Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Spring Comes to Mount Hua (Part 2)

The spring air on Mount Hua, with its blade-sharp terrain, was fragrant with the scent of plum blossoms carried on the wind. At this moment, the plum trees across Mount Hua were bursting into full bloom.

Dam Ho walked through the perfumed air. It seemed as though plum petals drifted down to rest upon him with every step.

He paused for a moment and looked around.

Plum blossoms filled his vision in every direction. Each tree displayed its own magnificent form, blossoms heavy upon the branches.

Dam Ho extended his hand. As if by magic, a plum petal drifted on the wind and settled into his palm. He gazed at the petal for a long while.

In spring, the plum blossoms on Mount Hua reached their peak. It was for this reason that people associated plum blossoms with the Mount Hua Sect. Perhaps because of this, many of the sect's martial arts bore names connected to the plum.

Plum Blossom Fist and the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword were the most notable examples.

Because of this, a prejudice had formed that Mount Hua's martial arts were light and flashy. In truth, a considerable portion of the sect's techniques were exactly that.

The wind blew again, scattering the petal from his palm. Dam Ho reached out to catch it, but the petal slipped through his fingers like water.

Dam Ho clenched his fist.

The martial arts of Mount Hua were like that petal to him—seemingly within reach, yet impossible to grasp.

Shaking his head, Dam Ho resumed walking.

After some time, he arrived at Peace Palace.

Peace Palace occupied the widest flatland on Mount Hua, a place of relative calm amid the mountain's blade-like geography.

Modeled after the Thirty-Six Heavens of the celestial realm, Peace Palace was vast in scale. All major affairs of the Mount Hua Sect were conducted here, and this was where the sect's disciples trained their martial arts.

On the training grounds, many were engaged in practice. They varied widely in appearance and age.

The youngest appeared to be around twelve, while the eldest seemed to be in their mid-twenties.

"Ha! Ha!"

Their faces were slick with sweat as they continuously shouted with exertion.

The outer disciples performing Crouching Tiger Fist—the most fundamental of Mount Hua's martial arts—were the ones training. And barking orders at them was a single figure.

"When you strike, you must channel your power with certainty. Like a crouching tiger springing forward, utilize every muscle in your body to its fullest!"

"Yes!"

At his thunderous roar, the disciples answered in unison.

"Transition from Crouching Tiger Exits Cave to Great Tiger Enters World!"

"Yes!"

As they answered, the outer disciples' movements shifted. Like a tiger emerging from its cave and leaping into the world, their technique exuded a fierce, savage momentum.

Dam Ho stopped for a time and watched them train.

The instructor leading the outer disciples was Jin-gyeong, a First Generation Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect and a renowned master of Plum Blossom Fist.

Under normal circumstances he was a pleasant man, but when teaching martial arts he became a cold-blooded figure without mercy or sentiment—which was why the outer disciples called him the "Venomous Heart Asura," a title they did not appreciate.

In the midst of instructing the outer disciples, Jin-gyeong suddenly waved in Dam Ho's direction.

"Junior Brother Cheong-gyeong."

The fierce aura the man had radiated moments ago vanished without a trace, replaced by a kindly smile. Dam Ho shook his head slightly.

Cheong-gyeong—that was the Taoist name he had been given by the Mount Hua Sect.

It had been three years since he received the name, but he still was not accustomed to it. It felt like wearing someone else's clothes—uncomfortable and ill-fitting.

But Dam Ho concealed his feelings and approached Jin-gyeong.

"What brings you here? Have you come to visit this Senior Brother?"

"I was on my way to Spirit Treasure Palace."

"Spirit Treasure Palace?"

A gleam of interest flickered in Jin-gyeong's eyes.

Spirit Treasure Palace was where the Mount Hua Sect's martial arts texts were preserved. It was one of the sect's most important sites, guarded with strict vigilance, and access was limited to those who met rigorous qualifications.

Outer disciples were naturally forbidden entry, and among Main Mountain Disciples, only First Generation Disciples and above were permitted.

Though Dam Ho was the youngest of Jin-gyeong's generation, he was nonetheless a First Generation Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. He was, therefore, allowed entry. But in truth, Spirit Treasure Palace did not contain many useful martial arts texts. Most of its holdings were Taoist scriptures.

The true supreme arts of the Mount Hua Sect could not be learned from books. The experience and enlightenment that could not be conveyed through a few lines of writing could only be passed down through direct instruction.

The reason the Mount Hua Sect—one of the Nine Great Sects, once at the height of its glory—had declined so drastically was that it had lost, in one catastrophic blow, all the senior masters capable of transmitting such knowledge.

The Mount Hua Sect of today was slowly recovering its former stature, but it still fell far short of its golden age. There was a severe shortage of masters who could provide proper instruction.

Above all, the one who had taken Dam Ho as a disciple—Sage Hyeon-so—for some reason did not practice martial arts. He was the only Scholar Taoist in all of Mount Hua.

When he had announced his intention to take Dam Ho as a disciple, everyone had opposed him—for precisely this reason.

What the Mount Hua Sect needed now were powerful martial artists. A Scholar Taoist who studied scriptures and texts could hardly be expected to pass down proper martial arts.

Moreover, the other Elders had no energy to spare for Sage Hyeon-so's disciple. And Dam Ho, besides, carried a fatal flaw that made learning martial arts all but impossible.

Sage Hyeon-so had defied all opposition and accepted Dam Ho as his disciple. Thanks to Sage Hyeon-so's seniority as an Elder, Dam Ho had become a Main Mountain Disciple—but paradoxically, this also became a major obstacle to receiving martial arts instruction. The Elders who had opposed his acceptance were reluctant to teach him.

"You work hard indeed. If you keep at it, someday you will surely surpass your limits."

Jin-gyeong's gaze unconsciously drifted toward Dam Ho's left leg.

A fatal flaw for a martial artist. Every disciple of the Mount Hua Sect knew this truth.

Though his words were kind, Jin-gyeong did not truly believe Dam Ho could overcome his limitation. Mount Hua's martial arts were simply not gentle enough for a cripple to master.

Dam Ho read the pity in Jin-gyeong's eyes. But he merely bowed his head, as though nothing were amiss.

"I shall be going to Spirit Treasure Palace now."

"Very well. Take care."

Dam Ho passed Jin-gyeong and headed toward the rear of Peace Palace.

"That cripple is a First Generation Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect?"

"With a body like that, can he even properly execute a single technique?"

The outer disciples muttered among themselves as they watched his retreating figure.

"Who among you dares to chatter during training?!"

At Jin-gyeong's thunderous roar, the outer disciples clamped their mouths shut like clams. But their words had already reached Dam Ho's ears.

Still, Dam Ho did not stop walking. He had heard such things countless times before and was accustomed to such stares. His heart was not so weak as to be shaken by something so petty.

Passing beyond Peace Palace, he arrived at Spirit Treasure Palace.

Though it appeared unremarkable from the outside, the entrance to Spirit Treasure Palace was fitted with a subtle mechanism. Unless the guards who protected it disengaged the mechanism, no one could approach.

The Palace Master was Sage Hyeon-mu, Sage Hyeon-so's senior brother and one of the Mount Hua Sect's Elders. The guards protecting Spirit Treasure Palace were First and Second Generation Disciples who had received Sage Hyeon-mu's instruction.

Jong-gyeong, a First Generation Disciple, recognized Dam Ho.

"You are here again today."

"Senior Brother."

"You wish to enter Spirit Treasure Palace?"

"Yes!"

"You are quite dedicated. Go ahead."

"Thank you."

Dam Ho bowed and entered Spirit Treasure Palace. Jong-gyeong personally disengaged the mechanism.

Inside, shelves lined with texts stretched in orderly rows. Not only were the Mount Hua Sect's martial arts recorded here, but a wide variety of other texts as well.

Though Spirit Treasure Palace was completely sealed from the outside world, a faint light entered from somewhere, making it possible to read without difficulty.

Dam Ho's fingers traced along the spines of the texts on the shelves. Though Spirit Treasure Palace was said to contain every martial arts text of the Mount Hua Sect, the collection was smaller than one might expect. A great calamity decades ago had destroyed a significant portion.

He had visited this place countless times over the years. So much so that he could identify which text was shelved where with his eyes closed.

Tap!

His finger caught on an old, worn volume. Without hesitation, Dam Ho pulled it from the shelf.

Bamboo Leaf Technique.

That was what was written on the weathered cover.

The Bamboo Leaf Technique was one of the most fundamental hand techniques of the Mount Hua Sect, alongside Crouching Tiger Fist and Six Harmonies Fist. It was therefore typically taught to outer disciples. It was not a technique a First Generation Disciple like Dam Ho was expected to learn. Yet Dam Ho could not tear his eyes from the text.

The Bamboo Leaf Technique consisted of three major forms.

Bamboo Leaf Sky Break.

Flying Leaf Thousand Miles.

Leaf Piercing Sun.

Despite their grandiose names, each form was simple and efficient.

Dam Ho kept his eyes fixed on the text and, with his free hand, began to trace the movements of the Bamboo Leaf Technique.

Shhhk!

A continuous sequence of thrusting, sweeping, flicking, and pulling movements flowed without pause. The air in Spirit Treasure Palace rippled with Dam Ho's motion.

Dam Ho executed the Bamboo Leaf Technique freely even within the narrow confines of the shelving. After completing the forms from beginning to end, he returned his gaze to the text and fell into thought.

'The Bamboo Leaf Technique is certainly swift. But because it lacks weight, it cannot produce real power until one reaches a certain level of mastery.'

Of course, upon reaching true mastery, the Bamboo Leaf Technique could deliver a blow as devastating as a sledgehammer. It was said that in the old days, there were Taoists of the Mount Hua Sect who could split a massive boulder in two using nothing but the Bamboo Leaf Technique.

But those were tales of the past. The current disciples of the Mount Hua Sect regarded the Bamboo Leaf Technique as nothing more than a passing exercise and never bothered to master it deeply.

Had Dam Ho's legs been normal, he would not have fixated on the Bamboo Leaf Technique either. It was one of the few Mount Hua techniques that required no separate footwork.

For Dam Ho, who could not learn proper kicking or stepping techniques, it was the optimal martial art.

With fierce intensity, Dam Ho delved into the forms and principles he had already engraved upon his mind. Even in the dim light, his eyes blazed with a fierce, cold fire.

Even this—that was how much his gaze had mellowed. When he had first come to Mount Hua, his eyes had been filled with nothing but venom. His malice had been so potent that even the Elders of the Mount Hua Sect had shaken their heads in dismay.

Five years had passed, and in that time Dam Ho had grown older. His eyes had become incomparably calmer than before. And so people believed he had softened.

But that was their mistake. Dam Ho had never softened. He had merely developed enough patience to conceal the look in his eyes.

Dam Ho felt the beast that slumbered within him.

A creature of limitless ferocity and cruelty shared his breath, waiting for the day Dam Ho would unleash it.

Dam Ho suppressed the beast within and pulled out another text.

Crouching Tiger Fist.

This was the fist technique that the outer disciples in Peace Palace's training grounds were currently practicing. One of the fundamental martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect, it shared the Bamboo Leaf Technique's simplicity of form and tremendous power.

Dam Ho held the text in one hand and executed Crouching Tiger Fist with the other.

Wham!

Even without channeling internal energy, his punch split the air with a sharp report.

It was a fast, concise strike with considerable weight behind it.

Crouching Tiger Fist was one of the martial arts that had existed since the very founding of the Mount Hua Sect. When the sect had first established itself on Mount Hua in the distant past, Crouching Tiger Fist had already been there, accompanying the sect through its entire history.

But as the centuries passed, supreme techniques far surpassing Crouching Tiger Fist had been created in such numbers that they could not be counted.

In the end, like the Bamboo Leaf Technique, Crouching Tiger Fist had fallen to the status of a basic exercise practiced only by outer disciples. Everyone regarded it as nothing more than a stepping stone to higher martial arts and never bothered to master it deeply. Not even the Elders of the Mount Hua Sect.

But Dam Ho delved into Crouching Tiger Fist with relentless persistence. The deeper his understanding grew, the more a single question nagged at him.

'The Carefree Heart Method is not a suitable inner energy technique for Crouching Tiger Fist.'

The Carefree Heart Method was the foundational inner energy technique practiced alongside the Bamboo Leaf Technique, Crouching Tiger Fist, and Six Harmonies Fist. Outer disciples first learned the Carefree Heart Method before they could begin studying Crouching Tiger Fist and the others.

The Carefree Heart Method was indeed an excellent inner energy technique. It was quite stable and easily accommodated higher-level heart methods.

Because of this, it was suitable for disciples with limited attainment or beginners—but it did not harmonize well with Crouching Tiger Fist or the Bamboo Leaf Technique.

'Why is that?'

Everyone learned the Carefree Heart Method first, and then naturally progressed to the Bamboo Leaf Technique and Crouching Tiger Fist. But Dam Ho harbored a doubt.

The question that had begun nagging at him some time ago had been growing ever larger, like a rolling snowball.

Dam Ho lost himself in Crouching Tiger Fist, forgetting the passage of time.

Though countless questions filled his mind, his hands moved with razor-sharp precision as he executed the technique.

Dam Ho's time flowed on in that way, endlessly.