Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 495

A triumphant laugh burst from her lips. “Yes!”

Tang Soso bent her knees lower, like a wildcat ready to pounce. She lowered her stance, her sword aiming sharply for the opponent’s neck.

Clang! Clang! Sparks flew as the swords hit. The opponent’s face showed clear fear as he just blocked her attack.

Fighting for real is very hard. It’s not like practicing when you are calm. In a real fight, you get nervous. You could kill someone, or they could kill you. It’s almost impossible to stay completely calm. But a true sword master must try to do this.

“Relax your wrist, focus on your toes,” someone advised.

“Yes!” Tang Soso replied. Even if you can’t stay calm inside, you must control your body. This is much better than just trying to be tough.

Tang Soso took deep breaths to slow her heart. *I’m still not good enough,* she thought. The others had been training with swords since they were children. Even though Chung Myung changed how Mount Hua trained, their old training still helped them. Un Geom also taught them the basics well. Tang Soso was still learning the basics. Even though she was talented and her teachers, Yoo Iseol and Chung Myung, were excellent, she still couldn’t be as good as her senior brothers yet.

*So,* she thought, *I won’t rush.* Trying to be better than them right away would be like being too proud and not respecting their hard work. Everyone at Mount Hua trains hard and takes swords seriously. *Even if it takes many years, I will catch up one day.*

Chung Myung had once told her, “Look at the plum blossoms. Not every flower opens at the same time. Some bloom early, some bloom later. But the late flowers are just as beautiful. Don’t be sad if you bloom later than others.”

Tang Soso’s sword movements became calm and controlled. They were still fast and sharp, but she was no longer impatient.

“Good,” Yoo Iseol said quietly, and stepped back a little. Just that small step showed how much Yoo Iseol trusted Tang Soso as a sword master.

Tang Soso understood. Yoo Iseol was saying, ‘I trust you. I believe you can handle this.’ Tang Soso bit her lip, feeling the weight of that trust. It wasn’t just about being protected. She was more than just ‘Tang Soso, daughter of the Dang family,’ or ‘Tang Soso, the doctor.’ *I am a sword master of Mount Hua,* she thought fiercely.

From Tang Soso’s sword, a plum blossom technique began to form, though it was still rough. It wasn’t perfect or strong yet. But it was definitely a plum blossom. Like real plum blossoms, each one unique, this was Tang Soso’s own plum blossom, blooming for the first time right here.

Yoo Iseol’s lips barely curved upwards. For someone who never showed emotion, it was almost a huge smile. But then, *Whoosh!* Yoo Iseol moved like the wind across the snow. She couldn’t just stand and watch. She also needed to fight and become stronger. Real fights were rare chances to test her skills.

Unlike Tang Soso’s powerful attacks, Yoo Iseol’s sword moved smoothly and gracefully, confusing her enemies. *Swoosh! Swoosh!* Her blade was like moonlight cutting through the dark, finding the weak points of her opponents as if playing with them. It was so precise. Her sword was like her – but also different. It was precise, but gentle, sharp, but relaxed.

“Aaargh!” one enemy cried out.

Yoo Iseol easily pushed aside a clumsy block. Her sword flashed upwards, cutting the enemy’s shoulder in a swift move. *Swoosh. Swoosh.* She quickly struck above their wrists and knees, stopping them from fighting instantly. Her face showed no emotion as she moved on, her sword never pausing.

To anyone watching from a distance, it was beautiful and amazing. But for those facing her sword, it was pure terror.

Yoo Iseol’s cold voice snapped Tang Soso out of her daze as she watched the amazing sword fight.

“Focus!” Yoo Iseol commanded.

“Yes!” Tang Soso answered, gritting her teeth and running after Yoo Iseol. She had to protect Yoo Iseol’s back.

“…What is happening?” Go Jin-ak muttered, his eyes wide as he looked around. He saw his men falling back. No, they weren’t just falling back – they were being completely defeated.

*How is this possible?* he thought in shock. He had rushed here as fast as he could. But how could a few young people, who weren’t even many, be winning so easily? *This isn’t defeat yet,* he told himself. *We have so many more soldiers. They can’t fight us all.* But the fact that they had lost control, even for a moment, amazed Go Jin-ak. *Is Mount Hua really this strong?* He had never even heard of them before. But he couldn’t think about that now.

*Whoosh!* No one can think about anything else when a sword is coming at their face. Go Jin-ak was terrified and dodged quickly. But he wasn’t fast enough. The sword cut his cheek, and blood poured out. A burning pain, like fire, cleared his mind of all other thoughts. Go Jin-ak turned to face his attacker, standing tall.

“Don’t think I’m weak enough to be distracted!” he yelled.

Baek Cheon stared at him coldly. “Worry about yourself first, before you worry about your men. Or you will fall before they do.”

Go Jin-ak’s face went white with anger. “You are being disrespectful!” he spat.

“I’m just telling the truth,” Baek Cheon said calmly.

“You…” Go Jin-ak felt completely humiliated. He clenched his teeth, gathering his inner power. Frost started to cover his sword, turning it pure white. “I’ve changed my mind!” Go Jin-ak roared. “Even if you begged for mercy, I would never let you live!”

“That’s fine,” Baek Cheon replied. “I wasn’t going to ask for mercy anyway.”

“You bastard!” Go Jin-ak screamed and charged forward with his sword.

Snow crunched under their feet. The air was biting cold, making their breath mist in front of them. But Gojinak’s face was red with excitement, while his sword was very cold and still. Seven lines of sword power flew at Baek Cheon at once.

They aimed for his face, stomach, both shoulders, and legs all at the same time.

One.

Scritch scritch!

Baek Cheon was not one to be easily defeated. The tip of his sword seemed to tremble lightly, and then a dozen pink flower buds seemed to bloom in the air.

Clang! Kakakang!

The flowers accurately blocked the incoming lines of sword power.

It wasn’t a showy, spinning attack. It was just the right defense, nothing extra needed. It was the most direct sword skill, with no wasted movement.

“Kuh!”

Gojinak’s sword relentlessly cut through the air.

Strong sword power, like a cold wind, ripped through the air and came down on Baek Cheon. It cut, poked, and swung as if to completely destroy all the falling snow.

Cold Sword Shattering Snow.

It was Gojinak’s most confident sword technique and a masterpiece of the Northern Sea Ice Palace’s swordplay, the Twelfth Form of the Glacial River.

The sight of the pale white sword power raging fiercely in the air resembled a white whirlwind.

But Baek Cheon’s eyes, facing this, showed not a trace of fear.

‘No.’

No matter how showy and complex the sword technique, it couldn’t impress him at this level.

Look.

Within the raging sword power, like a swirling storm, there were subtle gaps everywhere.

‘This isn’t it.’

That guy’s sword is different.

Even while scattering sword power that couldn’t compare to this, there wasn’t a single empty spot. Compared to the terrible feeling he had facing that other sword, this attack was not even a bother.

Baek Cheon resolutely thrust his sword forward, filled with inner power.

Swaeeeeek!

The sword, gleaming with white light, pierced through the storm of sword power as sharply as sunlight shining through the clouds.

“Gasp!”

Gojinak, seeing the white sword suddenly thrusting through the sword power, rolled his body in horror.

He stopped only after rolling around in the snow for a while, and then stared at Baek Cheon with disbelieving eyes.

He had dodged Baek Cheon’s sword in a way that would usually be embarrassing for a fighter. But now, he didn’t feel embarrassed at all.

Only vague questions filled his mind. ‘How?’ His pride was hurt, but more than that, he was truly confused. He had never felt so helpless.

He swallowed hard and then abruptly stood up.

This wasn’t a friendly match. There was no guarantee that the opponent would kindly explain if asked, nor was there a guarantee that his head wouldn’t be separated in the meantime.

He stopped thinking Baek Cheon was weak. He gritted his teeth and ran at Baek Cheon again.

“You bastard!”

Baek Cheon’s eyes, watching him, were coldly sinking.

‘A chief of the Myriad Man Clan?’

No, not even close.

It wasn’t that the Ice Palace was inferior to the Myriad Man Clan, but at least Gojinak hadn’t reached that level.

‘This isn’t enough.’

He needed a stronger opponent. To grow even more.

So…

Paaaah!

Before Gojinak could even reach him, Baek Cheon’s sword power shot towards him.

Kaaang!

“Kuh!”

The heavy sword power powerfully struck Gojinak’s sword, threatening to break his wrist.

Kaaang!

Once more!

Kaang!

And yet again.

Gojinak’s charging momentum faltered.

Hwaaaah!

Then, with a sound like the wind blowing, hundreds of pink plum blossoms seemed to burst into existence around Baek Cheon, a beautiful and deadly cloud.

“Ah…”

It was truly a splendid and magnificent sword technique. Gojinak was momentarily stunned. For a very brief moment, a fleeting moment, one might say.

And Baek Cheon did not miss that fleeting moment.

Swaeeeeek!

A lightning bolt fell through the scattering plum blossoms. The sword that pierced through the plum blossoms struck Gojinak’s sword in the blink of an eye, sending it flying.

The sword, soaring into the air and spinning around, was helplessly planted into the ground.

Plop.

Gojinak stared blankly at the sword that had left his hand and was stuck in the snow.

“You…”

Crack!

Baek Cheon’s sword had already pierced Gojinak’s shoulder.

Baek Cheon’s cold eyes and Gojinak’s bloodshot eyes met in the air.

“…”

“I have learned well.”

Plop.

With Baek Cheon’s greeting, Gojinak knelt on the spot. Baek Cheon casually swung the drawn sword in the air.

Fwoosh.

The blood on the sword scattered on the snow. Baek Cheon glanced at the fallen Gojinak and moved on.

“Next.”

At Baek Cheon’s calm words, the Ice Sword Squad all flinched and involuntarily took a step back.

“The, the Chief…”

“He’s strong… Too, too strong.”

Having completely seized the initiative, Baek Cheon advanced rapidly with the intent to finish off his opponents.

“…”

At Baek Cheon’s calm words, the Ice Sword Squad all flinched and involuntarily took a step back.

“The, the Chief…”

“He’s strong… Too, too strong.”

Having completely seized the initiative, Baek Cheon advanced rapidly with the intent to finish off his opponents.

Chung Myung, who was watching the performance of the Mount Hua disciples from a short distance away, stroked Baek Ah with an awkward hand.

“Dongryong won… Yoon Jong and Jo Gul are fighting well… Lee Seol is, of course, beyond words, and Soso is fighting well too.”

Heo heo.

At this rate…

“…There’s nothing for me to do?”

Usually, I’d deal with them moderately, and when they started to push back a bit, I’d appear with a ‘ta-da’ and…

No, well…

“Did I raise them too well?”

Chung Myung, who had become just an observer, quietly squatted down in his spot. And, looking disappointed, he muttered.

“…I should have brought something to eat.”

It’s cold just sitting still.

Ugh, it’s cold.