Book 24 Chapter 8

Explosion! Amipa Sword Secret

―Heavenly Flower, Once Again!

The two did not utter a word. Namgung Sang offered no excuses, and Jin Ryeong did not utter any words of resentment. Both knew that moment had passed.

*Swish!*

Jin Ryeong was the first to draw her sword. Namgung Sang could not read any hesitation in her eyes. He couldn't even tell what she was thinking. After a moment of hesitation, Namgung Sang let out a small sigh and drew his sword.

'Is this really the right thing to do?'

He didn't even have that certainty. He actually had no idea what he was supposed to do from now on. What was worse was that he wasn't even trying to find out. One thing was certain: something was going terribly wrong. Namgung Sang felt suffocated. So much so that he couldn't stand it without saying something.

"Uh…"

*Shh!*

As soon as he opened his mouth, Jin Ryeong's sword shot towards Namgung Sang with terrifying speed. It was a sword move that unfolded suddenly, without any prior motion.

*Clang!*

The incoming blade was blocked by Namgung Sang's sword. It was a reaction made almost unconsciously. If he had been a moment slower, it would have been a disaster.

'How can this be!'

Namgung Sang felt a chill down his spine. He couldn't believe it. Jin Ryeong was serious. She was conveying through her sword that she had no intention of talking. If the other party isn't ready to talk, talking would be like talking to oneself. Namgung Sang sighed once more and raised his sword. It seemed that if he wanted to continue the conversation, he would have to survive for a while in a place where flowers bloomed profusely and fell like petals.

Lotus flowers bloomed from the tip of Jin Ryeong's expressionless sword.

The skills of the two were evenly matched.

Neither could gain the upper hand. It was natural. The two were lovers, and they knew each other's breathing, habits, strengths, and weaknesses better than anyone. They had watched each other's swordsmanship. They were pursuing the path of 'sword' together. Finding such a compatible lover with shared interests was like finding a star in the sky. However, perhaps because they had pushed themselves too hard, that star was trying to fly back to the sky.

Amipa's sword was flamboyant and elegant. However, Jin Ryeong's sword did not stop at mere flamboyance. It held sharpness within its flamboyant elegance. The one who helped that sharpness to be imbued was none other than Namgung Sang.

"Jin Ryeong, your sword is flamboyant and has many variations, but it lacks sharpness. On the other hand, Namgung Sang, your sword is quite fast, but it's too plain with no variations. Learn from each other. Or steal from each other. If you don't like that, teach each other. Don't just be all lovey-dovey and dizzy. You want me to teach you? No. Why should I? It's troublesome."

These were the words the senior disciple had said to them once. And those words were true. From then on, they filled in each other's shortcomings. Just like a married couple. The fact that they were able to reach their current level was partly due to the wicked senior disciple, but without each other by their side, it would have been impossible, no matter how much hell they had experienced.

The two had never gone all out against each other. That would have been too dangerous. They were too afraid of hurting each other. But now, they were trying to hurt each other with the swordsmanship they had painstakingly acquired. Something was strange. But at this rate, no one could stop it. Someone had to try to stop it. Namgung Sang was the first to stop his sword and open his mouth.

"Your skills have improved a lot, Ryeong."

When Namgung Sang remained unarmed without attacking, Jin Ryeong could not carelessly swing her sword.

"You too, Sang."

"How about we stop? That was a misunderstanding. Miss Ryu will prove it now."

When the name Miss Ryu naturally came from Namgung Sang's mouth, Jin Ryeong became even more displeased.

"Words that are easily spoken can be revoked at any time."

Jin Ryeong replied coldly.

"Then what should I do instead of talking?"

"Action."

Jin Ryeong's answer was short but heavy.

"What kind of action would be good?"

Jin Ryeong looked at Namgung Sang, then glanced at Ryu Eunkyung, who was waiting in the waiting area.

"That's something for you to think about, Sang."

"Well, if you say it like that, I don't know…"

*Swoosh!*

Namgung Sang couldn't finish his words as he blocked the sword qi that flew towards his neck. Beyond the blade, he could see Jin Ryeong's enraged face. Her eyes were burning as if they could devour him.

"That's why you're no good, you fool!"

Jin Ryeong's sword shot out towards Namgung Sang's entire body with explosive momentum.

"Coward, idiot, you don't even try to understand a woman's heart, you clueless fool! Do you have any idea what it was like waiting for your words? You probably never will. If you did, you wouldn't be able to stand there so shamelessly! You should be ashamed and hide in a hole!"

Amipa's Yeonhwa Swordplay unfolded in succession from Jin Ryeong's shouting sword tip. With each word added, its power grew stronger.

"Wh-what didn't I say? What am I supposed to do?"

Namgung Sang, who was barely defending himself, managed to find an opening and spoke. Then, he could not continue speaking for long and returned to defending himself.

"Not knowing what to do is the biggest problem. That itself is a sin!"

*Shashashak! Pababut!*

Three thrusts were aimed at his face.

"So with words…"

This time, he couldn't even finish speaking.

"Shut up!"

Jin Ryeong shouted venomously.

"Do you think I only speak with my mouth? I've spoken to you in various ways. I've demanded! I've waited! But you were the one who didn't listen to the unspoken words! You coward. Idiot! Insensitive!"

As she shouted, Jin Ryeong's sword chasing Namgung Sang became faster. Sword qi swirled in all directions, constricting Namgung Sang's entire body. If he slowed down even a little, she seemed intent on slaughtering him in an instant. Was it due to the invisible pressure? It felt more terrifying and powerful than his encounter with the Amishennyo. Feeling his life threatened, Namgung Sang cried out.

"Ryeong, I-I-I'm going to die!"

Stumbling through the family's secret footwork, Namgung Sang retreated. Jin Ryeong also pursued him, stepping in Amipa's footwork, 'Nanhwabo'.

"Die!"

Jin Ryeong shouted. She attacked even more fiercely.

"You liked young women that much? You pervert!"

Killing intent emanated from the tip of her swinging sword.

"Ah, no, that's a misunderstanding, why are you acting like this? I swear nothing happened!"

Namgung Sang felt wronged and even more wronged. It was an accident, after all.

"Hmph, even if I hadn't opened the door, who knows what would have happened?"

Once again, Jin Ryeong's sword grazed Namgung Sang's neck. By a hair's breadth, Namgung Sang avoided the attack. His chest felt cold. Jin Ryeong's sword seemed to be getting faster and faster.

"It was an accident, an accident!"

Such a hackneyed excuse wouldn't work now.

"Hmph! You didn't have the courage to propose to me, but you had the courage to undress a young girl? How long have I waited!"

At that moment, Namgung Sang's body stiffened. His confused thoughts seemed to be sorted out in an instant. He intuitively reached the core. It was a belated intuition, but it was the core. Namgung Sang said in an embarrassed voice.

"Th-that was the problem…"

At that moment, Jin Ryeong's face turned bright red. Her inner thoughts were revealed. Then, Namgung Sang became angry again. If he had noticed a woman's inner thoughts, shouldn't he have pretended not to know and kept it to himself instead of revealing it and embarrassing her? This could only be described as a lack of consideration or extreme insensitivity. Jin Ryeong shouted.

"Do you have to say it out loud?"

*Shing!*

The sword cut through the air sharply once more.

"Do you have to blurt it out with words!"

*Swoosh!*

Jin Ryeong's sword, with increased speed, flew towards Namgung Sang.

'What did I do wrong this time!'

While desperately escaping, Namgung Sang felt incredibly wronged. He was still a long way from being able to understand a woman's delicate heart.

"Huff, huff!"

Jin Ryeong stopped swinging her sword for a moment and panted. It was important to maintain composure when wielding any weapon, such as a sword or spear, but naturally, she got tired quickly by swinging her sword in anger.

"Y-you can do it, Ryeong. If you do it. What's so difficult about that… *Gulp!*"

*Zing!*

Jin Ryeong's dagger-like gaze pierced Namgung Sang's heart. Namgung Sang's heart sank. Why? Jin Ryeong was more furious than ever. More so than when he was half-undressed holding Ryu Eunkyung.

The next moment, Jin Ryeong leaped back, widening the distance. Her lips were tightly closed, and her head was tilted halfway down, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

"If I do it… it works…? What's so difficult about that…?"

A strange change began to occur in her sword.

"Are those two okay? The atmosphere is grim."

Na Ye Rin asked with a worried tone, watching the rapid emotional turbulence between the two with her perceptive eyes.

"Hmm, they'll probably be okay. They say a quarrel between a married couple is like cutting water with a knife?"

"Is that so? Right now, it feels like they're about to cut each other with knives. Besides, those two aren't married yet."

Na Ye Rin pointed out.

"Oh, you've pointed out a sharp part. In fact, the reason they haven't become that might be the core of this incident. Well, considering that idiot's nature, he probably wouldn't even think of a courageous proposal."

"I don't feel good."

She instinctively felt a sense of unease. About what was about to happen. And Yeonbi saw it, what unfolded from Jin Ryeong's hand. Yeonbi's face hardened slightly.

"That's certainly too much for cutting water."

Namgung Sang's eyes widened in horror as he saw Jin Ryeong's sword slowly rising into the sky. He remembered this move. It was impossible to forget. He had almost died because of this move, and he still woke up startled from nightmares about it.

"Flying Lotus…"

A voice filled with disbelief escaped Namgung Sang's lips. It was clearly the Amipa's supreme secret technique, 'Flying Lotus,' which had once been unleashed by Amishennyo Jin Soryeong.

Jin Ryeong was truly serious, and she had diligently honed her skills without rest for a short period. Not for anyone else, but to defeat her lover, Namgung Sang.

"Impossible! How could she use that technique… It's a lie. She's not that much older than me, how could she…"

In the spectator seats, Yu Lan, who was sitting next to Amishennyo Jin Soryeong, watched with eyes wide open with disbelief, shock, and doubt. It made sense. Being able to unleash that technique was almost equivalent to being a candidate for the next sect leader.

"I can't believe she'd even bring out that technique… Did I underestimate that child's wound?"

A small groan escaped Jin Soryeong's lips. However, her advice was limited to swordsmanship. When it came to relationships between men and women, she was no different from a novice. Even someone praised as Amishennyo, how could she know what she hadn't experienced? And how could she persuade convincingly?

"Did you teach her, Lady Jin, that incredible sword energy?"

Yu Eunseong, the foremost swordsman of Changshan, who was watching alongside and paying more attention to Jin Soryeong sitting next to him than the duel in the arena, asked without hiding his admiration.

"It's not something you can learn just by being taught."

Jin Ryeong had learned a technique that was absolutely impossible to master without talent and effort in a short period. Namgung Sang's experience with the countermeasure against his Flying Lotus seemed to have helped. At that time, Bing Geom hadn't just lectured Namgung Sang alone on sword control techniques. It was a lecture given all at once to everyone present because of a passing remark by Bi Ryuyeon, who said it would be better to get it over with all at once.

'Learn it if you can.'

At that time, Bing Geom's expression seemed to say that. And Jin Ryeong listened to that lecture more enthusiastically than anyone else to save her lover, Namgung Sang, and her future. Some of the learning from that time bore fruit, and she herself reached a level where she could imitate sword control techniques as well as Namgung Sang. And after the duel between Jin Soryeong and Namgung Sang ended, she began to pester her aunt, Jin Soryeong, to teach her Flying Lotus. She also had ambition as a swordswoman. From that day on, Jin Ryeong did not neglect her training. And through intensive special training in the past few days, she had been able to make a nearly perfect 'Flying Lotus' bloom in the air.

"But I'm worried about how far she can unleash it with her current internal energy… I hope she doesn't overdo it."

"She'll probably be fine."

However, due to the nature of sword control techniques, they consume a vast amount of internal energy. Therefore, if one overuses the technique, the qi can drain from the body like the tide, and in the worst case, it can lead to qi and blood imbalance and qi deviation.

Especially since Jin Ryeong is not yet proficient in sword control techniques, her control of qi is immature. Jin Soryeong's concern was natural.

"Th-that's ch-cheating!"

Namgung Sang exclaimed in surprise. Perhaps due to fear, his teeth were chattering.

"Why? I need this much preparation to beat you."

Jin Ryeong said in an icy voice.

Three years ago, the two were both of the Nine Dragons Seven Peaks, with similar skill levels. However, from a certain day onward, the gap between them widened. Especially after watching the duel with Amishennyo Jin Soryeong, she was convinced that with her current abilities, she couldn't defeat Namgung Sang. She was proud, yet resentful. Although under limited conditions, he was the one who had defeated Amishennyo Jin Soryeong, one of the Five Swordsmen of the World. To defeat him, she needed commensurate preparation.

"With the special training you did then, you'll be able to block it, right?"

Gritting her teeth, Jin Ryeong shouted.

"Somehow, I feel like I can't block it, no, I feel like I shouldn't block it."

For some reason, his life was in danger now.

"Do you really want to win this badly?"

Jin Soryeong shook her head and said.

"It's not about winning, it's about punishing him!"

Frightened by the raging killing intent, Namgung Sang began to seriously consider whether the epitaph on his tombstone would be in five-character or seven-character quatrains. Jin Ryeong did not wait for the completion of his lament. Jin Ryeong reached for the sword that had risen into the sky and shouted in a resolute voice.

"Bloom, heavenly flower!"

There are surprisingly many fools in the world who think it's okay to treat those close to them carelessly. However, that is a grave mistake. It's better to fix it in advance before you regret it deeply. Regret always comes too late.

The closer people are, the more they should be careful when interacting with each other. The better they know each other, the more they can hurt each other. Therefore, the people who should be most careful with each other in this world are married couples. They should be more careful than friends, and even more so than parents and children, or lovers. In that sense, lovers can be considered a very close relationship in that they are prospective married couples. Jin Ryeong was now presenting the results of her contemplation on how to inflict the greatest harm on her opponent. The effect was certain. Just by looking at it, Namgung Sang's heart turned cold.

"No… that… that's too much… there's a limit to everything…"

His jaw trembled uncontrollably, and his teeth chattered. Jin Ryeong remained silent as if to say, "No questions asked."

Amipa's Unique Sword Technique.

Chaos Flower Sword (Nanhwa Geom).

Secret Technique (Biki).

Sword Control Technique (Igi-eo-geom-sul-sik).

Flying Lotus (Bisang-ryeonhwa).

Two Divisions of Shadow (I-bun-yeong) Twin Flower Leaves (Ssang-hwa-yeop).

A supreme secret art that, in the past fifty years, no one except the sect leader and Amishennyo had managed to learn. That secret art was now unfolding from the hands of Jin Ryeong, who was still in her twenties. It was something the sect headquarters would be ecstatic about, celebrating the emergence of another genius.

Jin Ryeong's sword, which had floated high into the sky, split into two and shot menacingly towards Namgung Sang. Confronting it head-on was not a good option. Namgung Sang decided to evade for now.

Namgung Family's Unique Footwork.

Electric Light Scattered (Jeonyeongbo) Secret Technique (Biki).

Thunderbolt Scatter (Roe-gwang-san-ran).

Namgung Sang, using the Lightning Bolt Footwork, quickly evaded. Namgung Sang had already dodged the four-leafed lotus of Flying Lotus. Dodging two leaves was nothing. Namgung Sang moved as fast as lightning.

'So, what now… *Gasp!*'

However, there was no time to think about what came next. The approaching sword tip had already reached his brow. Namgung Sang, letting out a cry of surprise, used the Electric Light Scattered again. His blurry figure disappeared again. However, where Namgung Sang's indistinct form reappeared, the sword tip was already there, pursuing him. Jin Ryeong's sword was as persistent as a phantom. As if she knew where he was evading.

She had grasped the flow of the Electric Light Scattered.

Namgung Sang gave up evading and swung his sword to parry the threatening tip. The sword, controlled by sword control techniques, returned to Jin Ryeong.

"You were serious?"

Namgung Sang asked, touching the red liquid flowing down his cheek.

"Of course."

Jin Ryeong replied.

Namgung Sang suddenly became angry. He couldn't understand why he had to suffer like this anymore. What was the problem when she was offering it? It was undeniably his fault for not noticing it until now. But was realizing it such a big mistake? Namgung Sang couldn't understand, and he was too angry to even want to understand.

"I won't tolerate it anymore!"

Namgung Sang roared.

"Then don't!"

Jin Ryeong shouted back, not yielding.

"Whoa, this is really dangerous? What are they doing?"

Yeonbi, who had been silently watching the two, muttered to herself, frowning. The two, once lovers, were now like enemies, eager to devour each other. For Yeonbi, watching them, it was a situation that made her sigh.

"They're both the same."

It was no longer the time to determine who was right or wrong.

"Will they really be okay?"

Na Ye Rin asked, still worried. Yeonbi said, still frowning.

"Maybe not anymore…"

For the first time, the tip of Namgung Sang's sword pointed towards Jin Ryeong. Blue sword qi began to flicker from his blade. Blue sword qi, reminiscent of lightning, Namgung Sang was also serious now.

When Jin Ryeong saw Namgung Sang's sword tip pointing at her again, she became angry once more. How dare this man point his sword at her when he still didn't realize his mistake? She wasn't thinking about how she had swung her sword as if to kill him. Usually, fights between lovers were far removed from reason and logic, and the situation usually escalated when one party acted indiscriminately without reflecting on their actions.

"Fine! Let's see it!"

"Good, let's end this."

Jin Ryeong's sword rose into the sky again and bloomed like a flower bud. Blue sparks crackled from Namgung Sang's sword. Like someone at the edge of a cliff, neither was willing to back down. Their vision, clouded by anger, was so narrow that they couldn't distinguish front from back. The two shouted simultaneously.

"Bloom, four lotus flowers!"

Amipa's Unique Sword Technique.

Chaos Flower Sword (Nanhwa Geom).

Secret Technique.

Sword Control Technique (Igi-eo-geom-sul-sik).

Flying Lotus (Bisang-ryeonhwa).

Four Lotus Flower Shadows (Sa-ryeonhwa-yeong).

Namgung Sang, not to be outdone, shouted simultaneously and swung his sword, enveloped in a thunderous blue 'sword aura'.

Thunderbolt Sword Technique's Ultimate Secret.

Lightning Strike Severing Heaven (Roe-gwang-dan-cheon).

The ultimate secret art, squeezed from the depths of their innate abilities, erupted simultaneously. As sword qi and sword qi clashed in the center, a thunderous roar erupted.

People covered their ears from the sharp sound that tore through the air. Countless dust particles rose turbulently. From the repercussions of this immense impact alone, one could easily gauge the magnitude of this collision. At that moment, the same thought crossed the minds of the audience.

Mutual Destruction!

'They've achieved mutual destruction now!'

they thought.

That's how fearsome the clash of power was, pushing both of them to their limits.

"They have no intention of yielding to each other… The world is meant to be lived in by coordinating with each other…"

Na Ye Rin's words were filled with regret.

"There are things that can never be given up. This time, they were both just stupid."

Yeonbi's words were harsh.

"Then, what will be the outcome?"

Young Miss Yun seemed very troubled about that part. In fact, it was the same for the judges.

"Well? But one thing seems certain."

"What is it?"

"No matter who wins, they won't be able to move up."

"Considering the clash just now, that's certainly possible. Then…"

Na Ye Rin stopped speaking and fell into thought. It was natural, because if they advanced to the next stage by forfeit, the person waiting at that spot would be none other than…

"That's right. Our next opponents are the 'Illusionary Trio'."

Na Ye Rin's gaze turned serious as she quietly uttered the name of that group.

"Illusionary Trio…"

The group they most wanted to meet but also most wanted to avoid, the group led by Yeongryeong.