110
Chapter 110
The eyes of the Black Poison leading the warriors of the Five Poison Palace narrowed.
The swords of the Hwasan Sect disciples, who had referred to themselves with the unfamiliar term Plum Blossom Swordsmen, were all dyed in a deep purple.
‘Wasn’t that the martial art of the Hwasan Sect’s leader?’
The violet inner energy of the Hwasan Sect. The Black Poison naturally knew of the Purple Sunset Heart Method.
But seeing so many disciples all having mastered the Purple Sunset Heart Method, it was only natural for the Black Poison to be puzzled.
However, his momentary doubt was soon buried and erased by the overwhelming killing intent that followed.
"Kill them all. There’s nothing in this secret cave to share with the Hwasan Sect."
As the Black Poison raised his staff and pointed at the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, the warriors of the Five Poison Palace each summoned thick poisonous energy in both hands.
BOOM!
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen, arranged in a fan-shaped formation, simultaneously stepped forward in unison and unleashed a storm of sword energy. The poisonous mist that had been swallowing the cavern was pushed back by the sword energy released at the same time.
In the space where the poisonous mist had been forced back, the sword fragrance exuded by the Plum Blossom Swordsmen took its place, and petals scattered like rain along with the sword’s scent.
The warriors of the Five Poison Palace unleashed poisonous palms or indiscriminately threw poisoned hidden weapons.
Hyeon Baek, who was deflecting the hidden weapons with sword shadows, shouted,
"Be wary of your breathing and the hidden weapons!"
The first-generation disciples took the lead to protect the second-generation disciples, who had little experience facing poison-based martial artists.
Following Hyeon Baek’s command, Mujin also shouted,
"Second-generation disciples, assist the Eldest Disciples and the Four Flowers as previously arranged!"
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen had already trained together, preparing for various scenarios.
Even without Mu Hwi, the Plum Blossom Sword Leader, Hyeon Baek led the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, while Mujin supported and guided the second-generation disciples.
This was so that even if the Plum Blossom Sword Lord, Mu Hwi, were separated from the group, he could fight freely without worrying about the rear.
The first-generation disciples split into groups of four to face the poison disciples, and the second-generation disciples did the same.
The Hwasan Four Flowers each led a group, assisting the first-generation disciples, clashing swords with the poison disciples at the front.
"Gahk!"
Not long after the battle began, Mujin’s sword severed the arm of a Five Poison Palace warrior.
The Five Poison Palace warriors, barely holding on under the pressure of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen’s coordinated assault, desperately scattered all kinds of poison.
"Sslash!"
Amidst this, Dokgo Yul alone swung his heavy sword, exploiting the gaps in the Five Poison Palace’s formation.
Having led the Dokgo Association through numerous battles in the past, Dokgo Yul was the first to spot and exploit the weaknesses in the Five Poison Palace’s ranks.
He resembled a massive wolf tearing through a pack of dogs alone.
"Mu-cheol, little hero! Now!"
"Whoosh!"
As Mu-cheol and Dokgo Yul simultaneously slashed their heavy swords from left and right, a fierce gale of sword energy erupted, repelling the incoming poisonous mist and hidden weapons.
The force was so immense that the repelled poison and weapons ended up crashing into the Five Poison Palace warriors instead.
In that brief moment, as Mu-wha’s sleeves fluttered wildly, dozens of bloodlines were drawn across the bodies of the Five Poison Palace warriors.
While the Plum Blossom Swordsmen seized the advantage in an instant, Mu Hwi was slashing his sword toward Black Poison’s neck.
The Black Poison hurriedly blocked with his black sandalwood staff, but Mu Hwi cleaved through it as if cutting through radish.
"Keuhk!"
Screaming in pain, Black Poison stared blankly at his split staff before hastily retreating, widening the distance.
He had only exchanged five moves but already realized Mu Hwi was not an opponent he could challenge.
Yet, Mu Hwi closed the gap in an instant, as if riding the wind.
"Wait! Stop! The Five Poison Palace will abandon this cave!"
As the Black Poison desperately shouted, Mu Hwi twisted his lips.
"Shouldn’t you withdraw the poison energy gathered in your right hand hidden in your sleeve before speaking?"
At Mu Hwi’s sarcasm, the Black Poison’s beard trembled. Hidden within his voluminous sleeve, five different types of poison energy were condensed in his fingers.
His face twisted in frustration—his plan to exploit a moment of carelessness during conversation had failed.
"This is why quick-witted brats are so annoying!"
Black Poison’s right sleeve flared violently. The sleeve, infused with inner energy, lashed out, attempting to entangle Mu Hwi’s Plum Blossom Sword layer by layer.
While binding the sword with his sleeve, he planned to unleash the Five Poison Fingers, releasing five different poisons simultaneously.
"Fwoom!"
But things didn’t go as the Black Poison expected.
The Plum Blossom Sword effortlessly sliced through his inner energy-infused sleeve as if it were ordinary cloth.
His eyes widened in shock—not even a blink’s worth of time had been enough to stop the sword.
‘How?’
How could the inner energy of a fellow peak expert be severed so easily?
A single hypothesis flashed through the Black Poison’s mind, but he couldn’t voice it—Mu Hwi’s sword strike had already painted the air with a purple glow.
"Sslash!"
Mu Hwi severed the sleeve and, in the same motion, struck the Black Poison’s neck.
As the elder’s neck split, blood mixed with poison sprayed toward Mu Hwi’s head, but the protective energy of the Plum Blossom Scattering Hands blocked it all.
"Sizzle!"
Watching the Black Poison’s blood melt the ground, Mu Hwi frowned and walked toward the wall.
Countless sword marks overlapped on the cavern walls, as if two swordsmen had dueled against the stone.
Biting his lip slightly, Mu Hwi’s gaze darkened.
‘The Three Ridge Plum Blossom Sword and the Dokgo Sword Technique.’
The precision of the sword marks—their offensive characteristics, the application of techniques—were nearly identical to those of the Sword Saint and Sword Devil.
So refined that only someone like Mu Hwi, who had crossed swords with them for decades, could tell they were fake.
"The Dokgo Sword Technique. As if the Sword Devil himself wielded it. It’s been a long time."
By now, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen and Dokgo Yul had finished off the Five Poison Palace warriors and gathered. Dokgo Yul’s expression was particularly complicated.
Seeing Dokgo Yul’s longing gaze—not at the sword marks but somewhere far beyond—Mu Hwi felt a wave of discomfort rise behind him.
He could guess what Dokgo Yul was thinking.
‘Disciple. Your master is already dead. These sword marks are fake.’
Even suspecting they were fake, Dokgo Yul had still come. That meant he hadn’t fully let go of his master’s death.
Mu Hwi clenched his fist slightly.
The reason he had come here despite knowing the cave was fake—
Not only could he not tolerate someone tarnishing the names of the Sword Saint and Sword Devil, but he also feared his disciple might chase after the Sword Devil’s shadow.
And that lingering unease when he first heard of the Sword Saint and Sword Devil’s secret cave. Why them, of all people? Mu Hwi couldn’t ignore it.
He glanced at the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
Dokgo Yul wasn’t the only one lost in memories. The first-generation disciples, too, were reminiscing about Hyeon Jo as they examined the Three Ridge Plum Blossom Sword marks.
"These really are the Three Ridge Plum Blossom Sword marks."
"And this unique focus on aggressive techniques—it’s exactly like Hyeon Jo’s style."
"Hah..."
Even Hyeon Baek and Hyeon Gak, who had been certain the cave was fake, now wore doubtful expressions as they spoke.
‘Annoying.’
Dokgo Yul and the first-generation disciples were being manipulated, forced to recall someone through fake sword marks.
While everyone was lost in thought, Mu Hwi alone sensed the malice behind these marks—someone was toying with people’s emotions.
‘Don’t tell me…’
A thought crossed Mu Hwi’s mind. He had to see this through to the end.
"We’re going deeper."
Suppressing his killing intent, Mu Hwi led the Plum Blossom Swordsmen into the inner passage.
Judging by the corpses, bloodstains, and battle traces lining the path, fighting had continued further inside.
The narrow passage reeked of blood, thick enough to choke one’s breath.
"Rumble!"
Occasionally, undisarmed traps were activated, trying to swallow the group, but to no avail.
Mu Hwi, at the front, shredded the mechanisms with sword energy, crushing them outright with sheer force.
"Crash!"
When he destroyed a trap, releasing thirty spears and dozens of venomous snakes simultaneously, three branching paths appeared ahead.
"Hmm."
"Which one is the real path?"
"Without a map, this is troublesome."
At that moment, Mu Hwi expanded his energy sense. His ki detection swept through the entire cave in an instant.
All three paths ahead had numerous presences moving—survivors with considerable martial prowess.
Yet, the number of presences was gradually decreasing. Bloodshed was still ongoing deeper inside.
As his senses swept the cave, Mu Hwi noticed one particular presence rapidly diminishing the surrounding ones.
Not only that—this powerful presence seemed aware Mu Hwi had detected it.
Just as Mu Hwi had sensed it, this presence also reached out with its own energy sense, reading him. Realizing this, Mu Hwi made a decision.
"We’ll take the center path."
"Agreed."
Mu Hwi and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen chose the middle path and sprinted forward.
The passage wasn’t long, soon opening into another vast cavern.
Like the first, this second cavern was filled with blood and corpses, but far more gruesome. Few bodies remained intact.
"Horrific."
Dokgo Yul muttered as he examined the corpses.
The faces of the dead were frozen in terror, all bearing identical sword wounds.
They hadn’t died fighting each other—they had been slaughtered by a single individual.
And the culprit needed no searching. At the center of the cavern stood an old man, cradling his sword.
Despite having single-handedly cut down over seventy martial artists, not a single drop of blood stained his white robes.
The old man slightly raised his head, unable to tear his eyes away from the countless sword marks covering the walls and ceiling.
As the oppressive aura he exuded stifled all speech, Mu Hwi spoke while observing his back,
"You killed them all—orthodox and unorthodox alike. What made you so angry?"
"Pathetic fools coveted his sword marks. So I cut them down."
At the old man’s words, Mu Hwi also examined the marks. Unlike the first cavern, these only mimicked Hyeon Jo's techniques.
Mu Hwi smirked at the cold tone.
"What’s so special about these fake marks?"
At Mu Hwi’s words, the old man, Baekri Gok—slowly turned.
"Fake marks? Can you take responsibility for those words?"
As his deeply wrinkled face came into view, the first-generation disciples murmured in recognition.
"The Sword King!"
"So it really was him."
Though they recognized him, Baekri Gok’s gaze remained fixed solely on Mu Hwi.
His burning, relentless stare bore down, but Mu Hwi brushed it off lightly.
"I came straight from Shaanxi upon hearing of the Sword Saint’s secret cave. Hoping to find his final legacy."
Hearing this, Mu Hwi recalled the Cheonik Sword Technique, said to be the Sword King’s late-life creation.
Baekri Gok wasn’t coveting Hyeon Jo’s martial arts. Had there been a manual, he would have compared it to his own, measuring the gap between them.
Even long after Hyeon Jo’s death, his obsession and stubbornness had driven him here.
"Disciple of the Hwasan Sword Saint. Seeing you now, I needn’t have come. I should have gone straight to Hwasan."
Baekri Gok already knew Mu Hwi had transcended into the realm beyond peak mastery. He moved the sword at his waist to his hip, gripping the hilt.
The already suffocating air grew heavier, making even breathing laborious.
"Sword King!"
"What are you planning against a junior so much younger?!"
The first-generation disciples moved to shield Mu Hwi, interpreting Baekri Gok’s actions as seeking vengeance against Hyeon Jo through him.
But Mu Hwi refused their protection.
"It’s fine."
The moment they stepped forward, Mu Hwi noticed the Sword King’s sharp gaze flicker. Had they interfered, he would have cut them down without hesitation.
Baekri Gok saw nothing but his goal. Confirming that killing intent, Mu Hwi smirked.
"The old man’s gone senile."
The once-revered Sword King was no more.
Only a withered old man remained, consumed by his inability to accept defeat, driven solely by greed for victory and revenge.
A purple glow surged over Mu Hwi’s Plum Blossom robes as he stepped forward.
"Sword King."
Baekri Gok waited silently for Mu Hwi to continue.
"Do you intend to prove that the Baekri Sword Style doesn’t lie beneath Hwasan’s by defeating me?"
Mu Hwi gently gripped his sword’s hilt. The purple glow cascading from his shoulders now reached his feet.
"Then I’ll prove something too."
"What would that be?"
As Baekri Gok asked, Mu Hwi’s lips curled sharply.
"That a new Hwasan Sword Saint has emerged in Jianghu."
< Then I’ll prove something too. > End.
< Fragrant Blossom Unmoved by Wind. >