Chapter 88

Chapter 87. What the hell is this? I'm the strongest! (2)

Thud.

Qingming stretched comfortably, looking at Baichuan, who had collapsed in a heap. "Ah, feels like a decade's worth of pent-up frustration is finally easing up."

Baichuan didn't move, seemingly unconscious. Qingming smirked at the sight.

"Putting on a show, huh?"

He had beaten him severely, but not to the point of causing serious injury. Baichuan would wake up after a while, though the pain would last all day.

"Well, it's convenient to beat him up like this!"

He had wasted so much time thinking. What did it matter to Qingming whether the Huazongzhi meeting went well or not?

"…But no."

Upon reflection, he couldn't bear to see the Zhongnan people come to Huashan and act so arrogantly.

"Hmm. So what… Ah! You scared me! Ah!"

Qingming, who had been squatting and pondering, suddenly rolled to the side, startled. It was because Yuisol was squatting next to him, staring at him intently.

"Really! What are you, a ghost?"

He had to do something about this. At this rate, he might die of a heart attack before reviving Huashan.

"Make some noise! Make some noise!"

"I did!"

"When?"

"While you were still beating him."

"…."

Qingming glanced at Baichuan, who was still lying like a corpse, and then turned his gaze back to Yuisol.

A gentle smile appeared on his lips.

"Did you see?"

"Yeah."

"Did you see everything?"

"From a little while ago."

"Hmm."

"Murder and extermination?"

"No, that's too much."

Would he really kill him? Kill him?

Qingming carefully examined Yuisol's head.

She tilted her head in confusion.

"Why?"

"Not really, but I thought if I hit the back of your head, you might forget. Like amnesia."

"…I forgot."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I forgot everything."

It seemed she had a strong survival instinct despite her naivety.

Qingming narrowed his eyes slightly. Then Yuisol spoke quietly.

"In exchange, teach me that sword technique."

This woman never gives up. Is she a firecracker…?

He had let it slide so far, but now it was getting harder to do so. Especially since she had seen him beat up Baichuan. He couldn't bluff anymore.

Then he needed to change his strategy.

Qingming sighed deeply and spoke.

"Why do you want to learn it?"

"…."

Yuisol flinched, seemingly caught off guard. She then looked at Qingming with a slightly flustered expression. Her emotions were clearly visible on her face, which was… well, she couldn't lie in front of others.

Yuisol hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I can't tell you the reason…"

Her hesitant voice was filled with sincerity.

"I must master that sword technique."

Qingming quietly observed Yuisol.

'She doesn't just want to learn it because the plum blossoms are beautiful.'

There was a desperate look in her eyes. It seemed there was a story behind it that Qingming couldn't guess.

"Do you want to learn it?"

Yuisol nodded.

"There's no need to ask."

"Huh?"

"It's originally a Huashan technique. You'll naturally learn it if you wait."

"…There's no Huashan anymore."

"Huh?"

She knew there was no Huashan?

That meant she recognized the sword technique Qingming had used as the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. More precisely, Qingming's variation of it.

Qingming nodded.

"Right. There's no Huashan now."

"…"

"But it will return. When I'm ready."

"Ready?"

Qingming looked at Yuisol, then slowly extended his hand, pointing to the sky.

His hand gracefully traced the air.

At first, Yuisol tilted her head, not understanding, but then she realized he was drawing sword movements and watched intently.

"The Moon Maiden Sword Technique?"

"Right."

Yuisol was slowly drawn into Qingming's movements.

It was definitely the Moon Maiden Sword Technique.

The technique Yuisol had spent the most time practicing and refining.

But Qingming's Moon Maiden Sword Technique was different from Yuisol's. It wasn't just the movements; there seemed to be a fundamental difference.

When the graceful movements ended, Yuisol sighed.

"Did you understand?"

Yuisol shook her head.

"No. I don't understand at all."

Just as Qingming was about to say something, Yuisol continued.

"But figuring it out is my job, right? I think I understand what you're saying. You mean I can't learn it until I reach a certain level, right?"

"Right."

"I need to refine what I already know and build a solid foundation first."

"You understand well."

Yuisol slowly nodded.

"I get it."

Qingming looked at Yuisol with renewed interest.

'I thought she was just naive, but she's smart too.'

Well, personality and intelligence are separate issues. It's possible.

"Right. But if you talk about what happened today to anyone else, I won't teach you."

"I won't say anything."

"You're a good one."

Qingming nodded, and Yuisol narrowed her eyes.

"I'll be your disciple. You'll be my master."

"I know, I know. Right. You're a good one."

"…"

Yuisol's grip on her sword tightened slightly. Qingming quickly turned around.

"See you next time, disciple. Don't come until you're ready. It's a hassle."

"Hey…"

Yuisol reached out to grab Qingming, but he didn't wait and shuffled down the mountain.

"Oh, and throw that idiot back into his room. If you leave him here, he'll be in trouble."

Hearing Qingming's voice from a distance, Yuisol sighed deeply.

'Plum blossoms.'

Qingming made plum blossoms bloom from the tip of his sword.

A sight he had never seen since coming to Huashan.

Just…

Yuisol closed her eyes.

In her mind, the sword began to move. The tip of the sword, which had been moving gracefully, began to waver and soon bloomed into vivid plum blossoms.

Plum blossoms.

And the tip of the sword.

And the man holding the sword.

'Father.'

- I will definitely restore this sword technique. And one day, I want to return to Huashan and atone for my mistakes. Xuel, come with me. Huashan is a wonderful place.

But his sword never fully bloomed into a perfect plum blossom.

But now, someone in front of her was making such a plum blossom bloom.

"I have to learn it."

Somehow.

* * *

Bang!

Qingming kicked open the door to the Bai Mei Hall.

"Ah!"

"You're here!"

He was met with an unexpectedly agitated reaction.

"What's going on?"

It was still early morning, yet Zhaoge and Yunzong were waiting for him on the first floor.

"Looks like you had a good practice. You're awake at this hour?"

"It's not that. There was a commotion! The senior disciples came to the Bai Mei Hall looking for Baichuan."

What a strange bunch.

Why would they come to the Bai Mei Hall if Baichuan was missing? Could they think Qingming had kidnapped him…

Oh.

He hadn't thought of that. He could have just taken him and beaten him.

There seem to be some smart ones among the senior disciples.

"You're suspecting people for no reason. It's annoying."

Qingming's words made Yunzong relieved.

"It's not related to you! Thank goodness…"

"Right?"

"…"

But why are you so annoyed! This isn't something to be annoyed about!

No, that's not the important thing right now!

"Were you with Senior Brother Baichuan?"

"Yeah."

"Y-You don't mean… what I'm thinking, right?"

"What are you thinking?"

Yunzong laughed awkwardly.

"It's unlikely, but since you have your thoughts, I can't say it's impossible, but… did you hit the senior disciple or, as you said before, give him a beating…?"

"…What's the difference?"

"Facial hits get extra points."

Zhaoge nodded in agreement. Qingming waved his hand dismissively.

"Come on, I'm not a kid."

"Ah, no. Right, Qingming! I trusted you. Even if you're a bit crazy, I didn't think you'd hit a senior disciple."

"I didn't hit him."

"Right!"

"I beat him like a dog."

"Right. Like a dog. Senior Brother Baichuan has a dog-like side… What?"

Yunzong's face trembled as if an earthquake had struck. It was a strange sight to behold.

"Beat…?"

"Yeah."

"Who? The senior disciple?"

"Joking, right?"

"Are you kidding? I'm not the type to joke…"

At that moment, Yunzong lunged at Qingming, grabbing his collar and shaking him.

"Hey, you lunatic! You have to know your limits! What do you do when you hit a senior disciple! Do you know how serious a crime it is to insult your teacher and ancestors…?"

"Damn!"

Qingming kicked Yunzong away.

After easily detaching the senior disciple, he rubbed his neck and frowned.

"Who do you think I am? I handled it so there wouldn't be any problems. Don't worry about it. Got it?"

"…I know. I know."

Yunzong sighed deeply.

"Man, even if you lose your mind, there are limits. How can you hit a senior disciple, a senior disciple? There are basic rules people should follow."

"…When has he ever followed those rules?"

"Ugh."

Zhaoge's sudden truth made Yunzong sigh deeply, his face like a man who had lost his country. Just thinking about what would happen that morning made his eyes water.

"Why is the atmosphere like this? Do you think I can't handle it properly?"

"…So what did the senior disciple say?"

"He wants to get stronger."

"Huh?"

Yunzong and Zhaoge simultaneously widened their eyes and looked at Qingming in surprise.

Qingming, nonchalantly cleaning his ears, said calmly.

"What's the big deal."

"…"

"…"

The two exchanged glances.

'Does that make sense?'

'Well, if you think about it, it's not impossible. We were the same, right?'

'But he's a senior disciple?'

'We're senior disciples too, right?'

A widower understands the feelings of a widow, and those who have been through similar situations could understand how Baichuan felt when he made that request.

"So, what did you say? Did you agree?"

"No. I just beat him."

"…Beat?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

Qingming shrugged.

"Was there a reason? I just felt like it. I beat him until I felt better."

"…"

At that moment, Yunzong deeply regretted not practicing harder before Qingming arrived. If he could go back in time, he would practice non-stop until Qingming arrived.

That way, he could give that lunatic a beating.

Yunzong deeply felt that a strong person who loses their mind is unstoppable.

"Stop worrying and go to sleep. You'll see when you wake up."

"…"

"Sleep."

Qingming shuffled upstairs, leaving Zhaoge and Yunzong behind, who sighed deeply.

"…Did he really beat him?"

"I've realized something about Qingming."

"What?"

"He may talk nonsense, but he doesn't lie."

"…That's good to know."

Very good to know. This kid.

"But, Senior Brother."

"Yeah?"

"Does that mean Senior Brother Baichuan was also beaten by Qingming?"

"…"

"Is it true?"

"He doesn't lie, you know."

"But it's such an unbelievable story. Still, it's Senior Brother Baichuan."

"It's Qingming."

"…I can see that."

Yunzong shook his head and looked up at the upper floor where Qingming had gone.

That monster is now even targeting the Bai family.

Where is Huashan going? Where is Huashan…

Yunzong felt like crying.