Chapter 162
**
Why on earth?
Gu Hwa-rin stared at him, lost in the question that had lingered since yesterday. The man who was moving his sword in the flower garden while teaching his own daughter.
The swordsmanship itself was fascinating. The sword’s form was primitive…
Yet, something felt different.
There was a strange weight within it that transcended mere primitivism.
While my sword pursued the extreme of lightness, the author, conversely, had pursued the extreme of heaviness.
Each and every motion of his sword was heavy. He moved his body to control it, thinking that was only natural.
The breath maintained within the swinging sword.
A heavy sound pierced the air.
Yet even amidst all this, the flowers at his feet remained perfectly undisturbed.
Was he mindful enough during practice not to damage the flowerbed?
His daughter was similar as well.
“…….”
The little girl diligently followed her father. Yet her actions were as natural as lifting a spoon while eating.
It felt as if she were checking something she had already mastered, becoming accustomed to it after just a few repetitions.
If that scene was not a review of what she had learned, but rather her learning something new…
Then she’s a monster.
A real monster of martial arts. A bundle of talent that I couldn’t even dare to look up to.
But… surely, that can’t be right.
She must be reviewing what she had learned…
“Lady Gu.”
“Yes, yes?”
A breeze blew. The flower petals swayed.
Amidst them stood Jeok-un, leaning a wooden practice sword against his shoulder.
“You need to loosen up first to practice your swordsmanship, right?”
“…….”
“If you don’t feel like it, I can step aside. The choice is yours.”
“…Hah…”
I couldn’t fathom his intentions.
But I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to mend my only master.
Amidst conflicting feelings, Gu Hwa-rin rose from her spot.
Dealing with people was difficult. Still, should I not endure it? For the sake of my master.
Unlike the physician, who could say nothing, this man presented a solution. Surely, there must be some small change to follow.
“Um… your martial arts seem quite deep… Could you spar with me? I heard from my master that for the plum blossoms to bloom properly, one needs experience. Normally, that sparring was done by my master, but now he can’t…”
“I came to help with that. Now, Lady Gu.”
Jeok-un twirled the wooden sword.
“I request a spar.”
“…Just don’t cry when you get hit.”
…
I stood in the flowerbed.
I looked at my opponent.
The platinum hair swayed in the wind. The way she looked at me was filled with determination.
A fragrance lingered at the tip of her sword. There was no internal energy. After all, it was merely a spar…
We only exchanged swords.
—Clang!
The wooden swords collided. In the midst of dull motions, I gazed into her eyes.
The trembling tip of her sword. And in that, the distortion of her gaze.
Her brow furrowed. She withdrew the moment we clashed, gripping her wrist.
“…What kind of strength…?”
“Should I ease up a bit more?”
“I’m fine! Just let it flow!”
What does it mean to be a warrior?
It refers to those who have a desire not to lose.
We mixed swords. With Sua cheering me on, I moved my feet.
The wooden swords met. We repeatedly clashed and disengaged.
The branches of the opponent. Countless flowers extending from them.
The ten floral strikes soared, yet the nine lacked strength. Each one was false. It blossomed like flowers.
Even without internal energy, my vision was dizzying. If that floral strike were to combine with genuine enlightenment…
Just how much would it bloom?
The corner of my mouth subtly lifted. Without a doubt, the opponent was real.
Time accumulated without fail every day. And within that, a flower struggling to bloom.
I swung my sword widely. Time imbued in its tip was flicked away.
The wooden sword cried out, and I adjusted it so that it wouldn’t break.
The opponent’s plum blossoms were beautiful and vivid, but…
Unfortunately, they didn’t quite reach my level.
They were manageable.
—Clang.
My stepped foot pierced the false blossoms. I moved forward resolutely within the broad view.
I swept away all falsities. I read the opponent’s increasingly frantic flow.
The scent of plum blossoms brushed my nose. The impatience held in the tip of my sword.
And…
Frustration.
—Crack!
The sword I swung hit all at once. Gu Hwa-rin’s eyes widened. I pierced through with precision.
The extended sword struck at her weak points, completely shattering her resolve.
Even the last floral strike, which Gu Hwa-rin desperately attempted to break through, was sent flying backward. Her staggered foot pressed on the flowers, causing her to stumble.
There was a vast exchange lasting close to a hundred counts.
And within that, trembling gazes.
Gu Hwa-rin asked.
“…You… how long have you wielded that sword…?”
Does that mean my understanding matched hers?
I twirled the wooden sword and retracted it.
Gu Hwa-rin belatedly grew angry.
“Don’t hold back! Just hit me with all your strength!”
“Your body will likely break first.”
“Is that so?! I thought the gap wouldn’t be so apparent, but… where exactly do you stand…?”
Where do I stand, you ask?
Following the union of mind and body, even I found myself curious. My already sturdy body had reached its peak, and I was on the verge of seeing something.
Before me stood a wall that didn’t seem overly massive. Yet, when I reached out…
It felt as if I might touch something.
I couldn’t surpass it, but I could clearly see it.
“…I’m not sure.”
Sua came running. She rubbed her face against my waist.
“Of course, Daddy’s sword is the best! It’s straightforward and cool! Heavy… and thus strong!”
“That’s quite the compliment.”
Still, it’s not a bad compliment.
I’ve always wanted to be a person like that.
Gu Hwa-rin steadied her breath. She rubbed her reddened arms.
I took out medicine from my pocket. It was the healing balm I always carried.
I applied it to her wrist, having struck lightly, as it might leave a mark. She flinched at the touch, but I applied the medicine gently.
“Do you feel anything?”
“…No.”
“Your sword was filled with impatience. Moreover… I sensed fire within it.”
“…….”
“Yet all that was overshadowed by your affection for the sword. The love for the plum blossoms. You said you’re not from Huashan, but you seemed to hold the clearest plum blossoms within your sword.”
It was a beautiful sword.
One that made the viewer feel good.
“Lady Gu, I don’t know about the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique. The last sword maneuver as well… I still don’t comprehend it.”
“…Because I’m not from Huashan.”
“But I know that to bloom beautifully, a flower needs nourishment. In relation to the sword, that could be referred to as experience. Have you ever encountered other swords?”
She shook her head.
I nodded.
“Fortunately, the sword I possess has three qualities.”
“What?”
“A sword infused with the essence of weight. A sword infused with the essence of swiftness. A sword infused with the essence of dullness.”
The Nine Heavens Blood Demon Sword and the Ear Sword.
I recalled the Fire Wheel Blood Demon Sword.
“I will mix those three appropriately. It will help you accumulate experience. Once you’re accustomed, we can gradually increase the intensity.”
“…I really don’t understand. Why are you helping me to such an extent…?”
Sua smiled brightly. She whispered softly.
“Daddy just is that kind of person.”
“…That kind of person?”
“Yes! Right, Daddy?”
“I don’t know if I’m that kind of person…”
I once again widened the distance. I aimed the wooden sword at her.
“I just don’t want to do something shameful to myself.”
“…A hero… huh…”
Gu Hwa-rin smiled bitterly.
“You are… quite a rare kind of person.”
“Rather than that, I tend to hear I’m rather stickler.”
“…Could I ask for just a bit more instruction?”
“That’s why I’m standing here.”
I nodded at the tip of my sword.
“Come on in. As much as you want.”
…
“Hwa-rin.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you spacing out without doing your training?”
Why do you ask? It’s because…
I’m blocked by a wall.
Something’s frustrating. It’s like I’m wandering around, understanding yet not understanding.
I want to solve it, but no matter how much I swing my sword, it doesn’t break free…
I’ve lost my motivation.
For some reason, I felt like this was the end.
“…Master, can I really do this?”
“There are words you can speak and those you should not reveal. That’s one of the latter.”
“I’m serious about this.”
“If you’re serious, that’s even more of a problem. Really, my only disciple…”
The Plum Blossom Divine, who had been by my side, sat down. Gu Hwa-rin subtly lifted her gaze to the flowerbed.
Each one of them carries its own fragrance. But not her.
There was no color. No scent. Even if she wanted to bloom plum blossoms…
She could only mimic them somewhat; inside, it was all empty.
“…Do you remember the day you picked me up?”
“The day you were being hit by stones in the marketplace?”
“Yes.”
She was not a complete color foreigner.
It was just a mix of blood. Yet outwardly, she was undeniably a foreigner.
Other appearances were always prone to rejection. After losing her parents to a plague, it got even worse.
With no one to turn to, she had nowhere to lean. Treated as a harbinger of disease.
She felt hunger pangs but had no food.
Even begging, she would hear nothing but harsh words to get lost.
…So she kept getting hit by stones…
Until she met him.
A person who looked straight at her.
“Master… did you really pick me up out of pity?”
“I would’ve said no.”
“Maybe I lack talent… I’ve been thinking more about that lately. It’s just that it’s been becoming clearer. The Huashan disciples said that this is no place for me.”
“Those fools know nothing. They’re just empty-headed kids.”
“Isn’t that how it is everywhere? Every person you introduced to me… looks at me as if they don’t understand why I’m a disciple of the Plum Blossom Divine.”
“Hwa-rin.”
“Recently, I encountered a fellow foreigner.”
“What?”
“When I went down to the village, I ran into someone traveling. Yet he perceived me… as a Central Continental person.”
A foreigner was seen as a Central Continental person.
A Central Continental person treated her like a foreigner.
So where is it that she truly belongs? Where should a rootless flower be planted?
Even in the Huashan sect, where she’s learning martial arts, she felt rejected…
Where exactly do I belong?
“…It’s been strange lately. I just… feel like I’m not myself.”
“…….”
“I want to let my emotions out, but I can’t do it well. I can’t explain it to others. You know, Master, why I wanted to learn the sword.”
“Hwa-rin, that’s…”
“I wanted to become a flower loved by everyone. Like your plum blossoms. But that seems… oddly…”
She smiles bitterly.
Even if she learns the sword and goes outside, it feels as if this flower garden will be her entire world.
“I feel as if it can’t be…”
“…….”
“A woman with strange roots… Can she truly bloom a proper flower? I can’t be sure, Master. I feel like I can’t bloom a flower like you…”
Her master stood up. Silent for a moment, he whispered.
“Hwa-rin.”
“Yes?”
“A flower does not bloom to be seen by others. It blooms because it wants to bloom itself. I don’t expect you to grasp this immediately. It’s not the role of the master to make you realize that.”
“…….”
“But still… remember this.”
The Plum Blossom Divine took up his sword.
“You have a seed within you. A sure seed. I am not one to spout nonsense. Do not worry. Your plum blossoms will be the most beautiful I have ever seen.”
“…Master…”
For a moment, the world crumbled before her. Gu Hwa-rin blinked.
Everywhere her gaze reached twisted. And alongside it, Gu Hwa-rin felt the breeze brushing against her body.
…Is this a dream?
She opened her eyes. Gu Hwa-rin realized she was lying in the middle of the flower garden.
The sun had long set. In the darkening sky, her gaze met with the man watching over her.
He extended his hand. Gu Hwa-rin placed her pained hand over his and grasped it.
“Did you dream?”
“…Yes.”
The spar.
Yes. It was a spar. Continuing that…
In the end, she had collapsed.
Gu Hwa-rin stared blankly at the man before her. As she gazed at the wooden sword in his hand, she tossed out a line.
Dealing with people is difficult.
But he was heavy in a way different from others, almost like talking to a rock, allowing her to ask comfortably.
“Inspector.”
“Yes?”
“How did you reach that level? Haven’t you ever had doubts about yourself?”
“…….”
He sat next to her. Looking up at the moon hanging in the night sky.
“…If I said no, it would be a lie. I have them. So do I.”
“Were you not shaken?”
“I was shaken. But every time, I regained my focus.”
“…Why?”
“I have someone I want to catch up with.”
The side of his face was visible. A small smile. A gaze seemingly longing for someone.
The wind blew, and his hair waved. He lacked the elegance of a flower’s fragrance.
He was simply a pillar.
A feeling of an unyielding wall.
“The essence of a dream lies in its fascination, doesn’t it?”
“……”
“I took up the sword because I wanted to catch up to her, and each time my heart shattered, I held the sword again. I wasn’t particularly talented. So, I had to go through many experiences to come this far.”
“Lack of talent? You reached this unbelievable level at such a young age?”
“I connected the dots with blood and laid down the foundation through effort. To bloom a flower, I’ve never missed a single day. I always pushed my body until it was weary, both in the mind and in reality.”
As his gaze, which had been looking at the moon, turned to her.
His eyes were deep. Deep indeed.
“LADY GU. But what has shaped who I am now isn’t purely a dream.”
“Yes?”
“It’s the sword…”
He smiled.
“—Isn’t it delightful?”
