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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Bobt
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A week had passed like an arrow.
During that week, Joo Seo-cheon received the Plum Blossom Sword from Yu Jeong-mok while pondering how he should impart enlightenment and swinging the sword.
Since he already had a perfect understanding of the basics like the Plum Blossom Sword, he could freely entertain other thoughts.
However, Joo Seo-cheon was overlooking one thing due to being too absorbed in his own thoughts.
It was the fact that Yu Jeong-mok was watching him.
“How can this be!”
Yu Jeong-mok couldn’t help but be astonished when he saw the sword Joo Seo-cheon was swinging.
“Since about a year ago, he seemed extraordinary, but to think it would be to this extent!”
The Plum Blossom Sword was easy because it was a basic technique. If one had mastered the Plum Blossom Fist, its difficulty would be greatly reduced.
However, no matter what, it was impossible to display the Plum Blossom Sword so effortlessly in just a week.
Even if he had explained the theory in an easy-to-understand manner at first, doing it to that extent was clearly unusual.
Then there was only one conclusion that could be drawn.
“My disciple was a genius!”
Joo Seo-cheon was definitely not a genius.
Not only his innate physical abilities such as physique and reflexes but also his blood vessels and Qi meridians were not naturally good.
Yu Jeong-mok, who had taken him as a disciple, knew that even better.
However, talent wasn’t just about physical and mental abilities. It could also be purely talent in the sword.
Yu Jeong-mok thought that Joo Seo-cheon belonged to that category. No, to be precise, it was more accurate to say that he was mistaken.
Joo Seo-cheon was merely replicating the realm he had originally achieved.
Moreover, it was because the Plum Blossom Sword was so basic. However, Yu Jeong-mok, who was unaware of such circumstances, couldn’t help but think that Joo Seo-cheon had an innate talent for swordsmanship.
If Joo Seo-cheon hadn’t gone through Yu Jeong-mok’s Body Enhancement Exercises, that hellish training, he wouldn’t have been able to do this much.
While thinking about advising his master, he had displayed the Plum Blossom Sword to the fullest extent to avoid suspicion, hiding his skills as much as possible.
However, thanks to his physical abilities having improved so much due to the hellish training, he unconsciously displayed everything about the Plum Blossom Sword.
“With this level, he could easily enter the Lotus Hall…”
The Lotus Hall. It was one of the structures within the Mount Hua Sect and also an institution that only the selected “fourth-generation disciples” could belong to.
To put it simply, it was a miniature version of the Plum Blossom Swordsman.
It was a place where the outstanding talents among the fourth-generation disciples, who had not yet reached adulthood, could receive separate training.
Moreover, those who were exceptional, such as the disciples of the sect leader or the Five Elders of Mount Hua, also entered the Lotus Hall to receive training.
Since their masters were who they were, most of them were naturally ahead of ordinary disciples from the start.
Moreover, more than ninety percent of the successive Plum Blossom Swordsmen were from this Lotus Hall.
Unfortunately, Yu Jeong-mok himself had not been able to enter the Lotus Hall. It was because of his sickly constitution.
Anyway, with Joo Seo-cheon’s level of skill, he could sufficiently enter the Lotus Hall and receive higher-level training.
If he was lucky, he might even receive spiritual medicines, and a dedicated supervisor could be assigned to teach him directly.
If he could prove his strength and talent, he could receive the best treatment. Although it might seem unfair, it was common in major sects like the Mount Hua Sect, no, in the orthodox sects of the martial arts world.
A few days later.
Joo Seo-cheon made a request to Yu Jeong-mok.
“Master, I apologize for my ignorance, but could you show me a sword other than the Plum Blossom Sword?”
“A sword other than the Plum Blossom Sword?”
“Yes.”
Joo Seo-cheon nodded his head.
At his disciple’s request, Yu Jeong-mok fell into contemplation.
His disciple had not even been learning the Plum Blossom Sword for two weeks. No, he had not even been holding a sword for two weeks.
No matter how talented he was, teaching him an advanced sword technique when he hadn’t even fully mastered the Plum Blossom Sword would only hinder him. That was Yu Jeong-mok’s concern.
Joo Seo-cheon noticed this and quickly added,
“Of course, I’m not asking you to teach me. It’s just that I’ve never properly seen another sword of our Mount Hwa, so I’m curious. As a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, I want to see a proper sword of Mount Hwa at least once.”
“Hmm, alright, I understand.”
There was no particular problem with just showing it, not teaching it.
If he just went near the Cultivation Cave, the senior martial brothers among the fourth-generation disciples were practicing sword techniques other than the Plum Blossom Sword.
If just watching was a problem, he would have restricted it long ago at the Cultivation Cave.
Before taking his stance, Yu Jeong-mok fell into contemplation, feeling his disciple’s gaze filled with anticipation.
“Let’s see…”
The sword techniques that came to his mind were five.
Six Harmonies Sword, Falling Petals Sword Technique, Plum Blossom Glorious Sword, Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword, and Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
The Six Harmonies Sword and Falling Petals Sword Technique were sword techniques slightly above the basic level.
Most of the lay disciples learned only up to this level before descending the mountain.
The Plum Blossom Glorious Sword was one of the few fast swords of Mount Hwa, and the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword was, as the name suggests, a sword that incorporated the five elements.
Both were more or less on the verge of being advanced techniques, and only the recognized lay disciples could learn them.
At the same time, it was also the limit for lay disciples. Except for these two, advanced martial arts could not be learned unless one was an inner disciple.
Lastly, the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique was, as one could tell from the name, a condensed version of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
It was at the end of the advanced martial arts of Mount Hwa, and its difficulty was considerable. Even Yu Jeong-mok himself had not mastered it.
“From now on, I will show you the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.”
Yu Jeong-mok decided after much thought. Although he had not mastered it yet, since he was going to show it anyway, he wanted to show the best one he could perform.
“Before I show it, let me ask you one thing. Do you know about the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique?”
“Yes, Master. The Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique consists of fourteen stances, from the first stance, Plum Blossom by the Road, to the fourteenth stance, Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom, and it is a sword technique of Mount Hwa.”
The Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique was, as the name suggested, composed of twenty-four stances. If one could display up to the final stance, Plum Blossom’s Fragrance for Ten Thousand Miles, the scent of plum blossoms would emanate from the sword.
In the past, someone had scoffed at the idea of the scent of plum blossoms being great, but this was truly a foolish thought.
The fact that a scent emanated from a sword meant that one could influence the natural order itself.
It was a realm that every swordsman dreamed of. It wasn’t for nothing that the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect idolized the Plum Blossom Swordsman.
“Yes, you know it well. However, to prevent any possible misunderstanding, let me provide an additional explanation. Although the stances of the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique may look the same as the stances of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique, they are actually slightly different. If they were exactly the same, wouldn’t it be the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique, not the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique?”
“Downward compatibility, in other words, a subset.”
Joo Seo-cheon already knew everything, but he went along with Yu Jeong-mok’s long explanation.
The Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique was a condensed version of the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
By organizing fourteen stances into a single sword technique, the difficulty was reduced, but its power was also considerably diminished.
“You know it well. That’s good enough.”
Yu Jeong-mok smiled with satisfaction at his disciple’s answer.
Then he took his stance and displayed the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
Joo Seo-cheon felt his heart pound for some reason when he saw the Plum Blossom by the Road being displayed first.
“To think I would get to see something I couldn’t see in my previous life.”
In his previous life, he had struggled just with the Plum Blossom Sword. That’s why Yu Jeong-mok didn’t show Joo Seo-cheon any advanced martial arts. As mentioned before, he thought it would hinder him.
Originally, Yu Jeong-mok had intended to teach him when Joo Seo-cheon reached a certain realm, but unfortunately, he passed away before that could happen.
Even in the closest master-disciple relationship, Joo Seo-cheon had rarely seen his master’s sword properly.
“Ah, this isn’t the time for that.”
Joo Seo-cheon reprimanded himself inwardly and focused on Yu Jeong-mok.
Although his current realm itself was far above Yu Jeong-mok’s, in terms of observational skills, Joo Seo-cheon, who had reached the Awakening Realm, was superior.
In fact, it didn’t take long for Joo Seo-cheon to grasp Yu Jeong-mok’s sword and martial arts.
“He seems to be perfect up to the ninth stance, and from the tenth stance, Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom, he’s getting stuck. Fortunately, it seems to be a lack of proficiency rather than enlightenment…”
Joo Seo-cheon also had experience mastering the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique before the regression. If given internal energy and a little time, he was confident he could display it more perfectly than Yu Jeong-mok.
“Huh?”
Joo Seo-cheon’s eyes sparkled.
“Ha!”
Yu Jeong-mok displayed up to the fourteenth stance, Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom. He was sweating, probably from consuming a considerable amount of internal energy and stamina.
“Well, that’s the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique up to this point. However, due to this incompetent master’s lack of skill, I couldn’t display it perfectly. I’m sorry.”
Indeed, Yu Jeong-mok. Usually, one would have put on airs to look cool in front of their disciple, even a little.
No, even if it wasn’t in front of a disciple, most martial artists, especially those from orthodox sects, had very high self-esteem.
They would try to hide their shortcomings out of embarrassment, but Yu Jeong-mok casually revealed them and apologized for not being able to fully show the martial art.
“No, Master!”
Joo Seo-cheon clapped his hands with eyes full of infinite trust.
“It was a splendid sword that would make even the sect leader, no, the Alliance Leader exclaim ‘Wow!’ if they passed by!”
“You rascal, haven’t you heard the saying ‘too much is as bad as too little’? If you praise too much, it comes across as flattery.”
Yu Jeong-mok laughed as if he couldn’t help it.
Still, he didn’t seem displeased.
“I will keep that in mind, Master.”
It definitely wasn’t flattery.
To Joo Seo-cheon, Yu Jeong-mok was a god.
“Well, is there any other sword you want to see? Since it has come to this, I’ll show you others as well.”
At those words, Joo Seo-cheon inwardly cheered.
And unlike his inner thoughts, he acted as innocently as possible on the outside, playing the role of a purely curious ten-year-old child.
“I’d like to see the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword as well, Master.”
“You’re giving me a chance to make up for this master’s incompetence. I have long since mastered the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword, so I will show it to you in its entirety.”
When an inner disciple mastered the Plum Blossom Sword, they would learn a few advanced martial arts, one of which was the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword.
Yu Jeong-mok didn’t find it particularly strange or puzzling that his disciple asked to see the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword.
“Master, this unfilial disciple lacks the knowledge and failed to see what passed by when you displayed the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique earlier. I apologize, but could you display it slowly this time?”
“Of course.”
Yu Jeong-mok was very satisfied to see his disciple showing enthusiasm for martial arts studies despite being only ten years old.
He had talent, and his attitude was also excellent. It was very pride-inducing as a master to have such a disciple.
Yu Jeong-mok displayed the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword slowly from the first stance, as Joo Seo-cheon had requested.
By the way, when it comes to martial arts, whether it’s sword techniques or swordsmanship, deliberately displaying it slowly is even more difficult.
Even swinging a sword once requires considerable strength, stamina, or endurance when moving slowly.
The same goes for mental strength. One has to be conscious of displaying it slowly.
Even if it was a martial art that had been mastered before, it required considerable concentration unless it was at the level of the Plum Blossom Sword.
“Hmm.”
And Joo Seo-cheon aimed for that point.
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