A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 40

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Shrine
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A martial arts match?

A martial arts match… again?

William wondered if these people had some disease that made them die if they didn’t engage in martial arts matches.

Why did he have to make such a troublesome public challenge, making it difficult to refuse? Was this intentional?

William made eye contact with Eon Cheolsan, who was almost as large as himself.

His eyes were full of competitive spirit.

He was clearly burning with desire to fight William.

William didn’t care for such men.

Was a Western martial artist really that appealing?

“A martial arts match…” William mused.

“It’s said that when martial artists meet , swordsmen cross blades and fist fighters exchange punches to build friendship,” Eon Cheolsan explained.

That’s the first I’ve heard of it, William thought.

“So I’d like to compare Western and Central Plains martial arts.”

Given the situation, it was difficult to refuse, so William felt he only had one choice.

William made a cupped-hand salute and spoke:

“I, William Marshal, accept your challenge. Where shall we hold the match?”

“Thank you. The open space next to this inn looks suitable.”

Since it had come to this, William decided he might as well see what the Central Plains martial arts were like.

He followed behind Eon Cheolsan as he headed out of the inn.

‘Western martial arts. I wonder what they’re really like…’

Eon Cheolsan lightly rotated his wrists and ankles to warm up. This preparation was useless to martial artists who fought with internal energy, but he still did it.

“Looks like we’re in for an interesting show.”

“The Iron Wind Fist versus the Blue-Eyed Lion. This’ll be perfect for getting free drinks for a while.”

“My friend, are you only thinking about free drinks again?”

“But what’s more delicious than drinks others buy for you?”

“That’s true.”

Spectators and members of the Haenam Sword Sect surrounded the open space. Even the inn’s owner, hearing about the match, opened a window on the top floor and poked his head out.

Other inns might have tried to stop it or sighed in exasperation, but he was a merchant who had lived in Changsha for decades.

As a commercial city that also saw many martial artists, he had realized it was more profitable to provide a space for martial arts matches and create a spectacle. He had turned the open area into a small arena.

After all, fights were an inevitable part of running an inn.

“Wang San, bring some flower wine.”

“Yes, sir.”

“A match between a Westerner and a Central Plains martial artist…”

Interested gazes focused on William.

‘It reminds me of duels on the battlefield,’ William thought.

He recalled memories that were covered by a haze of vivid red.

The turban visible through the eye-holes of a helmet, the bronze skin. And… eyes full of killing intent.

He blinked a couple of times.

Suddenly, his opponent had transformed into a muscular man wearing martial arts robes like those seen in Chinese dramas.

His Eyes were full of competitive spirit and curiosity instead of killing intent.

A wry smile formed on William’s lips.

‘It still feels strange.’

“I am Eon Cheolsan, second son of Eon Cheolak, head of the Eon family from Zhenzhou! Among martial artists, I’m known as the Iron Wind Fist! In this match, I’ll use the Eon Family Fist!”

“I’m William Marshal from the Western Regions. I have no family. It seems I’m called the Blue-Eyed Lion here. The art—or as you call it, martial art—I’ll use is Roman gladiatorial techniques.”

William lowered his right foot forward, slightly bent his upper body, and raised both arms to chest level. It was a simple stance, but one that oddly seemed to lack any special martial principle.

‘I heard rumours of a man with a gaze like that of a lion’s, but he doesn’t seem like they described,’ Eon Cheolsan thought.

While rumors tended to be exaggerated, William gave off more of a rational impression than a wild one.

Of course, the pressure from his enormous physique couldn’t be ignored, but it wasn’t the overwhelming presence that people had described. Some spectators tilted their heads, watching the two prepare for the match.

‘Is it a soft style or a hard style? It looks closer to a hard style, but…’

William observed Eon Cheolsan without stepping forward. Though he didn’t know much about Central Plains martial arts, he could usually tell the difference between the hard and soft styles unless it was a particularly unusual technique.

‘He called it Iron Wind Fist, so it’s probably closer to a hard style.’

Was it biased towards one side, or closer to the balanced path?

Such considerations weren’t very efficient at the moment.

At this rate, they would just keep facing off.

William, wanting to end this quickly, spoke first:

“I’ll let you make the first move.”

“Then, here I come.”

With a short “Ha!” Eon Cheolsan’s form blurred as he rushed towards William. It was quite fast.

William, keeping his eyes on Eon Cheolsan’s fist, tilted his body to the left. The wind pressure swept William’s hair back.

‘It’s definitely a hard style.’

Judging by the force behind the punch, a wrong hit could break bones. Despite his huge build, William nimbly deflected Eon Cheolsan’s retracting and re-extending fist with the back of his hand.

Then he thrust forward with the deflecting hand, aiming for his face.

Eon Cheolsan avoided the attack by tilting his head to the side, as if it were easy.

After their initial failed attacks, the two created some distance and observed each other.

The first exchange ended in a draw. But both had gauged their opponent through that first move.

‘His movements are concise. But there’s nothing particularly special about them.’

like most high-level martial arts, the counterattack didn’t contain any special principles. At a glance, it seemed barely qualified to be called a martial art, it seemed closer to just punching, but as a fist fighter, Eon Cheolsan could tell.

‘It’s a practical fighting style!’

Usually, higher-level martial arts often involve movements rarely seen in ordinary techniques.

This is because advanced martial arts aren’t simple body movements, but rather the manifestation of a principle through the medium of internal energy.

In other words, by utilizing refined internal energy and principles, even strange movements can compete with martial arts.

However, William’s movements showed no signs of this.

‘Is he deliberately hiding something, or is this really it?’

Eon Cheolsan just felt that something was missing from William’s style.

He just couldn’t figure out what it was.

Meanwhile, William waited for Eon Cheolsan’s next attack without moving a step. This was because he had never learned footwork techniques, so rashly attacking would only expose his weaknesses.

If his opponent had been a common thug, he would have ground their face into the dirt regardless of footwork. But his opponent was the son of a prominent martial arts family. Even if he seemed to be at a lower level, he couldn’t be underestimated.

‘he attacked with A single punch thrown strongly, with the center of gravity maintained by well-trained legs.’

All martial arts require a stable lower body.

Humans are beings that stand on two feet, after all.

So William slightly extended his right foot forward and bent his knee.

Even if he couldn’t use proper footwork techniques, he knew the basic movements.

William, keeping his body low, kicked off the ground.

As William charged at Eon Cheolsan with a momentum that truly seemed like a beast rushing in due to his size, people’s gazes turned to Eon Cheolsan.

It was a straightforward but simple charge. How would he respond?

Faced with William rushing in with such a terrifying momentum, Eon Cheolsan took his stance with burning eyes.

There was no carelessness.

Being careless against an unknown enemy meant death.

Eon Cheolsan widened his stance, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.

Then he swung his fist towards the charging William. It was a straightforward punch without any feints. But it was a strike so fast that it created a sonic boom.

William’s eyes followed that fist.

He spread his right foot outward and narrowly avoided Eon Cheolsan’s punch. For an ordinary martial artist, that moment would have decided the fight.

But Eon Cheolsan was no ordinary martial artist.

‘A kick!’

While it was called a fist technique, kicks were also included in the martial art. William blocked the right foot flying towards his solar plexus with his left arm instead of attacking.

The impact resonated through both their bodies.

‘It’s like kicking a steel pillar!’ Eon Cheolsan thought.

But William, ignoring the pain in his arm, clenched his right fist and thrust it forward. Having inevitably closed in to his target, Eon Cheolsan had no choice but to use the Iron Plate Bridge technique to avoid his punch.

he did this not knowing it wasn’t a normal punch.

In an instant, Eon Cheolsan’s body, caught by the front of his clothes, drew an arc.

This was a crisis that could have resulted in him being slammed into the ground.

But Eon Cheolsan wasn’t one to give in so easily. He immediately bent his legs, planted his feet on the ground, and resisted the throw with the strength of his lower body.

William, realizing he might be counterattacked if he held onto Eon Cheolsan in a twisted posture, let go and turned his body to prepare for Eon Cheolsan’s attack.

But Eon Cheolsan laughed heartily and created distance without attacking him.

“Impressive! To use a move I’d only expect to see in the Wudang Taichi!”

They created distance once again.

“What a shame. I thought I’d end it in one go,” William said.

“Haha! This body of mine accumulated plenty of experience participating in martial arts matches!” Eon Cheolsan laughed heartily as he adjusted his clothes.

“To counter a feint with another feint, they are quite evenly matched,” one of the spectators commented.

‘He’s more troublesome to deal with than I expected,’ William thought.

If he had his main weapon, the sword, he could easily handle this opponent, but it was somewhat annoying to face him bare-handed.

‘He seems quite sturdy, so it would be better to overwhelm him in one go.’

William’s form shot forward once again.

After all, gladiatorial techniques showed their true value when on the offensive.

The spectators watched intently as the two martial artists clashed again. William’s movements were direct and powerful, while Eon Cheolsan’s were more fluid and evasive. The sound of fists meeting flesh and the whoosh of near misses filled the air.

As they exchanged blows, both fighters were analysing each other’s techniques. William was impressed by the efficiency of Eon Cheolsan’s movements, while Eon Cheolsan was surprised by the raw power behind William’s attacks.

“Amazing! Your style is unlike anything I’ve seen before!” Eon Cheolsan exclaimed between exchanges.

William didn’t respond verbally, focusing instead on finding an opening in his opponent’s defence. He feinted with his left hand, and then quickly followed up with a powerful right hook.

Eon Cheolsan barely managed to block the strike, but the force still sent him skidding back several steps. The crowd gasped at the display of strength.

“It seems the rumours about your strength weren’t exaggerated, Sir William,” Eon Cheolsan said, shaking out his arm.

William nodded in acknowledgment. “Your technique is impressive as well. The Iron Wind Fist lives up to its name.”

As they circled each other, looking for openings, the tension in the air was palpable. The spectators were on the edge of their seats, wondering how this clash between Eastern and Western martial arts would conclude.

Suddenly, both fighters moved simultaneously, their fists meeting in the center with a thunderous impact. The shockwave from the collision caused dust to billow around them.

As the dust settled, both William and Eon Cheolsan were still standing, their fists still connected. They stood there for a moment, testing each other’s strength, before jumping back.

“I think that’s enough for a friendly match,” William said, lowering his hands.

Eon Cheolsan nodded, with a wide grin on his face. “Indeed! It was an honour to cross fists with you, Sir William. Your Western techniques are truly formidable!”

The crowd burst into applause and excited chatter as the two martial artists bowed to each other, signalling the end of their match.

As they walked back towards the inn, Eon Cheolsan spoke again. “Sir William, I must say, your style is unlike any I’ve encountered before. It’s direct, powerful, and lacks the flowery movements often seen in our martial arts. Yet it’s incredibly effective. I can see why you’ve gained such a reputation in such a short time.”

William nodded, appreciating the honest assessment. “Your Iron Wind Fist is impressive as well. It’s more flexible than I expected from a hard style.”

As they re-joined the others, Hye-ryeong bounced up to William, her eyes shining with excitement. “Uncle, that was amazing! You seemed like a real lion out there!”

William couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “It was just a friendly match, Hye-ryeong. Nothing too special.”

Elder Baek nodded approvingly. “Nevertheless, it was an impressive display from both of you. It’s not often we get to see Western martial arts in action.”

As the group settled back into the inn, discussing the match and enjoying their meals, William found himself reflecting on the experience. While he still felt somewhat out of place in this world of martial arts, encounters like this were helping him adapt and understand it better.

He also couldn’t help but wonder how his gladiatorial techniques would fare against the other styles he might encounter in the future. For now, though, he was content to enjoy the camaraderie that seemed to follow such matches in this world.

Translator’s Note:
At first, I wasn’t sure if what gladiators used was really considered a martial art. It wasn’t until later that i thought that they would be more motivated than others to develop strong skills to survive in their kind of enviroment.

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