The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 239

Jeong Il-hak, who had failed to persuade Jeong Yi-hak, went to meet his confidant, not knowing at all that there were two people following him.

His confidant was a servant named Gun-seong, who had been in this house the longest after the head steward. He, upon seeing Jeong Il-hak, approached him and said, "First young master! What on earth is going on!"

"What?"

"You didn't say that the master would die, did you? You just said you would make him a little tired... didn't you say that nothing would happen?"

“……”

Jeong Il-hak bit his lip.

He had persuaded the servants and the manor's martial artists over a long period of time.

That he would be the one to become the head of this family in the future, and that if he became the head of the family, he would treat them very well.

So they had listened to Jeong Il-hak's request, which seemed to have some ulterior motive.

Of course, although they did not know anything about martial arts or formations, they knew by intuition that what they were doing was harming Minister Jeong.

They thought that since he had something he wanted, it would be okay to go along with his wishes for a while to achieve it.

Moreover, since they knew Jeong Il-hak's personality of being sure of his gratitude and resentment, there was also the reason that they had followed his wishes because they were afraid that they would suffer a harsh fate from him in the future if they did not go along with his wishes.

But, if things go on like this, the story changes a little.

Because they had never imagined that what they were doing would contribute to Minister Jeong's death.

"By any chance... is it possible that what happened to the master this time...?"

Gun-seong could not finish his words.

He was asking if it was possible that Jeong Il-hak was the one who had sent an assassin to kill Minister Jeong.

He, who was suddenly accused, with a deep frown, snapped, "What? Are you crazy? Are you trying to say that I killed my father?"

"N-No. I'm sorry, young master. Actually, because of what we have been doing, everyone is suffering from guilt. Can you, first young master, tell us that what we have been doing has nothing to do with what happened to the master this time?"

Gun-seong asked with an innocent face.

At that expression, Jeong Il-hak was suddenly annoyed.

Although he could say such a thing a hundred times, a thousand times, on a normal day, the situation is different now.

'What if that Wudang Taoist guy is also skilled in formations?'

If that young Taoist named Unhwi, by any chance, not only knows martial arts but also formations, and if he knows that the purpose of that formation is to harm Minister Jeong, then gathering the servants now and saying such a thing is no different from confessing that he is the culprit.

"Not now."

"Yes...?"

"And tell them that no one should ever reveal that I ordered that."

"B-But... if someone asks who ordered it, what should we say?"

"Say you don't know. Just say that's how it's been done. You can say it's a custom that has been passed down from ancient times, can't you?"

Jeong Il-hak said firmly.

Right now, his head hurts just from worrying about how to get the family heirloom back.

It means that he has no time to listen to the complaints of a mere servant.

"Y-Young master..."

"For now, go back quickly and make sure no one says that I ordered it. Hurry!"

"Ah, I understand..."

Gun-seong, who was very dejected, answered that he would and then turned around and went back.

Jeong Il-hak, who was too preoccupied with his thoughts, did not see what kind of expression Gun-seong had as he went back.

Gun-seong went back with an expression that was a mixture of anxiety, dissatisfaction, and a little bit of anger.

***

Jeong Il-hak, after meeting with a servant and talking about something, went outside the manor.

I remember that that servant's name was Gun-seong.

Since I had seen him manipulating the formation in the south of the manor, I had memorized his name when I was investigating.

'What on earth are they talking about?'

Although it would have been nice if I had eavesdropped on their conversation, unfortunately, I couldn't.

Because I couldn't get any closer because of the man in the bamboo hat who was following Jeong Il-hak.

That man, as Jeong Il-hak went outside the manor, followed him.

Fortunately, it seems he has not yet realized that I am following him.

Jeong Il-hak, after leaving the manor, moved his steps without hesitation to a familiar place.

He moved to the place where the objects of the formation were.

"Sigh... I should have brought someone..."

And he, after making a grumbling sound, began to move the trees and rocks here and there.

Perhaps it seemed that he was scattering them randomly to erase the traces that this was a formation.

'I've already seen everything.'

But the fact that he is doing such a thing is no different from confessing that he has set up this formation himself.

I thought he had come out in such a hurry, but it was because he wanted to erase the traces of the formation.

He, without even dreaming that I had already noticed, even while panting, diligently moved the trees.

And so, Jeong Il-hak, after moving the trees to one side to some extent, moved his position again.

'Judging by the direction, he's going west.'

The objects of the formation are located in the east, west, south, and north, centered on the courtyard of Minister Jeong's quarters.

Since the scale of the formation was much larger than I thought, I couldn't recognize it at a glance.

Since he had cleared all of the north, it seemed he was going to go to the west and clear it this time.

'There's no need for me to follow him when he's doing a useless thing.'

I did not feel the need to follow him.

Because I already know, and Jeong Yi-hak also knows, that he was the one who led this incident, and I saw it with my own eyes.

Although he might deny it... since I have a way to make him confess on his own, I decided to let him do as he pleased.

'But not you.'

Instead, I don't want to see an uninvited guest roaming around this manor anymore.

I, stealthily releasing my energy, let my killing intent flow towards the man in the bamboo hat.

The man in the bamboo hat, who was following Jeong Il-hak without any suspicion, suddenly flinched and then stopped in his tracks.

Although he felt my energy and killing intent, it's probably because he couldn't be sure whether it was aimed at him or if he had accidentally been caught in the flow of energy.

'So that's your level.'

I was able to grasp his level to some extent just by that one action.

If he had a martial art of a similar level to mine, he should have accurately noticed that I had sent my killing intent and even the direction.

But he, even stopping his pursuit of Jeong Il-hak, is lying flat on the ground like a turtle.

And when I sent my killing intent to him once more, he reacted properly this time.

The man in the bamboo hat, after waiting until Jeong Il-hak had completely disappeared from his sight, stood up from his seat.

“……”

And he looked at me without a word.

I, revealing myself leisurely, slowly walked towards him.

"A martial artist?"

"Then are you from the government army?"

“……”

He is silent again.

It probably means that I have hit the nail on the head.

"This is not a place for a martial artist to interfere. Leave this place before you create a big problem."

"What? I was here first, but you're telling me to leave first? You should be reasonable."

"You seem young, but you're arrogant."

"How do you know how old I am and are saying that? Don't you know that you shouldn't judge a martial artist by their appearance?"

"N-No way..."

"Think about it yourself. I've been here for more than a week. It means I'm the first guest."

He, this time as well, looked at me without an answer.

Although I made him mistake me for a master of returning to youth, it seems he went over it easily.

Since he can hardly gauge my skills, it seemed he was thinking that it was impossible in his common sense to have accumulated martial arts to the point where he couldn't recognize it at this age.

"Why were you tailing Jeong Il-hak?"

"To see if he was plotting something."

"Plotting?"

"I can't tell you any more than that."

I quickly turned my head.

For now, this man in the bamboo hat doesn't seem to have a strong way with words, or a quick head.

Because he has already given me quite a lot of information in the short conversation just now.

First, he is from the government army.

When I asked if he was from the government army, he should have shown some reaction, whether he said no or agreed, but he didn't show any reaction and just passed it over naturally.

Although I was curious whether it was the imperial court or the government army, it is no different from him admitting on his own that he is from the government army.

Although people who don't know well might ask if the two are not the same, in reality, they are very different.

Because although the imperial army only listens to the emperor's orders, the government army has a separate superior whom they each serve.

In the case of this man in the bamboo hat, there is a very high possibility that he is a subordinate of the Left General of Luoyang, Jin Baek.

"Well. You were supposed to receive something from Jeong Il-hak, but you're probably anxious that he might secretly take it away, right?"

"......!"

And his mind is also very shallow.

Because he answers all my probing questions with such a surprised expression.

"How... did you? By any chance, did Jeong Il-hak spill everything? Did he ask you for help?"

"Should I say it's a good thing? That's not it. I'm also in a situation where I'm confronting Jeong Il-hak. I just found out by investigating this and that."

"What is your identity?"

"You're asking quickly. I am Unhwi of the Wudang Sect."

"Wudang Sect?"

"Now you have to tell me who you are too, right?"

"I can't tell you."

"I already know that you are a subordinate of the Left General of Luoyang, Jin Baek. I'm curious about your name."

“……”

He was at a loss for words again.

He probably feels like everything is being seen through by me.

He, after letting out a small sigh, took off the bamboo hat that he had been wearing on his head until now.

His face was more handsome than I thought.

Since his eyebrows were thick and his eyes were sharp, it seems he had been wearing a bamboo hat to cover those features.

"I am Ryu Ju-guk of the Central Yang Division of the Luoyang Army."

"Good. Now it seems we can talk a little."

"You're confronting Jeong Il-hak? What does that mean?"

"It's just as it sounds. Jeong Il-hak is plotting a conspiracy in this family. I'm trying to find it out and stop it."

"What kind of conspiracy?"

"You've been following Jeong Il-hak so much, but you didn't know anything? If you had just heard him talking with the servant a little while ago, you would have been able to deduce the general situation."

But he didn't seem to have found out anything.

I, shaking my head, said, "Since you don't seem to understand anything at all, I'll ask you directly."

"What?"

"What does the Left General want? Does he want to get the Art of War of Wu Zi? Or does he want to punish Jeong Il-hak?"

"!!"

A surprised expression again.

Although I knew that many military officials were simple and transparent, that person named Ryu Ju-guk seems to be particularly severe.

"You'd better answer well. Depending on which of the two answers you give, you might have to fight me right now."

I, while saying that, was slowly letting my energy flow towards him.

My energy, which had already filled this area thickly, is binding him.

'If he says he must get the Art of War of Wu Zi, I have no choice but to kill him, and if not, I might be able to talk more.'

If the order is to get the Art of War of Wu Zi, I have no choice but to fight him.

Because I am in a position to protect the family heirloom, and he is in a position to take it.

But, if it's the latter, the story is different.

Although I don't know if Minister Jeong wants it or not, since I am also interested in punishing him.

"The... the general..."

He, barely opening his mouth that wouldn't open well, said, "He doesn't care much about that damn Art of War of Wu Zi. He just wants to teach a lesson to the one who tried to deal with the general in advance with an item that doesn't even exist."

I instantly withdrew my energy.

As if he had been tensing his whole body, Ryu Ju-guk staggers for a moment.

"Really? Then I guess we can talk for a bit."

At my bright answer, he nodded his head without my realizing it.

(End of Chapter)