I Don’t Know Anything About Lineups! (3)
Heo Sanja could not tear his gaze away from Jin Hyeon, who stood there looking utterly stunned. He could hardly believe it.
He lost? He… lost?
Jin Hyeon was recognized as the greatest prodigy among Wudang’s second-generation disciples, so much so that he had earned the epithet Geomryong, the Sword Dragon. And yet he had been defeated by a Mount Hua disciple—not even a second-generation one, but a third-generation disciple at that.
Just how?
Yes, fine. Losing itself could be understood.
But what left Heo Sanja truly flustered was not the fact of the loss, but that Jin Hyeon had suffered no injuries at all.
That could not really be called “losing.”
It would be more accurate to say he was restrained.
Wasn’t it common knowledge in Jianghu that subduing an opponent without leaving a scratch was several times harder than simply defeating them? And yet he had never dreamed that Jin Hyeon, who had been his confidence, would be taken down so effortlessly by that Mount Hua disciple.
“Ugh….”
Heo Sanja’s deep composure began to shake.
How could something like this happen?
Of course, when Wudang disciples were still too young for their foundations to be deep, they did not particularly stand out against disciples of similar rank from other sects. That was simply the nature of Wudang’s martial arts, and of Daoist martial arts in general.
But that applied only when the generation and age were the same, did it not?
That Mount Hua boy named Jo Gul was clearly younger than Jin Hyeon, and his rank was lower as well. For such a person to defeat him was a catastrophe beyond any excuse.
What in the world am I supposed to do about this…?
And then it happened.
“You don’t have to look so offended, you know.”
Heo Sanja whipped his head toward the voice. Jo Gul, standing on the ring, grinned shamelessly as he spoke.
“This doesn’t count as a proper victory, after all.”
Heo Sanja’s face turned scarlet. Heat surged through him, and his teeth ground together of their own accord. His fist clenched so tightly it seemed as though the bones themselves might crush, trembling with fury.
What humiliation.
It might have been better if they had simply lost openly.
Depending on how one looked at it, a match that did not count as a victory could easily be interpreted as a contest too shameful to even be called one.
That had not been the intent when the bout began, of course, but now that things had come to this, anyone watching could only think that way.
Wudang’s second-generation disciple had not even been worthy of standing against a Mount Hua third-generation disciple. With this single match, the image he had tried to paint for this martial contest had been utterly shattered.
Heo Sanja swept his trembling gaze across the crowd.
No cheers. No applause.
Everyone was simply staring, mouths agape, as if struck dumb. Wasn’t that proof enough that the result of this match had shocked them as well?
How am I supposed to salvage this?
Even Heo Sanja could not produce a clear answer to that question. And in the middle of all this, Jo Gul’s mouth never stopped moving.
“I’d appreciate it if we could start again quickly. I’m getting cold.”
The faces of the Wudang disciples twisted horribly.
“...He’s doing that on purpose, right?”
“Absolutely. No question.”
“...How did that kid end up like that?”
“You know what they say. Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas.”
Yoon Jong nearly added, And honestly, Sasuk isn’t exactly much different from that these days. But he swallowed the words at once. There was no doubt he’d only get scolded for saying it.
Jo Gul’s role for today was to take the lead, provoke the enemy, and scratch at their nerves. The problem was that he was fulfilling that role far too well.
It was like sending a general to guard the border, only to find he had already occupied the enemy capital.
The one shocked by this bizarre situation was not Wudang alone.
“Wow… Jo Gul Sahyung beat the Sword Dragon….”
“That easily?”
The Mount Hua disciples were also stunned by the result, blinking over and over again.
Of course, they knew Jo Gul well enough to be certain he wouldn’t lose easily to the Sword Dragon. They were the ones who knew best just how fast the Mount Hua Five Swords had grown.
But even so, none of them had expected him to utterly flatten the Sword Dragon like that. Who could have imagined such a thing?
“...Is Wudang not as much as people make it out to be?”
“Idiot! It’s just that Jo Gul is strong! There’s no way the Sword Dragon is weak!”
“R-right, of course.”
Watching everyone murmur in total disbelief, Baek Cheon’s lips curled faintly.
There was never any chance of it being a fair match.
Even back when they met at Hwayeong Gate, the difference between Jin Hyeon and Jo Gul had not been all that great. If they had fought then, Jo Gul would probably have had more than a ninety percent chance of losing, but even so, he would at least have been able to contest the match.
The important thing was what came after that.
Training?
Yes, of course Jin Hyeon must have trained.
He would have ground himself down through his own version of bitter, punishing effort.
The problem is that it was only his version.
Before that damned Chung Myung showed up, even Baek Cheon would never have imagined that training could drive a person so thoroughly to hell.
Baek Cheon was certain that, no matter how grueling Wudang’s training might have been, it could not possibly come close to half of Mount Hua’s intensity.
Half? Hell, it might not even be a quarter.
And the difference between the two did not even stop at training.
While Jin Hyeon honed himself within Wudang’s walls, Jo Gul had repeatedly lived through real battles where his life had hung by a thread. And each time, the enemies he faced were stronger than he was.
Had Jin Hyeon ever fought Maninbang’s armed men with his life on the line? Had he ever waged war against the soldiers of the North Sea Ice Palace? Or fought the followers of the Demonic Sect? Had he ever taken one of the Bishop’s palm strikes directly into his own body?
They both bore the name of prestigious sects, but the fruits they had cultivated under that name were entirely different. If Jin Hyeon was a flower blooming delicately in a garden, Jo Gul was a weed forced to grow hard beneath a knife-cold wind.
Even if they began with the same talent and the same level of martial arts, their growth could never have been the same because the process itself was different.
“Learn martial arts properly from the roots, undergo training that breaks the bones, and temper yourself in real combat.”
That was the path Jo Gul had walked.
That path had made Jo Gul harder than iron. And now the rest of Mount Hua’s disciples, aside from the Five Swords, were following the same road.
In the end, Mount Hua as a whole will become even stronger.
And this martial contest would be the beginning of that.
“Whatever happened to the people who were fighting?”
“...?”
Watching Jo Gul continue to chatter so casually at the front, Baek Cheon let his head droop.
Becoming tougher was a good thing, but…
He really would have preferred it if Jo Gul hadn’t started copying Chung Myung in every little way.
Hmm? Jo Gul?
Huh?
Jo Gul jutted his chin toward Wudang with obvious swagger.
“So who’s coming out next?”
Just as Heo Sanja ground his teeth and was about to speak, Mu Jin, standing behind him, lightly stamped a foot.
Thud.
It was not a particularly loud sound, but it was enough to pull the Wudang disciples back from the edge of their agitation.
“Elder.”
“Mm.”
Heo Sanja gave a heavy nod.
It was not that he was the sort who lost his calm more easily than Mu Jin. Mu Jin only had to think about his own business, but Heo Sanja also had to consider the fallout of this martial contest. That was why he could not afford to remain composed.
The more pressure a person faced, the narrower their vision became, and the more desperate their mind turned. Mu Jin understood that well enough.
“I will go out.”
“...Mu Jin?”
Mu Jin looked up at Jo Gul with a face hardened by ice.
“The momentum has already shifted. If we fail to show our true strength next, those watching will begin to think Mount Hua has nearly caught up to Wudang.”
In his mind, he had wanted to say that Mount Hua had surpassed Wudang, but he could not bring himself to say that in front of Heo Sanja.
“Mm.”
Heo Sanja nodded slightly, his expression grave.
Mu Jin was right. They absolutely needed something here to reverse the atmosphere.
Victory was not just about the result; the process mattered too.
A narrow victory won after fierce struggle and a crushing victory won without losing anything could not be treated as the same sort of result.
However…
“Will you be all right?”
Mu Jin was essentially Wudang’s foremost first-generation disciple. Was it really appropriate for someone like him to face a Mount Hua third-generation disciple?
The sect might demand such a thing if necessary, but from Mu Jin’s perspective, it would have been more than enough to feel ashamed over it.
Still, Mu Jin seemed to have already made up his mind as he said calmly, “How could I refuse something I must do for the sect?”
“Mu Jin….”
“I will go.”
He did not wait for a reply and stepped forward.
In any case, if he could not handle the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, then it was right for him to step in when the sect needed him most.
“Please wait, Sahyung.”
At that moment, someone from behind spoke up.
“Mu Ho?”
It was his junior, Mu Ho. He strode forward, shook his head, and stopped Mu Jin.
“This is not your place to go.”
“...?”
“I understand we need a win right now. But if the Wudang Three Swords go out and win, do you really think they’ll look at us differently? Won’t they just mock us instead for having to send out even the Wudang Three Swords to face a Mount Hua third-generation disciple?”
“...?”
He was not wrong either.
“Send me instead. I’ll go and knock that brat down a peg before I come back.”
“Hmm.”
Mu Jin looked at Heo Sanja as if asking for his opinion, and Heo Sanja, agreeing with Mu Ho’s words, nodded.
“Can you do it?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Go on then. Show that arrogant child exactly what it means to be a first-generation disciple of Wudang.”
“I obey.”
Mu Ho cupped one hand over the hilt of his sword and saluted. Then, without a trace of hesitation, he turned toward the martial stage.
“Jin Hyeon.”
“...?”
“Jin Hyeon!”
“Y-yes! Yes, Sasuk!”
Still dazed from the shock of defeat, Jin Hyeon jolted and looked up at Mu Ho.
“There is no need to be discouraged.”
“...?”
“You are merely crouching so that you may rise higher later. This loss is not a true defeat. I will prove that to you.”
After giving Jin Hyeon one last glance, Mu Ho walked confidently toward the stage. Jo Gul, standing there on the martial platform, wore an expression of utter disappointment without bothering to hide it.
“You’re the one?”
Mu Ho heard that insolent remark and still answered with a gentle smile.
“Are you disappointed, Do-u?”
“It’s not exactly disappointment. For someone like me, being able to cross swords with a first-generation disciple of Wudang is an incomparable honor.”
“Oh?”
Unexpected words made Mu Ho tilt his head slightly.
Unlike his frivolous behavior a moment ago, what had come out of his mouth was perfectly reasonable.
“Then why were you insisting on Mu Jin Sahyung earlier?”
“If possible, it’s better to aim high.”
Jo Gul flashed a playful grin.
“Even if I get beaten to a pulp, I’ll still learn more from fighting the strongest guy.”
“So winning isn’t the important part?”
“It’d obviously be better to win if possible. But that’s not everything.”
A gleam of surprise flashed in Mu Ho’s eyes.
I thought he was just a reckless brat.
He was more thoughtful than expected.
Setting aside his free-spirited, rude attitude, this young Daoist clearly knew what he was aiming for.
Is this Mount Hua’s nature?
Well. That must be why he could stand here before Wudang in the first place.
“I’m sorry I can’t be a better target for you.”
“No need.”
Jo Gul lifted the sword in his hand slightly. By then, his eyes were shining with complete seriousness.
“Whoever it is, the best opponent is the one standing in front of me right now. I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
The corners of Mu Ho’s mouth lifted into a faint arc.
“Then I’ll also put aside all thoughts of underestimating you. Let us have a fine match.”
Shing.
Mu Ho’s drawn sword traced a smooth curve as it pointed toward Jo Gul. It was not a particularly threatening motion, but precisely because of that, it carried more weight.
Jo Gul’s sword also leveled quietly at Mu Ho. A light, sharp aura seeped from it.
After staring at one another for a brief moment, the two shot toward each other at the same time.
“Taaaaah!”
“Haaaaaap!”
It was the moment when Wudang’s sword and Mount Hua’s sword collided head-on.