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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Cyno
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For about a year now, a saying has been circulating in the martial world: “The path of the Celestial Flower is the only path.”
A somewhat arrogant phrase, implying that “the way the Celestial Flower walks is the sole true path.”
Surprisingly, this wasn’t spread by the Wudang Sect.
In fact, the Wudang Sect, valuing humility, vehemently denies it.
The ones responsible for spreading this phrase are the Celestial Devotion Society—fanatical followers of the Wudang Sect’s Celestial Flower, who appeared like a comet a year ago.
One might wonder how a nun could have such devoted followers, but the Celestial Flower does. Particularly middle-aged men.
The Wudang Sect’s Celestial Flower.
A girl of about seventeen this year—two years older than Su-ah.
Would you believe that this girl, at just sixteen, debuted in the martial world and defeated one of the Hundred Great Masters?
And it wasn’t even a bloody battle. By all accounts, she toyed with her opponent.
I’ve never met her in past cycles, so I can’t be certain, but she might be on par with Jin Ga-young in terms of martial talent—if not Namgung Su-ah.
Jin Ga-young reached the pinnacle with flawed martial arts and no proper master, but defeating a Hundred Great Master at sixteen? That’s an achievement I couldn’t have dreamed of.
Add to that her deep blue hair and cute appearance, and it’s no wonder she has such a bizarre fan club. Not that I can relate.
“We’re here. My granddaughter lives in this quarter.”
Following the Celestial Venerable into the Wudang Sect’s inner sanctum, we saw several halls representing Wudang’s legacy.
“Ah, Wudang hasn’t changed at all over the centuries.”
Jin Wuyong, walking with his hands behind his back in my body, sounded almost nostalgic.
– Old man, at least fix your speech. Even if they don’t notice, heaven and earth are watching. Don’t be rude to strangers.
“Tch, this uptight son-in-law. Since when does heaven have eyes?”
– …Am I asking for too much?
“Fine, fine. Put away your fists already. What kind of soul is this domineering without even a body?”
Whether my warning got through or not, he subtly lowered his hands.
His speech… wasn’t perfect, but it improved somewhat.
“Hmm, this is the place? Where that girl, the Celestial Flower, stays?”
“Indeed. Cheong-ah! Come out!”
“Cheong-ah? Is that her name or her Taoist title?”
“Her Taoist title. But why isn’t she coming out? Cheong-ah! Cheong-ah—!”
Despite the Celestial Venerable’s loud calls, the door remained shut.
“Ah, my apologies. Our Cheong-ah is a bit shy. Please bear with her—she needs time to open up.”
After getting permission from Jin Wuyong and Jin Ga-young, he stood patiently by the door.
Creak—
The door opened weakly, and a shadow peeked out.
Her navy-blue hair was so unruly it covered her eyes, making her face barely visible—but I recognized her instantly.
“Ah, hello…? I’m… Cheong-ah…”
The girl before us was none other than the Celestial Flower, the most talked-about of the Seven Flowers.
“Um… but…”
I don’t know how someone who could be the dictionary definition of gloomy ended up with “Celestial” in her name.
“Wh-Who are you…?”
***
Peeking at us through her hair, the Celestial Flower suddenly gasped.
“S-Sword Flower! The Sword Flower of the Taiyuan Jin Family! And the famous White Mask next to you…! I saw you both when you sparred with Okhwa the other day…!”
Her eyes had widened to the size of bowls—though they were still obscured by her hair.
“B-But why are you two…?”
Though she seemed happy to see us, she also shrank back into the room.
As if their mere presence terrified her.
Hard to believe this was one of the Seven Flowers, the martial world’s greatest prodigies. But the Celestial Flower’s timidity was as famous as her looks.
To ease her fear, the Celestial Venerable stepped forward.
“Today, before the Seven Flowers Tournament begins, they’ve come to spar with you. It’ll be a great learning experience.”
At the word spar, her eyes flashed briefly before she cautiously looked up at Jin Ga-young.
“W-With the Sword Flower…?”
She looked like a puppy with a noodle bowl stuck on its head.
“No, with White Mask here. So come on out. Don’t just stand there.”
“Uuu…”
With a frightened whimper, she retreated and closed the door.
“What? Is that it?”
Thinking he’d been rejected, Jin Wuyong gave the Celestial Venerable a disbelieving look.
Creak—
“I-I’m Cheong-ah…! Nice to meet you…!”
She stepped out, her long hair tied tightly back.
Even the shyest still had martial blood in them, it seemed.
Stray strands poked at her eyes, but the competitive fire in them was unmistakable.
“Hehe, likewise. Let’s have a good match.”
– Tch, at least be polite. You’re using my body, after all.
“…Let’s make this a good spar.”
After swiftly punishing Jin Wuyong for his rudeness, we followed the Celestial Venerable to the backyard.
Not wanting a spectacle like last time, he’d chosen a secluded spot.
Shing—
When the Celestial Flower drew her sword, a clear sword cry filled the snow-covered yard.
It had been a long time since I’d seen a Wudang sword.
“Wh-What weapon will you use, White Mask…? A saber, perhaps…?”
“This one… uh… descendant… young lady, hand me that Moonlight Axe.”
He claimed he could mimic me perfectly, but where did that sound like me?
Never lending him my body again. A liar like him doesn’t deserve it.
But for now, I’d let it slide.
“Huh? Th-The Moonlight Axe? Well… if you insist…”
“I’ll show you the true Frozen Flame Moon. Hurry up.”
“Ah…! Here!”
When Jin Ga-young handed over the massive axe she carried on her back, the Celestial Flower’s eyes widened even further.
“Huh…? Y-You’re using an axe…?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”
“No… it’s not that… It’s just harder to go easy when facing an axe…”
She muttered worriedly, completely unaware she’d just provoked Jin Wuyong.
“Hah! Go easy? Who’s going easy on whom? This brat needs to learn her place.”
– Don’t forget to hold back. Be reasonable.
“Aren’t you angry at being looked down on?”
– She doesn’t know any better. What does it matter?
Unintentionally provoked, Jin Wuyong exuded killing intent.
Startled, the Celestial Flower took three steps back and raised her sword.
“Alright, let’s begin. No need to drag this out.”
The Celestial Venerable naturally stepped between them to announce the start.
“You go first. I’ll let you have the opening move.”
“I’ll teach this brat some manners.”
“Then… I won’t hold back…!”
Boom—!
As Jin Wuyong slammed the Moonlight Axe into the ground, the Celestial Flower seized the opening and charged.
Tsk, she must think he can’t quickly draw such a heavy axe.
She didn’t realize it wasn’t actually stuck.
Falling right into Jin Wuyong’s trap—her lack of real combat experience showed despite her reputation.
Swish—
But my opinion changed the moment she swung her sword.
“Taiji Wisdom Sword.”
To be precise, from the moment she unleashed Wudang’s greatest technique—the Taiji Wisdom Sword, rivaling Huashan’s Dugu Nine Swords and the Namgung Family’s Imperial Sword Forms.
“Taiji Flow.”
Swoosh—!
The sword bent. Or rather, the space around it curved.
Jin Wuyong’s confident expression stiffened.
The Celestial Flower’s sword split into dozens of streaks, spinning and weaving through the air.
Soon, a haze of sword energy—so dense it could be mistaken for threads—engulfed them.
“Insane…! How is she at this level at her age?!”
– You wanted to teach her a lesson, but you seem rather flustered.
“You mocking me too? Watch closely—I’ll show you how to crush that arrogant Taiji Wisdom Sword!”
Jin Wuyong’s axe shot upward in the blink of an eye.
Our internal energies differed, so he could only use a fraction of mine—but even that small amount produced movements befitting the Transcendent Realm.
“Hryaaap—!”
The Moonlight Axe descended like a falling mountain.
“Titan’s Axe Strike!”
Heavy. Even as a disembodied observer, I could feel its crushing weight.
A saying came to mind: “True heaviness requires no brute force—only precision and simplicity.”
Whoosh—!
Now I understood. Jin Wuyong wasn’t using overwhelming force—just a simple overhead chop—yet it generated a terrifying pressure.
The Celestial Flower’s sword illusions flickered like sparks before scattering in the wind.
A predictable outcome. Against such a strike, illusions were useless.
…Or so I thought.
Swishswishswish—!
Turquoise petals enveloped the Moonlight Axe. Hundreds of blue petals intertwined with the falling snow, obscuring vision.
Sssss—!
The accumulated petals warped the axe’s trajectory—just slightly. They persistently struck its sides, shaking the mountain. The axe’s speed slowed bit by bit.
Thudthudthud—!
The bent space and sword energy cradled the falling meteor. Gentle yet unyielding.
In the end, the Moonlight Axe—weakened by the Taiji Wisdom Sword—landed diagonally to the Celestial Flower’s right.
“……!”
“Ah…! S-Sorry…! If I’d taken it head-on, my sword would’ve shattered…!”
The Celestial Venerable smiled approvingly. Jin Wuyong, behind the mask, was stunned.
Jin Ga-young stood gaping, speechless.
– Hah.
“I thought the martial world had declined, but I was wrong. It’s just that all the strong ones died in the war.”
– Pfft, wanted to humble her but got humbled yourself.
“Quiet! You saw that monster too!”
Flowing.
Gentle yet unyielding. Unable to redirect the force, she contained it—a mastery of softness beyond compare.
Many sects claim to follow the soft principle, but in truth, only Wudang truly embodies it.
Most are seduced by swiftness and brilliance—similar at a glance but sweeter and flashier, leading to corruption.
“This won’t do.”
It had been a while since I’d seen Wudang’s swordsmanship, but the shock lingered.
A seventeen-year-old wielding such fluidity? I had to admit it—the Celestial Flower was the greatest prodigy in the current martial world, barring Namgung Su-ah.
“Heaven’s Flower”—a somewhat arrogant title, but after seeing her sword, it felt deserved.
“To ensure our descendant wins, I’ll have to cripple one of that girl’s arms.”
– Excuse me?
As Jin Wuyong drew the Moonlight Axe back again, I heard something alarming.
The axe, pulled back like a bowstring, felt even heavier than before.
“Eeek…! Y-You’re coming again…?”
Using progressively stronger techniques seemed to be a family trait—Jin Ga-young did the same.
“Ooh…! Whirlwind Moon Slash…!”
Jin Ga-young watched with sparkling eyes, making it impossible to intervene.
– Don’t go too far. I don’t want to make enemies of Wudang.
“Hehe, don’t worry. I’ll just disable one arm. That’ll boost our descendant’s chances.”
– …Please don’t.
In the end, the spar lasted ten exchanges.
Jin Wuyong had many restrictions and held back, but for a peak master like the Celestial Flower to last that long was astounding.
Among the current Seven Flowers, she might be the strongest—excluding Okhwa.
– Was that really necessary?
“Aren’t you happy? Our Ga-young is one step closer to winning.”
The Celestial Flower suffered minor internal injuries as the price for enduring ten exchanges.
A light wound that would heal with rest—but it would still affect her tournament performance.
Yet she shyly thanked us, calling it a valuable experience. The Celestial Venerable laughed heartily, saying “this is how the young grow.” True magnanimity.
“So, descendant… what did you think? Did you grasp the essence of the Frozen Flame Moon?”
Still imitating me, Jin Wuyong smugly asked Jin Ga-young.
“It was amazing. I learned a lot. The weight behind your axe swings was especially impressive. Made me realize how far I have to go.”
“Heh, glad to hear it.”
How long does he plan to stay in my body? The spar was over—time to kick him out.
– Alright, come out now. I’m going back in.
“Fine, brat. It was nice breathing fresh air for once. Even if I couldn’t sweat.”
– You were drenched. Stop lying. I’ll never let you live down sweating against a kid.
“Tch! I’m leaving, so shut up! What kind of man remembers such petty things?!”
Just as Jin Wuyong was about to exit my body—
Swipe—
“By the way.”
Jin Ga-young’s dagger pressed against his throat before he could fully leave.
…Huh?
Why was she…?
“Who are you?”
Oh no.
Did she figure it out?
“What do you mean? I’m your bodyguard, Thunder…”
“Lie again and I’ll slit your artery. Talk properly. Where’s our uncle?”
“……!”
Of course. Unlike the Celestial Venerable and the Celestial Flower, Jin Ga-young was sharp. That terrible acting wouldn’t fool her.
“Your aura, speech, hand movements, breathing, even your scent—everything’s different. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
Wait, how does she know about breathing differences?
And even if our souls are different, it’s the same body—how can the scent be different?
“Tell me straight. Where’s our uncle? If you don’t answer properly, I’ll—well, I won’t slash you, but I’ll seal your meridians. So talk.”
“W-Wait…! What are you—”
“Hold on… sniff… Hmm… I smell him over here…”
Jin Ga-young closed her eyes, sniffing the air, then turned her head toward where I was floating.
Sniff, sniff—
“There! Here! Uncle, are you there? Say something if you are!”
If I left this any longer, she might actually cause an incident. I needed to return to my body ASAP.
At this point, I wondered—was the real puppy here actually Jin Ga-young, not the Celestial Flower?
(End of Chapter)
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