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Chapter 9
A knight is duty-bound to guide others onto the right path.
Jayvolg had recited that oath every morning at the Academy.
And now, he felt it was time to put those words into action.
Right there before him stood the youngest of House Pador—Deyan—bouncing around with frivolous footwork, clearly veering off the proper path.
‘Poor boy…’
He understood the situation, to a degree.
Being the only one in House Pador without any talent for the sword must’ve been difficult.
That was why, before leaving on his own knightly journey, Jayvolg had wanted to teach Deyan with sincerity.
But now…
“Since you like to talk so much, I’ll teach you a few things. Consider it a very… expensive lesson. One you won’t find anywhere else.”
Was it because the duel had officially begun?
Deyan now wore a smirk—arrogant, cocky, and completely unbecoming of his delicate features and slender build.
“You remember what I told you before, right? That weapon length is absolute?”
There he goes again.
Jayvolg was already tired of hearing it.
Some of it might’ve made sense in theory, but from his perspective, Deyan looked like someone who’d never even held a real sword.
“Yes, I’m aware. Young Master, really…”
He couldn’t even bring himself to explain anymore.
If he wouldn’t listen, then he’d just have to learn with his body.
“Allow me to show you.”
Jayvolg ran his fingers over the makeshift wooden sword.
It was thick—sturdy enough that if he struck properly, it would hurt.
It would do just fine. It wasn’t a real blade, but…
His opponent was just a boy.
“Then… let’s begin.”
Yet now that they were face to face—Was he nervous?
Deyan simply stood there, eyes closed.
‘Of course he is.’
In your head, it’s easy to believe you can slice the heavens.
But fantasy and reality are different beasts.
He was probably regretting it now.
But should Jayvolg stop out of pity?
No.
He had to break his pride.
Only then would Deyan understand how far he had strayed.
Since this was still part of his guidance, Jayvolg didn’t feel the need to go all out.
No surprise attacks. No lethal moves.
Just a light strike to make a point.
He extended the branch slowly.
To Jayvolg, it was a simple move.
‘It’ll seem like the branch appeared in front of his face in an instant…’
He was confident that, with this one blow, the branch would land squarely on Deyan’s chest.
But…
Even as the tip of the branch approached—
Deyan didn’t move.
Didn’t flinch.
Didn’t open his eyes.
Then—he cracked one eye open.
“…?!”
A chill ran down Jayvolg’s spine.
In that instant, the forest disappeared.
The sky vanished.
Even sound ceased to exist.
It was like the world itself had gone dark.
What… is happening?!
It felt as though he had been swallowed by the shadow of a giant.
And just as suddenly—
The pressure vanished.
There was no resistance at the tip of his branch.
Did he miscalculate the distance?
Impossible.
And then—
Deyan’s voice came from behind him.
“Where are you swinging at?”
“…!”
FWOOOM—!
Jayvolg reacted on instinct.
He felt real danger.
Without thinking, he infused mana into his strike and lashed out.
Damn it… I used too much force.
Would Deyan get hurt?
But—
Deyan was already ten steps away, standing calmly at a distance.
He got out of range? Already?
He stood there—arms crossed, utterly unfazed.
In his eyes, there shimmered a deep black gleam, dark as the night sky.
‘Wait… were his eyes always that dark?’
Before Jayvolg could process it, Deyan spoke.
“What if your opponent fights from this distance? Or even farther…”
As he spoke, Deyan leaned back ever so slightly.
And then, something strange happened.
As if a hallucination had flickered across his silhouette, his figure dimmed into shadow, and a heartbeat later, he reappeared even farther away.
Then, Deyan said calmly:
“How about here? Even if you collapse space and close the distance instantly… it would still take time to reach me, wouldn’t it?”
Jayvolg’s thoughts stalled.
He had never seen movement like that—not once in his life.
What… was that?
He glanced down at his feet, suddenly uncertain.
His shadow... it felt like it would follow him no matter where he ran.
Like he was standing beneath the shade of something far too vast.
What am I even facing right now?
Is that really… a boy?
The fragile young heir of House Pador now seemed like a towering force—a giant cloaked in overwhelming might.
Jayvolg’s mind went blank for a moment, but he quickly shook it off.
He didn’t know what kind of technique Deyan had just used, but one thing was certain.
This boy hadn’t challenged him on a whim.
He meant every word.
In that case, Jayvolg had no choice but to respond in kind.
“Young Master… so you’ve already mastered mana. Impressive. But—what about this!”
It was time to humble this arrogant prodigy.
To show him that no amount of fancy tricks could overcome the basics.
Especially not when he closed the gap.
Jayvolg focused his mana into his feet and then unleashed it in a burst.
His body surged forward like a cannon, exploding through the air with incredible speed.
This is the power of mana.
In just a flash, he would reach—
SHHK!
“…!”
Jayvolg’s instincts screamed.
He raised his makeshift sword in a split-second guard.
And stopped dead in his tracks.
He immediately understood why.
There, embedded deep in the branch he held, was a sharp, slender object.
“A… needle?”
A throwing needle.
Something you’d expect from a delicate assassin, not a martial artist.
But more than that...
Even if this was just a branch, it was still reinforced with mana.
And that needle pierced it.
From this distance.
He barely had time to think before Deyan widened the gap once again, his voice echoing across the clearing.
“The moment one steps out of your range… you become a sitting duck. Isn’t that so?”
“Of course, every weapon has limitations depending on distance…”
“But there’s one that isn’t bound by range or trajectory. One that ignores such limits entirely.”
“Hidden weapons.”
“That’s the answer.”
Jayvolg could only stare blankly at him.
Just what kind of training… had this boy been doing all this time?
* * *
Jayvolg was still trying to process what had just happened to him.
Of course, he was.
It was clear—he had never once faced an opponent who used techniques like mine.
They didn’t teach this kind of thing at the academy, did they?
How foolish.
Even in the righteous sects, there were plenty who clung to that kind of rigid doctrine.
Take the Wudang Sect, for example.
They drilled orthodox forms into their disciples to the point of monotony, and yet, over the years, many of them had still managed to rise to the pinnacle of the martial world.
It wasn’t a bad system per se, but that only worked because Wudang’s students were innately talented, and the strength of their advanced techniques could cover their lack of practical experience.
Without that advantage, Wudang would’ve been booted from the Nine Great Sects long ago.
That’s why Wudang disciples, despite their refinement, always struggled in real combat.
Idiots.
Do they think enemies in the real world are always going to fight cleanly?
That they’ll draw their sword, announce their name, and duel with honor?
No.
In real fights, people throw sand in your eyes, pretend to beg for their lives, or stab you in the foot with a hidden blade.
And when those disciples—who’ve only ever trained in textbook duels—are suddenly thrown into chaos?
Even the most gifted prodigy will falter.
I guarantee—if Wudang hammered practical survival into their disciples along with their martial arts, they’d evolve far beyond what they are now.
But of course… those monks never will.
They believe “real experience” can only be gained in the martial world itself.
They encourage it.
Masochists, the lot of them.
The Tang Clan, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
We prioritized combat reality above all else.
That’s why we developed things like poison techniques and hidden weapon arts.
Sure, we got our share of scorn for it.
But that’s also why the Tang became one of the Five Great Clans.
And during my time in the martial world…
We were hailed as the undisputed best.
Looking at Jayvolg now, he reminded me of the Wudang disciples I’d fought back in the day.
Same confusion. Same hesitation.
To him, my movements must have looked like nonsense.
Completely outside the bounds of his reality.
“Let me show you why assassins never last against knights!”
And just like that, Jayvolg charged again.
I moved to dodge using Amyeongbo—Shadow Steps—but…
FWOOSH—!
A blade of air brushed past my cheek.
My hair fluttered in its wake.
That close?
Even after all that distance, he closed the gap almost instantly.
Guess he didn’t become top of the academy by luck.
If I hadn’t used Chilchugumryeong—a secret Tang technique that forcibly awakens dormant potential—I might’ve actually been in danger just now.
But with even a bit of physical support, I was untouchable.
Shadow Steps was ranked in the top three movement techniques in the entire martial world for a reason.
Like a matador teasing a bull, I slipped past Jayvolg’s rush again and again.
He tried to close the distance, and I widened it.
Back and forth, again and again.
But through all of it, I didn’t fire another needle.
That was intentional.
I was measuring him.
Testing his reaction time, his rhythm, his true skill.
Now it was time.
Time to corner Jayvolg.
You know how a hunter takes down wild game?
First, they lure it in.
Then they wear it out, draining its stamina until it can’t fight back.
Because going head-to-head against claws and fangs is asking to get torn apart.
Jayvolg’s the same.
Taking on someone that young and hot-blooded head-on?
Not worth the effort—not for someone like me.
If he had a bit more experience, this duel might’ve gone differently…
But unfortunately for him, even if he did know better, he’d still charge in like a dumb beast.
So let’s drain this brute.
Amusingly, Jayvolg had no idea what I was doing.
Still shouting nonsense between swings.
“Running away won’t get you anywhere, Young Master!”
Running is the strategy, you thick-skulled idiot.
Guess it’s time I taught him that.
I ducked behind trees, forcing Jayvolg to burn more mana while I flitted in and out of sight like we were playing hide-and-seek.
And still, he swung that branch around wildly.
Every now and then, his hand would twitch toward his sword out of habit.
I could tell how frustrated he was getting.
But what could I say?
He’s the one who insisted on using a branch instead of a real weapon.
Still…
Shhhhk—!
A pulse of mana cracked the ground beneath his feet.
Now that was threatening.
He’d stopped chasing and started targeting the terrain instead. Trying to throw me off balance by weakening the footing beneath me.
Smart.
In a real fight, he would’ve used a steel sword for that.
And if he had, this duel would’ve ended quickly.
He would’ve ended me in a single exchange, before I had a chance to tire him out.
Even with Chilchugumryeong, the Tang Clan’s forbidden technique that forcefully awakens latent potential… That gap between us would’ve been undeniable.
But… he didn’t.
He was still sticking to that blunt tree branch, and that’s the only reason I could close the gap.
Plus, he was too worked up. Too overconfident.
That was my opening.
This was the moment he had completely misjudged my full power.
I carefully stepped forward—just enough to nudge into his range.
Close enough that he’d take the bait.
Fsshh—!
Right on cue, Jayvolg lunged.
And that’s when… I kicked off the tree behind me and launched into the air.
In a blink, I was above him, claiming the high ground.
This is where hidden weapons shine.
If I were wielding a sword, I’d have to close in to slash or release a burst of sword qi.
But with concealed weapons?
Distance means nothing.
While he was completely exposed, I flicked my sleeve.
Ten needles whistled through the air.
Ting!
Jayvolg raised a mana barrier just in time.
But it was hastily formed. It held, but not perfectly.
A few needles slipped through, embedding into his upper arm and shoulder—the gaps in his armor.
“Kgh…!”
A short grunt escaped him.
But the damage was minimal.
Grimacing, Jayvolg pushed through the pain and charged again.
By the time my feet hit the next tree trunk, I was already sliding off—rebounding mid-air as I threw another volley of needles.
I moved like a spider weaving a web—dancing between branches and open air, keeping him in my sights.
And always, always—staying just out of reach.
Eventually…
“Hah… Hahh…”
It was subtle, but I saw it—his chest rising and falling.
He was winded.
Six needles had landed so far.
None were lethal, but they were starting to take a toll.
I smiled.
Everything was going exactly as planned.
No longer retreating, I stepped forward, right into his line of sight.
And when Jayvolg saw me walking straight toward him, he smiled too.
“You’re coming at me head-on? Yes—that’s it! You’ll never bring down a knight’s body with such half-baked tricks!”
“They say ignorance is bravery.”
Like a moth diving into fire, I deliberately closed the distance.
And just as the branch in Jayvolg’s hand filled my vision—when his strike was so close I couldn’t even blink—when there was no room to dodge.
THUMP—!
The branch slammed into my stomach.
…Is that really just a branch?
My body curled like a shrimp as I was flung backward.
Jayvolg smirked, already certain of his victory.
Even as I was thrown back by his strike, I launched my final counterattack.
—Shadow Spirit Flying Blade Art.
—Heaven-Slaying Reversal Point.
The needle that flew from my hand struck just below his navel.
But it failed to pierce his abdomen and clattered to the ground.
Jayvolg smiled smugly, convinced it had done nothing.
Drip.
Blood welled up at the corner of my lips from the impact, but I smiled anyway.
Because my opponent—Jayvolg—
“Gahhh… cough—!”
—Was now seized by agony.
“H-How…?”
The martial arts of the Sichuan Tang Clan were crafted as a weapon of the weak to overcome the strong.
That’s why we dug deep into the frailties of the human body.
How can you defeat someone as efficiently as possible?
With a sword?
That path’s already been paved by Wudang and Mount Hua.
With fists?
That’s Shaolin’s realm—you’d be kidding yourself.
And brute force?
That’s the Hebei Peng Family’s way—only feasible for those born with monstrous bodies.
The Tang Clan chose a different route.
We studied the human body.
And what we learned was simple:
Humans are sturdier than you’d expect.
But also more fragile than you’d ever believe.
The Tang pursued one goal: maximum efficiency with minimal force.
And from that came countless martial arts and strange techniques unmatched by any other school.
Among them, I created a hybrid:
Acupuncture-point targeting integrated into throwing blade techniques.
By striking certain pressure points with a concealed weapon, the body could be forced into all kinds of reactions.
You could shut down internal flow, silently trigger death, or—
“Guh… Gahh…”
—Paralyze them completely.
Just like Jayvolg, whose entire body had frozen on the spot, unable to lift a finger.
No matter how much one trains…
The human body still shares the same architecture.
Even the tiniest stone can break a dam.
“Hmm.”
Hands behind my back, I strolled toward him leisurely.
His pupils trembled with panic.
But aside from his eyes, his body couldn’t move an inch.
I tapped him gently on the chest with one finger.
“This—this is the power of the ‘other’ techniques you look down on.”
But Jayvolg couldn’t respond.
He was already unconscious, foaming at the mouth.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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