Dust clouds rose thickly enough to cover the entire Bimu Jang, formed from the impact of two fierce sword strikes clashing violently.
“C-Could this be?! With such fierce traces of combat, both competitors have become completely obscured…!”
Cheoncheonmu, the commentator, shouted as he witnessed the Bimu Jang.
“I swear, just now, plum blossoms bloomed in the Bimu Jang! How on earth did this happen?”
No matter how mystical the martial arts of the Western Region using mana were, what he just saw was undoubtedly the sight of plum blossoms.
The flower could be called the quintessence of Hwasan Sect.
Even if the Six Harmonies Sword Technique is known as a third-rate martial art widely spread among the crowd, what they just witnessed was certainly the sword of Hwasan.
How could a disciple of the unrelated faction perform such a technique? The spectators began to murmur.
“Brother, did you perhaps sell our secrets?”
“Don’t say such nonsense! If the sect leader sees this, your head will roll!”
Among them, the most agitated were the members of Gu Pae Il Bang. They could only be taken aback by the serious face of Verdandi as she revealed her sword technique.
As the saying goes, “A flower without ten days red,” the characteristic of the Hwasan sword is its ability to shift (변).
However, even after decades of training, few reach such a level in swordsmanship. It takes a formidable sense (의) and intent (念) for the flowers of the sword to bloom.
‘…How is this possible?’
Hyeonhwa, the leader of Hwasan Sect, pondered, resting her chin on her hand. It was a perfect representation of the plum blossom tree blooming in treacherous, steep mountain terrains.
That was a talent worth fortunes. Not merely a person meant to rot under the influence of an unrelated faction.
The martial arts of Hwasan Sect possess the extreme energy of the Zaha sin-gong. It was an utter contradiction that even Bing Yeon, with a negative constitution, could teach it—it was absolute chaos.
How could a child who seemed to have come from the Western Region understand and completely apply the intricacies of Hwasan?
‘Even in the War of Good and Evil, they were a strange character… but I never expected this. Bing Yeon.’
Hyeonhwa smiled briefly, reminiscing.
Even in the place where the orthodox and unorthodox factions warred and divided, she was a martial artist who tried to care for the injured and save a soul.
If it were anyone else, it would have likely been inconceivable, but Bing Yeon could have thought to teach a third-rate martial art to a child from the Western Region.
After all, it was Bing Yeon who healed her when she fell critically injured by the blades of the black sects. At that time, Hyeonhwa thought they were genuinely insane.
They knew who they were yet dared to grip the beard of a legendary figure known as Shin Ui and ordered that they must be saved.
‘…You fetched a disciple from the Western Region, thinking to broaden the children’s horizons in the East…’
Originally, the martial arts of the Western Region were not well known to the public, and Hyeonhwa had an inkling that they would catch everyone off-guard in such martial arts contests.
However,
What Bing Yeon’s disciples brought were merely third-rate martial arts.
Yes, “merely” third-rate martial arts.
Martial arts that were known even to ordinary people, not martial artists. Techniques available for pocket change on the streets, so mundane that even passing dogs could use them.
‘To dig this kind of raw gemstone out, they had to be released to the public using the Six Harmonies Sword Technique.’
The reason why the originally Hwasan Sect’s secret martial art, the Six Harmonies Sword Technique, spread among common people was a scheme by Hyeonhwa.
In truth, a person who has mastered one martial art is more fearsome than someone who has dabbled in many.
The ascension of one’s realm comes not from the quantity or purity of their energy but from the endless cycle of practice.
Therefore, Hyeonhwa thought the easiest way to find talents worthy of entering her faction was to gauge the people’s response when the plum blossoms fluttered around someone wielding a sword.
‘…You have some remarkable disciples, Bing Yeon, but this is quite the disappointment.’
As the dust cloud cleared and the figures of the two combatants slowly began to be visible, Hyeonhwa reflected.
Unlike before, it was clear that Verdandi had not emerged victorious.
Unlike Verdandi, the earlier child Bi Wol had merely dispelled the legendary external power of Geumgangbulgoe with the Three Talented Sword Method.
Even if Verdandi succeeded in recreating the sword of plum blossoms, the time spent training beneath her was distinctly less than that of Bi Wol.
‘If you had a few more years of teaching time as a disciple, the victory would have been yours.’
No matter how perfectly one understood and wielded the sword of Hwasan, the time and effort put into it seemed undoubtedly lacking.
Even if someone possessed great talent for the sword gifted from the heavens, lack of training in the art could lead to defeat in the realm of Zhongyuan.
“The winner is…!!”
Proving Hyeonhwa’s expectations, Verdandi was the first to tumble forward. She was breathlessly struggling to rise, continuously pushing herself off the ground, yet falling again and again.
“Wha, what?! Both have collapsed…!”
Similarly, a blue-haired man lay on the ground, unmoving.
Was he too weak to even move a finger? Groaning painfully, exhaling weak breaths.
Both sustained severe injuries from their sword wounds to a point of vulnerability where it felt fortunate they were still alive.
“Oh, the referee has just declared the judgment! It’s a draw, a draw! What sort of twist is this…!!”
Upon viewing them, the referee immediately deemed it a draw. Neither could stand, and both needed immediate treatment for their severe injuries.
It was strange that within the Yong Bong Gihwa, they fought so intensely to the point of wanting to kill. Even with the titles of Dragon and Phoenix associated with them, life and death were not on the line.
“If this is the case, then Bing Yeon must win once more…!”
Victory in the best of three rounds determines the final winner.
If in the next match between Azazel and Kang Si Woo, she lost, it was also an option for the leaders of each faction to face off.
If that were the case, Bing Yeon would undoubtedly lose. Currently, Bing Seolhwa was in the body of Shub Niggurath.
“Indeed, how the forthcoming match will unfold remains to be seen, a nail-biting next game…! After the healers treat them, we will commence right away!”
Shin Ui rushed over to Verdandi and Zikhart, taking their pulses, and he nodded slowly, beginning the treatment. His movements were so quick that his hands seemed to vanish.
“…Fortunately, it’s not too late.”
Wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead, he turned to Bing Yeon, who had rushed beside him.
That meant the dangerous crisis had been averted.
“Thank you so much… Shin Ui.”
Bing Yeon bowed deeply in gratitude. No matter how much Verdandi was a character from a novel, she is now a living, breathing entity.
“My bad, I didn’t expect to work this hard, sigh… tsk tsk. They used to say respect your elders.”
Shin Ui groaned as he leaned back, looking somewhat fatigued. He was one of the figures who fought alongside Bing Yeon in the War of Good and Evil.
*
After laying Verdandi down on the bed to rest,
“By the way, what on earth is that girl doing? Is some weird spirit possessing her or something?”
Shin Ui suddenly tapped my shoulder as he spoke. It seemed he could discern Bing Seolhwa’s condition merely by looking, and he probably caught on that Seolhwa and I were half-siblings sharing similar blood.
“…Did you catch on?”
“If I don’t notice that, I’d be blind! Trying to deceive this old man, are we?!”
Shin Ui leaped in alarm, clearly feeling betrayed that I had hidden the fact that I have a half-sister named Bing Seolhwa.
“Such a cruel fate, one burdened with the Nine Pulse Meridians as a ticking clock and the other possessed, going mad… Bing Gung must really have drawn the short straw!”
“What do you mean by unlucky?”
“Cursed by the heavens! Maybe you revived a dead person or committed some act against humanity, who knows!”
At Shin Ui’s words, a weight settled heavily on my chest. After all, Seolhwa has come back to life with the help of foreign powers.
Honestly, all this misfortune felt like it stemmed from my desire to keep writing the novel just to meet Seolhwa again.
“Huh? Why does your face look so dark? Lift your spirits! You’ve wrapped up the treatment for your disciple brilliantly!”
Shin Ui thumped my back. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Verdandi’s face properly and ended up shedding tears.
Only upon a closer look did I realize just how much this little girl had been hurt and how she had endured pain.
To rescue someone like me, she fought against Zikhart with her life on the line.
“S-Sister…!”
“Lady…!”
Soon after, Bi Wol and Azazel arrived by her bedside. And there was Verdandi, soundly sleeping, unaware of it all.
“Thank goodness… With divine power healing her, it appears she’s completely healed without a trace of injury.”
“I thought Verdandi might have died with that last attack…”
Seeing Verdandi’s peaceful face, they all sighed in relief. The last blow was an immense clash of power, after all.
Watching the three of them, I felt a surge of determination that I must protect them more than my own life, even without relying on the longevity technique.
I never wanted to witness death again since Seolhwa.
I did not want to experience the loss of someone I had just joyfully greeted yesterday.
Once was enough for such experiences.
“Azazel, how about we just forfeit the upcoming matches?”
As I lowered my head and spoke, Azazel trembled slightly, surprised.
“Brother?”
“Considering Verdandi’s case, there’s a chance that the opponent won’t hesitate to kill you in this martial arts tournament. Perhaps this is just a stroke of luck…”
“…Brother, please calm down.”
Azazel halted my frantic speech. It seemed like my sudden suggestion startled her.
“I understand you’re worried about the other ladies being injured, but I’m going to fight in the next match.”
Having caught on to the guilt I felt over Verdandi’s injury, Azazel now spoke to me in a much gentler tone than before.
“Why on earth would you do that?”
“Because it’s a great chance to end that trash’s life.”
She spoke with a hint of curse mixed in. It seemed she couldn’t get over her desire to directly deal with Kang Si Woo herself.
“Moreover….”
Just then, Azazel gently placed her finger on my lips. It became an unspoken gesture to quiet me, causing Bi Wol to gasp and glare at her sharply.
“If I don’t step up, I can’t save you, can I?”
With a sweet smile, Azazel pressed her finger against her own tongue. It felt like a fox’s tail was showing with that alluring grin.
“And besides, I’ll have to take my revenge for Lady Verdandi too.”
“……!!!”
Immediately, Bi Wol seized Azazel’s hair, prepared to go at her, barely able to restrain herself while I struggled to keep her calm.
