Chapter 87. The Meaning of a Swordsman (4)

He slowly walked towards me, muttering to himself.

"...For now, this will be the last time I stain my hands with a woman's blood. It was truly tiring."

His voice was so low that I wouldn't have heard it if I hadn't focused all my inner strength on my ears. I was certain this was the murderer I was looking for.

‘How should I time this?’

I was extremely tense as I slowly gathered my inner strength. The guy stopped about 10 meters away and spoke to me.

"Girl. My name is Geolrimyeong."

"......"

After introducing himself, he snorted when I didn't respond, and continued.

"I'm sorry, but from now on, you'll have to be a sacrifice to my sword."

He drew his sword with a calm attitude, as if he were about to execute a death sentence. The clear sound of the sword being drawn was definitely that of a first-class blade.

‘By now, Bunchunbaek must have noticed.’

If that's the case, I just need to hold on for one minute, no—just one exchange.

‘I need to change my plan.’

It would be better to drag out the time with a long-range battle. I released the grip on the sword in my pocket and reached deeper to grab a dagger.

The guy tilted his head when he saw me crouching without running away or speaking.

"What? Are you deaf?"

"...Live..."

I deliberately mumbled so softly that it was barely audible. He leaned in slightly, as if to hear better, and asked.

"What? Beg for your life?"

10 meters.

My favorite distance.

"Nice to meet you, murderer!"

I immediately released the Chukgong technique and launched the dagger, imbued with my inner strength.

—Whoosh!

The dagger tore through the air, flying straight at his upper body. Taken completely by surprise, he looked flustered as he raised his sword to block it.

—Clang!

Startled by the sudden counterattack, he barely managed to parry my dagger and shouted.

"What the...!"

Without a word, I tore off the loose clothing I was wearing in one swift motion and threw it at him to obstruct his vision.

The thrown clothing fluttered and spread out. The guy swung his sword twice in a single breath, cutting it to pieces.

"A trap—?!"

"Right, it's a trap. You bastard!"

I already had my sword drawn. I pointed it at him and slowly gathered my senses. I could hear Bunchunbaek running towards us from a distance.

‘I just need to hold on once.’

I needed to hold on. I opened my eyes wide and stared at his sword. I could see the 'attack range' that Wijiyen had told me about.

It was more of a feeling than a sight, but his attack range was large enough to envelop mine and still have room to spare.

‘His attack range is larger than mine.’

Of course, it's natural. Our levels are different. There's a huge gap of years of training between a second-class and a first-class. I had no chance of winning in a direct confrontation. In fact, just engaging in a fight would be the end of me.

‘I just need to avoid engaging. If I can just drag out the time a bit...’

I thought, slowly stepping back. I just needed to stay out of his attack range.

At that moment.

In that brief moment, as I took a step back, the guy closed the distance with lightning speed. His footwork was as fast as when he fought Baek Seung.

A flash of light flew towards me.

‘No!’

In that tense moment, I tried to raise my sword to block it—

Right then, Bunchunbaek flew in from behind at an incredible speed, passing me and throwing a punch at Geolrimyeong.

—Thud!

With a sound like a leather drum bursting, Geolrimyeong was sent flying far away.

"Kuh...!"

Geolrimyeong, hit by Bunchunbaek's punch, let out a painful scream. Bunchunbaek had appeared at the perfect moment in the crisis.

I shouted, "That was great! Bunchunbaek!"

"Kuh... Is that so? Kuh... Kuh..."

Bunchunbaek seemed quite pleased. I noticed a hint of a smile mixed with his stern expression.

‘He’s easily flattered.’

After all, they say even a whale can dance if you praise it enough. Bunchunbaek seemed to have a bit of that quality.

Bunchunbaek looked at the fallen Geolrimyeong and asked me.

"Is this the guy?"

"Yes, definitely."

"Hmm, I need to find out where he learned the Gohyul Sword Technique, a skill used by scoundrels."

I nodded in response, and Bunchunbaek cracked his neck and approached Geolrimyeong. At that moment, Geolrimyeong pulled something out of his pocket and scattered it while shouting.

"Father!! Help me!"

"Damn it!"

What Geolrimyeong scattered was something that looked like black sand. Fortunately, Bunchunbaek sensed the danger as soon as it was scattered and quickly stepped back.

A dark, fog-like substance spread in the air. Bunchunbaek, examining it closely, gritted his teeth and shouted.

"Poison sand? What a scumbag...!"

He was really furious, spewing out curses. Spraying poison sand or lime is a despicable and cowardly act that only the worst of the worst would do.

Bunchunbaek, extremely angry, clenched his fist as if he were about to crush Geolrimyeong in one go.

At that moment.

"Even in front of your father, you have no qualms about speaking to someone else's child like that."

"......?!"

From a distance, someone spoke to Bunchunbaek in a low voice.

‘Who is it?!’

It was a voice that sounded ominous and old. I instinctively felt fear and gripped my sword tightly. Bunchunbaek, tilting his head, said.

"This foul voice... I've heard it somewhere before..."

Then, the unknown old man's voice, sounding quite displeased, said.

"Your mouth is as foul as ever. Can't you act your age, even a little?"

"Hmm— Who the hell... Ah! I see."

Bunchunbaek, tilting his head, turned it towards a certain direction, pulled out something that looked like a stone from his pocket, and threw it at a distant tree.

—Whizz!

"Ah, you're so impatient."

Before the stone even hit the tree, there was a rustling sound, and soon an old man's figure landed on the ground.

‘Who is it?’

The old man, who had just landed, smiled fiercely and said.

"It's been a while, Bunchunbaek."

The old man seemed to be an old acquaintance of Bunchunbaek. As soon as he saw the old man, Bunchunbaek growled and spat out.

"Hmph, I was wondering where the Gohyul Sword Technique had resurfaced. Of course, it's you, Geolrijungcheon, you bastard's son."

"Yes, I'm your inadequate third son."

Geolrijungcheon smiled unpleasantly as he said this. Bunchunbaek, looking at him, spat and said.

"So, you're still doing those dirty deeds, huh?"

Bunchunbaek seemed to be referring to the act of cutting down innocent women to learn the Gohyul Sword Technique. Hearing this, Geolrijungcheon, instead of feeling ashamed, smiled proudly and said.

"Of course. The succession and development of martial arts cannot be stopped even for a day. Seeing your interference just as I was about to achieve a small success, I feel a strange bond."

The old man seemed to genuinely believe this, not just mocking.

‘Third son, he said.’

Then, how many, or rather, how many dozens of innocent lives did he take?

Bunchunbaek gnashed his teeth.

"I should have killed you back then. It's a great regret that I couldn't because you jumped away like a dog."

"That's because your legs were cut."

Geolrijungcheon, mocking Bunchunbaek's words, suddenly raised the cane in his right hand and struck the head of Geolrimyeong, who was still lying on the ground groaning.

"Get up. Do you want to embarrass me in front of my old enemy?"

"Kuh... I'm sorry, Father."

Geolrimyeong, clutching the abdomen he had been hit by Bunchunbaek, got up. Geolrijungcheon, with a cold expression, roughly struck his face and head with the cane.

—Thud!

"Ugh...!"

"You're so weak. You can't even keep up with your brothers."

In an instant, Geolrijungcheon's cane was stained red with Geolrimyeong's blood. The once proud demon, Geolrimyeong, now looked pitiful with his face covered in blood.

‘If you're going to beat your son, do it somewhere else.’

Although he deserved to be beaten for cutting down innocent women, seeing him being beaten like that made me feel uncomfortable.

After a brief scolding, Geolrijungcheon snorted and swung his cane, pulling out a blood-red sword from it. It was a cane sword.

Geolrijungcheon, pointing his sword at Bunchunbaek, asked.

"Well, will you retreat now? Or do you want to continue the unfinished battle from back then?"

"Of course, I'll correct my mistake from that day."

Bunchunbaek, adjusting his black iron gauntlets, said this. Hearing Bunchunbaek's answer, Geolrijungcheon laughed coldly and moved his figure like lightning, swinging his sword.

‘Oh!’

It was the movement of a master at the peak of his skill.

To avoid getting caught in the fight between the experts, I immediately rolled on the ground and moved out of their attack range.

As soon as I got out of range, a tremendous explosion echoed.

—Boom!

—Clang!

The sound of rocks exploding and metal clashing continued. It was a deafening noise that made the earth shake.

After barely escaping their attack range, I watched their fight. It was a battle that could be called a decisive showdown, not an exaggeration.

‘I can barely keep up with my eyes!’

Bunchunbaek swung his fists wildly, scattering qi in all directions, while Geolrijungcheon, with a cunning agility, dodged the qi and stabbed with red sword qi at various points.

Indeed, it was a battle of masters. The meticulousness of the fight was far superior to the battle of Zha Chashi from before. Bunchunbaek seemed to be fully focused on the fight, gritting his teeth.

As I watched the intense battle with my mouth open in amazement, a voice came from the side.

"What are you staring at so blankly?"

"Huh?"

I turned my head to see Geolrimyeong, his face covered in blood, glaring at me. Geolrimyeong, gnashing his teeth, spat out a broken tooth and asked again.

"What are you staring at so blankly?"

Looking into Geolrimyeong's eyes, filled with venom, I made a calm judgment of the current situation.

‘He’s completely gone mad.’

Bunchunbaek was in a fierce battle with Geolrijungcheon and couldn't help me. Realizing this, I remained silent for a moment, then looked Geolrimyeong in the eye and shook my head.

"Violence solves nothing."

It only breeds pain, sorrow, and a chain of hatred.

One of the figures I admire, the leader of a village's ninjas, forgave his enemy and the enemy's son, and welcomed them into the village, breaking a long chain of hatred.

"What the hell are you saying?! Die!"

—Whoosh!

"Whoa!"

Seeing the Gohyul Sword Technique flying towards me, I immediately twisted my body to dodge. Even though I dodged, it grazed my back.

‘I almost died...!’

It almost went deep, but I managed to avoid injury thanks to my diligent practice of the Chulchaehoshin technique and the fact that Geolrimyeong's condition was a mess.

If Geolrimyeong had been in good condition, even with the Chulchaehoshin technique, my spine would have been cleanly sliced, leaving me as a fish fillet.

Having narrowly avoided a fatal injury, I straightened my posture and, still holding my sword, swung it to counterattack.

—Clang!

The situation was so urgent that I couldn't remember any of the Yuan Yuan Sword Technique's forms. I had to swing my sword any way I could to survive.

As I swung my sword roughly, Geolrimyeong moved quickly to dodge. I felt the urgency of the situation and tensed my entire body.

At that moment.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, a stream of blood spurted from Geolrimyeong's head. Whether it was due to his sudden movement or the excitement of the fight, the wound on his head, which had been beaten by his father earlier, reopened.

‘Blood...’

Blood flowed down his head and into his eyes, making it difficult for him to see.

‘This is my chance!’

I swung my sword more fiercely, driving him back. No matter how high his level, no one can fight effectively with blood in their eyes.

I couldn't miss this opportunity.

—Clang! Clang! Clang!

But he was indeed a first-class swordsman. Even with his eyes barely open, he used his senses to accurately parry my sword strikes.

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