Chapter 112: The Mysterious Flame
Within Mount Hua, the collapse of the Seclusion Cave was officially concluded to have been caused by an earthquake.
Sect Leader Wonmyeong did not make a large issue out of it either.
The final message left by Immortal Yeonha.
The matter of the Flowing Flower Kunlun Sword.
None of it was something he could handle lightly.
Perhaps because of that...
Wonmyeong decided to keep everything related to Immortal Yeonha confidential.
The possibility Elder Hyeoneom had mentioned, that the collapse itself might have been an arrangement left behind by Immortal Yeonha, also seemed to have influenced that decision.
Naturally...
the senior-junior brother relationship between Elder Hyeoneom and me also became something known only to the Sect Leader.
I had no complaints about that.
If word spread that I had inherited the martial intent of both True Immortal Cheongun and Immortal Yeonha...
that much more attention would fall on me.
Excessive fame would only become a hindrance.
I needed to move however I wanted without drawing unnecessary eyes.
And so...
on the surface at least...
I spent the next two weeks peacefully at Mount Hua.
“...Finally!”
Cheongbaek, head of the Martial Training Institute, shouted excitedly as he stared down at the martial arts manual in his hands.
What he held was the newly completed True Five-Step Sword Art manual.
Over the past two weeks...
I had demonstrated the forms of the True Five-Step Sword Art countless times.
Cheongbaek and the Taoists of the Martial Training Institute followed its Flow, correcting every missing section and every inconsistency one by one.
And today...
the True Five-Step Sword Art had finally been perfected.
I looked at Cheongbaek.
“Is it really finished now?”
For a while...
he said nothing.
He merely stared down at the martial arts manual in his hands, trying to steady his faintly trembling breath.
At last...
he slowly raised his head.
“It is.”
His voice was lower than usual.
“At last...”
“the true True Five-Step Sword Art has been completed.”
Bright smiles spread across the faces of the young Mount Hua Taoists gathered inside the Martial Training Institute.
“Congratulations, Head!”
“You finally did it!”
“We must thank Taoist Mujin as well.”
Myeongjeon, who had been watching beside me, was practically sparkling.
“Wow... it's really finished?”
He looked at me.
“Martial Uncle... you're incredible!”
I gave a small shrug.
“It wasn't something I did alone.”
“It was only possible because everyone here worked together.”
Myeongjeon shook his head.
“Even so, without you, Martial Uncle, we never would've gotten started.”
He sounded completely sincere.
Hyeongwon, on the other hand, folded his arms and snorted.
“Hmph.”
“You're getting awfully full of yourself over completing one basic sword art.”
I glanced at him...
then simply looked away.
At that moment, Jinwon stepped forward and gave me a proper martial salute.
“Taoist Mujin.”
“Taoist Jinwon.”
His voice was solemn.
“I learned a great deal from this experience.”
He continued,
“You never looked down on it simply because it was a martial art from another sect.”
“And seeing you give it your full effort...”
He smiled faintly.
“I found that truly admirable.”
This wasn't empty praise.
His words carried genuine respect and admiration.
I returned his salute.
“You give me too much credit.”
Jinwon shook his head.
“No.”
“I mean it sincerely.”
Then he smiled.
“Now that the True Five-Step Sword Art is complete...”
“you'll be returning to Kunlun soon, won't you?”
“We should.”
Jinwon's smile faded slightly.
“That's a shame.”
I smiled faintly.
“I feel the same.”
Cheongbaek immediately jumped into the conversation.
“Did you just say you're disappointed to leave?”
His eyes lit up.
“Then how about staying another few weeks?”
What the hell was wrong with this man again?
Did he not understand that people sometimes said things just to be polite?
I couldn't help shaking my head.
Cheongbaek seemed to realize the mood and hurriedly cleared his throat.
“Ahem.”
“Of course, I know it's an unreasonable request.”
He continued,
“But the discussions I've had with Taoist Mujin over these past days were exceptionally memorable.”
“I simply wished to speak more deeply about martial scholarship.”
I swallowed a laugh.
Here he goes again.
Every chance he got...
this man talked about martial arts.
At first, I'd thought he was simply passionate about research.
At this point...
it was closer to obsession.
I shook my head politely.
“I appreciate the offer, but we've already been away from Kunlun for quite some time.”
“It's time for us to return.”
Cheongbaek's shoulders visibly sagged.
“I see....”
Jinwon gave an awkward smile beside him.
“Head, don't be too disappointed.”
“There will surely be another opportunity someday.”
Cheongbaek frowned.
“That's exactly the problem.”
“Who knows when that ‘someday’ will be?”
He looked genuinely regretful.
“Do you think chances to discuss sword principles with someone like Taoist Mujin come often?”
I tried to pretend I hadn't heard him.
But Cheongbaek wasn't giving up.
“Taoist Mujin.”
“At least stay one more week.”
He clasped his hands together.
“I sincerely ask this of you.”
"..."
Just as I was wondering how to answer—
“Good grief, you're noisy.”
A sharp voice cut in from the entrance.
“A grown man begging some young Taoist brat like that. Have some dignity.”
Everyone turned at once.
Elder Hyeoneom stood at the entrance, leaning on his staff and glaring unhappily at Cheongbaek.
Cheongbaek instinctively straightened.
“Elder Hyeoneom.”
Hyeoneom didn't even answer him.
He walked inside and jerked his chin toward me.
“Mujin.”
“Come with me for a moment.”
Cheongbaek hurriedly spoke.
“Elder, Taoist Mujin and I were in the middle of discussing—”
Hyeoneom glared at him.
“Move.”
Then he added,
“Block this old man's path one more time...”
“and I'll straighten out that head of yours with my staff, just like I used to.”
“H-Hup!”
Cheongbaek immediately recoiled.
The sight was so ridiculous that I nearly laughed.
Right.
Hyeoneom used to be the previous head of the Martial Training Institute.
Judging by Cheongbaek's reaction...
he had clearly suffered under Hyeoneom quite a bit in the past.
I followed Hyeoneom into a small room deeper inside the Martial Training Institute.
As soon as we entered...
he closed the door.
I looked at him.
“What is it?”
Hyeoneom didn't answer immediately.
Instead...
he rummaged through his robes and pulled out an old sheet of paper.
Then held it out to me.
“I've been going through Mount Hua's internal records for the past few days.”
I blinked.
