Chapter 101: Window of the Heart (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Window of the Heart (2)
"Hap! Hap! Hap!"
Today, as always, the rhythmic shouts of the Qingcheng Sect disciples pierced the crisp mountain air.
At the training grounds of the True Martial Hall, the children’s practice continued without a moment's rest. In every Taoist temple scattered across the peaks, disciples spent their days vigorously honing their swordsmanship.
"Yaaaah!"
Among them, one voice echoing through the Martial Arts Hall was louder and more resonant than all the others.
This was the proving ground where basic aptitudes were evaluated to select members for the Azure Martial Sword Elite—the representative unit of the Qingcheng Sect.
Generally, children who displayed exceptional talent in a specific field or those whose temperaments aligned with a particular master were first selected through the True Martial Hall. Afterward, the remaining children were gathered here at the Martial Arts Hall to be categorized once more. It was a rigorous process of discovering talent suited for the Azure Martial Sword Elite based on their individual personalities and martial inclinations.
"On 'one,' you thrust! On 'two,' you slash! A sword has edges not just on the sides, but at the tip as well. You must not neglect a single inch of the blade. Now, begin. One!"
"Hah!"
"Two!"
"Hah!"
Though only one instructor gave the commands, nearly a hundred disciples shouted back in perfect unison.
Having gathered children aged ten to sixteen, Seok Jun was teaching with immense fervor today. A few months ago, he had been appointed as an instructor of the Martial Arts Hall upon Elder Song Hak’s recommendation.
Until then, all the instructors of the various halls had belonged to the Song Generation.
The Martial Arts Hall was the preeminent sword hall of Qingcheng. It was a position that traditionally should have been held by a prominent elder of the Song Generation. Yet, Seok Jun had taken that seat.
He was more than qualified. As a member of the Azure Martial Sword Elite and the acknowledged strongest among the first-generation disciples, his appointment was well-received. Given Qingcheng’s culture of respecting superior martial prowess, he had been chosen in the hope that he would serve as a symbolic figure for the youth.
"Jeong Mun!"
"Yes!"
Seok Jun pointed out one of the boys in the front row. The boy, who possessed a somewhat mature aura for his age, bowed vigorously.
"Why are you taking that stance?"
The boy named Jeong Mun had failed to bend one of his legs. While everyone else was locked in a deep horse stance, he had raised his back heel.
"It just... feels more natural this way, Instructor."
"Did I not tell you that the power of the Azure Center Sword Technique originates from the balls of your feet?"
"I know that, but..."
Seok Jun frowned. This deviation must have resulted from the boy failing to properly grasp the underlying theory.
"The force that stops is in the heel. The force that thrusts is in the ball of the foot. The Azure Center Sword Technique emphasizes the weight behind its power, so you must train using the balls of your feet. Thrust strongly... and quickly toward your target. Only then can you generate explosive power."
"Yes, sir!"
"Now, try the stance again."
Jeong Mun shifted back into a proper horse stance and thrust powerfully at a single point. A sharp resonance spread out from the tip of his fist, sounding like the whistling of a sudden gale.
"Whoa."
"Good, well done. Do not forget that stance again."
Seok Jun nodded and moved to another section of the hall. As he looked over the hundred or so disciples, a sense of confidence began to bloom within him. The responsibility of molding so many young minds, combined with the pride of being recognized at such a young age, brushed across his face like a pleasant breeze.
He ordered the children to review their basic sword techniques once more before scanning the perimeter. Just then, he spotted a woman moving in the distance. At the sight of her, a rare smile touched Seok Jun’s lips.
Just watching her walk made his spirits lift. She was a junior sister he saw every day, but today, she looked as radiant as ever, never failing to meet his expectations.
"Junior Sister Yeon!"
He called out to her, but Yeon-hui did not answer. Whether she hadn't heard him or was preoccupied with something urgent, she continued walking hurriedly toward the upper peaks.
'What's going on?'
Seok Jun watched her with questioning eyes. He left the children in the care of Seok Hu, who had been appointed as an assistant instructor, and followed the path Yeon-hui had taken.
*
"Ho ho ho."
A heavy silence permeated the grand and sturdy Grand Purity Hall.
Song Hak, a man of immense influence within Qingcheng, sat prominently with Song Mun by his side. Elder Song Gak, who rarely appeared in public, was also present, along with Song Gwan, who was almost never seen outside his private quarters.
Furthermore, the area surrounding the Grand Purity Hall was crowded with first-generation disciples.
The Grand Purity Hall of Qingcheng was not enclosed by walls; it was open on all sides like a pavilion. This design allowed important matters to be handled with total transparency. Because many disciples were watching, the leadership sought to handle affairs with absolute fairness. Any wrongdoing could be punished in front of the entire sect to serve as a warning. It was a tradition designed to preserve the integrity and spirit of Qingcheng.
The gazes of the disciples outside were all fixed on a single spot: a man kneeling on the floor in the center of the hall.
The elders' expressions were a study in contrasts.
Among them, the eyes of Song Hak, sitting at the center, were filled with simmering rage. Song Mun kept his eyes closed, pointedly avoiding eye contact. Song Gak maintained a dignified, stony expression, while Song Gwan looked on with a face full of pity.
They all held their tongues, waiting for the Sect Leader's next move.
Sect Leader Song Jeong had not yet spoken.
"What happened to your face?"
"Ah...!"
At those words, several of the watching disciples let out audible groans. In particular, those who knew Seok Myeong began to murmur in shock.
Seok Myeong, who had fled the sect only to suddenly return, looked entirely different. He appeared handsome and rejuvenated, looking no older than twenty. His appearance had changed so drastically that he would have been difficult to recognize had they encountered him in the outside world.
"It became like this while practicing martial arts," Seok Myeong replied calmly to the Sect Leader's question.
"Could it be that you consumed something extraordinary?"
"This disciple was unfortunately not blessed with such luck."
At that, the surroundings began to buzz again. Unless it was a masterfully applied disguise, there was no logical way to explain such a transformation. The only other explanations would be a Face-Preserving Fruit or a divine elixir, but Seok Myeong denied both.
If so, there was only one conclusion left—a profound breakthrough in cultivation.
"I see. Well, it is not a bad change, so it is good to see you well."
Song Jeong wore a small, inscrutable smile. Whether he was sincere or not was unclear, but he exuded the effortless dignity of a Great Grandmaster.
"I heard previously that you went out to become a Qingcheng Sword Master." He naturally shifted the topic to the matter at hand.
"That is correct."
"And? How was it? How different was the outside world you experienced firsthand from the world you only imagined within the walls of Qingcheng?"
Seok Myeong raised his eyes to look at the Sect Leader. His gaze then naturally drifted to the other elders. In the Grand Purity Hall, only the relevant elders gathered unless it was a matter affecting the sect's very existence. Song Hak, Song Mun, Song Gak, and Song Gwan—all of whom were directly or indirectly related to his past—were gathered there.
Seok Myeong looked around at the first-generation disciples gathered nearby before continuing.
"It was a different world from the books I read in the storehouse."
"Oho." Song Jeong showed interest and urged him to continue. "Why do you think so?"
"I saw many things that were very different from what I had been taught."
"How were they different?"
Seok Myeong took a moment to organize his thoughts. "The Orthodox Faction did not always act as the Orthodox Faction should, and the Unorthodox Faction was not always acting like the Unorthodox Faction."
"Ho, and?"
"In the end, it seemed the problem was not a matter of Unorthodox or Orthodox, but the people. The people themselves were the issue."
"The people, you say." Song Jeong nodded slowly. "That is true. What kind of person someone is—that is what truly matters. Perhaps that is why you have brought back both good and bad rumors."
The conversation was finally moving toward the main point. The watching disciples leaned in, hanging on the Sect Leader's every word. From this point on, they would be discussing Seok Myeong's punishment.
Seok Myeong caught his breath for a moment and asked, "What was the good rumor?"
"That if the 'Qingcheng Taoist' known in Chang'an is indeed you, then you are qualified to be a Qingcheng Sword Master. You have established a brilliant reputation."
"Forgive me, Sect Leader, but did I not mention that some of those stories were exaggerated?"
At that moment, Song Hak cut into the conversation. The Sect Leader was in the middle of speaking, and normally, this would be a grave breach of etiquette, but Song Hak felt he had to address the situation immediately.
Fortunately, Song Jeong nodded as if he understood the elder's urgency. "We can hear about that in due time."
His gaze shifted back to Seok Myeong. The other elders followed suit. "I heard you fought Cheol Gun. Is that true?"
"It is."
"Inside the Golden Martial Association?"
"Yes."
The disciples gathered around began to murmur frantically. How could he have gone all the way to the Golden Martial Association to spar with Cheol Gun? And how did he even enter the Golden Martial Association, a stronghold of the Unorthodox Faction?
"So, what was the result?" Song Jeong silenced the disciples with a glance and continued speaking to Seok Myeong.
"That is..." Seok Myeong let his words trail off and raised his head.
There were people present who had witnessed it personally: Song Hak and Yeon-hui. So why was the Sect Leader asking this? When Seok Myeong's eyes met Song Hak's, he could guess the elder's two intentions.
One was the promise made to Cheol Mu-jin. The second was Song Hak's own reputation, which might become awkward if it were revealed he had been present at an Unorthodox gathering.
Song Hak, unable to maintain eye contact, turned his gaze away. Seok Myeong answered immediately.
"I fought Cheol Gun to a draw."
"Oh!"
"Is that true?!"
Song Mun, who had been watching the proceedings, shouted loudly, his eyes filled with sudden admiration. Beside him, Song Gak, who had been silent, also looked stunned.
Who was Cheol Gun? Was he not one of the Five Dragons, hailed as the best among the rising stars of the generation? To have fought him to a draw meant that Seok Myeong was on par with the Five Dragons. For the Qingcheng Sect, that was a monumental event.
"Brother, what is the meaning of this?"
Seok Gyeong spoke to Seok Jun, whose expression had gone beyond stiff to being completely contorted. Seok Gyeong was one of those who followed Seok Jun with excessive loyalty. When Seok Jun didn't answer, he spoke again.
"Isn't that Senior Brother Seok Myeong? He might be the Eldest Disciple in name, but wasn't he just a bookworm who couldn't even take care of himself? How could he possibly..."
"Be quiet!" Seok Jun snapped, silencing him instantly. He glared with wide eyes at Seok Myeong in the center of the Grand Purity Hall.
This was news to him as well. Part of it was because Qingcheng was isolated and not well-informed about outside rumors, but this news was so foreign it was beyond anything he could have anticipated.
A draw with Cheol Gun? Against the man called the strongest of the Five Dragons?
'Something is wrong.'
Seok Jun's eyes narrowed with intensity. And when he saw Yeon-hui standing up ahead, an inexplicable sense of shame made his anger flare even hotter.
"A draw? What nonsense are you talking about?"
Suddenly, Song Hak's voice thundered through the Grand Purity Hall, dripping with contempt. "Did you not clearly lose!"