123
Chapter 123
Swish—!
In an instant, Mu Hwi’s Plum Blossom Sword lashed out over a dozen times, its dazzling variations entangling the demonic warriors. Some threw daggers to stop his charge, but Mu Hwi effortlessly deflected them with his Heavenly Silkworm Plum Blossom Robe and raised his sword diagonally.
As he unleashed sword energy, Mu Hwi stepped on using the Dark Scent Flutter as if riding the wind. The daggers that followed merely pierced his afterimage, embedding themselves harmlessly into another demonic warrior’s leg.
Mu Hwi had always excelled in movement techniques, and his mastery of Dark Scent Flutter was already unmatched among the Plum Blossom Swordsmen. Combined with his natural swiftness, his title of Hwasan Sword Devil was well-earned. His Plum Blossom Sword became a tempest, freely sweeping through the demonic warriors.
The ever-smiling Mu Hwi now wore an expression of cold indifference—a look shared by Mujin and Mu-cheol.
Clang—!
Training with Mu Hwi made the first-generation disciples feel as if they had regressed to their younger days in their twenties. Their progress was astonishingly fast.
But above all else...
Hyeon Baek glanced at Musan and Muho, who stood firmly beside him.
The young second-generation disciples, once mere protectees, were now fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with them against the demonic warriors.
He vividly remembered when these third-generation disciples had risen to second-generation status, forced to pore over secret manuals in the Scripture Pavilion all night under Mu Hwi’s relentless demands.
And now, those same disciples had grown—magnificently so.
No matter how much the first-generation disciples had improved, they couldn’t have handled this many demonic warriors alone. The reason they still had room to breathe was because the second-generation disciples were each pulling their weight as martial artists.
The other senior disciples should have seen this.
Remembering those who had died in Shaanxi’s Bloodshed, Hyeon Baek looked at Mu Hwi and Mu-cheol, who were sweeping through the enemy ranks.
"Hyeon Jo, Hyeon Guk. The disciples have grown well. I wonder if you can see them."
Muttering the names of Mu Hwi and Mu-cheol’s late masters under his breath, Hyeon Baek resumed his swordplay. There were still too many enemies to indulge in sentimentality.
"Guh—!"
"Use Exploding Demonic Technique! Take at least one of them down with us!"
As the Hwasan Sect began overwhelming the demonic warriors, more and more resorted to the Exploding Demonic Technique. It seemed they’d rather drag Hwasan's disciples to their deaths than perish without inflicting damage.
The first-generation disciples’ movements grew slightly more urgent. Observing the situation, Mu Hwi gripped the Sim-myeong Sword and spoke.
"Plum Blossom Swordsmen—Falling Plum Blossoms."
His calm, internal energy-laden voice pierced through the chaotic battlefield, reaching the ears of every Plum Blossom Swordsman. At his command, they raised their swords in unison.
Twenty-four blades pointed skyward, momentarily blocking the sun before plunging down like rays of light. The sword strikes, which had aimed for the sun, split into dozens of variations mid-descent, blossoming like flowers.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen executed Falling Plum Blossoms—a technique from the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
The sword strikes surrounding the demonic warriors scattered like sunlight breaking through clouds, dazzling their eyes and disorienting their bodies.
The swords of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, flickering unpredictably, cleanly pierced the hearts and dantians of those attempting the Exploding Demonic Technique.
And as the sword energy extended, flower buds seemed to bloom along their paths.
Dozens of plum blossoms surrounded the demonic warriors.
"This is..."
"Hwasan..."
Their vision was filled with plum blossoms and petals. The demonic warriors felt trapped in a prison of flowers, the eerie fragrance lingering in the air.
"They’ve definitely grown stronger."
Watching the first and second-generation disciples, along with the elders, slaughter the demonic warriors, Mu Hwi nodded approvingly.
Having fought alongside the Hwasan disciples during Shaanxi’s Bloodshed, he could instantly recognize their progress. If the third-generation disciples continued this momentum, the Hwasan Sect would reclaim its golden age.
Whoosh—!
Mu Hwi’s Sim-myeong Sword also released a deep violet sword light, mirroring the Plum Blossom Swordsmen as he executed Falling Plum Blossoms.
But Mu Hwi’s version transcended space and distance.
Whether it was the demonic warriors clashing with Hwasan disciples or the elder demonic warriors fighting the sect’s senior members—
Purple sword light descended like scattered sunlight upon every invader.
It was as if the sky itself had been dyed violet—a breathtaking sight for the Hwasan Sect, but an ominous and terrifying one for the demonic warriors.
"Huh—!"
Baek Soon, who had been about to pierce a demonic warrior elder’s heart, lowered his sword in surprise. Mu Hwi’s strike had already impaled the enemy from behind, causing him to collapse in a spray of blood.
The same happened to the other elder demonic warriors. Like sunlight touching their skin without being felt, they toppled over, vomiting blood without understanding why.
They stared in disbelief at their own blood-soaked bodies.
Luxuriant violet plum blossoms.
Mingling with the red and white blossoms unleashed by the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, Hwasan’s grounds were soon filled with petals.
"The Hwasan Sword Saint... This is his sword."
A single sword dominating the battlefield—such terrifying martial prowess.
Baek Soon, who had been overjoyed upon hearing that the sect had gained a new Sword Saint, couldn’t stop smiling as he witnessed Mu Hwi’s swordplay firsthand.
"Hahaha! Disciples."
At Baek Soon’s call, the elders, including Baek San and Baek Jin, turned to him.
"It’s a bit sudden, but... Hwasan truly has an abundance of plum blossoms."
Before the elders’ eyes, the disciples’ swords had filled the air with flowers. Even the sternest expressions among them softened.
"Indeed."
"Brothers, it truly is a beautiful sight."
Standing apart after beheading Mallyeongno, Baek Yu also turned to admire the scene.
The demonic energy that had filled the mountain gate had dissipated, replaced by Hwasan’s clear air.
"Good."
Taking in the fresh air, Baek Yu smiled faintly and sheathed his sword.
***
Aftermath
Not long after the Black Night Palace’s attack, new reports reached Hwasan.
The Black Night Palace had not only targeted Hwasan but also the Jongnam Sect and the Guyu Sect. It seemed they had sent forces to the three major sects that had stood against them during Shaanxi’s Bloodshed.
Even Mu Hwi was impressed by the audacity of simultaneously provoking three major orthodox and unorthodox sects.
"Are the demonic warriors insane?"
On the surface, it seemed like the Black Night Palace was pointlessly expanding its strength, but Mu Hwi didn’t think so. Rather, he suspected that even after this loss, their reserves remained intact.
The Mountain Crusher—a master he had never seen before. Was he the only hidden expert? Unlikely.
This led Mu Hwi to believe the Black Night Palace was concealing power far beyond what they had shown at Shaanxi’s Bloodshed.
"Are they finally making their move?"
Demonic arts defied logic by nature, and their bizarre techniques had often caused major upheavals in the martial arts world.
History showed that a single demonic sect could throw the entire martial arts world into chaos—this was nothing new.
After reading the missive, Mu Hwi stepped out of the Scripture Pavilion. In the training grounds ahead, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen were engrossed in their drills.
Perhaps due to the recent attack, their training had become even more intense and sharp.
Mu Hwi hadn’t ordered this—they had raised the intensity themselves.
He observed their movements closely.
During the clash between the Four Kings and the Nine Dragons, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen had maintained their formation without faltering. Now, their skills had improved further, making the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Formation even more formidable.
"At this level, they won’t be outmatched by any elite force from a major sect."
Thanks to the incident at Bongwon Mountain, the name Plum Blossom Swordsmen had begun spreading through the martial arts world. In time, they would become Hwasan’s representative martial force, just as Mu Hwi had intended.
Even if the Black Night Palace reappeared, Mu Hwi believed the Plum Blossom Swordsmen would protect the sect steadfastly.
While instructing them, Mu Hwi was summoned by Baek Yu to the main hall. There, Baek Yu handed him a letter.
"From the Martial Alliance?"
"Read it."
Baek Yu’s expression was stiff.
After scanning the letter, Mu Hwi tilted his head in interest.
"I’m a little surprised. This is unexpected."
"Hmm."
Baek Yu only sighed. The letter had been sent to all major sects, including the Nine Great Righteous Sects and the Three Great Families.
Its contents were as follows:
The Demonic Way—Black Night Palace. Declaration of Establishment.
An inauguration ceremony would be held, inviting the Martial Alliance, the Four Paths of Heaven, the Paewangseong, and other major sects.
"They’re certainly different from the evil sects of the past."
Mu Hwi nodded at Baek Yu’s words.
Previous evil sects had lurked in the shadows, weakening the orthodox sects through schemes before striking when the time was ripe.
But the Black Night Palace was boldly announcing itself—even inviting major orthodox forces into their territory.
This was unprecedented.
"Mu Hwi. What do you think? Is this confidence?"
"Hmm... The priority should be figuring out what the Black Night Palace wants."
"True."
Baek Yu recalled Mallyeongno, whom he had personally beheaded.
"The blood and lives we spill shall herald the Black Night Palace’s rise in the martial arts world."
Realizing that this declaration was an extension of their attacks on the three major sects, Baek Yu understood. The demonic warriors had died merely to announce the Black Night Palace’s return.
And it had worked—the name Black Night Palace had been seared into the martial arts world’s consciousness.
"What will the Martial Alliance do? Will they attend?"
"Calling it an inauguration is just a trap. Entering the lion’s den would be incredibly dangerous. The Alliance Leader must be deeply troubled."
Mu Hwi hadn’t expected the Black Night Palace to reveal themselves so openly. Like past evil sects, he had assumed they would silently prepare before unleashing chaos.
"Let’s wait for the Alliance Leader’s decision."
As he listened to Baek Yu, Mu Hwi stared at the letter.
"The Black Night Palace..."
***
Mu-cheol’s heavy swordplay carved a path forward, while Mujin’s precise, unadorned strikes effortlessly overwhelmed the demonic warriors. Though only three second-generation disciples struck from the rear, they cut down the enemies like straw dummies without faltering.
The three displayed the full might of Hwasan’s Four Blossoms.
"Hold your positions calmly! Watch for those using Exploding Demonic Technique!"
"Second-generation disciples, steady your bloodlust!"
Even before Mu Hwi and the Hwasan’s Four Flowers had arrived, the sect had firmly grasped victory. Yet, the experienced first-generation disciples cautioned against overexcitement.
No matter how much they trained, some things only came with time. In this regard, those who had survived Shaanxi’s Bloodshed led differently from the younger disciples.
"Truly... Satisfactory."
Hyeon Baek, who had deeply cleaved a demonic warrior’s chest, allowed himself a faint smile mid-battle.
The Black Night Palace had invaded their main sect.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a dire crisis. In the past, they had barely repelled attacks that burned down several halls and dozens of plum blossom trees.
After Shaanxi’s Bloodshed, Hwasan had been left weakened. But now, things are different. The situation wasn’t as desperate as during the first attack.
New techniques, support from the Cheonryu Merchant Group, and Mu Hwi’s intensive training had allowed the first-generation disciples to grow rapidly despite their advancing age.
< Let’s wait for the Alliance Leader’s decision. > End.
< Step aside and make way. >