Chapter 1914 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1914. I Wish This Could Last. (4) ❀ ❀ ❀

"Ta-aa-a-a-ap!"

Kaang!

The sword swung with full strength clashed against the one rising to meet it, bouncing backward.

“Kh…!”

Jo Geol stepped back with a grunt, biting his lip and glancing down at his wrist.

‘What was that?’

He knew he had been pushed back miserably. But what baffled him was that even though he was clearly repelled, there was no real impact transmitted to his wrist.

It’s like cutting through a bundle of wet straw… No, maybe a bit more springy than that…

It was hard to describe, but—yeah. It felt more like the strength he’d put into his sword had simply leaked away somewhere.

“What’s wrong?”

Narrowing his eyes, Jo Geol growled at the man facing him.

“...Shouldn’t someone who’s gone through the complete transformation be at least a bit stronger?”

“I am stronger.”

“Well, yes, but still…”

Jo Geol scratched his head furiously with his free hand.

Of course, he was stronger. Crossing swords made it obvious how much Baek Cheon had grown.

But this… wasn’t quite what he expected.

Each sword strike didn’t carry some overwhelming new power. His internal energy hadn’t suddenly deepened beyond measure either. It was clear he’d become stronger in every aspect, but somehow…

“Geez, that’s really subtle!”

“You’re getting angry for no reason.”

Clicking his tongue, Baek Cheon pointed his sword at Jo Geol again.

“Less talking, more fighting. I heard your nose has been pointing a bit too high lately, so as your sasuk. I’ll remind you that the heavens are still above.”

“Wow. Sounds like you think you’re the heavens themselves. How arrogant of you.”

“Hmm. Well, the world’s all relative, after all.”

Baek Cheon grinned slyly, an expression oddly similar to Cheong Myeong’s.

“If my opponent is you, I suppose there’s no reason I can’t play the heavens.”

“Ghh…”

Jo Geol trembled, falling right into the provocation.

“I’ve always thought that annoying face of yours would look better with another scar across it. Do be careful. You know, the sword tends to follow the heart when you least expect it.”

“Right, right, I’ll be careful. But what can I do? Seems like your sword hasn’t reached the level where it follows the heart yet.”

“You just can’t let a single word go, huh?!”

“Why the hell should I lose to you when I’m your sasuk, you lunatic?!”

Kwaaang!

The two swords clashed again in midair.

A little ways off, the rest of the Five Swords sat in a neat circle, watching the duel with solemn faces.

“Anyone got peanuts?”

“I’ve got jerky, sahyung.”

“Knew I could count on you, Soso-ya. Always prepared.”

“Here, have this piece. This part’s got the best texture. Sago, you take this one, it’s kind of tough.”

“Why does Sago’s piece look much more tender than mine?”

“You’ve got to train your teeth and jaw too, sahyung.”

“...Thanks.”

Chewing on the jerky that was as tough as an ox’s tendon, Yoon Jong rubbed his sore jaw. Even so, his eyes stayed locked on the sparring match ahead.

Then, in a hesitant tone, he spoke.

“Uh… this is an internal spar between sect members, right?”

“Yeah. Both are Mount Hua.”

“...No, Sago, that’s not what I meant.”

Yoon Jong sighed deeply.

“They’re both using the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, sure, but… is it really supposed to look that different?”

Indeed, the sight before them was bizarre.

Both were clearly using the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique as their base, occasionally blending in techniques from the Seven Plum Swords or Plum Blossom Sword Method. Yoon Jong was certain of it, he recognized the sword paths.

But the resulting display was…

“...Looks more like Wudang fighting Shaolin.”

They were polar opposites.

Baek Cheon’s sword embodied the soft, flowing grace hidden within the Plum Blossom Sword Technique’s brilliance, deflecting and redirecting attacks. Jo Geol’s, on the other hand, had been stripped of all such subtlety, focusing purely on speed and precision, so much so that it could barely still be called the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

‘Sure, they’ve both gotten stronger, but still…’

At this point, it was questionable whether what they were doing could even be called the same Sword Technique. Yes, interpretation and execution vary by individual. But this? This was practically a different style altogether.

“Amitabha. I must admit, it looks that way to me as well.”

“Right, Monk?”

Hye Yeon, answering in Yoo Iseol’s stead, nodded.

“It certainly isn’t the Plum Blossom Sword Technique I know.”

“...Sago, is it just me, or does it feel weird that Monk Hye Yeon’s the one evaluating this?”

“You’re normal.”

“Right?”

At that sudden remark, Hye Yeon looked flustered. Beads of sweat glistened on the top of his shaved head.

After all, he wasn’t a Mount Hua disciple. Strictly speaking, he shouldn’t even be observing, much less understanding their martial arts.

And yet, moments ago, he had practically admitted, “I’ve seen enough of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique to know exactly how much that version deviates from standard practice.”

“Hm. What was the punishment for stealing another sect’s martial arts again?”

“Severing the tendons and meridians.”

“Ah, right. You cut the ligaments in the wrists and ankles and destroy the meridians, wasn’t it?”

“...A-Amitabha.”

Sweat started running down Hye Yeon’s face now. Tang Soso burst into hearty laughter.

“Come on, Monk, why so nervous? You don’t think we’d actually do that to you, do you?”

Still laughing, she leaned close and whispered by his ear.

“But just to be fair, could you maybe practice some fist techniques in front of me sometime?”

“.....”

“Oh, and pick one where I can see the movements clearly... say, from the Arhat Fist level or so? You know how Mount Hua’s fist techniques are kinda weak.”

“S-Siju…”

“Kidding, kidding.”

Tang Soso smiled radiantly.

“So, when’s your next training session?”

At that, Hye Yeon began twisting like a squid grilling over a hot pan, unable to respond.

Seeing that, Yoon Jong decided to rescue him.

“Hmm. So even you find it strange, Monk?”

Eagerly, Hye Yeon nodded and sidled over to him.

“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s strange. It still seems to fall within the general scope of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique to me.”

“.....”

“It’s only natural for martial arts to be modified to suit each individual. By that logic, isn’t the one whose form strays farthest from the Plum Blossom Sword Technique actually Yoo Iseol Siju?”

At his words, Yoon Jong glanced toward Yoo Iseol.

‘That’s… not wrong, I suppose…!’

Even as he agreed, Yoon Jong shook his head.

“For now, what the monk says is correct.”

“‘For now,’ you say… does that mean it will change later?”

“How do you think the swordsmanship of those two will change from here, Monk?”

Hye Yeon slightly furrowed his brow.

“...Are you implying that, in the end, they’ll abandon the original framework?”

“That’s what I think.”

If what those two were displaying now was the culmination of their development, then Hye Yeon’s prediction would be right.

But to Yoon Jong, this didn’t look like an ending. It looked like the beginning.

If they kept modifying the sword techniques into forms more comfortable to themselves, eventually they would be performing something that wasn’t the Plum Blossom Sword Technique anymore. And for a sect that prized preservation of its sword’s original form, that was no trivial matter.

“Wouldn’t that become a problem, Sago?”

Yoon Jong asked gravely. Yoo Iseol, face expressionless as always, replied curtly.

“Just ask.”

“Huh? To them?”

“No.”

Yoo Iseol picked up a small pebble nearby, turned, and hurled it straight toward the roof of the hall behind them.

“Sago?”

The pebble shot upward, then bent almost at a right angle, striking the roof with a thunk!

“Aaaaargh!”

At the same time, a scream burst out from the rooftop.

“Uh…”

Tatadatadatak!

Moments later came a scurrying sound like a dog scrambling across tiles, and a very familiar head popped up from the roof’s edge.

“Who did that! Who the hell!”

Cheong Myeong, sporting a large bump on his forehead, glared down furiously.

“Is it you, Sahyung?”

“...When did that bastard start sleeping up there?”

“Why’d you wake up a sleeping man? Why!”

Yoo Iseol said calmly.

“Come down.”

“No—wait a sec, I was just—!”

Tap.

Her hand lightly touched the hilt of her sword. Cheong Myeong stopped mid-sentence, lips jutting out.

“Ehh, seriously…”

Grumbling, he hopped down from the roof, clearly exuding annoyance.

“What?”

“Look over there.”

“At what?”

Yoon Jong pointed at the two people dueling. Cheong Myeong watched for a moment, then replied flatly.

“So you noticed too, huh, Sahyung.”

“As expected, you knew it.”

“Of course. No matter how much you raise a mudfish, it’s still a mudfish. It’ll never become a dragon. Tch, what a waste of good eyesight…”

“That’s not what I meant, you idiot!”

“Why’re you yelling? You’re hurting my ears.”

Yoon Jong grabbed Cheong Myeong’s ear and, frowning, explained his concern. When he was done, Cheong Myeong’s eyes looked utterly blank.

“...You woke me up for that?”

“How can you call it ‘that’? And besides, this is training time! You can’t just brag about napping in the middle of the day!”

Cheong Myeong clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Tsk. So what’s the problem?”

“The Plum Blossom Sword Technique is Mount Hua’s very identity.”

Yoon Jong’s face was dead serious. Cheong Myeong, cleaning his ear with his pinky, asked indifferently,

“Who said that?”

“...Huh?”

“I asked, who said that?”

Well…

“You?”

“Me? You’re saying I said that?”

Cheong Myeong looked around at the others as if it were the most ridiculous accusation in the world. But Tang Soso, Yoo Iseol, and even Hye Yeon all nodded in unison.

“Oh… Then shall we just leave it at that?”

“Speak clearly, you bastard!”

“What, are you telling me to be a two-faced coward who goes back on his own word?”

“Aren’t you already one?”

Once again, everyone nodded in unison.

Only after the Five Swords wrestled down the flailing, furious Cheong Myeong did he calm down enough to respond.

“Alright, alright. Look. What do you think will happen if Jo Geol Sahyung keeps refining that sword technique of his?”

With a firm look, Yoon Jong replied,

“The Plum Blossom Sword Technique will keep getting simplified.”

“Right. And then?”

“...Eventually, it’ll lose its essential element—‘change’.”

“That’s it?”

Yoon Jong shook his head.

“There are also new forms of variation appearing. Streamlined ones that allow greater speed.”

Cheong Myeong nodded approvingly.

“Exactly. And what do you think happens when it reaches that point?”

“...The internal energy circulation will change completely.”

Even if their techniques were evolving in different directions right now, at their core, the flow of internal energy was still the same. The difference was only in how much power they put in, how quickly or slowly they circulated it.

But once it reached the point where even that flow changed—

“Then it’s no longer the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. It becomes something else entirely, something that should be called a betrayal of the sect’s teachings.”

Cheong Myeong nodded.

“Right. From that point on, it’s a different Sword Technique.”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

“So from that point on, Mount Hua will have a new Sword Technique.”

Yoon Jong’s eyes widened.

“...What? A new Sword Technique?”

“Of course. It’s not the Plum Blossom Sword Technique anymore, and it’s not something that existed before. Organize it properly and it becomes a new Sword Technique.”

“No, wait—hold on.”

Yoon Jong hastily waved his hands, his mind spinning.

“But that’s just a variation of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique!”

“That’s how it always starts.”

“What do you mean ‘that’s how it always starts’? This is…”

Cheong Myeong smacked his chest.

“Aigo, you fool. There’s nothing new under the heavens. What would make swordsmanship any different? Do you really think when someone reaches enlightenment they just go, ‘Alright, from today I’ll invent a new Sword Technique!’ and—bam!—create one out of thin air?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

“…Wasn’t it like that?”

“Amitabha. I thought so too.”

“……I’m gonna lose my mind.”

Cheong Myeong let his head drop helplessly to the side, then barely lifted it back up.

“Creating a Sword Technique doesn’t happen like that. You push forward boldly in the direction you believe is right, and somewhere along the way, something new naturally takes shape. Of course, whether that Sword Technique has any real value is another matter entirely.”

“……”

“There’ve been dozens of such Sword Techniques created and forgotten just within Mount Hua alone.”

Yoon Jong tilted his head, still looking confused.

“But isn’t altering sword techniques a forbidden act in every sect? I thought that was universal.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“And remember that time Jo Geol tried to change his internal energy technique on his own and you beat him half to death? He almost died back then.”

“……Since I’ve beaten up so many people, it’s hard to keep track, but yeah, probably.”

“Then what’s different this time? The result looks the same to me.”

“What are you talking about? Of course it’s different.”

“How?”

“Sigh, sahyung, think about it. If an adult climbs a tree to pick fruit, what would you say?”

“…Good job? Thank you?”

“Exactly. Then what if a five-year-old tries to climb that same tall tree?”

“Uh… well, obviously…”

You’d smack their backside, to make sure they never try something that dangerous again. In fact, you’d stop every other kid from even thinking about it.

“Right.”

Cheong Myeong nodded lazily.

“A half-baked modification before you’ve got the skill for it is the fastest way to the afterlife. You’ll end up experience every kind of qi deviation on the way there.”

“……”

“At that time, you’re doing it not because it’s right, but because it’s easier. But now… they’re trying to find the right path.”

“Hmm.”

“So just let them be. Something interesting might come out of it.”

Yoon Jong let out a faint groan, still looking uneasy. Cheong Myeong glanced at him and chuckled.

“You worry too much. If you’re that concerned, just make those guys demonstrate the Plum Blossom Sword Technique in its original form from time to time.”

“Huh?”

“If there’s something off, you can point it out. But I doubt there will be. To mix something new in, you first have to understand perfectly what you already have. I bet they’ll perform it without even a hair’s deviation.”

Only then did Yoon Jong nod as if he finally understood.

“So it’s not the Plum Blossom Sword Technique distorting. It’s evolving into an entirely new Sword Technique.”

“Exactly.”

Yoon Jong turned to look at the two still engrossed in their sparring.

After a moment of chewing his lip, Yoon Jong asked seriously,

“Do you think it’ll go well?”

“Who knows. You can’t judge the result by the process alone. Especially not with something like this.”

“Hmm.”

“But even if it doesn’t work out, so what?”

At Cheong Myeong’s calm tone, Yoon Jong let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, you’re right. Even if it doesn’t work out, so what.”

Just attempting it would be worthwhile.

Finally freeing his heart of worry, Yoon Jong relaxed and watched the sparring match with an easy expression. Cheong Myeong sat down beside him, snatched a piece of his jerky, and chewed contentedly. A faint smile played at his lips.

‘Those little chicks have grown a lot… truly.’

Even Cheong Myeong didn’t know what would come of that sword.

Maybe, like so many before it, it would end up as their own narrow creation, never passed on to the next generation.

But maybe, just maybe, it would be recognized as an excellent Sword Technique, passed down alongside the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. Perhaps even surpass it someday, becoming Mount Hua’s signature technique.

Of course, the outcome didn’t matter to Cheong Myeong.

What mattered was that they had finally reached the point where they could establish their own sword learning. Those once-pathetic brats had come this far.

“…Seems like Mount Hua might be doomed after all. Sahyung.”

“Huh?”

“No. Nothing.”

The sky above was clear and cool. A perfect day for an afternoon nap.

Next Chapter

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