Hwasan Sect’s Genius Swordsman Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Mu Hwi and Xian Zhu were walking side by side.

The distance between the two was ambiguous—too far to be considered acquaintances, yet too close to be complete strangers.

“It seems a battle took place here as well.”

“I heard the battle at the foot of the mountain was quite intense.”

The streets of Sangju had a slightly chaotic feel, with collapsed walls and buildings with holes punched through them visible as they passed by.

This was due to the battles that had taken place at the foot of the Mountain.

The conflict between the Jia Hua Sect and the Mo Yu Sect, who were trying to ascend to the mountain lodge, and the martial forces of the Paewangseong blocking their path had spilled over into the village.

“Later, I heard from a family member that it was fortunate that the elites of Paewangseong didn’t appear this time.”

Mu Hwi nodded.

“There were no martial forces from the Paewangseong Seven Units. Those guys are probably still busy moving around.”

In terms of sheer scale, Paewangseong was one of the few in the martial world that could rival others.

There were numerous organizations within it, and among them, the elite martial forces were grouped together and called the Paewangseong Seven Units.

‘Even when breaking through the Heavenly Net, running into those guys was a hassle.’

As Mu Hwi recalled the tenacious pursuit of the Paewangseong Seven Units, he slowly scanned his surroundings.

The village was in disarray, with disciples from the Hwasan and Jongnam Sects helping with repairs, while the civilians, as always, went about their livelihoods.

Xian Zhu lightly tapped Mu Hwi’s arm as he absentmindedly looked around the streets.

“Disciple Mu Hwi, do you see any places selling candies around here? Take a good look.”

“Candies? You’re running errands for candies?”

As Mu Hwi turned his head, Xian Zhu glanced away.

“Wow, that jade-embedded belt is pretty. Don’t you think?”

When Mu Hwi silently glared at her, Xian Zhu, who had been awkwardly pretending, let out a deep sigh.

“If I had just said I wanted to buy candies, you wouldn’t have followed me. You’d just sit there blankly.”

As Xian Zhu pouted her lips, Mu Hwi turned his head. He had no retort because she was right.

“By the way, why do you want to buy candies?”

“The atmosphere at the mountain lodge isn’t great. The third-generation disciples seem unnecessarily tense, so I thought I’d bring them some. Kids like sweets, don’t they?”

Mu Hwi nodded in understanding.

As Xian Zhu looked around the stalls, her eyes lit up when she spotted the candies.

“There they are, the candies.”

Xian Zhu lightly grabbed Mu Hwi’s sleeve and walked toward the stall selling candies.

“Oh, thank you!”

The old man selling the candies brightened up when Xian Zhu said she would buy twenty at once.

After wrapping the candies in paper and handing them over, the old man offered two extra candies.

“You two make a lovely couple, so here’s one more for each of you.”

“Wow, thank you, sir!”

Xian Zhu, beaming with a bright smile, immediately took the candies and handed one to Mu Hwi. Reluctantly, Mu Hwi accepted it.

“Ah, sweet.”

Xian Zhu hummed a tune, a happy smile on her face as the sweet taste filled her mouth. With each movement of her lips, a candy disappeared.

‘Candies…’

The rich, sweet flavor that children would love.

As he tasted it, Mu Hwi was reminded of the Dark monkey.

‘Made with fruit, sugar, and honey… That guy would go crazy for it.’

Mu Hwi had heard from Baek Yu that the Dark Monkey loved fruits with a honey-like sweetness.

Thinking of using the candies as bait, Mu Hwi suddenly turned his gaze to the side.

Seeing Xian Zhu with her cheeks puffed out, Mu Hwi chuckled.

“Seems like you just wanted to eat the candies and used the third-generation disciples as an excuse.”

“Hmph, that’s not true.”

Xian Zhu glanced at Mu Hwi, who was chewing on a candy, and said, “Disciple Mu Hwi, we’ve fought back-to-back together. Isn’t your tone a bit too stiff? You can speak more casually.”

“Really? Then I’ll speak casually.”

Usually, one would ask again out of courtesy, but Mu Hwi immediately changed his tone.

Xian Zhu smiled as she popped the last candy into her mouth.

“That’s better. Brother Mu Hwi.”

“Brother?”

Startled, Mu Hwi turned his head, but Xian Zhu confidently crossed her arms.

“You’re speaking casually now, so can’t I address you casually too?”

Mu Hwi, staring blankly at the candy stick swaying nervously, nodded.

“Hmm… I guess so.”

Though he felt somewhat tricked by Xian Zhu’s dazzling logic, Mu Hwi decided to let it go.

“Brother Mu Hwi, are you returning to Hwasan Sect like this?”

Mu Hwi nodded.

He had to train his disciples, research new martial techniques, and chase after that monkey.

Just the immediate tasks were overwhelming.

“Yeah, it seems you’re not.”

“Once Xian Mei’s wounds heal, I plan to travel the martial arts world with her. And I’ll take down one of the Six Dragons too.”

“The Six Dragons…”

The Six Dragons, known as late-stage disciples, were said to easily surpass the level of typical late-stage foundation level disciple, but Xian Zhu was no different.

Though she hadn’t seen the Six Dragons in person, it didn’t seem like she would be easily defeated.

“Seeing you, brother Mu Hwi, made me realize that experiencing various masters in the martial arts world is the right path for me now, rather than staying at Jongnam Sect.”

Mu Hwi nodded at Xian Zhu’s words.

‘Even without a master, she’ll do well on her own.’

Xian Zhu’s swordsmanship had already surpassed proficiency and was heading toward mastery. Now, it was right for her to gain experience by facing various martial arts and martial artists.

“After taking down two or three of the Six Dragons, I’ll challenge you again, brother Mu Hwi.”

Xian Zhu pointed the candy stick at Mu Hwi as if issuing a threat. Watching her, Mu Hwi twisted his lips and let out a small laugh.

“Well, try your best. Beating the Six Dragons won’t be enough to defeat me, though.”

“Wow, that expression of yours is really annoying. If only you weren’t stronger than me…”

Xian Zhu pretended to grab her sword but ended up laughing and walking on.

“I feel like I’ve found a clear goal.”

“A goal?”

“To become strong enough to scold you, brother Mu Hwi.”

Seeing Xian Zhu’s bold smile, Mu Hwi let out a hollow laugh.

“Scold me? I’ve never been scolded by anyone.”

As Mu Hwi raised the corner of his mouth, Xian Zhu laughed along.

Unlike when they had just descended from Luoyan Peak, the distance between the two walking side by side had grown closer.

‘I’m glad I brought her along.’

Feeling like she had broken down a wall between them, Xian Zhu smiled with satisfaction.

Reaching out with her sword hand, Xian Zhu lightly flicked the tied tassel.

***

It wasn’t until over twenty days after the Six Harmonies Sword Assembly ended that Mu Hwi could return to Hwasan Sect.

Though it was only a two-day journey, Baek Yu was concerned about the worsening condition of the severely injured disciples during the trip.

Since there was no urgent need to return to Hwasan Sect, he had the disciples receive intensive treatment at the mountain lodge until their condition improved sufficiently.

Baek Yu could have returned earlier, but he stayed until the end and returned to the mountain with the disciples.

“Chomp chomp!”

“The food tastes better now, doesn’t it?”

Even Musan and Muho, who had been the most severely injured, were now happily tearing into meat in front of Mu Hwi, so there seemed to be no need for concern.

“Tastes better? It’s the same dry, bland stuff as always.”

Mu Hwi was having a meal with his disciples in the dining hall for the first time in a while. Mu-hwa, while using her chopsticks, looked at Mu Hwi.

“Senior Disciple, I heard from a merchant today that you’ve gained a new title.”

The other disciples reacted first, urging Mu-hwa to continue.

“Oh, Senior Disciple?”

“What’s the title?”

“The Hwasan Sword Devil! The Hwasan Sword Devil!”

Though it was rare for a Hwasan disciple to be given the title of Sword Devil, the disciples nodded in agreement for some reason.

“Hmm, it suits you well.”

“Senior Disciple is indeed like a devil.”

The news of the Paewangseong’s attack during the Six Harmonies Sword Assembly had already spread throughout the martial arts world, with the story of two late-stage foundation level disciples sweeping through Paewangseong’s martial forces being the most talked about.

Mu Hwi’s fame was spreading once again.

The story of a Hwasan late-stage foundation level disciple slaying Paewangseong’s Five Martial Lords also quietly spread, but it was dismissed as exaggerated rumors and didn’t gain much attention.

‘Am I the Sword Devil in this life too?’

The title felt familiar to Mu Hwi, so being called the Hwasan Sword Devil wasn’t bad.

In any case, he had no intention of staying with the title of Sword Devil in this life, so it didn’t matter much.

“Senior Disciple, you seem to gain a new title every time you go out into the martial arts world.”

“Musan, tell us. How did Senior Disciple fight?”

“I don’t know either. The Paewangseong guys were like a pack of mad dogs, so I didn’t have time to watch. Plus, when I got stabbed in the side, I really thought I was going to die.”

Musan’s cheeky response made the other disciples burst into laughter.

“Musan and Muho were both seriously injured, but it’s a relief that they’re all healthy now.”

At Mujin’s words, the other disciples nodded.

The Hwasan disciples who hadn’t participated in the Six Harmonies Sword Assembly couldn’t help but be shocked by the news of the attack on Luoyan Peak.

“We were really lucky.”

As Musan patted Muho’s shoulder, Mu Hwi smiled faintly.

“Luck only shines when skill backs it up. The fact that all of you survived the Six Harmonies Sword Assembly is thanks to the martial skills you’ve built up every day.”

“Senior Disciple is right.”

As Mu-cheol, who had been silently emptying his bowl, chimed in, the other disciples nodded.

“Now that you’ve experienced the rewards of shedding blood and sweat every day, it’s fine to push you even harder, right?”

Just as a warm atmosphere was about to spread, Mu Hwi’s added words suddenly made the mood tense.

“Senior Disciple… Do you have to say that now? We’ll get indigestion while eating. Really.”

At Mu-hwa’s words, the other disciples nodded.

Even the other senior disciples like Mujin, Mu-cheol, and Muryun always bowed down to Mu Hwi.

The only one who could say such things is the youngest, Mu-hwa, who had become the sole hope of the second-generation disciples in curbing Mu Hwi’s excesses.

“Is that so?”

As Mu-hwa glared, Mu Hwi pretended not to notice and got up from his seat. In his hands, he held something.

Curious, the disciples asked, “Senior Disciple, what are those for?”

“Monkey bait.”

Mu Hwi raised the corner of his mouth and left the dining hall.

He immediately ascended the mountain, poured a generous amount of alcohol on Hyeon Jo’s grave, and sat down nearby.

As Mu Hwi chewed on the candies, he washed down the sweetness with a sip of alcohol, refreshing his mouth.

“I thought these were just kids’ snacks, but they make a good side dish too.”

As Mu Hwi sat there, finishing two bottles of alcohol, his half-closed eyelids slowly rose, emitting a cold light.

A breeze blew from below the cliff, and soon the Dark Monkey appeared, alternating its gaze between the candies and Mu Hwi.

“Squeak…”

As the cautious cry escaped the monkey, its fur fluttered up and down, and one of the candies Mu Hwi had placed in front of it disappeared.

The monkey, examining the candy with curious eyes, sniffed it and promptly brought it to its mouth.

“Squeak squeak!”

Perhaps it liked the sweet taste, the monkey’s red eyes sparkled, and it began jumping around in place.

‘Success.’

Mu Hwi threw another candy directly to the monkey.

“Hey, monkey. Let’s get along.”

As if understanding Mu Hwi’s words, the monkey tilted its head, looked at him, and then snorted.

“I knew you’d act like this.”

Mu Hwi, as if expecting this, reached for an unopened bottle of alcohol.

“Squeak?”

As the cap was removed and the aroma of the alcohol wafted out, the monkey, which had just devoured the candy, sniffed eagerly.

“This will suit your taste perfectly.”

Osmanthus Wine.

Brewed with osmanthus flowers and fruits like apples and peaches, it had a refreshing and sweet flavor.

When Mu Hwi threw the bottle to the monkey, it caught it and immediately tilted the bottle to its mouth.

“Squeal!”

Letting out a long cry, almost like a sigh, the monkey approached Mu Hwi without hesitation.

It placed the candy on the cloth where the Osmanthus Wine bottle was and tied it up into a bundle, making it easy to carry.

Mu Hwi watched in amazement as the monkey acted almost human-like.

“Squeak!”

With the bundle of candies and Osmanthus Wine in hand, the monkey gestured to Mu Hwi.

“You want me to follow?”

The monkey nodded and then leaped toward the cliff without hesitation.

Mu Hwi quickly stopped at the edge of the cliff and looked down to see the monkey rapidly descending, stepping on rocks and branches protruding from the cliff.

“Crazy.”

The monkey’s agility was at a level that even top martial artists in the martial arts world couldn’t easily mimic. In the short time Mu Hwi watched, the monkey had almost reached the bottom, becoming a small black dot.

Narrowing his eyes, Mu Hwi loosened his ankles and lowered his stance.

“I can’t lose to a mere monkey.”

Mu Hwi jumped off the cliff.

***

“Hoeju.”

The man called Hoeju was a young man who appeared to be a late-stage foundation level disciple.

Behind the man was a large, heavy sword, its blade chipped in several places, making it look less than ideal.

As the man raised his head, the middle-aged man continued.

“A Sword Devil has appeared in Shaanxi.”

The man’s eyes gleamed.

“What are you talking about?”

“The Hwasan Sect’s late-stage foundation level disciple has been given the title ‘Hwasan Sword Devil.’”

“Hwasan Sword Devil, Hwasan Sword Devil”

After a moment of contemplation, the man stood up abruptly.

“No matter how close we are to the Hwasan Sect, we can’t let them take our master’s title.”

“Huh? So you’re going to Shaanxi? It’s quite a distance from Hunan.”

At the middle-aged man’s question, the man with the heavy sword, Dokgo Yul, nodded vigorously.

“This mission is over, so I’ll take my time and go slowly.”

“Understood.”

At the middle-aged man’s gesture, the martial artists gathered around Dokgo Yul.

“Hwasan Sword Devil I wonder what kind of guy he is.”

Dokgo Yul, the disciple of the Sword Devil Dokgo Heon, began heading toward Hwasan.

< Hwasan Sword DevilI… Wonder what kind of guy he is. > End

< This is the paradise of Hwasan. >