Thud!
Chung Myung refreshingly stretched his body as he watched Baek Cheon collapse once more to the ground.
"Ah, it feels like I've been relieved of a ten-year-indigestion."
Chung Myung smiled as he looked at Baek Cheon, who was completely out cold and unable to move.
"I did my best."
Although a bit heavy-handed, Chung Myung beat Baek Cheon without leaving any lasting injuries on his body. Even though he fainted, he would be fine once he woke up. Though, the pain would linger for around a day.
"Right, it feels comfortable to just beat up your problems like this!"
Chung Myung turned around. Whether Baek Cheon and the others could compete in the conference wasn't Chung Myung's problem.
"… no."
Come to think of it, he didn't want to see the Southern Edge bastards act triumphantly in front of him.
"Hmm. So how—ackk! Shit! You shocked me!"
As Chung Myung was squatting and contemplating, he was suddenly startled and quickly escaped to the side. Yu Yiseol had appeared in front of him, squatting and staring without warning.
"A-ah seriously! Are you a ghost!?"
He had to do something about her. If this kept happening, again and again, he was bound to die from a heart attack before Mount Hua could even revive.
"Announce yourself when you appear! Say something!"
"I did!"
"When!"
"Before, when you were beating him."
"…"
Chung Myung glanced at Baek Cheon, who was laid out like a corpse and turned to Yu Yiseol.
A soft smile on her lips.
"You saw that?"
"Yes."
"You saw everything?"
"Only from a little while ago."
"Hmm."
"Are you going to kill me?"
"No, that's a bit too far."
She always goes for killing and murder.
Chung Myung closely examined Yu Yiseol's head.
And tilted his head.
"What?"
"No, I just thought that if I slapped the back of your head a little, you might forget what you saw. Amnesia or something."
"… I forgot."
"Really?"
"Yes. I forgot everything."
She's dull but has great survival instincts.
Chung Myung narrowed his eyes as Yu Yiseol spoke.
"Instead, teach me that sword."
This woman never gives up! What is going on in her head?
He had barely escaped before, but it wasn't possible anymore. Hadn't she even seen Chung Myung happily beating Baek Cheon? He couldn't hide his skills anymore.
Then, he should change his strategy.
Chung Myung took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Why do you want to learn it?"
"…"
Maybe it was an unexpected counterattack because Yu Yiseol slightly flinched. She looked at Chung Myung with a somewhat shocked expression. To show such an expression on her face…
'She's the kind that can't lie.'
Yu Yiseol hesitated for a moment and then opened her lips.
"I cannot tell you the reason but…."
Yet, there was sincerity in her hesitancy.
"I need to master that sword art."
Chung Myung looked at Yu Yiseol.
'I don't think she's interested merely because she thinks it's pretty.'
There was a certain eagerness in her eyes. She was safeguarding a story that gave birth to her stubbornness. A tale that Chung Myung hadn't the faintest idea about.
"So, you want to learn that technique?"
Yu Yiseol decisively nodded.
"You don't need to."
"Huh?"
"It was originally Mount Hua's sword art. If you wait, you will naturally be able to learn it."
"… Mount Hua no longer teaches it."
"Oh?"
She knows that it no longer exists in Mount Hua?
Then, she recognized that the sword Chung Myung unfolded was the Plum Blossom Sword technique. To be precise, though, it was Chung Myung's variation of the Plum Blossom Sword technique.
Chung Myung nodded.
"Yes. It's not in Mount Hua right now."
"…"
"But it'll be back soon. Once the time is right."
"Time?"
Chung Myung looked at Yu Yiseol. Instead of answering her question, he stretched his hand out and pointed at the sky.
Soon, Chung Myung's finger smoothly cut through the air.
At first, Yu Yiseol tilted her head as if she couldn't understand the gestures. Soon, however, she realized that his hand was drawing a sword path and observed it seriously.
"Yue Maiden Sword?"
"That's right."
Yu Yiseol gasped upon seeing Chung Myung's gestures.
It was definitely the Yue Maiden's Sword.
The technique that she had polished and honed for the longest time.
However, Chung Myung's Yue Maiden Sword differed from Yu Yiseol's. Rather than a difference in the movements, there seemed to be a more fundamental difference.
When the variable short and long hand gestures ended, Yu Yiseol sighed quietly.
"Did you understand?"
Yu Yiseol shook her head.
"No. I don't understand a thing."
The moment Chung Myung was about to say something, Yu Yiseol spoke up first.
"But it'll be my task to figure it out. I think I know what you are talking about. You mean that I can't begin learning it unless I reach a certain level, right?"
"Yes."
"I must lay the foundation by refining what I have now."
"You are good."
Yu Yiseol nodded.
"I know."
Chung Myung looked at Yu Yiseol.
'I thought she was dumb, but I guess she has a good head.'
After all, the mind and the personality are separate things.
"Right. But, if you tell anyone about what happened here today, I will never teach you."
"I won't speak a word about it."
"Very nice. That's a good girl."
As Chung Myung nodded, Yu Yiseol narrowed her eyes.
"I am your senior, and you are my junior."
"I know, I know. Right, good girl."
"…"
Chung Myung could see Yu Yiseol's hand tightly clenching her sword.
Chung Myung quickly turned around.
"Then, until we meet again, Sago. Don't come to me before then. It's annoying."
"Excuse me…"
Yu Yiseol reached out and tried to catch Chung Myung, but he didn't wait around and immediately headed down the mountain.
"Ah! And throw that idiot inside his room. If you leave him there, he will just die of shock when he gets up."
Yu Yiseol sighed at Chung Myung's words which echoed from afar.
'Plum Blossoms.'
The tip of Chung Myung's sword released the Plum Blossoms.
A sight she had been unable to see despite all her time spent in Mount Hua.
Just…
Yu Yiseol closed her eyes.
The sword moved inside her mind. The tip of the sword smoothly sliced through the air before shaking; then, it began to release brilliantly bright and clear plum blossoms.
Plum Blossoms.
At the end of the sword
The man holding that sword.
'Father.'
-I will certainly restore this technique. One day, I'd like to return to Mount Hua and repent for my sins with this. Yiseol. Come with me. There's no place better than Mount Hua.
Yet, he didn't manage to make the plum blossoms bloom fully in the end.
But now, right in front of her, was a person who could make it happen.
"I must learn it."
At all costs.
Bang!
Chung Myung sprinted through the door of the White Plum Blossom Boarding Hall.
"Eik!"
"He's here!"
And was met with a strange reaction.
"What?"
Although it was early morning, it seemed like Yoon Jong and Jo Gul were waiting for him on the first floor.
"It seems like your training has gotten a bit too comfortable. Are you here to check up on me?"
"No, this place was a mess!"
"Huh?"
"Baek Cheon Sahyung was missing, so the Sasuks all came and checked this place out."
Those disgusting bastards.
Why would they come to this dorm if Baek Cheon went missing? Did they think Chung Myung kidnapped him?
Ah.
'I didn't think about that. I could have kidnapped him and beat him up in secret.'
It seemed like some intelligent kids were mixed in with the second-class disciples.
"They're tossing accusations out without any proof. It pisses me off."
Hearing those words, Yoon Jong smiled.
"I guess it wasn't you! Thank god—"
"They were right, though"
"…"
'If they were right then why are you getting offended!? Why!?'
No, that wasn't important.
"You were with Baek Cheon Sahyung?"
"Yes."
"Wait, I guess… this isn't what I think it was right?"
"What do you think it was?"
Yoon Jong smiled a bit awkwardly.
"It's unlikely. I know you're a very thoughtful person, so what I am thinking about probably didn't happen, but I hope that you didn't decide to hit Sahyung's face or punch him in the stomach like you said before…."
"What's the difference between the two?"
"Attacks to the face add bonus damage."
Jo Gul nodded in agreement as if acknowledging the truth of that statement. Chung Myung waved his hands in the air.
"Eh. It isn't like I am some kid."
"N-No. Right. Chung Myung! This Sahyung always believed in you. No matter how crazy you are, you wouldn't hit our Sasuk.'
"I didn't hit him."
"Right!"
"I beat the shit out of him."
"Right. Shit out of him. Baek Cheon is already a shitty person—what?"
Yoon Jong's face trembled.
"Beat?"
"Yes."
"Who? Our Sasuk?"
"It's a j–joke, right?"
"No way. Am I a person that jokes about a beating?"
At that moment, Yoon Jong rushed to Chung Myung at the speed of light and shook him by the collar.
"Hey, you crazy dog! Do you always have to do your best, even when you're causing trouble!? What do we do if he tells someone what happened!? This is all because you don't understand how serious the crime of assaulting a senior within the same sect is.
"Oh, my god!"
Chung Myung kicked Yoon Jong.
After lightly disposing of Yoon Jong, Chung Myung caressed his neck.
"I already know all that. There won't be any problems, so quit worrying. Don't you know how I handle things?"
"… I know. I know."
Yoon Jong said slowly.
"Oh, my God. Even if you've lost your mind, this is too much. How can you hit our Sasuk? There are some sins that should never be committed."
"When did he ever follow rules?"
"Ugh…"
Yoon Jong groaned at the cruel truth which emerged from Jo Gul's lips. Tears stung his eyes when he thought of what would happen in the morning.
"What is with this atmosphere? Do you think I would handle this situation poorly?"
"… so, what did Sasuk say?"
"He asked me to make him stronger."
"What?"
Both Yoon Jong and Jo Gul looked at Chung Myung in shock at that unexpected answer.
Chung Myung slowly asked them.
"How is that?"
"…"
"…"
The two looked at each other.
'Does this make sense?'
'No, thinking about it, not a single thing makes sense here anymore.'
'But…even Sasuk?'
'We are Sahyungs…'
A widow knows how another widow feels. Since they suffered similarly, they could understand how Baek Cheon felt when he said that.
"S-so what did you say? Did you agree?"
"No. I just beat him up."
"You beat him?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.
"Does there need to be a reason? To feel relieved. I just beat him until I felt better."
"…"
At that moment, Yoon Jong regretted not training hard before Chung Myung arrived. If he had the chance to return to his past, he was confident that he would train without a moment's rest until the moment Chung Myung appeared.
Only then would Yoon Jong be capable of smashing Chung Myung in the face, at least one time.
It was then that Yoon Jong realized there was no way to stop a madman from running amok if that man was powerful.
"Don't worry about anything and just go to sleep. You'll find out the results once you wake up."
"…"
"Sleep tight."
Chung Myung moved upstairs, while Jo Gul and Yoon Jong sighed deeply.
"… do you think it's true?"
"There's one thing I realized about Chung Myung."
"What is it?"
"Even if he speaks bullshit, he never lies."
"… what a great thing to realize."
A very great thing. You bastard.
"But Sahyung."
"Yes?"
"Doesn't this mean that Baek Cheon Sasuk attacked Chung Myung first?"
"…"
"Isn't that how it is?"
"He'll speak bullshit, but he doesn't lie."
"It sounds unbelievable. But even Baek Cheon Sasuk got beaten."
"The one that did it was Chung Myung."
"… that sounds convincing."
Yoon Jong shook his head and looked up at the stairs Chung Myung had used.
There was a monster dwelling in the White Plum Blossom Boarding house.
Where was Mount Hua heading? Mount Hua…
Yoon Jong wanted to cry.