Rustle, rustle!

A man, appearing to be around 25 years old, emerges from a bush.

"Phew! They almost got me."

"Maybe I should have gone easier on the Young Master of the Baek clan. His guards chased me throughout the entire Ryugan region."

"I almost forgot."

I rummage through my pockets and pull out a peculiar object.

"At least I got this."

The item in my hand is a whetstone—not just any whetstone, but one made from Crystal Jade, used to sharpen legendary swords such as Demon's Bane.

"See, buddy? Told you I'd get an amazing whetstone just for you."

Some think of me as a lunatic for talking to my sword, but ironically, talking to it is the rope that keeps me from falling into lunacy.

With that thought, I tense up.

"Anyways, we'd better get out of here before anyone finds us."

I overlay my feet with Gang Qi and begin employing the third move of the Plum Blossom Bloom technique.

Third Move: Blurry Soil.

I start moving, mimicking a burrowed Plum Blossom seed in the ground. This method of movement conceals my location, making me appear as a blur to the ordinary eye.

It works by diverting spiritual energy away from my location, making me seem like a blur to my surroundings. This technique also works against divine sense, which is why I, a martial artist, can combat cultivators.

Talking to my sword because of the whetstone also makes me reminisce about when I first found it. A fond memory embedded deep in my soul.

'Though I did almost meet an untimely demise back then... So, mostly fond.'

In a dense forest, near the border of Gyunan.

It was during my youth as a scholar. I was traveling in a carriage to the Imperial exams in Gyushan City, in the Gyunan continent.

"Hey, Mr. Fang, how long until we reach Gyushan City?"

"It'll take a few days at best, Mr. Yi Shan."

"I understand. Sorry to bother you aga—"

Zoom

I clasp my mouth shut as I feel something graze past my ear.

Neigh!

"Easy there, boy!"

While the driver was calming the horse, I turned to see what had just grazed my ear.

"What is that?"

I squint, trying to see a sword stabbed into the ground.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

'A sword? Is this a bandit attack?'

I immediately go on high alert, scanning the area for approaching bandits.

"Hey, Mr. Fang, be on guard."

"Huh? Oh, understood, sir."

I look around anxiously, but to my surprise, no one approaches.

After two tense minutes, I finally relax and look over at the sword near our carriage.

"What is that sword?"

"Mr. Fang, wait here. I'll be back."

I step out of the carriage and move toward the sword's location when, all of a sudden—

Slip

'Huh? Why am I floating?'

Unbeknownst to me, I was not floating but tumbling toward the ground, face-first.

Bang

"Ouch, that hurt."

As I dust off my face, the merchant calls out to me.

"Sir Yi Shan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a slip-up."

Coughing dryly, I approach the sword and almost can't believe my eyes.

I see a pristine sword stabbed into the ground, its hilt adorned with multiple depictions of a sea dragon. The metal of the blade seems to be a rare mineral, though the front of the sword is buried in the ground.

I stare in awe at its beauty before finally coming to my senses and deciding to pull it out.

I grab the hilt and start pulling.

"Argh! Why is this sword stuck so deep in the ground?"

After a dozen more attempts, I finally manage to pull it out.

Slash!

The sound of air being cut is heard as I finally free the sword.

"That was quite a bit of work. I'm never doing that again."

I examine the sword thoroughly and quickly discover that it's completely intact, without a single crack.

'This sword moved with incredible speed and hit the ground with a velocity that couldn't be followed by the eye. Could it be a great weapon, like those used by martial artists?'

I had intended to live the quiet life of a scholar, but deep in my heart, I always desired to be a martial artist.

'This might be the perfect chance to practice without Mom and Dad nagging me to study.'

"I'll keep it. Oooh, I should also buy a martial arts manual to learn some techniques now that I have a cool sword."

'I might need to spend all the pocket money my parents gave me, but it'll be worth it. I'll just go a month without meat.'

In my sudden excitement, the driver calls out to me.

"Mr. Yi, are you done?"

"Yes, I'm coming."

Back to the present.

"To think such a coincidence could lead us to today, right buddy?"

Step, step.

I move as fast as I can through the dense woods.

I step on a leaf, but there is no crunching sound.

My mastery of movement has reached a point where I can move at full speed without stepping on a single leaf.

Ever since the fight with the Six-Eared Monkey, I've learned to be as quiet as possible with my movements.

The technique works by jumping on Gang Qi in my feet, which I aim precisely to avoid cutting down anything.

Essentially, it's a form of hovering, using the force from the Gang Qi to propel myself.

'This isn't enough. The Qi Condensation elders are twice as fast as this.'

'Faster! I need to go faster.'

I employ a Gang Sphere in my hand and increase my speed.

I repeat this five times, infusing all the energy into myself to gain a fivefold increase in speed.

I pass through half the forest in the span of five minutes.

While passing, I feel an intense unease.

'I escaped their surveillance already. Why do I still feel uneasy?'

I ponder for a moment before deciding to bury the unease deep within my heart.

'Now is not the time to think about this. I need to get as far as possible before the Baek clan elders find me.'

Step, step, step.

'Why is the uneasiness still here? I'm almost out of the forest.'

I take another step when suddenly—

Boom!

An explosion towers over the trees behind me, and I plummet onto the dirt.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest vicinity:

"Baek Meng, any clue where that bastard ran off to?" asked a burly man with bulging veins on his muscles.

"None yet. He should run into the formations we set near the forest," replied Baek Meng, holding a Feng Shui compass and with a sword dangling from his robe.

Off to the side sat a young man on a boulder—the Young Master of the Baek clan, Baek Wu.

"Uncle Meng, we better not let that demon get away this time."

"Don't worry, we'll get it back. As for your punishment, that will be decided once we return to the clan."

As soon as Baek Meng said that, a shiver ran down Baek Wu's spine.

'I should never have listened to that demon. He beat me up and even stole our clan's ancestral whetstone.'

While Baek Wu was lost in thought, a beep rang out from the compass in Baek Meng's hand.

"Found you."

"Let's go," Baek Meng shouted.

A vicious smile appeared on Baek Wu's face as he began moving at top speed towards Yi Shan's location.

'I won't let you escape this time. It doesn't matter what flimsy bet we made; I, as the Young Master of the Baek Clan, don't need to pander to a mere martial artist.'

Chapter 1: Plum Blossom Bloom (1)