Chapter 40
The Training Ground at Dawn.
It had been a long time since all the second-generation disciples had gathered for the dawn training session. Standing on the platform, Mu Hwi looked down at his juniors.
Last night, while having dinner, the disciples had heard from Mu-hwa about the exploits of the Hwasan Swords in the martial arts world. The eyes of the juniors, looking up at Mu Hwi, sparkled with an intensity that was almost burdensome.
After all, leading the juniors within Hwasan was entirely different from defeating renowned masters in the martial arts world and making a name for oneself.
The second-generation disciples were both amazed and proud that their Senior Disciple was such an extraordinary person.
“We greet the Senior Disciple.”
As Mujin, standing at the front of the line, clasped his hands and spoke, the other second-generation disciples also bowed their heads in unison.
“We greet the Senior Disciple.”
The calm yet powerful voices of the second-generation disciples resonated softly across the training ground.
“I saw some of you yesterday, but there are many I haven’t seen. Have you all been well?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve been well, Senior Disciple.”
Hearing the responses from here and there, Mu Hwi raised the corner of his mouth.
“Yesterday, the Sect Leader mentioned that he plans to send other second-generation disciples out into the martial arts world in due course.”
The disciples looked at each other with excited expressions. Some even seemed slightly thrilled.
Having heard the tales of the Hwasan Swords in the martial arts world, the disciples were not merely happy.
Their blood boiled, and they too wanted to be the protagonists of such stories. It was only natural that many disciples were eager to venture into the martial arts world immediately.
“However, we must send out those who have at least the minimum ability. We can’t send them out into the martial arts world only for them to die as strangers.”
Mu Hwi’s smile as he looked down at his juniors was utterly sinister.
By now, the disciples knew well.
When Mu Hwi showed such a deep smile, something ominous was about to happen.
“Starting today, we will begin a new training regimen.”
The second-generation disciples had continued to practice the Six Harmonies Sword even in Mu Hwi’s absence.
At the mention of new training, the disciples waited with expectant faces for Mu Hwi’s next words.
“But first, we must confirm. If the foundation isn’t properly laid, don’t even dream of new training or venturing into the martial arts world.”
Mu Hwi spoke decisively and stepped down from the platform.
“We don’t have much time, so five at a time, step forward.”
As Mu Hwi drew his sword and slowly walked forward, Mujin shouted to the disciples.
“Those in the front line, step forward. The rest, step back and make space.”
Now, Mujin was assisting Mu Hwi like a right-hand man, even without Mu Hwi having to say anything.
‘They say that during the martial arts world journey, he faithfully followed the Senior Disciple’s words.’
‘Mu-hwa’s words were true. It seems they’ve grown closer.’
The disciples found Mujin’s demeanor intriguing. From their perspective, the current situation was far better than before they descended the mountain.
It felt more balanced and stable to see Mu Hwi and Mujin working in harmony rather than clashing.
Swish!
Since today’s dawn training was with real swords, the sound of swords being drawn could be heard from all around.
The five disciples who drew their swords blinked unconsciously as they stood before Mu Hwi.
They felt an overwhelming pressure from Mu Hwi’s gaze.
Adding to that, the reputation Mu Hwi had gained in the martial arts world made it even harder for them to step forward.
“You don’t have to stick to the Six Harmonies Sword. Feel free to use any sword technique. Come at me with all you’ve got.”
It seemed that no matter what they did, they wouldn’t be able to leave a single scratch on the Senior Disciple. Thus, the disciples could unleash their swords with all their might.
Clang!
As their swords clashed multiple times, the disciples, who had initially attacked only from the front, naturally spread out and began to display their sword techniques from all directions.
Swords stabbed chaotically from all sides, but Mu Hwi didn’t move from his spot, merely swinging his sword briefly to deflect the disciples’ attacks.
‘Hmm.’
It didn’t take long for Mu Hwi to evaluate the disciples.
Just a few exchanges and a quick glance at their overall posture were enough.
“Good, the Ten Thousand Fragrances Sword especially requires flexibility in the wrist. You’re doing well, Musan.”
Deflecting Musan’s sword to the side, Mu Hwi twisted his own sword to block Muho’s thrust aimed at his waist.
Clang!
“Muho, the power in your sword has definitely changed from before. You’ve been training properly.”
Mu Hwi, who had only been flicking his wrist, extended his arm and swung his sword, causing the disciples to be swept back.
“You all did well.”
“Ah!”
“Thank you, Senior Disciple.”
The disciples, who had been pushed back, brightened at Mu Hwi’s praise and bowed before retreating.
“Next!”
The waiting disciples also stepped forward with tense eyes, charging at Mu Hwi.
Swords stabbed from all directions.
Five swords swung simultaneously, but Mu Hwi saw through every move. While he occasionally offered praise, he was relentless when he spotted any flaws.
Mu Hwi’s eyes blazed as he caught sight of a sloppy sword strike.
“Have you been slacking off? You have! Mu Sang, you must have had a lot of fun while I was away.”
“No, Senior Disciple. That’s not it.”
Even with Mu Hwi’s light swing, Mu Sang’s body swayed unsteadily.
“Is that so? Look at your right foot floating like that. Even third-generation disciples could block this.”
Crash!
“Ugh!”
Unable to withstand the sharp vertical strike from Mu Hwi, Mu Sang was sent flying and rolled across the training ground.
“Those who are knocked back, step aside. Do the horse stance.”
“Ugh.”
The disciples, who had been knocked back, immediately assumed the horse stance under Mu Hwi’s piercing gaze.
The disciples, who had initially relaxed upon seeing Mu Hwi praise each Senior Disciple one by one, now had to brace themselves.
‘The Senior Disciple is like that.’
‘I can’t be sidelined. I can’t.’
Seeing those doing the horse stance in the corner of the training ground, the disciples tightened their grips on their sword hilts.
“Next!”
As their turn quickly approached, the disciples desperately charged forward.
“Huaah!”
The disciples’ shouts echoed loudly across the training ground from dawn.
Occasionally, pitiful screams could be heard, but no one paid them any mind.
By the time about an hour had passed, Mu Hwi’s inspection was complete.
“Is that all?”
“Yes, Senior Disciple. You’ve worked hard.”
Nodding, Mu Hwi looked at the disciples doing the horse stance in the corner of the training ground.
As Mu Hwi’s sharp gaze fell upon them, the disciples could only look far into the sky.
‘Fifteen.’
The number of disciples sidelined to do the horse stance. Initially, Mu Hwi hadn’t expected all the disciples to have perfected their training.
But the number was fewer than he had thought, which slightly surprised him.
The sidelined disciples hadn’t met the standard, but compared to before, they had achieved some progress, so it wasn’t entirely due to laziness.
“You’ve been leading the training in my absence?”
Mu Hwi’s gaze landed on Muryun.
Since Mu Hwi and the Three Flowers had been away simultaneously, Muryun had been directing the second-generation disciples’ training. Muryun answered with a slightly trembling voice.
“Yes, Senior Disciple.”
“Hmm, if the kids were in a mess, I was planning to beat up the one responsible for their training.”
Muryun, who had bowed his head, flinched his shoulders. What exactly did he mean by ‘beat up’?
Muryun didn’t ask. It was better not to be curious.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Mu Hwi brushed Muryun’s shoulder once and headed towards the disciples doing the horse stance.
Watching Mu Hwi’s back, Muryun let out a deep sigh.
“What’s there to worry about?”
Seeing Muryun’s slumped shoulders, Mujin approached.
“I must have done something wrong. I must have really left a bad impression on the Senior Disciple.”
Mujin smiled bitterly as he watched Mu Hwi scold the disciples.
“Don’t worry. The Senior Disciple isn’t the type to dwell on such things.”
If the Senior Disciple had held a grudge, Muryun’s head would have been split open long ago.
Seeing no need to voice his thoughts, Mujin lightly patted Muryun’s back.
“Just do well from now on. We have many more days to live together on Hwasan.”
“Yes, Senior Disciple.”
Mujin looked at Muryun for a moment and lowered his voice.
“Muryun, I’ve decided to give up on being the sect’s heir.”
Muryun’s current distress was partly due to having stepped forward on Mujin’s behalf, so Mujin felt the need to tell him.
Even after hearing Mujin’s words, Muryun silently gazed at Mu Hwi.
‘The Senior Disciple is truly consistent.’
Mu Hwi, who had stopped the horse stance for the sidelined disciples, was now personally checking each disciple’s martial arts and correcting their mistakes.
Even if one had the skill to teach, putting in such effort for each disciple was no ordinary task.
It was mentally exhausting and took up a significant amount of training time.
Having personally directed the training, Muryun knew this well.
‘It’s no ordinary task.’
That’s why Mu Hwi’s dedication to his juniors was all the more astonishing.
He himself couldn’t have done it.
But Mu Hwi was doing it effortlessly. Before they knew it, Mu Hwi had become an indispensable presence for the second-generation disciples.
In Muryun’s eyes, Mu Hwi is a solid Senior Disciple supporting his juniors from below.
It wasn’t just the numerous achievements in the martial arts world, but also this aspect that made Mujin give up the position of sect heir without regret.
“If Senior Disciple Mujin thinks so, then there’s nothing to be done.”
At Muryun’s belated response, Mujin turned his head.
“Is that alright?”
“It’s not for me to say whether it’s alright or not. Since Senior Disciple Mujin has no regrets, it’s fine.”
“Is that so?”
As Mujin made a relieved expression, Muryun’s face also relaxed.
“The disciples said something. They said that after returning from the martial arts world journey, Senior Disciple Mujin has become the Senior Disciple’s right-hand man.”
“Right-hand man… Not bad.”
“Even so, I remain Senior Disciple’s right-hand man.”
“Heh, thank you.”
“Haha!”
As Muryun joked, Mujin also laughed.
“Watch your waist, watch your waist. Mu Sang, you’re putting too much force into your waist. It’s a sign that your energy flow is wrong.”
Mu Hwi, who was checking Mu Sang’s posture, frowned at the sound of the two disciples’ laughter and turned his head.
“What are you two doing instead of training?”
“Ah…”
At this, a crease formed on Mu Hwi’s brow.
“What’s with the ‘ah…’? Move it, now!”
At Mu Hwi’s shout, Mujin and Muryun hurriedly joined the disciples’ ranks.
As Mu Hwi watched the disciples perform their forms, Mu Sang quietly asked.
“Senior Disciple, I heard yesterday. You’re increasing the intensity of training in preparation for the Six Harmonies Sword Assembly?”
A hopeful tone crept into Mu Sang’s voice, wondering if the training intensity would decrease after the Six Harmonies Sword Assembly.
“No, the Six Harmonies Sword Assembly is just one of many milestones.”
“Huh?”
Mu Hwi, recalling the Guyu Sect and Paewangseong, asked.
“Mu Sang, lately, everyone and their dog is trying to take a bite out of Hwasan. It’s because Hwasan has weakened. So, what should we do?”
“I guess… We need to become stronger?”
“Exactly. Until then, our grueling training will continue.”
Mu Sang, staring intently at Mu Hwi’s sneering face, urgently asked.
“Wait, Senior Disciple, when exactly is ‘then’?”
“First, we’ll take down those trying to push Hwasan out of the Three Great Sword Sects, and then we’ll push out the rest of the Three Great Sword Sects.”
The corner of Mu Hwi’s mouth twisted like a crescent moon.
“Yes, modestly speaking, what’s the Three Great Sword Sects? We need to aim for the title of the number one sword sect in the world. Yes, indeed.”
“Huh?”
At Mu Hwi’s muttering, Mu Sang’s vision blurred, and he almost collapsed out of the horse stance.
Just how grand a vision was the Senior Disciple painting?
‘Ah, I don’t know.’
Mu Sang gritted his teeth and put strength into his legs.
Before Hwasan became the number one sword sect in the world, he couldn’t afford to be beaten to death by the Senior Disciple.
* * *
At the summit of Yeonhwa Peak, in front of the Upper Palace, there is a pond filled with water as clear as white jade.
This pond is said to contain the spiritual energy of Hwasan and is always used when refining spiritual medicine or crafting the Plum Blossom Sword.
The Hwasan Sect calls the wide open area around this pond the Jade Maiden Pool.
Legend has it that the founding patriarch of the Hwasan Sect, while standing before this pond, saw a jade maiden descending on a purple sunset and attained enlightenment, creating the Zha Xin Technique.
The Jade Maiden Pool is where the entrance ceremony for the Spring Plum Hall is currently being held.
“The Tao Te Ching says, Knowing others is wisdom; knowing oneself is enlightenment.”
Standing on the platform, Baek Yu was giving a speech in his characteristic soft voice.
“Spring Plum Hall is not merely a place to train in martial arts. It is a place to learn from others, reflect on oneself, and understand humanity.”
Baek Yu’s voice, infused with internal energy, danced with the wind across the Jade Maiden Pool.
“The Tao and martial arts you seek to learn in Hwasan ultimately lie in the relationships between people, so keep this in mind. Primordial Celestial Lord.”
Baek Yu concluded his speech by invoking the Taoist title, and all the Hwasan Sect disciples responded in unison.
‘Good.’
Usually, when events are held in the martial arts world, it’s common for renowned figures to drone on for about 30 minutes during speeches or lectures, which can be quite frustrating.
In comparison, Baek Yu’s speech was exceedingly concise. The young disciples’ faces seemed to brighten as a result.
“Next, we will conclude the entrance ceremony with a speech from Mu Hwi, the Senior Disciple of the second generation.”
At Baek Chun’s words, the young disciples’ faces fell again.
Seeing their vivid change in expression, Mu Hwi felt like a criminal.
‘I don’t want to do this either.’
However, it was tradition for the senior disciple or the sect heir of the immediately preceding generation to give the final speech at the entrance ceremony, so Mu Hwi had no choice but to comply.
Standing on the platform, Mu Hwi looked at the young disciples staring up at him.
What should he say?
He had been pondering since yesterday, but nothing suitable came to mind. After a moment of thought, Mu Hwi finally drew his sword.
Swish!
The young disciples’ eyes widened as the blade gleamed with a cold light.
Seeing Mu Hwi’s sword, which seemed to contain a sharp light, the boredom in the young disciples’ eyes was instantly washed away, leaving only curiosity.
< Simply Being One of the Three Great Sword Sects of the Martial Arts World. > End
< Are you planning to die standing while chasing fame? >
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