Return of the Blossoming Blade — Chapter 184

GAAAAAH!

H-HE CANNOT BE SERIOUS! HOW ARE WE TO CLIMB A SHEER CLIFF FACE WITH A BOULDER TIED TO OUR WAIST?!

K-KEEP IT TOGETHER, SISTER TANG!

YOU'LL SLIP AND FALL IF YOU KEEP SHOUTING LIKE THAT!

CURSE MY WITLESSNESS FOR EVER SEEING A FUTURE HUSBAND IN THAT RABID TASKMASTER...

MARRIAGE PROSPECTS BE D***ED... SHOULD I LIVE TO SEE HIM AGAIN, HE SHALL BE IN FOR A HEAD-BUSTING OF MULTIPLE LIFETIMES!

GAAAHHH!

BLAST!

BLAST IT ALL!

WHAT EVIL-MINDED SECT LITERALLY DRIVES ITS DISCIPLES UP A WALL...?

WAS IT NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE THEM ALL TAKE A PRICELESS PANACEA EACH?! WHAT IS THE POINT OF SUCH ARDUOUS TRAINING?!

HAAAAA!

HUP!

?

AAAARGH!!!

I LOVE THE SMELL OF FRESH BOULDERS IN THE MORNING!

HAS THE ENTIRE SECT COLLECTIVELY LOST THEIR MINDS?!

LESS GRUMBLING, MORE HUMBLING, SISTER. GET THOSE LEGS WORKING.

?

LOOK AROUND YOU.

P-PARDON?

DO YOU SEE?

THIS IS WHAT YOU VOLUNTEERED FOR.

MASTER CHEONGMYEONG...!

SENIOR BROTHER, YOU MEAN!

APOLOGIES, SENIOR BROTHER!

MAY I TAKE ANOTHER BOULDER TO ADD TO MY LOAD?

DO AS YOU WISH.

YES, SENIOR BROTHER!

THAT'S THE SPIRIT.

AT FIRST, I WONDERED WHETHER I HAD FINALLY PUSHED THEM TOO FAR...

BUT IT SEEMS THE VIOLET SKY PELLETS TOOK GREATER EFFECT THAN EVEN I HAD BARGAINED FOR.

THIS SHOULD SEE TO THE READINESS OF THEIR BODIES, AT LEAST.

TIME TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STAGE.

THE ART OF THE SWORD.

JUST AS FRESH LIQUOR REQUIRES A CLEAN VESSEL, A BODY RENEWED MUST BE ARMED WITH A SWORD ART THAT BEFITS IT.

WITH THEIR FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND UNDERSTANDING STEADILY HONED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE TIME HAS COME TO BEGIN PASSING ON THE TRUE MARTIAL ESSENCE OF MOUNT HUA.

INDEED, THERE IS ONLY ONE SWORD STYLE THAT EMBODIES THE ESSENCE OF MOUNT HUA...

Episode 178

THE 24-STRIKE PLUM BLOSSOM SWORD TECHNIQUE, YOU SAY...?

JUST SO.

IN FACT, SUCH IS THEIR PROWESS NOW THAT SOME OF THE MORE GIFTED DISCIPLES HAVE BEGUN TO MANIFEST A SWORD AURA WITHOUT EVEN MEANING TO.

THAT ALONE IS PROOF ENOUGH OF THE METEORIC LEAP AMONG OUR DISCIPLES, SECT LEADER.

ONCE UPON A TIME, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED OVERDUE TO BEGIN LEARNING THE 24-STRIKE PLUM BLOSSOM SWORD TECHNIQUE AS THE NEXT STEP IN THEIR TRAINING, BUT...

THE TECHNIQUE REMAINS LOST TO US...

THE FABLED SET OF COMBINATIONS THAT REPRESENT BOTH THE PINNACLE AND FOUNDATION OF MOUNT HUA'S MARTIAL PHILOSOPHY.

THE MOUNT HUA OF YORE WOULD NOT HAVE HESITATED TO CAST ITS DISCIPLES INTO THE PROVERBIAL DEEP END AT ONCE...

DIRECTING THE COURSE OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT TOWARD THE COLLECTIVE MASTERY OF THE LOST TECHNIQUE.

TODAY, HOWEVER...

HMPH!

DO YOU EXPECT US TO RESURRECT A LOST TECHNIQUE OUT OF THIN AIR?

SUCH IS THE UGLY TRUTH WE HAD LONG NEGLECTED TO FACE.

ONE THAT WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO IGNORE.

IT CONCERNS MORE THAN THE DESIRE OF OUR DISCIPLES TO LEARN MORE.

THE VERY FUTURE OF OUR SECT HINGES UPON THIS CRUCIAL ENDEAVOR.

I AGREE THAT WE CANNOT LET THE MATTER REST ANY LONGER.

THOUGH WE HAD MORE PRESSING AGENDAS TO PURSUE THUS FAR, WE MUST NOW LOOK TOWARD FINDING A WAY TO DEEPEN OUR DISCIPLES' TRAINING.

TO THAT END, LET US SPEAK CANDIDLY AND SHARE OUR OPINIONS WITHOUT RESERVE.

EVEN THE MOST OUTLANDISH OF NOTIONS SHALL NOT BE DISREGARDED.

WHO WILL SPEAK FIRST?

NONE AMONG YOU?

BROTHER SECT LEADER.

YES, HYEONSANG! LET US HEAR IT!

BY MY LIMITED RECKONING, INSTEAD OF RECOVERING A LOST ART, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IT WOULD BE BETTER TO VENTURE FORTH AND CREATE ONE ANEW, WOULD IT NOT?

C-CREATE A NEW ART?

IS SUCH A THING FEASIBLE BY OUR OWN DEVICES?

I OFFER NO ILLUSION THAT IT WILL NOT BE A DIFFICULT ENDEAVOR, BUT I IMAGINE IT WILL PROVE FAR SIMPLER THAN TO REVIVE A LOST TECHNIQUE ALTOGETHER.

HA!

EASIER SAID THAN DONE, SENIOR BROTHER!

HOW IS IT, HYEONYEONG? WE'VE ALREADY MANAGED TO REVIVE A LOST PANACEA.

CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE, THAT WAS HARDLY OUR ACHIEVEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE!

FOR SHAME, BROTHER!

IT DISHONORS US ALL TO CLAIM A FEAT THAT BELONGS ALMOST SINGLEHANDEDLY TO CHEONGMYEONG ALONE!

I WOULD SAY OTHERWISE IF WE WERE ALL EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE ASTONISHING DEVELOPMENTS, BUT AS IT STANDS, THE YOUNG RASCAL IS CARRYING THIS ENTIRE SECT UPON HIS SHOULDERS!

MM...

AND FOR THAT MATTER!

DO YOU THINK THE INVENTION OF A NEW STYLE IS AS EASY AS FOLLOWING A RECIPE?!

WHO AMONG US HAS SUCH A GRAND VISION TO BRING TO LIFE?

DO YOU, BROTHER?

OR WILL YOU SHIRK THE RESPONSIBILITY AND BURDEN POOR UNGEOM WITH IT INSTEAD?!

THE FORMULATION OF A NEW MARTIAL STYLE IS NO JEST, BROTHERS!

THE LIKES OF US MAY PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER TO DEVISE A NEW STYLE ALL WE PLEASE, BUT WE'D BE FORTUNATE TO COME UP WITH THE VERY BASICS OF THE SWORD OF SIX ELEMENTS, LET ALONE THE SEVEN BLOSSOMS BLADE!

IF IT WERE SO SIMPLE, EVEN THE SHINY BALD HEADS OF SHAOLIN WOULD WIELD THE PLUM BLOSSOM SWORD FOR THEIR MORNING EXERCISES!

P-PEACE, BROTHER... I SAID NOTHING OF CREATING A STYLE SUPERIOR TO THE 24-STRIKE PLUM BLOSSOM SWORD TECHNIQUE.

I MERELY SPOKE OF THE NEXT PROGRESSION TO THE SEVEN BLOSSOMS BLADE...

INDEED, HYEONYEONG GROWS AS RABID AS HIS FAVORITE MONEYMAKER BY THE DAY.

THERE IS NOTHING ELSE FOR IT, BROTHER SECT LEADER!

WE MUST CONSULT CHEONGMYEONG ABOUT THE MATTER!

CHEONGMYEONG...? BUT TO WHAT END?

THE BOY IS RESOURCEFUL ENOUGH TO STUMBLE UPON THE SEVEN BLOSSOMS BLADE BY PURE HAPPENSTANCE.

WHO IS TO SAY THAT, GIVEN A SHOVEL AND ENOUGH TIME TO DIG UP THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN, HE WILL NOT FIND US AN EVEN GREATER TREASURE THAN THE LAST?

THOSE ARE THE EYES OF A CONSUMMATE GRAVE ROBBER...

COME NOW, CHEONGMYEONG IS HARDLY A HOUND WITH A NOSE FOR SNIFFING OUT TREASURE. WE CANNOT RELY ON HIM TO--

IS HE NOT? THEN WHY DO THEY CALL HIM THE MAD DOG OF MOUNT HUA?!

I ASSURE YOU, THERE COULD BE WORSE USES FOR HIS KEEN SNOUT THAN DIGGING FOR TREASURE, SECT LEADER.

SIMPLY LOOK TO HIS LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT! WE WERE IN SORE NEED OF A MILLENNIUM STEEL POT, AND THE BOY FASHIONED US ONE WITHOUT A WORD!

THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE...

YES...! THAT IS PRECISELY IT!

A NEW MARTIAL STYLE, SECT LEADER?

WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT? A USEFUL IDEA FOR ONCE.

JUST SO, CHEONGMYEONG!

TAKE A SHOVEL AND DIG UP THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN, IF YOU HAVE TO!

AND WHILE YOU ARE AT IT, SEARCH FOR ANY VEINS OF GOLD--

MMPH!!!

SHAME, HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONTO SOMETHING.

MMMM!

MMPH!

PAY NO HEED TO THE ELDER, CHEONGMYEONG.

THAT BEING SAID...

YES, SECT LEADER?

...I HAVE A QUESTION TO ASK OF YOU REGARDING THE MILLENNIUM STEEL POT.

WHY BRING IT UP NOW, WHEN THE VIOLET SKY PELLETS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRODUCED?

DOES HE SUSPECT SOMETHING...?!

A POT OF FABLED STEEL... HOW DID YOU CRAFT IT BY YOURSELF?

P-PARDON?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HOW...?

TRULY, WHAT IS HIS INTENTION IN ASKING...?

DOES HE WANT THE SOURCE OF THE METAL?

HOLD ON A MOMENT. WILL I BE FORCED TO FABRICATE SOME TALL TALE ABOUT HOW I DISCOVERED THE SECRET VAULT IN THE FIRST PLACE?

PERHAPS I COULD CONVINCE THEM THAT I FOUND IT IN A BARN OR SOME SUCH...

DID YOU BY ANY CHANCE CARVE OUT A CHUNK AND BEND IT BY HAND?!

LIKE THUS!

HUH...?

UHH, P-PRECISELY, SECT LEADER! HAHA, ONE SLICE AND IT WAS DONE!

WHAT'S A LUMP OF LEGENDARY METAL TO GOOD OLD CHEONGMYEONG, I SAY?!

GREAT, HE CAME RIGHT OUT AND SAID IT! HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY, I ALWAYS SAY!

AND JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO SPIN A YARN OF SUCH EPIC PROPORTIONS AS TO RIVAL MY OWN...

NO MATTER, IT HARDLY MAKES SENSE TO DEFER TO MY USUAL MODEST SELF...

NOT WHEN THE ELDERS LIKELY RECEIVED WORD OF OUR DEEDS ALL THROUGHOUT OUR MISSION!

VERY WELL, TIME TO BASK IN MY--

OUTSTANDING, CHEONGMYEONG!

OUTSTANDING INDEED, MY BOY!

THEN YOU HAVE A WAY OF SLICING THROUGH A MATERIAL AS HARDY AS MILLENNIUM STEEL!

YOU SEE, LONG HAVE I KEPT THIS A SECRET FROM YOU ALL, BUT THERE IS A SECRET VAULT BENEATH OUR FEET, IN WHICH GENERATIONS OF MY PREDECESSORS HAVE STORED THE SECT'S TREASURES.

I BEG YOUR PARDON, BROTHER?! ALL THIS TIME, WE HAD MONEY?!

A SECRET VAULT...?

IF ACCESS TO THE VAULT WAS SOLELY GRANTED TO THE SECT LEADER, THEN IT MUST CONTAIN ALL SORTS OF VITAL ARTIFACTS THAT ARE SACRED TO MOUNT HUA. IS THAT NOT SO, SECT LEADER? COPIES OF TOMES FROM MOUNT HUA'S LONG HISTORY OF MARTIAL PHILOSOPHY, FOR INSTANCE!

I SUSPECTED AS MUCH MYSELF, BUT LACKED THE MEANS TO ENTER THE VAULT IN MY YEARS AS SECT LEADER.

NOT ONLY WAS I MISSING THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPENING THE VAULT, BUT I ALSO COULD NOT FORCE THE VAULT OPEN, GIVEN THAT IT IS COMPRISED ENTIRELY OF MILLENNIUM STEEL.

ON THIS BLESSED DAY, HOWEVER...

...WE FINALLY HAVE A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM, BROTHERS!

?

OUT OF MY WAAAY!!!

YOUR QI FOUNDATION HAS BEEN DAMAGED, YOU SAY?

DO YOU MEAN TO SAY THAT FASHIONING THE POT DRAINED YOU TO THE POINT OF SUFFERING AN INTERNAL WOUND?

SO TO SPEAK, SECT LEADER... WHAT LITTLE QI I HAD LEFT, I POURED INTO CRAFTING THE VIOLET SKY PELLETS...

NO WONDER YOUR DANTIAN IS STRAINED!

EXACTLY, SECT LEADER! YOU KNOW HOW IT IS!

BUT SURELY THE VIOLET SKY PELLET WOULD HAVE HELPED TO HEAL FROM SUCH A STRAIN.

ARE YOU YET TO TAKE THE PELLET YOURSELF, CHEONGMYEONG?

I SWEAR THE OLD MAN IS SHARPER THAN HE LETS ON...

FIRST THINGS FIRST, 24-EXCUSES DRAMATIC PRETENSE TECHNIQUE!

UGH...!

I WAS HOPING TO ESCAPE UNNOTICED, SECT LEADER, BUT THE INTERNAL WOUND IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN I THOUGHT...

WHICH IS WHY I'M SAVING THE PELLET UNTIL I RECOVER SOMEWHAT.

TAKING THE PELLET NOW WOULD SURELY ELEVATE MY PROWESS AS IT HAS EVERYONE ELSE'S, BUT I FELT IT PRUDENT TO MAKE CERTAIN OF MY HEALTH BEFORE I--

HEAVENS FORBID! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THAT YOU WERE SUFFERING FROM AN INTERNAL WOUND, YOU STUBBORN LITTLE RASCAL?! DOES IT PAIN YOU EVEN TO SPEAK OR MOVE?!

CURSE MY FANTASTIC GIFT FOR MELODRAMA...

I SEEM TO BE DIGGING MYSELF INTO A HOLE.

I IMAGINE YOU WILL REQUIRE SOME TIME TO RECOVER PHYSICALLY AND HEAL YOUR DANTIAN WITH THE NEW PANACEA BEFORE YOU'LL BE IN ANY FIT STATE TO CUT THROUGH MILLENNIUM STEEL.

YOU TOOK THE VERY WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH, SECT LEADER...!

HOW MANY DAYS WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO RECOVER TO A FIT STATE, IN THAT CASE?

SEVEN DAYS, SEVEN NIGHTS?

WHAT LUDICROUS OFFENSE HAVE YOU CAUSED THIS TIME THAT YOU FEEL THE NEED TO SNEAK OUT LIKE A CAT BURGLAR?

AND FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK, NO LESS...

NO COMMENT! I SHALL BE RECUPERATING DOWN IN HUAYIN. DO NOT SEND FOR ME!

AND THE SECT LEADER KNOWS OF THIS, DOES HE?

IT WAS HIS IDEA!

VERY WELL, THEN I BID YOU TRAVEL SAFE.

NOT EVEN THE MOST DERANGED AMONG US WOULD BALK AT A BREAK FROM YOUR INCESSANT NAGGING, TO BE SURE.

IN FACT, PERHAPS NOT EVEN A PERMANENT BREAK...