Spring of Mount Hua (1)
Spring of Mount Hua (1)
The dawn mountain path was filled with dew and fog from the previous night. Dohwa went nyam-nyam, quenching her thirst with the dew gathered on the leaves at head height, and munched on cherries as she walked down the mountain path.
Her steps were light.
It was a gait that seemed to glide over the water, and she liked that the group had become so lively, unlike when she had first come up.
'People's hearts are truly mysterious, aren't they?'
[Dohwa-ya, I didn't ask.]
'......?'
Dohwa scrunched up her face. As if anyone said anything—
Dohwa twitched her ears irritably and waved her arms at the sky. The world's whispers—to put it nicely, they were whispers, but in reality, they were no different from noise.
Useless things that constantly babbled about nothing of substance.
'When I'm being sentimental, you just criticize me.......'
A stingy thing that doesn't even give me time to say goodbye.
I thought it had been quiet lately. Figures.
[I can hear you. Friend of nature, helper of the world. I miss the Dohwa who was innocent and afraid of people.]
Ignoring the sky's words, she scanned her surroundings.
Dang Gyeom was guiding the way at the very front with Woo Hyo, his posture straighter and stiffer than usual. He seemed to be glancing at Wi Ja-heon and So-hee, though she couldn't fathom why.
Behind them, Wi Ja-heon was carefully navigating the mountainside with his daughter, So-hee, on his back.
He was pouring all his heart and soul into every breath and every step, to the point where sweat was beading on his forehead. His love was so profound that it touched even Dohwa, who didn't think very highly of Wi Ja-heon.
"It's fun~ The magpie is sitting on my shoulder~"
Jegal Yuryeon followed along, trailing behind. Carrying a large bundle, she muttered to herself in her characteristic tone. And So-young? So-young was.
Kko-ok.......
Clenching her fists tightly, she glanced at Yuryeon. It was a head movement like a sparrow.
'How cute. A competitive spirit is also a privilege of childhood.'
Dohwa's ears twitched as she heard So-young's inner thoughts. Like the sky's whispers, it was a sound that came suddenly and secretly, and she felt a strange sense of guilt, yet it was also amusing.
Dohwa smiled brightly.
Unaware of Dohwa's true thoughts.
So-young followed Dohwa's steps with short, quick strides, fueling her competitive spirit.
'Jegal Yuryeon...... I will surpass you someday.'
The apple of the Jegal Clan's eye.
The apple of the Jegal Clan's eye was special. Born in a human body, she read the will of the heavens and performed shingi (divine techniques) by following the trajectory of the stars to unfold Formation Techniques.
She was temperamentally intelligent, and also strange.
Even more so because she seemed naturally free.
So-young, holding Dohwa's hand tightly, stared blankly at Yuryeon's back as she walked ahead.
A peer who was also counted among the Wulin Five Flowers. They were similar in age, and both were direct descendants of prestigious clans. Destined to one day lead giant clans and roam the highest echelons of the Gangho.
Comparisons were inevitable, and the reputation among the gossips always rated Jegal Yuryeon a few notches higher.
It was a natural occurrence.
While many said their individual martial arts levels were equal, the family background was the main reason for the assessment.
The Jegal Clan had continued to develop and inherit their founder's secret methods and Formation Techniques for generations, but the Sichuan Tang Clan had lost the most important secret arts of their founder.
'But...... not anymore.'
She tightened her grip.
Because the Supreme Patriarch-nim is here—
'It's okay now.'
-The hope of the Tang Clan is only you, So-young-ah. Forgive your pathetic grandfather.-
The voices of the elder grandfathers hovered around her ears like a dream.
-Poison Hand of the Dark Heavens! Was there anyone who received a title for poison and daggers at that age? Even the founder's son...... I mean, the previous, previous Clan Leader was just Dang Ryong (Tang Dragon) at that age!-
-They said her natural talent was like that of many grandmasters, so perhaps she can restore it.-
It was close to a nightmare.
The older generation who had personally experienced the glory of the family.
The generation experiencing prosperity and downfall at the same time.
The generation carrying that crossroads was So-young and Gyeom's generation.
Can I really handle those expectations?
Can I hold onto the lost glory of the Tang Clan with my weak hands?
Now, not only the elder grandfathers.
Since I've even received Dohwa-unni's teachings.......
'It's not about whether I can. It's something I must do.'
Between competing with the successors of prestigious clans and famous sects who were grouped with her as the rising stars, not just Yuryeon who kept repeating 'ji-yo~' innocently by her side.
So-young dismissed it as a competitive spirit.
But in a corner of So-young's heart, a fragment of a dark Inner Demon.......
It poked its head out, then ssok! went back in.
"So-young-ah. If you walk while looking at the sky, you're bound to trip. Sometimes. You have to look at the ground to avoid falling. Always keep that in mind."
"......Unni?"
Dohwa didn't even look back. It was just a remark thrown out while looking ahead, but So-young felt her heart drop.
A strange remark, as if she had read her inner thoughts.
Dohwa's voice was languid as always, but there was a more lively air than usual.
So-young blankly lifted her head to look at the sky.
Beyond the fog, the dawn sky was visible. It was blue.
It was also so high that no matter how much she ran, she couldn't reach it.
So-young slowly lowered her head and looked at the ground. The sloping mountainside, the tree roots sticking out, and the stones. She lifted her head again against the slope.
Hwaa—
The sky was close. The sky, slanted across the steep slope, hung so close that it felt like she could reach it anytime as long as she climbed without falling.
"Ah......."
The ground clouds, which had become thick as the dawn dew met the warm upper air, were blurring the boundary between heaven and earth. So-young felt an unknown knot inside her unraveling.
Something indescribably strange.
'Mysterious.......'
Behind So-young's blank expression and Yuryeon, the members of the Green Forest Seventeen Strongholds were walking quietly with heavy expressions and their heads bowed low.
Like that.
The lively group entered the Sichuan Tang Clan, each carrying their own weight.
"Su- preme- Pa- tri- arch- niiim—!"
As soon as they arrived at the main house, they were greeted by the Medicine Hall Leader, Dang Myeon, who came running, crying loudly with a pile of dirt and a sprout in his hands.
"You, how can you be so frivolous in front of the Supreme Patriarch......."
"Step aside for a moment, Clan Leader. More importantly...... Supreme Patriarch-nim, please look at this! I, this incompetent Dang Myeon, have sprouted a Gromwell!"
What Dang Myeon was shoving right in front of Dohwa's nose, making such a fuss, was a small, thin purple sprout. The sprout, so delicate it looked like it would break if poked, fluttered in his panting breath.
"You did very well! But, the roots are too shallow. The soil is too cold. The child is shivering. It's not good if it's excessively cold."
"Keuheuk— I'm sorry, Gromwell......! Thank you, thank you......! This incompetent old man is finally opening his eyes! I, this Dang Myeon, will keep you warm!"
Medicine Hall Leader Dang Myeon disappeared in a flash.
"......."
"......."
"Myeon-i has a cute side, too."
"The rhythm is good~ To say Myeon-i has a cute side, if the Emperor had seen it, he would have awarded him the top prize."
Dang Gyeom held his forehead while watching the scene.
Medicine Hall Leader Dang Myeon. He was an old friend of his. A guy who only talked about ignorant things, saying he should train muscles like the Peng Clan and that plants only need sunlight and nutrients.......
'It must be a good change, but why is it so strange?'
Dohwa stroked Dang Myeon's head sseuk-ssak and walked into the family estate.
"Gyeom-i, you worked hard too. I'm sorry for dumping so much work on you...... If you need help, tell me anytime."
"Isn't it work that must be done?"
Dang Gyeom forcibly dragged Woo Hyo, who was approaching to assist So-young, and disappeared into the office in a flash. So-young said.
"I think Dad is embarrassed."
"......Why?"
Dohwa tilted her head. Myeon-i and So-young seemed to like it......?
* * *
Dang Gyeom brushed his disheveled hair, cleared his throat a few times, and called Woo Hyo and Dang Myeon. Dang Myeon's face was full of dissatisfaction.
He was full of grumbling— that he had to go warm up the Gromwell.
"......Tell me about the Mount Hua Sect delegation."
"Since you received the letter from Hyo, you must know, so I will speak briefly. Last night. While waiting for the Young Lady, a Mount Hua Sect Taoist delivered a letter."
"That is as much as I know."
"......Anyway, they said it would be organized on an unprecedented scale. There was word that they were sending four of the 24 Plum Blossom Swordsmen and the Sect Leader's disciple."
Dang Gyeom's eyes turned cold. Woo Hyo carefully added.
"They say they brought along about twenty ordinary swordsmen, led by an elder-level 'Maeyeong-geom'. I think it is correct to view this as a show of force rather than a diplomatic mission."
"Mount Hua has gone mad. Even if the main house has declined, they should be able to easily cut through the Plum Blossom Scent."
Tang Clan's Leader of the Dark Iron Unit, Woo Hyo.
Receive the Mount Hua Sect delegation right now.
* * *
At the same time, on the rugged border of Sichuan.
A subtle scent wafted on the cool mountain breeze. A noble and cool scent, hard to smell even in the mountains and rivers of early spring, approached elegantly.
Plum Blossom Scent (Maehwa-hyang).
Dozens of warriors were pushing forward like clouds, riding the ridges of the black rocky mountains.
Swordsmen with five-petaled flowers embroidered on their sleeves.
The energy radiating from each one was sharp like a blade, and the neatness characteristic of the Taoist sect was evident in their attire. Not one of them was disheveled.
It was the Mount Hua Sect's delegation.
The old man at the head of the delegation was Maeyeong-geom (Plum Shadow Sword), known for being the most stubborn among the Mount Hua Sect elders.
Behind him, the elite that Mount Hua boasts, including the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, and twenty-four ordinary swordsmen were following in a grim atmosphere.
"Elder...... didn't the Sect Leader send gifts for the purpose of friendship......? But to call them a 'demon girl' (yo-nyeo). This disciple does not understand."
Behind Maeyeong-geom. A boy who looked a bit dim-witted asked carefully. Mount Hua Sect Leader.
It was Jin Seo-hwi, a disciple of Yayul-hyeon.
Maeyeong-geom glared with thick eyes and said.
"The Mount Hua, which inherits the spirit of the Taoist sect, cannot overlook this. Where Righteous (Jeong) and Evil (Sa) are mixed, the purification of the Plum Blossom is surely needed! Mount Hua's disciples must not doubt this elder's judgment any longer."
"If Mount Hua's disciples do not doubt it. This Leader will doubt it."
"Who is it."
"Dark Iron Unit Leader Woo Hyo."
No matter how strong the flower scent is.
How could it suppress the Poison Mist (Dok-mu) and show off its own scent.
It was the best of the Tang Clan's daggers.