-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Change (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The First Brother raised his wooden sword and pointed it at me.
"Don't think I'm the same as our third brother."
"And if you think I'm the same as I was that day, you're in for a surprise. You said you wouldn't use your internal energy three weeks ago, but you'll probably have to once you face my sword."
"Ha! A little training and your arrogance has shot through the roof."
At my words, the First Brother's eyebrow twitched. He seemed unused to being defied by his troublemaking youngest brother.
"If you're so confident, may I make a proposal?"
"...Speak."
"If you draw upon your internal energy and the match isn't decided within fifteen minutes, how about we consider it my victory?"
"You little...! Fine, let's do that."
"Thank you."
"Let's see the fruits of your labor."
I gave the First Brother a relaxed smile and said.
"I look forward to learning from you."
Seeing that the First Brother and I were ready, our uncle spoke.
"Begin the match!"
As soon as the match began, the First Brother kicked off the ground and charged. This wasn't a move to gauge my skill or predict my actions.
This simple, straight-line rush between us clearly showed only one intention: to end it quickly.
Having closed the distance in an instant, the First Brother swung his wooden sword. The sword came from the center, an overhead stance. The unwavering downward strike from above his head flew toward me in a simple arc.
Who called the First Brother's martial prowess second-rate? The skill he displayed now was clearly first-rate. He truly deserved his reputation as the most diligent in the family.
Everyone watched with their mouths agape.
Everyone thought it would end with that single strike.
Everyone, that is, except for two people.
*Clack!*
"""!!!"""
Every person in the training grounds stared with wide eyes. The reason was that my wooden sword had met the First Brother's head-on.
The two wooden swords began to grind against each other's surfaces. The force transmitted through the hilts traveled to the edges of the blades, and the two swords trembled as they struggled for dominance.
*This won't do.*
In the end, it was the First Brother who retreated to create distance.
"""!!!"""
The spectators were stunned.
"Did... did you see that? The First Brother retreated..."
"I know! What in the world happened?"
"Did the Fourth Brother block it? That last strike?"
"I... I think so..."
The First Brother was just as surprised.
'He blocked my instantaneous attack? No, no, that's not what's important. It was a predictable path of the sword, so he could have blocked it. But what is this repulsive force? This strength? It's... something's different from before.'
Only then did the First Brother and the spectators realize. As the densely packed muscles took the First Brother's attack, they had swelled in response to the impact.
My bulging, defined muscles. My body, powerfully trained in just three weeks.
"Just... just how much physical training has he done?"
"Look at the Fourth Brother's body... They said he'd been training like a madman, and it was true!"
"Wow..."
On one side, Jang Ryang was explaining with pride.
"No, I'm telling you, I saw it all! For the past three weeks, ever since the Young Master accepted the match, he's been training every single day without fail!"
"Is that really true?"
"It is! He'd leave like a corpse in the morning and return completely exhausted at night. That's how harsh his training was! Hahahaha! I knew it would be like this!"
*That guy... All he did was stand by and watch, what's he so proud of?*
Then, my eyes met with my father's, the Heavenly Dance Family Head, Baek Gun-hak. His gaze told me the match wasn't over yet. Underlying it, of course, was a sense of expectation for me.
A small smirk played on my lips.
"It seems you've worked hard on your physical training. Well done. But you're not there yet. Have you forgotten? A match doesn't end just because you block one attack. You shouldn't have the leisure to smile while facing me."
It seemed my unwitting smile had pricked his pride. But he didn't seem truly angry. Rather, he seemed slightly shaken by my change.
*'These guys... So there is some brotherly love between them after all.'*
Seeing the First Brother's praise and that subtle change, I was certain. These brothers actually cared for me, their youngest. It was just that my past troubles had led to this outcome.
But that was all the more reason I had to show them. My father, the Family Head, the family elders, my brothers, and all the household members—they all needed to see my transformation.
"Here I come."
I kicked off the ground and rushed toward the First Brother.
But it wasn't a straight line. Even as I closed in, I predicted his next move and made a play to gauge his skill.
His gaze, the angle of his shoulders, the tension in his waist—I observed it all to determine the optimal path.
The First Brother took a defensive stance, and I thrust my two-handed wooden sword upward from my lower left to his upper right.
He took two steps back and struck down with his sword to block my attack. But I kept pressing him, twisting my sword and continuing the assault.
As I unleashed a fierce onslaught with all my strength, the First Brother became visibly flustered.
"Kuh!"
'How did this happen? Just four weeks ago, he was attacked at a tavern and barely survived. Then, three weeks ago, he beat the third brother senseless. It didn't make sense, but I thought it was possible. The third brother hasn't learned martial arts, so it wouldn't be strange for the fourth to be a decent fighter. But…'
"What is this strength!"
There was a limit to how strong a person could become. It wasn't surprising for those who hadn't learned martial arts to trade wins and losses. No, it was something that could easily happen.
But for someone who had never learned martial arts to train on their own and match a first-rate warrior? That was simply impossible. Something was wrong.
But the wooden sword flying at him was too heavy to allow him time to ponder such things.
'Damn it! This is no time for other thoughts!'
In the end, the First Brother, who had been on the defensive the whole time, imbued his wooden sword with internal energy.
He then blocked my swing and pushed back.
I was thrown back by the repulsive force from his sword.
Seeing this, the crowd began to murmur.
"Is... isn't that internal energy?"
"Does this mean the First Brother, a first-rate warrior, was pushed so far by the Fourth Brother that he had to use internal energy...?"
The elders standing next to the Family Head asked him.
"Family Head, shouldn't we stop the match here?"
But the Family Head, as if overcome with emotion, replied.
"Let them be."
It was an order to continue the match.
I looked at the First Brother, who had channeled ki into his sword, and smirked.
"You said you wouldn't use internal energy, but you go back on your word as easily as flipping your palm."
"...Fine. I admit it. You've surpassed my expectations. I thought you could never change. But seeing you like this, it seems I was wrong."
"..."
"We can stop the match here. Originally, I was planning to stop you, even if I had to be a little rough. I didn't think you could have possibly received the Sacred Fire's choice and assumed you were plotting something."
"..."
"But I was wrong. You really... you really have changed. Well done."
"Brother."
"Hm? What is it?"
"You said a match doesn't end just because you block one attack."
"..."
"And a match doesn't end with just a few words. There's still a long way to go before fifteen minutes are up. Come at me."
"Ha. I see you still haven't learned to accept a drink when it's offered."
"What can I do? The penalty cup tastes better!"
A brief lull followed. But the conversation was short-lived. Now, it was my turn.
I gripped my sword tightly and charged at the First Brother. And I sent the refined ki from my dantian flowing into my hands. The meticulously refined ki soon flowed into the wooden sword, coating its blade.
The sword I swung did not break, even when it clashed head-on with the First Brother's, which was imbued with his own internal energy.
"H-How can this be! You've built up not only your physique but your internal energy as well!?"
The spectators watching the match, and of course the Family Head, were all stunned.
"The... the Fourth Brother has internal energy?"
He had truly changed. He was no longer the dying wretch he once was. He was a completely different person. To have trained his body to such an extent and even built up internal energy in such a short time was something that couldn't be accomplished with ordinary talent.
"He's... a genius."
The Second and Third Brothers also spoke.
"He may have grown up hearing he was a genius... but wasn't that only in academics? Are geniuses just good at everything they do?"
"I don't know. I've never seen a genius of that caliber before, so how would I?"
Contrary to the commotion around me, the sounds reaching my ears gradually faded. As my concentration deepened, the surrounding noise disappeared, and I could only see the wooden sword before me.
The energy contained in my sword was less than half of what the First Brother had in his. However, my meticulously refined energy met his sword without issue.
'Besides, the people of this family are not professional warriors, so they lack experience. Even if his martial arts have reached a first-rate level, his swordsmanship is mediocre. If I press him relentlessly, he'll crumble in no time.'
It was the correct assessment. The First Brother's expression contorted as he parried my attacks.
"Kugh!"
The First Brother found it absurd that he had drawn upon his ki against his youngest brother, yet could do nothing. But he couldn't back down. No matter what a genius his youngest brother was, he was still the eldest.
But he was in trouble. The Fourth Brother's swordsmanship was flawless. It was neither fast nor flashy, but it left no openings. If blocked on the left, he would immediately attack from the right.
He used the repulsive force of the ki in his sword to increase his speed, and at opportune moments, he would aim for the hilt or the flat of the blade to send a shock through his opponent's wrist.
'How can my youngest brother wield a sword like this? Can geniuses really do anything? What kind of person is he!'
Just as the First Brother's grip began to loosen in the face of this wall of talent, my eyes found an opening, and he, too, realized that I had seen it.
'Ah... Am I going to lose like this?'
At that moment.
"Fifteen minutes have passed, Brother."
I gave the First Brother a look that said, "What can you do?" then turned to the audience. My expression instantly changed from one of resignation to immense relief as I spoke.
"The match is my victory. My brother and I made a promise before we began. He said that if fifteen minutes passed after he imbued his sword with ki, it would be my win. Uncle, has it not been fifteen minutes since he started using his ki?"
"Huh? Uh... yes, it has indeed been fifteen minutes."
After confirming my uncle's answer, I turned back to the spectators and declared.
"My brother and I did not spar to determine who was stronger. He was simply correcting me for my past misdeeds, and I was merely trying to atone for my past mistakes. The spar was just a means to demonstrate that effort."
The audience sighed as they listened to my words. Some asked if this was really the Fourth Brother of the Heavenly Dance Family, while others cheered, wondering if he had finally matured.
Among them, I could see the reddened eyes of the Heavenly Dance Family Head, Baek Gun-hak. And I delivered my final words.
"Also, if my brother had been truly serious, I would already be lying on the training grounds. But because he set a time limit of fifteen minutes, I was able to endure without falling. I felt my brother's deep consideration for me. And I realized that it was the same as the consideration the family has shown me all this time."
The family members focused on my words. Though quite a few remained skeptical, some seemed genuinely moved.
"Of course, I know it's hard to believe my words about changing, considering my past actions. But I will show you my transformation, step by step. I am truly sorry for everything up until now. And..."
I bent at the waist and bowed my head, then said.
"I look forward to being in your care!"
Now, in this very moment.
This was the moment the Divine Doctor, Baek Jung-hyeok, became the troublemaking Fourth Brother of the Heavenly Dance Family and made his declaration before them all.