The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 101

The day after the banquet. The head of the Zhuge family urged us to stay for another day or two, saying that we still had plenty of time.

In fact, although he recommended it, I felt like I knew why.

'Isn't it because he hasn't been able to persuade Zhuge Yun to leave the Zhuge family and head to the Nangong family?'

It is said that Zhuge Yun rarely goes outside the Zhuge family.

In particular, he is said to be almost always cooped up in his room and hardly ever trains.

No, is training the problem? Since he doesn't even eat properly, the head of the Zhuge family's insides must be rotting away, not just bursting.

'I should have heard something about it in my past life.'

To be honest, I don't know anything about Zhuge Yun.

I've only heard countless stories about Zhuge Ling.

To be more precise, it would be correct to say that I had no interest in his existence itself.

I think it's probably one of two things.

Either Zhuge Yun lived quietly like this and died along with the Zhuge family when it was destroyed by the Demonic Cult, or Zhuge Myeong-hyeon, who was ashamed of his son, hid him for his entire life.

Perhaps it's highly likely that it's both.

So I started to become even more interested.

At the time of the Demonic Cult's invasion that I remember from the past, the speed of the Demonic Cult's invasion was not that fast in the early stages of the invasion.

The Demonic Cult guys didn't invade step by step from the Xinjiang region like they did when they invaded the Central Plains a long time ago, but they sent troops all over the Central Plains in advance and then invaded simultaneously.

But the power of the Nine Factions and One Sect was stronger than they thought, and even though they invaded simultaneously, they couldn't advance properly. Rather, they could have been defeated one by one.

'If we had responded properly at that time, we could have caught the Demonic Cult's invasion in its early stages.'

But after the Demonic Cult brought down Hubei Province, especially the Zhuge family, the movement, joining, and retreat of their troops suddenly became incredibly fast, and they began to make a fool of the Central Plains martial world.

On top of that, the immense military power of the Demonic Cult's leadership was added, so they had no choice but to be defeated helplessly.

'That means, there is some secret in the Zhuge family...'

So I tried to find out separately during the war, but there was nothing special about the Zhuge family.

But now that I see it, there is an existence that I could never have imagined.

When I even thought that the sudden strengthening of the Demonic Cult's forces might be related to Zhuge Yun, I began to wander around the inside of the Zhuge family and secretly ask about him.

Since most of the servants were reluctant to talk about Zhuge Yun, I was wasting my time getting only fragmentary information, but I saw a middle-aged man with a white long robe and a beard grown down to his chin in the distance, and I ran up to him, bowed my head, and greeted him.

"Hello, Elder. Good morning."

"Ah...! Taoist Master Un...hwi. Did you sleep well? I was worried that you might not have slept well because the bed was unfamiliar."

Perhaps because we had introduced ourselves yesterday, he remembered my name.

I quickly rolled my head.

What was this person's name, was it Zhuge Bang-ju?

"The family head gave me a good room, so I slept very comfortably. In the Wudang Sect, I sleep on a wooden bed without a blanket, but when I slept on a cotton blanket, I fell asleep right away."

"Haha! Is that so? That's good."

"Thank you for your concern, Elder Zhuge Bang-ju."

"Oh-ho, you remember my name? You must have been busy being introduced to many people at once."

He said with a smile full of goodwill, and I, with a face full of even more goodwill... no, a feeling that should be called respect, said to him, "To be honest, it would be a lie to say that I wasn't confused. But, how could I not remember Elder Zhuge Bang-ju?"

"Huh? Me?"

"I don't know if I can say this, but to be honest, when I entered the banquet hall, you were the first person who caught my eye, Elder."

Perhaps because my words were too much, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ahem... I'm sorry, but I don't have a hobby in that direction..."

"Ah! I'm sorry. I said it a little strangely. That's not what I meant, but it's because I felt your spirit and gallant spirit as a martial artist, Elder. I am also a Taoist of the Wudang Sect, and since I aim to be a hero who makes a name for himself in the martial world, the martial artist I dream of was exactly you, Elder."

"Ah...! Was that it? Hahaha! I was wondering what it was. To think that you see me in such a good light, I'm ashamed as a senior. It makes me look back and wonder if I'm a great martial artist enough to hear such words."

He looked at me with a face a hundred times more favorable than before and smiled.

I can be sure that he has completely fallen for me.

"No. I will live with the words you gave me at the banquet yesterday in my heart for the rest of my life."

"Yesterday? What did I say yesterday?"

"Even if the words are nothing to the person who says them, they can be words that touch the heart of the person who hears them, can't they? Just like a frog can be hit and killed by a stone thrown without any thought."

Although I wonder if it's right to say this in this situation, the important thing is that Zhuge Bang-ju laughed heartily and nodded his head.

I didn't miss that opportunity and turned my head as if not to be caught by him and secretly let out a deep sigh. Of course, with a sound that he could barely hear.

"Huh...? You. Did you just sigh?"

"Ah, no. I didn't."

"What. I definitely heard it. Why is that? Is there something worrying you?"

He said, looking at me with a benevolent expression.

I rolled my eyes here and there as if I were a child who had been caught doing something I shouldn't have, and then said, "As expected... I can't deceive the eyes of Elder Zhuge Bang-ju..."

"Tell me. I'll help you if I can."

"It's nothing else, it's because of the young master of the Zhuge family here."

"The young master... Yun?"

When I nodded my head without speaking, Zhuge Bang-ju's face hardened slightly.

Since the people of the Zhuge family kept pretending not to know and avoided the topic whenever I asked about Zhuge Yun, I thought this would be a failure too, but he looked into my eyes and asked, "What's the worry related to Yun? Yun's personality is not one to harm others."

"Harm! That's not it. Young Master Zhuge Yun has done nothing to harm me."

"Then what's the worry?"

"Actually... actually... ha... I'm worried that you'll laugh if you hear my worries."

I didn't speak clearly and kept trailing off, hesitating.

"Tell me. I will definitely not laugh."

"You promised me?"

"I understand."

"I want to get close to him, but I can't, so I'm worried. I can't tell what he's thinking, and I haven't been able to talk to him much. I never thought I was a person who lacked social skills wherever I went, but it's really... difficult. Since we have to accompany him to the Nangong family anyway, wouldn't it be much better to be on friendly terms? The journey there will also be much more enjoyable, of course."

"What...?"

Zhuge Bang-ju, who had heard my worries, just blinked his eyes as if he had never expected such a worry, and then...

"Hahahaha! No, was that the worry? Hahaha!"

He began to burst out laughing.

It was such a hearty laugh that even though I had intended it, I thought it was pleasant to hear.

"Elder. Didn't you promise not to laugh..."

"Hahaha! I'm sorry. I was wondering what it was... hahaha!"

Even though I gave him a slight scolding, he laughed for a long time.

When his laughter finally subsided, he wiped his eyes, which had even teared up a little, and said to me, "If that was the worry, why didn't you say so sooner? Still... I've watched Yun the closest for twenty years. Although I'm an elder of the Zhuge family, I'm Yun's fifth cousin."

"Ah...! You were a close relative."

I just called him, pretending to be friendly because he was passing by, but it seems I chose well. Since he is Zhuge Yun's fifth cousin, it's the same as saying he is Zhuge Myeong-hyeon's cousin.

"Hmm. Instead of this, shall we go somewhere and have a cup of tea? It seems it will take a while to talk about Yun."

"I'm worried that I might be taking up your time, Elder."

"You worry too much. Don't worry about that. Unless it's the family head, it's safe to say that there's no one in the family who can say anything to me."

He winked at me and then began to take me somewhere.

It seems highly likely that it's a reception room he uses when he entertains guests.

"But, what about your senior brothers?"

"I heard that my senior brothers borrowed a training ground because they wanted to train even while they were here."

"Shouldn't you also work hard and follow your senior brothers?"

"That's true, but... for now, I want to get close to Young Master Zhuge..."

"Haha! I see. Follow me quickly. I'll tell you quickly. In fact, I also wanted Yun to have at least one friend his age... it would be great if Taoist Master Unhwi could do that."

Sincerity was evident in his wistful expression.

It seemed that he genuinely cared for his fifth nephew.

Finally, we arrived at the reception room.

Zhuge Bang-ju skillfully ordered a servant to bring tea, and then he sat me down across from him and began to talk right away.

"Originally, Yun was a really bright and cheerful child."

"Young Master Zhuge?"

"Thinking about it now, it doesn't seem like that at all, right?"

"To be honest, that's... right?"

"At that time, Yun was cheerful and intelligent, and he was the apple of the family's eye. But about three years ago...? He started to change a little from then on."

Zhuge Bang-ju slowly began to unravel the old story.

He spoke in a low, but calm voice.

Even though a servant brought tea in the middle, he didn't stop his old story while pouring the tea.

I began to listen to his story intently.

***

Around the time Unhwi was listening to Zhuge Bang-ju's story about Zhuge Yun.

Uncheol, Unsik, Unjeong, Unmi. The four young Taoists of the Wudang Sect arrived at the training ground that the martial artists of the Zhuge family use for training.

Kkii-ik—

When the training ground door opened, a few of the martial artists who were training inside looked this way, and then turned their heads again and focused on their own training.

It seems they had already heard that the Taoists from the Wudang Sect would be coming here to train together.

They went to a corner of the training ground and, after unpacking the towels and wooden swords they had brought for training, they warmed up.

And just before starting the training in earnest. Unjeong came up to Uncheol's side and whispered in a small voice.

"But, Senior Brother."

"What is it?"

"Do we really have to go that far?"

"We have to... I guess."

At Uncheol's answer, which seemed to have made up his mind, Unjeong's face fell.

"It's not just anyone, but Unhwi who told us to do it. He said it would definitely help improve our skills."

"It will help improve our skills. Of course, I think it will, but..."

"What did Unhwi say when I said that?"

"Did he say that since there's nothing more important to us now than improving our skills, we should just focus on that?"

"That's right..."

"Sigh..."

They let out a deep sigh and then looked at the martial artists of the Zhuge family who were training without even looking this way, as if to be considerate of them.

To think that they have to cause a disturbance to such kind and considerate martial artists.

It seems it would be better to just shout and train like they do in the Wudang Sect.

"We have to do it, right?"

"Yes. We have to."

"I understand. Since we have to do it anyway, I'll go."

Unjeong let out a deep sigh and then, with his wooden sword slung over his shoulder, began to walk towards the martial artists of the Zhuge family.

His expression and gait gradually became delinquent.

'When you go to the training ground. Pick a fight somehow. Since the martial artists of the Zhuge family are gentle, it will be hard to pick a fight with just any provocation, but you have to pick a fight and have a spar no matter what. It doesn't matter if you win or lose. Sparring with as many opponents as possible is the best way to improve your skills. I saw the effect for myself at Shaolin a little while ago.'

It was as if he could hear the voice of Unhwi, who wasn't even here.

(End of Chapter)