The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 19

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 19

Swift Wind Strike !

The E Family’s characteristic short spear shot forth like a beam of light.

It was a series of wind-like, swift and nimble thrusting attacks.

“Huh?!”

However, the direction of the surrounding exclamations was not toward Akmungi.

“Excellent!”

With a short cry of approval, it was Xie Baowei who leaped into the forest of spears.

No, it was Xie Baowei who moved first, even before Akmungi could act.

He had no intention of yielding the first strike.

Even with a blunted spear blade, a proper hit would cause serious injury, yet Xie Baowei showed no fear as he charged toward the blade.

No matter how swift like the wind, it’s merely a gentle breeze before it builds momentum.

Thus, Xie Baowei’s grappling technique that boldly reached into what seemed like a storm of spear blades easily caught Akmungi’s spear shaft.

Though his arms and sleeves were cut and fluttered in tatters, Akmungi was not one to make excuses.

“…I have learned much.”

“It was a good match.”

Akmungi withdrew his spear and cupped his fists.

Xie Baowei smiled broadly and released the spear shaft.

Then he lifted his chin and looked back at the child he had first spoken to, Jiang Shaoping.

“How was that?”

“…What do you mean?”

“In that fight just now, I was determined not to let the initiative be taken from me no matter what, and I did just that.”

Knowing this, Akmungi had also tried to strike first with his spear.

Even so, Xie Baowei had not panicked.

“…What about breathing?”

“Well, that’s…”

It’s the same thing, but how should I put it. It’s not easy to demonstrate. Xie Baowei was stroking his chin when—

“Hmph! What a complete circus act!”

It was Hoxiong.

Though short in stature but with a solid build, he pushed through the crowd with his shoulders, shoving the children aside helplessly.

“Is the E Family trying to curry favor with the Huangbo Family too?”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“Shut up, Gayan! Can’t you see? If Akmungi’s spear had been truly sharp, that Jin fellow’s arms would have been shredded! And before that too! If he had properly used his internal energy! Would they have even been able to clash hands?”

It was somewhat forced reasoning.

This wasn’t a martial arts tournament but a sparring session.

That’s why they used weapons without sharpened edges, and fighting with such considerations in mind was customary.

However, Hoxiong seemed simply displeased with this situation.

Or perhaps he had other ulterior motives.

“Hmph! It’s embarrassing, but I’ll have to step forward. Hey, Jin family boy. You won’t run away, will you?”

Saying this, Hoxiong strode forward boldly.

His dulled broad sword rose menacingly with fierce intensity.

A wide-bladed sword with a long handle was called a broad sword, and at that size, just being hit by it would break something.

Xie Baowei winked at Jiang Shaoping.

“Breathing is important, you see.”

“Hmph! Focus on me, you bastard!”

Clatter!

With light footsteps, Hoxiong leaped as if flying.

A surprise attack while vision was blocked unfolded in a completely different manner than before.

Under Hoxiong’s offensive, Xie Baowei continuously retreated.

“Haah!”

The martial arts of Geoyameong, developed in the southwestern swamps of Shandong, were characterized by swift and ever-changing techniques, unlike the Huangbo Family’s martial arts based on steady advancement.

Indeed, despite his rough build, Hoxiong displayed his offensive based on the light yet stealthy steps of Ghost Shadow Step, wielding the large broad sword with both hands and sometimes one hand.

It was threatening enough to make whooshing sounds even from a distance.

The momentum was so fierce that despite the size difference, Xie Baowei with his empty hands looked like a candle before the wind.

However, breathing indeed.

Xie Baowei remained as if to show off.

Even while retreating, he was tenacious as if rooted, and even while swaying before the blade, he stayed low and settled.

Even under the fierce offensive, one was rough while the other was steady.

Where the scales of victory were tilting was obvious.

“Huff. Gasp.”

Even though his martial arts skills were outstanding, he wasn’t fully matured yet.

Hoxiong’s offensive, which had seemed only fierce to watch, soon slowed down.

Xie Baowei’s body wasn’t entirely unharmed either.

His sleeves were all torn, revealing up to his elbows, and his shoulders and chest were also cut and fluttering.

His forearms were covered with dark bruises.

But rather, this made Hoxiong more exhausted.

These were merely differences between bare flesh and weapons – all his attacks had only grazed, with not a single direct hit.

Soon,

The cornered Hoxiong’s broad sword, swung with all his might, once again cut through empty air.

Hoxiong breathed roughly and then relaxed his stance.

“Huff. Huff. …Damn it all.”

In truth, Xie Baowei had several opportunities.

The one who faced him knew this best.

Was he mocking him? Yet there was much to learn from it.

Hoxiong bit his lips tightly and bowed his head.

“I have learned much.”

To the cupped fists extended forward, Xie Baowei smiled broadly and reciprocated.

“It was a good match.”

Hoxiong immediately turned his back.

Gayan followed, chattering.

“You stepped forward so confidently!”

“Why don’t you try it!”

Hoxiong snapped angrily. Gayan, who had been grinning, flinched.

The martial prowess Xie Baowei had consecutively displayed didn’t look easy.

No. Actually, compared to the adults of the sect, there definitely wasn’t an overwhelming feeling, but when actually watching him fight, there was strangely a sense of pressure.

How should I put it.

Overflowing with composure?

No. Rather than that, it seemed like he was restraining something. Something like that.

“Is there no one else?”

Look at him now. True to his words about breathing, despite fighting for quite a while, he showed no signs of disorder.

For Gayan, who knew well this boar-like fellow’s fierceness, stepping forward felt unpleasant.

“Well then, shall we call it here?”

Xie Baowei laughed cheerfully.

Thinking of his clothes turned to rags and his bruised arms, legs, shoulders, and chest, it was a bit embarrassing.

But it didn’t feel like he had been disgraced.

There would be those who’d force criticism anywhere.

He was nodding toward Huangbo Lüli in the distance when—

“Hmph! Bear Soul wasn’t enough for that Xie Baowei, so you’d even give him Dragon Rank? Cowards.”

A young man stepped forward.

He had a well-balanced body with moderate height and a reasonably handsome face, but there was something sinister about him that was a flaw.

A string was tied around his wrist with a round weight dangling from it.

It was Buyeonsu of the Dongpyeong Bugajang.

“Hmm. …I have no interest in such things.”

“Hmph. Even if you’re not interested, people will call you that anyway.”

The Bugajang was one of the five families leading the Taishan Alliance, but among them, it had the weakest power.

For Buyeonsu, who knew him well, this seemed like the greatest opportunity.

When facing even one person was difficult, hadn’t Xie Baowei just faced two?

Moreover, while Akmungi had retreated dejectedly, Hoxiong had truly pressed him fiercely.

Therefore, that had to be mere bluffing.

Wasn’t that ‘Xie Baowei’ after all?

“…You’re worried about being cursed at.”

“Then you shouldn’t have stepped forward.”

Buyeonsu sneered.

At this, Xie Baowei pressed his forehead.

“No. I’m being serious.”

Damn it.

Xie Baowei cursed inwardly.

That’s why he had tried to finish quietly and quickly, then disappear….

Even if the blades weren’t sharpened, fighting with weapons was the martial families’ Biwuyan.

Facing one person was difficult, two was challenging, and three was acknowledged as remarkable.

Hence, Gonyou . Defeating one earned the title of young kun , recognizing potential,

Defeating two earned Ungon , praising one’s spirit.

Handling three earned Weihu . One was acknowledged as being like a tiger.

Usually, one would collapse around that point.

Still standing after that? Facing the next opponent and winning again, until no one dared to challenge?

Only then would one be called dragon or phoenix.

This was something even Yunlei had never achieved, Lei had never challenged, and even Dongpae had failed to obtain.

In the Huangbo Family, only one person had ever earned that name.

However.

But then.

Still though.

…Dragon or phoenix.

For a twenty-nine-year-old married man to earn….

Xie Baowei didn’t even dare to hope.

“…My body is old and weary, so I wish to withdraw. Would the young hero show mercy?”

Xie Baowei rambled on, hoping that both the previous youth from the E Family and the youth from the Ho Family would consider their matches with him as mere warm-ups.

At this, Buyeonsu frowned instead.

This way, his own reputation wouldn’t rise, would it?

Moreover, seeing that pathetic state made him even more confident.

It was when he stepped forward to detain Xie Baowei.

“Do you think you can discuss qualifications while retreating on your own?”

Among the clear and refreshing voices, a gruff voice suddenly interjected.

Xie Baowei’s eyebrows twitched as he raised his head.

It was Jang Sahyeon.

“If you start something, you should see it through to the end.”

Isn’t that right?

As Jang Sahyeon looked around, the family elders who had gathered nodded their heads.

Usually they would arrive late, but they had already flocked here.

“Hah. Are you saying that discussing qualifications refers to dragon and phoenix?”

Xie Baowei sneered.

He had known they would come.

He had been trying to withdraw before then.

See it through to the end?

How petty.

“You petty fool! Even Gonyou alone proves one’s qualifications, yet you say Ungon isn’t enough? Didn’t you barely reach Gonyou yourself!”

Huangbo Lüli stepped forward first and got angry on his behalf.

Hearing those words, Xie Baowei nodded as well.

Then Jang Sahyeon’s face reddened.

But he spoke with a cold expression.

“Didn’t that fellow refuse with his own mouth? Moreover. An uninvited guest shouldn’t speak so carelessly.”

Huangbo Lüli was the one who had easily knocked down the person who had blocked that Ungon.

With that smiling face acting as if he had done it for him, he couldn’t even spit out a curse.

Even that bastard had barely earned Weihu before withdrawing.

Facing three warriors was that difficult.

So Jang Sahyeon couldn’t just stand still.

It wasn’t that he feared Xie Baowei.

It was because the situation of having to cross hands with such a wretch was shameful.

“Will you give up?!”

Therefore, he barely composed his face and looked at Xie Baowei again.

Give up, you pathetic fool.

His face looked fine, but he couldn’t possibly not be tired.

He heard that at first, he had faced the youngest of the E Family?

He had watched the match with Hoxiong from the middle.

He had seen sufficient depth of breathing and skill, but nothing beyond that.

‘To drag it out when he could have ended it earlier, what a fool.’

So the third would be difficult.

Jang Sahyeon’s eyes turned to Buyeonsu.

It would have been good if it were Seolmujin of the Taishan Sect, but….

Hmm. No.

Someone like Buyeonsu was better.

Since he knew his own strengths and weaknesses well, he would know how to gain the upper hand based on sufficient stamina.

“…I’ll do it.”

Xie Baowei nodded with a deeply furrowed face.

The atmosphere rose again.

Buyeonsu glanced at his father briefly with a grin, then untied the string from his wrist.

Whoosh. Whoosh.

The meteor hammer began to spin.

“I can hold a sword, right?”

Xie Baowei suddenly raised his head and spoke to Buyeonsu.

Then, without waiting for permission, he strode over to the pavilion and bent down to pick up one of the wooden swords laid beneath it.

Buyeonsu was momentarily flustered, but eventually nodded.

He’s just that cornered, thought Buyeonsu as his feet slowly swept the ground.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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