Chapter 26 - Guidance Duel (3)
Man Hun of the Dawn Firefly, Sleet Wind.
A master of Lightness Skills who had been in charge of the Flying Swift Hall during his active years.
To the extent that there were rumors that in the field of Lightness Skills, even the Azure Sky Society Lord and the Sword Lord had to concede a step to him.
At the sight of Man Hun, who had appeared before Namgung Jun at some point, the members of the Heavenly Sword Hall burst out in admiration.
“As expected!”
“To think it was a marvelous movement that looked as if he had only changed his location.”
“Don’t they say that even the masters of the Kunlun Sect marveled at the Elder Council Head’s Lightness Skill? He truly lives up to his reputation.”
In truth, there was no one in this place who had followed Man Hun’s movement with their eyes.
The hem of Man Hun’s clothes did not show even a slight tremble, as if he had not moved at all.
The surrounding atmosphere was the same. It was truly a terrifying body movement.
‘A peerless master!’
Namgung Jun, who saw Man Hun appear as if he had shot up from the ground, knew instinctively.
That the old man before him was a peerless master who had surpassed the realm of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit and had achieved the Five Qi Return to the Origin.
“Come.”
“Yes.”
Namgung Jun, who had stroked his scabbard and lightly gripped his sword hilt, immediately drew his sword. It was slightly different from the sword draw of the Thirteen Sword-Thunders of the Lightning Flash, as his lower body supported his center of gravity more firmly.
FWHOOOOOSH!
Simultaneously with the drawing of the sword, an immense sword wind was spewed forth from the scabbard.
Heavy Wind Sweeping Wall.
The sight of the sword wind, which had started from the bottom and soared up in reverse like a waterfall, was like looking at a thick barrier.
Though it was a form that cut off the entire front in one go, Man Hun was not hindered by it. Just by slightly turning the tip of his foot, the sword wind that was blocking his path split wide to the left and right.
He must have unleashed the aura of the Lightness Skill he had learned in the Flying Swift Hall.
And Man Hun, who had leisurely extended his step. Though he still had his hands clasped behind his back, Namgung Jun’s hair was scattered violently.
FWAAAAAAK!
An immense pressure assaulted his entire body. It was as if a transparent fortress wall were pushing Namgung Jun’s entire body away.
It was not that he had taken a separate offensive. He had not unfolded any particular move; all he had done was lightly let his footwork’s aura flow.
Despite this, it was more threatening than the attack of an average master.
But Namgung Jun did not retreat. He once again swung his sword and deployed the forms of the completely transformed Great Wind Sword Style.
It was his intention to secure the optimal combat distance by using the power of the sword wind.
Namgung Jun took in the sight of Man Hun, who was faintly visible beyond the pulsing aura of his footwork.
‘He is not pouring out his aura just to indiscriminately subdue me.’
Namgung Jun could see it. That there was a certain flow to the steps that Man Hun was intending.
Namgung Jun, his cerulean gaze flashing, put strength into his two feet.
To advance, the sword style alone was not enough. What was it that he was lacking right now?
That was.
Thump!
A step.
Namgung Jun, advancing with a powerful stomp.
Following up his sword wind, he forcefully performed the Infinite Steps Footwork and opened a path forward.
He was not unfolding the Infinite Steps Footwork toward Man Hun indiscriminately. He did not go against the aura of Man Hun’s footwork.
While calmly adapting to it, he crammed the steps of his Infinite Steps Footwork into the very minute gaps between the aura. At that, as if it had been waiting, the aura of Man Hun’s footwork parted and a new path opened.
A faint smile spread across the lips of Namgung Jun, who had been momentarily liberated from the pressure.
‘I see. So the key was the footwork, not the sword style after all.’
FLARE!
The aura of Namgung Jun, who now had his conviction, began to be freely spewed forth from his Gushing Spring points. It was the aura of the Infinite Steps Footwork.
The footwork auras of the old and the young clashed.
If one were to look at simple power alone, the aura of Man Hun would have very easily pressed down on Namgung Jun’s.
But the auras that met quietly dissipated as if they were harmonizing together. The boy slowly advanced, one step at a time.
Man Hun, who was watching Namgung Jun gradually narrow the distance, let out an old man’s laugh.
‘Did he see through it?’
Originally, he had intended to observe and learn from Namgung Jun’s new sword style. But after seeing a few of his forms, he had changed his mind.
The new forms that Namgung Jun had constructed were neat.
They had no unnecessary parts, and compared to the original Great Wind Sword Style, they held more advanced martial principles. Though one could not say it was without flaws and was perfect, it was not a domain that he should meddle in.
‘His innate sword genius reaches the heavens. It is not a part for this old man to carelessly get involved in.’
For that reason, Man Hun had observed Namgung Jun’s other parts. Unlike his sword genius which transcended time, his other parts had some disappointing aspects.
Of course, his other parts were also very outstanding for his age, but it was true that they paled somewhat in comparison to his sword genius.
‘The Martial World is not a comfortable place where one can survive with just a single talent.’
Man Hun had decided to fill in Namgung Jun’s lacking parts. Among them, he had focused on Namgung Jun’s footwork.
Because it was clear that if he were to add the teaching of footwork to the current Namgung Jun, his martial prowess would leap up another tier.
For that reason, the state of the duel had changed to one that stimulated his footwork, and Namgung Jun was far more brilliant than he had expected.
He had perfectly realized his intention and was unfolding his Infinite Steps Footwork with all his power.
‘Good.’
At some point, Man Hun had widened the distance by a large margin, but Namgung Jun could not immediately give chase.
It was because of the footwork’s aura, which was surrounding him in all directions like dozens of streaks of barriers and vines.
To break through this, sword wind alone was not enough.
Naturally, the core of the duel had shifted to footwork.
But there was no one in the hall who could immediately discern the minute aspects of the duel.
Because one had to be at least a supreme master who had achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit to be able to see through the flow of the duel.
‘He is opening up new possibilities for the Infinite Steps Footwork.’
Namgung Jun admitted it.
That in the field of Lightness Skills, Man Hun was more outstanding than himself, who possessed the memories of a past life.
For that reason, Namgung Jun actively used Man Hun.
Rather than focusing on his sword style, he performed the Infinite Steps Footwork in various directions and threw open new paths.
Freely and steadfastly, for how long had he extended his steps.
Namgung Jun’s Infinite Steps Footwork was on the verge of surpassing Great Mastery and reaching Ultimate Mastery.
Great Mastery means that one has fully learned the martial art in question, and Ultimate Mastery is to go beyond that, to reach a new domain that has surpassed the limits of the existing martial art.
This meant, in other words, that the foundation had been laid for the Infinite Steps Footwork to be transformed into a new footwork style.
Thump!
Namgung Jun’s rough steps and Man Hun’s soft steps gradually began to harmonize.
FWOOSH!
As they did, he naturally melted the new steps of his Infinite Steps Footwork together with his sword style.
As the dignified sword wind and the free footwork aura exquisitely interlocked, a path toward Man Hun opened.
A total of ten steps.
If the development and harmony of his sword style and footwork had not occurred at the same time, walking ten steps would have been impossible.
At some point, the old and the young had returned to their initial combat distance. Namgung Jun, who had poured sweat from his entire body, tried to even out his rough breathing.
But the blade raised straight before him and his gaze, which shone a piercing blue, were the same as ever. A glimpse of Namgung Jun’s character could be seen in that firmness and loftiness.
Man Hun nodded his head.
“Your footwork has been considerably refined.”
“I am grateful for your teaching.”
“Rather than giving you clumsy advice about the sword, I wanted to teach you the area I am most confident in. Fortunately, it seems it was the right idea.”
“I will endeavor to develop this further.”
Man Hun nodded his head.
“With your talent, even the Infinite Steps Footwork can be transformed into a more outstanding footwork style. I hope you will be able to obtain a martial art that is fitting for you.”
Man Hun’s gaze shifted slightly downward. He was looking at the sword held in Namgung Jun’s hand.
A heavy aura was still humming on the blade. As if it could unleash a heavy sword wind at any moment.
“Come to think of it, have you decided on a name for the sword style you have newly constructed? For the sword style has changed to the point where the name Great Wind Sword Style no longer fits.”
“I have not yet decided.”
Man Hun asked with a rarely seen, cheerful voice.
“Would it be alright if this old man were to give a name to your sword style?”
Namgung Jun looked at Man Hun.
The old righteous warrior who had lived his life with righteousness until now.
Looking at his eyes, which, though worn down from having weathered long years, held a plain, pure light, he could tell that the stories he had heard were not exaggerated.
If such a person were to give it a name, it would, on the contrary, be an honor.
“In that case, I can only be grateful.”
“Hoping that your righteousness and your martial art will blow high into the sky like the wind, I shall call it Heavenly Wind. It seems you do not much like overly glamorous names… is that alright?”
“Thank you. I shall call it the Heavenly Wind Sword Style.”
The Heavenly Wind Sword Style.
The new Heavy Sword that he would unfold in this life.
As Namgung Jun paid his respects, Man Hun’s smile deepened.
‘I wasn’t able to advance a single step.’
Man Ye-won’s lips, as she watched Namgung Jun move from below the dueling stage, were wide open.
She was so surprised that she wasn’t even aware that her mouth was agape.
‘I was so lacking.’
Man Ye-won clearly felt her face flush hot. She couldn’t help it.
Watching him receive direct teaching from her grandfather following the duel, she could see just how different she was from him.
She could feel just how wrong a choice it had been to pick a fight with Namgung Jun on a needless whim, just to receive praise from her grandfather, to turn his interest to her.
‘Among our peers, there is no one who can catch up to that boy.’
Because she herself possessed a certain degree of innate talent, Man Ye-won could feel it all the more keenly.
Just how brilliant the martial talent that Namgung Jun possessed was.
“Um.”
Man Ye-won cautiously approached Namgung Jun with an embarrassed face.
“I’m really sorry. I was being too selfish. Something like this won’t happen from now on.”
Namgung Jun, who had confirmed the sincerity in Man Ye-won’s eyes, simply nodded his head.
“It is alright. One can be like that at that age.”
“What?”
At his manner of speaking, which was like that of an elder with a large age gap, Man Ye-won’s face momentarily went blank.
“Ho ho.”
Man Hun, who was watching the conversation between the boy and the girl, let out a low laugh.
‘Though he is still young, he is truly dignified. So dignified.’
As Man Hun watched Man Ye-won and Namgung Jun standing side-by-side, a thought came to him.
‘What if I were to make that child Ye-won’s husband.’
There could be no better marriage prospect than this.
His origin as a lone orphan with no one in the world did not matter.
For what was necessary was martial arts and an upright heart.
The Elder Council Head, who had originally had Baek Ri-cheong in mind, had now become completely fixated on Namgung Jun.
***
Lee Se-ha, who was being briefed on what had happened in the Heavenly Sword Hall while she was away, felt her eyes twitch.
“Something like that happened?”
“Yes. It seems the Elder Council Head has his eyes set on him.”
“Ha. Who gave him the right to decide Jun’s future?”
Lee Se-ha thought of Man Ye-won.
Her beauty, martial arts, and background were all flawless, but compared to Namgung Jun, she was endlessly lacking.
“Just what kind of person do they think Jun is, to try and tie down his future with a marriage engagement.”
It was out of the question.
No matter how good a person the Elder Council Head was, this was a part she could not forgive.
As Lee Se-ha fumed by herself, Gong Jun-am asked.
“Hall Master. For now, please consider the personnel assignment for the mission first.”
“You’re right.”
Lee Se-ha unrolled a scroll and confirmed the mission details.
“It seems I will have to step in myself.”
Lee Se-ha wrote down the names of the Heavenly Sword Hall members in order, then muttered as she left the last spot.
“Of course, we have to include Jun, right?”
Gong Jun-am did not deny it at Lee Se-ha’s question.
Namgung Jun was just that much of an anticipated fighting power.
“It is an excessive mission to have a One-Cloud member participate in, but if it is Namgung Jun, it will be different.”
Lee Se-ha, who had completed the personnel assignment for the new mission, shot up from her seat.
“Shall I go and see what kind of spiritual medicine Jun received?”
Lee Se-ha immediately shot off toward Namgung Jun’s lodging.