[Chapter 86]
With a thunderous clash!
"Kuh!"
Yeon Ji-pyeong staggered backward.
"Again."
Yeon Wi stood firm, like a solitary bamboo.
His left hand rested behind his back, and the sword in his right pointed downward. His posture was straight, his gaze fixed ahead.
Despair crept into Yeon Ji-pyeong.
'No openings.'
It seemed like he could attack anywhere, yet nowhere was vulnerable.
His father's martial prowess was like an iron wall. The sword energy that split the air was as mighty as a wave, and the swordplay that diverted attacks was as fluid as the wind.
Yeon Ji-pyeong, gazing intently at Yeon Wi, took a deep breath and relaxed his stance.
Yeon Wi's eyes sparkled.
The duel wasn't over, yet he relaxed his stance?
'He hasn't given up.'
Though his posture was relaxed, the aura he emitted was sharper than before.
Yeon Ji-pyeong tapped the ground with his toes.
Boom!
After making his body flexible, he tensed his muscles to increase his forward momentum.
Whoosh!
It seemed he would charge straight ahead, but that was a feint. With a terrifying elasticity, Yeon Ji-pyeong's footwork drew a 'Z,' approaching rapidly yet gracefully.
It was an impressive approach, but Yeon Wi's expression remained cool.
'He knows it won't work.'
Then it happened.
Yeon Ji-pyeong, who had approached from ten paces to the left, suddenly shifted to seven paces to the right.
Swoosh.
A lively force shot towards Yeon Wi's chest.
Slash!
Yeon Wi's sword coldly cut through the force.
At that moment, Yeon Ji-pyeong attacked from the left middle path.
His speed was now twice as fast as before. It wasn't a complete shift to the left.
It was a feint within the footwork, a sharp psychological warfare. He made the opponent accustomed to one direction of approach, then struck explosively from an unexpected angle at the crucial moment.
Yeon Wi's sword soared upward.
Clang!
Yeon Ji-pyeong's body halted abruptly.
He had struck with great force, but again, it was in vain.
With his current martial skills, he couldn't even scratch Yeon Wi. He had hoped to at least fluster him, but even that failed.
Yeon Wi spoke.
"Enough…"
Flash!
Suddenly, Yeon Ji-pyeong's sword shot out like lightning.
It wasn't a slashing but a stabbing strike. A hint of surprise flickered across Yeon Wi's face.
Clang!
The clash of their swords came to a standstill.
Yeon Wi looked down at his son with a cool gaze and nodded.
"Stop."
"Huff!"
Yeon Ji-pyeong retreated, staggering.
It was a strike with all his might, but it was still blocked.
His pelvis, knees, and the entirety of his right arm tingled with numbness. Yet, he couldn't show it.
Yeon Ji-pyeong bowed his head in respect.
"Thank you."
"Not bad at all."
Yeon Ji-pyeong looked at Yeon Wi in surprise.
Yeon Wi sheathed his sword and continued.
"The way you shook your opponent's psyche and delivered a swift strike at the decisive moment was impressive."
"Ah… Th-thank you."
He had never received such praise from his father. Yeon Ji-pyeong's face flushed with warmth.
Yeon Wi couldn't help but admire inwardly.
'This child has such tactics.'
In real combat, countless variables overflow. Martial arts learned only honestly can make the roots strong but are hard to utilize in actual combat.
Yeon Ji-pyeong had solidified his roots as a warrior. They were so robust that they wouldn't be uprooted even after a hundred years.
Yeon Wi had considered teaching him unconventional martial arts, but Yeon Ji-pyeong had already researched and displayed them on his own. Such change surprised Yeon Wi.
And most importantly.
"About that last strike."
"Yes, that one?"
"How did you execute it?"
Yeon Ji-pyeong, somewhat embarrassed, rubbed under his nose.
"It's a sword technique I realized while combining the Flying Swallow Eight Swords and the Raging Waves Nine Swords. It's a bit crude, but when I mixed the swift strike of the Swallow and the continuous strikes of the Waves, it produced a lightning-like strong sword."
"…"
"It's not complete, and it needs refining to use in a duel. I haven't shown it to you because it wasn't ready, but now I think it's possible…"
"No, it can be completed."
"Really?"
Yeon Wi spoke in his usual blunt tone.
"The Flying Swallow Eight Swords and the Raging Waves Nine Swords, combined with the characteristics of the Brilliant Great Sword, create the Iron Sword Grand Expansion Thirty-Six Forms."
"What?!"
Yeon Ji-pyeong was astonished.
The Iron Sword Grand Expansion Thirty-Six Forms was one of the three great sword techniques of the Yeon family. Among them, it had the lowest sword force, but it perfectly embodied the characteristics of the sword.
Thus, the Iron Sword Grand Expansion was both a sword technique and a divine skill. It was also the first of the three great sword techniques that Yeon Wi had mastered.
"If you refine the Iron Sword Grand Expansion, you can achieve the Middle Way sword that is balanced in all aspects. The move you just performed is one of the latter twelve forms of the Iron Sword Grand Expansion, called the Lightning Flash."
"You've combined the Basic Sword Principles and the Unified Sword. There's no need to stick to the basics anymore. Since we're on the topic, starting tomorrow, I'll pass down the Sword Essence Cultivation and the Iron Sword Grand Expansion to you."
This meant passing down both the martial art representing the Yeon family and the sword techniques. Yeon Ji-pyeong bowed deeply.
"I'll do my best."
"I believe in you."
Always believing in him.
Yeon Wi refrained from voicing the unspoken words in his mind.
Was it because of the various incidents they had faced? He occasionally revealed his inner thoughts to the eldest. But with the second son, it wasn't so easy yet.
'He's fast.'
Regardless of the circumstances, Yeon Ji-pyeong's martial skill development speed was astonishingly rapid. Although Yeon Wi himself was recognized as exceptional among the generations, Yeon Ji-pyeong had already surpassed him by a considerable margin.
'Five years faster.'
Yeon Wi had started cultivating the Sword Essence at seventeen, but he had only begun refining the Iron Sword Grand Expansion after crossing the age of twenty.
Moreover, he hadn't even considered combining the advanced sword techniques.
Yeon Ji-pyeong's talent was exceptional in many ways. Not resting on his laurels, he diligently honed his skills day by day, making his future prospects even more promising.
And most importantly, the second son hadn't fully blossomed his innate talent yet.
* * *
"Huh? What's that? Where are you going?"
Gadeuksang looked at Yeon Hojeong with puzzled eyes.
Dressed in freshly laundered martial attire and wielding an axe, Yeon Hojeong appeared ready to depart at any moment.
"I'm heading to Hanam."
"What? Now?"
"Is there a problem?"
"Uh… No, not really."
Having completed his role as a witness in the investigation, and with a few days passed allowing for free movement, there was no longer a need to stay in Hanam.
"If I hadn't come looking for you, would you have left without saying a word?"
"Perhaps?"
"What a heartless man!"
Yeon Hojeong chuckled lightly.
"After all, you must return to your main occupation, right? We'll meet again if fate allows."
"My main job is to watch over you."
"What do you mean?"
"Our master said so. If this dangerous guy strays onto the path of evil, behead him. It's like a special order."
Yeon Hojeong frowned.
"Is the position of Huogae that leisurely? Not busy?"
Gadeuksang gave a weak smile.
"A bit busy. So I can't follow you right now."
"Even if we went together, it would only be tiring."
"You're a terrible person. So cold-hearted."
"Let's meet again later."
"Wait."
Gadeuksang pulled out a grimy pouch from his clothes and handed it over.
Yeon Hojeong's expression was priceless.
"Take it."
"…"
"Why? Is it dirty?"
"I'll take it. But what is this?"
"It's the 'Ojeongpa' (Dirty Essence Token)."
"What a masterpiece of a name."
Gadeuksang shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know what you'll do or where you'll go, but if something happens, take that and go to any branch. You'll be able to get the information you want."
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
"Thank you."
"Enough. Use it a lot since it's meant to keep an eye on you."
"Understood."
Yeon Hojeong stepped out the door.
"I'll be going first then."
"Yeon Gongja."
"Hm?"
Gadeuksang assumed a formal martial salute.
"I wish you martial fortune."
Yeon Hojeong did not take the gesture lightly.
Setting down his axe, he returned the salute.
"Let's meet again later."