A first-year student of the Flying Dragon Academy was now pointing a sword at the head of the Tang Family.
The fact that Tang Tae-myeong had poisoned all the students here was a surprising fact, but Namgung Il's current actions were just as shocking.
'A guy who can't do anything?'
The students couldn't help but find those words humiliating.
However, even while being aware of that fact, the reality was that all they could do was clench their fists behind their backs.
Excluding Namgung Il, there were no students who could boldly present that fist to Tang Tae-myeong.
"..."
The corner of Tang Tae-myeong's mouth, who was looking at Namgung Il, rose slightly.
To think there was a guy who could so confidently call himself a martial artist in front of him.
Many people in the martial world called themselves martial artists, but there were very few who could truly and proudly call themselves martial artists like Namgung Il.
"I'll acknowledge that resolve as that of a martial artist."
"..."
"But anyone can say that. A true martial artist proves his own worth."
"Do you think I drew my sword as a bluff?"
"I an, let's change the thod."
Change the thod?
This wasn't a negotiation on the street, so Namgung Il naturally couldn't understand the intention of those words.
Swoosh—.
Just then, Tang Tae-myeong lowered his posture and picked up sothing with one hand.
'A pouch?'
What Tang Tae-myeong was holding in his hand was a pouch.
The pouch filled with flour that the students had been throwing at each other just a mont ago.
Namgung Il just stared blankly at that sight.
Hwik—.
At that mont, the pouch flew towards Namgung Il at a high speed.
It was a speed and sharpness on a different level from when the students had thrown it, but Namgung Il caught it with his hand that wasn't holding the sword without much difficulty.
"..."
The person who had thrown the pouch was Tang Tae-myeong.
He had caught it with one hand because it had been thrown at him, but Namgung Il still couldn't understand what Tang Tae-myeong's intention was.
"Anywhere on my body except my hands is fine."
"..."
"Hit with that. Then I'll give everyone the antidote."
Only then could Namgung Il grasp Tang Tae-myeong's intention.
But to just throw a pouch in a situation like this.
From the position of being on the verge of death in two shichen, it was a rather ridiculous thing to say.
"Why should I do that?"
"..."
"No matter how I look at it, isn't this a condition that is advantageous to you, Family Head?"
Competing with the head of the Tang Family in hidden weapon techniques was a truly ridiculous condition.
Of course, Namgung Il's hidden weapon skills had also beco quite proficient through the classes, but that was only at a level that could be shown among students.
Compared to Tang Tae-myeong, it was like a pupa trying to show off its wrinkles.
In a life-threatening situation, it was too foolish to fight in a way that was advantageous to the opponent.
"Then let's do this. Everyone here will throw a pouch at at the sa ti."
"...?"
"Of course, I won't attack."
As Tang Tae-myeong said that, the students' eyes changed.
Everyone here throws a pouch at Tang Tae-myeong.
Of course, Tang Tae-myeong's hidden weapon skills were at a level that no one here could match, but wouldn't the story be different if they all threw pouches together?
It seed sohow possible to just hit his body with a pouch, not a fatal wound.
"I want to give everyone here a chance."
"..."
"I think what I just proposed is more realistic than defeating with that sword. What do you think?"
To be honest, Namgung Il couldn't clearly say which was better.
The opponent was the head of the Tang Family. He didn't know exactly how skilled Tang Tae-myeong was, but he could be sure that he was not an easy opponent.
"..."
Namgung Il compared Tang Tae-myeong's skills to the Dang Cheol-go in his mory.
If the Dang Cheol-go of that age and my current self were to fight... To be honest, he wasn't confident he could win.
He had thought he was a tricky opponent even during his days as the Beggar King, so wouldn't he be even trickier now?
Thinking so, it might be better for everyone here to hit the non-attacking Tang Tae-myeong with a pouch.
Hwik—.
It was then.
A pouch flying towards Tang Tae-myeong.
Since it had flown from a very close distance, it seed difficult to dodge, but Tang Tae-myeong moved his head back slightly and easily dodged it.
"...Can I assu it has started now?"
Tang Tae-myeong muttered and looked at the person who had just thrown the pouch at him.
There, Yeon Jeong-hu was glaring at Tang Tae-myeong, breathing roughly, and as soon as he realized that the pouch he had thrown had missed, Yeon Jeong-hu shouted loudly to the surroundings.
"What is everyone doing!"
"...!"
"If you don't want to die, throw! No matter what, hit him with a pouch and get the antidote!"
That shout awakened everyone.
Soon, a huge amount of pouches poured in from all directions.
Just as a fish that had co out of the water would jump around to live, the students were also desperately throwing pouches to live.
Hwik—.
Most of the directions were roughly straight, but the number of pouches that seed to be able to hit Tang Tae-myeong's body directly was about half.
Not only did they have no basic knowledge of hidden weapon techniques, but there was also the pressure of having to hit Tang Tae-myeong within two shichen.
The impatience that arose from that made the students' hands tremble, and as a result, their accuracy inevitably dropped significantly.
'I got him!'
Still, since there were so many, it didn't really matter if about half of them missed.
Seeing that, the students were inwardly convinced of their victory.
No matter how much it's Tang Tae-myeong, if there are no openings, won't he be hit sowhere?
Even though the pouches were almost right in front of him, Tang Tae-myeong was still standing in that spot.
Swoosh—.
At that mont, the pouches that were surrounding Tang Tae-myeong disappeared into the air at the sa ti.
Eight pouches were now held between the joints of his left and right hands, four each.
They were all pouches that had been effectively thrown at Tang Tae-myeong.
Hwik—.
In that state, Tang Tae-myeong swung both hands to the left and right at the sa ti.
This ti, it was Tang Tae-myeong who was throwing pouches at the students.
He had said he wouldn't attack, but that action was a violation of the promise.
"...!"
However, the students soon realized that Tang Tae-myeong had not broken his promise.
Flour pouches bursting here and there like firecrackers.
The pouches Tang Tae-myeong had thrown had collided with the pouches the students had thrown, and both sides had burst.
'He hit... a pouch with a pouch?'
Seeing that, the students couldn't help but be dumbfounded for a mont.
It wasn't even hitting a stationary object, but to hit a pouch flying in the air so precisely.
The students were amazed at the fact that he had hit not just one, but all eight.
Tremble, tremble—.
That was no longer a human movent.
The students who had thought they might be able to hit Tang Tae-myeong with a pouch by a stroke of luck all erased that thought from their minds.
Wouldn't their motivation be broken if they were shown such a feat in front of their eyes?
Although they were still throwing pouches to live, no one thought they could genuinely hit Tang Tae-myeong.
'They've all lost heart.'
Tang Tae-myeong could naturally feel that fact.
Although it was a movent that was already obvious, it was now at a level where he could dodge it with his eyes closed, exaggerating.
In the first place, since the opponent was throwing a pouch thinking they couldn't hit him, there was no way he would be hit by it.
"..."
Of course, the situation the students were in was very harsh.
A technique they were encountering for the first ti in their lives. And the fear of dying if they couldn't hit the opponent.
On top of that, since the opponent was a being who could be said to be the peak in this field, it seed unavoidable that the students' hearts would be broken.
'Are the first-years of the Flying Dragon Academy this year only at this level?'
Of course, it seed there were almost no first-years from the Azure Dragon Class here, but even so, it was still disappointing.
If their hearts were broken by sothing like this, they wouldn't be able to survive in the martial world.
Then wouldn't it be better to just die here?
At present, there were no students here who seed to be true martial artists.
Thump—.
It was then.
A pouch that accurately aid at Tang Tae-myeong from a blind spot.
At a very close distance, Tang Tae-myeong caught the pouch with his hand.
"..."
The pouch he was holding in his hand was definitely different from the other pouches.
It wasn't thrown with the thought that it wouldn't hit, but a single move with the intention of aiming for a vital point.
Tang Tae-myeong looked at the direction from which the pouch had just flown.
'...As expected.'
In fact, he had known who had thrown it from the mont he caught the pouch.
The only person who had confidently aid his sword at him.
As soon as he realized that Namgung Il had participated in this lee, a slight smile appeared on Tang Tae-myeong's lips without him realizing it.
'Now it's getting interesting.'
Namgung Il, prove your own worth.
With a very brief exchange of gazes, it was as if Tang Tae-myeong was saying that to Namgung Il.
Hwik—.
Just then, Namgung Il once again threw a pouch at Tang Tae-myeong.
'As expected, he has learned hidden weapon techniques.'
Just by looking at his throwing posture, Tang Tae-myeong could tell that fact right away.
Compared to the other students, it could be said to be quite threatening, but that was only at the student level.
The second attack that followed was also easily dodged by Tang Tae-myeong.
Phat—.
As soon as Tang Tae-myeong easily dodged the pouch, Namgung Il kicked off the ground and began to move.
A movent that circled around like a beast aiming for its prey.
Since he had realized that a frontal attack wouldn't work, he would probably try to aim for his blind spot.
'A good judgnt.'
Tang Tae-myeong praised that choice inwardly.
Although it was shabby, Tang Tae-myeong had to keep paying attention to the attacks of the students throwing from the surroundings.
Since he couldn't fully concentrate his gaze on Namgung Il, if he kept looking for an opportunity like that, he would be able to catch him off guard with Namgung Il's hidden weapon skills.
'But I'm not that soft.'
Since he had grasped Namgung Il's intention, he had no intention of being defeated.
Tang Tae-myeong continued to dodge the pouches thrown by the students, while concentrating his consciousness on chasing Namgung Il as much as possible.
Hwik—.
When Tang Tae-myeong's gaze was dispersed in that way, Namgung Il, as expected, launched a surprise attack.
Of course, Tang Tae-myeong had been concentrating his consciousness on Namgung Il, and he reacted to it much more imdiately than when he was dodging the pouches thrown by the other students.
"...?"
At that mont, Tang Tae-myeong sensed sothing was wrong.
This speed and montum... it was completely different from the feeling of the pouches Namgung Il had thrown so far.
Pajik—.
As soon as he realized that, Tang Tae-myeong hurriedly tilted his head back.
Simultaneously, a single streak of light crossed in front of his eyes.
With widened eyes, Tang Tae-myeong could confirm what its identity was.
'This guy... to think he would throw a real flying dagger.'
What Namgung Il had just thrown was not a pouch but a flying dagger with a sharp blue blade.
On top of that, it seed he had even imbued it with energy... If he were to be hit squarely by sothing like that, even he would not be able to be fine.
"..."
Well, good.
He hadn't said not to throw a flying dagger before.
That was probably Namgung Il's ace in the hole, and now that he knew he had sothing like that hidden, it would never work again.
Swoosh—.
As soon as the flying dagger passed in front of his eyes, Tang Tae-myeong raised his head and looked at Namgung Il.
However.
"...!"
Namgung Il's figure was not there.
Flash—!
Sothing flashed in the place where the flying dagger had just passed.
At the mont he realized that and belatedly turned his head, soone was thrusting a palm at Tang Tae-myeong's abdon.
Pang—!
The pouch burst, and flour scattered in all directions.
Because of that, the clothes he was wearing were covered in flour, but Tang Tae-myeong, as if he didn't care about his clothes at all, looked at the person standing in front of him with surprised eyes.
"You didn't say I had to hit you by throwing it, right?"
"...!"
"I won."
The culprit who had covered Tang Tae-myeong's clothes in flour.
Namgung Il said with a slight smile on his lips.
(End of Chapter)
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