Blossoms of the True Huashan Sword
If the defining traits of the 24 Plum Flower Sword Forms—Huashan's signature art—had to be named, they would be its extreme swiftness and illusory swordplay. The basic movements here in this Huashan mirrored those principles closely enough. It was just that their speed and variations fell short of the original lineage.
Hwa Ryeon raised her sword, gazing at her master, who stood with eyes closed in stance. It was merely a demonstration at first, so why did her tension run this deep? Was her master reviewing the manual's techniques in her mind? She remained utterly still, wooden sword pointed at empty air, unmoving.
...What sword will she show this time?
The sword of Huashan. The sole existence capable of revealing the exquisite essence that made plum blossoms bud, bloom wildly, and scatter in beauty.
A bead of cold sweat traced Hwa Ryeon's cheek from the sheer tension and fell.
The instant it hit the ground—
-Whoooosh!!!
A crimson wind rippled through the air, brushing past Hwa Ryeon.
"...!!"
Like plum blossoms piercing winter's grip to herald spring's sudden arrival. Yet stretching out in breathtaking beauty—a sword strike.
The first form of the 24 Plum Flower Sword Forms.
That was none other than Plum Leaf Scatter.
Calm as plum petals strewn on a street, yet dancing gracefully in the spring breeze.
Starting with that swift thrust, the forms unfolded before Hwa Ryeon's eyes.
Fast.
The sword gleam extended lightly, trembling. Plum blossoms began blooming from its origin point. Her master sliced through them once more, flitting like butterflies amid the flowers. Lightly, irregularly. Yet with clear intent.
A strike that flew feather-light but charged with ferocious speed.
Second form: Plum Butterfly Dance.
The advancing sword gleam drew a gentle arc this time. The blade, infused with her master's inner energy, scattered red qi like plum fragrance exhaled. Amid that qi, strikes poured forth anew—slashing, thrusting, vertical and horizontal sweeps.
After the third form, Plum Earth Flame, the sword tip rose smoothly upward. Like a flower bud ascending. It traced another circle before descending. And along that sword path, lush crimson plums bloomed.
Fourth form: Plum Branch Shadow.
The bloomed plums scattered. Her master leaped skyward amid them, sword in hand. Hwa Ryeon tracked her swiftly with her eyes.
The next instant, a scarlet flash cascaded like midday sunlight, plummeting down.
Fifth form: Plum Fall Rock.
From that stance, the sword fell once more, then again.
Sixth form: Plum Fall Dew.
Scattering the riotous plums, her master descended amid the swirling petals. A single swing, yet the dispersed plums slashed the air hundreds, thousands of times around her. Chaotic strikes entangled, as if seizing an imaginary foe's feet.
Seventh form: Plum Scatter Powder.
And in the space carved by that swing and the plums, crimson threads appeared—lines that would have sprayed blood if a person stood there.
Eighth form: Plum Blood Rain.
The next moment, the sword paths grew chaotic. Unreadable trajectories scattering. Hwa Ryeon barely counted nine.
Ninth form: Plum Nine Changes.
The untraceable paths dispersed. Dozens of sword gleams erupted simultaneously, blanketing the area in plums.
Was this what a fully blossomed Huashan mountain looked like?
Her master, having unfolded the forms to that point, smiled faintly and spoke.
"This concludes the tenth form: Plum Full Bloom."
"......"
"Think you can follow?"
Behind the veil, her master's red eyes seemed to gleam.
Truth be told, it terrified her. Yet deep in Hwa Ryeon's heart, amid that profound imagery, a single plum tree was extending its branches.
"Please, one exchange, Master."
Hwa Ryeon drew her sword and charged.
Her master didn't budge.
What...?
Hwa Ryeon's strike hit her master's wooden sword with hollow force—far too easily. Yet behind the veil, her master smiled.
In that instant, Hwa Ryeon saw it. In her eyes, a flower bud enduring winter's snow.
And then, the plum buried in snow bloomed, striking Hwa Ryeon.
* * *
Ji Yeon watched the spar between Hwa Ryeon and her master in a daze. It was utterly one-sided.
Plum Speck Bloom, Plum Speck Accumulation, Plum Luxuriance...
Not being from Huashan, Ji Yeon hadn't seen the manual herself. But Seol Mang's explanations beside her revealed each technique.
Above all, Ji Yeon had sharp eyes.
Strikes to regather the scattered, fallen plums from the ground.
A single swing unleashing dizzying plum fragrance.
Seol Mang smiled in satisfaction.
Seeing Seo-gongzhu like this fills me with such pride.
"Master... as expected of Master."
She knew her master had never shown her true power before. Not against her. Not against Hwa Ryeon. Not against Soso.
Not truly sincere any of those times.
Of course, she knew that if Master went all out, her head would roll in an instant.
Even now, Master was showing less than a tenth—a mere fraction—of her skill.
What an extraordinary realm.
Even that was beyond what ordinary humans could reach in a lifetime of training. One could call her a celestial fairy descended from the heavens, and it wouldn't feel off.
She seems from the era of the emissaries, but...
Her true origins were impossible to pin down. Prying into a past her master had deliberately erased might be rude, so Ji Yeon closed the history book.
But curiosity lingered.
"Seol Mang-nim."
Yes?
Ji Yeon glanced at Seol Mang, now perched on her shoulder.
...When did you get here?
She'd been inside Master's robes, complaining of dizziness. Yet now she was here.
"...Is Master truly human-born?"
What nonsense is that?
"Not some blood ghost or anything? I'd believe blood demon."
No such thing. You know how upset Seo-gongzhu gets hearing that—why say it?
Ji Yeon made a weary face at Seol Mang's childlike tone.
She's the one who teases the most.
Well, Master's reactions were cute. But watching her now—so different from when she teased back, hopping mad—Ji Yeon gazed on.
Her body was that of a girl around seven, younger than Ji Yeon. Yet the aura she exuded was that of a mature, peerless beauty master—magnificent.
Is this the presence she had before erasing herself and going into seclusion?
At that thought—
Her master smiled at the exhausted Hwa Ryeon and unleashed the final form.
A simple swing. Once, at empty air.
"...!!"
Beautiful.
-Whoooaaaaah!!!
Plum fragrance burst forth, enough to mistake winter for spring's arrival.
Plums bloomed riotously across the training ground. Real or inner energy illusions? Indistinguishable. Ji Yeon ducked low.
Even at this distance, plums bloomed at her feet.
"So beautiful..."
Beautiful indeed. The twenty-fourth form: Plum Fragrance a Thousand Miles.
The lingering plum afterscent struck Hwa Ryeon belatedly. Drained of strength, she collapsed into her master's arms.
Admiring exclamations poured from the onlookers. The soldiers, holding their breath through the display, erupted in cheers.
Amid the cheers, Ji Yeon quietly watched her master and junior sister.
Shall we go?
"Yes."
* * *
Soso watched. Her benefactor's sword.
...Even here, I feel the energy and plum scent.
The Tang family home carried faint scents of poisons and herbs. Inevitable, handling them constantly.
Yet she couldn't help but marvel at how it overwhelmed everything with plum fragrance.
And the worse case was—
"S-Sis...!"
"Hyeok-ah."
Her younger brother, the Tang young lord, fidgeting like a dog desperate to poop.
"Give up."
Smiling sweetly, Soso told her brother to quit—for the first time.
"...Who is that lady from which sect?"
For the first time, Sohyeok answered his sister's order with a question.
"Not someone you can covet. You're just turning seven now, aren't you?"
"Father met Mother at seven, pledged eternal vows, and wed at twenty! Starting now—!"
"......"
Soso sighed and flicked his forehead.
"Age gap."
"......"
"The age gap's too big."
"H-How old is she...?"
"No idea. Definitely an ancient master."
Sighing again, Soso turned her gaze.
And—
"Eek?!"
Felt Hayeon's stare fixed on her from the training ground. Well, technically on Sohyeok, who'd been ogling her.
...I did nothing wrong!!!
Soso screamed inwardly.