The Sword of the Present and the Past
Danmok-cheong didn't stop chattering for a single moment on the way to the martial arts tournament.
"It’s my lifelong wish to see that guy Young-myeong get beaten to a pulp. With the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering finally here, Ak So-pyeong must have been sharpening his blade, right? Maybe, just maybe, he’ll actually pull it off."
Ak So-pyeong—the successor to the Shandong Ak Clan, and Young-myeong’s opponent in this match.
As she spoke, Danmok-cheong emptied her pockets and placed every last copper she had on Ak So-pyeong’s victory in the betting pool, where the odds were climbing endlessly.
"...Weren't you close with the Sword Dragon of Mount Hua?"
"But his payout is pathetic."
In the betting pool for Young-myeong versus Ak So-pyeong, the odds for Young-myeong’s victory were a measly 1.02. Conversely, the odds for Ak So-pyeong had soared to 15.82, meaning a win would net a sixteen-fold return.
'That is, if a 1.02 favorite actually loses.'
It seemed Young-myeong had no chance of losing, unless one counted the few people who bet on the underdog out of sheer hope or for the fun of it.
"Life is all about that one big shot!"
Danmok-cheong even dug out her secret stash of coins and threw them all in.
"That doesn't look like an amount you're betting just for fun. Surely you aren't throwing the match because you're close friends..."
"Hey, no way. That guy is obsessed with martial arts; he’d never dream of match-fixing. Besides, we’re just distant relatives—we aren't exactly 'close.' You’ve seen how he acts, Young Master Ju, right? That behavior that just makes you want to smack him upside the head whenever he’s around."
"You were relatives?"
"Yeah. Since we’re both relatives who have achieved top-tier status in our respective sects—Chung-chang and Mount Hua—the Chung-chang sect is pressuring me to use our connection to build ties with Mount Hua. Truth be told, we’re such distant relatives that I’d never even seen his face before all this."
In the Five Great Clans, where bloodlines were everything, this might be common, but it was rare to see in the Nine Schools and One Sect. Usually, if talented relatives were born in the same generation, they would join the same sect rather than splitting up. It was even rarer for both sects to be major powers within the Nine Schools and One Sect, and for both individuals to become the leading rising stars of their respective sects.
"Even with a personality like his, his martial arts are so strong that I find myself cheering for anyone who might smack him down on my behalf."
"Is he really that strong?"
"He’s strong! In some ways, he might even be stronger than that Baek-geom-ja we saw at the inn."
Baek-geom-ja was the man who had blocked their path when they followed Young-myeong to meet the sect leader of Mount Hua. Rumor had it that while Young-myeong was the greatest talent of Mount Hua, Baek-geom-ja was the greatest active sword master of the current generation.
"Are you saying a rising star is stronger than the active master representing the sect?"
"It has a lot to do with the martial arts he’s learned... but seeing is believing. You’ll understand once you see it for yourself. Even if you don't use a sword, Young Master Ju, you’ll likely gain a great deal of insight just by watching his swordsmanship."
"A sword, huh..."
Seong-jin had never shown his swordsmanship in front of Shin Suran or Danmok-cheong, but he had learned the sword from Yeo Dong-bin himself. Yeo Dong-bin was a legendary immortal famous for practicing the Cheon-dun Sword Technique while training at Mount Hua in his youth. The founder of the Mount Hua Sect revered Yeo Dong-bin as a master, calling him Yeo-jo (Ancestor Yeo). Although Yeo Dong-bin didn't personally found the Mount Hua Sect, he was essentially its root, enshrined in the sect’s ancestral hall alongside the founder.
For Seong-jin, who had received teachings directly from Yeo Dong-bin, he was, in terms of martial lineage, no different from their distant ancestor.
"I look forward to it."
Since a martial form always contains the practitioner's intent, one could understand a person by watching their martial arts. How had Mount Hua’s swordsmanship evolved? And where did the scent of plum blossoms, which the owner of the Ok-seol-hyang pavilion had mentioned, lead? Mount Hua’s martial arts would provide the answer.
Seong-jin sat in the stands with those thoughts, and soon, the duel began. As the match progressed, Seong-jin heard a whisper from inside his gourd.
-That guy reeks.
'That guy?'
-The one sitting in the back. Did you say his name was Young-myeong? No, the one with an energy similar to his.
Following the direction the Ho-gwi (Tiger Spirit) indicated, he saw the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect. Despite the high price of the tickets, there was a significant number of them. Whether it was because the Mount Hua Sect was wealthy enough to be called one of the Nine Schools and One Sect, or because they were simply provided tickets for the Sword Dragon of Mount Hua's match, there were many.
'Which one of them are you talking about?'
-The one who looks the strongest.
The person the Tiger Spirit meant was clear.
'Baek-geom-ja.'
The man Young-myeong had called 'Great Senior Brother.' If Danmok-cheong was Young-myeong’s relative, she would know him well. Seong-jin asked her about him.
"Baek-geom-ja? He is the leader of the Plum Blossom Sword Guards and the swordsman who represents the current Mount Hua Sect."
If Young-myeong symbolized the future of Mount Hua as a rising star, Baek-geom-ja was the one responsible for the present as an active master. That meant if a monster intended to use shapeshifting to replace someone in Mount Hua, he would be the first target.
'If he’s the leader of the Plum Blossom Sword Guards, it’s only natural he’d smell like plum blossoms.'
Even setting aside the Tiger Spirit’s words, Baek-geom-ja was the most suspicious person in the current situation.
"Is he strong?"
"What? Of course he’s strong. Baek-geom-ja is a master of the Supreme Realm."
"The Supreme Realm..."
In the old days Seong-jin remembered, a master of the Supreme Realm was a level of achievement that would grant one the position of a general commanding an army. Things were different now that the world was unified, but back then, anyone with exceptional martial arts would inevitably enter the military.
'The problem is whether a monster disguised as a Supreme Master can also use the martial arts of the Supreme Realm.'
Was that even possible? Honestly, he didn't know. If a monster disguised as Baek-geom-ja could fully wield Baek-geom-ja’s martial arts, how strong would that existence be? The Taoist arts of immortals or the sorcery of monsters operated on a different plane than human martial arts, allowing them to easily suppress opponents regardless of their level. But Seong-jin was a body that could not use Taoist arts.
'Can I really defeat a Supreme Master using only martial arts?'
The martial arts of the immortals were undoubtedly great, but Seong-jin hadn't been able to master them fully because he lacked the Immortal Bone. His current achievements certainly surpassed the First-rate level, but Seong-jin didn't know exactly how strong he was compared to the masters of the modern era. There had been no one on Mount Bongnae to compare his skills against.
"How strong is he, specifically? For example, compared to the duelists today?"
"Young-myeong is amazing, but right now, Baek-geom-ja is far stronger than him."
Then, he would be able to gauge Baek-geom-ja’s true strength through today’s duel. Seong-jin watched the match, imagining himself facing Young-myeong. Young-myeong decided the match with a single strike.
Young-myeong’s name had been widely known to the world even before the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
Sword Dragon of Mount Hua.
He climbed Mount Hua at age five, mastered basic techniques at six, repelled a group of demonic cultists at seven, became the sect leader’s direct disciple at eight, and was already called the best among his peers by nine.
At the Heavenly Martial Academy, where all the greatest talents under heaven gathered, Young-myeong had faced countless challenges, yet he had never been defeated once.
'But lately, no one even thinks of challenging me.'
Indeed, Ak So-pyeong of the Shandong Ak Clan, chosen as his first opponent, wore an expression that suggested he wouldn't go down without a fight. But that wasn't enough.
'He isn't even trying to win.'
One cannot gain anything from admiration, only from a competitive spirit. However, Young-myeong didn't even feel like blaming him. Lately, even his peers at the Heavenly Martial Academy took it for granted that they would lose to him.
'That shouldn't be.'
The current Heavenly Martial Academy wasn't hot enough to temper him. Only Lightning Spear Shin Suran had tried to surpass him with genuine intent, which had caught Young-myeong’s interest, but recently, there was one more person who bothered him.
'Ju Seong-jin.'
He had saved Shin Suran from danger, so he was clearly at least First-rate, yet Young-myeong couldn't read his Qi. 'At the very least, he must have reached the realm of Returning to Truth.' Perhaps Seong-jin was the one who could help him advance to the next stage.
Lost in thought, Young-myeong returned to reality at the sound of the audience's cheers. For the future of Mount Hua, in this very moment, in this very place, he had to be the strongest.
"Should I say it’s an honor to witness the world-renowned Plum Blossom Sword Technique?"
"You’re being formal. But what I’m about to use isn't the Plum Blossom Sword Technique."
In the past, martial artists who hid their techniques for fear of them being countered fell to the Heavenly Demon. After that, an era arrived where it was considered a virtue to reveal one's martial arts and seek growth together.
"Purple Mist Sword Technique."
The purple sword light traced the trajectory of the sun. The world was severed along the path connecting east and west, and the opponent standing at the end was naturally pushed outside the divided world. Among those gathered here, there was no one who did not recognize that unique Qi glowing in purple.
"That is the technique passed down only to the sect leader of Mount Hua...!"
Ak So-pyeong was astonished as he watched.
"It is not passed down only to the sect leader."
Young-myeong corrected him.
"What? What does that mean..."
"The manual was made public to everyone in Mount Hua, but only my master and I succeeded in mastering it."
And now that his master, Byeok-ha-nang-rang, was bedridden, Young-myeong was the only successor who could pass on the Purple Mist Divine Art to the next generation.
"So I must become stronger. I have to master this and leave it for the future."
The purple sword energy gathered on Young-myeong’s blade took the form of a vivid flame.
Whoosh!
Martial artists take in the energy of nature through their breath and convert it into internal energy through their cultivation methods. The energy converted to suit each body becomes an energy suited to each martial arts form. But if one returns that internal energy to its original state, it returns to the form it had in the great nature.
"Returning to Truth."
Martial artists called this the realm of Returning to Truth.
"Returning to Truth...!"
"Is that really it?"
"I can no longer say his achievement is great for his young age. Regardless of age, there are countless people who have devoted their entire lives to martial arts and still haven't reached such a realm."
It was a realm beyond the First-rate, which merely manifested sword energy—a realm of the Super First-rate.
"I’m sorry, but I’m in a position where I absolutely cannot lose now."
"You, just when did you reach such a realm..."
"I’m going all out."
The sword wrapped in flames swung. It was a swift sword strike like a flash of lightning. All the people could see was the trajectory left by the afterimage of the flames. Ak So-pyeong, who had to receive it directly, gritted his teeth and thrust his spear. But the sword energy, having reached the realm of Returning to Truth, burned away the energy contained in Ak So-pyeong’s spear and split it apart.
"Argh!"
The sword energy, having regained the properties of flame, transferred to Ak So-pyeong’s internal energy and gnawed at his power as if burning it away. Ak So-pyeong hurriedly retreated and tried to regain his stance, but his feet were already outside the arena.
Out of bounds.
"Winner, Sword Dragon of Mount Hua, Young-myeong!"
The match was decided in a single exchange. Cheers erupted from the stands at the short but intense result. Young-myeong sheathed his sword and scanned the audience. He couldn't see the Lightning Spear he longed for, but he could still see familiar faces in the stands.
'Danmok-cheong, Younger Brother Ju.'
Danmok-cheong wore an expression as if she had lost her country, likely because she had bet on his opponent as usual. Seeing his younger brother looking at him with wide, curious eyes beside her, Young-myeong was able to smile, if only a little, for the first time in a while.
However, Young-myeong soon felt that Seong-jin’s expression as he looked at him was somehow strange.
'What is it?'
Looking closely, Seong-jin wasn't looking at him. He was looking slightly to his side. Seong-jin was staring intently at the other disciples of the Mount Hua Sect who had come to watch him. His gaze was fixed on Baek-geom-ja, the Great Senior Brother.
Why was Seong-jin, who had never met Baek-geom-ja before, glaring at him as if he were a mortal enemy?
"That’s strange..."
It was truly a strange thing. Great Senior Brother Baek-geom-ja was the person who had taken charge of all the affairs of Mount Hua after the sect leader, Byeok-ha-nang-rang, collapsed. Despite his actions, he was so well-regarded and efficient that neither Byeok-ha-nang-rang nor the elders of Mount Hua had said a word against him. Naturally, he didn't have the kind of personality that would invite hatred, so it was incomprehensible why Seong-jin was showing such active hostility.
'Was he that angry about being turned away that day? I should take care of him separately as his older brother.'
Of course, that might not be the reason, so he would need to ask Baek-geom-ja about the situation first. After the match, Young-myeong returned to the inn where the Mount Hua Sect was staying, requested a private audience with Baek-geom-ja, and promptly went missing.