Episode 57: Return to the Martial Arts Hall

Mok Dan-hwa couldn’t believe what was happening, even as she experienced it firsthand.

The duel had started much like their previous sparring sessions.

The only difference was that she could sense a slight hesitation in Yeon Woo-kyung’s movements.

This gave her confidence, bolstered by her father’s advice, that she might actually win this time.

But just as the duel was nearing its end, Yeon Woo-kyung’s movements suddenly changed.

It felt as if his sword was toying with her, as if she were being stripped bare by its touch.

She shook off the unsettling feeling and focused more intently on her attacks.

“Remember Father’s advice!”

Though it was just a few words, her father’s guidance had been crucial.

Clang!

Finally, she managed to block Yeon Woo-kyung’s attack, their swords clashing with a resounding impact.

“Now’s my chance!”

Using the recoil, Mok Dan-hwa swiftly spun around and aimed for Yeon Woo-kyung’s side.

It was perfect.

But then…

A cold blade touched her throat, sending chills down her spine.

“When did he…?”

The shock was so great she nearly lost her balance.

Every hair on her body stood on end.

Yeon Woo-kyung looked just as surprised as she was.

“What just happened? Could it really be because of that instructor’s advice?”

Yeon Woo-kyung snapped out of his daze, and Mok Dan-hwa reluctantly lowered her sword.

“I’ve lost. I’ve learned a lot today.”

“Your swordsmanship is impressive, Miss Mok.”

Yeon Woo-kyung also sheathed his sword and stepped back, offering a respectful bow.

Meanwhile, Mok Cheol-woo stood up abruptly, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

“This can’t be…!”

He had given her advice himself, confident that Mok Dan-hwa would win this time.

Yet she lost, and so easily at that.

The balance that had seemed so even suddenly crumbled, as if Yeon Woo-kyung had realized something in an instant.

It wasn’t that Mok Dan-hwa hadn’t followed his advice; she had adhered to it meticulously.

He had been so proud, thinking she was a quick learner.

But now…

“What went wrong?”

His expression hardened, and Sa Bi-gang approached him with a knowing smile.

“I think you understand now.”

“What do you mean?”

“The weakness of the Flashing Thunder Sword.”

”…!”

The shock of defeat had been so overwhelming that he hadn’t even considered that aspect.

Yes, the purpose of this duel was to uncover the weakness of the Flashing Thunder Sword.

But what was it?

The duel had ended so abruptly, and he couldn’t see where any weakness had been exposed.

He accepted the outcome of the children’s duel, but swordsmanship was supposed to be about individual skill, wasn’t it?

Moreover, there were differences between men and women.

When the depth of understanding isn’t great, boys with advantageous physical conditions tend to have the upper hand.

Mok Cheol-woo shook his head with a cold expression.

“That Yeon lad was just lucky.”

“Hmm. Luck, you say… That’s unexpected. I thought you would have realized by now.”

“What are you implying? If you’re so sure, why don’t you step up and duel yourself?”

The sudden challenge drew everyone’s attention to him.

The students buzzed with excitement.

“Whoa, is our instructor really going to duel with the head of the Mok family?”

“No way, right? That can’t be real.”

“If they do, who do you think will win?”

“Obviously, the head of the Mok family.”

Hearing this, Gok Bo-ok chuckled to himself.

“Are you so sure?”

The students were taken aback. Gok Bo-ok siding with Sa Bi-gang?

He said no more, simply watching Sa Bi-gang with a look of anticipation.

With the situation escalating, Sa Bi-gang fell into thought.

Mok Cheol-woo smirked inwardly.

“Hmph, if you’re so confident, go ahead. I doubt you’ll even take a step. If you think I’ll let you off after such bravado…”

“Very well.”

“What did you say?”

Mok Cheol-woo’s eyes widened as he looked at Sa Bi-gang.

“What did you just say?”

“If you can’t see it even now, I’ll have to show you through a duel.”

Mok Cheol-woo glared at Sa Bi-gang with a face that could kill.

“No more bravado.”

“You can see for yourself, can’t you? Haha.”

“Fine. I’ll look forward to it!”

Finally, Mok Cheol-woo leaped into the center of the training ground with a swift movement that drew gasps of admiration from the students.

Sa Bi-gang walked over calmly to face him.

The chief instructor quickly handed Mok Cheol-woo a sword.

“I hope to learn from you.”

As Mok Cheol-woo offered a respectful bow, Sa Bi-gang returned the gesture.

“Please, take care of me.”

“Since the students are watching, let’s limit ourselves to sword techniques.”

“Agreed.”

As Mok Cheol-woo slowly assumed his stance, he suddenly tilted his head.

“Aren’t you drawing your sword?”

“Hmm. This isn’t the right sword for a duel. I’ll use that instead.”

With a sudden gesture, a wooden sword from the side of the training ground floated into Sa Bi-gang’s hand.

The students gasped in amazement once more.

Mok Cheol-woo was equally surprised.

“Telekinesis!”

For an instructor to wield such a skill was impressive indeed.

He realized Sa Bi-gang’s confidence wasn’t unfounded.

His initial complacency faded.

But still, he was just an instructor.

The Yongcheon Hall must have hired a skilled master.

“I’ll end this quickly…”

As he thought this, Mok Cheol-woo focused on his stance and looked at Sa Bi-gang.

Sa Bi-gang stood there, holding the wooden sword lazily, yet exuding a strange pressure.

His eyes had changed, his breathing was controlled, and there was an unfamiliar aura about him.

“What is this…?”

Mok Cheol-woo had faced countless opponents in duels and real battles.

But Sa Bi-gang had a unique presence that defied categorization.

Yes, presence was the only way to describe it.

Despite standing there seemingly defenseless, there were no openings.

Only those facing him could sense it.

The students watching were puzzled, unsure of what was happening.

“Is it starting now?”

“Aren’t they still preparing?”

“Shh, be quiet.”

Ignoring the murmurs, Mok Cheol-woo focused on Sa Bi-gang, slowly gathering strength in his legs.

There were no openings.

But in a duel between masters, that’s common.

Openings can appear during the fight.

To gauge his opponent’s level, a probing attack was necessary.

“Alright, here I go!”

Just as Mok Cheol-woo resolved to move, Sa Bi-gang sprang forward.

“What!”

Sa Bi-gang attacked first against the master of the Flashing Thunder Sword.

To an outsider, it might seem laughable.

His opponent was the head of a family known for its speed in swordsmanship.

A reckless attack could easily expose a weakness, leading to a swift counterattack.

In a duel between masters, the outcome isn’t decided in the first second.

As expected, Sa Bi-gang’s initial attack was unremarkable.

“Is this all you’ve got…?”

Mok Cheol-woo smirked inwardly, stepping back and swinging his sword.

Clang!

The metallic sound echoed as their swords clashed and bounced apart.

“Now, let’s see you handle my attack…”

As Mok Cheol-woo swung his sword from left to right, his eyes widened in shock.

“When did he close the distance…?”

Sa Bi-gang had closed the gap, standing just a step away.

The distance was too short for Mok Cheol-woo to put proper force into his sword.

He had no choice but to lightly deflect Sa Bi-gang’s sword and retreat again.

But then…

Swish!

“What is this…?”

Sa Bi-gang followed him as if he knew exactly where Mok Cheol-woo would move.

Like a shadow.

Again, Mok Cheol-woo lightly deflected the sword and retreated.

But…

Swish!

“Damn it…!”

Sa Bi-gang shadowed him once more.

And not just that.

Sa Bi-gang’s foot lightly tapped Mok Cheol-woo’s knee.

The unexpected touch caused Mok Cheol-woo’s retreating leg to straighten.

“Damn! What an embarrassment…!”

Mok Cheol-woo quickly thrust his sword.

It was a genuine attack for the first time in a while.

Clang!

His sword clashed with the wooden sword, producing a loud sound.

“His internal energy is impressive!”

To deflect a real sword with a wooden one wasn’t easy.

But Sa Bi-gang didn’t stop there, launching another attack.

The duel was meant to test swordsmanship.

Though Mok Cheol-woo had acted on impulse, he wasn’t using lethal force.

He was merely demonstrating the characteristics of the Flashing Thunder Sword with moderate internal energy.

He believed that would be enough to overpower Sa Bi-gang.

But…

Clang!

As he blocked Sa Bi-gang’s sword and retreated, he thought, “Damn it! This shadow play again…!”

If it weren’t for the cadets watching, he might have cursed a hundred times over.

Sabi Kang was right on his heels again, giving his ankle a swift kick.

This time, his leg shot backward.

Yet, using the momentum, he immediately thrust his sword forward.

“Enough with the games…!”

Just then, a thought flashed through his mind.

Clang!

Their swords clashed, the sound of metal scraping echoing in the air.

Thud, thud!

Mok Cheol-woo took a few steps back, a shiver running down his spine.

“Could it be…?”

Though he thought it impossible, his heart was already racing.

“I have to test it!”

Resolving himself, Mok Cheol-woo steadied his stance and spoke.

“Come at me.”

“Hmm. Perhaps you’ve sensed something.”

Sabi Kang smirked knowingly and charged forward.

Mok Cheol-woo met his attack with his sword and retreated.

As expected, Sabi Kang shadowed him closely, this time tapping his lower body with his knee.

To an observer, it might have seemed like an adult teasing a child.

But the exchange was so swift that the cadets couldn’t even see their movements.

After several more exchanges, Sabi Kang repeated the same actions.

Mok Cheol-woo’s expression hardened noticeably.

Yet, the initial feelings of humiliation and anger were gone.

Instead, it was a stiffness born of admiration.

In truth, he was impressed.

“Amazing. This man is truly a master! Even if I fought with all my might, I might not be able to defeat him!”

Sabi Kang was indeed teaching him, just as he had said.

In a real fight to the death, it would be impossible, but in this sparring match, he was imparting valuable lessons.

“And he’s doing it discreetly, considering my pride. Truly remarkable.”

In other words, Sabi Kang’s playful taps on his feet weren’t mere antics.

He was highlighting Mok Cheol-woo’s weaknesses.

He was showing him what needed improvement.

The moves were so quick and subtle that most people wouldn’t even notice.

Finally, after retreating a good distance, Mok Cheol-woo spoke telepathically.

[May I ask you something?]

[Go ahead.]

[What advice did you give to Young Master Yeon earlier?]

[I told him to keep his eyes on the ground while fighting.]

Mok Cheol-woo was momentarily dumbfounded.

Then he burst into laughter.

“Hahaha!”

His sudden laughter left the cadets bewildered.

After composing himself, Mok Cheol-woo spoke telepathically again.

[The footwork issue. To express it in such a way that the cadet finds his own weakness—truly impressive.]

[To be precise, it’s about the footwork when…]

[I know. Please, don’t embarrass me further. It’s about the curve in the footwork during defense. I’ve realized it now.]

Sabi Kang grinned.

[That’s a relief.]

[Thank you. I won’t forget how you considered my pride.]

The Lightning Flash Sword technique emphasizes speed above all.

However, until now, it used curved footwork for defense.

Sabi Kang’s advice was to change it to a straight line.

And to counterattack instead of defending.

In essence, the best defense in the Lightning Flash Sword technique is a strong offense.

That’s why, during Mok Dan-hwa’s earlier spar, her instinctive strike shone when she was in danger.

Even Sabi Kang had been momentarily surprised.

But it was a fleeting, one-time occurrence, which was unfortunate.

[Lightning doesn’t bend.]

[Wise words. It’s a simple truth, but the shift from defense to offense isn’t something just anyone can grasp.]

In moments of danger, most people instinctively shrink back.

A risky attack isn’t easily made.

Yet, Sabi Kang was teaching that this is precisely what the Lightning Flash Sword should do.

“I’ve learned a lot. This sparring match has shown me what I lack.”

Mok Cheol-woo offered a respectful gesture.

Sabi Kang returned the gesture with a smile.

“I’ve also received valuable lessons.”

Mok Cheol-woo marveled once more.

He had thought Sabi Kang was arrogant and rude, no better than a common thug.

But he was wrong.

At least in martial arts, Sabi Kang respected his opponent’s dignity.

However, when it came to judging character, he was brutally honest.

He was so forthright that it could seem rude.

“Truly an intriguing person.”

As the situation suddenly resolved, the cadets were left wide-eyed, unaware of the underlying dynamics.

Especially Mok Dan-hwa, who couldn’t comprehend why her father was suddenly so deferential.

Mok Cheol-woo turned to her with a stern expression.

“Dan-hwa, from now on, follow Instructor Sabi Kang’s guidance closely. He is an exceptional person!”

“What…?”

Mok Dan-hwa could only stare at her father in bewilderment.