Second-Rate Warrior Preparing to Soar (1)
“He’s insane. He’s insane. He’s really not in his right mind. How can a person do something this crazy?”
“Um… junior sister… still, the adults are here, and I am your senior brother…”
“Senior brother, my foot! Are you really sane? Or are you not? Grabbing a sword with your hand, of all things? If Great Hero Namgung San had pulled his sword away right there… Ugh…”
Saryeon trembled all over, then immediately began striking Jin Sowoon’s back over and over with her palm.
Seeing that, the elders and hall masters of the Taeul Sect let out faint laughs.
Of course, there were people who did not.
Jin Taesan and Hong Mungi.
Having witnessed his son’s insane act, Jin Taesan thundered.
“You foolish brat! Even in sparring with wooden swords, one does not grab the sword with one’s hand!”
The sinner merely kept his mouth shut.
On the other hand, the sect leader asked worriedly,
“Are you all right?”
“According to the physician, it is only a small wound.”
Because he had grabbed a sword wrapped in sword energy with his hand, the wound had torn messily and looked severe, but Jin Sowoon had also filled his left hand with energy, so he had not suffered a major injury.
“Ugh…”
When Saryeon checked the wound again with worry, Jin Sowoon added words to ease Saryeon’s concern.
“It was all based on precise calculation. Since the sword went all the way like this, and I grabbed it right before it came back…”
Smack!
Was one hit not enough to relieve her anger?
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
Saryeon’s palm repeatedly went back and forth between Jin Sowoon’s neck and back.
“What are you doing!”
“Try doing something reckless like this one more time! Then it won’t be Great Hero Namgung San’s sword, but my sword that cuts off Senior Brother’s hand! Got it?”
“…I got it.”
As if he still had something left to say, the sect leader opened his mouth once the surroundings quieted down.
“Why did you go that far?”
An emotion that was neither reproach nor praise rode in his voice.
At the point Namgung San used the Imperial Sword Art, Jin Sowoon had already won.
He was asking why, even so, Jin Sowoon had not backed down.
Jin Sowoon scratched the back of his head for a moment before speaking.
“He did not greet you, sect leader, or the others either.”
The elders and hall masters looked at one another and tilted their heads.
“It may only be that I felt that way, but it also seemed like he did not observe the courtesy of a guest.”
Hong Mungi’s face became bewildered.
“You risked your fingers over just that?”
“It is not… just that, is it?”
The faces of Hong Mungi, Jin Taesan, and the hall masters were filled with disappointment.
Winning against Namgung San in the sparring match was an achievement, but this could hardly be called a proper victory.
It had been a situation where he could have lost his fingers, no, his entire left hand.
Kang Chaeseok, who had been laughing heartily and saying it was nothing more than a small wound, flushed red and shouted.
“You crazy bastard. You brat! Even so, you risked a warrior’s hand over something like that!”
At that moment, Namgung San quietly entered.
Because of Kang Chaeseok’s thunderous voice, no one had noticed Namgung San entering.
“Was this a small matter?”
At the sight of Jin Sowoon talking back despite having done something worthy of scolding, the hall masters also gradually began to grow angry.
“The moment Namgung San used the Imperial Sword Art, it was already your victory! You could have won without losing anything! It was not something you needed to take this far!”
“The young junior brothers were watching, were they not?”
“…!”
“…!”
“!!!”
The elders and hall masters suddenly looked as if they had been struck by lightning.
“Even if my fingers were cut off, would the disciples not see my sword placed at the end of Senior Namgung’s neck and feel the possibility in the Taeul Sect’s martial arts? Would they not think, ‘I should try challenging the Namgung Family with my own sword,’ rather than, ‘If only I had been born as a child of the Namgung Family’?”
No one in the hall could make even the sound of breathing.
Hong Mungi and Jin Taesan looked at Jin Sowoon with complicated eyes.
The elders and hall masters looked up at the dusty ceiling and kept sighing, as if something was weighing on their chests.
Only Kang Chaeseok, grumbling, broke the frozen atmosphere.
“…They would have been horrified and tried to run away after seeing your fingers cut off.”
Jin Sowoon only answered with a faint smile.
“If even one out of a hundred thinks of that possibility, and because of that continues the spirit of the Taeul Sect, then I believe my fingers would have paid a sufficient price.”
“Krrhup!”
As if something had suddenly burst out of him, Kang Chaeseok deeply furrowed his brow, covered his face, and ran wildly out of the building.
People watched Kang Chaeseok like that, then saw Namgung San standing outside the door.
“Have you come?”
When Hong Mungi acknowledged him, Namgung San, who had been about to nod, soon gave a proper fist-and-palm salute.
“You young people must have something to discuss among yourselves.”
At Hong Mungi’s words, Jin Taesan, the elders, the hall masters, and even Saryeon rose from their seats.
On the way out this time, no one tried to speak to Namgung San or act in a way to impress him.
“…”
Namgung San silently placed down the heavenly silk, the wooden box, and the Seven-Colored Jewel.
Then he remained silent for a long while before opening his mouth.
“Losing to the Namgung Family is not something shameful.”
“Losing to the Taeul Sect is also not something shameful.”
“Was the Taeul Sect that kind of sect?”
“Is the pride of the Namgung Family based on powerful strength?”
“!!!”
“If the secret art of the Namgung Family is cut off and the Boundless Blue Sky Sword Art disappears, is losing to the Taeul Sect still not shameful?”
“…”
Namgung San’s face, which had always carried itself proudly, was filled with shame.
“We are the same. Just because we do not have powerful martial arts does not mean we have abandoned our pride.”
“…Fingers, was it? I had lost from the very beginning, starting with our resolve.”
Namgung San suddenly offered a respectful fist-and-palm salute.
“I hope you will forgive, with broad generosity, the rudeness I showed in the Taeul Sect these past days and the disgraceful behavior I showed before you, junior.”
Jin Sowoon also rose from his seat and returned a fist-and-palm salute with his bandaged hand.
“You showed good faith, and I have even received an apology, so I will forget the past. Please also forget the discourtesy this lacking junior has shown until now.”
Once their greetings ended, Jin Sowoon asked,
“Then what will you do about the entrance pass? Is there somewhere else you can obtain one?”
“Do you want to bet over the entrance pass again?”
“There is no way.”
Namgung San stared intently at Jin Sowoon with a somewhat meaningful expression.
“I do not think I need to worry. …For some reason, I feel things will work out well.”
“Pardon?”
#
Hong Mungi lifted the liquor bottle and tried to fill his empty cup.
Drip.
However, Kang Chaeseok, who was bawling beside him, had already emptied the entire bottle.
“…”
Hong Mungi could not bring himself to blame Kang Chaeseok, who had shamelessly emptied the liquor and was now crying, and merely turned the empty cup in his hand.
Jin Taesan, who had gone out to refill the liquor bottle Kang Chaeseok had emptied, returned carrying a liquor jar he had hidden tightly away and said,
“Why are you crying so pitifully?”
“Leave him be. His heart must be terribly troubled.”
As soon as the liquor bottle was filled, Hong Mungi filled his own cup to the brim.
“Hrk. Brother, are you not ashamed? A fellow not yet twenty thinks and acts like that for the Taeul Sect.”
Even while sobbing, Kang Chaeseok kept filling his cup.
“Not only the elders, but even the hall masters each showed their faces at Namgung San’s quarters once. When I heard what Sowoon said, I felt ashamed myself.”
“I told you to stop!”
Jin Taesan tried hard to stop him, but Hong Mungi instead agreed with his words.
“I was ashamed as well.”
“…Why are even you doing this, sect leader? I know well how much you have worked for the Taeul Sect.”
“What have I done?”
“Do you think I do not know that even now, every night, you swing your sword in the training ground of Daehyeon Hall?”
“…”
No matter how favorably one looked at Hong Mungi’s martial talent, it could not rise above ordinary.
Even so, the reason he could not let go of martial arts was not because of personal achievement or desire.
In the end, if his martial arts did not advance, then the Taeul Sect did not advance.
“Everyone is making their own efforts. Those feelings gather, and the Taeul Sect develops further. There is no need to feel guilt or a sense of sin.”
“Rotten bastard! What great contribution have you made to the Taeul Sect that you can be so confident!”
“Me?”
Jin Taesan shrugged his shoulders.
“Is Jin Sowoon not my son?”
“…Damn it…”
Kang Chaeseok kept drinking.
“On my way here, I saw that the lights in Busaeng Hall were still on.”
“The children are training until this hour?”
“They were learning that strange Small Heaven Sword Art from Sowoon.”
“Is that so?”
“Should we not stop them? It is clearly the Small Heaven Sword Art, but it is filled with so much killing intent, is it not?”
“Was that not something you taught him?”
At Kang Chaeseok’s words, Jin Taesan shook his head.
“What are you talking about? You know how far my martial arts achievement goes.”
Hong Mungi, who had been listening silently, let out a sigh-like remark.
“Did that child not research it himself?”
“Pardon? No matter how much the Small Heaven Sword Art is a basic martial art…”
“In truth, I was surprised because it had many similarities to the Small Heaven Sword Art I had been researching. Of course, the Small Heaven Sword Art Sowoon uses is closer to completion. In any case, how much effort must that child have put in to achieve that level at such a young age?”
“That damned brat. So what he was doing after running out of Busaeng Hall was merely martial arts training?”
Kang Chaeseok, seemingly irritated, used that as an excuse to gulp down the liquor bottle.
“Just leave them be. Is it not good news that the children have become interested in basic martial arts?”
“That is true.”
“More importantly, is there anything we should do for Sowoon?”
As soon as his mouth left the liquor bottle, Kang Chaeseok shouted.
“We should do something for him! He is a fellow who has devoted his life to the Taeul Sect to this extent. Should we not support him somehow so that we feel at least a little less ashamed?”
“…”
Hong Mungi nodded and looked at Jin Taesan.
“How about giving Sowoon the position of head disciple?”
“…”
Jin Taesan could not answer, his face stiff, while Kang Chaeseok nodded excitedly.
“That is an excellent idea! If that fellow becomes the head disciple, the children will follow him even more, and later, in the special admission…”
Just as Kang Chaeseok was talking excitedly, Jin Taesan cut him off and spoke firmly.
“It is something we must think about.”
“Huh?”
In the strange situation where Kang Chaeseok was defending it and Jin Taesan was opposing it, Hong Mungi asked,
“What are you worried about?”
“Is the head disciple not in the same position among the disciples as the sect leader? If they end up doing mandatory service in the Murim Alliance, Gye Cheolyeong may not care about the Taeul Sect disciples. Moreover, the head disciple is someone who may have to lead the sect in the future. You must also consider Saryeon.”
“You… you fool!”
“It is not something to give just because we are drunk on emotion.”
Hong Mungi stopped the huffing Kang Chaeseok and continued speaking.
“What if Sowoon goes to the Martial Academy?”
“…”
“Sowoon has already proven his skill by contending with Namgung San. I do not think he will lose to Gye Cheolyeong. As for Saryeon… Saryeon likely would not strongly oppose this decision either.”
“They say the Gyeryong Merchant Guildmaster has again requested a spirit pill from the Mount Hua Sect. It may not be the Snow Plum Pill, but if Cheolyeong’s internal energy increases dramatically, will Cheolyeong not be selected in the end?”
Bang.
Kang Chaeseok, who had been listening, slammed the table.
“What are you doing right now!”
“I am speaking coldly. Do you think I want to refuse something good for my own son?”
“That is not it, is it? You are worried that the Gyeryong Merchant Guild’s sponsorship funds will be cut off!”
“…”
“Before hunger, loyalty and sense of belonging ultimately mean nothing. If the Taeul Sect cannot provide meals right now, more than half of the disciples cannot even eat one proper meal a day. What will we do about them?”
“You, you… you!”
Kang Chaeseok could not continue speaking and sat down.
Silence settled over the room.
No one could easily open their mouth before the heavy responsibility of food, clothing, and shelter.
“Is that truly all?”
“…That is the biggest problem.”
“Then let us give Sowoon the position of head disciple.”
“Sect leader!”
Hong Mungi continued calmly.
“He risked his fingers. In order to remove the sense of defeat from the children’s hearts. Are hands not as precious as life itself to a martial artist? He staked his own life in order to keep the honor of the Taeul Sect from being thrown into the dirt. If a child like that cannot lead the Taeul Sect, then who should lead the Taeul Sect?”
“…This is not a matter to decide emotionally.”
“No, this is not an emotional decision. If money is the entire problem, then I will work as an escort myself and earn money.”
“Sect leader!”
“Fine! Good! I will do it too! No, I will gather all the hall masters and open an escort agency if I must, so do it!”
Kang Chaeseok and Hong Mungi clinked their cups together, laughing without knowing how Jin Taesan’s insides were burning, and they even held out a cup to Jin Taesan.
In the end, Jin Taesan sighed and picked up the cup.
“Know that I will be managing the money that comes in through escort work as well.”
#
Sixty years!
A lump the size of a baby’s fist was firmly held in my dantian.
As if the fame of the Great Transformation Pill was well deserved, it showed off its presence and created sixty years of internal energy in one breath.
“Finally… I have achieved it.”
An enormous amount of internal energy I could not even dream of in my previous life.
In this life, this was still only the beginning.
Thanks to unexpected fortuitous encounters, I reached sixty years faster than expected.
I had swept up all the elixirs in Anhui Province, but there were still many elixirs in other provinces.
There was far too little time to scrape together as many of them as possible before the Martial Academy’s official exam opened.
‘I should leave as soon as the special admission exam ends.’
Thinking that, I stepped into the Taeul Sect.
At that moment, I saw strangers I had never seen before filling the training ground while wearing weapons.
‘The Gyeryong Merchant Guild?’
Those wearing the martial uniforms of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild stood in a circle as if protecting Gye Yeonseok, while Gye Yeonseok was having a serious conversation with the sect leader on the platform.
I approached Saryeon, who was watching the two of them from one side with a worried expression.
“What is going on?”
“…Where have you been, only coming back now?”
“I was doing personal training. It is not as if a commotion would break out just because I am not in the Taeul Sect.”
“That is exactly the problem, because a commotion did break out.”
“Hm? What does that mean?”
I asked back at Saryeon’s incomprehensible words, but Saryeon only looked toward the training ground without answering.
“Sect Leader Hong! How could you do this to me! Do you truly intend to break your promise like this?”
Gye Yeonseok was expressing desperation and anger together, like someone who had lost his mutual savings money.
“Guildmaster Gye. You seem to be misunderstanding something. The right to choose the head disciple is the inherent right of the sect!”
“Who else besides our Cheolyeong has that qualification in the first place!”
My mind went blank.
‘Head disciple?’
That was originally a position they had been weighing between Gye Cheolyeong and Hong Saryeon.
It was a position with authority comparable to the elders of the sect, and at the same time, it came with responsibility.
When dispatched to the Murim Alliance, the words of the head disciple were the words of the sect leader.
Normally, the position of head disciple was given to the disciple who would enter the Martial Academy.
That way, after becoming an officer, they could take care of even one more junior brother.
In my previous life, Gye Cheolyeong became the head disciple, and because of that, we became Gye Cheolyeong’s hands and feet and diligently played servants to the children of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families.
“Junior sister. Did the sect leader say he would give the head disciple position to you?”
“…?”
Saryeon looked at me as if asking what kind of nonsense I was saying.
“Why did the head disciple position suddenly become a problem?”
“…It is because of you, Senior Brother.”
“Me? Why?”
At that moment, the things I had done so far flashed through my mind.
I had brought back the Ninefold Sword from the Iron Sword Sect, and I had not retreated an inch before Namgung San’s sword.
“Sect Leader Hong! Is this because of what happened at the Iron Sword Sect? Did I not tell you? At the Iron Sword Sect, our Cheolyeong could not step forward because he belonged to the Gyeryong Merchant Guild!”
Conversely, Gye Cheolyeong had not stepped forward at the Iron Sword Sect, and had instead become the cause that stirred up the fight.
Compared to that, the things I had done were…
‘I am completely fit to be the head disciple.’
However, from the sect leader’s position, this was not an easy matter to decide.
If I became the head disciple, the Gyeryong Merchant Guild, which already seemed to be slowly drifting away, might completely withdraw its support.
If that happened, the Taeul Sect’s economy might collapse in an instant.
Of course, with the arrangements I had prepared and the Seven-Colored Jewel, that would not happen, but even so, from the sect leader’s position, it was equivalent to making an enormous decision.
“In the end, this is a trick to interfere with our Cheolyeong’s admission to the Martial Academy, is it not!”
At Gye Yeonseok’s reckless words, Hong Mungi finally shouted.
“Watch your words, Guildmaster Gye! To begin with, admission to the Martial Academy is an opportunity given to all disciples of the Taeul Sect. Even if Cheolyeong does not become the head disciple, if his skill is proven, he can sufficiently enter the Martial Academy, can he not?”
The reason Gye Yeonseok was so fixated on the head disciple position was because, during the admission screening, there would be additional points for being the head disciple.
The head disciple position was also proof that one possessed legitimacy within the sect, so in a situation where even one point was precious, he had to have the position of head disciple.
“Krrr…!”
Having been pushed back in the verbal argument, Gye Yeonseok glared at me with resentful eyes.
“Fine! If you continue like this, I will immediately cut off the sponsorship I send to the Taeul Sect!”
At those words, which were like a bolt from the blue, worry filled not only the faces of the hall masters, but also those of the elders.
“Did you think you could use me, Gye Yeonseok, and throw me away as you please, Sect Leader Hong? Go back to the days when you could not even properly eat one bowl of thin gruel a day, and wore clothes that could not be distinguished from those of Beggars’ Sect members! Once you do, you will realize how foolish your choice was!”
Those with many worries could not hide their anxious expressions already.
Panic flickered across Hong Mungi’s face and Jin Taesan’s face, but they forced themselves not to show any wavering.
An atmosphere of silence settled over the training ground, filled with anxiety, impatience, anger, and hostility.
The young disciples watched the adults’ expressions and even breathed secretly.
Then,
a voice broke the silence.
“Then may I take over that instead?”
At the voice that suddenly cut in without reading the atmosphere, Gye Yeonseok turned his head back with a gaze that looked ready to kill.
“Who is it! Who dares play around with the important affairs of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild!”
Gye Yeonseok’s voice was so sharp that the warriors who had come with him began drawing their swords one by one and releasing fighting spirit.
“Play around? I do not play around with such things. Have you forgotten that?”
A middle-aged man appeared with a relaxed voice.
He had an appearance that seemed plain yet luxurious, wore simple ornaments unlike Gye Yeonseok, and carried an attitude filled with dignity that naturally flowed from his straight posture.
“Y-You came here…”
Gye Yeonseok’s mouth opened wide.
At that moment, from behind the man, a girl with a pale face and a beautiful smile peeked her head out.
“Sowoon Orabeoni~!”
The man’s identity was Wang Geumsan, Wang Soso’s father.
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