Chapter 5
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Plum Blossoms Scattering in the Spring Breeze~
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“Ae-ah!”
I stretched out my arms, demanding it, and Uiseong held out the wooden sword to me. But the moment my fingertips brushed it, he teasingly yanked it up just out of my reach.
Spotting the mischief sparkling in his eyes, I let out a puff of air. There was one surefire way to handle moments like this.
Pretending to lose interest in the wooden sword, I whipped around and crawled toward boredom—or rather, toward him. Sure enough, Uiseong rushed over in a panic, squatted down, and firmly placed the wooden sword in my hand.
“Little guy, you’re not mad at me, are you?”
No matter how much you fly or crawl, you’re still in the palm of my hand, punk. I naturally brought the reclaimed wooden sword to my mouth, and Uiseong scratched his head.
“The elders were making such a huge fuss all together that I thought you were about to demonstrate some sword form or another… but you’re just putting it in your mouth or throwing it around…?”
Use your common sense. How’s a newborn who isn’t even a year old supposed to demonstrate sword forms?
After gnawing on it for a good while, I swung it around whoosh-whoosh, sending spit flying everywhere.
Uiseong recoiled in disgust and snatched the wooden sword, wiping it vigorously with a cloth until it squeaked. Then he handed it back to me and spoke in a sly tone.
“Little guy, want me to teach you a sword form? Hmm, Six Harmonies Sword focuses on the lower body, so it’s too early for a kid who can’t even stand yet…”
Without waiting for my response, Uiseong pondered which sword form to teach me, then scooped me up and sat me on his knee.
“If you remember this, it’ll make it much easier to learn swordsmanship formally later. Well, you probably won’t remember it by then, but your body might.”
Uiseong grabbed my arm, which gripped the wooden sword firmly from behind, and moved it like a puppet’s—slow enough for me to pick up the motion.
After about ten repetitions, I’d roughly memorized the movement.
I swung the wooden sword on my own, following the motion without his help.
It was clumsy, but I was giving it my all, and Uiseong grinned.
“This is the first form of the 24 Plum Blossom Sword Techniques, Plum Blossoms by the Roadside, little guy.”
What the hell, this crazy bastard?
He actually taught me Plum Blossom Swordsmanship? He accomplished what even the elders couldn’t. What a guy.
But…
‘Am I not a genius?’
A true genius would make plum blossoms bloom from the sword tip just swinging wildly, but all that came from my wooden sword was the sound of wind.
No, of course I knew it wouldn’t work. Still, I’d hoped for some possession perk or another.
Of course, I didn’t expect to nail it on the first try, but you never know.
With slumped shoulders, I tossed the wooden sword to the floor. Then I crawled away from Uiseong’s knee, plopping along.
“Little guy, don’t tell me… you’re disappointed because no plum blossoms came out like the ones I showed you before?”
Uiseong clamped his mouth shut and shook with laughter before rolling on the floor, howling.
“Uhahaha! Big dreams! Even the founding patriarch of Mount Hua couldn’t make plum blossoms bloom at your age, you rascal!”
I turned away silently, showing him my back, and his laughter grew even louder. You jerk, is this that funny? Damn it, I’m so frustrated I could cry.
“Biyeon, naptime… Biyeon?”
Uihyeon entered through the door and froze upon seeing my teary eyes. He immediately scooped me up.
I pointed accusingly at Uiseong, who was still slapping the floor laughing, and Uihyeon instantly understood, bellowing at him.
“Uiseong, why are you making the baby cry!”
“No, senior brother, hear me out. So, the kid—”
“Kyaaaaang!”
I let out a booming wail, cutting him off.
As Uihyeon rocked me and tried to leave, Uiseong staggered to his feet and shoved the wooden sword—still lying haphazardly on the floor—into my hand.
“Little guy, you’ve gotta practice hard until the plum blossoms bloom, right?”
At his smug words, I scowled and swung my arm up high before bringing it down with all my might. It was the basics of basics in swordsmanship: the overhead strike.
Crack! A crisp smack echoed as the wooden sword hit his crown.
“Heavens, to execute the basic downward strike of Six Harmonies Sword so perfectly… is our little one a genius?”
Uiseong rubbed the spot on his head where the sword had struck, wearing an incredulous look, but Uihyeon brimmed with感動.
Genius or not, having been called one, I swung the wooden sword even more vigorously, satisfied.
Aha! I’m a genius!
Even after arriving at the Sect Leader’s office, my goofy grin wouldn’t fade.
As I wriggled in delight, the Sect Leader old man, who’d been writing something with his brush, looked at me with kind eyes.
“Did something good happen?”
“Kyaha!”
Just as I was about to show off the sword form I’d learned today in front of the Sect Leader old man, there was a knock, and the door slid open with a hint of urgency.
“Sect Leader, I think you should come out for a moment.”
“What’s the matter?”
“A band of Black Dao ruffians has appeared in Huayin County.”
White Dao are the righteous factions—the martial artists walking the proper path. Black Dao are the opposite: unorthodox, evil paths. In a word, lawless thugs.
The Sect Leader old man set down his brush and rose hurriedly, bending to pat my head.
“Be good and stay put.”
The moment the Sect Leader old man left, I snorted and crawled eagerly toward the desk.
What baby stays put just because you tell it to?
Crawling with the wooden sword in hand was cumbersome, so I hurled it ahead toward the desk.
That was the beginning of the trouble.
The flying wooden sword struck the inkstone protruding slightly from the desk, which shattered on the floor, spilling ink everywhere.
Gasp, oh crap.
Panicking, I crawled over quickly, but dodged as the ink soaked toward my clothes with a splash.
Liquid spreads fast, though, and soon the ink had stained my palms and knees.
The sticky wetness grossed me out, so I gripped the low writing desk firmly with both hands, braced my legs, and pulled myself up.
The world’s height shifted.
Huh? Did I just stand on my own two feet?
Realizing it belatedly, I blinked.
Might as well try walking. I cautiously lifted one foot and took a couple steps. Sure, I’d flop over the moment I let go of the desk, but I’d succeeded in walking!
The ink-soaked floor and desk were long forgotten in my mind.
Slide. The sliding door opened, and I turned my head reflexively, still propping myself on the desk.
“…A baby?”
It wasn’t the Sect Leader. A middle-aged woman who looked about forty stared at me in bewilderment.
“A baby? Did someone cause trouble? Wow, a baby really did make a mess.”
Peeking out from beside her was a young woman. A scar on her lip stood out.
For a moment, I alternated eye contact with them.
Strangers. But their clothes were unmistakably Mount Hua Taoist robes.
With a major sect like this, there were too many people to recognize everyone.
“Ah, Elder Muyeong, and Instructor Jinyul. It’s been a while. How was your journey through the martial world?”
Hearing Uihyeon’s voice from behind them, I relaxed my tense body.
Wait, she looks just a few years older than Uihyeon, but she’s an instructor? That would make her a first-generation disciple.
And that one seems too young to be an elder?
Had they both shed their mortal forms? Or returned to youth?
“That baby?”
“A few months ago, he was left at the Mount Hua palace gates, so we kept him… Ack! Biyeon! What’s all this!”
Uihyeon, answering midway, finally noticed me covered in ink, the shattered inkstone, and the ruined floor. He yelped and rushed into the room.
“I see. Where did the Sect Leader go?”
“He received a report of Black Dao in Huayin County and headed to Lianhua Hall with the other elders.”
Uigang—er, the burly guy—answered politely on behalf of Uihyeon, who was too busy checking me for injuries.
“Black Dao? I, the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal, am in Huayin, and they dare set foot there?”
Elder Muyeong’s brow twitched, and the woman beside her spoke calmly.
“They must’ve caused trouble while we were climbing up to Mount Hua, Master.”
“Let’s head to Lianhua Hall first. Jinyul, you come too.”
“…Damn it, these wretched Black Dao scum mean I have to go back down right after arriving.”
The grumbling woman followed her master, clicking her tongue.
What followed was an enormous lecture and scolding. While Uigang cleaned up the mess, Uihyeon and I were dragged off for a forced bath.
As a bonus, I had to endure two full hours of the Sect Leader old man reciting the Dao De Jing stone-cold sober when he returned from his duties.
And that’s how I learned about the two women I’d met today.
Mount Hua’s Greatest Sword, Plum Blossom Sword Immortal Muyeong.
As her name with the “Mu” for martial suggests, she’s a Mount Hua elder. One of the eldest in the elder council, but she’s achieved mortal shedding and maintains the appearance of a forty-year-old.
And her direct disciple, Jinyul.
Around the same age as the third-generation disciples, but as a direct disciple of an elder, she bears the “Jin” character as a first-generation disciple.
She didn’t go through formal entry rites; the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal saw her talent and took her in personally.
“So she tends to feel like an outsider… Ah, what am I saying to a baby.”
I nodded, getting the gist from Uihyeon’s unfinished words.
To become a Core Disciple bearing Mount Hua’s formal title, one must pass the entry exam.
But Jinyul was chosen directly by Mount Hua’s Greatest Sword and became a Core Disciple in one go. As a first-generation disciple, no less, whom even her peers among the third-generation had to respectfully address.
No wonder the third-generation disciples don’t like her.
She must’ve faced plenty of envy and jealousy. Geniuses are always lonely.
If I really was a genius like Uihyeon said, should I hide my genius and slack off like Uiseong?
I wasn’t big-hearted enough to brush off jealous glares with equanimity.
I pondered seriously and drifted off to sleep. Ah, starting tomorrow, I need to practice walking.
* * *
After tremendous effort, I could now stand on both legs without holding onto anything.
Today, after diligently practicing my steps, I plopped down on my butt and swung the wooden sword, mimicking the form Uiseong had taught me.
Swinging this wooden sword around felt like being an elementary kid solving advanced calculus.
“You need to bend your arm a bit more there. That’s it.”
Following the advice, I bent my arm, then whipped my head around in surprise. Jinyul leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, grinning.
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