Volcanic Age

"Master, if it's okay with you, would you please teach me a lesson?"

"You're making this incompetent master of yours embarrassed, Xuchuan. You're already a more powerful expert than me; what more could I possibly teach you?"

Liu Zhengmu smiled bitterly.

"Besides, you're being taught by the Sect Master, the Strongest Expert in Mount Hua…"

"If the Sect Master is the number one expert of Mount Hua, then to me, Master is the number one expert of the world. If being taught by the Sect Master means that I cannot be taught by Master, then I will immediately go tell the Sword Immortal that I cannot learn from him anymore."

"You little brat. You seem to have learned flattery on your journey through gangho… you've become skilled. Really."

Even though Liu Zhengmu grumbled, he smiled at his disciple's words.

Liu Zhengmu went out first, and Zhou Xuchuan followed him. They arrived at a familiar place, one filled with memories.

"Now, let's do it together this time. You remember the conditions, right?"

They were to climb the cliffside without using their qi. There was no way that Zhou Xuchuan wouldn't remember this. It was the training he had endured for so long when he was young.

The only difference now was that he no longer felt tired, and his climbing speed had become incredibly fast.

Most importantly, he wasn't climbing alone anymore.

The disciple and the master chatted while climbing the cliffside.

"It feels like just yesterday I was looking down at you from the top, to think you've grown so much already… you really are amazing."

Liu Zhengmu's eyes welled up with tears, as if he was overcome with emotion.

Although his vision was blurred by tears, it didn't matter. He continued climbing the rock face as naturally as if he were walking.

"This is all thanks to you, Master."

Zhou Xuchuan followed closely behind his master, careful to keep some distance to avoid stepping on Liu Zhengmu's shadow.

Sssss!

Their movements were reminiscent of cockroaches!

While Liu Zhengmu wouldn't care if Zhou Xuchuan overtook him, from Zhou Xuchuan's perspective, it was something he couldn't tolerate.

"This is your first appearance within the gangho, and in less than a year, you've defeated one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven and befriended one of the most talented of the younger generation in the murim, the Poison Phoenix. You've accomplished so much."

"I'm very grateful for your praise."

"When I was young… no, I'm certain no one has experienced as much as you at your age. I guarantee it."

"Master…!"

His master's praise touched him more deeply than anyone else's.

Zhou Xuchuan covered his eyes with his hand, feeling tears threaten to fall. After all, climbing this rock was something he could do with just one hand!

Yes. It's all for this, for this happiness.

From retrieving the Water Spiritual Fruit when he was younger to when he went to war, he had made every effort to disrupt the Dark Heavens Association.

None of those efforts had been in vain.

He had worked hard for the sake of peace, all for this very moment.

Even though he might feel a little foolish, he was happy to spend time with someone he cherished, respected, and loved.

This was an experience and happiness that he hadn't been able to obtain before. Back then, he had hated himself for being powerless, shedding tears as he looked down at a cold, lifeless body.

As those memories flickered through his mind, the emotions from that time resurfaced. But here and now, they no longer mattered.

A greater sense of happiness and warmth replaced them, soothing his painful memories.

"We're almost there."

"Ah, already…"

"Xuchuan, would you mind going up first and helping me up? This master of yours is getting old. I'm starting to have a hard time."

"Yes!"

As soon as Zhou Xuchuan responded, he shot upward toward the top of the cliff, moving as if he were running across flat ground rather than climbing.

Liu Zhengmu's eyes widened in surprise as his disciple seemed to become a flash of light. He watched in amazement as Zhou Xuchuan climbed with incredible speed before letting out a laugh.

"Master."

The disciple reached out a hand.

The master grasped it while recalling the past.

That child, who had been so small…

That child, who had cowered as if afraid when he tried to pat him.

That child, who had worked hard, always watching the others while fearing being abandoned.

That child, who never complained, even when things got hard or painful.

That child, who smiled and said everything was okay, fearing that others would worry.

The hand that had once been the size of Liu Zhengmu's palm had now become that of an adult.

"Good."

Liu Zhengmu pulled himself over the edge, gripping that calloused hand.

There stood a young man, smiling brightly, who had grown so much.

"This place is still the same."

When he turned around, the light of dawn was just peeking over the peak.

Whether at dusk or dawn, the unique light of the changing of the day always blended with Mount Hua's natural energy, creating an indescribable sight.

"Yes, it is," Liu Zhengmu agreed.

Zhou Xuchuan's fellow disciples, teachers, and even elders all praised him. They all said the same thing—that he had changed while they weren't looking.

They weren't wrong.

Anyone looking at his appearance or cultivation could tell that Zhou Xuchuan had changed significantly.

There were even suspicions that he was a completely different person.

Liu Zhengmu had heard many say that they had never expected someone who never made any noise within the sect to reach this point.

"Really…"

However, the disciple in the eyes of the master was still the same.

He may have grown, but he had not changed.

A disciple who was scared and cautious but didn't ever show it, even when he was having a hard time.

A disciple who was kind.

"You're still the same."

That was Zhou Xuchuan, Liu Zhengmu's disciple.

***

Time flowed like a gentle stream.

Eventually, that calm current would grow faster, surging toward the future.

As the snow plum blossoms fell and the early spring plum blossoms bloomed, the plum blossom season had arrived.

Then, spring, too, passed, and early summer arrived.

"Once a monster, always a monster."

You Riwen stuck out his tongue with a jaded expression. Half a year had passed since he started teaching Zhou Xuchuan the Twenty-four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom.

Although he had only taught him a few times, Zhou Xuchuan quickly became proficient in the technique. It was almost as if he was seeing a natural disaster rather than a genius.

In truth, Zhou Xuchuan had just been pretending not to know the forms, but there was no way that the Sword Immortal could have known that.

So, Zhou Xuchuan had no choice but to mislead You Riwen.

"Whew…"

For the past six months, Zhou Xuchuan had focused on training as much as possible. He didn't want to miss out on the teachings of one of the Ten Empyrean Overlords.

In addition to 'learning' the sword technique, he also focused on learning the other arts of the Mount Hua Sect, including the Hundred Divine Transformations, which had now reached the third stage.

Unlike the Twenty-four Forms of the Plum Blossom, Zhou Xuchuan learned the Hundred Divine Transformations under the tutelage of the Plum Blossom Sword Captain Wei Zhijie.

This was partly due to the fact that the Sect Master, as the leader of the sect, had little free time. Additionally, taking the time to teach Zhou Xuchuan a sword technique was out of the ordinary, anyway.

Zhou Xuchuan wasn't even You Riwen's disciple. If he really were to teach him everything from A to Z, people would surely start complaining. That's why You Riwen held back from teaching him the Hundred Divine Transformations.

That didn't mean that Wei Zhijie was a mere chicken in front of a peacock. Even within Mount Hua, the Plum Blossom Sword Captain was one of the top five strongest experts.

In the gangho, he was even ranked among the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven. He wasn't the leader of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen for nothing.

Putting aside the fact that he was so strict and reserved that conversations were impossible, he was an incredible teacher.

Whew. As expected, there really is a big difference between already knowing the art and never having cultivated it.

Zhou Xuchuan had heard about the Hundred Divine Transformations, a martial art that was both a footwork technique and a movement technique. It was considered one of the best techniques within Mount Hua's repository.[1]

However, he only knew about it and had never practiced it.

In terms of difficulty, it was on par with the Twenty-four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom and wasn't something that could be learned easily.

While he had tried to learn it on his own, he quickly realized the limits of his own talent after experiencing bitter failure.

Zhou Xuchuan found the Twenty-four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom relatively easy to learn, largely due to his enlightenment in swordsmanship from a previous lifetime of cultivation, along with the simpler, abridged version—the Fourteen Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom.

However, the Hundred Divine Transformations didn't have an abridged version, and his previous life's enlightenment only focused on the sword. He had given up on learning the movement technique after trying several times and failed in his previous life.

It really was heaven's blessing that Wei Zhijie was teaching him the technique this time around.

"While your talent for the sword is incredible, your talent in footwork and movement techniques is pretty average," Wei Zhijie said in the middle of his lesson. It was a reasonable comment, considering Zhou Xuchuan's achievements.

"Still, there's nothing to worry about. From now on, you just need to focus on improving your movement and footwork techniques."

"How long do you think it'll take me?"

"It depends on how hard you work. I'll let the Plum Blossom Swordsmen know. Be sure you get their help so they can help you practice."

It seems he thinks I'm going to become one of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

The Plum Blossom Sword Captain, Elder Wei Zhijie, was famous for being indifferent to things other than training or missions.

However, he wasn't entirely uninterested in others. His indifference didn't extend to anything involving the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

If there were a disciple who was either one of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen or had shown talent since entering the Lotus Pavilion and was designated as a Swordsman Candidate, he would take care to teach them carefully.

He'd probably protest if he found out that I'm not really interested in becoming a Plum Blossom Swordsman and that I'd be leaving for the gangho again soon, right?

Usually, Swordsman Candidates only traveled through the gangho for a year, two at most.

That short period of time wasn't enough for him to do much, so Zhou Xuchuan wasn't interested in becoming one of the swordsmen. Since the Plum Blossom Sword Captain's influence wasn't anything to scoff at, Zhou Xuchuan planned to keep a low profile before returning to the gangho.

"Haven't things been handled outside?"

"Hmm."

Half a year ago, as Ling Zhen had said, the sect had temporarily suspended all cultivation journeys due to the dangerous and chaotic situation.

It was only after some time that the chaos caused by the Seven Swords War was finally resolved.

"Surely you're not hesitating because my cultivation is lacking, are you?"

You Riwen smiled bitterly, wondering how that could be the case.

Half a year ago, when Zhou Xuchuan had returned, You Riwen had already dismissed that concern.

If a Harmony Realm Master who was capable of entering the ranks of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven couldn't leave for the gangho because things were dangerous, then all the disciples of Mount Hua had to be called back.[2]

"Are you really not interested in becoming a Plum Blossom Swordsman?"

"Yes."

While You Riwen had suggested this several times while teaching Zhou Xuchuan the Twenty-four Forms of the Plum Blossom, the answer he received was always the same. He sighed at the expected answer.

"Thinking of Elder Wei glaring at me and asking why you refused… it's already giving me a stomachache."

"I've been telling him since I was little that I wasn't interested. It seems like he's completely forgotten."

"Ahem."

"I'll be in your care."

Once again, Zhou Xuchuan was leaving for the gangho.

Zhou Xuchuan decided to stay as quiet as possible during his descent from the mountain. Things could get troublesome if Wei Zhijie caught wind of his departure.

It was early in the morning, during the hour of the tiger, before dawn.[3]

Zhou Xuchuan bowed to Liu Zhengmu.

"Please forgive me, your ill-mannered disciple, for saying my farewells at such an ungodly hour."

"It's fine. While I'm not a grandpa yet, as I get older, I've begun to need less sleep."

Liu Zhengmu smiled gently as always.

"Although I'd like to give you some advice, this isn't your first time, and you're much better than I am. I don't really have anything to tell you."

"Please don't say that. How can a disciple be better than his master? It's just luck."

"A disciple's duty is to surpass his master. That's what my master always used to say."

"Your master… are you referring to my grandmaster?" Zhou Xuchuan asked, his curiosity piqued.

It was the first time he'd heard anything about his grandmaster.

Liu Zhengmu smiled, his eyes filled with nostalgia.

"He was caught up in the discord of the murim and left this world before I could take you in."

"I would like to hear more about him."

Zhou Xuchuan said, his eyes sparkling like a child eager for a story from his grandfather.

"If you come back safely, I'll tell you about him."

A warm hand patted Zhou Xuchuan's head.

"Moreover, isn't there a child waiting for you?"

"Pardon?"

Zhou Xuchuan looked puzzled, while Liu Zhengmu just looked over his shoulder. Following his master's gaze, Zhou Xuchuan saw her.

"Ah…"

Luo Xiaoyue, who had silently been watching their conversation, blushed slightly when their eyes met.

"Junior sister?"

"I didn't mean to interrupt, senior brother."

"So you've come to see me off. Thank you."

Since she had come to say farewell last time, Zhou Xuchuan guessed that she was doing the same this time.

A corner of his heart felt warm at his junior sister's consideration.

"You're wrong. I've come to fulfill my promise."

Luo Xiaoyue looked straight into his eyes and smiled.

Just as Zhou Xuchuan was about to ask what she meant, Liu Zhengmu patted his back and urged him on.

"Now, I'm going back to bed, so you should head out quickly. I'm glad that you're not going out alone."

"When you say not going out alone, could it be—"

"She's gotten permission, so don't worry."

As soon as Liu Zhengmu finished speaking, Luo Xiaoyue jumped in, pulling Zhou Xuchuan, who was standing awkwardly. She grabbed onto him and turned to bow to Liu Zhengmu.

"Then, we'll be off."

"Huh? Is this the Sleeve in Hand Demonic Art that I've only ever heard rumors about? The sensation on my arm is so shocking it's overwhelming me…"

"Please, I beg you, can you stop saying such weird things?!"

Their bickering voices gradually faded away.

As Liu Zhengmu watched them disappear into the distance, he muttered as if he was talking to someone.

"Are you really okay with not saying your farewells?"

"... it's fine," Shen Yulian answered from behind a nearby plum tree.

While her head was still held high, her gaze turned to the side.

"It's not too late, so if you don't mind, I can…"

"I already said my farewells yesterday. It's fine."

As she brusquely answered, her presence suddenly vanished.

Liu Zhengmu's eyes widened in surprise, then he smiled warmly and gently as usual.

1. To be clear, the Hundred Divine Transformations has both a footwork technique portion and a movement technique portion. ☜

2. To clarify, only those on their cultivation journeys, so those of the Fourth Generation, were called back. There are still fully-fledged disciples of the Third and even Second Generation, who, as part of the teaching generation, are allowed to come and go as they please. So, this is referring to getting those disciples to come back. ☜

3. 3 to 5 am. ☜