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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Shrine
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One of the things I learned the hard way during the two years I made a living with the sword was:
Never associate with those who are crazy about swords.
If nothing else, those who obsess over one thing tend to cause trouble for those around them.
Especially the harm caused by sword fanatics, who found it hard to distinguish between enemies or allies.
Constantly repeating slightly different variations of the same phrases like a parrot, such as “Let’s spar,” “Let’s compete in swordsmanship,” “I want to witness your swordsmanship,” was a given.
Especially when they found someone using swordsmanship they had never seen or heard of, they would rush at them like a dog in heat.
They didn’t care if those around them were disgusted or not.
“What’s wrong with a swordsman trying to see the end of the sword!” they would boldly retort and walk around drawing diagrams on the floor with the tip of their sword to review battles.
Even the Pythagorean Faction bastards would write down their swordsmanship in equations, so it was impossible to comprehend unless you were from the same faction.
Though I had learned modern mathematics, due to the era, there weren’t even basic arithmetic symbols, so it was completely incomprehensible.
At a glance, it looked like they were scribbling something akin to a cipher on the floor, so even if you blatantly watched from behind, you couldn’t understand a thing.
There was a time when I couldn’t resist my curiosity and asked what the content was, and nearly fell into demonic possession, or in the words of the Central Plains, obsession.
Because of such experiences, I couldn’t bring myself to like sword fanatics.
Anyways-
“Sir! If it’s not too much trouble-”
“It is too much trouble.”
You should never give leeway to sword fanatics. If you show even the slightest gap, they’ll rush at you like a swarm.
Of course, it might be less severe here, but I still disliked it.
“That’s right! It is trouble! Uncle hasn’t even fully recovered yet!”
“Ah, I apologize! I made a grave mistake! I’m sorry!”
…But this one’s symptoms are still mild. At least he knows how to apologize.
He hasn’t completely lost his mind and heavily armed himself with obnoxiousness. Yet.
I patted the shoulder of the swordsman with clear eyes and consoled him, telling him not to mind it.
Hmm. Mistakes can happen.
Mistakes can happen.
“Then… if your body fully recovers, may I request a spar just once?”
“…”
Should I accept the offer?
I fell into contemplation, facing Mu-guang who was looking at me with earnest eyes.
Although I don’t like sword fanatics, this spar itself seemed like it would have many benefits.
What’s important to me right now?
Reviving my combat senses that have been dulled by my time as a patient, and establishing connections that will support my future endeavors.
And one of the means to achieve both of these was sparring.
After all, one of the fastest ways for a swordsman who had lost his practical senses to regain it was through sparring.
Sparring a bit would also help me get used to the swordsmanship of the Central Plains, killing two birds with one stone.
Moreover, the fact that I would gain at least one connection was something I couldn’t easily ignore.
I needed at least one connection so that I could entrust my back to someone when fighting against the demon cult bastards.
There was also the upside that sword fanatics often became amenable after having a conversation with swords once.
So, I had almost no reason to refuse this spar.
Of course, it would be troublesome if I lost… but it’s not like I survived on the battlefield when I couldn’t even handle aura for no reason.
“I think my body will be fine in a week, so come then.”
As I gave my permission, Mu-guang’s face brightened. I guess he had thought I would refuse.
“I, Mu-guang, will eagerly await the day to witness Sir’s swordsmanship!”
Mu-guang saluted me with a face full of emotion, appearing as if granted salvation.
Is sparring once that moving?
Sword fanatics really aren’t in their right minds.
I asked Hye-ryeong while watching Mu-guang’s back
“He seems to be overreacting to my agreement to spar once.”
“Ever since Senior Martial Brother Lim-geon sparred with him out of pity last year, and was then pestered to spar for seven days and nights afterwards, no one has been willing to spar with him!”
…Maybe I should have looked for a different opponent?
I wondered if my choice was correct as I got up from my seat.
I couldn’t just sit here forever.
—
“Two hundred ninety-eight, two hundred ninety-nine… three hundred!”
Having finished my push-ups, I stretched my stiff shoulders and got up to check my body’s condition.
The previously empty mana core (dantian) was now filled to the brim with aura, and the flow of mana through the meridians was natural.
With this, my body’s condition was roughly the same as when I was at my prime on the battlefield.
The shrunken muscles had also been revived to some extent, so as long as I awakened my senses through sparring, there would be no hindrance in fighting at my peak.
“Uncle, you really love training too! Just like Junior Martial Brother Mu-guang!”
You think I’m doing this because I like it?
This is all to save you Sword Sect kids… Sigh. Forget it.
Even if I explain, they’ll just look at me like I’m a weirdo.
From their perspective, it would sound like nonsense.
I wiped my sweat-drenched body with the towel Hye-ryeong handed me.
I could feel Hye-ryeong’s gaze on my upper body from behind.
She must have gotten sick of seeing men’s bare bodies during group training, so why was she staring at me with such interest?
“Stop looking. Surely it’s a sight you’ve seen before?”
“But Uncle’s body is fascinating. It’s my first time seeing someone with so many scars on their body!”
I do have a lot of scars.
A rookie who was thrown onto the battlefield after only receiving basic training had to survive through sheer grit and tenacity in order to proudly receive knighthood.
Come to think of it, it’s a miracle I survived.
I had been stabbed with a sword over a dozen times, and gained several large and small wounds with each battle.
There was even a time when I engaged in a desperate melee from a surprise attack, all while one of my arms was broken.
Fortunately, after being captured, I only had to endure torture for half a month.
If I hadn’t been sold as a slave and had been tortured more, I might have become completely disabled.
That interrogator bastard with a confusing name, I should have plucked out all his mustache hairs and stuffed them into his mouth.
“Uncle? You don’t look well! As I thought, we should postpone the spar…”
“I just remembered some unpleasant memories, so don’t worry.”
What’s the point of recalling bad memories now?
A person should live looking forward.
I put on the training uniform Hye-ryeong had brought and turned around.
Hye-ryeong, who had been sitting on a chair watching me, got up and opened the door.
“The cook uncle said he’s making a special dish for breakfast today!”
Oho, a special dish.
My anticipation for breakfast soared.
Even the regular menu items are so delicious that they make you ask for another bowl, but a special dish?
Just what kind of dish is he planning to serve?
He’s treating me lavishly this morning because it’s the day of the spar.
I exclaimed as if I was a man being gifted with salvation.
Because I was starving after doing 300 push-ups.
If a skilled cook’s special dish was going to fill my stomach that was crying out in hunger, it was something to welcome with open arms.
“Ah! We have to hurry today! The rumor that a special dish is being served has already spread like wildfire!”
“If we’re not careful, we might not even get a seat.”
We immediately quickened our pace.
We were closer to running towards the dining hall than walking.
And so, we opened the dining hall door earlier than usual.
“Ah, it’s already almost full! We should have used movement techniques!”
As Hye-ryeong lamented, there were hardly any seats left in the dining hall.
This was all thanks to Cook Jung’s excellent cooking skills.
“Uncle! Over there! There are seats over there!”
We hurriedly sat down in the empty seats we found. If we had been a little later, we would have had to stand.
Hye-ryeong raised her hand and ordered breakfast as always.
“Cook Uncle! We’re here! Give us the special dish!”
“Alright! Sit there and wait!”
The cook’s pleasant shout was heard, and a delectable aroma began to waft from the kitchen.
What could the special dish be?
I imagined the identity of the special dish as I took out two pairs of chopsticks from the chopstick holder and handed one pair to Hye-ryeong.
“Thank you!”
I placed the chopsticks on the table and engaged in small talk. After some time, a servant carrying the food placed the special dish in front of us.
“Wow! Braised pork with five spices!”
Hye-ryeong let out a joyful cry and picked up her chopsticks. I also picked up a piece of tender meat with excited movements, and brought it to my mouth.
Ah, this is the taste.
It’s on a completely different level from forcing down tough meat with salt.
How did I fight and live just to eat that tasteless meat?
The harsh dining situation in medieval Europe suddenly came to mind, and tears welled up in my eyes.
“Uncle, eat a lot of meat!”
Hye-ryeong pushed the plate of braised pork towards me with a sympathetic gaze.
“It’s fine, you eat some too.”
“No! Just watching you eat meat fills me up!”
“I told you not to do that.”
It makes me look like a beggar.
No, am I not one?
It’s true that for at least 2 years, I ate food that made it hard to distinguish whether I was a beggar or a human.
I couldn’t utter any more words of refusal and quietly put the meat into my mouth.
The meat was quickly gone.
There wasn’t a large quantity to begin with.
I soothed my remaining hunger with the noodles that came with the braised pork and put down my chopsticks.
“That was delicious.”
“If you’re done eating, let’s go straight to the training hall!”
We immediately left the dining hall and headed to the sparring location, which was the training hall in the main building.
From what I heard, even the Sect Leader and the elders of the Haenam Sword Sect would be observing this spar.
“This is the training hall!”
Wow, there are a lot of people.
As befitting the representative sect of Haenam Island, I saw numerous disciples surrounding the training hall.
I didn’t expect this many people to come to watch the spar between me and that guy named Mu-guang.
Well, watching a spar would also help in cultivating swordsmanship, so I suppose there was no reason not to come and watch.
“That person…”
“Look at his height… He seems to be seven feet tall?”
“I heard people from the Western Regions excel in external techniques. I wonder if it’s actually true.”
I let the whispers talking about me go in one ear and out the other.
There was no reason to listen or remember.
Let’s see.
This will do.
I grasped the wooden sword that looked the longest from the weapon storage cabinet.
The grip was slightly lacking, but it couldn’t be helped since it was just for training.
I headed to the center of the training hall with the wooden sword in hand.
In the center of the training hall, Mu-guang, my sparring partner, was already waiting with a wooden sword.
“It’s been seven days.”
“Time flies.”
“Time is originally like a flying arrow, which passes in an instant, isn’t it?”
Don’t use such unnecessary similies.
It hurts my head.
“I guess.”
I gave an appropriate reply and turned my gaze to the middle-aged martial artist walking towards us.
“Master.”
“So you’re the rumored foreigner. I am Bai Xuan, the master of this unworthy disciple.”
“William…is my name.”
“William? It’s a difficult name to pronounce.”
“That’s why I’m planning to choose a new Chinese-style name.”
I didn’t have any attachment to my name anyway, so I should quickly choose a suitable name.
I reaffirmed my resolution and looked straight ahead.
Mu-guang also looked at me.
“Have you finished preparing your mind?”
“Yes, Master.”
“What about you?”
“I have also finished preparing.”
“I will take five steps back, and then the spar will begin!”
Five steps.
What a unique method.
Thump.
The sound of stepping back could be heard.
I didn’t take my eyes off Mu-guang.
Thump.
Thump.
It’s five steps, so I can just count with my ears.
Thump.
I stepped forward with my right foot and bent my knees.
Thump.
The fifth footstep signaling the start of the spar echoed in my ears.
And Mu-guang’s sword rushed at me like a raging wave.
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Aura vs qi ?