Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Blossoming Prodigy
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Her actual realm might have been higher than Elder Yun-gong's.
Her profound inner energy might have run even deeper than his.
What would have happened if they'd truly crossed swords?
Victory wouldn't have been guaranteed.
But everyone at Mount Hua accepted it. Amid the uproar and shock, the eventual silence was soon drowned out by applause.
A small ripple started from who-knows-where. And it quickly spread far and wide.
No martial artist of Mount Hua could stay still, no matter how biased their view.
That was Gu Hwa-rin's sword.
The most splendid in the world...
A proud and brilliant plum blossom in full bloom.
"Hahaha!! That's my disciple! That's my disciple!!!"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord laughed heartily. Elder Yun-gong, frozen stiff, staggered back.
He collapsed into his seat, his face a tangle of complex emotions. But the strongest among them was admiration.
"...Qualifications."
A warrior who had lusted after power.
An elder who had yearned to become sect leader.
But before all that, he was a swordsman.
"I think I understand now why you criticized mine so harshly."
"Yun-gong, you fool. Aren't you realizing this a bit too late?"
"I'd forgotten why I first took up the sword, blinded by greed."
He let out a hollow laugh that turned into a full one.
"It was an impressive sword. It makes me want to... start over from the beginning. With my own plum blossoms."
"Good idea."
Amid the pouring applause, Gu Hwa-rin caught her breath and glanced around nervously. She bowed her head, then scampered back to my side.
"D-Did... did I do well?"
"You did wonderfully, Little Gu."
"......"
Her beaming smile was a sight to behold.
Isn't a properly bloomed plum blossom beautiful?
...Truly.
It felt rewarding.
......
Mount Hua called for Gu Hwa-rin. To formally join the sect, receive her Taoist name, and hone her sword.
But she refused.
"...I don't really want to. It doesn't feel meaningful anymore."
"Didn't you want to join Mount Hua?"
"I did want to find a place to belong. But..."
She glanced at me.
"I've already found it."
"......?"
"Um... Inspector Red Cloud, do you ever take on assistants?"
"I already have one!"
Su-a shot her hand up. Gu Hwa-rin grinned widely.
"I see. Assistant. Do assistants take on assistants?"
"I'll think about it, sis."
"Thank you."
Surprisingly, the Plum Blossom Divine Lord didn't object. He nodded repeatedly.
"Wandering the jianghu. It's something you must do eventually. Only through varied experiences will your plum blossoms bloom more deeply."
"Even so, having her travel with me..."
"I have something to say about that too. Inspector, come stand here."
I stood before the Plum Blossom Divine Lord. He eyed me steadily.
"Won't you show me everything you've got?"
"...There are circumstances."
"You're the benefactor who saved my life. And not just that-you showed this child what flower she holds. You've given us a gift beyond compare. Don't worry."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord thumped his chest.
"Even if you were a heaven-defying murderer, I'd keep your secret. On my name!"
It was similar to what Unjon had said.
Honestly, it was risky. Revealing to a member of the Four Righteous Sects that I'm from the Demonic Cult was far from rational.
...But.
I wanted to delve deeper into this vague sense of my body's condition. If the First Demon were here, I'd ask freely, but I couldn't.
In the end, I nodded. After learning about Reverse Heaven, I needed to grow stronger.
Besides, the man before me didn't seem like a liar.
Four Origins Unification.
I simultaneously stirred the four energies that twisted and turned like a chain.
"What?!"
I kept my composure before the astonished Plum Blossom Divine Lord. He peered at the four energies with a bewildered expression.
"...Yin and yang energies... and within them, blood qi and... demonic qi swirling too..."
"I'm from the Demonic Cult."
"Demonic Cult!"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord flinched. Gu Hwa-rin gasped in shock.
"H-How is someone from the Demonic Cult here?"
"Aren't you a Murim Alliance inspector?!"
"I'm pursuing those who wrecked the Demonic Cult. Following their trail, I learned they're part of Reverse Heaven."
"......"
"My goal is to punish them. They massacre the powerless and bathe in their blood. They can't be left alive."
I roughly explained what had happened.
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord groaned.
"Just how far has Reverse Heaven infiltrated...?"
"It's no exaggeration to say the entire martial world."
"...I understand why you want to grow stronger. Just to be sure, out of an old man's concern... you don't harbor ill will toward Mount Hua, do you?"
"Pardon?"
"I heard about what happened with the second disciple. Humiliated in front of everyone."
Ah.
That forgotten incident.
I shook my head.
"I hold no personal grudge against Mount Hua. As a Murim Alliance inspector, I expected some hostility."
"Hm."
"Besides... things have changed a bit now, haven't they?"
"Changed how?"
"Without ties before, but now I have them."
I glanced at Gu Hwa-rin. She smiled faintly.
"It's strange to hold resentment where I have a friend."
"...Red Cloud..."
"Ahem! That's enough! Hey! Calling her a friend-don't cross the line!"
"Pardon?"
"Let's properly cross swords first. I'll seal my Mind Sword and clash with everything else you've got..."
He moved to a new spot.
A secluded plateau in Mount Hua, untouched by anyone. He drew his sword.
"Come at me with full power."
"...Yes."
I clashed swords with him. I showed every skill I possessed.
Our realms differed by one step. And that step between Peak Realm and Flower Realm was no small gap.
Losing was inevitable. But as we exchanged blows, the Plum Blossom Divine Lord's groans deepened.
"...Your sword lacks something."
"Pardon?"
"In terms of completion, it's flawless. Worthy of praise in every way. But your External Image Strong Qi is unstable."
Words I'd heard from Unjon too. The Plum Blossom Divine Lord glanced at the External Image Strong Qi cloaking me.
A beast hide with four eyes. Its black hue dripped with blood-red at the edges.
"Your External Image Strong Qi is like a beast. Tenacious, biting fiercely at foes. But looking closer, isn't that all it is?"
"......"
"It's safe to say you're not utilizing it properly. It only strengthens your body. It hasn't fused with your martial arts at all. Your goal is clear, but have you ever thought about exactly what form you want it to take?"
"......."
"What you need now isn't a sword. It's time to temper your mind. I'll put in a good word with the Murim Alliance, using this favor..."
He patted my shoulder.
"Stay here and reflect. On exactly what form you want that goal to take. Swinging your sword daily is vital for a warrior, of course. But running nonstop can lead to excess. Find it."
"......."
I sat on a rock.
I set aside my sword for a moment and sank into thought.
External Image Strong Qi. The first step in manifesting concrete imagery into reality.
I was curious too.
What form did my ideal self take...?
......
"Daddy's not coming."
"He's in training, I heard."
"I see..."
Su-a slumped dejectedly. Gu Hwa-rin cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Don't you want to do something? Want to head down to the village with me?"
"Not really. It was fun because Daddy was there."
"Wouldn't it be fun with me too?"
Su-a eyed Gu Hwa-rin, then turned away sharply.
"Yeah."
So curt. Nothing like her affection with her father.
Does she warm up slowly? Hard to tell. Dealing with kids is tough. Gu Hwa-rin sweated profusely.
"Master. When will Red Cloud return?"
"Who knows... He's on a journey to find himself, so it might take time. Su-a."
"Yes?"
"I heard you're learning martial arts. Why not take this chance to experience Mount Hua's sword?"
Su-a blinked. She hesitated before asking.
"I heard learning another sect's sword without permission is theft."
"Only without permission. But I'm the current sect leader, and I permit it."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord grinned coaxingly.
"Learn as much as you can. From Hwa-rin. Teaching someone will be good for her too. And if you learn Mount Hua's sword, it'll help protect your father. Our sword is that exceptional!"
"...Can I really learn?"
"Of course. Take everything you can carry."
Gu Hwa-rin clicked her tongue inwardly. Easy to say, but who could steal Mount Hua's essence so easily?
It was half a joke. Hadn't it taken her a year to master the basics?
Just play along, basically.
Gu Hwa-rin took Su-a's hand. She sat her in the flower field and demonstrated Mount Hua's foundational art, the Seven Plums Sword.
A sword swung like eating rice. Su-a's eyes sparkled before it.
"Yeah. I get it."
"......?"
Get it? What does that mean?
Gu Hwa-rin belatedly realized the weight of those words. Su-a had effortlessly mimicked the sword she'd just swung.
The core of the art dissected in an instant. It took less than three days for the Seven Plums Sword to be seen through.
"What's next?"
"Master?!"
"What's this from morning..."
Su-a swung her sword. The elegantly blooming Seven Plums Sword made the Plum Blossom Divine Lord blink.
"Ho, have you... learned Mount Hua's sword before by any chance?"
"First time."
"What is this... O-One more time..."
The Seven Plums Sword bloomed in the air once more. Petals swirled in the sword qi, stirring a gentle breeze.
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord's eyes widened enormously.
"H-How did you teach her to do that?!"
"I-I didn't teach her anything! Master! That child just...!"
Gu Hwa-rin cried out in horror at the reality-breaking freakishness.
"She just mimicked my sword, that's all!"
"...What kind of prodigy is this!? Can you mimic this too?!"
The superior sword art to Seven Plums.
The Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Swordsmanship, called qi-strong arts, pierced the air.
Su-a blinked. She watched intently, then shook her head.
"Can't do that one."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord sighed in relief mixed with regret.
"Of course not?"
"Not yet. But give it a little time, and I think I can. Not perfectly... but I can mimic it somewhat now."
Su-a twisted her wrist. The cleanly launched sword qi flickered like a star for an instant.
The compressed sword qi mimicked a sword force briefly, imitating the Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Swordsmanship, dubbed qi-strong arts.
"What nonsense is this?! How can sword qi mimic sword force?!"
Gu Hwa-rin gasped at the transcendent energy manipulation. The applied sword force she'd compressed burst in her hand for a moment.
Twenty-Four Forms Plum Blossom Swordsmanship
Plum Blossom by the Roadside,
Imperfect, yet it blooms.
A blood-red plum blossom.
"?!"
"?!"
The passing applied sword force pierced between them, crossing the flower field.
Even the intense plum fragrance mingled with the scattered qi fragments in the air.
Su-a sheathed her sword. Breathing heavily, she neatly slid it back into its scabbard with flair.
"So teach me everything. I'll reference it later."
"...What kind of monster brat is this?!"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord's trembling words spoke for Gu Hwa-rin's heart too.
What in the world...
Is this insane talent?!