No Mun's face flushed with anger.
Thump!
No Mun slammed his hand on the table. Cheong-un was about to protest and step forward, but Seolhwa grabbed his hand to stop him.
"Are you trying to twist my words right now!"
"Why are you so angry? All you have to do is prove that Mount Hua paid Shaolin for the Great Rebirth Pill."
"You truly...!"
With a rumbling sound, the entire Cloud Guest Hall shook. He had unleashed his immense energy without holding back, so it wouldn't be long before the Namgung warriors came rushing in. But No Mun did not withdraw his energy, as if he couldn't care less about such things.
"M-Master..."
Yu Kang tried to stop him, but Yu Pyo blocked his way. Yu Kang looked at Seolhwa with anxious eyes. Even in the face of such an oppressive energy that made his own mouth dry just sitting next to her, she remained composed.
"As an elder of a sect like Mount Hua, you must know how dangerous it would be for something as incredible as the Great Rebirth Pill to fall into the hands of the Unorthodox Path."
Seolhwa's hair fluttered from the energy No Mun was emitting. It was a razor-sharp energy, so intense that if he sharpened it just a little more, it would leave scratches on her skin.
"As I said, I only took the item from the Unorthodox Path; I did not steal it from Mount Hua. I covered up Mount Hua's mistake, so shouldn't you be grateful instead?"
"You are exposing Mount Hua's shame to elevate yourself. You are trying to insult Mount Hua."
"I am merely trying to ascertain the truth."
No Mun's eyes narrowed. The energy he felt from the Namgung child was at most second-rate. It was clear she had just begun her path as a warrior.
And yet, how could she, with only a second-rate level, face his energy—unleashed with a full thirty years of inner energy—head-on without a hint of being intimidated?
‘Is this truly the Sword Sovereign's granddaughter?’
"You are right. The Great Rebirth Pill originally belonged to Shaolin, and it was heavenly fortune that it did not fall into the hands of the Unorthodox Path."
"..."
"However! If you know who the item originally belonged to, it is only proper to return it to its rightful owner! Are you saying you intend to return the Great Rebirth Pill to Shaolin?"
If the Great Rebirth Pill returned to Shaolin, Shaolin would try to give it back to Mount Hua. Shaolin wouldn't acknowledge the secret deal, but having problems arise would be just as troublesome for them. Seolhwa lowered her gaze.
After staring at the ripples in her teacup for a moment, she quietly shook her head.
"I'm sorry, but I do not have the Great Rebirth Pill."
"What?"
The faces of the Mount Hua party filled with shock. With a sharp sound, No Mun's teacup shattered into pieces.
"Are you saying that you... insulted this Daoist without even possessing the Great Rebirth Pill...?"
His energy grew even thicker. The energy filling the room swirled as if it would devour Seolhwa at any moment. Seolhwa took a small box from her robes and placed it on the table.
Instead of answering, she opened the lid of the box.
"...!"
No Mun's gaze fell upon the inside of the box Seolhwa had opened.
‘That is!’
No Mun recognized the item at once. The Golden Dragon Jade Blood Treasure, said to be found only once every few hundred years! The Great Rebirth Pill is said to contain a miraculous energy capable of saving even the dying.
However, it doesn't have a specific effect. It's more like a panacea. However, the Golden Dragon Jade Blood Treasure is an elixir potent against poison.
‘This is what we need right now...!’
As if it had never been there, No Mun's energy quickly subsided. His mind grew cold.
‘The Golden Dragon Jade Blood Treasure is more than enough to replace the Great Rebirth Pill. But there is no way that cunning child would give away such a precious item for free.’
Judging by her words and actions so far, the child was no ordinary person. The depth of her schemes was hard to fathom, to the point where she should absolutely not be seen as a mere thirteen-year-old.
She would surely say that, unlike the Great Rebirth Pill, the Golden Dragon Jade Blood Treasure did not belong to Shaolin, and thus she could not give it away. In the end, to receive it in place of the Great Rebirth Pill, he would have to prove the transaction between Mount Hua and Shaolin. In that case.
"Alright. What is it that you want?"
It would be better to grant her wish and receive it in return.
‘It's obvious what she wants anyway.’
Like the Second Young Master of Namgung, she must want an exchange between Namgung and Mount Hua. I just need to play along and get what I need. The corners of Seolhwa's lips curved faintly.
She snapped the open box shut. No Mun's expression soured.
"Shouldn't warriors speak through martial arts?"
No Mun's frown deepened.
"Are you suggesting a sparring match with me?"
"That would be too shameless of you."
The number one sword of Mount Hua and a thirteen-year-old child? No Mun's hand twitched, trembling.
"Hmph, hmph! Those words slipped out because I was so dumbfounded. Then, a sparring match with whom are you speaking of?"
Seolhwa looked at one person. At the end of her gaze was Yu Pyo, the first disciple of Mount Hua. He had been glaring at her with burning eyes throughout her conversation with No Mun.
When he saw her gaze turn to him, his face twisted even more. No Mun looked at Yu Pyo and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! You may call me shameless, but you are a fearless child. This boy is the elite of the elite of Mount Hua. He is not someone you can face."
To fight Yu Pyo, a master at the Supreme Realm, with her meager second-rate level?
‘No matter how much we need the Golden Dragon Jade Blood Treasure, if word of this sparring match gets out, Mount Hua's honor will be tarnished.’
"Let's do this."
No Mun looked at Yu Kang. Yu Kang, who had been silently watching the war of words, startled and flinched violently.
"M-me? Me...?"
Surely not. Right? Master.
"Yes. Yu Kang, you will go out for the sparring match."
Gasp.
Yu Kang sucked in a breath.
"M-Master... Still, shouldn't senior brother Yu Pyo be the one to go...?"
"No more talk. You do it." —There is nothing to fear.
The opponent is merely second-rate. Yu Kang was shocked twice, by No Mun's words and his mental transmission. Yu Kang could not understand how his master could look at that child and call her second-rate.
‘Can Master not see the energy filling her body?’
With that much energy... second-rate? It's an amount that far surpasses first-rate! Yu Kang urgently sent a mental transmission. —Master.
I have already lost to the Namgung young lady...! Please, couldn't you reconsider? —Yu Kang. Do you not trust your master? —But, it's true.... —There must have been some reason back then.
Ignoring Yu Kang's face turning pale, No Mun spoke to Seolhwa with a benevolent smile.
"This child is also no ordinary person. He can be called the future of Mount Hua. In my opinion, he too will be a difficult opponent for you. How about it? Will that be acceptable?"
Seolhwa blinked her wide eyes and turned to look at Yu Kang. Yu Kang flinched in surprise and tried to avoid her gaze. The corners of Seolhwa's lips curved softly.
"Yes. Of course. That's fine."
The future of Mount Hua, he says.
"I am the future of Namgung, too."
"Hahaha!"
No Mun couldn't hold back his laughter. Calling herself the future of Namgung. A child who has just returned to Namgung, at that!
"Yes, good!"
The future of Namgung is so bright!
Hahaha!
"Let's see which martial art's future is brighter!"
Hahahaha!
The sparring match was held at the Cloud Guest Hall's Training Ground. There was no need to go far, nor any need to delay. Both Seolhwa and Yu Kang were people who were ready to swing their swords the moment they held them.
The Namgung martial force gathered around the Cloud Guest Hall. Having sensed No Mun's energy, they were ready to charge in at any moment, but Cheong-un managed to calm them down by making a request to the Chief Steward.
"Haaah..."
Yu Kang let out a sigh so deep it seemed the ground would collapse. Seolhwa tilted her head and looked at him.
"What's wrong? Wasn't this your wish? To face the Sword of Azure Sky."
‘Let's have a sparring match! Swordsman against swordsman. It's been my wish to face the Sword of Azure Sky.’
Those were Yu Kang's words. Yu Kang seemed to remember his words from that time as well, as he frowned slightly.
"Because back then, it seemed like a fight I could take."
"And not now?"
"Yeah. What in the world did you do to get so strong in such a short time?"
Oho.
A spark of interest appeared in Seolhwa's eyes. Indeed, the her from back then and the her of now were completely different. Back then, her Meridians were unstable and she only had the energy of a second-rate warrior, but now she had perfectly reached the Supreme Realm.
"You have good eyes."
"I hear that a lot."
It was an answer only a genius would give. For the first time, Seolhwa let out a genuine laugh. Even if the world turns upside down, people don't change.
The proof of that was right before her eyes.
‘Even after returning from death, this boy is really...’
"You're always the same."
The whole world was filled with blood, and corpses were strewn about. In the middle of a scene reeking of blood. A man and a woman pointed their swords at each other.
They aimed for death.
"How long has it been since Mount Hua destroyed itself and its line was severed, yet your sleeves are still embroidered with withered plum blossoms. A twisted old tree certainly has a tenacious hold on life."
The man's white martial robes were already stained crimson with blood. But even the blood that stained the world and the man's entire body could not stain his white smile.
"I hear that a lot."
The man readjusted his grip on his sword with a relaxed expression. The veins on the man's hand holding the sword bulged.
"However, as long as even a single plum blossom blooms, no matter how withered the tree, it is still alive and breathing."
At that moment, the man gave a smile like a plum blossom.
"As long as I live, the plum blossom will not fall."