Chapter 126 – Homecoming (4)

Am I going to die?

I’ve had that thought before.

“I’m going to die….”

With half-dead eyes, I raised my sword, and swung it mercilessly.

Kwaaang!

Today’s lesson: Whether a sword is sharp or not, if it hits hard enough, it will make a loud noise.

I tried to disperse the bone-rattling shock throughout my body and straightened my posture.

“I’m going to lose….”

“Hehe. What are you mumbling about? If you have the energy to talk nonsense, you should swing your sword harder.”

The old man with white hair, who looked more lively than the leader of the Iljang-ro, smiled contentedly and continued his attack.

He was from the Banggye clan and had a relatively kind face compared to other elders. He could easily be mistaken for a kind old man from the neighborhood.

But being from the Banggye clan and holding the position of an elder meant that he had something special.

“Hehehe! That’s right! You’re good at taking hits! Try taking this one!”

Unlike the previous opponents who knew how to hold back, the third elder attacked with the intention of cutting me in half.

I could only be sure of how he swung his sword after seeing the flashes of light clashing like a wild beast.

It’s really sad, but the special thing that the third elder possesses seems to be a combat-oriented temperament.

“No, what….”

Although I was holding only one sword, why were there two attacks?

It was probably some kind of trick. I didn’t expect my granddaughter-in-law, who I met for the first time today, to give me such a hard time!

I complained inwardly and aimed for the shape of the approaching fangs.

It was too late to move my body back, and I couldn’t just brush off the attack with my strength alone.

Even the Limitless Divine Art has its limits. Even if I recover my stamina and inner energy by focusing my willpower multiple times, I cannot repeat this indefinitely.

Therefore, with my current ability, which has reached its limit, it is almost impossible to block the attack in front of me.

If it were an ordinary opponent, I would have quickly alternated between attacks with my superior stats, even with my tired body… but my opponent is a master of the Pungga clan, who is even stronger than me.

Even though he was holding back, he boasted a strength greater than mine, so it would be foolish to respond as usual.

In the end, all that remains is the Eji Seonda, which means that if I block one attack, I have to take the other.

Of course, I won’t really cut myself in half just because I’m attacking one spot.

The third elder is enjoying this duel, but he hasn’t completely lost his mind. So he will surely stop in the middle.

I know that much. But… since this is the last one, I decided to push myself a little bit.

With the sharp sound of the sword cutting through the air, I didn’t take my eyes off the two strikes coming at me and took a big step to the side.

I couldn’t completely avoid it with just this. At best, I could buy a little bit of time.

It doesn’t matter.

My arm moved at the same time as my foot, shooting forward in a slanted trajectory.

“AAAAHHHH!!”

The slanted sword swung fiercely, striking both strikes at the same time.

Kagagak!

The most powerful shock I’ve experienced today. Normally, I could somehow endure it, but… not now.

My exhausted body, worn out from continuous sparring, began to fall back involuntarily, regardless of my will.

“Kkeuk.”

Maybe it’s because I was too focused. Even while falling, everything around me came into sharp focus.

The third elder with a satisfied smile, Hong Yeon-hwa and Paeng So-so, who were looking at me from a little distance away.

And the four elders who were constantly talking and blooming with conversation with them. All of them flowed slowly.

Of course, the last thing I saw was a clear sky without a cloud.

Thud.

The dull shock felt on my back is so welcoming.

Normally, I would have found the cold and hard ground uncomfortable… but at this moment, it feels cozy enough to want to stay like this.

Breathing heavily, I recalled what had happened so far.

***

A few hours ago. It was when I was happily escaping from reality between Hong Yeon-hwa and Paeng So-so.

Not long after, the leader of the Iljang-ro came to Paeng So-so’s room with the other elders.

At first, it was okay. I was on edge, thinking they might rush in like they did when we first met, but that didn’t happen.

Instead, the atmosphere was friendly, with them praising my achievements, feeling relieved at Hong Yeon-hwa’s attitude towards Paeng So-so, and listening to my bragging about Paeng So-so with a smile.

The problem was what happened after that.

Naturally, the conversation changed to the duel I had with the leader of the Iljang-ro, and it went on to the point where they wanted to see it for themselves.

With the feeling that what I had been waiting for had finally come, I closed my eyes tightly and headed to the training ground for the first duel.

I was proud of myself, thinking that this was the best I could show.

…Then another elder went up to the training ground.

After four duels like that, I finally arrived at this moment.

“Huek… Heuk….”

Actually, sparring with the elders was quite helpful for me. Even if I put all my strength into it, having a new opponent who could take it all was exactly what I needed right now.

The problem was that it was too damn hard for me.

With various external and internal martial arts, my stamina was completely drained, even though I was confident in my physical strength.

It’s safe to say that I’m completely exhausted.

As I lay on the training ground, gasping for breath, the third elder scratched his head as if feeling a little sorry for me.

“Hmm. Looks like Nobu got a little too excited.”

“That’s right! You went a little too far! Jin Kagaga is completely exhausted!”

As soon as the duel was over, Paeng So-so rushed over and scolded the third elder, who was her last opponent.

Did she just call me exhausted? Well, I guess she’s not wrong.

“Hehe…I guess I got too excited, thinking of Nobu’s younger days.”

“But still…sigh…”

Paeng So-so let out a deep sigh and put her arm around my neck and her hand on my shoulder.

What is this, a princess carrying me…?

It’s a little embarrassing, but I really don’t have the strength to move even one arm, so I’ll just stay still.

Paeng So-so carefully placed me on Hong Yeon-hwa’s thigh as they arrived at the gathering place where everyone else was.

“Thank you…”

“Well, I know why Jin Kagaga pushed himself so hard. You had to do this much.”

“So-so is right. You should rest and drink some water now.”

Whether it was ordered by the leader or brought by someone else, Hong Yeon-hwa brought me some cool water and carefully gave it to me.

Glug, glug.

As I drank it like a baby, the first elder watched with a disapproving look, clicking his tongue.

“Ugh, this guy is so weak.”

“I think he did well, even after sparring with the top masters one after another…”

“You still have a long way to go, kid. It’s inevitable that you’re groaning like this. Go rest and be in good shape for tomorrow’s main event.”

“Ah.”

The first elder spoke in his usual tick-tock tone, telling me to go rest since I’ve worked hard.

Come to think of it, Paeng Oh-jin said we should have a drink and talk about what happened later. That must be tomorrow.

Well, we didn’t say we’d arrive and have a banquet right away, so we can’t expect that. We need to detoxify a bit too.

Wait a minute. Then what about the elders who wanted to spar with me as soon as we arrived…?

As I looked around with a bewildered expression, everyone turned their eyes away and coughed awkwardly.

“Ahem. It’s not cool to disturb for too long. We old folks will be on our way.”

“Be careful with your words, Iljang-ro. Age doesn’t matter. It’s about whether we like each other or not.”

“Well, that’s right. I misspoke. Anyway, we’ll be on our way. So-so, let’s talk about what’s happened later.”

After giving a gentle glance to Hong Yeon-hwa, the elders quickly left without even saying goodbye.

I suddenly wondered about something, but after thinking about it for a while, I quickly found the answer.

Everyone must have heard about Hong Yeon-hwa and me from Paeng Oh-jin.

It’s clear that the misunderstanding that Hong Yeon-hwa is a master of hiding and seeking has been passed down.

Hong Yeon-hwa, who saw my head full of unhelpful thoughts, patted my head with a considerate gesture and said with a calm smile.

“I’m fine now. Really.”

“I didn’t say anything?”

“I’m just saying that I’m fine.”

Then Hong Yeon-hwa leaned forward and her large breasts naturally pressed against my face, muffling my mouth.

Darkened vision, a soft yet heavy sensation, and Hong Yeon-hwa’s unique scent that filled my nostrils.

Beyond that, I could hear Hong Yeon-hwa’s murmuring voice.

“Hehe…how do you feel about my bribe now? Do you feel like spitting out some useless words?”

Actually, even if my mouth is muffled, it’s a subtle pressure that doesn’t make it uncomfortable to breathe, so if I wanted to, I could say anything I want.

“Ugh! Mmmph!”

If I received a bribe, I should pay the price for it, right?

So, pretending to be unable to move, I was buried in Hong Yeon-hwa’s chest, and then Paeng So-so stuck to me this time.

“Oops! Jin Kagaga, who can’t move…this is precious.”

“Huh?!”

Slowly putting her hand into her clothes, Paeng So-so began to feel around with a lewd gesture.

It seems like Paeng So-so has become too lewd lately…I don’t have any complaints since I’m the one who made her like this.

Anyway, how long have we been fooling around in the training ground?

By the time the atmosphere shifted from playful to eerie, Hong Yeon-hwa subtly floated her luck.

“Cough, cough. It seems like my lord has been very tired today. You should rest for at least a day….”

Paeng So-so, who understood what Hong Yeon-hwa wanted to say, nodded her head vigorously with a twinkle in her eye.

“That’s right, isn’t it?! I’ll talk to the troublemakers, so let’s go back to our room for now!”

…Didn’t they say the main event was tomorrow?