Chapter 10
Episode 10
The Sichuan Tang Family (5)
Wait a minute.
Did I hear that correctly?
'......He's asking me to become his disciple?'
Se-woon was so stunned that he couldn't even respond—he just stared blankly at Yoo Jin-hak.
It was borderline rude, if one wanted to nitpick.
"Hahaha, now that's an expression befitting your age."
Seeing Se-woon's bewildered face, Yoo Jin-hak smiled warmly, like a grandfather amused by his grandson's antics.
As the tension in the room naturally eased, the Tang family members belatedly grasped the situation.
The impact was enormous.
"D-Did I hear that right?"
"The Sword Emperor is offering to take him as a disciple?"
"Gasp! Does that mean the Young Lord will become the Martial Alliance Leader's sixth—?"
"Idiot! Didn't I Hoseong already get expelled? That makes him the fifth disciple!"
"The Martial World's strongest has chosen a direct disciple from our Tang family!"
The meeting hall erupted into chaos.
Every Tang clansman was buzzing with excitement, their faces flushed as if they were the ones being offered the position.
And honestly, who could blame them?
From the family's perspective, Se-woon becoming the Martial Alliance Leader's disciple was an unimaginable honor.
The Alliance Leader had taken only five disciples so far.
(Well, four, technically, since I Hoseong had been expelled before officially becoming one.)
But the point was—
'Every sect that produced one of his disciples rose to become a core faction of the Martial Alliance.'
Becoming the disciple of the strongest martial artist in the world meant gaining immense prestige and power overnight.
As Tang Ho-yeol's earlier disgraceful behavior demonstrated, countless factions were desperate to forge connections with Yoo Jin-hak.
But the man himself was practically synonymous with integrity.
So instead, those with ulterior motives resorted to bribing his disciples.
Not that all his disciples were corrupt, but structurally, their factions inevitably grew powerful.
The Qingcheng Faction had known this—which was why they had thrown lavish celebrations for days when I Hoseong became the fifth disciple.
'And for us, this carries an especially painful memory...'
Originally, the Sichuan Tang Family had been one of the Seven Great Families—until another clan snatched that title away.
'If the Young Lord becomes the Alliance Leader's disciple...'
'...Couldn't we reclaim the position we lost?'
'Yes, we'll crush those damned Hwangbo bastards!'
It had all started when the Hwangbo Family's young lord became the Alliance Leader's third disciple, propelling their influence to absurd heights.
But if they now had a disciple of their own—
—couldn't they restore their lost glory?
A spark of hope, long thought extinguished, flickered back to life in the hearts of the Tang clansmen.
The atmosphere in the hall had shifted into something resembling a festival.
Which meant the only ones unhappy right now were—
'D-Damn it. This can't be happening.'
Tang Ho-yeol and his faction.
Having recovered from his internal injuries, Tang Ho-yeol was utterly dumbstruck by the unexpected turn of events.
For him, this was nothing short of a disaster.
He had been inwardly celebrating when the Young Lord—his longtime thorn in the side—returned after causing a major incident.
But now, out of nowhere, the Martial Alliance Leader wanted to take that crippled half-wit as his successor?!
'If that brat really becomes the Alliance Leader's disciple...!'
If Se-woon filled the vacant fifth disciple position, the power structure Tang Ho-yeol had spent years building would collapse overnight.
No matter how high Manhaepyoguk climbed among Sichuan's Four Great Poison Factions, it would never match the prestige Se-woon would accumulate.
Just as Tang Ho-yeol's pupils trembled like an earthquake had struck—
"I..."
After a long pause, Se-woon finally spoke.
The noisy hall fell silent in an instant.
Everyone, including Yoo Jin-hak, waited intently for his answer.
And then—
"I'm truly sorry, but I must decline your offer."
"Good, you've thought it over. Rest well today, and tomorrow we'll head to Kaifeng together— Wh-What?"
Se-woon had refused.
Gasps of disbelief echoed through the hall.
"H-He said no?!"
Even Yoo Jin-hak blinked in shock.
Groans and sighs spilled from every corner of the room.
Most of the Tang clansmen couldn't fathom Se-woon's decision.
"Hmm... This is the first time I've been rejected. Quite a novel feeling."
"...I can only apologize."
"Might I ask your reason?"
At Yoo Jin-hak's question, all eyes locked onto Se-woon.
With utmost sincerity, Se-woon replied:
"As the future leader of this family, how could I rely on another sect's martial arts to protect myself?"
"—!"
"Just as the Alliance Leader's only master was the Wudang Sect, I wish for mine to be solely the Tang Family."
Yoo Jin-hak fell silent, deep in thought.
Se-woon's words carried weight.
Some clansmen even teared up at the unexpected reasoning.
His answer radiated profound pride and loyalty to the Tang Family.
But—
'Whew, thank goodness the Alliance Leader's Golden Eye isn't active right now.'
Unbeknownst to anyone, that wasn't Se-woon's real reason.
Truthfully, accepting the offer would have been the best choice.
Not only would he receive personal instruction from the world's strongest martial artist—
—but as the Alliance Leader's disciple, he'd also have unrestricted access to the Martial Alliance's vast treasury of rare ores.
Yet Se-woon couldn't take that path.
'The moment the Reverse Heaven's Hole is discovered, I'd be publicly executed.'
Between that and the demonic arts embedded in his body, the risks were too great.
Besides, the title of "disciple" would only bring restrictive obligations—not the power needed to purge the darkness festering within the Martial Alliance.
"You make a fair point. I hadn't considered that."
"Thank you for indulging this junior's impertinence."
"Hmm, though I must admit, I'm still disappointed."
"...I share that sentiment. Your guidance last time was invaluable to me."
At Se-woon's words, Yoo Jin-hak's brow twitched.
"...Last time?"
"Yes, at the tavern—when you demonstrated a sword technique."
Wait, had that not been intentional?
The trajectory of the sword Yoo Jin-hak had swung at I Hoseong—
That single movement remained vividly etched in Se-woon's mind.
"...You saw that?"
For a brief moment, Yoo Jin-hak's gaze sharpened.
"Tell me. What did you see?"
His intense tone put Se-woon on edge.
Yoo Jin-hak watched him with eyes brimming with both expectation and suspicion.
Se-woon closed his eyes.
Slowly, he retraced the memory.
The image Yoo Jin-hak had painted in the air—
A single stroke, like a massive brush tracing a black line across the void.
Peering into that line, Se-woon saw it again—countless layers of Taiji.
Finally, he opened his eyes.
"I can't say if I interpreted it correctly, but—"
Meeting Yoo Jin-hak's steady gaze, he answered:
"A single stroke. Within it, infinite overlapping Taiji."
"—!!"
Yoo Jin-hak's eyes widened like lanterns.
And then—
"Ha... Haha. HAHAHA!"
He burst into booming laughter, genuine delight shining in his eyes.
That single technique had been a parting gift—a gesture of goodwill for the boy who'd tried to protect justice with his innate Qi.
Yet here was this youth, already deciphering the martial principles embedded within it.
"Ahh, what a dilemma. I should let this go, but I truly want you."
"!!"
The Tang clansmen were stunned anew.
A talent he couldn't resist—
This was praise Yoo Jin-hak had given only once before, to his first disciple—the man hailed as the next Martial Alliance Leader.
"You saw correctly. It's one of my most recent insights. If you refine it with your own understanding, you'll achieve great things."
"I'll strive to do so."
"Heh, I'll be watching."
Yoo Jin-hak gazed at Se-woon fondly before turning to Tang Mu-yeol.
"You've raised an exceptional talent, Family Head. The Martial World is blessed."
"The Alliance Leader's praise leaves this humble one at a loss."
What father wouldn't glow at such praise for his son?
Tang Mu-yeol clasped his hands in gratitude.
As the hall brimmed with warmth—
Suddenly, Yoo Jin-hak gave Se-woon a playful look.
"Hmm, but I'd feel too regretful leaving like this."
"...Pardon?"
"Let me leave a small gift for the rising tide of the next generation."
Before Se-woon could ask what he meant—
"—!"
Whoosh!
In a motion too fast to perceive, Yoo Jin-hak drew his sword.
Moonlight-bright silver radiance spilled from the blade.
Mesmerized by its beauty, no one even registered the danger—
Swish.
Yoo Jin-hak pinched the blade between his fingers and offered it to Se-woon.
"Take it."
"This is...?"
"I know the Tang Family's martial arts don't include swordplay, but this blade—'Meteorite Sword'—holds a mystical power of its own. It will aid you in times of peril."
Murmurs spread at the name Meteorite Sword.
Everyone had heard of this legendary weapon.
Forged from meteor iron—a nearly indestructible metal that had fallen from the heavens—it was already a peerless treasure.
But its true significance lay elsewhere.
Every disciple who received the Meteorite Sword from the Alliance Leader was promised:
—I will grant this sword to the most outstanding young talent of the era.
—And with it, the right to compete in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
The grandest tournament for rising stars—known as the War of the Stars.
For a moment, Se-woon's eyes gleamed with realization.
'...Wait. Meteor iron?'
But unlike the others, his focus had snagged on something else entirely.
With an expression of deep gratitude, Se-woon eagerly accepted the sword.
"It would be disrespectful to refuse this as well. I accept it with thanks!"
"Haha, I'm glad you'll take it."
The onlookers were baffled.
The giver was thanking the receiver?
What kind of spectacle was this?
"And this is a personal gift from me..."
Yoo Jin-hak retrieved a weathered wooden plaque from his robes.
Wudang - Yoo Jin-hak.
Only those five characters were inscribed on the palm-sized plaque.
"I-Is that what I think it is?!"
"Gasp!"
The Tang clansmen's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Yoo Jin-hak handed the plaque to Se-woon.
"Anywhere in the Central Plains connected to Wudang—including its main headquarters—will treat your request as my own when you present this."
"—!"
The Alliance Leader's Token.
An even greater gift than the Meteorite Sword had tumbled into Se-woon's lap.
The Unrivaled Heir of Sichuan