Chapter 164
Chapter 164
************************-
Translator: uly
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Plum Blossom Divine Lord Hyun-seong
************************-
Mount Hua Sect.
Plum Blossom Divine Lord Hyun-seong.
He opened his eyes.
After drinking cold water, he exhaled deeply as if to fully awaken his mind. He turned his stiff body and gave a bitter smile.
"My body is ruined. More than I thought."
"Master..."
"It's fine. It's my own doing. I failed to properly grasp my mind and collapsed on my own. Rather, I should be grateful that my life is still intact. The opponent I faced from the start was like that, after all."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord adjusted his clothes. He gazed at me steadily.
"...Who is my benefactor?"
"I'm the Murim Alliance Inspector."
"Murim Alliance? How much time has passed?"
"A little over a year. Master."
"A year...? I lost my senses for quite a long time. That vicious heart demon. But... if it's only a year, the Murim Alliance Leader shouldn't have changed. That Sword Lord guy is still occupying the seat, isn't he?"
"That's correct."
"He sent you...? Why on earth? He's not the type to look out for me...?"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord turned to Gu Hwa-rin.
"Hwa-rin. What's going on at Mount Hua?"
"...Well..."
The story of the Mount Hua Sword Dance came up.
The talk about the three elders was the same. The Plum Blossom Divine Lord furrowed his brow.
"Unqualified fools not even devoting themselves to training... stealing and practicing superficial manuals? When will they ever grow up... And looking into what happened there... there's something behind it."
"It's a group called the New Murim Alliance Coalition."
"People opposing the Murim Alliance Leader? Who's leading them?"
"I know Elder Dan-ri Jin-su, the Heavenly Sword Saint, is at the center."
"Heavenly Sword Saint Dan-ri Jin-su...? Indeed. That makes sense. He visited me once."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord staggered to his feet.
"But I still don't understand. I get that the one in line to be the current Mount Hua Sect Leader made a deal with the New Murim Alliance Coalition. But... why heal me? If I resume activities as Sect Leader, I won't lend strength to either side."
"I thought I could heal you, so I did."
"...What?"
"That's all."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord blinked. A beat later, he burst into laughter.
"Hwa-rin. What kind of friend did you make?"
"Wha, friend?"
"You two look about the same age... not friends?"
"Well..."
Gu Hwa-rin glanced at me. She fidgeted with her fingers.
"Um, close to a benefactor... I-I also want to form a personal bond..."
"Isn't she a friend? After exchanging swords that much, it's fine to call her one."
"I-is that so?! Ahaha. I see... yeah... that's how it is..."
Gu Hwa-rin grinned foolishly. The Plum Blossom Divine Lord's eyes narrowed.
"Not the type of kid to react like that... well, no helping it. You opened the path for Hwa-rin."
"Miss Gu opened her own path. I merely gave her a slight push on the back."
"If you call that just a slight push, the whole world will mock me for lacking shame. The Plum Blossom Divine Lord. Let me see... I must repay you somehow. You enabled my cherished disciple, who was blocked by a wall, to bloom her own flower... Is there anything you want?"
"None."
"Hm? I'm the Plum Blossom Divine Lord, you know? The one called Sword Immortal. If there's anything you want from Mount Hua, I can grant it."
"...Then tell me a story."
"A story?"
"Did you encounter the Reverse Heaven group?"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord blinked.
His voice naturally turned icy.
"How do you know of them?"
"I ran into them. With a guy named Ak-bi. At Shaolin."
"Shaolin? And who is this Ak-bi?"
"It's a long story, but..."
I gave a rough explanation of what happened, carefully omitting only the fact that I'm from the Demonic Cult.
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord groaned.
"I see. So that guy's words were true after all..."
"That guy...?"
"Did you meet the Immortal?"
"Yes."
"Let me see... come closer."
I stood before the Plum Blossom Divine Lord. He quickly scanned my body.
"A body without internal energy. But I clearly saw it. You handling yin qi and yang qi."
"......."
"Hiding it intentionally for some reason? Tell me."
"Yes."
"I see. Does the Murim Alliance Leader know this fact?"
"Few know that I'm concealing my qi. And the Murim Alliance Leader doesn't either."
"As expected, not that man's person. Well, if the words you spoke were true, there's no reason to stick with that inwardly rotten bastard."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord cleared his throat.
"You've shared your story, so I'll share mine. Honestly, there's not much to tell at length."
"......."
"One day, I received a letter. From someone who introduced himself as the 'Strategist' of the flipped sky, Reverse Heaven. I conversed with him. And I couldn't help but be shocked."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord shuddered.
"I don't know exactly what Reverse Heaven is, but one thing was clear. It's a gathering of madmen. Do you know what proposal they made to me? To become one of theirs and help them. Wage war."
"...War?"
"Yes. War. They want war. I don't know their exact purpose. But they said if they help them, they'll allow me to keep what I have. Isn't that utterly insane? To a Sword Immortal, one of the Four Saints... What? Help us, and we'll leave what you have alone?"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord swept his face.
"It was an absurd proposal, and incomprehensible at the same time, so I flew into a rage. I drew my sword to make him pay for his arrogant words. But... then... from behind that Strategist... he appeared."
"He...?"
"I don't know. He was young. Incredibly young. All I could tell was that he was called Reverse Star. He drew his sword and countered me. And right there... even after pouring out everything I had, I couldn't surpass him."
"......."
"Would you understand? A sword honed over a lifetime crumbling miserably before a young man who hasn't even passed thirty. If he hadn't revealed his age... I think it wouldn't have come to this. No. No, that's not it...? From the moment our swords clashed, going mad was destined. He picked apart my sword point by point. Said it was easy and mimicked it right before my eyes. The most beautiful plum blossom I'd ever seen in my life! I, who pursued it my entire life... the sword I dreamed of so desperately... copied just by seeing it once...?!"
Blood trickled from the Plum Blossom Divine Lord's lips. Gu Hwa-rin jumped in surprise.
"Master!"
"...I'm fine. Hwa-rin. I'm fine. The heart demon has already retreated. All that's left is painful memories. I just need to strive to improve myself. That's the whole story, Inspector. That's everything that happened."
Reverse Star.
Another name emerged. Was it a name, or a title denoting position?
I didn't know exactly what organization it was, but the ominous feeling wouldn't fade.
An unknown master who had driven even a Profound Realm expert to this state.
What if the Seventh Demon I'm searching for was also...?
To overcome this uncertainty, there was ultimately only one way.
To become even stronger.
"...First, I need to sort out Mount Hua. Hwa-rin. Follow me."
"Yes, Master."
"Inspector, you follow too. Separate from the talk, I can see what you need."
"Pardon?"
"A perfect physical condition, isn't it? But your mind isn't keeping up. I saw your face stiffen the moment you heard 'Reverse Star.' You need the power to pursue him."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord gave a bitter smile.
"You're the benefactor of my disciple, like a daughter to me. Is that all? You're also the one who restored my sanity... I can't just let it pass lightly. I'll teach you personally. To advance that imperfect body one step further."
"...If I may be so bold, I've also received separate guidance from the Sword Immortal."
"How could a scholar teach a swordsman? And more than that..."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord declared confidently.
"Even within the Profound Realm, there are ranks. One thing I'm certain of. The Sword Immortal who just entered the realm and I stand in different positions."
...
Mount Hua was abuzz.
It was only natural, since the madman whom everyone had unanimously called 'in seclusion' had appeared in person.
The elders' faces soured. But the Plum Blossom Divine Lord shook his head.
"Having secluded myself for over a year, I no longer have the qualification to claim lordship of Mount Hua. So proceed with the Mount Hua Sword Dance as planned. Regardless of status or background, if you prove yourself through martial prowess alone, I'll yield the position of Mount Hua's master."
At the unexpected words, everyone exchanged glances.
But in the end, they nodded their heads, driven by their glittering lust for power.
The Mount Hua Sword Dance to decide the Sect Leader unfolded within Mount Hua.
There were three qualified candidates.
Mount Hua's renowned elders, each possessing notable martial arts.
Swords unfolded before their eyes to earn qualification. All the warriors of Mount Hua let out exclamations of admiration at the elegant, trembling blades.
"What depth of learning...!"
"This is the true Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordsmanship!"
A flower more gorgeous than any other bloomed. The elder who swung it panted heavily as he placed the flower on his sword tip.
In the midst of the applause, the Plum Blossom Divine Lord clicked his tongue.
"Arrogance clings to the sword tip. Yun Myo."
"......."
"You know it yourself. Your flower is flashy, but lacks substance. The intent within is unstable too. Do you have anything to say?"
"...No."
The elder stepped down from the stage with a somewhat relieved expression.
Another one stepped up. This time, an even heavier flower bloomed than before. If anything, a sword similar to mine.
But the weight was too much, making the bloomed flower ambiguous. It was so crushed it couldn't even be called a flower.
Even so, it was beautiful, but since it didn't satisfy my eyes, there was no way the Plum Blossom Divine Lord would acknowledge it.
"I told you to trim your overflowing heart. A year has passed, yet nothing has changed."
"......."
"But even so, I can see the effort you put into making changes. That alone is a sufficient harvest. Isn't it, Yun Baek?"
"The Sect Leader's words are correct."
He too stepped down from the stage with a somewhat relieved heart.
The last remaining elder was Yun Gong. The master of Wu-gak, and excluding the Sect Leader, the strongest in Mount Hua, bearing the sect's martial arts.
He drew his sword. He looked up at the Plum Blossom Divine Lord with an overbearing demeanor.
There were no words. He simply raised the sword tip and began to dance.
"...Ah."
Exclamations whose origin no one knew began to chain together. Those gazes, tail to tail, focused on one point.
A flower blooms. Even I, mixed in the crowd, watched it quietly.
Plum blossom.
A plum blossom clearer than any sword.
At the end of the movements, petals settle. Sword aura and blade intertwine, dyeing the surroundings into a flower field.
It was like rain falling from the sky. That very scene.
Similar to the scenery when Gu Hwa-rin realized what her flower was.
...But.
Amid the continuing exclamations, I couldn't simply admire. I clearly noticed the discrepancy within.
A fake sword that deceives with flashy petals but can't even deceive itself.
Merely borrowing from others...
Nothing but a beautiful sword.
"......."
When the sword dance ended, the Plum Blossom Divine Lord, who had kept silent, rose from his seat.
"You've grown a lot while I was away. Yun Gong."
"I got lucky."
"Hmm. Can this really be called just luck? It was you who took the manual. You treated the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordsmanship like a book."
"......"
Yun Gong sheathed his sword. A Mount Hua elder stared up at the current Sect Leader.
"Is there a problem with learning what was told to learn from the start? Didn't you see? I properly mastered the final sword form, 'Plum Blossoms a Thousand Miles Fragrance'."
"......."
"Even if the method of obtaining it was wrong, I don't think the act itself was wrong. When the Sect Leader was suffering from mania, someone had to lead Mount Hua. Though you call this fake..."
Yun Gong turned around.
He spoke as if representing all the warriors gathered at Mount Hua.
"Who could call this fake? Behold the Plum Fragrance that has spread far and wide across the world. I am qualified. I have mastered all Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordsmanship, and haven't I bloomed a proper flower right before everyone's eyes?"
"......."
"I am the protagonist of the Mount Hua Sword Dance. Sect Leader. Even if you don't acknowledge it, all of Mount Hua's warriors will acknowledge me. I have proven myself, and I am fully complete to represent Mount Hua."
"Do you really think that?"
"I may be somewhat lacking to succeed the Sect Leader, but..."
Yun Gong said in a low voice.
"Even so, I think that. That I have built martial arts worthy of being the focal point for all of Mount Hua."
"...Do you think so?"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord looked around the hall. Amid the murmurs, he asked.
"Does everyone here agree with those words?"
"......."
In the silent hall, a few raised their voices.
"I-it was a flashy plum blossom, wasn't it?"
"I think he's sufficiently qualified...!"
"Wasn't it definitely a sword dance representing Mount Hua?"
"I-I don't really know..."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord turned his head.
His gaze fixed precisely on me.
"What do you think?"
"This is the Mount Hua Sword Dance. How can an outsider in Mount Hua's affairs...!"
"Yun Gong. I am still the Sect Leader. And as the Sect Leader's authority, I can hear the opinion of the Murim Alliance Inspector."
"......"
"You... what do you think?"
All of Mount Hua looked at me. I pondered the words I would speak.
It was beautiful. But it was not his sword.
A subtlety. Born from the mismatch between the flower he possessed and his heart.
How beautiful that sense of unity is...
Only those who have seen a true plum blossom would know.
And I know. I saw it myself. Right up close.
"......."
...I see.
Plum Blossom Divine Lord. Are you trying to use me?
I glanced at Gu Hwa-rin, standing like a folding screen. It was an impromptu play not planned in advance, but it didn't particularly bother me.
I wanted to show it too. When you see something beautiful, you want to share the same feeling with others...
It's human nature.
"It was a beautiful sword."
Yun Gong's brow relaxed. He smirked with a 'as expected' kind of look.
But I didn't end it there.
"If I hadn't seen a truly beautiful plum blossom."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord grinned. I looked at his one and only disciple, the one no one in Mount Hua accepted as a true member.
"Elder Yun Gong's sword is beautiful, but what I saw before was even more beautiful. Unforgettably so."
"...What are you saying right now?"
"Miss Gu Hwa-rin showed it to me."
Gu Hwa-rin's eyes trembled. With my words, I gave her back a nudge.
"What the true flower of Mount Hua is."
Now.
Go.
Show them.
What flower settles...
on the sword of the one everyone treated as an outsider.
```