Chapter 44: Plum Blossom (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 44: Plum Blossom (2)
“If I copy that, is the Mount Hua Sect going to come crack my skull open?”
Chun-bong’s expression twisted into something indescribably bizarre at the question.
“Are you serious…?”
“What do you mean, ‘serious’?”
“I mean… of all things, the Plum Blossom Sword Technique? That’s not exactly something you can just watch once and mimic…”
“Well, obviously I can’t copy it perfectly after seeing it just once. What about a rough imitation?”
In Seo-jun’s mind, making the plum blossoms bloom wasn’t actually the hard part.
The reason Mount Hua’s plum blossoms commanded such respect was because of the intricate sword technique woven into them.
Was there really no one else in the entire Murim who knew how to scatter Sword Qi like that?
Probably not. It was just that doing only that was meaningless.
There was a reason it was called the 24-Move Plum Blossom Sword Technique. If the focus had been solely on making flowers bloom, it would have been called the Plum Blossom Divine Art or something similar, not a sword technique.
In the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, the sword itself was what truly mattered.
However, Seo-jun had simply seen a possibility within those plum blossoms—a glimpse of potential that could bring his Primordial Unity Divine Art one step closer to completion.
“What kind of…”
Chun-bong, struggling to find the right words, let out a long sigh and shook her head.
“Anyway… honestly, I’m not sure. But unless it’s practically identical, I don’t think the Mount Hua Sect would officially intervene. They’re Taoists, after all. They have some common sense.”
“And what if it is practically identical?”
“Hmm… Your Dantian would definitely be shattered… Maybe your tendons and meridians severed? Oh, and being locked in the Cave of Repentance is a given. If the Elder has a fiery temper, your head might just roll right then and there.”
Wow, really? That’s terrifying.
“But that probably won’t happen. Even completely different martial arts sometimes share similarities, so they judge those things quite strictly. Though, you’d definitely be having a private ‘chat’ with that Elder over there.”
“Oh…”
A private chat with a Super Peak Realm Elder? That sounds a bit awkward.
Seo-jun shook his head.
Around that time, Un-jak finished his demonstration and stepped down from the arena.
“We shall begin the duels immediately!”
It seemed another martial artist from the Mount Hua Sect was acting as the referee, not Un-jak.
And the Elder named Jong-in, sitting up in the high seats—was he there as a safety supervisor?
At the Super Peak Realm, he should be more than capable of preventing accidents before they happened, even during duels between Peak Realm martial artists.
“The order was decided by drawing lots. First, numbers 17 and 42! Numbers 32 and 102! Number 5 and…”
There were eight arenas in total. Since they had to get through sixty-four duels today, they seemed intent on moving quickly.
“Number 78 and number 27!”
Number 78. That was Seo-jun’s number.
Seo-jun stood up abruptly with a smirk.
“I’ll be back. Watch closely.”
“It’ll probably be over in a flash, so what’s there to watch?” Chun-bong snorted.
In her eyes, her brother was the most likely winner of this tournament.
No matter how many martial artists had flocked from all over Shaanxi, those with actual status wouldn’t participate in a contest like this. They had their reputations to consider, after all.
Even with no restrictions on entry, if an Elder of the Wudang Sect suddenly showed up here, they’d become the laughingstock of the entire Murim.
Furthermore, disciples of the Nine Great Sects or children of the Great Clans rarely participated. It was too far a journey, and there was no real benefit to be gained.
Maybe if it were the Yongbong Gathering, things would be different. But not many people were idle enough to join a tournament held as a mere side attraction for a Mount Hua Sect festival.
“Just finish it quickly and get back!”
As Chun-bong waved him off, Seo-jun strolled casually onto the arena.
Once the referee confirmed their tags, his opponent stepped up. It was a woman with a decent amount of lean muscle.
When Seo-jun stared blankly at her, the woman smirked.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Uh… That’s a bit… suggestive.”
Looking at her like that? How scandalous.
Seeing Seo-jun's look of disgust, the woman’s face flushed bright red.
“I didn’t mean it that way!”
“Ah, right. I’m sure you didn’t.”
Scratching his chin, he glanced down below the arena and saw Chun-bong waving a hand half-heartedly.
“Well, anyway, shall we start?”
I am Lee Seo-jun. I’m not the kind of man who goes easy just because my opponent is a woman.
* * *
The duel began.
Hong Yu-yeon drew her sword and glared at her opponent.
Sexual harassment upon our very first meeting…
She knew it was somewhat inevitable once she stepped into the Murim as a woman, but she couldn't understand the mindset of a person who would say such things in a place like this.
Sss… Hooo…
Taking a calming breath, she recalled her master’s teachings and stepped forward smoothly.
‘Yeon-ah, until you reach a certain realm, a woman must always accept a disadvantage when fighting a man.’
It was an unavoidable biological difference.
Men were generally stronger than women. Physical strength played a huge role at the lower realms, making it difficult for an ordinary woman to defeat a man.
‘But you have finally reached a new realm, so it is time to discard your old habits one by one.’
The petty tricks she had learned to offset her disadvantage as a woman—she discarded them one by one.
‘A woman’s body is more flexible than a man’s, so always keep your advantage in mind when you engage in battle.’
Yes, Master.
As she moved forward, her waist bent at a sharp angle.
Her extended foot slid past her opponent, and in her inverted view of the world, his flank was wide open.
‘I won.’
She swung her sword.
Even if the opponent was obnoxious, a duel was a duel. She decided to end it by simply grazing his side.
And then—
Whoosh!
The sword cut through empty air.
“Huh…?”
“What are you doing?”
She saw the face of her opponent, who had casually leaped into the air. He looked genuinely puzzled, as if he had just witnessed something completely incomprehensible.
Her last memory was the sole of a shoe rapidly approaching her face.
* * *
BOOM!
Seo-jun, having leaped up to avoid the sword, stomped down hard on the woman’s face.
“Seriously, what was that?”
Why use a technique like that there…? He couldn't understand it at all.
“Winner! Lee Seo-jun!”
At the referee’s declaration, Seo-jun looked down at his feet and scratched his head.
Did I stomp too hard?
She seemed like a bit of a weakling; he probably should have gone a little easier on her.
Smacking his lips, Seo-jun stepped down from the arena.
“How could he do that to a woman’s face…?”
“What a cold-blooded brute…!”
He heard the murmurs from the crowd but didn't particularly care.
Right now, more than anything, he needed to recharge.
“Give me those cheeks!”
“Agh, stop it…!”
He rushed over and began kneading Chun-bong’s cheeks right through her veil. Peace finally returned to his heart.
Qi Deviation?
In his opinion, if he just rubbed Chun-bong’s cheeks a few times, he’d enter nirvana and be cured automatically.
Qi Deviation! Get lost, punk!
As Seo-jun stood there grinning to himself, Chun-bong reached out and forcibly turned his head.
“Stop that and look over there.”
“Aw, why!”
His forced gaze landed on one of the arenas. And there stood that woman from before.
“The Three-Headed Witch.”
“What?”
“Ah, never mind.”
The woman still had her bamboo hat pulled down low, keeping her face hidden from view. But what stood out far more than that was her single sword.
“Oh…?”
The sword was taller than the woman holding it.
It wasn't that she was short. The sword was just that massive. No, to be precise, it was incredibly long.
The width of the blade looked similar to a normal sword, but the length of the blade and the hilt far exceeded the norm. It held a massive, imposing presence in the woman’s arms.
“What the hell is that?”
“A big sword.”
“I didn't ask because my eyes don't work.”
When he glared at Chun-bong, she furrowed her brows.
“I don’t know either. It’s my first time seeing someone use such a deformed sword. It’s not a Horse-Slaying Saber… should I just call it a Greatsword?”
“What? There’s something Geum Chun-bong doesn’t know?”
“Am I an encyclopedia?”
“Weren’t you?”
“Bullshit.”
Meanwhile, the woman’s duel began.
Her opponent was a man carrying a large axe. The man rushed at her, mouthing something. It was probably some nonsense about her chest or something similar.
And then, the duel ended.
“Oh…”
The woman had slammed her long scabbard into the ground, used it as a pivot to spin and dodge the axe, and then slammed her palm squarely into the man’s jaw.
“Winner, So-so!”
Seo-jun nodded at the duel that had ended in an instant.
“She’s an expert.”
“Yeah. A real one.” Chun-bong’s eyes sharpened. “She looks like she’s from a Great Clan. Why would she bother coming to a tournament like this?”
“Who knows? As long as we win, it doesn't matter.”
When Seo-jun yawned, Chun-bong let out a sigh.
“Don’t get careless, or you’ll get hurt.”
“Careless?” Seo-jun smirked. “I’m never careless when I fight.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Number 125!”
It was Chun-bong’s turn.
She stood up and double-checked that her bamboo hat was secure.
“I’m going, okay?”
“Yeah. Finish it quickly.”
“I’ll try.”
* * *
Chun-bong stepped onto the arena.
She had said she wouldn't use the Azure Cloud Divine Sword in this tournament. The Mount Hua Sect was relatively trustworthy, but she wanted to keep it hidden just in case.
Because of that, Chun-bong’s full power was quite limited right now.
Still, she’ll probably win, right?
He felt like he was starting to understand now—the fundamental difference between a martial artist belonging to a large organization and a rogue who didn't.
Of course, there were exceptions, but looking at Chun-bong and the Three-Headed Witch gave him a general idea.
Their foundation was just different. Internal energy aside, the very essence of the swordsmanship they had built up felt entirely distinct.
It’s a shame.
That was likely why countless martial artists were so desperate to join the Nine Great Sects or the Six Great Clans. Unless one possessed heaven-sent talent, it was nearly impossible for an ordinary martial artist to surpass them.
Of course, he was an exception because he did have heaven-sent talent.
“Let’s see…”
He was about to settle in and watch Chun-bong’s duel leisurely.
“Huh?”
The Mount Hua Elder, who had been sitting still and watching the duels, suddenly widened his eyes. He sprang up and leaped directly toward the arena where Chun-bong stood.
What is that bastard doing?
It felt as if time had slowed down.
The Elder’s hand reached out toward Chun-bong. The target at the end of that trajectory was Chun-bong’s face.
What is he trying to do?
He didn't stop to think.
BEEEEEEEEEE—
Tinnitus rang in his ears as his reason blurred, his vision flickering rapidly.
His body reacted instantly. Exploding with all the internal energy in his body, he shot forward like a cannonball.
BOOM—!!!
It felt as if his vision had cut out for a split second. In the next frame, the Elder’s surprised face appeared right in front of him.
Seo-jun’s eyes were bloodshot. His pupils, glowing with a brilliant golden light, took in everything composed of Qi.
He reached out. His target was the Elder’s wrist.
Just as he was about to grab the man and hurl him away, something erupted.
“Urgh…!”
Blood welled up in the back of his throat. The Elder’s internal energy had struck his internal organs.
“You son of a bitch…”
But it was just internal energy. In the end, it was just transformed Qi.
Seo-jun’s talent instantly saw through the Elder’s technique. Instead of resisting, he used that incoming flow to further accelerate his own internal energy.
Giant Spirit Divine Art.
His berserk internal energy ran wild. From the turbulent flow, petals of energy began to break away, one by one.
“…Get your hand off her.”
A plum blossom, dyed in a dull, colorless hue, bloomed.