Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 34

The Murong Family’s Rise

Kwa-gwa-gwak.

“Take this!”

Iron Moo-woong’s blade, Heuksal [Black Death], relentlessly aimed for Murong Dancheon’s weak point.

Kaang.

With a great sound, the blade and sword clashed in mid-air.

Kaga-ga-gak.

Murong Dancheon’s Cheongang Sword [Azure Steel Sword] did not yield an inch against Iron Moo-woong’s Heuksal.

‘Tch.’

Iron Moo-woong clicked his tongue. But there was no time to lament.

Whirlick.

The Cheongang Sword, which had been blocking his blade, was now rising sinuously like a snake towards his arm.

“Tahaaa!”

In that moment of crisis, Iron Moo-woong attempted an even bolder attack.

It was a situation that could have led to mutual destruction, but Murong Dancheon did not want that.

Kang.

The sword and blade bounced off each other, and the two men’s battle took a brief pause.

Having distanced themselves again, the two slowly regulated their breathing and looked at each other.

‘Damn it!’

Iron Moo-woong was forcibly suppressing the bubbling anger within.

Clearly, Iron Moo-woong seemed to have the upper hand, but the one gaining ground little by little was the opponent.

Moreover, the old Murong Dancheon’s breathing hadn’t faltered at all, while he himself was getting breathless, so it was only natural that Iron Moo-woong’s insides were twisting.

Deuk-deuk.

Iron Moo-woong gritted his teeth.

He needed to find a breakthrough.

Switching to a defensive stance to bide his time might be one way, but if Iron Moo-woong were the kind of person to lead a fight like that, he wouldn’t have been called Ildoyangdan [One Cut, Two Pieces] in the first place.

It was then.

Sarak.

Murong Dancheon’s stance changed.

He slowly extended the Cheongang Sword, which he had been holding close to his body, and pointed it straight at Iron Moo-woong.

Finally, Murong Dancheon was launching an aggressive offensive.

‘That’s right.’

Iron Moo-woong’s eyes gleamed.

The opponent had presented a solution to his own unsolvable problem.

Iron Moo-woong felt as if he could finally breathe. It was a liberating feeling, as if he had taken off a great burden.

And at the same time, he was taken aback.

‘What? I…….’

Only then did he realize that the psychological pressure he had been under was greater than he had thought.

But now was not the time to be thinking about that.

“Taat!”

Murong Dancheon’s strong shout echoed across Nokya Plain.

At the same time, his Cheongang Sword aimed for Iron Moo-woong’s forehead.

As if to blow away that sharp attack, an enormous voice erupted from Iron Moo-woong’s mouth as well.

“Haaaah!”

Ildoyangdan Iron Moo-woong did not back down an inch.

Kwaang.

When Heuksal and Cheongang Sword, imbued with the two men’s inner strength, collided, a huge sound like an explosion rang in the ears of the people gathered at Nokya Plain.

Kwanilgeom [Sword Saint] Murong Dancheon was relentless with fatal attacks, as if he didn’t care about his own life, and Iron Moo-woong also swung Heuksal with tremendous force, colliding with Murong Dancheon’s Cheongang Sword.

Every time the two men’s blades and swords collided, a piercingly loud sound echoed across Nokya Plain.

Kwang, Kwaang.

Iron Moo-woong was literally swinging Heuksal to his heart’s content.

He had no time to think about why Murong Dancheon, who had been passively defending against his attacks until now, had engaged in such a close-quarters battle.

In fact, this kind of brawl was what Ildoyangdan Iron Moo-woong was best at.

‘Yes, this is how it should be!’

Iron Moo-woong was literally pouring out his full strength.

The momentum imbued in each other’s blades and swords was so great that the two men’s clothes fluttered as if caught in a storm.

The people gathered at Nokya Plain couldn’t help but exclaim at the exhilaration.

However, this exchange could not last long.

Kwaang, Kwang.

Iron Moo-woong’s expression was gradually distorting.

No one else noticed, but he alone could feel it.

Each time Heuksal and Cheongang collided, he was being pushed back little by little.

And each time, the hand gripping Heuksal tingled and vibrated.

He was unable to withstand the inner strength contained in the opponent’s sword.

Iron Moo-woong was flustered.

He had never been pushed back in this kind of reckless exchange, but Murong Dancheon, whom he had ridiculed as an old man, was gradually overwhelming him?

Iron Moo-woong could not deny that the words ‘defeat’ were slowly rising in his heart.

‘Damn it, this old geezer…….’

Iron Moo-woong glared at Murong Dancheon.

But Murong Dancheon’s face showed no excitement or joy.

Glaring at Murong Dancheon’s calm eyes, Iron Moo-woong gritted his teeth.

At that moment, a thought flashed through Iron Moo-woong’s mind like lightning.

‘Su, surely…….’

It was a thought that he could neither believe nor accept.

But the moment that thought occurred, countless doubts began to be resolved in an instant.

Why had Kwanilgeom Murong Dancheon faced the martial arts contest so calmly, and why had he been consistently defending passively until now?

And why was he now launching an aggressive offensive, and that too, in this kind of brawl that Iron Moo-woong himself was most confident in?

Deuk.

He couldn’t admit it.

But the answer was clearly revealed in Murong Dancheon’s calm eyes before him.

It was because Murong Dancheon already had confidence in his victory.

“Kuaaaa!”

Something hot surged up from within.

Roaring like a beast, Iron Moo-woong swung Heuksal.

He could never accept a defeat that had been predetermined from the start.

Buu-woong.

Ildoyangdan Iron Moo-woong’s Heuksal made an eerie sound.

It was as if it would smash anything that stood in its way, even Murong Dancheon before him, in an instant.

What was contained in Heuksal now was none other than Ildoyangdan Iron Moo-woong’s pride.

Kwa-gwa-gwak.

At Iron Moo-woong’s tremendous attack, people stopped breathing for a moment.

The momentum contained in his blade was clearly felt even by those watching from afar.

But the result was the opposite of their expectations.

Shwik.

At that moment, Murong Dancheon’s Cheongang Sword showed a bizarre movement.

It was a swordplay that Iron Moo-woong had never seen before, a swordplay that was both too familiar and extremely unfamiliar.

Kaaang.

A clear sound pierced through Nokya Plain.

Silence instantly fell over Nokya Plain, and both Murong Dancheon and Iron Moo-woong stopped moving.

The two men stood facing each other, frozen like statues.

In Kwanilgeom Murong Dancheon’s hand, the Cheongang Sword was shining blue, but in Ildoyangdan Iron Moo-woong’s hand, Heuksal was no longer there.

Peok.

A moment later, a dull sound echoed from the ground.

The large blade stuck in the earth of Nokya Plain was none other than Iron Moo-woong’s Heuksal.

No one could open their mouths.

But the silence was soon broken.

“Waaaaaa!”

A shout erupted from the Murong Family.

Baekwon Daesa [Great Master Baekwon], who had been watching the martial arts contest, also rose from his seat.

“Murong Dancheon Daehyeop [Great Hero] has won!”

In an instant, Nokya Plain was filled with shouts.

A voice of protest arose from the Iron Family, but it was drowned out by the cheers of the people.

In fact, very few people were able to see how the final exchange had unfolded.

But the result was clear.

The people cheered for the victory of the prestigious Murong Family.

“Waaaaaa!”

Amid the boisterous cheers, Kwanilgeom Murong Dancheon sheathed his Cheongang Sword with a slightly flushed face.

Iron Moo-woong still did not move, as if he could not believe his defeat.

Murong Dancheon put his hands together and bowed towards Iron Moo-woong, saying in a deep voice.

“That was a good contest.”

As if not expecting a reply, Murong Dancheon turned away.

“Wait.”

At Iron Moo-woong’s cracked voice, Murong Dancheon stopped and turned his head.

Iron Moo-woong glared at Murong Dancheon with a distorted face.

A dry voice escaped from his mouth.

“That last move. What, what was that?”

The swordplay that Murong Dancheon’s Cheongang Sword had drawn at the moment his Heuksal had fallen.

It was an unfamiliar swordplay that he had never seen before, but at the same time, it was also a very familiar swordplay of the Murong Family.

It was that one sword that had knocked Heuksal, which he had never let go of in his life, out of his hand.

His Heuksal, which he had prided himself on never letting go unless his wrist was cut off.

“Heh heh.”

A smile flitted across Murong Dancheon’s lips.

“It is merely one of the lacking swordplays of the main family.”

Even though he said that, he could not hide the pride that was rising on his face.

Iron Moo-woong could tell that the reason why Murong Dancheon’s face was slightly flushed was not because of the victory in the martial arts contest.

What had excited Murong Dancheon was the success of that move just now.

“But this is probably only the second time that swordplay has been revealed to the world.”

It wouldn’t be the first time.

If it were Changryonggeomju [Azure Dragon Sword Master], if it were him, whom he didn’t even know the face of, he would have already unfolded this swordplay before.

Sarak.

With those words, Kwanilgeom Murong Dancheon turned his body.

Thud.

Iron Moo-woong collapsed to the ground as if he had lost all strength.

From the beginning, Iron Moo-woong’s existence was nothing to Murong Dancheon.

Because Kwanilgeom Murong Dancheon had been looking down on him from the start.

From above his head, from that high place.

“Waaaaaaaa!”

“Murong Family! Murong Family!”

The cheers of the people filling Nokya Plain erupted towards Kwanilgeom Murong Dancheon and the Murong Family.

Amid the cheers shaking Nokya Plain, Iron Family Head Ildoyangdan Iron Moo-woong was sitting there blankly.

***

The momentum of the newly emerging Iron Family began to shrink in an instant.

Although the Iron Family did not collapse overnight, with the Murong Family regaining its strength, it was now a futile dream to reign as the ruler of Hanam Province.

No, at this rate, it was only a matter of time before the name of the Iron Family disappeared.

“These days, the Murong Family is expanding its power day by day.”

Iron Family’s strategist, Jang Gyeong-gyu, continued with a cold sweat.

“Unlike in the past, when they were *eunyeonjajung* [keeping a low profile], they are now very blatant. Really, their momentum is truly remarkable. Some families are worried, but there is no suitable way……”

The Iron Family’s momentum has waned, and the Murong Family is doing well, so Iron Family Head Iron Moo-woong’s mood cannot be comfortable.

“What? There’s no way?”

Iron Moo-woong shouted.

“You bastard! Then what did you come to report for! Are you trying to rub it in my face that the Murong Family is doing well right now? Are you testing my temper right now?”

As the situation turned grim in an instant, Jang Gyeong-gyu’s neck shrank.

This was not the first or second time that something had flown at him.

But fortunately, nothing flew.

‘Damn it, he told me to report…….’

As Jang Gyeong-gyu grumbled inwardly, Iron Moo-woong said with a mixed voice of annoyance.

“Aish, *sipal*. Did the old man suddenly rejuvenate…….”

“Could it be that he found some precious Goryeo wild ginseng?”

Jang Gyeong-gyu tilted his head and muttered.

“They say that’s the best for rejuvenation. Or maybe he boiled a few hundred-year-old snakes thoroughly…….”

“Are you *ssibeorineun* that makes sense right now?”

Jang Gyeong-gyu shrank his neck again as Iron Moo-woong glared at him.

“Ugh, I can’t cut that off…….”