<Chapter 100> The Flower Contest (4)
The Flower Contest, which began after noon, had been ongoing for quite some time.
The three major disciples, who had prepared for this for a long time, were all deeply committed.
Moreover, as they were from the same school, the sword techniques they used were the same.
Knowing each other so well, it took longer for them to resolve their matches.
While it might seem tedious, the audience's enthusiasm did not wane.
"The reactions are incredible."
"They all seem to be enjoying it."
Although the audience was small, the enthusiasm was almost on par with the tournaments organized by the Wu Lin Alliance.
To me, it was honestly a bit boring.
'Is it because I've been sparring with Yingfeng a lot lately?'
Perhaps because the comparison was with Yingfeng, the sword techniques of those I was watching seemed relatively crude.
They lacked the unique flexibility of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, and their application of speed and power was particularly disappointing.
At my current level, I could neutralize them with a single strike.
This would be true not only for me but also for Yingfeng and Nangong Bia.
'Now I understand why they moved Yingfeng to the major disciples.'
It was only now that I clearly understood why they did that.
They were not lacking in any way.
They were from one of the Nine Great Schools, and specifically, the Huashan School.
They were indeed stronger than their peers, but the problem was that the people I had recently faced were overwhelmingly powerful.
'After all, becoming a first-rate swordsman at an age when one hasn't even reached adulthood is not something to be taken lightly.'
It was the current geniuses like Yingfeng and Nangong Bia who were the odd ones out.
I glanced at Nangong Bia, wondering if I was the only one finding it boring.
Though her face was covered, I could sense a subtle movement.
At my question, Nangong Bia flinched and subtly averted her gaze.
Her tied-up hair swayed with the movement of her head.
I glanced at the decorative item that held her hair in place and then turned my gaze to Weixuea.
Weixuea, unlike me and Nangong Bia, was watching the match with bright eyes.
Her bright voice revealed the emotions she felt without any reservation.
Perhaps it was because her perspective was different from mine.
Suddenly, a cheer rang out, and I looked at the match to see one side had dropped their wooden sword.
The winner lightly tapped the loser's shoulder.
It seemed the loser was younger or had joined later.
The people around them commented.
"This year's level is much higher than last year's."
"To see such improvement in just a year, I'm quite impressed."
"This is Huashan... Yes!"
Clearly, their perspective was different from my jaded one.
Even from the perspective of a layman, it was different.
Perhaps, after regressing and growing up a bit, I thought I was on the same level as them.
If that was the case, I needed to change my thinking.
This could be a source of delusion.
Having experienced it before, I needed to be more cautious.
As I was organizing my thoughts, Nangong Bia spoke to me.
Her words made my eyes widen.
I could hear the murmurs around us.
"What, there's a female disciple among them?"
"There wasn't one last year... Did she just join?"
"There's no way. The head of the Zhongya Caravan tried everything to get his youngest son into Huashan but was firmly rejected."
On the match stage, a girl stood with a straight posture, holding a wooden sword, her black hair tied up to her back.
Despite the numerous gazes and murmurs, her eyes were calm.
Or perhaps she was just pretending to be calm, with a myriad of thoughts swirling inside.
She drew her sword and took a stance.
Before the match began, the two opponents spoke.
"...I am Yingzhen, one of the three major disciples of Huashan."
"I am Gulinghua, one of the second major disciples of Huashan."
Though her voice was not loud, the reaction from the audience grew.
With a determined shout, Gulinghua's match began.
-What, a second major disciple? How can someone so young...?
-I've never seen her before. From the way she says her name, she probably hasn't even received a dao name yet.
Voices around me could be heard.
Even if I tried not to listen, the words echoed in my mind.
Gulinghua tried to focus her gaze on her opponent.
The expression of the three major disciple revealed a hint of dissatisfaction.
It wasn't just dissatisfaction with fighting a child.
She wouldn't even be treated as a child.
The dissatisfaction was more about having to fight a young girl instead of the match she had hoped for.
It was an uncomfortable and awkward feeling.
Gulinghua let it out with her breath.
-I want to hold the Flower Contest on the first day.
Gulinghua had hoped to compete among the second major disciples but had to give up on that desire.
Initially, it was a stubborn desire.
It was a futile sense of pride as a disciple of her master and a burning sense of inferiority.
She had simply given it up.
Shenxian asked if she was okay with it, and Gulinghua nodded resolutely.
Shenxian's question, "Are you okay with it?" held many unspoken words.
Gulinghua couldn't have missed it.
She slowly fixed her gaze on the wooden sword and then on her opponent.
She wanted to run away right now.
The furrowed gaze and the sharp atmosphere were terrifying.
The memory of a back that never turned around, no matter how much she cried and shouted, made her breath catch.
With the shout, the opponent, Yingzhen, charged at Gulinghua.
It seemed he intended to end it quickly, as he unleashed his sword technique.
However, the power in the visible sword was almost nonexistent.
It seemed he was holding back, as if giving her a chance.
Seeing this, Gulinghua gritted her teeth.
Gulinghua had swung her sword day and night.
Every day was dedicated to blooming the plum blossom.
Her palms had torn and bled countless times, and nosebleeds were a daily occurrence.
All of this was to bloom the plum blossom and show her determination.
Gulinghua's opponent, Yingzhen, was momentarily taken aback by the blocked sword path.
He hadn't expected it to be blocked.
Still, the power was weak, so he chose to flow rather than block.
As he moved in a semicircle along the sword, Yingzhen's sword was deflected.
The twisted movement left his upper body exposed.
Gulinghua swung her sword at the opening, but Yingzhen blocked it.
She hesitated for a moment.
The hesitation in extending her sword was the problem.
After a single clash, Yingzhen adjusted his stance, seemingly determined not to let his guard down.
His deep breath was still shaky.
The reason Gulinghua practiced so hard, reducing her sleep, was solely for the sake of her master.
She wanted to bloom the plum blossom to give him peace before he closed his eyes.
Even though she had trained hard, she now felt a void.
'Blooming the plum blossom isn't something you can do just by trying.'
With her master's health improving, Gulinghua had lost her goal of blooming the plum blossom and felt a sense of emptiness.
'Why do I need to learn the sword?'
It was good to be able to train with her master, who was recovering, but she still felt lost.
Her master, noticing this, once told her,
-What you need to find is what to put into it. First, find the essence.
It was the first assignment her master had given her.
To find the meaning to put into the sword, her master, who had always taught her step by step, had spoken in abstract terms.
Yingzhen's sword grazed Gulinghua's hair.
Unlike before, his strength was steady and his footwork precise.
Though not entirely serious, it seemed he was doing it properly.
Gulinghua maintained as much calm as possible, not letting herself be swept away by the sword path in front of her.
If not the plum blossom, what should I put into the sword?
It was a question she had pondered thousands of times over the past few days.
What would be written in the place where the urgency had washed away?
The desire for revenge against the family that led to her mother's death.
The resentment towards her brother who tried to abandon her.
Gulinghua blocked Yingzhen's sword but was pushed back by the force.
Yingzhen's attacks followed in quick succession.
The sword techniques of her master emphasized defense.
Even if they learned the same sword, the perspective would differ if the meaning was different.
Don't panic, you can flow.
Yingzhen let out a short exclamation, seemingly taken aback.
Gulinghua had deflected a sword he thought she couldn't avoid.
Gulinghua's initially ragged breathing began to stabilize.
'I don't want to put such things in.'
The fear and pain were still there, but she didn't want to choose revenge to overcome them.
She still resented Gouyang Tian.
Yet, she had harbored hope in his changed appearance and words, and her gaze began to chase after him again.
Despite the pain, she hadn't changed from the time she sat on the ground waiting for her brother.
She remembered the words she had unknowingly spoken, filled with longing and complexity.
-Can we go back to the way things were?
It was a hope and a wish.
If Gouyang Tian had said just one word that they could, she might have pretended to be her old self.
To Gulinghua, it was a form of avoidance and escape.
Just to make herself comfortable.
'Really, would that make me comfortable?'
At that time, she could have forgotten.
Perhaps she could have forgotten forever.