Chapter 19
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: When the Orphan-Mocker Is a Filial Son
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Upon closer inspection, it was that timid kid who had particularly stood out among the Wudang Sect's third-generation disciples earlier.
Up close, his build was about the same as mine. The major sects usually preferred disciples around six to ten years old, so he couldn't be younger than my five years.
"Why the medical hall?"
"Oh, um... My senior brother said he wasn't feeling well and told me to fetch some medicine..."
I watched the timid kid trail off, his gaze dropping to his feet.
'Whoever it is, lying in bed after a little hike? What a weakling.'
Of course, I'd never once gone down from Mount Hua, so I had no idea just how rugged its terrain really was.
Still, why would Wudang send a kid who'd never set foot here on an errand like this?
"Come on."
I let out a deep sigh and beckoned him over. His expression visibly relaxed as he shuffled up beside me. Matching my pace, he spoke in a soft voice.
"Thanks. I'd been standing here for over an incense stick's time, and no Mount Hua disciples passed by. I was starting to panic."
"This area's cut off from the living quarters, so disciples don't come through much. The Jade Purity Pavilion's for guests anyway."
"You're a Mount Hua disciple too?"
"Nah, I live here, but I haven't officially joined yet."
His eyes went wide at my response.
Those big, clear eyes like a cow's rippled with some inexplicable sense of kinship and warmth toward me. Looked like he had a story of his own. Not that I cared.
"Um... what about your parents or relatives...?"
"Nope."
Why the hell are you asking that? I cut him off curtly, irritation lacing my tone. The kid's face fell. An awkward silence settled in as we made it safely to the medical hall.
"What medicine do you need? Tell me quick, and I'll grab it for you."
"Medicine for stomachaches, and for headaches, and something good for insomnia..."
I stared at him in disbelief as he mumbled, counting off on his fingers.
"You opening a pharmacy or what?"
You planning to clean out the Mount Hua medical supplies? He blushed at my sarcasm and mumbled in a deflated voice that he'd take just the stomachache medicine for now.
I handed him the stomach medicine from the hall and took the lead again.
No footsteps followed, so I stopped and glanced back. There he stood, frozen in place. I doubled back and poked him.
"Not coming?"
"Huh? Are you... gonna walk me back?"
"What, leave a first-timer and just vanish inside? Oh, so I come off as that heartless, huh? Guess so."
"N-No...!"
Not that I was worried about him getting lost or anything. I just needed to get him back to the Jade Purity Pavilion so I could head in.
His face brightened up as he trotted after me, piling on the friendliness.
"I'm Baek Geon. Seven years old. Oh, right—Baek Geon is my Taoist name in Wudang."
What? He was two years older than me? Then why's his build so small?
"Biyeon. Five."
Maybe in a year, I'd introduce my name as my Taoist name too?
Whether he knew it or not, his added comment hit my insecurities spot-on. The timid kid—no, Baek Geon—gave a small laugh, saying my name was pretty.
Finally back at the Jade Purity Pavilion, I strode in boldly through the main gate instead of the dog hole.
He followed, his face plastered with question marks, stealing glances at me every ten seconds but too shy to ask outright.
"Curious about the inside. They usually block it off."
"Oh..."
I skirted around saying I was sneaking in to crash with his seniors, and he nodded like it made sense.
The spot where the third-generation disciples stayed was a bit off to the side in the Jade Purity Pavilion.
As we entered, a group of kids greeted us. The one in front, with his fox-like slanted eyes, curved them into a smirk.
I cracked my knuckles loosely at the familiar face. It was my number-one (prospective) combat power meter—the guy who'd sneered at me earlier.
But the fox eyes ignored me completely and addressed Baek Geon in a casual tone.
"Hey, backdoor boy. Got the medicine?"
Backdoor boy. Pretty much meant parachute kid.
Mount Hua would never have entry corruption like that, but apparently Wudang did.
This proved Mount Hua was the top sect once and for all.
"Yeah, here's the stomach medicine..."
Fox Eyes snatched the vial Baek Geon timidly held out, dangled it and let out a loud sigh for all to hear.
"Sigh, when did I say stomach medicine? I said indigestion meds. Can't you even handle a simple errand right?"
"No, senior brother, you definitely said medicine for stomachaches..."
"You think I've got that bad a memory? You're slyly painting me as some dimwit now?"
Top-tier gaslighting. He dropped the stomach medicine on the ground and stomped it flat, then jerked his chin.
"Go back and get it right this time."
From that exchange, I pieced it together.
This wasn't an errand from a senior—it was just them messing with Baek Geon.
I grabbed his arm as he turned away, face crumpling, steps heavy.
"You training a mutt or what?"
Stepping in, Fox Eyes finally noticed me, putting on an exaggerated show of surprise as he crossed his arms.
"Kid, didn't your sect elders teach you not to butt into other sects' business?"
"I'm not Mount Hua affiliated. Just a regular guy."
He grinned at my retort.
"Oh yeah? So you're an orphan brat your sect took in after your parents croaked and some relative pulled strings?"
Baek Geon flinched.
I'd guessed the meaning behind his sneers from our first encounter.
Hearing it straight to my face hit just as foul as that day a year ago when a Mount Hua disciple humiliated me.
A Taoist sect, and they keep harping on dead parents? No orphans among his senior brothers, uncles, or masters?
And this trash was Wudang's promising talent, future leader? Oh, Wudang's future looked bleak as hell. Infinite Buddhas have mercy.
"For real? I clocked you as a lone orphan kid from a mile away, but damn."
I clicked my tongue right in front of his smug, hand-covered laugh.
You know what? Padripping hits harder when they've got living parents.
"Dunno if mine are dead or alive, but I can guess what your folks look like based on their spawn. 'Kids are mirrors of their parents,' huh? Tsk tsk."
I tilted my head sympathetically, smacking my lips. The noisy crowd went dead silent in an instant.
They all stared at me blankly.
"You little shit... what'd you just say?"
Fox Eyes recovered first, grabbing my collar and rearing back his fist.
Looked like he was hanging onto his sanity by a thread—filial piety on point, at least.
But what kind of Righteous Sect Taoist joint skipped personality training?
"You started it—why the freakout when I throw it back?"
"You're not even a Mount Hua disciple—just a freeloading parasite leeching off them, you orphan bastard!"
Whoa, my titles were getting wordier by the second. Wonder what creative slur he'd cook up if I stressed I had zero ties to Mount Hua.
I snorted at his pointless barbs, letting the personal attacks flow in one ear and out the other.
Even though it wasn't aimed at him, Baek Geon's shoulders kept twitching. Must be their usual lines to him.
Ugh, thought he was some freestyle rapper dropping control-beats, but nah—just a broken record with zero creativity.
"Instead of memorizing recycled insults, why not memorize one more martial arts formula? Gonna attack with words instead of swords out in the jianghu? Insecure about your swordplay, so you picked up mouth-sword arts?"
My jab made his raised fist tremble.
"Hit me. What, can't?"
Too bad. I came all this way to deck you from the start. I smirked crookedly and raised my own fist.
"Fine, I'll do it then."
My fist slammed into his face full force, curtain rising on the unofficial Petite Dragon-Tiger Assembly.
What was a Dragon-Tiger Assembly anyway?
All that fancy talk of exchanges and bonding boiled down to martial spars in the end.
So me, half in Mount Hua already, beating down a Wudang disciple? Totally a Dragon-Tiger Assembly in its own right.
Brawling away spiritedly, I realized two things.
First, I was stronger than I thought.
Second, these other kids were weaker than I thought.
Senior Uncle Uiseong, what kind of human weapon were you raising me into...?
And if this stamina was barely holding up, just how hellish was that Selection Hall entrance exam?
"Senior Brother Baek Yun! Hey, someone fetch the masters quick!"
"Let go! Aak!"
Fox Eyes yanked my hair, but I ignored it and smashed his cheek.
His cheek swelled bright red.
This guy really a Wudang core disciple? Why so fragile?
People attack others' weaknesses because they're their own, right? Was he a parachute kid too?
"Only thing you've got going is living parents? If home's so great, stay a secular disciple—why go ordained?"
Straddling him, I panted out every line I'd bottled up.
Lines I'd wanted to hurl at those jerks a year ago, who mocked me based on rumors alone.
Nose gushing blood, he pinched it shut and bellowed fiercely.
"Same backdoor trash like you, talking big!"
"Hey, why am I the backdoor—"
Flabbergasted, I opened my mouth to retort.
"Enough!"
A booming voice rang out from behind me.