The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 25

"Yes...?! Primordial Heaven..."

"Shh!"

I brought my finger to my lips and stopped her from answering.

Actually, the sound I made just now was much louder than her words. But that was also my intention.

To make the opponent listen to my words without giving them time to think.

It's one of the miscellaneous skills I learned while trying to survive in the martial world with no background and a humble origin.

"Actually, I'm also not sure right now. Whether you are really that person, young lady. But after seeing your name, Zhuge Ling, I was sure. By any chance, does the 'Ling' in your name use the character for 'bell' (鈴)?"

"Uh, how did you...?"

"So it was. Could you spare me a moment? It won't take long."

Zhuge Ling looked back and forth between the stairs Liu Shan had gone up and me, then let out a deep sigh and said, "Alright. But, I don't think it's a good idea to talk here."

"Ah! Please follow me. There's a place nearby where we can talk."

I cheered inwardly and started walking.

The place I was going to was an open space in a bamboo forest not far from here.

Few people even know of its existence, and since it's surrounded by dense bamboo, it's the best place to have a secret conversation like this.

Since I rarely show a relaxed side in front of my senior brothers, I often came here to rest when I wanted to.

Thanks to that, I had even brought a few logs to use as chairs.

Soon, we arrived at the open space.

"Young lady. Please sit here."

"I've been coming to Mount Wudang for years... I never thought there would be a place like this."

She said, looking around with a curious expression.

She must have never thought there would be such a wide-open space in the middle of a bamboo forest.

"It's my secret place that even the people of Wudang don't know well. Anyway, we don't have much time, so shall we get straight to the point?"

"Ah, alright. What is the revelation you received?"

I opened my mouth with a relaxed expression.

While coming here, I had quickly organized my thoughts on how to speak, so the words flowed smoothly.

"Was it about a year ago? That's when I had the dream for the first time."

"A dream?"

"Yes. The revelation I received was through a dream."

"Ah... please continue."

"The first dream I had was nothing special. It was a dream of a fan and a bell coming down to Mount Wudang from the sky."

"Huh...?!"

She had a surprised expression at my words.

It's understandable.

It's not common in the Central Plains to use a fan as a weapon.

That's why when you say 'folding fan', you immediately think of the Zhuge family.

And the bell means her own name.

In other words, it can be taken to mean that Zhuge Ling of the Zhuge family is coming to Wudang.

"And I kept having that dream periodically. So that I would never forget. At first, I had no idea what that dream meant, but the moment I saw your name today, I knew. That you were trying to teach me that you were coming to Wudang."

"And, were there no other revelations? By any chance... I mean..."

Zhuge Ling couldn't speak properly and was hesitating.

I was waiting for this reaction.

"Why you can't learn martial arts?"

"Ah...! That's right. How...?!"

She was so surprised that she shot up from the log she was sitting on.

Although it will all be revealed later, at this time, the fact that the daughter of the Zhuge family couldn't learn martial arts was a secret outside the Zhuge family.

The mere fact that I said this with my own mouth will give her a great sense of trust.

"So it was."

"Then by any chance, do you also know the solution?"

She said in a desperate voice.

Looking at those innocent eyes, I feel like my conscience is being pricked by a needle.

But, I steeled my heart and opened my mouth.

This is not for my own good, but to help her.

"Of course. If I didn't know that, I wouldn't have bothered to ask for a moment of your time like this."

"Primordial Heaven Supreme...!"

She exclaimed the Taoist title like a Taoist in a moved voice.

Her eyes were even welling up with tears.

I can't even imagine how much she must have suffered.

But, even in the midst of that, she doesn't shed tears.

'As expected of the Iron Flying Fan. Even in this situation, her emotions don't crumble.'

It seemed that hard heart had been cultivated since she was young.

"As I said before, we don't have much time, right? So listen carefully. I will tell you the incantation of an internal technique that only you can use, young lady."

"The incantation?"

"Yes. Listen carefully. You can memorize it in one go, right?"

"Ah! Yes, yes."

I told her the incantation of the Three Talents Internal Technique, an internal technique that any martial artist would know.

But, she didn't realize at once that this martial art was the incantation of the Three Talents Internal Technique and memorized it diligently.

'Since the order is reversed, it can't be helped.'

The reason I was able to prepare the incantation to tell her in this short time was not because I had newly created or improved it, but because I had just told her the direction in which the true qi that entered the body through breathing should flow in the Three Talents Internal Technique in reverse.

She will realize it later, but that's what I was hoping for.

Because not only the Three Talents Internal Technique, but also the martial arts of the Zhuge family will have to be learned in reverse someday.

'She's a smart martial artist, so she'll probably figure it out sooner than I think.'

At first, I was going to tell her directly that the acupoints in her body were the complete opposite.

But, the reason I'm saying it like this instead of doing that is because I'm afraid she'll treat me like a madman.

Because if a normal person operates their internal technique backwards, their blood and qi will flow backwards, and they will fall into qi deviation and die.

"Have you memorized it all?"

"Yes. I have. It feels very familiar somewhere..."

"I felt that way too. But, I couldn't learn it. It's an internal technique just for you, young lady."

"Just for me... how can I ever repay this grace..."

"You should repay the grace not to me, but to the Primordial Heaven Supreme. I just delivered it."

Drip—

At that moment, a single tear flowed from her eye.

The tears she had been holding back until now.

But, her lips were smiling.

These tears were not tears of pain and suffering like before, but tears of happiness.

"You said you were Taoist Unhwi earlier, right?"

"Yes. You heard it once, but you remember."

"Of course. I even memorized the incantation you told me just now in one go."

She, who had shaken off her worries and anxieties, gave me a bright smile.

That smile was so beautiful that I couldn't even think she was the same person as a moment ago.

They say that when a person is filled with happiness, their face seems to shine, and that story was unfolding right before my eyes.

"Now I've said everything I have to say. Shouldn't you go to the Martial Granduncle quickly? It seems the sermon time is approaching."

"Ah...! I understand. Can we talk like this again later?"

"Of course. I don't know if you'll come to Wudang to listen to sermons in the future, but let's see each other often."

"Thank you so much."

She bowed to me once more with sincerity.

I, who am not used to receiving thanks like this, felt my nose itch for no reason, so I wiped my nose and then led her out of the bamboo forest.

After leaving the forest, we reached the place where she had parted with the servant named Liu Shan a moment ago.

"I'll be on my way down now. I have to go back to guarding the Shangqing Gate."

"I see. Hey..."

When she was about to say something.

"Young lady!"

I saw the servant shouting from far away and coming down with small steps.

"Liu Shan?"

"Hurry up and come up. I barely managed to tell them to wait, saying you were just starting. What were you talking about for so long?"

"You should go quickly. Martial Granduncle Okhang is a scary person."

"I understand. Thank you so much."

She nodded her head and then started walking upwards.

That gait was so confident that I would have believed she was a completely different person from before.

Watching her back, I realized something important that I had been missing.

'Just because the Demonic Cult is invading, it doesn't mean that only Wudang has to block it, right?'

Until now, I had only been thinking about how to raise the disciples of Wudang to be stronger, and how to protect the Central Plains.

But, Wudang is only a very small part of the orthodox martial world.

How can you block the sky with the palm of your hand?

'I almost became a frog in a well.'

If I hadn't met Zhuge Ling today, I wouldn't have realized this.

No, even if I had realized it, it would have taken a long time.

'Wudang is small. If I turn my eyes outside of Wudang, there are many places for me to conquer.'

Recently, the number of senior brothers participating in my training method has been increasing.

'Then the senior brothers have to do well on their own so that I don't have to pay much attention to Wudang.'

When my thoughts reached that point, my steps were naturally heading towards the training ground.

I started walking, vowing to hasten the time to take control of Wudang thanks to today's unexpected meeting.

***

A few more days passed after meeting Zhuge Ling.

In the end, I completely forgot to go back to the Shangqing Gate that day, and Senior Brother Un Chi guarded the Shangqing Gate until the next shift came and then returned to the training ground.

When he found me training with the other senior brothers in the training ground, dripping with sweat, he had a slightly wronged expression for a moment, but in the end, the senior brother couldn't say a single word to me.

It wasn't because he was scared of my fists, but because he had been caught by me while trying to run away during the free training time, so he must have felt guilty himself.

"Hwi-ya. What are you thinking about so hard."

"Ah! Martial Uncle."

"I was concentrating, did I disturb you? I didn't even hear you speak."

"No. I was just thinking about something else."

I, who had been thinking about the events of a few days ago while looking out the window in the Martial Uncle's training ground, corrected my posture and opened my mouth again.

"What did you call me for? By the way, it feels like it's been a really long time since we've talked like this. For the past few days, you've been training so seriously with a 'don't talk to me' expression that I couldn't even approach you."

"Ah... was that so. I'm sorry. I've been stuck on something recently. I feel like if I can just get past this point, I'll have a big breakthrough, but it's not going well."

"That's how epiphanies are. In times like that, you'll never get it if you just try to do what you usually do. Don't think about it in a hurry, it would be better to slowly retrace how you did it from the beginning."

"Really? You know that well, as if you've experienced an epiphany several times."

"I-I just had a flash of thought that it might be like that. As you know, I'm a genius."

Recently, as I've been continuously guiding the senior brothers, advice has been popping out habitually.

I had been trying to be careful about giving advice to the elders of the sect, including Martial Uncle Hyeon Yang.

It wouldn't matter later when I become really strong and my name is known in the martial world, but for now, it's obvious that they would see it as strange.

"Yes. But, for some reason, I feel like your words might be the answer. As you said, I was just rushing, obsessed with the idea that I had to overcome the wall. I never thought about going back to the beginning."

"I hope it goes well. Hahaha."

I laughed awkwardly and avoided his gaze.

Then, with the thought of changing the subject, I quickly opened my mouth.

"Oh, right! But why did you call me? Is there something wrong?"

"Do I have to have something wrong to call you?"

"Then you just called me?"

"Of course, there is something, but."

The Martial Uncle, perhaps embarrassed, cleared his throat and then opened his mouth again.

"I have to go to Shaolin on the Sect Leader's order."

"Ooh. To Shaolin?"

"Yes. So, what do you say? Will you go with me? Nominally, since we're going outside of Wudang, it's to have you attend to me, but I want to show you that there's a wider world."

(End of Chapter)