“You must have had a long journey. Thank you for coming all this way.”

Mu Hui returned the greeting with a respectful bow after Kang Bo-eum’s welcome.

“I am Mu Hui, the second disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.”

In response, Il-hyeon and Il-su of the Zhongnan Sect also bowed in return.

The two elders observed Mu Hui with keen interest.

“So, you’re the eldest of the Four Blossoms of Mount Hua.”

“The Four Blossoms of Mount Hua?”

Mu Hui asked, puzzled, and Il-hyeon nodded.

“Have you not heard? The fame of the Four Blossoms of Mount Hua is spreading across Shaanxi.”

The Four Blossoms of Mount Hua—a nickname for the four disciples of the Mount Hua Sect who have ventured into the martial world.

Starting with the defeat of the Red Wolf Sword of the Blood Bandits, they have crushed numerous bandit strongholds and even subdued the notorious killer that the Zhongnan Sect had been pursuing. Among them, Mu Hui was the most renowned, having defeated the infamous Yanho Bandit and halted the winning streak of Wu Taegang.

‘The others will be thrilled.’

Previously, the Three Blossoms was a name known only within the Mount Hua Sect. The martial world had never heard of it. But now, they had earned a nickname recognized by the martial world.

Moreover, it was rare for young disciples to earn such a nickname so early, making it a cause for celebration.

“Congratulations on making a name for yourself as the Four Blossoms of Mount Hua.”

“Thank you.”

Mu Hui responded simply to Il-su’s congratulatory smile.

Though Mu Hui and his companions had been active in Shaanxi for some time, the nickname likely arose from their capture of the killer.

The killer had eluded the Zhongnan Sect despite causing them significant losses. That the young disciples of Mount Hua had managed to capture them naturally drew the attention of the martial world.

In a way, as Mount Hua’s reputation rose, Zhongnan’s fell. Yet, they offered congratulations with a smile, and Mu Hui returned the courtesy appropriately.

“We have no words to express our gratitude to the disciples of Mount Hua and the Huahong Sect. It was due to Zhongnan’s oversight that such misfortune befell this place.”

As Il-hyeon and Il-su bowed their heads, Kang Bo-eum waved his hands in surprise.

“How can the evil deeds of the killers be Zhongnan’s fault? Please, raise your heads. It’s embarrassing.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader.”

After taking a sip of tea, Il-hyeon sighed briefly and spoke.

“May we inspect the items?”

Mu Hui lifted a large wooden box from the floor and placed it before the two elders.

“Please, go ahead.”

At Mu Hui’s words, Il-su carefully opened the box.

Inside were three swords and three sets of robes, neatly folded. Other small items were also organized beside them.

These were the belongings of the killers.

The eyes of the two elders trembled slightly.

Il-hyeon carefully unfolded a robe, while Il-su picked up a sword to examine it.

“These are indeed the robes of the Zhongnan Sect, with the Seven Stars embroidered inside.”

“The swords are the same. Look at this.”

Il-su showed Il-hyeon the scabbard, which bore the character ‘Mu.’ The other scabbards were engraved with the characters ‘Seon’ and ‘Hoon.’

“These are indeed the swords of Senior Brother Il-seon and Junior Brothers Il-mu and Il-hoon.”

Il-su traced the engraved characters with trembling fingers.

Listening to the Zhongnan elders, Mu Hui furrowed his brow.

‘Master and disciple alike, they play dirty games.’

As expected, the killers had used the names of the Zhongnan disciples they had slain, tarnishing even the last honor of the deceased.

Recalling the killers who had tried to defile the honor of the dead, Mu Hui’s brow furrowed slightly.

Il-hyeon clutched the torn robe as if unwilling to let go, while Il-su glared down with bloodshot eyes.

After a moment, Il-hyeon, having composed himself, spoke.

“The reason Zhongnan lost track of the killers was that they desecrated the bodies of these three disciples and hid them in various places. It was a ploy to buy time while we searched for the scattered bodies.”

At Il-hyeon’s words, Kang Bo-eum’s beard quivered with anger.

“Truly despicable creatures.”

“Where is that villain now?”

“We have him confined separately, but he likely hasn’t regained his senses yet.”

Il-hyeon asked curiously.

“What happened?”

Mu Hui answered in his stead.

“We tried to extract information about the White-Faced Ogre using the Bone-Splitting Technique, but he knew little.”

“The Bone-Splitting Technique…”

Il-hyeon regarded Mu Hui with newfound respect.

The Bone-Splitting Technique inflicted excruciating pain by fracturing bones into dozens of pieces and severing muscles at the joints. Depending on the degree, it could render a person permanently disabled. It required extensive knowledge of acupoints and musculature, and its cruelty surpassed ordinary torture, making it rarely used by righteous sects.

“Well…”

That such a technique was employed without hesitation by a young disciple of Mount Hua was astonishing.

‘A chill runs through me. Indeed, one must meet in person to grasp the true nature.’

Il-hyeon regretted that the Zhongnan Sect lacked a disciple with Mu Hui’s resolve.

It seemed likely that Mount Hua would stand out at the upcoming Sword Gathering.

“May I ask what the Zhongnan Sect plans to do with the killers?”

“We intend to take them back and execute punishment according to our sect’s laws.”

It had already been decided to hand over the killers to the Zhongnan Sect. With the interrogation of the White-Faced Ogre concluded, there was no reason to keep the killers any longer.

Moreover, the Zhongnan Sect was eagerly awaiting the day the killers would be brought to their mountain, so it was better in many ways.

It was a way of indebting the Zhongnan Sect.

As the conversation wrapped up, Il-hyeon and Il-su exchanged glances and stood.

“On behalf of the head of the Zhongnan Sect, I, Il-hyeon, the first disciple, express our deepest gratitude to the Huahong Sect and the Four Blossoms of Mount Hua. The Zhongnan Sect will never forget today’s kindness.”

The two elders did not hesitate to bow deeply to Mu Hui, who was younger than them.

Thanks to Mu Hui, they could honor the memory of the three disciples who had died tragically and preserve the honor of the Zhongnan Sect, so Il-hyeon and Il-su were willing to bow as many times as needed.

“Now the three disciples can rest in peace. Thank you truly.”

In response to their heartfelt gratitude, Mu Hui quietly stood and returned the bow.

* * *

The killers were safely handed over to the Zhongnan Sect elders.

Having confirmed that there were no issues at the Huahong Sect, the last stop on their journey, Mu Hui and his companions were now heading back to Mount Hua.

“By now, the main sect must be recruiting new disciples.”

“Yes, probably.”

While Mu Hui and his companions were traveling, news had spread throughout Shaanxi that the Mount Hua Sect was opening its doors to recruit new disciples.

“It’ll be hectic at Mount Hua, won’t it? I was hoping to relax a bit since it’s been a while.”

Mu Hwa’s grumbling made Mu Hui tilt his head slightly.

“Relax?”

As a spark ignited in Mu Hui’s eyes, Mu Hwa pretended not to notice and turned his head away.

“Once we reach Mount Hua, the second disciples will begin special training.”

Mu Hwa, who had been staring at the empty sky, turned back to Mu Hui.

“Special training all of a sudden?”

“Traveling with you all, I realized there’s much to teach the disciples.”

Having successfully completed their first journey into the martial world, it was time for the other second disciples to venture out as well.

Mu Hui intended to train his juniors thoroughly before they left. At the very least, they should return without getting stabbed.

“And seeing the seniors from the Zhongnan Sect reminded me. Isn’t it time for the Six Harmonies Sword Gathering?”

Mu Jin tilted his head in confusion.

“Isn’t there still a lot of time before the Six Harmonies Sword Gathering?”

“We need to start preparing thoroughly now.”

Mu Hui’s eyes were gradually burning with determination.

The Six Harmonies Sword Gathering—a representative event for fostering friendship between the Mount Hua and Zhongnan Sects.

The basic martial art of Mount Hua is the Six Harmonies Sword.

And the basic martial art of the Zhongnan Sect is also the Six Harmonies Sword.

There were rumors that the two sects were originally one before splitting, or that disciples of the same master founded separate sects.

The truth of these stories was not recorded in either Mount Hua or Zhongnan, so it couldn’t be verified, but it was undeniable that the two sects shared the same roots.

However, despite sharing the Six Harmonies as a foundation, the martial arts of the two sects were entirely different.

This was due to differing interpretations of the Six Harmonies.

Mount Hua believed that if one could extend their sword in all directions of the Six Harmonies, there would be no place they couldn’t reach, and thus nothing they couldn’t cut. They considered this the sword of certain victory.

This was embodied in the Plum Blossom.

The Zhongnan Sect believed that by blocking all directions of the Six Harmonies, they could create an impenetrable domain, and thus nothing could touch them. They considered this the sword of invincibility.

This was embodied in the World.

The two sects, despite their opposite interpretations of the Six Harmonies, developed their own sword techniques and maintained a steady exchange.

The purpose was not to determine which sect’s martial arts were superior, but to observe aspects of the Six Harmonies they hadn’t seen and further develop their own sword techniques.

It was clear that the long history of the Six Harmonies Sword Gathering had significantly influenced the two sects, which had started as small sword sects and now stood among the Nine Great Sects.

‘Though they say Mount Hua and Zhongnan don’t care about winning or losing at the Six Harmonies Sword Gathering…’

Unfortunately, Mu Hui was not like that.

In his past life and now, Mu Hui never showed lukewarm attitudes towards competition.

If he could laugh it off like other elders, indifferent to victory or defeat, he would have ascended long ago. As a martial artist, one must strive to win.

Seeing his own students getting beaten by disciples of the Jongnam Sect, whom they had never encountered before, made Mu-hui feel as if he were boiling over, just like in the hot springs.

“My dear disciples, I’ll gladly spoon-feed you.”

Of course, Mu-hui would only put the spoon in their mouths; it was up to the disciples to digest it.

He planned to keep pushing them until they could digest everything. That was the way of things.

Mu-hui’s lips curled into a mischievous grin, reaching up to his ears.

Mu-hwa, witnessing this, made a face of disapproval.

“You’re making that wicked expression again, senior brother. What on earth are you plotting?”

“What else? I’m just pondering how to teach my disciples. Do you think you, the youngest, can understand my struggles?”

Mu-hwa couldn’t argue with that, and as he glared, Mu-cheol, who was leading the group, spoke up.

“Senior brother, I see a village up ahead.”

Mu-hui turned his gaze to the distant village, his eyes narrowing.

He felt reluctant to go there.

There wasn’t a logical reason.

It just rubbed him the wrong way the moment he saw it.

“Is there something there?”

Mu-hui didn’t dismiss this feeling lightly.

The martial artist’s intuition, honed through communion with nature, sometimes bordered on the prophetic. While Mu-hui’s senses hadn’t fully returned to that level, they weren’t to be ignored.

“Mu-jin, was there a mountain about half an hour ago?”

“Yes, senior brother.”

After a moment of contemplation, Mu-hui changed direction.

“Let’s take a detour over the mountain.”

The disciples, though disappointed, followed Mu-hui’s lead without question.

“Senior brother, is there something in that village?”

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

“Not exactly. But I have a feeling something troublesome might happen if we go.”

If Mu-hui were alone, or if he still possessed the martial prowess of his past life as the Sword Demon, he wouldn’t have bothered to avoid it.

In fact, he might have entered the village for the thrill of it.

But that wasn’t the case now, and there was no need to invite trouble.

“I’ll make sure the next inn is a good one, so let’s camp in the mountains tonight.”

“Well, if we must.”

“Then let’s hurry. We should find a good spot to rest before nightfall.”

With the change in direction, Mu-cheol quietly resumed his place at the front of the group.

As Mu-hui and his party veered away, a middle-aged man in the village watched them.

“Why are they suddenly changing course? Could they have noticed something?”

“Impossible. From this distance, they can barely make out the village. How could they know?”

“Hmph, those brats are making things complicated. Send word to the Dark Moon Pavilion.”

“Understood!”

At the man’s command, the people in the village began to move swiftly.

Watching his subordinates, the middle-aged man clicked his tongue.

“Seven weeks of hard work, all for nothing. Why on earth are they taking the long way around?”

He stared intently in the direction where Mu-hui’s group had disappeared.

“You must be the eldest of the Hwasan Sect.”

“Like a Sword Demon.”