Chapter 620

The power flowing through the sword was incredibly smooth.

From his shoulders to his fingertips, he felt a fullness of energy.

Even in his own evaluation, he was in the best condition today. It was not easy to show his proper skills as it was a sparring match performed under the name of the sect, but now he was wielding a sword that was clearly better than when training or practicing.

Right.

It certainly was.

The way the sword draws is extremely accurate, and the distribution of his inner strength is as precise as if it were measured with a ruler. He even felt as if he had complete control over everything on the stage.

It was a refreshing feeling that he had never felt in his life before. At this point, he thinks it would be worth competing with his Sahyung Mu Jin.

But…….

Mu Yon's face was stained with suspicion.

‘Why isn't he falling down?’

His eyes turned towards Yoon Jong, who was now barely visible behind the sword's energy. Yoon Jong was in grave danger at the moment.

It's not like Mu Yon is overestimating his own sword skills. Anyone who knows anything about martial arts would say that Yoon Jong is inferior now.

But that fact confused Mu Yon even more.

'Dangerous?'

On the other hand, doesn't that mean he’s still holding on?

Even though Mu Yon is using all his power to wield his sword, which is even more extraordinary than usual, Yoon Jong held up to his sword skills.

He's only one of Mount Hua's third-class disciples.

'Is this possible?'

Of course, Mount Hua's disciple, Yoon Jong, was great enough to admit.

His posture, effort, and patience were all remarkable. He was someone Mu Yon wanted to imitate.

However, no matter how great Yoon Jong was, he could not surpass the 20 years that Mu Yon had lived before.

If they were the same age, Yoon Jong might be able to surpass him, but at least now, he was not Mu Yon's opponent. He shouldn't be.

'But why...?'

Why isn't he falling down?

At that time, Yoon Jong's upper body faltered as if it were about to break.

He twisted like a tree swaying in the wind. However, he soon returned his trembling body to its original position, as if overcoming the wind.

He was at a state where he could collapse at any moment, yet he persevered. No matter what.

An indescribable emotion began to surface in Mu Yon's mind.

He was now using all his power to perform Tai Chi Sword Technique. Among Wudang's first-class disciples, only a few can unfold Tae Chi Sword Technique, which he did his best now.

Yet, Yoon Jong is holding on.

His internal strength was insufficient, and his sword was far from perfect.

No matter how hard he thought about it, this was impossible.

Flinch.

Mu Yon's fingertips trembled lightly. The sword path, which had been in perfect flow, was slightly disturbed and the energy that had been smoothly connected like circulating water began to fluctuate slightly.

In the end, martial arts are performed by a human.

No matter how well-polished one's martial arts skills are, they cannot exert their full power in a moment of impatience.

Ripples began to appear in Mu Yon's calm mind, like a lake disturbed by a rock.

It was hardly Mu Yon's fault. Anyone would be flustered when faced with something that goes beyond their common sense.

'No!'

Mu Yon quickly regained his composure and tried to calm his mind.

However, it was not as easy as he thought to regain his once shaken heart. The sight of Yoon Jong struggling to withstand his sword energy burned into his mind. How could he recover his composure?

"Huup!"

Mu Yon exhaled shortly and gripped the sword tighter.

'There's nothing to be impatient about.’

It was him who had the upper hand.

It doesn't matter if the opponent endures a little longer, the outcome won't change. It's just a slight delay in determining the winner.

That’s why…….

But at that moment.

In the sword energy that flowed like a rapid stream, the trembling sword slowly revealed its shape. It looked like new shoots sprouting from an old tree.

And from the edge of the sword, which seemed to bend and break at any moment, a faint red flower bloomed quietly.

‘Plum blossoms?’

He has already seen this sight.

Didn't Jo-Gol already show the splendid plum blossoms in the previous match?

However, the plum blossoms in front of him were somewhat different from the plum blossoms that Jo-Gol had unfolded.

It was a little more elegant and refined.

But it was by no means fragile.

No one would say that plum blossoms are strong. A flower that can easily be ruined by a child's gesture sways in the wind and falls in the rain, unable to withstand even time.

The blooming plum blossoms were helplessly crushed by the waves of sword energy.

But it rose again.

Even if it falls again and again, even if it withers and twists, eventually the plum blossom endures the winter and waits for the spring to bloom again. Even if the flower is weak, the life embraced by the plum blossom is undeniably strong.

That sword harbored the very life.

The plum blossoms, which bloomed while embracing life, caught Mu Yon’s eyes and did not let go. As if to suck him up.

Mu Yon's eyes began to widen.

Looking at the flowers blooming at the edge of his sword, Yoon Jong clenched his teeth.

‘It's a little late.’

It was Five Swords who first started learning Plum Blossom Sword Technique. And Yoon Jong was the last to bloom among Five Swords.

Even when Baek Cheon's flowers spread through the world, Yoo Iseol's flowers spread out quietly, and Jo-Gol's sword soars freely into the sky, he could not even smoke half a plum blossom.

He couldn't help but feel the difference in talent that's impossible to catch up to.

But Yoon Jong wasn't particularly disappointed or discouraged.

‘Do plum trees live to bloom?’

Someone might say so.

Plum blossom trees bloomed flowers, bear fruit, and live to convey themselves to future generations. That's the cycle of life.

But it's just the law of the world.

Do the plum blossom trees really live just to bloom flowers?

'It can't be.'

The logic of the world sometimes felt too much for him.

Drawing the bigger picture, looking far into the distance, and preparing systematically for the future suited others and not him.

Yoon Jong just had to endure the present. There was no luxury to think about tomorrow. He used every trick to get through each difficult day.

Wouldn't plum trees be the same?

Does it have grand intentions to bloom flowers? Does it have great aspirations to bear fruit and pass it down to future generations?

Just hold on and stay alive. Wouldn't that intense day-to-day lead to success in the end, even achieving what one couldn't have hoped for?

So this flower is not something grand, just struggling to survive in the heavy burden of life.

Kuaaahh!

The skin of the arm, which couldn't overcome the pressure of the sword, burst and blood spurted in all directions. Yoon Jong's body staggered, wounded, shaken to the fullest.

Still, the hand that held the sword remained strong.

Even if he can't feel his hand, he can still swing his sword. Even if it feels like his shoulder is being torn off, he can still swing his sword.

There is only one way a turtle catches a rabbit.

To constantly move its short legs, even when the rabbit is resting or sleeping. For Yoon Jong, his short leg was this one sword.

"Ugh……."

A groan that couldn't be swallowed spilled out between gritted teeth.

While some may find it easy to bloom a plum blossom flower, Yoon Jong found it extremely difficult to bloom just one.

He poured all his strength and soul into each and every flower, drawing as if he were carving out his own soul.

In the rush of torrents, the plum blossoms that contain Yoon Jong's everything were swept weakly.

Kwakwakwa!

As the current gained more momentum, the energy surged like a dragon climbing a huge river and engulfed everything.

However, Yoon Jong's plum blossoms showed its buds one at a time, and eventually, dozens or hundreds of plum blossoms clumped together and faced each other.

With a tightly closed plum blossom, like withstanding a cold wind, it resolutely faced the rushing river.

Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique (이십사수매화검법(二十四手梅花劍法)), Gold Silver Plum Blossom (매화인동(梅花忍冬) *note).

(xoxo: Gold Silver Plum Blossom (Maehwa Indong/매화인동(梅花忍冬) could also be translated as “the plum blossom that persevered through winter”, just like how Yoon Jong persevered.)

His plum blossom is not the dazzling flower that blooms brightly.

It is the plum blossom that silently endures the winter of the world and finally welcomes the spring.

The gathered plum blossoms pushed back against the surging sword energy. It is a stronger and more powerful sword with added momentum, but strangely, it did not feel as vivid as before.

‘Endure!’

Taking root in the ground, rubbing against each other, and resisting the cold wind with its body, these are the plum blossoms that bloom in the winter, the Winter Plum.

‘Endure it!’

Soon after, a loud shout came out of Yoon Jong's mouth.

"Heuaaaaat!"

Plum blossoms, which clumped together like steel, received the torrent. They swayed and shook, but they did not yield, remaining firm in their position.

"This……!"

The perplexed Mu Yon bit his lips in frustration.

That is not a wall, not a great mountain, not the vast sea. It is just a plum tree blooming in the middle of the field.

Then why can't his sword break through this shoddy plum tree?

'No!'

His eyes gradually distorted and turned red little by little. His bloodshot eyes stared at Yoon Jong as if they were going to eat him up.

"Fall!"

He shouts with force.

"Fall down!"

He pushes the sword forward.

"Fall dooooown!"

Despite the attack, blue energy bursts out of Mu Yon's sword and shines like a flash.

"Ah!"

Then Mu Yon's eyes opened wide. It wasn't Yoon Jong he was looking at. It was a sharp, pure white sword that caught up behind the rapid sword energy that rushed toward Yoon Jong.

Chwaaak!

The sword technique, which was clearly different from the previous one, flew at Yoon Jong, cutting through the preceding sword's technique.

"N- No…!"

Before his screaming voice could even fully escape his lips, the sword is already rushing toward Yoon Jong's plum blossoms.

Kwaaaang!

With a burst of sound, blue and red swords' energy scattered in all directions. A huge storm of energy covered the stage.

"Back, back off!"

"Keuk!"

Wudang's disciples and Mount Hua's disciples, who were watching, stepped back. The aftermath of the explosion sweeps them away.

‘What's the result?’

‘What happened?’

Everyone had a hunch. There's no turning back now. The battle has just been decided.

After a while, the thick fog clears, and the one standing is the winner.

‘Who is it!’

‘Who's standing there?’

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the stage in silence.

Then the wind picks up and blows away the thick dust.

There was only one person standing tall on the stage.

“…….”

Baek Cheon smiled and nodded.

‘It can't be helped.’

The person standing is Mu Yon. His face has turned pale, but he is clearly standing firm on his two legs.

In contrast, Yoon Jong has lost his sword and is kneeling on one knee, gasping for breath. The outcome of the match was obvious to anyone.

'You fought well, Yoon Jong-ah.'

What is so important about the outcome of the match?

Baek Cheon looked back at other Mount Hua's disciples. Looking at Yoon Jong on his knees, everyone was gritting their teeth and weeping.

'Everything that had to be conveyed was conveyed.'

No one will blame Yoon Jong for his defeat. That loss was more valuable than victory.

Just as Baek Cheon was about to open his mouth, Mu Yon, who was looking down at Yoon Jong, calmly opened his mouth.

"What is a martial arts spar (비무(比武))?" (At last Chinese character for bimu :)). *note)

“…...”

"Martial arts spar is to compare each other’s martial arts and to compete with each other in the discipline."

A faint smile spreads across his pale face.

"My sword was not lacking compared to yours, but my discipline could not match yours. As a Taoist, I should have focused on discipline before the sword."

He shook his head quietly and slowly held out his hands in front of the stack.

"I lost."

It was so plain that it was a strange voice to declare defeat. Everyone's jaws drop in disbelief.

"…lose?"

Baek Cheon also opened his eyes wide.

What does this mean?

It was a fight that Mu Yon won by anyone's standards. So why did he went out of his way and admit defeat?

It wasn't just Baek Cheon who felt bewildered.

"What are you talking about!"

A huge voice erupted from the Wudang's camp. It was Heo Sanja.

"You lost! You admit defeat! Why are you saying such a thing? Anyone can see that you won!"

"Elder-nim."

Mu Yon shook his head quietly and spoke calmly.

"Please do not embarrass me any further."

His gaze on Heo Sanja was horribly still.

"I don't know about anyone else, but there's no way Elder-nim could have missed it. Isn't that so?"

“What are you talking about!”

Heo Sanja raised his voice as if he still couldn't admit it. Mu Yon looked at such him and said,

"A little while ago, in a comparison of martial arts, I could not overcome my impatience and used a deadly technique (살수(殺手)) toward someone two generations lower than me."

"You……."

Heo Sanja opened his eyes as if he was speechless.

He’s not surprised to hear that Mu Yon used deadly techniques. He was shocked that Mu Yon had said it in front of so many people.

Sure enough, whispers began to rise around him.

Mu Yon spoke in an unshakably determined voice.

"This is something that should never happen in a martial arts competition where we learn from each other. I will go to the Repentance Cave as soon as I return. I seem to have forgotten for a long time that there is something more important than the sword."

"This……."

Heo Sanja gritted his teeth, but Mu Yon withdrew his gaze from him without regret and looked at Yoon Jong.

"Thank you for letting me know.”

"That... I don't think I've ever said that.”

“It is not just words that convey. I learned something really big from your attitude."

Mu Yon smiled lightly.

"If I shake off the temptation of this mind, please accompany me again."

Yoon Jong nodded quietly.

Mu Yon smiled and saluted.

“I learned well.”

"…I learned well."

Looking at Mu Yon's back, Yoon Jong let out a sigh that he had endured.

‘So that's what a disciple of a prestigious sect is.’

He admits defeat without a trace of regret. Like the sword he used, he was a person like flowing water.

Thud.

In the end, unable to hold on, Yoon Jong sat down and looked up at the sky in a daze.

A clear sky without a single cloud was looking down at him.

‘Anyway, I've endured it once more.’

It would continue. Today's day would become tomorrow's.

And one day into the future when he will shine.

It was the moment when the third-class disciple of Mount Hua, Yoon Jong, won a magnificent victory over Wudang’s first-class disciple, Mu Yon.

|note

* 매화인동(梅花忍冬)

The name "Maehwa Indong" comes from the combination of "maehwa," which means plum blossom, and "indong," which means honeysuckle, two plants that bloom in winter and symbolize the toughness and resilience required to survive in harsh conditions. Honeysuckle in Korean is gold and silver according to this source.

** 比武 (bǐ wǔ)

is a Chinese term that refers to a traditional form of competitive martial arts or combat contest between practitioners of different martial arts styles. In a 比武, participants compete to demonstrate their skills, technique, and strength in a controlled environment. 比武 is often used as a way for martial arts schools or practitioners to compare their level of mastery and to promote friendly competition and mutual respect between different martial arts styles.