The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 165

As I was talking with my master for a while about what to do in the future, a Taoist from Kunlun came to our room.

He said that the sect leader of Kunlun wanted to see my master, and he had come to pick him up.

"What about me? I want to go too."

"I'm sorry, but the sect leader only called for Taoist Master Hyeon Yang. Please wait here for a while, Taoist master."

He looked at me with wary eyes, as if he thought I had some purpose in wanting to meet the sect leader, and I said with a bright expression, "Is that so? That's too bad... As a Taoist who is also cultivating the Way, I wanted to see Geuman Jonja once..."

In fact, I don't really want to see Geuman Jonja.

But, the reason I asked like this was to confirm if the current sect leader of Kunlun was indeed Geuman Jonja.

I could have just asked, 'Is the current sect leader Geuman Jonja?', but he might have come out prickly and thought that I had come without even knowing the current sect leader.

Fortunately, he seemed to have fallen for my innocent expression, and he smiled at me and said, "Then I will ask the sect leader later if he can arrange a separate meeting. Because the sect leader cherishes the young disciples of the same Taoist sect."

"I would be very grateful if you would do that. Master. Have a good trip. I'll wait here quietly."

At my words, my master let out a small laugh and answered, "Yes. Be quiet. Please be quiet."

"If anyone heard that, they would think I go around causing trouble wherever I go."

"Ha! If anyone heard that, they would think it's not true?"

My master, with those last words, left the room with the Taoist of Kunlun, and I pouted my lips.

It's not like I always cause trouble.

This time, I really have no intention of causing trouble. However, there is one thing I am curious about.

It was what the Kunlun Taoist, Taeheo Seonin Yu Seon, whom I had met when I was making a name for myself as a Self-Taught Swordsman, was doing now.

Taeheo Seonin Yu Seon. Another reason he was called that was because he was the First Sword of Kunlun.

Although he was of a similar age to me, by the time the Demonic Cult invaded the Central Plains, he was a person who was evaluated to have the most outstanding martial arts in Kunlun.

I had only met him once or twice, and since I had not heard any rumors about him after Kunlun was destroyed not long after the war with the Demonic Cult began, it is clear that he probably died when Kunlun was destroyed.

'Still, he was one of the few of my peers who were stronger than me.'

Of course, since it is still far from the time when he will be called by the splendid title of Tae-heo-seon-in, he will still be a young martial artist or a rising star.

"No. That's enough. What if I go out and get involved in some real trouble? Just in case, I might not be able to hear information related to Senior Uncle Hyeon Cheong because of me..."

I suppressed my curiosity and instead sat down in a cross-legged position.

Since it was precious time, I was thinking of at least doing breathing exercises.

But after a little time passed, someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

I stopped my breathing exercises, went to the door, and opened it.

And then, standing in front of my eyes was Yu Cheongja, who had been having a sword fight with my master earlier.

Recognizing him at a glance, I said this instead of asking him why he had come, "My master is not here right now. I heard he went to see the sect leader."

"I know. I met Hyeon Yang on the way here and had a brief talk."

"Then what brings you here?"

"I came to see you."

"Yes?"

"Until now, I thought my disciple had the best qualities in the current martial world. But after receiving your sword, I came to confirm that my thoughts were a little wrong."

"Confirmation. By what means..."

As I was asking him back, the figure of another person, who had been hidden by his body and was not visible, appeared slightly.

Although he looked much younger than my memory, I recognized who he was at a glance.

Because he was the person I had been thinking about until a little while ago.

'Yu Seon!'

It is the First Sword of Kunlun, Yu Seon.

Yu Cheongja's disciple was him.

But, I couldn't pretend to know him.

Not only am I not acquainted with him in this life, but it is normal for me not to even know of his existence, so I barely managed to stop his name from reflexively coming out of my mouth.

"He is my disciple. His name is Yu Seon. Would you like to have a match with my disciple?"

I, who was very curious about his current skills, almost nodded my head without my realizing it this time as well, but I refused with superhuman patience.

"I am very grateful that you think so highly of me. However, I don't think I can have a spar as I please. My master told me a little while ago to wait quietly without causing any trouble."

"I can read people's faces a little. You look like you don't listen to words at all, but you surprisingly care about Hyeon Yang."

"Of course. Isn't it natural for a disciple to follow the words of his master?"

Yu Cheongja, who had realized that my words were full of banter, let out a small laugh and said to me, "Then let's do this. By now, your master and our sect leader will be confirming how many people they need to find, and they will be talking about how much they can do for each other."

"Probably so, right? The purpose of our coming here is, for now, Senior Uncle Hyeon Cheong... you know who I'm talking about, right?"

"Of course. He has been to our Kunlun several times."

"Anyway, it was to confirm the life and death of Senior Uncle Hyeon Cheong, and furthermore, to take him to the Wudang Sect."

He stepped aside one step and, after placing Yu Seon next to him, he said, "If you defeat my disciple... at least I will do my best to help you and Hyeon Yang."

My eyes widened at that answer.

And in my heart, I said to my master, 'Master. This is definitely not something I brought upon myself.'

As if he had read my expression, Yu Cheongja smiled.

It seems he is confident that I will accept his proposal.

If I had been a naive child who only knew martial arts, I might have.

But, I smiled and answered him, "That's a very interesting proposal. But... you said you would help me and my master, right? Specifically, how will you help us?"

"What...?"

"First, if you tell me that clearly, I will think about whether to accept the proposal or not."

"No, what are you saying now? This is a chance to face the best rising star of Kunlun. It is a chance that you cannot easily get even if you ask for it!"

I shrugged my shoulders and answered, "It is a good opportunity for that best rising star to gain great enlightenment thanks to me. I am not the kind of person who fights just because someone asks me to. In the Central Plains, there are not one or two people who want to face me even once more."

"What are you talking about...?"

My words are not a lie.

Putting aside my senior brothers, who are too obvious, the Nangong family siblings and the Zhuge family siblings also wanted to face me whenever they had a chance to improve their skills.

Because facing a strong person, getting broken, and rolling around to constantly check one's own skills was one of the best training methods.

"And one more thing. I think it would be good to have a talk about what kind of method the spar will be conducted in and how to win. What do you think?"

Yu Cheongja, unable to answer my words, is looking at me with dumbfounded eyes.

I could see Yu Seon, who had not been able to say a single word until now and was just looking at me with astonished eyes, next to him.

I gave him a wide smile.

***

Meanwhile, Hyeon Yang, who was facing the sect leader of Kunlun, Geuman Jonja.

After they exchanged simple greetings, they immediately got to the point.

It was to save time, because it was natural that the probability of those who had disappeared being alive would decrease as time passed if they were alive.

"Hyeon Yang. When was the last news you received from Hyeon Cheong?"

"I know it was exactly two months ago. I also calculated the time it took to get here."

"Then the news sent by our martial artists will be more recent. Because it has only been about a month since their news was cut off."

"Was there also a story about Hyeon Cheong in that news?"

"Yes, there was. Hyeon Cheong moved with our martial artists from the beginning. In fact, the one who sent us the last letter was not our Kunlun's martial artist, but Hyeon Cheong."

Hyeon Yang felt a little surprised and at the same time relieved.

Because if Hyeon Cheong had been traveling alone, he would have been at a loss as to how to find him in that vast Xinjiang, but if he was with the Taoists of Kunlun, it might be easier to find him.

"But why didn't Kunlun form a large-scale search party and go out to find them?"

Hyeon Yang asked what he was most curious about.

When he asked Yu Cheongja, whom he had met briefly earlier, if they were looking for them, only the answer that Kunlun had not taken any particular measures yet came back.

When he asked why that was, Yu Cheongja had only answered bluntly to ask the sect leader directly.

"You will understand if you see this letter sent by Hyeon Cheong."

Geuman Jonja handed Hyeon Yang a piece of paper, and on the paper, there were several letters that seemed to have been written in a hurry, as if they would fly away.

[... I have not been able to confirm the headquarters of the Demonic Cult, but the fact that we are looking for their headquarters has been discovered by them... For now, I will hide and overcome this situation and plan to return to Kunlun, so if I cannot return even after a month, please send a search party then...]

When Hyeon Yang had finished reading the letter and handed it back to Geuman Jonja, he took the letter and said, "And tomorrow will be exactly one month since that letter came. So I was thinking of waiting until today and then forming a group of people tomorrow and sending them to Xinjiang."

"There was no mention of where to come in this letter, so where were you going to look for them?"

"He probably worried that this letter might be intercepted by them in the middle. But, there is a place where I have a rough idea of where they might be."

"Where is it?"

"There is a lake called Lop Nur not far from here. If they are still alive, they will be near there."

"How do you know that?"

"I already had a talk with Taoist Master Hyeon Cheong before he left. He said he had already prepared a safe house there, so he would hide near there. The mountains surrounding Lop Nur are very rough and large, so that place would be perfect for hiding."

Hyeon Yang, who had heard the whole story, nodded his head.

Hyeon Cheong is originally the most meticulous person among his senior and junior brothers.

It is impossible that he would have chased the enemies without any countermeasures.

"I don't know why Cheong-i asked me to wait for a month, but I can't wait any longer. I will go to find my junior brother right now."

"Isn't it late in the afternoon today anyway? The day your junior brother asked for is tomorrow, so why don't you get ready today and leave with the martial artists of Kunlun tomorrow?"

Come to think of it, there was less than a full day left until departure.

The moment Hyeon Yang was about to answer that he understood.

"S-Sect leader! Taoist Master Hyeon Yang!"

Suddenly, the sound of someone running noisily and shouting was heard from in front of Geuman Jonja's room.

He came into the door right away without even hearing the permission of the sect leader, Geuman Jonja.

It was the Taoist who had brought Hyeon Yang here a little while ago.

"What is it, I-cheong."

"Sect leader. I think you need to go out right now."

"Why? What is it, that you are making such a fuss?"

"Th-That child named Unhwi of the Wudang Sect..."

"What about that child?"

"Did my disciple cause some kind of trouble again?"

I-cheong nodded his head and said, "He is said to have beaten up Yu Seon. Yu Seon has lost consciousness and has been carried to the infirmary."

"N-No. What did you say?"

"... Unhwi, that guy, I told him to be quiet...!"

Hyeon Yang said in a dejected voice and put his hand on his head.

For some reason, he felt a throbbing headache.

(End of Chapter)