Chapter 61

Danh Mu Han So was one of the two people who had given Lian a bloodletting. The martial arts that martial artists had built up were as precious as their lives, yet he had lost his inner strength to revive Lian and said nothing about it.

On the contrary, if the heir of the family he had burned his inner strength to raise was in such a weak state and still reacted to this extent, he must truly be an extraordinary gentleman.

"Alright. Since you've caught your breath... I'll show you the Black Wind Sword Technique you will learn."

Finally, Danh Mu Han So stopped the two girls and picked up his thick sword.

Lian swallowed and raised her inner vision. The starlight that appeared above her eyes began to twinkle.

Danh Mu Han So

Traits: Tendon Collector / Hates doing things he dislikes / Strong ego / Fast

Black Wind Sword Technique: 10th Rank (11th Rank)

Infinite Treasure: 7th Rank

Meteor Formation Technique: 11th Rank

Talent and Five Elements: Upper-Lower (上-下)

Concern: Where is a good place to eat in Sichuan?

Help: You have lost a lot of inner strength. Restore your energy.

And her expectations were not disappointed.

* Inner Vision 6th Rank Achieved (1▲)! *

You can see strengths.

Harmony: 7th Rank - Can remain unnoticed.

Inner Vision: 6th Rank - Can see strengths.

Purification: 3rd Rank - Can purify morale.

'Wow...'

Lian opened her mouth wide and blinked her eyes.

When she decided to hold a sword in a family of swordsmen, there were surely people who tried to dissuade or worry her—just as everyone was worried about Lian and Danh Mu Han So now—showing the kind of movement that demonstrated how one could hold a different weapon and still claim the first place among the eighteen masters of the Meteor.

In the fierce wind, Danh Mu Han So's sword moved freely and without restraint.

It was less like a star drawing a trajectory and more like the sparks from a burning log, unpredictable and free-spirited.

'Sure enough, just reading books can't give you an accurate understanding.'

The things that had only been vaguely understood came flooding in clearly. The things she had found puzzling about his movements were now understood.

And she could also understand how Danh Mu Han So interpreted them.

A free-spirited and pure young man who preferred swords to sabers met Danh Mu Tian Ji and gradually became an important member of the family, proving his strength through the trajectory of the sword.

"This is the sword technique you will learn. Hmm. I don't know if you can master it in a month."

It would have been better not to say the last part.

"Then try it now."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

The two girls echoed in unison. Danh Mu Han So frowned.

"Since you've seen it, you should know. Try it."

'They say he's like his grandfather, and they're exactly the same.'

Danh Mu Tian Ji had also shown his sword technique once and then told them to try it.

"Formulas?"

When the flustered Danh Mu Cheng asked, Danh Mu Han So crossed his arms and only nodded, pointing to the wooden swords the two girls held.

Since the teacher said so, there was no choice. The two girls held their wooden swords.

Lian recalled his movements in her mind and slowly swung the wooden sword in her hand. When all the techniques were finally completed, Danh Mu Han So's face was much stiffer than before.

Danh Mu Cheng, who was panting from trying to mimic the movements she had just seen, sensed the strange atmosphere and rolled her eyes.

Moreover, Lian was even more out of breath than Danh Mu Cheng.

'Pant, pant, pant, why are you glaring at me!'

Even though Danh Mu Tian Ji had pushed Lian quite hard, it was still not enough. But at least she didn't fall backward after seeing it once, which was a relief.

Danh Mu Han So said nothing, but nodded, allowing the two to lower their wooden swords, and then said:

"...Hmm. Both of you need to train your stamina more urgently."

He didn't say whether they did well or not. And Danh Mu Han So continued the lesson.

"Then, from the first technique again!"

* * *

Danh Mu Cheng first thought that learning martial arts was fun.

Swords and sabers looked similar but moved in completely different ways, and Cheng felt much more clearly herself when she wielded a saber compared to a sword.

Clang!

"Ouch!"

"Again, again! I told you to look at your opponent, not just at your own saber!"

"Sorry, I was wrong!"

"Even if you have talent, it's all for nothing if you can't concentrate, as I've repeatedly said!"

"I'll concentrate!"

When Danh Mu Cheng shouted and corrected her grip on the training saber, Danh Mu Han So's expression softened a bit.

But when his face turned to Lian, it hardened again.

Although his expression was not very expressive, Lian could see the change.

'Is it so bad to lack stamina? But Grandfather said I did well.'

Lian, who grumbled to herself, held her wooden sword and stood in front of Danh Mu Han So.

It was her turn to do the same sparring—written as sparring but read as getting beaten up by him—that Danh Mu Cheng had just done.

Even with the physical weakness, she could win in a match against peers who couldn't use inner strength, but it was impossible against the seasoned expert Danh Mu Han So.

While Danh Mu Cheng was being beaten up by Danh Mu Han So, Lian was also being beaten up for a while.

Suddenly, the wooden sword that was about to strike her stopped.

"..."

She thought she wouldn't be able to block it properly and would be knocked down, but Danh Mu Han So's sudden stop made her eyes widen in surprise.

"Why...?"

"Why did you move your wooden sword like that?"

"Huh?"

Danh Mu Han So's voice sounded a bit faster. Lian glanced at her wooden sword, which she held at an angle, and returned to her previous stance.

The technique she used to counter Danh Mu Han So's attack was the eleventh move of the Black Wind Sword Technique.

Only the beginning was half a breath faster, and from the middle, it was half a breath slower.

"Well, I thought the attack would come from my left shoulder."

"Why did you think that?"

Lian hesitated for a moment about whether to be honest, but decided to be straightforward.

"Because... I confidently blocked the attack from the right side, so I thought you would show me the weakness on the left side..."

"..."

Danh Mu Han So frowned deeply and then continued.

"Alright. That's one way to think. The eleventh move was a bit different from what I taught you."

"No! The Black Wind of the Black Wind Sword Technique is a fierce wind that can knock down stars, and you said that although it seems irregular, it moves according to a rule that humans find hard to understand."

"Hmm."

"So, I applied that rule... to create an irregular movement. It was exactly the same movement, wasn't it?"

Danh Mu Han So was silent. As Lian said, it was indeed the same, just a bit faster in some parts.

"How did you apply that rule? No, why did you apply it?"

Danh Mu Han So, being the person he was, could see how she did it. The real question was why she decided to move that way. Lian scratched her cheek, feeling the heat from Danh Mu Han So.

"And, well, since I'm facing someone stronger than me. I thought I would first move my weapon quickly and then firmly and accurately respond."

Lian felt embarrassed and fidgeted with her fingertips before quickly adding:

"Actually, the sword technique is designed to smoothly perform such unconventional movements from the beginning, so I just tried it."

But Danh Mu Han So's sharp gaze did not waver.

Danh Mu Cheng, who was listening to Lian's words, looked at her hands with a deeper gaze.

* * *

Lian sensed the complex emotions in Danh Mu Xian Yao's gaze from behind.

Danh Mu Cheng was more enthusiastic than ever, focusing on refining her saber. In fact, from the middle, she seemed to hardly think about the Golden Flower Hall at all.

Thus, the complex emotions of Danh Mu Xian Yao, who wanted her daughter to excel in the sword but also enjoyed watching her immerse herself in what she loved, were intertwined.

Danh Mu Cheng, who learned the saber from Danh Mu Han So, was a diligent student who, even without a teacher, believed that reviewing what she had learned was the right thing to do, and thus brought Lian to study together.

This was the essence of the afternoon snack and theory study time, which complicated Danh Mu Xian Yao's thoughts.

Danh Mu Xian Yao quietly left after instructing the two girls to be served snacks. Danh Mu Cheng glanced at her mother leaving and crossed her arms, looking at Lian.

"We agreed to take turns. So, you ask first."

It seemed she thought it was wrong to receive help without first helping her weaker cousin.

"Then, Cheng, about the Black Wind Sword Technique. Why do you turn half a circle backward in the fifth move?"

Danh Mu Cheng stiffened for a moment, then pulled her shoulders together and began to think seriously.

Until Lian asked, she had never thought about the reason behind the movement.