The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 393

"Y-you came looking for us? Reveal your identities!"

The Emei monk spoke sharply, but her voice and the tip of her sword were trembling uncontrollably. Her voice seemed to shake from a fear she couldn't hide, and the sword's tip trembled as if she couldn't bear its weight. It was no wonder; the arm of the Emei monk revealed beneath her monastic robe was thinner than the sword itself. It appeared she had eaten only the bare minimum required to remain mobile.

'She's like a terrified kitten.'

Un Jeong thought she resembled a cat driven into a corner, possessing no strength to protect herself, yet desperately baring teeth and claws to threaten her opponent.

"We have come from the Wudang Sect."

"Wudang Sect?"

"We heard news that the Emei Sect is in crisis and came to be of help."

"Help...? What help could you possibly give us?"

Un Jeong quickly reached behind him and thrust several fasting pills he had brought toward her.

"First, please calm down. Shall we talk after you eat these?"

"F-fasting pills...!"

Her eyes began to shake violently. It was visible how much her guard crumbled at the sight of food. However, exercising superhuman patience, she brandished her sword once more and shouted.

"D-don't try anything funny! Do you think I'm someone who would fall for such a thing? Food given by those whose identities I don't even know..."

Though her mouth spoke those words, her eyes showed no intention of looking away from the fasting pills. Un Jeong might have felt offended, but instead, he smiled and spoke to her.

"The large bundles my junior and I are carrying on our backs are entirely filled with fasting pills like these. I believe this amount will be enough for the Emei monks to eat for several days."

"......."

"And I climbed Mount Emei specifically to give these to you. So, will you help me achieve my goal?"

Un Jeong spoke softly. It might have seemed strange that he wasn't asking for food but was instead practically begging her to accept what he was giving, but his attitude greatly lowered the Emei monk's guard.

"Is this truly... not a trick of the Four Evils Alliance?"

"I swear it."

"For now... follow me."

She spoke, finally managing to tear her eyes away from the fasting pills in Un Jeong's hand.

"Before we go, how about eating these first? You look very hungry."

"My master and junior sisters are also starving without having eaten anything. I cannot eat alone. Even so, because my movement technique is the fastest, they gathered the remaining food grain by grain to give to me, so I was able to eat something a while ago. Though I failed to live up to that expectation..."

Hearing that, Un Jeong couldn't urge her to eat more, so he put the fasting pills back into his bundle and followed her. Judging by the story he just heard, he thought the person who had drawn the attention of the Four Evils Alliance warriors so that he and Un Mi could climb Mount Emei was likely the Emei monk right in front of him. Perhaps she had descended Mount Emei to request help or at least tried to climb back up after obtaining food. However, it seemed that due to her repeated escape attempts, the guard had become increasingly strict, and she had ultimately failed to break out today as well.

"Didn't you end up meeting us because of that? By any chance, wasn't it you, Monk, who drew the attention of the Four Evils Alliance warriors by attempting to escape just a moment ago?"

"....... That's right."

"We were able to enter thanks to that. The guard was so strict that we didn't know how to break through, but momentarily, the surrounding warriors flocked to where you were, creating a loophole, and we were able to enter. It was all thanks to you that we could get in."

The eyes of the Emei monk wavered as she looked at Un Jeong, who spoke so kindly. Although he was someone she met for the first time today, his words felt like a comfort to her. Because she had been suffering from the thought that she had failed to meet the expectations of her sect due to repeated failures, she felt all the more comforted.

"....... This way."

Perhaps because of that, she spoke even more bluntly on purpose and led Un Jeong and Un Mi up the mountain. Fortunately, she trekked the mountain skillfully. Un Jeong and Un Mi were also well-accustomed to mountain trekking from living on Mount Wudang, so they followed her well. Perhaps noticing this, she initially glanced back repeatedly to check if they were following well, but later she didn't even check and just kept moving her feet.

How long did they follow her? There was a deep canyon between two sharp peaks, and at the end of that canyon, a magnificent temple began to appear. Un Jeong could tell at a glance that it was the Emei Sect.

"Senior Brother. They said it was a natural fortress.... It really seems so."

"Indeed. The word 'impregnable' naturally comes to mind."

It was exactly as described. One could immediately see why the Four Evils Alliance had given up on conquering the Emei Sect. If they tried to attack through the canyon, the path was so narrow that they couldn't utilize their numerical advantage at all, and if they tried to attack through the peaks on either side, their bodies would be so exposed that they would be defenseless. Eventually, if they kept pouring in personnel, they might break through someday, but it was impossible to estimate how much sacrifice would be required for that.

"Ahem. Our Emei Sect has never once fallen to the hands of an external enemy. The wicked Four Evils Alliance bastards can't do anything to us, so they must be using such dirty tricks."

"Yes. It seems so."

When Un Jeong agreed so readily, the Emei monk instead looked at him while narrowing her brow. Even so, Un Jeong just grinned.

"Wait here for a moment. I haven't fully trusted you yet."

"Yes. Take your time."

Thus, they reached the main gate of the Emei Sect, and she went inside, leaving only Un Jeong and Un Mi behind. A very faint presence could be felt behind the gate. There seemed to be people guarding this place.

"Senior Brother. The atmosphere here... seems very bad."

"Why?"

"Well, how should I put it. There should clearly be over several hundred people inside.... but I can't feel any presence at all. It's as if no one lives here..."

"Perhaps it's because everyone lacks the energy to even move."

"I suppose so...?"

"Yeah. Let's wait a bit. It seems they'll come out soon."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

As Un Jeong said, after waiting for a moment, the monk from before came out again. She led Un Jeong and Un Mi inside.

"I don't know if it's truly right to bring outsiders in now.... but for now, come in. The Sect Leader has permitted it."

"Thank you."

Un Jeong followed her inside. The interior of the Emei Sect was as magnificent as it appeared from the outside. However, because the decorations and sculptures were simple and not excessive, the frugal and modest nature of the Emei Sect seemed to be revealed as it was.

"Come this way."

Un Jeong and Un Mi followed her further inside. Normally, one should encounter several people when coming this deep, but they didn't meet a single person while going in. It seemed most were resting in the shade to avoid the sunlight. Since they had nothing proper to eat, they could suffer a fatal blow if they were to collapse in the sun.

"This is the Great Hero Hall. The Sect Leader said to bring you in immediately, so let's go in right away."

"Yes, Monk."

Un Jeong wondered if it was because she lacked the energy to even come out in front of the Great Hero Hall, but he followed her silently. Inside the fairly large Great Hero Hall, an elderly nun, so thin she looked like she would collapse if poked, sat cross-legged in the center with her eyes closed.

"Sect Leader. I have brought the guests."

Then, she slowly opened her eyes. Un Jeong was a bit surprised to see that deep gaze. Her eyes didn't look like those of just a high priest, but like the eyes of someone who had attained enlightenment regarding the world.

"I apologize for not being able to welcome you properly when guests have arrived."

Despite her age appearing close to late seniority, her voice was clear and resonant. Perhaps she looked so frail now because she had lost so much weight; if she were in proper physical condition, she wouldn't have looked that way.

"Greetings to the Emei Sect Leader. We are Un Jeong and Un Mi from the Wudang Sect."

"It is a pleasure. But what brings you to the Emei Sect in such a situation?"

Un Jeong laid down the bundle he was carrying and the bundle Un Mi was carrying in front of her, then took out a small object from his pocket and presented that before the Sect Leader as well.

"We have come to be of help. We have brought these bundles full of fasting pills. With these, the Emei monks will be able to eat for the time being. And this... is sent by the Martial Alliance Leader. It is his wish to break the long period of disconnection and become close again as in the past."

"Ah..."

She accepted what Un Jeong presented. It was a palm-sized Buddhist prayer bead. It was a prayer bead used by one of the Emei Sect's ancestors; while it might not be very important to ordinary orthodox martial artists, it seemed extremely precious to the Emei monks. The Sect Leader accepted it dearly and held it to her chest.

"At such a time... the Martial Alliance Leader..."

"We stopped by the Sichuan Tang Family before coming here. Since we have already requested help from the Alliance Leader there, I believe that if you hold out just a little longer, salvation will surely come."

"I see.... Thank you."

The Sect Leader expressed her gratitude by pressing her palms together toward Un Jeong, and only then did she open the bundles. Inside were the fasting pills that Un Jeong and Un Mi had struggled to bring here. She teared up upon seeing them. In fact, fasting pills do not have a good scent or taste. The scent is musty, and the taste is dry. However, to her, that musty scent felt more delicious than the aroma of any other food.

"Ju Ryeong-ah."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

"Distribute these first to the senior sisters whose health is poor. After that, make sure the young disciples can eat."

"Sect Leader, please have one first as well. Has it not been a long time since you stopped taking grain?"

"I am fine. If there are any left after everyone has eaten, I will have one then."

"Sect Leader..."

It seemed the name of the monk who brought Un Jeong and Un Mi here was Ju Ryeong. Ju Ryeong urged the Sect Leader several more times, but she refused until the end, so Ju Ryeong eventually approached Un Jeong.

"Truly... thank you."

She bowed her head deeply in greeting, then took the two bundles and went out of the Great Hero Hall.

"Thank you. Thanks to you two, everyone will be able to sustain their lives."

"Sect Leader, you also don't look very well..."

"I am fine. I wonder if I have been accumulating internal energy all this time for a day like this."

She spoke with a slight smile, but she couldn't hide the slight trembling of her shoulders, perhaps from not being able to eat properly. At that moment, Un Jeong took another step toward her and spoke.

"I prepared this in advance, thinking that you might do that, Sect Leader."

"Pardon?"

He took out a very round and appetizing-looking fasting pill from his robe and handed it to her.

"It's a fasting pill I set aside separately just in case. Please eat this one right here."

Un Jeong spoke in a truly earnest voice, and the Sect Leader felt that she couldn't possibly refuse even those words.

(End of Chapter)