Chapter 247 – Difficult Guest (2)

Thump.

I lunged forward, anticipating a counterattack.

As I kicked off the ground, the surroundings flowed and retreated quickly, and Paengsoso, who was approaching, suddenly came closer.

As if waiting for this moment, Paengsoso’s body twisted in the air.

Usually, unless you use a considerable amount of internal energy, a slight wriggling motion would be the end of it. But if you have a natural body, it’s a different story.

“Haat!”

Paengsoso’s elastic muscles rotated his body strongly.

Splat!

At the same time, the thick sword in Paengsoso’s hand accelerated and swung towards me, who had already approached him.

With a lot of blue pottery, it looked intense even at a glance.

But it wouldn’t touch my body.

“This much…!”

I put strength into my planted foot and strongly stepped on the ground. Using the rebound from my leg, I hit Paengsoso’s sword with all my strength.

Kang!

The sword and the thick sword stopped in the air with a loud noise.

If you limit your strength to a similar level, this is what happens.

However, there is one big difference between me and Paengsoso right now.

I am properly standing on the ground, and Paengsoso is still floating in the air.

As I put my weight forward and took a step, Paengsoso was pushed away too easily. In the end, he landed in an unstable position.

I take advantage of this small but significant gap.

“Here I come!”

The step I took earlier to push Paengsoso had already turned into a charge.

In the blink of an eye, I arrived in front of Paengsoso and swung my sword down.

Kagak!

“Kkuk!”

Paengsoso hurriedly raised his sword and blocked my sword.

But it’s not over yet. I relentlessly attack him as if I won’t give him a chance to catch his breath.

A diagonal slash starting from below. A vertical slash that plunges straight down. A horizontal slash that tracks Paengsoso, who avoided the previous attack.

I press Paengsoso like a raging storm.

“Ik…!”

Paengsoso grits his teeth and manages to respond.

He flexibly twists his body to avoid the sword, uses his strength to forcibly withstand it, and sometimes supports the opposite side of the blade with one hand to deflect the attack.

It’s a great response. If it continues like this, he might be able to withstand it and then counterattack.

But until then, he can only desperately block.

And the movements of a desperate person inevitably become simple.

I see every dizzying trajectory that Paengsoso’s shoulders, arms, and sword draw without missing a single one.

Sensitive lines that react to my offensive. I aim for the place where the flowing line doesn’t reach…and swing my sword towards that point.

Swoosh-

A whirlwind of sword strokes.

My fastest and most accurate thrust stopped right in front of Paengsoso’s chest.

“Ugh….”

Paengsoso swallowed his breath, his body stiffening.

He soon exhaled and took a step back.

“I lost, Jin Gaga.”

“Yeah, good job.”

Only then did both Paengsoso and I put away our weapons.

“Phew…even though our strength is similar now, I’m no match for you.”

“Of course not.”

“Right. Jin Gaga isn’t just a strong warrior anymore.”

Paengsoso pouts slightly, his voice tinged with self-deprecation.

“It’s really amazing. It’s just ordinary cutting and blocking, but the results are far from ordinary….”

“Don’t overthink it. In the end, we both have a sword in our hands, right? Just block well and swing well.”

“But that’s difficult?!”

Paengsoso exclaims in disbelief.

“Um…but, by the way, I fought better than usual this time.”

“That’s comforting. Can you tell me where I was lacking?”

“Really?”

Paengsoso cocks his head as if asking what that means.

“Well, why not? Before, when I was trying to get recognized by the master, you taught me the secrets of the Ohodanmun and the evasion techniques. Thanks to that, it was much easier.”

“…Oops!”

What’s with that reaction?

“Did you forget the evasion techniques of your own martial arts and teach them to me?”

“No, no! This is…what is it…that!”

Paengsoso continues with a cunning excuse, rolling his calf-like black eyes around.

“You made me a fool, Jin Gaga!”

“Me?”

“Yes! …You made me a fool who only knows you!”

“……”

As I stare at him in silence, he seems to know exactly what he said, and his face turns bright red.

Thump.

I moved forward, anticipating a counterattack.

As I kicked off the ground, the surroundings flowed and retreated quickly, and Paengsoso, who was approaching, suddenly came closer.

As if waiting for this moment, Paengsoso’s body twisted in the air.

Usually, unless you use a considerable amount of internal energy, a slight wriggling motion would be the end of it. But if you have a natural body, it’s a different story.

“Haat!”

Paengsoso’s elastic muscles rotated his body strongly.

Splat!

At the same time, the thick sword in Paengsoso’s hand accelerated and swung towards me, who had already approached him.

With a lot of blue pottery, it looked intense even at a glance.

But it wouldn’t touch my body.

“This much…!”

I put strength into my planted foot and strongly stepped on the ground. Using the rebound from my leg, I hit Paengsoso’s sword with all my strength.

Kang!

The sword and the thick sword stopped in the air with a loud noise.

If you limit your strength to a similar level, this is what happens.

However, there is one big difference between me and Paengsoso right now.

I am properly standing on the ground, and Paengsoso is still floating in the air.

As I put my weight forward and took a step, Paengsoso was pushed away too easily. In the end, he landed in an unstable position.

I take advantage of this small but significant gap.

“Here I come!”

The step I took earlier to push Paengsoso had already turned into a charge.

In the blink of an eye, I arrived in front of Paengsoso and swung my sword down.

Kagak!

“Kkuk!”

Paengsoso hurriedly raised his sword and blocked my sword.

But it’s not over yet. I relentlessly attack him as if I won’t give him a chance to catch his breath.

A diagonal slash starting from below. A vertical slash that plunges straight down. A horizontal slash that tracks Paengsoso, who avoided the previous attack.

I press Paengsoso like a raging storm.

“Ik…!”

Paengsoso grits his teeth and manages to respond.

He flexibly twists his body to avoid the sword, uses his strength to forcibly withstand it, and sometimes supports the opposite side of the blade with one hand to deflect the attack.

It’s a great response. If it continues like this, he might be able to withstand it and then counterattack.

But until then, he can only desperately block.

And the movements of a desperate person inevitably become simple.

I see every dizzying trajectory that Paengsoso’s shoulders, arms, and sword draw without missing a single one.

Sensitive lines that react to my offensive. I aim for the place where the flowing line doesn’t reach…and swing my sword towards that point.

Swoosh-

A whirlwind of sword strokes.

My fastest and most accurate thrust stopped right in front of Paengsoso’s chest.

“Ugh….”

Paengsoso swallowed his breath, his body stiffening.

He soon exhaled and took a step back.

“I lost, Jin Gaga.”

“Yeah, good job.”

Only then did both Paengsoso and I put away our weapons.

“Phew…even though our strength is similar now, I’m no match for you.”

“Of course not.”

“Right. Jin Gaga isn’t just a strong warrior anymore.”

Paengsoso pouts slightly, his voice tinged with self-deprecation.

“It’s really amazing. It’s just ordinary cutting and blocking, but the results are far from ordinary….”

“Don’t overthink it. In the end, we both have a sword in our hands, right? Just block well and swing well.”

“But that’s difficult?!”

Paengsoso exclaims in disbelief.

“Um…but, by the way, I fought better than usual this time.”

“That’s comforting. Can you tell me where I was lacking?”

“Really?”

Paengsoso cocks his head as if asking what that means.

“Well, why not? Before, when I was trying to get recognized by the master, you taught me the secrets of the Ohodanmun and the evasion techniques. Thanks to that, it was much easier.”

“…Oops!”

What’s with that reaction?

“Did you forget the evasion techniques of your own martial arts and teach them to me?”

“No, no! This is…what is it…that!”

Paengsoso continues with a cunning excuse, rolling his calf-like black eyes around.

“You made me a fool, Jin Gaga!”

“Me?”

“Yes! …You made me a fool who only knows you!”

“……”

As I stare at him in silence, he seems to know exactly what he said, and his face turns bright red.

As the day grew darker and the moon faintly appeared, Paengsoso finally felt satisfied.

I had always fought against those stronger than me, so I never knew for sure if I had become stronger. But now, I could beat Paengsoso with just my pure strength.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Paengsoso is weak. She’s not even at her peak yet, and yet she moves her body so well like this?

Even if I limit my strength, I can still feel the peak sensations, and with the power of Muryeong Shin Gong, I can move my sword exactly as I want it to.

And yet, she can keep up with me so closely? It’s not something anyone can do.

What surprised me the most was when Paengsoso said, “Your instincts were amazing.”

Paengsoso is not as immediate and precise as I am.

So how did I respond? I just hit her with my instincts.

I knew where the next attack was coming from and quickly responded to it.

Of course, my sword skills are a bit monotonous. Even if I swing it in the right place, there are no complex moves to understand.

But even considering that, Paengsoso’s instincts were abnormally sharp.

To the point where it was almost animalistic…wait, isn’t that another way of saying animalistic?

She was either exhausted or sitting down, thinking back on the duel, when I reached out my hand to her.

“….?”

Then Paengsoso put her hand on top of mine, even though she was shaking her head.

For some reason, I laughed at her puppy-like appearance and helped her up.

“Ah, Jin Gaga. I can’t walk….”

“You really don’t have any strength left?”

As I supported Paengsoso, she leaned on me and nodded her head.

“I really did give it my all. But I still couldn’t even touch Jin Gaga’s clothes.”

“I’m just a martial artist who has taken a step into the world of Hwagyeong. It’s not that easy to catch me, is it?”

“I know that, but…”

Paengsoso made a pouty face, not sure what she was unhappy about, and started flailing her long arms and legs.

“Ah! I don’t know! Why did Jin Gaga become so strong? Isn’t this cheating? You taught me until the Yongbongji meeting!”

“After that, I had more than a few close calls. I even died over a hundred times during the trials in the movie.”

“Ugh…I don’t have anything to say to that. But still…um…”

Paengsoso thought for a moment, then lifted the corners of her mouth and started rubbing against me.

“If Jin Gaga says it often, should I say that I feel a little strange?”

The sensation of fullness pressing against my upper body. The softness unique to the female body. Perhaps due to the intense sparring, Paengsoso’s scent has become particularly strong and arousing.

And to think that she was using her flexible and elastic muscles, which just a moment ago reminded me of a wild animal, solely to intimidate me.

…Even though we just finished sparring, I felt a slight reaction down below.

Did she notice my reaction? Paengsoso stretched her neck and whispered in my ear.

“How about it? Does Jin Gaga feel something strange too?”

“Ugh. You’re something else.”

Damn it.

As I lifted the stumbling Paengsoso and tried to take her to the room, she protested.

“Not today! I have to review and I’m too tired, so I’m going to bed right away!”

“….”

Are you serious?

I looked at her with a betrayed expression, and Paengsoso giggled.

“Well…I’ll play with your hands a little!”

“Sure.”

Of course, playing with my hands didn’t just end with playing with my hands.

***

And a few days later.

It was a day when we repeated the routine of training during the day and intertwining our bodies at night.

“…How did you get here?”

“I stopped by on my way back to Anhwiro. I heard the location from Dowang, who said he was sending a letter. This way, I can meet the Baekgeomseong Sohyeop quickly, and I don’t have to bother looking for Anhwi all the way, so it’s convenient.”

“I misspoke. Why did you come here?”

“I came to request a sparring match.”

“With Yeonhwa?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Although I’m called the Sword King, I know I’m not good enough to face the Heavenly Demon. Of course, I’m here to request a sparring match with the Baekgeomseong Sohyeop.”

The Sword King Nam Gungcheon came to me early in the morning and said that.

A sparring match with me?

Nonsense. This is awkward.