Book 19 Chapter 19

Night Raid

—Lure

Night, moon, stars, and prey.

All things he had recently become accustomed to.

What does it mean to become accustomed?

It might be that one stops thinking about it, a thought suddenly crossed Gongson Jeolhwi's mind. Abandoning thought and suspending judgment. Just doing it. And not thinking about the act or its consequences. And not taking responsibility. Perhaps that's what it means to become accustomed. Of course, a distinction must be made between mastering a skill and becoming accustomed to it. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to those who master skills.

But thanks to becoming accustomed, his mind could be much more at ease compared to his busy body. His body moved as if it didn't need the brain's permission for every little thing.

As with anything, the first time was the hardest. New experiences always bring both anxiety and anticipation, and these become a great psychological pressure that weighs down the mind. Because of this, he panicked and ended up using five more moves.

The desperate decision to end it as quickly as possible, in a single move, was a fatal mistake. His mind, losing its composure due to impatience, dulled his entire body. Thus, what would have been enough to defeat a not-so-strong opponent once, he repeated five times.

The second time was much better. Having already experienced it once, he was able to mentally prepare. So, when his panicked mind was about to lose its composure again, he forcefully controlled it. However, during that time, he ended up using four moves.

The third time was much more manageable. He already knew what would happen, so he had a countermeasure prepared. Through trial and error over two attempts, he had gained the experience to revise the entire process and fine-tune the details.

He knew a slight hesitation would arise in his mind, and he knew he would control that hesitation again. So, wouldn't it be okay to skip those two processes? He could calculate the entire process as if drawing a picture, and he had already practiced it twice. By then, his hands had stopped trembling, and his hands, free from mental tremors, were much easier to control. Still, he ended up using three moves. It wasn't enough yet.

By the fourth time, the hesitation had vanished from his mind. There was no wavering. He could concentrate solely on the technique to defeat the opponent. How could he subdue the opponent in a single move? However, perhaps because he was thinking too much about the technique, he ended up using one more move. It wasn't just the emotional part that needed to be organized. He realized through actual combat that the rational part, when excessive, could also interfere with bodily movements. He needed to organize his thoughts and focus on one thing.

And now, the fifth time, his mind was at peace. There was no hesitation. He could hardly distinguish between what he was doing and a night stroll. While it might seem unusual to take a short walk on a moonlit night, he could find no fault in it. Today, like yesterday, victory would come to his side as if it were an everyday occurrence. He had never been so confident of success as he was today.

"Today marks the end of these midnight strolls. Goodbye to the cold night wind and the dew of dawn. And now I will defeat him."

The blade he held in his heart had been sharpened sufficiently over the past five nights. Today was not about sharpening the blade, but a kind of ritual to confirm its sharp edge. A ritual to declare that his blade had become sharp enough to break the peony!

The direct evidence materialized before his eyes would further elevate his confidence, and that confidence would further boost his momentum. Gongson Jeolhwi looked at the sacrificial offering for today's ritual with a fluttering heart.

"Plum blossom… a decent flower to practice breaking before breaking the peony."

The patrolman walking in the midnight street was adorned with the plum blossom pattern unique to the Huashan Sect.

"There's nothing to worry about. Nothing…"

It's just repeating the routine he had recently created.

"I am invincible!"

Gongson Jeolhwi approached the back of the Huashan Sect disciple wearing a golden armband, having erased his presence. The youth, intoxicated by his successive successes, was convinced that the opponent would not sense his presence this time either. Of course, he wouldn't do practical things like ambushing from behind. But wouldn't it be okay to surprise him a little? While he was contemplating how he could most effectively startle the opponent before him, the man turned around. As their backs met, it somehow became his front.

"Good evening!"

The man, spinning around, greeted him with a smile and his sword.

Flash!

A single ray of sword light, imbued with moonlight, left a scar of light in the darkness. What emanated from the sword of the man in Huashan Sect attire was not the flamboyant and famous unique sword energy of the Huashan Sect. What attacked him was a lightning-fast sword strike.

"Hah!"

Gongson Jeolhwi, stunned by the terrifying first strike of the sword that seemed to split his waist in two, jumped backward.

Swish!

The flash swept past his waist, inches away from his body. The training ingrained in his body saved his life. However, it couldn't save his clothes. His luxurious silk martial robes were cleanly cut by the sharp sword energy. Although they were expensive clothes, they were cheaper than his life.

"You're not from the Huashan Sect, are you?"

Gongson Jeolhwi looked at the person who had tailored his clothes. The man grinned.

"My apologies for the late introduction. I am Namgung Sang of the Namgung family."

It was a bright smile, shining like moonlight.

"Nice to meet you! Young master!"