The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 161

My master, I, and our senior brothers sat facing the sect leader and the master of the Yeong-eun Palace, Ok-gyu, who were looking at us with constant smiles in the sect leader's office at the Supreme Azure Palace.

'To think those two were capable of making such expressions.'

I can understand why Senior Uncle Ok-gyu is making that expression.

Because the place called the Yeong-eun Palace is in charge of the finances of the Wudang Sect, and I was well aware of the fact that Senior Uncle Ok-gyu was a very greedy person.

But I never thought the sect leader would be like that too.

I thought he was a Taoist who had abandoned his attachment and greed for the secular world... but perhaps the money was too much to abandon his greed.

"Master. What are all the stairs that have been laid from the entrance of Mount Wudang?"

My master asked the sect leader with a dumbfounded face.

Come to think of it, the days my master had been away from the Wudang Sect because of me were just over two months.

The fact that my master didn't know about the existence of the stairs means that all those numerous stairs were laid in just two months.

"What do you mean? I hired workers with the sponsorship money that came in from here and there and laid them. Don't you think there are more people in our Wudang Sect than usual?"

"Yes. I saw many believers."

"The reason why the believers didn't climb Mount Wudang well was because the road to here was so rough and long that it was easy to get lost. But now that the road is so well paved, it has become easier to come and go, so the number of believers who come here is increasing one by one. If I had my way, I would like to cut down a mountain peak and make a closer road, but..."

The sect leader trailed off and then let out a small laugh.

Although it seemed he said it as a joke, I didn't hear it as a joke.

"Anyway, Uncheol-ah. You also had a hard time. To lead your junior brothers and go on a long journey and achieve so much. In the long history of our Wudang Sect, we have never been so close to the martial arts families. It seems a new era is opening."

"I haven't done anything. Unhwi did most of the work, and in Wuhan, I was able to do it smoothly thanks to Senior Uncle Hyeon Yang. I am rather grateful for the grace of the sect leader who sent Senior Uncle Hyeon Yang to support me at the right time."

"Haha! Our Uncheol is also very humble. You must have done a lot as the leader of the room."

In fact, the sect leader's words were not entirely wrong.

Although it might seem at a glance that Senior Brother Uncheol did nothing, in fact, it was because he was there that I was able to do as I pleased and wander around.

The regular contacts that had to be sent to the Wudang Sect, and taking care of the other senior brothers, and so on... it was Senior Brother Uncheol who took on all the troublesome tasks without a single complaint.

"No. I just did what I had to do."

The sect leader smiled with satisfaction at Senior Brother Uncheol and then naturally turned his head towards me and said, "Unhwi. I heard that your role was really big this time. You've done well."

"Yes. I think I had a hard time this time."

"What did you say?"

The sect leader, as if he had never expected me to answer like this, let out a hollow laugh.

"As I was returning to the Wudang Sect, I thought about it, and I almost died several times this time. Should I say that I went through hardships that I didn't have to?"

"What do you mean by that?"

At my remark, not only the sect leader and Senior Uncle Ok-gyu, but even my master looked at me with eyes full of doubt.

Because at a glance, it could sound very arrogant.

But, what I was trying to say was not such an arrogant statement.

"If I had not been as immature as I am now, and had been stronger, they were things that could have been solved much more easily and comfortably. I think it's just that because my skills were lacking, I handled the matter in a noisy way, and it just looked like I did well to others."

"Hmm..."

"E-hem-hem..."

Senior Uncle Ok-gyu cleared his throat, as if he had been thinking of reprimanding me after hearing my next words.

I looked back at my senior brothers and continued, "Because of my arbitrary actions, I almost put my senior brothers in danger, and I also almost died. I will not be conceited just because my martial arts are a little ahead of my senior brothers' now, and I will devote myself more to martial arts training for a while."

I took out the entry pass from my bosom and placed it on the table in front of the sect leader with a click.

"I think the fact that I have an entry pass that I should have obtained after training for several more years has made my heart flutter. I will return this until I am convinced myself."

"No..."

"Hwi-ya. Are you serious?"

"Yes. I am."

The sect leader looked me straight in the eye, and then he picked up that entry pass... and put it back in my hand.

"I will not take this back."

"But, the things I did this time were not all good things..."

"Yes. I know. But, that doesn't mean that the good things you did disappear. There are not many martial artists who have done as much for the Wudang Sect as you have until now. You have accomplished things that even your senior uncles, the martial artists of the Hyeon generation, could not easily do."

The sect leader patted my shoulder and continued, "I already think of you as a respectable martial artist. Whether you rest your injured body, or whether you build up more strength, that is your choice... but I have no intention of taking back your entry pass."

"Sect leader..."

"Ok-gyu, Hyeon Yang. Do you have any objections to my decision?"

Then both of them shook their heads and answered, "How could we? I was just worried about Unhwi's body."

"I also have no objection."

The sect leader looked at me, smiled, and said, "Did you hear that? Your senior uncle and your master also say that you are fully qualified to have this entry pass. So take it back."

"I understand. Thank you."

I took the entry pass as if I had no choice and put it back in my bosom.

'Phew. That went well.'

The sect leader is looking at me with a very moved face.

Looking at that expression, I let out a sigh of relief that everything had gone as I had intended.

This incident did not get me scolded by the sect leader, nor did I have my entry pass taken away, and on the contrary, it will be an opportunity for him to think of me as a very good martial artist.

The money I had earned from the outside also seems to have played a very big role.

"Then you must be tired, so go in and rest."

"I understand. Sect leader."

"You go down and see, Hyeon Yang-ah. You and I need to talk for a moment."

"Yes."

When I glanced at my master, he gestured for me to go out first, and I left the Supreme Azure Palace with my senior brothers and returned to our room.

Our room, which we had returned to after a really long time.

Although it was a room that no one had used for several months, it was as clean as if it had been used until yesterday.

I remember Senior Brother Un Chi cleaning the room before. I don't know if it was Senior Brother Un Chi this time, but anyway, it seems the other senior brothers had cleaned the room.

"Hwi-ya. We've been back for a while, so shouldn't we at least say hello to our senior and junior brothers?"

"We should. But let's rest a little first. Isn't it still time for the Yuyeop Hall's group training to be over?"

"That's right."

"Rest today. Rest tomorrow too. No. Let's rest until the day after tomorrow. Us."

"Really? Is that okay?"

"Of course. We haven't been able to rest properly all this time. Since we're home, let's rest for a few days."

"Home. Yes. We're back home."

At my words, my senior brothers smiled, and I also lay down flat on the bed.

Although I said it, to be honest, I was also a little surprised.

Home.

But that word felt so affectionate that it didn't feel bad.

***

Meanwhile, in the room of the Wudang Sect's sect leader, who had sent Unhwi and his senior and junior brothers out.

The sect leader asked the master of the Yeong-eun Palace, Ok-gyu, to leave for a moment, and then he had a private meeting with Hyeon Yang.

"Hyeon Yang-ah. Do you know what I have to talk to you about alone?"

"I have a rough idea."

"Really?"

"I have a feeling that you are going to talk about Cheong-i, who went to Qinghai Province in my place."

"Yes. You know well."

The sect leader nodded his head, looking at Hyeon Yang with a rather serious face.

From that expression, Hyeon Yang, who had intuited that something had happened to Hyeon Cheong, asked him, "Did something go wrong with Cheong-i's trip to Qinghai Province?"

"That's not it. No, rather, it can be said that it went well."

"You mean it went well...?!"

"Yes. He said he seems to have found traces of 'them' there."

"Hoo... I see."

Hyeon Yang's face became as serious as his master's.

Originally, if Hyeon Yang had not suddenly gone to support Unhwi, he was scheduled to go to Qinghai Province.

Because the Martial Alliance had requested a reliable master, and it was because they had discovered traces of a force that could threaten the martial world near Qinghai Province.

"Then what will happen to Cheong-i now? Since he has completed his mission, will he be returning?"

"I have already conveyed my intention to do so. But..."

"It seems he said he would not return."

"Yes. He said he couldn't just come back after finding their traces, and that he would link up with the Taoists of Kunlun and go into the Xinjiang region. He said that if it were you, Hyeon Yang, you would have done the same."

"Hmm..."

Hyeon Yang let out a groan.

As Hyeon Cheong had said, if it had been him, he would not have returned to the Wudang Sect right away, but would have found what he could do there and done his best.

"But that matter is originally my business. Would you please send a letter to Hyeon Cheong? I will leave for there right away, so please tell him to return to Mount Wudang and switch with me."

"Haha! Who's that senior brother and who's that junior brother? As expected, you're saying that."

Ok Mu-jin-in laughed heartily and handed Hyeon Yang a piece of paper.

When Hyeon Yang received it, he saw that the paper was a letter sent by Hyeon Cheong.

Hyeon Yang, who was quickly reading the contents, couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

[... So I will go into Xinjiang. It is clear that Senior Brother Hyeon Yang will say that this matter is originally his business and ask to switch places with me. At that time, please be sure to convey my words. Even if it was my senior brother who started this matter, it is now no different from my business, so there is no need to worry. Please also be sure to convey the words that the time to go back and forth here is also a waste of time. My senior brother will surely have many things he can do at the Wudang Sect. This matter, I...]

Because he had found the exact same words that he had said among the various stories that Hyeon Cheong had written.

Hyeon Yang had no choice but to fold the letter again and hand it to the sect leader.

"I didn't know Hyeon Cheong would have written this much."

"That child is also a very affectionate child. He must have been worried about you, who always goes to the most dangerous places."

"But what I can do at the Wudang Sect... to be honest, since I have been wandering outside rather than being inside the sect until now, I don't know what I can do."

When Hyeon Yang spoke in a unconfident voice, Ok Mu-jin-in smiled and said, "I don't know about other times, but right now, there is something that only you can do."

"What is that?"

"Don't you have to raise your disciple? Don't you remember what Unhwi said earlier? That various problems arose because he was too weak."

"Ah, master, that's..."

The moment Hyeon Yang, who thought the sect leader was having a big misunderstanding, was about to reveal Unhwi's true nature.

Suddenly, Ok Mu-jin-in burst out laughing and said, "I know what you want to say. You want to say that that guy Unhwi pretended to be like that because he didn't want to be scolded, right?"

"... Yes."

"Let it be."

"Yes?"

"Isn't it cute? In fact, we haven't had a child like that in our Wudang until now. Cunning, and takes care of everything he needs to take care of. And yet, the words that he wants to become stronger are surely sincere."

Hyeon Yang nodded his head without realizing it.

It seems the position of sect leader is not a position that can be obtained for free. He had already properly grasped Unhwi.

"So help that child. That will be something you can do best."

"Yes. Thank you for your consideration. Master."

Ok Mu-jin-in, thinking that the atmosphere of his disciple, Hyeon Yang, had changed quite a bit from before he met Unhwi, said to him, "So for now, you focus on Unhwi. Forget for now that Hyeon Cheong has found traces related to the 'Demonic Cult'. When the time comes, there will surely be a time when you also have to step in."

Hyeon Yang nodded his head with a firm face.

It's not that he's not worried about his junior brother... but Hyeon Cheong is a martial artist with a martial power that is no less than his.

He decided to believe that he would surely do well.

(End of Chapter)