novelraw Chapter 55 : The Scariest Thing in the World
Chapter 55 : The Scariest Thing in the World
Jin Sohyun did not bother to answer.
He hated disputes.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Cheon Gaseong's murderous gaze or the huge background of the White Moon Palace.
'It'll be a hassle.'
The thing Jin Sohyun feared the most in the world was hassle.
Getting involved with Cheon Gaseong would only increase the troublesome things.
"Tell him I understand."
"M-Me?"
"Then should I go?"
"Aigoo..."
Instead of going to Cheon Gaseong directly, Siu raised both arms and made a circle.
It was a silent sign that she would follow his will, but Cheon Gaseong, who saw this, took it differently.
"They are looking down on the White Moon Palace. Find out who they are."
"Yes."
The martial artist of the White Moon Palace, who had left for a moment, immediately returned and delivered the message.
"They are Jin Sohyun, the eldest son of the Jin Family, a merchant family located in Shanxi, and his maidservant, a wench named Siu."
"The Jin Family..."
It was a family he had naturally never heard of.
A man from a mere merchant family, who was not from the Nine Sects or the Five Great Families, had dared to ignore him, the Young Palace Master of the White Moon Palace.
"Brother... there are many eyes watching."
Cheon Yerang extended her hand and gently stroked Cheon Gaseong's shoulder, saying.
"Normally, I would have to correct the dignity of this Palace... but as you said, the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families are here."
"Yes. That's right."
"I will deal with that person later."
Cheon Yerang, who had barely succeeded in calming Cheon Gaseong, stealthily looked at Jin Sohyun.
'A face I've never seen before.'
It was definitely a face that was not in her memory.
But it was somehow very familiar.
'Jin Sohyun of the Jin Family... as expected, a name I've never heard before.'
Cheon Yerang, who even felt confused by the unfamiliar feeling, averted her gaze from Jin Sohyun.
Her interest could be poison to the man named Jin Sohyun.
So she had to be careful with her words and actions. Especially in a place where Cheon Gaseong was.
"The White Moon Palace has come too."
"This is no joke..."
"Are we... going to be alright?"
The martial artists from the minor sects and families, who had been exchanging names and congratulating each other on entering the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, were so intimidated that they couldn't even raise their heads properly.
In front of them were not only the martial artists of the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families, who could be said to be the representatives of the Orthodox Martial World, but also the two children of the famous White Moon Divine Lord.
After that, after a few young martial artists had entered the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, the wide-open entrance of the Daoist temple was firmly closed.
Following that, a tall, middle-aged man revealed himself on the platform in front of the training ground.
The man, who was wearing a long robe and had a strong and solid build and a thick impression that did not suit his age, opened his mouth, looking at the young next-generation talents gathered in the training ground of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple.
"Welcome, everyone. I am Gwak Myeong, who has been appointed as the head of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple."
"The Gate-Breaking Sword!"
"The Gate-Breaking Sword? Isn't he one of the Ten Great Swordsmen of the Orthodox Faction?"
"My goodness..."
At the appearance of Gwak Myeong, who had earned the title of the Gate-Breaking Sword by single-handedly destroying a sect belonging to the unorthodox faction that had been secretly committing evil deeds in Shaanxi, the young martial artists began to whisper.
Perhaps because their murmuring was bothering him, Gwak Myeong frowned.
"Quiet."
Although it was a low and thick voice, that one word, which was imbued with internal energy, was enough to make the martial artists gathered in the training ground shut their mouths.
As silence fell on the training ground, Gwak Myeong continued.
"The superficial reason you have entered the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple is to nurture the next-generation talents who will bear the future of the Orthodox Martial World. But the quick-witted ones will know. That the young and competent next-generation talents are losing their lives due to the Bud Crushing led by the unorthodox faction."
The martial artists gathered in the training ground silently agreed.
"For that reason, the Martial Arts Alliance has gathered the next-generation talents of each region in four Daoist temples to teach the young martial artists how to survive, and you have entered this Blue Dragon Daoist Temple."
"A way to survive?"
"Wasn't this a place to learn martial arts?"
As the young martial artists became confused, Gwak Myeong raised his voice once more.
"Of course, you will learn martial arts. But the martial arts you will learn will be the martial arts of your enemies. You will learn the knowledge that a martial artist of the orthodox faction should know, such as the types of poison and hidden weapons, the evil arts and formations used by the unorthodox faction, and mechanisms. Of course, you will have to move busily so as not to neglect your martial arts training in your spare time."
Gulp—!
The young martial artists gathered at the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple finally learned the real reason they had entered the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple.
They had gathered at the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple to avoid Bud Crushing, and they would be studying for survival from now on.
Following that, as Gwak Myeong gestured, the martial artists belonging to the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple brought wooden baskets containing plain white martial arts uniforms and placed them in a line in front of the training ground.
"Stand in front of each basket."
All the martial artists, including Jin Sohyun, stood in front of the baskets.
"Do your best, Young Master!"
Siu stood at a distance.
It was because she was not a martial artist, but a maidservant who had come to assist Jin Sohyun.
But Gwak Myeong did not leave even such a Siu alone.
"Why are you standing alone?"
"What? I'm not a martial artist..."
Even though Siu explained her situation, Gwak Myeong pointed to an empty spot with his finger.
"Go and stand there."
"...What?"
"Don't talk back. Do as you're told."
"Yes."
At Gwak Myeong's overbearing attitude, Siu walked with short steps and stood in front of a basket.
As all the martial artists stood in front of the baskets without any empty spots, Gwak Myeong said.
"From now on, there will be no discrimination of any kind in the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple. Forget all your affiliations and origins. Here, everyone is an equal official and trainee of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple."
From the moment they entered the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, their origin and sect were meaningless.
The first step was to get rid of the martial arts uniforms that proved their affiliation.
"The dormitories are on the left for men and on the right for women. I will give you one koku, so change your clothes and gather in this state. Immediately."
Unlike the martial artists from the minor sects and families, who had not yet grasped the situation, the martial artists from the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families moved in a coordinated manner.
Following them, the rest of the martial artists also moved hurriedly and were divided into left and right.
"Y-Young Master! What should I do?"
"There's no other way. You change your clothes and come too."
"I don't know any martial arts at all!"
"Hurry up and go."
As Jin Sohyun walked to the men's dormitory, a sigh escaped from Siu's mouth.
"Aigoo... how did it come to this?"
Siu, who had only wanted to become the head servant of the Jin Family, headed to the women's dormitory with a martial arts uniform she had never had in her life in her arms.
The promised time of one koku was almost up.
The martial artists from the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families had changed into white martial arts uniforms and were lined up in a row, and the rest of the martial artists, who had been slow, also hurriedly changed their clothes and ran to the training ground.
"Aww... what a hassle."
Jin Sohyun, who had come out after changing his clothes in an empty room, discovered Cheon Gaseong, who was changing his clothes with the help of two martial artists from the White Moon Palace.
'Does that brat not have hands? ...I'm envious.'
Cheon Gaseong was just standing, and the two martial artists were changing his clothes with a careful and delicate touch, as if they were stroking the jade crown of an emperor.
After completely changing his clothes, Cheon Gaseong headed to the training ground with slow steps, and Jin Sohyun followed.
Meanwhile, Siu, who had arrived at the women's dormitory, also busily changed her clothes.
But Siu, who had never worn a martial arts uniform in her life, had a tearful face.
"How do I wear this?"
Although she had touched many silk clothes for her lazy Young Master, it was her first time with a martial arts uniform.
As her heart became anxious, Siu's hands became even more busy.
But because it was her first time wearing it and the size of the martial arts uniform was larger than Siu's body, she could not wear it properly.
"Can you lift your arms for a moment?"
"What?"
At that moment, Moyong Susu fixed Siu's martial arts uniform, which had been clumsily tied.
"I'll do it for you."
"Th-Thank you."
"It's nothing."
Siu was moved as she looked at the brightly smiling Moyong Susu.
They said that the martial artists from the Five Great Families had strong pride and high noses and didn't even care about commoners, and if it was bad, they would even treat them like insects, but Moyong Susu was different.
"There! It's done. The clothes are a bit big. Tell them to change it to one that fits later."
"Y-Yes!"
'A person like this would be a good match for the Young Master.'
Siu, who was moved by Moyong Susu's kindness, thought it would be good if Jin Sohyun formed a connection with her.
"Ah, do you see over there?"
"What?"
"Over there and over there."
Moyong Susu pointed to a few women who were leaving the dormitory after changing their clothes and said coldly.
"Don't even look at those wenches. Do you understand?"
Although Moyong Susu's mouth was smiling, her eyes were not smiling at all.
At the murderous fighting spirit hidden in that beautiful smile, Siu had to nod her head vigorously without even being able to ask the reason.
'Ah, I guess not.'
Siu, who had excluded Moyong Susu from the list of Jin Sohyun's wife candidates in her heart, hurriedly left the dormitory.
After one koku had passed, Gwak Myeong, who had returned to the platform, then handed out number plaques to all the martial artists.
"The number plaque you have received signifies the number of each dormitory. Two people will share one room in the dormitory, and it will be convenient to think that the person with the same number as you will be sharing the same room."
At Gwak Myeong's shout, the officials of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple hurriedly checked their numbers.
"I'm number three."
"Ugh! I'm number five!"
"If you're number five, then you'll be sharing the same room as me."
"Ah, that's a relief!"
Some officials were satisfied or pleased after confirming their partners.
Most of them were people from the minor sects and martial families, and they were just happy not to be sharing the same room as the martial artists from the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families.
Of course, not everyone was like that.
"I-I'm number sixteen..."
A man named Gi'un from the Gwangho Gate trembled as he looked at Hyeok'ugun, who was making an annoyed face in front of him.
"There will be no problem as long as we don't invade each other's territory."
At Hyeok'ugun's cold voice, Gi'un had to nod his head as if his neck would fall off.
The youngest boy among the rest of the male officials was completely frozen and was denying the reality he was in.
"This is impossible... why me..."
The boy was in despair.
It was because the number plaque with the number nine written on it, which was held in his hand, was also held in Cheon Gaseong's hand.
Cheon Gaseong looked down at the boy with pupils that were impossible to read.
'Still, he's the Young Palace Master of the White Moon Palace. Maybe he's a good person, unlike the rumors.'
In that awkward atmosphere, the boy gathered a shred of hope and opened his mouth first.
"I... I... I am..."
"Speak so that I can understand. If you stutter one more time, I'll make it so that you don't need to speak again."
"Hup!"
The boy, who had lost the hope he had barely found with just one word, had to try his best not to stutter.
"I am Yu Useon from the Yu Family in Seohwa County, Gansu Province! Please take care of me!"
"Be quiet."
"I'm sorry."
While Yu Useon was struggling for his survival, another man here was also denying reality.
"You're... number one?"
"Yes."
For Jong Ryeo'ak, who was speaking informally out of the blue, Jin Sohyun's words also became short.
'This is hell!'
Jong Ryeo'ak, who had ended up sharing a room with Jin Sohyun, whom he had wanted to avoid the most, was in a very bad mood.
If he could, he wanted to change his number plaque, but he couldn't do that because of Gwak Myeong's strict order that he would not be left alone if he changed the plaque he had been given.
"I'll say this in advance, if you talk to me unnecessarily, you won't see a good end."
It was a very welcome statement for Jin Sohyun, not to touch each other.
"A good thought."
As Jin Sohyun nodded as if he were happy, Jong Ryeo'ak was in a bad mood.
'A moron from a merchant family!'
It was a situation where he should have bowed his head to him, who belonged to the Nine Sects, and begged him to look after him, but Jin Sohyun's attitude made Jong Ryeo'ak even angrier.
'What's with this guy? I said I'd do as he wanted. He's a brat with a bad temper.'
Jin Sohyun thought of the huffing and puffing Jong Ryeo'ak as a brat with a bad temper.
'If we don't touch each other, he won't bother me, right?'
Jin Sohyun just wanted to laze around.
"Are you perhaps... number eleven?"
Siu asked, trembling.
Cheon Yerang, who had received her question, looked down at her number plaque.
The number eleven was clearly written on her number plaque.
"Yes."
'My goodness.'
Siu felt like she was going to lose her mind.
It was not just because of Cheon Yerang's beauty, which seemed as if it would blind her just by looking at her.
'What if that crazy brat tries to kill me!?'
Siu's eyes naturally looked for Cheon Gaseong.
As expected, Cheon Gaseong's two eyes were aimed exactly at Cheon Yerang and Siu, who was standing in front of her.
'Of all people... I would have rather shared a room with Young Lady Moyong.'
Siu wanted to cry.
The only person she could rely on here was Jin Sohyun, but unfortunately, Jin Sohyun was dozing off, receiving the sunlight.
"How did I end up here, trusting that person..."
Siu wanted to run away.
But contrary to the girl's wish, Gwak Myeong's voice echoed throughout the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple.
"Assemble!"
(End of Chapter)