Chapter 88
“S-Sect Leader Jin! Aren’t you going too far!!”
In Jong-hoe’s eyes as he spoke like that……
I witnessed a single tear welling up.
For a moment, I felt like I could understand the guy’s feelings.
Perhaps……
Jong-hoe, relying on the name of the Hengshan Sect, probably had a strong desire to show off with his youthful spirit.
Actually, just looking at that, it’s not that I can’t understand his recklessness.
Most martial artists of that age mature while going through a phase of arrogance and foolishness, and those from prestigious righteous sects are usually that kind of people.
However……
I had given Jong-hoe several chances.
First, I revealed my identity, and if Jong-hoe’s martial uncle, Yeong-myeong, had been more prudent, wouldn’t he have prevented this unfortunate incident in the first place?
But Jong-hoe and Yeong-myeong turned a situation that could have been resolved amicably into a ‘mess’.
By my standards, that’s not a matter of ‘pride,’ nor is it related to the ‘principles’ of a martial artist.
They simply lacked self-awareness, didn’t recognize their opponent……
And above all, they were too arrogant.
And I freaking hate arrogant bastards.
“Shut up. I’m going to teach you guys a lesson this time.”
And so, I slapped Jong-hoe’s cheek mercilessly.
“Sect Leader Jin! If you insult us any further…… you’ll truly become enemies with the Hengshan Sect!”
“Stop it, Sect Leader Jin.”
“Release us!”
At that moment……
Along with Jong-hoe, the other bastards who were tied up and kneeling shouted in unison, their eyes filled with resentment.
I clicked my tongue and said to Yeon-u.
“Yeon-u.”
“Yes…… Older Brother.”
“This won’t do, dig a hole.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s bury these bastards.”
“???”
◈ ◈ ◈
Only after an hour did Yeon-u and I set out on the road again.
First……
I left Yeong-myeong and the other unconscious Hengshan Sect members at a nearby clinic and buried the rest, leaving only their heads above ground. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any honey to smear on their faces.
But after doing that much, my anger subsided, and seeing the Hengshan bastards screaming to be released made me feel at ease, so I ended the punishment there and set out on the road.
“Older Brother…… will it really be alright?”
In the meantime.
Yeon-u asked in an anxious voice.
I shook my head and said.
“Yeon-u.”
“Yes.”
“You were full of spirit when you were talking with Yeong-myeong earlier, but have you changed your mind already? What are you anxious about?”
“……Well, Yeong-myeong was being rude at the time, and after that, Older Brother was a bit harsh……?”
“It’s fine. I’ve done worse and lived well. Besides, the Hengshan Sect started this incident, and they started the fight. In the end, they started it and got beaten because they lacked skill, so there won’t be any problems.”
“That’s true, but…… wouldn’t the problem be whether the Hengshan Sect elders think the same way? The Hengshan Sect is a proud and arrogant sect. They have a strong sense of inferiority complex because they’re not part of the Nine Great Sects, despite being a prestigious sect with a long history. Anyway, I’m afraid that if the Hengshan elders find out about this…… they might slander Older Brother without considering the facts.”
Now that I hear it, Yeon-u’s words made sense.
Because the pride of those called martial artists often reaches the sky.
Moreover, as Yeon-u said, the Hengshan Sect has an inferiority complex for not being part of the Nine Great Sects despite being treated as a prestigious sect……
This could potentially lead to a very troublesome situation in the future.
However,
“Yeon-u. You’re speaking strangely.”
“Huh?”
“You’re afraid they’ll slander me? What’s with that out-of-body experience way of speaking, as if this has nothing to do with you?”
“What are you talking about, Older Brother?”
From the beginning, I didn’t care about that kind of thing, and as long as I’m in the right, I don’t care if it’s the Hengshan Sect or their ancestors.
“Of course, I was the one who fought, but…… this matter is deeply related to you as well. No, it’s safe to say that this happened because of you.”
“Huh?”
“Before I fought with Yeong-myeong, you and he were already arguing, with your faces red, about being a secular family of the Mount Hua Sect or something, and the sparks flew to me.”
“What are you talking about? Of course, I had an argument with Yeong-myeong, but…… it turned into a mess because Older Brother suddenly intervened and acted crazy!”
“What?”
“Let’s be clear. This is a matter between Older Brother and the Hengshan Sect, not me, the Seokga Estate, or the Mount Hua Sect. Do you understand?”
But……
This bastard, turns out he’s a spineless, ungrateful guy.
“I refuse.”
“What?”
“If the Hengshan Sect raises objections to the Dawn Heaven Sect or demands responsibility……”
“……”
“I’ll drag you, the Seokga Estate, and the Mount Hua Sect to the ends of h*ll.”
“W-what?”
“That’s all.”
“Older Brother!!!”
◈ ◈ ◈
Two days after entering Shaanxi Province.
While crossing Wagok Mountain located in Bunseo, Yeon-u and I sat down on the mountainside and had a simple meal of bamboo leaf liquor and dumplings.
Although it hadn’t been long since we left the Dawn Heaven Sect……
With the Hengshan Sect incident and missing So-yun, I felt like a long time had passed, and I stared blankly at the sky, lost in thought.
“Older Brother.”
At that moment, Yeon-u suddenly spoke.
“Yeah?”
“Come to think of it…… I don’t think I mentioned it.”
“What?”
“When you were fighting Yeong-myeong, it seemed like your martial arts had gotten slower. Am I wrong?”
“It has improved. Especially my internal energy has increased significantly, so now I can release sword energy without straining my internal energy.”
“That’s amazing, Older Brother. How can you improve your martial arts so much in such a short time?”
Yeon-u asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity like a child.
I chuckled, thinking that Yeon-u was still young.
“Growth is often just a matter of a thin sheet of paper. Yesterday’s third-rate can become today’s second-rate, and today’s second-rate can surpass first-rate and reach the peak tomorrow.”
“Is that possible?”
“It is. So you should also strive for improvement. Actually…… I didn’t say this because I was afraid you’d get complacent, but in recent months, you and the Dongdong brothers have grown even more than me.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t really know.”
“Look closely. Would the old you have endured this forced march? Calculate how many miles we’re covering per day using the Light Body Technique.”
“Now that I think about it……”
“It’s all about stamina. Not to mention Il-dong, Yi-dong, Sam-dong, and you have all seen an exponential increase in stamina over the past six months. You probably wouldn’t have been able to do that without the Asura-Naga training.”
“Ah……!”
At my words, Yeon-u’s eyes lit up as if he had an epiphany.
Actually……
I’m constantly surprised by Yeon-u.
That’s because his perseverance has far exceeded my expectations.
I……
When I brought Yeon-u, who was living a comfortable life as a young master in the Seokga Estate, as a house guest, I didn’t think he would endure the ‘Asura-Naga training’ so well.
However, Yeon-u realized how weak he was, and even though he suffered from the feeling of exhaustion, he persevered through the training, and I was inspired by that, so I pushed him harder, drove him, and tormented him even more.
But Yeon-u endured it.
He endured everything and did everything.
Only then did I realize that even if Yeon-u wasn’t what the world calls a ‘genius’……
I had no doubt that he would one day grow into an excellent martial artist who surpasses geniuses.
Of course……
He’ll never reach the level of a top predator like me, who’s a ‘genius’ and whose ‘effort’ is also ‘genius-like’.
“Yeon-u.”
“Yes, Older Brother.”
“Are you really serious about this Martial Heroes Tournament?”
“What are you talking about, Older Brother? Of course I’m serious. You should ask questions that make sense.”
“Then do your best.”
“I’m planning to do my best anyway.”
“No, not that, you idiot.”
“Huh?”
“It’s still a long way to Beijing, where the Martial Alliance Headquarters is located. Besides, we’ll arrive earlier than others, so we’ll have time to train there, won’t we?”
“……That’s true. But how much time will that be? Even if I work hard during that time, wouldn’t it be impossible to achieve meaningful growth that would affect the outcome of the tournament? I’m not a genius like Older Brother who can suddenly gain enlightenment overnight……”
“Of course. Unlike a genius like me, you’re ordinary…… no, honestly, you’re a slow learner? Anyway, you’re insignificant, so it’s hard to achieve meaningful growth in a short time.”
“……Well, but why are you saying that?”
“……Now that I think about it, you’re right. Unlike me, you’re not a genius, you’re stupid, your internal energy is nothing special…… your stamina has improved, but…… you’re not even a direct disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, so you haven’t trained systematically……”
“No, I mean…… you’re right, but why do you keep saying that?”
“Ah…… I didn’t think of that, I didn’t. I forgot how insignificant you are.”
“Are you making fun of me now? What are you trying to do?”
Towards Yeon-u, who suddenly showed discomfort.
I used my sharp tongue even more mockingly.
“Yeon-u. Why would I make fun of you? A genius like me? Of a slow learner like you? Am I crazy? Would I still be human if I did that?”
“Wow……! Let’s stop. If you go any further, I don’t care if you’re Older Brother or whatever…… Ugh!”
“But Yeon-u.”
“Ah, why! Again!”
“Think about it the other way around.”
“What?”
“You’re nothing special right now. You’re so insignificant that I really want to beat you to death. In other words, it’s like looking at a mosquito sucking my blood. But that also means you still have room to grow.”
“What……”
“Besides, it also means you have the best genius by your side.”
“Huh?”
I……
“If I, the greatest martial arts genius in Jianghu……”
Were to personally guide Yeon-u……
“You, who still have so much room to grow.”
I was determined to make him into a master.
“……”
“It means you can achieve growth significant enough to determine the outcome of the tournament in a short period of time.”
“Older Brother……”
“Of course, I’ve guided the Dongdong brothers, you, and the other disciples well so far. However, guiding many people evenly and focusing on one person are different matters. In short, you’ll have the opportunity to be exclusively taught by the best teacher like me this time. That’s significant.”
“Older Brother…… then are you saying I can really train until the day of the tournament and become strong enough to turn the tables? Really?”
“Of course. But the process will be more painful than you can imagine. So terrible that I can’t even describe it. Can you handle it?”
At my question, Yeon-u exclaimed excitedly without a moment’s hesitation.
“Of course! Of course I can. I’ve endured the Asura-Naga training so far and have endured all kinds of pain. No matter how hard it gets, what else can happen besides dying? I’m ready to jump into fire if it means I can become stronger.”
Hearing his determination.
I felt like I could understand how serious Yeon-u was about this tournament.
“Your determination is admirable.”
“……!”
“Then let’s start right away.”
“Huh?”
“The sooner we start training, the better.”
“……That’s true, but.”
“Come on.”
“???”
“The first training is mindless sparring.”
Then,
“Older Brother! Be honest. You’re just trying to beat me up to gain some real-life combat experience, aren’t you?! Huh?!”
This bastard, does he really take my sincerity like this?
“No.”
I’m really not.
I’m not……
But honestly, wouldn’t it be killing two birds with one stone if it’s good for both of us?
Kwaaaaaang!
「When words don’t work, just hit them first.
━Dawn Heaven Sect Leader, Jin So-cheon-」
