Chapter 189
At dawn, as the sun rose.
“Master, what about that child?”
At the entrance of the inn, led by the hand of the middle-aged man, a young Taoist who seemed barely in his prime was waiting.
The sleeves and sword of that Taoist were engraved with a plum blossom pattern.
Anyone familiar with the martial world would recognize his affiliation at a glance.
“Ah, he is a child I found while cleaning up.”
The young Taoist stared intently at his master.
The middle-aged Taoist wore a benevolent smile.
The young Taoist found it faintly frightening that his master called the act of taking a life ‘cleaning up’, but soon nodded.
His master was strict only with bad people.
But even so, he wasn't one to speak that way about merchants smuggling salt.
Thus, it must be that he was angered because of the child.
“You saved him, Master. Were there no other children?”
“There were none. And it seems this child wasn't meant to be sold there either. Among the cargo, humans were only this one.”
“Then?”
“I don't know. However, since the authorities seemed to think they only needed to catch the salt black market, I brought the child with me.”
“You did well. So what do you intend to do with the child?”
“I said I would take him home, but he won't speak. Though he doesn't seem frightened, huhu.”
“Indeed, the child's eyes are clear and bright. Though his eyes are slightly drooping as if tired.”
The two Taoists smiled wryly as they looked at the child.
“Master, could the child be from a foreign land?”
“That might be.”
“Then what do we do?”
The middle-aged man had said he would take the child home, but he knew all too well that most children being sold had no home to return to.
On top of that, if he came from a foreign land, the possibility rose even higher.
The only group that would do such a thing in the vicinity was the Japanese pirates, and he had heard plenty about their methods.
“Let’s go inside first. The child's eyelids look heavy.”
“Yes.”
The two Taoists entered the inn.
After laying the child down to sleep, they left the room and sat at the table.
The middle-aged man ordered food and drink, then spoke.
“It seems I'll have to teach him to speak first. You're going to have to work a bit.”
“Ah, Master! I don’t have time!”
“There is plenty of time.”
“We'll reach the Murim Alliance in half a month, won't we? I need to prepare too.”
The young Taoist, while seated, stretched his upper body broadly. His eyes brimmed with anticipation and excitement.
It wasn’t the flutter he felt from going to the Murim Alliance for the first time.
The middle-aged man, knowing even that emotion and its reason, asked teasingly.
“Prepare? What do you mean, prepare?”
“Ah, really. Master, you know full well. I have to raise Hwasan's name there to be able to face my senior brother.”
“What about your senior brother?”
“No matter how talented I am, I know I'm beneath my senior brother.”
“Huh, calling yourself talented with your own mouth. Truly remarkable.”
Nevertheless, he was talented.
The young Taoist's age was the youngest among his rank of disciples.
He was a second-generation disciple, but he was young enough to fit in as a third-generation disciple, one rank below.
The age of the disciple before the middle-aged man's eyes was eighteen.
The oldest among the third-generation disciples was sixteen.
The average age of the second-generation disciples was twenty-four.
And among them, he was second in skill.
“Still, thanks to my senior brother's concession, I get to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering where all the rising talents of the world gather!”
“Right.”
His confidence might be first-place.
“Don’t I have to win there? That is my goal!”
He declared resolutely.
Like a manly man proclaiming his aspirations to the world.
But that didn't change anything.
“So what does that have to do with teaching him to speak?”
“Sigh, I understand. But the words I can teach in at most half a month are only things like moon, butterfly, sun, and such. At least if he were ten years old, maybe.”
“That's enough.”
“Haha. Your disciple is about to go to the largest tournament in the martial world, and you won't even give me some teaching...?”
“Quiet.”
The middle-aged man brought the wine cup to his lips, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.
“A Taoist drinking wine!”
The young Taoist cried out playfully.
“The sect leader drinks it from time to time too.”
But he immediately tucked his tail at the master's prompt trump card.
“Ugh, my apologies. But then... Will you take the child to Hwasan?”
If there is no place to return.
“I suppose I must.”
* * *
“Huhuhu. Master! This child is a genius, a genius! He's already understanding words faintly!”
“Is he?”
“Yes! Look at this. Do you want some candy?”
The young Taoist dangled a candy he had just bought at the market in front of the child.
Then the child nodded.
The young Taoist handed the candy to the child.
The middle-aged man, stroking the child's head and observing the sight, sighed as if dumbfounded.
“……Isn’t that because you shook the candy?”
“No, Master. When we talk, I feel like he understands something. From nodding his head to looking into my eyes.”
“Really?”
The middle-aged man smiled.
“Yes.”
“Truly?”
He still didn't lose his smile.
“Yes.”
“It's only been a day since you started teaching him. Tell this master what on earth you taught that made the child understand faintly in just a day.”
“…….”
“Tsk. Did you dislike teaching the child that much?”
He was a disciple not even in his prime. Such small rebellion was only cute.
Of course, he kept in mind the possibility it was true.
“……No. If I had, would I have bought candy like this? Hehe.”
“Alright. So you're saying he truly seems to understand?”
“Yes.”
“Hm. That could be possible.”
“What is?”
Indeed, the child now seemed to be listening intently to their conversation, trying to follow along.
His eyes followed their lips back and forth.
“Could be aphasia from shock.”
“Huh. Then what should we do?”
“But he might not fully understand our speech, so he might indeed be a foreign child. Then, did he keep trying to understand while he was held captive? I don't know how long he was held, but his senses seem excellent, so if we start teaching him properly, he might learn everything quickly.”
“Were you just reproaching me, Master?”
The young Taoist was quite perceptive.
“Yes, I was.”
The middle-aged man nodded.
* * *
The two Taoists continuously spoke to the child on their way to the Murim Alliance.
The child also seemed to be trying to grasp the meaning of their words somehow.
“Hm, the more I look, the smarter he seems.”
“If he comes to Hwasan, he'll become my junior nephew, right?”
“Yes. Finally, instead of a child two years younger, you'll get to hear ‘Uncle-Master’ from a child about ten years younger. Hahaha.”
After half a month, they arrived at the Murim Alliance.
“So many people!”
“They must all have come to watch the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Follow me.”
At the entrance of the Murim Alliance, the middle-aged man showed his identification plaque to a warrior.
“I greet the Maeseon Sword Immortal.”
He led the child and his disciple inside the building.
“Master.”
“What.”
“Are we staying here?”
“Indeed.”
“For the duration of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”
“We might stay longer than that.”
“Oh oh! This makes me feel more and more sorry for my senior brothers.”
“Now, while it's interesting, enjoy watching as much as you want. Once you get used to it, nothing will seem fun anymore.”
On the way to their destination, the middle-aged man exchanged greetings with several people.
“Isn't it Great Hero Jin Yeon? Pleased to see you. The children behind you must be disciples of Hwasan, I see.”
“Thank you for last time.”
“It's been a while.”
Jin Yeon, the 38-year-old first-generation disciple of the Hwasan Sect.
Former deputy commander of the Murim Alliance’s White Tiger Unit.
That was the identity of the middle-aged Taoist.
He guided the children to their assigned room through prior correspondence, then came out alone.
“Ah.”
Outside the door, someone was waiting for him.
“I greet the elder of Wudang.”
Jin Yeon immediately showed respect.
“That's enough. And aren't we inside the Alliance now? Call me an elder of the Alliance.”
“Yes, Elder.”
“Let's have a brief talk.”
“Understood.”
The two entered an empty room with no one around.
“Do you know why I called you this time?”
“I do not.”
“Did the sect leader of Hwasan not explain it to you?”
“No.”
“I see. Well, it's understandable. It's top secret. But you heard you might have to stay a long while, didn't you?”
“I heard. Is it related to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”
“Well... It's not quite that. More precisely, the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is related to this.”
“Is that so.”
The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew heavy.
The elder let out a deep sigh and looked at Jin Yeon.
“Do you know the Black Sword Demon?”
“I've heard of him. Isn't he a martial artist of unknown identity carrying a black sword?”
“Then you must also know the Black Sword Demon's activities.”
“Yes. I heard that since two years ago, he's been quietly visiting sects, requesting duels unpredictably. To those curious about his identity, he set the condition of victory in the duel. And because his identity remains unknown despite dueling with elders of various sects, the epithet Sword Demon was attached, or so I understand.”
“Correct. And though it wasn't widely known, he came to the major sects and great families as well. Mount Huang, the Songshan Sect, Shaolin, the Namgoong, Paeng, and Moyong families. He kept appearing and disappearing, and eventually came all the way to Wudang.”
“I see.”
“And the Martial Emperor went out to meet him.”
“The Great Ultimate Martial Emperor did?”
Jin Yeon expressed surprise at the words that Wudang's greatest master had stepped into a duel.
“There was a request from the Murim Alliance to confirm his identity, and as soon as the Martial Emperor saw him, he said he must go personally.”
“Did they uncover his identity?”
Jin Yeon naturally predicted the Martial Emperor's victory.
“Yes. With an attitude as if it didn't matter, he casually revealed his face. But that identity was shocking.”
“Who was it?”
“The Young Cult Leader of the Demon Cult.”
Jin Yeon's eyes widened.
The Demon Cult.
No matter how many decades of peace had passed between the orthodox martial world and the Demon Cult, a figure from the Demon Cult, especially the Young Cult Leader, going on a dueling tour. It was an eccentric act.
But what was more astonishing.
“I knew the Young Cult Leader had just barely passed his prime.”
Twenty years old.
Considering the time he appeared, it meant he came out as soon as he turned eighteen — the age of his own disciple — and defeated sect elders.
Was such a thing even plausible?
“Did the Young Cult Leader change?”
“No. The face he showed before us was indeed the face of the Young Cult Leader we knew. And the Martial Emperor said that in ten years, he wouldn't be able to handle him.”
Jin Yeon fell into deep shock.
Those were words the Great Ultimate Martial Emperor, one of the Five Great Masters of the world, should never say about a youth.
No matter how much he was the Young Cult Leader of the Demon Cult, talent had its limits.
“The next Heavenly Demon of the Demon Cult defeated elders of major sects at the age of his prime. In ten years, they say he'll be among the ranks of the Five Great Masters. Do you understand what this means?”
“The birth of an absolute master.”
“Yes. The balance of power will tip to one side. For the record, his lightness skill was quite outstanding. After revealing his identity, he sneered bitterly, saying he learned well, then vanished. Only the Martial Emperor saw that movement.”
Meaning, even eliminating the sprout in advance was impossible.
Silence settled in the room.
The elder gave Jin Yeon enough time to think, then opened his mouth.
“The disciple you brought from Hwasan this time, is he eighteen?”
“Yes.”
“The most outstanding child in Hwasan? What’s his name?”
“Hyeonun. And as for being the most outstanding...”
“Ah. I'll rephrase. This child Hyeonun, isn't he the one with the greatest talent? Like you?”
“That... Yes, that's true.”
“That’s fortunate. It seems the sect leader of Hwasan also takes this situation seriously.”
“Could you explain in more detail?”
“This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is merely a pretext. A pretext to gather promising children at the Alliance without drawing attention. After the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering ends, we've decided to form a squad composed of those children.”
“Ah.”
Using a tournament to identify outstanding talents from each sect and give them opportunities to shine was a common practice.
By now, he had already joined the White Tiger Group through that method.
“For your information, the group’s purpose is solely education. Outstanding children will be gathered and guided together by renowned orthodox masters.”
For the blossoming of their talents.
“Then what about external activities?”
“We’ll just falsify announcements as needed. Moreover, we decided to teach not only those nearing adulthood, but also young children with talent from each sect within the group. If we provide the best environment, the younger they are, the better they’ll absorb it and the higher they can rise.”
No one knew if the young leader of the demonic cult would wait for those children to grow up. No one knew if the children’s growth would catch up in time.
Even so, it was better than doing nothing.
“That’s true. No wonder I saw so many direct descendants from various clans arriving.”
“Indeed. Anyway, that’s why I’m asking: what about that young child who came with you? I heard the Huashan Sect Leader said the children of their third-generation disciples still show no promise of talent, so he couldn’t send any.”
“Ah...”
“Could it be that their talent blossomed late? If so, we must naturally accept them. Right now, every single child who holds even a possibility of standing against the next Heavenly Demon is precious to us.”
“That’s not the case.”
“Then?”
“He’s a child I happened to form a connection with and took in on the way here. As for his talent in martial arts...”
Hearing the story, Jin Yeon immediately grasped the whole situation.
The newly formed group could be seen as the greatest opportunity one could encounter in the martial world.
Renowned masters from each sect would teach, and the most outstanding geniuses would gather to study and compete together.
One could imagine how much deliberation the sect leaders and clan heads had put into selecting these talents.
Even more so for young children.
For talents so carefully chosen...
“He’ll probably fall short.”
He could tell without even checking.
“Then will you take him to Huashan?”
“Probably.”
He wasn’t certain.
“He hasn’t formally joined yet?”
“No. The child doesn’t even know the first character of martial arts.”
“In that case, it would be best not to bring that child to where the other children gather, at least until the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering ends. Children who learn martial arts early are bound to become arrogant. Especially those pampered within their clans as geniuses.”
“Haha. That’s how noble clans are.”
“Indeed. That’s exactly how noble clans are. Every single one of them has no manners. Tsk.”
It was fine. If he couldn’t even speak, what kind of interaction could there be?
* * *
The Elder also asked him to teach the children within the group. He replied that he would think about it for now and returned to his room.
He felt drained.
At first, he’d wondered if the young demonic cult leader going on a martial tour was insane, and then he wondered if he was insane for martial arts in a different sense.
‘Raising talents to stop him, huh.’
Since each faction was entrusting their future to this, renowned masters would surely gather in one place.
“Master! You’re back? He finally spoke! Hey, junior disciple! Quickly, tell Master the request you wanted to make earlier!”
“Oh, is that so?”
Jin Yeon first broke into a bright smile at the immediate good news and approached the child, who then opened his mouth at Hyeonun’s urging.
“Sword...? I want to see you swing it.”
He spoke a bit timidly, trailing off at the end.