Chapter 170
Chapter 170
************************-
Translator: uly
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: The Murim Alliance's Summons
************************-
A formal letter arrived from the Murim Alliance.
The contents weren't much different from what Suryeon had told me.
Along with an order to return, I was to thoroughly prepare to go as a support warrior for the Heavenly Dragon Society.
The commanding tone made it clear they wouldn't accept any objections.
"...Heavenly Dragon Society support warrior?"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord clicked his tongue.
"They're discarding it because they can't handle the burden. Do you know about the rift between the Murim Alliance and the Demonic Alliance? The Demonic Alliance was formed by numerous unorthodox sects banding together. And its leader has long been rumored to have bad blood with the Murim Alliance. Especially with the current Alliance Leader."
"What happened?"
"When they were young, there was an incident between the two. The current Alliance Leader was a far more reckless boy back then, and the Demonic Alliance Leader was curious about the Murim Alliance. Up to that point, the Demonic Alliance Leader was just a simple heir and came to explore the Murim Alliance while hiding his identity... That's when he ran into the current Alliance Leader."
"...And?"
"The Alliance Leader tried to assault the young leader. Of course, the attempt itself failed, but the Demonic Alliance Leader formally raised the issue with the Murim Alliance. And the Murim Alliance closed the matter with a light punishment."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord let out a sigh.
"It was buried so quietly that hardly anyone knows about it. How could he harbor good feelings when the Murim Alliance itself stepped in to cover up an incident where he was nearly violated? The fights between the Demonic Alliance and the Heavenly Dragon Society are just territorial disputes, but the bad blood between the Demonic Alliance and the Murim Alliance is truly indescribable. There are even rumors that the Demonic Alliance Leader will tear apart and kill any support warriors sent from the Murim Alliance."
"......."
"It's an era without any sense of justice. An era where a man who tried to forcibly assault another is chosen as Alliance Leader simply because he's highly skilled in martial arts and quick-witted. So if you get dragged into this war, be cautious. Quietly drop the Murim Alliance's support banner. You don't have any pride in the Murim Alliance as an organization, do you?"
"Thank you for the advice."
"No problem. I have something to ask of you in return anyway."
"Pardon?"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord handed Gu Hwarin to me with a flourish. For some reason, she had finished packing for the journey and bowed demurely.
A blush settled on her face. Her gaze, avoiding mine just like before, was filled with embarrassment.
"I-I'm not much, but... please take care of me..."
"Pardon?"
"You adopted Sua, right? Someone like you can surely take Hwarin off my hands."
"...Elder? What do you mean?"
"M-Master?! Don't say it so strangely!"
"Keh heh heh. Look at her getting all flustered."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm planning to send Hwarin out into the jianghu. She's already bloomed her flower, but pruning the branch is another matter. She needs experience-that's what I mean. You've helped with part of that role, but the rest she must claim herself, don't you think?"
"...Elder? This is war. It's completely different from a jianghu excursion..."
"She wants this herself. We've had many talks, but her resolve is firm. And considering you'll be by her side..."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord grinned.
"I feel like you won't do anything improper. For the plum blossoms to bloom profusely, they need the right nourishment. How reassuring to have someone like you beside her?"
"...That's too high a praise, Elder."
"I'm just saying what I've seen with my own eyes. It's not exaggerated at all. And more than that, as I've told you many times... Hwarin is quite stubborn. Once she sets her mind to something, she sees it through. You know that too, right? Heh? I'm saying this now as a joke... but this is a girl who didn't give up on properly blooming her plum blossoms for over ten years. How could I break the stubbornness of someone who repeated the same routine day after day, no matter how hard or tiring it got?"
"M-Master..."
Gu Hwarin's face turned red. I asked one final time.
"You know my background, don't you?"
"I do. I know, and yet... this is Hwarin's choice. I've never heard her ask for anything in all the years I've taught her. I don't want to dissuade her from this request."
"...Miss Gu. Are you sure?"
"...I... I..."
Gu Hwarin squeezed her eyes shut.
"H-Hwarin is... enough for me..."
"Pardon?"
"Hwarin is... enough... she said..."
She tugged lightly at my sleeve. Whispering with a face about to burst.
"Y-You said... friends..."
"...Hwarin?"
"...Yes."
"That..."
Her embarrassment over there made me self-conscious too.
"If you follow me... you might get caught up in bad situations. The battlefield itself isn't a good place... Maybe think about it a bit more..."
"...I want to go with you."
"H-Hwarin...?"
"C-Can't I...?"
The hand gripping my sleeve trembled.
As if she'd squeezed out every ounce of courage in her life.
"I-If... I have to leave for the jianghu... more than anyone else, I want to travel with you. Even if it's a battlefield... P-Please let me repay your kindness... I'll be helpful..."
"......."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord cleared his throat beside us.
"If she's helpful, great, but she won't drag you down. You know her realm has surpassed the Flower Realm, right?"
"...That's not the issue."
"Honestly, even if you refuse, she'd follow you in secret. Her stubbornness is no joke, I tell you. Since you're going together anyway, look after her a bit. I'll repay you handsomely for it."
...No helping it.
I finally nodded. Gu Hwarin's expression brightened instantly.
"Th-Thank you!"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord chuckled.
"I've always wanted a granddaughter just like Sua... Well, this works out."
"Pardon?"
"Just talking to myself."
...
Before leaving, at Sua's request, I appraised her sword a bit more.
The Mount Hua sword blooming from her fingertips was undoubtedly magnificent. The fluid movements and myriad feints that deceived the eye could be called the pinnacle of flashy swordsmanship.
Its red hue was probably due to basing it on the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Art. A color somewhat distant from plum blossoms...
But it had its own beauty. Pretty.
"Daddy. You know."
"Yeah?"
Sua, nestled in my arms, looked up at me.
"Mount Hua swordsmanship is easy. It looks tricky at first glance, but it's not that hard."
"I see."
Words only Sua could say.
Gu Hwarin would have been horrified to hear it.
"The subtleties of no-mind connect to each other. Mastering one faintly reveals the next stage. That's how it was with Mount Hua swordsmanship. But... it doesn't seem that way with the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword."
"Why?"
"It gets harder and harder to learn. It feels blocked somehow. Like..."
Sua murmured.
"...It's a sword somewhat distant from what I have."
"Distant..."
Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword. So this is probably...
A martial art related to death.
The closer the body gets to the brink of death, the tougher and sturdier it becomes. Weight settles into the sword, forming the foundation even for those without talent to wield it.
Insight into the art itself presupposes half-death.
The forms can be imitated. The internal energy circulation isn't that difficult either.
But wasn't I the same before?
Imitating doesn't mean you've truly mastered it.
Without experiencing countless deaths, without shedding blood to infuse weight...
It's like peeling fruit with an empty core.
"Maybe because it's the sword of the weak?"
"Daddy's strong."
"Not particularly. There are plenty stronger than me, more talented too. You're one of them right now."
"...I'm not sure about talent. But I know I'm different from others. I can do things that take them time to learn, without much difficulty."
Sua hopped down from my arms. She turned to look at me.
"Daddy's... different from me, right?"
"Yeah."
"I see. Different..."
Sua fidgeted with her hands.
"Daddy. Lately, when I swing my sword, this thought suddenly comes to me."
"What thought?"
"Daddy's amazing. Really amazing. Different from me, but you work even harder. N-Not that it's an insult. Not mocking you either. Just..."
Sua drew a line in the air with her finger.
"When others learn this much, I learn this much more. But Daddy seems to take in far less than that."
"Probably right."
"But Daddy's time and my time are different. Even when I take in this much, it feels empty somehow. Like what's in my hands is smaller than I thought, and though I can do anything, reaching the end feels impossible."
"Hmm..."
"I want to learn Daddy's sword. But you know, the more I swing it, the more I realize. I can never wield the exact same sword as Daddy. No matter how much I learn and try... that weight will always be different."
It was vague talk. But I roughly understood the meaning within.
The time of the talented and the time of the untalented are different.
But that difference...
Doesn't always dominate everything.
"Daddy's time is short and solid. Mine is long and soft. So... this is..."
"I get what you're trying to say."
"...Really?"
"Yeah."
"Ehehe. I knew Daddy would understand."
Sua hugged me. Whining as if asking for a pat.
"...Daddy. Still, I won't stop learning your sword."
"Okay."
"But... I don't think I can reach its end. I'm not as solid as Daddy. If I try... I might break first."
"......"
"I think Daddy and I will walk different paths. Same Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword... but ends completely opposed... that kind of feeling."
Sua rested her cheek against my chest.
"You'll still love me, right...?"
"Of course."
"...Ehehe."
Sua beamed. Looking up at me, she whispered.
"Daddy's the strongest person in my world. And I feel like Daddy will always be in front of me."
"Why?"
"The Plum Blossom Divine Lord grandpa said it. Learning many things broadly is good, but it might not match digging deep into one."
Sua's eyes sparkled.
"Daddy's sword fits that perfectly. Deeper than anything... digging even deeper from now... eventually reaching a place no one else can touch. Different from me."
"...Can't you do the same?"
"I like something else! I want to mix the Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword with lots of martial arts! Dye the world in colorful hues. Like now! They say I have talent... but still..."
Sua rubbed her cheek against me.
"I know. Others might not see it, but I do. No one in the world, no matter how talented... can become like Daddy."
"......."
"Daddy will definitely stand at the top! A sword as cool as Daddy's requires a talent unmatched in the world, one even I can't imitate!"
Separate from deciding the sword's direction, I hugged Sua tightly.
She says the prettiest things.
"...Picking only the sweetest words. Whose daughter are you?"
"Hee hee."
Sua acted cute toward me.
"Of course. Whose daughter?"
...
I finished preparing to leave Mount Hua. The group that had grown wasn't just Gu Hwarin alone.
A Mount Hua disciple, Baek Hyun, looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
"I heard you helped my martial sister bloom her plum blossom."
The way he addressed Gu Hwarin had changed already.
One might see it as shrewd-but I knew Baek Hyun's character well enough.
He'd changed it out of genuine admiration.
Because he'd recognized the sword she'd shown as true Mount Hua swordsmanship.
"That's right, but..."
"I was a fool. Martial sister, can you forgive me? My eyes were blind. I had a head but didn't think."
"Pardon?"
"I failed to properly recognize the one who knew Mount Hua swordsmanship better than anyone... If you wish, I'll gouge out this eye right now as atonement. If that proves my sincerity, it'd be a bargain."
Baek Hyun drew his sword as if in earnest.
Gu Hwarin panicked.
"I-It's fine! I accept your apology!"
"...Thank you, martial sister. Hero Jeok. I heard you helped her bloom her plum blossom. I too sincerely wish to attain the true Mount Hua sword."
Baek Hyun clenched his fist tightly.
"Please... bestow your teachings on me as well."
"This isn't a pleasure trip."
"I've already volunteered as a Murim Alliance support warrior. The Alliance has accepted it, so we'll be heading to the Heavenly Dragon Society together."
Baek Hyun's eyes burned.
Genuine thirst for martial arts. His bow to me was filled with sincerity.
"I want to bloom it too. A proper plum blossom...!"
"...I'm not even from Mount Hua, though..."
"If you grant me this favor, I'll repay with my life! Somehow!"
Already volunteered for the Heavenly Dragon Society support warriors.
Then we'd be going together for sure. No grounds to refuse since he'd volunteered himself.
Come to think of it, Baek Hyun...
This man had looked after me in various ways during my time at Mount Hua.
"I can't show you deeply... is that okay?"
"O-Of course! And... I want to call you brother!"
"That's a bit..."
"Please allow it!"
"...Uh... alright...?"
"And please speak casually to me!"
I'd unwittingly gained a loyal little brother. Now that I thought about it...
This man Baek Hyun was treated as a 'sword-obsessed fool' by his own martial brothers too.
...Good guy.
I'm the same type after all.
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord saw us off. He kept giving Gu Hwarin all sorts of things.
"Put this in your pack too. And this."
"...Master. It won't all fit."
"Then eat it and stuff it in your belly."
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord grabbed my hand.
"Don't let a single drop of water touch Hwarin's hands."
"Pardon?"
"Master!"
"Train her, but make sure she sleeps on time. If she looks like she can't sleep, brew her a warm cup of tea. Not too hot."
"Master, please...!"
The Plum Blossom Divine Lord came down to the base of Mount Hua to see us off. He smiled faintly at Gu Hwarin, who couldn't lift her face.
"He's a really warm-hearted man."
"...Please don't say anything... please..."
"I never knew the Sect Leader could make that face, martial sister."
"Martial brother, please too..."
Il-ho and Suryeon popped out from the shadows to join us. Baek Hyun's eyes widened at the sudden arrivals.
"What...?! I didn't sense their presence...?!"
"Suryeon. Where are the rest of the nine?"
"Moving around nearby. Keeping distance. Dealing with approaching threats in advance is our way."
"Ugh..."
"Little brother. Why the weird face?"
"Don't hide in Daddy's shadow!"
"It's the coziest spot."
"M-Me too! I wanna hide in the shadow! Daddy, can I?!"
"Come out."
Gu Hwarin and Baek Hyun, unaccustomed to the rowdy atmosphere, looked around awkwardly.
"What is this..."
"More than that, that girl... what realm is she in?"
Come to think of it, Suryeon.
Her aura had changed.
"Have you broken through?"
"The events at Shaolin helped. Peering into such distant heights clarified the path ahead. This girl stands in the Flower Realm now."
As expected of a genius...
Too many talented people around.
"Flower Realm?! I can reach it soon too! A-Ah, Daddy! I'm stronger! I'll get even stronger!"
"Keep at it, little brother."
"Don't call me little brother!"
Il-ho's prowess had also reached the transcendent peak...
The dispersed Killing Gate members would be at the same level now.
The irony of Baek Hyun, at the peak of supreme mastery, being the weakest in the group.
Baek Hyun, who had been glancing around stealthily, asked me.
"Brother. What... exactly are you?"
"Was a Murim Alliance inspector. Now captain of the support warrior unit heading to the Heavenly Dragon Society."
I pondered the Demonic Alliance Leader's bodyguard, Yeongwol.
Could I find traces of the missing Seventh Demon through her?
"......."
Nothing certain.
Just walking forward as always was the best.
I headed toward the Murim Alliance.
To depart for the Heavenly Dragon Society.