Spring of Mount Hua (2)
Spring of Mount Hua (2)
"Uhyooooo—!"
Maeyeong-geom's angry roar echoed loudly through the surroundings.
He had his hand on the hilt of his sword, as if ready to strike at any moment, and the energy he released without restraint made the air ripple as if heat haze were rising.
Tension hung thick in the air.
This was the Mount Hua Sect, which, along with the Tang Clan, was discussed as being at the pinnacle of the Gangho.
Among them, the strongest force was the 24 Plum Blossom Swordsmen, and here were four of them, along with twenty renowned rising stars, and even an elder of the Nine Sects who was said to be comparable to the Jang-saeng-jok.
It was practically a miniature Mount Hua, yet Woo Hyo remained calm, showing no signs of backing down.
"The Leader of the Dark Iron Unit asks. Maeyeong-geom-nim, you had better watch your words. Disparaging our clan's Supreme Patriarch-nim as a witch is not a matter that can be easily overlooked, even for one of the prestigious Nine Sects."
Leader of the Dark Iron Unit, Woo Hyo.
He went by the title Silent Snake Wingless Owl (Bul-eum-mu-ik). It meant a snake that crawls without sound and an owl without wings, and he was evaluated as someone who had pushed the assassination essentials of the Tang Clan's martial arts to their peak.
The aura he exuded in all directions was terrifying. His manner of pressuring the Mount Hua Sect elder was also natural.
It felt as if the cold night air had taken a form and was oppressing their bodies. It reminded one, even if just a glimpse, of the inability to resist. Those who were not Plum Blossom Swordsmen couldn't even open their mouths.
'Divine Might.......'
Jin So-hwi thought.
Jeolhwa Hyeonseon, Hwagyeong (Mastery Realm).
It is also called the running Ipshingyeong (God-Entering Realm). It meant the threshold of peeking into the realm of the Martial God, and it was truly so. A sensation as if one's lungs were filling with water.
It is indescribably terrifying.
'This is...... the Tang Clan's hidden dagger.'
He was worthy of being the one who represented the Tang Clan and pierced the world. While learning about the Sichuan Gangho, Jin So-hwi glanced at Maeyeong-geom.
Although they were in conflict, he was the only super-expert in this place on par with the Leader of the Dark Iron Unit. Privately, he was also Yul-hyeon—his master's friend.
He lightly grabbed Jin So-hwi's shoulder and placed his hand on his sword hilt.
"......Leader of the Dark Iron Unit, do not block our sect's delegation heading to the Tang Clan any further."
"Maeyeong-geom, it would be best if you quickly state the reason for slandering our clan's Supreme Patriarch-nim and the source of the baseless rumors. If you do not speak, you shall not be able to step foot in Tanggata."
"......."
The opposing positions would not narrow.
Maeyeong-geom spoke in a low voice. He had wanted to avoid a clash with the Silent Snake Wingless Owl, but—
"Mount Hua disciples, listen. This elder cannot fully handle that fellow while protecting you, so step back, form a formation, and close the gaps between each other. You must not give him any openings."
The neatness peculiar to a prestigious major sect began to show quickly.
Urr-rr—
The disciples, led by the four Plum Blossom Swordsmen and Jin Seo-hwi, formed a circular formation in an orderly manner.
Each Plum Blossom Swordsman took a direction of the circle, and the twenty ordinary swordsmen were protected in order of age and cultivation level. At the very center were the items to be brought into the Tang Clan.
This is the reason Mount Hua could survive as a prestigious sect. With the deep trust forged between martial brothers added to their Divine Art (Singong), they possessed a solid fragrance, like the plum blossoms that rarely bloom on the cliffs of Mount Hua, one of the Five Great Mountains.
Only after seeing the Mount Hua disciples take their positions did Maeyeong-geom face Woo Hyo.
'I must not forget my purpose.'
After all, it was to confirm the existence of the 'Dangsan Immortal' and to form a friendly relationship with the Tang Clan through him.
'There must be no loss of life—'
His thoughts stretched out long.
A strong force was applied to the hand gripping the sword hilt.
Hwoook—!
A sharp white light (Baek-gwang) rose from Maeyeong-geom's lower dantian. The amount of accumulated energy was terrifying, and due to Mount Hua's unique energy operation, the surroundings flashed brilliantly with white flower petals.
It was white like the peak of a lonely snowy mountain. It was the unique energy reaction of the White Flow Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
Sss—
The still-cold spring night air drew a tail with his exhale. The white light from his lower dantian traveled through the long meridians in his body and erupted from the Nogung acupoint in his palm with tremendous momentum.
White Flow Plum Blossom Sword Technique, White Plum Blossom Offering (Baek-mae-hwa-bong).
The scenery in all directions became long like lines only from Maeyeong-geom's perspective.
Hook—
It was a split second to pull the energy vomited from his palm down to the Yongcheon acupoint in his soles.
The ground was dented. Dust rose thickly over the pit where his toes had kicked off, and the white plum blossoms shimmering on the sword tip soared into the sky.
—Kwaaaaaang!
The sword strike rushed forward with a booming sound. It was enough to make even the dust that followed soar—
"Where......!"
"Silent—"
There was nothing. It meant he had missed.
A split second until the technique was deployed. It had followed before even a single breath had passed....... A silence filled with astonishment was forced upon them.
Amidst the surroundings filled with silence. Other than the energy senses of a few Plum Blossom Swordsmen scanning the area, no trace of a person could be felt. It felt like facing a ghost.
"W-was he not there from the beginning?"
"That's right...... could it be that we saw things?"
"Yes, who would dare block Mount Hua's procession!"
Just as some of the ordinary swordsmen, bundled up in pride, began to make a commotion.
Ssa-ae-aek—
The sound of wind breaking occurred.
At the same time, a green garment, unusually clear even under the night shade, fluttered lazily before their eyes. Dozens of Ox-Hair Needles (Umo-chim) poured out from his bosom like a storm.
Energy filled the surroundings like clouds.
"What......! I have never heard that the Tang Clan had such martial arts!"
Maeyeong-geom's voice, filled with bewilderment, spread.
He had surrounded the area with energy and realized a guaranteed hit by pouring them down from the sky. It's easy to say, but to infuse energy into dozens of hidden weapons with human consciousness and control them. Is this even possible?!
It's no different from the Sword Energy Art (Eogeom-giye).
How could he use the exclusive property of the Martial God like this.......
Miscellaneous thoughts rushed in like waves. It was not the Peerless Realm. Maeyeong-geom thought of his opponent even while facing the Leader of the Dark Iron Unit. He even predicted his own victory at seventy percent.
His accumulated energy was higher.
And the Tang Clan's martial arts had declined.
-It's no different from a flower game. The unique elegance of the Taoist sect can be felt, but a phantom sword style......? A changing sword style......? If the intention is to please the eyes of this Heavenly Palace and its master, that direction is correct.-
'It has changed.'
It has been a hundred years since they raised the sword technique that was disparaged as a flower game to the realm of Divine Art.
There is no way I would lose to a faded and old martial art—
"Why......?"
A blurry voice echoed. Immediately after, the voice of the Leader of the Dark Iron Unit sounded.
"It is a Divine Art created by the proud Great Sichuan Tang Clan's young mistress, the prettiest among the Wulin Five Flowers, who earned the title 'Flower of the Clan' just for her cuteness, So-young-agassi, together with our clan's Supreme Patriarch-nim. How could a fellow like you fathom it."
Rain of Flowers Filling the Sky (Mancheon-hawu).
Along with the martial arts of the three beings—the Namgung Clan Head, the Peng Clan Head, and the Heavenly Demon—it was the Sichuan Tang Clan's new Divine Art secret technique that would one day make its name in the realm of the 'Peerless (Jeolse)'
A martial art he had received while occasionally overseeing So-young-agassi's training.
Woo Hyo said as he withdrew his needles.
"Mount Hua Elder Maeyeong-geom Ja-cheol has dared to insult our clan's Supreme Patriarch-nim, so you must recite the grounds and reasons for it in great detail. Until then, the full authority of the Mount Hua Sect delegation."
Jin Seo-hwi holds it.
The silence deepened. The person representing the delegation had been defeated. If they exchanged more moves, the result could change, but it would inevitably take on the aspect of a life-or-death battle.
'It's a defeat.'
Jin Seo-hwi thought.
From his perspective, if Elder Maeyeong-geom had only kept this martial art in mind, he would not have been defeated as a one-stroke enemy (Il-cho-ji-jeok). Given the nature of Mount Hua's martial arts, which can cram numerous sword styles into one stroke through change and illusion, it would not have been impossible to strike down all dozens of Ox-Hair Needles.
'If we had gone further, our sect would have won, but.'
A defeat is a defeat.
Jin Seo-hwi bowed his waist and quietly retreated behind Maeyeong-geom. It was as if he were urging for an answer.
Some of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen's eyes became fierce.
But it was none of Jin Seo-hwi's business.
Maeyeong-geom, who had been chuckling for a long time, opened his mouth.
"I sought to save it."
"What?"
"If the Dangsan Immortal who raised the current Namgung Clan Head is truly the Tang Clan's Supreme Patriarch, then the Tang Clan will surely become like the Namgung Clan Head. For the sake of the Wulin—"
I sought to save the Tang Clan.
* * *
It was deep in the night.
Twitch—
Dohwa's ears, who had been sleeping with So-young in the pavilion at the top of the mountain, suddenly twitched. Dohwa opened her eyes slightly and sat up, disheveled.
"Plum blossom scent......?"
"Unni, why? Did you have a scary dream?"
So-young asked as if sleep-talking. Dohwa answered, twitching her perked-up ears as if bothered.
"You've become cheeky. That's not it...... it's just that someone is making a commotion in front of someone else's house in the middle of the night, talking about flower games or whatever. The scent is so strong that my nose is numb, and it's noisy too."
Dohwa picked up the water gourd placed next to the wooden bed. It was what Gyeom-i had scraped together from the evening dew.
Sip—
After moistening her throat.
Hwiii—
She whistled like the sound of soft grass. Flowers and trees all around raised their heads, and owls and eagle-owls that don't sleep at night, and hawks that were about to oversleep, flocked from all directions.
"Everyone, I'm sorry for calling you for such a trivial matter. Go over there and tell them to be quiet."
Flap-flap—
Creatures that weren't even migratory birds flew across the untimely night sky. Some farmers who were working in the fields at night, avoiding the daytime sun, said.
"Hey, are hawks and owls flying together......?"
"How would I know. Hey, Mr. Moon— go pull the weeds over there."
* * *
[URGENT: Very Urgent]
P.S.: All branch leaders of the Beggar Sect who have obtained this information must treat this information as 'Top Secret' or higher, and are permitted to sell—or notify—only to peerless experts and a few top-tier sects.
Body.
1. The delegation sent to the Mount Hua Sect has been captured by the Tang Clan.
2. The reason is that Mount Hua Sect Elder Maeyeong-geom insulted the Tang Clan's Supreme Patriarch.
3. The Tang Clan's Supreme Patriarch is the same person as the Supreme Patriarch of the Namgung Clan, the world's number one clan, family, and gate, the Heavenly Palace.
4. Urgent report from the Hebei Beggar Sect branch leader: The Hebei Peng Clan Leader, who has uneven arms, is extremely furious at this news.
5. Inform all Beggar Sect branches that the Peng Clan must also worry about the possibility of sharing the same ancestor.
6. Namgung Clan Head Geom-cheon.
Appeared at the Mount Hua Sect.