Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Youngest Senior Brother Establishes Discipline Among the Third-Generation Disciples
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Usually, the hierarchy among senior and junior brothers is determined by the order of entry into the sect.
But when everyone enters at once after passing a public entrance exam like this, it's normally decided by age and final exam scores.
This batch would have been the same, barring any major upheavals.
That is, if there hadn't been a pedigree-breaker like me.
After roughly determining the rankings based on the passers' ages and entrance exam scores.
They announced who would be at the top.
It was me.
As soon as I was officially recognized as the senior brother of the batch, dissatisfied murmurs arose here and there.
"That kid's the senior brother?"
"That little brat?"
I ignored comments like that.
I was the youngest by age, but if you really thought about it, I was no different from the first among these thirty to enter Mount Hua.
I'd already received Mount Hua's disciple name tag six years ago, and at age four, I'd been taught the Six Harmonies Art and Mount Hua's unique martial art, the 24 Plum Blossom Sword Techniques.
And this senior brother position was a kind of gift from the Mount Hua elders who hadn't been able to help me at all during my entrance exam, all in the name of fairness.
Because everywhere, the youngest always gets the rawest deal.
I was fully prepared to accept that gift.
However.
"He's been raised in Mount Hua, so isn't he a parachutist?"
I couldn't let suspicions of favoritism slide.
Not from the top scorer of the entrance exam.
While I looked around in disbelief for Uijin or Doseon to vouch for my innocence.
One nine-year-old junior brother scowled and grumbled.
"Do I have to use formal speech with a six-year-old and call him senior brother, senior brother?"
Yeah, all that talk of parachutist this and that was just belittling, but that was their real gripe.
They really hated having to use formal speech with and serve the young maknae as senior brother.
"You do, it's the rule."
Five hundred times... no, Bihwan replied. Thanks to his ten years of age and top exam scores, Bihwan had snagged the junior brother position.
"Still...!"
As the nine-year-old made a face full of injustice, Biryeong sniped back.
"It's natural for me to use formal speech and treat you, my same-age fellow, as senior brother because of my lower exam score, but you hate doing the same for the senior brother who outscored you and entered earlier?"
It was reassuring to see our wide-area taunter turn into a close-range taunter for the home team.
Even with Bihwan and Biryeong taking my side, the looks directed at me weren't exactly friendly.
'I need to solidify my position before we head to the main peak.'
Otherwise, I'd end up a figurehead senior brother, ignored despite the title.
Core Disciples spend a year in the Selection Quarters learning basic martial arts before returning to the main peak to meet their masters.
From second-generation disciples onward, they take on the sect's major duties one by one and get busy, so this was a way to lighten their load of teaching basics.
Therefore! For one year! Without adults watching! I could establish discipline here for sure!
The exam instructors had gone up to report to the upper peak, leaving only us new third-generation disciples behind.
"Alright, anyone dissatisfied with me being senior brother?"
My voice rang out clearly.
The reactions split into two groups.
Those who accepted the adults' decision and were okay with the maknae like me as senior brother.
And the hardliners who absolutely refused to acknowledge it.
A snide remark came from the hardliners.
"What if we are? Gonna go tattle to the adults?"
"What else? Let's settle it."
I casually cracked my knuckles and tilted my head with a pop.
I strode right up to the guy who'd sniped at me, and he glared back without backing down.
He was nine, but I'd beaten nine-year-olds even at five last year.
"Martial artists converse with swords and fists! If you've got a problem, settle it with fists!"
Smack! His face whipped to the side from my tightly clenched fist.
He swung back as if to counter, but I ignored it and hammered my fists into vital spots.
We grabbed each other's collars and rolled on the ground for a moment, but soon he was pinned under me, getting pummeled one-sidedly, and he screamed while desperately clutching my arm.
"Wait, wait! Ack! Ack! Senior brother! Senior brother, wait!"
"Wait?"
"...Please!"
Man, a few punches exchanged, and respect sprouts right up.
Do I really need words and persuasion? My left fist is the words, my right the persuasion.
I'm the top scorer of the entrance exam, you punks!
I stood up smoothly, leaving the guy who'd surrendered and slumped on the ground, and the hardliners looked at me with terrified eyes.
"Anyone else got a problem, speak up from now on. Let's have a chat."
I flashed a grin while wiping the bloodied fist. The gazes on me scattered quickly.
Let's see, about ten more body-language chats, and the pecking order should sort itself out.
"So that's what they mean by 'a strong body means an easy mind.'"
Biryeong marveled. I couldn't tell if it was sarcasm or genuine.
"Is that a compliment?"
"Yes, yes, it is, senior brother."
Turning praise into something that doesn't sound like praise is a talent, really.
* * *
The year of learning Mount Hua's foundational arts passed slowly.
We learned not only the Six Harmonies Art and Six Harmonies Sword, but also the basic fist arts Yi-Form Fist and Bi-Form Fist, and Mount Hua's signature lightness skill, Dark Fragrance Drift.
Achieving great success in just one year was impossible, so we had to keep training steadily even after entering the upper peak.
"Senior brother, are we really heading to the upper peak in two days?"
"Yeah, for sure. I heard it straight from Uncle Uijin."
I replied indifferently, lounging on a tree branch to the shout from below.
True to the saying that sincerity gets through, even before a full year had passed, the juniors acknowledged me as senior brother.
I won't bother detailing all the energy battles, brawls, and beatdowns along the way.
"Alright, everyone assemble!"
At Uijin's voice, I used lightness skill to lightly ride down the tree trunk and land safely on the ground.
"Three days from now, the outer disciple entrance exam will be held in the Selection Quarters. So what do you all have to do?"
"Head to the upper peak!"
"Nope. Clean the dojo and training hall. Everyone, give it a thorough spring cleaning—now!"
He says it like he never makes us clean usually.
I grumbled as I grabbed a broom.
The relatively easy sweeping was for the seniors, while the tough mopping was for us younger juniors.
If I hadn't stirred things up, I'd be mopping diligently too. Life sure ain't easy.
After thoroughly cleaning the dojo and training hall, we finally headed to the upper peak.
Returning after leaving at six as a Core Disciple candidate, just one year later, brought fresh emotions.
Spotting the familiar figure striding over from afar, I spread my arms and ran over.
"Uncle Uiseong! I passed top of the entrance exam!"
"See? I told you you'd pass, no need to worry!"
Uiseong scooped me up and ruffled my hair fondly.
As I greeted him from his embrace, the Mount Hua disciples replied with admiring faces.
Spotting Uihyeon, I wriggled to get down from Uiseong's arms.
Uihyeon spotted me rushing over and opened his arms wide with a beaming smile.
"I'm back!"
I shouted energetically and dove into his embrace. I'd finally returned to Mount Hua, now fully my home.
This was the triumphant return in glory, alright.
* * *
Now that we'd entered the upper peak, masters were assigned to the Core Disciples.
Usually, masters chose their disciples. But for me, Mount Hua's baby raised by everyone, I was granted the special privilege of choosing my own master.
Quite a few second-generation disciples doted on me, but only two had actually taught me martial arts.
There's such a thing as obligation, so I had to choose from those two. It was practically a "mommy or daddy" choice.
But my answer was already set.
"Hey, kid! This is betrayal! After all I've taught you!"
I looked up at the wailing Uiseong and replied indifferently.
"They say a master is like a parent. And you know who raised me all this time without me saying it, right? Word is, the guy in front of me never even changed my diaper once..."
"You speaking formally feels so weird!"
"Try bantering now and it's the Reflection Cave for you."
Daring to banter with a superior? In strict-disciplined Mount Hua, that'd be a grave offense.
The master I chose was the FM Uihyeon. They say you learn from the FM anyway.
I performed the disciple rite in front of Uihyeon. As I finished the final bow and looked up, I met Uihyeon's moist eyes.
"Master, are you crying?"
"When did you grow so big, performing disciple rites... Sniff."
Uihyeon shed tears like a parent at the wedding seat.
"Yeah, time flies, huh."
"But why are you sitting there receiving bows with him?"
"This much is fine. After all I've taught the crying kid."
Uiseong shrugged at Doseon's incredulous question.
Right, the reason I'd thought of the wedding seat was because Uiseong was plopped right there beside.
"Please take good care of me, Grandmaster."
At my bright greeting, Doseon groaned and looked down at me.
The baby lump you once called your disciple's burden has now become your grand-disciple, yay.
With masters assigned, the first thing third-generation disciples had to do was learn how to address their elders.
Think of sabak and sasuk as uncle and younger uncle. Master's seniors are sabak, master's juniors are sasuk.
Master's senior brother and sister disciples are unified as sago.
Since Uihyeon was a junior brother disciple in his generation, my only sabak was Uigang. Everyone else was sasuk or sago.
Master's master is called grandmaster, like I called Doseon, and grandmaster's senior-junior brothers—meaning sasukjo, sabakjo, sagujo—should be addressed based on how master addresses the first-generation disciples.
If master calls them sabak, they're sabakjo to me; if sasuk, sasukjo.
And the generation above that, the Jinja batch, just call them Elder.
The generation above that, the Muja batch, now addressed as Supreme Elder.
Having lived in Mount Hua, I had a rough grasp, so learning the address terms wasn't hard.
The problem was my habit of calling all male juniors sasuk without distinction.
Word was, masters for all third-generation disciples were now set.
And Uiseong's disciple was right...