Chapter 552
“What are you doing…?”
These were the words spoken by Gu Ryeong-hwa, who had just finished her morning training, as she observed the situation unfolding before her.
“What’s going on?”
Gu Ryeong-hwa asked as she looked at her brother, who was yawning beside her.
Then, Gu Yangcheon roughly wiped the sleep from his eyes and spat out some words.
“Can’t you tell just by looking? They’re fighting.”
“No, I mean…”
Why on earth are they suddenly doing that now?
Gu Ryeong-hwa managed to hold back the question that was bubbling up inside her.
Besides that, there was a mountain of things she wanted to say.
‘What the heck?’
Forcibly controlling her cheeks that were trying to puff up with frustration, Gu Ryeong-hwa narrowed her eyes.
On a gravel field through which a stream flowed, two young men stood facing each other.
One was a neat youth dressed in the white uniform that represented the Hwasan Sect, while the other was a pale-skinned young man wearing an old uniform that looked like he just picked it up off the ground.
Gu Ryeong-hwa heard that he was an acquaintance of her brother and a friend of her nephew.
‘I think he mentioned he was from the Kunlun Sect.’
Gu Ryeong-hwa didn’t really know much about that.
She’d never seen a Kunlun master before, but that youth seemed far too peculiar to be a master.
‘Something… feels cold.’
Cold and sharp.
That was the impression Gu Ryeong-hwa had of the young man.
“Are those two really going to fight?”
“Why else would they be standing there?”
Gu Yangcheon’s typical rude tone grated on Gu Ryeong-hwa’s ears.
‘This guy’s infuriating.’
He didn’t even bother to reply to the dozens of letters she sent him.
Even though it had been a long time since they’d seen each other, his attitude was still like this.
‘We weren’t that close, but isn’t this a bit too much?’
It was ages ago when their sibling bond was strong.
Having a bit of awkwardness and discomfort was somewhat natural.
Still, Gu Ryeong-hwa had made efforts to resolve that.
However, when he acted like this, even she became irritated.
Even though she felt that frustration, Gu Ryeong-hwa swallowed her anger down.
Because this wasn’t the time to express such feelings.
Looking at her useless older brother, Gu Ryeong-hwa asked, “Do you really think that guy can defeat Yeongpung Sajil?”
She had heard that if the pale young man won this duel, he would reveal why they were headed to the Goryeo region.
Upon hearing this, Gu Ryeong-hwa had no choice but to wear a dumbfounded expression.
‘That’s ridiculous.’
Just by looking, the opponent was clearly a peer of Yeongpung.
Aside from his height, he looked feeble and muscularly deficient.
A body that seemed like it could snap if hit lightly. Probably because he didn’t eat well.
Could someone like that really defeat Yeongpung?
‘No way that’s true.’
Gu Ryeong-hwa asserted.
That was impossible.
If it were someone else, it might be a different story, but with Yeongpung, it was a different matter entirely.
Who exactly is Yeongpung?
He is the youngest Plum Blossom Inspector in the Hwasan Sect.
A genius currently regarded as the best practitioner of Hwasan.
Furthermore, now that he has obtained his ‘fortuity,’
It’s clear that Yeongpung would soar at an even faster pace.
What chance does a mere peer have against such a powerhouse?
Gu Ryeong-hwa saw none.
‘No…’
While thinking, Gu Ryeong-hwa glanced to the side.
There was Gu Yangcheon still yawning away.
“…”
Though not what Gu Ryeong-hwa thought, Yeongpung seemed to believe there was someone he considered superior to himself.
That’s this guy.
‘…Why…?’
Feeling someone talk about him, Gu Yangcheon was poking around his ear with a frown on his face.
The sight was quite unsightly.
‘…What on earth?’
Gu Ryeong-hwa cared enough about Gu Yangcheon to know about the various things and rumors regarding him from the past.
The true dragon who conquered the Yongbong Conference and earned the name of the Dragon.
Shortly after, he received the nickname of the youngest peak.
The horrific incident that happened at Shinryonggwan, where he heroically thwarted the master of the Sapa and stopped the massacre.
And finally, the new alias he obtained, Soyaemra.
At that time, Gu Yangcheon’s name had echoed throughout the Central Plains.
However, no one believed the rumors.
Not even Gu Ryeong-hwa, who was related by blood.
Do you want to know what nickname’s been following Gu Yangcheon since he became the youngest peak?
‘Youngest Hwagyeong? That’s absurd.’
Even if it was a rumor, that was downright outrageous.
No matter how close the bloodline, there are things that pass and things that don’t.
Gu Ryeong-hwa was aware of the sheer absurdity of those rumors.
‘That guy can’t possibly be that great.’
When she met him in Hwasan.
Gu Ryeong-hwa had heard that Gu Yangcheon accomplished something significant, but
She had never seen him engage in a real fight.
All she had was hearsay about how he miraculously overcame a peak martial artist.
After all, he wasn’t just a reckless troublemaker.
He did have some talent.
She only observed that.
In contrast to Gu Ryeong-hwa’s views, Yeongpung seemed to regard Gu Yangcheon differently.
Even when rumors circulated that he’d conquered the Yongbong Society.
‘As expected, it’s Gu Sohyeop!’
When the rumor spread that he was the youngest peak,
‘As expected… it’s Gu Sohyeop!’
When he returned to the Hwasan Sect after the Shinryonggwan incident.
‘… As expected, it was Gu Sohyeop….’
That was the constant refrain on Yeongpung’s lips.
Even when his cultivation level increased.
Even as the plum blossoms in his sword grew ever more splendid.
There was only one thing that Yeongpung’s eyes focused on.
Because he wanted to surpass someone.
Because he wanted to reach out to someone.
Yeongpung’s gaze was fixed on something distant.
Gu Ryeong-hwa thought that must be Gu Yangcheon, but she didn’t understand why Yeongpung looked at Gu Yangcheon that way.
Anyway.
If the opponent of such a confrontation and martial arts duel was Gu Yangcheon, that’s what she thought.
Yet, surprisingly, he found himself engaging with someone he had never heard of before, which left Gu Ryeong-hwa utterly baffled.
“Do you think he’ll lose?”
Gu Yangcheon’s question came as a surprise, but Gu Ryeong-hwa didn’t respond.
This was a positive answer.
That reaction caused Gu Yangcheon to grin slightly.
Gu Ryeong-hwa’s brows narrowed at the sight.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Well, it seemed like a natural reaction to me.”
Gu Yangcheon seemed to recognize how bizarre the situation was as well.
But.
“Just watch for now.”
Gu Yangcheon’s eyes held the same glimmer as always.
“Because I don’t think things will go as expected.”
Noticing his tone, Gu Ryeong-hwa slowly shifted her gaze back to the two combatants.
SWAAAAAH!
The melodious sound of water from a nearby waterfall filled the valley.
A soft breeze drifted as clouds moved lazily across the sky.
In that tranquil atmosphere, Yeongpung fixed his gaze forward.
A swordsman stood before him.
His messy hair and pale skin left a striking impression.
His movements exuded no traces of energy whatsoever.
As he observed the young man, Yeongpung shifted his gaze slightly, glancing toward Gu Yangcheon.
He was watching the two with interest, his characteristic gaze revealing curiosity.
‘What are you thinking?’
Yeongpung mused silently.
What was Gu Yangcheon pondering?
Why did he make him face this opponent?
Perhaps he felt that Yeongpung was still lacking when it came to facing him?
That reminded Yeongpung of himself, making him smile wryly.
‘That’s not false.’
Yeongpung couldn’t shake off the immediate realization upon spotting Gu Yangcheon.
‘…I can’t feel a thing.’
Barely sensing a presence at all,
He couldn’t grasp Gu Yangcheon’s realm.
This implied that Gu Yangcheon was on a significantly different level than Yeongpung.
In the past and present, Gu Yangcheon felt like he had ascended to greater heights.
That knowledge filled Yeongpung with unexpected joy.
No matter how hard he tried to reach the top, Gu Yangcheon was always several steps ahead, continuously increasing his speed to soar even further.
Seeing that made Yeongpung strive desperately to keep up.
When first introduced to Gu Yangcheon.
He was the one who forced Yeongpung to recognize his own limitations, breaking down the arrogance he had built around himself.
That was the individual who formed a vision for Yeongpung, one that would ignite his insatiable desire for progress.
A boundless goal one could chase without end.
In that way, Yeongpung thought he might have closed the gap a little.
Yet, disappointingly, he found the distance still vast — a persistent thought occurred to him.
‘…Even with the strength I’ve gained from him.’
He has defied the will of a great individual, but in truth, he still felt insufficient.
‘How far do you plan to go?’
The magnitude of Gu Yangcheon consistently amazed Yeongpung.
Where was he heading? How was he able to outpace everyone else at such speed?
If Yeongpung experienced the slightest bit of arrogance and tried to raise his own shoulders,
It felt like Gu Yangcheon would simply come over and squash him back down.
It was tiring, yet strangely welcomed. Perhaps that was due to the fact that Youngpung himself was a bit out of sorts.
As he contemplated that, a hint of laughter escaped him.
But.
‘Regardless of what happens.’
Gu Yangcheon always possessed a directive he followed.
This time would be no different.
Though there was a lingering disappointment at not being able to engage with Gu Yangcheon as well as a subtle annoyance at having to face Seongyul instead,
Yeongpung decided to trust Gu Yangcheon.
He lifted his sword toward his adversary.
“Please take good care of me. Holy Dojo.”
“…”
At Yeongpung’s words, Seongyul simply raised his sword in silence.
No reply came.
In addition, an uneasy energy saturated the air around them.
Observing that, Yeongpung felt compelled to ponder inwardly.
‘What could be happening?’
What made him appear so unsettled?
He couldn’t quite grasp it.
One thing was clear, though; he wouldn’t let his guard down.
The very fact that Gu Yangcheon made this arrangement for Seongyul indicated that he viewed him as a worthy opponent.
“Let’s get started.”
The downward inflection of a voice flowed into the air.
At that instant, Yeongpung made his move.
WHOOSH!
A tremendous surge of energy burst forth from his danjeon.
It soon began to pierce through his body, spilling out in all directions.
Ugh…!
As Yeongpung felt the energy swallowing the surrounding area, he could only inwardly gasp.
It was overwhelmingly powerful.
The flow of energy was colossal; it was uncontrollable.
Moreover, it felt unrefined.
‘The petals are boiling.’
The sentiment rang true.
Once flittering plum leaves had become intermingled with an abrasive force.
Complete control over it was beyond his grasp.
Yeongpung could simply manage to coil the energy around his own body, trying to regulate its outpouring.
THUD!
The steps that should have been light now felt as if they bore weight.
Then, without warning,
KUUUNG!
Yeongpung burst forth like an arrow.
“Oh.”
That sight prompted Gu Yangcheon to emit a small gasp of admiration.
SWISH!
An overwhelming energy enveloped the blade as it sliced through the air.
‘How graceful.’
Although Yeongpung was drenched in sweat from wielding the sword,
Gu Yangcheon’s feeling was one of inspiration.
The sword of the Hwasan Sect carried both grace and gentleness.
Just like the petals floating through the air.
It was termed the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, radiating effervescent charm.
An immaculate manifestation of swordsmanship.
People from the Central Plains often apply such words as they gaze at the Hwasan sword.
‘However, most are clueless as to how extremely challenging that is.’
The actual depth of the meaning eludes the majority.
‘A soft sword means it’s hard to apply force.’
Applying power with such a delicate weapon is a challenge, and to maintain its sharpness without destroying the sword’s integrity demands an exacting level of finesse.
Most remain blissfully unaware.
Furthermore,
‘This is why practitioners of the Hwasan Sect possess outstanding physical prowess.’
When he visited Hwasan for the first time,
He’d been awestruck by their ridiculous strength training and their formidable physiques.
Now he understands.
‘To effectively wield that sword necessitates physical conditioning.’
The sword of Hwasan requires a heightened sense of precision.
To master that requires enduring physical burdens.
To use such a graceful sword, one must also possess a solid foundation in strength.
Only then can one hope to wield it skillfully.
SWISH!
That is when one can wield the sword of the Hwasan properly.
The sword of Yeongpung cleaved through the air.
The energy radiating from his body entwined around the sword, creating an image akin to flower petals in motion.
Watching that unfold, Gu Yangcheon smiled.
‘The quality is different.’
When they first met,
Yeongpung could barely bloom a single plum blossom.
That same Yeongpung was now in full bloom.
Not the shallow petals he had displayed back then.
These were the genuine blossoms revealed by true plum blossom sword masters.
SWOOSH!
Though the fact that he couldn’t fully control his aura was a pity,
Even considering that, it was an astonishing sight.
‘Youngpung has already transcended.’
He had definitely crossed over from the realm of late index!
From Gu Yangcheon’s perspective, should Yeongpung fully bloom and this display spread throughout the Central Plains,
He reckoned it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to take on the moniker of Sword Dragon.
If that happened then—
‘In just ten years or so, he could even aspire to the title of Sword King.’
Perhaps even sooner than that.
Yeongpung was blossoming with immense potential.
‘This isn’t the same as my previous life.’
In Gu Yangcheon’s view, Yeongpung was one of the few individuals who transformed positively compared to his prior existence.
Gone was the brilliant prodigy who crumbled under the weight of his own talent, now replaced by Yeongpung, who found his own path, unimpeded by his abilities.
Though Yeongpung’s essence shone vibrantly like the floral petals,
‘Still,’
His opponent would surely not be a pushover either.
BANG!
The clash of swords echoed resoundingly.
As the lovely sound rang through the air…
“…Huh?”
At that same moment, an astonished voice emerged from beside Gu Yangcheon.
It was Gu Ryeong-hwa’s voice.
She bore a rather shocked expression.
It was no wonder.
BANG! CRREEEAK!
The sword of the wind, praised as the most formidable sword, now decidedly outside the last index domain.
“What on earth…?”
Seongyul was effortlessly deflecting Yeongpung’s blade.
‘The opponent is indeed no simple warrior. He’s a candidate for the title of Sword King too.’
If it’s said that the title Sword Master was later taken by the Demon Sword Master,
The position of the Sword King was vacant in a past life.
That was because it was not long after the Demon Sword Master murdered his father, the Heavenly Sword King.
As a result, the title of Sword King had remained unfilled.
There were deserving candidates, however.
At that time, the Hwasan Sect was annihilated, and Yeongpung vanished, so he was not among them.
The Sword Demon was a different case.
He was one of the individuals considered as a potential Sword King.
Though he never succeeded in rising to that height, due to his unparalleled strength in decimating one of the Four Great Clans alone, like the Demon Sword Master,
Had he ascended, he likely would possess a name akin to Demon Sword King (魔劍王).
‘It feels a bit like looting, doesn’t it?’
Yet, since most of the swordmasters had been annihilated,
His position wouldn’t firmly anchor him as a Sword King.
Regardless,
‘In any case, it means he made it to the nominee stage.’
The title of Sword King isn’t just a household name, nor is it merely associated with Monsters. Thus, the fact that he was a nominee bears significant weight.
This suggests that the Sword Demon indeed holds some value.
And Seongyul demonstrated this.
CLANG! CLANG!
The young Sword Demon did not falter in the face of the blooming Yeongpung.
He disrupted Yeongpung’s trajectory, manipulating it to his advantage.
SWISH!
Whenever he spotted any slight weakness, he’d rush in without a moment’s hesitation.
‘He’s bridging the gap created by their physical disparity with his skill.’
In terms of raw strength and physique, Seongyul clearly lagged behind Yeongpung.
But he was using this gap to his advantage.
CLING!
Using the angles of his blade to deflect Yeongpung’s attacks.
Experiencing this firsthand transformed Yeongpung’s expression.
‘What is this?’
As he readied his sword, he realized that Seongyul was already moving, shaking the sword’s path with practiced skill.
Any hint of imbalance in the blade would sap its strength, veering it from its likely trajectory.
Although Yeongpung attempted to recalibrate with his footwork,
BAM!
“…!”
As Yeongpung moved, Seongyul promptly mirrored the motion, adjusting his steps.
Neither party could gain nor lose distance between them.
In this situation, a sense of foreignness washed over Yeongpung.
The level of Seongyul appeared far beyond what he had anticipated.
It felt equally matched to Yeongpung, now blessed with the ‘fortuity.’
Of course, Yeongpung found this quite astonishing, yet the most unexpected part was—
‘…I can’t sense the Kunlun sword style at all.’
He discerned that the techniques of the Kunlun Sect were absent from Seongyul’s swordsmanship.
Though there should have been distinct nuances bound to its origin,
Those characteristics were entirely absent from Seongyul’s approach.
SWISH! BANG!
A clash of blades produced sound and force,
As the difference in power left Seongyul’s body jangling.
In that instant, Yeongpung seized the opportunity and pressed forward.
Dropping low,
He shifted grips on his blade. Unable to swing for a clean cut, he had to aim for a strike with the flat of the sword.
As he swung towards Seongyul, suddenly—
“…!”
Seongyul’s gaze shifted, his eyes sharpened, and he increased his speed dramatically.
That should have resulted in a body hard to control.
Yet, Seongyul caught it and forcibly moved his arm.
Despite the harsh velocity of such an attack, the speed was shockingly fast.
SWISH!
‘Oh no!’
In the wake of that bizarre movement, Yeongpung swiftly altered his sword path, desperate to intercept Seongyul’s assault.
But—
Seongyul’s blade was unusually quick.
So quick it felt borderline impossible to evade.
Had he been withholding his power all along? Yeongpung pondered.
Just then,
[Stop.]
“…!”
A voice echoed in Seongyul’s ears. Gu Yangcheon’s voice.
In that instant, Seongyul’s movements slowed.
Then Yeongpung took his designated shot.
CLANG! CLANG!
The blades narrowly whisked past each other.
CRASH!
The two fighters created distance, deflecting each other’s attacks.
“Phew… phew….”
Taking a moment to regain composure after the sudden shift, Yeongpung looked toward Seongyul.
Seongyul stood as he had, simply holding his face.
Drip.
A red stream trickled from his cheek.
It seemed he had been nicked by Yeongpung’s sword energy.
“…”
Yet, Seongyul seemed unconcerned about the wound, gazing wide-eyed in surprise at something.
Yeongpung probed, observing Seongyul closely.
“…Holy Dojo.”
At the call, Seongyul turned to gaze at Yeongpung.
“Why did you slow down at the end?”
If he hadn’t slowed down, Yeongpung might’ve been caught by the previous attack, and Youngpung now sought clarification on Seongyul’s reasoning.
To which Seongyul replied,
“…I was afraid I would kill you.”
He responded in a voice that suggested he himself struggled to comprehend his own reasoning.
Was he bewildered by the idea of attempting to kill him?
Or was it the act of potentially trying to kill him that confused him?
Yeongpung couldn’t decipher what the issue was.
“…Hah…”
With a SWISH!
Yeongpung sheathed the sword he had been gripping tightly and exhaled slowly,
“…I lost.”
The expression on his face while acknowledging defeat looked somewhat unpleased but also oddly relieved.
“…The world is still filled with people I don’t know, and I feel like I have a long way to go. Perhaps this was shown to me for a reason, Gu Sohyeop.”
So Yeongpung concluded that Gu Yangcheon held purpose behind his actions.
“…Oh? Yes… right… right.”
Gu Yangcheon, who heard this from a distance, was unsure what Yeongpung was on about.
‘What’s he talking about?’
He seemed to be lost in bewildered thoughts but ultimately decided not to dismiss it.
It didn’t seem like a bad thought to entertain.
‘He won, didn’t he?’
Gu Yangcheon was intrigued by how the situation unfolded.
He hadn’t assumed the younger would be pushed back.
He never thought Seongyul would defeat Yeongpung.
‘I was simply trying to experiment a little.’
Using Yeongpung was meant to gather insights, but he never anticipated it would lead to such a resolution.
‘Yeongpung isn’t weaker than Seongyul.’
Admittedly, Seongyul was stronger than expected,
but Yeongpung was far from being weaker than that.
He was merely failing to reveal his true strength due to lacking some control over his energy.
If he manages to rectify that and faces Seongyul again,
‘Yeongpung should win.’
That seemed the most likely conclusion.
‘What truly matters is beyond just the result.’
Gu Yangcheon was more focused on watching Seongyul’s circumstances than on the outcome of this matter.
Seongyul stood stunned, wide-eyed in surprise.
It seemed he sensed something directed toward Gu Yangcheon.
Gu Yangcheon chuckled at that realization.
‘This works.’
During the duel, when Seongyul tried to harness the powers of Cheonsalseong,
Gu Yangcheon initiated a countermeasure against Seongyul.
As a result, the Cheonsalseong trying to invade Seongyul’s body was effectively suppressed.
Observing that, Gu Yangcheon concluded it was a worthy find.
Of course, many more experiments lay ahead.
But, it seemed clear:
‘That guy has potential use.’
Gu Yangcheon felt as if he was on the cusp of discovering how to pin down the sword spirit of Cheonsalseong.
—
So for lunch, as the duel concluded,
Just when Seongyul intended to grill and eat the fish he had caught in the valley . . .
Yeongpung muttered something that left Gu Yangcheon stunned.
“…What did you just say?”
As promised, he sought to understand the rationale motivating their journey to the Goryeo region.
However, Yeongpung’s declaration was utterly nonsensical.
With a bewildered expression, he held the fish, appearing as if he were frozen in place.
“…I…”
The words he cautiously uttered seemed almost like secrets, shared just in case anyone was eavesdropping.
“…I believe I might be the successor to the Volcanic Sword.”
“…?”
Gu Yangcheon was completely at a loss.
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