89 - Betting, Competition (4) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

Hyewoon descended. Dang Hwa-seo glared at Hyewoon with a look full of fury, but Hyewoon just giggled as she passed by. "Are you not going up, Chief Dang?" Where does such confidence come from? Crack. Veins bulged on the back of Dang Hwa-seo’s hand. "…Let’s see." "Yees~ Have a good trip~." Hyewoon's face, splitting into a grin, did not sit well with her. However, there were more pressing matters at hand. Dang Hwa-seo narrowed her eyes towards the dueling ground. 'Is that man a martial artist from the inner cabinet?' There was a man with a queue. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with a sword at his waist. Judging by its length and width, it seemed he preferred power over speed. 'He's at his peak.' Their internal power levels were similar. Of course, as the emission of internal power was forbidden, it wasn't of much concern. Dang Hwa-seo ascended to the dueling platform, and the man with the queue bowed. "I am Choryung of the inner cabinet." "Dang Hwa-seo of Yongbongdan." A sharply tense atmosphere flowed between the two. The nine martial artists from Jinwondan who followed seemed overly confident in Choryung. Cheongryongdaejoo, Gi Tae-Woon, raised his hand. "To your places!" Dang Hwa-seo, after heading to her spot, slipped her hand into her bosom. Rustle. A sound was heard. 'Little pests should be cleared away.' The duel, with the emission of internal power forbidden, was quite a restriction for Dang Hwa-seo. Most of the poisons she used relied on the emission of internal power to poison the opponent. They must be so full of themselves because they are aware of this. 'Ridiculous.' Dang Hwa-seo snorted. How short-sighted of them. She wasn’t given the phoenix nickname just because her poison techniques were superior. "Begin!" But it was not for nothing. Although Dang Hwa-seo did not desire such a position, she was still the deputy head of Sachondangmun. And Sachondangmun did not only teach the art of poison. Swoosh! Dang Hwa-seo's arm blurred for a moment. At the same time, precisely ten blunted daggers flew out, striking the martial artists’ vital points. "Argh!" "Ugh…!" The Jinwondan martial artists groaned in pain and fell to their knees. Clash! Only Choryung managed to draw his sword in time to deflect the daggers. "Hidden weapons…" "Seems like pests need to be cleared." Dang Hwa-seo remarked, fluttering her sleeve. In an instant, her hand held six daggers, three in each hand. Am yeong bi do (Shadow Flying Daggers). A secret technique from Pyosan, encountered by Mok Riwon in Gangseo Province's Suyang County. Dang Hwa-seo, head of Sachondangmun, could also use this martial art. Though she couldn’t handle it as mystically as Pyosan due to different internal martial arts practices, she could mimic it. "I proceed." By the time Choryung began to tense, the daggers had already reached his forehead. "Gasp!" Choryung tilted his head to dodge the daggers. But Dang Hwa-seo’s onslaught was far from over. Clank! In an instant, Dang Hwa-seo, having reached right before Choryung, aimed a dagger at his solar plexus. Choryung furrowed his brow. 'So fast!' The speed was incredible. It wasn’t just about having fast footwork; the rhythm of her attacks was overwhelmingly quick. 'She's not the Chief for nothing!' With that thought, Choryung swung his sword broadly. However, Dang Hwa-seo was unharmed. In that moment, she had already distanced herself far away, causing Choryung’s face to darken. 'The mission is…' To hinder Yongbongdan’s succession. Even if Jinwondan’s defeat was certain, it was about salvaging what was left of their dignity. It meant that Choryung absolutely had to win. Why wouldn't it be? Behind Dang Hwa-seo were the Geomryong and Mokryong. Although the duel restricted the use of internal powers, with their sword skills alone, they were in a different league. 'With the strategist present, there might be variables… but if I can't secure a victory here, the situation will become problematic.' Choryung’s gaze hardened. 'I must push through…!' He must defeat Dang Hwa-seo. With that determination, Choryung charged. Tap! The swift footwork echoed. And from its end, Choryung aimed a wide swing at Dang Hwa-seo’s waist with his sword. It was the fastest move among Choryung’s techniques, yet even this was slow for Dang Hwa-seo. Snap! Dang Hwa-seo ducked, avoiding the sword, and with the handle of her dagger, she struck Choryung’s left thigh. Then, leaping back like in acrobatics, she launched three more daggers, hitting the solar plexus, danjeon, and left knee respectively. "Keuk...!" Choryung's body twisted. Though it was a natural reaction to pain, this too was a feint. Dang Hwa-seo was about to regroup her breath. Likely, she was assessing that he couldn't move immediately. 'Now!' With a tensing grip strong enough to make a ripping sound, Choryung, still in his collapsing posture, surged forward. Dang Hwa-seo's eyes widened. Her body, caught off guard by the unexpected movement, shuddered, destabilizing her posture. Choryung’s sword stretched out, aiming for Dang Hwa-seo's shoulder. In that moment, Dang Hwa-seo bit her lip, making a decision. "Rather, I will sacrifice an arm." The sword prepared for the duel had a dull edge. Protected by my internal power, it shouldn’t lead to a serious injury if blocked. Dang Hwa-seo used her arm to block the sword. Crack. A displeasing noise sounded, and Dang Hwa-seo felt a blinding pain in her head. A normal person would have collapsed in that moment. But Dang Hwa-seo was different. To her, pain was more familiar than anything else. Swoosh. Dang Hwa-seo, with her uninjured arm, fired a dagger. It tore through the air and struck right between Choryung’s eyebrows. Thwack! “Ugh…!” Choryung's eyes rolled back, showing the whites. And then. Thud. Choryung fell to his knees. Dang Hwa-seo, frowning and clutching her broken arm, looked towards Gi Tae-Woon. "The Poison Phoenix! Victory!" Gi Tae-Woon declared the win. Cheers filled the dueling grounds. * "Sister! Is your arm alright?!" Mok Riwon approached Dang Hwa-seo with a worried expression, circling around her. He was checking not just her arm but everywhere else for injuries. He resembled a large puppy. At that thought, Dang Hwa-seo chuckled. Then, grimaced from the throbbing pain. "So, sister!" "It's alright. I expected as much when I offered it." In a state where she couldn't use her poison, it was the best she could do. Against another martial artist at their peak, it was obvious she'd be driven back by trivial moves, and considering he charged in prepared to sacrifice his body, the decision was made to match the sacrifice. "But…!" Though Mok Riwon understood, he felt an unusually sharp discomfort at Dang Hwa-seo's injury. "It was too reckless…" "Reckless? A martial artist shouldn’t hesitate in front of such trials." Mok Riwon’s face drooped. While the concern might have been excessive, to Dang Hwa-seo, it was quite comforting. "It’s okay, truly. It will heal in a few days." As if to affirm there were no regrets, Dang Hwa-seo gently brushed over Mok Riwon’s head. Then, she abruptly removed her hand. "Ah, sorry…" "Hm? For what?" Mok Riwon looked puzzled. The treatment he received seemed to hold no awkwardness for him. Was he naive, or foolish? '…Naive.' Seeing his bright, innocent eyes, it seemed he didn’t understand what such a touch could imply. Suddenly, Dang Hwa-seo’s thoughts branched in various directions. 'Then…' Mischievous ideas came to mind. If he knew nothing, could she not indulge in her desires, pretending ignorance? Was it not Mok Riwon’s fault for being so naively charming? Dang Hwa-seo swallowed dryly. She shut her eyes tight, a long sigh escaping her lips. '…That’s not right.' Dang Hwa-seo barely regained her reason. "It was the Geomryong's turn, wasn’t it?" As Dang Hwa-seo spoke up, Namgung Jincheon rose from his seat. His sharp eyes fixated on the dueling ground. "I’ll return shortly." Namgung Jincheon ascended to the dueling platform. And. "The Geomryong! Victory!" He concluded the duel as soon as it began. Whether it was the inner cabinet's martial artist, Jinwondan’s vice-leader, or a common martial artist, all were equal before Namgung Jincheon’s sword. * Jinwondan’s leader, Gyeon Dong, shivered, saying, "What do we do now! We’ve already lost five matches! This is the last one, and at this rate…!" The one nagging in a complaining tone was the leader of the mercenaries. The Shadow Sword, Byeok Woo Rim. As Byeok Woo Rim narrowed his eyes, Gyeon Dong flinched and recoiled. Though he complained no further, anxiety filled him to the brim. 'A total defeat! We can’t have that!' He already disappointed his grandfather to the extent possible. If he ends this contest in total defeat despite having hired mercenaries, his grandfather might genuinely disown him. Then he'd be like a duckweed, adrift. Without someone to back him, he might have to step down from his position as clan leader. Gyeon Dong looked at Mok Riwon stepping onto the dueling platform, a bright grin on his face. He seemed not to even consider defeat. 'That monster…' How could one win against him? It was said that if he had sufficient internal power, he could even defeat the Golden Sword Kwon Pyowol. And he's only 18. Thump—thump— Gyeon Dong’s heart hammered wildly, anxiety ballooning. His gaze trembled, and his legs shook. He wasn't behaving like a first-rate martial artist. Then again, considering he wasn't truly a bona fide first-rate, it was fitting. Gyeon Dong's level was artificially elevated under his grandfather's care, through spirit medicines and secret manuals, boosting the depth of his martial arts and quantity of his internal power. "Leader…!" Now it was his turn to ascend to the dueling platform. With his mind turning blank from the thought, he repeated himself, to which Byeok Woo Rim responded, "Jinwondan’s leader." His voice was icy cold. “No need to be so worried.” "Uh…?" "The inner cabinet’s leader has already disowned you." Gyeon Dong's body froze. "What do you mean? How can my grandfather disown me like this…" "It can't be helped. Despite not sparing any support, you still possess such mediocre martial prowess. And it’s not like you're exceptionally clever either." Byeok Woo Rim's words were devoid of emotion. It was as if he was stating an obvious fact. "Shame on you." As Byeok Woo Rim's back receded towards the dueling platform, Gyeon Dong could only stare in disbelief until Gi Tae-Woon called his name. "Leader of Jinwondan!" "Ah, I, I'll go!" Gyeon Dong rushed onto the dueling platform. Up to that moment, Byeok Woo Rim hadn’t even glanced at him. 'My grandfather? Disown me?' Gyeon Dong wanted to dash to the inner cabinet right away, duels be damned. He hoped to confirm this was false. But Gi Tae-Woon spoke first. "To your places!" Ssshhh— Byeok Woo Rim and the martial artists of Jinwondan drew their swords. Following suit, Gyeon Dong drew his sword, and Mok Riwon said with a gentle smile, "Please take care." "It's my pleasure." Byeok Woo Rim responded. Up to that moment, Gyeon Dong still had a dazed expression. His mind was too cluttered to think, and in this situation, he didn’t even have the time to sort his thoughts. "Begin!" In the midst of it all, Gi Tae-Woon's command sounded. Mok Riwon stood calmly, yielding the initiative, prompting the eight martial artists of Jinwondan to charge first. The outcome was, naturally, "Argh!" A complete domination by Mok Riwon.