Seonhwa Gate, being a branch of the Mount Hua Sect, boasted a considerable collection of Taoist scriptures, though not as extensive as Mount Hua itself.

The martial arts of the Taoist sects often involved reinterpreting the principles of these scriptures into martial logic, which is why a deep study of the Taoist texts often led to significant martial achievements.

This was why monks of the Buddhist sects and Taoists of the Taoist sects continued their studies of the scriptures even as they practiced martial arts.

Thus, Mu-hui was diligently working through the Taoist texts, one by one.

Even if there seemed to be no immediate gain, enlightenment could strike unexpectedly.

As he read the scriptures with his eyes and listened to the sparring of his juniors with his ears, Mu-cheol, who had been training alone, approached.

“Senior Brother.”

“What is it?”

“I’m curious about the final move you used when you defeated the Red Wolf Sword.”

The move Mu-cheol referred to was imbued with the essence of the Dokgo Sword Technique.

Mu-hui looked up from the scripture he was reading and turned his gaze to Mu-cheol.

‘What could he have seen?’

Having recently noticed Mu-cheol’s potential, Mu-hui asked, “Why do you ask?”

“I think I caught a glimpse of the sword I’ve been seeking in your final move.”

“Hmm…”

Mu-hui turned his head to watch Mu-jin and Mu-hwa, who were in the midst of a sparring match.

If those two were following the path laid by the ancestors of Mount Hua, Mu-cheol was searching for a new direction without straying from that path.

“You want to add more force to the Mount Hua sword style, don’t you?”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

Mu-hui closed the scripture and stood up.

As he drew his sword, Mu-cheol took a few steps back.

Mu-hui gripped his sword in a manner different from the usual Mount Hua style, a grip that Mu-cheol often used.

With a whoosh, Mu-hui’s execution of the Falling Plum Sword was different from usual.

The sword cut through the air with a heavy sound, and the moves were straightforward and powerful, lacking in variety.

Mu-cheol’s lips parted slightly as he watched Mu-hui’s demonstration. It was strikingly similar to the Falling Plum Sword he had been practicing.

“I understand what you’re trying to do, but this approach is meaningless.”

“Why is that?”

“You’re trying to develop a sword technique that contradicts the essence of an already complete style. This disrupts the harmony and renders the moves meaningless.”

“So I’ve been trying to reduce the changes and modify the moves slightly.”

But Mu-hui’s expression remained firm.

“As you said, it’s a temporary fix. As you advance, an unstable technique will hold you back.”

Mu-cheol fell into contemplation, his face shadowed with concern. Watching him, Mu-hui raised his sword again.

“Adding force to a sword doesn’t automatically make it stronger or elevate it to a higher art. It’s about removing excess and achieving harmony.”

With a swish, Mu-hui’s sword sliced through the air with a sound like crashing waves.

Unlike the previous demonstration, this time the sword was imbued with the essence of weight and strength.

Mu-cheol’s eyes grew serious.

The Senior Brother’s sword was visibly heavier and more forceful than his own.

It wasn’t merely relying on physical strength and weight but was a proper execution of a heavy sword.

‘How is he doing this? Does Mount Hua have a secret manual on heavy swords?’

Yet, it seemed too focused on strength and too straightforward to be a Mount Hua technique.

Could this truly be called a Mount Hua sword?

Mu-hui observed Mu-cheol.

Mu-cheol was difficult to read, but by now, Mu-hui could discern some changes in his gaze and had a sense of what he was thinking.

“I’ll show you again, so watch closely.”

Reading Mu-cheol’s eyes, Mu-hui demonstrated the technique once more. Mu-cheol focused intently on following Mu-hui’s sword.

Mu-cheol’s eyes widened as he began to understand.

‘Ah! It’s truly unrestrained.’

The moves were simple and unchanging, but the trajectory of the sword was different.

An unrefined, unpatterned trajectory.

It was impossible to predict where it would strike.

In another sense, it held the potential for infinite variations.

‘Wait, does that mean it can go anywhere?’

That freedom of direction.

This was the essence of the Six Harmonies.

‘I understand why Senior Brother showed me this.’

Mu-hui demonstrated that he shouldn’t be bound by the elaborate Mount Hua sword techniques.

Mu-cheol recalled what Senior Brother had said to the disciples in the training hall.

‘The foundation of Mount Hua is the Six Harmonies. The Plum Blossom Sword and its intricate changes are just one branch of it. If so, can’t we see other possibilities through the Six Harmonies?’

Having grasped the seed of enlightenment, Mu-cheol sat down in meditation.

Mu-hui stood guard over him, lost in thought.

If Mu-hui were to leave a seed of Dokgo in Mount Hua, Mu-cheol was the disciple most likely to nurture it properly.

Mu-hui had a rough plan for the future of the Dokgo Sword Technique.

He intended to create two new sword techniques from it.

The first would be based on the Six Harmonies, enhanced with the essence of the Dokgo Sword Technique.

The second would further develop the existing Dokgo Sword Technique from the perspective of a sword master, not a Mount Hua disciple.

The Dokgo Sword Technique was perfected based on the sword master’s level in a previous life.

If he surpassed that level, he would naturally see the flaws in the perfected Dokgo Sword Technique and be able to improve it.

The first technique would be passed to Mu-cheol, and the second, if fate allowed, to a disciple from his past life as a sword master.

‘And…’

Mu-hui’s eyes grew serious as he pondered.

The final secret manual left by the Grandmaster.

The new sword technique he was developing for a bet with the Grandmaster.

He would have to examine these when the time was right.

As Mu-hui delved deeply into his thoughts on sword techniques, Mu-cheol emerged from his meditation.

“Did you gain any insight?”

Mu-hui asked, and Mu-cheol shook his head.

“I only realized that I’ve been walking in the wrong direction.”

When one’s level is low, their perspective is limited, and a master must guide them properly. However, Mu-cheol’s master had not returned from the Blood Sect incident.

Thus, Mu-cheol had no choice but to follow the path he believed was right.

“Knowing what’s wrong means you can find the right direction. That’s enough.”

Mu-cheol bowed his head, reassured by the Senior Brother’s guidance.

Though he had lost his master, he felt confident that with the Senior Brother’s guidance, he could continue on the right path.

“For now, practice the original sword technique without any strange modifications.”

“Yes.”

“And I’ll teach you the essence of the heavy sword separately.”

Mu-cheol then asked the question that had been on his mind since he first saw Mu-hui’s demonstration.

“Senior Brother, how do you know this? I thought Mount Hua didn’t have such martial arts.”

Mu-cheol was right. Mount Hua didn’t have martial arts focused on weight and strength.

His curiosity was understandable.

“Before he passed, Master was in the process of creating several new sword techniques.”

Mu-cheol, as well as Mu-hwa and Mu-jin, who had been standing by after their sparring, widened their eyes in surprise.

“Senior Brother, is that true?”

“Did the Grandmaster really…?”

Mu-hui nodded at their reactions. Only the sect leader had known about the Grandmaster’s new sword techniques.

By giving them this hint now, no one in Mount Hua would be surprised by any new martial arts that emerged later.

Mu-cheol was visibly shaken, his shoulders trembling slightly.

“Then, the sword technique you showed me earlier…?”

“Yes, it’s not a complete technique yet, as I’m still organizing the secret manual left by Master.”

“Does it have a name?”

Mu-hui furrowed his brow at Mu-cheol’s question.

The sword technique meant for Mu-cheol had to be a true Mount Hua technique, so it couldn’t bear the name Dokgo.

The name Dokgo was famous in the martial world as the signature technique of the sword master.

The name Dokgo should be reserved for the technique meant for the sword master’s disciple.

‘So, I need to come up with a new name.’

A sword technique’s name should reflect its essence or the ideal it seeks to embody.

Mu-hui looked into Mu-cheol’s unwavering eyes.

“Mu-cheol, what kind of plum blossom do you wish to bloom?”

It was a sudden question, but Mu-cheol, who had long sought his own path in martial arts, answered without hesitation.

“I don’t wish to bloom many plum blossoms.”

A disciple who hasn’t obtained the Plum Blossom Sword dreams of blooming plum blossoms by mastering the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

A disciple who has mastered the Plum Blossom Sword Technique dreams of blooming even more plum blossoms by elevating their skill.

They aspire to the legendary tales of past Mount Hua sword masters who could bloom hundreds of plum blossoms with a single strike.

And Mu-hui, having experienced the Grandmaster’s sword firsthand, knew these weren’t mere fantasies.

“One plum blossom is enough for me. But I want it to be the strongest, unbreakable plum blossom in Mount Hua.”

Mu-cheol’s firm answer.

With this answer, the seed of Dokgo, planted in the soil of the Six Harmonies, found its path to grow.

“Then that plum blossom will be like steel.”

And naturally, the name of the sword technique was decided.

“The Plum Blossom of Steel. Iron Plum.”

Iron Plum (철매)

“The name of the sword technique is Iron Plum Sword Technique.”

Iron Plum Sword Technique (철매검법)

“Iron Plum Sword Technique…”

Mu-cheol’s eyes sparkled more brightly than ever as he repeated the name.

In that moment, the words Iron Plum (철매) were indelibly etched into Mu-cheol’s heart.

* * *

On the third day of their visit to Seonhwa Gate.

Clang!

The heavy clash of Mu-cheol’s greatsword against Mu-hui’s slender, long sword echoed with a dull ring.

“Ugh!”

The force of the counterattack was so immense that Mucheol had to take several steps back, his sword trembling in his grip. He glanced at his own weapon, then at Muwi’s sword. Unlike his own, Muwi’s blade was steady, unwavering.

“Incredible,” Mucheol thought. “Even with a different sword, I’m still being pushed back like this.”

On Muwi’s advice, he had switched from the lighter sword of the Hwasan sect to a heavier, broader blade. Yet, despite the change, Mucheol found himself retreating under Muwi’s relentless assault.

“You didn’t channel your inner energy properly. Try again.”

“Yes, sir.”

Following Muwi’s teachings, Mucheol infused his sword with inner energy, feeling the weight of the blade increase. But he knew it wasn’t enough. Simply pouring more energy into the sword wouldn’t enhance its power or weight.

Recalling Muwi’s instructions, Mucheol adjusted his energy flow. “Like painting the blade with inner energy, layer upon layer, until it feels as if there’s another sword within.”

A faint hum resonated from the sword as Mucheol closed his eyes and concentrated. Muwi nodded approvingly, watching his student absorb the lessons with remarkable speed.

“That’s it, Mucheol. Just like that.”

As Mucheol’s sword vibrated subtly, Muwi turned his head toward the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. It was Muha, breathless and urgent.

“Senior brother! There’s trouble! A huge fight has broken out between the Daejeongmun and Seonhwamun!”

The End