Chapter 273: Meteor Generation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 273: Meteor Generation (2)
Gu Yeonseo had always believed herself to be a genius.
As a blood descendant of the Gu Clan and the Lord’s second daughter, she had garnered praise for her martial prowess from a young age. While her elder sister, Gu Huibi, was hailed as the clan’s greatest prodigy, Yeonseo was confident she was not far behind. This belief fueled her training, yielding impressive results. She had mastered the Third Star of the clan’s signature Gu Flame Wheel Art and her overall martial level had solidly entered the Second-rate realm. Among her peers, her progress was remarkably swift, and she harbored a firm conviction: One day, I will become the martial artist who represents my clan.
Her confidence was well-founded, backed by genuine talent. Yet, fortune’s timing was not on her side. The collapse of that very confidence was swift and brutal.
It happened last spring.
The moment Gu Yangcheon’s slap sent her crashing to the ground on Nine Dragons Day. He was the Lord’s only son, her seemingly talentless younger brother who was nonetheless the confirmed heir. Despite his lack of aptitude, the Second Elder and her own sister doted on him endlessly. Gu Yeonseo had been certain she could never lose to him. But that night, as she lay defeated on the ground, something within her shattered.
Confidence. Possibility. Hope. All of it, gone.
Her brother, the one she had dismissed, began to reveal a brilliance he had hidden all along. He soared, achieving the very dream she had clung to for so long: a position as one of the Dragons representing the Meteor Generation. When the news reached her, Yeonseo found she could no longer meet his eyes. The venomous words she had spat at him in her emotional turmoil now formed an insurmountable barrier between them. She could only watch from below as he ascended.
And that was not the end of it.
On her journey to Henan to attend the Heavenly Dragon Academy—a direct order from her father—she coincidentally crossed paths with Gu Jeolyub, descendant of Gu Sunmoon and grandson of the First Elder, Gu Changjun. Their brief clash of swords left her utterly shocked.
How…?
Not long ago, Gu Jeolyub had been at best her equal, perhaps only slightly superior. Now, he had transformed into a truly skilled martial artist; she could not even graze his robes. He had clearly surpassed the First-rate realm. While she still struggled at the threshold of Second-rate, he had already broken through. A burning shame crept up her neck.
Amidst this turmoil, she would see her brother training in the distance. He would simply stand still, eyes closed, yet he called it training. She saw his fiancée, the famed Sword Dancer, a woman of such peerless beauty she seemed to belong to another world. And as if to prove her beauty was the least of her attributes, she spent every waking moment practicing her sword forms. Then there was the Snow Phoenix of the Moyong Clan. She did not seem to train as obsessively as the others, yet everyone around Yeonseo was undeniably stronger.
And they were all her age…
Just how…
How had things come to this?
Was it because I didn’t work hard enough?
No. She had worked tirelessly to correct her flaws, even sacrificing sleep for night training.
Then why? How had she fallen so far behind?
Gu Yeonseo could not comprehend it.
The journey to Henan was smooth, but the forced proximity to Gu Yangcheon, under their father's orders, only amplified her discomfort. Of course, Yangcheon himself seemed utterly unbothered, leaving Yeonseo to stew in her own feelings alone. The trip felt both interminably long and frustratingly short.
Upon arriving in Henan, she immediately encountered a commotion.
Two of the legendary figures—the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, now Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes—were sparring right in the middle of the street.
…Ah.
Drawn by the news, she rushed to the scene. A noisy crowd had gathered to watch two young men exchange sword blows. One, clad in white, was the Sword Dragon. The other, in light blue robes of the Wudang Sect, could only be the Sleeping Dragon. But Yeonseo’s eyes could barely keep up with their blindingly swift movements.
Clang!
The sharp, clear ring of clashing steel was punctuated by the explosive concussions of their colliding Qi. Is this the pinnacle of the Meteor Generation? After watching for just a short while, a cold realization settled in her heart: she could never reach this level, not even if she were reborn. The young prodigies she had seen at the tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes were in a completely different league. Even the Lightning Dragon, the Poison Phoenix, and the recently famous Meteor Sword paled in comparison to the two before her. Here, on this street, she was witnessing true martial arts.
As their spar intensified, the Sword Dragon suddenly stilled, his energy condensing. Yeonseo sensed he was gathering his power to its peak. A torrential storm of Qi began to whirl around him, so potent she could feel its pressure from a distance. She didn't know the reason for this escalation, but she knew the situation was becoming dangerous.
Are they okay?
She glanced around. A huge crowd had gathered, which was inevitable. The Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes were the future leaders of the Central Plains; how could anyone ignore a clash between two of them? But if they fought seriously, the ordinary civilians present would surely be caught in the crossfire.
Is there no one else here? Was there no one powerful enough to stop them?
It might have been coincidence, but Yeonseo saw no one capable of intervening—and she certainly was not. The Taoist Qi emanating from the Wudang disciple felt overwhelmingly heavy, and their violent swordplay was on a level she could not hope to touch.
Click-
As she bit her lip in frustration, she felt movement beside her. It was Gu Jeolyub, who had traveled with them.
Crack.
He drew his sword and stretched, his movements casual. Yeonseo tried to hide her shock. Is he really thinking of interfering? Was he planning to stop them? Her mind screamed in disbelief. How could he possibly contend with those monsters?
As Gu Jeolyub finished his stretches, Muyeon, Gu Yangcheon’s escort, approached him. “Will you be alright?”
Gu Jeolyub frowned slightly. “…Well, no matter what choice I make, I’ll still get bashed. And it’s not like we can leave them be either.”
“I shall assist you,” Muyeon said, drawing his own sword.
Yeonseo was speechless. She had heard the clan buzzing with news of Muyeon reaching the Peak Realm. But was that truly enough to jump into a fight between these two? As she watched, dumbfounded, Muyeon and Gu Jeolyub gathered their Qi, preparing to charge.
Crack-
But both men froze simultaneously, as if sensing something.
What now?
Before Yeonseo could ponder further, a voice grumbled past her.
“Ugh, those crazy fuckers. Why are they doing this after coming all the way here? Did they eat something bad?”
The voice, laced with annoyance, was deepening with age, now slightly reminiscent of her father’s. Yeonseo instinctively turned, but the speaker had already moved past, his words lingering in the air.
Then,
Swoosh!
A tremendous gust of wind stormed past her.
As always, Woo Hyuk, the young man known as the Sleeping Dragon, could hear a voice in his ears.
-Right, then up.
Obediently, Woo Hyuk tilted his head upwards. He had heard this voice since childhood. After joining the Wudang Sect, he learned his ears were unique. They were "human ears that could hear a thousand sounds." The rustle of leaves, the patter of raindrops, even the clan head shouting in anger from his cliffside residence—Woo Hyuk heard it all, louder and clearer than anyone else. It was both a curse and a blessing.
The curse was obvious: sleepless nights and a constant battle for sanity amidst the noise. The blessing?
-Diagonally, lower your head.
He moved, and a sword tip grazed his cheek. Every sound held meaning; he could even hear the sound of his opponent’s intentions.
-Look forward, take a step back, then strike.
Swoosh!
A sharp blade aimed for his chest, but Woo Hyuk was already gone. Was it the sound of his opponent’s thoughts? It didn’t matter. While other martial artists would covet such an ability, to Woo Hyuk, it was merely a curse that made life boring and predictable. This duel, he was sure, would be no different.
However,
Swoosh!
Something felt slightly off.
“…Woah.”
He tilted his head, and the sword tip scratched his chin. A flicker of interest sparked within him. He stomped the ground, releasing a wave of Qi, and finally observed his opponent’s sword with his own eyes. It was a flurry of movement, yet the Qi flow remained stable. It was desolate. Quick.
He changed, Woo Hyuk thought.
Wrapping himself in Qi, he looked forward to the next move. His opponent was the man many believed would become the greatest young prodigy once the Sword Phoenix vacated her position. The pride of Mount Hua, its youngest master swordsman, the genius destined to be Sword King: the Plum Blossoming Sword Dragon, Yung Pung.
Woo Hyuk wondered. How many years had it been? The last time they met, Yung Pung was already able to blossom plum flowers with his sword, a confident and proud disciple. Now, he was different. He still carried the modesty characteristic of Mount Hua, but the boiling arrogance and unshakable confidence Woo Hyuk remembered were gone. He understood why—with such talent, how could one not be arrogant? If not for his damned ears, Woo Hyuk believed he might have ended up the same.
But that predictability was what made it boring. Those drunk on the world were destined to wither. Hadn't his own clan head, for all his sharpness and beauty, met such a fate? Back then, Yung Pung’s sword had only shown speed and talent. But what about now?
Swish!
The sword grazed his cheek again. Recovering his stance, Woo Hyuk kept his eyes fixed on the blade. It was fast, sharp, yet unconstrained. Like falling plum blossoms, its movements were hard to read. This was new.
-His foot moved to the left, it’s a fake.
A flash of light appeared. Knowing it was a feint, Woo Hyuk stepped forward.
Press.
He squeezed his Dantian, sheathing his sword in Qi. Instead of seeking a direct opening, he attacked the vulnerability created by the fake-out.
Swoosh!
“…!”
Kwak!
But Yung Pung tilted his body as if waiting for it and thrust his sword. Woo Hyuk barely parried, retrieving his Qi and stepping back.
That was close.
What was that? His auditory gift hadn't been able to track the movement. It was a fascinating sensation, one he had never experienced, even from the Elders or the Clan Head. Was Yung Pung faster? No, that wasn't it. The Sword Dragon was talented, but still a Young Prodigy; it was too early to compare him to true masters. So what was the difference?
…This.
It’s fun.
A smile touched Woo Hyuk’s lips—an emotion he hadn't felt in years. Putting some distance between them, he spoke. “Even though we’ve met after a while, you just swung your sword at me. How did the mighty Sword Dragon become so violent?”
It wasn’t an ambush. Yung Pung had announced his intent with a dense surge of Combat Qi from afar.
Yung Pung smiled awkwardly. “I wasn’t planning on doing this at first… but my curiosity about your sword got the better of me.”
“Is that so? I’ll take that as a compliment. So, what’s your verdict?”
“It is as I expected.” Yung Pung smiled, lowering his arm. Shing! As he shook his sword, the lingering Qi exploded, resonating through the air. “Just as I expected. Woo Hyuk, you are strong.”
“Thank you.”
“Once again, I’m glad I realized the world I lived in was small.”
The response was strange. He spoke like a frog realizing the limits of its well. Did something happen? Woo Hyuk was curious, but didn't pry.
“However, …Even after reaching all the way here, I can once more feel how great he is.”
“Hmm?”
He? Woo Hyuk’s curiosity grew, but he had to set it aside.
Sss…
The energy enveloping Yung Pung shifted dramatically. “Isn’t it dangerous to do something like that here?” Woo Hyuk asked, surprised.
“Woo Hyuk, thank you for accepting my unreasonableness.”
“…Hmm… I didn’t necessarily accept it.” Woo Hyuk had only agreed hoping to relieve his boredom. And truthfully, he had found some fun, though his expression remained lazy and relaxed.
A wind brushed Woo Hyuk’s cheek, carrying the scent of flowers.
-It will bloom.
The voice’s words seemed random, yet he understood perfectly. What else could it mean when a swordsman of Mount Hua bloomed? The only flowers their swords could manifest were plum blossoms.
…Though it’s a bit of a hassle to clash with that.
Press.
Woo Hyuk channeled his inner Qi. Despite his lazy demeanor, his energy was profoundly stable.
Swoosh.
As his power surged, plum petals began to fall, slow and light. Where they touched the ground, the air would fill with their fragrance.
…Hmm.
Woo Hyuk wondered if a single strike would suffice. He considered using a technique he hadn't employed since sparring with the Sect Head. Though it’s better than dragging this out. His desire for sleep cut his deliberation short.
As the first petal gently landed, Woo Hyuk poured his Taoist Qi into his sword, his eyes finally shining with focus as he gazed at Yung Pung.
“Hmm…?”
A dumbfounded sound escaped him. Yung Pung showed no reaction even as the plum flower turned to dust upon touching the ground. Instead, his posture became… lax.
“What…?”
Why was he acting like this?
Ring-
“…!”
A sudden vibration near his stomach made Woo Hyuk’s body tilt, his legs lifting into the air.
Then, a fierce, gruff voice thundered. “You crazy bastards! Are you trying to destroy the streets?”
Woo Hyuk should have landed safely, but his body refused to listen, sending him tumbling to the ground despite the attack’s lack of impactful force.
“Fuck, why are you guys doing this as soon as I arrived? What a hassle.”
“Ugh…”
“Sigh, bastards with a sword are never normal. Crazy fuckers, once they pick up their swords, they never care about their surroundings.”
Woo Hyuk couldn’t raise his head. Whose voice was that?
Pow!
“ Kugh! ”
Just as he managed to twitch, someone struck his head. “Why is this bastard acting like this when it’s the first time I’ve seen him in a while?”
“Ough…”
His entire skull seemed to ring. How could a mere physical strike, devoid of Qi, carry such impact? Woo Hyuk felt his consciousness fading, and for the first time, he experienced true, blissful silence.
“Ah…”
Thud.
He lost consciousness after uttering a single word.
“…What the– why is this bastard lying down with such a creepy expression?”
Gu Yangcheon backed away in disgust after seeing the serene, almost blissful expression on Woo Hyuk’s face.
Moreover, the loud, rowdy crowd fell completely silent. The entire street was hushed in an instant.