Chapter 67

Chapter 66. Don't worry! I'll make sure you win! (1)

The power of the Galactic Merchant Guild was indeed formidable.

The members of the Galactic Merchant Guild, in just a few days, stabilized and tidied up the business sites that the Huayin Sect had been unable to handle even with all their disciples mobilized.

Thanks to this, a Buddha-like smile never left the face of Xian Ying, the head of the Zha Jing Pavilion, who usually resembled a demon.

And that Buddha-like smile was mostly directed at...

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes, Uncle."

"Good, good."

Xian Ying, with an incomparably benevolent smile, stroked Qing Ming's head. It felt like honey was dripping from his eyes.

"You need to eat more. Eat a lot and then go out and earn some merit."

"…What?"

"No, bring back some merit."

"…."

The third-generation disciples were surprised once to see the Asura-like Xian Ying smiling, and even more surprised to see him stroking someone's head.

For Qing Ming, who had to offer his head to the young and inexperienced, it felt like he was about to die.

'It feels like I’m being tamed.'

Moreover, Xian Zhong and Xian Ying were inexplicably rejuvenating. Black hair sprouted beneath their white hair, and their temples turned black, making it feel as if a flood of absurdity was washing over him.

'After all, they did age excessively.'

While they looked their age, considering they were martial artists, they had been too prematurely aged. After enduring so much hardship, they were now regaining their youth and finding their true selves.

Huayin was stabilized, and the elders were smiling again.

And time began to flow like a stream. The disciples of Huashan, feeling the stability that had returned to Huashan after decades, accepted the flow of time.

Amidst everyone enjoying a peaceful life, the third-generation disciples were dying.

"Ughhhhh."

"Ohhhhh."

The third-generation disciples, carrying boulders as big as a person, moved their bodies, sweating like rain. They bent their bodies to the ground and then struggled to stand up.

"Ughhhhh!"

"My back…"

But there was one change: the curses directed at Qing Ming, which should have been endless, had almost disappeared.

"Oh, I’m dying!"

"You won’t die. You won’t die. Straighten your back."

"No, I really am dying…!"

"Just two more times. This is the last one. This is the last one. Heave. You’re doing well. One more time?"

"Aaaah!"

The one who collapsed on the ground pushed the boulder away and panted.

"Is this going to kill us?"

"You won’t die. No one has died yet."

"…Ugh."

At first, they started this training without knowing anything, just to avoid being hit or criticized.

But after a few months of repeated training, they realized something.

'This is effective.'

No, saying it's effective is an understatement. To be precise, it's incredibly effective. After being able to endure the training thanks to the elixirs Qing Ming gave them, everyone could feel the effects of the training throughout their bodies.

First, their legs became firm, making their sword movements more stable. Their stamina increased, and most importantly, their entire body was full of vitality.

Even if they had lived without much enthusiasm, fundamentally, they were all martial artists. Martial artists are those who would not hesitate to eat a snake alive to become stronger, or throw themselves off a cliff without a second thought.

Who would refuse to improve their skills by lifting a few rocks, even if they were panting and groaning?

While they complained, the number of rocks they carried gradually increased, and now some were even lifting boulders.

Among them, the most noticeable was Zha Jie.

"Haahhh!"

Zha Jie was lifting a boulder twice his size. Everyone was amazed at the sight.

"Can he do that without using his inner energy?"

"Exactly."

The appearance of those talking had changed quite a bit. In just a few months, everyone had grown taller by at least a head, and their shoulders had broadened.

Especially Zha Jie, who had been one of the smaller third-generation disciples, had grown so much that he now belonged to the larger ones. His entire body was built with solid muscles.

Yun Zhong looked around and smiled.

'What a strange thing.'

When he first started this training, Yun Zhong was quite worried.

Fundamentally, Huashan's sword style is a fast and versatile one. It creates numerous changes based on speed and uses these changes to pressure the opponent.

Therefore, he thought that a training method focused on building strength would hinder the practice of Huashan's sword style.

However, once the effects of the training became apparent, his sword became twice as sharp.

Thanks to this, he could easily learn the Six-Combination Sword, which he had to relearn from the beginning, and was now learning a new sword technique called the Falling Flower Sword.

Although it was a bit challenging to learn the Seven-Star Steps along with the Falling Flower Sword, Yun Zhong was more than willing to endure the difficulty.

The Seven-Star Steps and the Falling Flower Sword were different from the martial arts they had learned before. The deeper they delved, the more profound the principles became. It was a martial art that gave them the confidence that they could become stronger just by mastering it.

So, they couldn't help but feel excited.

'But there is one thing.'

"Haahhh!"

"Ughhh!"

"Wow, my body has grown so much that the sword feels like a chopstick!"

"Hehehe. Is that all? Bring another piece of metal!"

Is this really Huashan or a bandit's lair?

Yun Zhong couldn't shake off the feeling that Huashan, which should be filled with the aura of immortals and dao, was turning into a bandit's lair.

"Senior Brother. It's time to go eat."

"Hmm, right."

In the past, everyone eagerly awaited the end of training, but now that they set their own training plans, they often exceeded the scheduled time.

Managing their excessive training to prevent their daily plans from being disrupted was also part of Yun Zhong's role.

"Let's wrap it up and go back. We need to wash up, eat, and then go to the morning training."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

"I'll finish what I'm doing and then wrap it up."

"Hmm. Do that."

Yun Zhong glanced at Zha Jie.

"But where is Qing Ming?"

"He hasn't been showing up for training lately."

"True, but…"

Since the third-generation disciples started managing their own physical training, Qing Ming rarely showed up at the training ground.

"Is he not lying around, but always the first to wake up? Where does he go?"

"How would we know? In fact, isn't Qing Ming the busiest person in Huashan?"

"True."

It wasn't just empty words; it was a fact.

After the series of events, Huashan regained its vitality. Visitors, who were hard to find even if you washed your eyes, now came in at least a few per day. The business sites recovered from Huayin were newly renovated and were smoothly generating profits.

In response, the renovation of Huashan's old halls and the preparation for visitors were underway.

During this time, Qing Ming was busy shuttling between the Galactic Merchant Guild and Huashan.

"Senior Brother."

"Hmm?"

"How strong have we become?"

"Hmm."

Yun Zhong tilted his head.

Strength is relative. To know how strong they had become, they needed a benchmark. But they didn't have one. They were definitely getting stronger, but since all the senior brothers were growing together, it was hard to gauge how much stronger they had become.

"At least twice as strong as before that guy appeared?"

"Just twice?"

"I don't know. The term 'twice' is a bit abstract. What I can say for sure is that I can now handle three of my past self."

"That's not enough."

"Huh?"

"Don't you know? The meeting is coming soon."

The mention of the 'meeting' made Yun Zhong frown.

"True."

"We need to get much stronger. Much, much stronger."

"…I see."

Yun Zhong smiled.

"Then should we ask Qing Ming to push us a bit more?"

Zha Jie nodded resolutely with a determined look.

* * *

"What is he doing?"

Qing Ming trudged toward Luohuafeng.

To become stronger, a martial artist must train.

His sword was perfectly suited to his past body. Therefore, while he could mimic it, he couldn't achieve the perfect unity of body and sword (身劍合一) as he did in the past.

There was no shortcut for this. He had to continuously swing his sword to resolve the imbalance between his body and mind.

The problem was that Qing Ming's sword was not something he could swing in front of others. If he trained properly, Huashan would be turned upside down.

"Ugh. I'd rather die than suffer like this."

In the end, he had to train in places where no one could see him.

So, lately, he has been getting up at dawn, climbing the mountain, and swinging his sword at the desolate Luohuafeng before descending.

'What should I do about this?'

Climbing to Luohuafeng wasn't a problem, but the time wasted was an issue.

'I don't have enough time as it is.'

Managing the third-generation disciples, coordinating with the Galactic Merchant Guild to manage Huayin's business sites, and gently persuading the sect leader and elders who occasionally did strange things kept him extremely busy.

But more importantly, Qing Ming needed to get stronger.

'I don't have time to be relaxed.'

If given a hundred years, Qing Ming would eventually reach the realm of the past Plum Sword Immortal and become even stronger. As Qing Ming grew stronger, Huashan would naturally become stronger as well.

But the world wasn't that simple.

If there were those targeting Huashan, they would try to do something before he became stronger. Even if there were no specific targets, no one welcomes a flourishing sect.

Interference would inevitably come, and troublemakers would appear.

If he faced insurmountable opponents while gradually getting stronger, what would happen?

Moreover, Huashan had an enemy, Zhongnan, who would inevitably cause problems.

Qing Ming shook his head.

'I need to get stronger as quickly as possible. Strong enough to handle whatever happens.'

Therefore, he couldn't slack off in his training. He just had to climb as fast as possible. Lying around wouldn't make him stronger. He had to grit his teeth and work hard...

"Huh?"

Qing Ming narrowed his eyes.

Someone was there.

An uninvited guest had appeared at the training ground he had been using since a month ago.

'Who would be here at this time...?'

As Qing Ming cautiously approached Luohuafeng, he saw someone practicing sword techniques under the moonlight.

The tip of the sword drew smooth lines.

Soft but powerful, and elegant yet magnificent.

The sword, which struck the ground, adorned the sky, and then slowly descended like petals falling from the sky.

A sword dance.

In the dark dawn, under the moonlight that illuminated the world, a woman was performing a sword dance.

A white martial robe, hair as black as lacquer, and a sword that gleamed in the moonlight.

"A beauty under the moon... "

Qing Ming was entranced by the woman's sword dance.

The sword melted into the moonlight.

A delicate but unyielding sword. That sword resembled plum blossoms. Yes, the old sword style of Huashan was embedded in that sword dance.

Qing Ming was captivated by a strange emotion.

The old sword style of Huashan, which he thought he would never see again, was now being performed before him.

It wasn't about what sword technique she had learned, but how she wielded the sword.

Yes, it was like...

"Who are you!"

Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out, and the woman performing the sword dance rushed towards Qing Ming.

"Huh?"

The woman, who had approached right in front of Qing Ming, thrust her sword sharply.

"Huh?"

The sharp sword touched Qing Ming's neck.

Qing Ming sighed, looking at the sword touching his neck.

'The emotion is frozen.'

To be detected by such a child. The Plum Sword Immortal must be dead.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before."

The same goes for me.

Who are you?