Book 16 Chapter 6

Sword, sword, sword

-Sword of the Sword- -Sword of the Unveiled

A shroud of serene silence enveloped the hall. No one broke the silence with small talk; their attention was focused on the one place where a cloud of dust was rising.

Na Yerin, too, was stunned and speechless.

"Sister Dokgo, do you really think he's dead?"

Lee Jin-sul, who was standing beside Nay-lin, asked Dok Goryeong with a sullen face. Dok Goryeong was staring at the pile of rocks with a cold gleam in one eye.

"If he deserved to die like that, he would have died a hundred times before at the hands of Yerin's fanatics. I don't believe that a man with the tenacity of a cockroach would die such a death. So let you believe him too!"

His last words were directed at his in-laws. Before she knew it, Dokgo-ryong's right hand was resting on Na Yerin's left shoulder. No words were needed to communicate the connection between the siblings; she understood that the master cared about her.

"Uh, sister, look!"

That's when Lee noticed the change in his intestines and pointed his finger.

"See! What did I tell you? His life force is as tenacious as a cockroach. But… he might as well lie there. I'm more afraid of what comes after!"

"Why?"

"Then at least we can keep the sword out of his hands. Can you imagine how terrifying it would be to have a sword in his hand? I dare not imagine it. The moment his sword is drawn from its scabbard… he will surely die."

Dokgo Ling said in a voice that trembled violently.

"Kolokolok! Ouch… this is a bit much……."

A giant cockroach scuttled out of the dirt.

It seems that Bi Ryuyeon's body was stronger than he thought; he was not doomed to be an apple that fell from the top of the roof.

"I can't believe you can take my blows and still be okay……"

It was a bluff, but I couldn't believe that she was still standing on her own two legs and even walking rudely. Apparently, the amputation was not complete.

Emerging from the cloud of dust, Bi Ryuyeon slowly brushed the yellow dust off of her black robes, not caring what her opponent thought of her. The important thing here is to act nonchalant and relaxed, to demonstrate that the blow she had just received hadn't left her with the slightest aftereffect.

"Yikes… that was dangerous……! Really!"

Woohoo!

Every time Bi Ryuyeon jerked her head from side to side and rotated her shoulders, a loud crunching sound rang out from her joints, causing Swordhu's eyebrows to rise slightly at this outrageous behavior.

But, deliberately ignoring it, Bi Ryuyeon moved her hands a little more sluggishly, carefully brushing off every inch of her body before she straightened up.

"Are you going to kill me, I swear I almost died!"

It was true. A blow so merciless that it contained not an ounce of pity, not an ounce of recognition! The blow of the sword had certainly contained it. He couldn't have felt it wrong, and to fail to recognize it was to say that it wasn't strange to die at any moment. It was unmistakably life.

"You have to be serious about it. You have to be serious about whatever you're doing. It's like an actual battle. Even in a bimu, you can't afford to let your opponent off the hook, can you?"

Gumphu said.

"Are you sure about that? You don't look like someone who can't even control his own sword to me. Am I mistaken?"

"Well… we'll see about that when I get my next second of work."

It was a declaration that I would never need another second.

"Well, what are you going to do? I don't think you have anything left to attack, do you?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Let's see."

Swordhu's eyes widened in horror.

"When? I didn't even notice?

It was rare indeed for anyone to escape her gaze. It was as nearly impossible to do as it was to astonish her, and today, at this very moment, a man was born who could do both.

When she touched it, it shattered into dozens of pieces, falling to the ground like petals.

He thought he was completely overpowering him… but he had to admit that he had to revise his thinking. The opponent was not as easy as he had imagined.

"Funny, I'll admit it. That you are worthy of my sword!"

Gum Hu said with a dangerous grin.

"That's amazing, I never knew anyone could pull off a trick like that under the watchful eye of the sword……."

Tosheng couldn't help but gasp. To be still alive after three seconds of swordfire, and to have her draw her sword… he had every right to be surprised.

"I agree. But it might be a misfortune for him."

Gongsheng was impressed, too.

"Who raised him?"

"Well, I'm not so sure, I can't figure out his moves just yet!"

"But Zheng Chen, do you think you should stop them? They're getting dangerous."

"Well, I think it's best to do that if you can. As long as we decide who gets to put the bell around the cat's neck. Will you do it?"

"What, you want me to interfere with her business? No kidding, I politely decline, I want to live a long life."

"That's a coincidence. In fact, I was just thinking that myself."

"Hmm… I guess we're kindred spirits. Let's keep each other alive."

In the end, they decided to keep an eye on her, convinced that it would be better for their reputations. She was especially dangerous with that look on her face. Touch her and she would explode instantly, and the shock of that explosion was not something they could handle. It was a matter of a completely different nature than a martial artist's goha, and they knew it well from long experience and lessons learned. So, despite being called cowardly, they decided to remain silent.

The sight of the two of them looking so out of place was enough to make Mo Yong-hwi, who was watching from the sidelines, wonder.

"How scared were you, did you both have some kind of weakness?

It was a mystery that made no sense to me.

Sword Hu looked down at his own waist dancing, clutching the last of the weights.

"How long has it been since I drew my sword?"

I would often take it out to "carry" it to prevent rust and maintain my qi. But that doesn't mean I drew my sword. It was merely taken out. There were times when I drew it out to teach a student, to practice, to demonstrate. But that, too, was not drawing the sword.

"When was the last time you truly chose to cut someone?

When you drew your sword, it meant you were truly ready to cut someone. Now it seems like a distant memory.

And now the most powerful woman in the world was about to draw her sword. With the utmost respect, with the utmost power.

"Do you think you can stop this blow?"

Eek!

Her left hand rested lightly on the scabbard. She was ready to strike in the most perfect condition and at the fastest possible speed, and that alone changed the entire atmosphere. She herself had merged with the blade, and an eerie sharpness pressed against her, like a sword about to be drawn.

"Oh yeah, this is why you can't treat people like crap."

I could feel goosebumps on my forearms hidden in my sleeves. Clearly, this woman was the most terrifying swordswoman he'd ever fought since he'd arrived.

"You're serious about doing this."

"Of course! Why are you afraid?"

"You're a good jokester, that's great! Good will for good, bad will for bad, and sincerity for sincerity, that's my credo!"