Chapter 175: The Woman with the Scent of Plum Blossoms
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 175: The Woman with the Scent of Plum Blossoms
Let’s take a moment to remember my master.
The Plum Blossom Sword Empress.
There was a woman who called herself that, and eventually, she made everyone else call her that too.
To be honest, I never once called her “Master” before my regression, but even back then, I couldn’t deny that “master and disciple” was the most accurate way to describe our relationship.
How should I put it?
She was a strange person.
Considering that all the other rising geniuses were weirdos, maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising. But she was a genius of an entirely different breed and temperament compared to the likes of Lilac, Cheon Yu-hak, or Kang Ha-ni.
Those who watched her from afar often said she was like an elegant flower.
Those who knew her personally called her a friendly, companionable soul.
And from the perspective of the only disciple she ever took in on a whim… she was a woman who was obnoxious, yet surprisingly well-mannered.
What I mean is, whenever I asked a question during the grueling training I never even asked for, she would often reply like this:
— “Huh? How do you do it? You just… do it.”
— “You can’t do this? But it’s so simple.”
— “It’s not that hard. Once you reach the stages of Sword-Body Unity and Clear Mirror Still Water, you naturally feel the optimal path for the sword. You can take down anyone weaker than you just with that!”
— “How to increase your mana? Oh, you mean internal energy! That’s easy! Once you succeed in generating it, you just perform the Circulation of Qi to accumulate the energy of nature in your body. I heard some people die trying to stack too much, but I never really got why!”
— “This time, it’s really easy! I’ll explain it as simply as possible just for you! First, when you hold a sword, don’t you just feel where and how you need to cut? …No? Why not?”
…Goddammit.
Honestly, I don’t know what she was like as a friend or a comrade, but as a teacher, she wasn’t exactly what you’d call “excellent.”
And yet, the reason I never hated her was simple.
Even though I was a creature she likely couldn’t comprehend—someone without a single shred of talent—she never gave up on me. She never even showed a hint of annoyance; she stayed by my side through everything.
— “Hmm, so you can’t do it. Well, nothing for it then. Let’s keep practicing until you can!”
— “You can’t understand that explanation? Oh, maybe it’s because I’ve never had to explain it to anyone else before! It’s okay! I could do it, so you’ll be able to do it too if we keep at it together!”
— “Mana rampage? Ah, you mean Qi Deviation! Don’t worry. I’ll keep a constant eye on you so it doesn’t overflow or go wild. Just focus!”
— “You don’t even know how to swing it in the first place? If you can’t feel it, you just have to memorize it! I’ll swing it with you a hundred times, a thousand times!”
The beautiful woman who could make plum blossoms bloom with her sword as if it were the most natural thing in the world had humbled herself to stay by my side.
Beside a pathetic fool who wasn’t fit to be her disciple—someone who thought her warmth was merely the leisure of the strong, a form of charity from the haves to the have-nots.
Beside a twisted brat who didn’t even deserve such kindness.
Beside me, who was so intoxicated by the beauty that I never even considered the possibility that the plum blossoms would one day wither.
— “It’s okay, So-hyun. It’s only natural for plum blossoms to fall. That’s when the plums begin to ripen. The fruit carries a new seed, and through that cycle, new blossoms will bloom again.”
No, you were a flower that should never have withered like that.
— “One day, you become the new plum blossom. And then you just have to bear new fruit again.”
In the end, I never managed to make a plum blossom bloom.
Actually, I never even tried.
Since I considered everyone to be mere dolls, how could I have ever taken those words as a final will?
It’s the story of a brilliant master and a failure of a disciple.
…Well, anyway, my master—the fleeting connection from my past life—was that kind of woman.
And as for what that woman was doing right now…
“I’ve fallen for you!”
She was staring at me with sparkling, passionate eyes.
“I know it’s rude to say this the first time we meet! But I couldn’t hold these feelings back any longer!”
After the closing ceremony, in the secret training ground I usually frequented, I had met her because the other kids had pestered me to “prove it if it’s not a confession.” The first words out of her mouth were “I’ve fallen for you!”—a classic, shocking example of her unique way of speaking.
Of course, I was used to her, so I knew this wasn’t a romantic confession. But the others watching were probably on the verge of losing their minds.
I needed to correct the misunderstanding quickly.
“Se… Senior.”
Damn, I almost called her “Master” out of habit, even though I’d never called her that before.
“Yes?”
“You’re a bit too excited. I think you left out a few words.”
“Ah! You’re right! I’m sorry! My friends tell me I need to fix that habit. People usually get flustered when they meet me for the first time, but you’re surprisingly calm!”
That’s because it’s not the first time, and I’ve suffered through this plenty of times already.
She had a habit of cutting out the context when she got excited, which used to cause her a lot of trouble.
…Seriously.
“Ahem, so, while your face is certainly very handsome, what I’ve fallen for is your swordsmanship!”
I knew it.
Wait, but even that was a bit strange. At this point in time, she was already a swordsman who could execute the Plum Blossom Sword Technique at a high level.
Why would she be moved by my swordsmanship, which was essentially a degraded version of her own?
“Actually, I’ve never seen such an incredible genius before!”
…Excuse me?
A genius? Who? Me? I’m not that kind of person…?
“The way your rough swordsmanship improves bit by bit with every swing! The effort to take the Plum Blossom Sword, which everyone calls a finished form, and push it toward a more practical application! A natural-born genius is exactly what someone like you is.”
“By any chance… have you been spying on my training?”
“Huh? Ah! I’m sorry! I should have apologized first. You’re right. At first, I saw you by chance and thought I should stop watching, but your swordsmanship seemed so full of possibility that I just couldn’t help myself.”
Aha. So, not knowing I’m a regressor with Sun Wukong as a teacher, she’s mistakenly assuming I’m a genius developing and evolving my own swordsmanship from scratch.
It was a misunderstanding that made sense, given the circumstances.
But unfortunately, I wasn’t a genius. Reaching this level of swordsmanship was entirely thanks to the basics she taught me in my past life and the countless real battles I’d survived.
“I… I know this is asking a lot, but I have a request.”
She bowed her head to me, her face flushing as if she really were making a confession.
“Please, teach me that sword…! I’ll become your disciple—no, I’ll even be your servant if that’s what you want!”
…A disciple? My master? To me?
Is this some kind of light novel title? I Regressed and Now My Master Wants to Be My Disciple!?
I almost rejected her flatly on the spot, but knowing her situation, it was hard to turn her down so easily.
Quite simply…
If we were talking strictly about our current level of mastery, I was undoubtedly at a similar stage as her, and I was in a position where I could pass on things she hadn’t attained yet to help her get there faster.
“Is it… not possible?”
Her eyes were filled with anxiety.
She didn’t make that kind of expression very often.
It was likely because she felt the possibility she had finally found was slipping away.
She suffered from an incurable disease.
Her goal was to reach a higher realm as a superhuman, gaining perfect control over her own body to cure her illness.
That was her objective, and the reason she learned the Plum Blossom Sword Technique was that its Taoist nature suited her purpose best.
However, in my past life, she eventually hit a wall and concluded that the Plum Blossom Sword couldn’t provide a fundamental solution.
She had said that the core value of the Plum Blossom Sword—circulation—was headed in a different direction from her goal. Even if she mastered it to the end, it might extend her life slightly, but it couldn’t break the “absurdity” of her condition.
In the first place, while the Plum Blossom Sword Technique was a great martial art in this world, it occupied a somewhat ambiguous position to be called a “divine art.”
This wasn’t a traditional Wuxia world; if you wanted to learn it, you could just join the swordsmanship club.
In the end, in my past life, she chose “circulation” over picking up a different sword.
She chose to pass her sword to a disciple and see herself reflected in the blooming plum blossoms.
What did I think when I saw that?
I couldn’t remember exactly, but I was certain I had regretted it.
“I can’t take a disciple.”
This time, I could solve it.
Her lifespan, her sword, her wishes—I held the means to fix them all.
“Ah, I’m sorry. Was it too sudden after all…?”
“Let’s start as friends.”
“Pardon?”
“Swordsmanship training friends. I’m not at a level where I can teach anyone yet.”
Honestly, for a split second, I thought about showing her some incredible plum blossoms and hearing her call me a genius, but I never actually wanted her as a disciple.
Just…
I wanted to tell her that a genius who could match her was here.
That I had become someone who could help her.
I wanted to listen to her worries, understand them, and tell her that I would help.
“Oh…? Oh!”
After a moment of thought, she finally understood my words and practically jumped for joy as she thanked me.
Yeah, this is for the best.
I was planning to save her later using spirit medicine or a fortuitous encounter in secret, but honestly, that would have looked suspicious.
Since she approached me first, it won’t be weird if I start looking out for her now.
And since the other kids saw our conversation, they won’t be suspicious either.
Yeah, this feels right.
“Um, so, even though we’ve agreed to be swordsmanship friends, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet, have we?”
I already knew her name, of course, but the formalities were important.
“Ah! As the one asking to be a disciple, I should have introduced myself first!”
I said we’re friends, not master and disciple.
“I’m Lee Ha-ru. Though I’m lacking, I’m known as the Plum Blossom Sword Empress.”
— “Hi there! You with the grumpy face! I’m the Plum Blossom Sword Empress, Lee Ha-ru. Want to learn the sword from me?”
Liar. I know perfectly well that no one calls you that yet.
In the past, I was fooled by those words and thought she was some legendary figure.
Then again, considering her age and the fact that this wasn’t a Wuxia-based world, I guess I was just the idiot for being fooled.
Regardless, she really hasn’t changed a bit.
What did I say back then?
— “I’m not interested, so get lost.”
…Wow, what a total prick. How could I say that to someone smiling and introducing themselves?
She hasn’t changed at all, but my answer needs to be a little different.
“Yes, Senior. I’m Kang So-hyun. I look forward to working with you.”
“Me too!”
This seemed like a much better start than my past life.
* * *
“…Huh?”
A sudden burst of killing intent made everyone watching scan the area, but since the source quickly suppressed it, they all went back to watching, thinking they had imagined it.
“Hmm, it really doesn’t look like a confession, does it?”
“Yeah, I was shocked at first, but I guess she just called him out for swordsmanship training.”
While the others chattered, there was one person who couldn’t just laugh it off.
The scene had been so shocking that she had reflexively released killing intent.
Kang Ha-ni.
For the first time in her life, she was experiencing an emotion called jealousy.
Ha-ni wasn’t naturally a possessive person.
In the past, her only interest was the sword, and because she was so talented, she had no reason to be jealous of anyone.
Even after she developed feelings for someone, she hadn’t realized it herself, but she had a strange confidence that she was the one closest to him anyway, so she didn’t block other women from approaching him.
And she wasn’t wrong.
Among the women who held affection for him, there was Professor Cathy, who wanted to protect him, and Kim Ga-eul, who stayed by his side as a close friend.
But both were ultimately at a distance.
The professor had her position to maintain, so she couldn’t close the gap in their daily lives, only sharing morning training at most. Ga-eul was a friendly presence, but she lacked combat ability and couldn’t be with him in battle.
She still wasn’t sure if he saw her as a man or if he knew she was a girl, but she was the only one who stood by his side when they fought, played with him when they relaxed, and even trained with him.
But now, someone had appeared who was targeting her territory.
What? Swordsmanship friends?
Fallen for his sword?
A genius?
She didn’t like it.
Not knowing the effort he had put in.
Not knowing the emotions embedded in his sword.
Her mind, strangely cold compared to her burning chest, told her that this feeling was jealousy, but she couldn’t calm down.
Was it because their shared domain—the sword, which was like her pride—was being encroached upon?
Was it because he, who had been reluctant to spar with her, had agreed to this woman’s request so readily?
Even though she knew this feeling was jealousy, she really, truly…
“I don’t like this one bit.”
She really didn’t like her.