Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Plum Blossom Sword Technique
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"…Could you say that one more time?"
"I said you resolved it with force."
Having asked again in disbelief, Baek Hyeon-gyeong was at a loss for words when the same answer came back.
However, Hyeok Mulin's intent was clear.
"In the end, isn't the way for a martial artist to prove themselves and solidify their position through strength? No one can deny that's the foundation of being a warrior."
The most reliable thing in the treacherous world of the martial forest.
Without a doubt, it was one's own martial arts.
The reason Hyeok Mulin now held the position of Heavenly Demon and wielded such authority was because he had demonstrated unparalleled divine might within the cult.
Right there in the Demon Path Martial God Battle—if Hyeok Mulin had lost to Cheon Jungak?
He would have stepped down from the cult leader's seat and fallen from power on the spot.
It was the same as guarding his position with strength and convincing the demons.
"Aren't you already strong enough?"
Hyeok Mulin continued, gazing at Baek Hyeon-gyeong.
"Then what matters is your own will."
Setting aside his role as sect leader of Mount Hua Sect, he was an ancient martial master.
A warrior who had reached a realm where he need bow to no one in the world, yet he was stooping under an enormous burden on his back.
"Give it a try. The first step is the hardest; once you take it, you'll get used to it in no time."
Hyeok Mulin offered sincere advice.
To bear such heavy responsibility as sect leader even at that advanced age.
If it were him, he would have swept away all the pesky constraints and ruled by force.
Regardless of being a righteous faction member, Hyeok Mulin genuinely pitied his current state.
"Hah…"
At the utterly unexpected and astonishing answer, Baek Hyeon-gyeong let out a hollow sigh.
"Ha… ha…"
Then the corners of his mouth began to twitch.
"Hahaha…!"
Baek Hyeon-gyeong burst into a hearty laugh, his beard fluttering.
For some reason, Hyeok Mulin's response cleared a massive weight from his chest.
How long had it been since he heard such blunt words?
How long since he bared his heart and laughed freely like this?
It was an answer completely outside what he, as a Taoist, could have imagined.
"I understand. Next time, I'll try doing as you say."
After a brief lapse following his return to Mount Hua Sect, Baek Hyeon-gyeong had been lost in thought ever since.
But Hyeok Mulin's words just now had cleanly resolved his dilemma.
He resolved to change the current state where the elders and disciples relied solely on him.
'Before, I could only worry about it.'
His presence in Mount Hua Sect was so overwhelming that he couldn't bring himself to step back.
But now his thinking had changed.
He was convinced that depending on one person alone was not the righteous path.
For the future of Mount Hua Sect, it was a road to avoid.
"I'm glad if it helped."
Baek Hyeon-gyeong smiled faintly at Hyeok Mulin's words, but his expression soon hardened.
"However, acting on it right now isn't feasible. The sect faces a massive problem, after all."
"The Four Black Coalitions."
"That's right."
Hyeok Mulin, having resided in Mount Hua, was aware of their future course from what he'd heard.
Even the sect leader's decision to personally calm the elders' fury, conclude the current incident, and keep it from leaking outward.
"That must have been a tough call."
To not retaliate against those who targeted his life.
It was an act of utmost mercy, yet for Baek Hyeon-gyeong, it was the easiest decision.
"I have no intention of turning Mount Hua into a battlefield."
Holding the Four Black Coalitions accountable.
That meant all-out war with the unorthodox factions.
Of course, if war broke out, the Martial Alliance would surely provide support, but in the end, those shedding the most blood at the forefront would be Mount Hua's own warriors.
Victory or defeat, Mount Hua would face devastation, so it was natural for Baek Hyeon-gyeong to avoid clashing head-on with them.
"I understand your intent."
They were warriors, but ultimately human.
Those with much to lose would step back.
And the Twin Brains likely knew the Mount Hua Sword Sage's mindset, which was why they had acted so aggressively.
In the end, the Shaanxi Blood Emissary had come to naught by Hyeok Mulin's hand, but upon closer inspection, every one of their moves was profoundly calculated.
"Beyond that, the sect owes you a great debt."
Saving Mount Hua warriors at the Shaanxi Sword Assembly, then entering the main sect to find the traitor and escort the sect leader back.
His achievements were remarkable, so Baek Hyeon-gyeong intended to repay him on behalf of the indebted Mount Hua Sect.
"Tell me what you desire. I'll grant anything."
"Truly anything?"
"Indeed."
He could grant any desire.
Hyeok Mulin sensed the confidence of an ancient martial master in his tone.
It was a reward far beyond what the upper council had promised, but from the moment he came here, Hyeok Mulin had wanted only one thing.
He spoke without hesitation, a smirk playing on his lips.
"A sword."
"A sword?"
"Show me your sword."
At Hyeok Mulin's request, Baek Hyeon-gyeong looked surprised.
He had expected a demand for something grand like the Self-Igniting Pill, not just to see his sword.
It was a decision he couldn't comprehend.
But to Hyeok Mulin, it was utterly reasonable.
His internal energy reserves were already ample.
More was better, but at this stage, improving efficiency mattered more than sheer quantity.
Moreover, the swordsmanship of Mount Hua's sect leader was incomparably rare and flawless, making it an obvious choice.
"A sword, you say…"
However, despite his words, Baek Hyeon-gyeong couldn't readily accept.
He wasn't sure if it was safe to reveal Mount Hua's sword to Hyeok Mulin.
From the first time he sensed his energy, it had felt profoundly enigmatic.
Not the kind of aura common in the Central Plains.
Yet it wasn't definitively that of a demon or outsider either.
It was a strange presence unlike any he'd felt in his lifetime.
"Hmm…"
Deep in thought, Baek Hyeon-gyeong let out a groan, but it didn't take long to decide.
Hyeok Mulin's origins were unclear.
But from saving them at the Shaanxi Sword Assembly to resolving the incident at the main sect, he was hardly an enemy.
Thus, Baek Hyeon-gyeong ultimately accepted the request.
"Very well. I'll show you Mount Hua's sword."
With permission granted, Baek Hyeon-gyeong stepped forward slowly.
Amid the lush blooming plum blossoms, he asked Hyeok Mulin,
"Any particular sword form you'd like to see?"
"Doesn't matter. As long as it embodies Mount Hua's will."
"Mount Hua's will…"
After a moment's reflection, Baek Hyeon-gyeong placed his hand on his scabbard.
He drew the sword from its sheath adorned with plum blossom patterns.
No sound of the blade emerged as he unsheathed it.
It was a fluid motion that instantly captured Hyeok Mulin's full attention.
Shing.
Baek Hyeon-gyeong began demonstrating the swordsmanship with graceful ease.
Watching intently, Hyeok Mulin soon discerned the nature of the technique.
'The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique.'
His guess was correct.
It resembled the technique Sangmyeong had used against him at the upper council tavern.
But.
'It's entirely different from then.'
Baek Hyeon-gyeong's Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique wielded completely different power and form from Sangmyeong's.
The plum blossoms transformed moment by moment under his hand.
Their colors and shapes shifted; they scattered like rain or snow.
His plum blossoms walked paths like human footprints, danced like butterflies.
They bloomed, withered, flared, brushed by, and sometimes burst, dyeing the world with their fragrance.
Hyeok Mulin watched the plum blossom symphony Baek Hyeon-gyeong conjured.
And as he executed the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Baek Hyeon-gyeong glanced at Hyeok Mulin.
'He's tracking the forms of the plum blossoms with his eyes.'
Baek Hyeon-gyeong couldn't hide his astonishment at Hyeok Mulin's gaze.
He had never taken even a single disciple under his wing.
Fearing his fame as the Mount Hua Sword Sage would overshadow them. Thus, he had never directly taught anyone swordsmanship.
Yet in this moment.
Watching Hyeok Mulin pursue the forms in his swordsmanship, Baek Hyeon-gyeong felt the desire to take a disciple for the first time.
If he became his disciple, he'd master all of Mount Hua's sword techniques in less than a year.
He'd be more than worthy as the next sect leader.
But soon, he cast the thought aside.
'He's no man to serve under another.'
In this brief time, he had already grasped Mount Hua's essence.
A faint smile curved Baek Hyeon-gyeong's lips as he banished the notion and immersed himself in the demonstration.
"…"
Hyeok Mulin silently tracked the forms, focusing intently.
Even if he understood and mimicked the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique now, he couldn't match Baek Hyeon-gyeong, who had bloomed plum blossoms his entire life.
So he concentrated on grasping the essence of Mount Hua within the technique.
About half an hour passed like that.
"That's the end."
Finishing the final form, Baek Hyeon-gyeong sheathed his sword with those words.
"Thank you for the display."
Hyeok Mulin expressed his gratitude for the unreserved showing of Mount Hua's sword.
Then, he drew his own sword.
He wanted to immediately test what he'd comprehended.
Hyeok Mulin swung his sword wildly through the air, and at the conclusion, Baek Hyeon-gyeong's pupils dilated sharply.
"…!"
A single plum blossom.
Not pristine or delicate, but unmistakably a plum blossom.
At the sight, Baek Hyeon-gyeong couldn't help but be stunned.
To grasp its essence just from watching briefly.
"Compared to all past sword masters of Mount Hua, you bloomed a plum blossom the fastest."
What level of sword comprehension and sensitivity allowed this?
Letting out a wry chuckle, Baek Hyeon-gyeong could only marvel.
'His future is promising.'
A pleased smile on his lips, Baek Hyeon-gyeong watched Hyeok Mulin sheathe his sword contentedly.
Afterward, they left the plum grove to return to Mount Hua.
But at the entrance to the plum grove, Sangseo was waiting for them.
"Sangseo, what brings you here?"
Spotting him, Baek Hyeon-gyeong asked.
Sangseo pointed at Hyeok Mulin.
"I was waiting to deliver a letter to Lord Hyeok."
"A letter?"
"Here it is. It's addressed to you."
Sangseo handed Hyeok Mulin a single missive.
Confirming no seals broken, Hyeok Mulin opened it without hesitation.
His eyes scanned the letter.
The content consisted of just two phrases.
[Man Clan.]
And.
[Rebellion.]
Confirming it, Hyeok Mulin smirked and spoke.
"Looks like it's time to head back."