Let the Blades Decide
"How about settling this at the Meeting of Arms?"
Jin Cheong-un tilted his head. "Isn't that just the conference's old name?"
"As it happens, it earned that name because the members used to settle their disputes with one another through duels."
"Hmm."
Geum Tae-bang stole furtive glances at Jin Cheong-un's thoughtful face.
To think Gun-ak of all people would walk into this stable on his own two feet because of that man... School ties, hometown ties—how on earth had he ended up mediating a quarrel between Yinghua Village's madman of the Jianghu and his own old friend?
Midway through his silent lament, Baek Gun-ak spoke in a cold voice.
"I'll admit it. I misjudged the man you are. However."
"...?"
"As the representative of Yichang's martial world, I cannot simply slink away like this. Not even if you do have powerful friends standing behind you!"
Jin Cheong-un blinked.
What is he on about? Was the man seeing things? What exactly was supposed to be behind him?
"So—three months from now. We let the results at the Meeting of Arms settle every last shred of this conflict. That is my final concession."
Jin Cheong-un kept his mouth shut, wearing a blank expression.
Watching him, Baek Gun-ak's eyes took on a greasy gleam.
To possess backing powerful enough to pressure the Martial Alliance's branch chief, yet play the helpless fool like this. His acting is quite something.
It was, of course, a misunderstanding. Jin Cheong-un genuinely had no idea what the man was talking about—but Baek Gun-ak had no way of knowing that.
"Explain it to me in more detail."
At Jin Cheong-un's question, Baek Gun-ak answered in a voice like sheet ice.
"Every year at winter's end, the association holds a sparring tournament."
"A sparring tournament?"
"An annual event open only to disciples under twenty who have trained for less than three years. Officially, its purpose is to advertise each academy and foster harmony and camaraderie among the students."
Baek Gun-ak looked him dead in the eye.
"Enter it. We let the results of the duels settle everything once and for all."
"..."
In other words: we've both taken our losses, so let's call it even and wrap things up in front of everyone as though it had all gone swimmingly. When grown men fought, face and honor tangled everything into knots until it had to end in utter ruin—so the notion was to settle the matter neatly, and prettily, at the disciples' level instead.
"If your disciple takes three wins or more, the association will never again disadvantage the Cheongun Martial Arts Academy, nor meddle in its affairs."
"Not even the championship—just three wins? And if we lose?"
"You join the association."
"..."
"Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of demanding you follow the rules at this point. We'll simply put your name on the roster."
Jin Cheong-un tilted his head. "That's all?"
"I came here to resolve this matter amicably. I care nothing for who wins or loses, nor for anything else that follows."
Having said his piece, Baek Gun-ak raised his teacup once more.
Jin Cheong-un studied him in silence.
Terms with nothing to lose. The man had come in remarkably humble. This was practically a declaration of surrender—a plea to be allowed nothing more than a face-saving ceremony.
And yet.
That was that, and this was this.
"'Fraid not."
Wasn't this a separate matter entirely?
"'Afraid not'?"
"Why should we have to?"
"I have conceded this much, and still you would drag this to the very end?!"
"Is that not allowed?"
"What did you say?"
Jin Cheong-un smiled, slow and crooked. "Well then. Let's find out."
"...!"
Baek Gun-ak's face crumpled. It was deeply satisfying, but it wasn't over yet. Take a few more hits, why don't you.
"Vice Master."
"..."
"Let's set our pride down and speak honestly. My disciples number all of two, and one of them is still a child—and a patient, at that."
Jin Cheong-un rapped his knuckles on the table.
"The other has barely finished learning external cultivation and basic stances, and you're talking about duels? Duels, my ass. You've got face to spare but no conscience at all, don't you?"
"...!"
"Oh—don't tell me. Since there's no hope of beating me, you thought you'd work over my disciples instead? Isn't that a touch too petty?"
Battered by words alone, Baek Gun-ak flushed scarlet, as though he'd plunged straight into qi deviation.
"Do you take this Baek Gun-ak for a man so base?! The thought never once crossed my mind!"
"Now, now, calm yourself. You gave me a fright. Why fly into such a rage? People might get the wrong idea..."
"You—!"
Jin Cheong-un merely shrugged, the picture of indifference.
Judging by the reaction, it had indeed been a misunderstanding.
Then again, he'd seen plenty of that breed in the Alliance. Staking one's life on face was the Jianghu way, after all. When a quarrel broke out among one's betters, it truly had to end in annihilation—so patching things up at the lower levels before it came to that was something of a Jianghu tradition.
Nothing to lose, true.
But was that really all there was to it?
This world sits in the association's palm either way.
He had already raised hell at the conference, and his use of the underworld had come to light besides. So what would happen if he lost the tournament and was forced into the association as a consequence?
Yes—in Baek Gun-ak's own words:
The face of the Cheongun Martial Arts Academy would be finished.
No need to follow the rules? Oh, he'd mean every word of it. But the moment that happened, the academy would become an outcast.
It would be no different even if they took their three wins and won the wager. The association had the whole industry in a stranglehold—what would change, beyond no longer being actively persecuted?
At that point Geum Tae-bang, thoroughly flustered, tried his best to smooth things over.
"Come now, Master Jin. Let's not do this—let's end things on good terms, hm?"
Whether or not he grasped the situation, out came the comfortable patter about wrapping everything up nicely.
"Talk is already starting from the higher-ups. Do it for my sake, why don't you?"
"..."
"And don't fret over them breaking the agreement. I'll be watching with both eyes wide open."
Geum Tae-bang turned his head slightly and shot Baek Gun-ak a meaningful look.
The man forced down his anger and opened his mouth.
"I confess I failed to give your academy's circumstances proper consideration. If you wish, I shall match the level of the disciples."
Jin Cheong-un went still.
What? Match what, exactly?
"Hehe! There, you see? He keeps conceding, this friend of ours. Even in the worst case, even if you lose, you've nothing to lose, right, Master Jin? So let's just wrap it up around—"
Geum Tae-bang's words died in his throat.
Because Jin Cheong-un's eyes were flashing.
"Who exactly is losing here?"
"Uh, uh?"
"Match the level, was it? Are you quite certain, right now, that my disciple would lose?"
SLAM!
Jin Cheong-un slammed his palm on the table, eyes blazing.
"Gladly! Let's have it, then!"
"Huh?"
"That sparring tournament or whatever it's called—let's hold the damn thing. I'll show you the power of the GREAT Cheongun Martial Arts Academy!"
A short while later.
"Well. That's how it went."
"Aaaargh."
At her master's words, Jeong So-so clutched her head and sank to the ground.
"A d-duel? Who? Me?"
"Yep. You."
"In the crucial duel that settles everything with the association—me?"
"That's right. You."
Jin Cheong-un chuckled at the sight of her twisting in agony.
Not that they don't have their own hidden designs in all this.
He saw no reason to say that part aloud. He had no wish to show the children the grimy underbelly of the Jianghu. They didn't need to grow accustomed to such things just yet.
"Wh-when is it? When does it happen?"
"They're thinking the Winter Solstice."
"The Winter Solstice... that's three months from now?!"
The Winter Solstice fell long after the busy farming season, and the cold left everyone with nothing to do. In other words, the perfect time of year for a feast or a festival!
Spectators were guaranteed to come flocking from every direction!
"Y-you should have refused! A duel, of all things!"
Unlike Jeong So-so, thunderstruck by the bolt from the blue, Jin Cheong-un's eyes were already spinning with schemes.
"What nonsense! If it were me being scorned, fine—but they dare slight our academy and my disciples, then challenge us to a fight, and I'm supposed to refuse? I can step on my own disciples all I like, but I will not stand for anyone else doing it!"
Um, you absolutely can stand it! You're terrifyingly good at standing it!
"Master, am I competing as well?"
At Jeong So-ryong's question, Jin Cheong-un tilted his head. "Why? Want to?"
"Yes!"
"Your spirit does you credit, but not this time. First we cure your Nine Yin Severed Meridians."
"Ah. Understood."
Jeong So-so, who had been sunk in despair this whole while, finally spoke in a trembling voice.
"M-Master. You do remember I've spent months on nothing but external cultivation, and only just started learning basic forms...?"
"Of course I remember."
"Th-then you also know that all I've learned of swordsmanship is the fundamentals."
"Naturally, I know that too."
"..."
Ah. So you do know. And here I thought you had no idea.
Never mind that we've been put through hellish training every single day lately... Her opponent would be someone who had trained at an academy for years. She had no confidence whatsoever. Honestly, just keeping up with her current regimen was struggle enough—and now a duel! A duel!!
"Well, if you truly can't manage it, say the word. I'll turn them down."
Jeong So-so's head shot up. "What? I'm allowed to do that?"
"Would I make you do something you hate?"
"B-but then what happens with the association?"
Jin Cheong-un answered absently, picking at his ear. "We go down together. Simple as that."
"...?!"
"There's no reason you should be forced into something you hate just because of punks who know nothing but throwing their weight around. Honestly, I didn't much like it either—grown adults dumping the mess they made onto the children."
At those words, Jeong So-so went still.
Other masters were not like this. In the Central Plains, a master was heaven itself. A disciple existed to do whatever the master commanded. Refuse even the most unjust order, and the fault became the disciple's. Who was she to talk back irreverently and air grievances when heaven itself had spoken?
But Jin Cheong-un was different. He always asked what they wanted, and he always respected the answer.
She knew. If she truly said she couldn't do it, her master would simply nod and say understood. He would refuse on the spot, without a flicker of hesitation.
"...No. I'll do it."
Because he was that kind of man. That was why, every time, she wanted to follow her master's word.
"I want to flatten the noses of those association people too. I'm a member of the Cheongun Martial Arts Academy, after all!"
Jeong So-so shouted it loud and clear, fist clenched tight.
"You'll be all right?"
"Because I trust you, Master. You accepted their offer because you have some plan, right?"
Her eyes blazed with resolve. Her master, of all people, would never have agreed on a hot-headed impulse with nothing behind it! He'd said losing would cost them nothing, but if she had the choice, she wanted to win—openly, honorably, and in front of everyone.
I believe in you, Master!
"Just order me to do anything!"
"Anything?"
"Yes! Anything! So long as we win!"
"Even if it means hellish training for the next three months?"
"I've already steeled myself! I can do anything!"
"Hooohh!"
Jin Cheong-un burst out in admiration, his face glowing with emotion.
"You've finally attained the utmost sincerity! Magnificent! Magnificent! Then surely you can survive even mortal peril—swallowing poison, plunging off cliffs, that sort of thing!"
"Yes! Of course... wait, what?"
Jeong So-so froze solid.
"Uh. That part's a bit..."
Nobody had said anything about that. That seemed to be going rather too far.
"No, no—forgive me, So-so. This master underestimated you. With mental fortitude like yours, there's nothing you can't do. I'll add even more to the training I had planned!"
"N-no. Wait. Master."
"Fear nothing! I'll have you beat down every pompous fool who struts around flaunting his martial arts, and teach them what manner of academy ours truly is! I will forge you into an iron-blooded warrior who knows neither blood nor tears!"
Jeong So-so began to tremble all over.
I feel like I've just made some terrible, irreversible mistake?
At that moment, she felt a gentle pat-pat on her shoulder. She turned to find Jeong So-ryong gazing up at her with pitying eyes.
"Big Sis. Be strong."
"...!"
Dawn the next day.
The Jeong siblings, awake even earlier than usual, arrived at the academy wound tight with nerves.
Wh-what on earth is that?
Jeong So-so swallowed drily and stared ahead. Jin Cheong-un was hauling an enormous bundle.
CLANG! CLATTER! KAGAGAGAGAGAK!
What in the world was inside that thing to make sounds like that? Standing by idle hardly seemed like a disciple's duty, so she reached out to help—
"That's fine. It's heavy."
Jin Cheong-un smoothly dodged her hands and went on. "You'll be suffering plenty soon enough."
Her whole body went rigid. Come to think of it, he never let them help on normal days, always claiming it was part of their training—so what exactly was he planning to have them do?!
"Now, everyone, sit."
KUUUUNG!
As Jin Cheong-un set the bundle down, a heavy wave of qi rippled outward through the dark.
The sky was still pitch black.
Jin Cheong-un looked at his two disciples seated on the training ground and spoke.
"From today onward, the two of you will learn the secret martial arts of the Cheongun Martial Arts Academy."
"Secret martial arts..."
Tense as they were, the siblings' eyes lit up in an instant.