The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 148

Hong Seong-hu, who was looking back and forth between me and my master, said to me, "Master? The clothes that Taoist is wearing are the martial arts uniform of the Wudang Sect, so are you saying that the Wudang Sect is the one digging into the Evil Way Alliance?"

At the ruffian's words, I let out a deep sigh and said to my master, "Master. As you can see from my clothes, I was investigating this matter while pretending to be someone completely unrelated to the Wudang Sect. But thanks to you, master, I've been found out."

"Is that a problem?"

"From what I've investigated so far, it seems that those guys, the Evil Way Alliance, have a pretty large scale. But if we step in, it could turn into a fight between the orthodox and unorthodox sects, couldn't it? I was trying not to reveal my identity just in case."

"I see."

My master understood my meaning at once and nodded his head.

As far as I know, my master often went out on missions wearing plain clothes, and it seemed to be for a similar reason as me.

"Unhwi-ya. But, that is not a problem at all."

"Why not?"

"Isn't it okay if no one sees me wearing the clothes of the Wudang Sect?"

"That's right."

"The number of them over there is eleven in total. If we don't let anyone go back alive, it's as if there were no witnesses."

My master just smiled and looked at the guys from the Evil Way Alliance.

No matter how I look at it, it doesn't sound like a conversation that Taoists of the Wudang Sect would have, but I also nodded my head.

Like master, like disciple. I think I'm learning something really good.

"That's right. Actually, until you came, master, I was worried about how to catch all eleven of them... but if we're together, it's definitely possible."

"Who should we spare?"

"Let's go with the guy in the very front. The man holding the short cudgel."

"Alright. He seems to be the leader among them, so he'll know more than the others."

As my master and I calmly exchanged words even with them in front of us, Hong Seong-hu, as if his anger had flared up, shouted, "Can't you see me in front of you! I am the Ghost-faced Cudgel, Hong Seong-hu! After hearing your answer, I had no intention of just scaring you and killing you, but you will die because of the attitude you just showed. If you want to beg for forgiveness, beg for it now!"

He shouted and rushed at us.

A fairly swift footwork and a well-trained body. His hands will surely be fast too.

But, just by looking at him run, I can tell. He is no match for me or my master yet.

My master reacted before me and rushed at him.

It is a very clean Flowing Cloud Lightness Skill. After gaining a small enlightenment at the Nangong family this time, and training with new masters like Nangong Mu-jin and Ryu-jin, I think I can roughly tell how outstanding my master's skills are.

To be honest, my master doesn't have a sparkling talent at a glance.

It is rather the Nangong family brothers who show a brilliant talent that anyone can see and boast of their splendid martial arts.

But my master's skill is such that it makes me think, 'solid.'

I can't easily imagine how much training and time of perseverance he must have gone through to become so solid.

The moment my master's sword and Hong Seong-hu's short cudgel collided and let out a sharp sound.

I spun over their heads and then stepped on my footwork towards the subordinates behind them.

It was an instant for me, who was about ten feet away, to approach them, and among the subordinates, there was no master who could handle my speed.

While they were drawing their swords, I knocked down two with my sword and one with my fist, and then I squeezed my body into the middle of them, who were instinctively trying to bunch up.

"Uh, uh! You son of a bitch!"

"No! Keuk!"

The guy closest to me swung his sword at me, and I leisurely ducked my head and avoided it.

He couldn't retrieve the sword that had lost its target, and he ended up cutting down his own side.

"Damn it! U-uk!"

I planted a fist full of the energy of the Six Yang Divine Art into the solar plexus of the flustered him, and with the rebound from pushing him, I jumped back and slit the throats of the two who were caught by my sword.

When I landed leisurely on the ground, only three guys were standing.

The guys looked at each other and then...

Two of them rushed at me, and one turned around and started to run away.

But the skills of the two who rushed at me are quite good.

Perhaps because they had already drawn their swords and were preparing to face me, they managed to block my sword with difficulty.

The moment I thought I would miss one of them.

The sword that flew past my head pierced the back of the one who was running away with a pu-uk! and I didn't miss the moment when everyone was momentarily dazed.

I performed the technique of the Seven Star Sword Art and cut the two of them down in a long vertical slash, and soon there was not a single person standing.

"Your skills have improved a lot in the meantime."

As I had expected, it was my master's sword that had pierced the back of the guy who was running away.

Hong Seong-hu was sitting on his knees obediently next to my master, and seeing that he had his hand on one shoulder, it seemed my master had cut his shoulder along with his short cudgel.

"I gained more than I thought at the Nangong family. But this guy..."

My master, without any change in his expression, tapped the acupoint near his shoulder to stop the bleeding, and then said, "After confirming my skills and your skills, he knelt down without hesitation. At first, I thought he was playing a trick... but he surrendered sincerely."

"Really?"

"It's true. Great hero. I am ready to tell you everything I know at any time."

"If you try any tricks..."

"Tricks? I have no intention of doing so. I just want to live."

He said in a very pitiful voice, although it was a little annoying.

Usually, people like that are one of two cases.

Either they have a huge attachment to their own lives, or they have a reason why they must live.

'Was the Ghost-faced Cudgel's personality originally like this?'

Even when I recall the past, to be honest, I don't remember it well.

Because I saw him briefly when I was fighting with the Evil Way Alliance, and he was a person who died quickly, but the weapon called the short cudgel was so unusual that it was deeply ingrained in my mind.

"Get up. And follow me."

"Yes. Great hero."

Some of his subordinates are still alive, and some are dead.

As I was worrying about how to deal with them, my master slowly walked to the one who was dead with a sword stuck in his back, drew his sword, and said, "There is a Beggars' Sect branch in Wuhan nearby. I will stop by there and ask them to take care of the aftermath here. Where should I go?"

"If you cross that hill over there, there's a place called the Flying Dragon Inn. You can come there."

"Alright. That Flying Dragon Inn is the very place that the Red Snake Gang is eyeing, right?"

"Yes. That's right."

"I'll have to change my clothes on the way. You follow my disciple."

"Yes. Great hero."

"Don't think of playing any tricks. As you can see, he is not an opponent you can do anything about without a weapon. And he is not a person who will miss you if you run away."

"I have absolutely no intention of running away."

My master, who had shaken off the blood on his sword, suddenly swung his sword at Hong Seong-hu's head.

Hong Seong-hu, thinking that he was going to die like this, squeezed his eyes shut.

What my master's sword cut was not his neck, but his hair.

The hair that had been tied up like a topknot was untied, and his bangs half-covered his face, and my master sheathed his sword and said, "You seem to be a well-known person, so cover your face like this and go in. From now on, you will have to go around with your face covered. I'll have to find a face-changing artist at the Beggars' Sect."

"Y-Yes, great hero."

He, who had returned from the brink of death, could only bow his head repeatedly with a dazed face.

And to be honest... a chill ran down my spine.

My master was thinking of the detailed parts that I hadn't thought of.

To be honest, I'm far from being this meticulous.

On the contrary, I don't really like complicated things and tend to move in a straight line, solving the problems that appear in front of me as they come.

That's why in my previous life, I was close with martial artists of a similar type to me.

For example, Uncle Saber King, Grandpa Breaking King Palm, Grandpa Black Light Beggar...

But when I see my master handling something like this next to me, I feel like I'm learning a lot.

Isn't it my master's personality and thoroughness that make him so strong?

"Then I'll see you later. Unhwi-ya."

"Yes. Master."

My master soon disappeared from sight, and I was able to return to the Flying Dragon Inn with Hong Seong-hu without being disturbed by anyone.

***

Meanwhile, in Unjeong's room at the Shi-yue Pavilion, someone finally came after a long time.

"It is the young lady, Mi-hyang. May I come in?"

"Come in."

At Unjeong's voice, a woman opened the door and came in.

The moment he saw her, Unjeong felt his firm expression, which he had been maintaining with all his might until now, crumble without his realizing it.

Because she was a great beauty that the word 'nation-toppling beauty' was not enough to describe.

Her large eyes made him realize why the idiom 'to have a lake in one's eyes' was created, and her high nose and red lips made it impossible to take one's eyes off her.

But if there was one flaw, it was that her complexion was very poor, and she looked as if she had not eaten or slept properly.

"Ah...?"

And on top of that, she had a very flustered expression when she confirmed Unjeong's face.

It seemed as if she had an appointment with someone she knew, but a complete stranger was sitting there.

At her flustered expression, Unjeong quickly came to his senses and said to her in a whisper, "Miss. Please don't make a loud noise. I was sent by the master of the Shi-yue Pavilion."

"Hup!"

As if she were wary of making a loud noise without realizing it, she covered her own mouth with her hand.

"For now, there seem to be some people outside. Please excuse me for a moment."

Unjeong's face relaxed, and then he put on that rude expression from a little while ago again, strode to the door, opened it with a creak, and said to the several servants and martial artists who were waiting right in front, "You guys. Get out of this vicinity right now. I extremely dislike having someone around when I'm enjoying myself."

"Yes...? Young master. But..."

"But? Then do you want to hear my voice from the side?"

"Mi-hyang is not a prostitute, but an artist. In principle..."

The voice of the person who was protesting to Unjeong was buried by the sound of a money pouch falling.

The attention of everyone around was drawn to the money pouch, which looked heavy at a glance.

"Isn't this the principle in a brothel? That much would be enough to share with everyone here, right? And don't worry about the face of the brothel. As long as you don't run your mouths, I have no intention of taking what happened here outside."

"Ah... I understand. Is there anything else you need?"

"Getting out of this vicinity as soon as possible?"

"Yes. I understand."

The man who had taken the money pouch urged the people around him to disappear from the vicinity, and Unjeong, who had confirmed that everyone had disappeared, closed the door, let out a deep sigh, and then approached Mi-hyang's side with a tired look.

Mi-hyang flinched as he approached her, but she did not react otherwise. It seemed it was because of the words that the master of the Shi-yue Pavilion had sent him a little while ago.

"Miss. First of all, since you must be anxious, I will introduce myself."

Unjeong showed the entry pass with the emblem of the Wudang Sect, which he had brought in his bosom, and then continued, "I am Unjeong of the Wudang Sect. The reason I have come is to grasp how this place is currently operating, and furthermore, to confirm the number of martial artists from the Red Snake Gang and the Evil Way Alliance who are currently occupying the Shi-yue Pavilion. Would you be able to help me?"

"The Wudang Sect... are you saying that the nine sects and one gang are helping the master of the pavilion?"

"Not all of the nine sects and one gang. For now, our Wudang Sect is helping."

"Finally... salvation is coming."

Just with that answer, tears began to well up in her eyes.

Unjeong, who had no immunity to a woman's tears, didn't know what to do, and then he handed her a clean cloth that was in a corner.

She took it and wiped her tears, and then she suddenly burst into a small laugh.

At her sudden laughter, Unjeong was greatly flustered, and she stopped crying and opened her mouth.

"This... is not a handkerchief, but a coaster that is placed under a cold wine bottle to prevent water from dripping."

"Ah, that... it's my first time drinking at a place like this... no, to be more precise, I've never had a drink before, so I didn't know."

Looking at the flustered Unjeong, who didn't know what to say, a faint smile appeared on her lips as if all her tension had been released.

When she smiled, Unjejong had the illusion that the room suddenly became bright.

Her smile looked like the smile of a fairy that he had only heard of in old stories.

(End of Chapter)