Chapter 183 : What Tenacity Means. -03
Chapter 183: What Tenacity Means. -03
Whether the opponent was large or small in build, whether they were a famous rising junior or a nameless minor martial artist, the result was the same.
Not a single one could withstand Ban Hojin’s Single Sword Strike.
He did not even use his left hand or both legs.
Everyone already knew that he had profound mastery in the Long Arm and Long Leg Technique, yet Ban Hojin truly used only the sword in his right hand.
“F-First time meeting you! I am from the Chae Family Estate—”
“There’s no need for introductions. If you’re thinking of buying time, I suggest you abandon that idea.”
“Absolutely not!”
“A Palms-Joined Salute or Half-Palm Salute will suffice.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
At Ban Hojin’s firm words, the young man stiffened instantly.
Though they might have been similar in age, their positions within Murim were worlds apart. The young man responded in a voice filled with rigid tension.
Claaang!
And the result was a single move.
The young man could not withstand Ban Hojin’s Single Sword Strike.
Yet even so, his face shone brightly.
To him, Ban Hojin was practically a being in the heavens, and he had managed, however briefly, to cross hands with him.
“Th-Thank you!”
“Until next time.”
“Yes!”
Though he had been knocked flat to the ground in an unsightly tumble from a single blow, the young man’s face remained bright.
However, that joy did not last long.
With the sparring continuing without pause, his spirit gradually drained away.
“Uwek! Wuaeek!”
“Cough!”
Not only that—retching sounds erupted from all around.
They were throwing up everything they had eaten that morning.
“Please stand.”
“Are you giving up?”
However, Seonwu Bang and the others did not go easy on them just because they were vomiting.
Perhaps because they resembled Ban Hojin, they raised the rising juniors back to their feet with expressionless faces.
It was as if they would not even grant them time to retch.
“I-I can’t go on any longer…”
“I-I give up…”
As a result, people began dropping out everywhere.
They seemed to endure until about half a Shijin, but once one person gave up, the rest followed in a flood.
As though they had simply been waiting for someone to open the floodgate.
“Huff, huff!”
“Grrrk!”
On the other hand, there were those who endured desperately.
Though their stamina was already depleted, they persevered through sheer mental fortitude.
Even as their consciousness blurred, they clenched their teeth and continued sparring.
Seeing their bodies respond instinctively rather than their minds, those who had given up earlier wore stunned expressions.
“…They’re insane.”
“They’re seriously impressive.”
“Not just Great Hero Ban—everyone’s still fine.”
“They’ve been doing this every time…?”
Those who had given up could not close their mouths.
Though quite some time had passed, Ban Hojin and his group looked no different from the beginning.
As for Ban Hojin himself, even with the restriction of not using Inner Energy, he was a swordsman worthy of being called the Shaolin Sword Star, so it was not particularly shocking.
But the others were different.
They had assumed that Ban Hojin had simply selected them and that they had grown rapidly through good fortune.
That assumption was wrong.
The rising juniors realized on this occasion that those before them had worked harder than anyone here.
“…To think I’m only at this level.”
“I’ll have to train properly starting today.”
After their admiration came self-reproach.
They realized that their stamina was only at this pitiful level.
They had thought they were training diligently, but that had been nothing more than arrogance and self-delusion.
Everyone here had been working at least that hard.
“The Four Dragons are holding on, at least.”
“But they all look half-dead.”
It was only because Ban Hojin’s group was overwhelmingly dominant that it seemed so—but the skill of the rising juniors once called the Four Dragons was remarkable as well.
Though all four looked exhausted, they somehow continued sparring.
“Huuup!”
“Grrngh!”
And Geum Hoyeon’s Escort Unit, though appearing precarious, was keeping up reasonably well.
Not a single one had given up yet, enduring through sheer grit and stubbornness, and Geum Hoyeon’s face brightened at the sight.
They understood well what kind of opportunity this was, which was why they were risking their lives.
“Young Lady Peng certainly stands out.”
“Y-Yes. Among the women, she seems the least fatigued.”
Watching Peng Hwayeong continue sparring even as men dropped like flies, Sama Uiseong spoke up.
Like her, Poison Phoenix and Plum Phoenix were still holding on—but barely.
Peng Hwayeong, however, was different.
Though signs of fatigue showed, she did not seem on the verge of collapse.
“As expected of a Blade Master acknowledged by my elder brother.”
“Oh? By Great Hero Ban?”
“Yes. He said she was a Blade Master worthy of comparison with the Nine Dragons. Even when sparring with my elder brothers, she doesn’t fall far behind.”
Geum Hoyeon was startled at Sama Uiseong’s words.
He had not imagined she was at that level.
Moreover, it was something Ban Hojin himself had said. Geum Hoyeon now looked at Peng Hwayeong with entirely different eyes.
‘She’s beautiful.’
Having focused on his Escort Unit, Geum Hoyeon had not paid much attention to the others.
As a merchant, he did not have the same discerning eye as the rising juniors.
Thus, aside from Ban Hojin’s group, he had watched only his Escort Unit’s sparring. But at Sama Uiseong’s remark, he turned to Peng Hwayeong and widened his eyes.
Despite wielding the Great Shield Saber, which seemed mismatched with her slender frame, her movements carried the charm of a dance.
“Impressive, isn’t she?”
“…Yes. And beautiful as well.”
“Perhaps because she has done this several times before, she distributes her stamina well.”
Seeing that Geum Hoyeon could not take his eyes off Peng Hwayeong, Sama Uiseong smiled meaningfully.
It seemed he had fallen for her.
And truthfully, even in Sama Uiseong’s eyes, Peng Hwayeong’s movements were beautiful.
Compared to Poison Phoenix and Plum Phoenix, they were concise and efficient.
“Huff!”
“I can’t go on…”
Though sweat drenched her face, Peng Hwayeong’s speed and reactions had barely changed from the beginning. In contrast, Plum Phoenix and Poison Phoenix gave up.
They could not continue any further.
Thud!
The Four Dragons followed soon after.
They had endured with clenched teeth, but eventually collapsed to the ground and crawled toward where the others who had given up were gathered.
They did not even have the strength to stand.
Yet no one thought them pathetic.
Everyone had crawled in the same way, and their expressions showed understanding.
The crawling Four Dragons did not look ashamed either.
“So that’s why they earned the Dragon Title.”
“They really are impressive.”
“Not one of them gave up.”
“How long have they been doing this…?”
They had only exchanged greetings at the beginning. After several rotations, even that time disappeared.
Like machines, they changed opponents and continued sparring. Though nearly eighty percent had given up, not a single member of Ban Hojin’s group had.
They looked somewhat tired, but their movements remained light.
Among them, the most overwhelming was, of course, Ban Hojin.
Thwack!
With a refreshing impact sound, a rising junior who had received Ban Hojin’s Single Sword Strike staggered backward and fell onto his backside.
He had been unable to withstand the force transmitted through the clash of swords.
Toward that opponent, Ban Hojin performed a Half-Palm Salute and moved to seek his next opponent. Astonishingly, not a bead of sweat could be seen anywhere on his face.
Gulp.
He had faced more opponents than anyone.
Because his bouts ended so quickly, he naturally fought the most people.
Yet he looked no different from the beginning.
Unlike those sitting here, drenched head to toe in sweat.
Seeing that, the rising juniors swallowed dryly.
They could keenly feel the gap between themselves and Ban Hojin.
At the same time, they reproached themselves.
Watching Ban Hojin’s group, they realized how complacently they had trained.
Even the rising juniors who bore the Dragon Title clenched their fists with heads bowed, realizing that their stamina was inferior even to Peng Hwayeong’s.
“Good work.”
“It-It was an honor once again!”
“Until next time.”
“Yes!”
Turning away from the Head of the Escort Unit, who still endured through sheer will despite being utterly exhausted, Ban Hojin fiddled with his newly acquired sword.
Sparring continuously like this made the blade settle into his hand far faster than dancing alone with it.
The tactile sensation was far better as well.
Though it had been crafted to resemble his original sword as closely as possible, a new sword was still a new sword.
‘Not bad.’
Feeling it settle into his hand faster than expected, Ban Hojin allowed himself a satisfied smile.
His next opponent, however, was horrified.
To him, Ban Hojin’s smile looked like that of the Grim Reaper.
Though his mind was already muddled, that smile carved itself clearly into his memory.
Whooong!
Perhaps because he had been struck down without doing anything at first, this time he attacked first without a word.
Ban Hojin preferred it this way.
It was better to do something than to be struck down without showing anything at all.
Even if it was mere flailing, he wanted the rising juniors to show tenacity.
Thud!
Even if the result ended the same way—being thrown aside.
However, the purpose of this training did not lie in sparring itself.
Certainly, it could improve stamina and technique, but what Ban Hojin desired was something more important.
Focus and distribution of strength.
The goal was to forge the ability to maintain concentration even in extreme conditions.
And to prevent them from recklessly pouring out all their strength at once, but instead to distribute it appropriately.
So that they could fight continuously for a day—or even three.
“There are really only five left.”
“They’ve been training like this every day. No wonder the gap widened.”
When everyone finally gave up after Peng Hwayeong, the Endless Sparring Training came to an end.
All except Ban Hojin’s group wore identical expressions.
“This concludes only the first training. We will rest for about half a Shijin, attend to personal matters, and then begin the second training.”
“Huh?!”
At the words that only one session had ended, the rising juniors were struck with shock.
They had never even imagined such a thing.
Yet Ban Hojin, his group, and Peng Hwayeong all wore calm expressions.
“Those who feel they cannot continue may leave.”
“Ugh!”
Saying this, Ban Hojin raised his arm as though anyone could depart at any time.
Yet despite his words, none of the rising juniors left.
It was unbearably difficult—but they believed this training would benefit them.
“Die once or die twice!”
“If they can do it, so can I!”
“If a man draws his blade, he should at least cut a radish!”
Those who had hesitated clenched their teeth.
It was agonizingly hard—but in a way, it was an opportunity.
An opportunity to continue sparring with Ban Hojin and the current rising stars.
And if they retreated here, they would be nothing more than cowards. So some followed through gritted teeth, half willing and half forced.
“We will all participate!”
On the other hand, some enthusiastically agreed.
They were the Escort Warriors of the Geum Family Estate.
Not knowing when such an opportunity would come again, they stared at Ban Hojin with almost crazed eyes.
“Huh. There was such a method.”
“It’s simple and crude, but certainly effective.”
“Simple is best.”
On a spot overlooking Ban Hojin’s Quarters, three middle-aged men watched.
All three had gleaming eyes.
They had instantly discerned the purpose of the training.
“Not even giving them much rest—those kids must feel like they’re dying.”
“That brat’s secretly vicious.”
Peng Mancheol let out a dry laugh.
However, Namgung Ho directly refuted him.
“Vicious? What master would devote such time?”
“I agree. It isn’t easy. Especially not for someone in that child’s position.”