Chapter 75

The children who saw the shield suddenly flying at them quickly twisted their bodies to dodge. As they glanced at the shield passing between them and smirked, they began their assault on Bang Un. But Bang Un was already right in front of them. “Heavenly Armor Charge Break!” Bang Un charged forward with his body alongside the shield. Puh-puh-puk—. “Guhh!” “Kegh!” With a loud impact, they were flung away. As those kids bounced back, others who hadn’t been injured yet rushed in between them. Whoosh—. Just then, an ominous sound rang out. When they turned their heads toward the source of the noise, they saw the shield that Bang Un had thrown earlier was coming back. Puh-puh-puk—. “Guhh!” Even the kids who had just closed in were struck by the returning shield and flung away. “You fucking bastard!” Shaa-clang—. They finally drew their swords. The swords used by students of the academy are bladeless training swords. Even if you’re slashed, you won’t be cut; even if you’re stabbed, it won’t pierce. But it still hurts like hell when you get hit. None of the weapons have edges. Because a sword, even without a blade, can still kill someone due to its weight, they are made of light wood instead. Bang Un had removed the sharp spikes from his shield for the same reason. If his shield had still been armed, those hit by the returning shield would never have gotten back up. Ka-ka-kang—. The students’ bladeless swords collided with the shield, sparking on contact. Blocking swords with one hand, Bang Un grabbed the returning shield with the other and attacked their legs. Puh-puh-puk—. The kids lost their balance and collapsed where they stood. Several were struggling against a single opponent. Watching this unfold, Ho Je shouted. “Everyone fall back! Reform the battle line!” At Ho Je’s command, the students simultaneously widened the distance between themselves and Bang Un. Bang Un let out a dry laugh and said to Ho Je, “You’re too scared to join the fight, but you sure run your mouth.” “You son of a bitch!” Ho Je snapped. But he didn’t recklessly charge in. Ho Je had learned the value of strategy while working alongside Gwak Pyeong. “Form the Wind-Cloud Formation!” The students scattered around Bang Un and began circling him rapidly. Bang Un’s pupils darted around without pause. He couldn’t predict where the next attack would come from. Then it happened. The sound of wind rushed in from behind. Instinctively, Bang Un raised his shield to guard his back. Kaaang—. With a metallic clash, swords flew in from all directions. Shoo-shoo-shook—. There was no way to block them all like this. Cha-kang—! Bang Un tucked himself into the shield and covered his entire body with two shields. Ka-ka-ka-kang—. Merged with the shields, Bang Un deflected the flying swords and charged forward at speed. Thud-thud-thud—. As he burst out, he struck the students in front of him and immediately rolled toward his next target. At that moment, Ho Je lunged in. “Got you now, bastard!” Ho Je had been waiting for this exact moment. Once he’s inside the shield, there’s nowhere to dodge. Energy gathered in Ho Je’s hand. His specialty was palm techniques. “Scorching Wind Palm!” Crack—. Ho Je’s palm strike slammed directly into Bang Un’s shield. The students watching grinned. Now Bang Un, trapped inside the shield, would surely cough up blood and collapse. But then— Thud—. “Guhh!” Instead, it was Ho Je, the one who struck, who was blasted backward. Crash-crash-thud—. He tumbled across the ground several times after being repelled. The impact was even greater because he hadn’t expected to be knocked back himself. “Senior!” “Ho Je!” The nearby students called out in shock. A line of blood trickled from Ho Je’s mouth as he shouted in disbelief. “Rebound Art?” Cha-kang—. Bang Un unfolded the shields and looked at the fallen Ho Je with a smirk. “How stupid. Did you really think I’d just sit inside the shield with no countermeasure?” He had been struck by his own energy. That’s what made the blow all the more devastating. Bang Un spoke. “You gonna keep going? Seems like the outcome’s already clear.” Not a single student moved. There was no point in attacking when nothing worked, and since even internal strikes failed, morale had collapsed and the fight was over. Bang Un asked, “So I win, yeah?” Ho Je, unwilling to admit defeat, tried to spring to his feet. But the hit had done more damage than expected—his body wouldn’t move. Seeing this, Bang Un grinned and said, “So now it’s just Gwak Pyeong left? No... there’s someone even more important still hanging around.” Bang Un’s face twisted. “Does anyone know where that bastard Seon Woo Baek is?” Everyone shook their heads. “Are you protecting your own? Fine by me. I’ll just come back tomorrow. Pass him a message—if I catch him, he’s dead.” Cha-kang—. As Bang Un retrieved his shield and walked away, the students of Baekyeong Martial Academy could do nothing but pound the dirt in bitter frustration. **** The Next Day. When summoned by Gwak Pyeong, Seon Woo Baek stepped into a gloomy atmosphere. “Is something wrong?” “Bang Un came by yesterday.” Ah, so that’s why the mood is like this. “Ho Je got taken down by him.” Senior Ho Je? He really must be something else. “He said he’s going to keep showing up and raising hell until he meets you.” “Sounds like he came by while I was off training.” “You’re really confident you can defeat him, aren’t you?” “Yes!” “Good. Then I’ll make an official challenge for a martial duel. You’ll represent our Baekyeong Martial Academy in my place.” “Understood. I will reclaim Baekyeong’s honor without fail.” As Seon Woo Baek confidently replied, Ho Je spoke up. “If, by chance, he curls up inside that shield again—don’t even think about attacking the inside. He’s mastered Rebound Art.” “Huh?” “I was struck by the palm technique I had unleashed. I was too careless. So you be careful too.” Seon Woo Baek nodded. “Thank you. I will.” Gwak Pyeong spoke. “Do you have a strategy to counter him? The method I thought of failed with Ho Je, so we’ll need another.” “I’ll just have to clash with him first.” Seon Woo Baek’s response didn’t feel satisfying. “What is this? Sounds like you don’t have a plan.” “I’ll just do my best.” Whether he really had a strategy— —or if he was simply impatient after seeing a fellow underclassman gain recognition, Gwak Pyeong couldn’t tell. Gwak Pyeong looked at Seon Woo Baek. His gaze was unwavering. It didn’t seem like he was acting out of anxious desperation. Gwak Pyeong gave a short laugh and said, “Alright. That look in your eyes tells me I don’t need to prepare a strategy for him. I’ll trust you.” “Yes! I will definitely repay your trust, senior!” **** A letter arrived for Jeon Yeok-gi, the former number one of Red Shadow Academy. It was a formal martial duel challenge from Baekyeong Martial Academy against Bang Un. Crack—. Jeon Yeok-gi was in a foul mood. It already pissed him off to have lost to a junior, and now other academies were treating Bang Un—not him—as Red Shadow’s top student. He wanted to reclaim his position. To do that, only one person needed to disappear. “Bang Un...” A cunning bastard. The moment he hides inside the shield, he provokes internal attacks, then delivers a brutal counter with Rebound Art. The problem is, there’s no way to hit him once he’s inside the shield. “Wait... couldn’t I just make it so he can’t use Rebound Art?” A good idea came to mind. But to pull it off, he’d have to butter Bang Un up with sweet words he didn’t mean. ‘Endure it for now to reclaim my spot. Even the phrase “sleeping on firewood and tasting gall” exists for a reason.’ There was something he needed to prepare. He had to get it done before Bang Un left for Baekyeong Martial Academy. **** Bang Un walked toward Baekyeong with a smile on his lips. “I’ll finally get to see that bastard’s damn face.” Behind him followed the kids from Red Shadow Academy, and except for Bang Un and his only true friend Mak Son-oh, all wore irritated expressions. Naturally so—they were all seniors to Bang Un and Mak Son-oh, and all had lost to him. As they looked at him like he was their sworn enemy, Jeon Yeok-gi stepped forward. “What do you think you’re doing? Bang Un is going there as Red Shadow’s representative. If you can’t lift his spirits, at least don’t glare at him like that.” At Jeon Yeok-gi’s words, they all lowered their heads. “Bang Un beat even me. He’s effectively Red Shadow’s number one. You know the Martial God Sect’s law, don’t you? The strong stand at the top. Bang Un is strong, and he’s Red Shadow’s number one.” When Jeon Yeok-gi stepped forward to defend him, Bang Un wore a puzzled expression. “Why? Was I not supposed to butt in?” To Jeon Yeok-gi’s question, Bang Un waved his hands. “No, not at all. Haha! I’m just happy. It feels like you’ve finally acknowledged me, senior.” “When did I ever not acknowledge you?” “You’ve always avoided me.” “Sorry. The truth is... I needed time to come to terms with it too.” Seeing Jeon Yeok-gi apologize so cleanly, Bang Un felt that he had truly been acknowledged. And that made him feel genuinely good. The former number one of Red Shadow Academy had recognized him as Red Shadow’s current number one. “Now that you’ve acknowledged me, senior, I feel like I could fly. I’ll win clean today and make Red Shadow the top academy in the southern region!” As Bang Un beat his chest and grinned with confidence, Jeon Yeok-gi handed him something and said, “Don’t let your guard down. Take this beforehand.” “What is it?” “It’s Golden Radiance Pill.” “Huh? Something this valuable...” “Win. Win and show them Red Shadow is the strongest in the South.” At Jeon Yeok-gi’s words, Bang Un nodded firmly. “Yes! I’ll show them without fail!” And he immediately tossed the Golden Radiance Pill into his mouth. He was so overjoyed at being acknowledged that not even the slightest suspicion crossed his mind. Mak Son-oh tried to stop him, but he had swallowed it too fast for anyone to intervene. A creeping sense of unease lingered. Could a person really change that suddenly? It was impossible. But what could he do? It was already swallowed. All he could do now was hope that Jeon Yeok-gi was sincere this time. **** A wide riverside beach stretched out before them. There, the students of Baekyeong and Red Shadow academies had gathered, and a heavy atmosphere hung in the air. Each side stood facing off in two formations, with two figures standing alone at the center. Cha-kang—. Bang Un lowered his shield and glared at Seon Woo Baek. “I was curious what kind of bastard you were, and now I finally see you.” “Hiding inside your shield to fight—isn’t that what you do?” “Sure, run your mouth all you want. You’ll be the one sobbing, buried in that sand over there.” “Who? You?” Even at Seon Woo Baek’s provocation, Bang Un only smiled. In Bang Un’s eyes, Seon Woo Baek was just bluffing because he was scared. “You must’ve struggled to drag your trembling legs all the way here. I’ll give you a quick rest.” Cha-kang—. Bang Un raised his shield and took a stance. “Should I go first? Or are you coming?” “You’re going to hide «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» anyway. I’ll go first.” “Keep calling me a coward, and I might start getting pissed. Keep it up, and you’ll get seriously hurt.” At Bang Un’s words, Seon Woo Baek smirked and took his stance. “You’re the one who should be careful. I’m not so easy.” Fwoosh—. The moment he finished speaking, he rushed toward Bang Un, leaving behind a blur. Seon Woo Baek’s movements were faster than expected. Bang Un raised his shield to guard himself—and felt the impact. Thud—. Slaaash—. Bang Un’s body was pushed backward, and at the same time, he hurled his shield at Seon Woo Baek. Whirr—. The shield spun menacingly toward him, and as Seon Woo Baek bent his body back to dodge it and charged in again— Bang Un was suddenly in the air, swinging the shield down at him from above. “Chit!” Fwoosh—. Seon Woo Baek planted his hand on the ground and shoved his body sideways. Slaaash—. Boom—! Crash-crack—! The shield slammed into the spot Seon Woo Baek had just been, shattering the earth and sending debris flying in every direction. Seon Woo Baek blocked the fragments with his crossed arms and launched himself at Bang Un again. Cha-kang—. Bang Un swiftly yanked out the shield and spun toward Seon Woo Baek. “Jincheon Twin Tiger Palm!” Craack—. Seon Woo Baek’s strike landed squarely on the shield, and Bang Un’s body was launched into the air. A perfect moment of defenselessness. As Seon Woo Baek prepared to press the attack— Whooom-whooom-whooom—.