Chapter 98 : Hidden Weapon Techniques (2)
Namgung Il was sitting on the floor, looking at Mang U-yeong.
"A hidden weapon is a general term for weapons used to ambush an enemy."
"..."
"Usually, shurikens or daggers are representative. But sometimes, chopsticks or stones can also be sufficient hidden weapons."
Mang U-yeong was saying so with an excited expression, with Namgung Il and Tang Wol-yeong in front of him.
A class with a total of only two people.
Although Namgung Il had been a little worried about this class until the class started, now his thoughts had changed a little.
'It's better this way.'
No matter how much, if there were many people, it was difficult for the teacher to pay attention to each and every student.
Because although time was limited, the number of students to be taught would reach dozens.
On the other hand, if there were only two people like now, it would be very easy to ask personal questions or receive guidance.
'I have to properly improve my hidden weapon skills on this occasion.'
As long as he was a teacher at the Flying Dragon Academy, Mang U-yeong's skills in the field of hidden weapon techniques would probably be at a level that could be called first-class.
To receive personal guidance from such a master was an experience that was difficult to obtain even if one paid several thousand gold, right?
Although it was not intended, Namgung Il was now seeing a profit of several thousand gold.
"To improve your hidden weapon skills, you have to study how to hold a hidden weapon, how to throw it. Besides that, you also have to study how to store it in your hands, how to maintain it, and the types."
"..."
"Still, among them, the most important thing is how to handle a hidden weapon."
Saying that, Mang U-yeong slightly moved his right hand.
At that moment, a dagger that suddenly appeared in Mang U-yeong's right hand.
As a dagger suddenly appeared in front of him, Namgung Il's eyes widened as if he were amazed.
'Where on earth did he take it out from?'
Namgung Il had surely been looking at Mang U-yeong continuously.
And yet, he could not tell where that dagger he was holding in his right hand now had come from.
"I explained earlier that a hidden weapon is a weapon used to ambush an enemy, right?"
"Yes."
"So a person who knows how to handle a hidden weapon a little doesn't openly take out a hidden weapon. They hide it somewhere on their body like this and only take it out at the moment of attack."
At that moment, the dagger in Mang U-yeong's right hand disappeared.
When he came to his senses, the dagger had now moved to his left hand.
This time, since he had been on guard in advance, Namgung Il could roughly tell how that dagger had been moved from his right hand to his left hand.
'Tang Cheol-go, compared to that brat, it's a little lower level... but still, he's a considerable master.'
The skill of Mang U-yeong in front of him was definitely at a level that could be called a master without any shame.
But Namgung Il already knew the highest authority in that field, right?
The Dark King, Tang Cheol-go. The hidden weapon techniques he used were at a level that went beyond amazing and made one say that it was marvelous.
'I never made a bet with that brat.'
Especially, he never challenged Tang Cheol-go in a shell game.
Because Tang Cheol-go's shell game was a gamble where the one who mixed it won no matter what.
Even if he had looked properly and had chosen, when he came to his senses, the dice were already in another place, that was Tang Cheol-go's shell game.
'I'm suddenly angry.'
When he hadn't known that, Namgung Il had been tricked by Tang Cheol-go a few times.
As he recalled the memory of that time, he was a little annoyed... but anyway, that wasn't what was important now.
To take out a hidden weapon with a quick hand movement that the enemy could not notice and to attack the enemy. Namgung Il knew that that was the core of hidden weapon techniques.
"Now, then, shall we try this for today's class to get a little interested in hidden weapon techniques?"
"...?"
"If I go too hard from the beginning, the students will leave the class... Ah, sorry. Don't mind what I just said."
It seemed that a lot of things were felt in that sigh just now...?
As Namgung Il looked with a slightly puzzled expression, Mang U-yeong smiled as usual and took out a coin.
"From now on, try to guess which hand this is in."
"...?"
"Then let's start."
Without even giving him a chance to say anything, Mang U-yeong threw the coin he was holding in his hand up.
Click—
In time with the falling coin, Mang U-yeong crossed his hands left and right.
And Mang U-yeong, who held out his clenched fists forward with a smile still on his face.
As he had announced in advance, Mang U-yeong asked the two in front.
"Now, which side is the coin on?"
"..."
"Want to try and guess?"
At that question, Namgung Il and Tang Wol-yeong pointed to the left hand almost at the same time.
'This much is easy.'
Although he had given a little disturbance in the middle, this much was nothing.
Compared to what he had been tricked by Tang Cheol-go in the past, it was a piece of cake.
As Mang U-yeong opened his left hand, the coin appeared there as if it were natural.
"Correct."
"..."
"You're both good at guessing? Then does anyone know why I suddenly asked you to guess the location of the coin?"
"Because the basis of hidden weapon techniques is hand techniques."
Tang Wol-yeong answered right away.
At that, Mang U-yeong was happy and clapped his hands.
"Correct! To add a little, the eye to see such hand techniques is also very important."
"..."
"Especially when you meet an enemy who uses hidden weapons, if you have done this kind of training in your daily life, it will be a great help."
As expected, even though it looked like a simple hand game, this was not a simple game.
Namgung Il thought that Mang U-yeong's teaching method was quite interesting.
'It's a little sad that this class is unpopular.'
The class itself was quite interesting.
Not only was he just teaching, but the desire for the students to be interested in hidden weapon techniques was clearly felt in the class.
But for it to be unpopular because the perception of hidden weapon techniques was not good... although it was good from a student's point of view, it seemed quite sad from a teacher's point of view.
"Alright. Then shall we start handling a hidden weapon in earnest now?"
"..."
"Although seeing is important, the most important thing in hidden weapon techniques is to get used to handling a hidden weapon."
Mang U-yeong said and beckoned to Namgung Il to come.
Seeing that, Namgung Il got up from his seat, and as he approached, Mang U-yeong handed Namgung Il a dagger.
"Will you try throwing that at the target over there?"
"So suddenly?"
"The best way to get used to handling a hidden weapon is to try it yourself. There is no better training method than to keep throwing it like this."
He hadn't known that he would be throwing a hidden weapon so quickly.
Since this side suited his aptitude more than just listening to the explanation, Namgung Il lifted the dagger towards the target as if he were a little excited.
'It's about five feet.'
Yesterday, Tang Il-yeong had thrown a dagger so precisely from this distance that it had grazed Jong Seo-eon's hair.
Although he couldn't throw a dagger to that level, still, Namgung Il decided to try and aim for the place he wanted.
'As expected, if I'm going to aim, it's the head.'
The target was a doll made of straw.
Namgung Il thought of the doll as a person and threw the dagger, aiming for the head.
Thud—
Namgung Il checked where the dagger was stuck and clicked his tongue slightly.
The dagger that was stuck in the arm, far from the head.
Although the head part was the smallest range, still, the target was much further off than he had expected.
'I'm still far from it.'
When he had thrown the dagger at Namgung Cheon, he had thrown it in a way that it would be deflected by the sword in the first place.
So at that time, it didn't really matter if he missed the target like this, but to use a hidden weapon as a weapon in earnest later, this state was far from enough.
"Good job!"
"..."
"It's your first time throwing it, right? But to hit the target right away, you have a talent for hidden weapon techniques."
Although Mang U-yeong praised him like that, Namgung Il was not very happy.
'He's desperate.'
On the contrary, Namgung Il saw that praise as Mang U-yeong's desperate struggle.
A struggle to somehow praise him so that the student would not run away from the class.
Even if he had praised him sincerely, Namgung Il was not satisfied with his current skills.
"Do they perhaps teach hidden weapon techniques in the Namgung Clan?"
"...No."
"Really? I thought you had learned it from your skills just now."
T-teacher... that's enough.
Although he knew he was desperate, if he praised him so excessively, it was nothing but burdensome.
Namgung Il hurriedly returned to his seat before Mang U-yeong could utter any more cringeworthy praise.
"Then shall we have student Wol-yeong try this time?"
"..."
When Mang U-yeong said that, Tang Wol-yeong got up from her seat and approached.
"Will you show me your skills lightly?"
"..."
"Although I know you'll do well, still, I have to see how much it is."
"...Yes."
Answering lightly, Tang Wol-yeong received the dagger that Mang U-yeong was holding out.
Namgung Il, who was watching from the side.
Although he had basic skills as he was from the Sichuan Tang Clan, still, Namgung Il was quite curious about how much Tang Wol-yeong's skills were.
'Since her brother is that much, her sister's skills must also be considerable, right?'
Of course, seeing that Tang Il-yeong had gone to the Azure Dragon Class through recommended admission, it seemed that Tang Wol-yeong's skills were probably lower than that.
Even so, wouldn't Tang Wol-yeong be incomparably more proficient in hidden weapons than him?
Just as one held a sword from a young age in the Namgung Clan, there was a saying that one held a hidden weapon from the age of five in the Sichuan Tang Clan.
So Namgung Il was sure that hitting a target at that distance would be a piece of cake for Tang Wol-yeong.
'Come to think of it, that brat isn't in class?'
Since he seemed to be serious about hidden weapons to the point of getting angry at Jong Seo-eon, he had thought that Tang Il-yeong would surely take the Hidden Weapon Techniques class.
Well, at that level, it seemed there was no particular need to take the Hidden Weapon Techniques class.
'But... why is Tang Wol-yeong taking the Hidden Weapon Techniques class?'
Suddenly, Namgung Il had such a question.
Wasn't she already learning about hidden weapon techniques in the Sichuan Tang Clan?
No matter how well Mang U-yeong taught, he would not be able to follow the level of teaching directly in the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Although the perception was a little bad, everyone acknowledged that the Sichuan Tang Clan was the best when it came to hidden weapons.
Come to think of it now, Tang Wol-yeong, who had appeared in the Hidden Weapon Techniques class, felt a little stranger than Tang Il-yeong, who had not come to the Hidden Weapon Techniques class.
Swish—
Just then, Tang Wol-yeong threw the dagger she was holding in her hand.
At that moment, Namgung Il, who was startled and stepped back.
The dagger that Tang Wol-yeong had thrown was now stuck in the place where Namgung Il had been standing.
'Wh-what is this...?'
If he hadn't dodged, he would surely have been hit by the dagger.
Then it meant that Tang Wol-yeong had thrown the dagger, aiming for him... As Namgung Il raised his head with a puzzled look, Tang Wol-yeong coughed awkwardly.
"Ahem... I made a mistake."
"...?"
"I'm sorry. I'll try throwing it one more time."
A-a mistake?
Not only Namgung Il, but also Mang U-yeong, who was right next to him, was a little flustered at those words.
"Th-then? Then will you try throwing it again?"
Mang U-yeong barely calmed down and held out the dagger to Tang Wol-yeong again.
Tang Wol-yeong, who took the dagger as before.
Unlike what she had said about making a mistake just now, a sense of determination was felt in Tang Wol-yeong's eyes.
Swish—
Tang Wol-yeong threw the dagger again.
Fortunately, the dagger did not head towards Namgung Il again this time, but the dagger was stuck in a place far from the target.
"Uh..."
The two who were at a loss for words, seeing that.
Even Mang U-yeong, who had been pouring praise on Namgung Il, had a face that did not know what to do in this situation.
"...My hand slipped."
"..."
"One more time."
In that situation, Tang Wol-yeong was saying with a straight face.
(End of Chapter)