The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 126

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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 126. I Lost

 

 

After the martial duel between Sa Pyeong-ju and Dan Mok Un-rae ended.

The fervor of the Winter Tournament gradually began to heat up.

As if the atmosphere had never been gloomily subdued.

The cadets began to focus on the martial duels.

At that moment, attention was drawn to one martial arts arena.

It was inevitable.

Two women were ascending, facing each other.

Two women each wearing face veils.

One of them was an incredibly famous figure.

A person known to every cadet at Gyoryong Hall.

Yet a person one could not easily approach.

Namgung Ji-yu, the Lotus Orchid among the Five Flowers of Murim.

It was her appearance.

Murmurs and cheers erupted from all directions.

Even her face veil and loose martial uniform could not conceal her beauty.

The other seven martial arts arenas fell away from the cadets’ interest.

The cadets’ gazes focused solely on the arena where she stood.

Namgung Ji-yu showed no reaction to the people’s response.

She was looking at only one place.

Precisely at the one who would be her opponent.

A woman who had also ascended wearing a face veil.

Several cadets were murmuring and actually looking at her instead.

Despite facing Namgung Ji-yu, she was a beauty whose looks were in no way inferior.

A beautiful woman the cadets of Jamryong Corps and Waryong Corps had never seen before.

They had heard rumors that there was a beauty in Maengryong Corps who could rival Namgung Ji-yu.

A cadet of Maengryong Corps’ Seventh Group named Yeon Ha-min.

But she was right there, with her fellow group members including Dan Mok Un-rae who had just shown tremendous skill.

An unknown cadet from Maengryong Corps had appeared.

“Ha Seol-ran…”

Namgung Ji-yu whispered her opponent’s name very quietly.

She had heard plenty about her from her younger brother.

That she was Instructor Ha Mu-baek’s younger sister and seemed to have considerable talent in martial arts.

Well, if she was the sister of that monster-like instructor, it might be so.

No, why did she think of Instructor Ha Mu-baek as monster-like in the first place?

It was because of her younger brother Namgung Ji-hu.

When they were alone, how much he would talk about that instructor.

What reason was there for it to take half a hour to tell the story of being defeated by a single finger flick?

As useless distracting thoughts began to arise, Namgung Ji-yu shook her head slightly and dispelled the idle thoughts.

And she looked at her opponent with profound eyes.

Indeed, she was beautiful.

Though concealed by a face veil, it was a beauty that could not be hidden by such means.

And she was clumsy.

She showed signs of being so nervous it was curious how she had made it to this position.

‘How did she win her previous duels?’

Such a question arose in Namgung Ji-yu’s mind.

She concentrated her eye power toward the tournament bracket set up in the distance, then nodded as if understanding.

Ha Seol-ran’s first opponent had been a cadet from Jamryong Corps.

And that cadet had been dragged to Thunder Prison just a while ago.

Without even fighting a single duel.

So now, Ha Seol-ran had ascended to the arena to fight her first duel of the Winter Tournament.

‘Wh-what should I do?’

Ha Seol-ran’s mind had gone completely blank.

This was her first real combat tournament against people. She had experience facing Death Jiangshi when she went to Sanwol Demon Forest.

‘But demons that had lost their reason and only tried to grab and bite are different from people…’

Moreover, when facing Death Jiangshi, hadn’t Elder Brother or Instructor Han always been nearby watching over her?

This was her first time having to handle an opponent completely on her own!

Because such worries had settled in, her mind had become a blank page. It was due to her inability to objectively assess her own abilities.

On top of that, she had ascended to the arena when her turn came, but her opponent was Namgung Ji-yu.

None other than the eldest daughter of the Namgung Family Head.

Probably an incredibly powerful expert incomparable to Death Jiangshi.

She had heard plenty about her reputation.

Moreover, hadn’t she directly witnessed Namgung Ji-hu’s martial prowess every day?

How much had she admired that strength each time she saw it?

She had only been concerned about the Jamryong Corps cadet who was originally scheduled as her first opponent.

After all, she had entered the Winter Tournament to gain experience.

She had thought that first duel would be her last duel.

But with the sudden commotion, she had advanced to the next stage by default, and now she was facing Namgung Ji-yu like this.

Ha Mu-baek was watching his younger sister from the rooftop.

His brow furrowed.

She shouldn’t be that nervous.

She could have more confidence in her own abilities.

Anything for the first time would be that difficult and clumsy.

“Isn’t that your younger sister?”

Gongsun Mu-oe asked, looking at Ha Seol-ran.

“That’s right.”

Ha Mu-baek nodded and answered.

“Then is it alright to leave her like that?”

Gongsun Mu-oe had also noticed Ha Seol-ran’s condition. That’s why he asked Ha Mu-baek.

“Duels must be fair. Since she has ascended to the arena and faced her opponent, from now on she must overcome this herself.”

It was a cold-hearted statement.

However, Ha Mu-baek’s feelings were the complete opposite of those words.

‘Ran-ah. Pull yourself together. You’re strong too.’

How surprised he had been when her ki sense awakened previously.

“It seems winning the first round by default has actually become poison.”

Ha Mu-baek calmly added a remark. It was a case where skipping over a suitable opponent she could have used to assess herself and meeting too strong an opponent from the start had become poison.

If she could just display her usual abilities, she too could sufficiently be a match for Namgung Ji-yu.

Though she wouldn’t be able to win.

“Begin!”

With the judge’s shout, Namgung Ji-yu drew her sword.

Clang!

And simultaneously rushed toward Ha Seol-ran.

Whether her opponent was clumsy or not didn’t matter.

This was a duel, and this was real combat.

In real combat, you give your all.

This was what they learned from the Maengryong Corps 7th Group during the last Hatuje.

Namgung Ji-yu’s sword drew graceful curves as it flew toward Ha Seol-ran.

The Azure Sky Unhindered Sword unfolded from her fingertips.

She used the same sword technique as Namgung Ji-hu, but it felt different.

‘Ah, it’s beautiful…’

Ha Seol-ran had such thoughts as she watched the sword approaching her.

The sword’s movement was beautiful, and the person wielding that sword was beautiful too.

When she first met Yeon Ha-min, how surprised and amazed she had been by that beauty.

On the martial arts arena where her hair had turned completely white, she faced a different kind of beauty from when she saw Yeon Ha-min.

Ha Seol-ran seemed to stare blankly at the sword approaching her.

Then suddenly she moved her steps and twisted her body.

Namgung Ji-yu’s sword passed through the spot where she had stepped aside.

Namgung Ji-yu’s eyebrows twitched.

‘She dodged?’

Namgung Ji-yu had unleashed the Azure Sky Unhindered Sword with all her might.

But her opponent had dodged it.

With an awkward stance and eyes that seemed unfocused.

‘How?’

The question arose, but that wasn’t important.

If she dodged the first sword, then she would just continue attacking with the second and third swords.

The sword’s movement spun around, went down, then struck upward again.

Namgung Ji-yu’s sword flew as if to split Ha Seol-ran’s chest.

Clang!

But.

When had she drawn her sword?

Ha Seol-ran had raised her sword to block Namgung Ji-yu’s sword.

Focus was gradually returning to her eyes.

‘I can see it.’

That’s right.

She could see Namgung Ji-yu’s sword movements.

It wasn’t just seeing.

She could see how it would move.

That was probably because.

‘It’s the same as Young Master Namgung’s sword movements.’

The countless training matches of Namgung Ji-hu she had watched at the Maengryong Corps 7th Group Training Hall.

The movements of the Azure Sky Unhindered Sword that had become familiar to her eyes.

The Azure Sky Unhindered Sword unfolding from Namgung Ji-yu’s hands had a different atmosphere from that sword technique, but ultimately used the same forms.

It had no choice but to pass through the same directional steps.

“Th-that’s amazing?”

Dang Jin-san, who was watching from below the martial arts arena, muttered with a surprised face.

He had to be surprised.

He had heard that Ha Seol-ran had entered martial arts around the beginning of the second half of the year.

“So she really is the Instructor’s younger sibling…”

Nak U-jin muttered quietly.

For them, it was an unbelievable speed of development. They had no choice but to think she possessed different talent.

Ha Seol-ran had been constantly practicing cultivation to sense ki.

That was the same even now.

Though she was dazed from the tension of her first real martial duel, she was instinctively extending her ki sense.

As a result.

She could vividly feel the presence of people around this area.

That was.

‘Ugh. I don’t know…’

It was making Ha Seol-ran’s senses tremendously confused.

It was a case where unfamiliar ki sense that she couldn’t handle properly had become poison instead.

Though she was instinctively dodging thanks to the familiar sword movements, she was at a point where she couldn’t tell what was what.

Though Namgung Ji-yu could have been flustered by her opponent’s unexpected skill, she calmly and composedly unfolded her sword technique while pressuring Ha Seol-ran.

If Ha Seol-ran hadn’t known the movements of the Azure Sky Unhindered Sword, the situation would have ended long ago.

Whoosh.

Clang.

Swish.

Only the sounds of swinging swords and clashing blades echoed.

The cadets watched the two people’s martial duel in silence.

The other martial arts arenas where duels had already ended remained stopped. The next duels weren’t proceeding.

Instead, all their gazes were fixed on the two people, Namgung Ji-yu and Ha Seol-ran.

The reason was simple.

It was beautiful.

It was too beautiful.

It looked like there were two Chang’e of Moon Palace harmonizing together in a sword dance.

No one could take their eyes away.

It wasn’t a martial duel between two peerless beauties, but a sword dance.

That’s how it appeared.

In reality, it was Namgung Ji-yu’s one-sided offensive.

At the faces of the two peerless beauties glimpsed through the fluttering veils following their intense movements, the male cadets of Gyoryong Hall swallowed their dry saliva.

Regardless of such reactions from the cadets, Namgung Ji-yu slightly frowned her beautiful eyebrows.

‘She’s blocking?’

Ha Seol-ran had blocked her sword several times while dodging.

That was what bothered her.

With her current skill level, she shouldn’t be able to block her sword.

“Hiyah!”

Namgung Ji-yu swung her sword greatly with a loud battle cry.

Then she briefly created distance from Ha Seol-ran.

Namgung Ji-yu, who raised her sword again and adjusted her stance, realized.

‘I was the one being careless.’

Though she had resolved to always give her all after the last Hatuje.

Even now, she had looked down on her opponent and hadn’t given her all.

While saying she would give her all, she had unknowingly held back in her technique.

It was probably because of her opponent’s awkward appearance.

If she had truly given her all, Ha Seol-ran couldn’t have blocked her sword strikes.

Namgung Ji-yu drew up her internal energy.

Her martial uniform began to flutter. Her veil also fluttered in the wind.

The glimpses of red lips and straight nose melted the hearts of the male cadets watching.

‘Wh-what should I do…’

Ha Seol-ran panicked once again.

Actually, even until now she was at a point where she didn’t know what was happening.

The sight of Namgung Ji-yu drawing up her energy was beautiful, yet.

Frightening.

‘Elder Brother… Master…’

She thought of the two people she relied on most, but she was alone in this place.

Her opponent Namgung Ji-yu was emanating tremendous energy toward her.

Ha Seol-ran had no choice but to focus her mind on her. If she didn’t, she felt like her consciousness would be swept away by that swirling energy.

As she did so, her Ki Sense also became completely focused on Namgung Ji-yu.

Then she felt a change.

She had been dizzy and confused by the presence felt from all directions, but all of that disappeared and only Namgung Ji-yu could be felt.

‘Th, this is?’

Her surprise was brief.

Namgung Ji-yu kicked off the ground.

A sword glowing softly, imbued with Sword Qi.

A sword approaching toward Ha Seol-ran.

‘Wh, what?’

Ha Seol-ran was startled once again.

As her Ki Sense became completely focused on Namgung Ji-yu, the movement of her sword could be felt even more clearly.

Not only where she was currently moving, but even where she would move next!!

‘H, here?’

The final direction that would come flying toward her.

Since she could see it, Ha Seol-ran moved her sword to that spot to block it, but.

Bang!

She was sent flying backward by Namgung Ji-yu’s Sword Strike that was fully imbued with Sword Qi.

“Ahhh!”

A scream burst out from Ha Seol-ran’s mouth involuntarily.

Just as she thought she had managed not to drop her sword despite that.

The second Sword Strike came flying.

Bang!

This time Ha Seol-ran’s sword flew far away.

Her palm that had been gripping the sword hilt was wounded and blood seeped out slightly.

And in front of Ha Seol-ran’s face, Namgung Ji-yu’s sword tip cast a shadow.

“Phew. I lost.”

Ha Seol-ran accepted reality and quietly closed her eyes, acknowledging her defeat.

“Wo, woaaaah!”

At the same time, cheers erupted around the Martial Arts Arena where only silence had been settling.

It was truly a cheer let out by those who had been entranced and absorbed in the martial duel.

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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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