"You should call me Sago, I am your Sago"
"So what?"
"You need to respect your seniors."
'Forget that. You are more like a ghost!'
Chung Myung sighed in frustration.
It was ridiculous that she had such a faint and hazy presence. Certainly, the world is a large place, it's not strange that such a unique constitution exists, but her mind was also weird.
In fact, Chung Myung highly specialized in detecting the presence of others with his qi. If you simply used your five senses instead, then it wasn't impossible to keep track of her.
The real problem was something else.
"Just why are you following me like this!?"
"Is that how you should ask?"
"… senior."
Chung Myung felt a deep sadness in his chest.
'If the Sahyungs saw me now, they'd fall over gasping for air at the hilarity of this situation… no, they might even cry while laughing.'
Maybe they'd even clap their hands until they break. That was how great this sight was.
Chung Myung had to respectfully address a girl who is even younger than the granddaughters of his peers. He felt as though he had attained enlightenment, as he saw the world openly mocking him and showing him the futility of his actions.
Would the world be fine if he decided to stray from the path and abandon these rules?
-No, it wouldn't, you bastard!
Ah, seriously, come on!
Chung Myung took a deep breath and looked at Yu Yiseol.
"So, why? Why do you keep following me!?"
"Hmm?"
"… senior."
Yu Yiseol raised her eyebrow in discontent.
Honestly, it looked like she was trying to slightly intimidate him, but it looked cute on her.
'She isn't cute just because I'm old.'
As Jo Gul and the rest of the third-class disciples said before, she was a beauty. If she had a more colorful expression and didn't give such a cold impression, then she would attract several times more attention than she does now.
What an unfair world for people to care so much about appearances. Well, Chung Myung was also famous for his great looks in the past…
Ah, fine! Fine!
"That sword."
Yu Yiseol said while looking at Chung Myung.
"The sword which creates Plum Blossoms."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Chung Myung acted dumb.
It wasn't something that could be understood if explained, and he didn't have a reason to speak either. It was annoying how she'd constantly pester and follow him, so it was better to simply escape.
"I don't know what I did, and I don't know what you are talking about so don't waste your ti—"
"Teach me."
"—me and go…?"
Chung Myung was shocked.
"What was that?"
"Teach me."
Chung Myung narrowed his eyes.
'Is this the reason she followed me?'
He thought that she would create trouble by telling others that he secretly learned some sword techniques outside of Mount Hua or blackmail him, but he didn't expect such words to emerge.
Now he was curious.
"You know what it—…no. I don't know what you're talking about."
Yu Yiseol slightly bit her lip.
"I'll tell the sasuks."
"Go ahead. It'll be good if they believe you."
"I'll tell the sect leader too."
"Sure, sure. Do whatever you want."
Chung Myung clenched his nose with one hand and waved with the other.
'Let's see if they believe you or not.'
Who would believe that Chung Myung, who entered Mount Hua less than a year ago, could perform the Plum Blossom Sword?
What would the sect leader say?
'Haha. It seems like our Yu Yiseol has had a difficult time during her closed room training. I'll find a good physician for you.'
That would probably be what he says; she would be lucky if they didn't toss her out of the room.
"Teach me, and I won't tell anyone."
"I'm telling you. I don't care who you tell."
Chung Myung smiled.
"So, don't interfere with other people's training and go away. Because of you, I can never get any practice done."
Go away, okay?
Just go! You are like a leech!
Chung Myung, who was about to retort again, went dumb at Yu Yiseol, who stared and said.
"You aren't going to teach me?"
"Excuse me. Sago (female senior of a higher level)."
"Huh?"
"You are the sago, and I am the sajae. What could I even teach a Sago? Rather, I should be learning from you."
"…"
Yu Yiseol flinched at Chung Myung's words.
'Oh, that seemed to work.'
Since she kept emphasizing her seniority from the moment they met until now, this might work…
"There are no hierarchies when it comes to learning."
"…"
No, where the hell did she learn to think like this? Did the Baek disciples have some Confucian teachings within them? How dare Confucianism enter into our precious sect!
"So, teach me."
"No, because I have nothing to teach you!"
Chung Myung bluntly cut her off.
"I don't know what Sago could have seen, but it must have been a dream. Or maybe it was a fantasy? Otherwise, you must have been overworked and hallucinated. I have no idea what Sago is even talking about! So stop with this and leave me alone."
Chung Myung cut off her words which made her narrow her eyes.
"I couldn't have been wrong."
"No, that is just nonsen—"
"Because I have seen it before."
"Before…"
Chung Myung's eyes lit up.
"What?"
The atmosphere around Chung Myung changed as he glared at Yu Yiseol with sharp eyes.
A sword that makes plum blossoms bloom.
The Plum Blossom Sword technique.
There are numerous sword arts in Mount Hua which were modeled after plum blossoms.
However, this technique does not merely mimic the shape of plum blossoms; there were only a few techniques that could truly make plum blossoms bloom.
And there was no way that it could be passed on to normal disciples. At the very least, one had to be an elder, and it was only transferred from a master to his disciple when the master felt that their disciple was worthy.
However, on that fateful day in the past, all the elders of Mount Hua died. Nobody could have predicted that they would be annihilated, so none of the elders had passed their techniques onto their disciples.
That is to say.
If someone could make plum blossoms, it must mean that they learned the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword technique.
And the only place where the sword technique was currently being taught…
"What is your relationship with the Southern Edge Sect?"
As Chung Myung spoke in a sneer, Yu Yiseol tilted her head.
"Southern Edge?"
"…"
"Why Southern Edge?"
Is she not related to them?
Chung Myung stared at her face. No matter how he looked for signs of deceit, he could only see confusion in its place. If she was just acting, then she would do better by giving up the sword and becoming an actor in a drama group. She could even perform in front of the emperor.
However, Chung Myung didn't think that Yu Yiseol had the brain to control her expression so perfectly.
Chung Myung was losing it.
'But.'
Even if she was a spy of the Southern Edge Sect, there was no way that she could have seen anyone perform the Plum Blossom Sword technique. The Plum Blossom Sword technique has a deeper meaning only when combined with Mount Hua's cultivation method.
… they couldn't have stolen that too, right?
No!
Chung Myung, who returned to his casual smile, shrugged his shoulders and asked.
"You saw it before, what do you mean?"
Now Yu Yiseol's face darkened.
"A very long time ago."
Yu Yiseol looked up at the dark sky as if recalling old memories and spoke again with a stern face.
"Teach me."
"I'm telling you that I don't know what you're talking about."
"Is that so?"
Yu Yiseol nodded her head.
'Has she finally given up?'
Thank Go—
"Then there is nothing I can do."
Srrng!
Yu Yiseol unsheathed the sword from her waist as Chung Myung looked back in horror.
"Ah! W-What is up with you so suddenly!?"
"You're not going to teach me, right?"
'What's wrong with this crazy bitch!?'
Who draws their sword just because somebody won't teach them swordsmanship? What the hell were these Baek disciples being taught?
"You're drawing your sword just because I won't teach you?"
"It's because you are right."
"What?"
"I am the senior, and you're the junior."
"…"
"So, I need to educate you properly."
Yu Yiseol raised her sword and aimed it at Chung Myung. Seeing that, he smiled.
'No wonder the Baek disciples aren't close to her.'
Of course, they weren't. Because she was absolutely insane!
'Isn't her obsession with the Plum Blossom Sword technique weird too?'
"I'm coming!"
"What coming!? Don't come!"
But there was no way this mad woman would listen to Chung Myung. Yu Yiseol quickly ran towards Chung Myung with her sword pointed straight.
"Ah!"
Chung Myung quickly retreated with the wooden sword in his hand as the sword of Yu Yiseol arrived before him.
"No! what kind of Sago would attack their Sajae with a real sword!"
"Because you are stronger than me."
Huh? That is true, isn't it?
No, but what makes her believe that?
She couldn't possibly have known that. How strange. She clearly had the wrong impression, but Chung Myung couldn't even correct her because she ended up with the correct answer.
Phat! Phat!
Just like Chung Myung had seen before, Yu Yiseol's sword was light and had a brilliant elegance to it.
It pierces sharply and bends gently. The sword shakes like an illusion before lightly stabbing in again.
Mount Hua's Sword.
Since returning to Mount Hua, Chung Myung had seen many swords. He had seen the Baek disciples', Un Geom's, and sometimes he had the opportunity to see the elders' swords as well.
However, the sword unfolding before him now was closer to the true source of Mount Hua than any of the others he'd seen.
Just seeing this swordsmanship made him feel strangely sentimental.
Why?
'Because her movement resembles the past Mount Hua? If not—'
"Move!"
At that moment, Yu Yiseol's sword came to pierce Chung Myung at the speed of light. Chung Myung turned his head and narrowly avoided it.
Swosh!
Several strands of his hair lightly drifted to the ground.
"EEEikkk!"
Was this crazy bitch really going to stab him?
"Have you gone insane!? If I didn't avoid that, I would have died!"
"There's no way that you wouldn't have avoided it."
"Why are you so confident in me!?"
What is wrong with her head? Why doesn't she think like normal people?
No wonder she has such a pretty face but no friends!
But there was no time for conversation.
Yu Yiseol's sword began to sharpen as she closed in on Chung Myung. Still, it would be easy enough for him to deal with it.
Ugh… if he could attack, that is.
If Chung Myung turned Yu Yiseol's attack against herself, then she would go from being confident in his skills to a hardcore fan of his. He needed to find some way to subdue her without getting hurt and without showing his ability.
Swish!
"I said don't do that, woman!"
"It's Sago!"
"What kind of Sago tries to kill her junior! Just what is wrong with your brain?"
'Oh my! My ancestors. This is how far our Mount Hua has fallen!'
Chung Myung, who was lamenting his fate, frowned for a moment.
Perhaps it was because he was able to leisurely observe the incoming attacks despite their conversation, but he could see Yu Yiseol's movements slowly changing. As if her eyes were drunk and losing focus, her sword began to deviate from the set path.
'Oh?'
Enlightenment in the middle of a spar?
'Even Jo Gul couldn't achieve that.'
Jo Gul could be considered the best in Mount Hua in terms of swordsmanship talent.
'No.'
Chung Myung stretched out his wooden sword and helped the deviating sword return to the proper path.
Achieving enlightenment meant entering a trance-like state and finding their one true sword. If you intervened without the confidence or ability to handle it, then it was possible that the enlightened state could be shattered immediately; in the worst case, they may even receive a backlash and die.
Ordinary people would have rushed to retreat without daring to get involved.
But Chung Myung could anticipate and understand the sword's path at each moment and lead the sword in the best direction.
'Not there. Right, this side. No no, I said here.'
Tuk! Tuk!
Chung Myung would stretch out his sword and tap Yu Yiseol's sword, leading it to the correct path. The only thing that could be done in such a situation was to let it flow…
"What are you doing!? You bastard!"
Chung Myung turned his head to see who suddenly intervened.
Baek Cheon, who seemed to have lost his mind in anger, rushed to him at a frantic speed.
Ah… why the hell are you here!? You damn brat!