Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: The Little Disciple
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"Master!"
The boy, Jonghyeon, who had come running at full speed, threw himself into Ha Woojin's arms.
He was barely over ten years old.
Jonghyeon, whose height just reached Ha Woojin's waist, buried his face in his master's chest for a moment before slowly lifting his head to ask,
"Did everything go well?"
Ha Woojin looked down at Jonghyeon, who gazed up at him with bright, sparkling eyes, and a smile appeared on his lips—one that Cheonhwi had never seen before.
"Yes, I wrapped it up nicely."
Ha Woojin couldn't stop smiling.
'So this is why they told me to take in a disciple.'
He had deliberately avoided accepting a disciple or teaching anyone.
He had felt he was still lacking and didn't have the ability to instruct others.
That mindset hadn't changed until recently.
But now, his thinking had shifted.
Swoosh—
He glanced sideways at Cheonhwi.
The moment he met Hyeon-gang's disciple, who had grown into such a splendid young man after endless praise from Hyeon-gang's own lips, he felt envious.
A disciple who surpassed his master—the blue emerging from the indigo dye.
How enviable was that?
Just one meeting.
That alone had changed his mind, leading him to take a disciple himself.
After carefully selecting based on character, skill, and talent, his direct disciple was the very Jonghyeon now hugging his waist.
Ha Woojin gently stroked the head of Jonghyeon, who smiled up at him.
"Have you been training diligently?"
"Yes!"
Jonghyeon answered energetically.
"Good boy."
At that moment, Cheonhwi spoke to Ha Woojin.
"The person you wanted to introduce me to... is your disciple?"
"That's right."
With his response, Ha Woojin carefully peeled off the clinging Jonghyeon.
"Say hello. This is Cheonhwi, the disciple of my close friend."
At Ha Woojin's words, Jonghyeon politely clasped his small hands together and bowed his head.
"Infinite Buddha, Jonghyeon."
"Cheonhwi."
Cheonhwi gave a casual reply, glanced at Jonghyeon, then lost interest, leaving Ha Woojin flustered.
"That's it?"
"What?"
"The greeting."
"Is there more to it than that?"
"Like how old you are, what you like..."
What a hassle.
Cheonhwi turned to Jonghyeon.
"How old are you?"
"Thirteen."
Hearing the answer, Cheonhwi immediately turned back to Ha Woojin.
"That good enough?"
"......"
Ha Woojin was at a loss for words.
In the end, he shook his head and sent a transmission to Jonghyeon.
{{Ask him some questions first.}}
Jonghyeon's face scrunched up.
It hadn't even been a few months since he became the direct disciple, but the Peerless Sword General had doted on him terribly during that time.
He had fed him precious elixirs from who-knows-where and taught him martial arts with utmost sincerity.
To the point where the other Jongnam Sect Taoists envied him.
Yet now, he was favoring this Cheonhwi over him.
'Master's never acted like this before.'
A surge of jealousy hit Jonghyeon, and he pouted his lips in a sulky expression.
He was dissatisfied with the situation but couldn't yet transmit, so this was his way of showing it.
Then, a thought flashed through Jonghyeon's mind.
'That's it!'
Jonghyeon immediately assumed the fist salute.
"If it's not too rude, I'd like to learn a move or two from the young hero."
Ha Woojin panicked and intervened.
"J-Jonghyeon! What are you doing?"
"Didn't you once say during sparring that the best way to know your opponent is to cross swords with them?"
"......"
Ha Woojin was speechless.
He had taught him that, but in this situation, it was improper.
"Even so, right now..."
As Ha Woojin tried to scold Jonghyeon,
"Mm, good teaching there."
Cheonhwi nodded.
He quite liked the saying.
When martial artists clash, their true hearts are revealed.
Doesn't that mean they give their all to each other?
Cheonhwi looked at Jonghyeon and replied,
"Sure. Let's spar."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Infinite Buddha. Please go easy on me."
Jonghyeon, making the fist salute with his small hands, vigorously drew the sword at his side.
As if custom-made, he lifted a small sword suited to his age.
'His stance is solid.'
Cheonhwi, who had been scrutinizing Jonghyeon from head to toe, crooked his finger.
"You first."
"......How rude!"
The corners of Jonghyeon's eyes twitched upward.
Soon, unable to contain his anger, he planted his foot and charged.
He swung the raised sword down with all his might.
The Jongnam Sect's sole rigid sword art!
The Great Heavenly Rigid Sword Art!
The blade, infused with murderous intent, clashed toward Cheonhwi's shoulder with enough force to cleave it.
Clang!
Jonghyeon was sent flying backward.
He tumbled across the ground, unable to regain his senses.
It was a strike with all his power.
Yet blocked by a single index finger.
'H-How is that possible!'
But there was no time for shock.
Cheonhwi's index finger, now right in front of him, thrust toward his forehead.
"Eek!"
Jonghyeon gritted his teeth and gripped his sword.
"Hah!"
With a shout, he raised his sword.
The blade, loaded with all his internal energy, spun like a full moon with a chilling aura.
But then.
Cheonhwi's finger moved oddly, riding along the blade and closing in.
"......!"
Sensing he couldn't dodge, Jonghyeon dropped his sword and quickly crossed his hands to block the finger.
Tap.
"Huh?"
Jonghyeon blurted out in confusion.
Unlike the immense pressure he'd felt, the touch on his forearms was light.
As he looked at Cheonhwi in bewilderment,
"Good judgment, but lacking power."
A low voice came.
Cheonhwi withdrew his finger from the light press on the arms and stepped back.
"Pick up your sword again."
Jonghyeon hesitantly retrieved his sword.
And raised it once more.
Cheonhwi gazed intently at Jonghyeon, who fumbled back into stance.
'Definitely the Great Heavenly Rigid Sword Art. But it felt different when the Sword Saint described it verbally.'
Seeing it performed live felt off from the verbal account.
'Theory versus practice, after all.'
Recalling the sword art Jonghyeon had just shown, Cheonhwi added advice.
"This time, when you swing, grip the hilt with both hands, but don't snap your wrists forward—swing through naturally."
"......No wrist snap?"
Jonghyeon, unconsciously heeding Cheonhwi's words, carefully picked up his sword.
He adjusted his grip, engraving the instruction.
'No snap....... No snap!'
Soon, he swung again.
The same starting stance as before.
But just avoiding the wrist snap unleashed a ferocious momentum.
However.
Tap.
Blocked by the finger once more.
"A bit better, but still lacking. Maybe better to demonstrate."
A sword was now in Cheonhwi's hand—but it was Jonghyeon's sword.
"......!"
Jonghyeon startled and stared at his empty hand.
"How?!"
"How what."
Cheonhwi chuckled.
"Like this."
Cheonhwi's sword moved slowly.
Perfectly replicating the Great Heavenly Rigid Sword Art Jonghyeon had shown—no deviation.
Ferocious in execution, fluid and sharp in variations.
After demonstrating, Cheonhwi tossed the sword to the gaping Jonghyeon.
"See it well?"
"Y-Yes,"
Jonghyeon caught the tossed sword in a fluster.
"Then try imitating it."
"T-That?"
"Can't do something this easy?"
"N-No! I can!"
Now full of determination, Jonghyeon swallowed and raised the sword.
He attempted the Great Heavenly Rigid Sword Art again, just like before.
But.
Thud.
It halted midway.
"Flow's not familiar yet. Still, much better than before."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Forgetting his jealousy, Jonghyeon looked at Cheonhwi with shining eyes.
Then Cheonhwi raised his hand.
"Now, block this."
"Yes......? Gasp!"
Jonghyeon suddenly swallowed.
Cheonhwi, who had been three zhang away, was now right in front of him.
And at the same moment.
Thud!
A dull sound and massive impact pierced through, his vision going white.
"Guh!"
Whoosh! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Struck by the fist wind, Jonghyeon bounced across the ground several times before sprawling out spread-eagled.
"Jonghyeon!"
Ha Woojin rushed over, checked his rolled-back eyes and pulse, then
"Phew."
let out a sigh of relief.
His whites were showing, but fortunately, his pulse beat vigorously.
"Just knocked out."
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, he turned to Cheonhwi.
'Good thing he held back.'
If it were anyone else, he'd be furious at his disciple being left like this, but Ha Woojin wasn't.
The reason was simple.
It was Cheonhwi.
Considering Cheonhwi's loftier realm, this was practically a gentle pat.
"Maybe this turns out for the best."
Saying so, he hoisted Jonghyeon onto his back.
Lately, Jonghyeon had grown arrogant.
Not only had he caught the eye of Ha Woojin, who hadn't wanted a disciple, becoming the direct disciple, but he also received full support from the Jongnam Sect.
Anyone would have their nose in the air.
'Hope this snaps him out of it.'
Ha Woojin laid Jonghyeon down gently and asked Cheonhwi,
"What do you think of him as an opponent?"
"He's got talent."
His skeletal structure was exceptional, and his internal energy ample—likely from countless elixirs.
But.
"His swordsmanship, though... not great."
Ha Woojin gave a wry smile.
As Cheonhwi said, Jonghyeon had brilliant aptitude and talent.
But his swordsmanship was the issue.
He just couldn't handle the sword well.
Even if footwork was hard to learn, this was serious.
Ha Woojin smiled wryly again.
Jonghyeon's internal energy and other martial skills grew daily, but his swordsmanship alone stagnated no matter the time.
"Teach him a different sword art?"
"Haha, already on it."
He'd recently taught him a few new ones.
But perhaps due to his young age.
Jonghyeon was hooked on the rigid Great Heavenly Rigid Sword Art and ignored the others.
'Hope he gets it today.'
Ha Woojin recalled Cheonhwi's final stroke.
The soft conquering the rigid.
Cheonhwi's yielding soft sword had suppressed and shattered Jonghyeon's rigid one.
"What sword art was that last one?"
"No particular name."
Cheonhwi shrugged.
He'd just improvised the exact opposite of the Great Heavenly Rigid Sword Art on the spot.
Unaware, Ha Woojin nodded at Cheonhwi.
'A technique he can't reveal, I suppose.'
Misunderstanding completely, he gazed at Cheonhwi and smiled.
'He looks just like Hyeon-gang.'
Ha Woojin drifted into memory.
Hyeon-gang's first impression wasn't great.
After all, he'd snuck into the Jongnam Sect alone upon hearing rumors of Ha Woojin and requested a spar.
But that changed.
'When he took in a disciple.'
Precisely from that day.
That day, Hyeon-gang smiled nonstop.
Unlike before, when a smile was rare even once a day.
'You took in a disciple?'
'Yeah.'
'That good, huh?'
'More than good. He's still young, but holding his little hand makes me smile.'
He bragged about his disciple daily while watching Ha Woojin train.
'How old?'
'Eight, I think.'
'Eight? He's grown.'
'Haha, yeah. Big now. Wanna come to Mount Hua and see him?'
'Hm, if I have time.'
'Time? When have you ever had time?'
'If I do, you should try raising one too.'
'A disciple? With my skills?'
'Do it. It'll change your life.'
'Change that much?'
'You'll see. Oh, and if you take one, our disciples can meet and become friends like us. Good, right?'
Did Hyeon-gang know something?
He persistently pushed for their disciples to meet, securing the promise before they parted.
And that was their last meeting.
'Hyeon-gang, you were right.'
He hadn't understood back then.
Taking a disciple changes your life?
But now he knew.
'My life really has changed.'
His sole pursuit of strength had shifted.
Just adding disciple Jonghyeon felt like rain after drought.
'But I should have hurried a bit.'
Recalling Hyeon-gang's smile wishing for their disciples' meeting, a bitter smile touched Ha Woojin's lips.
If he'd moved faster, Hyeon-gang might be here.
The thought pricked like a thorn.
"I hope you two get along well......"
Immersed in old memories, Ha Woojin murmured to Cheonhwi in a wistful voice.
'Like Hyeon-gang and me.'
He swallowed the rest.
He didn't want to awkwardly force things between them.
Just naturally.
Yes, like he and Hyeon-gang in the past.
He hoped they'd become close on their own.
Ha Woojin laid the carried Jonghyeon down gently and placed his hand on him.
Infusing internal energy, the unconscious Jonghyeon opened his eyes.
"......Master?"
Seeing Ha Woojin's face, Jonghyeon was startled, then grew sullen.
"......I lost."
Jonghyeon bit his lip.
Ha Woojin looked at him with satisfaction and spoke.
"Are you frustrated?"
"Yes."
Unlike his calm words, Jonghyeon clenched his fist unconsciously.
Ha Woojin's gaze warmed.
"If you've recognized that feeling, this defeat is more valuable than victory."
"Don't forget it."
"I understand. More than that, that man......"
Shaking his head urgently to look around, he spotted Cheonhwi, eyes lighting up as he blurted an unexpected title.
"Big brother!"