novelraw Chapter 59 : Those with the Black Line
Chapter 59 : Those with the Black Line
The morning at the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple started very early.
As the bell, which signified the assembly time, rang three times, the officials of each dormitory revealed themselves in a line.
"What time is it that it's already..."
The female officials expressed their dissatisfaction with the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple's management style, which didn't even give them time to wash their faces, and it was the same for the male officials.
'He's sleeping soundly even in this situation.'
Jong Ryeo'ak ignored Jin Sohyun, who hadn't moved from his bed even though the bell had rung, and went outside.
He had no sense of loyalty or affection to the extent of taking care of Jin Sohyun.
Jong Ryeo'ak, who had arrived at the training ground before it was too late, discovered Hyeok'ugun, who had come out before him, and snorted.
"What? It seems you're planning to become a woman, just like you look."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"If you're going to put on makeup, you should do it properly. What's that on your glabella? Did you draw a new eyebrow?"
Jong Ryeo'ak giggled and pointed at Hyeok'ugun's glabella.
At that, Hyeok'ugun let out a light sigh and said.
"Look at your own state and talk."
"What?"
"S-Senior Brother."
At that moment, a martial artist from the same Jongnam Sect as Jong Ryeo'ak hurriedly brought a bronze mirror and handed it to him.
Jong Ryeo'ak, who had checked the bronze mirror with a suspicious face, frowned as he confirmed that a black line was drawn on his neck.
"What is this!?"
Jong Ryeo'ak burst into anger and wiped his neck with his sleeve, but the black line showed no sign of being erased, no matter what it was drawn with.
"This is hell... what on earth happened?"
"It's not just us."
At the junior brother's answer, Jong Ryeo'ak, who had widened his view, discovered several officials with black lines drawn on their glabellas and necks.
They also seemed not to know the identity of the black lines that had appeared during the night.
In the meantime, Gwak Myeong appeared on the platform.
"Shut up and line up."
At Gwak Myeong's voice, which was imbued with internal energy, the officials hurriedly stood in their places.
"There's no one who hasn't come yet, right?"
At Gwak Myeong's question, Jong Ryeo'ak raised his hand.
"Jin Sohyun has not come yet."
"Really? Then the one next to you must be a ghost."
"What?"
Jong Ryeo'ak, who had finally looked to his side, was greatly surprised to discover Jin Sohyun standing next to him with a half-asleep face.
'He definitely wasn't there.'
Even at the moment he stood in his place, Jin Sohyun was not there.
Jong Ryeo'ak, who had not felt Jin Sohyun's presence even after that, had his pride greatly wounded again.
'Where on earth did this brat appear from?'
Although he was angry, there was nothing Jong Ryeo'ak could do but shut his mouth.
"I'll assume everyone is here and speak. The brats with black lines on their glabellas and necks, to the left, and those who don't, to the right."
At Gwak Myeong's instruction, the hundred officials moved busily.
The number of those with black lines on their faces was a total of 97, and the number of those who didn't was only 3.
'As expected, it's the White Moon Palace.'
Gwak Myeong was impressed as he looked at Cheon Gaseong and Cheon Yerang, who did not have black lines on their faces.
But among them stood an unexpected person.
'That brat!?'
Jin Sohyun was standing with them.
Since Jong Ryeo'ak, who was using the same dormitory as him, had a black line on his neck, there should have been no mistake.
That means...
'Does it mean he noticed the surprise attack in the middle of the night? That brat?'
Although it was an incomprehensible situation, Gwak Myeong put Jin Sohyun aside for the time being and opened his mouth towards the officials with black lines on their faces and necks.
"I think you'll be confused because of the black lines on your faces. Those were left on your faces and necks by the instructors of the Daoist temple in the middle of the night."
"Ah..."
"When did they come?"
"I didn't feel their presence."
"Does this even come off?"
While the officials were showing various reactions, Gwak Myeong spoke again.
"So. How do you feel?"
The officials blinked with round eyes.
It was because they could not understand the intention contained in that question.
As no one readily gave an answer, Gwak Myeong continued.
"The thing that drew the black lines on your glabellas and necks is this."
What Gwak Myeong took out was a brush.
"But... what if the thing that touched your necks and glabellas was not a brush, but a dagger? What would have happened to you?"
The officials felt a chill and stroked their necks and glabellas.
As he had said, what if the ones who had visited them were not the instructors of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, but assassins or killers?
They would have died a violent death without even realizing their own deaths.
"But this is the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple. Of course, we should have been mentally prepared for a surprise attack..."
At Zhuge Ming's mumble, Gwak Myeong nodded as if to acknowledge it.
"Yes. As you said, this is the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple. A place where there can be no enemy surprise attacks. But do you know what?"
"What?"
"All the next-generation talents who died because of Bud Crushing must have felt the same way. They would not have even imagined that they would die in that place, at that moment. Who would have expected that the blade of someone they had trusted in the house they had been born and raised in their whole lives would pierce their necks and hearts?"
As Gwak Myeong had said.
Among the next-generation talents who had been killed by Bud Crushing, there was probably no one who had expected their own death.
"The enemy's blade can aim for your lives anytime, anywhere. If you overlook this, you will die."
"..."
"Always be suspicious and vigilant. Since you have set foot in the martial world, the one who protects you is not the Martial Arts Alliance, nor your own family or sect... but only yourselves."
The young officials, who had indirectly realized the ruthlessness of the martial world, took Gwak Myeong's teachings to heart and gave a fist and palm salute.
"If you've understood to some extent, the brats with the black lines, one hundred laps around the training ground."
"...What?"
As Zhuge Ming asked with a blank face, Gwak Myeong pointed to the floor of the training ground and said.
"Run. One hundred laps. I will only take the first ten to arrive."
Nevertheless, as the officials just blinked, not understanding, Gwak Myeong added with annoyance.
"Aren't you going to run!?"
"Ugh!"
The quick-witted officials quickly began to run around the training ground.
At this, the rest of the officials also ran around the training ground.
As the officials ran, displaying their movement techniques, Gwak Myeong said as if to warn them.
"Do not use internal energy! If there is anyone who displays a movement technique, I will immediately add to the number of laps!"
"This is hell!"
"You want us to run a hundred laps without even using movement techniques!?"
"He's crazy!"
The flustered officials had to run around the training ground, crying and eating mustard.
Meanwhile, Siu, who was the only one in the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple who had never learned martial arts, walked in front of Gwak Myeong, hesitating.
"Excuse me... Head of the Daoist Temple."
"What is it?"
"I have never learned martial arts since I was born. Naturally, I have never done physical training like the other officials."
"So?"
"I was wondering if a hundred laps might be too much for me..."
Siu, who had gathered her two hands neatly, looked up at Gwak Myeong with pleading pupils.
Gwak Myeong looked down at such a Siu and then pointed to the officials who were already on their half lap.
"You'll fall behind at this rate! You don't want to be running around the training ground all day, do you?"
"B-But!"
"Since you have entered the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, all officials are equal. I cannot discriminate just because you have not learned martial arts."
"Ah... ah..."
"You should have been prepared for this much when you entered the Daoist temple."
Although Siu sobbed with a pale face, Gwak Myeong was relentless.
"Hurry up and run! Immediately!"
"Hwaaang!"
Siu ran around the training ground and looked at Jin Sohyun, who was standing in a corner.
Jin Sohyun, who did not have a black line, did not have to run around the training ground with the two children of the White Moon Palace.
"Young Master!"
At Siu's shout, Jin Sohyun, who had been standing blankly, looked at her.
"Siu."
"Please save me."
"Do your best."
"Th-This...!"
'Because of whom am I in this mess!'
Although Siu was resentful, it was purely because of her own will that she was left here.
Siu, who had entered the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple with the sole intention of becoming the head servant, had to grit her teeth and run around the training ground.
Jin Sohyun, who was watching such a Siu from a distance, smiled with satisfaction with his arms crossed.
"As expected, it was a good thing I avoided it."
Last night, Jin Sohyun had felt a faint presence in the middle of the night.
'Who is it?'
Following the teachings of Bieunggaek, who had said that a night guest who approaches without a presence could only be an assassin, Jin Sohyun had spread his qi sense sensitively and had focused on the movements of the black-clad man.
In the meantime, the black-clad man, who had infiltrated Jin Sohyun's room without a sound, took out a brush from his bosom.
'There's no killing intent... what is he trying to do?'
The black-clad man secretly drew a long line on Jong Ryeo'ak's neck with the brush he was holding.
Jin Sohyun, who had been having doubts about his actions, hid himself as the black-clad man tried to approach him this time.
The black-clad man, who had been looking for Jin Sohyun, checking the bed for a while, disappeared without a trace before long.
"Hoo."
Jin Sohyun, who had shaken off the black-clad man with the Shadow-Hiding Flowing Body, looked at the sleeping Jong Ryeo'ak, who was unaware of the world, and shrugged.
"Well... it should be fine, right?"
He didn't feel any poison, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with Jong Ryeo'ak's body.
Having finished his thoughts, Jin Sohyun felt tired and immediately lay down on the bed and went to sleep.
"That's a real relief."
Jin Sohyun, who had finished his recollection, was grateful that he didn't have to run around the training ground.
It was hard enough to just stand still, but to have to run a hundred laps around the training ground?
This was no different from torture for a lazy bum.
"Haaam."
***
"Hoo... hoo...!"
The martial artists who had completed the hundred laps were gasping for breath.
Gwak Myeong looked at the faces of the martial artists who had come in within the first ten.
'Hyeok'ugun, Jong Ryeo'ak, Peng Xiaofeng, Moyong Susu, Oh Seolhwa...'
They were all martial artists from the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families.
Since an outstanding martial artist had trained both internal and external energy evenly and had achieved a balance, the more excellent a martial artist was, the more outstanding their physical strength was.
'Among the Five Great Families, the one who didn't make it to the first ten is Zhuge Ming?'
Unlike Peng Xiaofeng or Moyong Susu, Zhuge Ming, who had not made it to the first ten, had to run around the training ground, sweating profusely.
"Haha! You should have not been lazy with your physical training!"
At Peng Xiaofeng's playful advice, Zhuge Ming mumbled as he ran around the training ground.
"Unlike you, Brother Peng, I'm more on the side of... increasing my knowledge... rather than... physical strength... heok!"
"Don't talk and run!"
At Moyong Susu's advice, Zhuge Ming had to shut his mouth and run hard.
Thanks to that, Zhuge Ming, who had been able to come in within the second ten, had to collapse on the spot, and Peng Xiaofeng and Moyong Susu approached him.
"You've worked hard."
"Still, you saved face!"
"Haaa... this kind of thing... doesn't suit me."
"By the way, it's surprising. That Young Hero Jin is among them."
Moyong Susu stared at Jin Sohyun, who was standing awkwardly between Cheon Gaseong and Cheon Yerang, with a puzzled expression.
Even between Cheon Gaseong, who had a handsome appearance, and Cheon Yerang, who had a surprisingly beautiful appearance, Jin Sohyun's appearance did not fall short.
On the contrary, if you were to judge by appearance alone, there was no one in the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple who could follow Cheon Yerang and Jin Sohyun.
"It might be a natural result."
At Zhuge Ming's mumble, Moyong Susu looked at him with a suspicious gaze.
"What do you mean?"
"That is..."
Jin Sohyun, who had single-handedly defeated the fiend of Jiao Lake, whom even Namgung Seolu had been no match for, would not be strange to be called the number one in the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple in terms of martial power alone.
But as Peng Xiaofeng and Moyong Susu, who did not know this fact, looked at him with a puzzled expression, Zhuge Ming waved his hand.
"It's nothing. Hahaha... maybe Young Hero Jin was lucky. Like he had gone to the outhouse before the surprise attack."
"Hmm! That might be it!"
Unlike Peng Xiaofeng, who was quickly convinced, Moyong Susu looked at Zhuge Ming with a face that could not shake off her suspicion.
"It seems Young Hero Zhuge is hiding something from us... but I'll let it slide this time. But you have to tell me next time. Do you understand?"
"Haha..."
At Moyong Susu's voice, which had a subtle pressure, Zhuge Ming just laughed.
'To think it would be this difficult to keep a secret.'
He had to let out an awkward laugh to protect the secret of the lazy bum who was hiding his skills.
Meanwhile, by the time everyone had finished running and was scattered around, there was a girl who was running around the training ground alone and lonely.
"Haa... haaa... head servant or whatever... at this rate, I'll... die first..."
(End of Chapter)