Qualification to Seize Opportunity (2)
Jin Sowoon's words lingered in Cheol Sunjik's mind like an afterimage even into the second day.
[Giving up or not giving up isn't the right question. Trying won't change a damn thing.]
He knew Jin Sowoon was exceptional. The man had bested Ilgak—the academy's top fighter—in a spar, and in the practical strategy exam, he'd turned a disadvantaged squad into victors.
But that didn't mean Taeulmun possessed overwhelming martial might. It was all about maximizing his quick thinking, adaptability, resourcefulness, and exploitation of opportunities—supporting skills that let him snag what he wanted.
For instance, he'd beaten Ilgak in a duel. But could any other Taeulmun disciple do the same?
'Not even worth pondering.'
Ilgak's victory would be certain. Taeulmun's arts couldn't compare to Shaolin's.
In that sense, Jin Sowoon shared something with him: filling absolute gaps in power through any means necessary. But it all hinged on the man's personal talents. In a clash of sects and factions, such individual variables lost their edge.
That was why his nonchalant, composed face—delivering the most obvious advice—stuck in Cheol Sunjik's head.
And another doubt bloomed.
[Can Jin Sowoon really stand against Jongnam?]
Historically and by current scale, the gap was clear. Jongnam had even pushed their forces to the limit.
What could five Taeulmun disciples possibly do?
Yet for some reason, he felt a flicker of anticipation.
If Jin Sowoon could pull it off, that meant...
'Proof that I could too.'
A strange excitement welled up inside him.
Anticipation, huh...
'Hah, what nonsense.'
Lost in thought, Cheol Sunjik let out a scoffing laugh. After a few losses, was he idolizing the guy now? Doing what dullards would?
He'd felt his composure slipping since entering the academy.
Then.
"Hm?"
Leaning on his sword in deep contemplation, Cheol Sunjik looked up. The surroundings were dark, the torches that had burned all night now dying down. By the moon's position, it was still the hour of the Cock. The protesters against Jongnam should be asleep.
'People?'
He rose from the rock, extending his senses. Footsteps climbing the mountain registered—dozens of them, not just one or two.
'And growing?'
They moved openly in the dead of night, chatting or even shouting, making no effort to hide.
'A raid?'
The pent-up resentment exploding into a massive brawl was his worst-case scenario. The fallout would hit Jongnam's lay disciples hardest.
As Cheol Sunjik headed for Jongnam's tents, his dozing brother Cheol Hyeonjik jolted awake.
"Sunjik, what's up?"
"People are gathering."
"People? At this hour?"
Cheol Sunjik nodded slightly.
"Better prepare, just in case."
"Got it. Let's go."
At Jongnam's camp, the guarding disciple's eyes sharpened.
"What?"
"Can I see your division head?"
The disciple was about Cheol Sunjik's age, having flunked the academy exam.
Maybe that's why. "What's the issue?"
He showed no friendliness toward Cheol Sunjik.
'Or maybe that's just how they treat lay disciples.'
Swallowing a sneer, Cheol Sunjik bowed.
"People are climbing the mountain."
"The mountain?"
"Yes. They're not hiding their presence—looks like they've got ulterior motives."
The Jongnam disciple smirked. "As if those losers could scheme anything."
The privilege of the strong. Arrogance.
"May I report to your division head?"
"You think it's proper to wake him for this?"
"...If it's an armed revolt..."
"You think Jongnam would lose to them? You dare?"
And what topples the strong? Arrogance.
Cheol Sunjik swallowed another inner scoff. As he traded pointless barbs with the disciple—
Boom! Boom! Boom! Crash!
Lightning cracked repeatedly, the world flashing bright for an instant.
"Wh-what?!"
"Attack?!"
"Wake everyone!"
The ominous explosion, like thunder bombs, roused the sleepers, nerves on edge. Among them was chief overseer Gu-gung Division Head Gong Son-su.
"Figure out what happened!"
At his command, disciples rushed toward the blast site; others climbed trees to scan Jodang Mountain.
True to their elite training, reports came fast.
"People are climbing Jodang Mountain!"
"A huge cave mouth formed where the explosion hit."
"Word is, it's a new entrance to Cheondong Cave."
Gong Son-su's eyes bulged with rage.
"What?! A new entrance?! What the hell have you been doing until things got this bad?! Who was on watch during the hour of the Cock?!"
The Jongnam disciple who'd argued with Cheol Sunjik trembled forward under the fierce aura.
"S-sorry, sir. I was guarding the camp area... Juk-hyeon Hall! We were tasked with watching the approaches."
In this absurd mess, as Cheol Sunjik stepped forward to tell the truth—
'Hm?'
Cheol Hyeonjik grabbed his hand, halting him, and advanced instead.
"We're sorry, Division Head."
He bowed deeply, but a sharp slap answered.
Slap!
"You call yourselves Jongnam lay disciples when you can't handle something this simple?!"
Cheol Hyeonjik clutched his reddened cheek and bowed again.
"We're sorry. Our skills are lacking; we failed to detect the intruders properly."
Gong Son-su's face boiled with fury, but time pressed.
"Move!"
"Oryeong Immortal Flower Oil is mine!"
"Jongnam didn't guard this entrance!"
Shouts and battle cries erupted from all sides, as if it were broad daylight.
Gong Son-su bit his lip and turned.
"Block them now! Don't let them into Cheondong Cave!"
Juk-hyeon Hall and two other lay sects, plus thirty from Gu-gung Division, rushed the new entrance.
But...
"Damn..."
The crowd already pouring in was too vast to count.
"Block them!"
The belated Jongnam forces tried to halt the climbers, but...
"Stop right... Urk!"
Seeing so many already inside, the mob lost all restraint. If not everyone could enter, but some had? That changed everything.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Outta the way, you bastards! I spent twenty taels on that map!"
"Is the Oryeong Immortal Flower Oil yours?! We can have some too!"
"Make way! Jongnam's mostly lay disciples anyway!"
Crowd psychology drowned personal fear. Those who wouldn't meet Jongnam eyes before now charged swords drawn.
The sudden melee bewildered even Jongnam disciples. Their lay sects, gaining nothing from this, fought passively—turning the entrance into chaos.
Cheol Sunjik and his brother were caught in it too.
"Sunjik, people are getting in."
Sweeping his sword lightly while retreating, Cheol Sunjik glanced over at his brother's report.
Through the fray, folks slipped into the new mouth one by one.
"..."
Pushed back by sheer numbers, Jongnam disciples yielded the entrance fully—swelling the influx.
Now was the moment to enter.
Cheol Sunjik eyed his brother.
"Brother. I'll be right back."
"Huh?"
His gaze flicked to Cheondong Cave's mouth; Cheol Hyeonjik freaked.
"What're you saying?! You don't know what dangers lurk if you rush in there...!"
He clutched his brother's hem amid the chaos.
Under that grip, Cheol Sunjik met his eyes again. The swollen red cheek stood out vividly even in the dark.
He shook off the hand.
"...Something I need to confirm."
"Confirm?"
"Yes. I'll explain after."
He launched toward the new entrance.
'This isn't coincidence.'
The chaos screamed meticulous planning.
And one face surfaced naturally.
[Giving up or not giving up isn't the right question. Trying won't change a damn thing.]
[Jongnam bastards. Let's see what you've got.]
Jin Sowoon's sly grin, chuckling 'keh keh keh'. He wanted to see it. Whether the impossible could really happen. With his own eyes.
# Meanwhile, as martial artists who caught wind of the new Cheondong Cave entrance fought fiercely to get inside...
Western Region fighters, oblivious to it, began ascending Jodang Mountain one by one.
The noise and blast alone swelled their expectations sky-high. Damned Jongnam wouldn't let this ruckus happen if they still clogged the entrance like constipated pricks.
Thus, the climbers dove excitedly into the pandemonium.
Jongnam, unprepared for the new mouth, hastily mobilized disciples to block it.
"Gap! I see a gap...!"
Which left the original entrance vulnerable too.
"Charge! Can't tell friend from foe anyway!"
"Overwhelm with numbers!"
"Let's gooo!"
Meanwhile, Jin Sowoon's juniors—who'd dumped cold shit on Jongnam's event and taught them the taste of defeat—were digging on the opposite side of the fresh third entrance.
"Hyung! Something's happening!"
Eunho froze, rabbit eyes wide, shovel paused.
Geum Pyo's face hardened as he eyed him.
This punk's scheming again?
"Eunho, you stopping?"
"...No, but something's up, right?"
Hong Saryeon shot him a glare too.
"Junior brother, hurry up. We're falling behind."
With her piling on, Eunho ducked back to digging.
But seriously, something might be wrong. Why so prickly?
Definitely from hanging with big senior brother.
Glancing over, Jin Sowoon squatted, gnawing jerky.
That looks familiar...
Hm...
"Ah."
Like the neighborhood thugs blocking alleys for protection money in his childhood.
'Definitely got the vibe of a pro...'
Other sects' seniors stood tall and proper. Ours? Never seen him straight once.
"Eunho."
"Yessir!"
"Slow hands."
"..."
And why dig our own tunnel when big senior brother blasted a huge entrance?
Stuffing down frustration, Eunho shoveled like mad.
Soon enough.
Exactly as ordered, they'd tunneled the specified length into the mountainside.
"Huff... huff..."
"Senior... done."
"Ugh! Totally different from swinging a sword..."
As the four juniors collapsed, Jin Sowoon strolled up from behind.
Then.
Poke. Poke.
"Urgh..."
...prodded them with his foot(?).
"Whining after a little digging? You call yourselves Taeulmun disciples?"
You just sat there...!
And what does digging have to do with being disciples anyway?
Doubts surged, but heaving breaths killed any questions.
"Aigoo, how Taeul Sword Emperor must grieve from the heavens. Tsk tsk."
"...Senior, why dig a separate tunnel? You already made a big entrance."
At Hong Saryeon's question, Jin Sowoon, gazing skyward in mock lament, spat matter-of-factly.
"Gotta toss meat to the dogs when sneaking into someone's yard."
"Pardon?"
"Never heard of shout east, strike west? Stir chaos elsewhere, they ignore us."
Whoa, so big senior brother's not a thug—a thief.
...Should I admire this?
Thief Jin Sowoon waxed eloquent.
"Jongnam's distracted by the mob—good for us. Fighters get their shot—good for them. Sister-in-law happy, brother-in-law happy, right?"
Jongnam gets balls-kicked then backstabbed, though.
Our senior's genius borders on con artist...
"Hm? Eunho, why that look?"
"Pardon? What look?"
"Feels like you're eyeing something contemptible."
...World's sharpest instincts.
Eunho bowed hastily.
"Heh heh. No way. Just etching your golden words into my soul."
"Hm? Really?"
Jin Sowoon grinned, pleased, and positioned at the tunnel end.
"Time passed—they know about intruders inside Cheondong Cave. No one here."
Gathering qi in both palms.
He thrust repeatedly at the wall.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With each swing, Taeulmun's old art, Great Ocean Palm, shot out.
Weak power, slow speed. But perfect now—silent wall-busting.
"While chaos reigns, we slip in quietly, grab the Oryeong Immortal Flower Oil, done."
Palms flew nonstop as he spoke.
Juniors gawked, dirt splattering ignored, awed by his prowess.
Before Taeul Sword Emperor's arts returned, Great Ocean Palm guzzled qi in Taeulmun.
Seeing it, their minds whirled.
'That palm earlier too... How much qi does he have?'
'Skills alone make him strong—why the constant schemes?'
'If I fight senior... Ugh! No way! Not tough—soul-shattering...'
How much time passed?
Thud! Rumble.
The flying dirt collapsed the other way.
Perfectly linked to Cheondong Cave, as planned.
Jin Sowoon turned, smirking at his juniors.
"See? That's strategy."
Totally weird, but cool.
Cool, but kinda insane... No, weird.
The four shook off irreverent thoughts.
Oblivious, Jin Sowoon gestured grandly to enter.
They followed into Cheondong Cave at last.
But.
"Wha?! Intruders!"
"How'd they get here?!"
"Wake everyone!"
...What the hell?
Six Jongnam disciples were already camped, sleeping.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
'Strategy my ass?'
'Shout east strike west?'
'Chaos distraction? You caused the chaos!'
In utter disbelief, the four shot Jin Sowoon dirty looks...
"...What're you doing? Subdue them already."
But big senior brother ignored them, stepping forward first.