Chapter 325
Chapter 325
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 325
Chapter Title: We Will Fight (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Unja's eldest disciple, Un Gyeong.
He silently watched Jeong Hyeon approaching with a fist salute.
"……."
For a moment that felt like an eternity.
Un Gyeong's lips, which had been sealed shut, finally parted.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you this close up."
Jeong Hyeon's voice carried the weight of a senior disciple.
Jeong Hyeon calmly reflected on the past and spoke.
"...Yes. It's been ages since I've greeted you this closely. When the Righteous Martial Academy was attacked by demonic cultists, the Wudang senior brothers came down to help, but there was no time then. I've climbed the slopes of Wudang Mountain many times, but due to my own lack of courage, I'm only now paying my respects."
However, Un Gyeong shook his head.
"That's not what I meant."
Not what he meant?
Jeong Hyeon racked his brain for a moment, but he couldn't grasp what Un Gyeong had in mind.
Jeong Hyeon bowed his head once more and asked.
"This dull junior disciple doesn't understand the true intent behind your words."
"Your body was at the Righteous Martial Academy, but you were always here at Wudang. Look around. Is there any place in this mountain gate that you haven't roamed?"
At Un Gyeong's words, Jeong Hyeon looked around.
The dining hall where he ate with his Wudang senior brothers.
The dormitory where he laid his head.
The training ground where he sweated profusely and stamped his feet.
As Un Gyeong said, there was no place Jeong Hyeon hadn't explored, no place without memories.
"……."
Yet, just as those memories filled the training grounds, this moment standing alone together felt emptily vast.
Jeong Hyeon felt a fresh emotion amid the familiar scenery.
It was then that Un Gyeong spoke again.
"After the incident with Elder Uncle Taeheo, Wudang declared seclusion from the martial world, but we didn't fully close our gates. That's why we occasionally heard stories about you and the academy students."
"...You mean stories about me?"
"Yes. Disciples like Un Hyeok and Un Jin, who are at the academy, passed them along. And once that newsletter started publishing, every issue made its way to Wudang."
"...I see."
"I didn't think of your news as mere annoyances. Some made me sigh in relief, others set my blood boiling. That's how we at Wudang lived, facing you in your absence."
With that, Jeong Hyeon fully understood Un Gyeong's earlier words about it being a long time since seeing him up close, and he replied.
"...I apologize."
But Un Gyeong shook his head again.
"I didn't bring it up to blame you. Just that it was how things were. Knowing how Wudang had endured, I had no way to stop the other disciples from venturing out."
"I figured as much."
"And I wondered. Word of your arrival must have reached the elders... why are they staying silent?"
Un Gyeong spoke while gazing toward Jaso Palace, Wudang's main hall.
"They say a man of thirty, with a steadfast heart unmoved, has reached 'while standing'... I've pursued the Dao my entire thirty years, yet my life is full of unknowns. I've spent ages lost in thought, sorting the ideas swirling in my mind."
"……."
"But you came up first. Alone, in dust-covered clothes. It seems the disciples who went down to Haegyeomji didn't let you off easily. Is that what I saw?"
"...Yes. The elders and seniors told me to go back, but I refused, and we clashed."
"Your aura has changed remarkably, but I doubt you subdued all the disciples who went down. How did you make it up?"
"...My academy classmates helped."
"Friends... that's good. But do you think the other senior brothers will accept your actions?"
At Un Gyeong's question,
Images of those who had stepped forward for him flashed through Jeong Hyeon's mind.
As they passed by, he naturally wondered what Eon Yong-un would say.
The deliberation didn't last long.
"I'll make them understand."
"Make them understand?"
"...At first, I thought this matter with Wudang was mine alone to bear. Like Yu Gong moving the mountain, I resolved to endure and visit every day. I even told my academy classmates that."
"But they wouldn't follow? Is that the excuse you're making?"
Un Gyeong narrowed his eyes and asked back.
Jeong Hyeon shook his head.
"No, Mad Dragon Young Hero said there's no burden in the world one must bear entirely alone. And if you're going to visit Wudang every day, why not join you for one of those days? He suggested advancing that day."
"...Strange words befitting the title Mad Dragon."
"Yes. Truly an eccentric person. But I couldn't refute it."
Recalling Eon Yong-un, Jeong Hyeon spoke again.
"In those words, I saw the Dao. I had resolved like Yu Gong, yet in my mind, I pictured entering the initiation rite only with the seniors' permission."
"……."
"Deep down, I wanted to fill my belly with the first sip. I hoped the seniors' resentment would melt away in an instant. But thanks to Mad Dragon Young Hero's and Grand Senior's words, I realized it wouldn't resolve that way."
"So?"
"I'll consider what's most important and urgent. And find a way. If that way aligns with righteousness and the Dao, I'll do anything. With that in mind, today I decided to meet Grand Senior and the elders and attend the initiation rite."
Hearing Jeong Hyeon's thoughts, Un Gyeong shook his head once more.
"You know, yet you don't understand. What is Wudang to you? What are we to you?"
Then, he walked toward the weapon rack at the edge of the training ground.
"The heart within you, spouting words that sound both domineering and righteous... is it chaos or the Supreme Ultimate?"
He pulled out two worn wooden swords used by Wudang disciples before receiving their Songmun Swords and tossed one to Jeong Hyeon.
Then, he kicked off the ground toward him.
"Show me."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Un Gyeong's wooden sword, rippling with blue energy, drew a Taiji pattern as it swung down.
Sssh!
Though the fight started abruptly, Jeong Hyeon's heart filled more with joy than surprise.
'Grand Senior's sword.'
If Mugakju Myeong Il was like the North Star in the night sky, teaching him what the Wudang sword truly was,
Un Gyeong was like a milestone on the ground, showing and teaching the path to hone that sword properly.
Sssh!
He wanted to follow behind, stand beside.
He had even secretly harbored bold dreams of surpassing him at times.
As a child, he begged endlessly to be shown; in his immature youth, to spar.
To Jeong Hyeon, Un Gyeong's sword felt more welcoming than anything.
But that's why he had to steel his heart.
'...This isn't a stage to show how strong I've become. I must show how much I've longed for Wudang all this time. How deeply I've pondered the Wudang sword.'
Repeating that resolve, Jeong Hyeon began unfolding his sword forms.
Sssh! Sssh!
Ssshh!
In response, the sword paths and breaths of Jeong Hyeon and Un Gyeong began to blend in harmony.
Some Taiji patterns meshed together.
Bam!
Others repelled, sending the two swordsmen flying back in reverse Taiji arcs.
Clack!
Whirr! Whirrr!
Thus, the Taiji drawn by the two continued unbroken for a long while.
Un Gyeong halted his swing and created distance.
Step.
"Even after gaining the power to control a thousand jun, you haven't forgotten the importance of yielding."
"...Pondering the Dao that the Wudang sword pursues is something I haven't forgotten for a single day."
"You've grown a lot."
"Y-You're too kind."
"Don't you know excessive humility becomes self-praise? As expected of the one once called Wudang's finest talent. You've progressed astonishingly in such a short time."
"I wasn't trying to praise myself. There's simply someone with far superior talent than mine down below, that's all."
"...You're quite smitten with that Mad Dragon."
At Jeong Hyeon's words, Un Gyeong let out a hollow chuckle and sheathed his sword.
"...Well, after crossing swords like this, my resentment pales next to my joy."
It was then that footsteps echoed from the upper side of the training ground.
"Hm."
Un Gyeong and Jeong Hyeon's heads turned simultaneously. The Wudang Five Heroes were descending from Jaso Palace.
The two hurriedly clasped their fists in salute.
"Master."
"Third-generation disciple Jeong Hyeon greets Grand Uncle and Elder Uncles."
However, the Wudang Five Heroes merely nodded lightly and passed by them.
They seemed headed for Haegyeomji.
'...If they go to Haegyeomji now, they'll witness Mad Dragon Young Hero beating up the other Wudang disciples?'
As Jeong Hyeon's body twitched with the urge to explain,
Myeong Il and Myeong Han tossed a comment as they passed.
"He won't eat your classmate."
"Yes. We're on our way to greet the guests, and we have a rough idea of the situation. Jeong Hyeon, you go see the Sect Leader."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After administering short-term sleep remedies to the charging Wudang disciples and dusting off his hands,
I noticed Wo So-ryeong and Eun Ha-seong scanning the surroundings.
"Looking for something?"
"Rope, Brother Eon."
"...Why rope?"
Eun Ha-seong answered the retort.
"After knocking them out, tying them up is next, right?"
"Hey. Our excuse is we were just passing by, tried to stop the beating, and it turned into this. What do you mean tie them?!"
"Oops. Habit."
"Oops my foot. Ha-seong... when will you become human? Just gather them facing away from each other."
I sighed and helped the other Eon brothers sort out the Wudang disciples.
As the cleanup neared its end,
Jegal Seolji pointed at the stairs leading to the main palace and spoke.
"Young Master Yong-un? Looks like the Wudang Five Heroes are all coming down."
Dang Ok-gi frowned and added,
"R-Really. Everyone but Daoist Myeong Han looks scary... and their reputations aren't great."
Namgung Yun narrowed his eyes at Dang Ok-gi.
"Watch your words. Bad reputations? They're just strict with disciples."
"Ack! Same thing! I don't know. Eon Yong-un, you said do it!"
"Did I swing a sword and threaten anyone? They stabbed their own swords into Haegyeomji and jumped in."
"But still... the leader takes responsibility!"
At Dang Ok-gi's words, 'Right!' echoed from here and there, and Cheon Jang-ho muttered 'Shouldn't have followed.'
Moments later, the Wudang Five Heroes arrived at Haegyeomji.
I stepped forward, bowed with a fist salute, and the Eon brothers followed suit.
"We latecomers of the martial world greet the Wudang Five Heroes."
"Greetings."
Then, a middle-aged man with an especially distinctive aura among them spoke.
"I am Myeong Yeong of the Empty Peak."
"So you're the Infinite Sword senior."
Myeong Yeong.
Leader of Wudang's proud Supreme Azure Sword Masters, and Wudang's foremost sword inspector.
"Embarrassingly, that's what they call me. Hahaha. I hear the Mad Dragon is called the world's greatest junior by the jianghu folk. Seems our disciples met their match today."
Younger than Abbot Gong Deok-dae-sa yet mentioned in the same breath as a supreme master,
"My apologies."
"I heard on the way. What do you have to apologize for? It's our Dao-pursuing disciples who lacked discipline and dug their own graves."
He showed no intimidation toward us, no hostility.
Thus, instead of excuses, I spoke my honest feelings.
"...Having shared joys and sorrows with Jeong Hyeon, even knowing this is Wudang's family matter, I couldn't stand by. My apologies."
"S-Sorry!"
"Jeong Hyeon has quite the luck with people."
"They'll wake up within an incense stick's time."
"Understood. I heard you first sent Jeong Hyeon alone, then followed late. Since you're here anyway, why not join the initiation rite?"
"Ah. Is that alright?"
"Of course. If you're not busy, stay for the food we've prepared and meet the Sect Leader before you go."
"Then we'll do that."
"Good. The meal starts in an hour. By sect law, the Sect Leader doesn't emerge from Jaso Palace until the rite ends, so meet him after."
"Yes."
As I replied, Wudang's Mugakju Myeong Il looked to Myeong Yeong for approval.
"Senior Brother."
Myeong Yeong nodded.
Then, the four excluding Myeong Yeong fetched water from Haegyeomji and splashed it on the unconscious disciples.
Splash!!!
"Puha... Ack!"
"!"
The disciples, regaining their senses, paled at the sight of the Wudang Five Heroes before them.
To them, Myeong Yeong asked.
"'Knowing the white, guarding the black, become the model of the world.' What does it mean?"
The disciples, drenched like drowned rats, stammered,
"Knowing white and governing black makes one the model of the world..."
"Then, the next verse?"
"'Become the model of the world, constant virtue errs not, returning to the Infinite.' Meaning, one becomes unflawed and returns to the Infinite."
"You recite the scriptures flawlessly, yet they don't reflect in your actions—like reciting sutras to iron ears. And you don't even know where your hearts lie... Tsk tsk. Dull oxen even among the slow."
"……."
"What are you blinking for?! Get up, wash your faces, and prepare for the initiation rite!"
"...Yes!"
Following the Wudang disciples into the main dojo, we finished a simple wash, changed into clean Daoist robes provided by Wudang,
and attended the initiation rite.
Ting-a-ling.
Gong—dong—
As the probationary disciples burned incense on their arms and received their Daoist names, finally donning true disciple robes, the rite concluded.
Jeong Hyeon, whom we'd sent ahead, approached and spoke.
"You've worked hard."
"You had it harder. I saw you blending in with the other disciples earlier. Things smoothing out?"
"Thanks to you all, I got to talk with Grand Senior Un Gyeong about various things. With the others, I'll take it step by step as we discussed. Ah, but there's someone I'd like to introduce."
"Daoist Myeong Yeong did say to meet the Sect Leader after the rite."
"Ah. Meeting the Sect Leader is a must, of course."
"Hm? Your reaction suggests it's not the Sect Leader."
"Yes. The one I want to introduce is Elder Tae Yeong-ja."
Tae Yeong-ja?
The one who took Jeong Hyeon under her wing, and in the original story, connected Jeong Hyeon and the protagonist generation to advance their martial arts.