The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 267

Un Gwang, perhaps due to fatigue, had dark circles under his eyes, but otherwise, he looked perfectly fine.

"I'm fine. Unhwi, what about you?"

"I'm fine now too. But are you really okay? I'm worried because you collapsed earlier."

Un Gwang grinned.

It seemed he had rushed to me as soon as he opened his eyes, and even though he had lost the duel a little while ago, and even though I, who had promised to do my best, had gone easy on him, he looked as if he was in a very good mood.

"The reason I collapsed wasn't because I was hurt anywhere, but because I had poured out all my energy at once. The medical hall said I have no internal injuries and no injuries anywhere. Ah! I did scrape my elbow when I fell and landed on it first."

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him rolling up his sleeve and showing me his injury.

I thought I should also show that I was fine, so I got up from the bed.

"Fortunately, you seem to be fine too, junior brother. It was a truly exquisite control of power. If it had been just a little stronger, I might have been injured, but you still thought of me in that situation, right? Thank you."

For a moment, I felt a surge of emotion. To be honest, I had reduced my power because I couldn't trust Un Gwang.

Un Gwang must have known that, but he was trying to make me feel at ease by saying thank you first.

"Grand Senior Brother, actually..."

"Ah! With this duel, I think the Taeguk Nine Swords has entered a certain stage of completion. It would be safer if I didn't release all my energy at once in the last third form and left a little, but I don't know if I'm still lacking, but it's hard to do that. Once that is complete, I'll pass it on to you too. I think it will be done with a little more research."

"During the duel a little while ago..."

"It would be great if it were a little easier to learn so I could teach it to all our junior brothers. But it's strangely difficult to learn..."

Un Gwang, who rarely cuts people off and only says what he wants to say, for some reason, cut me off several times today.

"Grand Senior Brother...!"

"Hwi-ya."

"Yes?"

"It's okay. There's no need to apologize or bring up what happened a little while ago again. The result is good, so let's just think about the result."

When I called Un Gwang again, he said to me with a very serious face and tone.

It was the most serious face I had ever seen him make, even including my past life.

In fact, he also knew that I had not done my best in the duel.

"If I develop a little more in the future. Then maybe you can show a little more of your true feelings? Right now, it was a situation where I would have suffered a serious internal injury if you had pushed your internal energy just a little more, and I also confirmed that the Taeguk Nine Swords was perfectly implemented... I'm just going to think about the good things from this duel."

"I understand, Grand Senior Brother."

He said with a broad smile.

Seeing him make a serious expression with such a gentle face, for some reason, all the negative thoughts I had until a little while ago seem to melt away.

"Then see you again at the training ground later. I'll go first."

Un Gwang left the room without looking back.

I let out a hollow laugh by myself.

Un Gwang had come a little while ago to tell me that it was okay.

In case I was feeling sorry for him.

'Then from now on, I really won't feel sorry.'

One must accept the goodwill of others.

Especially the goodwill of a good person like Un Gwang.

I got up from my seat, stretched my body here and there, and then I also left the room.

Because I wanted to finish the tournament with my senior brothers.

***

A little while later. We gathered again at the main training ground.

The Sect Leader said that it was getting later than expected, so he suggested we skip the formalities and proceed quickly.

As a result, we were already hearing the announcement of the Five Swords of Wudang less than a shichen (2 hours) after we had gathered.

"The first of the Five Swords of Wudang is Unhwi. Come up."

The first announcement with no tension at all. I stood up from my seat with a start and strode up to the platform.

As I went up, I looked around, but not a single person had a face of dissatisfaction or jealousy that I was the first to be called.

"For reference, the order in which the names are called is random. Among the Five Swords of Wudang, there is no one who is higher or lower. They are all just the same Five Swords of Wudang."

Although the Sect Leader said this, everyone must have felt that there was a subtle order within it.

Otherwise, I, the youngest, would not have been called first.

"I will continue the announcement. The next of the Five Swords of Wudang is Un Gwang."

Up to this point, it was a natural sequence. The problem is that it gets a little fierce from here on.

"The third is Un Hwang, and the fourth is Un Cheol."

Four people were announced without any tension.

In fact, it seems everyone had already expected these four to be chosen.

Because the senior brothers, the elders, and the grand-elders are all looking at us with satisfied faces, nodding their heads.

But the last, the fifth.

The Sect Leader, unlike before, did not speak without hesitation, but hesitated a little to speak.

'Could it be that he hasn't decided yet?'

Although I had this thought, the Sect Leader's expression now felt a little different from that.

If I had to guess his thoughts, it would be a face that said, 'I've picked him, but is this right?'

Well, this martial arts tournament was a tournament where we could clearly see how high the level of our third-generation disciples had become.

It means that no matter who is chosen as one of the Five Swords of Wudang, they are at a level where they will not tarnish the name of the Wudang Sect.

"Hooo... the last of the Five Swords of Wudang is... Un Jihak!"

The name of the last of the Five Swords of Wudang was called from the Sect Leader's mouth.

At the same time, disappointment flashed across the faces of many people.

I, without realizing it, looked towards where Senior Brother Un Jeong was.

Naturally, a look of disappointment was also evident on his face.

But this is something I can't help with either.

Although it hurts, it seems that Senior Brother Un Jeong's trip to see Miss Mi-hyang will have to be postponed for a little while.

Soon, even Senior Brother Un Jihak went up to the platform.

The five of us checked each other's faces once.

Thinking that from now on, the five of us would be the faces representing the third-generation disciples of the Wudang Sect, everyone seemed to have a new feeling.

In particular, the gazes of Senior Brother Un Cheol and Senior Brother Un Jihak as they looked at each other were special.

It was a gaze that seemed to naturally convey how much arduous training they had gone through to finally reach the Five Swords of Wudang without leaving the Yuyeop Hall until the end.

"From now on, these five will be called the Five Swords of Wudang, and they will be our faces. Being chosen as one of the Five Swords of Wudang is not all good. It means that you will be deployed first in more difficult and arduous missions in the future. It means that in exchange for gaining the honor of the Five Swords of Wudang, death has also come that much closer. Do you all understand?"

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

The five of us answered in a resounding voice at the same time.

We must leave behind the disappointment and regret of the senior brothers who were not chosen as one of the Five Swords of Wudang.

Because we know that doing better is actually the way to be there for them.

"And. There is one more thing to announce before the closing of the tournament."

Everyone's gaze, which had been on us, returned to the Sect Leader.

The Sect Leader looked at all of us and said, "To be honest, the level of this tournament has greatly surprised all of us. As the tournament progressed, to be honest, I also had many regrets. It was a regret of why I had decided on 'Five Swords of Wudang' from the start. It would have been better if I had made the number a little more generous, like the Ten Swords of Wudang or the Twelve Swords of Wudang."

Laughter erupted here and there at the Sect Leader's joke-like words.

But the Sect Leader's words were not entirely wrong.

Because the Eighteen Arhats of the Shaolin Temple are eighteen, and the Eighteen Eagles of the Kongtong Sect are also eighteen.

"So we deliberated, and deliberated, and decided to proceed with the Five Swords of Wudang as five, as originally planned."

'We' here must refer to the grand-elders who served as judges in this tournament, including the Sect Leader.

"Instead...! We have decided to give a separate prize to the disciples who showed a better performance than any standard we set."

At the word 'prize', everyone's eyes widened.

They seem to be looking back to see if there has ever been such a thing in the Wudang Sect, but it seems there has never been one until now.

Otherwise, even the elders would not be so surprised.

"The prize is not that great. It's to the point where you might complain about what kind of prize this is after receiving it. The prize is... an entry pass!"

"Ah!"

Exclamations erupted from all over.

An entry pass.

Although I had received it early on, so I didn't have much of a feeling, but the meaning of an entry pass in the Wudang Sect is quite significant.

The Wudang Sect originally controls the free entry and exit of the third-generation disciples.

If they go out into the martial world recklessly when their martial arts are not yet complete, they could not only lose their lives absurdly to a ruffian, but they could also go out and bring shame to the Wudang Sect and return.

That's why receiving an entry pass means being recognized as a martial artist.

Usually, the third-generation disciples can only go outside the Wudang Sect when there is a special mission.

The moment we receive an entry pass is when the grand-elders become elders someday, and we become the second-generation disciples as they receive new disciples.

Only then can we receive an entry pass.

"To be honest, I had many worries about creating such an exceptional situation. However, watching this duel, I had many thoughts. That if one has the skill, there is no need to be confined to the Wudang Sect because of an old law."

Everyone's eyes are sparkling.

It must be because the meaning of an entry pass is that great.

"So from now on, we will give an entry pass to any disciple with sufficient skill. So everyone, please strive forward."

"Yes! Sect Leader!"

"Then I will announce the disciples who will receive the entry pass. Un Gak, Un Jeong, Un Sik, Un Mi, Un Jo, Un Chi..."

The Sect Leader called about ten more names, and they all came up to the platform with dazed expressions.

After hearing the list, I was very happy in two ways. One was that all the senior brothers from our room were on this platform, and the second was that Senior Brother Un Jeong was smiling very happily.

'And even Senior Brother Un Chi.'

Although Senior Brother Un Jeong and I were not on good terms at one time, he is now standing on the platform with a rather mature face.

It must be because he is feeling the meaning and weight of the entry pass.

The Sect Leader, after handing out an entry pass to each of the senior brothers except for me, who already had one, shouted with internal energy in his voice, "With this, this martial arts tournament is over. There will be a small banquet tonight, so not a single person should be missing. Understand?"

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

The Sect Leader, after seeing us answer vigorously, smiled with satisfaction and left the main training ground with the grand-elders.

I glanced over, and Senior Brother Un Jeong was looking down at his entry pass as if he were possessed.

I, placing my hand on his shoulder, said, "That's great. Congratulations."

"You became one of the Five Swords of Wudang, but am I the one who should be congratulated?"

"Of course. Now you are a martial artist recognized by the Wudang Sect in name and reality."

He nodded his head.

Somehow, looking at his expression, I was sure that there was one more person who would be happy about this news.

And that person is far away from here, in a certain brothel in Wuhan, eagerly waiting for my senior brother.

(End of Chapter)