The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 238

Jeong Il-hak, after taking Jeong Yi-hak outside, first looked around.

To check if anyone was watching them.

Then he took his younger brother to a secluded place where there were no people around.

"Yi-hak-ah."

"Yes, older brother."

"Tell me honestly. What on earth happened?"

"What do you mean, tell you honestly?"

"I'm saying that it seems things are fitting together too perfectly. That Wudang Taoist... is he really a Wudang Taoist?"

He asked with sparkling eyes.

At that gaze, Jeong Yi-hak felt himself flinch at his older brother, who had not learned martial arts.

A military official cowering before a civil official. If the other military officials who worked with him had heard this story, they might have made fun of him.

"What do you mean, is he really a Wudang Taoist? I have no idea what you mean by that question."

"I'm saying that since that Taoist came to the house, misfortunes have begun to happen in this house. And it's as if it was planned this way."

At Jeong Il-hak's suspicious tone, Jeong Yi-hak swallowed a hollow breath inside.

Jeong Il-hak was famous as a child prodigy since he was very young.

Not only was he good at his studies, to the point where he passed the provincial examination with the highest score at an age where he had not even reached the age of majority, but he was also a person with a good head on his shoulders.

Jeong Il-hak, as if he were thinking of something for a moment, asked Jeong Yi-hak again.

"Who sent that Taoist?"

"I heard that Hwan sent him. That Hwan was greatly indebted to that Taoist master."

"As expected! By any chance, could it be that Hwan, in order to drive us out and take over this house, sent that Taoist to the house and is plotting a scheme?"

"Older brother!"

Jeong Yi-hak, with a deep frown, snapped and then immediately continued.

"Because of your suspicion, it's been almost ten years since our third brother left home. Are you still saying that?"

"Tsk. Don't call him our third brother. To be honest, that child doesn't even have a drop of our blood mixed in, does he? And right now, Hwan's story is not important."

"Then what is important?"

"What's important is who the culprit who harmed our father is. I'm thinking that perhaps... it might have been the work of that Wudang Taoist."

"Yes? What are you talking about?"

Although Jeong Yi-hak asked in a loud voice, Jeong Il-hak did not answer him.

Instead, he looked at Jeong Yi-hak with narrowed eyes.

"Actually, I'm also suspecting you."

"What did you say?"

"It means that there is a possibility that you and that Taoist joined hands and harmed our father."

"Why would I do such a thing?"

"We'll have to find that out from now on."

"Older brother!"

"Since you are also suspecting me, isn't it natural that I also suspect you?"

“……”

Jeong Yi-hak was at a loss for words, and Jeong Il-hak looked at Jeong Yi-hak with a contemptuous expression.

It was a face that seemed to know well what Jeong Yi-hak usually thought of him.

"Anyway, since I'm not the one who harmed our father, don't even think of framing an innocent person. What's important to me now is how to find the family heirloom. So you should also use all the methods you can to find out where the culprit or the family heirloom is."

"Older brother... is that so important to you right now?"

"What?"

"Our father has passed away. But aren't you sad at all?"

“……”

This time, Jeong Il-hak was at a loss for words.

He, who was obsessed with the thought of finding the lost family heirloom and giving it to the Left General, Jin Baek, as soon as possible, had forgotten for a moment that he was in mourning.

And he still hadn't fully realized that his father had died.

No, to be more precise, it would be a more accurate expression to say that Minister Jeong's death did not shake his heart much.

When Jeong Il-hak first passed the civil service examination with the highest score, he had asked Minister Jeong to stay in the court and be his backer.

But, Minister Jeong had completely ignored his request and had retired, and since then, Jeong Il-hak had not thought of Minister Jeong as his father.

Not only did he hardly ever come home, but even when he did, he only focused on making the servants and martial artists his own, and he hardly ever spent time with Minister Jeong.

Since such a time has already passed for more than ten years, to be honest, he was not very shaken even at the news that his father had died.

"I'm sad. But if I just cry because I'm sad, nothing will be solved, will it?"

"Solved? What do you mean, solved? If you catch the culprit and find the family heirloom, will our deceased father come back to life?"

"He won't come back to life. But if I just grieve, my father won't come back to life, I won't be able to catch the culprit, and I'll lose the family heirloom. Since my father can't come back to life anyway, it's a more rational judgment to take care of the other two things."

And the two of them, for a while, looked at each other without a word.

It was Jeong Yi-hak who first broke the uncomfortable silence between the brothers who did not trust each other.

"I... I'm thinking of not looking for the family heirloom."

"What?!"

"Older brother, do you know how much our father has suffered because of that useless piece of paper? The reason why there was misfortune in this house was all because of that family heirloom. Now that the family heirloom is gone, nothing will happen."

"That's ridiculous! Do you know what that thing means and are saying that? You, a military official, don't know how great a thing that Art of War of Wu Zi is?!"

"I know. But no matter how valuable a thing is, I also have the thought that if that thing brings disaster, do we really have to have it? Let's say we find the culprit and get the family heirloom back. Then how can you guarantee that someone who covets that family heirloom will not appear again? In the first place, the fact that it was known that that thing was in our house was the beginning of the problem."

"Crazy talk! If that thing is gone, I...!"

He, without my realizing it, was about to say his situation, but he barely shut his mouth.

"What were you trying to say?"

"Sigh. Forget it. Let's not talk about it. I was going to join forces with you and avenge our father... but since you say you have no intention of doing so, I'll have to do it on my own."

"What are you going to do on your own, older brother?"

"That's none of your business. I'll take care of it myself."

And Jeong Il-hak, without even looking back, began to walk somewhere.

Jeong Yi-hak, who was looking at his back, let out a deep sigh inside.

Before Jeong Il-hak came, Unhwi, after explaining the plan he had made to everyone, had also said this to Jeong Yi-hak.

That if he had to choose between his father and his older brother, who would he choose?

To be honest, although he was his father without even having to think about it, he had said that he wanted to talk with his older brother once.

So the opportunity he got is right now.

Originally, he was going to talk about his sincere feelings and the reason why he was doing this while walking around the house together, but since the other side had refused to talk like that first, there was nothing more to say.

'Older brother. You have just lost your last chance.'

He, turning his steps again, returned to the place where Unhwi was.

***

Jeong Yi-hak, who had gone out with Jeong Il-hak, returned alone.

Judging by his not-so-good expression, I could tell that his conversation with Jeong Il-hak had not gone well.

"My older brother... really doesn't care about our father at all. It seems that all he needs is the family heirloom."

"Then how about just giving it to him?"

"Yes?!"

"If you tell your father well and give the family heirloom to your older brother, won't this conflict end?"

"Hoho... you don't know my father's personality, do you? He is a person who has endured for several months even in that pain. If he were to give the family heirloom to my older brother, he would have given it to him long ago."

"The situation is getting difficult."

"I'm sorry for getting you involved in a useless matter..."

"No. It was my choice to get involved in this matter, and it is my choice to remain until now. Since it has come to this, my mind will be at ease only if I take care of it as cleanly as possible."

"Really... thank you. Hwan is very lucky. To have met someone like you."

Jeong Yi-hak had a very moved expression.

I, after telling him to stay here for a while, left that place.

To watch what Jeong Il-hak was doing.

Fortunately, Jeong Il-hak was easy to find.

He, while walking around the house, checked if the objects were in place, and while meeting the servants who were no different from his confidants, he checked if there were any suspicious people.

His appearance was so serious that if someone had seen him, they would have thought he was a person who was working hard to find the culprit who had killed his father.

'Although the killing is for the sake of finding the family heirloom.'

It was when quite a bit of time had passed since I had been following him without him noticing.

Since Jeong Il-hak didn't seem to be making any progress, and since I didn't think I would get much from tailing him, it was at the moment I was about to go back.

'A person?'

At that time, I happened to see something moving at the end of my vision.

At first, I thought it might be an animal, but when I looked closely, it was a person.

Because there is no way there would be an animal wearing black clothes and a bamboo hat.

'Who is it?'

That person seemed to be following Jeong Il-hak, just like me.

Although I don't know since when he has been following Jeong Il-hak, since I have only just discovered him, it seems his martial arts level is quite outstanding.

And fortunately, that person doesn't seem to have noticed me yet.

It means that my stealth skill is more outstanding than that person's.

I, lowering my body even more and almost lying on the ground, slowly crawled and approached him.

Since I had hidden my presence as much as possible and had gathered my internal energy, he did not notice me at all even though the distance had gotten quite close.

Although he was wearing a deep bamboo hat, I can see the outline of his lower face.

Since a person's impression is determined a lot by their lower face, it is possible to distinguish a person just by their lower face.

That's why a mask also reveals only the eyes and covers the area below.

But... I have no idea who it is.

Moreover, as I got closer, I could feel that he had a more outstanding martial art than I thought, and that energy is a heterogeneous feeling that I have never felt before.

'By any chance... is he from the imperial army?'

A face I have never seen before, and an energy I have never felt before.

Since there is no way Jeong Il-hak would be chased by a martial artist from outside the country, there is a higher possibility that he has learned the martial arts of the imperial army.

Because the imperial army has established a martial arts system that is a little different from the general martial arts of the Central Plains.

'By any chance?!'

My head starts to turn rapidly.

If that person is really from the imperial army, there is only one reason why the imperial army would be chasing Jeong Il-hak.

'A subordinate of the Left General, Jin Baek!'

A small smile appears on my lips.

Although the opponent is from the imperial army, since he is chasing Jeong Il-hak, I had the feeling that a way to solve this matter had rolled in on its own.

(End of Chapter)