Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Dragon-Phoenix Tournament (3)
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Hyun-deok broke out in a cold sweat as he watched everyone around him foaming at the mouth and collapsing one by one.
'...Is there a reason?'
He quickly began searching for the cause, focusing on the fact that he himself hadn't fallen.
It wasn't because he was stronger than the others.
Of course, he was one of the top experts, but even the Sword Sovereign visible in the distance was rubbing his forehead.
How could he claim his own unscathed stance was due to strength?
With that, Hyun-deok turned his head to the side.
And there stood a woman wearing a bamboo hat, looking ready to grab her sword and charge in at any moment.
"Stop this...!!!"
"...!!!"
Hyun-deok instinctively shouted for her not to go.
"Hold back. I understand your desire to save your junior sister... but if you go now, you'll only end up falling in vain."
"......"
The Plum Blossom Sword Empress's face twisted.
"I have no idea what you intend to do, great hero."
"......"
"The Zhuge family's benefactor is pointing his sword at Mount Hua, yet why won't you step forward?"
It was a situation that would anger anyone.
She knew full well how many days and nights Hwa-ryeon had practiced just for this moment.
Her young junior sister, who trained tirelessly every day dreaming of leading Mount Hua someday, was now in mortal danger.
"Are you telling me to do nothing?"
"......"
"I am not one of the Zhuge—my mind isn't as sharp as yours."
"Then at least hear me out—"
"However, the Zhuge possess a power beyond measure."
A glint flickered in the Sword Empress's eyes.
Hyun-deok knew in that instant there was no stopping her.
How could he hope to restrain an enraged female master here, anyway?
He could block her with illusions or formations, perhaps.
But he couldn't bring himself to stand in the way of her righteous heart to save her junior sister.
So Hyun-deok said nothing.
He merely stared at the arena, racking his brains over the inscrutable mad old monster.
'What in the world is the reason...?'
He felt ashamed to bear the Zhuge name.
Having lived as a strategist who foresaw everything, this was perhaps inevitable in a way.
Mount Hua's swordsmanship is fundamentally swift, agile, and flashy.
The Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Forms, which could be seen as the sect's signature flower.
I had reached my limit for holding back.
In the novel, even the Strange Fire Spirit didn't go easy on me.
Yet here they were, screwing over the martial world again.
I'd endured enough. Taking a deep breath, I felt a purple haze envelop my body and wooden sword.
"Out of consideration for you, who can't even handle proper martial arts, I won't use a real sword."
No matter how angry I was, I had to use some judgment.
If I slaughtered all these future pillars of the martial world, then the Evil Alliance that vanished before or the Demonic Cult—cut off from the Heavenly Demon and blind to the situation—might plunge the Central Plains into chaos.
Better a mafia-ruled alley than thugs or barbarians running wild.
Street punks who just swing knives are worse than those who negotiate (with fists) multiple times before extorting money.
The Evil Factions and Demonic Cult demand payment in blood.
The Orthodox Factions scream you can't squeeze money from a corpse!
Well, the Orthodox aren't really like that.
"......"
Hwa-ryeon said nothing as she faced my furious glare.
Better that way.
Anything she said now would just stoke my anger further.
[Please control your strength. I beg you, please... If you kill even one person, we could be branded Evil Faction scum and hunted down...!!!]
Snow Python, bound to my fate, whimpered and begged me to hold back, please.
With a sigh, I ignored her and assumed my stance.
The old monster before her raised his sword.
The tip trembled slightly.
-Fwooooosh!!!
"...!!!"
A crimson wind grazed Hwa-ryeon's cheek.
In that instant, plum blossoms bloomed in the air.
As her gaze was drawn to them.
"Where are you looking?"
"...!!!"
The old monster's voice rang from behind her before she knew it.
Hwa-ryeon hurriedly leaped back to create distance.
But by the time she regained her senses, her sleeve was sliced clean off.
'...It was clearly a wooden sword—'
A plain wooden sword, without even sword aura.
She couldn't fathom how he'd done it.
-Fwaaaah!!!
Once more, the fragrant scent of plum blossoms teased her nostrils.
Plum blossoms bloomed before her eyes.
No—they bloomed and scattered.
Not blossoms, but sword strikes assaulted her wildly, pressing the attack.
With each stroke, crimson, luscious plum blossoms trailed the pink lines.
Scattering, blooming anew.
Growing faster, unpredictable slashes flew from all twenty-four directions.
Beautiful.
The moment she thought she'd blocked one, a blow struck her shoulder.
She screamed, but there was no time to spare—her back exploded in pain.
Falling petals from above.
Blossoms opening from below.
Fully unfurled petals whirled in the wind.
It was around the twelfth form.
She couldn't tell if she was blocking or taking hits.
No killing intent at all—just a demonstration.
Yet each strike carried full sincerity.
The thirteenth of the twenty-four forms.
The sword fell like falling petals, then struck her side like bursting blooms.
It grazed past, tracing a circle.
The semicircle twisted into a spiral, drawing in the surrounding air to become a storm.
The scattered petals followed the gale like a blizzard.
Feints and real strikes beyond count rained down.
When Hwa-ryeon came to her senses.
"It is over."
"Kuhk......"
She dropped to her knees, wracked with pain throughout her body.
'...An illusion?'
She doubted herself.
The madly flying plum petals and blossoms' scent had vanished like a mere illusion.
Illusions weren't this vivid.
Mount Hua's sword.
The profound essence unique to Mount Hua's swordsmanship.
And with it, something stirred in Hwa-ryeon's heart.
'...Mount Hua's sword...?'
Mount Hua held no volcano.
No plum trees either—but adorning the radiant peaks with blossoms was the duty of Mount Hua's disciples, not the mountain itself.
Yet why had they.
Worshipped Mount Hua so?
"...Ah."
Hwa-ryeon let out a sigh just before collapsing.
She lifted her head and gazed at her benefactor's—not the old monster's—face.
Then, with a smile she'd never shown in her life.
"I've learned... one technique."
She offered her thanks.
Thanks for showing her Mount Hua's true plum blossoms—not false coal flowers.
-Thud.
As she collapsed, Hwa-ryeon caught sight of her benefactor's smile.
She'd recover soon enough.
I'd inflicted only light bruises on purpose.
A visit to the physician would heal her right away.
"Ah, benefactor...!!!"
Ji-yeon came rushing toward me from behind, her face etched with worry.
'...Wasn't she gone?'
Guess not.
"Young Master Zhuge."
I flashed a bright smile, and she looked back at me with concern.
"Wh-what were you thinking...!!!"
"......"
"Agh... How are we supposed to clean this up?"
Ji-yeon stared at me, wondering how to handle the mess.
I grabbed her shoulders with both hands, grinning as I gazed at her.
"Young Master Zhuge."
"Yes?"
"Do you know a good place for food in Anhui?"
"Eh...?"
She stared at me, baffled by the sudden question about restaurants.
But soon, grasping my grand intent, her pupils trembled.
[Truly shameless, young master... We'll have to help clean up, you know.]
[Then you do it? You called me to fix the martial world—show some consideration.]
[...Ahem, ahem!]
Snow Python dodged the point.
Grinning, I turned to Ji-yeon.
"I believe in you, young master."
"Benefactor...?"
"The Zhuge are the group with the world's sharpest minds in the martial world, right? With three bearing the Zhuge name here, you can surely manage."
"W-wait a moment...!! What about explaining our side?!"
Ji-yeon protested, grilling me.
It might come off as a bit of Evil Faction thuggery.
"Hmm, moving around made me hot—I feel like taking off this bamboo hat."
"Eeeeek?! No! Absolutely not! Dear sir, you mustn't!"
From "benefactor" to "dear sir" in a flash.
Grinning, I adjusted my hat and smiled.
"I leave it to you."
"O-okay... Please, just don't cause more trouble."
"Could you recommend a good eatery in Anhui?"
"...Wait in the carriage."
"Guess I'll have to hunt around on my own then."
"......"
Ji-yeon clutched her head, speechless.
[Refreshing, right, Snow Python?]
[It's unsettling... Please stop... I called you hoping words would suffice...]
[Then you shouldn't have summoned someone like me. I hammered out 5700 characters because I can't hit you.]
[Ugh......]
I let out a satisfied chuckle at Snow Python's near-tears whimpering.
Might really is the easiest way in this world.
"Is this... falling to the Evil Factions?"
I tilted my head.
Where else in the world is there an Orthodox as pure as me?
I let out a snort of laughter.