Chapter 14: Chapter 14
On the sparring arena of Dolimpyeong.
Cheon-hwi, who was standing alone on it, furrowed his brow.
‘How did it end up like this?’
He reflected on the situation from just a moment ago.
The Five Mountains Gathering, which was different from his expectations, had ended disappointingly, and he had intended to return to the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Scriptures to read martial arts manuals.
But suddenly, the Sect Leader had called him and ordered him to participate in a sparring match.
‘He must have been in a hurry.’
He roughly grasped the Sect Leader’s intention.
Since he had also once been the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, he knew very well what he was thinking.
A sparring match to repay the humiliation of defeat.
Looking at the surrounding reactions, it seemed to have worked.
Since the interest was greater than during the Five Mountains Gathering.
‘How bothersome.’
Cheon-hwi slowly scanned them.
From all directions, countless numbers of people were staring at him.
The disciples of the Mount Hua Sect were looking at him with anxious eyes, but the disciples of the other four sword sects were looking at him with mocking or dumbfounded expressions.
Perhaps it was a natural occurrence.
Since he was still a fourteen-year-old boy.
And such gazes were not limited to them.
The elders of the four sword sects, who had somehow ended up sitting in the seats of honor again as another sparring match was held, were looking at each other and quietly conversing.
“Did the Mount Hua Sect have such a young first-generation disciple?”
Around the time when everyone shook their heads as if they had no idea at Jeokuja’s question.
“Ah!”
Go Gyeong-ja, an elder of the Mount Heng Sect, let out a short exclamation as if they had remembered something.
“Do you know?”
At Muyeongja’s urging, Go Gyeong-ja nodded and whispered very quietly.
“You know of it, right? The rumor that the Plum Blossom Sword Hero took in a newborn baby as a disciple in the past. I remember that the child’s Daoist name was Cheon-hwi.”
“The Plum Blossom Sword Hero…!”
“Are you saying he is the disciple of that Plum Blossom Sword Hero?”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes changed.
The Plum Blossom Sword Hero was a title vividly etched in their minds.
Since he had appeared like a comet at a past Five Mountains Gathering, displayed overwhelming skill, and was furthermore known as the talent to lead the Mount Hua Sect.
If only he hadn’t fallen along with the Plum Blossom Swordsmen he led during the attack by White Ghost Castle eight years ago, the prestige of the Mount Hua Sect would not have fallen as it had now.
“Then that child is…”
“So he was the disciple of the Plum Blossom Sword Hero.”
The elders of the four sword sects grew tense.
Although he was a young child, hearing that he was the disciple of the Plum Blossom Sword Hero made his impression look different.
Around the time they were looking at Cheon-hwi.
Tap.
Kang Wun stepped up onto the sparring arena.
He, too, like Cheon-hwi in front of him, was entirely displeased with the current situation.
In fact, he knew.
That the Mount Hua Sect could not accept the proposal right now because they had no Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
In other words, he had made a provocation.
To tarnish the honor of the Mount Hua Sect and elevate the reputation of himself and the Mount Heng Sect.
But the situation had become strange.
Sreuk…
Kang Wun stared at the boy in front of him.
A boy who was a head shorter than himself.
The diminutive handsome boy, who looked to be only about twelve or thirteen years old at a glance, wore a sword at his waist that seemed like it would touch the ground.
Kang Wun, who was looking at the boy wondering if he could even lift a sword properly, narrowed his brow.
‘To tell me to face a little kid like this instead of a Plum Blossom Swordsman.’
“Haa.”
Letting out a deep sigh, he shook his head back and forth.
‘If the opponent was a Plum Blossom Swordsman, I would have at least gained fame. Even if I win this sparring match, there is no benefit to me at all.’
Finishing his thoughts, he approached Cheon-hwi. Although he was feeling quite displeased right now, he brought his hands together and took a solemn bow.
Because the opponent was much younger than him, but was higher in seniority.
“I look forward to our match.”
Hwik…
Cheon-hwi glanced at that sight and roughly formed a fist salute as if he was annoyed.
Seeing that, Kang Wun’s face crumpled.
‘This little kid…’
However, he soon forced his crumpled face to smooth out and withdrew his fist salute.
Soon, as he stepped back with a smiling face, he quietly muttered in a voice mixed with utmost annoyance.
“I should end this as quickly as possible.”
A very small whisper.
However, Cheon-hwi, whose hearing was more developed than others, heard that voice.
‘Look at this guy?’
He twisted one corner of his mouth at Kang Wun’s tone, which looked down on him completely.
‘I’m in a bad mood, so this is perfect.’
It was just the moment when he needed to vent his anger.
He had come because it was the Five Mountains Gathering, the grand assembly of the Five Great Mountain Sword Sects, but what he ended up seeing was children hitting and fighting each other.
There was no proper martial arts, nor was it fierce.
‘If I knew it would be like this, I wouldn’t have even come here to watch.’
Just this was already annoying.
Now he was in a position to even have a sparring match with a young brat whose blood hasn’t even dried on his head.
Because it was the Sect Leader’s order, he had no choice but to accept it, but for that reason, his mood couldn’t help but worsen.
Step… Step…
The two, who walked with different thoughts in mind, stood facing each other at a distance of five zhang.
They stared at each other like that for a moment.
Sreureung…
Kang Wun drew his sword first.
The pure white White Lotus Sword sparkled under the sunlight, and intense internal energy was loaded onto the blade.
Kang Wun stared at his sword for a moment.
Tat!
He forcefully kicked off the ground.
His figure soared into the sky.
Having no intention of going easy on his opponent, he brought up his internal energy in a single breath, executed the Azure Cloud Flowing Step, and closed the distance.
The distance of five zhang was shortened in an instant.
‘I will end this in a single blow.’
With that thought, he glared at Cheon-hwi.
He was still standing still, seemingly having not grasped that he had moved.
He quickly swung his sword broadly toward his fully exposed shoulder.
Swaaaek!
The wind split, and internal energy exploded.
Flying Cloud Surpassing Wind.
Among the Wind and Cloud Sword Art he had learned, the sword stance he was most confident in was swung.
Right around the time when Flying Cloud Surpassing Wind was about to touch Cheon-hwi’s defenseless shoulder.
Kaang!
“Heup!”
Kang Wun’s expression stiffened as he swallowed a breath in vain.
Without knowing when he had drawn his sword, the opponent had effortlessly blocked his Flying Cloud Surpassing Wind.
‘How…’
His pupils trembled finely.
Not to mention drawing his sword, it was unseen when he had swung it.
The moment cold sweat flowed down his forehead.
Tat!
Regaining his senses, he hastily retreated.
Kang Wun wasn’t the only one surprised.
The crowd watching the one exchange that occurred in the sparring arena also expressed their surprise.
Especially, the ones who were most surprised were none other than the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect.
“D-Did he block it?”
“Phew, that’s a relief.”
“But how did he block it?”
They had been filled with anxiety.
Although the sparring match between Cheon-hwi and Kang Wun had been established by the Sect Leader’s order, they hadn’t thought that Cheon-hwi would win.
Even just looking right now, the difference could be felt.
Kang Wun was dominating the sparring arena while exuding immense internal energy, but Cheon-hwi was only exuding a very faint presence.
Like a rabbit in front of a tiger.
“Please let the next attack pass safely just like this one…”
“Immeasurable Life Buddha.”
Around the time when they, who had put on pitiful expressions, brought their two hands together while looking at the sparring arena.
“How did he block it?”
“Senior Brother’s Wind and Cloud Sword Art…!”
The disciples of the Mount Heng Sect were startled.
Kang Wun was someone who showed unrivaled skill among the second-generation disciples.
But since his sword stance was blocked by a young boy, it was natural for bewilderment to well up.
At that moment, one of the second-generation disciples burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, it seems Senior Brother Kang Wun went easy on him because the opponent is young.”
Come to think of it, those words seemed correct. Otherwise, it was hard to understand the situation that had just occurred.
“Hahaha, Senior Brother is really.”
“It was a fluke.”
Around the time when the disciples of the Mount Heng Sect were relieved one by one and looked calmly again.
Jureureuk…
Kang Wun wiped the sweat that flowed down his forehead.
Unlike the thoughts of the Mount Heng Sect’s disciples, he had not gone easy.
Rather, he had used all his strength.
In order to end it in a single blow.
‘But how did he block it?’
Swallowing his breath, he looked at Cheon-hwi.
Still a young boy, he was holding the longsword with his small, delicate hands.
Without any aura or internal energy.
‘…Was it a fluke?’
Thinking so, he narrowed his eyes.
It made no sense unless it was a fluke.
‘There is no second fluke.’
Kang Wun brought up his internal energy.
The internal energy of the Clear and Bright Mind Art, which he had learned since he was young, enveloped him.
Hwaaak!
The light in his eyes, harboring internal energy, sharply emitted a glow.
Glaring at Cheon-hwi as if he wouldn’t let his guard down anymore, he stepped out with his left foot.
The Azure Cloud Flowing Step unfolded once again.
Cleaving through the wind, he gripped his sword even tighter and slashed his sword toward Cheon-hwi’s defenseless side.
Swaaaek!
Right around the time when the sword was about to reach.
“…!”
Kang Wun was astonished.
Without him noticing, Cheon-hwi’s two pupils, having turned his head, were piercing through him.
‘My movements…’
Ssiik…
In an instant, the corner of Cheon-hwi’s mouth went up.
Beonjjeok!
Lightning bloomed along with a flash of light.
The two swords clashed in the middle, and in that state, they began a test of strength.
‘F-Flying Wind Slashing Sword is blocked like this?’
When the flustered Kang Wun was about to put more strength into his sword to pressure him.
“You said you wanted to see the Plum Blossom Sword Art, right?”
A cold voice knocked on his ears.
Following that, a strong force was loaded into the sword.
Teoeong!
His body was sent bouncing backwards.
“What is this…”
Kang Wun muttered blankly.
The internal energy felt just a moment ago.
It was a very small amount of internal energy, but it harbored an immense repulsive force.
‘It wasn’t a fluke…’
His face stiffened slightly.
However, he soon shook his head.
Only now did he realize why the Sect Leader had sent out this young boy.
Strength entered the hand gripping the sword.
‘I guess they aren’t the Mount Hua Sect for nothing.’
Cheon-hwi let out a chuckle as he watched Kang Wun, who, unlike before, was taking a proper stance with a tense appearance.
After that, he brought up the Plum Blossom Divine Art.
Hwaaaak!
The internal energy of the Plum Blossom Divine Art that he had been concealing all this time spread throughout his entire body, exuding a subtle aura in all directions.
A completely different aura and atmosphere.
Those who were watching the sparring match were astonished.
“T-That kind of aura.”
“It is an astounding martial prowess at such a young age.”
Everyone could not hold back their admiration.
The aura and presence shown right now.
It was a domineering and overwhelming energy that was completely contradictory to Cheon-hwi’s appearance.
“Had he been hiding his skills all this time?”
“The Sect Leader didn’t request a sparring match for nothing!”
Gradually, the atmosphere of the crowd changed.
The anxious eyes of the Mount Hua Sect’s disciples were suddenly sparkling with expectation, and the disciples of the Mount Heng Sect were trembling finely.
“If it’s this kind of aura…”
“Could it be that Senior Brother Kang Wun is…”
And Cheon-go, who was watching the sparring match together with them, also opened his eyes wide.
“It wasn’t a coincidence.”
Cheon-hwi was captured in his pupils.
He had thought his eye for seeing sparring matches was extraordinary, but he hadn’t known he possessed this level of outstanding martial arts skill.
The amount of internal energy felt from Cheon-hwi even now was considerably small.
However, to the point of overshadowing that amount of internal energy, the aura and presence exuded by Cheon-hwi were overwhelming.
Enough to overwhelm Kang Wun, who must have trained for at least over ten years.
While he was thinking so.
‘Is that a possible thing?’
He revealed a doubt.
As someone who knew Cheon-hwi well, it was extremely difficult for him to understand the current situation.
He knew that he had learned martial arts.
However, it was an absurdly fast growth speed.
‘Do the people watching the sparring match here right now know? That Cheon-hwi, who is exuding such an overwhelming aura, has only been learning martial arts for barely a month.’
Cheon-go, who was thinking, soon gulped down the saliva pooled in his mouth. After that, when he looked at Cheon-hwi with trembling eyes.
Hook!
Cheon-hwi’s figure suddenly sank into the ground.
“…!”
Kang Wun, who lost sight of Cheon-hwi’s figure for an instant, glared with his two eyes wide open.
Cheon-hwi, who had suddenly disappeared, appeared right under his nose before he knew it, looking at him.
“Hap!”
Quickly letting out a spirit shout, he swung the sword that was prepared to counterattack at any time.
The sword stance swung with all his strength.
However, the sword did not reach Cheon-hwi.
Because Cheon-hwi, who had raised his sword before he knew it, was lightly deflecting the sword swung by Kang Wun.
Cheon-hwi, who deflected the sword swung by Kang Wun using the technique of Shifting Flowers and Joining Trees, whispered quietly.
“Watch closely. Because this is the Plum Blossom Sword Art.”
As soon as those low words finished.
Huuuuung!
A massive wind raged.
The red plum blossoms that had been falling along with the sunset mixed together with the wind raised by Cheon-hwi, and began to swallow heaven and earth.
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