Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Fame's Burden
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The Five Mountains Conference, which could be called long if deemed long or short if deemed short, came to a shocking close.
Mount Hua Sect's first defeat.
It was the first humiliation the Mount Hua Sect had ever suffered since the conference began.
However, most of those who had attended the Five Mountains Conference spoke not of the Mount Hua Sect's defeat, but only of the mysterious boy who appeared later and displayed extraordinary prowess.
"...Plum blossoms bloomed along with the wind, filling the entire sparring ground, you know?"
"Yeah, it was truly a beautiful sight."
At the female disciples' murmuring words, their eyes dreamy as they recalled that moment, another female disciple who had missed it due to other duties tilted her head and spoke up.
"But is that really true?"
Her question, laced with heavy doubt, prompted the two women to thump their chests simultaneously.
"Aigoo, you're so frustrating."
"Sigh, you really should have seen it."
Despite their scolding, the female disciple didn't shrink back but looked puzzled instead.
"But I heard Martial Uncle Cheonhwi is only just fourteen now. And he's been in recovery for so long because of his poor health..."
For a moment, the two disciples flinched.
Come to think of it, that was right.
They knew of Cheonhwi, but until seeing him directly at the Five Mountains Conference, he had been nothing more than a mythical figure to them, like a dragon or a qilin.
They had only heard rumors of his convalescence and rarely seen him.
"Was he really ill?"
"Maybe the elders hid his condition, claiming illness, to raise Martial Uncle Cheonhwi as the sect's secret weapon?"
"Secret weapon?"
"Our sect's power and reputation have been declining lately. So they secretly nurtured him to restore our former glory. Doesn't that make sense?"
Clap!
The two clapped hands in agreement.
"That could be it."
"Not for nothing is it our sect!"
Thus, distorted rumors about Cheonhwi began to spread within the Mount Hua Sect.
"......"
A chilling cold permeated the Purple霞 Pavilion, where the Sect Leader resided.
At the center of the chill was Hyeonryeo.
She glared alternately at the Sect Leader and Hyeondo, seated opposite and beside her, with eyes as cold as ice.
Slurp―
"Ahem, ahem."
Meeting her piercing gaze, the Sect Leader averted his eyes while sipping tea, and Hyeondo beside him sweated profusely.
As this awkward atmosphere lingered...
"Senior Brother."
Hyeonryeo's lips parted slowly.
At her call, the Sect Leader and Hyeondo immediately glanced at each other and smiled.
"Haha, Junior Sister. You're calling for me."
"Hahaha, Senior Brother, really. When Junior Sister calls you so solemnly as 'Senior Brother,' doesn't it naturally mean the Sect Leader of our sect? The Sect Leader Senior Brother himself!"
Seeing them try to pass the buck, Hyeonryeo furrowed her brows sharply and said,
"Se-nior-Broth-ers."
"Hahaha."
"Ahem."
At her clipped tone, the Sect Leader laughed awkwardly, and as Hyeondo coughed dryly and looked away...
"Why didn't you tell me that Cheonhwi possessed such prowess?"
Hearing Hyeonryeo's sudden thrust, the two made faces as if confronting what they had hoped to avoid, then tightly shut their eyes.
And as they anticipated, Hyeonryeo's words struck like a swift sword.
"And that's not all! How could you suddenly make a child who hasn't fully recovered participate in a match? What on earth did you do to that boy..."
Her shrill voice pierced their ears like needles, prompting the Sect Leader to urgently interject.
"Junior Sister."
"......Tell me."
At his call, Hyeonryeo paused, narrowing her eyes in anticipation of his words.
"It was all for Cheonhwi."
"For Cheonhwi... you say?"
Though Hyeonryeo's voice sharpened further, the Sect Leader responded calmly.
"This has made Cheonhwi's existence known to our sect and the Five Mountains Sword Sects. When would we get another chance to raise his fame like this?"
In truth, it was nonsense.
They had only urgently summoned Cheonhwi to resolve the dire situation; there was no such intention.
But so what?
Regardless of the process, the result was just that.
"But Cheonhwi has only recently recovered."
To Hyeonryeo's rebuttal, the Sect Leader replied in a grave tone with a low voice.
"After witnessing his prowess that day, can you still say that?"
"......"
Hyeonryeo fell silent.
As he said, Cheonhwi's display that day had been overwhelming.
But that was that.
Her displeasure remained.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
The Sect Leader glanced subtly at Hyeondo.
'You answer this.'
At that look, Hyeondo flinched.
Throat parched, he gulped down the cold tea in one go.
"Weren't you terribly busy with the Five Mountains Conference, Junior Sister?"
"We planned to tell you after it ended."
"Is that really true?"
As Hyeonryeo eyed them suspiciously, the Sect Leader and Hyeondo nodded nonchalantly.
"Haha, of course."
"It was something you personally entrusted to me; how could I not inform you?"
As Hyeonryeo began tilting her head but gradually accepting it, the two sighed in relief.
'What are these guys up to?'
Cheonhwi, the very subject of their squabble, scowled at the sudden situation.
Glance―
Though they kept about three jang away and no longer approached, they scrutinized his every move.
Under their scorching gazes, like the blazing sun, Cheonhwi's brows furrowed.
'What are you staring at?'
Cheonhwi glared back.
They hastily turned away. But in their rush, some buried their noses in books, or held them upside down.
His expression soured involuntarily.
At that moment, the faces of female disciples peeking from behind books lit up.
Seeing their expressions change, Cheonhwi made a dumbfounded face.
They like it when I scowl? Are they crazy?
In the past, when he scowled, most would pale in fear and flee or bow their heads.
But they like it?
Shaking his head side to side, he walked past them.
"Ah......"
Shaking off their disappointed sighs, he strode away. By the time he descended the stairs in one go and the piercing gazes faded...
"Hwi-ya."
Hyeoncheong, who had grown closer from daily visits to the Ten Thousand Scriptures Pavilion, called him.
He looked at Cheonhwi with considerable puzzlement at the crowd flocking to the pavilion.
Soon, his mouth opened.
"It's the first time so many disciples have come to the Ten Thousand Scriptures Pavilion. Do you know what's going on?"
"No idea."
Hyeoncheong tilted his head as he watched Cheonhwi firmly declare and leave the pavilion.
No matter how he looked, Cheonhwi was the only one deeply connected to the current situation.
All the gazes and attention of the disciples in the pavilion were fixed on Cheonhwi.
'What's going on here?'
Doubt clouded Hyeoncheong's eyes.
Soon, he scanned the disciples looking down from above and closed the book in his hand.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A good while after leaving the Ten Thousand Scriptures Pavilion, how long had he climbed the narrow mountain path?
"......nim!"
A faint voice made one of Cheonhwi's eyebrows twitch.
Sounds like from my hut?
He quickened his pace.
Crunch― crunch―
"Please teach me martial arts!"
Then another resounding shout reached him.
As he neared the hut, the cry grew louder and clearer, piercing his ears.
Then the hut came into view.
And the shadow before it.
The noisy figure knelt politely before the hut, hands clasped together.
Then the shadow raised its head.
"Martial Uncle!"
Martial Uncle?
Cheonhwi focused his eyes.
The back of the shadow's head looked familiar.
Where have I seen it...
He recalled the fool who had frozen stiff from tension during the sparring match.
Ah! Jeokgeom or whatever. It's that guy.
Then Jeokgeom shouted again.
"Please teach me martial arts!"
Does he think I'm inside?
Watching Jeokgeom's gaze never leave the hut, Cheonhwi approached him.
Standing behind him soon after, he asked,
"What are you doing?"
"Eep!"
At the sudden voice from behind, Jeokgeom jumped in fright and swallowed hard.
"M-Martial Uncle?"
Deeply flustered, he looked at Cheonhwi.
Then quickly at the hut.
Back to Cheonhwi, then the hut.
After several head turns, his face and ears turned beet red.
He really thought I was inside.
Cheonhwi gave the embarrassed Jeokgeom a pitiful look, then stepped past him toward the hut.
Grab!
A rough hand seized his pant leg.
"Martial Uncle!"
Jeokgeom, who had lunged forward and nearly sprawled on the ground, clutched Cheonhwi's pant leg with desperate eyes.
"Could you give this lowly nephew even a little instruction?"
Meeting Jeokgeom's eyes, Cheonhwi's closed mouth opened.
"Why would I?"
"......Pardon?"
At the completely unexpected retort, Jeokgeom deflated.
Watching him speechless, Cheonhwi's foot moved.
Whoosh―
In an instant shorter than a breath, unfolding the Seven Stars Step, he slipped free from Jeokgeom's firm grip and entered the hut.
Jeokgeom, who had stared blankly as if entranced, came to his senses only after Cheonhwi vanished inside and shouted.
"M-Martial Uncle!"
Though it was a frantic cry, Cheonhwi lightly ignored it and furrowed his brows.
Because of that sparring match?
Nodding as he pondered the concentrated attention and gazes today, he concluded there was no other reason.
"Well, it won't last long."
Thinking it was fleeting interest that would fade naturally with time, Cheonhwi immediately sat cross-legged.
About an hour later.
"I will return later."
A low voice came.
Soon after, he sensed Jeokgeom, who had waited outside, departing.
Busy enough sorting the martial arts manuals in the Ten Thousand Scriptures Pavilion—what instruction?
He ceased his qi circulation and meditation.
"Now, time to focus."
Relieved at the nuisance gone, he smiled contentedly.
"From what I saw today..."
Relishing the peace, he recalled the Sweeping Leaves Leg Technique he had found quite intriguing at the Ten Thousand Scriptures Pavilion today.
But was it fate's prank?
Cheonhwi's peace didn't last.
Crunch― crunch―
Footsteps approached from afar, and sensing something ominous, Cheonhwi's expression hardened like stone.
Then a voice came.
"Martial Uncle."
This time, a woman's voice.
"Your nephew Seollan has come."
Politely stating her name, Seollan paused briefly, then infused her voice with clear inner energy.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you teach this nephew martial arts?"
At her request, identical word-for-word to Jeokgeom's, Cheonhwi scratched his head vigorously and suddenly flopped down flat.
"Argh."
Today was not his day.