The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 236

The letter carrying the news of Minister Jeong's death quickly flew through the sky and headed for Beijing.

Finally, the letter fell into the hands of Jeong Il-hak, a Reader-in-waiting at the Hanlin Academy.

"Minister Jeong... he was a truly great man. Go back quickly. And hold a good funeral."

"Thank you, Director."

Jeong Il-hak, the eldest son of Minister Jeong, after telling this news to the Director of the Hanlin Academy, immediately returned to his residence, packed only a few simple things, and then set off for his family home.

As the horse he was riding was passing by an alleyway that led out of Beijing.

A man wearing a deep bamboo hat blocked Jeong Il-hak's path.

"Wait."

"Do you know who I am and are blocking my path? If it were a normal day, I would have given you a good scolding, but since I have urgent business now, I will just let it go!"

Although Jeong Il-hak threatened the man who had blocked him, he, with a small laugh, said nonchalantly, "Reader-in-waiting Jeong Il-hak. No?"

"......!"

Jeong Il-hak could not help but be greatly surprised.

Because the man who was blocking him knew exactly who he was.

"By any chance... did the general send you?"

For a moment, his tone and voice softened.

The man in the bamboo hat, nodding his head, said, "So where are you going? By any chance... you're not trying to run away, are you?"

"What do you mean, run away! By any chance, is the general watching me because he thinks I might run away?"

"Our general hates those who don't keep their promises. It's been a long time since the promised time to give the general the item, but since there is still no news, the general has been very uncomfortable lately."

"Th-That's what I explained before, isn't it? That I'm in the process of persuading my father..."

"That damn persuasion. Then in the end, did the Reader-in-waiting ask our general to push his back with an item that he hasn't even properly secured yet? If you knew how many people the general had to say sorry to in order to get the Reader-in-waiting into the Hanlin Academy, you wouldn't be saying that..."

Jeong Il-hak bit his lip without my realizing it.

He, wanting to succeed even a day faster, had used the connections of the Left General, Jin Baek.

He, after finding out that the Left General was very interested in rare books on the art of war, had secretly approached him.

Because the Left General, Jin Baek, was also a distant relative of the imperial family, and he was a well-known person in the court.

'When you deal with the Left General, Jin Baek, you must be very careful. Although he seems to give away his things generously, if the price he wants does not come back, he is a cruel and cold person who will lead his opponent to ruin.'

Although such rumors were also circulating, he did not care.

Because he thought that his father would surely give up that old, worn-out piece of paper for his success.

But the reality was very different.

Because Minister Jeong had said that he would never give up the family heirloom to Jeong Il-hak.

Minister Jeong was a person who had lived a clean and upright life, never accepting any bribes even when he was serving as the chancellor of the imperial court.

That's why Jeong Il-hak couldn't even try to say that he had to give the Art of War of Wu Zi as a bribe, so please give it to him.

Instead, what he chose was to scare his father, who knew nothing about martial arts, and make him give up the family heirloom.

'Actually, at first, I really had no intention of letting him die. He just kept holding on, and holding on...'

Jeong Il-hak, after finishing his thoughts, said to Jin Baek's subordinate, "I was on my way home now. To get the gift to give to the general."

"Is that... really true?"

"Why would I lie? And you said I was running away earlier... where would I run away to, leaving the Hanlin Academy? My lifelong dream is in that place..."

The martial artist, as if he were staring at Jeong Il-hak for a moment, opened his mouth.

"I understand. Go ahead. But... if you fail to bring the gift to give to the general this time as well, you will have to bear the general's great anger. Do you understand?"

"I... understand..."

Jeong Il-hak, who was very scared and cowering, after answering the martial artist, immediately left Beijing.

The Left General, Jin Baek, is a person who really does what he says.

Recently, there was a person who had risen to the position of county magistrate with his power, but that person had suddenly hanged himself and committed suicide in the middle of the night.

Although most people were puzzled as to why a person who had risen to the position of county magistrate would commit suicide, most of the people who had used the Left General's power seemed to know the whole story of that incident.

'Since he couldn't keep his promise to the Left General, the Left General punished him.'

Although Jeong Il-hak had not seen that incident directly, he knew it well because he had heard it several times through rumors.

Perhaps because the Left General's pressure has been getting stronger recently, he feels that he doesn't have much time left.

'When I get home, I'll hold the funeral as quickly as possible, and then I'll have to take the family heirloom and meet the Left General first. I was trying to borrow his power, but now I'm about to lose my life...'

So he was able to smile even at the sad news that his father had passed away.

Until now, the possibility of receiving the family heirloom from his father seemed very, very low.

So he had even thought of stealing the family heirloom without his father's knowledge, but since Minister Jeong cherished the family heirloom more than he thought, that was also not an easy task.

But now that an opportunity has arisen...

'I have to go as quickly as possible. In case that guy Yi-hak covets my things.'

He, thinking that his younger brother, who was a military official, would surely drool if he found the Art of War of Wu Zi, kicked the side of his horse once more and increased his speed.

***

"Oh, my. Oh, my. Oh, my..."

Finally, he arrived at Minister Jeong's manor.

The first thing Jeong Il-hak heard was the sound of wailing that echoed everywhere.

The manor gate was wide open, and the smell of incense vibrated from inside.

Now that he was here, it seemed to be real.

'My father has really passed away!'

For a moment, he felt a surge of emotion.

He got off his horse and entered through the main gate.

"Young master?!"

"The first young master has arrived!"

A few servants who recognized him shouted.

Jeong Il-hak, after greeting them, saying it had been a long time, naturally entrusted his horse to them and went inside.

He, who was about to smile in relief that he was now saved, barely held it back and maintained a sad expression as much as possible.

When he reached the inner courtyard, he was finally able to find his younger brother, Jeong Yi-hak.

Jeong Yi-hak, who was wearing mourning clothes, had his eyes swollen from crying so much.

"Yi-hak-ah. You were here first."

"Older brother. Why did you come so late!"

"I'm sorry. I said I would leave right away, but it turned out like this. What about father?"

"He's still in the back. Would you like to see him?"

"Let's do that. I'm an unfilial son who couldn't even see him off on his last journey, so I should at least say my last goodbye."

Jeong Il-hak quickly changed into the mourning clothes that a servant had brought out and headed for the coffin where Minister Jeong's body would be laid.

Although he was deliberately making a gloomy expression, there were four people standing around the coffin.

Two Taoists and two monks.

'Is there such a custom in the world?'

In general, it is not that difficult to see a monk or a Taoist at someone's funeral.

But it is not that common to see both of them together.

Because in Buddhism, there is a Buddhist funeral custom, and in Taoism, there is a Taoist funeral custom.

'Come to think of it... I heard that my father had hired a Wudang Sect martial artist this time.'

He had seen in the letter that the servants had sent him that his father had brought a Wudang Sect martial artist right before he passed away.

He said that he seemed young and his martial arts didn't seem that strong, so since he wasn't in a situation to hire a high-ranking person, he seemed to have hired a young Taoist, and the Taoist standing next to him seemed to be him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am the eldest son, Jeong Il-hak. I am serving as a Reader-in-waiting at the Hanlin Academy."

“……”

“……”

“……”

But the four of them, without any answer, just looked at him blankly.

Even though Jeong Il-hak had a thick skin, it was not easy to endure the gaze of four martial artists looking at him straight.

Moreover, since he had many things that he was guilty of now, he had no choice but to be so.

"I am Il-jik of the Shaolin Temple."

"Shaolin Temple?!"

"Minister Jeong has always given a lot of support to our Shaolin Temple. So as soon as I heard the news of his death, I rushed here. This is my junior brother, Il-won."

Jeong Il-hak was startled at the words 'Shaolin Temple'.

He has no idea how his father's usual connections have spread to the Shaolin Temple.

Moreover, the Shaolin Temple is no different from the leader of the orthodox martial world.

The fact that they hate evil and pursue justice is a fact that even three-year-old children all know.

That's why he felt himself cowering once more.

It is a similar feeling to a criminal who, when a policeman passes by in front of him, hides without my realizing it because he is guilty.

"I am Un Cheol of the Wudang Sect. This is my junior brother, Unhwi."

"Yes... but how did the martial artists of the two sects come to be here together?"

"We were investigating the strange things that were happening in the house at Minister Jeong's request. In the meantime, the minister met with a misfortune... and since it seems that it happened because of us, we haven't been able to leave yet."

"We, Shaolin, came because it was a matter of course, not knowing that these people were here."

"I see."

But Jeong Il-hak realized that there was something strange about Un Cheol's words.

In general, the word 'misfortune' is not used well for death due to old age or illness.

It would be a word used when one is killed by someone...

"But what do you mean, my father met with a misfortune?"

"Ah... did you come without knowing?"

Un Cheol had a troubled expression.

For a moment, Jeong Il-hak noticed that he was looking at the surrounding martial artists.

It seemed there was something he couldn't easily say to Jeong Il-hak now.

"Venerable Un Cheol. Even if you don't say it now, it won't be that he won't know, so please tell him."

"Ahem... do I have to say it?"

"Then should we, who came later, say it?"

"That's not it. I will say it."

Although he was embarrassed for a moment because he didn't know what the two were talking about.

Un Cheol, looking at Jeong Il-hak, immediately opened his mouth.

"Don't be surprised and listen carefully."

"Yes, Taoist master."

"Minister Jeong... that is, your father, was killed by someone."

"He was killed?! By whom? Why?"

"We haven't figured that out yet. One thing is for sure, a master who we couldn't even notice came last night, and that master killed Minister Jeong and took a few things."

"He took things? By any chance...?!"

Jeong Il-hak couldn't continue his words.

Because a sense of anxiety began to tighten from inside his heart.

He looked at Un Cheol with trembling eyes.

Un Cheol, with a regretful face, said, "It seems he took all the things that could be money from Minister Jeong's room. I heard that among them was also a family heirloom... but I haven't fully grasped what else has disappeared yet."

Jeong Il-hak, feeling the sky turn yellow, collapsed to the floor.

The martial artists rushed to him and comforted him, asking if the shock of his father being murdered by someone was so great.

But, Jeong Il-hak's ears did not seem to hear that comfort at all.

(End of Chapter)