Chapter 25
The Head Disciple nomination ceremony took place.
I woke up early in the morning, washed my body neatly, took out and wore the cleanest clothes, tied my hair neatly, and applied a little oil so the hair wouldn’t fly around.
After offering greetings to the ancestors in the Ancestral Hall, I offered greetings to the Elders who were preparing one by one.
Today, unlike usual, the Hall Masters also dressed up in their cleanest clothes each.
Since most were new clothes made with fabrics Wang Geum-san brought, it was hard to hold back laughter inside.
The order to offer greetings to my father, Jin Tae-san, the Hall Master of the Outer Hall, lastly after finishing greetings to all Hall Masters.
“…….”
Jin Tae-san was silent for a long time with distant eyes.
“The Sect Leader is waiting.”
“Among the Elders and Hall Masters, I was the only one who opposed your nomination as Head Disciple.”
“…….”
“Were you disappointed?”
“What is there to be disappointed about. It’s not like Father underestimating me happened just yesterday or today.”
“Once you take on the duty of Head Disciple, not only authority to command disciples is created.”
The distant eyes became teary before one knew it and changed as if recalling distant memories.
“It means becoming the person always ahead of the disciples, and the person responsible for their lives.”
Is Father looking at my appearance right now, or is he looking at my childhood?
“Now you must take care of the Junior Brothers and Sisters before your own life. Can you shoulder that heavy weight?”
“…….”
Which parent in the world could be willing to accept the job where their child’s life is pushed back?
Although I never had a child while living one life, I had subordinates like flesh and blood, so I understood even indirectly.
“Father.”
“……Yes.”
“I will definitely survive anywhere.”
“…….”
“And behind me, Junior Brothers and Sisters will always be together.”
Jin Tae-san, who seemed about to shed tears, eventually turned his head and waved his hand.
I purposely avoided the seat and simultaneously advanced in front of Hong Mun-gi.
“Disciple Jin So-un. Do you swear in front of the ancestors that you will do your best for the development and glory of the Taeeul Sect?”
“28th generation disciple Jin So-un. I swear in front of the preceding ancestors. I will become the disciple most ahead of the Junior Brothers and Sisters for the development and glory of the Taeeul Sect.”
Sect Leader Hong handed over a black cloth, same as the one he wrapped around his head, with both hands, and I also raised both hands in a kneeling state and received the cloth.
On the black cloth, a silver Taeeul Sect emblem proving one is the Head Disciple was embroidered.
I slowly wrapped the cloth around my head and approached the Senior and Junior brothers.
Waaaaaa.
From all directions, Senior and Junior brothers cheered and rushed in, each offering words of congratulation.
I answered one by one and shook hands.
After the round of greetings ended like that, I approached Gye Cheol-yeong and Gye Yeon-seok standing on one side.
“Please take care of me from now on. Senior Brother.”
“…….”
Gye Cheol-yeong was in the middle of not knowing whether to extend his hand or not.
At that moment, Gye Yeon-seok bared his teeth and growled.
“It is not all over yet.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know you are trying to steal our Cheol-yeong’s seat at the Murim Academy.”
“Aren’t you misunderstanding something. The special admission is a place where the Inspection Envoys select the most excellent disciple through objective evaluation.”
“Hmph! Just wait and see.”
Gye Yeon-seok urged Gye Cheol-yeong and left the Taeeul Sect.
I began to accept the chattering conversations surrounded by the hands of disciples again.
“Damn bastard.”
“Father, what do we do now?”
Deep worry was cast on Gye Cheol-yeong’s face too now.
Feelings of unfairness and resentment piled up full.
At the Iron Sword Sect, since he attended as the position of the Rooster Dragon Merchant Group, he couldn’t step forward when trouble occurred.
Of course, if he knew the Chief Strategist would eventually side with the Taeeul Sect, he could have stepped forward sufficiently too.
But excluding such things, the Iron Sword Sect was a sect with large power next to the Namgung Clan within Anhui Province.
From the position of the Rooster Dragon Merchant Group doing business based in Anhui Province, they absolutely couldn’t step forward.
Namgung San of the Namgung Clan visiting made him feel even more unfair.
Anyway, didn’t Namgung San show mercy in his hand at the end?
At that time, if Namgung San had just pulled the sword, Jin So-un’s fingers would have all flown away and eventually the victory would have been taken by Namgung San.
Rage burst out at the foolishness of the guys viewing this as the Taeeul Sect’s victory.
Moreover, suddenly what is this about the Wang Clan…….
His plan to enter the Murim Academy through special admission, build connections with the talents of the Nine Sects One Gang and the Five Great Families, traverse the Murim with them, and make the Rooster Dragon Merchant Group the number one merchant group under heaven in the future, all became a mess.
“There is no need to be disappointed. Even if they use tricks ungratefully, eventually the talent of the special admission will be you.”
Gye Yeon-seok’s vague story didn’t enter his ears either.
“Don’t you know? Even if he becomes the Head Disciple, if he falls in the overall score, he cannot be selected for the special admission.”
“What do you mean?”
“The special admission is divided into a total of three exams. First, testing common sense about martial arts and Murim, and second, testing understanding of Forms and internal energy. Lastly, there is even a duel exam for actual combat.”
“Eventually, unless we know what that exam is, aren’t I in the same position as those guys.”
“Rascal! Who are you!”
Gye Yeon-seok flared up and shouted.
“You! Are the legitimate son of the Rooster Dragon Merchant Group! Are you still not realizing that you are different from the start, from birth, from those half-wits of the Taeeul Sect!”
“…….”
Just in time, three figures entered the premises.
Figures with diverse atmospheres: a man with a scholar style, a woman with a warrior style, and a middle-aged man wearing a sword exuding a gentle aura in the middle.
“Unit Leader. It has been a long time.”
“Oh my! You finally came! I waited until my neck fell off.”
“I do not know what to do since you welcome this Jang Mo. Is that child the Gye Cheol-yeong said to be a famous talent?”
“Haha, talent. It is just a slightly outstanding level. What are you doing, offer greetings.”
Gye Cheol-yeong looked at Gye Yeon-seok with a dumbfounded expression at the suddenly progressing situation.
“You also heard the alias Star Instructor, right?”
Gye Cheol-yeong’s eyes became as big as chestnuts.
“Surely.”
“Right, it is Star Instructor Jang Sa-gun, who worked as an Inspection Envoy for a whopping 15 years, and recently sent all students he taught through pinpoint tutoring to the Murim Academy.”
Jang Sa-gun looked at Gye Cheol-yeong with proud eyes.
“No matter how dull a person is, I have never failed to send them to the Murim Academy. If it is an excellent talent like you, this task will rather become easy, so I am even more pleased.”
At his confident tone, along with his reputation Gye Cheol-yeong heard until his ears hurt in the meantime, the feelings that were suddenly unfair melted away softly.
‘Jin So-un, you cheeky bastard, just wait and see!’
“Is someone talking about me?”
“Would it be one or two?”
I, who was picking my ear, tilted my head and asked Sa-ryeon.
“I haven’t done anything to get cursed at by anyone though?”
“But you did do a lot of crazy things enough to make curses come out.”
“…….”
“Do you know what the kids say running to me as soon as training ends? ‘Senior Sister, please tell us the story that happened at the Iron Sword Sect.’. I told it so much that now I can tell it even waking up from sleep.”
“Ey, what kind of crazy thing is that. It was just…… the determination was extraordinary.”
“What about the duel with Great Hero Namgung.”
“…….”
“The words Hall Masters say gathering kids every day is ‘Never grab a sword with hands.’! Is this education to be done in a normal martial sect!”
“……Ahem, won’t they know soon when they grow up a little?”
Glare.
Sa-ryeon’s eyes became fiercer, and I eventually turned my head and avoided the gaze.
“So, why did you say to come here. Surely you didn’t come to build a hideout with me, right?”
The place I brought Sa-ryeon to was Splendid Cloud Mountain near the Taeeul Sect. It was a place we climbed up and down playing almost every day in childhood.
Among them, in the wide clearing mid-mountain, the clumsy hideout I made with a few Junior Brothers also still remained.
“The Inspection Envoy will come after a while.”
“That’s right.”
“We must prepare too.”
“We too?”
“Usually, in cases of applying to the Murim Academy through lay disciples like Gye Cheol-yeong, they invite a person who knows well about the exam the Inspection Envoy gives as a teacher and receive personal tutoring.”
“Pardon?”
Sa-ryeon made the expression of a person who heard something wrong.
“Since the Inspection Envoy’s decision proceeds regardless of the sect’s decision, these are methods that were born. Probably by now, a person who was a former Inspection Envoy has been invited to the Rooster Dragon Merchant Group as a teacher and is giving personal tutoring to Gye Cheol-yeong.”
Even in the past life, Gye Cheol-yeong’s habit of liking to brag appeared as character flaws in front of Junior Brothers who failed the Murim Academy and were frustrated.
Star Instructor Jang Sa-gun, who said he never failed in the Murim Academy special admission. It is said his expected exam question accuracy rate is seven to eight out of ten.
“T-Then this is unfair.”
“Right, it cannot be seen as fair. But past Murim Academy exams were mostly like this.”
Sa-ryeon’s face became sullen like a dejected puppy.
“Really too much.”
“No need to be so disappointed. Because we can use the same method?”
“Pardon?”
“Didn’t I tell you, preparing for the exam in advance is not a subject of sanctions by the Murim Alliance.”
“But we don’t have money to invite such a teacher…….”
Even though the livelihood improved thanks to the Wang Clan, the situation wasn’t such that we could spend huge money for the children’s personal tutoring.
“Knowing that, I picked out expected questions.”
“Senior Brother? With what talent?”
I handed a book to Sa-ryeon.
“Don’t you know how good my memory is? During the last outing, I went to a bookstore in Hefei and memorized all questions that came out during the past sessions and organized them.”
Of course, it is a lie. It is just applying the exams that appeared in the past life as is by changing a few sentences and words.
At least if they memorize the entire book, there will be no failing the written exam.
“Senior Brother…… Can I trust this?”
“How can you not trust your Senior Brother?”
“……Well, because you are too childish?”
“Ahem. It is the first instruction as Head Disciple. Make all Junior Brothers and Sisters copy this book and memorize it thoroughly.”
“……Understood.”
Eventually, Sa-ryeon nodded.
Still, thanks to the book appearing, she thought she wouldn’t have to feel vague anxiety anymore.
Next, I started the real story for which I called Sa-ryeon here.
“What is that box?”
I opened the box received from the Wang Clan’s Chief Manager and showed it.
“Wow, cold. What on earth are these? Why is this cold energy…… cold energy?”
When Sa-ryeon, who was speaking, felt puzzled and approached the items in the box.
“Senior Brother, s-surely these…….”
“Right, elixirs.”
“Are they really just elixirs? I don’t think so? Clearly the cold energy…….”
Elixirs are also divided by grade. Things at the level of general restorative medicine have no effect on increasing internal energy and stop at boosting the energy inside the body. These elixirs are mostly no different from general food.
However, elixirs carrying special energy like cold or heat bring effects several times greater than general elixirs.
Of course, there are restrictions on ingestion that much, but if they meet the right owner properly, it was clear they could give wings to that target.
“It is what the Wang Clan gave me.”
“From the Wang Clan? Nonsense. No matter how much money they have, such precious elixirs……. Not one but three.”
“…….”
At the word three, I felt my conscience pricking a little.
Among the five, the Ten Thousand Year Snow Ginseng and White Snake Divine Gallbladder that I could ingest had already entered my mouth.
Sa-ryeon, who stared blankly at the elixirs for a long time like that, soon smacked her lips and raised her head.
“Did you call me to brag about this?”
Sa-ryeon seemed to be a person lacking the thought itself that she would eat.
“No. I called you to feed you.”
“Pardon? Me? Why? Senior Brother should eat instead.”
“These elixirs possess the nature of Extreme Yin. If I ate them now, at least qi deviation, if luck is bad I might die.”
Most of the internal energy forming my dantian is pure Taeeul Qi.
Even a person full of Yang energy doesn’t eat Extreme Yin elixirs carelessly; if I, who haven’t even grown my vessel properly, eat wrongly, it is clear trouble will occur severely.
Therefore, I had already ingested only the Ten Thousand Year Snow Ginseng and White Snake Divine Gallbladder which possess Yang energy and Extreme Yin energy simultaneously.
‘Thanks to that, internal energy has now passed one cycle.’
In addition, the whole body was still full of the elixir’s energy not properly absorbed yet.
However, to absorb all these elixirs, the time when advanced martial arts become desperate has arrived.
“……No. Still, I won’t eat. Rather, rather. Tell the Sect Leader and give to other Junior Sisters…….”
“I called you out purposely fearing that.”
“Pardon?”
I didn’t reveal the existence of elixirs entered through the Wang Clan on purpose.
Right now, someone to lead the disciples of the Taeeul Sect is needed.
It takes too long for everyone to grow equally together, and if we do that, it is easy to be held back and swept away together before even leading them.
‘At least 3 people.’
It is the minimum manpower I expect to have to enter the Murim Academy.
Even including me, two more are needed, but as of now, the only people with a probability to enter the Murim Academy are Sa-ryeon and Dong-ryong who left me a few days old rice cake in the past, and his brothers Geum-pyo, Eun-ho, etc.
Moreover, this elixir is of Extreme Yin nature that only women can ingest.
If I informed the Sect Leader, we might share it through a fair process, and if so, it was clear the amount going to Sa-ryeon would decrease.
“No matter so…….”
“I will do my best in this Murim Academy exam.”
“……?”
“And if I fail, I will enter the Murim Academy even by taking the regular exam.”
“Pardon? Why to that extent.”
“If we do not enter the Murim Academy, we cannot become shields for the Junior Brothers who will do mandatory service at the Murim Alliance. Eventually, we will also be swept away with them.”
“……Ey, Senior Brother, in this peaceful time what…… It’s just coming back after suffering for a few years.”
Sa-ryeon’s face, accepting it like a joke, began to distort slowly seeing my stiff face.
“What on earth are you thinking?”
“Even if it is a peaceful time, battles with the Unorthodox Faction happen day after day at the western front over there. And the top brass of the Murim Alliance don’t care much about sect members dying at the front line. Do you want to entrust the Junior Brothers’ lives to them?”
“Of course not!”
“Then eat.”
“!”
“Eat and enter the Murim Academy whatever means you use. Only then can you protect the Junior Brothers.”
Sa-ryeon, who thought deeply, looked at me shaking her gaze with a face as if moved.
“Understood. Since I will eat, don’t keep saying scary words.”
“You must have learned the Great Formation Divine Art, right?”
The Great Formation Divine Art is a high-level martial art within the Taeeul Sect that can be learned only by entering the Kwaehwa Hall. It has been a long time since Sa-ryeon pestered her father, the Sect Leader, and learned the Great Formation Divine Art and Flash Thunder Sword Technique.
Sa-ryeon, who hesitated for a moment, nodded.
“Just what and how much do you know.”
“You eat the Snow Carp Internal Core and Snow Lotus Seed.”
“Two of them?”
“I heard the news that Gye Cheol-yeong purchased the Plum Blossom Pill again. Can you not lag behind Gye Cheol-yeong in internal energy?”
“…….”
“And give the remaining Spirit Azure Stone Mushroom to the Junior Sister whom you think has the strongest attachment to the Taeeul Sect. Of course, you must hand it over secretly.”
“It is all for the Taeeul Sect, right?”
“Right.”
Sa-ryeon put one elixir in her mouth, sat cross-legged, and started qi circulation cultivation.
I watched that appearance for a moment, turned my body, and started to stand guard.
‘I did everything I could.’
Man proposes, Heaven disposes. Although I changed many pasts, this was the first time changing a huge flow.
I looked at the setting sunset pledging not to repeat the same life.
One month later.
The Inspection Envoy visited the Taeeul Sect.
