Chapter 191
The Murim Alliance elder earnestly asked Jin Yeon to take on a disciple, but Jin Yeon, feeling burdened, kept saying he would think it over. Suddenly, Namgung Cheon came charging over with a snickering laugh.
“Huh….”
It seemed Namgung Cheon had been talking with the child, but after being insulted, he challenged the child to a duel. But how could a pure and pitiful child who didn’t even know his name suddenly insult him? Jin Yeon was so dumbfounded he let out a dry laugh. He figured it was a scheme by Namgung Tae. The Namgung Clan was known for instilling a sense of superiority in their children. So he tried to stop it, asking what they were doing to a child who had just picked up a sword for the first time today. But—
-Haha. Let’s just watch. Cheon will go easy on him. Only enough to avenge the insult.
The irritating old man chuckled slyly.
-Please, Elder, stop him.
-Watch for a while, and if it gets too rough, you can stop it yourself. It seems the other side has no intention of letting this slide. For the sake of their pride. Tsk. That’s what those great clans are like.
There was no choice. Upon checking, it turned out the child had indeed asked, in a way, whether it was his first time. Whether intended as an insult or not, the child admitted saying it, so they couldn’t stop the other side from forcing the duel. And so the spar began.
-Child, you must be careful.
-Yes!
-If it hurts even a little, shout as loudly as you can. Remember, this is not a fair duel.
-Yes!
-Sigh. I’m sorry to you, who are just taking your first steps. The child you’ll be facing has been training in the sword for several years now.
-What? Really?
-Th-… No, never mind. He is a beginner. So just do your best.
-Yes!
The duel was bizarre.
“Th-this… Our Cheon has nearly mastered the Daeyeon Sword Art…”
“Huh… Did he really pick that up on the way here? Not a prodigy of Huashan? Where exactly did that courage come from?”
“Cheon! What are you doing! Can’t you do it properly!”
“Elder Namgung, it seems you can’t accept what’s happening right before your eyes. Khahahaha!”
“Elder, I think you’re laughing a bit too loudly.”
“Hahahaha! A once-in-a-generation genius of the Namgung Clan, losing to a child who held a sword for the first time today! Hahahaha!”
The elder of Wudang laughed so heartily it felt like the mountains might shake.
The Nine Great Sects and One Gang—nine martial sects and the Beggars’ Gang. The Five Great Clans—the five strongest clans under heaven. These sects formed the two massive pillars that upheld the righteous faction, with Shaolin Temple as the head of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, and the Namgung Clan as the head of the Five Great Clans. Because of this, the Namgung Clan had a tendency to look down on the Wudang Sect. They acknowledged Shaolin, but not Wudang. So, feelings were not particularly good.
“Hahahaha! That child is using almost nothing but downward strikes from the Six Harmony Sword! It’s clear he knows next to no other sword techniques, yet he’s breaking Namgung’s sword art with perfect timing using only Six Harmony. Are you sure that’s the Daeyeon Sword Art that was supposedly near mastery?”
“Elder… maybe you should stop?”
Jin Yeon whispered softly, but it was no use.
“It seems he was still far from mastery after all. Hahahaha!”
“Keuk… Cheon, stop!”
During the duel, Namgung Cheon had allowed himself a few openings, but the child didn’t get hit even once. On the contrary, he seemed to be having a light, enjoyable time. He smiled as if relishing each moment of observing and countering his opponent’s sword. That child was different. This fact was clear to everyone—the Wudang elder laughing uproariously, the Namgung elder whose clan’s prodigy was being utterly overpowered, and Jin Yeon, who was simply dumbfounded. It was a level of movement and insight that a child who had just begun martial arts should never be able to display.
After that, Namgung Tae left the training grounds with Namgung Cheon and Namgung Hwang. There was no apology. The prodigy of the Namgung Clan even had tears of frustration brimming in his eyes. When they disappeared, the child walked over to where the others stood.
“I did my best!”
The elder beside him bowed slightly.
“Yes, you did very well. Is it true you’ve never held a sword before?”
Since this elder had visited several times to persuade Jin Yeon, the child knew his face.
“Yes.”
“They also say you have no other memories. Let me see your hands for a moment.”
After checking his hands, the elder told him to go back and rest.
“Jin Yeon! How did he do it!”
Jin Yeon left behind the sight of Hyunwoon jumping around in excitement and wore a complicated expression.
“Black Sword Demon. No, the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. If he had held a sword for the first time, would it have been like that? What do you think? There wasn’t a single trace of martial arts training on the child’s hands.”
“Are you saying that child has a talent comparable to the Black Sword Demon?”
“Yes. Or perhaps even more. Didn’t you see the level? Namgung Cheon was clearly outstanding. It was no wonder he’s called a prodigy in the Namgung Clan. But that nameless child beat him.”
If no one had told them who was the beginner and who was the prodigy, anyone watching would have been completely mistaken.
“Haha… This is making my head spin.”
“Because of what? The child’s overwhelming talent? Or because we don’t know his past?”
“Both worry me a little. I’m still not sure if I’m seeing this right. Toying with a child who trained for years using only basic techniques.”
Could this even be explained by talent? Ah. So that’s why he brought up the Black Sword Demon.
“So, what do you plan to do?”
“I’m not sure yet, but one thing is clear.”
“What is it?”
Jin Yeon turned back around, clasped his hands behind him, and gazed at the child.
“The fact that I, and Huashan, will take responsibility for that child. Since I made that promise.”
“That’s admirable, ke ke ke. But Huashan will have a hard time.”
“Excuse me?”
The elder’s voice dropped low.
“Surely you don’t think Namgung Tae will just sit back quietly?”
“You mean he’ll retaliate?”
“No, he’ll do something even more troublesome.”
“What is it?”
“He’ll spread rumors. That the Namgung Clan’s prodigy was beaten by a child who just picked up a sword.”
“What? Surely not… He’d spread the rumors himself? If that happens, Namgung Cheon…”
“Don’t forget that child has no affiliation right now. Even if a child selected from Huashan showed monstrous talent, there’s no telling what might happen. But that child is just someone you picked up on the way, isn’t he?”
“Ah…”
“Coercion, kidnapping, threats, or even murder. There are countless ways to crush or steal a budding talent from another sect. But from Namgung Tae’s perspective, to pull anything off, he’d have to kill both you and me on your way back to Huashan.”
“That would be difficult. Even if they could get rid of me, the elder will remain in the Alliance.”
“Exactly.”
They were the righteous faction. So they didn’t act recklessly in public. But behind the scenes, there were power struggles no less vicious than those of the evil sects or the Demonic Cult. All to bring their sects to greater heights. Jin Yeon knew this all too well.
“The reason people like that heavy-bottomed Namgung Tae gathered here. They gathered because they expect their disciples to be taught by numerous masters, to stand tall, and to become the great adversary of the Heavenly Demon, a hero of the righteous faction. The Black Sword Demon was barely past his coming of age as the Young Cult Leader, so the elders decided to pool their efforts and raise a talent from any sect? You know full well that’s not how it really is, right?”
“Of course.”
“But we, and Namgung Tae, just witnessed it. Talent destined to rise to a position like that of the Young Cult Leader in Murim history can be recognized instantly. Their disciples are all prodigies, but none of them can become monsters that defy common sense. You can tell from the very moment they grip the sword.”
At this point, he truly became curious. What was it like when the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult first held a sword? And what kind of world does that child see?
“In any case, Namgung Tae will spread rumors. If he tries to block it on his own, he’ll be singled out, and there’s no way to know how you and I might react. But if he makes it bigger? Even if kidnapping is impossible, preventing him from entering Huashan is doable. Once that’s blocked, the next steps become much easier. By tomorrow the rumors will spread, and the day after, the people gathered here will be knocking on your door to confirm the truth. And then what?”
It’s obvious what follows.
“Yes. Now do you see what you need to worry about?”
“Yes. How to safely escape to Huashan, right?”
“Hahaha. No. There’s a way, isn’t there? I think you’ve already thought of it.”
“But then, that child won’t be able to enter Huashan for the rest of his life. No, he’ll live without any affiliation at all.”
“Even so, as long as you become his master, it’ll be fine.”
“Still, a martial artist without a sect…”
“Don’t worry. With talent like that, are you afraid he’ll be looked down upon? Yes. If he joins the training hall and learns martial arts from many masters, they’ll later use that as an excuse to block his entry into Huashan.”
“…”
“Jin Yeon. Do you want Huashan to gain a peerless master and become the greatest sect under heaven?”
“Yes… But not at the risk of that child’s life. I just wanted to take him there because Huashan is a good place.”
“Then take him later. It doesn’t have to be as a Daoist of Huashan. As long as that child remains your disciple.”
“Sigh. I thought I’d be his grandmaster, but instead I’ll become his master. And Hyunwoon will gain a junior disciple, not a nephew. Very well. I’ll take on the role of a master in the newly formed training hall. And the child will enter that hall just as he is now.”
“Hahaha. Then even when the rumors spread, you’ll have nothing to worry about. Rather, since he has no faction, as long as the child doesn’t do anything foolish, they’ll be the ones walking on eggshells. They’ll want to leave a good impression on the future greatest martial artist. That’s a good thing. Absolutely.”
The elder laughed as he looked at the sky.
“Are you happy because it seems that child might be able to stop the Young Cult Leader?”
“No. I’m happy that Huashan won’t be getting any stronger.”
Hahaha.
At the sound of their laughter, the child stopped swinging his sword, turned to look at them, and smiled bashfully. It seemed he was truly delighted just to hold a sword.
“Elder. If Namgung Tae doesn’t spread the rumor, were you planning to do it yourself?”
“Hehehe. That’s hard to say.”
* * *
After silently retracing his memories for a moment, Seojun answered.
“Yes.”
Confidently.
‘Namgung whatever. I found out later, but he was actually quite talented.’
At first, I really thought he was a complete beginner. Anyway, he was good from the moment he first held a sword. Truly. No, even before he held it. So I’m confident.
“Really from the very beginning?”
“Yes. Can you imagine me being bad at something?”
He couldn’t imagine it.
‘Anyway…’
A nostalgic smile crept onto Seojun’s lips. In stark contrast to his teammates, who looked like they’d tasted something foul.
‘In the end, I never got to see it.’
Jin Yeon died young without ever taking him to Huashan. After that, he deliberately never went.
-Child, once you see the plum blossoms in full bloom on Huashan, you’ll surely love it.
That one sentence, heard endlessly while learning the language.
‘Would I have loved it?’
Now, it’s something he’ll never know. Well. The past is just the past.
“Anyway, everyone? Shouldn’t we eat quickly?”
“Seojun-nim, can’t we take it easy even during meals…!”
“Give us at least one hour for lunch! One hour!”