The lush plum blossoms of Honglim cast a refreshing shade.

Occasionally, the bright sunlight that pierced through the thick petals highlighted the surrounding plum trees.

“Maybe my senses have improved a bit.”

For a martial artist, internal energy and martial skills weren’t the only things that mattered. Sensory perception was equally crucial.

Though one’s senses naturally sharpened as their internal energy increased and their skills advanced, the difference was significant depending on whether one trained their senses or not.

Mu-hwi leisurely surveyed the expanse of Honglim. When he first opened his eyes in Mu-hwi’s body and entered Honglim, he felt nothing. But now, he sensed a peculiar dissonance.

This wasn’t just about adapting to a new body; it was the result of his relentless efforts to hone his senses to the level of the sword demon he was in his past life. As he continued deeper into Honglim, a fork in the path appeared.

Honglim was situated at a crucial junction leading to important facilities like the Martial Arts Pavilion, training halls, and the treasury, and was guarded by martial artists and protective formations.

The strange feeling Mu-hwi experienced was due to this. Although his current level wasn’t high enough to precisely detect presences, he could sense something was off.

“I’ll pinpoint every presence next time I come.”

Even now, he felt eyes on him, but Mu-hwi pretended not to notice as he crossed through Honglim.

Exiting to the north of Honglim, he saw a massive pavilion backed by a cliff that looked like an inverted sword.

The Martial Arts Pavilion, several times larger than the usual pavilions of the Hwasan Sect.

Upon closer inspection, the pavilion’s age varied in different parts, suggesting that new sections were added over time as space for storing martial arts manuals ran out.

Through such expansions, the Martial Arts Pavilion had grown to its current size.

The fact that this enormous pavilion was filled with martial arts manuals spoke volumes about the long history of the Hwasan Sect.

“Ah, Mu-hwi. What brings you here?”

Hyun-gak, who assisted in the absence of the Pavilion Master Baek-soon, greeted Mu-hwi.

“I’m here to return the manuals I borrowed and perhaps look at some others.”

“Ah, I see.”

Hyun-gak’s eyes fell on the three manuals tucked under Mu-hwi’s arm.

“I’ll take care of the manuals. You go ahead with your business.”

“Thank you, Senior Hyun-gak.”

As Mu-hwi placed the manuals on the desk, Hyun-gak spoke up.

“I heard my disciple owes you a debt.”

At the mention of his disciple, Mu-hwi narrowed his eyes slightly.

After a moment of recollection, he realized Hyun-gak’s disciple was Mu-san.

“Did he get upset because his disciple came back beaten in the middle of the night?”

Contrary to his expectations, Hyun-gak lightly patted Mu-hwi on the shoulder.

“I heard the whole story. Mu-san deserved a scolding. In my day, he wouldn’t have gotten away with it.”

“I heard that you, too, often challenged your seniors during your youth.”

At Mu-hwi’s words, Hyun-gak’s eyes grew distant, as if reminiscing about those days.

“Haha… Indeed. I often engaged in fights disguised as sparring. I was quite audacious for the youngest.”

That youngest disciple was no longer around, leaving only a single disciple behind.

“From what Mu-san said, it seems he didn’t just come back beaten.”

“Is that so? I thought I might have been too harsh, so I gave him some advice to console him.”

Hyun-gak’s eyes widened slightly at Mu-hwi’s words.

“Yes, as a senior, you should look after your juniors. Go on, I didn’t mean to keep you.”

Hyun-gak watched Mu-hwi’s retreating figure with curiosity as he disappeared between the shelves.

“He’s really changed. Mu-hwi wasn’t like this before.”

Though there were many differences from the Mu-hwi he remembered, Hyun-gak welcomed this strange transformation.

Having lost his master and left alone, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had turned out differently. But seeing him change like this made Hyun-gak proud as a senior.

“Hyun-jo… It seems Mu-hwi is doing well.”

Hyun-gak gently stroked the manuals Mu-hwi had returned.

“The Nine Small Heart Method…”

As he recalled the days when they would read manuals together and discuss the parts they didn’t understand, Hyun-gak was enveloped in the nostalgic scent of the old paper.

The unique smell remained unchanged, then and now.

“I miss it.”

* * *

In a corner of the Martial Arts Pavilion, a table was piled high with various manuals. In the midst of this wall of manuals sat Mu-hwi.

He was delving into the martial arts of Hwasan, starting with the Falling Plum Sword. As a result, the manuals piled up before him.

The types varied from sword techniques, fist techniques, footwork, to lightness skills.

Even the same martial art could be interpreted and understood differently by each martial artist.

There were many interpretative versions with annotations. Just for the Falling Plum Sword, there were seven different interpretations.

Taking a break from the manuals, Mu-hwi glanced out the window. Unlike when he had entered, it was now pitch black outside.

“Has it already gotten dark?”

Looking around, he noticed lanterns lit here and there. It seemed Hyun-gak had quietly moved around, considerate of Mu-hwi’s focus on the manuals.

Realizing he had lost track of time again, Mu-hwi let out a wry smile.

Still, analyzing Hwasan’s sword techniques and comparing them with the interpretative versions was quite enjoyable. He gained many additional insights in the process.

“As expected of a prestigious sect. Their martial arts are well-organized.”

The power of time held by a prestigious sect.

Beyond the depth of martial arts, the order and method of learning the sect’s martial arts were systematized through the trial and error of previous generations.

This allowed future generations to learn martial arts more safely and efficiently.

The three sword techniques learned after the Six Harmonies Sword.

The Falling Plum Sword embodied illusion (幻), the Swift Wind Sword embodied speed (快), and the Ten Thousand Fragrance Sword embodied transformation (變).

By mastering these three sword techniques and internalizing their essence, one could finally begin learning the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

“Only after mastering the Plum Blossom Sword Art can one learn the ultimate techniques of the Hwasan Sect.”

The Seven Absolute Plum Blossom Sword.

The Three Lingering Plum Blossom Sword.

The Resplendent Plum Blossom Sword.

The highest martial arts currently existing in the Hwasan Sect.

The driving force that allowed the Hwasan Sect to be included among the three great sword sects of the martial world. In fact, the sword saints produced by the Hwasan Sect had mastered at least one of these three plum blossom swords.

The Six Harmonies Sword was the root.

The Falling Plum Sword, Swift Wind Sword, and Ten Thousand Fragrance Sword were the trunk.

The Plum Blossom Sword Art was the branches.

And these three plum blossom swords were the splendid blossoms.

In Mu-hwi’s view, this was how the Hwasan Sect’s sword technique system was structured.

A martial artist who delved into the Hwasan Sect’s sword techniques to the end would ultimately become a plum blossom tree.

“I’d love to see the Plum Blossom Sword Art and what’s beyond it right now.”

However, in his current state, Mu-hwi was prohibited from accessing manuals beyond the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

To prevent disciples from recklessly attempting to learn higher-level martial arts, each sect imposed restrictions on accessing manuals.

The criteria for these restrictions varied from sect to sect, including rank, martial arts level, whether one was a main or branch disciple, and so on.

Fortunately, the Hwasan Sect’s restrictions were relatively lenient.

The condition for accessing the Plum Blossom Sword Art and beyond was the possession of the Plum Blossom Sword.

The symbol of the Hwasan Sect’s swordsmen, the Plum Blossom Sword.

Hwasan Sect disciples were recognized as true swordsmen of Hwasan the moment they wore the Plum Blossom Sword at their waist.

Currently, the second-generation disciples had not received the Plum Blossom Sword, so they alternated between using an ordinary sword and a wooden sword from the Spring Plum Hall.

“Obtaining the Plum Blossom Sword as soon as possible is the top priority.”

“The Plum Blossom Sword? Do you wish to begin the Plum Blossom Sword Art?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Mu-hwi turned his head to see Baek-yu emerging from between the bookshelves.

Mu-hwi quickly stood and clasped his hands in respect.

“Greetings, Sect Leader.”

“It’s been a while since the lights were on in the Martial Arts Pavilion this late, so I came to see, and it was you, Mu-hwi.”

Baek-yu glanced over the manuals Mu-hwi had piled up and stroked his beard with interest.

“Have you read all of these?”

“Yes.”

“Haha. May I sit for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Baek-yu pulled out a chair next to him and gestured for Mu-hwi to sit. Mu-hwi, who had been standing, sat back down.

As Baek-yu silently observed him, Mu-hwi felt a bit uneasy.

In his past life, he had encountered Baek-yu a few times. Baek-yu was someone who had regarded Dokgo-heon, known as the Sword Demon, without prejudice.

Dokgo-heon, however, was not accustomed to such a gaze and often found Baek-yu difficult to deal with.

“Come to think of it, if it weren’t for you, the connection between Mal-ko and me might have been severed long ago.”

It was thanks to Baek-yu’s permission that Hyun-jo and Dokgo-heon could continue to cross swords and build a friendship, and that Dokgo-heon could occasionally visit Hwasan.

Baek-yu, looking at Mu-hwi, seemed to recall someone as he spoke.

“Have you come to terms with what happened to Hyun-jo?”

“I’m okay now.”

Even if one lets go of emotions, a knot often remains in the heart.

Baek-yu didn’t miss this in Mu-hwi’s eyes.

“Life and death are one; an end is merely a new beginning, a natural flow. Of course, you know this well.”

It seemed to be a teaching from the Taoist sect, but Mu-hwi couldn’t think of anything specific, so he simply nodded.

“I, too, have sent off a master, but I cannot fathom the depth of your sorrow. Each person’s emotions are different in magnitude.”

Baek-yu, looking at Mu-hwi, seemed to recall someone, and with a bittersweet smile, he continued speaking.

“Don’t think of Hyunjo’s death as the end. Consider it a new beginning, and believe that blessing him will help you find peace. Hyunjo would prefer your blessings over your sorrow.”

“A new beginning…”

The weight of Hyunjo’s death still pressed heavily on one corner of his heart. The loss of his only true friend was a burden that felt almost unbearable.

Yet, as he listened to Baekyu’s words, Mu-hwi felt that oppressive weight begin to lift, if only slightly. Remembering Hyunjo’s final moments, he nodded in agreement.

“Blessing… Yes, perhaps blessing is the better choice.”

Mu-hwi bowed his head toward Baekyu.

“Thank you, Master. Your words have helped.”

Baekyu’s mustache twitched slightly in response.

“May the Primordial Lord bless you.”

Mu-hwi echoed the blessing for the first time.

“May the Primordial Lord bless you.”

A comfortable silence settled between them before Baekyu shifted the conversation, as if to lighten the mood.

“I hear you’re training the second disciples and practicing the Six Harmonies Sword again. You’re leading the dawn sessions now, aren’t you?”

As expected of the head of the Hwasan sect, he was well-informed about even the day’s events.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Baekyu looked at Mu-hwi with a hint of curiosity. In the past, Mu-hwi would have hesitated, lacking the confidence to answer even simple questions.

“The Six Harmonies Sword, why did you choose that path?”

“I simply followed my master’s teaching that the Six Harmonies Sword is the foundation of the Hwasan sect.”

“Indeed, the Six Harmonies Sword is our foundation.”

Baekyu murmured to himself, then fixed his gaze on Mu-hwi.

“Do you know why, despite the sect’s pursuit of harmony, it manifests in the form of plum blossoms?”

The sudden question caught Mu-hwi off guard.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.

“Since leaving the Hall of Fire, I’ve been solely focused on the Six Harmonies Sword. Then, a thought struck me.”

Baekyu raised his white eyebrows, intrigued.

“Really? Go on.”