The Heavenly Demon Establishes Mount Hua (4)
Hak Yeong-chung seemed quite accustomed to teaching others. He knew exactly where learners felt lacking and where they struggled. The moment someone showed the slightest discomfort, he would notice the source of their trouble before they even spoke and explain it clearly. It was the mark of a first-class instructor. Most of that skill had clearly been honed by teaching all sorts of martial arts to his subordinates. As a self-proclaimed martial arts researcher, Hak Yeong-chung enjoyed spreading the techniques he acquired just as much as he enjoyed collecting them. It was no coincidence that his followers wielded such a wide variety of arts. I had recruited him with that knowledge in mind, yet I hadn’t expected him to perform this well. In the realm of instruction, he might even surpass me.
At this rate, even in my absence, his presence would ensure the original goal of spreading the principles faced no obstacles. For now I poured my full effort into this world, driven by both purpose and interest. But in the end, this place was merely the Murim I had already experienced once before. No matter how grotesquely twisted it had become, the fact that it was a path I had already walked remained unchanged. Once time passed and stability returned, I would not continue devoting my entire life here as I did now. Baru’s presence meant I would visit regularly, but I had no intention of living in this world forever. There were too many things I wanted to do.
Because of my duties here, my plan to use magic inside Apis had not advanced a single step. Nor was that the only delay. My scheme to enjoy modern gourmet food, to play other interesting games, even to properly watch animal videos on MyTube—all of it had been pushed aside. I could not continue living like this. After finally returning to the modern world, I refused to spend my life trapped in a Murim existence. I needed to reclaim my freedom.
Still, I had hesitated. Leaving might disrupt the lessons I gave the other children. Yet watching Hak Yeong-chung now, I felt I could entrust the task to him without worry. Of course, given the man’s nature, I would still need to keep a close eye on him to ensure he remained properly bound.
While these thoughts occupied me as I observed him instructing the others, Hak Yeong-chung approached.
“Hwaryeong-nim. Why are you simply standing there?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Didn’t you say you were also here to learn? Come now! Please demonstrate the Mount Hua Sword Technique for us!”
At first I assumed he was joking. He was not. Hak Yeong-chung stood waiting with genuine seriousness. Since the suggestion had been mine, I would play along. But did he truly believe he could teach me anything? No matter how often I claimed I was no swordsman, I was hardly so deficient that I required instruction from him.
I drew the sword from my waist and met his gaze. Very well. Let us see if you can find any shortcomings in me.
Hak Yeong-chung watched the current Mount Hua Sect Leader with expectant eyes as she drew her sword. He had not asked for the demonstration in order to teach her. Learning from someone several levels above him was one thing; presuming he could offer her guidance was quite another. Hak Yeong-chung was not foolish enough to entertain such a delusion.
No, he had made the request for one reason alone: he wanted to burn the sight of the sect leader wielding her blade into his memory. Among all the people he knew, she stood as the highest expert. The previous Mount Hua leader, Tae Hang-woon? Comparing her to that old man would be an insult. The masters of the Four Great Sects and Nine Great Schools also fell short beside her. To be her equal, one would need to be a monster on the level of the Murim Alliance Leader or the leader of the Evil Alliance. Or perhaps the former calamity of the Murim, the Heavenly Demon Baek Hwaryeong, or the recently rising Hyeolgyoju.
The swordplay of such a person granted enlightenment to any martial artist who merely watched. Look at her even now. The way she slowly unfolded the Mount Hua sword technique. Each motion carrying both energy and power in perfect harmony!
Hak Yeong-chung forgot the presence of everyone around him and simply drank in the sight. It was astonishing. Every single movement contained principles beyond his ability to fathom. To think he had once dared to ask someone like this what qualifications she possessed to call herself Mount Hua’s leader. A bitter smile crossed his face as he recalled his past arrogance.
When he had finished organizing his subordinates and arrived at Mount Hua, he had heard the new leader intended to rebuild the sect. He had also heard that she herself would assume the position of sect leader and guide it. For Hak Yeong-chung, the news had been difficult to accept. Though he had abandoned the sect of his own accord, he had once been a man of Mount Hua. The mountain still held modest affection and memories for him. From that perspective, it had seemed rather presumptuous for someone whose primary arts were not even from Mount Hua to claim the seat of leadership.
That was why he had subtly looked down on her during their conversations, displaying an attitude that questioned whether someone ignorant of Mount Hua could possibly lead it well. He had agreed to teach her the Purple Mist Divine Art so she could obtain the Plum Blossom Swordplay, but had declared that the entire matter should be left entirely in his hands.
The sect leader had listened quietly to his words that day, then produced a long pipe from somewhere, placed it between her lips, and laughed.
When he heard that declaration, Hak Yeong-chung had thought her arrogant. It was true her realm far exceeded his own. Yet her primary art was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. No matter how familiar she might be with Mount Hua techniques, there was no way she could surpass him in them. He was a man born and raised in Mount Hua. He understood the strengths, weaknesses, and principles of its martial arts better than anyone. There was simply no possibility she could defeat him with those same arts.
But Hak Yeong-chung’s thinking had been nothing but delusion. The truly arrogant one had been him.
The sect leader had utterly crushed him while using only Mount Hua’s martial arts. It had not been a simple matter of overwhelming him with superior cultivation. Her understanding of the principles within those arts had been deeper than his own. It was impossible. She did not even use Mount Hua arts as her foundation. She wielded the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, which could be considered its complete opposite. How could she possess such profound comprehension?
No matter how often people spoke of how all paths ultimately converged, this defied reason. Hak Yeong-chung had not wanted to believe what his own eyes had witnessed, yet reality refused to change. He had been forced to acknowledge the impossible person standing before him.
After the one-sided lesson that could hardly be called a spar had ended, Hak Yeong-chung could no longer contain his curiosity and asked the question. The sect leader had simply chuckled and answered.
Those words had left Hak Yeong-chung’s mind reeling. Was it humility? No. This was not a person who bothered with false modesty on such matters. She genuinely believed what she said. Once he realized that, he could not hold back his laughter. Someone who understood Mount Hua’s arts better than he—who had once been its head disciple—claimed her understanding was shallow? Then where in the world could one find a person who truly understood them?
Even if the founder of Mount Hua were brought before her, she would likely remain unsatisfied. Just what was she looking at? The sect leader had watched him laugh like a madman for a moment before asking softly.
Hak Yeong-chung had nodded without the slightest hesitation. If her understanding of Mount Hua’s martial arts surpassed even his own—someone who had believed his comprehension rivaled that of the previous leader, Tae Hang-woon—how could she lack the qualifications to become Mount Hua’s sect leader? How could she lack the qualifications to teach its arts to others?
On the day he had been thoroughly crushed, Hak Yeong-chung had acknowledged her as Mount Hua’s true leader. Not merely as an employer from whom he would receive the Plum Blossom Swordplay, but as a master worth staying beside and learning from. Consider it: someone who wielded the Heavenly Demon Divine Art yet still possessed deep insight into its polar opposite, Mount Hua’s martial arts. It was only natural she would possess profound understanding of many other arts as well. Even if she taught only Mount Hua techniques now, as their relationship deepened she would surely bestow further teachings. She might even reveal entirely new concepts he had never witnessed before—just as she had done with that earlier display of the Plum Blossom Swordplay.
Having reached that realization, Hak Yeong-chung resolved that he would cling to her side like a leech for as long as she did not cast him away.
“Finished?”
When the sect leader completed her demonstration of the Mount Hua Sword Technique, applause erupted from every side. Everyone had been utterly captivated by the sight. Even amid the cheers of the sect members, she merely shrugged as though the reaction held no particular interest for her.
“I will leave the rest in your hands, Hak Yeong-chung. This seat has matters to attend to.”
“Where are you going?”
“To Hanzhong. I must keep my promise to Baru. While I am there, I will also submit the necessary documents.”
After the sect leader departed without further ceremony, Hak Yeong-chung turned to face the sect members. They were pupils worth teaching. As outsiders unaccustomed to the Murim, they were still clumsy with its principles, yet their physical foundations and existing martial bases allowed them to learn quickly. The environment was far superior to the one in which he had instructed his previous subordinates.
He would need a few more days to be certain, but at their current pace it did not seem they would require a long time to learn the Purple Mist Divine Art. Hak Yeong-chung hoped that day would arrive soon. Only then would he himself be able to study the Plum Blossom Swordplay under the sect leader.
“Min-ga! You must try this soup! The chicken flavor is unbelievably rich!”
“I see.”
Baru made a great fuss while devouring the dishes spread across the table. The food deserved such excitement. Moreover, the character of the cuisine differed considerably from that of Hwaeum. Where Hwaeum’s inns offered clean yet profound flavors, this place used spices generously to create a flamboyant taste. Either way, both were undeniably delicious. If every region possessed such distinct characteristics, traveling the Murim of Hwaryong Muin in my spare time to enjoy its gourmet offerings did not sound like a bad idea at all. Of course, that would first require establishing a solid foundation for Mount Hua.
While I entertained these thoughts, a message arrived.
Contact from the Orthodox faction. It was an expected development. Mount Hua had originally been one of the representative sects of the righteous path. A power that had once been destroyed was now being revived by my hand; it was only natural that the Murim Alliance would feel uneasy. They probably hoped I would place myself beneath the Orthodox banner. As I had said before, however, I had no intention of belonging to either the righteous or the evil factions.
Hmm. It seemed I would need to settle this matter once and for all. Otherwise they would continue to pester me.
The Murim Alliance, was it? Once Baru finished her meal, I would head there. This seemed to be the first time I would visit that place with peaceful intentions. After all, the only times I had ever gone to the Murim Alliance before were when I intended to tear it down.