Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 306

Yoo Iseol quietly gazed at the man standing before her.

‘Paeng Gyeong, was it?’

His name didn’t stick in her mind. It wasn’t that she ignored him. Names were not important to her.

What mattered was his sword skill and what kind of fighter he was.

‘Fast.’

Her heart beat a little faster. She tried to stay calm, but it was hard to keep a clear head on the sparring stage.

Yoo Iseol took a slow, deep breath.

She calmed her racing heart and looked at Paeng Gyeong’s huge sword.

It looked heavy and strong.

The Paeng family’s sword style was about power, speed, and weight.

Power was the most important. If you met that heavy blade head-on, you would win or lose right away.

‘I must not only look at my sword.’

She remembered what she was taught: a sword must work with its user and the fight.

A sword used without thinking about the enemy is just showing off.

Finally, she calmed her mind completely, and Yoo Iseol slowly drew her sword.

*Shing*. The sound of her sword leaving its sheath was sharp and clear, cutting through the quiet air. As she held the sword, her mind became clear.

Since she was old enough… no, even before that, had there ever been a day she didn’t have a sword in her hand?

“I am Paeng Gyeong of the Northern Sea Paeng family.”

“I am Yoo Iseol of the Mount Hua Sect.”

“Mount Hua has been doing well. I guess your sword is sharp too, young lady.”

Paeng Gyeong smiled a little and raised his sword, pointing it at Yoo Iseol.

“Beat me, young lady, and everyone will know your name. But do you really have what it takes?”

Yoo Iseol quietly looked at Paeng Gyeong.

That man didn’t understand.

“I never asked for it.”

“Hmm?”

“Fame, that is.”

Yoo Iseol slowly lowered her sword.

“…Is… is she going to be okay?”

Yoon Jong asked, worried without thinking. He knew it was bold to worry about Yoo Iseol. No matter how he looked at it, Yoo Iseol was stronger than him.

Everyone knew Yoo Iseol was one of the best fighters in Mount Hua, second only to Baek Cheon.

Chung Myung? He didn’t count, he was cheating.

Yoon Jong glanced at Chung Myung and then looked back at Yoo Iseol.

‘She’s so much smaller.’

Yoo Iseol wasn’t short, but Paeng Gyeong was huge. They looked like an adult and a child.

“Is this really going to be alright?”

Before even thinking about sword skills, he worried if Yoo Iseol’s sword could handle the force of that big man.

“Chung Myung.”

“What?”

“Do you think Sa-go will win?”

Chung Myung smirked.

“Why? Are you worried she might lose?”

“He’s so big. Can she really handle that?”

“That won’t happen.”

“Huh?”

“There’s no way that sword demon would allow it.”

Chung Myung chuckled.

He remembered when he first met Yoo Iseol, she had been chasing after Chung Myung like a shadow.

Her love for the sword was stronger than anyone else in Mount Hua. And she didn’t just love it, she lived it.

‘It was like that back then, too.’

Yoo Iseol had climbed Yeonhwa Peak before Chung Myung, who had gone to train alone early in the morning when everyone else was asleep.

Before that, and after that too.

Yoo Iseol never missed a single training session.

Even during Chung Myung’s hard training, when the others were tired and passed out, she always slept less to train more.

Chung Myung looked at Yoo Iseol with new eyes.

‘More than just a love for martial arts…’

He didn’t know why Yoo Iseol was so determined to make the plum blossoms bloom again. Even Chung Myung couldn’t know what was in her heart.

But he knew one thing for sure.

Even if Chung Myung hadn’t come, and Mount Hua had fallen apart, Yoo Iseol would have stayed and died as a ghost of Mount Hua.

The others might have left.

Baek Cheon, who would risk everything to beat Jin Geum-ryong, might have joined another group instead of Mount Hua.

Jo Gul, who had joined Mount Hua without much thought, would have gone back to his family.

Yoon Jong might have stayed in Mount Hua. He only wanted to repay the sect. Even after losing his home, he might have stayed with the sect leader to rebuild Mount Hua.

But Yoo Iseol would have been different.

Even if the disciples of Mount Hua left and scattered, Yoo Iseol would have stayed in Mount Hua and died there alone.

She would have found a place in Mount Hua and walked that lonely path, endlessly, even if no one asked her to.

A very lonely path where no one would guide or help her.

“She might not be strong enough,”

Chung Myung looked at Yoo Iseol with deep eyes.

“But she is more than qualified to be a sword master. More than anyone else in Mount Hua.”

Jo Gul, who was listening, looked at Yoo Iseol with new eyes.

‘Sa-go.’

The way she held her sword was like a beautiful painting to Jo Gul.

“Hoo.”

She took a few short breaths.

Yoo Iseol, now completely calm, looked at Paeng Gyeong with empty eyes.

Paeng Gyeong said.

“I will let you make the first move.”

“Yes.”

She wouldn’t waste time on pride. What mattered was beating her enemy and using her sword fully.

Tap.

Without a shout, she ran at Paeng Gyeong and stabbed her sword straight out.

It wasn’t a fancy move, but the speed and perfect form made it like a secret skill.

Whoosh!

The sword cut through the air towards Paeng Gyeong’s neck.

“Hmph!”

Paeng Gyeong seemed surprised by the speed and pulled his sword back, using the wide blade to block his neck.

Sreuk.

And then.

Yoo Iseol’s sword, moving quickly, made a smooth curve, dodged Paeng Gyeong’s blade, and sliced past his thigh.

*Thwack*. The sound was sickeningly wet. A spray of dark red blood burst from Paeng Gyeong’s thigh, staining the ground. Paeng Gyeong frowned and stepped back.

He looked down quickly at his leg. Blood was already spreading on his clothes, blooming like a dark flower on his thigh. The cut wasn’t as deep as he first feared, but it was still worrying because it happened so easily, with just one hit.

‘What kind of sword is that…?’ he thought, his eyes narrowed.

For a sword moving so fast to change direction without slowing down seemed almost like magic.

‘A Sword Demon?’ The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

Yoo Iseol’s sword was unlike any Mount Hua sword he had ever seen. Mount Hua swords were known to be fancy and powerful, but Yoo Iseol’s sword was different. It looked plain and made for fighting, not for show.

‘I’ll be in real trouble if I’m not careful.’

Completely abandoning any thought of underestimating his opponent, Peng Gyeong gripped his dao even tighter.

“I apologize for underestimating you…”

At that moment, Yoo Iseol’s sword darted towards Peng Gyeong’s face once more.

“Hmph!”

Clang!

Peng Gyeong sucked in a breath, raising his dao to deflect Yoo Iseol’s sword. No matter how fast she was, there was no way her frail wrists and light sword could penetrate his dao.

His great dao weighed a hundred geun alone. Most swords would shatter upon impact.

“Taha!”

Having deflected Yoo Iseol’s sword, Peng Gyeong leaped forward, following her retreating form and unleashing a burst of red dao energy.

Five Tigers Severing the Gate Dao.

Fierce Tiger Leaving the Cave.

He used the ‘Five Tigers Severing the Gate Dao’ technique. This move was called ‘Fierce Tiger Leaving the Cave.’ He swung his dao down, rushing forward like a tiger jumping out of a cave. It looked simple, but because his dao was so heavy and strong, this simple move became very powerful and direct.

Kwaaaang!

The dao struck the ground.

The heavy dao crashed into the bluestone floor. It didn’t just crack; it exploded. Pieces of stone flew up like angry bees.

“Nowhere to go!”

Peng Gyeong pushed off the ground, chasing after Yoo Iseol, determined to hit her.

He thought about swords and daos. Swords might be fancy and quick, but daos were strong and smashed things. Against a fancy sword like Mount Hua’s, the best way to win was to use raw power and not get confused by its quick movements.

Peng Gyeong actively utilized his strengths.

Yoo Iseol retreated, and Peng Gyeong charged.

No matter how fast Yoo Iseol was, the one retreating could not be faster than the one charging forward.

The distance between the two rapidly closed.

Placing Yoo Iseol within his range, Peng Gyeong stamped down with a fierce vibrating step. He stomped as if to shatter the floor, putting that force entirely into his dao, swinging it as if to bisect Yoo Iseol’s waist.

Yoo Iseol raised her sword to the side, using the flat of the blade to block Peng Gyeong.

“Samae!”

Baek Cheon, horrified, leaped to his feet.

To block such a thick dao, filled with such force and inner strength, with the flat of the blade rather than the edge was an act of utter recklessness.

He could almost see Peng Gyeong’s dao, having broken the sword, tearing into Yoo Iseol’s waist.

One.

Grrrk.

The moment Peng Gyeong’s dao made contact with the flat of the blade, Yoo Iseol tilted her sword diagonally, deflecting his attack.

At the same time, her body spun lightly into the air, following the sword.

“Huh?”

A gasp went through the watching crowd. Peng Gyeong stepped back, his eyes wide with surprise.

A look of bewilderment was evident on Peng Gyeong’s face. He had never imagined that his strike could be deflected so easily.

But Yoo Iseol did not stop there. Even as she spun, she swung her sword, slicing across Peng Gyeong’s chest.

Peng Gyeong, horrified, pulled his body back, but already a long, shallow wound marked his chest. Fortunately, it was only a superficial injury, but the situation was enough to send a chill down his spine.

Unknowingly retreating, Peng Gyeong stared at Yoo Iseol with an expression of utter astonishment.

‘She deflected that?’

In truth, the result was nothing extraordinary. She had simply raised her body to match the horizontally swung sword.

However, if she had made even the slightest mistake at the moment the sword and dao met, her sword would have shattered. And his dao would have cleaved her waist in two.

It was something that one could not even attempt without considerable courage. And yet, she had done it so naturally.

Cold sweat began to bead on Peng Gyeong’s forehead.

…Was Samae this skilled?

Peng Gyeong was not the only one who recognized the greatness in Yoo Iseol’s movements.

Baek Cheon, too, stared at Yoo Iseol in astonishment.

He knew she was strong. He had felt Yoo Iseol’s strength enough while sparring with her from time to time.

But this was different.

Regardless of the level of martial skill, Yoo Iseol possessed something that Baek Cheon did not. The current Baek Cheon could not even imitate the move that Yoo Iseol had just shown.

Apart from whether he could do it or not, he did not even dare to attempt it. Who would dare to attempt something where their life could hang by a thread with a single mistake?

At that moment, Baek Cheon heard Chung Myung’s quiet voice.

“Training is done to be displayed in actual combat.”

“…”

“Sago is the one who knows that best.”

Chung Myung said in a low voice.

“A swordsman must maintain a sharp, knife-like rationality in any situation. She is different from those Sajuks and Sahyungs who get excited and run wild over nothing. That is why Sago must be recognized as a swordsman.”

Baek Cheon nodded at Chung Myung’s words.

Indeed, there was no way to deny this.

However, one thing bothered him…

“Aren’t you the one who gets most excited and runs wild during sparring?”

“…”

Chung Myung subtly gestured towards the sparring arena with his chin.

“Don’t talk nonsense and watch the sparring properly.”

“Are you dodging the question?”

“…”

Chung Myung did not answer.

Yoo Iseol lowered her sword.

‘Clumsy.’

She managed to pull it off, but it wasn’t perfect. If it had been perfect, that chest would have been marked with a deep wound, not a light scratch.

But that was alright.

Her sword would become even more perfect.

And someday…

Yoo Iseol’s eyes lowered.

After taking a short, deep breath, she clearly focused on Peng Gyeong and stepped forward.

Taht.

Yoo Iseol’s body, propelled by her kick against the floor, shot towards Peng Gyeong like a meteor.

“This…!”

Peng Gyeong gritted his teeth.

Even though he was a little surprised for a moment, he thought it was foolish for a sword fighter to attack a dao fighter head-on when the dao fighter was ready.

“How dare you!”

Peng Gyeong, his eyes bloodshot, charged to meet the oncoming Yoo Iseol.

“I’ll cut you in half!”

His dao, imbued with an immensely powerful dao energy, fell swiftly towards Yoo Iseol’s head.

And at that moment.

Paaang!

Yoo Iseol’s sword struck Peng Gyeong’s dao with a speed invisible to the eye.

‘Foolish!’

Peng Gyeong poured even more inner strength into his dao, pressing down on Yoo Iseol’s oncoming sword. If they fought head-on with strength, there was no way Yoo Iseol could withstand his destructive power.

Peng Gyeong’s dao, imbued with red dao energy, and Yoo Iseol’s sword, imbued with red sword energy, collided in mid-air.

And at that moment.

Kwaaaaang!

With a tremendous explosion, Yoo Iseol’s sword was thrown backward.

“Taap!”

Peng Gyeong’s hand gripped the dao with a surge of strength.

He did not miss the opportunity and brought the dao down with all his might towards Yoo Iseol’s head.