Episode 432

The spring at Mount Sohua was stunning.

 

Pure white plum blossoms covered the entire mountain, their rich fragrance enough to make one’s head spin.  Lured by the scent, bees and butterflies flitted busily through the plum forests.

 

At the heart of this picturesque plum blossom forest sat a beautiful middle-aged woman.

 

She was seated cross-legged, with an antique sword resting on her thighs.

 

Though her eyes were closed, her other senses were wide open. Thanks to that, even without sight, she could vividly perceive her surroundings as if seeing them with her own eyes.

 

Her name was Ja Seol-gyeong.

 

She was an absolute master produced by the Mount Hua Sect.

 

Her senses were far sharper than those of ordinary martial artists, allowing no presence to approach unnoticed.

 

And now, she concentrated all her mental focus on detecting any external presence.

 

Srrrk—

 

At that moment, a faint sound, like something lightly scraping the ground, reached her ears. It was so subtle that an ordinary person would never have noticed it, but her acute senses could not be deceived.

 

Ja Seol-gyeong’s ears twitched slightly.

 

Sssshhh—

 

The sound grew clearer.

 

Her expression hardened.

 

‘One zhang behind me.’

 

One zhang—just within striking distance of a sword.

 

No one had ever gotten that close to her without permission.

 

Swoosh!

 

A blade honed to a razor’s edge cut softly through the air toward the back of her head.

 

Tang!

 

In that instant, Ja Seol-gyeong slapped the sword on her lap. The blade bent as if elastic, then sprang up to eye level.

 

She grabbed the hilt and swung it behind her.

 

Clash!

 

The weapons clashed.

 

With the impact, Ja Seol-gyeong spun gracefully, trying to locate the attacker. But in that brief instant, the attacker vanished. They had disappeared the moment their strike was blocked.

 

“Impressive.”

 

Ja Seol-gyeong murmured in admiration.

 

Disappearing in an instant was no easy feat.

 

 

For someone like her—a supreme master—to lose sight of an opponent right before her eyes was nearly impossible. Yet her adversary had done just that.

 

Sssht!

 

This time, the attack came from her left.

 

“Truly impressive,” She praised and blocked the attack.

 

She unleashed the Plum Blossom Sword Technique of the Mount Hua Sect.

 

Like the blossoms that filled Mount Sohua, her swordplay unfolded one after another. In contrast, her opponent’s swordplay was simple—just straight thrusts. But they were fast.

 

Clang!

 

When blocked, the attacker withdrew, then circled rapidly to the right and stabbed again.

 

The attacker moved so quickly that even Ja Seol-gyeong’s eyes could barely track them. But she wasn’t an absolute master for nothing.

 

Her incredible reflexes and intuition blocked the lightning-quick strikes that were invisible to the naked eye.

 

The attacker abandoned stealth, pressing with blinding speed. Any other martial artist would have died long ago.

 

‘She’s improved tremendously in such a short time.’

 

The relentless barrage of strikes sent a chill through even someone as powerful as Ja Seol-gyeong. That was how fast and powerful the strikes were.

 

But she couldn’t let the attacker continue unchallenged.

 

Whoosh!

 

Suddenly, sword Aura erupted from her blade like fireworks.

 

Her sword aura, imbued with the scent of plum blossoms, illuminated the area and revealed her opponent’s previously obscured figure.

 

A woman no less beautiful than Ja Hong-cheon, perhaps even more so.

 

With an icy, snowflake-like beauty, it was none other than Han Socheon.

 

The moment Ja Seol-gyeong recognized her, her aura shifted.

 

Han Socheon shuddered, sensing an indescribable danger.

 

‘It’s coming.’

 

Her eyes widened. She couldn’t rely on her senses anymore; she had to feel it like Ja Seol-gyeong did.

 

Sssht!

 

Ja Seol-gyeong thrust her sword.

 

It was a simple, straight stab, yet it carried enough force to collapse a mountain.

 

One Sword Shatters Mountains.

 

The technique that earned Ja Seol-gyeong the title “Unrivalled One Sword.”

 

It was too late to dodge.

 

Han So-cheon mustered all her strength to block.

 

BOOM!

 

A deafening explosion sent her flying backward.

 

It was too late to dodge.

 

Han So-cheon summoned all her qi to block the strike.

 

The swords collided with a thunderous boom.

 

Boom!

 

Han So-cheon was blown away, flying back more than ten jang.

 

Tumbling through the air, she twisted like a cat to minimize the impact before crashing down. However, the bone-shaking force left her unable to move.

 

Ja Seol-gyeong approached.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“I’m… fine,” Han Socheon gasped, pushing herself up with one hand. Zha Xuejing helped her stand.

 

Han So-cheon steadied her breathing.

 

“As expected of you, Sister. I couldn’t even touch a single hair.”

 

“You’re the impressive one. You forced me to use One Sword Shatters Mountains.”

 

Ja Seol-gyeong only used that technique against life-or-death opponents. The fact that Han So-cheon had drawn it out spoke volumes.

 

“Congratulations on your breakthrough.”

 

“I still have much to learn.”

 

“If I hadn’t known you were testing me, your first strike might have gravely wounded me. As an assassin, you’ve reached a level unmatched in the current Jianghu.”

 

“Thank you… for saying that.”

 

“I’m only stating facts. You’re truly remarkable!”

 

Zha Xuejing’s admiration was genuine.

 

Martial artists and assassins fought differently.

 

Martial artists proved superiority through direct combat, while assassins relied on stealth and a single decisive strike.

 

Naturally, endurance and techniques favored martial artists. If an assassin failed their first ambush, they were as good as dead. Yet Han So-cheon had lasted dozens of exchanges against Ja Seol-gyeong.

 

She could confidently say:

 

No assassin in the current Jianghu surpasses Han Socheon.

 

The Steel Hell Training Hall of Mount Sohua had elevated Han So-cheon’s skills dramatically. Even a supreme master like Ja Seol-gyeong had felt threatened.

 

“Mom!”

 

“Master!”

 

Just then, three children who had been watching quietly rushed over.

 

Lee Cheong, Lee Soo-ah, and Hong Chae-yeon.

 

In just a few months, their auras had changed drastically. They had grown through their sparring, too.

 

Lee Cheong and Lee Soo-ah ran to Han So-cheon, while Hong Chae-yeon took Ja Seol-gyeong’s hand.

 

Lee Cheong and Lee Soo-ah looked at Han So-cheon with pride.

 

They had seen firsthand how she had endured grueling training.

 

To support Lee Gwak even a little, Han So-cheon had taken on the Steel Hell Blood Training once again.

 

Though she had passed it once before, doing so with advanced martial skills yielded many new insights.

 

The same was true for Ja Seol-gyeong.

 

For a supreme master like her, the training hall should have offered little benefit. But the traces left in its hidden final chamber had profoundly shaken her.

 

“To think that the traces of the Fist Demon were hidden in the last trial of the training hall…”

 

She had discovered the hidden space by coincidence.

 

But what she saw there shocked her.

 

On the walls of a five-jang square chamber were human-shaped stains, like shadows imprinted in the stone.

 

They could have been doodles—or illusions from the uneven walls.

 

But the moment she saw the shadows, Ja Seol-gyeong was overwhelmed with pressure, barely able to breathe.

 

Only after channeling her full power could she resist the pressure.

 

That’s when she realized what the shadow was.

 

It was clearly the shape of a human.

 

A projection, just like how Bodhidharma had left his impression on a wall after nine years of meditation in the Shaolin Temple.

 

Someone had cultivated here so intensely, they left behind their essence.

 

No one in the current Jianghu had reached such a level.

 

She’d never heard of leaving behind a will so strong it could stir another’s fighting spirit.

 

As far as she knew, only the legendary martial artist Damho, from a hundred years ago, could have done this.

 

“Back when the world was on the brink of destruction from the Demonic Cult, the Fist Demon did stay at Mount Sohua…”

 

That alone was enough evidence to believe the shadow was Damho’s.

 

While Han So-cheon challenged the training hall, Ja Seol-gyeong battled against Damho’s shadow—and herself.

 

He hadn’t left behind any specific technique, but the shadow alone inspired her.

 

Through that struggle, she gained valuable insights.

 

Once she did, however, the shadow vanished without a trace, as if its purpose had been fulfilled.

 

She regretted its disappearance.

 

If it had remained longer, she might have achieved even greater heights. Other Mount Hua disciples could have benefited, too.

 

But she consoled herself.

 

‘The insights I gained will still greatly benefit Mount Hua.’

 

Now, all that remained was to refine what she had learned.

 

Ja Seol-gyeong turned to Han So-cheon.

 

“It’s time to part ways.”

 

“Yes. I’d love to stay longer, but I must return to my husband.”

 

Though she had secluded herself here, news of the Jianghu still reached her through the Hao Clan’s messenger pigeons, so she knew the situation was growing dire

 

“Did you say Mad Martial Sect? The sect founded by your sister’s husband?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Once I’ve sorted my insights, I’ll visit.”

 

“Please do. He’ll be delighted.”

 

“Then it’s settled. I’ll definitely come.”

 

Han So-cheon smiled at Ja Seol-gyeong’s firm promise.

 

During her stay, the two had grown as close as sisters.

 

Ja Seol-gyeong’s guidance had helped her immensely, making their parting bittersweet.

 

She wished to stay longer, but the Jianghu was in turmoil. Lee Gwak had founded the Mad Martial Sect—she couldn’t stay here forever.

 

Lee Gwak needed skilled allies more than ever.

 

It would take over a month of constant travel to reach the Mad Martial Sect from here.

 

If she wanted to arrive in time, she had to leave now.

 

Hearing their conversation, Lee Soo-ah’s eyes sparkled.

 

“We’re going to see Dad now?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Wow! Finally!”

 

Lee Soo-ah beamed.

 

Lee Cheong smiled too. But unlike them, Hong Chae-yeon’s face darkened.

 

She had grown deeply attached to them.

 

Her high status in Mount Hua made it hard for most disciples to treat her casually. Even peers rarely dared speak to her.

 

But Lee Cheong and Lee Soo-ah had treated her like family.

 

This was the first time she had ever felt so at ease with others. The thought of parting weighed heavily on her.

 

Noticing her sadness, the siblings spoke up.

 

“Come visit the Mad Martial Sect someday.”

 

“Really? I can?”

“Of course! And we’ll visit Mount Hua too when we can.”

“Okay!”

 

Only then did a smile finally return to Hong Chae-yeon’s face.

 

Ja Seol-gyeong gently stroked her disciple’s head and spoke to Han So-cheon.

 

“You have a long journey ahead, so you should hurry. I won’t see you off.”

 

“Yes! Then we’ll meet again next time.”

 

“We will.”

 

After offering a martial salute to Ja Seol-gyeong and Hong Chae-yeon, Han So-cheon and the children departed from Mount Sohwa.

 

“Phew…”

 

Once the three figures disappeared into the distance, Ja Seol-gyeong let out a sigh and turned around.

 

You may not notice when someone arrives, but you always notice when they leave.

 

The absence of people who had been by her side for months already left an emptiness in her heart. Still, Ja Seol-gyeong forced herself to hide the loneliness and said softly,

 

“Since fate still ties us together, we’ll surely meet again soon.”

 

Now, it was time for her to return to Mount Hua as well. But before that, there was one thing she needed to do.

 

She had to destroy the Iron-Blood Hell Training Hall.

 

A hundred years ago, the hall had been established here to train elite warriors capable of standing against the Demonic Cult.

 

Ten years ago, even the Jade Heaven Alliance had opened it for similar reasons to strengthen their forces. But they used those forces to fuel their ambition of unifying the Jianghu under their rule.

 

If the training hall was left as it was, there was no guarantee a second or third Jade Heaven Alliance wouldn’t rise again.

 

It was a shame, but someone had to erase the Steel Hell Blood Training Hall.

 

That day, Ja Seol-gyeong destroyed the training hall that had stood for over a century.