Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 621

Power flowed through the sword, smooth and strong.

He felt full of energy, from his shoulders to his fingers.

He felt he was in top condition today, even for himself. It’s usually hard to show all his skill in a sect contest. But today, he was using his sword even better than in practice.

His sword movements were very exact. He controlled his inner power perfectly, like measuring with a ruler. He felt like he controlled everything in the arena. He could sense it all.

He felt a thrill like he rarely felt. He even thought he could fight his senior brother, Mu-jin, in this condition.

And yet… Mu-yeon started to doubt. Why wasn’t he falling?

His gaze turned towards where Yoon-jong was. Yoon-jong was hard to see because of the sword energy. He looked like he was about to fall.

Mu-yeon wasn’t thinking too highly of his own sword power. Anyone who knew martial arts could see Yoon-jong was losing. But that fact only made Mu-yeon more confused.

‘Precarious?’ Didn’t that mean he was still holding on?

He was using his sword with all his strength. His sword was amazing today, but Yoon-jong was still withstanding his sword energy. And Yoon-jong was just a third-generation student from Mount Hua!

‘How is this possible?’

Mu-yeon knew Yoon-jong, the Mount Hua student, was indeed impressive.

Yoon-jong’s stance, his hard work, and his never-giving-up attitude were all amazing. Mu-yeon even wanted to be like him in those ways. But even if Yoon-jong was great, he couldn’t overcome the twenty years more experience Mu-yeon had.

If they were the same age, Yoon-jong might even beat him. But now, Yoon-jong shouldn’t be able to fight him. He just shouldn’t.

‘But why…?’ Why wasn’t he falling?

At that moment, Yoon-jong’s upper body swayed once more, as if about to break.

He swayed like a tree in a strong storm. But he quickly pulled his shaking body back, as if he fought against the wind.

He seemed about to fall, about to fall, but he didn’t fall. Never.

A strange feeling, hard to name, started to grow in Mu-yeon’s heart.

He was using his Supreme Clarity Sword Style with all his strength. Even among the best Wudang first-generation students, not many could survive the Supreme Clarity Sword Style when he used his full power. Yet Yoon-jong was enduring it.

Yoon-jong’s inner power should not be enough. His sword skills were not as perfect as his own. No matter how he thought about it, this was impossible.

Twitch.

Mu-yeon’s fingertip shook a little. His sword movements, which had been perfect, were now a bit off. The energy, which had flowed smoothly like water, now wobbled a tiny bit.

Martial arts are ultimately used by people. Even the best martial art loses power when you become impatient.

Worries started to disturb Mu-yeon’s mind, which had been calm like a lake during the fight. It wasn’t really Mu-yeon’s fault. Anyone would be surprised by something that goes against what they think is normal.

‘No!’

Mu-yeon quickly woke up from his shock. He tried to calm himself down. But it wasn’t easy to calm a mind that was already shaken. How could he become calm again when he kept seeing Yoon-jong, still holding on against his sword energy, like it was burned into his eyes?

“Huff!” Mu-yeon breathed out quickly and held his sword even tighter.

‘There’s no need to be impatient.’

He was winning completely. Just because his opponent lasted a bit longer didn’t mean the result would change. It was just delaying what was going to happen anyway.

So… But it was at that moment.

Inside the strong rush of sword energy, a sword, shaking hard, slowly appeared. It was like new buds growing on an old tree. And soon, from the tip of that sword, which seemed about to break, a flower with a faint reddish hue quietly bloomed.

‘Plum blossom?’ He had seen this before. Hadn’t Jo-geol shown a plum blossom flower in the last fight? But this plum blossom was different from Jo-geol’s. A bit more elegant, a bit more polished. But it wasn’t weak at all.

People don’t think of plum blossoms as strong. A flower that a child can easily crush, blown by the wind, falling in the rain, and not lasting long. The blooming plum blossom was easily destroyed by the waves of sword energy.

But it bloomed again. Even if it fell again and again. Even if it was crushed and withered, wouldn’t the plum blossom eventually endure the winter, wait for spring, and bloom again? The flower may be weak, but the life contained within the plum blossom is incredibly strong. That sword held that very life.

The plum blossom, blooming with life, caught Mu-yeon’s eyes and held them tight. It was like it was pulling him in. Mu-yeon’s eyes started to get bigger.

Watching the flower blooming from the tip of his sword, Yoon-jong gritted his teeth.

‘A little late.’

The Five Swords were the first to start learning the Plum Blossom Sword Style. And Yoon-jong was the last of the Five Swords to make a flower bloom. Baek-cheon’s flower was famous everywhere, Yoo I-seol’s flower quietly grew stronger, and Jo-geol’s sword flew freely. But Yoon-jong couldn’t even bloom half a flower. He knew he wasn’t as talented as them and could never be as good.

But Yoon-jong wasn’t really sad or angry.

‘Does a plum tree live just to make flowers?’ Some people might think so. They might say plum blossoms bloom, make fruit, and live to give that fruit to the next generation. That’s how life goes. But that’s just how the world works. Does a plum tree really live only to bloom flowers?

‘No, of course not.’

The way the world worked sometimes felt too much for him. Planning big things, thinking about the future, and preparing carefully were for other people. Yoon-jong was just trying to survive today. He couldn’t even think about tomorrow. He held on tightly to each hard day, trying not to be pushed back.

Wouldn’t the plum tree be the same? Does it have a big plan to bloom flowers? Does it have a huge goal to make fruit and give it to the next generation? It’s just surviving and living. The tough days keep going, and maybe it even gets things it didn’t expect.

So this flower isn’t so special. It’s just fighting not to be beaten by a hard life.

Splat!

His forearm skin ripped open from the sword energy, and blood sprayed everywhere. Yoon-jong’s body wobbled, hurt, and shaking. But his hand holding the sword stayed strong.

Even if he couldn’t feel his hand, he could still use the sword. Even if his shoulder felt like it was ripping apart, he could still use the sword. There’s only one way for a turtle to catch a rabbit.

To keep moving its short legs without stopping, even when the rabbit is resting or sleeping. For him, that short leg was his sword.

“Ugh…” A groan slipped out through his tight teeth. Even a plum blossom that others could bloom easily was very hard for Yoon-jong to bloom even one. He put all his effort into each one, making them as if he was carving them from his own soul.

Facing the rushing wave of energy, Yoon-jong’s plum blossoms, with all his power in them, were easily washed away.

Rumble! Rumble!

The wave of energy got stronger. The pure white energy spun around like a dragon going up a huge river. However, even in that strong energy, Yoon-jong’s plum blossoms showed their buds one after another. And then, many, many plum blossoms grew and gathered close together, side by side.

The plum blossoms, closed tight like they were in cold wind, strongly resisted the wave of energy.

Twenty-Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword Style (二十四手梅花劍法) Plum Blossom Endurance (梅花忍冬).

His plum blossom is not a flower that blooms brightly. It’s a plum blossom that quietly survives the winter and finally sees spring.

Many pale pink plum blossoms blocked the fast sword attack. The sword energy became stronger and more powerful, *hissing* as it pushed forward, but it looked less bright and dangerous than before. *Why is it weaker now?* Mu-yeon wondered, surprised.

‘Hold on!’

Taking root in the earth, their buds pressed together, they endure the biting, icy wind. That is the snow plum. A plum blossom that blooms in winter.

‘Endure!’

Finally, a great shout burst from Yoon Jong’s lips.

“Haaaargh!”

The steel-like plum blossoms withstood the torrent. Swaying and shaking, they stood firm, never yielding.

“This…!”

Surprised, Mu-yeon bit his lip hard.

It wasn’t a wall. Not a great mountain, nor a vast ocean. Just a plum tree blooming in the middle of a field.

But why couldn’t this sword energy break even that scrawny plum tree?

‘No!’

His eyes grew increasingly distorted, gradually turning red. Bloodshot eyes stared at Yoon Jong as if to devour him.

“Collapse!”

He poured out his energy.

“Break!”

He pushed back the sword energy.

“Break, you…!”

Even as he attacked, a sharp, blue energy, bright as lightning, shot out with a *hissing* sound from the tip of Mu-yeon’s sword, which was being pushed back.

“Ah!”

Then, Mu-yeon’s eyes widened. What he was looking at wasn’t Yoon Jong. It was a sharp, pure white sword energy following behind the torrent of sword energy rushing towards Yoon Jong.

Zzzzzzzing!

A sword energy that was clearly different from before sliced through the preceding sword energies and flew towards Yoon Jong.

“N-No…!”

Before the scream-like voice could fully escape his lips, the sword energy swiftly crashed into Yoon Jong’s plum blossoms.

Kwaaaang!

The ground shook. Dust flew everywhere. Blue sword energy and red plum blossom sword energy scattered in all directions. A massive storm of energy engulfed the sparring arena.

“Step back!”

“Kuh!”

The disciples of Wudang and the disciples of Mount Hua who were watching retreated in disarray. The explosion swept quite a distance, even reaching where they stood.

‘The result?’

‘What happened?’

Everyone sensed it. There was no going back. This match was decided now.

A moment later, the thick mist cleared, and the one standing would be the victor.

‘Who is it?’

‘Who is standing?’

Everyone held their breath. No one moved. They all stared at the dust, waiting to see who was standing.

Soon, the wind blew, pushing away the rising dust.

Only one person stood tall in the sparring arena.

“……”

Baek Cheon smiled and nodded.

‘It can’t be helped.’

The one standing was Mu-yeon. His face was pale, but he was clearly standing firmly on both feet.

On the other hand, Yoon Jong had dropped his sword and was kneeling on one knee on the ground, gasping for breath. To anyone who looked, the result of the match was obvious.

‘You fought well, Yoon Jong.’

What did the result of the match matter?

Baek Cheon looked back at the other disciples of Mount Hua. Seeing Yoon Jong kneeling, they were all gritting their teeth and their eyes were filled with tears.

‘Everything that needed to be conveyed has been conveyed.’

No one would be able to criticize Yoon Jong’s defeat. That was a defeat more valuable than a victory.

Just as Baek Cheon was about to open his mouth, Mu-yeon, who was looking down at Yoon Jong, calmly opened his mouth.

“What is a sparring match?”

“……”

“A sparring match is about comparing each other’s martial arts. And competing in each other’s cultivation.”

A faint smile appeared on his pale face.

“My sword was strong, but you are stronger inside. I focused too much on just the sword, not enough on myself.”

He shook his head slightly, then slowly extended both hands forward, palms together.

“I have lost.”

His voice was so calm as to be strange for someone declaring defeat. Everyone’s mouth dropped open.

“……Lost?”

Baek Cheon also widened his eyes.

What was he saying?

Anyone could see that Mu-yeon had won the fight. But why was he stepping forward to admit defeat?

It seemed that Baek Cheon wasn’t the only one feeling that bewilderment.

“What are you talking about, Mu-yeon! You won! Everyone saw it!”

A loud voice erupted from the Wudang camp. It was Heo San-ja.

“Elder.”

Mu-yeon shook his head slightly and spoke calmly.

“Please do not embarrass me further.”

His gaze, reaching Heo San-ja, was terribly serene.

“Even if it were someone else, there’s no way the Elder wouldn’t have seen it. Isn’t that so?”

“What are you talking about!”

Heo San-ja raised his voice as if he still couldn’t accept it. Mu-yeon looked at him and said.

“In the sparring match just now, I couldn’t overcome my impatience and used a killing move against someone who was two levels below me.”

“You….”

Heo San-ja’s eyes widened as if he had lost his words.

He wasn’t surprised by the words ‘killing move.’ He was shocked that he had said those words in a place where so many people could hear.

Sure enough, small whispers began to be heard from the surroundings.

Mu-yeon spoke in a firm voice without wavering.

“This is something that should never happen in a sparring match meant for learning from each other. I will go to the Repentance Cave as soon as I return. It seems I have long forgotten that there was something more important than the sword.”

“This….”

Heo San-ja gritted his teeth, but Mu-yeon turned his gaze away from him without any hesitation and looked at Yoon Jong.

“Thank you for letting me know.”

“……I don’t think I did anything like that.”

“It’s not just words that convey things. I learned something truly great from your attitude.”

Mu-yeon smiled faintly.

“When I shake off this confusion in my heart, let us spar again.”

Yoon Jong nodded silently.

Mu-yeon smiled and clasped his hands in front of him.

“I have learned well.”

“……I have learned well.”

Watching Mu-yeon’s back as he turned away without regret, Yoon Jong let out a quiet sigh.

‘So that’s what a disciple of a prestigious clan is like.’

He admitted defeat frankly and left no regrets. He was like flowing water, just like the sword he used.

Plop.

In the end, unable to endure, Yoon Jong collapsed on the spot and stared blankly at the sky.

A clear sky without a single cloud was looking down at him.

‘Anyway, I endured once again.’

It would continue. Today would lead to tomorrow.

And someday, to the future where he would shine.

It was the moment when Yoon Jong, the third-generation disciple of Mount Hua, achieved a dignified victory against Mu-yeon, the first-generation disciple of Wudang.