“It might just crack his skull.”

The wooden sword was on a direct path to strike Gasein’s head, and Hyunhongkwon, who had been observing the duel, swiftly intervened.

In an instant, Hyunhongkwon slipped between the two children and effortlessly blocked the wooden sword.

“That’s enough.”

As Hyunhongkwon’s broad palm stopped the wooden sword right in front of him, Gasein’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

“Ugh…”

Gasein’s pants were already damp, the wetness stark against the white of his martial arts uniform.

Seeing this, Im Sanha mimicked Mu Hui’s laughter and said, “So you’re not the greatest talent in Winam, but the greatest bedwetter?”

It seemed like something Mu Hui’s dojo would say at a time like this.

Gasein’s cheeks trembled with anger at the remark. “What? You…!”

Though furious, Gasein could do nothing but tremble, unable to rise from his spot.

“How can a martial artist be so timid?”

Hyunhongkwon clicked his tongue at Gasein’s wet pants and gestured toward the main gate.

Disciples from the main gate hurriedly came up and dragged the still-collapsed Gasein away.

“The winner! Sunhwa Gate’s Im Sanha!”

As Hyunhongkwon raised Im Sanha’s hand in victory, the audience erupted in cheers. The Sunhwa Gate disciples were especially loud, their shouts echoing through the arena.

“Wow! Our leader!”

“You were amazing!”

As the Sunhwa Gate disciples surrounded and embraced Im Sanha, the veins on the forehead of the main gate’s leader bulged with anger. He didn’t even spare a glance for Gasein, who had wet himself during the duel.

“I’ll have to finish this myself.”

Just as the main gate’s leader reached for the sword beside him, a voice reached him.

[Ah, leader. That was quite entertaining.]

Looking up, he saw Mu Hui waving with a smirk.

[If you’re going to meddle, do it properly. Tsk.]

Mu Hui raised a teacup in a mocking toast toward the main gate’s leader.

The leader, momentarily stunned, quickly grasped the situation surrounding the first duel.

“That damned…!”

His eyes wide with fury, the leader’s hand trembled. He glared at Mu Hui with a murderous intensity, wishing he could tear him apart if not for the watching eyes.

“Next participants, step forward!”

Before the leader could regain his composure, Hyunhongkwon’s voice, charged with inner strength, rang out.

The leader’s head spun with dizziness.

The eyes of Im Muguk, who had been waiting for the leader to step forward, widened slightly.

As the leader ascended the stage, his face was a mix of red and blue, his expression fierce enough to draw his sword at any moment.

Though his chest burned with unending rage toward Mu Hui, a chill ran down his spine.

“I must win this duel. If not…”

The leader, who had been so confident, now felt the pressure of a cliff looming behind him.

“Now the main gate might just slip.”

Im Muguk was well aware of this chilling realization.

Just one victory.

If he lost, the score would be tied, and a reversal could happen at any time.

“Focus. Whether Sunhwa Gate survives is in my hands.”

Im Muguk steadied his breathing.

Meanwhile, Hyunhongkwon, noticing the leader’s agitation, cautiously asked, “Are you alright, leader?”

“No problem at all!”

The leader’s breath was still slightly ragged, and Hyunhongkwon nodded with a reluctant expression.

“Very well, then prepare yourselves.”

The leader’s eyes burned as he glared at Im Muguk, who calmly returned his gaze.

Even before the duel began, the two leaders presented contrasting images.

“Begin!”

As Hyunhongkwon stepped back, the leaders launched themselves at each other, their swords clashing in midair.

Clang!

The sharp sound of metal echoed as their swords collided head-on. Unlike the juniors who used wooden swords, the leaders fought with real blades.

“He’s gotten stronger.”

The leader’s sword, piercing through Im Muguk’s techniques with fierce precision, was as sharp as ever.

It seemed true that he had consumed some miraculous elixir, as the energy emanating from him was extraordinary.

The two leaders, needing no warm-up, unleashed a relentless barrage of sword strikes, exchanging over twenty blows in an instant.

Whoosh!

The leader, showing no intention of dragging out the duel, began to draw upon his sword energy.

As the blue aura enveloped his sword, the power of his techniques doubled.

Im Muguk responded with calm precision.

The red aura flowing along his sword scattered like petals, riding the wind of his blade.

As the sword energy emerged and the leaders moved at a speed entirely different from the first duel, the spectators could only see faint afterimages and occasional fragments of sword energy.

“Is this what a martial artist’s fight looks like?”

“I can’t see much, but it’s impressive.”

Im Muguk faced the leader’s aggressive attacks head-on.

As his sleeve was torn by the sharp energy, Im Muguk raised a gust of wind with his sword, deflecting the leader’s downward strike.

“Normally, this would have been a tough fight.”

Im Muguk tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the recoil of the leader’s strikes.

The leader had grown stronger. Yet, Im Muguk had no trouble handling it.

“This man… his swordplay is more stable than before. Has he had some revelation?”

The leader’s eyebrows twitched as he relentlessly pressured Im Muguk. He had already identified Im Muguk’s weaknesses from their previous duels.

A martial artist’s habits are hard to change over time, and the leader intended to exploit them.

When transitioning techniques, the slight opening at the side.

When raising a gust of wind, the exposed right thigh.

The leader remembered these well and had trained specifically to exploit them.

But now, the weaknesses that Im Muguk had consistently shown were completely gone.

“Damn.”

The leader spun his body to evade the sword wind that suddenly blew toward him.

He counterattacked with sword energy, but the overlapping gusts of wind shattered his attack instantly.

In that moment, the Sunhwa Gate leader’s sword rose from below, aiming to strike the main gate leader.

“Ugh! Sunhwa Gate leader!”

A faint drop of blood appeared on the leader’s chin.

Already shaken by Mu Hui’s taunting voice, the leader’s composure was crumbling.

His swordplay grew increasingly erratic.

“It’s over.”

Though the duel seemed evenly matched, Mu Hui, watching from afar, had already seen the outcome.

For a middle-aged martial artist like Im Muguk, rapid, noticeable improvement like Im Sanha’s was difficult.

Thus, Mu Hui focused solely on eliminating weaknesses.

A martial artist’s weakness is not just a vulnerability to exploit but also a flaw in movement or habit.

Mu Hui identified not only what the leader had noticed but also what he hadn’t, helping Im Muguk eliminate them one by one.

This alone stabilized Im Muguk’s movements and sharpened his swordplay.

With Mu Hui’s guidance, Im Muguk was able to elevate his mastery of the Maepung Sword Technique.

It was akin to a miraculous opportunity.

Such is the transformative impact of a master’s teaching.

And that master was a sword-obsessed genius.

For Mu Hui, this level of growth was nothing extraordinary.

“Main gate leader, your plan was decent, but…”

You never know until it’s shattered.

Mu Hui, having dismantled the leader’s duel strategy from the start, smiled to himself.

* * *

After over seventy exchanges, the main gate leader finally fell.

Unable to believe his defeat, he turned several times to glare at Im Muguk.

Im Muguk’s chest heaved with heavy breaths.

“I did it.”

More than the victory itself, the joy of securing two wins in the three duels, ensuring Sunhwa Gate’s victory, was overwhelming.

“We won!”

“We don’t have to leave Winam, right?”

“Of course not!”

The Sunhwa Gate disciples cheered in celebration, but Im Muguk looked past them to Mu Hui.

Having faced him directly, Im Muguk knew for sure. The main gate leader was stronger than expected.

Mu Hui, who had mimicked the main gate’s sword techniques to point out Im Muguk’s weaknesses during their practice duels.

Without his guidance, victory wouldn’t have come so easily.

Mu Hui’s teaching was more valuable than any miraculous opportunity.

Im Muguk sheathed his sword and offered a respectful gesture to Mu Hui. Mu Hui nodded quietly in acknowledgment.

Those unaware of the situation thought Im Muguk was saluting the audience, responding with applause and cheers.

“So, does the main gate have to leave Winam?”

“Yes, Sunhwa Gate has already won two duels. Winning the last one won’t change anything.”

“Hmm, I’m relieved. The main gate’s protection fees have been too high lately.”

As the spectators discussed the outcome, Hyunhongkwon spoke up.

“Though Sunhwa Gate has secured victory with two wins, we will proceed with the final duel as per the agreed rules.”

The rule, intended to grandly mark Sunhwa Gate’s downfall, now backfired on the main gate leader.

As Mu Hui stood up, his disciples spoke with slight concern.

“Senior brother, be careful. That person is quite famous.”

“The man known as Yeonho the Blade may belong to the righteous sect, but his swordsmanship is as ruthless as any from the dark sects. Be careful, senior brother.”

“Understood.”

Mu-hui nodded lightly at his disciples’ words.

“Just keep your eyes open. This won’t take long.”

His disciples nodded back, their eyes filled with trust.

As Mu-hui stepped onto the martial arts stage, he locked eyes with Yeonho the Blade, who was already waiting. Among the martial artists present, Yeonho was the strongest. Even the sect leaders paled in comparison.

Yeonho’s sharp gaze was fixed on Mu-hui, but Mu-hui approached with an air of nonchalance, unfazed.

Yeonho’s eyes flickered with interest.

“Indeed, a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. Your eyes are different from those of your peers.”

“Perhaps you’ve only encountered the chaff until now.”

“What? Hahaha!”

Yeonho burst into hearty laughter, his hand slowly moving toward his waist.

“Wait!”

The head of the Daejeong Sect shouted urgently, drawing all eyes to him. He gritted his teeth under the weight of their stares.

‘If I lose my footing here, both the Daejeong Sect and I are finished. They won’t let me be.’

With his life potentially on the line, the head of the Daejeong Sect couldn’t afford to be picky.

The referee, who was about to start the duel, asked, “What is it, Sect Leader?”

After a moment’s hesitation, the Daejeong Sect leader bowed toward the referee.

“I acknowledge the Daejeong Sect’s defeat. However, I have a request.”

Mu-hui tilted his head slightly.

“Ahem… Sect Leader.”

Even Yeonho seemed embarrassed, clearing his throat and glancing at the Daejeong Sect leader.

Ignoring Yeonho’s gaze, the Daejeong Sect leader continued, “Could the Sunhwa Sect show some leniency to our sect? As fellow righteous sects, we should support each other. Of course, having lost the duel, we will relinquish all our rights.”

He emphasized the words “righteous sect” and “support.”

It seemed he was trying to leverage public sympathy to pressure the Sunhwa Sect.

However, given the Daejeong Sect’s past actions, the public remained indifferent to his plea.

The referee was equally unmoved.

“Haha, Sect Leader. For someone who values cooperation so much, you were quite eager to drive us out of Winam, weren’t you?”

The Daejeong Sect leader, as if he had mastered the art of shamelessness, continued to appeal and negotiate with the Sunhwa Sect and the people of Winam.

‘Has he decided to abandon pride and dignity just to stay in Winam? How disgraceful for a sect leader.’

Watching the exchange, Mu-hui sent a silent message. If this dragged on, it could lead to unforeseen complications.

[Would you allow me to handle this?]

The referee nodded without hesitation, full of trust in Mu-hui.

“Sect Leader, is this really what you wanted to say, interrupting my duel with Senior Yeonho? It’s embarrassing to hear as a junior.”

Mu-hui’s voice was calm and clear.

Even Yeonho, who had been glaring at the Daejeong Sect leader, turned his attention to Mu-hui.

“How about this? If the Daejeong Sect wins the final duel, they can stay in Winam. That would give this last duel some meaning.”

Yeonho nodded, and the Daejeong Sect leader’s face brightened noticeably.

“Agreed.”

Mu-hui’s lips curled into a slight smile.

“Now that we’ve given you the opportunity you wanted, what will you offer the Sunhwa Sect in return?”

The Daejeong Sect leader hesitated before speaking.

“The rights I mentioned earlier…”

Mu-hui cut him off sharply.

“Having won the sect duel, the rights in Winam already belong to the Sunhwa Sect. You need to offer something we can’t gain from this duel.”

The Daejeong Sect leader’s face, which had briefly held a smile, turned pale.

‘That cunning monk…!’

He had thought Mu-hui would agree easily.

It was hard to believe this young monk, who had spent his life training in the mountains, could be so shrewd.

Mu-hui’s smile deepened.

“I’ll ask one last time, what will you offer?”

The grand martial arts hall fell silent, waiting for the Daejeong Sect leader’s response.

In that silence, Mu-hui’s piercing gaze quietly pressured the Daejeong Sect leader.