Episode 70: Return of the Martial Arts Instructor
“Ready.”
Yeon Woo-kyung set down the inkstone he had been grinding.
Sa Bi-gang, pacing the office, glanced over.
“Good, then take this down.”
Yeon Woo-kyung picked up his brush.
Sa Bi-gang began to dictate.
“I, Yeon Woo-kyung, hold Instructor Sa Bi-gang in the highest esteem.”
“What was that?”
Yeon Woo-kyung flinched, raising his voice.
Sa Bi-gang turned, a sly grin on his face.
“If you don’t want to write it, we can just forget the whole thing.”
Yeon Woo-kyung trembled slightly, then closed his eyes tightly.
‘Just endure it.’
The martial arts duel was a public spectacle. Losing would spread like wildfire.
Rumors would fly that the young master of the Paegeomyeonga was defeated by an unknown disciple from a third-rate sect.
Such gossip might prompt his father to summon him home immediately.
Above all, his pride couldn’t allow it.
Losing tomorrow would mean admitting that Lee Bi-gyeom was right—that he was just coasting on his family’s reputation.
‘Damn it!’
Yeon Woo-kyung bit his lip and began to write.
“Finished.”
“Let’s see. Hmm. Looks good. Oh, I forgot to have you write ‘From the Heart’ at the top. Let’s add that.”
“Could you please…?”
“If you don’t want to, we can stop.”
”… Just ‘From the Heart,’ right?”
“Yes. And write down what I said earlier, too.”
”… Done.”
“Great. Next…”
Sa Bi-gang paused, thinking, then continued.
“I, Yeon Woo-kyung, will henceforth obey Instructor Sa Bi-gang’s every word, because I respect him the most.”
“What kind of nonsense is this…!”
“Does it look like nonsense to you?”
Sa Bi-gang’s expression turned icy.
Yeon Woo-kyung bit his lip hard.
‘That serious face is even more ridiculous!’
In the end, he swallowed his anger and picked up the brush again.
“The last part is redundant.”
“Doesn’t matter. Repeating it makes it seem like you respect me even more.”
”… Done.”
“I, Yeon Woo-kyung, am not even worthy to be the dirt on Instructor Sa Bi-gang’s shoes.”
“Ugh…!”
“If you don’t want to…”
“I’m writing! I’m writing!”
“Write it with joy, if you can.”
“Finished! Is there more? Damn it!”
“I, Yeon Woo-kyung, will always speak kindly and truthfully in front of Instructor Sa Bi-gang.”
”… Done.”
“I, Yeon Woo-kyung, only became human after meeting Instructor Sa Bi-gang. Before that, I was like a single-celled organism.”
Yeon Woo-kyung’s hand trembled as he held the brush.
”… Is there more?”
“I, Yeon Woo-kyung, am so happy to have met Instructor Sa Bi-gang, because he is the most wonderful person in the world.”
”… Done.”
“I, Yeon Woo-kyung, was originally a foolish monster…”
“When will this end!”
“Heh, that was a joke. Let’s see. Hmm. You’ve written it well. I’ll keep this safe.”
Sa Bi-gang carefully dried the paper, folded it, and tucked it into his robe.
Yeon Woo-kyung glared at him as if he could devour him.
“Now… will you tell me?”
“Relax your eyes. You’re scaring me.”
“Please… just tell me.”
“You really aren’t cute at all.”
Sa Bi-gang clicked his tongue, pulled something from his robe, and tossed it over.
It was a stone, glowing with a brilliant blue light.
A magic stone.
Yeon Woo-kyung looked puzzled at the unfamiliar mineral.
“What is this?”
“It’s called a magic stone.”
“A magic stone? I’ve never heard of it.”
“Think of it as a kind of elixir.”
“An elixir…”
“With your current skills, you had a fifty-fifty chance against Lee Bi-gyeom.”
“But not anymore?”
“Right. Instructor Cheon Se-myeong gave Lee Bi-gyeom an elixir tonight.”
“An elixir?”
“Yes. It’s not extraordinary, but it significantly boosted his internal energy.”
“How do you know that? Did you see it yourself?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then how?”
“An owl saw it…”
“What?”
Yeon Woo-kyung looked at Sa Bi-gang, bewildered.
Unbeknownst to him, Sa Bi-gang had used an observer spell to spy through an owl’s eyes.
He had intended to confirm whether Cheon Se-myeong was colluding with the dark sect, but instead witnessed him giving the elixir to Lee Bi-gyeom.
Yeon Woo-kyung, unaware of this, was left confused.
An owl, really…
“Anyway, that’s not important, is it? You need to absorb that magic stone now. I’ve used quite a bit of it, but it should still significantly boost your power.”
“How do I…?”
“Just do as I say.”
Sa Bi-gang grinned and approached confidently.
**
Whoooosh!
As Yeon Woo-kyung’s martial robe billowed, Cheon Se-myeong’s eyes widened.
‘Did that kid always have such abundant internal energy?’
Eon Byeok, who shared the same thought, whispered in his ear.
“Something’s strange. Yeon Woo-kyung’s energy has increased dramatically. Could it be…?”
“Check if any elixirs are missing.”
“Understood.”
Eon Byeok nodded and discreetly slipped away.
Meanwhile, Lee Bi-gyeom grew anxious as the internal energy he relied on no longer gave him an edge.
‘Why…!’
With a swift motion, he launched himself diagonally, slashing with his sword.
Clang!
The clash of sword and blade echoed loudly.
Using the rebound, Lee Bi-gyeom spun his body.
Swish!
Clang!
The metallic sound rang out again, sparks flying.
Clang! Clang!
Lee Bi-gyeom’s sword danced.
His Nine Dragons Ascension Sword technique was characterized by its curving movements.
Inspired by the image of nine dragons ascending to the heavens, it was a martial art that emphasized power, speed, fluidity, and diverse variations.
In contrast, the Paeryongdancheon Sword was known for its precision.
Though both martial arts were dragon-themed, their natures were vastly different.
In the early stages of martial arts training, complex and flashy techniques often held a slight advantage.
This was evident in the duel between the two.
Yeon Woo-kyung’s swordplay was straightforward and rigid, while Lee Bi-gyeom’s was ever-changing and dazzling.
As time passed, Yeon Woo-kyung found himself gradually being pushed back.
Mae Seol-ran whispered anxiously.
“Was that surge of energy your hidden card?”
“Hmm… you could say that.”
“But… at this rate, Yeon Woo-kyung might struggle.”
“Indeed.”
“You’re so calm about it.”
“Well, it’s not me who’s losing.”
‘This man… he doesn’t care at all about his disciple’s defeat!’
“But… I doubt he’ll lose.”
Mae Seol-ran frowned at Sa Bi-gang’s words.
“What do you mean?”
“His hidden card is revealed, but he hasn’t used it yet.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“I’m sure he’ll use it at the right moment.”
Mae Seol-ran tilted her head in confusion, but Sa Bi-gang watched Yeon Woo-kyung with eyes full of anticipation.
Meanwhile, Cheon Se-myeong, who had been watching with bated breath, exhaled in relief.
‘I was worried for nothing. At this rate, victory is ours. Haha.’
As the duel dragged on, it would leave a lasting impression on the spectators.
Yesterday’s duel would be forgotten, and today’s result would be remembered as a triumph.
The thought alone was satisfying.
As he struggled to hide his smile, a sharp metallic sound rang out, and Yeon Woo-kyung was sent flying.
Clang!
Thud!
“Huff, huff, huff!”
Yeon Woo-kyung gripped his sword, panting heavily.
‘Damn it…! Was he always this strong?’
Their internal energy levels were now similar.
However, keeping up with the opponent’s ever-changing techniques was proving difficult.
Compared to the straightforward and precise Paeryongdancheon Sword, the Nine Dragons Ascension Sword had too many feints and deceptive moves.
Moreover, its applications were endless, making it hard for Yeon Woo-kyung, who hadn’t fully mastered his own swordplay, to counter.
“Your internal energy is slightly superior now. But the ever-changing techniques of the Nine Dragons Ascension Sword will be hard to handle. The odds are fifty-fifty.”
That was what Sa Bi-gang had said after Yeon Woo-kyung absorbed the magic stone’s mana.
When asked for a more certain method, Sa Bi-gang had only said, “Practice the Mana Reversal Technique until it becomes second nature.”
Yeon Woo-kyung had spent the entire night doing just that.
‘But… I can’t use it at all!’
All he had gained from the night’s practice was fatigue.
‘Damn, did he set me up to fail on purpose?’
Yeon Woo-kyung glanced at Sa Bi-gang.
Sa Bi-gang was watching him with an inscrutable smile.
‘That sly instructor…’
Just then.
“You’re distracted. Have you lost your mind?”
With a shout, Lee Bi-gyeom charged like a streak of light.
Yeon Woo-kyung quickly raised his sword to block.
‘His legs!’
To his surprise, Lee Bi-gyeom thrust his sword at his lower body.
He was wielding his sword like a saber.
Swish!
‘Dodge!’
Yeon Woo-kyung spun his body to evade.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
‘Another feint!’
The sword twisted like a writhing dragon, soaring into the sky.
Whoosh!
Yeon Woo-kyung gritted his teeth and threw his upper body backward with all his might.
Swish!
The blade grazed his shoulder, tearing through his clothes.
Droplets of blood scattered like tiny red stars.
“Damn it!”
But it wasn’t over yet.
In the blink of an eye, Lee Bi-gyeom’s sword spun through the air, coming at him horizontally.
It was like watching nine dragons intertwine and dance in the sky.
Whoosh!
“Damn, this is dangerous!”
Yeon Woo-kyung quickly twisted his sword to block.
But then…
Swoosh!
The fierce blade suddenly veered away, narrowly missing his sword.
“A feint!”
He realized too late, and his body was already losing balance.
Thud!
He quickly extended his leg to steady himself, but his stance was already compromised.
And Lee Bi-gyeom’s assault wasn’t over.
“This is the end!”
Lee Bi-gyeom shouted, his voice booming.
Whoosh!
His sword came crashing down toward Yeon Woo-kyung’s head.
It was too late to raise his sword in defense.
There was no way out.
The best he could do was twist his body to avoid a fatal blow.
But even then, he couldn’t completely dodge the sword.
He would only escape with his life.
And ultimately…
“I’ll have to accept my defeat.”
In that brief moment, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
“I don’t want to lose!”
Just then, a strange energy surged within him.
The Mana Circulation Technique that Sabi-gang had taught him activated on its own.
It was an instinctive reaction, like how inner strength bursts forth when one is excited or angry.
In an instant.
Snap!
Bang!
Something incredible happened.
Lee Bi-gyeom’s sword struck an invisible barrier and bounced off.
“What the…?”
Lee Bi-gyeom’s face twisted in shock.
Cheon Se-myung was no different.
He stood there, mouth agape, frozen like a statue.
Only Sabi-gang was smiling slyly in that moment.
“Heh heh heh. A shield, huh? Congratulations on unlocking your circle.”