Hwasan Sect’s Genius Swordsman Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“I’ll ask one last time, what will you give?”

Mu Hwi’s smiling eyes as he asked politely.

To others, it might have looked like the gentle smile of a Taoist, but in the Daejeong Sect Leader’s eyes, it was nothing but a malicious, cunning smile.

‘Damn it, he wants me to offer something that can’t be gained from this match?’

Actually, there was something that came to mind immediately.

The six pills of Gonghundan (空薰丹) that he had recently purchased with their help.

One of these had been consumed by Ga Se-in a few days ago, and he had planned to give the remaining five to Ga Se-in once every two years.

It was prepared in advance to raise Ga Se-in to become a late-stage foundation-level disciple comparable to the current Six Dragons. Then the Daejeong Sect’s reputation would rise even higher.

He had spent a fortune to obtain them, but now they might end up in someone else’s hands.

[Yeonho Wanderer, can you win?]

[Are you asking me if I can defeat a mere late-stage foundation-level disciple?]

At Yeonho Wanderer’s curt response, the Daejeong Sect Leader clenched his fist with sweaty palms.

It was now all or nothing.

“Would five pills of Gonghundan be sufficient? Their value in gold would be equivalent to another right.”

The Daejeong Sect Leader wagered all five Gonghundan pills from the start.

He didn’t dare offer just two or three pills, fearing what that snake-like young Taoist might say.

“Gonghundan…”

It was an elixir that could grant up to five years of inner power when consumed. And there were five such pills. It was curious how they obtained them, as they weren’t easy to acquire even with money.

But Mu Hwi quickly lost interest and looked at Im Muguk. Im Muguk nodded and shouted.

“The Seonhwa Sect accepts the proposal!”

Upon Im Muguk’s acceptance, the Daejeong Sect Leader brought a wooden box containing the Gonghundan from his office.

He placed it on a platform at one corner of the arena. His fingertips trembled as he did so.

The winner of this final match would claim this wooden box.

Though Yeonho Wanderer would surely defeat Mu Hwi and retrieve the box, he couldn’t understand why he felt so uneasy.

‘Don’t be anxious.’

No matter how he thought about it, it was impossible for a mere late-stage foundation level disciple to defeat Yeonho Wanderer. Mu Hwi wasn’t even one of the famous Six Dragons.

As the Daejeong Sect Leader returned to his seat, the final match had already begun.

“Would you like me to give you three moves? As your senior in the martial arts world, I’ll do so if you wish.”

At Yeonho Wanderer’s words, Mu Hwi shook his head while gripping his sword.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“Are you sure? My sword technique might be too much for a young late-stage foundation-level disciple to handle.”

“Where in this world is there martial arts that’s easy to handle?”

Yeonho Wanderer.

A warrior who was fairly skilled with the sword in Shaanxi. Having faced him in a previous life, Mu Hwi knew him somewhat.

‘Back then, I was the senior.’

Of course, the Sword Devil hadn’t said such things about giving three moves advantage. He just crushed him, though he remembered that Yeonho had endured quite well. If his sword hadn’t broken against the Dokgo Sword Technique, he might have lasted ten more moves.

‘I wonder how much he’s improved since then.’

Mu Hwi lightly kicked off the ground, closing the distance in an instant. Simultaneously, his sword blade turned red. He intended to test the inner power he had gained from eating the wild ginseng slightly.

Red sword energy that glowed brilliantly like plum blossoms.

Seeing Mu Hwi’s sword coming first, Yeonho Wanderer also lightly raised his sword energy.

Mu Hwi’s sword slashed diagonally.

What seemed like a single sword strike split into dozens at its end.

The red sword shadows bloomed brilliantly, filling the martial arts arena. When Mu Hwi’s wrist trembled, the sword shadows divided even more finely.

As dozens of sword shadows intersected, the view before them instantly turned red.

The tendons on Yeonho Wanderer’s hand holding the sword bulged.

His magnificent diagonal sword strikes from both sides tore through the sword shadows pressing in from three directions.

Though he had swung his sword six times in that instant, there were still sword shadows he hadn’t managed to cut.

Clicking his tongue, Yeonho Wanderer explosively drew out his inner power and shot out a horizontal, crescent-shaped sword energy.

“Hmm?”

Yeonho Wanderer, who thought he had completely shattered all the sword shadows, felt a sting and brought his hand to his cheek.

There was blood on his fingertip.

Though shallow, he had clearly been cut.

He had drawn blood in the first exchange with a late-stage foundation-level disciple.

‘There was a sword strike I missed?’

Meanwhile, Mu Hwi’s sword suddenly thrust out, precisely targeting the gap when the sword was being swung.

The sword that was stabbing toward the shoulder suddenly tried to cut the thigh and waist, and just when he thought he had blocked the sword, a terrifying swift sword was already pressing toward his chin.

Mu Hwi’s figure had vanished, and only countless ghost-like sword strikes filled Yeonho Wanderer’s eyes.

‘How can a late-stage foundation level disciple’s sword…’

Mu Hwi’s swordplay was brilliant and swift.

Moreover, its mysterious changes, where it was difficult to distinguish between real and fake moves, felt almost supernatural. This was truly the sword of Hwasan.

But above all, his swordplay is precise.

His movements and techniques reflected not just talent, but the passage of time—something that couldn’t be achieved by talent alone.

Yeonho Wanderer’s breathing grew hot.

Though he couldn’t identify Mu Hwi’s true identity, he was certainly no ordinary late-stage foundation-level disciple.

Gripping his blade firmly, Yeonho Wanderer unleashed his Yeonho Sword Technique (攆虎刀法) with full force, as if facing a life-or-death enemy.

True to its name of Chasing the Tiger, each move of the Yeonho Sword Technique was a vicious technique filled with killing intent.

As Yeonho Wanderer composed himself and properly displayed his technique, the sharpness of his sword strikes became noticeably fiercer.

Swoosh!

His sword struck at the shoulder with fierce momentum, but Mu Hwi easily avoided it with a slight twist of his shoulder.

However, this seemed to be a trap as the sword was then violently swung toward Mu Hwi’s front.

As dense sword strikes poured toward his face, Mu Hwi advanced without hesitation.

“Gasp!”

“Oh my.”

To the spectators’ eyes, it looked as if Mu Hwi had thrown himself toward the incoming blade.

Yeonho Wanderer’s sword was like the attack of a fierce beast charging with raised claws.

Yet it couldn’t even graze Mu Hwi’s body.

In just three steps, Mu Hwi reached a point-blank range of Yeonho Wanderer. To Mu Hwi, who had seen through the movements and connections of the Yeonho Sword Technique, it was like taking a casual stroll.

Yeonho Wanderer, unable to even withdraw his sword, drew in a sharp breath.

‘His sword technique is decent, but his movements are still too big.’

Mu Hwi’s eyes, carrying killing intent, precisely identified the gaps in the techniques, and at that moment, his inner power was rushing through his meridians.

The distance between the two men was too close to extend their weapons.

As Yeonho Wanderer hurriedly moved his left hand, Mu Hwi’s left hand had already struck.

Inner power exploded from the shoulder well point through the curved pool point at the elbow, bursting out all at once from the labor palace point in his palm.

It was a slightly different use of inner power from the usual Falling Flower Palm.

Mu Hwi experimentally incorporated the mysteries of the Infiltrating Strike Palm and Line-Breaking Palm into the Falling Flower Palm.

Palm force with a power unseen in the normal Falling Flower Palm struck Yeonho Wanderer’s left chest.

Bang!

Yeonho Wanderer’s vision blurred momentarily from the impact on his chest.

While the Falling Flower Palm typically spread widely through various meridians, Mu Hwi’s version had a narrower range but penetrated deeper into the meridians.

Yeonho Wanderer clutched his chest as he was pushed back. Though he quickly drew up his inner power to protect his internals, the palm force broke through.

Scraaape!

Yeonho Wanderer had to stab his sword into the arena floor to stop his sliding body. He only managed to stop after leaving deep sword marks in the arena.

‘Need to refine it more.’

It would be foolish for a Wanderer to stick only to the sword.

Famous swordsmen of the martial world considered their empty hand as another sword and never neglected efforts to use it in various ways.

Swish!

Even while adjusting from the Falling Flower Palm, Mu Hwi didn’t stop his sword. He had no intention of giving Yeonho Wanderer time to catch his breath.

Yeonho Wanderer raised his sword again, not even having time to wipe the blood trickling from his lips.

“Haah!”

Yeonho Wanderer sprang up from his crouched position. The previous strike had made him forget Mu Hwi was a late-stage foundation-level disciple.

Spinning like a geyser, Yeonho Wanderer simultaneously unleashed four sword strikes targeting both shoulders and thighs.

‘That must be the Four Children’s Fierce Fangs.’

The ultimate move of the Yeonho Sword Technique, Four Children’s Fierce Fangs (四子凶牙).

A technique where sword strikes pour in from different directions, extending to the solar plexus in the center to mutilate the opponent’s entire body.

In his previous life, he had shattered all four sword strikes simultaneously with a single strike of the Dokgo Sword Technique.

Now, how should he break it this time?

Mu Hwi’s wrist turned as his sword drew a circle. Within that circle, countless sword shadows emerged like blooming flower petals.

Falling Plum Garden.

The qi from the Four Children’s Fierce Fangs tore through the sword shadows that spread in all directions like blooming flowers.

But the sword shadows continued to pour out endlessly.

With each ripple of the sword tip, the sword shadows flourished.

Before anyone realized it, Mu Hwi’s sword shadows were filling half the arena.

It looked like a red tide.

The sword shadows didn’t simply block the sword strikes but reversed and gradually twisted the connection of the Four Children’s Fierce Fangs.

The Four Children’s Fierce Fangs, which had been going against the tide of sword shadows, gradually sank between them.

Watching this, Im Muguk’s hands trembled. If the sword shadows blooming around Mu Hwi were plum blossoms…

‘The essence of Hwasan still remains.’

Im Muguk clenched his fist.

“Oh, to handle so many sword shadows so simply!”

“As expected of Hwasan Sect’s Senior Disciple!”

As the Seonhwa Sect disciples marveled at Mu Hwi’s swordplay, Mu-hwa, who was listening beside them, shook her head.

“It’s not simply about having many sword shadows. It’s completely different from the Falling Plum Garden that I perform.”

Mujin nodded in agreement.

“Those many sword shadows harmoniously wavered under Senior Disciple’s sword and completely silenced the initiating moves of Yeonho Wanderer.”

This was not a scene that could be seen as simply pushing through with a sheer quantity of sword shadows.

If he had just poured out countless sword shadows, Yeonho Wanderer would have cut through them regardless of their number and struck down Mu Hwi.

“Senior Disciple’s sword advances without hindrance no matter what lies ahead.”

Even at this moment, Mu Hwi’s sword was spreading widely and consuming the martial arts arena.

His sword had the Six Harmonies as it could extend in any direction.

Although there wasn’t even a single plum blossom, in the disciples’ eyes, it appeared as if there was a red flower garden swaying in the wind before Mu Hwi.

“Didn’t I tell you I would be fine?”

Yeonho Wanderer opened his mouth only after staring at Mu Hwi for a long while.

“I see. So even if dark clouds gather temporarily, Hwasan is still Hwasan?”

Before anyone noticed, Mu Hwi had crossed the red flower garden and was holding his sword to Yeonho Wanderer’s neck.

Ga Se-in, who had changed into martial arts clothes and returned, gaped at this shocking sight.

‘Yeonho Wanderer lost?’

Ga Se-in still hadn’t recovered from the shock of losing to Im Sanha.

Nevertheless, the reason he showed himself again was because he wanted to see Mu Hwi’s defeat. That would have somewhat consoled his heart.

‘What kind of place is this Hwasan Sect?’

Ga Se-in, whose thoughts had stopped, could only blankly stare at the martial arts arena.

When Yeonho Wanderer acknowledged his defeat, Hyung Hon-gwon, who had been staring in apparent shock at Mu Hwi’s martial arts, came to his senses and shouted.

“Winner! Hwasan sect, Mu Hwi! The victory in the sect martial arts competition goes to Seonhwa Sect!”

At Hyung Hon-gwon’s resonant shout, everyone at Seonhwa Sect rose and shouted in unison.

“We won!”

“As expected of Hwasan Sect!”

The martial artists watching the competition stared at Mu Hwi with shocked expressions at Yeonho Wanderer’s defeat.

“What was the name of that Hwasan Sect master?”

“For the seasoned Yeonho Wanderer to be defeated so easily, that young man must be…”

Giryeon Geom, who had been eavesdropping on the surrounding reactions, swallowed hard.

If it hadn’t been for Ga Se-in, he would have been the one to face Mu Hwi instead of Yeonho Wanderer.

‘I could have suffered the humiliation of losing to a junior if I had made a mistake.’

Meanwhile, the Daejeong Sect Leader’s face was turning pale.

Although he had tried to create a foothold for his comeback by throwing away his pride and precious medicine, he ended up losing everything.

Mu Hwi walked up to the platform demonstratively and collected the wooden box containing the merit pills.

“Daejeong Sect Leader, I will put these to very good use. Kuk.”

The scornful sneer Mu Hwi showed as he finished speaking.

At this, the Daejeong Sect Leader brought his hand to the back of his neck.

“Haah.”

The flustered Daejeong Sect Leader didn’t even have the bravest of heart to respond.

“Daejeong Sect Leader.”

The Daejeong Sect Leader was startled and leaned forward when he noticed Mu Hwi had somehow approached close.

“What is it?”

“I sent a letter to the main mountain about Seonhwa Sect’s situation and victory in the martial arts competition.”

“How could you have sent a letter when the result just came out?”

“Because I was certain Seonhwa Sect would win the competition. I sent it several days ago.”

With him here, there was no way Seonhwa Sect could lose.

“……”

“If you break your promise and try anything else, then Hwasan Sect will take direct action.”

Mu Hwi leaned his head toward the Daejeong Sect Leader who was glaring at him.

After confirming there was no one around, Mu Hwi whispered in the Daejeong Sect Leader’s ear.

“Don’t think about trying any tricks and leave quietly. If we meet again, the line drawn on your neck will be deeper and longer. Understand, Sect Leader?”

With those final words, Mu Hwi turned his back.

“What nonsense is that crazy Taoist talking about…”

The Daejeong Sect Leader was muttering when he touched his neck and was startled. There was a blood line drawn on his neck, though he didn’t know when it had been cut.

Although it was just a shallow cut on the skin that wouldn’t endanger his life, he had no idea when the move had been made.

The Daejeong Sect Leader’s eyes trembled as he watched Mu Hwi’s retreating back. Those eyes were being tinged with faint terror.

“Huh huh… What am I to do now?”

The reason he, merely a leader of a minor sect, had been so confident even against Hwasan Sect was because there was a reliable presence supporting him from behind.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to act this way all this time. It had truly been like a dream.

But now, because of Mu Hwi, the Daejeong Sect Leader was waking up from that dream.

As he woke from the happy dream, cold reality was rushing in.

‘Should I run away?’

They would not overlook today’s failure.

Just as the rewards for his previous successes had been sweet, the price of failure would surely be equally bitter.

In this reality where he couldn’t see ahead, all the Daejeong Sect Leader could do was let out a powerless, empty laugh.

A shadow that had been secretly watching such a Daejeong Sect Leader quietly disappeared.

< Do you understand, Sect leader? > End

< What an impudent fellow. >