"Elder Brother, are you serious?"
Musan asked in disbelief.
From what Musan remembered, Muhwi's martial arts skill was well below the average of the second-generation disciples. In contrast, Musan himself easily surpassed that average.
Muhwi was surely aware of this too—so why was he provoking a duel? Musan couldn't understand.
"For the record, I'll only use the Six Harmony Sword. That way, you'll feel the difference in level more clearly."
"The Six Harmony Sword?"
When Muhwi casually rested the wooden sword on his shoulder and said that, Musan's brows twitched.
Muhwi's provocation erased any hesitation Musan had about the duel. He slowly moved his hand toward his waist.
"Don't regret this, Elder Brother."
"Hurry up. Since I'm the senior disciple here, I'll even let you take the first three strikes."
As Muhwi twirled his wooden sword and mocked Musan, offering the first three strikes, Musan clenched his teeth.
"Haaah!"
Thick veins bulged on the back of Musan's hand as he gripped his wooden sword. With all his strength, he swung it. His plan was to overwhelm Muhwi from the start and crush his pride.
Using Seonhyangbo (Good Fragrance Step), Musan closed the seven-step gap in an instant and aimed his sword at Muhwi's chest.
Clack.
Wood struck wood with a crisp, ringing sound. Muhwi easily parried the attack, subtly twisting his sword at the same time.
Because of that, Musan's sword veered off diagonally, leaving his chest wide open. Alarmed, Musan hastily pulled his sword back, but no follow-up strike came.
Muhwi merely watched Musan's shocked face with a sardonic smile.
"I said I'd let you have three strikes. Why are you so scared already?"
"Grr…"
Musan, who had retreated out of surprise, turned beet red all the way down to his neck.
Trying to make up for his earlier mistake, Musan summoned his inner energy. As it surged through his meridians, his movements became lighter, and his sword gained strength.
The sword technique Musan mainly practiced was the Manhyang Sword.
If the Nakmae Sword teaches the art of illusion (幻), then the Manhyang Sword teaches the art of transformation (變).
It had such varied forms that it was notoriously difficult for second-generation disciples just starting out from the Six Harmony Sword to master.
Swish.
What seemed like a diagonal strike suddenly changed mid-move after seeing Muhwi's reaction. The sword that had been aimed at the side now targeted the ankle—but Muhwi's sword was already there to block it.
Clack!
A heavier clash than before.
"How?"
Not only was it shocking that Muhwi immediately reacted to the changing form of the Manhyang Sword, but also that even after drawing on inner energy, he couldn't shake Muhwi's defense. Musan couldn't comprehend it.
"One strike left, junior."
"Rgh!"
As Muhwi flicked away his sword and spoke, a wooden blade split into three phantoms and shot forward.
But Muhwi merely brought his sword down in a straight, vertical arc.
Musan's sword was deflected with ease, and Muhwi's eyes glinted coldly.
The promised three strikes were over.
As if waiting for that moment, Muhwi's feet finally left the ground for the first time.
With a light step, his figure shot forward. Though the technique was the same Seonhyangbo Musan had used at the start of the duel, the difference in movement was vast.
"Not bad."
While dueling, Muhwi was testing the internal energy flow of the improved Gusoh Heart Method he'd worked on earlier.
He directed his inner energy in line with the flow of Seonhyangbo but channeled a smaller amount of it through the Yongcheon point on the soles of his feet.
Yet his movement far exceeded what Musan had displayed with the same technique.
Muhwi closed in on Musan in a flash, his robe fluttering as he thrust his sword forward.
"Urgh!"
With a light jab of the wooden sword's hilt to Musan's chest, the latter winced in pain.
"Hey now, don't back off from just that."
As Musan staggered back a step, Muhwi advanced a step and swung his wooden sword again.
Simple horizontal slashes, vertical slashes, thrusts.
Only the direction varied, but that was enough.
Just the Six Harmony Sword.
"It's just a beginner-level technique!"
Even though Musan conjured multiple sword images using the Manhyang Sword, Muhwi's simple strikes with the Six Harmony Sword shattered them all, charging forward relentlessly.
Smack, crack, thwack!
No matter how many variations Musan tried, no matter how many sword phantoms he summoned, Muhwi's technique stood firm.
He couldn't believe the reality in which the Six Harmony Sword was overpowering the Manhyang Sword. He wished it were a dream—but the pain coursing through his body confirmed it was very much real.
In that moment, Muhwi's sword cut through the sword images from above and came down diagonally.
"Gah!"
Struck on both the shoulder and thigh almost simultaneously, Musan reeled.
He swung his sword in desperation, but Muhwi had already positioned his blade perfectly—right where Musan's strike would go.
As if he could see through every single move of the Manhyang Sword.
Naturally, Musan lost his flow, and Muhwi relentlessly exploited the openings and pummeled him.
Crack, thwack, thunk!
As the force behind the wooden sword gradually increased, so did the weight of each impact. When the sword struck deep into his side, Musan felt his consciousness begin to fade.
"Urgh... Elder Brother, I lo—"
"Of course you lost. Now, I'm going to beat that attitude out of you."
Unable to endure any longer, Musan collapsed backward, but Muhwi's sword didn't stop.
Elder Brother's turned into a complete monster.
The sound of Muhwi mercilessly beating Musan didn't cease, and Muho, who had been trembling in fear, tried to quietly sneak away.
Thud.
At that moment, Musan's wooden sword flew through the air and stabbed into the ground right in front of Muho's feet.
"Muho, where do you think you're going?"
"Ah... Elder Brother."
"If you don't want to get hit, plant your head on the ground and stay put."
"Yes... Elder Brother."
On the verge of tears, Muho immediately lowered his head to the ground, while Muhwi returned to dealing with Musan.
Leaning against a plum tree, Muhwi looked at the disciples in front of him.
Musan, thoroughly beaten, was kneeling, and Muho still had his head planted in the dirt.
"Muho, you seemed pretty dissatisfied too. Want to duel?"
"No, not at all!"
Muho's body, which had been steadily sagging, immediately straightened rigidly in response to Muhwi's question.
"Damn disciples. Just sit comfortably."
Even so, the two disciples didn't budge, prompting a twitch in Muhwi's brow.
"I said sit."
Only then did the two hastily sit cross-legged and bow their heads, avoiding Muhwi's gaze.
"Musan. Did it hurt a lot?"
"I'm fine."
"Oh? You've got guts."
When Muhwi reached toward his wooden sword, Musan quickly lunged and grabbed his sleeve.
"It hurt a lot, actually! I thought I was going to die."
"Okay, okay. Let go."
Muhwi dusted the dirt off Muho's head and asked,
"Muho, in your opinion, who was stronger—me or Musan?"
"Of course, it was you, Elder Brother."
And that was the truth. Honestly, Muho was starting to doubt whether the person in front of him was even the same senior disciple from his memories.
"Do you still think my martial arts are lacking?"
Muhwi turned and asked Musan.
"No. After being completely beaten in the duel, what else can I say?"
Seeing how obedient Musan was now, Muhwi thought the beating had done its job well. Still, only using the stick wasn't ideal long-term—so he decided to offer a carrot too.
"Musan. Right now, your footwork and swordsmanship are out of sync."
At the sudden advice, Musan cautiously lifted his head to look at Muhwi.
"You're only using footwork for speed and evasion. If you keep that up, you'll hit a wall sooner rather than later."
"Then what should I do?"
"Don't rely solely on the forms of the Manhyang Sword to create variation. Integrate your footwork. You'll be able to create more dynamic transitions that way. Think of moving the sword with your whole body, not just your hands."
Musan recalled how, a few days earlier, the masters had briefly told him to pay more attention to his footwork during training.
At the time, he had taken it to mean he just needed to improve his proficiency in Seonhyangbo and thought that dedicating more time to footwork would be enough.
But now that he was being told what exactly needed correction, his path forward became much clearer.
"Ah… Thank you, Elder Brother."
Looking a bit brighter after finding a breakthrough, Musan hesitated before expressing his gratitude.
His face turned red again—after all, he had come here to challenge his senior but ended up getting thrashed and receiving a lesson. Shame washed over him.
Muho felt the same way.
After confirming the reactions of the two disciples, Muhwi casually waved his hand.
"I'll forget what happened today. People make mistakes—it's part of life."
But as he spoke, Muhwi's previously relaxed gaze sharpened into a narrow slit. A chilling glint leaked from between his eyes.
"But if something like this happens again, be prepared to lose a limb."
It wasn't just a warning to the two disciples before him, but to all fellow disciples who might hear of today's events.
Challenge him directly if they must—but they should never cross the line.
Meeting Muhwi's piercing gaze, the two disciples swallowed hard and nodded.
"We understand."
"Yes, Elder Brother."
"There are probably others who are dissatisfied. If they want to step forward, let them. I'll prove myself again with actions, just like today."
At Muhwi's confident declaration, Musan and Muho found themselves staring blankly at him.
That voice, so full of certainty, sounded truly strong. Had their Elder Brother ever spoken with such conviction in the past?
No. Back then, he barely spoke at all, and his eyes always seemed glued to the ground. Making eye contact was difficult, if not impossible.
He was just someone who happened to be the first to enter the sect and had inherited the title of Elder Brother by luck—nothing more than a pitiful senior.
Not someone to look up to, but someone used as a cautionary tale.
If Elder Brother had been like this from the beginning, we would've never dared to cross the line. Please… stay like this.
Feeling the complete transformation in Muhwi, both Musan and Muho bowed their heads in sincere reflection.
"Thank you for overlooking our grave mistake."
"We apologize once again, Elder Brother."
"Good. Now go."
After sending the two disciples away, Muhwi quietly looked up at the moon and then spoke.
"How long are you planning to hide? Come out."
At his words, a man stepped out from the shadow of the plum tree.
***
< Elder Brother has become a complete monster. > — The End.
< Since when did the foundation of the Mount Hua Sect become plum blossoms? >