The Monster of Rippling Wave Sword
Song Mu-yeol stood in a secluded place deep in the mountains, gazing quietly at the sword in his hands.
Song Mu-yeol. In the world’s eyes, he was the man — no, the old man — known as the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword.
He lifted Rippling Wave Sword and ran his hand slowly over the blade.
When Rippling Wave meets Jade Sea, the whole world falls into one’s hand.
It was the inscription carved into the sword’s face.
A line promising that if one obtained Rippling Wave and Jade Sea, one would hold the entire world in the palm of one’s hand.
Then Song Mu-yeol turned the sword over and looked at the reverse side.
A pattern he had seen dozens of times already, and still could not understand.
Rippling Wave was Rippling Wave Sword. And Jade Sea was Jade Sea Saber.
Song Mu-yeol knew that if he could obtain Jade Sea Saber, he would be able to decipher the pattern on the back of this sword.
That was also why the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword, Song Mu-yeol, did not quietly hide away somewhere, but instead continued to show himself at regular intervals.
But once again, the owner of Jade Sea Saber had not appeared.
If such words were written on the blade of Rippling Wave Sword, then there would surely be an inscription on Jade Sea Saber as well.
And if anyone had obtained Jade Sea Saber, there was no way they would sit still after seeing the words engraved there.
Of course they would come hunting for Rippling Wave Sword too. That was simply the nature of murim people.
Yet there had been no rumor anywhere that Jade Sea Saber had surfaced.
Even after he exposed himself on a regular basis like this, in case someone had been keeping it hidden in secret, there was still nothing. No word at all.
Would the day ever come in his lifetime when he obtained both Rippling Wave and Jade Sea?
Lost in that thought, the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword heard movement from outside and slid Rippling Wave Sword back into its scabbard.
"Palace Lord! It’s Ma Yeong!"
"Come in."
Ma Yeong entered and knelt neatly before Rippling Wave Sword, then reported at once.
"A report has come in that the Flashing Flower Sword, Cheon Hyeong-jin, has appeared!"
At Ma Yeong’s words, the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword frowned.
Flashing Flower Sword? So even the Murim Alliance had gotten involved?
The taste in his mouth turned bitter. If the Murim Alliance began intervening in earnest, his room to move would narrow dramatically.
At this rate, he’d have to disappear again for a while. No, perhaps he might even have to change his approach entirely.
"Withdraw. But we can’t let them interfere without paying a price. As we pull back, spread word that I’m dead. Also spread the rumor that the Flashing Flower Sword obtained Rippling Wave Sword. And have the Wheel-Burning Squad remain behind to deal with the remnants and collect anything of value."
At the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword’s words, Ma Yeong looked a little puzzled.
But these were the words of the palace lord he served, so he lowered his head and answered without hesitation.
"Yes, sir! I will obey!"
After Ma Yeong left, the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword also rose from his seat.
Tsk. So what method should he use now? How could he find Jade Sea Saber...?
Thinking that, he began moving.
* * *
The Flashing Flower Sword, Baek Jin-ah, and Dang Yeong-young gradually felt the once-quiet surroundings grow noisy.
At once, the Flashing Flower Sword widened his senses and remained alert to everything around him.
Whatever it was, commotion was never a good thing.
This was a place filled with people who wanted to settle their business quietly, if at all possible.
"Tsk. Something’s gone wrong."
The Flashing Flower Sword sensed quite a number of presences through his perception.
A group he would not have worried about if he were alone. People he probably wouldn’t have noticed even if they brushed right past him.
But not now. He had the child of the Ice Palace and the child of the Dang Clan with him, so he could hardly just leave them behind and go his own way.
"Let’s go this way."
Thus, to avoid a collision if possible, the Flashing Flower Sword changed course.
Most of the people gathered here had nothing to do with the righteous orthodox sects.
They were mostly members of the black path, unruly factions, or wandering martial artists.
So even if their goal had been Rippling Wave Sword, seeing those two girls might change their minds.
Wasn’t there a saying that seeing something excites desire?
As if they weren’t already the sort of bastards who couldn’t control their lower halves — if their numbers increased too, things would become troublesome.
So it was better not to run into them if he could help it.
But contrary to the Flashing Flower Sword’s hopes, it was not so easy.
There were simply too many martial artists packed together. No matter how he thought about it, the situation was strange.
Why had they all gathered on this mountain so quickly?
There was no reason for people who normally roamed separately to flock here in such a short time.
It was almost as if someone had deliberately lured them here.
But now was not the time to think about that.
More and more people were converging. Unless they ran into someone, escape did not look easy.
"You two."
"Yes, sir."
Baek Jin-ah answered politely, and Dang Yeong-young also looked at the Flashing Flower Sword.
"We may have to shed some unnecessary blood to get out of here. We can’t keep avoiding them forever, so we’ll break through toward the bottom by the shortest route. Can you do it?"
"I’m sorry. Because of us, you’re having to go through all this trouble... "
"Hoho. Listen to you. Save that sort of talk for later, once we’re safely out. Right now, getting out of here is what matters."
"Yes, sir."
Baek Jin-ah quietly steeled herself, and Dang Yeong-young also slipped a hand into her sleeve to check once more.
It should be fine. These girls weren’t soft, harmless little things.
With that thought, the Flashing Flower Sword drew his blade and took the lead without hesitation.
The first group they encountered: six men.
When they saw the Flashing Flower Sword, they jumped in alarm.
And the Flashing Flower Sword rushed straight toward them.
He had no intention of killing them. He was a member of the orthodox path; he wasn’t someone who took pleasure in pointless slaughter.
He only intended to give them a rather forceful nudge with the scabbard and send them drifting beyond consciousness for a while.
"It’s the Flashing Flower Sword!!!"
Whooooosh!
But the men’s reaction was not what the Flashing Flower Sword had expected.
Those who recognized him scattered in all directions, shouting as they fled, while a horn of unknown origin blared noisily somewhere nearby.
Stunned by the ridiculous sight, the Flashing Flower Sword even showed a moment of confusion.
But there was no time for that. Now that the horn had sounded, every filthy thing in the vicinity would come swarming this way.
"Go!"
Without hesitation, the Flashing Flower Sword broke into a run toward the front, at a speed only just slow enough for Baek Jin-ah and Dang Yeong-young to keep up.
One could hardly blame his judgment.
However, the situation here was not as favorable as the Flashing Flower Sword thought.
There had been preparation by the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword, and even more people had gathered than expected.
And then there were the rumors the Flashing Flower Sword did not know about.
"It’s the Flashing Flower Sword!"
"Catch him!"
"Go for the women in the back!"
Besides, the people gathered here had spent their whole lives living like wolves and jackals.
The moment they realized the Flashing Flower Sword could not move freely because of Baek Jin-ah and Dang Yeong-young, they changed their target at once.
The women, whose skill appeared to be beneath the Flashing Flower Sword’s, were also stunningly beautiful.
And they made excellent hostages.
The Flashing Flower Sword clicked his tongue inwardly.
He even thought that today he would spill far too much meaningless blood here.
"I won’t show any mercy from now on! You’d better chase after me with all your might too!"
The Flashing Flower Sword’s momentum changed. Killing intent spilled thickly from his body.
Baek Jin-ah answered in a low voice that she understood, and even Dang Yeong-young’s face hardened under that pressure.
Then, instead of the pure white plum blossoms that usually bloomed from Cheon Hyeong-jin’s sword, red plum blossoms stained with blood began to open.
There was a common misconception among black-path sects and wandering martial artists.
The foolish belief that no matter how extraordinary a master was, if he was still flesh and blood like any other human being, then enough people working together could defeat him.
That kind of misconception was why they had gathered such a force to hunt down the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword.
And it proved only one thing: they had been lucky to be alive this long.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
Even masters were people, and people made mistakes; internal energy was not infinite.
So one could understand why they might think that way.
But such stories were little more than miracles passed down only by those who had once banded together and actually succeeded in taking down a master.
Those who died in the attempt never got to tell anyone about their failure.
The dead keep no stories.
These men here were no different.
They had come to catch the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword, each carrying some secret trump card.
Moreover, they had far greater numbers than him, so why wouldn’t they be able to take down the Flashing Flower Sword as well?
And now those same men were falling one by one to the ground with blood flowers blooming in their chests, turning cold and lifeless.
Once the Flashing Flower Sword began swinging his sword, he was relentless. Cold. Sharp.
Regret and reflection were things one did after returning the sword to its sheath.
That had been the way the Flashing Flower Sword lived until now.
Tsk. Once this is over, I’ll have to return to Mount Hua.
He had that thought.
He did not regret shedding blood in order to save those two girls, but that did not mean he enjoyed killing so many people.
And as fate would have it, the path of the Flashing Flower Sword, Baek Jin-ah, and Dang Yeong-young happened to intersect with the very route by which the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword was retreating with his subordinates.
Leaving a trail of blood behind him as he descended straight down the mountain, the Flashing Flower Sword’s eyes flashed when he sensed a presence up ahead.
It was a different kind of aura from the petty trash that had swarmed toward him earlier. An unusual energy.
The Monster of Rippling Wave Sword also noticed him.
As he was withdrawing, he came to a stop and felt a presence approaching directly toward him.
The dark forest. The force he sensed between the tightly packed trees.
It was like a tiger charging toward this place with everything it had.
"Tsk. I hadn’t expected much, but I never thought they’d be this useless."
With that mutter, the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword drew Rippling Wave Sword in one smooth motion and said, "Form up and surround this place. If the opportunity comes, don’t hesitate to use killing strikes."
"Yes, sir!"
At his command, his subordinates scattered at once.
Then the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword kept staring toward the forest with a dissatisfied expression.
Once they had met, once the Flashing Flower Sword had fully revealed his ability, there was no choice but to kill him here.
Nothing was as certain as silencing the dead.
And just as the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword thought that, the Flashing Flower Sword finally appeared before him.
At that, the Flashing Flower Sword gripped his blade tightly without the slightest hesitation and hurled his secret killing strike toward the Monster of Rippling Wave Sword.
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