Chapter 23 - A Second-Rate Warrior Preparing to Soar

"Crazy. You're crazy. You've completely lost your mind. How could a person do something so insane?"

"Uh... Junior Sister... The elders are right here, and I'm your senior brother..."

"Senior brother my foot! Are you out of your mind or what? Good heavens, catching a sword with your bare hand? If Great Warrior Namgung San had pulled his sword back right then... Ugh..."

Saryeon shuddered, then began to smack Jin Sowoon's back repeatedly with her palm.

Seeing this, the elders and Hall Leaders of the Taiyi Sect chuckled.

Of course, not everyone was laughing.

Jin Taesan and Hong Mungi.

Having witnessed his son's crazy stunt, Jin Taesan gave a thunderous shout.

"You foolish brat! Even in a sparring match with wooden swords, you are never supposed to grab a sword with your hands!"

The sinner could only keep his mouth shut.

Conversely, the Sect Leader asked with a worried look.

"Are you alright?"

"The physician said it's just a small scratch."

Because he had grabbed a sword cloaked in Sword Qi, the torn flesh looked messy and severe, but since Jin Sowoon had also infused his left hand with a massive amount of qi, the wound wasn't actually that deep.

"Ugh..."

As Saryeon examined his wound again with concern, Jin Sowoon added a comment to ease her worries.

"It was all based on precise calculations. I caught it exactly when the sword went all the way in and right before it pulled back."

SMACK!

Perhaps one hit wasn't enough to vent her anger.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Saryeon's palms relentlessly struck Jin Sowoon's neck and back.

"What are you doing!"

"Try doing something this reckless one more time! Next time, I'll be the one cutting your hand off with my own sword, not Great Warrior Namgung San! Do you understand me!"

"... I got it."

As if he still had something left to say, the Sect Leader spoke once the surroundings quieted down.

"Why did you go that far?"

An unreadable emotion, neither reprimand nor praise, carried in his voice.

Jin Sowoon had already won the moment Namgung San used the Sovereign Sword Technique. He was asking why Jin Sowoon hadn't backed down even then.

Jin Sowoon scratched the back of his head for a moment before replying.

"The guy didn't greet you, Sect Leader, nor did he greet anyone else."

The elders and Hall Leaders looked at each other and tilted their heads.

"It might just be me, but it didn't seem like he was showing the proper manners of a guest, either."

Hong Mungi's face filled with bewilderment.

"You bet your fingers over just that?"

"I wouldn't call it... 'just that'."

Heavy disappointment clouded the faces of Hong Mungi, Jin Taesan, and the other Hall Leaders.

While it was a great feat to win the sparring match against Namgung San, there was no way this could be called a fair victory.

It was a situation where he could have lost his fingers, or even his entire left hand.

Kang Chaeseok, who had just been laughing boisterously and calling it a minor scratch, turned bright red and roared.

"You crazy bastard. You little punk! Even so, how could you bet a warrior's hand on something like this!"

Right then, Namgung San quietly entered.

Because of Kang Chaeseok's ringing voice, no one had noticed Namgung San coming in.

"Was this a small matter?"

Seeing Jin Sowoon talk back despite having done something worthy of a scolding, the Hall Leaders slowly began to boil with anger as well.

"It was already your victory the moment Namgung San used the Sovereign Sword Technique! You could have won without losing anything! There was no need to take it this far!"

"Weren't the younger junior disciples watching?"

"...!"

"...!"

"!!!"

The elders and Hall Leaders suddenly looked as if they had been struck by lightning.

"Even if I were to lose my fingers, wouldn't the disciples feel the potential of the Taiyi Sect's martial arts upon seeing my sword at Senior Namgung's throat? Instead of thinking, 'If only I had been born a child of the Namgung Clan,' wouldn't they start thinking, 'I should challenge the Namgung Clan with my own sword'?"

No one in the hall dared to breathe a single sound.

Hong Mungi and Jin Taesan looked at Jin Sowoon with complicated eyes.

The elders and Hall Leaders stared up at the dusty ceiling, constantly sighing as if overwhelmed by a heavy feeling in their chests.

Only Kang Chaeseok broke the frozen atmosphere with a grumble.

"... They probably would have freaked out and tried to run away after seeing your fingers get cut off."

Jin Sowoon merely let out a chuckle and replied.

"If even one out of a hundred considers that possibility, and thus continues to carry on the spirit of the Taiyi Sect, then I believe my fingers would have paid a worthy price."

"Kuh-heup!"

As if something had suddenly burst out of him, Kang Chaeseok violently furrowed his brow, covered his face, and sprinted out of the building.

While watching Kang Chaeseok run off, the people noticed Namgung San standing right outside the door.

"Have you arrived?"

When Hong Mungi acknowledged him, Namgung San, who had been about to give a slight nod, instead offered a deeply respectful martial greeting.

"I'm sure the young people have things to discuss among themselves."

At Hong Mungi's words, Jin Taesan, the elders, the Hall Leaders, and even Saryeon stood up from their seats.

On their way out this time, not a single person tried to strike up a conversation with Namgung San or acted out of a desire to impress him.

"..."

"..."

Namgung San wordlessly set down the Celestial Silkworm Yarn, the wooden box, and the Seven-Color Jewel.

Then, after maintaining a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Losing to the Namgung Clan is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Losing to the Taiyi Sect is nothing to be ashamed of, either."

"Was the Taiyi Sect always a sect of that caliber?"

"Is the Namgung Clan's pride based solely on overwhelming power?"

"!!!"

"If the profound secrets of the Namgung Clan were to be severed and the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique vanished, would it then become shameful to lose to the Taiyi Sect?"

"..."

Namgung San, who had always walked with such imposing confidence, now had a face full of utter shame.

"It is the same for us. Just because we lack powerful martial arts doesn't mean we have thrown away our pride."

"... Fingers... I had lost from the very beginning in terms of resolve."

Namgung San suddenly offered a formal, respectful martial greeting.

"I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive the disrespect I showed at the Taiyi Sect in the past, as well as the disgraceful behavior I displayed in front of my junior."

Jin Sowoon also stood up and returned the greeting with his bandaged hand.

"You have shown your integrity and I have received your apology, so I will forget the past. Please also forget the discourtesy this lacking junior has shown you during this time."

Once their mutual greetings concluded, Jin Sowoon asked.

"Then what will you do about the Admission Token? Do you have another place to acquire one?"

"Do you wish to make another bet over the Admission Token?"

"Not at all."

Namgung San stared intently at Jin Sowoon with a somewhat meaningful expression.

"I don't think you need to worry. ... I just have a feeling things will work out well."

"Pardon?"

* * *

Hong Mungi lifted the liquor bottle, intending to fill his empty cup.

Tinkle.

However, the bottle had already been entirely emptied by Kang Chaeseok, who was bawling his eyes out right beside him.

"..."

Unable to even think about blaming Kang Chaeseok—who had shamelessly drank all the liquor and was now weeping—Hong Mungi just spun his empty cup in his hands.

Jin Taesan, who had stepped out to fetch more liquor to replace the bottle Kang Chaeseok emptied, walked back in carrying a tightly hidden liquor jar and spoke.

"Why the hell are you sitting there crying like a blubbering idiot."

"Leave him be. Imagine how turbulent his heart must be right now."

As soon as the bottle was replenished, Hong Mungi filled his cup to the brim.

"Hiccup. Aren't you ashamed, Brother? The fact that a brat who hasn't even reached adulthood yet holds such thoughts and takes such actions for the sake of the Taiyi Sect."

Kang Chaeseok continued to fill his glass, chuckling through his tears.

"Not just the elders, but even the Hall Leaders kept sticking their faces into Namgung San's quarters one by one. Listening to Sowoon's words, I felt completely ashamed of myself."

"I said knock it off!"

Jin Taesan tried his best to stop him, but instead, Hong Mungi agreed with his words.

"I was ashamed as well."

"... Why are you doing this too, Sect Leader? I know full well how much effort you've poured into the Taiyi Sect."

"What have I even done."

"Do you think we don't know that you swing your sword every night at the Grand Sage Hall's training ground?"

"..."

No matter how kindly one looked at it, Hong Mungi's martial talent was no more than average.

Despite that, the reason he couldn't let go of his martial arts was not for personal achievement or ambition.

Ultimately, if there was no progress in his martial arts, there would be no progress for the Taiyi Sect.

"We are all doing our best in our own ways. It is the gathering of such hearts that drives the Taiyi Sect forward. There is no need for you to feel guilty or carry a sense of sin."

"Damn it! What monumental contribution have you made to the Taiyi Sect to be acting so proudly!"

"Me?"

Jin Taesan shrugged his shoulders.

"Isn't Jin Sowoon my son."

"... Goddamn it..."

Kang Chaeseok downed cup after cup of liquor.

"On my way here, I saw that the lights in Busaeng Hall were still on."

"Are the kids still training at this hour?"

"They were learning that strange Lesser Heaven Sword Technique from that brat Sowoon."

"Is that so?"

"I don't know if we should stop them. It's definitely the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, but doesn't it overflow with far too much killing intent?"

"Wasn't that something you taught him?"

At Kang Chaeseok's words, Jin Taesan shook his head.

"Are you kidding? You know exactly what level my martial arts achievements are at."

Hong Mungi, who had been listening quietly, let out a sighing remark.

"I suspect the boy researched it himself."

"Pardon? No matter how basic the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique is..."

"Actually, I was quite surprised because it has many similarities with the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique I've been researching. Of course, the version Sowoon uses is much closer to perfection. Regardless, imagine how much effort that child must have put in to achieve such a level at his young age."

"That crazy bastard. He sneaks out of Busaeng Hall and all he does is train in martial arts?"

As if annoyed, Kang Chaeseok used that as an excuse to gulp down the rest of the bottle.

"Let him be. Isn't it good news that the children have finally taken an interest in basic martial arts?"

"Well, that much is true."

"More importantly, isn't there something we should be doing for Sowoon?"

Pulling his lips away from the bottle, Kang Chaeseok nearly shouted.

"We have to do something! He's practically offered his life for the Taiyi Sect like this; we have to push him forward with whatever we have just so we can feel a little less ashamed."

"..."

Nodding in agreement, Hong Mungi looked at Jin Taesan and spoke.

"What about giving Sowoon the position of Chief Disciple?"

"..."

Jin Taesan couldn't answer, his face hardening, while Kang Chaeseok nodded excitedly.

"That's an excellent idea! Once he becomes the Chief Disciple, the kids will follow him even more, and later on, during the special admission process..."

Just as Kang Chaeseok was speaking with excitement, Jin Taesan cut him off flatly.

"It is something we must think over."

"Huh?"

In this strange situation where Kang Chaeseok supported the idea and Jin Taesan opposed it, Hong Mungi asked.

"What are you worried about?"

"The Chief Disciple holds a position similar to the Sect Leader among the disciples. If they are to perform mandatory service in the Murim Alliance, Gye Cheolyeong might simply stop caring about the Taiyi Sect members. Furthermore, the Chief Disciple is someone who may one day have to lead the sect. You must also consider Saryeon."

"You... You idiot!"

"This isn't a position to be handed out in a drunken fit of emotion."

Hong Mungi restrained the huffing Kang Chaeseok and continued.

"What if Sowoon is the one who goes to the Murim Academy?"

"..."

"Sowoon has already proven his skills by crossing swords with Namgung San. I believe he won't fall behind Gye Cheolyeong. As for Saryeon... Saryeon wouldn't strongly oppose this decision, either."

"I heard the Gyeryong Merchant Group Leader requested spiritual pills from the Mount Hua Sect again. It might not be the Snow Plum Pill, but if Cheolyeong's internal energy increases leaps and bounds, won't Cheolyeong be the one selected in the end?"

SLAM.

Listening to the conversation, Kang Chaeseok slammed his fist on the table.

"What the hell are you doing right now!"

"I am speaking logically. Do you think I actually want to refuse a good thing for my own son?"

"That's not it, is it? You're just worried that the Gyeryong Merchant Group's funding will be cut off!"

"... In the face of starvation, loyalty and a sense of belonging eventually amount to nothing. If the Taiyi Sect cannot provide food right now, more than half of the disciples won't even be able to eat one proper meal a day. What do you plan to do about them?"

"Y-You... You...!"

Unable to say anything more, Kang Chaeseok sank back into his seat.

Silence hung over the room.

Under the heavy responsibility of food, clothing, and shelter, no one dared to open their mouth so easily.

"Is that truly the only reason?"

"... That is the biggest problem."

"In that case, let us bestow the Chief Disciple position to Sowoon."

"Sect Leader!"

Hong Mungi calmly continued his words.

"He bet his fingers. To sweep away the defeatist mindset taking root in the children's hearts. A hand is like life itself to a martial artist. He risked his own life to stop the Taiyi Sect's honor from plummeting into the mud. If we don't let a child like that lead the Taiyi Sect, then who on earth should lead it?"

"... This is not an issue to be decided so emotionally."

"No, this is not an emotional decision. If money is the entire problem, then I will earn the money myself, even if I have to work as an escort warrior."

"Sect Leader!"

"Yeah! Fine! I'll do it too! Hell, I'll gather all the Hall Leaders and set up an escort agency myself, so let's do it!"

Kang Chaeseok and Hong Mungi, completely oblivious to Jin Taesan's burning anxiety, clinked their glasses with a laugh and extended their cups toward him as well.

Eventually, Jin Taesan let out a heavy sigh and raised his cup.

"I'll be managing the money that comes in from your escort runs, so keep that in mind."

* * *

Sixty years' worth of internal energy!

A mass the size of a baby's fist settled solidly within my Dantian.

As if proving that its reputation was not exaggerated, the Great Expansion Divine Pill flaunted its presence, instantly generating sixty years' worth of internal energy for me.

"I finally... achieved it."

An enormous amount of internal energy that I could never have even dreamed of in my past life.

In this life, however, this was merely the beginning. Thanks to an unexpected stroke of fortune, I had reached sixty years' worth of internal energy far faster than anticipated.

I had swept up all the spiritual elixirs in Anhui Province, but there were still many spiritual elixirs in other provinces.

I lacked the time needed to scrape together as many of them as possible before the Murim Academy's regular admissions began.

'I should depart as soon as the special admission exam is over.'

The moment I stepped into the Taiyi Sect with those thoughts.

The sight of unfamiliar people I had never seen before, carrying weapons and completely filling the training ground, caught my eye.

'The Gyeryong Merchant Group?'

People wearing the martial uniforms of the Gyeryong Merchant Group stood in a circle as if protecting Gye Yeonseok, and Gye Yeonseok was having a serious discussion with the Sect Leader up on the platform.

I approached Saryeon, who was watching the two of them with a worried expression from one side.

"What's going on?"

"... Where did you go, getting back just now?"

"I was out doing personal training. It's not like the Taiyi Sect would turn upside down just because I'm not here."

"The problem is that it did turn upside down."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

I asked back at Saryeon's incomprehensible words, but she merely stared at the training ground without answering.

"Sect Leader Hong! How could you do this to me! Are you truly going to break our promise like this?"

Gye Yeonseok was displaying a mix of desperation and fury, like a man who had just lost his life savings.

"Group Leader Gye. You are deeply mistaken about something. The authority to choose the Chief Disciple lies solely with the sect itself!"

"From the very beginning, who else besides our Cheolyeong even possessed such qualifications!"

My mind went blank.

'Chief Disciple?'

That was originally a position being weighed between Gye Cheolyeong and Hong Saryeon.

One that held an authority rivaling the elders of the sect, accompanied by equal responsibility.

When deployed to the Murim Alliance, the words of the Chief Disciple were equivalent to the Sect Leader's words.

Customarily, the position of Chief Disciple was granted to the disciple who would be enrolling in the Murim Academy.

That way, they could become an executive there and look after even one more of their junior disciples.

In my past life, Gye Cheolyeong became the Chief Disciple, and because of that, we ended up acting as his limbs, diligently serving as servants for the children of the Nine Great Sects, One Gang, and the Five Great Noble Clans.

"Junior Sister. Did the Sect Leader say he would give the position of Chief Disciple to you?"

"...?"

Saryeon looked at me with an expression that said, 'What kind of nonsense are you talking about?'

"Why did the Chief Disciple position suddenly become an issue?"

"... It's because of you, Senior Brother."

"Me? Why?"

In that moment, everything I had done recently flashed through my mind.

Retrieving the Ninefold Sword from the Iron Sword Sect, and refusing to step back a single inch against Namgung San's sword.

"Sect Leader Hong! Is it perhaps because of what happened at the Iron Sword Sect? Did I not explain it to you! At the Iron Sword Sect, our Cheolyeong couldn't step forward because he was there as a member of the Gyeryong Merchant Group!"

Conversely, Gye Cheolyeong hadn't stepped forward at all at the Iron Sword Sect, and had actually been the cause that incited the fight.

Compared to that, the things I had been doing were...

'Perfect material for a Chief Disciple.'

However, from the Sect Leader's position, it was an issue that couldn't be easily decided.

If I became the Chief Disciple, the Gyeryong Merchant Group—who already seemed to be slowly losing interest—might completely wash their hands of us.

If that happened, the Taiyi Sect's economy might collapse in an instant.

Of course, because of the arrangements I had prepared and the Seven-Color Jewel, that wouldn't happen, but from the Sect Leader's perspective, he had still made a massive decision.

"In the end, this is just a scheme to sabotage our Cheolyeong's admission into the Murim Academy!"

At Gye Yeonseok's outrageous remarks, Hong Mungi finally let out a sharp yell.

"Watch your tongue, Group Leader Gye! From the start, admission to the Murim Academy has been an opportunity given to all disciples of the Taiyi Sect. Even if Cheolyeong does not become the Chief Disciple, if his skills are proven, he will surely be able to enter the Murim Academy!"

The reason Gye Yeonseok was so desperate for the Chief Disciple position was because bonus points were awarded to the Chief Disciple during the admission process.

Being the Chief Disciple was also proof of possessing legitimacy within one's own sect, so in a situation where every single point mattered, he absolutely needed to secure that position.

"Kuh...!"

Pushed back in the argument, Gye Yeonseok glared at me with resentful eyes.

"Fine! If you're going to keep acting this way, I will cut off the funding we send to the Taiyi Sect immediately!"

At those words, which struck like a bolt from the blue, heavy sorrow clouded the faces of not only the Hall Leaders but the elders as well.

"Did you think I, Gye Yeonseok, am someone you can just use and throw away at your whim, Sect Leader Hong? Go ahead, go back to the days when you couldn't even afford a single bowl of gruel a day, when you couldn't be distinguished from the members of the Beggars' Sect! Then you'll realize just how foolish your choice was!"

Those who were faint of heart were already unable to hide their anxiety.

Panic swirled across the faces of Hong Mungi and Jin Taesan as well, but they tried their hardest not to show their wavering.

The atmosphere of the training ground fell into a dead silence, heavy with anxiety, nervousness, anger, and hostility.

Just as the young disciples were secretly holding their breaths while watching the adults' reactions.

A voice shattered the silence.

"Then may I take over that role?"

At the voice that suddenly intruded without reading the room, Gye Yeonseok whipped his head back with a murderous glare.

"Who is it! Who dares to play games with the grand affairs of the Gyeryong Merchant Group!!"

Gye Yeonseok's voice rang out so sharply that the warriors who had come with him began drawing their swords one by one, radiating fighting spirit.

"Play games? I don't play games. Have you forgotten that?"

"What?"

A middle-aged man made his appearance with a relaxed voice.

He wore modest yet luxurious-looking clothes, adorned with simple accessories, unlike Gye Yeonseok. An attitude brimming with dignity naturally flowed from his upright posture.

"Y-You're here..."

Gye Yeonseok's mouth fell wide open in shock.

Just then, a young girl with a pale face and a beautiful smile peeked her head out from behind the man.

"Sowoon *oppa*~!"

The man's identity was Wang Soso's father, Wang Geumsan.