Chapter 50: The One Who Gives Answers. -02
Peng Hwayeong’s pupils shook violently.
It was because, despite rely lowering his sword, she felt a pressure as if she were facing a massive wall.
And yet, he had not even raised his montum.
Ban Hojin was simply gazing at her quietly.
Squeeze.
Even so, Peng Hwayeong felt sweat welling up in the palm gripping her Geopae Blade.
Her body had reacted first to the aura naturally flowing out of Ban Hojin.
‘But this is good. It was worth coming this far.’
Even as she felt a sense of helplessness, Peng Hwayeong smiled.
It was because Ban Hojin’s skill had not betrayed her expectations.
If she had planned to walk only a safe and smooth path to begin with, there would have been no need to leave her ho.
Training within the Peng Family of Hebei alone would have been more than sufficient.
However, Peng Hwayeong did not want to beco a frog in a well.
She wanted to beco a true blade master.
‘If it’s Young Master Ban, I can pour everything I have into this.’
Peng Hwayeong smiled brightly.
If one were to judge purely by skill, there were masters within the Peng Family of Hebei who surpassed Ban Hojin.
However, that person could not truly face her head-on.
Instinctively holding back their hand, they would never fight her properly, and that was why Peng Hwayeong had stepped outside her family.
‘So then, here I go!’
Peng Hwayeong, who had been staring at Ban Hojin without blinking, kicked off the ground.
Using the Peng Family of Hebei’s uniquely heavy yet aggressive footwork, she closed the distance between herself and Ban Hojin in an instant.
‘The Blade Empress in her youth, huh.’
anwhile, watching Peng Hwayeong charge in so boldly, Ban Hojin thought to himself that this was interesting.
He had never expected to encounter the Blade Empress of her younger days.
At the sa ti, he felt a faint sense of admiration.
Compared to when he had t her in his previous life, her skill was naturally lacking, but among the rising juniors of this era, she possessed a level of ability that stood out.
Swaeaeek!
From this single slash alone, Ban Hojin could tell.
Peng Hwayeong’s skill was a notch above Namgung Gwang’s.
Simple, yet precisely because of that, overwhelmingly powerful, the Qiankun Continuous Chain Soul-Seizing Blade began, and slashes poured down as if to shred Ban Hojin apart.
Swaeek! Swaeaeaeek!
True to the word “continuous,” Peng Hwayeong’s Geopae Blade sprayed forth slashes without pause.
In accordance with the fundantal nature of a blade weapon, she focused solely on cutting.
Yet, despite the Geopae Blade’s imposing nature, there was a delicacy to Peng Hwayeong’s blade montum.
Going beyond re ferocity, a woman’s unique fineness was imbued within each strike.
‘To realize the harmony of hardness and softness at that age… The world really is unfair.’
Watching Peng Hwayeong’s unrestrained blade montum, Ban Hojin was once again reminded of just how many monsters there were in the world.
She was not on the level of Seo Joun, who had suffered from the Nine Yang Severed ridians, but Peng Hwayeong too possessed unprecedented talent.
There was a reason she was called the greatest talent in the history of the Peng Family of Hebei.
Likewise, the epithet Blade Empress was not sothing just anyone could obtain.
‘But she’s still not fully ripened.’
Ban Hojin grinned.
There was no doubt that Peng Hwayeong’s talent was astonishing.
It was not for nothing that Seonwu Bang and Seo Joun, standing so distance away, were staring blankly with their mouths agape.
As much as one knows, one sees, and both of them recognized Peng Hwayeong’s skill at a glance.
Swish.
Even so, she was still no match for Ban Hojin.
And Ban Hojin intended to show that from this mont on.
“Hup!”
It was only a single step, yet Peng Hwayeong’s eyes widened like oil lamps.
She could tell that Ban Hojin was about to move in earnest.
Clang!
On the sandy ground where even slight movent caused feet to sink deeply, Ban Hojin moved with unbelievable lightness.
As if he were walking on flat ground.
Not only that, he directly demonstrated an unbelievable level of control.
He precisely flicked away Peng Hwayeong’s onrushing slashes with the tip of his sword.
“Kuk!”
Ban Hojin did not simply deflect the Geopae Blade or twist its trajectory.
He literally bounced it away with precision.
The sight of the Geopae Blade being knocked back along the exact path it had rushed in left not only Peng Hwayeong herself but even the escort warriors staring with their mouths hanging open.
Their accumulated martial knowledge was not shallow, so they too instantly understood Ban Hojin’s skill and intent.
“Haap!”
However, Peng Hwayeong hastily collected herself and swung the Geopae Blade once more.
She knew full well that this was no ti to stand around in shock.
Since she had struggled so hard to create this spar, she intended to pour out everything she had without regret.
Tstststs!
As a sharp montum surged from Peng Hwayeong’s entire body, blade energy burst forth fiercely from the Geopae Blade.
She had resolved to fight with her full strength in earnest.
Yet even as ferocious blade energy erupted from the Geopae Blade, Ban Hojin’s expression remained unchanged from beginning to end.
And the result was the sa as before.
Clang! Clang!
Amid crisp tallic sounds, the Geopae Blade wrapped in blade energy was repeatedly knocked away.
Ban Hojin precisely deflected the Geopae Blade as it dug in with the montum to tear his entire body apart.
What was more, Ban Hojin did not budge an inch from his spot.
He rely swung his sword, repelling Peng Hwayeong’s relentless wave offensive.
“Hup!”
There was no way Peng Hwayeong could fail to notice that.
Yet she did not waver.
She had acknowledged the gap in skill from the beginning, so there was no reason to panic.
However, she had not expected to be sealed off so completely, and she bit down on her lower lip.
Clatatatang!
Even amid the storm-like onslaught of the Qiankun Continuous Chain Soul-Seizing Blade, Ban Hojin did not move in the slightest.
At the sa speed, with the sa strength, he knocked away her blade montum.
As if he had morized every single move after watching the Qiankun Continuous Chain Soul-Seizing Blade just once.
Peng Hwayeong could hardly believe it, even as she saw and experienced it firsthand.
‘Not yet! Just a bit more!’
While marveling at Ban Hojin’s swordsmanship, which struck only her Geopae Blade with not even a hair’s breadth of error, Peng Hwayeong’s competitive spirit flared up.
She wanted, even just once, to escape from Ban Hojin’s sword.
And so Peng Hwayeong unleashed every form, every flow, every variation she knew.
Clatatatatang!
But no matter what thod she used, nothing worked against Ban Hojin.
No, she even sensed a faint hint of indifference.
Rather than being flustered, his gaze instead looked bored.
However, that was only natural.
If one were to judge purely by martial arts alone, there was no warrior in the current Central Plains who could confidently be said to stand clearly above Ban Hojin.
That did not an he was the Best Under Heaven.
Even Ban Hojin had weaknesses.
They simply did not reveal themselves easily.
“Huff, huff! Hoo!”
Peng Hwayeong, who had been attacking Ban Hojin without pause, stopped swinging her blade.
The extre consumption of stamina had finally exhausted her.
Yet her eyes were filled with elation.
It was her first ti losing so completely, and so Peng Hwayeong instead felt joy and amusent.
“Shall we continue?”
“May we go a bit more?”
“I’m fine with it.”
She was in a state of extre exhaustion, and precisely because of that, a thought occurred to Peng Hwayeong.
If not now, she would never again be able to swing her blade this desperately.
Moreover, this was not a situation where life and death were on the line.
With her safety perfectly guaranteed, Peng Hwayeong smiled brightly.
“Then I’ll try going one more round. Personally, things I’m curious about keep popping up in my head.”
“You don’t have anything you want to ask?”
Ban Hojin made a aningful expression.
He knew well that she would have many questions, given that every single one of her attacks had been perfectly dismantled.
Yet Peng Hwayeong’s answer was unexpected.
“I plan to ask with my body.”
“That’s not a bad idea either.”
“Talking after the sparring match is over won’t be too late.”
“There’s no guarantee that will happen.”
“Then I’ll have to politely ask again.”
Such cold treatnt could hardly be worse, yet Peng Hwayeong found it enjoyable instead.
It felt refreshing, and she knew well that Ban Hojin was not doing this out of ill intent.
And judged calmly, she was the one in the weaker position.
It was only natural for the weaker side to lower their head and ask.
“Heh heh heh.”
“I’m a bit strange, aren’t I?”
“You’re aware of it.”
“My older sisters and brothers don’t understand. But what can I do? This is just my personality.”
“It looks like you’ve rested enough, so let’s begin.”
Ban Hojin grinned.
He knew well that Peng Hwayeong’s stamina would have recovered quite a bit during their conversation.
And at tis, it was necessary to push one’s body to its absolute limit.
Training alone made it difficult to reach one’s own limits, so days like this were occasionally necessary.
“Yes!”
“This ti, I’ll go on the offensive. Try blocking it.”
“……Yes.”
Peng Hwayeong’s expression changed.
Until now, she had been the one attacking, while Ban Hojin had only defended.
In other words, the previous situation had been her thrashing about on her own until she exhausted herself.
But now that Ban Hojin, who had only defended, declared he would attack, Peng Hwayeong naturally tensed up.
Sliiide.
Contrary to her extre tension, Ban Hojin’s sword was slow.
Slow enough that, if one watched calmly, a yawn might slip out.
Yet Peng Hwayeong did not relax.
A sword wielded by a swordsman of Ban Hojin’s caliber could never be ordinary.
Thrumble!
And that thought was exactly right.
As the slowly approaching sword drew near, her body reacted before her mind.
Against Peng Hwayeong’s will, her right hand gripping the Geopae Blade began to tremble.
‘Ugh!’
At the sa ti, Peng Hwayeong felt an imnse psychological pressure.
It was clearly an ordinary Azure Steel Sword, yet to her eyes it looked larger than the Geopae Blade she held in her hands.
Moreover, as if resonating with the subtly wavering sword tip, Peng Hwayeong’s pupils trembled as well.
No matter which way she moved, it felt as though the sword tip would follow.
‘I have to endure this!’
Despite the overwhelming pressure bearing down on her entire body, Peng Hwayeong steadied her mind and heart.
She could not accept losing so emptily, unable to do anything at all.
Even if she lost, she wanted to at least struggle before losing.
Wooooong!
Perhaps sensing her resolve, the true energy piled up in her dantian surged upward as if exploding.
At the sa ti, Peng Hwayeong moved.
Standing still felt like it would lead to nothing but ruin, so she moved first.
Sliiiip.
But no matter how fast she moved, Ban Hojin’s sword tip did not lose track of Peng Hwayeong.
Just like when he had first extended his sword, it surged toward her from the exact sa position and angle.
Tstststs!
However, Peng Hwayeong did not remain idle.
Just because Ban Hojin was attacking did not an she had to defend alone.
As the saying went that the best defense was offense, Peng Hwayeong once again unleashed the Qiankun Continuous Chain Soul-Seizing Blade with full force.
Dozens, hundreds of blade monta fed by blade energy swept out in all directions.
Tap.
Even as the Qiankun Continuous Chain Soul-Seizing Blade unfolded with ferocity bordering on the murderous, Ban Hojin’s sword precisely touched Peng Hwayeong’s body.
Piercing through the densely packed blade shadows filling the air, the sword tip reached her shoulder.
“Hup!”
At the single strike that slipped precisely through a gap between blade monta and lightly tapped her shoulder as if placing a dot, Peng Hwayeong froze for an instant.
If this had been real combat, she would certainly have suffered a piercing wound to the shoulder or lost her left arm entirely.
“It’s not over yet.”
“S-sorry!”
As Peng Hwayeong halted, the explosively surging blade montum instantly subsided.
Seeing that, Ban Hojin spoke in an even, emotionless voice.
He had no intention of ending things yet.
If he had planned to stop at this point, he would never have started in the first place.
“Let’s go again.”
“Yes!”
Answering with a resolute expression, Peng Hwayeong pushed the Qiankun Continuous Chain Soul-Seizing Blade to its utmost intensity.
All the while keeping in mind the opening she had just discovered.
Tap.
Then Ban Hojin, as if teasing her, targeted a different spot.
Just like before, he easily brushed the sword tip against her right waist.
“Hup!”
But this ti, she did not stop.
Instead, she swung the Geopae Blade even more fiercely.
She took advantage of the brief mont when Ban Hojin’s sword was lightly touching her waist.
Claaang!
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