146 – S3. Igowigam -3
Seeing the crazy wizard organizing numerous challenges, Yuna intervened and asked.
“You know, this challenge… Are you planning to show it to Enverse?”
“That’s not it. It’s just that resolutions come with rewards, so I organize them in advance. It’s easy to organize them.”
“Compensation?”
“Yes. I’m going to give you something for every achievement… For example.”
[Pursuit of power: Climbing to peak mastery (achieving fullness, fullness, and coordination)]
“If you achieve this, you will receive +99 legendary level shining wings.”
“Go——!!”
The crazy wizard was beaten by Yuna’s Tai Chi.
—- —- —- — —-
A man standing wearing a blue military uniform, who was called Brother So by Namgung-myeong.
Namgungse’s direct descendant and eldest son, Namgungso (南宮昭), a swordsman with no mind, was a warrior who looked like a painting.
His appearance is neat and his martial arts level is also outstanding. He was just over 20 years old, and he became a peak expert, which was the prosperity of martial arts.
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As well as. Compared to Namgung-myeong, who was just turning seven years old, the age difference was very small, and he was a strong candidate to be the next head of the great Namgung family.
With his appearance, skills, and pedigree, his excellence, he is like an awl in his pocket, and he is evaluated as one of the best talents in Danggeum’s martial arts team.
“I understand that he was brought by a master. They say he is a Taoist master who has reached a high level of skill.”
“I just have a little talent.”
“Is that so?”
What further increases his reputation is that he treats everyone with respect regardless of who they are. Even though he had so much, he had the humility to humble himself in front of others. He was truly an extraordinary person.
Was the reluctance I felt upon first meeting him an illusion?
Namgungso volunteered to guide Enverse to Sega. Even though he was Myeong-i’s guest, if Myeong-i made a mistake, he would be the one to blame, so he, as the older brother, would take his place.
Myeong-myeong said, “I feel relieved if my brother takes care of it!” I answered willingly.
So, Enverse ended up walking down the hallway side by side with Namgungso.
It’s an awkward silence. Enbus was feeling strangely uncomfortable, but Namgung So walked leisurely with a faint smile on his face.
First, when he asked where he was heading, he was kind of like that, and then when he didn’t say anything, his silence was troubling. As Enbus was just walking, not knowing what to do, he heard the floor squeak and scream beneath his feet.
Creak.
“…?”
“You made a noise.”
Nangong Xiao glanced down, and then she took the first two steps forward. When he walks on the floor, unlike Enverse, there is not a single creaking sound. He continued.
“I intentionally left this hallway unrepaired because I thought it would be an opportunity to reflect on my own walking skills.”
“I see.”
“After passing here, you will come to a reception hall where the main family’s guests gather. The Taoist monk will also be staying there.”
“Um…”
Creak. Creak.
The footsteps on one side keep making unpleasant noises, and the footsteps on the other side are quiet, as if they don’t leave any traces in the snow. The creaking sound was alerting him, he thought.
When she shot and killed the ogre, she seemed to have seen Luna moving silently. They say that when there is a sound, aggro is attracted.
Obviously, the key is smooth distribution of the center of gravity.
Creak. Squeak──.
When I changed the way I took steps little by little, the creaking sound of the Enverse was slightly reduced. Nangong So immediately spoke to her.
“Master?”
“…Hmm?”
My concentration was broken. She seemed like she could follow along.
“My father’s birthday is not far away. There will be a banquet soon, and to commemorate the occasion, I have invited a monk. He is also in the reception hall.”
“Exactly?”
“Yes. Just as warriors of similar skill level meet each other and stay up all night talking about martial arts, wouldn’t there be a connection between them as they are both magicians? So, I took them to the next room.”
“Well, thank you for your kindness.”
Is this a wizard from another world? I was interested. As Enbus was a fake wizard, he couldn’t have deep conversations, but I thought we could have a conversation by showing him around the artifacts.At the end of the long corridor, a small garden appeared. In the middle of the garden, a two-story house was built, which seemed to be the reception hall.
Namgungso stopped walking, turned his head, and looked at Envers.
“Come to think of it… I heard that there was an attack by the evil cult on the way here. Thanks to the Taoist priest’s magic, we were able to overcome a great crisis.”
“I happened to have a scroll… a talisman, so I was able to fend them off.”
“A talisman that can overcome a crisis. It must be a powerful talisman. Do you happen to have any more of those talismans?”
“……….”
Silence.
Not too long, not too short of a silence.
As Envers was about to reply that it was not good to ask such a thing, Namgungso seemed to realize something and smile slightly, speaking first.
“I apologize. I’m usually very interested in magic… I ended up asking a rude question. I sincerely thank you for saving my sister. I wanted to say this.”
“……….Do you love your sister very much?”
“Of course. She’s my only sister.”
“……………………………”
He smiled and told him to use the room with the blue flag hanging in the reception hall, then turned and walked down the corridor without a sound.
Envers looked up at the sky with a puzzled expression and pondered. For some reason, he felt uncomfortable standing in front of that man. It was a creepy feeling, like a spider crawling on the back of his hand.
“……….Oh, come on.”
It’s natural for a man to get annoyed when he sees handsome gigolos waiting for customers. This time was no exception.
Envers scratched the back of his head and stepped into the reception hall.
—- —-
The interior of the reception hall was a large living room with small private attached rooms to it. Each of the private rooms had a small flag of a different color hanging on the door, so they could be distinguished without a sign.
The door with the red flag was open, and a middle-aged man with a goatee was sitting at the dining table in the living room, drinking tea.
From the situation, he seemed to be the Taoist priest that Namgungso had invited.
Indeed, his appearance was exactly that of a Taoist priest. He wore a strange hat and a long robe, and his hat was adorned with colorful feathers. He had several talismans hanging from his waist. He looked like he was advertising himself as a Taoist priest.
Envers found his appearance amusing and was about to speak to him properly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m……….”
“Are you the fraud?!”
“……………………………?”
Envers flinched at the sudden accusation of fraud. He was both embarrassed and a little offended. He was not a magician, was he?
But when did this Taoist priest see Envers to call him a fraud?
“What are you talking about? We’ve just met.”
“A young man with peach fuzz on his face, a Taoist priest? You must think Namgungsega is a fool. Don’t be ridiculous, don’t be ridiculous! I can see through you. You fraud!”
“……….Huh.”
“How can you, a mere mortal, bring down the dark clouds of the sky to the ground?!”
He looked like a rat with its tail on fire, and it was unpleasant to watch. Envers finally realized why the Taoist priest was raising his voice. He was full of doubt and jealousy.
His pride was hurt at the thought of satisfying a young man as a famous Taoist priest, so he would first doubt him without question. He must have thought that he had used some kind of trick to deceive them.
Envers, who had expected to have a decent conversation with a magician from another world, frowned and turned away. It was not worth his time to talk to him any longer.
“You! Are you going to run away?!”
“That’s enough. I don’t feel any energy from the scroll on your waist, so you’re either a useless Taoist priest or a fraud.”
“Who are you calling a fraud! You bastard! Be prepared, you fraud! When the banquet is held, I will reveal to everyone that you are a fraud!”
Envers went into the room with the blue flag hanging on it and slammed the sliding door shut.
He tried to ignore the nagging sounds coming from outside the door and unpacked his things and lay down on the bed. There had been some minor troubles, but so far, things had gone very well.
Hadn’t he been invited as a guest?
He would receive the reward for saving his life, and if there was anything he could do to help Namgungsega, he would do so and receive his reward, and then… he could leave or not.
What kind of martial arts would he encounter? His heart pounded at the thought.Envers stayed in the reception hall and took a short break, but his body was stiff, so he soon got out of bed.
The meals were brought to him on time by the servants, and he was told that someone would call him if needed, but he didn’t want to stay still and waste time.
Envers was the type of person who practiced martial arts when he was bored. Now that he had come to this world, his heart was pounding with excitement, and he had no intention of stopping. However, he didn’t want to damage the flower garden by practicing in the front yard, so he had to find a training ground.
When he asked the servant, he was told that it would be a while before dinner, so he would come later, and when he tried to go out to look for it, he didn’t know the structure of the mansion, so it was difficult.
So, Envers raised his voice in front of the red-flagged room where the eccentric Taoist was staying.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
“Do you think I’ll answer a swindler?!”
“I don’t want to talk to you for long either! I need to go to the training ground to practice, so if you just tell me where it is, I won’t bother you.”
“…Training ground?”
The Taoist seemed to think for a moment, then gave him directions.
“Follow the noisy corridor all the way, and when you reach the first corner, turn right and you will see a large open space. That is the Namgung family’s training ground.”
“…You’re telling me more easily than I thought?”
Envers asked suspiciously, but the Taoist didn’t answer. He wondered if he had given him the wrong directions on purpose, but if he went the wrong way, he could just turn around and come back.
Creak, creak.
He walked down the creaky corridor again (he tried not to make noise, but it was impossible), following the directions the Taoist had given him.
There was a door at the end of the dead-end corridor, and when he turned the handle, it was unlocked. He pushed it open and, as the Taoist had said, a large open space appeared.
And there was a guest in the training ground.
She swung her long hair and wielded a sword. The blade cut through the air fiercely and was retracted with a finesse that was both graceful and powerful, with the soft movements characteristic of a woman.
She’s a martial artist!
Envers stared at the woman practicing swordsmanship as if he were possessed. It was a completely different feeling from the martial arts he had learned from the beggar.
I wonder what kind of goal this martial art was built up from. If Luna had been here, she would have given me a clear explanation, just like she did when I saw the Tagu Bong method. What would this swordsmanship look like when it was Fully mature?
His body was stiff. As Envers tried to trace the trajectory of the sword with his fingers, the woman practicing swordsmanship turned her head sharply.
“…Who is it?!”
Swish!
A flying sword. The sword shot through the air.
Envers didn’t move. He already knew that the sword was not aimed at him, but at the door.
Thud! Flutter.
The long sword was half-stuck in the door and shaking.
Envers clapped his hands in admiration and took a step forward.
“I was looking for a place to practice and I happened to see you. That’s some great swordsmanship!”
“…A barbarian? Then, you must be the Taoist that Ming-i told me about.”
“Who are you?”
“The second daughter of the Namgung family, Namgung Seung-ah, but… I don’t think it’s a name that should be given to a villain who tries to steal the family’s martial arts!”
“…?”
Come to think of it, in the martial arts world, it was considered a great disrespect to steal someone else’s training. However, he had been so captivated by Namgung’s sword that he had not had time to think about it. Envers hurriedly put his arms out.
“That was not my intention!”
“That’s what thieves always say. Are you going to say next that you’re a barbarian and ignorant of the culture of the Central Plains?”
He’s cutting me off!
As Namgung Seung-ah skillfully blocked his next excuse, Envers panicked and racked his brains. How could he get out of this situation?
In his complicated mind, he blurted out his true feelings without thinking.
“It wasn’t a sword worth stealing.”
“…”
“Oh, I mean, the choreography itself was very beautiful. However, the person wielding it was not able to swing it clearly, so there was no great meaning in the swordsmanship. So, so, if the treasure chest is empty, there’s nothing to steal….”
“…If you’re so confident, why don’t you come and check it out for yourself-!!”
Namgung Seung-ah, who had heard the words “You’re not good at martial arts” in front of her face, exploded. Envers should have been grateful that the Namgung family’s home education was quite good. Instead of running to her father and asking him to ‘hang that barbarian’s head on the wall’, Namgung Seung-ah politely challenged him to a duel.
Namgung Seung-ah retrieved the sword stuck in the door, held it, and aimed it at the center.
“If you can withstand ten moves, I will let this rudeness pass.”
“Good. And I had no intention of making a personal attack…”
“I’d like to see if a Taoist is capable as his big mouth!”
“Hmm…”
The match should be fair.
Envers rolled up the sleeves of both arms. Then, the developed muscles that could only be built through long training were revealed. Namgung Seung-ah’s eyes flashed.
“…”
“As you can see, I have a body that has learned martial arts, yet crudely. I will not use scrolls… talismans. Talismans or artifacts… magic tools in this duel, so be aware.”
“I’ll do it! Haap──!”
Whizz-!
The sword flew. It seemed to draw a trajectory on the canvas of the void. Namgung Seung-ah was well-trained enough to have considerable swordsmanship.
“Is it the lower ranks of the academy…”
“What are you mumbling about?!”
In the Empire, where only the brightest talents were gathered and trained in the academy, there was a considerable gap to catch up with Envers, who had worked hard there.
Whizz, whizz─!
As he lightly passed the third-second mark, Namgung Seung-ah’s face flashed with impatience. Envers thought for a moment and then closed his eyes.
“…What are you doing?”
“I can avoid it this way.”
“Profit…!!”
Clang, clang──!!
Four, five, six.
A series of attacks.
Against the curved series of attacks that made a silk-tearing sound, Envers turned on his Vision Insight. He could feel it more clearly with his eyes closed. She was honest.
Honest and clear.
She wields a sword, but she doesn’t aim for vital points. She cuts at flesh that is not life-threatening or can be healed quickly. Or the hem or sleeve of a garment that could be embarrassing.
She might want to punish Envers for his rudeness, but it wasn’t to the point of taking his life or disabling his martial arts. She must have wanted to give him a strong warning.
Now that he had shared his martial arts, he could see her heart. Envers, who was somewhat lacking in tact, had his social skills skyrocket the moment they spared.
Envers smiled broadly.
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“Are you laughing?!”
“No, just. I laughed because your heart is kind.”
“Are you, are you flirting?!”
“That’s not it… It’s fun! It’s okay to swing it a little sharper. I can take it, so swing it boldly!”
Namgung Seung-ah’s expression also changed subtly. This Taoist named Cheonghwi was enjoying this moment. She wondered if he was enjoying teasing her, but if she looked closely, he seemed to enjoy exchanging martial arts.
A Taoist who is interested in martial arts.
Like a foreigner enjoying kimchi stew, she was amused by the sight of him, even though he looked bad. Seung-ah swung her sword more boldly, as he said.
Snap. Sasasak!
She stepped into the law and stabbed the vital point. However, before Namgung Seung-ah could even move her hand, he avoided it as if he knew where she was aiming.
He has excellent senses, and he avoids it by tracking his energy, but he calms his internal energy.
Swish-!
Swoosh.
He dodged lightly as if he had eyes all over his body.
No matter what technique it is to detect an attack, it is ultimately the movement of the body that avoids it. The Cheonghwi Taoist’s movements may be clumsy, but his physical strength was considerable. He was honestly fast even without any tricks.
“It wasn’t an empty word! This is the tenth move, so take it!”
Namgung Seung-ah judged the Taoist named Cheonghwi as a high-ranking master. It would be rude to be hasty with a master, so it would be better to approach it as an opportunity to learn.
Putting down her pride and anger, Namgung Seung-ah used all her strength to spread out her anger.
“‘Azure Qilin’!”
Envers opened his eyes.
As the qilin flew across the sky, the blue haze flashed and the blade drew a parabolic trajectory. It was a technique that stretched out as if it were eating up space.
That is an attack on the surface rather than a line. If you simply try to avoid the blade, you will be cut by the spreading haze and suffer damage.
There are two options. Pull a great distance or block it before it spreads.
Then, you should aim for a post-emptive strike!
“Explosive Scattering Knot!” Thud.
Envers’ shot hand pressed down on the sword hilt. The blue qilin was blocked before it could fly into the sky.
“…”
“…”
The two warriors stared at each other for a moment, then simultaneously calmed their energy. Namgung Seung-ah spoke with a pale but not very angry look.
“…I made a promise, so I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”
“Thank you. But is this the only training ground here?”
“How could that be? This is the training ground for the direct line of the Namgung family, and there is a separate training ground for guests?”
“…”
Envers gritted his teeth silently. That damn Taoist had spied on him.
If things had gone wrong, he would have been in big trouble. Not only would he have been kicked out of the Namgung family, but he might have actually been killed. He silently swore revenge.
—- —-
“Taoist Cheonghwi! If you have time, could you tell me the next story? I’m really curious about how you managed to subdue Jaei, who is said to use the art of drawing a sword! I think that someone who wields such a fast sword should be subdued with slowness. Of course, I’m only asking if you have time──”
“Taoist Cheonghwi, it will be different this time. You won’t be able to get away with closing your eyes, so let’s hang out one more time!”
“…”
Envers, who usually sucked the energy of others, felt for the first time in his life what it was like to have his energy sucked.