My Work Starts Now! (1)
When Yoon Jong saw the Wudang swordsmen rushing straight at him, his face was a picture of panic.
"Hey! Hold on, that's not how this is supposed to go!"
"What, are you going to call us cowards?"
"No, that's not it at all!"
Let's see. Four of them here?
"No! This is just unfair!"
Yoon Jong scrambled backward. Since he had been the first to score a victory, it looked like they had all swarmed him at once.
"This isn't right!"
"You've got a lot to s—"
"No! That's not what I mean!"
Yoon Jong shouted at the top of his lungs.
"I'm not even the strongest one among us! I'm the weakest!"
"……."
"Fine, Baek Cheon Sasuk, whatever! If you're going to do this, go after the second-strongest one!"
His furious reaction left the Wudang disciples staring blankly at him. The way he looked as if he were personally wronged by heaven itself was so absurd that it was hard to even get angry.
"Who's the second-strongest?"
When someone asked in bewilderment, Yoon Jong immediately raised a hand and pointed at one person.
"He's right there! Right there! Are you blind?"
Those who turned to look where Yoon Jong pointed all wore dubious expressions.
That guy?
The sword sliced through space.
A Mount Hua sword style unlike anything they had seen so far unfolded before their eyes.
Footwork that seemed to drift softly across the sky.
A sword that was not flashy, but all the more elegant for it.
Yu I-seol's blade was folding space itself.
The place where her sword unfolded felt strangely detached from where the spectators were standing.
The Wudang disciples' eyes wavered.
"So I told you I'm not the one!"
Yoon Jong finally roared, unable to hold back his grievance any longer.
Yu I-seol had always been strong.
Under normal circumstances, she should have been one of the main representatives among Mount Hua's second-generation disciples at the Hwajong Jihoe. She was young, but she had entered the sect early and possessed exceptional talent with the sword.
To look at it coldly, even at that point, there were not many who could beat Yu I-seol apart from Baek Cheon.
And that was before someone like her received Chung Myung's instruction.
That one isn't sane either.
While everyone else in Mount Hua did everything they could to avoid catching Chung Myung's eye and hid wherever they could, Yu I-seol stubbornly trailed after him, desperate to learn even a little more.
And she learned and practiced with blind devotion, never once questioning his teachings.
She had done that for two years, and now she had reached a level with the sword that was utterly unmatched.
He could not judge exactly, since she had never sparred directly with Baek Cheon, but if he had to guess, Yoon Jong doubted she would lose.
Thud.
The Wudang disciple fighting Yu I-seol finally failed to hold on and collapsed.
A cold silence seized the arena.
"Aaaagh!"
Then a sharp scream shattered that chill.
The one fighting Jo Gul had also taken a clean hit and was clutching his leg. Blood poured from the long gash on his right thigh.
Four.
In the blink of an eye, four had gone down.
What was most shocking was that Jin Hyeon, the Bujeolgeom, was among the fallen.
Senior brother...
To one person.
The Wudang disciples bit down hard on their lips.
Jin Hyeon was a level above them. In other words, if even Jin Hyeon had been defeated, it meant none of them could take down that man named Baek Cheon one-on-one.
And the others had all been beaten too.
Six remained.
Four had fallen.
By the numbers, it might still have looked manageable. But with Jin Hyeon among the defeated, their actual strength was, if anything, weaker than the six still standing. Worse, the Mount Hua disciples hadn't suffered even the smallest scratch.
Could the six of them possibly overturn such a one-sided result?
The math was not difficult.
The ones left standing hesitated and could not bring themselves to charge.
Seeing at once that their spirit had faltered from that movement alone, Baek Cheon spoke calmly.
"Will you continue?"
"……."
A cornered rat would bite a cat. Baek Cheon had no intention of driving them that far.
"If you keep going, you might still have a chance against the Mount Hua disciples. But the injured ones may have problems if they don't get treatment immediately. This isn't something worth sacrificing your brothers-in-arms' future over, is it?"
"Hmm."
"Step back. This time, we've won. Take your injured disciples, get them treated, and leave Namyang by tonight. Jin Hyeon made the promise with his own honor, so Wudang will no longer interfere with Hwayeong Gate's affairs. And the Jongdo Hall must leave Namyang as well."
Under the eyes of the senior brothers gathering around him, Jinmu bit his lip.
With Jin Hyeon unconscious, he was the one who had the authority to decide.
This matter absolutely had to succeed somehow. But...
We've already lost the advantage.
Fighting any longer here would only increase their losses.
After a moment of thought, Jinmu brought his palms together in a respectful salute.
"I appreciate Mount Hua's consideration. Today, we admit defeat."
Baek Cheon gave a quiet nod.
"I won't see you out."
"Then."
At Jinmu's glance, the uninjured disciples supported their wounded senior brothers and hoisted the unconscious ones onto their backs.
Then, after one final look at the Mount Hua disciples, they wordlessly began to leave Hwayeong Gate.
"Make way!"
Pushing aside the people who had crowded all the way to the main gate, the Wudang disciples hurried toward the Jongdo Hall.
And the people of Namyang who watched that scene could do nothing but stare, mouths open.
They had no way of gauging the level of the martial contest. All they had seen was flashes and sweeping movements.
But anyone with eyes could tell that Wudang was retreating from Hwayeong Gate after being defeated by Mount Hua.
My heavens... Wudang...
Mount Hua actually beat Wudang.
Who among them had expected Mount Hua to defeat Wudang?
Of course, the outcome of this match did not prove that Mount Hua was stronger than Wudang. One battle between second-generation disciples could hardly be used to measure the gap between the two sects.
Still, even if it did not mean much in the grand scheme of things, the fact remained that Mount Hua had beaten Wudang.
"Hah. I heard Mount Hua was regaining its former glory, and it seems that was true after all."
"No kidding. How incredible is that? They fought Wudang just to save Hwayeong Gate!"
"A local branch like that is worth supporting, then. Absolutely worth it!"
The onlookers who had watched the match from beyond the broken wall began to murmur among themselves. Baek Cheon glanced at them once before quietly turning away.
Then he slowly approached Wi Lip-san.
"Gate Master."
"Ah... ah? Oh!"
Wi Lip-san snapped back to himself and looked at Baek Cheon. But the words would not easily come.
"Mount Hua has protected Hwayeong Gate."
"……."
Baek Cheon's fellow disciples lined up beside him. Looking at the Mount Hua disciples standing before him, Wi Lip-san bit down hard on his lip.
His eyes kept growing hot.
"As the Gate Master of Hwayeong Gate, I offer my deepest thanks to Mount Hua."
As Wi Lip-san bowed deeply, Baek Cheon and the others returned the salute.
"Think nothing of it. We only did what had to be done."
Wi Lip-san could not even bring himself to lift his head, while the Mount Hua disciples watched him with smiles on their faces.
It was a scene that would make anyone nod in approval.
"Heh, now that's heartwarming, isn't it?"
"……."
If only they could do something about that one damned brat.
* * *
"Congratulations, Gate Master Wi."
"That was truly magnificent."
"Hahaha! All that time you kept going on and on about Mount Hua, Mount Hua. Looks like you're finally getting paid back for it."
Wi Lip-san smiled so broadly his mouth nearly split in two, bowing again and again.
"Thank you. Thank you very much."
Even after Wudang's disciples had left, he still could not rest. The residents of Namyang kept coming to offer congratulations, one after another.
Most of them were people who had simply watched from the sidelines when Hwayeong Gate and the Jongdo Hall were locked in conflict. Now that Hwayeong Gate seemed to have firmly taken hold of Namyang, they were only acting friendly to get a foot in the door.
Even knowing that full well, Wi Lip-san received their greetings with a smile.
What of it?
This too was a privilege reserved only for the victor. Who would deny that being on the receiving end of these false smiles was far, far better than being the loser forced to leave Namyang behind?
"I never imagined Mount Hua was this powerful."
Neither did I.
"So that's why you were able to stand so confidently, Gate Master Wi!"
Confident my ass.
Wi Lip-san forced another smile.
He prayed it would look like a confident one.
Only after a long while of receiving guests' congratulations and accepting apologies from the returning disciples was Wi Lip-san finally able to clear the situation and return to Hwayeong Gate's main hall.
His body, still not fully recovered from the martial contest's injuries, ached with exhaustion, but his heart felt lighter than it had in years.
So this day finally came.
How could he not be happy? He had gained so much today.
First, he had seen with his own eyes that his sect, which he had thought was doomed to ruin, had been completely revived. And then he had watched that sect rush thousands of li without hesitation to help him.
Father. Your words were not wrong.
Because he had stubbornly kept his late father's words to the end, he was able to welcome a day like this.
Wi Lip-san walked toward the main hall with unusually light steps. The heroes who had protected Hwayeong Gate were inside. They were probably celebrating the day's victory even now, raising cups in triumph.
I need to apologize!
He had to apologize for doubting them, and for the irritation he had subtly shown as well. Then he would join them in talking about Hwayeong Gate's future with Mount Hua, and he would raise a cup alongside them.
Wi Lip-san shoved the main hall doors open and shouted, "I kept you waiting lo—"
But his voice did not make it to the end.
"No, no! You crazy bastard, stop it!"
"What the hell are you trying to do now, you punk?"
"Grab him! Catch that bastard right now!"
"……."
Objects flew in every direction.
Chairs soared through the air, and a lantern hung from the ceiling crashed to the floor, setting the ground alight.
There was only one impression to be had from the chaos before him.
Did Wudang come back for another attack?
No, that didn't seem to be it.
Then what on earth was going on here?
Thud!
At that very moment, Jo Gul, who had rushed at Chung Myung, was kicked in the backside and sent flying with a scream.
I thought that man had definitely just beaten a Wudang disciple.
And now someone like that had been kicked in the ass and knocked down?
Am I dreaming?
No, this was real.
In the middle of the wrecked room, Chung Myung shoved the other disciples aside, grabbed his bundle, and began rummaging through it.
Clothes?
What in the world was he pulling out clothes for in the middle of this mess? What could those clothes possibly be so important—
Huh?
Those were completely black clothes. Tight-fitting, too?
Ha. Anyone who wore that would look like a thief or an assassin...
No, why are you wearing that, you idiot!
In the blink of an eye, Chung Myung had pulled on a black night outfit and was holding something pitch-black in his hand while staring at the senior disciples.
Baek Cheon, sweating coldly from his forehead, raised both hands and tried to calm Chung Myung the way one would a snarling dog.
"Chung Myung. Calm down and think this through again. The Wudang bastards are already gone. There's really no need to do this."
"Gone?"
"Y-yes, gone. It's all over now. We can just head back to Mount Hua. The Sect Leader told us over and over not to go causing trouble."
Chung Myung smiled faintly and nodded.
"Ah, right. The senior brothers' business is over. I don't need to worry about that. I wasn't too happy with how you all fought, but you won, so I'll let that slide. Except for Jo Gul Sasuk."
"……Why am I the exception?"
Ignoring Jo Gul's aggrieved protest, Chung Myung smiled broadly.
"But Sasuk."
"Yeah?"
"Your work is finished. But—"
Chung Myung pulled the hood over his face and tightened the strap. Then, with only his exposed eyes twisted into a chilling glare, he said,
"My work starts now!"
"……."
"I'm going to dig up every last bit of what those bastards were plotting, so wait here!"
You're the one who looks like he's always plotting something.
"I'm going!"
"Catch him!"
"Stop him! Stop him! Somebody stop that bastard!"
But even with the Mount Hua disciples charging after him with desperate resolve, Chung Myung slipped cleanly past every hand reaching for him and hurled himself out the door.
"……."
Then he gave Wi Lip-san, who was standing at the entrance, a one-eyed wink before disappearing into the darkness.
Soon, Chung Myung's wild laughter echoed thunderously in the distance.
"……We're screwed."
"N-no way......"
The desperate voices of the Mount Hua disciples, staring blankly toward the place where Chung Myung had vanished, made the whole scene even more eerie.
Wi Lip-san smiled faintly and looked up at the night sky.
Father. I think something has gone very, very wrong.
Somehow, it felt as if he could hear his father's voice agreeing with him.