Reincarnated Sword Ghost-Chapter 6 : Duel

Duel
For a moment, Yu Dong-ryong glanced back and forth between his empty hands and the fallen wooden sword, his eyes confused.
Then, sharply, he lifted his head and spoke.
"... Did you just block my sword?"
"No, . I was standing still, but you swung at my sword."
"But I struck at an opening."
"It just happened that I was moving my sword in that direction."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Yu Dong-ryong suddenly shouted.
"Do you take me for a fool?!"
'It didn't work.'
Jeong-un shook his head, disappointment on his face.
It seemed Yu Dong-ryong still had some sense of discernment.
"What are you doing! Go pick it up right now!"
The warrior next to him quickly picked up the wooden sword and respectfully handed it to Yu Dong-ryong.
Snatching the sword, Yu Dong-ryong pointed it once more at Jeong-un, this time in a much more serious stance.
"Fine, maybe anyone can get lucky once."
Yu Dong-ryong seemed to have decided that what just happened was nothing more than a fluke.
After all, Jeong-un had only just started swinging a sword after spending years shut away in his room, so it was not unreasonable for Yu Dong-ryong to think that way.
"I suppose, even a fool like you has our family's blood running through your veins."
'... Is that bloodline really that impressive?'
Even if they called themselves a martial family, hadn't they only begun using swords just two generations ago?
Jeong-un let his gaze flick over the way Yu Dong-ryong gripped his sword—a preparatory stance of the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique, often seen among the Yu household's other warriors at the training hall.
Of course, as a blood relative of the clan, there would be subtle differences in how the sword technique was executed.
The Ascending Dragon Sword Technique was the Yu household's prized, unique sword technique that everyone learned, but only the direct line was taught more than just the initial moves.
Furthermore, didn't Yu Dong-ryong pride himself on having mastered the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique?
Perhaps, even if he wasn't the strongest in the entire training hall, at least in terms of skill with this sword technique, Yu Dong-ryong might be the best.
'... This is a chance to put my eyes to the test.'
Jeong-un changed his mind.
To him, the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique was nothing but an empty show, pretty on the outside but lacking substance.
'Yet it has as many as twenty-eight moves.'
He didn't want to waste his time learning it.
But to be sure, he needed to confirm if his own judgment wasn't mistaken.
"I accept your challenge."
"You never had a choice from the start!"
With that, Yu Dong-ryong took a large step forward and thrust his sword at Jeong-un.
'Simple.'
A thrust.
Among the moves in the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique, this was the most basic.
Yet it went by the grandiose name "Slash That Pierces the Heavens".
If Yu Dong-ryong's sword had been as fierce as the name suggested, and if things went as he expected, Jeong-un wouldn't have even had the chance to react, and the duel would have ended right here.
He might have dropped to his knees, clutching his chest.
Yu Dong-ryong never considered Jeong-un might block or dodge this surprise attack.
Such a thing would have been preposterous.
And Jeong-un, watching Yu Dong-ryong's wooden sword dart toward him, thought,
'... Is the sword slow?'
No, Yu Dong-ryong's sword was not slow.
Compared to his own, Yu Dong-ryong's blade was obviously faster.
'Naturally.'
He had only been swinging a sword for about a month now.
He didn't know how diligent Yu Dong-ryong was, but at the minimum, Yu Dong-ryong had practiced for much longer than he did.
That meant all his muscles were perfectly trained for swordplay.
Besides, he must have steadily learned the breathing methods, gaining further ability.
So, of course, he was faster than Jeong-un.
'But... why does it feel slow?'
To be precise, he could see the path the sword would take.
More exactly, Yu Dong-ryong's entire movement let him predict the trajectory.
At the very moment Yu Dong-ryong's foot lightly kicked off the ground,
and the tip of the wooden sword, previously leveled at Jeong-un, bounced slightly upwards,
Jeong-un already knew the sword's target would be his solar plexus.
And at that instant, his body was already moving.
Snap!
"..."
This time, Yu Dong-ryong did not drop his sword.
Unlike the first exchange, he gripped the sword guard firmly as he drove in the thrust.
Just because his attack was blocked didn't mean he would let go so feebly.
Still, he stood there, wooden sword in hand, eyes wide as he stared at Jeong-un.
"Wha, what just happened?"
"Blocked again?"
"By the young master, who only just started using a sword...!"
The watching warriors murmured among themselves.
Even though Yu Dong-ryong could clearly hear them, they couldn't stifle their voices.
That's how unbelievable what they were seeing with their own eyes was.
But the most shocked of all was Yu Dong-ryong himself.
Even without using his internal energy, a sincere attack of his had been blocked so easily.
His opponent was his own weak little brother, who had spent years shut in his room.
The serious Yu Geum-ryong, and the hot-blooded, fierce Yu Eun-ryong, never considered him a rival.
Ironically, it was Jeong-un who sometimes gave Yu Dong-ryong solace.
The son of a household maid of low status, barely fortunate enough to touch his father's hand,
yet, despite such luck, he'd been nothing but a parasite wasting away in his room.
Because he existed, Yu Dong-ryong could avoid being deemed the most useless among the siblings.
And now, that "parasite" had blocked his sword.
"You dare...!"
Yu Dong-ryong's hand trembled as he gripped the sword guard tightly.
He simply could not accept what was happening.
Pop!
Yu Dong-ryong's foot pounded the ground again.
At the same time, the wooden sword he gripped sliced fiercely toward Jeong-un's shoulder.
Smack!
Jeong-un easily blocked it again, turning his body as he held the sword to the side.
As though choreographed, Yu Dong-ryong's sword met his in a perfect clash.
Snap!
After blocking several consecutive attacks, Jeong-un glanced at Dong-ryong's heels, then leaned back.
Whoosh—
The wooden sword brushed past his nose, just barely missing.
'It isn't difficult.'
Toe, shoulder, wrist.
Just by watching these three points, Jeong-un could now tell exactly how Yu Dong-ryong would swing his sword.
After trading a few blows, it became even easier.
The anger on Yu Dong-ryong's face slowly turned to embarrassment, his movements growing more exaggerated.
'The heel lifts and the toe rotates.'
The Crescent Flash of the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique.
A move that swept the sword in a wide arc, spinning the body.
Jeong-un did not know it was a formal move.
He had also forgotten his intention to test his judgment of the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique.
Instead, the one he was testing now, was himself.
'You don't have to block the sword head-on every time.'
Yu Dong-ryong's sword was definitely faster and stronger than his.
His own hands were already pulsing with pain.
Yu Dong-ryong had trained his body from childhood.
And, unlike Jeong-un, he'd experienced countless duels.
A faster sword meant it packed more strength.
There was no need to take it head-on.
As the swords met, Jeong-un tilted his blade at an angle.
Yu Dong-ryong's wooden sword slid by naturally, and, momentarily flustered, he tried to use the momentum of the deflection to spin and strike hard again.
But by then, Jeong-un's sword was already waiting, blocking the very spot that Yu Dong-ryong was targeting.
Snap!
"Damn it!"
Yu Dong-ryong cursed without realizing, his once meticulously styled hair already unraveling.
Meanwhile, Jeong-un was just sweating a little, but otherwise remained as neat and composed as before the duel had begun.
The state of the duel was clearly apparent.
'He's coming in horizontally at my side.'
Yu Dong-ryong's shoulder swung wide, telegraphing the sword's path.
Jeong-un noticed that Yu Dong-ryong's footing, unlike at the start, had lost its rhythm.
His upper and lower bodies were now out of sync.
Even for one slash, the whole body must remain in balance.
That was something Jeong-un knew from the very first time he stood from his sickbed, gripping his sword at nothingness.
'An unbalanced sword holds no sword force.'
After blocking every attack so far since the duel began, Jeong-un, for the first time, swung his wooden sword forward—
directly at Yu Dong-ryong's sword as it came for his side.
Crack—!
A sharp, satisfying sound rang out through the training hall as the wooden swords collided.
The spectators, who had been holding their breath, widened their eyes.
Yu Dong-ryong, unable to match the backlash due to a lack of proper power in his swing, staggered half a step backward.
He didn't drop his sword, but he was clutching it precariously, both arms awkwardly raised, leaving his front wide open.
Jeong-un followed through, perfectly stable as if he'd sliced only a thin sheet of paper.
Jeong-un's eyes swept over the empty chest of Yu Dong-ryong.
Then, he swung his wooden sword once more.
It was the very same motion he'd repeated thousands, tens of thousands of times since waking from his long illness.
Thud!
As it was a wooden sword, it didn't cut Yu Dong-ryong's chest.
Besides, he hadn't used any power at all.
Jeong-un still hadn't accumulated any internal energy.
But that alone was enough.
"Ugh!"
Yu Dong-ryong flew backward, as if blasted away, clutching his chest and coughing dryly, struggling for breath.
"...!"
"...!"
For a moment, the warriors watching dazedly rushed over.
"Y-young master!"
"How can this be!"
Jeong-un looked down at his own hand that gripped the wooden sword.
He'd been holding it so tightly, his palm had torn and was soaked with blood.
Jeong-un glanced at Yu Dong-ryong's palm as the warriors helped him, still wracked with coughs.
Yu Dong-ryong's hands were perfectly fine, not a single mark on them.
"..."
In contrast, his own hand was a mess after only a few clashes.
'To think the difference would be this great.'
He could feel firsthand how differences could start from such seemingly small things.
He suddenly recalled Yu Dong-ryong's claim of practicing the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique for over ten years.
It seemed that had not been a lie.
Before he knew it, Jeong-un approached the now-standing Yu Dong-ryong.
Though still holding his chest, Yu Dong-ryong's color was slowly returning.
Just as Yu Dong-ryong, seeing Jeong-un approach, opened his mouth to shout—
"Thank you for teaching me so much, brother."
"...?"
Jeong-un bowed his head and expressed his thanks.
"I've gained quite a bit of unexpected insight thanks to you. In the future, I'll be counting on your guidance as well."
"You, you...!"
Yu Dong-ryong's face, which had been calming down, flushed angrily once again.
"This little bastard!"
Shinnng!
Yu Dong-ryong snatched a real sword from the sheath of the nearby warrior.
It was a genuine, sharp blade.
Furious, Yu Dong-ryong leveled the sword at Jeong-un and shouted,
"A filthy servant's bastard dares to mock me!"
In that moment, while angered by the insult, Jeong-un also found it confusing.
'Wasn't he the one who said he'd teach me through a duel?'
And, in reality, he had learned something.
He realized the difference between practicing alone and actually crossing swords.
He gained a sense of lacking in his own body, and also became certain about the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique.
'It's definitely not the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique.'
Honestly, it seemed ridiculous to even call it a sword technique.
If anything, he felt a stronger conviction about the much-maligned Three Talent Sword Technique.
'It all comes down to just slashing or thrusting anyway.'
As long as he honed those, there was nothing to regret—that was his honest thought.
"If only you'd just stayed holed up like always, instead of coming out and showing off, would you have dared lay a hand on me?"
"Weren't you the one who asked for a duel, brother?"
"Shut up! You call swinging a wooden sword and messing about a duel? If it'd been a real sword, you'd have lost your head by now!"
Recalling his split palm, Jeong-un nodded readily.
"Of course, had that been the case, I wouldn't have been able to cut your chest as I just did either."
"You son of a bitch!"
Yu Dong-ryong raised his sword high in anger, but in that instant, another man jumped between them.
"Young master, please calm yourself!"
It was Jang Hong, who'd come to stand by Jeong-un's side right after the duel ended, as if to protect him.
He lowered his head deeply, almost bowing as he spoke.
"It was a meaningless duel. No one present will think much of it."
"...!"
Hearing this, Yu Dong-ryong glanced around.
Only now did he seem to realize how many eyes were watching.
Flushing bright red in an instant, Yu Dong-ryong bellowed,
"I—it was just a light duel to teach a lesson! Why did you get so worked up and turn things into such a spectacle?"
"Forgive me. I am still inexperienced and was disrespectful to you, brother."
Jeong-un bowed his head politely.
Yu Dong-ryong trembled as he gripped his sword, face still red, then finally turned away.
"An ungrateful, lowly bastard!"