Plum Blossoms Fall (2)
Hyeon Yucheon had felt a sour taste in his mouth the moment he laid eyes on Jang Unhwi, the self-proclaimed pinnacle of righteousness whose face alone was enough to ruin his appetite.
'You ambushed my master like a coward, and now you strut around playing the great hero?'
He couldn't forget the cheers from the crowds as he and his sect disciples ascended Mount Hua.
They were cheering for the filthy murderer who had slain his master. How could Hyeon Yucheon not seethe with rage?
"Hah, what nonsense."
"Nonsense? Even the deceased Doryeong Old Man Hong In-gyeol and the Beggars' Sect acknowledged it."
Stung to the core, Jang Unhwi quickly feigned ignorance.
"Then it must have been the Beggars' Sect acting alone."
A lifetime of relying on his handsome features, heroic facade, and silver tongue had made Jang Unhwi no pushover.
"Plum Wind Cloud Jang Unhwi. You're nothing but a filthy schemer, not even worth the lowliest unorthodox warrior you so despise and scorn."
"What?"
"How can you cover the heavens with your two hands?"
The atmosphere had already heated up before the duel even began, and the spectators were buzzing with excitement.
Who will win between those two?
Most of the gathered crowd were orthodox Murim folk, so nine times out of ten, they favored Jang Unhwi's victory.
They didn't believe Hyeon Yucheon and assumed that even if Jang Unhwi had done something wrong, it couldn't have been such a cowardly act.
"Insolent pup from the unorthodox paths!"
Jang Unhwi's patience finally snapped during his exchange with Hyeon Yucheon.
A proper duel called for bows and courteous greetings, but neither man bothered with formalities.
Chaeng!
They drew their swords as if each were out for the other's blood, mortal enemies from the start.
Formless Gas Sword!
Hyeon Yucheon unleashed his Formless Flash Quick Sword as well, lending credence to his words.
"My master didn't fall even to your combined assault! In his final moments, he met me and imparted all his cultivation, experiences, and memories. My martial arts are proof of your schemes!"
At last, the Demon Sword Sect's blade clashed against the Huashan Sect's.
Cha-jae-jaeng!
In truth, neither had ever seen this as a mere duel.
They had come here from the beginning to kill one another.
Evidence of that lay in how they targeted only vital points and weak spots right from the opening exchange.
Ooooh!
The crowd's eyes widened as the young Hyeon Yucheon demonstrated the Demon Sword Ghost Elder's signature Formless Flash Quick Sword, matching the Huashan Sect leader blow for blow from the outset.
"It's true! That's definitely the Demon Sword Ghost Elder's martial art!"
"Right. Only the Formless Flash Quick Sword draws an invisible formless sword."
"I heard the Demon Sword Ghost Elder never passed his unique art to anyone before he vanished. Does that mean...?"
The spectators began to be convinced, one by one.
This was Hyeon Yucheon's preferred method.
No matter how loudly he proclaimed the truth, people always believed the more famous figure from the orthodox Murim world.
So Hyeon Yucheon proved it with action.
"You wretch!"
Startled by Hyeon Yucheon's formidable skill, Jang Unhwi promptly unfolded the Huashan Sect's famed technique, the Soft Red Plum Blossom 24 Swords.
When people thought of the Huashan Sect's iconic swordsmanship, they almost always named the Plum Blossom Twenty-Four Sword Formation.
But the Soft Red Plum Blossom 24 Swords was a step above, a fearsome art reserved for elders and above.
Linked Lotus Scattered Swords!
The Soft Red Plum Blossom 24 Swords, said to be the superior form of the Plum Blossom swords, began weaving a beautiful tapestry in the sky.
"That's it!"
"Huashan swordsmanship is the best in Murim."
"So beautiful..."
With the Huashan Sect lately in the spotlight, the crowd reveled in the sight, many delighted by its allure.
Recently, young talents of Murim had been drawn to the elegant, almost intoxicating grace of the plum blossom swordsmanship, flocking to Huashan.
And on top of that.
Purple Cloud Divine Art!
Jang Unhwi even employed the supreme secret art reserved solely for the Huashan Sect leader: the Purple Cloud Divine Art.
Its signature radiant glow sharpened the Soft Red Plum Blossom 24 Swords strikes even further.
While the spectators gasped in awe, Hyeon Yucheon remained calm.
Formless Linked Bullets!
Not as flashy as Huashan's blades, Hyeon Yucheon's sword was exceedingly swift and practical.
Dit-dit-dat-dang!
Fragments of formless sword energy blocked Jang Unhwi's forms, striking his blade aside.
A metallic ring echoed as they hit the flat of his sword.
They had exchanged barely a single clash, yet their styles stood in stark contrast.
Jang Unhwi, the Plum Wind Cloud, pursued beauty at its pinnacle—flashy, ever-changing swordplay.
In a fleeting instant, his single stroke bloomed into countless flower buds, even evoking a floral fragrance.
Hyeon Yucheon's sword, by contrast, was pure speed and flawless perfection.
Dazzlingly fast, yet utterly invisible.
The epitome of utility.
"This is truly..."
Thick beads of sweat trickled down the space between Jang Unhwi's brows.
He, who took greater pride in Huashan swordsmanship than anyone.
Paradoxically, he was one of those who coveted the Demon Sword Ghost Elder Cheon Baeksang's arts the most.
If that blinding speed and invisible, wondrous formless energy merged with plum blossom swordsmanship, it would birth the world's greatest, unprecedented martial art.
'If only that power were mine...!'
In that instant, greed flared in Jang Unhwi's eyes.
He was the incarnation of avarice and arrogance.
Once desire took root, the body grew lax.
Hyeon Yucheon seized the opening.
Formless Advance Sword!
Paaaat!
From his near-infinite inner power—his signature forte—formless sword energy poured forth.
The Formless Advance Sword, a thrusting form of the Formless Flash Quick Sword, extended long and pierced toward Jang Unhwi's upper body in a flash.
"Hah!"
Jang Unhwi recoiled in shock, his stance crumbling.
Who could have foreseen such a massive assault in that brief lapse of greed?
Glowing Rhythm Step!
Even as his form wavered, Jang Unhwi showcased Huashan's exquisite footwork, barely dodging the strike.
Ju-ruruk!
Still, the sheer force of the formless sword energy forced him back.
Woooaaah!
As Jang Unhwi retreated and the close-quarters duel stalled, the crowd—holding their breath until then—erupted in cheers.
"Impossible!"
"It's dead even!"
"Who's the Huashan Sect leader, and who's the young Demon Sword Sect master?"
It was a deadlock of equals, a clash of dragon and tiger.
If anything, Jang Unhwi had taken a slight hit.
"Urgh, I haven't shown my full strength yet!"
Pricked at the heart by that truth, Jang Unhwi gritted his teeth and mounted a counterattack.
Soft Red Eight Blossoms!
Red Lotus Eternal Spring!
Another strength of the Soft Red Plum Blossom 24 Swords.
Centered on transformations, it allowed seamless chaining of forms.
In other words, perfect for linked strikes—twenty-four forms flowing as one.
Pa-ba-ba-bat!
Jang Unhwi's sword bloomed like a vibrant spring.
Plum blossoms flowered from its tip, spawning countless variations.
People often said transformation-heavy swords lacked killing intent and lethality, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Each sword flower he conjured was razor-sharp.
Whatever his flaws in character, his sword alone was exquisite.
—Still, Jang Unhwi's blade was the pinnacle of deceptive, disorienting swordplay. Never let your guard down.
Recalling Cheon Baeksang's past words, Hyeon Yucheon proceeded with utmost caution.
Seok!
Even so, a single plum-leaf-shaped sword energy slipped through, slicing his sleeve.
Seedik!
Seeing it, Jang Unhwi grinned as if he'd gained the upper hand, as if he'd conquered the world.
Unaware it marked the start of his downfall.
Formless Two Heavens Sword!
Furious at his torn sleeve, Hyeon Yucheon remembered his foe was his master's killer and unleashed his full power once more.
Pa-at, paa-at!
The Formless Two Heavens Sword targeted both flanks, shattering Jang Unhwi's plum blossoms and even piercing toward the Purple Cloud Divine Art barrier.
"Y-You monster."
Despite shaking it off, Jang Unhwi was awed by Hyeon Yucheon's relentless pursuit and finally played his trump card.
'I never imagined I'd use my secret technique on such a green brat.'
To employ this art meant acknowledging the foe—and admitting crisis.
Purple Cloud Sword Conclusion!
Mastering the Purple Cloud Divine Art beyond proficiency unlocked a single sword skill: the Huashan leader's ultimate secret among secrets, the Purple Cloud Sword Conclusion.
Pouring one's entire inner power into the sword, it contrasted Huashan's beauty-focused style with overwhelming grandeur and destructive might.
Kwa-ga-ga-gang!
As expected.
Jang Unhwi, enveloped in purple light, swung with all his might.
He no longer saw Hyeon Yucheon as inferior.
'If I don't kill him, he'll kill me.'
Lifting his gaze with that thought, he was stunned to see the Demon Sword Ghost Elder Cheon Baeksang's face superimposed over Hyeon Yucheon's.
"Urhaaap!"
The apparition of Cheon Baeksang ignited Jang Unhwi's fury anew.
In truth, he harbored envy and jealousy toward Cheon Baeksang.
How could someone untrained in Huashan swordsmanship be so strong and perfect?
Perhaps it was an inferiority complex.
"The Demon Sword Sect's swordsmanship cannot surpass our Huashan Sect's!"
He might never match Cheon Baeksang, but defeating his disciple, the Demon Sword Young Master Hyeon Yucheon, would banish that complex.
At the same time, before all these witnesses, he yearned to prove Huashan swords superior to the Demon Sword Sect's.
But it was mere wishful thinking.
The moment Jang Unhwi poured his full power into the Purple Cloud Sword Conclusion's ultimate strike!
Formless Mystery: Formless Endless Sword!
Hyeon Yucheon unleashed the Formless Flash Quick Sword's secret essence, his ultimate killer move: the Formless Endless Sword.
Just as Jang Unhwi sought to prove Huashan superiority before the masses, so did Hyeon Yucheon.
'By slaying you, I'll avenge my master... and proclaim to all under heaven that the Demon Sword Sect's sword is the greatest!'
Formless sword energy erupted from Hyeon Yucheon's hands!
It was an essence even his revered master, the Demon Sword Ghost Elder Cheon Baeksang, could not perform—a strike stronger still.
Kwa-ji-ji-jik!
The formless sword energy Hyeon Yucheon unleashed expanded endlessly.
In a way, it resembled Jang Unhwi's diligently swung transformative sword.
Of course, it was incomparable.
The Formless Endless Sword utterly overwhelmed the Purple Cloud Sword Conclusion and Purple Cloud Divine Art.
Ku-rururung!
Its power was so immense it shook the entire Mount Hua.
The shockwave kicked up blinding dust, obscuring all vision.
The onlookers clenched their fists, desperately waiting for the haze to settle.
How much time passed?
"Kuhk! Keo-eok!"
A figure stood vomiting blood.
None other than Plum Wind Cloud Jang Unhwi.
His hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot and ruptured, he looked utterly wretched.
Like livestock dragged to the slaughterhouse.
And that was just the start.
His upper body was shredded, soaked in blood; he was barely alive.
"Wh-What... is this...? A technique... stronger than... the Demon Sword Ghost Elder's...?"
Jang Unhwi spat thick blood as he spoke.
Even in death's throes, he couldn't accept Hyeon Yucheon's strike.
Or perhaps he refused to.
Hyeon Yucheon gazed down at the dying man with cold eyes and replied.
"This is the true sword of the Demon Sword Sect."