Hwasan Sect’s Genius Swordsman Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Someone asked Hong Sa-myeong in a slightly trembling voice.

“Senior Wind King, does this mean the Demonic Cult is rising again?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Hong Sa-myeong, who had been observing the faces of the renowned martial artists gathered in the main hall, paused for a moment before continuing.

“It’s just a small movement, but the fact that they’re active in the current martial arts world is the problem. We don’t know when or where they’ll appear.”

Hong Sa-myeong looked at Baek Yu, the leader of the Jongnam Sect, Hong Xian.

“The Sect Leaders know better than anyone the terror of the Demonic Cult.”

“During the Shaanxi Bloodshed, we let the Black Night Palace slip away—no, we let them go. Both Jongnam and Hwasan, and even the Guyu Sect, were devastated. But I didn’t expect the Black Night Palace to reveal themselves so soon.”

“The Beggar Sect tracked them, but in the end, we lost them. We couldn’t find out their purpose, their base, nothing. But the fact that they’ve shown themselves is enough to warrant caution.”

The martial artists listening to Hong Sa-myeong nodded with serious expressions.

“On top of that, the Seven Evil Heaven, who have grown in power, are also showing signs of unrest in various places. With the martial arts world in such chaos, shouldn’t we hasten the formation of the alliance?”

As Namgung Heo spoke to the gathered martial artists, they all nodded in agreement.

Although there were several agenda items for this Righteous Path Grand Assembly, the most important one was the discussion of forming an orthodox alliance.

The orthodox sects had realized that to stop the Seven Evil Heaven and the Paewangseong, who were growing stronger and revealing their ambitions across the martial world, a united force was necessary.

‘If that had been the case, the Shaanxi Bloodshed could have been stopped much more easily.’

Baek Yu, recalling the Shaanxi Bloodshed, clenched his fist.

During the Shaanxi Bloodshed, other sects couldn’t easily send reinforcements to Shaanxi due to the Seven Evil Heaven nearby. If there had been a unified command structure and concentrated force, the situation would have been different.

“The construction of the alliance’s headquarters in Wudang in Hubei Province, is progressing more smoothly than planned. Now, the main issue is how to fill the alliance’s leadership.”

At the words of Yunzhong Zhenren, the leader of the Wudang Sect, Baek Yu nodded.

“Then the first priority is to decide on the alliance leader.”

At Baek Yu’s words, the martial artists fell silent. The leader of an alliance formed by the orthodox sects would essentially represent the orthodox sects.

This was not a decision to be made lightly.

Martial prowess, reputation, character.

The alliance leader must excel in all these aspects.

One of the martial artists suggested an idea.

“What if the alliance leader is chosen from the Nine Sects or the Three Great Families? That would make it easier for the alliance to unite, as they are the long-standing pillars of the orthodox sects.”

“That would be the easiest way.”

Several others agreed, but Shaolin Abbot Gong Hyeon simply smiled.

“This may be presumptuous, but I disagree with that opinion.”

“Abbot, why do you think so?”

At Baek Yu’s question, Gong Hyeon nodded and spoke calmly.

“There’s a risk that the alliance could be seen as being formed for the benefit of the Nine Sects and the Three Great Families. This is something we must be cautious about.”

Where people gather, power naturally follows, and the renowned sects, which could easily access that power, had to be especially careful in their actions.

This alliance was not being formed for selfish desires.

“So you’re suggesting that the alliance leader should not be from the Nine Sects or the Three Great Families.”

As Yunzhong chimed in, Gong Hyeon nodded and chanted a Buddhist mantra.

Hong Sa-myeong, who had been silently listening to the conversation, bared his yellow teeth and laughed.

“In that case, only one person comes to mind.”

“Senior Hong, who is that?”

“The Hero Emperor.”

At Hong Sa-myeong’s words, Namgung Heo also nodded in agreement, and the other martial artists seemed to share the sentiment.

“The Hero Emperor…”

“If the greatest hero of the martial arts world becomes the alliance leader, there’s nothing more we could ask for.”

The Hero Emperor (俠帝).

A hero who had built his reputation through countless heroic deeds since his youth. The man most feared by the unorthodox sects.

Despite being from a destroyed sect and wandering the martial arts world alone from a young age, he achieved rapid success that surpassed even the disciples of renowned sects.

Later, he was called the Great Hero (大俠客), and after single-handedly killing the Extreme Spear Emperor (極殺槍帝), who had slaughtered five hundred martial artists in a blood feud, he earned the title of Hero Emperor.

Martial prowess, reputation, character—he lacked in none. This man is the Hero Emperor.

“But the Hero Emperor is a man who wanders the martial arts world without a fixed abode. Who knows where he is now?”

“I heard he’s recently been chasing the Mad Sword of Quanzhen, but I don’t know where he is.”

At the mention of the Mad Sword of Quanzhen, Yunzhong’s expression darkened slightly.

The Mad Sword of Quanzhen was a man who claimed to carry on the legacy of the destroyed Quanzhen Sect.

But his actions were no different from those of a madman. He had single-handedly destroyed two branches of the Wudang Sect in Hubei Province.

The Wudang Sect had sent elders and the Wudang Seven Swords, but two of the elders returned seriously injured.

While fleeing Wudang’s pursuit to the west, he burned down three small to medium-sized sects, earning his place on the martial arts world’s wanted list.

“I heard on the way here that a sect at the edge of Hubei Province recently suffered a tragedy.”

Yunzhong nodded and continued.

“If Wudang had captured the Mad Sword of Quanzhen early on, things wouldn’t have escalated this far. I feel ashamed.”

“The Hero Emperor said the Mad Sword of Quanzhen’s level might be comparable to an Emperor or King. Don’t blame yourself too much.”

Despite Hong Sa-myeong’s words, Yunzhong’s expression remained stiff. Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Baek Yu changed the subject.

“Then we’ll leave the matter of the Hero Emperor to Senior Hong. If the Beggar Sect finds the Hero Emperor, please convey the alliance’s intentions to him.”

“Leave it to me. That guy is always on the move, so I’ll have to go myself.”

At Baek Yu’s words, Hong Sa-myeong nodded and chewed on the snacks in front of him.

“Let’s return to the alliance’s agenda. Since the construction of the headquarters is progressing as planned, we should also prepare the schedule for the alliance’s events.”

As the alliance’s events, organization, and the agenda of the Righteous Path Grand Assembly were being discussed one by one, the Wind King, who had been quietly munching on snacks, suddenly flashed a sharp gaze.

In that moment, the Wind King transformed into a gust of wind and disappeared from the main hall.

***

While the elders of the martial arts world were holding their meeting in the main hall, the rising stars had gathered among themselves.

The rising stars’ role in the Righteous Path Grand Assembly was simply to drink and build connections. Occasionally, some would head to the training grounds to spar if they found a match.

Among the rising stars, the most popular figure was Mu Hwi of the Hwasan Four Flowers. A crowd of rising stars had gathered around Mu Hwi.

“I’m curious about the story of when you fought the Cloud River Sword Dragon and the Hell Sword Dragon, Mu Hwi.”

“Hmm. It’s nothing special.”

Namgung Gak, the young master of the Namgung Family, refilled Mu Hwi’s wine cup with sparkling eyes.

Normally, Mu Hwi would have brushed it off as a nuisance, but perhaps because he was the scion of a renowned family, the wine Namgung Gak brought was a rare, high-quality product that was difficult to obtain even with money.

Mu Hwi carefully took a sip of the ancient well tribute wine, a famous wine from Huangshan in Anhui, and couldn’t help but nod.

The smooth aftertaste was followed by a rich aroma that flowed through his throat and nose.

The clean scent and lingering taste relaxed Mu Hwi’s body completely.

“That’s how it happened.”

Like a storyteller in a tavern earning drinks with tales, Mu Hwi slowly unraveled his story while savoring the wines brought by the rising stars from various regions.

“Oh?”

“So the rumors were not exaggerated but rather understated?”

The rising stars listened with eyes shining as if they were children hearing a story from an adult.

As the story quietly unfolded, Namgung Gak, who had been pondering, suddenly asked.

“Mu Hwi, how would you compare me to the Sword Dragons you fought before?”

At this, the other rising stars, who had been reacting to Mu Hwi’s story, all fell silent and waited for his answer.

Mu Hwi’s eyes, which had been relaxed from the wine, suddenly sharpened, emitting a cold light as they pierced through Namgung Gak.

Under that blade-like sharpness, Namgung Gak could only swallow hard.

“You sparred with Mu-cheol earlier, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

Namgung Gak, interested in Mu-cheol, the only Hwasan disciple who wielded a heavy sword, had requested a spar, and Mu-cheol had agreed without hesitation.

Namgung Gak displayed the Pursue Shadow Sword Technique, while Mu-cheol countered with the Iron Plum Sword Technique, a perfected variation of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

After an intense exchange of over sixty moves, Mu-cheol emerged victorious.

“If the Emperor Sword Form embodies the lofty solitude of the heavens, the Pursue Shadow Sword Technique represents the boundless freedom of the sky, as far as I know.”

Namgung Gak, who had been tense under Mu Hwi’s gaze, nodded blankly.

“You would know better, Young Master Namgung, but the Pursue Shadow Sword Technique is not a heavy sword technique. Rather, it’s a technique that boasts a variety of sword forms. However, it seems you’re focusing too much on the heavy sword aspect of the Pursue Shadow Sword Technique, perhaps because you’re keeping the Emperor Sword Form in mind for the future.”

“Ah!”

“Although the Emperor Sword Form is a single technique, the Namgung Family is not solely about heavy swords. Instead of focusing on the heavy sword, it would be better to focus on the essence of the sword technique itself.”

Namgung Gak’s eyes widened as he listened to Mu Hwi’s advice.

He had asked about the difference between himself and the Sword Dragons, but Mu Hwi had suddenly given him advice. Namgung Gak understood why.

There was still a significant gap between him and the Sword Dragons, so Mu Hwi was indirectly telling him to work on his weaknesses.

Mu Hwi had spared Namgung Gak’s pride.

‘His consideration runs deep.’

Realizing Mu Hwi’s intentions, Namgung Gak suddenly stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed his head.

“Mu Hwi, thank you for the good advice.”

“No problem. Just pour me another drink. This Anhui white wine really hits the spot.”

“Haha, it was worth sneaking out a bottle of ancient wine from my father.”

The rising stars, who had been marveling at the conversation, snapped out of it and began offering their own bottles of wine to Mu Hwi.

“Mu Hwi, perhaps…”

“I also have a question.”

They knew well that Mu Hwi, with his reputation as the Hwasan Sword Devil and yesterday’s sword formation demonstration, stood in a different league from them.

They wanted to receive even a brief piece of advice from Mu Hwi, like Namgung Gak had.

“The Righteous Path Grand Assembly truly is a gathering of the martial arts world’s finest.”

Mu Hwi chuckled softly, accepting drinks one by one and offering short pieces of advice in return.

“Mu Hwi, what should I do in this situation?”

“Focus more on external techniques than internal energy. Just by looking, I can tell your thighs are too weak.”

Naturally, the rising stars’ drinking party turned into a discussion forum where they debated their growth concerns and martial theories.

Mu Hwi used their debates as a snack while drinking, correcting any mistakes and keeping the discussion on track.

In the process, some of the rising stars seemed to gain small insights, their faces lighting up with realization.

“It’s quite interesting to debate martial theories with everyone. I didn’t expect it to be more fun than the earlier debate about the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world.”

Musan, who had been sitting among the rising stars, spoke up slyly, causing the others to burst into laughter.

“You’re right. Even the same technique can be interpreted differently depending on the martial art one practices, so there’s much to learn.”

“But Mu Hwi, you’re truly knowledgeable about martial arts. There’s no technique you don’t know or can’t answer, just like the elders of the sects.”

Mu Hwi simply smiled and reached for a new bottle of wine. As he did, his outstretched hand suddenly froze.

Namgung Gak, noticing this, looked at Mu Hwi with a puzzled expression.

“Mu Hwi?”

By the time Namgung Gak’s question left his lips, Mu Hwi’s figure had already vanished as if sinking into the ground.

With a long, stretched-out movement, Mu Hwi crossed the Hwasan Sect’s grounds, his Plum Blossom Sword already drawn. Moreover, he had instantly expelled the alcohol from his body using his internal energy.

Mu Hwi was heading toward the Hwasan Sect’s gate.

An overwhelming wave of energy was pouring from the gate.

Mujin and Mu-hwa, who were guarding the gate, stood frozen, staring at the stairs without moving a muscle.

‘What is this?!’

‘Is this really a person’s energy?’

Mujin and Mu-hwa couldn’t even open their mouths, their bodies drenched in cold sweat. Only the red tassel on the Plum Blossom Sword swayed precariously.

An old man was slowly climbing the stairs, his presence like a massive mountain gradually rising.

As he ascended, a crushing wave of energy, as if the mountain itself were tilting, poured down.

Mujin and Mu-hwa couldn’t offer any resistance, their shoulders and waists trembling violently.

Their bodies were on the verge of collapsing, but their mental fortitude kept them standing.

“Not bad. You’re better than the kids from my sect.”

As the two disciples held their ground, the old man’s eyes lit up, and he spoke.

Though his voice was rough, the two disciples began to cough up blood.

Just as their bodies were about to collapse, two firm hands supported them.

In an instant, the Jahahonil Technique’s internal energy spread through their meridians, painting them with a faint purple hue and instantly unraveling the twisted energy caused by the old man’s pressure.

“Oh?”

The old man let out a short exclamation as he sensed Mu Hwi’s actions.

“Can you move? Step back.”

Mujin and Mu-hwa, unable to even respond, slowly retreated.

Crack!

The Jahahonil Technique clashed with the Shattering Heaven Trade Self Technique (破天貿我功). The air screamed, and the stairs at the gate began to crumble.

The Shattering Heaven Trade Self Technique.

A martial art with the outrageous meaning of shattering the heavens and replacing the void with oneself.

The devastatingly fierce energy of the Shattering Heaven Trade Self Technique eroded the surroundings, but the purple sunset around Mu Hwi firmly held its ground.

“Paewangseong. Did you really come alone?”

At Mu Hwi’s muttering, a line appeared on the old man’s brow.

“Do you know who I am? Even your insight is impressive, kid.”

The Paewangseong Lord, Kang Tae-hyeok, stretched his lips to reveal sharp teeth.

“You’re truly remarkable, but you’re not yet qualified to stand before me on two feet.”

Kang Tae-hyeok’s hand swept toward Mu Hwi.

< Do you know who I am? > End

< Can you handle it? >