JJEOOOEONG! JJEOOOOOEONG!

The sound of father and son’s swords colliding rang out crisp, yet heavy.

PABABABAK!

Yeon Jipyeong’s speed as he charged forward, taking no fewer than five steps across a short distance, was truly remarkable.

It was footwork that deliberately distributed force to maximize elasticity. Using that recoil, he moved while thrusting his sword as though loosing an arrow, and the sight was genuinely sharp.

But no matter how astonishing the sword strike, it could not truly surprise Yeon Wi.

Yeon Wi was a master of every aspect of the Yeon Clan’s martial arts, an extraordinary expert who had begun to look beyond his epithet of Judge Sword and toward the title of Sword Master.

Yeon Wi’s longsword drew a half moon.

JJEOJEOJEOJEONG!

Yeon Jipyeong’s eyes shook.

The sword he had thrust in was already buried in the ground. He had only collided once with his father’s sword as it drew that half moon, yet in the instant of impact he felt a shock as if he had clashed more than five times.

Tremble, tremble.

The hand gripping his sword felt as if it might cramp.

Amazing!

Yeon Jipyeong was deeply shocked.

We only collided once, but my sword felt more than five separate points of resistance.

In that instant, the explosive force transmitted through the sword had been split into five layers and overlapped. Any ordinary master would have dropped his sword from a single exchange, and even if he did not, he would have had no choice but to retreat without even thinking of a follow-up strike.

But Yeon Jipyeong was no ordinary swordsman either.

If Yeon Wi was a master of every aspect of the Yeon Clan’s martial arts, then Yeon Jipyeong was a genius prepared to follow in Yeon Wi’s wake and master all the Yeon Clan’s martial arts himself. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

BOOM!

Yeon Wi’s eyes gleamed.

Reverse Dragon Palm?

He had corrected his broken posture by firing palm force into the ground.

And that was not all. Having regained control of his stance in an instant, Yeon Jipyeong immediately unfolded the Thirty-Six Forms of the Great Iron Sword Art.

PABABABAK! JJEOJEOJEOJEONG! FWIP!

He evaded several sword strikes, parried several more, and the very tip of the sword he tried to dodge again sliced away the end of his sleeve.

A smile appeared on Yeon Wi’s face.

Fast.

His growth was dazzlingly fast. His quickness in adapting was one thing, but even compared to just a few days ago, his sword strikes had become sharper and more imposing.

This was not thanks to Yeon Jipyeong’s talent.

Actual combat.

Not long ago, on the road escorting the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions to the Martial Alliance, Yeon Jipyeong had apparently faced quite a few assassins as well.

The more a swordsman experienced real combat, the more keenly his sword skill was honed. Though it had only been one battle, a sword that had seen blood and one that had not were as different as heaven and earth.

Yeon Wi’s sword swung like lightning.

JJEOJEOJEOJEONG!

It was the Five Linked Swords, unleashed in earnest. It was not especially fast, but before that flowing sword formula released in a single breath, Yeon Jipyeong had no choice but to retreat frantically.

PAAAAAK!

And that was not all.

Even while watching with his own eyes, Yeon Jipyeong could not stop Yeon Wi from moving to his rear flank.

Martial arts were not solely about speed. Restricting the opponent’s movements with the force of the sword, seizing position with mysterious footwork, even delaying by one beat the reflexes that should have responded instantly through sharp Killing Intent.

He used all of it as naturally as breathing. There, in the supreme martial arts engraved into his body, lay the ultimate way of the sword that Yeon Jipyeong had to advance toward.

Tap.

Yeon Jipyeong’s body stopped as if struck by lightning.

At some point, Yeon Wi’s fingertips had touched his back. If it had been a sword instead of a hand, Yeon Jipyeong would not have escaped instant death.

“That is enough.”

“Hoo.”

Yeon Jipyeong let out a low breath.

It had not been a long spar, but he had been so tense that his entire body was drenched in sweat.

Incredible!

His sword spirit and Great Iron Sword Art had both reached maturity.

At this level, even if he could not truly be his father’s match, he had been confident he could at least surprise him three times in their exchanges.

He had been mistaken. Instead, he had been the one unable to hide his astonishment at his father’s martial arts.

He did not show overwhelming strength or speed I couldn’t follow with my eyes. And yet I lost. I was helpless.

His father was someone capable of using sword strikes several times stronger and faster than this. And yet he had not used that degree of power because Yeon Jipyeong had likely not been an opponent worth deliberately holding back against.

“How was it?”

“...A complete defeat.”

Yeon Wi chuckled.

“You still have a very long way to go before you surpass this father of yours. Your defeat was only natural.”

“Of course, yes, but...”

Yeon Jipyeong shook his head.

“It was completely different from the martial arts you showed me before, Father.”

“Mm? In what sense?”

“It may just be my misconception, but... your martial arts in the past were as swift and strong as lightning. And because they never strayed from the center, anyone facing you felt as though they were standing before a massive iron wall.”

Yeon Wi smiled.

It had been three years ago that he had shown such martial arts. Yet seeing that his second son remembered it so clearly, his eye and memory were quite remarkable too.

“Then did it feel different now?”

“Tremendously different.”

Yeon Jipyeong’s eyes were wet with fascination.

“Your martial arts still hold to the center, but they felt different from that imposing, insurmountable iron wall I mentioned. You seemed to use martial arts far softer than back then, but when the swords clashed, it was heavy as a tidal wave.”

“Huh.”

“Freely shifting martial arts at will. Before, you were boundlessly strong and solid, but now it feels as if you can use infinitely flexible martial arts at any moment.”

Yeon Jipyeong smiled brightly.

“It seems that Father has gained a great enlightenment as well, beyond the progress I have made.”

In the end, Yeon Wi let out a sound of admiration.

“Your eye truly is astonishing. It was already surprising that you could read the degree of progress from my presence and Hojeong’s not long ago, yet now you can even read changes in the nature of one’s martial arts.”

“Pardon? Ah, that was...”

“Even most masters with considerable talent could not do that. And for you, lacking in experience, to read it means your senses are truly innate.”

Yeon Jipyeong scratched his head in embarrassment. Receiving such praise from his father felt far too awkward.

Yeon Wi sheathed his sword.

“But the most important thing is to acquire martial arts worthy of that eye. Your eye is certainly impressive, but your martial arts are still far behind it.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Then again, considering that terrifying pace of growth of yours, even saying this sounds ridiculous. On top of that, martial arts of your level at your age rival your older brother’s, or perhaps surpass him. If you continue training steadily like this, you will catch this father of yours before you reach thirty.”

“N-No, I will not!”

“However, you lack resolve.”

“Pardon?”

Yeon Wi called to Mookbi, who had been standing at a distance and blankly watching the two of them.

“Bia.”

“Yes, Father.”

“How did Jipyeong’s martial arts look to you? I would like you to speak honestly.”

By now, Mookbi no longer found Yeon Wi as intimidating as she once had, nor did she try hard to hide what was inside her heart before him.

Mookbi spoke calmly.

“Pyeong’s martial arts are impressive. I can feel that he has inherited the Yeon Clan’s martial arts through the proper line. He’s similar to you, Father, but he is also carving out his own path.”

“Mm.”

“But... well.”

“Did you see a problem?”

“Rather than a problem...”

Mookbi cleared her throat.

“If I fought Jipyeong seriously, I think I could suppress him within three exchanges.”

Yeon Jipyeong’s eyes went round.

His pride was not hurt. But three exchanges meant the gap between their levels was far too severe.

He had not known his sister was that strong. Yeon Jipyeong found himself once again unable to hide his admiration for Mookbi’s martial arts.

Yeon Wi shook his head.

“When Bia says she can suppress you within three exchanges, it is not only because her martial arts are so impressive that they overwhelm yours.”

“Pardon?”

What did that mean?

Mookbi scratched her cheek.

“There aren’t many people I can use as a comparison... Ah! You know Ryung too, right?”

“Ah, Brother Gang?”

“Brother? You’re already calling him that?”

“Not exactly... In any case, he is older than me.”

“Well, fine. Anyway, I fought Ryung a few times. Seriously, I mean.”

Mookbi shook her head.

“Back then, I suppressed Ryung in fifteen exchanges.”

“...!”

“Strange, isn’t it? In terms of martial level, especially defensively, you, Jipyeong, are above Ryung, but if you two fought for real, you would not be able to beat him.”

“That is...?”

“Father already told you.”

Yeon Wi nodded.

“Your sword, having gone through actual combat, has certainly become sharper than before. But while your sword skill has sharpened, your nature does not make proper use of that sword skill.”

“My nature?”

“The mindset to truly cut down your opponent.”

Yeon Jipyeong’s eyes wavered.

“You cut down unknown enemies for your older brother’s sake. As a blood relative, that was only natural. But seeing blood only for someone else’s sake is not necessarily the correct mindset for a swordsman either.”

Yeon Wi’s face turned serious.

“The less blood one sees, the better. However, a swordsman must carry the heart to cut down anyone at any time, if necessary. Do you know why?”

“I-I do not.”

“A sword is a weapon. It is a lethal tool that kills people. No matter how much one attaches words like righteous or heretical evil to it, that is nothing more than wordplay.”

“...!”

“What matters is whom you cut, what you cut, and why you cut. But even that can only be discussed once you are capable of cutting in the first place.”

Yeon Wi pointed at Yeon Jipyeong’s chest.

“I hope you will not see blood in the future either. That is the natural heart of a parent who does not wish his child to walk a harsh road. But if you have already seen blood, then you must no longer hesitate.”

“...”

“That is a swordsman. That is a warrior.”

Yeon Jipyeong felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

One did not become a swordsman merely by polishing technique or deepening one’s level.

A true swordsman had to know the moment he should draw his sword. And when the moment came to draw, he must not hesitate.

In the spar with his father just now, he had shown only a thoroughly technical side. He had never even thought that he had to cut his father somehow.

And that would be the same no matter whom he sparred with in the future. Yeon Jipyeong was afraid of carelessly hurting people.

“Ryung was not like that. Though his martial arts were one step behind yours, he held in his heart a desire for victory and survival.”

“...”

“Anyone can improve in martial arts if enough effort is made. But stubborn poison and cold judgment like his are not things one can gain through effort alone.”

Yeon Wi nodded.

“Resolve that can be shown when necessary. Since you have gone through actual combat now, I hope you will do your utmost to become not the second young master of the Yeon Clan, Yeon Jipyeong, but the pure swordsman Yeon Jipyeong.”

Yeon Jipyeong bowed his head.

“I will keep it in mind, Father.”

He still did not know the true nature of that resolve and coldness.

But now that he knew what the problem was, he would put great effort into correcting it from here on. Though the process might be exhausting and difficult, the difference between not walking that road and being unable to walk it was as vast as heaven and earth.

“By the way.”

Yeon Wi clasped his hands behind his back and glanced around.

“Where has that Hojeong gone? Seeing you here, Bia, I suppose he is not training the Evil-Smiting Corps.”

Without realizing it, Mookbi spoke in a sullen voice.

“I don’t know. He’s probably plotting some sinister scheme to give someone another headache.”

Yeon Wi and Yeon Jipyeong blinked as they looked at her.

Mookbi’s face had turned as fierce as crumpled paper.