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Join the ServerA new day began, ushered in by sword practice.
“Ah! Ah!! Ah!!!”
Screams, one after another, echoed relentlessly.
Passersby, hearing the commotion from the Second Prince’s chambers, assumed the tyrannical prince was once again tormenting his servants.
Fearful, they couldn’t help but frown, quicken their pace, and strive to distance themselves from the unsettling sounds.
In reality, however, the one being tormented was none other than the Second Prince himself, Su Mu.
Currently, Su Mu’s bare upper body was crisscrossed with raised red welts, swollen and grotesque, resembling a criminal subjected to ancient whipping punishments. The mere sight of him was enough to evoke a visceral pang of pain.
Su Mu continued to shriek in agony.
Yet, Bai Ji, his tormentor, showed not the slightest hint of mercy, lashing his body with a chilling ruthlessness.
‘Wasn’t this supposed to be sword practice? How did it devolve into this?’
Well, the story truly began an hour ago…
Having rested for an entire day yesterday, Su Mu had woken exceptionally early today, feeling particularly invigorated.
Coupled with the surge of self-motivation from the day before, Su Mu was eager to enhance his strength without delay.
Thus, he began his morning exercise by jogging along the garden corridors at the break of dawn.
Improving his physical conditioning was the first step toward increasing his overall power.
After enjoying a delightful breakfast, Su Mu began to urge Bai Ji to train him in swordsmanship.
“A-Bai, hurry and teach me, teach me!”
Su Mu, brandishing a long attendant’s sword, excitedly circled Bai Ji.
Bai Ji had been in the midst of clearing away the remnants of breakfast and washing dishes. However, unable to resist Su Mu’s persistent pleas, she temporarily set aside her tasks, ready to instruct him in sword practice.
Consequently, she led Su Mu to a spacious, open patch of land nestled deep within the garden.
This area had originally been a planting ground for the garden, but due to its perpetual shade, Su Mu had neglected it over time, allowing it to fall into disuse.
Now, it served perfectly as his training ground.
“Your Highness, for practice, use a wooden sword.”
Bai Ji gently took the iron sword from Su Mu’s hand, replacing it with a standard wooden practice sword kept in the chambers.
Su Mu had been completely unaware that such an item even existed in the household.
According to Bai Ji, she had purchased it the very day she learned of Su Mu’s desire to practice swordsmanship.
‘Impressive… her initiative is truly astounding.’
“Your Highness, the path of the sword is broadly divided into three stages: Body Shaping, Intent Shaping, and Heart Shaping.”
“Body Shaping refers to a swordsman continuously wielding a longsword, allowing their muscles to memorize the various forces of the sword and the methods to exert that force. This process molds the swordsman’s body into one perfectly suited for wielding a blade. Swordsmen at this stage are known as Sword Sheaths.”
“Intent Shaping means a swordsman sensing the sword’s keen edge and infusing their will into the act of swinging, expressing their intent through the sword. When they can consistently unleash their will, Intent Shaping is complete. Swordsmen at this stage are called Sword Souls.”
“Heart Shaping involves a swordsman, after achieving the ability to freely release their will, attempting to retract that released will back into their body. Through continuous retraction and concentration within their spiritual core, they gather and solidify it, ultimately forming a Sword Heart. Swordsmen at this stage are known as Sword Kings.”
Bai Ji spoke eloquently, shedding her usual cool and taciturn demeanor.
Su Mu watched Bai Ji with a touch of surprise, his gaze unconsciously taking in her appearance.
Uncharacteristically, Bai Ji was not wearing her usual form-fitting black robe today. Instead, she had opted for a white, mid-length shirt paired with ultra-short, alluring leather shorts.
With the change in attire, her entire aura seemed to soften. The collar of her white shirt was casually unbuttoned, subtly revealing a shallow cleavage.
Su Mu found himself staring, captivated.
The Bai Ji before him finally resembled the gentle older sister depicted in her character illustrations.
Su Mu’s intense gaze made Bai Ji visibly uncomfortable.
She straightened her face and inquired, “Your Highness, why are you looking at me like that?”
Su Mu hastily averted his eyes, awkwardly asking, “Uh… A-Bai, why are you suddenly wearing white clothes today?”
Bai Ji paused, her earlobes flushing slightly, a hint of nervousness in her voice. “My black robe was washed and hasn’t dried yet. These were the only clothes left. If Your Highness dislikes them, I’ll change back immediately…”
“No, no, no, it looks great! Much better than the black robe. I really like it.”
Su Mu quickly interjected, preventing Bai Ji from changing back into her somber black attire.
Bai Ji’s expression gradually stiffened, and she remained silent for a long moment.
“A-Bai?”
“Your—Your Highness, if you praise me like that, I’ll get shy.”
Bai Ji’s voice was rigid as she spoke.
Su Mu: ‘?’
He couldn’t discern *any* sign of shyness from Bai Ji whatsoever!
A strange sense of contrast welled up within him, and Su Mu struggled to suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
‘How could this woman be so adorable?’
To conceal his inner turmoil, Su Mu quickly changed the subject.
“Right, A-Bai, you just mentioned that a Sword King is at the stage of condensing a Sword Heart. What about a Sword Saint, like you?”
Bai Ji explained, “A Sword Saint has no fixed stage. Each Sword Saint’s method of breakthrough varies. Some refine their strength, choosing a path of overwhelming force, while others hone their will, opting for a path where the sword, once drawn, heralds a thousand miles of bloodshed.”
“And yours?”
“Mine is also the path of refined will. My sword, until death, belongs to but one person!”
Listening to Bai Ji’s proud and confident words, Su Mu felt an inexplicable pang of sadness.
‘Who could have imagined that such a beautiful declaration of love was, in essence, so fervent and unreasonable?’
Su Mu secretly sighed, quickly changing the topic again. “Wow, that’s amazing! Truly befitting a Sword Saint, explaining everything so logically and clearly.”
Bai Ji hesitated before saying, “These things were all told to me by my master. I merely memorized them…”
“Uh… so A-Bai has a master?”
This was the first Su Mu had heard of it.
“Mm.”
Bai Ji simply hummed in response. Su Mu didn’t press further, his attention returning to sword practice.
“So, what I need to do now is Body Shaping?”
“Yes.”
“How do I do it?”
“Swing the sword. Ten thousand times.”
Su Mu froze.
‘Ten thousand times? That many? How long would that take him?’
He instinctively asked, “Will I succeed in Body Shaping after swinging the sword ten thousand times?”
Bai Ji’s voice softened. “It *should*… be successful. If not, it’s fine. Another ten thousand swings will definitely succeed!”
Su Mu was speechless.
‘Big sister, you don’t even seem confident yourself!’
Setting aside the question of success, ten thousand swings? How much time would that consume? Normally, he wouldn’t mind; he was capable of enduring hardship and perseverance. However, he no longer had that much time to spare. Every minute, every second, was precious.
“A-Bai, is there a faster way to achieve Body Shaping?”
Su Mu probed tentatively.
“There is.”
“Really?!”
Su Mu’s spirits lifted, and he quickly asked, “What is it?”
“You swing your sword. I swing my sword. To hit you.”
Su Mu paused, taking a long moment to process her words.
He eyed Bai Ji suspiciously. ‘This woman, she isn’t just trying to hit me to get revenge, is she? It sounds incredibly unreliable.’
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read Jinho's Story! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : Jinho's Story
