Chapter 51: Plum Blossom Sword Dragon (1)

Plum Blossom Sword Dragon (1)

The Namgung Family, considered the greatest pillar of the Orthodox faction, was a renowned sword clan.

As their name suggested, they were a place that had achieved the pinnacle of sword usage.

To endlessly train the mind, energy, and body, and contain all enlightenment within a single blade.

A place that relentlessly trained to reach the supreme state attainable by a swordsman.

That was the meaning held by a Sword Clan.

The ultimate techniques used by Namgung blood relatives, such as the Emperor Sword Form and the representative sword technique, the Boundless Sky Sword, were proof of this. They were the clan that always held the title of the World’s Greatest Sword until the appearance of the Sword Master.

However, by the present time, their position had somewhat begun to waver.

The title of World’s Greatest Sword was now held by the Sword Master, Wi Hyogoon.

Conversely, Heavenly Master Namgung Jeolcheon, one of the Three Masters, had come to possess the arrogant name ‘Heaven’, but that wasn’t the name he desired. He had wished to walk the heavens as a swordsman, but that name was taken by Wi Hyogoon, so the meaning of Heavenly Master must have faded.

Besides that, there was also the matter of Namgung Cheonjun, representing the prodigies of the later generation, receiving the epithet ‘Thunder Dragon’.

Namgung Cheonjun was indeed an outstanding prodigy of the later generation, but he wasn’t number one. Number one was unequivocally Gu Huifei of Sword Peak.

Furthermore, setting Gu Huifei aside, Namgung Cheonjun didn’t even possess the name ‘Sword Dragon’. He was called Thunder Dragon simply because he used thunder energy and swift swords, but as a scion of a Sword Clan, he ultimately failed to attain the name Sword Dragon.

Because of that, Namgung Cheonjun shed tears of blood and struggled fiercely, but the outcome remained unchanged.

This generation’s Sword Dragon belonged not to the Namgung, but to Mount Hua.

Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Sword Dragon.

There was a youth from Mount Hua, the youngest Plum Blossom Swordsman, who would later be known as the Peerless Plum Blossom Sword.

A man whose talent with the sword was considered limitless.

A peerless genius who bloomed plum blossoms on his sword tip at a remarkably young age, solidifying his position as a swordsman.

And such a man stands before me now.

His appearance suggested he was two or three years older than me, his hair tied back neatly, giving him a clean look. He was handsome, with eyes that seemed languid, yet somehow held a subtle determination.

“Young Hero.”

The Sword Dragon asks me.

“Why do I feel the aura of Mount Hua from you, Young Hero?”

I realized I was screwed upon hearing his question.

The incident traces back a short while ago.

It had been seven days and nights since my cultivation technique reached 4 stars, and it had been well over half a month since I set out on the path to Mount Hua.

I still remember Muyeon’s eyes shaking like crazy when I suddenly showed up with 4 stars one morning.

Compared to before, I felt like I could defeat Namgung Cheonjun without much difficulty now. Of course, that’s assuming the Namgung guy hadn’t grown during that time.

Now, I feel like I’ve reached the position of a talented prodigy of the later generation, just that.

Considering my current age, it must have seemed like an immense achievement from Muyeon’s perspective.

In reality, I was just a mongrel surrounded by sudden fortuitous encounters and shortcuts…

But ultimately, the fact that I reached 4 stars remained unchanged.

The Gu family’s ultimate technique, which dramatically boosts physical abilities by containing heat within the body instead of releasing it outward.

I could now use it without significant physical strain. Of course, since it greedily devoured my internal energy, I still couldn’t use it for long.

Hee-hee-hee-!

KUNG-!

The monster collapsed, letting out a monstrous roar. Its massive body instantly hit the ground, kicking up dust with a pak. Looking at the fallen creature, it was a monster shaped like a horse. I think its name was something like Green Battle Horse.

“Popping out of nowhere, startling people.”

Hwa-reuk!

As soon as the battle ended, I recalled the internal energy that had enveloped my body. The reason I suddenly engaged the monster was because of the Demonic Realm Gate that opened before my eyes while I was continuing my trek up the mountain. Might as well, since I’d reached 4 stars, I jumped in directly among the guards to warm up. Muyeon also seemed to sense my martial power, so he didn’t seem inclined to stop me.

If I were to analyze the recent battle, there was definitely a difference compared to before. The physical overload from the heat I constantly felt had decreased, and along with the increase in internal energy, my destructive power and speed had grown. I think I’ve barely stepped into the first-class level now. Considering my current age in this life, it was quite early. For comparison, Gu Huifei reached 4 stars at seventeen. Considering Gu Huifei, who was said to be the highest level in the Gu family’s history, reached that point, the attention I’d receive back at the family would be quite intense.

‘Elder Yi’s gaze will be quite burdensome.’ He might rush at me with a monstrous laugh. And Elder Il might also find me quite bothersome. Although he hasn’t shown any other moves since the friction with Gu Jeolyeop, he’s probably thinking of other methods. Though it’s unlikely to be a good direction. ‘If possible, I wish he’d just stay put.’ I hoped he wouldn’t openly display his ambition and would try to maintain his position. If an old wolf unnecessarily bares its teeth, it’s troublesome to deal with.

“If he insists on showing them, I’ll have to pull them all out.”

“What did you say, Young Master?”

“It’s nothing much, I have a cavity in my tooth, but it doesn’t hurt yet, so I’m leaving it be.”

“A cavity?”

“Yeah, I hope it continues not to hurt. If it becomes bothersome, I’ll have to pull it out.” If left untreated while hurting, it’ll rot completely, so I’d have to pull it out.

“The cleanup is finished!” One of the guards shouted. I asked Muyeon with a nonchalant expression.

“What about the bones and hide?”

“They’ll probably take some, but most of it will have to be discarded.”

“What a shame.” Monster hides and bones are profitable. The hide was much tougher and stronger than that of ordinary beasts, making it useful in various ways, and some special monsters’ parts were even used as ingredients for elixirs. Although it was the lowest grade monster, it was still money, so it was a bit disappointing.

“We haven’t even reached halfway yet…” It felt like I was such an idiot for deciding to go, having been hooked by the Grand Immortal Pill. ‘No, the Grand Immortal Pill… yeah, the Grand Immortal Pill was worth it.’ I spent my days repeating that to myself. I guess I’m just not suited for long-distance travel.

As I leaned against the carriage again to depart, Wi Seol-ah, who was beside me, suddenly started sniffing. What is this, has she become a dog now…? She was doing something so strange that I instinctively flicked her forehead with a kong.

Eek!

Wi Seol-ah let out a short scream and stepped back. Only then did I recall that the Sword Master was riding ahead, leading the horses. Hitting the Sword Master’s granddaughter right in front of him… it was instinctual, but a cold sweat broke out from the chilling realization of what I’d done. I cautiously glanced over; the Sword Master seemed unconcerned, continuing to lead the horses.

“…What is it all of a sudden? Why are you sniffing?” I couldn’t bring myself to ask why she was sniffing like a dog, so I softened the question. Wi Seol-ah said, rubbing her forehead.

“You smell like flowers, Young Master.”

“What kind of flower scent?”

“I don’t know… Anyway, it smells like flowers?”

At Wi Seol-ah’s words, I pointed to a corner of the carriage.

“It must be coming from over there, not me.” In the corner of the carriage sat a small box; it contained the precious item I had been carrying all along. When I kept it close, the plum blossom scent was strong, so I found a box to put it in. This made storage easier and prevented the scent or light from spreading. I found myself frequently watching the box with some unease, but it was manageable. It was better than potentially absorbing the aura of the precious item…

“…No, it’s definitely coming from you, Young Master.” I ignored Wi Seol-ah’s mumbling. She was talking to herself while holding the box containing the precious item earlier, so I figured she was just a bit off today and left her be. What was she saying again? ‘Hello, Grandfather, who are you?’ something like that? She seemed quite tired today, so I felt hesitant to talk to her. Talking to oneself isn’t scary at all.

‘Ghosts don’t exist in this world.’ Even though I had regressed and time-traveled, I didn’t believe in ghosts. …Again, I’m not scared… How could someone from the Demon race be afraid of ghosts? Ignoring the cold sweat that inexplicably trickled down, I closed my eyes. I just hoped we’d arrive at Mount Hua quickly.

‘This damn long journey, I swear I’ll never do this again.’ After this trip, I’d stay put in the family for at least a year, doing only assigned tasks, I vowed. The carriage continued to travel for a long time after that. I was also half-asleep. We had to travel as far as possible before nightfall, so we ran without rest. After traveling like this for who knows how long, the carriage suddenly jolted and stopped abruptly. Due to the sudden stop, my body lurched forward.

Euiyak!

Wi Seol-ah stumbled, about to fall. Without time to regain my senses, I wrapped myself in internal energy and blocked her with my arm to prevent her from getting hurt. It wasn’t a major impact, but it was better safe than sorry. Fortunately, Wi Seol-ah only got her hair messed up from stumbling; she seemed unharmed. I immediately opened the carriage door and stepped outside.

“What’s going on?” Anger unconsciously mixed into my voice. It was because my sleep was rudely interrupted. Stepping outside with a frown, I saw someone standing in front of the guards.

“…What the.” I was about to ask what the situation was, but my mouth shut on its own. The attire of the person blocking the carriage was familiar. Pure white martial uniform with red petal embroidery. The plum blossom pattern embedded in the sword worn at the waist. There was only one place where martial artists wore such conspicuous uniforms. The place I, in my past life, had personally destroyed along with the Heavenly Demon.

“I apologize for my rudeness; I have something I wish to ask.” A gentle voice flowed from the youth. His appearance and voice matched well, a gentle voice. A familiar face and a familiar voice. None other than the one I personally snapped the neck of… The last Taoist of Mount Hua.

“I am Yeongpung of the Mount Hua Sect.” The man called the Peerless Plum Blossom Sword, or rather, the Plum Blossom Sword Dragon now.

“Are Mount Hua martial artists allowed to commit such dangerous acts?” Muyeon asked Yeongpung, as if reprimanding him. Judging by the situation, he must have suddenly appeared and blocked the way. Normally, I, the person responsible, should have been the one to reprimand him, but since I was momentarily stunned and unable to snap out of it, Muyeon stepped in. At Muyeon’s words, Yeongpung apologized repeatedly with a troubled expression.

“I am truly sorry. I didn’t intend to block the road like this, but there was something I needed to confirm, so I had no choice but to step forward.”

“What is it that you need to confirm?”

“I wanted to confirm if one of our disciples was inside this carriage.” The direction Yeongpung pointed was towards the carriage where I was. What did that mean? A Mount Hua disciple? Everyone was confused by the sudden, nonsensical statement.

“I felt a familiar aura from afar, which is why I came to check, but fortunately, it seems there are no issues.” Yeongpung sighed in relief, as if truly thankful.

“However, I still have one question. If there are no Mount Hua disciples inside.” As Yeongpung spoke, a familiar scent brushed against my nose. It was the plum blossom scent I had smelled sickeningly often for the past ten-plus days. The scent was close. It was because Yeongpung had instantly appeared before me from where he was far away.

“Young Hero.” Yeongpung’s voice, seemingly gentle, yet low and firm. To my ears, that voice overlapped with the voices crying out below the collapsing Mount Hua in my past life.

[We didn’t do anything wrong…!! Why are you doing this to us!!]

“Why do I feel the aura of Mount Hua from you, Young Hero?” I swallowed a gasp at Yeongpung’s question. And I thought.

Ah, this is really….

[I’m fucked.]

It seems I’m fucked…..

“Huh…?”