Chapter 14. Jaegal Somi

Moonlight illuminated the training ground.

Under the dim light, Jaegal Somi’s wooden sword embroidered the air without a sound.

“Haat, hat!”

A voice as clear as jade beads.

The sword path drew a horizontal line without wavering, then a vertical line, then pierced a single point. And it repeated again.

The flawless Three Talents Sword.

Although it was often looked down upon as a third-rate martial art of the marketplace, ‘slashing and thrusting’ was, after all, the backbone of all sword paths.

Jaegal Somi was utterly serious.

From her Three Talents Sword flowed the mastery of one who had polished the same sword path countless times.

“……”

Lee Byeok suddenly felt awkward.

Watching another’s training without permission was a taboo among all who learned martial arts.

But here at the Falling Sword Sect, no one cared about such things. Many common senses did not apply.

I looked up at the sky.

The night sky was full of stars.

I thought I could vaguely understand what Lee Jincheon meant by the ‘stone in the heart.’

I thought it was nothing.

There was a limit to foolishness.

Jeobeok.

“Byeok. What are you thinking about so hard?”

Suddenly, a presence was felt, and a voice spoke to him. A huge shadow covered Lee Byeok.

“Ahahat, I heard there was quite a commotion this afternoon? That Seok-du fellow suddenly appeared and started smashing his forehead on the ground?”

“…Hyuk Dae-woong, are you alright now?”

“Me? Well, I’m pretty tough-boned. More importantly, that Seok-du kid, he’s not fundamentally a bad kid— Kraak!”

Hyuk Dae-woong let out a shrill cry.

Behind the cowering large frame, Jaegal Somi had somehow come close.

“Oh my, who is this? Isn’t it the great hero of Liangshan Marsh, Master Hyuk, who fought a tiger at fifteen?”

Kuk.

“Kkeuak!”

Jaegal Somi’s wooden sword poked Hyuk Dae-woong’s back. The large figure cowered, clutching his chest.

“S-Senior Sister! It hurts!”

“Of course, it hurts. It hurts because you’re a patient. A patient should be lying down and counting the stains on the ceiling, where do you think you’re crawling out to?”

Kuk, kuk, kuk.

“Ak! Euk! Kkeuak!”

“So who told you to pick a fight with a tiger without knowing your place? Huh? Just because people call you Griz, did you think you were a real bear?”

“S-Sorry, Senior Sister. But the situation was like that— Ak!”

“Shut up. As soon as you’re fully healed, you can expect to die by my hand. You really need to die once to learn how to be careful.”

“Ah, ahaha, I’m in big trouble….”

A cold sweat formed on Hyuk Dae-woong’s forehead.

Jaegal Somi shook her head from side to side.

And hook, her gaze shifted to Lee Byeok.

“Hey, Lee Byeok. You weren't particularly hurt, so why are you acting so pitiful? Are you not going to swing your sword?”

“…I have something to think about.”

“Ah~ I see. Our great junior brother doesn't need to tire himself out, right? The ultimate secrets of the sword just come into view even when you're sitting still, don't they?”

…What does she mean?

Lee Byeok’s brow furrowed.

“How ridiculous must this blockheaded senior sister look? I’ve been trying all sorts of things for two years with no hope of getting my inner energy back, but you managed it in ten days.”

“……”

Deobseok!

Suddenly, Jaegal Somi’s hand grabbed Lee Byeok’s shoulder. Kwaak. He could feel the strength.

“Hey, Lee Byeok! Tell me honestly. Are you the Sect Leader’s hidden son or something? Seriously, are you a relative of the Lee clan, and blood is thicker than water, something like that?”

“…No, I am not.”

“Then what are you, you monster! Hurry up and tell me the secret! How did you do it! Let’s get stronger together! Senior and junior brothers should help each other out, huh?!”

Taltaltal. Jaegal Somi shook his shoulders violently.

Amidst the dizzyingly shaking vision, Lee Byeok struggled to form his words.

“I-I don’t know the details either. The Sect Leader also said it was just a coincidence, and that it was just my heart—”

“Ak! That damned heart!”

At that moment, Jaegal Somi threw Lee Byeok aside. Pak, pak, pak. After kicking the ground a few times, she let out a deep sigh.

“Right. Getting worked up is only my loss.”

Teodeol teodeol. With steps that seemed somehow drained of energy, Jaegal Somi returned to the center of the training ground.

“Sure~ You junior brothers overflowing with talent and strength, please enjoy your pleasant chat~ This dull senior sister will just dig at this Three Talents Sword until I’m old and gray and keel over and die~”

And again, the middle stance.

The Three Talents Sword unfolded from the beginning.

“……”

“Senior Sister really has a rough way of expressing herself.”

Hahat. Hyuk Dae-woong laughed bitterly.

And he sat down next to Lee Byeok.

Sitting on the wooden floor, the two of them silently watched the trajectory of Jaegal Somi’s sword for a while.

“Byeok.”

Hyuk Dae-woong spoke again.

…Did he have something else to say?

“No… about that time. You said you had something to ask me, didn't you?”

“……”

Of course, I hadn't forgotten.

That day, Lee Byeok had left Hyuk Dae-woong behind and fled with the village chief and Jang Seok-du.

Hyuk Dae-woong had volunteered to be the decoy.

That action, risking his life for Lee Byeok, whom he had only known for ten days, was still difficult to understand.

But.

For some reason, Lee Byeok suddenly became afraid to ask the question. It was a feeling he couldn't comprehend.

But at the same time, he had an intuition. He couldn't move forward without hearing the answer.

Lee Byeok carefully mulled over the question.

“Hyuk Dae-woong, what do senior and junior brothers mean to you?”

“…Whaat?”

“Why did you choose to stay behind then, after sending me off with Jang Seok-du?”

Everyone’s life is precious.

But at that time, Lee Byeok was engulfed in a daze, feeling as if his own life was already over.

…No, perhaps even now.

Therefore, if one of their lives had to be used to buy time in that situation, Lee Byeok had thought it would be fine if it were him.

But Hyuk Dae-woong had been resolute.

“Byeok. In my opinion.”

Heum. Hyuk Dae-woong cleared his throat.

“Well, I don’t really know either.”

“……”

“Ahaha, sorry. It was such an unexpected question that I don’t really have anything to say…….”

Scratch, scratch. Hyuk Dae-woong scratched his head.

“Anyway, I didn’t have much time to think. At that moment, I just thought I was the one who had a better chance of surviving without dying.”

“…Is that all?”

“Well, that’s about it. We haven’t known each other for long, but the fact that we’re senior and junior brothers from now on is something that won’t change for the rest of our lives, right?”

Kung!

The seat they were on shook.

The tip of Jaegal Somi’s wooden sword had struck the wooden floor. Leaning on her sword, Jaegal Somi spoke.

“Hey, Lee Byeok. Listening to you while swinging my sword, you sound a bit arrogant, you know. He might look like that, but he’s your senior brother. How can you talk like that?”

“……”

“This won’t do. You need a bit of a beating.”

Jaegal Somi beckoned with her finger.

And by now, Lee Byeok had grown somewhat accustomed to her way of speaking. In other words, it meant a duel.

There was no reason to refuse. Lee Byeok stood up. No, he was about to stand up.

“No, not right now.”

Kkuuk. The wooden sword pressed down on his shoulder.

“Come at me in about a long while.”

***

After exchanging a few more words with Hyuk Dae-woong, who had returned to his quarters, Lee Byeok returned to the training ground.

It seemed the preparations were complete. Jaegal Somi was standing in the center of the training ground, silently looking at Lee Byeok.

Cheok. He pointed the tip of his sword at her.

“Hey, are you that good at fighting?”

“……”

Since joining the Falling Sword Sect, Lee Byeok had dueled with Jaegal Somi and Hyuk Dae-woong almost every day.

But unlike with Hyuk Dae-woong, where victory and defeat were always mixed, Jaegal Somi had not been able to claim a single victory against Lee Byeok since the first day.

The martial art she had learned was the art of the flying dagger.

But the art of the flying dagger seemed to be a study where the delicate operation of the inner energy contained in the blade, especially after it left the hand, was key.

In other words, without inner energy, a proper technique could not be executed, and she could not break through Lee Byeok’s Azure River Sword Style.

But.

“Get ready for a beating today, okay?”

Ttuduk, ttuk. A mysterious smile played on the lips of Jaegal Somi as she cracked her knuckles.

Did she have some new enlightenment? Or…….

Tat!

Jaegal Somi kicked off the ground.

And the wooden sword and wooden sword clashed fiercely. With a scraping sound, the sword and sword began to entangle.

Taak, tak!

The proficient Three Talents Sword unfolded.

As they were familiar with each other’s swords, there was no reason for the probing to be long.

Sword-Drawing Form, and Sword-Withdrawal Form.

Straight, Fast, Strong, and Curve, Change, Yielding.

Lee Byeok began to unleash the sword paths of the Azure River Sword Style. The six groups mixed randomly.

“…Tch.”

Jaegal Somi lightly clicked her tongue.

And soon, her sword began to fall apart little by little.

No matter how familiar they became, under the same condition of having no inner energy, the Three Talents Sword could not match the intricacy of the Azure River Sword Style.

Taang!

Jaegal Somi drew a large horizontal line.

After pushing Lee Byeok back a step, she herself leaped back three steps. Huuu. She caught her breath.

“Hey, Lee Byeok. Do you know what pisses me off the most these days?”

“……”

“It's that I’m so damn weak that it’s really hard to beat up a snot-nosed junior brother even when he’s talking nonsense.”

Tuk!

Jaegal Somi kicked a pebble at her feet. It was a movement that at first glance seemed to have no meaning.

Degul. The stone rolled on the ground.

Umjjil!

Suddenly, Lee Byeok felt a wave of dizziness.

He reflexively closed his eyes.

No, but getting distracted during a duel was a foolish thing to do. He hastily opened his eyes again.

Jaegal Somi was still standing in the same spot. She had clearly not moved a single step. But.

“Why? Did you suddenly get scared?”

“……”

Something was strange.

Ususu. A chill ran down his spine.

“The real thing starts now.”

Tat!

Jaegal Somi closed the distance again.

A nimble but straightforward thrust. A movement that was obvious to the eye.

Hwoong, tak!

But Lee Byeok’s reaction was a step too late. He hastily deflected it, but his posture was disrupted.

Ppaak!

Not missing the opening, Jaegal Somi’s sword dug into his thigh. Lee Byeok sucked in a breath.

Tak, taak, tak!

“You need to focus, little one, don’t you?”

The familiar Three Talents Sword continued.

But Lee Byeok’s hands and feet began to get tangled up pathetically. He couldn't even properly block, let alone unfold the Azure River Sword Style.

Something was off. It was as if Lee Byeok’s eyes, ears, and skin were perceiving different sensations from each other.

Peok!

“Keuk.”

He had allowed a blow to his collarbone.

Taak. Along with the pain that seeped into his bones, this time it was Lee Byeok who staggered backward.

“Why? Should I stop now?”

“……”

His senses were not normal.

Lee Byeok took a deep breath.

He calmed his mind and understood the state of his body. Dizziness. Tinnitus. Chills. In that case.

Lee Byeok advanced again.

Taak!

“Oh?”

Fine control of his strength was impossible.

Therefore, it was difficult to execute proper swordsmanship.

Lee Byeok stuck as close to Jaegal Somi as possible, focusing on defense.

He narrowly avoided fatal blows, accepting the pain with his body.

Little by little, he brought the discrepancy in his senses into the realm of understanding.

“Hoo, so that’s how it is?”

Taang!

Again, Jaegal Somi’s body, after pushing Lee Byeok away, soared up like a swallow. She landed on top of the wall in one turn.

“I’ll show you my secret technique. Receive it well.”

“……”

And Jaegal Somi’s left arm extended without a sound. Gulp. Lee Byeok swallowed his saliva. He took a middle stance.

“Sori's Flying Dagger.”

The flying dagger slipped out as if gliding.

It left her sleeve and began to surge towards Lee Byeok like a wave. It advanced as if retreating, and retreated as if advancing.

…Inner energy?

No, that couldn't be.

There must be some kind of trickery involved.

Biteul!

Just looking at it made the dizziness worse. But he couldn't close his eyes. He couldn't lose track of the trajectory.

Hwoook

The moment the blade came right before his nose, Lee Byeok held back his movement. And a faint sound grazed his ear.

Ttaak!

He swung the wooden sword downward.

A definite sensation that reached his hand.

He had succeeded in deflecting the flying dagger.

He had become somewhat accustomed to the strange sensation. Hook. Lee Byeok re-gripped his sword.

He fixed his gaze straight ahead.

But Jaegal Somi was no longer there.

Ttaak!

“Keok.”

A pain erupted on the back of his head.

For a moment, all the strength left his body, and Lee Byeok fell to his knees. Teolseok. He supported himself with both hands on the ground.

Hwook.

“……”

And the dizziness disappeared.

Prostrated, he looked at the ground.

Lee Byeok recognized that all his senses had returned to normal. The discrepancy was gone, and the tinnitus was no longer heard.

“…What in the world was that?”

“What do you mean? It’s a formation.”

The voice came from behind.

“You don't know much about the Jaegal Clan, do you, little one?”

Hut. Jaegal Somi laughed lightly.

“It’s a really basic Two Forms Formation, but you fell for it so well. Egeu, what are you going to do with such a weak mind?”

“…I have lost.”

Jaegal Somi appeared before his eyes.

She sat down with her legs together, meeting Lee Byeok’s gaze. She rested her elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand.

“So, do you feel like respecting this senior sister a bit now?”

“……”

“But you know, I hate this.”

Binggeut. Jaegal Somi smiled.

“I hate formations, and I don't really like flying daggers either. What kind of martial artist is it that just sets up traps from a distance and fiddles with flying daggers because they don't want to get hurt themselves?”

“…I do not think so.”

“No, I’m right. The Jaegal Clan of divine calculation and hidden talent. They're all nice-sounding words. But in reality, since their crucial martial strength is lacking, they just get laughed at by other clans with those hollow words.”

Jaegal Somi’s expression became distant.

Just as Lee Byeok had his past, Jaegal Somi had hers. That was only natural.

“But you know.”

Tuk. Jaegal Somi’s hand patted Lee Byeok’s cheek.

“If someone were to try and stab you in the back, I would throw a flying dagger or something first, no matter how cheap it is.”

“……”

“That’s what becoming senior and junior brothers is.”

Her fingers pinched his cheek.

“So don't argue with me carelessly. Your foolish senior brother endured with a hole in his chest, and yet you're being so impertinent.”

“……”

Lee Byeok’s eyes wavered.

And he realized. His heart was not ready to accept this kind of relationship.

Fear arose.

“You’re a coward, Lee Byeok.”

Seuk seuk.

Jaegal Somi once again stroked Lee Byeok’s head.

It was something Lee Byeok had never experienced from anyone other than her before.

“Now you look a bit like a kid.”

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