Chapter 11
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: I'll Treat You to Some Taffy
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I wasn't planning to call anyone and was just going to handle it myself, but you clearly told me to call for someone?
And why call the elders? The Mount Hua Sect Leader is my backer.
No matter who the opponent is, I always give my all in a head-on fight. Even if it ends with them clutching a broken finger and wailing like a patient.
My resounding wails brought people rushing over in a crowd.
The ringleader and the guys who'd joined him in mocking me behind my back wore panicked expressions.
Take that, you bastards. I secretly flashed them the bird and stuck out my tongue just for their eyes, and one of them grimaced and reached out toward me.
But that hand was slapped away hard and fell back without even touching me.
“Biyeon!”
Uihyeon arrived instead of the Sect Leader old man.
Rushing over to check on me, he spotted my forehead and cheek—filthy with dirt and oozing drops of blood—and hardened his expression.
“I can't believe it. Mount Hua disciples did this to the face of a mere four-year-old child...”
His subdued voice rang out between me and the three punks standing off against each other. I scratched my head and averted my gaze, pretending it was nothing.
To be fair, these were self-inflicted wounds, so not exactly the work of Mount Hua disciples.
“No, Senior Brother Uihyeon! Look at Senior Brother Seungseo's finger! That kid broke it first and made it like this!”
“So, does that make it right for you three to injure a lone child?”
At least they seemed to know that ganging up 3-on-1 on a four-year-old was shameful—they clammed up without adding more excuses.
And so we headed to the infirmary, each under the protection of Uihyeon and the other two.
The way we escorted our injured while glaring warily at each other nearly made me burst out laughing at the absurdity, so I desperately held it in.
“Ouch, ouch, it hurts...”
The stinging pain rushed in as the wound was cleaned with a wet cloth, drawing a groan from me.
“Why'd you rub your cheek on the filthy ground, mmph! Mmph!”
“Shh! They shoved me and that's how I got hurt. Got it?”
I desperately clamped the mouth of Namgung Seheon, who'd followed me all the way to the infirmary, and whispered fiercely.
Good thing Uihyeon had gone to fetch ointment—otherwise, the misunderstanding would've cleared up, and instead of those punks getting chewed out, I'd be the one getting an earful.
Gotta keep the adults misunderstanding.
From the side came screams like a hog being slaughtered, and I dodged the hand applying ointment to sneak a glance over.
They were resetting the grotesquely bent finger back into place.
A sympathetic ache hit my own fingers, so I wiggled them absentmindedly.
The ringleader kept grinding his teeth and glaring at me even during treatment, but he quickly tucked tail under Uihyeon's chilling gaze when he returned.
Once our wounds were treated, I and the punks were summoned to Lotus Hall.
Lotus Hall was basically the conference chamber for serious or weighty discussions. It was mostly staffed by Mount Hua elders.
‘So this is serious enough to drag us all the way to Lotus Hall.’
Because my status was that of a civilian for now, and the guy whose finger bone I'd snapped was a Mount Hua disciple.
From the sect's perspective, a civilian harming one of their disciples wasn't something to brush off lightly.
As the doors to Lotus Hall opened, the sight of the elders seated around the dais met my eyes.
In the center sat the Sect Leader old man, watching us approach from below the dais with a stern expression I'd never seen before.
The heavy atmosphere had me swallowing dryly. Should I not have broken the finger? Should've just put my weight on his instep for a nice sprain instead.
Gulp. The clear swallow from beside me and the body pressing right up against mine drew a sigh from me, and I whispered lowly.
“Why'd you follow me?”
“I'll tes, tes... Anyway, I'll tell 'em they picked the fight first. Just trust me.”
Seeing Namgung Seheon flash an arrogant smile and pat my back, I let out a sigh.
“Tes, tes... testimony, right?”
A guy who doesn't even know the word 'testimony' is real trustworthy. Hopefully he doesn't get told to beat it since outsiders aren't allowed in Mount Hua business.
“Senior Brother Uihyeon, reporting to Lotus Hall as ordered.”
Led by Uihyeon, the others recited the same line one after another, just swapping names.
Following the disciples' fist salutes, I clenched my fist and clumsily mimicked the pose.
A flicker of pleased smiles appeared on the elders' faces before vanishing just as quickly.
After scanning us once over, the Sect Leader old man's gaze finally landed on Namgung Seheon, standing boldly in Lotus Hall while clutching my sleeve.
“This is Mount Hua business, so outsiders—”
“He's a witness. A valuable one.”
I quickly cut in before the Sect Leader old man could issue the dismissal to Namgung Seheon.
“Biyeon, you can't interrupt adults.”
Uihyeon, strict when he needed to be, softly scolded me.
“Yeah, you can't do that.”
I shot daggers at Namgung Seheon, who nodded and parroted Uihyeon's last words.
This guy. I just kept him from getting booted from Lotus Hall.
The Sect Leader old man cleared his throat to regain everyone's attention and spoke.
“So, there was a commotion earlier? Biyeon, you tell us first—what happened that one of you has an injured face and another a broken finger.”
As always, landing the first aggro pull is key. I took one step forward, drew a breath, and opened my mouth.
“That jerk poked my forehead with his finger and called me an ointment-less orphan bastard.”
In an instant, the hall fell deathly silent.
Pretending not to notice, I continued brightly.
“He said being abandoned in front of the Mount Hua shrine was my life's greatest achievement. Oh, right. And he said he was curious what my parents' faces look like—the ones who bothered dumping their bastard kid right in front of Mount Hua.”
With every word from me, the air in Lotus Hall grew heavier.
Uihyeon hugged me tight, glaring at the ringleader with a look that could tear him limb from limb.
A somber air hung over the elders' faces as they gazed down at me.
Good, the flow of the room had completely shifted my way.
No matter what excuses those punks made now, they were branded as irredeemable scum who'd hurled fat-shaming and verbal abuse at a four-year-old.
The ringleader forced a strained smile and protested in a tightly suppressed voice.
“Biyeon, you can't make up stuff that didn't happen. When did I ever say that?”
“Huh? I heard it crystal clear. That's all stuff you said.”
The ringleader scowled fiercely as his gaze shifted to Namgung Seheon butting in.
“Kid, this isn't a place to take your friend's side—”
“Not friends. Anyone around my age is a friend?”
Namgung Seheon cut him off with a shrug and glanced back at me with a look that said 'did I do good?'. No expectations, but damn if he wasn't helping.
“Yu Seungseo, what reason did you have to say such things to the child?”
“......”
Even I could see it was too embarrassing to admit aloud, so with his head bowed in silence, I kindly answered for the punk.
“He was pissed that my Core Disciple spot is a done deal.”
The elders must've found the reason utterly ridiculous too, because sighs erupted from here and there.
The Sect Leader old man sighed and stroked his beard.
“This child will go through the formal initiation process to have his name entered in Mount Hua's records, so where on earth did this rumor come from that a Core Disciple position is a given? There are no special privileges in selecting Mount Hua disciples.”
At the solemn declaration, the three punks realized their assumption of corruption in my entry was pure brain-fart fantasy, and their faces flushed beet red like they might explode.
And at the same time, my own eyes went wide.
What? I'm not a free pass?
This makes me feel even shittier? I took fat-shaming and curses over a Core Disciple spot that's not even guaranteed like those bastards said?
As I looked up at the dais in shock, the elder old men slyly averted their eyes from mine.
“And Biyeon, you can't just snap people's fingers.”
“Yes.”
I got a scolding too, but I'd come prepared to take one, so it didn't faze me.
If anything, learning I didn't have a guaranteed Core Disciple pass in Mount Hua hit harder.
The Sect Leader old man gave me punishment: copying the Dao Scripture.
Since it wasn't for any real wrongdoing but just face-saving tokenism with a light penalty, I wasn't particularly upset.
The punks who'd chimed in behind my back were ordered to clean the Nak-an Peak Selection Cave.
And the one who'd directly spewed the abuse at me got sent to the Repentance Cave.
The Repentance Cave was where sect rule-breakers were locked up, with duration varying by the crime's severity.
Knowing it was a pretty heavy punishment, I was a bit surprised. Unexpected that they'd take the side of a kid who wasn't even a formal disciple yet, not properly initiated.
Guess the fat-shaming really stung the elder old men.
Sauntering out of Lotus Hall, the fidgety Uihyeon beside me bent at the waist and spread his arms.
“Yeon, wanna be carried?”
“Yeah.”
As I turned toward Uihyeon, Namgung Seheon—who was still clutching my sleeve tight—tugged it and grumbled in a sullen voice.
“Not like a kid who can't walk—embarrassing to be carried at this age.”
I was about to snap back at why he was picking a fight, but quicker than that came hands hoisting Namgung Seheon right up.
“You brat! I told you not to wander off!”
“I said I'd go and come right back!”
Namgung Seheon flailed his whole body demanding to be put down, but fat chance.
Seeing his pitiful, dangling figure slung under his father's arm as they walked off, I couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
“Pfft.”
“Hey, don't laugh!”
I stuck my tongue out at Namgung Seheon, who whipped his head around and yelled.
Carried in Uihyeon's arms back to my room, I grabbed him as he gently caressed the wound on my cheek and asked urgently.
“Do I really gotta take the entrance exam with the other kids to join Mount Hua?”
Please say the Sect Leader old man just said that to shut those bastards up.
“Of course. But I believe our Yeon can handle it just fine.”
No need to believe—just guarantee it. As I slumped dejectedly, Uihyeon comforted me.
“It's okay, Yeon. Far more people in Mount Hua love you than hate you, so don't let those low-class words you heard today hurt you too much.”
The consolation didn't land at all, so I thumped my chest.
No, what hurts more right now is that my Core Disciple spot isn't a done deal!