Chapter 33

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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**

Having missed the gray-furred Qiuer.

Plum Blossom Swordsman Sim Won glared at the Wudang Sect Taoists, who were sending haughty glances at them, and shouted.

“Why is the Wudang Sect obstructing the Mount Hua Sect’s affairs!”

“What do you mean by that!”

“What do you mean, we obstructed you?”

Hearing the Wudang Sect Taoists’ protests, Plum Blossom Swordsman Sim Won resolutely crushed the prickly feelings that tried to rise in a corner of his heart.

In truth, he knew it in his head.

He knew that missing the Qiuer was not the Wudang Sect’s fault.

He was not foolish enough to not know that his disciples had missed it because they had acted passively due to the order he had given to secure the Qiuer’s inner core intact.

However, the moment he admitted that, it would be tantamount to admitting his own incompetence.

Returning to Mount Hua after admitting incompetence and taking responsibility for the failure? There was no mercy for failed missions under Mount Hua’s strict discipline. In all likelihood, he would have to return the Plum Blossom Sword bestowed upon him.

Since that was the one thing he could not accept, Sim Won was also desperate.

“If only you people had not appeared, we would never have missed the Qiuer!”

At his words, a light similar to the one in his eyes flickered in the eyes of his other junior brothers who had formed the encirclement.

Sighing at the sight of the Mount Hua Sect, the Wudang Sect Taoists quietly chanted a poison-resisting spell and, ignoring them, headed toward the corpse of the Penghou.

They had already missed the Qiuer. In a situation where they had no confidence in catching the Qiuer again, whose tracks were difficult to follow, they had to at least secure the Penghou’s hide and blood to have something to say to their sect.

This time, before Sim Won could issue an order, his disciples stepped forward first.

“Stop! Are you trying to snatch the corpse of the monster that our Mount Hua defeated?!”

“Are you looking down on our Mount Hua Sect just because of the saying ‘Wudang of the South’?”

At those words, a disciple of the Wudang Sect’s Secret Arts Pavilion replied coldly.

“Since you belong to Mount Hua’s sword division, you must not know much about specters, but the blood flowing from the Penghou’s corpse is toxic. We must quickly detoxify the commoners collapsed over there right now. Moreover, on our way here, we sensed an unknown technique formation that interferes with the detection of demonic qi! Finding the source of that technique formation is also extremely urgent. So, stop obstructing us now.”

However, such words did not register with Sim Won, whose eyes were already blinded by greed for merit.

“Does Wudang dare to order our Mount Hua around? Furthermore, these specters were slain by the disciples of our Mount Hua! It is not for the Wudang Sect to bicker about!”

At Sim Won’s words, contempt filled the eyes of the Wudang Sect Taoists. At that moment, Sim Won recalled the words of his sect’s elders.

“-You will never know what it feels like unless you actually receive that haughty gaze that looks down on people for a long time.”

“-Those insidious things that expand their influence under the guise of chivalry. That is the kind of people the Wudang Sect is.”

It was exactly as they had said.

The look that the Wudang Sect disciples directed at them, the Mount Hua Sect, ignited a fire in the hearts of the Mount Hua disciples, including Sim Won.

On top of that.

“It seems that those who ignore poisoned commoners and only chase after the inner cores of specters are also recognized as prestigious righteous sects these days.”

At the razor-sharp words of the young Wudang Sect Taoist who radiated a carefree air, Sim Won felt the blood rush to his face.

“What did you say?”

Just as the atmosphere was about to turn hostile, the Beggars’ Sect disciples who came with Wudang stepped forward to mediate.

“Come now, why are disciples of prestigious righteous sects trying to fight each other? First, let us deal with the corpse of the specter and…”

However, there was no way those words would enter Sim Won’s ears, as his blood was already boiling.

“Silence! This is a matter between our Mount Hua and the Wudang Sect! The Beggars’ Sect has no business intervening!”

And immediately, Sim Won stood before the Taoist who had just spoken insolently.

“How dare you… No matter how great the Wudang Sect is, you insult Mount Hua? And that, right in front of us?”

“Am I wrong? This place, Yunxi County, is our Wudang Sect’s territory. You entered another sect’s territory without permission and wielded force, yet you discuss ownership of the specter’s corpse before offering an apology? Since the Mount Hua Sect clings so desperately to immediate gains, your future is truly bright indeed.”

At those words from the carefree Taoist, Sim Won snapped the last thread of his reason.

“You bastard!”

The Mount Hua Plum Blossom Sword at his waist began to spray its milky-white luster into the mountains.

**

I watched the sudden duel between Senior Brother Myeong-hun and the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Swordsman.

‘So that is the Twenty-Four Stances Plum Blossom Sword Art!’

My interest was piqued because Wudang’s secret, the Nine Palaces Shadow Sword, was also said to have been heavily influenced by the forms of the Twenty-Four Stances Plum Blossom Sword Art. And true to my expectations, the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Sword Art was formidable.

“Clang, clang, clang!”

Against Senior Brother Myeong-hun’s smoothly bending Four Symbols Flowing Sword, short and crisp sword strikes appropriately severed the key points of the sword forms.

‘The force waves of sword qi did not connect.’

The unique subtlety of the heavy sword characteristic of the Four Symbols Flowing Sword did not come alive. On top of that,

“Hup!”

The Plum Blossom Sword, thrusting in with anomalous rhythms, ruthlessly penetrated the gaps in the Four Symbols Flowing Sword, which boasted a wide sword domain.

‘He was no match in the recovery speed of internal force.’

Regardless of his narrow mindset, the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Swordsman seemed to possess a fairly deep internal force.

‘Is he at the… Elixir Condensation Stage?’

The pinkish energy faintly reflecting on the Plum Blossom Swordsman’s blade clearly overwhelmed Senior Brother Myeong-hun’s sword qi, which resembled a colorless haze.

It was the difference between a martial artist who had reached the Elixir Condensation Stage and a swordsman who remained in the Resonance Stage.

Since there was a difference in both the strength of internal power and the recovery speed, he was being pushed back in strength even before the exquisite precision of the sword forms could matter.

Even so, Senior Brother Myeong-hun was holding up well.

It was thanks to the continuous and unceasing sword forms unique to the Four Symbols Flowing Sword, as well as his training in the Slender Willow Flutter.

Even as the tip of the Plum Blossom Swordsman’s blade split into three, targeting Senior Brother Myeong-hun’s front, left, and right simultaneously, the senior brother’s toes twisted strangely, slipping between the split sword strikes.

“Hap!”

With a shout of spirit, he moved his sword smoothly, parrying the extending Plum Blossom Sword forms with the flat of his blade. In addition, a faint, net-like sword force continuously occupied the space around the opponent’s blade, slowing down the deployment of the sword forms.

However, the variations of the Mount Hua Plum Blossom Sword were endless.

The tip of the sword, which had split into three, shook again to become five, and the five split once more into eight, shredding the net of sword qi that Senior Brother Myeong-hun had spread. And finally,

“Slash!”

The tip of the sword grazed the Crooked Pond acupoint on the senior brother’s elbow.

“Ugh.”

Even though his acupoint was injured by a sword qi so deep that its internal force was visible in color, the senior brother did not let go of his sword until the end. However, he could no longer continue his sword strikes.

“They say the martial arts of the Wudang Sect are slow to mature. For someone who has not even reached thirty, you have accumulated a considerable amount of training.”

The Plum Blossom Swordsman scanned the senior brother, who was pressing the acupoint on his elbow with his left hand, with a triumphant gaze.

Although a grinding sound could be heard from Senior Brother Myeong-hun’s teeth, the Mount Hua swordsman, as if enjoying it, spoke with a strange smile on his face.

“However, it seems it cannot compare to the training of our Mount Hua. Although the world places your Wudang Sect above our Mount Hua, you had better train more diligently if you want to maintain that empty reputation.”

In addition to a tone that sounded like a superior lecturing a subordinate, the words that followed scraped a corner of his middle dantian,

“There is a saying that everything between heaven and earth has its owner. Will you admit that the owner of this specter is Mount Hua, not Wudang?”

At that moment, before I knew it, I took a step forward.

I set foot.

**

Myeong-hun was frustrated.

The appearance of having spoken the truth yet yielding due to being outmatched in strength.

The self-reproach for creating such a situation made his heart ache as if it were being torn apart.

“…Then we shall take possession of the Penghou’s corpse now. Surely you have no objections?”

He wanted to say something in response to those words, but the Jianghu was a world ruled by strength. No matter how right one’s words were, to achieve the way of chivalry and justice, strength had to support it after all.

‘Since I was outmatched… in strength.’

It was frustrating, but there was nothing he could do.

The moment a grinding rupture sound rang out from between Myeong-hun’s own teeth,

“Did you say Wudang Sect’s martial arts cannot compare to Mount Hua’s training?”

It was Yeon Baek-jung.

“Junior brother!”

At that moment, Myeong-hun tried to stop Yeon Baek-jung.

From what he had sensed, even though Yeon Baek-jung had achieved the Elixir Condensation Stage of the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art, the opponent was an elite swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect who had passed thirty and was close to forty.

There was bound to be a difference in their internal strength.

However.

“It is alright, Senior Brother. Please leave this matter to me.”

His junior brother grabbed his shoulder, gave a faint smile, and stepped forward.

‘Hmm?!’

He saw Junior Brother Yeon’s back.

The shoulders of his junior brother, which had been small enough to barely reach his chest when he first entered the True Martial Pavilion, had broadened reliably before he knew it.

**

“What is this?”

I gently rotated my shoulders at the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Swordsman’s question and spoke. Although the Plum Blossom Swordsman’s age was nearly similar to Senior Brother Myeong-jin’s, respectful language simply would not come out.

“I am Yeon Baek-jung, a disciple of the Wudang Sect’s True Martial Pavilion.”

“Yeon Baek-jung? Are you saying you cannot accept this result now?”

“Yes.”

At my firm reply, the Mount Hua swordsman tilted his head.

“Does Wudang not even teach etiquette to its disciples?”

“It seems Mount Hua does not teach its disciples about borders between sects either.”

At those words, the Plum Blossom Swordsman flinched.

This was Yunxi County in Hubei. Strictly speaking, it was the Wudang Sect’s territory. As I had said, Mount Hua had encroached upon Wudang’s territory from the beginning. Furthermore, the Mount Hua swordsman had pointed his sword at Senior Brother Myeong-hun first.

Unless they were fools, they would know.

With whom the justification lay in this situation.

Therefore, I pushed forward without hesitation.

“Furthermore, in a situation where disciples of prestigious righteous sects crossed swords, you did not even reveal your own name and affiliation. Such a person discusses etiquette? Is having ‘Double Standards’ (I am right and others are wrong) a habit of the Mount Hua Sect?”

At my words, the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Swordsman’s face flushed red.

Soon, the man took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“My name is Sim Won. I studied the Twenty-Four Stances Plum Blossom Sword Art under Mount Hua Sect’s Immortal Hyeon-in. My peers in the Jianghu call me Plum Shadow. Yeon Baek-jung of the Wudang Sect. Does your stepping forward now mean you intend to break our Mount Hua’s will through martial force?”

At his words, I nodded and spoke.

“I am Yeon Baek-jung, who studied under Wudang Sect’s Immortal Gangwon. I do not wish to engage in a battle of attrition, so circulate your qi.”

Once again, the true qi around Plum Shadow Sim Won’s body fluctuated wildly.

Yet, Plum Shadow Sim Won circulated his qi without another word.

It was right after his eyes swept over my chest.

When Sim Won, having calmed his breathing, opened his eyes again, an invisible flame seemed to have ignited in his eyes.

He slowly drew his sword.

I opened my fists and assumed the opening stance of the Four Symbols Wind and Thunder Palm.

Maintaining his middle-guard stance, the bastard spoke to me.

“I shall yield the first move.”

Was he trying to make up for having seized the first move from Senior Brother Myeong-hun earlier?

I snorted and replied.

“Yielding the first move is something a superior does for an inferior, is it not?”

At those words, Sim Won’s face turned beet red once more.

“You bastard!”

Plum Shadow Sim Won’s sword began to strike ferociously.

Although the first strike was a straightforward form of the Straight Sword Thrust, as it extended, the tip of the blade vibrated subtly.

The tip of the sword vibrated up and down like scattering plum blossom petals.

‘Two.’

The blade deceived the eyes as if it had split into two.

‘Did he synchronize the blade’s vibration with visual perception?’

It was an excellent method to hide one’s true intention while forcing the opponent’s focus onto the sword domain.

At the same time, a dense, pale pink internal power condensed on the two blades.

The sword force had assumed a color visible to the naked eye.

This was a feat only those with the dense true qi of the Elixir Condensation Stage could display—a lower stage of Sword Qi Materialization.

I immediately stepped into the side-step of the Flowing Cloud Movement Skill, sliding my body. At that moment,

With a soft whistling sound, the tip of the sword, which had been vibrating up and down, split into three, widening its sword domain.

And fragments of pink sword force scattered like petals.

He had seized control of the wide sword domain in an instant.

I tried to take a step back to escape the opponent’s sword domain. At that moment, the three split into five, and the five split into eight once more, coloring the entirety of my front vision with light pink sword light.

To the point where no space to dodge could be seen.

At that moment, the true formula of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition heated my Hundred Convergences acupoint, and the speed of the moving sword path gradually began to slow down.

It was not that the actual speed had slowed down, but that the speed of my thought and perception had accelerated.

Once again, I had entered the supreme realm.

And looking at the Plum Blossom Sword splitting in that realm, the first thought that entered my head was:

‘The Fibonacci sequence?!’