follows along silently.”

The problem was that he had returned the Taiji token to the elders.

Coincidentally, the Heaven Piercing Sword alone couldn’t control the Gwang Neung.

Yu Jinsan, having roughly guessed the situation, plopped down on a wooden chair in the corner.

“I see. Then there’s nothing to be done.”

Yu Seol quietly watched her grandfather’s profile.

A sullen face she didn’t usually see.

And perhaps his shoulders looked oddly narrow today, making her uneasy?

Unable to bear it, Yu Seol approached and patted his shoulder, asking,

“Grandpa. Did you want it that badly?”

Sighs kept escaping Yu Jinsan’s mouth.

“Yes. Isn’t it galling that our Heaven-and-Earth Palm is weaker than some Taiji?”

“Hmm. Shall I prove the Palm is stronger? I’ll gather the old masters and show them.”

She seemed ready to challenge the Sect’s elders to spar.

Of course, as his granddaughter she could probably defeat the elders even with a third-rate fist technique rather than the Palm.

But that would mean nothing.

It wouldn’t be winning by martial virtue but by simply overpowering with raw strength.

“No. It only matters if your grandpa wins.”

Wasn’t he the head of the Yu family after all?

For the family’s glory and honor, he wanted to leave something behind.

But life doesn’t go according to one’s wishes.

He sighed deeply once more.

Watching him, Yu Seol whispered something into his ear.

“Then I’ll do it. I have a method.”

The dejected look on Yu Jinsan’s face suddenly brightened.

“Really? How?”

Yu Seol glared at the elder Gwang Neung behind them and said,

“If I throw the Heaven Piercing Sword far away, this grandpa will run to pick it up. Then I’ll stop him from getting to it.”

“Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“Don’t worry. I’m Seol.”

He seemed reassured by his granddaughter’s confidence.

Yu Jinsan pondered briefly and looked at the elder Gwang Neung.

“Come to think of it, that fellow’s murderous intent seems a bit weaker. What happened to him?”

It wasn’t glaringly obvious, but Yu Jinsan could clearly sense that slight change.

He was curious about the reason.

At that moment, Yu Seol smiled meaningfully and casually lifted the Celestial Sword she held.

As the sword moved, the elder Gwang Neung’s gaze followed it.

“It’s because of this sword. When I lent it briefly, he unfolded Taiji Heart Sword on me. Its power was different from before.”

Yu Jinsan immediately grasped what his granddaughter meant.

“Are you saying the Heaven Piercing Sword harmonized yin and yang and improved his condition?”

“Mm. It’s still subtle.”

“Then what if that fellow steals the Heaven Piercing Sword?”

“He might become a murderer and attempt to perfect the Taiji Heart Sword. In doing so he could, subconsciously, attain insight and regain his mind.”

The problem was who would endure his attacks until then.

The Sect wouldn’t even attempt it; they’d have to prepare for annihilation.

Thus, the granddaughter implied she alone could heal him in front of the Sect’s elders.

But it would by no means be easy.

They didn’t know how long or how much effort it would take, and the risks were enormous.

“This is not our concern. Don’t even think of attempting it.”

Although the Sect is friendly for now, that could change at any time.

At least until relations were secured, there was no reason to help.

At that, Yu Seol replied with a crestfallen face as if saddened.

“Still, he’s a grandpa with a hurting heart…”

“How would you know that?”

“You have the same eyes as you used to, grandpa.”

Yu Jinsan glanced at his pupils once.

Was there some unknown story? There was a somewhat sorrowful look in them.

But resembling his wrinkled, ugly little eyes was another matter.

“You brat? How could my eyes look like that!?”

Yu Seol gave an embarrassed, cheeky smile.

“Hehe. Grandpa used to be much more handsome.”

“Of course. Anyway, so what do you intend to do about it?”

“I want to help, but not now. He might become our enemy, you know.”

Surprise and admiration appeared on Yu Jinsan’s face at the same time.

“You’re really not the old Seol. You thought that far ahead?”

“I know everything too. Now step back for a moment.”

She seemed to intend to lure the Gwang Neung into using Taiji.

Yu Jinsan took a step back, keeping a suitable distance.

“This should be enough, right?”

Yu Seol nodded once and extended the hand holding the sword behind her.

The Heaven Piercing Sword slipped from her grip like a bird and embedded itself in the courtyard wall.

Pook-!

And at that moment.

The Gwang Neung’s body reflexively lunged toward where the Heaven Piercing Sword was.

His movements were as swift as a blade lightning, but Yu Seol’s motions blocking him were no less formidable.

Kwahng-!!!

After exchanging a strike, both were flung back several steps by the recoil.

At the same time, a fierce murderous intent appeared in the Gwang Neung’s eyes.

He seemed annoyed that Yu Seol was preventing him from reaching the Heaven Piercing Sword.

“Be careful!”

Yu Jinsan warned his granddaughter.

But before his shout finished, the two bodies were already entwined in combat.

It was Yu Seol’s flowing Heaven-and-Earth Palm riding the breeze against the smooth, river-like continuation of Taiji.

Ssheeang-!!

The first clash was even, but it was only the beginning.

Then the Gwang Neung crossed his arms and began to trap Yu Seol within his own space.

Whirrr-!!

Yu Seol didn’t retreat; she pressed deeper into his embrace.

Then, in the small space between them, shockwaves of qi erupted one after another.

Thwuck-! Kwak-! Kwakuang-!!

In an instant they exchanged over ten rapid exchanges.

And after one more breath.

At some point Yu Seol’s elbow succeeded in striking his abdomen.

Thung-!!

The bright boom signaled a successful hit, but the Gwang Neung showed no signs of being injured.

He only stepped back a couple of paces.

Amazingly, he had deflected the impact.

“This is interesting.”

A sharp smile appeared on the granddaughter’s face.

It seemed she was finally taking an interest in Taiji.

Watching, Yu Jinsan clasped his hands in tension and cheered.

“Grandpa was right, wasn’t he? Don’t let your guard down!”

At that moment the Gwang Neung’s body bent at an odd angle and slid forward.

It was the Sect’s foremost moving art, the cold-step technique.

Yu Seol held a horse stance and waved both hands, seemingly preparing to face it head-on.

In the blink of an eye, the Gwang Neung’s fist began to pierce Yu Seol’s chest.

At that moment, Yu Seol’s hands wrapped around his hands.

Whirrr-!

Yu-family Heaven-and-Earth Palm, Seven-Seed Form: Transplant Flower, Traverse Wind. It was a counter-technique that used the opponent’s force against them.

After pulling and deflecting the Gwang Neung’s punch, Yu Seol reversed her right hand and shot it out like an arrow.

Yu Seol was confident this attack would land too—until her palm met the resistance of a wave and bounced back.

Twuung-!!

“Huh?”

The strange hand movements of the Gwang Neung drawing Taiji were something Yu Seol had never encountered.

Not only had her attack been deflected, but now a counterattack was coming.

Yu Seol crossed her palms to block the incoming fist.

Thud-!!

The punch struck her palms, but oddly there was no shock.

Yet the flow of qi piercing between her hands whirled and seemed to shatter her defense.

Another fist from the Gwang Neung followed that she had no way to block.

It was such a brilliant sequence that it chilled her to the bone.

In a flash, Yu Seol’s torso tilted sharply and she deflected his punch by a hair’s breadth.

Then she created distance toward the rear and shouted.

“Wow! I almost got hit just now!”

An exclamation burst from Yu Seol.

Yu Jinsan, watching, couldn’t hide his amazement either.

Until now, no one had ever landed a successful blow on his granddaughter’s body.

For someone to have nearly struck her for the first time in history? It was an unprecedented sight.

Before he knew it, Yu Jinsan stood by the Heaven Piercing Sword and urgently asked,

“Can you continue?”

If necessary, he intended to draw the sword and intervene in the fight.

But he already knew the answer was inevitable.

As expected, his granddaughter’s face was smiling now.

Her grin was visible even from behind.

“Yes, don’t stop me!”

Even now, the clash between his granddaughter and the Gwang Neung continued.

But the pattern had clearly changed from the start.

It was because Yu Seol was rapidly adapting to Taiji.

The constitution of the ‘immortal’s five senses’—the Heavenly body—never forgets what it has once experienced.

Therefore the same move won’t work twice, and she grew stronger the more she fought.

Kwahng-!!

With an explosive sound, the Gwang Neung’s torso staggered.

For the first time, Yu Jinsan’s face relaxed as well.

‘There! Now it’s done!’

Now he could be certain.

That his granddaughter was modulating her strength and pressing him unilaterally.

It wasn’t a fight to win. She was colliding with Taiji directly, as he requested, to study it.

Thus she hadn’t delivered a finishing blow, and the fight had naturally lengthened.

“There’s not much left now!”

Had she already almost finished the analysis?

Excited, Yu Jinsan clapped and shouted.

“Yes, good job!”

The earlier tension had vanished.

In high spirits, Yu Jinsan bobbed his shoulders and watched the fight.

The sight of the two exchanging fist and palm, soft outside but hard within, was ecstatic and even beautiful.

After a little more time passed.

Ssheeang-!!

With a dull thud, their bodies slid apart in opposite directions.

And at that moment.

The Heaven Piercing Sword, embedded in the wall, trembled and pulled itself free.

And like it was returning to its master, it flew back into Yu Seol’s grasp like an arrow.

Thrup-!

“Stop!”

The Gwang Neung’s steps toward Yu Seol stopped as if on command.

Moving purely by instinct, he offered no resistance before the Sect’s sacred artifacts.

Even in his fractured state, his loyalty to the Sect was admirable.

“Well done. Is it all over?”

Yu Seol approached with a satisfied smile.

“Yeah~ that was a lot of fun!”

“Good. How did it feel to experience it?”

“Hmm. There are many similarities to our family’s martial art.”

“I thought so too. That’s why I considered basing it on the Heaven-and-Earth Palm and merging Taiji’s principles. Can you do it?”

Yu Jinsan held his breath and awaited his granddaughter’s answer.

After a moment of thought, Yu Seol nodded vigorously.

“It’s not difficult. I’ll make the finest technique and give it to you as a gift, Grandpa.”

Yu Jinsan forgot his dignity and began to laugh heartily.

“As expected, my granddaughter is the best!”

Just as the mood reached its peak.

Their gazes both turned to one place.

They felt someone approaching.

“Looks like someone’s come to see us.”

A moment later, clearing his throat as he approached, he was a figure both grandparent and grandchild knew well.

An elderly man with neat white hair and a face full of wrinkles: Gwang Cheon, the Sect’s highest elder.

Each of his hands carried a bundle.

Yu Jinsan asked him with a puzzled look.

“Why have you, an elder, come here in person? We already returned the promised Taiji token.”

Gwang Cheon bowed once to the Gwang Neung, then nodded to the Yin Yang Twin Monster and said,

“We’ve brought a gift to thank the Yin Monster, the great champion who made the most exquisite dish for us.”

Yu Jinsan was not unaware of Gwang Cheon’s intentions.

While he hesitated, his granddaughter hurried over and began examining the bundles Gwang Cheon had brought.