Chapter 539
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 539
Chapter Title: Worried About Something?
Early morning.
They stopped by the horse market to sell the horses they'd ridden in on and procured new ones.
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal and Wi Su-yeon rode at full speed straight toward Henan Province.
Their journey proceeded monotonously yet swiftly.
Ride, rest, ride, eat, sleep, change horses, ride again.
With the goal of reaching Kaifeng even a little faster, they pushed themselves to the limit.
Wi Su-yeon had countless questions about the sword she wanted to ask the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal during their travels together, but she held back.
Was it merely curiosity about the awkward parts of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Techniques?
Having delved deeply into swordsmanship as a martial art, Wi Su-yeon harbored endless questions about the sword itself.
How many days had passed in their journey?
Focused solely on riding, they had already entered Zhengzhou before they knew it.
"Kaifeng is just a little ways off now."
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal said as they passed through Zhengzhou's western gate.
"Yes."
The two of them looked quite bedraggled.
Even if they bathed at an inn and changed clothes, the grueling march of their journey showed through.
Having passed through the gates at dusk, they headed toward the central district.
To find an inn for the night.
Since leaving Shangnan, the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal hadn't been picky about inns.
Her comment about good energy had been the first and last of its kind.
Wi Su-yeon found a suitable inn and rented rooms for each of them.
Before heading up to the third floor where the guest rooms were, the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal spoke.
"I'm going to stop by the local Beggars' Sect branch, so you go eat and rest easy."
"I'll come with you."
Wi Su-yeon halted her steps and said, but the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal shook her head.
"This isn't a place for you to go."
It was called a Beggars' Sect branch, but in the end, it was a den swarming with beggars.
It wasn't yet a place for a child like Wi Su-yeon.
Unless she gained more experience in the jianghu.
Wi Su-yeon's jianghu consisted solely of the Huashan Sect and this journey so far.
Exposing her to the raw jianghu could wait a bit longer.
That was the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal's thinking.
"Yes. Understood."
Wi Su-yeon replied dejectedly to the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal's words and headed to her room.
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal watched until she entered her room, then turned away.
"If I had married in time... would I have had a granddaughter like her?"
She whispered the sudden thought to herself softly.
Having grown fond of her during the journey together.
She hoped her cherished sect disciple wouldn't face harsh experiences until she had more maturity.
In truth, visiting the Beggars' Sect branch today served the same purpose.
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal quickly headed north through Zhengzhou.
A dilapidated Guan Di temple on the northern outskirts.
This was the Zhengzhou Beggars' Sect branch.
It was the largest of the Guan Di temples in Zhengzhou, now abandoned by people.
The beggars had gathered here, expanded it, and turned it into a proper branch.
By the time the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal arrived at the temple entrance, the Zhengzhou branch leader was already waiting outside.
"It's been a long time. Sword Immortal."
"Have we met before?"
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal asked, noting the vaguely familiar face.
"We exchanged brief greetings during the last war."
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal nodded.
"But what brings you all the way here?"
News that the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal had descended Huashan and was heading swiftly to Henan Province had already spread through the Beggars' Sect.
However, no one knew her purpose.
"I have something to look into, so I'm on my way to ask a favor of that friend Iron Staff."
Iron Staff.
A nickname for Iron Staff Beggar.
Iron Staff Beggar called the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal simply "Plum Blossom."
They had met as disciples of Huashan and the Beggars' Sect in their youth, forged bonds, and built a deep friendship.
"Ah, in that case, you could have just sent word from the Huiyin County branch..."
"It's a bit of a tricky request, so I figured I'd have to give that friend Iron Staff a good nagging."
"Then you won't be giving me any instructions either?"
"Sorry about that."
The branch leader just smiled faintly at the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal's apology.
"Not at all. So, what brings you here specifically?"
Back to the purpose again.
"Is it perhaps because of the young beggar traveling with you?"
She always wore thick hemp cloth over her face, so even the Beggars' Sect hadn't identified Wi Su-yeon.
They only knew she was a female Huashan disciple.
"She's my cherished disciple. She hasn't seen the rough side of things yet. When we reach Kaifeng, tell that friend Iron Staff to meet us at the inn."
Now understanding the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal's intent, the branch leader nodded.
"Understood."
It might have been unwelcome from the Beggars' Sect's perspective, but the branch leader didn't mind at all.
He knew her character and how she viewed the Beggars' Sect.
The story of the young Plum Blossom Sword Immortal staying several days in a Beggars' Sect beggar den when visiting Iron Staff Beggar was, to the young members of the sect today, a legendary tale hard to believe.
"Thank you."
Leaving those words, the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal returned to the inn.
The next day dawned, and their journey continued.
Kaifeng was now just around the corner.
The Huashan Sect leader, Elder No Hu-myeong, headed to the training cave.
Though the Huashan Sect sat atop Lotus Flower Peak, this wasn't the absolute summit of the peak.
It meant the highest point where the large-scale Huashan Sect could be established.
The true summit was a sheer, jagged pinnacle no ordinary person could dream of climbing.
A place where one had to cling to cracks in sheer cliffs without even a ledge.
Unless a rope was lowered from the top, no ordinary person could ascend it.
This was where Huashan's training cave lay.
Called a training cave, it was so cramped there wasn't even space to practice the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Techniques.
A small hermitage cave for facing the wall in meditation and training solely in the world of the mind—this was Huashan's training cave.
"What brings you here?"
A raspy yet sharp voice echoed.
"It's been a long time, Grandmaster."
The master of the previous Huashan leader, yet one who never became leader himself.
It was Huashan Sword Fragrance Un Se-hyeok.
"I asked what brings you."
His voice sharpened.
"Sword Immortal Uncle has left Huashan."
"Hwi? That guy, why now? He hides in Huashan when it suits him..."
Un Se-hyeok muttered, curious about his junior's actions.
It was the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal, Gwi Hwi, who had driven him to seclude himself in this training cave.
Un Se-hyeok, the Huashan Sword of the era yet only bearing the "Fragrance" title, felt deep inferiority toward Gwi Hwi, who at a tender age had surpassed him, been acknowledged as Huashan's top swordsman, and earned the "Immortal" title. Instead, he delved even deeper into the sword.
He had only emerged from training and shown himself during the recent war, so he had no ground to criticize the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal for hiding.
"According to the other disciples, it seems he's gone to retrieve a sword manual once sent out from Huashan."
"A sword manual sent out from Huashan..."
Un Se-hyeok rummaged through his memories.
'The Flowing Cloud Sword Method?'
An incident floated in his mind.
He recalled his junior who had given him his first taste of despair.
Yu Ji-woong.
Because he had been excommunicated and left Huashan, Un Se-hyeok could become the top swordsman.
Even after leaving, the overwhelming presence of his talent lingered in Huashan, which might be why Un Se-hyeok received "Fragrance" instead of "Immortal."
No, Un Se-hyeok was convinced it was true.
"Foolish idiot."
Un Se-hyeok muttered softly.
"I understand. Be off."
At Un Se-hyeok's dismissal, No Hu-myeong bowed and left the training cave.
He had come because his grandmaster always showed obsessive interest in the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal's movements, but as he departed, he kept tilting his head.
'His aura... it's growing fiercer by the day.'
It didn't align with Huashan's sword arts.
'He senses the cloud's presence in the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword and seeks the Flowing Cloud Sword Method, but there's no answer there.'
A sneer curled on Un Se-hyeok's lips.
He could be so certain because he knew the Flowing Cloud Sword Method.
His junior, Yu Ji-woong, with absolute talent.
That was the signature sword art he had mastered, and to surpass such a junior, Un Se-hyeok had learned and researched the Flowing Cloud Sword Method himself.
When he realized the deficiency in the Plum Blossom Swordsmanship stemmed from the lost freedom of the clouds.
The first sword method that came to mind was the Flowing Cloud Sword Method.
It was a path he had already traversed.
There was no road there.
Thus, Un Se-hyeok resolved to forge a new path, and he was now well on his way.
No, he was nearly at his destination.
"Heh heh heh."
A low chuckle escaped his lips.
A laugh born of satisfaction that he was one step ahead of his talented junior.
In the dim training cave, his eyes gleamed black.
Deep into the night.
Save for a few Fierce Dragon Corps warriors keeping watch on the Sapa Alliance side, everyone else was asleep.
Two figures shot across the barren wasteland, devoid of anything.
"This should do it."
The one who stopped was Ha Mu-baek.
"Indeed."
The one who followed suit was Wi Ji-gun.
They were master and disciple.
This meeting was at Wi Ji-gun's request.
A clue from the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest battle had led to a small enlightenment.
His disciple had long surpassed his own realm, but Wi Ji-gun didn't hesitate to ask for his help.
He already recognized Ha Mu-baek as a companion walking the same sword path, albeit on a different route.
A disciple who had surpassed his master.
And a master who ceaselessly walked the sword path, seeking aid from his superior disciple.
The two faced each other.
"This might help you too."
"Witnessing Master's new enlightenment is only natural."
Ha Mu-baek smiled calmly as he spoke.
Wi Ji-gun smiled faintly at his disciple's response.
Wi Ji-gun drew his sword, and Ha Mu-baek followed suit.
A heavy aura that perfectly dominated the surrounding space emanated from Wi Ji-gun's body.
However, there was one exception.
The space where Ha Mu-baek stood remained unconquered.
The energy flowing from Ha Mu-baek's body blocked that aura.
Wi Ji-gun stepped forward undeterred.
In that instant.
Ha Mu-baek had the illusion of a fierce sword strike plummeting toward him.
The pinnacle of killing intent?
A killing sword filled solely with the ruthless will to utterly annihilate the foe.
Wi Ji-gun still held his sword at mid-guard.
Yet Ha Mu-baek had no choice but to sidestep half a pace.
To counter that intense killing intent, he would have to harbor his own toward his master—a choice he couldn't make.
It might awaken the thing inside him.
However, Wi Ji-gun also shifted half a pace sideways.
Once more, a sword brimming with killing intent thrust toward Ha Mu-baek.
"Master..."
Ha Mu-baek muttered lowly and retreated a full step.
That alone took him out of range of the intense killing sword his master had conjured.
"What's wrong? For you to retreat from this much?"
Wi Ji-gun asked with a sly smile.
"It's just..."
Ha Mu-baek started to speak, his expression complicated.
"Worried about something?"
But as if reading his mind, Wi Ji-gun immediately posed the next question.