Chapter 1011: She Caught Him Today (Part 1)

*Thud.*

Namgung Dan collapsed to the ground. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Yoon Jong, who had been watching, slowly opened his tightly shut eyes and examined the fallen Namgung Dan.

"...He's dead."

"Yes, looks like he is."

Jo Gol raised a clenched fist, nodding his head enthusiastically. He added that it had been a long time since they'd heard such a satisfying sound of impact.

But the astonishment felt by the Namgung Family's swordsmen, who had been watching from behind, was unparalleled. The expressions on their faces were as if their eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. None of them could articulate a proper sentence as they stared in disbelief at the fallen Namgung Dan.

"B-Brother..."

"Taken down in a single blow..."

Their mouths remained agape.

What on earth had just happened?

Even if they looked back and forth between the fallen Namgung Dan and Tang Soso, who was grinning widely with a sword hanging from her shoulder, they could not comprehend the situation.

"It's... ugh..."

"Brother!"

"Dan-ah!"

At that moment, Namgung Dan, who had lost consciousness for a brief moment, began to writhe. He clutched his head and, groaning in pain, picked up the fallen wooden sword and managed to stand up.

"Ugh..."

As he got up halfway, he clutched his head again and trembled.

"It hurts."

"It must hurt."

"I just want to die."

Namgung Dan, as if he couldn't bear to watch it, tightly closed his eyes, turned his head, and sighed. Only those who had experienced the pain could truly understand it.

"Gah, ugh..."

Wobbling as he managed to stand up, Namgung Dan raised his head, still gripping his hair.

"Why? Want more?"

"Well..."

Namgung Dan, with eyes half-lidded and dazed, managed to utter a few words to her.

"Don't... get... careless..."

"Ah, got careless?"

Tang Soso nodded as if she understood.

"Yeah, right. Well, since you got careless, let's call it invalid. That's reasonable, isn't it?"

Normally, excuses about letting one's guard down were unacceptable for swordsmen. It was more like undermining one's own dignity. For those who staked everything on a single sword, letting your guard down was an act that could never be tolerated.

However, Tang Soso generously accepted Namgung Dan's excuse. From Namgung Dan's perspective, he couldn't be more thankful.

So, at first listen, it might sound like a kind and understanding remark. However, the fFive Sword's reaction was quite different.

"...Looks like she caught him today."

"Seems like she's genuinely pissed off, huh?"

"Should we prepare a coffin in advance?"

"...Yeah."

Unfortunately, Namgung Dan couldn't hear the Five Swords' muttered words.

"Ugh."

Namgung Dan pressed his head firmly. His vision was spinning, and his mind was blank. At this very moment, indescribable pain continued to surge from his head. But he had to regain his composure no matter what.

'If, if I can just show my true skills...'

It was a mistake to think that Tang Soso, who appeared to be agile and light, would use such an absurdly heavy sword. Who would have imagined that she would unleash a mid-weight sword from her petite frame? The wrist that had blocked the blow was still throbbing.

Clang!

Namgung Dan raised the sword again, targeting Tang Soso. What he was doing might seem pitiful to him, but what was essential right now was not about maintaining his pride.

If he withdrew now, Namgung's sword would be shattered without even retaliating against Mount Hua's sword. This was especially shameful since he was facing Tang Soso, who had only recently entered Mount Hua.

It was an unbearable disgrace for Namgung Dan.

"Hmm."

Tang Soso aimed her sword at Namgung Dan once again, then playfully twirled her own sword.

"How much longer should I wait?"

"...Wait for what?"

"Recovery. Afterward, you might say that you couldn't show your true skills because you were disoriented again."

"...."

Namgung Dan bit his lip so hard that it nearly bled. The fact that he couldn't refute her statement brought even more shame. He was the one who was trying to forcibly prolong a fight that had already ended.

"I'm ready!"

"Is that so?"

Tang Soso approached with a cheerful smile. In that moment, sparks flew in Namgung Dan's eyes.

'How...!'

Ignoring someone so blatantly! She was approaching without any caution, even with him right in front of her!

"Taah!"

Namgung Dan yelled as he struck down with his sword. His precise sword technique, the Iron Sword Twelve Forms of the Namgung Sect, was executed without any flaws.

Thunk!

As the swords met in mid-air, he twisted his wrist and swung the sword violently, as if trying to sweep away Tang Soso entirely. It was a fierce strike.

'I just need to demonstrate my true skills!'

He couldn't possibly lose to Tang Soso, who had only practiced with her sword for a few years. He had invested blood, sweat, and tears into this sword for so long! No matter how talented Tang Soso might be, she couldn't catch up with the time and effort he had devoted to this sword. No, she mustn't.

Certainly.

It should definitely have been like that...

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Blocked. Completely.

All his powerful sword strikes were being completely blocked by Tang Soso's sword.

'How... How is this possible?'

Namgung Dan began to panic gradually.

Was it because he took a blow to the head that his sword had weakened?

No.

Swordsmanship was something etched into the body. His sword was being drawn exactly as he intended it. However, no matter how he swung the sword, it just wouldn't touch Tang Soso's body.

Clang! Clang!

In fact, with every clash, his wrist seemed to ache as if it might break under the impact of each collision.

'There's no way it could be like this!'

Namgung Dan let out a roar and swung his sword with all his might. A furious storm-like sword strike poured toward Tang Soso.

"Hyungnim!"

"It can't be, Hyungnim!"

The watching Namgung family's swordsmen shouted without realizing it. They had noticed that Namgung Dan's sword was no longer suitable for sparring.

If it continued like this, Tang Soso's body would be torn to shreds by the fierce storm of sword strikes!

But contrary to what was visible, it was Namgung Dan who was being overwhelmed.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Even as the swords clashed in succession, Tang Soso's gaze became colder. There was no hint of hesitation in her eyes as she watched Namgung Dan.

At that moment, her soft voice echoed in Namgung Dan's ear.

"Is that all?"

"Gah!"

That was the exact moment.

Kwoong!

As their swords collided, Tang Soso lightly twisted her wrist, deflecting Namgung Dan's sword upward. Naturally, Namgung Dan's upper body was left wide open.

"My head!"

Tang Soso's sword fell towards his forehead like a gleaming streak. Namgung Dan desperately pulled his sword to block the strike and raised his inner energy as much as he could to prevent the sword from pressing down on him.

'I blocked it...'

But at that very moment, as the swords clashed, Tang Soso's sword began to spin and effortlessly passed by Namgung Dan's defense.

'What?'

In that instant, Namgung Dan saw it clearly. The sword that passed his head went on to precisely impale his right ankle.

"Argh!"

With an exhilarating sound, Namgung Dan's mouth was stretched wide open as if it was about to be torn apart. Unbearable pain coursed from his ankle throughout his body.

"Ugh, ugh..."

In that moment, a violent Namgung Dan wielded his sword erratically.

"Ah, ahhhh!"

Before he could even swing his sword fully, Tang Soso's sword struck his knee this time.

"Ugh... Aaaah!"

Namgung Dan swung his sword with all his strength. But at that moment, Tang Soso's sword, instead of avoiding the flying sword, struck it head-on.

Kwaahhh!

Namgung Dan's waist bent as if it was about to break. His sword was now fully behind his back, and blood oozed from his torn hand grip.

"This can't be..."

At that moment, Namgung Dan heard Tang Soso's voice filled with anger.

"Does a swordsman swing his sword when he's pissed off?"

Tang Soso raised her sword high so that Namgung Dan could see her. Terrified, he used both of his hands to shield his head from the descending sword.

Tang Soso's sword came down fiercely.

"To carry strength in the sword, lower your stance!"

Kwoooong!

"Shift your posture if you want to carry strength!"

Kwoooong!

"If you want to learn, then lower your posture, you idiot!"

Kwoooong!

Namgung Dan followed Tang Soso's instructions, almost contorting his waist as his posture lowered.

"Pride? What pride does a bastard who hasn't shed a drop of blood in his head have? Pride my ass!"

"Ugh, ugh."

Half out of his mind, Namgung Dan instinctively tried to stand up straight.

"Lower your stance, you idiot!"

Kwaaah!

Namgung Dan's throat guard hit his face. Two streams of blood sprayed dramatically into the air from his nose.

"This one, honestly, can't even understand a word? Fine. If it can't be understood by the ear, let's make you understand with your body!"

Observing this spectacle, the Five Swords turned their heads away in anticipation of the impending carnage. They couldn't bear to watch.

"Lower your knees!" 

Tang Soso's sword struck Namgung Dan's knees mercilessly.

"Straighten your back!"

She relentlessly corrected Namgung Dan's hunched back.

"Shoulders! Relax your shoulders!"

With quick strikes on both shoulders, Namgung Dan's posture was forcibly corrected.

Bae Ccheon gazed at the distant sky in silence, releasing a deep sigh.

Why is violence being passed down from generation to generation?

Why...

"While you swing the sword, bend your head! You idiot!"

Tang Soso's sword flew like a streak of light toward the center of Namgung Dan's forehead.

Seeing the sword descending toward his head, Namgung Dan unconsciously let out a faint smile.

'This is... a dream.'

Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang!

Unwanted noises, too unwilling to be thought of as coming from a person's head, resounded one after another, five times.

Thud.

Namgung Dan finally crumbled to the ground like a rotten pile of straw.

Everyone in the manor stared in awe at his trembling limbs, like a frog struck by a rock.

"What? He fell down just like that? Hey, get up!"

At that moment, Yoon Jong turned to Baek Cheon, asking, "Sasuk."

"Yes?"

"Why did Soso end up like that?"

"Yoon Jong."

"Yes?"

"…People can only grow as they learn by watching. What can the water from upstream do to the downstream?"

"…"

"Just be thankful you're Chung Myung sahyung."

Although those words were quite meaningful, Yoon Jong still seemed troubled.

"Sasuk."

"Again?"

"...Then, what will happen to those who enter the Mount Hua Sect from now on?"

"…"

Baek Cheon, unable to answer that question, turned away with a sad look. At the far end, Chung Myung was laughing heartily.

"...Oh primordial heavenly lord."

Protect the Mount Hua Sect.

"Next! Who's next! You coming or not? Hey, Dowi, you come forward!"

In the silent manor, only the sound of Tang Soso's excited shouts and Chung Myung's cheerful laughter echoed far and wide.