The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 392

Once the scene was somewhat settled, the Qingcheng Taoists, who had finally grasped the situation, flocked toward me. Naturally, the first to run over was the Sect Leader.

"Y-you...! What happened? Were you able to see through Jang Hoeng's sword?"

"Yes. My sense of qi is naturally developed and my eyes are good. I was able to detect the minute differences."

"Heh...! Truly amazing! To think such a talent existed in the Wudang Sect!"

At that moment, one of the Qingcheng elders stepped forward slightly and asked me.

"B-by any chance... among the outstanding rising stars of the Wudang Sect, I heard there is a once-in-a-thousand-years talent who fought against the Yangtze River Water Bandit Leader Ho Baek-gwi at the Namgung Clan and protected the Emperor Sword Sovereign. Could that be you, Dojang?"

Whether it was a blessing or a misfortune, it seemed the events at the Namgung Clan from several years ago had spread all the way to Sichuan.

"Ah... no."

"Ah, I see. Then does that mean there are two such talents in Wudang?!"

"It's not that, I am indeed the person involved in that incident, but calling me a once-in-a-thousand-years talent is a bit incorrect. I'm just a bit lucky."

To be very, very honest, it's a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but saying I'm not a once-in-a-thousand-years talent pricks my conscience a little. However, I deliberately spoke this way in front of the Qingcheng Taoists. Given the nature of Taoists, they prefer humble people over those who boast of their abilities, so I tried to show them what they like.

"Such humility even.... For now, you must have had a hard time fighting, so let's go inside and take a rest. We don't know who will come in two days."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

I almost burst into laughter at the suddenly changed attitude toward me, but I barely managed to hold it in. Until just a moment ago, they looked at me with pity as if I were someone going to my death, but now their attitude in treating me had completely changed. I thought as I followed the Sect Leader.

'Unless the Demonic Cult sends someone directly, the possibility of someone stronger than Jang Hoeng coming is not very high. In the first place, Jang Hoeng is the third-in-command of the Four Evils Heaven. The probability of Gal Ryeok-hyeok himself or the second-in-command stepping forward for the affairs of the Four Evils Alliance won't be very high. And in the Four Evils Alliance.... there probably isn't anyone stronger than Jang Hoeng.'

Perhaps Jang Hoeng was the strongest among those I could meet at the Qingcheng Sect. If that's true, this matter might be resolved much more easily than expected. Now there would be few warriors stronger in martial power than the Qingcheng Taoists, and even with their own strength, they would be able to somehow handle the Four Evils Alliance's duel proposals. Even if such a situation arises, the Four Evils Alliance will never quietly declare defeat.

'Then from that point on, they'll probably start an all-out war.'

No matter how many strong warriors there are in the Qingcheng Sect, they won't be able to easily handle the numbers of the Four Evils Alliance. So my senior brothers have to do well while I'm holding out. If my senior brothers properly do their assigned parts as I expected, the Four Evils Alliance will be so flustered that they won't even be able to pay attention to the Qingcheng Sect.

"Sect Leader. May I return to the lodging for a moment and then visit you again?"

"Yes. There's no reason not to. But why?"

"It's for no particular reason. My senior brothers are at other sects in Sichuan, so I'm going to send a letter for a moment."

"If that's the reason, follow me. We are raising messenger pigeons that can deliver news to other Sichuan sects. Sending it with those will be much safer and faster."

"Ah, is that so? Thank you for your consideration."

"This much is nothing for you who saved our Qingcheng."

The Qingcheng Sect Leader chuckled with a slightly different feeling than when I first saw him and patted my shoulder. It didn't seem like he was originally someone who gave such warm and magnanimous laughs. Still, since I did well and there's no reason to refuse the favor being given, I followed him.

* * *

Meanwhile, if you go southwest from Chengdu, where the Sichuan Tang Family is located, a small city called Ya'an appears. And there is a massive mountain range that begins from that city. The mountain that encompasses the highest part from the middle of that mountain range is called Mount Emei. There were two young men who climbed Mount Emei from Ya'an with bundles larger than their own bodies on their backs: they were Un Jeong and Un Mi.

"Senior Brother. It'll be okay if we just take these fasting pills for now, right? You said it's been quite a while since their food ran out."

"That's why these are needed all the more. Rather than bringing various food ingredients and just making the volume larger, fasting pills that can fill the stomach immediately are much better."

"Still, if they're starving like that, maybe something like meat...."

"Un Mi. Are you serious? The Emei Sect we're going to is a Buddhist sect. Have you ever seen monks eating meat?"

"Ah, that's true too, isn't it?"

Un Jeong chuckled and told Un Mi another thing he hadn't thought of.

"And Un Mi. Actually, we are also Wudang Taoists. Usually, even in Taoist sects, meat isn't eaten much. In fact, it's only been a few years since we started eating meat thanks to Unhwi, hasn't it?"

Hearing that, Un Mi smiled broadly. It was because he remembered when Unhwi first told him to eat meat. At that time, Un Mi was so surprised by the act of eating meat itself that he tried not to eat it. Though he eventually fell for the combination of salt and roasted meat that Unhwi had secretly brought.

"So these fasting pills are the best. The volume is small, but they have many nutrients, and the feeling of fullness lasts quite a while."

"Yes. I asked something unnecessary. It was an obvious story if I thought about it a little."

Un Jeong gave a grin and began to climb the mountain. It was a considerably rugged and steep mountain, but he moved his steps without hesitation. In fact, in terms of ruggedness, the Wudang Sect was not inferior to it, and in terms of steepness, it was not as good as the cliffs they usually frequented. It seems that becoming familiar with mountains while busily going down and up the Wudang Sect usually is a big help at times like this.

"Let's go a bit slowly from now on. It's about time for the place where the Four Evils Alliance bastards will be surrounding."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

As they moved forward a bit more, as Un Jeong said, human figures began to be seen little by little in the distance. Approaching to the point where they could be identified by eye, Un Jeong seemed to roughly know the state of the Emei Sect now.

'They said everyone was standing at intervals of one zhang.... but this is even more than that.'

Un Jeong had thought that if they were at intervals of one zhang from each other, he would be able to find the place that looked the weakest among them and somehow sneak in secretly. He thought it would be absolutely impossible in an empty lot with nothing, but it might be possible in a forest dense with grass, trees, rocks, and soil. However, coming here in person, it's a bit different from what he heard. It was because warriors were deployed even between those intervals, one or two more each, standing very densely.

"Senior Brother. What should we do?"

Un Mi also narrowed his brow upon seeing that. It was because at that level, it would be almost impossible to pass without being caught by them, even if it were Unhwi, let alone themselves.

"Let's wait for a moment for now. We might have come at the point when they're briefly changing shifts."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

However, no matter how much they held their breath and waited, they didn't even think of moving. Just as Un Jeong and Un Mi were about to give up and go back down to the village to find another way.

"Huh? Senior Brother. Wait a moment."

Un Mi, who was still watching the Four Evils Alliance warriors, called Un Jeong. When Un Jeong, who was preparing to go down, also turned his head and looked that way.

"They appeared! Block them! This way!"

"Block them so they can't go down! There was a word from the Great Leader that it's okay to kill!"

"Catch them! If you can't catch them, throw something and catch them!"

Suddenly, there seemed to be a commotion, and the surrounding warriors began to flock toward one side. It wasn't accurately grasped what was happening, but thanks to that, a fairly large area in front of Un Jeong and Un Mi was empty.

"Un Mi. Now. We can't pass if it's not now."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

Whoosh!

They lowered their waists as much as possible, kicked the ground strongly, and quickly passed through the empty area.

"Kill them!"

"Damn it! Why are they so agile?!"

Even in the midst of that, the shouting of the Four Evils Alliance warriors echoed. Un Jeong and Un Mi ignored those words and continued to climb up the mountain. Although they didn't know exactly where the Emei Sect was, they thought that if they climbed as high as possible and moved away from the Four Evils Alliance warriors, finding the Emei Sect would be an easy task.

"Huff, huff, huff...."

"Whew... at this level.... we probably weren't caught climbing up, right?"

"Yeah. Wait a moment.... Let's catch our breath."

Thanks to running up the mountain at full speed with all their might until their breath reached the tip of their throats, they were able to reach a place where the Four Evils Alliance warriors were no longer even visible. They had somehow passed the first gateway of having to cross the Four Evils Alliance warriors.

"But who were those fellows suddenly chasing earlier?"

Un Mi, who had caught his breath, asked. Un Jeong thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

"Perhaps it might be an Emei Sect disciple."

"Emei Sect?"

"They said to block them so they can't go down. They said it's okay to kill. Perhaps someone among the Emei monks is continuously trying to go down?"

"Now that I hear it, that's true. Then by any chance, the reason the guard of the Four Evils Alliance warriors was denser than what we heard...?"

"I think the possibility is sufficiently high because of that. I don't know who it is, but thanks to them, we almost got frustrated, and thanks to them, we were able to enter like this."

Un Jeong said so and then gave a grin. Un Mi thought inwardly that the positive Un Jeong was amazing. It was because he hadn't been able to think like that and thought that because of the unknown Emei warrior, he almost ruined this task without even being able to try it properly. Thinking about it, Un Jeong was always positive like that. Un Mi felt that perhaps that positive thinking and action made Un Jeong as strong as he is now.

"Now. If we've rested enough, shall we look for the Emei Sect?"

Around the time the sweat had somewhat cooled, they began to trek the mountain again. It was because their purpose, strictly speaking, was not to break through the Four Evils Alliance warriors, but to arrive safely at the Emei Sect and deliver these fasting pills. How long did they climb the mountain like that? Although they came after looking at a map, there was a fairly large discrepancy between the mountain path and the map, so it wasn't easy to find the way. While looking for the Emei Sect for a long time, they looked for a stream to take another rest. While resting for a moment, washing their faces and quenching their thirst.

Swish—

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you also Four Evils Alliance warriors?"

Someone appeared and pointed a sword at Un Jeong's neck. They hadn't noticed someone approaching because of the sound of flowing water. It was such a secret and rapid movement technique.

"Huh...?"

Un Jeong glanced around and looked at the owner of the sword, and ended up letting out a voice mixed with surprise and welcome. It was because the person pointing the sword at him was a nun so thin she looked like she would break if poked. Un Jeong spoke with a smile in his eyes even though the sword was lightly touching his neck.

"Are you an Emei Sect monk? I've been looking for you for a long time."

At that harmless smile in his eyes, the nun couldn't help but flinch.

(End of Chapter)