Heart Before Sword
"Of the two, the one you must learn first is the Purple Sunset Heart Technique."
“······.”
Hyeonmu Jin-in recited the mnemonics of the Purple Sunset Heart Technique to me, just as he said he would.
I stayed perfectly silent, committing every line to memory as he spoke. I repeated the formulas in my head, turning them over until I had them roughly memorized. That was when a faint sense of dissonance hit me.
I turned to Hyeonmu Jin-in and asked, “Why must I learn the Purple Sunset Heart Technique before the Purple Sunset Sword Technique?”
“The reason is simple…”
Hyeonmu Jin-in finally let out a soft chuckle before continuing.
“To practice the Purple Sunset Sword Technique, you must first be able to accumulate Purple Sunset Qi within your dantian.”
“I see…!”
“In most martial arts, it’s uncommon to have a heart technique that must precede the sword method. However, all the arts that utilize Purple Sunset Qi are intimately connected, so…”
Hyeonmu Jin-in’s voice trailed off as his eyes narrowed. Accepting his words, I settled into a lotus position and began circulating my energy.
Woooong—
The sensation of my inner force slowly spreading from my dantian into my meridians was vivid and clear.
Just as I was about to review the mnemonics once more, Hyeonmu Jin-in spoke again in a low voice.
“That is why I was so shocked when I saw you releasing purple sword energy despite never having learned any martial art that handles Purple Sunset Qi.”
“······!”
“That faint but unmistakable violet aura that flowed from your blade whenever you executed the Plum Blossom Sword Technique… that was undoubtedly Purple Sunset Qi.”
“…Just what exactly is Purple Sunset Qi?”
When I voiced my confusion, Hyeonmu Jin-in gave a single nod and answered.
“Purple Sunset Qi refers to the energy of the underworld.”
“The underworld…?”
“In other words, Purple Sunset can essentially mean hell itself.”
His explanation felt vague and roundabout. I swallowed a quiet groan and mulled over his words. It seemed like he had more to say, but Hyeonmu Jin-in simply closed his mouth, clearly unwilling to elaborate further.
Left with no choice, I resumed circulating my energy according to the Purple Sunset Heart Technique’s mnemonics.
Wuuung—
The sect leader wouldn’t speak lightly. I’ll understand it one day.
That was how the entire day passed.
“Ugh…”
Several weeks had gone by.
Ever since I began practicing the Purple Sunset Heart Technique, I had to visit the pavilion where the sect leader resided every dawn to circulate my energy. My daily schedule had become utterly brutal.
On top of that, I had recently started transcribing the key principles of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique into manuals, which meant I barely had any personal time left.
It was the Myeongryong Sword and the Mugyeong Pavilion Master who first suggested it, but the idea of recording the Plum Blossom Sword Technique’s essentials in books was truly inspired.
I nodded slowly to myself.
It might sound arrogant, but the Plum Blossom Sword Technique had virtually no prerequisites compared to other sword arts or martial techniques. After all, I had created it after learning only the Six Harmonies Technique and the Three Talents Sword Technique, yet it displayed incredible power with even the simplest execution.
That was precisely why the Mugyeong Pavilion Master and the Myeongryong Sword had proposed I leave the technique behind in written form.
In the end, they’re probably planning to turn the Plum Blossom Sword Technique into Mount Hua’s secret sword art.
I had already guessed as much. To be honest, it felt like I was giving away the sword technique I had created through blood and sweat for free.
Still, since my goal was to raise the overall martial level of the Mount Hua Sect by recording the technique’s essence and mnemonics, I welcomed the plan with both hands.
Besides, I’m confident.
I gave a firm nod. Even if I organized the Plum Blossom Sword Technique’s essentials into books and let the sect’s disciples learn from them, it was anyone’s guess how many would truly grasp the hidden core within.
Frankly, aside from a handful of people, most would struggle just to memorize the mnemonics.
That’s why I chose a particular method.
A faint smile tugged at my lips. From the start, I had never intended to record the technique’s true essence exactly as it was.
Which was why I had made a counter-proposal to the Myeongryong Sword, the Mugyeong Pavilion Master, and Hyeonmu Jin-in, who already knew the truth.
Out of the twenty-four forms that comprise the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, I would modify some of them and record the art not in a single volume, but across several books.
In short, I would adapt the Plum Blossom Sword Technique to be lighter and easier to learn. Of course, this would inevitably reduce its power compared to the original.
But leaving behind a martial art that our own disciples couldn’t even properly practice would be meaningless.
After all, the Plum Blossom Sword Technique already has a cautionary example to learn from.
I recalled the recent spar with Seol Ayeon’s mother, Ok-ryeong. She was one of the few in Mount Hua who had mastered the Moon Maiden Sword Technique to its peak. Yet the fact that she could neither share nor improve the art she had perfected had become the very wall preventing her from reaching an even higher realm.
Having personally experienced the immense power of collective intelligence, I had no desire to follow the same path as the Moon Maiden Sword Technique.
What good is being revered as one of the few remaining successors of the Moon Maiden Sword Technique? A martial art that can no longer evolve is doomed to stagnation and eventual ruin. Nothing greater can come from it.
With that in mind, I intended to transform the Plum Blossom Sword Technique into an art that any martial artist of Mount Hua could learn. I felt no regret about that decision whatsoever.
While I was walking toward the sect leader’s pavilion, lost in these thoughts—
Swish—
A familiar presence appeared.
“Huh? Is that you, Haseong?”
“…Senior Brother?”
Only then did I turn my exhausted gaze toward the source of the presence. There stood Mu Yeong, still wearing that carefree, innocent smile.
He strolled toward me at a leisurely pace and spoke.
“I heard you’ve been suffering a lot lately… You holding up alright?”
“…Don’t even talk about it.”
“Hahaha! Looks like Master really is working you to the bone. I never thought I’d see the day when someone as stoic as you would actually complain.”
“······.”
“Well, keep at it. Good luck.”
…The sheer annoyance nearly brought tears to my eyes.
I let out a deep sigh and asked, “Senior Brother, why am I the only one learning the Purple Sunset Heart Technique?”
“······?!”
“I was told that all direct disciples of the sect leader—Mount Hua’s head disciples—are supposed to learn it. I’m curious why the sect leader isn’t teaching you how to handle Purple Sunset Qi.”
“Hehe, so that’s what you wanted to know?”
“Yes.”
“The reason is simple enough.”
Mu Yeong flashed a wide grin and continued.
“You already know that I’ve mastered lightning qi—which isn’t one of the five elements but is close to a natural attribute—all the way to its peak, right?”
“…I do.”
“Let me tell you something I realized while studying the Purple Sunset Sword and Heart Techniques, Junior Brother. Purple Sunset Qi is completely different in nature from lightning qi, yet strangely similar in its behavior.”
“What do you…?”
“Once you learn it, you can never practice any similar martial art again. Just like with lightning qi.”
“······!”
Only then did I understand the true meaning hidden in his words. I stared at him blankly.
Mu Yeong simply stood there, still perfectly relaxed, and let out a small laugh.
“Well… once you master the Purple Sunset Heart Technique and finally reach the point where you learn the Purple Sunset Sword Technique, you’ll understand what I mean.”
“······.”
Swish—
With those final words, Mu Yeong turned and walked away.
I watched him disappear into the distance, then let out another long sigh.
“Haa…”
The road ahead is going to be long.
Step. Step.
I resumed my walk toward the sect leader’s pavilion. By now the thick dawn fog had already lifted.
The middle-aged man known as Hyeonmu Jin-in, sect leader of Mount Hua, was utterly stunned.
“Hmm…!”
Woooong—
The child he had taken as his disciple—Eun Haseong—had completely mastered the Purple Sunset Heart Technique in less than two months.
It was a process that normally required a full year, yet his disciple had shortened that time dramatically. Hyeonmu Jin-in could not help but swallow a groan at such monstrous talent.
Truly… an aptitude and comprehension that defies belief.
A thought suddenly flashed through Hyeonmu Jin-in’s mind.
That this boy might one day achieve feats comparable to the Sword Immortal or even the Martial God, the greatest under heaven…
That was the thought that came to him.