The Genius Grandson of the Namgung Family Chapter 52

The Genius Grandson of the Namgung Family 

Chapter 52

In fact, Ha Hyeon had somewhat expected Black Harmony Hidden Dragon would be his opponent.

Since Ha Hyeon was the youngest among the Namgung Family’s direct line, he thought that if the Moyong Family wanted to maintain their authority and dignity, they would certainly send out their youngest member, Black Harmony Hidden Dragon.

Therefore, Ha Hyeon had greatly looked forward to the match with Moyong Cheong.

‘He’s a warrior with “dragon” in his title like Brother Min. I wonder what impressive skills he’ll show?’

However, Moyong Cheong seemed to pay no attention to Ha Hyeon.

At first, Ha Hyeon thought this was understandable.

After all, Ha Hyeon was just a novice who hadn’t even properly debuted in the martial world yet.

However, it greatly angered Ha Hyeon that Moyong Cheong wouldn’t even look at him even after hearing the match had begun.

“Uh… Well……”

The referee Yeom Hong-min observed the situation cautiously as it took an unusual turn.

Clearly, if Ha Hyeon’s earlier strike had been with a real sword, it could have split Moyong Cheong’s waist and killed him instantly.

However, since it was a wooden sword, it only resulted in a heavy hit.

Since the only rule set for this family competition was that it would continue until one side could no longer fight or surrendered, he unconsciously glanced at both Namgung Mu-ryong and Moyong Bi-san.

Nod

Nod

The heads of both families nodded.

Indicating the match could continue as is.

The referee also nodded once before taking a step back.

“You…!”

Anger flashed in Moyong Cheong’s eyes.

Allowing a mere child to land a hit had wounded his pride.

Swoosh

This time, Ha Hyeon didn’t respond and just took his fighting stance.

Ha Hyeon’s attitude made Moyong Cheong even more furious.

“I’ll teach you a lesson until you beg me to stop.”

Moyong Cheong’s eyes seemed to blaze with fire.

Although he was called a young prodigy in the Moyong Family, he possessed martial arts skills strong enough to be recognized at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.

As such a person now properly focused on Ha Hyeon, Ha Hyeon began to feel gradually tense.

‘Indeed, he’s no ordinary person. He’s among the strongest people I’ve met so far.’

However, what came out of Ha Hyeon’s mouth was completely different.

“I think you should be the one begging me not to spread word about how you got hit by me?”

“You little thunder pest!”

Ha Hyeon refused to back down, neither in spirit nor in words.

He was recreating what had happened in Jeongdeok.

When Namgung Min fought the black-clothed man at Jung Dae-in’s estate, he deliberately provoked his opponent to thoroughly break his composure.

‘He’s falling for it better than expected.’

It was a complex result.

The disappointment of having to fight someone other than Namgung Min, the carelessness from that opponent being a child, and then the nearly splitting pain in his waist from allowing that child to land a hit.

These complex factors combined could thoroughly scatter Moyong Cheong’s rationality.

Tap-tap-tap-

Ha Hyeon confidently stepped forward with his footwork technique.

The Muhanbeo was a renowned footwork technique in the martial world.

Ha Hyeon had added to it the teachings of Chwiwol Geolgae and his own insights to create an even faster footwork technique.

Though he couldn’t use it frequently in succession due to the significant energy drain, it was a technique so fast it could be mistaken for Form Shifting Position.

Swoosh!

With the momentum of his body’s movement, he swung his sword powerfully from top to bottom.

Though his wide-open chest might appear vulnerable, Ha Hyeon’s running speed was literally like lightning.

Moyong Cheong could only reflexively raise his sword to block.

Clang!

“Urgh.”

Although he had perfectly blocked the wooden sword strike, a groan escaped Moyong Cheong’s lips.

He felt intense pain from his side where Ha Hyeon had hit him.

‘Could my ribs be cracked or broken? Did this child deliberately strike knowing that?’

Moyong Cheong tried to analyze the current situation objectively, but he had to stop that thought immediately.

Because Ha Hyeon immediately swung his left leg toward his injured side.

Thud

“Argh!”

Moyong Cheong let out another pain-filled scream as he tumbled backward to retreat.

Though Ha Hyeon kept targeting his weakness, his expression remained extremely calm.

No, it was leisurely.

“……”

“……”

Everyone watching the match remained silent at this situation.

Not only the direct members of both the Moyong and Namgung families, but even the civilians who knew little about martial arts seemed at a loss for words.

To anyone watching, it was clear that Ha Hyeon was overwhelming Moyong Cheong.

“How cunning!”

“Are you… talking about me?”

“Yes! A proper match should be fair and square, not constantly targeting weaknesses.”

“Is going all out against a child like me what you consider fair and square?”

Ha Hyeon responded with an innocent expression as if he truly didn’t understand.

“You, you brat!”

“You seem to only be able to say ‘you brat’ since earlier. Does your side hurt so much that you can’t speak properly?”

“Eek!” Moyong Cheong finally rushed at Ha Hyeon.

He had completely lost his reason, becoming entangled with Ha Hyeon.

Whoosh!

Moyong Cheong’s enraged sword was filled with an immense inner force that couldn’t be compared to before.

He had been evaluated as having the talent to inherit the Moyong family since a young age.

A terrifying aura could be felt from his swinging sword.

‘I can handle this sufficiently.’

Ha Hyeon was confident he could block it after observing the force, speed, and variations of the incoming sword.

In a battle of pure strength and inner power, it would clearly be a fight without hope of winning, but right now Moyong Cheong’s sword was striking linearly, having lost all reason.

If one doesn’t know the direction and force, it cannot be blocked, but if both are visible, one can choose to either block or dodge.

Hwaaaak!

As he raised the Changgung Daeyeon Divine Technique to its peak, an intense aura also rose around Ha Hyeon.

As if screaming that he was no longer his past self, Ha Hyeon’s clothes fluttered.

Ha Hyeon chose to block the sword rather than dodge it.

He was confident this would be an opportunity to measure how much he had grown by blocking this sword.

Kwaaaak!

Just before Moyong Cheong could fully extend his sword, Ha Hyeon’s sword, having traced the trajectory of the incoming attack like an angry tiger, clashed with Moyong Cheong’s sword.

Although Ha Hyeon had swung his sword at the right moment, he had stopped the incoming sword.

To all those watching the martial arts match, it would have appeared as if Ha Hyeon was exerting power equal to Moyong Cheong.

“Despite their considerable age difference, don’t their strengths seem similar?”

“This match seems to favor the young master of the Namgung family, doesn’t it?”

Even those who didn’t understand swordsmanship could see at a glance that Ha Hyeon was controlling the match.

Both Moyong Bi-san, who had planned this match, and Moyong Cheong, who was currently fighting, were greatly bewildered by the murmuring crowd.

It was a situation they couldn’t have imagined even in their dreams.

“Tch.”

Moyong Cheong gritted his teeth.

His side was hurting more and more, and the audience was showing support for Ha Hyeon.

Even if he won in this situation, it wouldn’t be good for him.

However, if he lost now, he would face humiliation throughout the entire martial arts world.

“Don’t blame me if you become crippled.”

At these words spoken coldly like a growl, Ha Hyeon instead smirked.

With the most arrogant expression he could muster, he quietly uttered one sentence.

“Senior, it seems you should quickly treat your side if you don’t want to become crippled yourself.”

“You bastard! I’ll kill you!”

It was martial prowess clearly different from the dignity shown until now.

Glaring at Ha Hyeon as if to devour him, Moyong Cheong unleashed the most powerful sword technique he knew.

He unleashed the Geongeon Paseom Sword (Heaven and Earth Breaking Flash Sword), the family martial art of the Moyong family that he had mastered to the fifth level.

“Now you’re finally taking me seriously.”

Despite the force being several times fiercer than before, Ha Hyeon’s expression remained unchanged.

He had just personally confirmed that there was no strategy more effective than provocation.

‘Moyong Cheong thinks he can win anytime as long as he fights properly. That’s why he’s this angry.’

Swoosh!

Crack!

The sword strike that Ha Hyeon barely deflected was terrifying.

Even though it was just a wooden sword, it had carved slightly into the training ground floor made of granite.

This time, as if anticipating that Ha Hyeon would deflect it, Moyong Cheong immediately followed with the next form and thrust his sword forward. Ha Hyeon barely twisted his body to avoid the thrusting sword.

“Like a rat!”

Swish!

Moyong Cheong swung the thrust sword directly at Ha Hyeon.

Although Ha Hyeon saw it coming, he couldn’t block it with his sword in time, so he raised both arms to block Moyong Cheong’s sword with his arms.

“Urgh.” An overwhelming pain surged through his arms.

Fortunately, there wasn’t enough space to swing the sword with full force, so it hadn’t received full power – if it had hit properly, both arms might have been broken.

‘Ah! This is what a real fight feels like.’

For Ha Hyeon, this was essentially the first time he had taken a proper hit.

Until now, all of Ha Hyeon’s martial arts matches and fights had been quick victories without him taking a single hit.

In his sparring matches with his grandfather and Namgung-min, they had always stopped their swords just before hitting him, so he had never experienced being struck.

Throbbing

As pain and a tingling sensation rose from his two arms that had been struck by the wooden sword, Ha Hyeon felt his mind becoming clearer instead. Like fog lifting, Ha Hyeon’s vision became sharp and clear.

Swoosh-!

While Ha Hyeon was recovering from the pain, Moyong Cheong had already approached right in front of him and swung his sword again. This time too, it was a powerful sword strike showing no mercy to Ha Hyeon.

Kwaaak!

Ha Hyeon too, as if having expected this, swung his sword filled with inner force to block Moyong Cheong’s sword.

Though the pain in his arms from blocking the previous sword strike was considerable, Moyong Cheong’s injury must have been greater, as he had to temporarily retreat while clutching his side.

Sneer

Ha Hyeon smiled faintly.

‘Though he’s enraged, everything is going as predicted.’

Moyong Cheong was pouring out his martial arts at Ha Hyeon without any feints, and thanks to this, Ha Hyeon could thoroughly observe Moyong Cheong’s every move.

How he stepped with his footwork, how he swung his sword, how he utilized his inner force to load power into his sword… even his sword grip technique was clearly visible to Ha Hyeon’s eyes.

“Hoo… Haap!”

The pain in his side must have subsided somewhat as Moyong Cheong raised his sword and charged at Ha Hyeon again.

But now Ha Hyeon could see everything.

The next position where Moyong Cheong would step as he approached with straightforward footwork.

He recalled the brief sparring match with Brother Hwan during the Blue Dragon Pavilion entrance examination.

The situation had been similar then too.

Namgung Hwan had approached using the Infinite Step, and Ha Hyeon had accurately predicted its position.

‘Back then, I countered with the same footwork like a mirror.’

Then the next action should be similar to that time as well.

He just needed to preemptively occupy Moyong Cheong’s path and obstruct his route.

Ha Hyeon instantly reconstructed Moyong Cheong’s footwork in his mind.

‘It’s fine if it’s a bit more inefficient. It’s fine if it consumes more inner force.’

While following the Moyong family’s footwork, deceiving Moyong Cheong’s eyes.

This was Ha Hyeon’s only purpose.

And Ha Hyeon accomplished this in a flash, quick as lightning.

Tap tap tap

He began to step with the Moyong family’s footwork reconstructed to the point where no one would recognize it.

Ha Hyeon began rapidly closing the distance with Moyong Cheong.

“Got you, you bastard!”

As Ha Hyeon drew closer, Moyong Cheong shouted with a laugh, thinking things were going his way.

It was the moment when his lightning-fast, widely swung sword strike was about to slam into Ha Hyeon’s body.

‘Hup!’

Ha Hyeon internally held his breath as a strange sensation arose.

A feeling as if the world had stopped.

It felt like every cell in his body was screaming that it was alive.

‘I can see it.’

Seeing it didn’t mean seeing with his eyes.

Rather than seeing the sword strike with his eyes, it was as if he could see Moyong Cheong’s next action, his next movement.

Ha Hyeon had come to thoroughly understand all of Moyong Cheong’s martial arts, footwork, and even his temperament.

Thus, Ha Hyeon had the illusion of seeing the future.

Ha Hyeon’s legs moved mysteriously.

Simultaneously, Ha Hyeon’s sword, containing the essence of the Changgung Mu-ae Sword Technique, also moved gracefully.

Swoosh-

Though Ha Hyeon’s sword clearly touched Moyong Cheong’s sword, the explosive sound that should occur when solid objects collide was not heard.

Instead, Ha Hyeon’s sword began to slide along Moyong Cheong’s sword like a snake.

Smoothly, as if it had been oiled.

Moyong Cheong felt this and tried to withdraw his sword, but for some reason, the sword wouldn’t budge.

It felt like a giant was holding his sword and wouldn’t let go.

By the time he realized something had gone terribly wrong, Ha Hyeon’s sword had reached right before Moyong Cheong’s eyes.

Baaak!

At the last moment, Ha Hyeon’s sword suddenly changed its trajectory from the head to lower down and struck Moyong Cheong’s chest.

“Kuhurk!”

Crack! Instead of hearing his head crack, Moyong Cheong heard the strange sound of several ribs breaking and passed out from the pain.

“……”

“……”

Above and below the training ground, and even in the spectator seats, there was complete silence without a single murmur.

Although everyone had seen with their eyes what had just happened, they hadn’t yet processed it in their minds.

Step step

In the silence, only Ha Hyeon walked

up to Moyong Cheong and muttered softly in a somewhat regretful voice.

But because it was so quiet, everyone present could hear his words clearly.

“Now you won’t be able to see me anymore.”