Chapter 81
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Calling for Parents' Grace, But the Refrain Became Master's Grace
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As if reading from my blank stare that no answer I wanted would come out, the Sect Leader didn't drag it out any longer and revealed the correct response.
"It's because geniuses keep appearing steadily."
"Geniuses?"
"That's right. Zhongnan hasn't produced any notable masters in the last few decades, while Mount Hua has consistently churned out renowned ones."
That single sentence subtly dripped with disdain for Zhongnan and pride in Mount Hua.
After living fifteen years in an environment where this atmosphere was as natural as the air, how could I not look down on Zhongnan?
"One master can determine the rise and fall of a sect, and that place is the jianghu."
Sure enough, in wuxia novels, the trope of a protagonist who becomes a master and revives a crumbling sect was a staple.
I nodded as various wuxia novels flashed through my mind.
"The more a sect's masters make a name for themselves in the jianghu, the more widely known and illustrious the sect becomes, doesn't it?"
"That makes sense."
The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal, Supreme Elder Muyeong, whose name graces the Ten Great Masters of the Murim.
And Sword Saint Hyeonchan Jin-in, the master of the former Supreme Sect Leader, who achieved great feats in the Murim Sun-Moon Great War long ago.
The two of them were perfect examples.
Resting his chin on his hand, the Sect Leader tapped the table with eyes lost in thought.
"Handing over hegemony in Shaanxi to Zhongnan is out of the question."
His sunken voice rumbled lowly. From his darkened gaze, it seemed like scenes of Mount Hua being pushed aside by Zhongnan and their fortunes reversed had already played out five or six times in his mind.
Reflexively responding to his gaze that seemed to seek agreement, I answered loudly.
"I think so too!"
Satisfied with my response, the Sect Leader looked at me and said,
"That's why I have high expectations for you, Biyeon. Remember that leading Mount Hua's next generation is your responsibility."
What did that mean?
It meant to win overwhelmingly by any means necessary, crushing Zhongnan's spirit so their next generation could never match Mount Hua.
And if I lost, it was a threat that I'd get scolded just as harshly as the expectations placed on me.
Suddenly, my shoulders felt incredibly heavy.
But wait a moment—if the Sect Leader called that Zhongnan guy a genius...
"Am I a genius too?"
When I blinked and asked, the Sect Leader let out a hollow laugh and chided me.
"Then what would you call a guy who reached the 3rd stage of the Fourteen Plum Blossom Sword Techniques in half a year and the 5th stage in one year, if not talented?"
"Eh, my goal was to hit 3rd stage in four months, though. Honestly, I didn't think 5th stage would take a full year either..."
"Good grief, at that level, why bother learning from a master? With that kind of genius, you could self-study all the way to the Violet Haze Divine Art, you rascal."
In the world, me—a genius?
Me, who was a total extra in the original story with no name or even a single line of description?
I hadn't even reached first-class realm yet, my sparring record against Namgung Seheon was 0 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw, and against Pang Hyeoran, I only perfectly mastered the Plum Blossoms by the Roadside form after repeating it dozens of times—a genius?
"Don't get cocky and act recklessly just because you trust your own talent. This is the jianghu, where unheard-of monsters can pop up out of nowhere, where someone weaker than you yesterday can meet a fortuitous encounter and become stronger than you today."
His words hit home, so I listened to the Sect Leader earnestly with a serious face. It was basically forced humility training, but he wasn't wrong.
Clicking his tongue, the Sect Leader added,
"There's nothing more foolish than blindly believing in your own strength."
His eyes grew hazy, as if recalling someone.
I remembered that Elder Jinja died at the hands of unorthodox fighters after venturing into the jianghu. Was that back when Elder Jinja was a disciple of his generation?
"Go on now. And stay away from Xi'an for the time being. I can already picture those Zhongnan bastards strutting around, full of themselves now that they've produced their first genius on par with Mount Hua."
Waving his hand with an irritated expression, the Sect Leader dismissed me. I bowed and turned around.
Having finished my meeting with the Sect Leader, I stepped outside.
Doseon, passing by, spotted me and approached without hiding his displeasure.
"Caused another incident?"
"Another? How much trouble do you think I cause? Grand Martial Uncle, that's too much."
When I grumbled, Doseon frowned upon seeing my face and scolded me.
"Fine, now I see it's not the face of someone who's been chewed out. What did you hear to make you grin like an idiot?"
If even a martial nephew's grinning face is so displeasing, what am I supposed to do? The other martial granduncles adored their martial nephew to death, sigh.
But since this guy had been like this forever, and I was in a good mood from the newly confirmed fact, I answered brightly.
"I'm a genius."
"Who said that?"
"The Sect Leader."
Normally, I'd get scolded to stop being arrogant and focus on training, but today's Doseon just looked down at me steadily.
"I see. So you've finally realized it."
"Well, yeah. I didn't know when I was little, but after formally starting with the sword, no one in Mount Hua ever praised my talent."
When I pouted and complained, Doseon let out a deep sigh and glanced up at the sky.
"I advised to let you know you had talent but keep you in check so you didn't get complacent."
I see. So he wanted to raise a humble genius. But would that have even worked with my personality?
"Isn't Uiseong a perfect counterexample? Do-un raised that kid all wrong."
Not missing a chance to gossip about his martial brother and martial nephew, Doseon clicked his tongue.
"Then Hyeon said he didn't want to see his disciple downhearted. He wanted to see him grow freely, true to his nature."
"......"
Those words stirred up fuzzy emotions in me. My throat tightened, and I clamped my open mouth shut.
"I warned him that getting too arrogant would be dangerous once you venture into the jianghu. Your nature from birth was far from humble anyway."
"First time I'm hearing this."
"Surrounded only by those who adore and praise you, and if they praised your talent too, how else would you turn out? It's obvious."
"Isn't that just because Grand Martial Uncle always looks at me with displeasure? And as proof that I wasn't only surrounded by adoring praisers, there's you right here."
I shot back sulkily, then averted my gaze from his piercing stare.
But I couldn't let this slide without retorting. You'd been annoyed since I was a baby that I was hogging disciple time.
"Ahem, hmm."
Unable to deny it outright, Doseon cleared his throat awkwardly and continued.
"Anyway, that's why your master chose not to mention your talent. So you could learn humility without being suppressed. Fortunately, the Namgung family's youngest gave you a taste of defeat at just the right time."
Recalling it, during my first spar with Namgung Seheon, I'd grown quite arrogant from nonstop victories. I was even bored with training.
That boredom was nicely shattered by the defeat I faced against Namgung Seheon.
Hmm, in that sense, meeting and reuniting with that guy was its own fortuitous encounter?
"Since your master thinks of you this way, don't get arrogant and always stay humble about your skills. The jianghu is vast, and geniuses abound. Even if you're talented within Mount Hua, complacency will make you a frog in a well-"
"Hueeeeng, Masterrrrr!"
Suddenly missing Uihyeon, I teared up and bolted before Doseon could finish. In my head, 'Parents' Grace' and 'Master's Grace' blended seamlessly into playback.
It always started with parents' grace but ended up with the refrain of master's grace.
"You rascal! Listen to an elder till the end!"
Doseon yelled from behind, but I ignored him—it was familiar—and kept running. Spotting Uihyeon with Uiseong, I charged over.
Uihyeon saw me sprinting with tears flying and opened his arms wide in surprise. As he gently patted my back, asking what was wrong, I sniffled and mumbled,
"Master, I'll definitely be filial. I'm really grateful you didn't raise me like Grand Martial Uncle said. If you'd really held me down, I would've run away."
"What on earth did that kid hear from his master to come back like this..."
Flustered by my torrent of words, Uihyeon still spoke kindly.
"Just growing up healthy and well is filial piety, that's all."
Uiseong, watching the harmonious master-disciple scene enviously, piped up.
"Hey, what about me? No filial piety for me?"
"Hmm, wouldn't it be unfair to treat the one who directly raised and taught me the same as the one who just hung around feeling good, played more than taught, and nagged 'do this, do that'?"
"No, I'm gonna lose it! Uihyeon raised you, so why do you take after me?"
Do-un, passing by, shook his head at Uiseong's pained cry, expressing pity.
"You should've been Uiseong's disciple, Yeon. Then my curse of making him raise a disciple just like you would've come true, dang."
What sin did I commit to grow under a master like that?
Uiseong fiddled with his ear and replied nonchalantly.
"Ah, yeah. Scared of ending up with a guy like me, so he never took a disciple."
"Not never—he couldn't."
"I really didn't?"
"Wasn't it you—not your twin—who got drunk eight years ago and wailed that raising a kid is useless anyway?"
"Uwaaaak! I can't hear you!"
Uiseong plugged his ears, flailing and yelling as he ran off into the distance. Even in his thirties, he was still immature. Uihyeon stroked my head, murmuring,
"If you mature before you reach that age, Yeon, that'll be the greatest filial piety."
"Nah, even if I take after him, no way I'd end up like that."
He really was an excellent counterexample, just like Doseon said.