Chapter 122
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: The Ten Gates Challenge
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The commotion in Yeongeun Pavilion spread throughout every corner of Wudang in an instant.
The defeat of Un-sang, a first-class disciple, was shocking enough to imprint the name of Latent Dragon Leader on everyone's mind.
Unable to bear the whispers among the disciples and servants of each pavilion throughout breakfast, Cheonghwa requested a private audience with Yu Hyun.
"Though Un-sang's fault is clear, your hand was too heavy. We won't pursue it further, so I hope you'll stop here and not escalate things."
"......"
Yu Hyun let out a short sigh at the reprimand delivered with obvious displeasure on his face.
Ha! Look at this?
He'd come when called, but what was this about?
He hadn't exactly expected an apology. But he had thought there would at least be some acknowledgment.
Yet here he was, holding his head high instead—it was utterly ridiculous.
Even a child who erred should bow their head as proper.
It seemed not just Un-sang's issue; failing to readily admit fault and bow one's head wounded their pride.
If the master of Yeongeun Pavilion was like this, and even Wudang's sect leader, there was no need to look at the rest.
It was disappointing.
For the one leading Wudang's past—fighting to protect the murim until the end amid chaos, sacrificing his life like a mere weed for others—to appear like this...
No wonder it crumbled so easily.
Come to think of it, Haenam was the same, wasn't it?
There had been the exceptional warrior called the Barrier Army, but they'd nearly fallen to a mere hundred or so rats.
Yes, ever since learning the enemy's scale was far grander than imagined.
If things continued like this, no matter how hard he tried, it would crumble again.
He was here to change history anyway, and as the future leader of the Orthodox Alliance, he would reform Wudang with his own hands.
His masters' command was to awaken their past selves, but how could a war deciding the fate of the Central Plains hinge on just a few?
It wouldn't be easy, but he would overhaul not just Wudang, but the entire murim.
Yu Hyun's eyes cooled sharply as he revised his goal.
"Why should I?"
"What?"
"Didn't you hear from the Yeongeun Pavilion Master?"
"......"
"There's no reason I should hold my tongue."
"You're determined to blow a trivial matter out of proportion?"
"Trivial? I'm calling out what is wrong."
"......"
Cheonghwa's eyes sharpened at Yu Hyun's words.
"Are you insulting Wudang?"
"The one insulting it is you, Sect Leader."
"What?"
"Is silencing people like this your pride?"
"What?"
"You're saying admitting it would tarnish Wudang's reputation."
"You...!"
"Sect Leader."
"......"
"I believe that sometimes, bowing one's head, admitting errors, and moving forward correctly is the true bearing of a prestigious sect."
Kwaaaang!
With a rough gesture, the table before Cheonghwa shattered to pieces.
"I yielded as much as possible since Un-sang was at fault! Are you mocking me and Wudang right now?"
"......"
Man, the nerve.
He'd completely misunderstood what "yielding" meant.
"Sect Leader."
"......"
"Do you know what I felt after fighting Un-sang?"
"......"
"Weak. If someone like that ranks at the top among first-class disciples, then what remains in Wudang now is nothing but an empty reputation."
"......Watch your mouth."
"No. I will speak."
"......"
"Mount Tai with that level? The Big Dipper?"
"......"
"It was just three exchanges. That's all the time this first-class Wudang disciple could last against me."
"I clearly told you to shut your mouth."
Ignoring Cheonghwa's increasingly ferocious gaze, Yu Hyun pressed on.
"I visited Haenam. They were weak too. They were lucky, or they nearly lost the entire Haenam Island to a complete stranger."
"......"
"Do you think Wudang is any different? Talking of prestige and upholding pride will only lead to decline. Without change, growth, and effort, you can't keep up with the times. Just like Haenam, if someone targets Wudang, it will collapse without a trace."
Cheonghwa's face flushed beet red at the sharp criticism that tore into his guts. Murderous intent flickered in the eyes glaring at Yu Hyun.
It was understandable, at first glance.
He wasn't even from a murim prestigious family, and here this much younger kid was disparaging Wudang, where he was the leader. Even a Daoist would find it hard to endure.
But he had no intention of taking back words already spoken.
To pierce through their layered pride and excise rotten thoughts, he had to awaken them with blunt words.
"You must reflect, Sect Leader. Examine and look back closely. Now is not the time to rest on the present, but to prepare for the future."
"Shut your mouth!"
At last, Cheonghwa shot to his feet and bellowed at Yu Hyun.
The inner hall of Jaso Pavilion rang with the force in his voice, dust falling from the ceiling, but Yu Hyun stared back at Cheonghwa without so much as a blink.
It was then, as the two faced off tensely.
Kkiiik.
The door to Jaso Pavilion's inner hall opened, and an old Daoist entered.
"Hmm, I came to bring Un-hyun back, but it seems I timed it poorly."
"......"
Smiling as he entered was none other than Ok-hyun, followed by a young Daoist.
"......You've come, Martial Uncle."
Cheonghwa, his face flushed as if about to burst, barely caught his breath and greeted him.
"Ho ho, seeing the sect leader so enraged, it seems that kid really got under your skin."
"......"
Fresh anger surged at the kindly smiling face, but he couldn't vent it at Ok-hyun.
Though immersed in Daoist arts rather than martial prowess, he was Wudang's greatest elder and his own martial uncle. No amount of eccentricities changed that.
"Whew, it's so hot I can't even approach."
"......?"
Yu Hyun's eyes widened slightly as he watched him.
As Ok-hyun approached with a smile, a cool breeze seemed to blow. It was that immortal aura from before.
Strangely, his mind calmed...
Cheonghwa seemed affected too, his flushed face slowly returning to normal.
"Un-hyun."
"Yes."
"Greet him. This is the Latent Dragon Leader you'll be with from now on."
"......"
At Ok-hyun's words as he drew near, the young Daoist glanced at Yu Hyun and bowed his head.
Seeing him unchanged from his memories stirred sudden fondness, but right now, Un-hyun wasn't the priority.
"Come, take a seat."
"......"
Cheonghwa sat with an expression of unresolved anger at Ok-hyun's words as he settled into a seat, hunched over.
"So, what happened?"
Cheonghwa detailed the events in response to the gentle, soothing question.
Ok-hyun listened silently with eyes closed, then finally spoke after a long pause.
"......Change."
"......"
He murmured softly, turning his head, and a sharp glint flashed briefly in his eyes.
What was that just now?
Yu Hyun flinched, eyes widening in surprise.
For a moment, it felt as if his eyes had pierced right through him.
Truly... an enigmatic figure.
"Listen, Sect Leader."
"Yes."
"It's been ages since I stepped back from the front lines, and ages since I devoted myself to the Dharma Hall, so I'm in no position to offer opinions. But I find the Latent Dragon Leader's words somewhat reasonable."
"Martial Uncle!"
"Ho ho, my dear. Isn't it true that our Wudang hasn't escaped its past glories?"
"......"
"Before sending Un-hyun out, I couldn't tell if the omens were ill or auspicious, but signs of change were there, that's a fact."
"......"
"But how could I not understand your position and Wudang's? So, how about this? We test if the Latent Dragon Leader is the one to show our Wudang the path forward."
"A test?"
Cheonghwa frowned displeased at the out-of-left-field suggestion.
"The Ten Gates."
"......"
Cheonghwa's face stiffened instantly, and even the serene Un-hyun's eyes widened.
"M-Martial Uncle? The Ten Gates?"
"Ho ho, it's been ages, ages. But isn't that just what's needed for you and others to readily accept his words?"
"......"
"I'm curious too. From the first time I saw that kid, hmm......"
Trailing off, Ok-hyun gazed steadily at Yu Hyun, leaving astonished Cheonghwa behind.
"Will you try?"
"......"
Yu Hyun gave an awkward smile at the probing question.
Hey, elder, explain what the Ten Gates are first...
"Your expression says you're waiting for an explanation. The Ten Gates is an old Wudang tradition. Though it hasn't been opened in ages, it was held whenever turmoil arose—a kind of qualification proof."
"Qualification?"
"Yes, something like an honorary Wudang member?"
"H-Honorary Wudang disciple?"
"If you retrieve the sacred relic from the Ten Gates, all of Wudang will heed your words."
"......"
He'd never heard of such a thing. Even his master Un-hyun had never mentioned it.
"With things at such a deadlock, this seems the way. What do you say? If you break through the Ten Gates and prove yourself, Wudang will acknowledge you and bow its head. Isn't that right, Sect Leader?"
"Well......"
As Ok-hyun sought confirmation again, Cheonghwa looked troubled, and Yu Hyun lowered his eyes thoughtfully.
It was the first he'd heard of it, but if true, it could thoroughly reform Wudang. So they could prepare for the future.
And if word spread that he had their support across the Central Plains...
This wasn't about gains and losses. He had to do it.
Yes, after enduring that brutal training and even soul-possessing into another's body, what couldn't he do?
"Fine! Bring on Wudang's relic! I'll fetch it!"
"......!"
"......!"
As Yu Hyun pounded his chest and shouted, Cheonghwa—who had viewed him unfavorably until now—and the familiar yet new Un-hyun both stared wide-eyed.
"Confident, are you?"
"Absolutely!"
"A promise is a promise. Words once spoken can't be retracted, so think carefully."
"A man's word is iron! Solid as gold!"
Ok-hyun nodded with a satisfied smile at the bold decision.
Yu Hyun nodded back and asked.
"But what exactly is this Ten Gates?"
"Nothing much. Long ago, an ancestor read the heavens and created a mechanism array beneath Taiji Cave. As the name implies, ten gates. If one breaks through, Wudang must heed his request unless the sect's survival is at stake—that was the decree left behind."
"Ah, a mechanism array... then..."
He felt relieved. Hadn't one of his masters been the Heavenly Mechanism Diviner, unrivaled in mechanisms and arrays?
But... why were Cheonghwa and Un-hyun looking at him with such worry?
An uneasy feeling crept in. Yu Hyun asked again.
"By the way, as an old Wudang tradition, how many have passed it so far?"
"None."
"......Pardon?"
Yu Hyun made a baffled face at Ok-hyun's nonchalant reply.
"I heard there were attempts, but no one has ever returned alive."
"......"
"They all died inside."
"......"
"You'll meet them if you go in. Their bones should still be there, right?"
"......"
"Prepare yourself. Rest well, and tomorrow we'll all head to Taiji Cave. Heh heh heh heh! I have high expectations for you. I'm greatly looking forward to how our Wudang will change."
"......"
Yu Hyun burst into wry laughter as he blankly watched Ok-hyun leave Jaso Pavilion.
All died...?
You bastard! Is that something to say now?
He'd thought it was some tough mechanism testing martial prowess, but it was just a gateway to death!
You keep doing this?
The fate of the murim is at stake, you swindling old geezer!