Chapter 7 : Fate

Chapter 7: Fate (2)

Step, step.

In the space that had fallen silent, only the sound of footsteps could be heard.

With an expressionless face, Jang Woo-hyun walked toward the monsters.

“Kiaaaah!”

The monkey monster, finally coming to its senses, slammed its club on the ground and charged again.

Its running speed was as fast as a four-legged beast.

It was a speed that would confuse an ordinary person.

But Jang Woo-hyun was no ordinary person.

He had risen to the rank of a first-rate martial artist, worthy of being called a master.

The aura enveloped his sword, and the shimmering sword energy began to rise.

Then, Jang Woo-hyun kicked off the ground.

As the distance closed rapidly, the completely revised Tiger Form Sword unfolded in Jang Woo-hyun’s hand.

Swish! Slash!

The monsters couldn’t withstand the sword coated with sword energy.

Their thick wooden clubs, limbs, and everything else were sliced apart.

When he first arrived here, there were eight monsters.

Including the one whose head was cut off first, five died in an instant.

As the monsters charging at him were torn apart in an instant, the remaining three let out terrified screams and scattered in all directions.

Of course, Jang Woo-hyun had no intention of letting them go, so he emitted internal energy from the Yongcheon blood point on his soles to chase them down.

Boom!

With an explosion of energy, his body shot forward rapidly.

It was the result of the training he had done on the way here.

A simple technique of emitting internal energy from the Yongcheon blood point to increase speed.

Although the efficiency was low, the speed was exceptional.

Jang Woo-hyun’s body moved quickly, and he slashed the back of the nearest monster.

“Kyaaak!”

The monster, with a deep wound, rolled on the ground, and before long, Jang Woo-hyun caught up and slashed its throat.

Now, only two remained.

With a booming sound, he shot forward again.

Since the second monster was running in the same direction, it was quickly dealt with as well.

The last one was running in the opposite direction and had quite a distance, but since it was letting out screams while fleeing, it wasn’t hard to pinpoint its location.

Jang Woo-hyun ran again with a booming sound and caught up with the monster that was desperately trying to escape.

Swish!

In the end, the last monkey monster’s throat was also cut.

‘Huh?’

Just as he had cut off the monster’s head, he suddenly sensed an energy.

Someone was approaching.

A person burst out from the nearby bushes and immediately launched an attack.

“You scoundrel!”

Jang Woo-hyun deflected the opponent’s attack with his hand and twisted his body as he swung his sword.

“Huh!”

The surprised opponent leaned back and narrowly avoided the sword.

Losing his balance, the man rolled backward, getting out of Jang Woo-hyun’s range, and quickly stood up.

He was a man in his twenties, wearing a navy blue robe with a cloud embroidered on one side of his chest.

Despite his balanced physique, his face was chubby, and his large eyes gave him an overall cute appearance.

“As expected, you’re no ordinary person!”

The man slowly drew his sword.

From his words, Jang Woo-hyun realized that there was a misunderstanding.

“You’ve been chasing…”

“No, wait.”

“What?”

“I’m not the person you’re chasing. Are you sure? Are you really certain it’s me?”

The man was momentarily taken aback, then slowly examined Jang Woo-hyun.

Unremarkable attire, a sword as a weapon, and a martial level of first-rate.

It matched the one he was chasing.

“Stop playing games! You scoundrel!”

Shouting, the opponent charged at him.

It looked like he had taken just one step, but the distance closed in an instant.

Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes gleamed at the peculiar movement.

He hadn’t wanted to fight due to a misunderstanding, but seeing his opponent’s footwork changed his mind.

He now wanted to see the man’s swordsmanship and movements.

The man in front of him was at the same level as him—first-rate.

And Jang Woo-hyun didn’t think he would lose.

He stepped back a couple of times, observing his opponent’s movements and sword path.

The man’s swordsmanship was unusual.

No, something about it seemed off.

‘Should I say it’s awkward?’

It wasn’t fast, nor was it heavy.

It wasn’t smooth or flashy, nor did it exude a strong killing intent.

It felt like it was trying to incorporate everything but had failed.

“How long do you think you can keep dodging?”

As Jang Woo-hyun continued to evade, the man unleashed sword energy.

In response, Jang Woo-hyun also raised his internal energy.

Now that sword energy was involved, it wasn’t possible to simply deal with him.

But Jang Woo-hyun had no intention of backing down either.

‘You attacked first, so don’t resent me even if you die.’

Firming his resolve, Jang Woo-hyun swiftly swung his sword.

Clang!

The two swords collided with a thunderous sound.

The opponent, lacking strength, was pushed back.

Jang Woo-hyun stepped forward with Tiger Step to close the distance, aiming to cut the opponent’s wrist.

“Step back!”

Just as he was about to swing his sword, he instinctively sensed a killing intent and pulled back.

Thud!

At the spot where he had just been, a solidified energy struck down.

‘Qi Projectile!’

It was a skill beyond simply infusing energy into a sword, firing it over a distance.

It was a technique only a master-level martial artist could perform.

Jang Woo-hyun turned his head toward the direction from which the sword energy had come, and saw a man wearing the same attire as his opponent rushing toward him.

‘A master.’

He could tell just from the way the man was approaching.

With each step, the distance closed rapidly.

Balanced physique, long limbs, and broad shoulders.

He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, but he was stronger than any martial artist Jang Woo-hyun had encountered before.

Thick eyebrows, sharp eyes, and a slight smile on his lips, the man descended nearby.

“Pung-yu, Pung-yu. I told you to wait.”

As soon as he landed, the man scolded the chubby one.

“M-Martial Uncle.”

At the word ‘Martial Uncle,’ Jang Woo-hyun frowned.

The age difference between the two seemed to be no more than four or five years.

In such cases, it would be more appropriate to call him ‘Senior Brother,’ but the man called Pung-yu referred to him as ‘Martial Uncle.’

“Well… that’s because I sensed killing intent, so I tried to assess the situation first.”

“Pung-yu, who assesses a situation with a drawn sword?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Put away your sword and apologize to this man.”

“What? Martial Uncle, what do you mean? This is the man we’ve been chasing. A man in his twenties with fair skin, at a first-rate level, and using a sword. He’s wearing unremarkable clothes, just like we were told.”

“Thirty.”

At the casually spoken word, both of their gazes turned to Jang Woo-hyun.

“I’m thirty.”

“Huh? Uh? Oh…”

“See, you fool? It’s a different person.”

“Oh… is that true?”

“Yes, when I saw from afar, the swordsmanship was completely different. And the wound on Ong-hwa is also different.”

“Pung-yu, didn’t I tell you to wait? What am I supposed to do with you?”

“I… I’m sorry.”

At the man’s scolding, Pung-yu repeatedly bowed his head.

“I apologize for my foolish disciple’s behavior. I am Jin Ha-un of the Blue Star Sect. This clumsy one is my disciple, Pung-yu.”

Jin Ha-un cupped his fists in greeting as he spoke.

“I am Jang Woo-hyun.”

As no further words followed, Jin Ha-un seemed to guess something about Jang Woo-hyun’s identity.

“Are you a wandering warrior?”

“For now, you could say that. I’m on my way to the Demon Extermination Sect, and I happened to climb Mount Qingcheng.”

“This isn’t the way to the Demon Extermination Sect… could it be you took the wrong path?”

“That’s not it. I happened to hear at an inn that monsters were causing trouble, so I came up to deal with them.”

“Oh…”

Jin Ha-un stepped sideways, looking impressed, and approached Pung-yu before pressing down on his disciple’s head.

“Apologize. Apologize a hundred times. This is an incredibly honorable man. What on earth were you thinking?”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

As Jin Ha-un pressed down, Pung-yu continued to bow his head repeatedly.

Seeing this, Jang Woo-hyun waved his hand, saying it was fine.

“I apologize. We’ve been chasing someone and must have mistaken you for him. If we were at an inn, I would buy you a drink to apologize, but here, I have nothing to offer. Pung-yu, apologize again.”

“I’m sorry.”

At the scolding, Pung-yu bowed again.

Watching the two, Jang Woo-hyun cautiously brought up something he had been thinking about.

“Master Jin, may I ask you a favor?”

“A favor?”

Jin Ha-un, seeming to sense something from Jang Woo-hyun’s expression, nodded with a big smile and spoke.

“Of course. If it’s something I can do, I’ll gladly help.”

“Would you be willing to cross swords with me?”

It was an abrupt and rude request, but Jang Woo-hyun, feeling he would regret it if he didn’t say it, blurted it out.

Jin Ha-un, a bit flustered, stammered for a moment before speaking.

“Well… if you suddenly ask that, it’s a bit awkward. But, alright. Since my disciple made a mistake, let’s do it. Are you asking for a spar?”

“Not quite a spar. I just want to see Master Jin’s swordsmanship.”

A master he met by chance.

Moreover, Jin Ha-un had shown some peculiar movements, so Jang Woo-hyun didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

“Understood.”

Jin Ha-un drew his sword cleanly.

At that moment, the aura of the good-natured young man changed.

Jang Woo-hyun unconsciously tensed and swallowed.

‘At that age, he’s this skilled…’

At the very least, he was at the master level.

It was impossible to gauge his exact level.

Since Jang Woo-hyun was at a lower level, he couldn’t fully assess it.

Though Jang Woo-hyun didn’t know much about the martial world, he could be sure of one thing.

There couldn’t be many martial artists in the whole of Central Plains who had reached that level at Jin Ha-un’s age.

‘Jin Ha-un of the Blue Star Sect.’

There was only one place in Sichuan that used the name ‘Blue Star.’

One of the three rivers of Sichuan and a member of the Nine Sects, the Blue Star Sect.

Jang Woo-hyun wanted to see Jin Ha-un’s swordsmanship.

The sword of the Nine Sects, and the sword of a man who seemed to be a genius.

It wasn’t an opportunity that came often.

“Then, I’ll control myself accordingly.”

As he spoke, Jin Ha-un’s sword moved.

It was different from Pung-yu’s awkwardness.

Fast and heavy, strong yet sometimes soft.

There was flashiness, and at times, a dominating presence.

It was a sword that encompassed everything.

It was a sword that contained everything.

‘This is the sword of the Blue Star Sect.’

It wasn’t particularly outstanding in one area, but it had a foothold in every aspect.

The lack of a standout trait could be seen as a weakness, but from Jang Woo-hyun’s perspective, it wasn’t.

It was a nearly perfect sword.

It displayed so many things that it couldn’t be easily grasped or stolen.

Where Pung-yu’s sword had clear weaknesses, Jin Ha-un’s sword had none.

It flowed naturally, constantly changing without breaking.

Even though it seemed like he wasn’t putting in all his strength, it was still difficult to face him.

Before Jang Woo-hyun realized it, he had been pushed back several steps.

Realizing this, he didn’t want to retreat any further and stepped into Tiger Step.

Thud!

With determination to not be pushed back, he forcefully swung his sword.

Matching his movement, Jin Ha-un also stepped forward.

His movement was fluid.

As Jang Woo-hyun’s fast, fierce attack came at him, Jin Ha-un dodged it with ease.

‘This is the footwork of the Blue Star Sect.’

While swinging his sword, Jang Woo-hyun took note of the movement.

Unlike the swordsmanship, the footwork was something he could comprehend.

The two clashed like this for a while, and then, at some point, Jin Ha-un put more force into his strike.

Clang!

With the weight behind the sword, Jang Woo-hyun was pushed back.

As he prepared to charge again, Jin Ha-un raised his hand to stop him.

“Young Master, how about we stop here? We have something we need to do.”

Though disappointed, something came to Jang Woo-hyun’s mind, and he lowered his sword and asked.

“Does the Blue Star Sect’s sword pursue perfection?”

It was a sudden question, but Jin Ha-un seemed to understand what Jang Woo-hyun was asking and smiled.

“Perfection… It might seem that way, but I see it differently.”

“The Blue Star Sect’s sword is faithful to the basics.”

“The basics. The basics…”

Jang Woo-hyun nodded his head, lost in thought.

Not perfection, but the basics.

Though he had only briefly experienced it, he thought he understood what that meant.

“Did that answer your question?”

“Yes, it was a good answer and great swordsmanship. Thank you.”

Since he was genuinely grateful, Jang Woo-hyun bowed his head in thanks.

“I hope we meet again somewhere, if fate allows. Pung-yu, apologize once more.”

“I’m sorry. I apologize again.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ve also learned something from you two.”

Seeming to have realized something, Jang Woo-hyun bid them farewell and began descending the mountain.

Jin Ha-un stood for a long while, watching his retreating figure.

“He’s no ordinary person.”

“Martial Uncle, are you really that impressed?”

Pung-yu tilted his head, asking.

From his perspective, Jang Woo-hyun didn’t seem to be at such an impressive level.

“Do you know why I had to stop the fight? Do you know why?”

“Uh… Because you might have hurt or killed him?”

Pung-yu couldn’t even imagine that Jin Ha-un would lose.

Though Jin Ha-un had entered the Blue Star Sect as a secular disciple, he had displayed such outstanding talent that the highest elder of the Blue Star Sect, Jeok Ha-jin, had taken him as a disciple.

With his exceptional talent, Jin Ha-un had completely reshuffled the hierarchy within the Blue Star Sect.

Though he wasn’t much older than Pung-yu, he was of a higher rank, at the same level as the current leader and elders of the Blue Star Sect.

Naturally, his skills were outstanding, and he had already surpassed the level of a post-heaven martial artist.

For Pung-yu, it was unthinkable that his Martial Uncle would rate a wandering warrior so highly.

“He was stealing my martial arts.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“If we had continued, that man would have stolen my martial arts.”

“Th-that’s ridiculous…”

Pung-yu found it hard to believe.

It wasn’t like they had been practicing some cheap street-side sword technique.

It was the Blue Star Sect’s swordsmanship.

No matter how exceptional Jang Woo-hyun might be, it didn’t make sense that he could learn the Blue Star Sect’s swordsmanship from just a brief exchange.

Having trained in the Blue Star Sect’s swordsmanship himself, Pung-yu knew how difficult it was to master.

No matter how talented his Martial Uncle was, he couldn’t accept such an idea.

“I’m not saying he could replicate the Blue Star Sect’s sword perfectly. He would probably take an important part of it and incorporate it into his own martial arts. That’s why I stopped. Because he might become an enemy someday.”

Pung-yu was speechless at this unbelievable situation.

‘If we had continued, it could’ve been dangerous.’

Jang Woo-hyun’s gaze had been unsettling.

If they had continued to exchange blows, he might have taken something.

In the short time they had clashed, Jang Woo-hyun had already begun to mimic Jin Ha-un’s movements.

“A genius, then.”

Even Jin Ha-un, back when he was at Mount Blue Star, had been called a genius by everyone.

But today, he had met another genius.

A man who could steal another’s martial arts in an instant.

‘Who is he, really?’

Though he had said he had no affiliation, that didn’t mean he was weak.

The martial world was full of many mysterious masters.

Perhaps he was the successor of a hidden sect that passed down its teachings through one-to-one transmission.

That would explain Jang Woo-hyun’s skill.

‘It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we could’ve done. We couldn’t let him take the Blue Star Sect’s swordsmanship.’

Although Jang Woo-hyun didn’t seem like a bad person, Jin Ha-un couldn’t show him everything.

After all, they might cross paths in the future as enemies.

Moreover, the sword technique wasn’t his own—it belonged to the Blue Star Sect.

‘There was a reason why the Sect Leader recommended traveling the martial world.’

He hadn’t been in the martial world for long, but he had already encountered such a strange figure.

The vastness of Central Plains excited him—how many more remarkable people would he meet?

With a sense of excitement, Jin Ha-un left the area.

Contrary to Jin Ha-un’s belief that Jang Woo-hyun hadn’t stolen anything, Jang Woo-hyun had indeed gained something.

‘Did he move like this?’

As he descended the mountain, Jang Woo-hyun organized what he had seen in his mind, reviewing it as he moved.

What he had gained from crossing swords with the two disciples of the Blue Star Sect wasn’t their swordsmanship—it was their footwork.