Book 3 Chapter 3

Plum Hypersensitivity

As soon as they finished eating, Hyo-Ryong, Jang Hong, and Bi Liu-Yan, who was standing in the distance.

I dragged Yoon Junho into the room.

Then, after forcing him into a chair, he asked him point-blank.

They had known each other for less than a day,

This introverted chick was getting frustrated, so I asked her if she'd like to use the

It was only then that I realized the cause.

If there is a cause, there is a solution. Furthermore, it goes without saying that eliminating the cause is the solution. Of course, it's not an easy task, but for Bi Ryuyeon, who had never known anything to be impossible, she chose to try. It was the same for Hyo Ryong and Jang Hong.

"Why can't I use the plum blossom sword method?"

With curiosity shining in their eyes, Hyorong and Jang Hong asked at the same time. But the answer was enough to shock them both.

"What?"

It was hard for common sense to accept such an outrageous thing, so what was wrong with it? Even a joke was too much for them, and they couldn't even praise it. That a disciple of the Volcano Sect, who had been recommended by a former master to enter the Heavenly Martial Academy, could not perform the Plum Blossom Sword Method, the signature and purification of the Volcano Sect's martial arts, was a crude joke so unfunny that a passing dog could have heard it.

Whoever came up with this nasty joke certainly had no excuse for having their wit and wiles questioned by everyone.

Yoon Jun-ho himself was looking down and fidgeting, as if embarrassed by the fact.

"Well, that's……."

One by one, in a stuttering voice, Yoon Jun-ho began to confess the story of his life, his voice dripping with heartbreak as he spoke.

"What!"

Yun Jun's voice seemed to creep in, but Bi Ryuyeon, Hyo Ryong, and Jang Hong, who had acquired hearing dozens of times better than others through their rigorous martial arts training, couldn't help but widen their eyes once again.

"You should be commended for casually freaking us out twice."

Jang Hong said with a somber face and a hint of resignation in his voice. There was even a hint of despondency in his tone. In his opinion, this fellow was indeed a fierce fellow.

Hypersensitivity…….

I can't believe I'm hypersensitive to plum…….

I can't believe this is the kind of thing that a passerby would do: die laughing maniacally. A volcanist disciple with a plum blossom intolerance who wonders if there are any flowers left after the plum blossoms have been removed. The sound of a ghost being possessed seems more realistic.

"They say a dog that dies laughing has no nutritional value, let alone flavor, even when boiled……."

Jang Hong said with a tone that said he was really serious. He was trying to be funny in his own way. Of course, the results of his efforts were disastrous.

"Mister, I don't find any of those jokes funny."

Hyorong looked at Jang Hong with a gaze that implied that he was not to be interrupted.

'Mister, mister, mister…….'

The word uncle was one of his least favorite words in the world. Jang Hong was slightly offended. He was even more depressed because he felt like his brilliant sense of humor had been sold at wholesale prices. Of course, illusions are free.

Yoon Jun-ho continued to tell his story, which became more and more amazing the more I listened to it, but also more and more pathetic. There was a strange power in his stories that made people shake their heads.

Yoon Jun-ho, he had an extremely sensitive hypersensitivity to plum blossoms, especially their fragrance, which caused him to break out in hives all over his body and even become paralyzed just by smelling them. At first, even the monks were about to give up on him because he had such a strange constitution.

His behavior was ridiculous and absurd, and no matter how hard he tried to improve it, it never seemed to change, and even the old and historic Reaping Volcanoes Sect was up in arms with both hands and feet. It was only by crying and begging that he was able to save himself from being expelled from the sect. For some reason, the T'ien-t'ai Tzu's plum blossom sword lineage became a decisive help.

He was narrowly saved from excommunication, but his constitution prevented him from going near Nian'an Peak, the most volcanic of the volcanoes, where the entire mountain is covered in red plum blossoms. Therefore, whenever the plum blossoms were in full bloom, he was forced to cultivate by himself on Sword Peak next to Nakan Peak, where the plum trees were less common.

The peak had a spectacular view of numerous piercings, and it was often a favorite training spot for disciples of the Hua Shan School, so it was not uncommon to see traces of their predecessors' training throughout the piercings.

He took up residence there and practiced swordsmanship until the plum blossoms fell. At first, this was fine, but then he grew tired of practicing alone in one place, so he traveled to different places to practice. One day, as he was practicing sword techniques as usual outside of the compound, the hill on which he was training suddenly collapsed under the weight of his sword. A small hole in the dirt appeared behind the crumbling mound. The blood that had been buried in the dirt for so many years had appeared on his sword.

The small, dark hole tempted the young man, and, unable to resist his curiosity, he pushed himself inside. The entrance was much narrower than the others, but he nevertheless found himself in a place that was at least three times as wide as the entrance. The cavern seemed to be three or four times as deep as the others, and he couldn't contain his curiosity and finally decided to explore it. With nothing better to do, it was the perfect way to pass the time. This was the beginning of his spelunking expedition.

After walking for a long time, he barely made it to the end. The end of the flesh was a wide, smooth hemisphere that drew his admiration. Even with his meager eyesight, he could recognize that it was not a natural formation, but the work of human hands, which only increased his surprise.

Standing in the center of the hemispherical plaza, he held his torch high and examined the smooth walls, which were covered with fine lines like a spider's web. As a former disciple of the prestigious Hua Shan Sect, he could tell at a glance that the myriad lines were the marks of an astonishingly advanced sword technique. He could only stare in awe for a long time, shocked, as a thunderous shiver ran through his body.

It wasn't until a while later that he looked at the floor and saw footprints on it that looked like they had been made by a senior swordsman who had trained here, following a certain set of rules. He could tell at a glance that the marks on the floor were the marks of a sword method. At first, however, he couldn't understand how humans could operate such a complex and dizzying array of stroke changes.

The last thing he found there was the words of the unidentified deceased, scrawled on a corner of the wall. It was the Seven Plum Blades, the last relic and most precious trace of the unnamed deceased, and it was at least two hundred years old. It seemed that the unnamed deceased was probably one of the seniors in the Hua Shan School, like many others, who had endured the training and perseverance of sharpening their bones for a new interpretation of the Plum Blades and a higher level of swordsmanship.

From that moment on, he became obsessed with the Seven Swords in question. Frantically, he worked on it day and night, forgetting about the erosion. He dreamed of recreating the countless sword lines on the hemispherical ceiling with his own body. Because the senior swordsman had begun and ended in the same place over and over again, the sword lines on the hemispherical wall were not intertwined, but layered on top of each other along the same single trajectory, making it very easy for him to cultivate.

Perhaps his understanding of martial arts wasn't that bad. It was also very likely that he possessed qualities beyond the killer's imagination, otherwise it would be impossible for him to reach the level of a sword master at his age. In any case, the entire winter of that year was spent in the Seven Treasures Pavilion.

Since the composition of the Seven Swords was based on theories and reasoning learned through enlightenment in the last years of the deceased's life, there were many parts that were difficult and puzzling to understand with the senses of the time. It wasn't that it was impossible to interpret, but that the effectiveness of practicing the theory was questionable.

He decided that since the Seven Flying Swords was still an untested sword technique, he would let his master know if it turned out to be a proper sword technique later on, so he would focus on cultivating it first. A note of caution had been written on the bottom of the scroll, kindly warning that the speed of cultivation was unrivaled, and that if he made a mistake, he would most likely fall into a state of coinage. There was even a note saying that he didn't want to recommend it to others, and that if he did fall into it, he shouldn't blame himself because he had already been warned. So there was no need to report it to the priests.

Fortunately, he didn't have too much trouble with the exercises at first. While most of the content of the ninth chapter centered around understanding and applying new aspects of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, it wasn't so esoteric that he had to curse his brain.

And so, day by day, his training progressed, and he could feel his skills increasing day by day. He could feel his face light up with joy. Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived.

Despair had come from the wrong direction, as if the goddess of fate had taken fierce jealousy at his joy and overflowing happiness. After that cursed nightmare day, he had plummeted to the point where he could barely perform the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, let alone the Seven Falcon Sword Technique.

He had fallen from the flower garden of joy and happiness at the edge of heaven to the thorny field of despair at the edge of the netherworld in one fell swoop, unprotected and unbuffered. Needless to say, he had been branded in the annals of history as an idiot who couldn't even wield a plum blossom sword.

This was how the Volcano Sect's Red Warrior disciple ended up with Qi Necrosis, which prevented him from properly practicing the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. And he had to endure the insults, scorn, and sneers of his alumni executioners.

"I'm not going to believe it until I hear it ten times."

Jang Hong stared at Yun Jun's face in disbelief. Yun Junhao's face was red with embarrassment. But it didn't look like he was lying.

"Ha, but it's true."

"Who would believe such a ridiculous story is real? I don't believe it myself, and I'm sorry, but I'm having serious doubts about your veracity."

Jang Hong looked at Yun Junho, the protagonist of the ridiculous farce, and said.

"No one believed me, even in the temple."

Like Hyolong and Jang Hong, none of his fellow masters believed his physical problems. They dismissed it as a lame excuse and laughed at him even more.

"I hope they're all fiction, and if they are, I'd love nothing more than to have them, because it's embarrassing to have such silly stories."

Yun Jungho was now very dejected. The death penalty and the encounter with the master had taken away most of his motivation. However, it was not hard to understand his feelings, as he had been rejected by the one person he should have been able to count on.

"At first, I had no trouble mastering the Plum Blossom Sword, until one day, years later, I opened my sword and saw, as if in a vision, a plum blossom in full bloom and the scent of plum wafting through the air. At that moment, I became dizzy and nearly collapsed. The next thing I know, my entire body is covered in hives, my nerves are paralyzed, and I lose my grip on the sword and faint, unable to hold on to it because it itches so badly. Ever since then, I've never been able to open a plum blade, let alone a seven-hawk sword."

He finished his story and waited for the laughter that was about to begin, but no one laughed. The snickers that always accompanied the end of his story were not heard today. Instead, a serious mood reigned in the room.

Hyorong looked at Jang Hong with a meaningful gaze. Jang Hong nodded, as if responding to his gaze.

"Are you on the same page as me?"

Jang Hong cautiously opened his mouth. Hyorong nodded.

"That's right, if I'm not mistaken, it's……."

"Sword Incense."

The two men spoke in unison, confirming their intentions. It was a short word, but it had a deep, myriad meaning.

"Sword Sensei? What is that?"

Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked. The sight of the two of them talking about something she didn't understand was not a pretty sight for her, as it made her feel like she was being bullied unnecessarily.

"I don't know the details, but……."

Jang Hong began to speak with a sigh.

"It's a unique feature of the Volcano Sect's Plum Blossom Sword Technique, and it's not yet known exactly how or why. However, it is said that when the Plum Blossom Sword Technique reaches a certain level of mastery, which is technically a very high level, a subtle plum scent emanates from the sword qi, as if the sword has become a plum tree itself. This amazing and mysterious feat is referred to as the Sword Fragrance Realm in the Hua Shan School, and while there are many theories about it, the most prominent one is that it is not unrelated to the Jia Hsin Gong, a volcanic poetic internal kung fu technique practiced in the Hua Shan School during the plum blossom season."

The Jia Hsin Gong was the highest level of the Hua Shan School's self-taught inner work, and was a rare art that was only passed down to those who were enemies of the school. The reason it is called the Jia Hsin Gong is that as one's level of mastery increases, the qi emitted from it becomes purple in color. Along with the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, it was one of the two divine arts that supported the Volcano Sect. The premise was that in order for the Plum Blossom Sword Technique to reach its peak power, one must have mastered this divine art to a certain level.

Before Bi Ryuyeon's question could even be asked, Jang Hong spared no time in explaining the details of Zhao Xin Gong. He didn't think that someone who didn't know how to use the Plum Blossom Sword could possibly know anything about him. Naturally, his guesses were spot-on. Jang Hong had told her everything in advance, saving Bi Ryuyeon the trouble of asking questions.

Jang Hong, who claimed not to know much, explained everything he knew. In that context, Hyo-ryong, who was able to guess the cultivation of sword incense from Yun Jun-ho's story, was also an unusual person.

"Yeah? That's interesting. You're not a flower, and you emit a scent. You could be used as a human air freshener."

Bi Ryuyeon's meaningful gaze swept over Yun Jun's entire body. For a moment, Yun Junho felt goosebumps all over his body and an eerie chill, but he didn't know where it was coming from.

"Besides, no one outside of the Volcanic Sect has ever experienced it, which means it's still limited to the Volcanic Sect. Even within the Volcano Sect, few people know about it."

"Why?"

"That's because there are so few people who have reached the level of the sword. In less than a hundred years, you can count on five fingers the number of people who have reached the level of sword incense."

"The founder of the Plum Blossom Sword Method must have been a plum freak who loved plum blossoms, right?"

Bi Ryuyeon looked at Jang Hong for agreement.

"I suppose."

Reluctantly, Jang Hong agreed.

"Maybe he loved plums so much that he wanted to be a plum tree, so he deliberately created a martial art that would allow him to reach such a state? I think that's probably true."

Someone who loved plum trees so much that he wanted to become one himself. Such a person must have been the founder of the plum blossom sword method, Bi Ryuyeon concluded, but then how could such an oddball hypochondriac, who shunned plum blossoms as if they were ghosts, reach such heights? Maybe that's why the world is such a funny place.

"The Land of the Sword……."

Jang Hong and Hyorong knew what it was like. It was a dreamlike realm that ordinary people could never easily enter, a realm where the sword smelled like a flower. It was obvious that Zhao Xin's shallow achievements and poor understanding of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique would never allow him to reach it. But for that frail-looking fellow to be a master of that realm……. It was unbelievable.

Hypersensitivity is a physical side effect of exposure to a particular substance or scent. The law of cause and effect dictates that there must be a cause for an effect, and if there was no incense, there would be no side effect. So where did the incense that triggered his hives come from? Did it fall from the sky, or did it rise unexpectedly from the ground?

This, of course, means that the inner core of his sword came from his body. In other words, he had attained the level of sword incense that allowed him to emit the plum scent from his sword. There was no other way for a bare human body to spontaneously emit the scent of plum blossoms other than through the cultivation of sword incense, as no other method or case had yet been reported. Perhaps one could search the world until one's death and never find a method other than the Sword Incense Realm.

"Am I really in that fantasy world, and am I dreaming or seriously delusional?

Jang Hong glanced at Hyorong as if to ask for his agreement again. Hyorong nodded his head in agreement. It wasn't that he thought Jang Hong was a raving lunatic, but that he agreed with Yun Jun's conjecture that what he was experiencing was the realm of illusion.

It was a mystery why the Volcano Sect's Red Warrior disciple was unaware of such a thing, but the sword scent of plum blossoms was a high level of cultivation that could only be accessed by a master of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique and his assistant, who must be at least ten stars in age. He even claimed to have seen the plum blossoms in full bloom when he swung his sword with the scent.

A plum blossom fantasy!

The illusion of a plum blossom drawn by a sword was a high level of cultivation that would not be easily attained by the culprit, who would only be able to see a few plum blossoms when he reached the level of the Sword Qi Sword Flower. It was definitely a higher level of cultivation than the Sword Qi Sword Flower.

Therefore, he was about to do something incredibly great, and he didn't even realize it. If the elders of the Volcano Sect had known about this, they might have rejoiced at his prodigy status. Of course, if he couldn't use it, it would be useless to have it on his person.

In any case, it's definitely proven that Yoon Junho is an excellent talent who is no less talented than he is now. The problem, then, is that he can't use it even though he's learned it…….

"What's wrong with that?"

Jang Hong asked the opinions of those around him without much thought. It wasn't a serious congenital disease or a terminal illness, such as a pentatonic vein or a bulbous pulmonary vein, but rather a bizarre and esoteric problem that had caused him to plummet from the pinnacle of excellence to pathetic sewage in one fell swoop. Naturally, something like this was something he couldn't handle all by himself. It was only when you weren't a god or a superhuman that you really needed help.

The silence surrounding the incident and the subsequent remediation continued for some time. Isn't it more common sense to want something like this to be resolved once and for all and without further ado?

"In times like these, it's……."

In a series of conversations, Bi Ryuyeon, who had been keeping a low profile as an observer, was the first to speak up to see if he could come up with a good idea. Immediately, the eyes of the three were drawn to Bi Ryuyeon's mouth. It was completely unexpected that a solution would come from his mouth first, as he had been treated as an unimportant bystander in this conversation.

"Right……."

There was an unspoken pressure on her to keep going.

"Human mods!"

I asked, but it seemed like a very unconstructive response.

"What, human modification?"

Nodding again, Bi Ryuyeon smiled. Seeing that smile, Jang Hong and Hyorong thought, "Is he out of his mind?" but they also knew that it wasn't a completely ridiculous story.

"Yes, human modification. If the body is reacting adversely to the scent of plum, the only way to fix it is to modify it, and isn't fixing what's wrong the best way to solve a problem?"

It sounded like something stuck in my throat, but it also made sense. But I couldn't help but feel that it sounded wacky and ridiculous, so it was a problematic solution that was unlikely to convince anyone.

"I hope I don't get lost and become a miana."

"Falling off a cliff or walking down a thorny path."

"Why don't you try to be more constructive and forward-thinking instead of making such a tasteless suggestion?"

It was clear that neither of them were yet convinced of his intentions.

"Uh-huh, that's the most obvious way to do it. Is there a better way?"

Of course, there's no such thing.

Everyone was dumbfounded and speechless. So, they decided to take a chance and give it a positive review. Luckily, once they set their minds on a direction, they tended to be reckless and bold.