Chapter 88
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Plum Blossoms in the Wind
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The three were a bit skeptical, but they figured if Dan Ak-seon was happy, that was enough.
Still, they didn't forget to offer a few words of their own.
"Don't try anything funny."
"Whatever you're thinking, keep it as just a thought."
"..."
As the three turned away, the look in Ga Du-dal's eyes, which he had been carefully controlling, changed.
Dan Ak-seon was curiously turning the bell over and over in his hands.
Ga Du-dal's eyes, fixed on the boy, began to shimmer with a strange, unconcealable heat.
‘There’s no rule that says you can only steal objects.’
The ultimate goal of a thief was, after all, to steal a person's heart.
Ga Du-dal glanced at the three receding figures.
Just meeting their gazes still made his legs tremble.
‘Still, that boy is worth the risk.’
Dan Ak-seon possessed the qualities to become the perfect Divine Thief. And that wasn't all.
‘Stealing the disciple of those monsters?’
Ga Du-dal fought to suppress a smile that was threatening to break free.
‘It will be the greatest achievement of my life.’
The mere thought sent a thrilling sensation down his spine.
* * *
"We're finally at Mount Hua."
Dan Ak-seon exclaimed in awe as he gazed at the towering peaks in the distance.
It was one of the Five Great Mountains, known as the Western Great Mountain, a sacred site of Taoism.
It was also home to the Huashan Sect, one of the two great pillars of Taoism along with Wudang, and the leading sword sect of the Central Plains.
"Plum Shadows in a Red Forest, a Sword to Conquer the Central Plains."
Ga Du-dal murmured softly, his eyes taking in the mountain shrouded in a mystical fog.
At his words, Cho Ak-ryang's gaze turned icy.
"Conquer the Central Plains? What a joke."
Beom Gye-wi added his own comment.
"Aren't they known for being the most arrogant bastards under the heavens?"
Ga Du-dal discreetly backed away.
He had gotten carried away and spoken his thoughts aloud, only to get an earful.
In truth, if he hadn't been dragged here, he wouldn't have come anywhere near this place. Why would he come all the way to Mount Hua? It was like carrying firewood into a blaze—nothing good could come of it.
The Huashan Sect's standing was just that unique.
The "Hua" in Huaxia, another name for the Han people, referred to Mount Hua.
The Huashan Sect's pride was that immense, and its position as a source of Chinese martial arts played a significant role.
Unlike Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi, Han Seol-hwa was gazing at Mount Hua with a strange sense of emotion in her eyes.
Feeling awkward, Ga Du-dal turned to Dan Ak-seon to change the subject.
"Did you know that only Taoist temples exist on Mount Hua?"
"There isn't a single Buddhist temple on this whole massive mountain?"
Ga Du-dal nodded as if he had been waiting for the question.
"A famous Taoist master called Chen Tuan, also known as the Master of Xi Yi, played a game of Go here with Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin. As a reward for his victory, the emperor decreed that the Taoist temples on Mount Hua would be exempt from taxes."
After that, countless Taoists flocked to Mount Hua, which became the catalyst for its current prosperity.
"So, in the end, it was about money."
"Weren't they always a bunch of black-hearted bastards pretending to be noble? Their roots run deep."
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi were still openly displeased, though it was unclear what bothered them so much.
In contrast, Dan Ak-seon's expression seemed somewhat lighter.
It had been a fortnight since they set out for this place, sparring with Ga Du-dal along the way.
The hardships he had endured during that time were beyond words.
When throwing sand and scattering caltrops no longer worked on him, Ga Du-dal began to employ all sorts of vile and despicable tactics in earnest.
Deliberately revealing an opening to lure an attack was child's play.
Kicking the groin or scratching the eyes was commonplace.
If he felt he was losing, he would use the "Lazy Donkey Rolls on the Ground" technique without a moment's hesitation, and he would even talk during their spars to distract him.
But what truly tormented Dan Ak-seon was something else entirely.
It was his movement technique.
Befitting his title, Ghostly Shadow Divine Thief, Ga Du-dal began to torment Dan Ak-seon in earnest, making full use of his strengths.
At some point, Ga Du-dal started setting traps everywhere and luring Dan Ak-seon into them.
He would step where Ga Du-dal had just stepped, only for the ground to collapse, causing him to stumble. He had also slipped after stepping in a mud puddle that Ga Du-dal had just crossed.
Ga Du-dal never missed those moments.
When even that started to fail, Ga Du-dal refused to fight head-on altogether. He switched to keeping his distance and throwing hidden weapons from a place Dan Ak-seon couldn't reach.
Stones or pieces of wood.
Even snakes and poisonous insects...
Ga Du-dal threw whatever he could get his hands on. And the moment he sensed danger, he would use his movement technique to leap up into a tall tree.
In the end, Dan Ak-seon was left like a dog that had been chasing a chicken, only to watch it fly onto the roof, frustrated every time.
Still, now that they had arrived at Mount Hua, he could finally catch his breath for a while, right?
"I will go get the joint signature petition from the Huashan Sect."
As all eyes turned to her, Han Seol-hwa continued.
"I have a connection with the sect leader here."
Dan Ak-seon smiled and approached Han Seol-hwa.
"But this is something I should be doing. Let's go together."
Beom Gye-wi and Cho Ak-ryang tried to stop him.
"Physician Dan, you don't have to go with her."
"That's right. Let's trust Sister Han."
"She said she'll handle it. Let's you and I go find something delicious to eat here."
Han Seol-hwa stared silently at the two men.
It was hard to put a finger on it, but for some reason, they seemed suspicious. When had they ever agreed with her so readily?
This situation made no sense unless they had some other motive.
Han Seol-hwa reached out and took Dan Ak-seon's hand.
"Alright. Let's go together."
Beom Gye-wi snapped.
"Hey! Witch! Are you going back on your word? You said you'd go alone!"
Cho Ak-ryang chimed in.
"That's right, Sister Han. Leave Physician Dan here..."
Han Seol-hwa's icy voice cut Cho Ak-ryang off.
"What kind of trouble are you planning to cause this time?"
As Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi flinched, Han Seol-hwa laid down the law.
"Wait here quietly. And don't cause any trouble like last time."
"That time was..."
"Shut up."
At that single command, Beom Gye-wi, who had been about to make excuses, closed his mouth.
"Don't do anything."
Han Seol-hwa continued, her chilly gaze filled with sincerity.
"If you cause trouble one more time, I'll seal your demonic acupoints and drag you around."
"..."
"..."
Normally, they would have flared up immediately, but their past transgressions left a bitter taste in their mouths, and they remained silent.
And so, Han Seol-hwa left with Dan Ak-seon.
As the two men sighed with disappointment, Ga Du-dal cautiously spoke up.
"About Physician Dan..."
Ga Du-dal flinched at the gazes of Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi, then asked what he was curious about with a shrunken expression.
"What kind of treatment are you two receiving from Physician Dan?"
"Why are you curious about that?"
At Beom Gye-wi's sharp retort, the already timid Ga Du-dal was too scared to continue.
"Forget everything you see and hear here. And lose your interest in Physician Dan."
Cho Ak-ryang's slightly gentler tone gave Ga Du-dal a bit of courage.
"From what I've overheard, I have a rough idea of the situation..."
"Then just keep it a rough idea."
"Yes, sir."
At the clear annoyance in Cho Ak-ryang's eyes, Ga Du-dal quickly nodded.
There was no need to stir up trouble.
Just with Dan Ak-seon gone, the two of them seemed strangely on edge.
"Why did you have to bring it up in the first place?"
At Cho Ak-ryang's rebuke, Beom Gye-wi's eyebrows furrowed.
"What about you, Brother Cho? You chimed in too."
"What, you punk?"
"If you hadn't interfered, I could have persuaded Physician Dan myself."
"You? How?"
"He may not listen to others, but he listens to me. I'm his favorite among us."
"You're hilarious. This is all your fault. If you hadn't suggested going to Shaolin, Sister Han wouldn't be acting like this."
"Did I smash the Buddha statue? You're the one who caused the trouble, so why are you blaming me?"
The two men growled at each other, their killing intent rising. Stuck in the middle, Ga Du-dal felt like he was about to die.
He was sitting on pins and needles.
With the situation like this, Ga Du-dal was already starting to miss Dan Ak-seon.
When Dan Ak-seon was around, the atmosphere never got this tense.
"By the way..."
Cho Ak-ryang's and Beom Gye-wi's gazes fell on Ga Du-dal.
"Are you letting them tail us on purpose?"
Cho Ak-ryang glanced around once and smirked.
"I just couldn't be bothered to move just to shake off some small fry."
*Sizzle.*
Hearing a sound nearby, Ga Du-dal turned his head.
Beom Gye-wi had used his fire energy to burn off his cactus-like beard and was now taking a wig and a hero's cap from his bundle to disguise himself.
"What are you doing?"
At Cho Ak-ryang's question, Beom Gye-wi answered nonchalantly.
"Even if they're small fry, it's annoying to have them following us."
"...?"
"We should at least check out who they are. It's not like we have anything else to do here."
"Have you forgotten what Sister Han said?"
Beom Gye-wi scoffed.
"Since when did you listen so well to the witch, Brother Cho?"
"Good point."
Cho Ak-ryang nodded awkwardly and took out a human-skin mask, putting it on his face.
"Are you thinking of going to the village?"
"If they've gathered for the bait, we should throw them a proper lure."
Ga Du-dal didn't understand what he meant, but the decision wasn't his to make anyway.
Han Seol-hwa's warning weighed on his mind, but in the end, he had no choice but to reluctantly follow the two men.
* * *
On a training ground paved with blue stone slates.
A young man holding a single sword was performing a sword dance alone.
The Azure River Sword, which had been cutting through the air leaving blue afterimages, suddenly changed.
The faint violet aura shimmering at the sword's tip seemed to explode in intensity, and a red shadow rose like a mist, filling the training ground.
Then, at a certain moment.
A distinct crimson light flashed through the violet mist.
It was then that plum blossoms, tinged with red, bloomed like an illusion, following the path of the wavering sword.
The ultimate technique of Mount Hua, the Twenty-Four Movements Plum Blossom Sword Style, had revealed itself.
The crimson plum blossoms instantly multiplied to five.
The vivid violet sword flowers, befitting the technique's name, Five Plums Vying for Speed, showed off their graceful forms along the sword's path.
It didn't end there.
After Snowy Plum, Vast and Pale came Plum Enduring the Snowy Chill, and then Plum Fragrance Becoming a Stream...
The crimson plum blossoms, growing more distinct with time, reached the ultimate move of the Plum Blossom Sword Style, Falling Plums Forming Rain, and became a formidable cloud of sword energy that filled the entire training ground.
The sword, which had been unleashing the ultimate moves of the Plum Blossom Sword Style one after another, came to an abrupt halt in mid-air.
"Hah..."
A heavy sigh escaped the young man's lips.
Without wiping away the sweat that poured down like rain, or calming his ragged breath, the young man stood blankly for a long time.
How much time had passed like that?
"The tip of your sword is unsettled."
At the voice coming from somewhere, the young man, Myeonggeom, turned his head.
"Disciple Myeonggeom greets Master."
Pung-hyeonja nodded and approached with a quiet smile.
At the sight of his master's silent, knowing gaze, Myeonggeom let out a soft sigh.
"I apologize."
"For what?"
"I have shown you a disgraceful side of myself."
"What disgraceful side? That was an excellent display of the Plum Blossom Sword Style."
Pung-hyeonja smiled gently and looked steadily into Myeonggeom's eyes.
"Is it the sword that wavers, or is it the heart that wields it?"
"...!"
As his disciple froze, Pung-hyeonja continued to speak.