82 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 82 A short while later, Hyun-do emerged outside and was greeted by the orderly line of Plum Blossom Sword Practitioners assuming horse stances in the training yard. A proud smile spread across his face. "It’s a pleasing sight." He then whispered to Chun-hui, who stood beside him. "Was it you who taught them?" "Yes," Chun-hui replied, scanning the practitioners who were sweating profusely, having reached their limits. "Their basics were a mess." "Haha, that’s how it is for everyone," Hyun-do commented softly, remembering his own initial struggles. It’s typical, he mused, for one to become lax in foundational training upon learning more advanced martial arts and techniques. People naturally gravitate towards visible results, such as sword energy, while neglecting the invisible—like basic physical endurance. "Master!" Just then, the practitioners noticed Hyun-do and began shuffling to greet him, but were halted by Chun-hui’s intervention. "Not yet. Hasn’t been an hour." "Listen to what Chun-hui says," Hyun-do reinforced. Their expressions turned somber, realizing their ploy to take a short break had been foiled. Hyun-do engaged them with a gentle query. "How long have you practiced?" "An hour," they replied, glancing pleadingly at Hyun-do as if asking for mercy. "Why so short?" he feigned surprise. The practitioners’ mouths hung open in disbelief. ‘Master! That can't be right!’ ‘How can an hour be too short?’ No one practiced horse stance for an entire hour! They had thought Chun-hui was the toughest, but here was someone even more formidable. However, Hyun-do's continued words silenced them. "Didn't you ensure Seol-ran and Jeok-geum practiced for at least half a day?" "They had no foundation at all, so it was necessary." The starting points for Seol-ran, Jeok-geum, and these practitioners were vastly different. "And soon, I plan to move beyond just the horse stance—there's a limit to its effectiveness," Chun-hui hinted, much to the practitioners' silent relief. "Hmm, already?" questioned Hyun-do. "I won't be here forever, so I must teach them suitable martial arts," Chun-hui replied. At that moment, some of the practitioners collapsed to the ground. "Heck, heck." "It finally ended!" Chun-hui gazed down at Cheon-yoo, who lay spread-eagle on the floor. "Brother." Cheon-yoo looked up helplessly at Chun-hui, streaming with sweat. "Haha, disciple. I’d like to rest a bit." "I was about to teach some staff techniques. But if you're not interested…" "What? Staff techniques?" Cheon-yoo shot up, and Chun-hui's chilling gaze met him, changing his expression entirely. "Ah, haha. Well…" "That’s enough," Chun-hui interrupted, raising a hand. "This is the staff technique—watch closely." Before he finished speaking, a purple energy emanated from his outstretched, pristine white hand. "Jaha Divine Power...?" Cheon-yoo rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but the energy in Chun-hui’s palm remained unchanged. Suddenly, an indescribably intense force whirled from Chun-hui’s hand, pressing against the surrounding space. Boom! The air burst apart, leaving behind a deep handprint etched into the earth, from which purple energy continued to flow long after the demonstration ended. 'It's like the Jaha Sword Technique...' Cheon-yoo swallowed hard, eyes darting between Chun-hui and the handprint. "Wha-what kind of staff technique is that?" "You’re asking for its name?" Chun-hui paused. He had crafted this technique specifically to maximize Cheon-yoo’s Jaha Divine Power, thus it had no official name. 'I’ll just make one up.' Drawing from his thoughts, he declared, "Jaha Divine Palm." "Jaha Divine Palm?" Cheon-yoo’s eyes wavered. "Had there always been a palm technique for Jaha Divine Power?" "I'll recite the incantation." "Wait a moment." Cheon-yoo quickly memorized the incantation as Chun-hui began reciting it without delay. Hyun-do, observing Chun-hui's demonstration from afar, noted something remarkable in his eyes. "So, he has seen the Jaha Sword Art." The technique Chun-hui displayed resembled the Jaha Sword Art so closely. "Was it found in the Sect's archives, or is it another of Chun-hui's creations?" Hyun-do mused, shaking his head. Whether it was from the archives or Chun-hui's innovation hardly mattered. After all, Chun-hui was a disciple of the Hwasan Sect. "It’s indeed a blessing for our sect." While Hyun-do smiled, Chun-hui continued to teach each practitioner individually, providing personalized martial arts training. Sword techniques, sabre techniques, palm techniques, leg techniques, footwork... The arts Chun-hui demonstrated and taught were vast and numerous. 'If they master just the arts shared with them, they’ll find few equals in the world.' After teaching everyone, Chun-hui finally approached Cheon-geuk. "You have a question for me, don’t you, senior brother?" Cheon-geuk’s eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?" "You seemed restless, wanting to speak." "I recently achieved the Sword Echoing state." "That’s quite a swift accomplishment." Chun-hui remained composed, though inwardly surprised. Not long ago, Cheon-geuk couldn't execute the Plum Blossom Sword Technique properly, much less achieve Sword Echoing. Yet, after a few days downriver, achieving the Sword Echoing state was impressive. ‘He might be the most talented among them.’ "To achieve such progress swiftly is indeed notable." "Haha, it’s all thanks to you, disciple." Cheon-geuk smiled gently, naturally pleased with his achievement. Within just a fortnight, he had surpassed the progress made in three months of training. "About that, disciple. When do you think I can reach the state of Illusory Sword?" "What?" Chun-hui scrutinized Cheon-geuk closely. "It should be possible now." "But I’ve never achieved it before." "That can’t be." Chun-hui narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "Try performing the Plum Blossom Sword Technique." Cheon-geuk quickly grasped his sword. As he executed the technique, inner energy and the Plum Blossom Sword filled the training yard, a faint scent of plum blossoms lingering in the air. "Not like that," Chun-hui chided. Cheon-geuk was startled. "But I followed exactly as the manual stated, if this isn't it then..." "That’s why it’s peculiar." "What for?" "Why does the Hwasan Sect’s sword technique cause plum blossoms to appear and release fragrance?" "Because it’s the Hwasan Sect's sword art, after all…." Chun-hui's gaze turned icy. "You didn't seriously believe that, did you?" "..." "Sigh." Cheon-geuk shrank back under Chun-hui’s exasperated sigh. "Of course, if you cultivate the Plum Blossom Heart Sutra's inner strength and then learn the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, you can eventually produce the Sword Echo and Sword Petals if you reach a certain level. That's how the technique is designed." Chun-hui shook his head. This was what happened when martial arts were practiced superficially without understanding. "But the important thing is to comprehend and execute the martial arts, not just mimic them. Otherwise, you end up with a half-baked technique, like your recent attempt." "Understand?" Cheon-geuk asked. "Yes." Chun-hui lifted the sword while it was still sheathed. "Watch closely with your own eyes." With fluid movements, the dark sheath moved from left to right, encircling Chun-hui. It was the Plum Blossom by the Road, the first form of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique that Cheon-geuk had just performed. "This is how it looks when you swing blindly like the manual. It’s identical, right?" Cheon-geuk unknowingly nodded. "And this is..." The sheath danced in Chun-hui’s hand. The firm and unyielding Plum Blossom by the Road suddenly transformed, becoming as light as petals drifting in the wind. As if mesmerized, Cheon-geuk watched the sheath sway softly. 'A plum blossom?' A deep fragrance of plum blossoms filled the air. "This is the proper Plum Blossom by the Road." "How can you produce the scent without deploying inner power...?" Cheon-geuk was taken aback by the wonder. "That’s just the way it is." Chun-hui remained indifferent. "The founder of Hwasan Sect must have been obsessed with plum blossoms; all martial arts are related to them. Therefore, if Hwasan's sword techniques are executed correctly, the sword emits a fragrance." Cheon-geuk was stunned. To hear the founder described so lightly. "Disciple, you can’t speak of the founder like that..." "But it’s true, isn’t it?" The founder’s identity was unknown, but it was certain he must have been obsessed to inscribe plum blossoms into every martial art he created. And it wasn't just the sword techniques and mental cultivation. It extended to staff techniques, footwork—even ground techniques. Unless utterly fixated on plum blossoms, such martial arts could not have been invented. "Anyway," Chun-hui continued his interrupted explanation, "even though the sword emits a fragrance, it’s not a real scent. And when the petals bloom, they aren’t actual flowers, either." "You mean..." "Presence and absence coexist." Cheon-geuk fell into contemplation. As a Daoist, he was well-versed in the concept of presence and absence—Laozi’s philosophy of contemplating the laws of nature from the perspective of opposites. ‘Why bring that up now?’ His questions were dispelled as Chun-hui raised his sword. In an instant, Chun-hui swung the sword. Whoosh— Plum blossoms adorned the air. Beautiful yet deadly plum blossoms. "The crucial thing is not presence and absence itself." Chun-hui’s sword halted. In that instant, the plum blossoms vanished. "Having conjured an illusory fragrance, how could one not produce illusory flowers?" "…!" Cheon-geuk was thunderstruck. Indeed, it was as Chun-hui said. The sword’s fragrance and petals were illusions. Yet he had fixated solely on the petals. "The crucial thing isn’t presence and absence." Cheon-geuk’s demeanor transformed. The uncertainty he had been grappling with vanished as he gripped his sword firmly. "Oh, you understood that quickly?" Chun-hui’s eyes revealed surprise. He was impressed that someone with minimal inner power and an ordinary body possessed such keen insight when it came to martial arts. "Is what you said true?" Just then, Hyun-do hurried over. "You said the sword’s fragrance and petals are the same?" Hyun-do was also shocked by Chun-hui’s explanation, having overhead the conversation. Traditionally, the Hwasan Sect taught that after the sword’s fragrance, the petals would bloom. But Chun-hui insinuated that the fragrance and petals were inherently the same. "Well..." Chun-hui was about to respond when— Bang! The main gate burst open, and Hyun-jin, who had been outside, rushed in urgently. Hyun-do addressed him, using his foot technique to close the distance. "What's going on—" But his words were cut short. Hyun-jin shared startling news before he could finish. "Master, the Zhongnan Sword Sage has arrived at our sect!"