Chapter 379
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 379
Chapter 379. Letter from the Northern Sea Ice Palace (3)
Jin-ho struck the ground with his spear and said.
“Now, raise your sword.”
“I was going to do that anyway.”
I stood in front of Jin-ho and drew my sword.
The silver sword blade gleamed brightly.
I took a starting stance, and Jin-ho and I faced each other. Then, without either of us moving first, we rushed toward each other.
“Ha!”
“Ha!”
It was a battle between swords and spears.
Due to the difference in length between the weapons, spears were more advantageous at a certain distance.
However, the weakness of the sword is that it is difficult to respond properly when the spear enters its range.
Those who use spears are also aware of this weakness.
Therefore, they learn additional techniques.
This allows them to push away opponents who get too close, create distance, and then use their spears again.
This is the standard technique for spear users.
However, I did not penetrate at all. There was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Chang!
Kaang!
Jin-ho's Blue Dragon Sword and my Silver Sword clashed, making a sharp sound.
As I maintained my distance without penetrating deeply and exchanged blows, Jin-ho seemed to sense victory and asked.
“Is that all you've got?”
No way!
As Pal-gap said, I never bet on a fight I'm going to lose.
Until now, I was just “warming up.”
I came here as soon as I finished my breathing exercises. And I warmed up enough with the exchange just now.
“That's not all you've got, is it?”
“Of course not!”
“I'm glad.”
Tsk!
I smiled at Jin-ho and rushed toward him at the same time.
“Kuh!”
My brother's spear guard blocked the silver sword.
Kaang!
Even though I controlled myself to some extent, the old man Yeom is really skilled.
He blocked my sword with his spear shaft, not even the blade.
I fought him for about a minute.
Jin-ho fought me with all his might, but I just fought him half-heartedly.
However, I wasn't trying to deceive Jin-ho.
I had a plan.
Jin-ho is talented and skilled for his age, but he has one chronic weakness.
That is his fighting style.
He doesn't fight using his head. Is it because of his hot-headed personality?
He doesn't try to distribute his strength according to the situation or lure his opponent into a position that is advantageous to him.
He goes all out from the start to defeat his opponent.
In most cases, he would be able to win easily due to his superior strength, but there are many cowards in this world.
They wait for him to tire, or lure him into a trap.
In such cases, he is helpless.
He realized this late in his previous life and tried to change, but he was unable to change completely.
That must have been Jin-ho's downfall.
As he is becoming stronger faster than in his previous life, if he changes his fighting style to one that relies more on strategy, the chances of him getting into danger will be much lower.
He doesn't have much experience fighting masters yet, so his fighting style isn't set in stone, so it's not too late to change now.
And I've become strong enough to give him that realization.
“Ugh...”
After about an hour, I could clearly see the exhaustion on Jin-ho's face.
He was even gasping for breath.
If I were his enemy, I would think now was my chance to cut his throat.
“Huff... What are you doing?”
“What?”
“Why... Why aren't you getting tired?”
“That's because I'm moving efficiently and using my inner arts. If you use all your strength like you, it's only natural that you'll tire quickly.”
With that, I put my sword back in its sheath.
Jin-ho tilted his head and asked.
“Are you done?”
“No way.”
Kaang!
I swung my sword at my brother.
“Ugh!”
He blocked it instinctively, but Jin-ho took a few steps back.
He looked defeated.
But I didn't stop there and continued to swing my sword.
Kang!
Kaang!
Kang!
He couldn't even counterattack properly and was pushed back repeatedly while barely blocking my blows.
Still, it wasn't enough.
Whoosh! Bang!
I struck my brother's chest with my sword in its sheath.
“Guh!”
Jin-ho collapsed on the spot.
My brother must not have expected me to go this far, because he shouted back.
“Hey! This is too much for a light sparring match! I'm your older brother!”
“So what?”
I replied indifferently.
“You fought me with all your strength, didn't you? Then I have to fight you with all my strength too.”
I swung my sword at my brother again.
Thud! Bang!
“Ugh! Ugh! Aah!”
My brother's screams echoed through the forest. But I had already blocked the sound with my sword, so his screams didn't reach the outside.
“If that had been a real sword, you would have died at least ten times by now.”
Pock!
“Guh!”
“That's eleven times.”
“Do you hate me?”
“What are you talking about? I like you, that's why I'm fighting you with my sword!”
Pock!
“Don't hit me while you're talking!”
Finally, Jin-ho raised both hands and shouted.
“I surrender! I surrender! I lost!”
“Not yet.”
“Huh?”
“In a battle between martial artists, doesn't it end when someone dies?”
“Huh?”
I pulled the silver sword out of its sheath again and glared at Jin-ho.
The silver sword emitted an intense coldness.
Facing my killing intent, Jin-ho said in a trembling voice.
“Hey, Seo-ho, you're joking, right?”
“Stop. Or I'll really kill you.”
Chuck!
I raised my sword and aimed it at Jin-ho.
Tack!
After warning him, I immediately rushed toward Jin-ho.
However, he must have been exhausted and drained of energy, so there was no way he could respond to my attack properly.
“....
Before my sword reached Jin-ho's neck, I withdrew my energy.
”Eh...
With a thud, Jin-ho collapsed to the ground.
Swoosh.
I put my sword back in its sheath and asked.
“How does it feel to die?”
“...It's disgusting.”
I guess so.
Losing your life to someone else is never a pleasant experience.
“So you admit you lost to me?”
“I already said that. I surrender.”
“Then let's replay the fight.”
“Huh?”
“What? Hyung? What's that look on your face? Don't you ever review your fights after you've beaten someone?”
“Isn't it enough to just fight and win? If you lose, you can just fight again next time.”
Oh, you idiot.
I'm your older brother, so I didn't beat you up.
Um... Come to think of it, I did beat him up just now.
“Brother. Do you remember the condition I set earlier? You agreed to do me a favor, right?”
“Yes.”
“From today on, you will review all your fights and submit a report to me. Shall we start with today's fight?”
I continued.
“What was the reason for your defeat today?”
“That's...”
Seeing my brother unable to answer properly, I sighed and said,
“I told you earlier. If you go on the offensive from the beginning, it's natural that you'll tire yourself out quickly.”
“But the first strike wins.”
In response to my brother's objection, I began to explain calmly.
“Think about it. You have the Eunpungdae Six Commanders and your family behind you. In order to protect them, you have to defeat the enemy in front of you. If the enemy is only in front of you, then it's okay to go on the offensive from the start. Or, if you and the enemy are fighting one-on-one, then it might be true that the first strike wins. But think about it, brother.”
I raised my sword and aimed it at Jin-ho's neck.
“The world is cruel. What would you do if there were hidden enemies? Would you be able to handle them when you've already used up all your strength? If you die, the people you were trying to protect will also die.”
“....”
“You said earlier that dying feels dirty. Then how would it feel to see the people you were protecting die? How would it feel to die without being able to protect them?”
I paused for a moment before continuing.
“Can it really be described as just dirty?”
No.
I can say this because I have experienced it myself in my previous life.
It's more than just feeling dirty... It's endless despair, regret, self-loathing, sadness, anger, and all other negative emotions mixed together in a mess.
Jin-ho must have felt that way too.
The fact that my brother begged me to spare his life means that he had already lost his men.
“I don't even want to imagine that.”
“Me neither.”
I don't want that kind of future. That's why I'm fighting so hard to change it.
“Then what should we do?”
“We have to use our heads and change the way we fight. Sometimes we have to be like snakes, sometimes like wolves. They say that tigers survive the longest because they are the most cunning.”
“Is that easier said than done?”
I said to my angry brother.
“I know it's not easy. And I think you're better at learning through experience.”
I smiled.
“So, starting tomorrow, I'm going to try something fun.”
“What is it?”
My brother instinctively sensed what I was about to say and shuddered.
“Starting tomorrow, my bodyguards and I will team up against you and the six members of the Eunpungdae, and we'll have a group sparring match. Of course, I'll go after you first. If you can't block my attacks, the six members will beat you up badly.”
“Damn it!”
My brother bit his lip.
He must feel incredibly guilty because the Six Generals will get beaten up because of him.
I know it's a cruel method.
But if this is what it takes to change the way my brother fights, then I'm satisfied.
I don't care if he resents me in the process.
I'm just happy that I can continue to see him alive.
“But you're much stronger than me. How can I possibly beat you?”
“I'll take that into consideration. If you cut my clothes, you win.”
“What if I refuse?”
This isn't something that can be done as a condition of a bet. If my brother refuses, it's all for nothing.
But my brother can't refuse this offer.
“This time, I'll go to the North Sea and tell your mother-in-law. I'm sorry, but my brother is a man who cannot properly protect the daughter of the Chief of Police. So, please train him...”
“Ugh! I'll do it! I'll do it!”
You should have said so earlier. Don't be so stubborn.
“Oh, and Hyung-nim.”
“What?”
“The battle report. Don't forget.”
.
.
.
When Jin-ho and I returned to where we had spent the night, Pal-gap asked me.
“Why is Jin-ho covered in dirt?”
“I sparred with him a little.”
“Oh...”
Pal-gap nodded, and I tilted my head.
“I thought you were going to nag me, but what?”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought you were going to ask me what kind of disrespectful thing I did to Hyung-nim.”
“I know very well how polite you are. But I'm sure you had a reason for doing that.”
For some reason, I felt grateful.
“Please eat.”
“Yes.”
After breakfast, we set off again for the North Sea.
***
Clatter, clatter.
Clang, clang.
The sound of horse hooves and cart wheels echoed through the forest path.
Eun Jin-ho, who was riding a horse, touched his neck.
“Huh...”
When he sparred with Eun Seo-ho earlier, he thought he was really going to die. The killing intent Eun Seo-ho emitted was real.
On top of that, a real sword touched his neck.
Although he wasn't injured, that alone was enough to make his legs give way and cause him to sit down.
He considered himself lucky that his pants weren't torn.
“This guy... How strong is he?”
He couldn't help but complain.
Eun Seo-ho was stronger than he had imagined.
Coming from his younger brother, his advice must be right. And he was smart, too.
He told him not to fight like an ignorant fool and to use his head.
“Seo-ho has never been wrong... But can I do that?”
At that moment, the assistant captain riding beside him asked him.
“Why do you look like that?”
“Huh?”
“I heard you sparred with the third captain this morning. Did you lose?”
“No... Seo-ho said something strange.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me to change my fighting style. He said to use my head. Don't go in strong from the start.”
“That's good advice.”
“Huh?”
“To be honest, you've managed to hold your own so far, but it's been touch and go.”
“You think so too?”
“Yes. I was thinking about telling you, but I didn't want to say anything unnecessary. So, please change your fighting style now.”
“I see. But, Assistant Captain.”
“Yes.”
“Seo-ho said he wants to spar with me every day starting tomorrow.”
“He's amazing. Sparring every day! That shows how much the third captain values you. Isn't that why he's taking it upon himself to change your fighting style?”
The assistant captain said with a smile.
“Don't worry. We'll do our best to fill in for you.”
“Um... I think you're misunderstanding something.”
“What do you mean?”
“He said that the six leaders should also participate in the sparring.”
“What?”
“He said that if I lose to Seo Ho, he will punish the team members.”
“...Team leader. Should we run away?”
“It's too late.”