There Is No Such Thing as Everyone Being Happy in This World (1)
A new rumor was spreading through the martial world.
Hangzhou, Gaebang headquarters.
"Bangju! Jackpot! Get up and see for yourself!"
"Ah... just five more minutes."
"The sun's high in the sky and you're still sleeping! Get up already!"
"Did the Ma-gyo show up or something?"
"Nah, not that."
"Did the Namgung Clan collapse?"
"Nope, not that either."
"Then no big deal. I'm going back to sleep—wake me when it's time to eat."
The one delivering the news, Deputy Leader Ji Jeo-gae, spoke up.
"We've found Master!"
At that, Ji Cheon-gae—who'd seemed dead set on never rising—bolted upright.
"You found who?"
"Come on, you blockhead! Listen up this time, senior brother! We found Master!"
"Y-you're serious?"
"Would I lie about something like this? And you're the only one who doesn't know— the whole world's buzzing about it."
"I'm the Bangju, aren't I?"
"You sleep all day, so how would you know what's going on? Come out and see. It'll wake you right up from the shock."
"By the way, where's Master? I should go pay my respects in person and tell him! That troublemaking rascal of a disciple has finally become Bangju!"
Deputy Leader Ji Jeo-gae didn't answer right away.
"Hey! What's with the hesitation? Don't tell me Master's been found dead?"
"No, not that."
"Did he end up crippled somewhere?"
"No, not that either."
"Then spit it out already!"
"W-well... they say he's at the Namgung Clan."
Ji Cheon-gae, who had been ready to rush off to see his master, furrowed his brow.
"...The Namgung Clan? Why the hell there?!"
The current Bangju and Deputy Leader of Gaebang were disciples of Wanggae, Daegalbak No. 33. Unlike other sects, Gaebang had an absurd number of disciples. That's why their successor selection was unconventional too. Each elder picked a successor candidate, and they competed until the final winner became the true successor.
Back when Wanggae was still just an elder, these two were merely two among many candidates. And now that his disciple Ji Cheon-gae had become Bangju, Wanggae—who had raised them—held a status practically equal to the Bangju's. In fact, Wanggae had only failed to master the clan's secret Tagu Bongbeop, but he had been the strongest martial artist in Gaebang at the time.
Ji Jeo-gae had one more piece of news to deliver to his senior brother.
"Uh, senior brother. There's even bigger news related to that."
"Something more important than news about Master?"
Ji Jeo-gae nodded and continued.
"It's not just Master. All the legendary masters who vanished in the past have reappeared. And they're all serving under one person right now."
"Master too?"
"Yes."
"Who the hell could command experts like that? Did Mushin himself step up or something?"
That, he could accept.
"No. Mushin was there too, but he's not the one they're following."
"What...?!"
Ji Cheon-gae let out a gasp of astonishment.
This sudden news had been brought by none other than Gaebang's Deputy Leader—his own junior brother.
"The Namgung Clan's youngest young master, Namgung Daeso. He's currently thirteen years old. Nothing special about him before, but he publicly defeated his second brother, Namgung Jung, in a proxy duel. Rumor has it he also beat his third brother, Namgung So. As a result, Namgung So went into secluded training, and he only came out recently."
"S-so you're saying...?"
"Yes."
A mere thirteen-year-old boy had tamed a sleeping dragon.
Time, frozen for so long, was beginning to thaw.
* * *
Mudang Mountain.
This place was filled with heavenly vistas and towering cliffs. Exotic flowers and lush foliage abounded, and a mystical energy lingered constantly, earning it the name Spirit Mountain. Moreover, the sect based here drew visitors year-round.
Mudangpa. The sect leader's quarters.
"I-is this real?"
Mudangpa's sect leader, Giheo, stared in shock at the letter his disciple held.
"Senior brother is alive? And he beat Mugwang? You're asking me to believe this?!"
"I didn't believe it at first either, Master, but the martial world's in an uproar over it. Mujikja Grand Uncle is at the Namgung Clan right now. And he crushed that brute Mugwang! As expected of Mudangpa's pride—the Sword Sovereign!"
"Hold on, calm down first. Gu Gi-ja."
Giheo soothed his excited disciple.
"So, senior brother left Mudangpa over a dozen years ago, and now he's at the Namgung Clan? And just a few hours ago—today—he beat Mugwang?"
"Yes!"
His disciple Gu Gi-ja gazed at him with eyes full of pride.
Giheo understood. Gu Gi-ja had always idolized his senior brother since childhood. And this rumor involved the Namgung Clan of all places—which was usually bad news.
Like getting thrashed by some Namgung punk. Or realizing there was a sky above the sky. Or deciding to go into seclusion. Or quitting the martial world to become a merchant.
'Senior brother suddenly showing up is shocking enough, but he beat Mugwang?'
It was unbelievable.
There was once a ranking called the Ten Greatest Masters of the World—the ten strongest experts in the Central Plains, all at the Hwagyeong realm.
That list vanished once the Namgung Clan rose to prominence. It was like a single invasive species disrupting an entire ecosystem, forcing a complete reorganization.
Only ten Hwagyeong experts in the whole world? The Namgung Clan saw them all the time. Elders, division heads, council members—how many were there combined? Probably over thirty, especially counting those in seclusion.
Even the Ma-gyo only had about ten at most back in the day. Thirty was just too much.
That was the Namgung Clan. A place where common sense didn't apply. The true number one clan under heaven.
"Ah! Back in the day when Grand Uncle drank openly in front of all Mudangpa disciples without a care! I knew it then! That's a real man! That's the Sword Sovereign! That's the pinnacle of the martial world!"
'Uh... Disciple. That might not be quite right.'
Normally, Giheo would've smacked some sense into him for such delusions, but this time he held back. The kid was proud, after all.
The martial world had been suppressed by the Namgung Clan for so long.
'That's not the issue here.'
"We need to bring Master back right now! This is bigger than that time Grand Uncle smashed the disciplinary hall! It's a blessing for the martial world! This is no time to sit around—we have to go to the Namgung Clan and fetch Grand Uncle immediately!"
Giheo looked at his beloved disciple—still pure and untainted by the world—with affectionate eyes.
"Go where? Did you say Namgung?"
"Yes! The number one clan under heaven! I've always wanted to visit. If Master hadn't stopped me so firmly, I would've gone just to see it once!"
Gu Gi-ja's eyes held a hint of resentment as he looked at Giheo.
'Tsk tsk. It was all for your own good.'
Giheo spoke calmly to avoid disappointing him.
"Gu Gi-ja, listen carefully to what this master says from now on."
As he continued, an inexplicable fear flickered in Giheo's eyes.
"I don't know why senior brother is there, but since it's the Namgung Clan, we can't just barge in. No—we mustn't go."
"Why? I don't understand."
"Gu Gi-ja, that place is where you might lose a limb or two if you go carelessly."
"Aw, come on—that's just the scary story you told me as a kid to keep me in line. The Namgung Clan isn't the Ma-gyo; they wouldn't do that."
Well, there might've been a bit of truth to it.
'They're worse than the Ma-gyo.' If Mudangpa folks showed up, wouldn't they demand a fight on the spot?
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. So let's wait for now. If the letter's right, I'm not the only one shocked."
The entire martial world was probably reeling in disbelief. And knowing that guy...
'He'll be furious beyond belief.'
* * *
Song Mountain, Sorimsa.
The abbot's quarters.
"Amitabha. Did I hear that wrong?"
"Abbot! Why are you holding the Emerald Buddha Staff like that?!"
"It's true! Calm down first and think it through slowly."
"There must be some explanation. Still, isn't this a blessing for the martial world? That the Venerable One is still alive!"
"Did you just say 'blessing'?"
"Well... maybe not."
"Amitabha..."
"...Kwanseum Bosal."
Despite the elders' pleas, Abbot Jinheo refused to let go of the Emerald Buddha Staff.
It was Sorimsa's sacred treasure and symbol of the abbot. Commands issued through it were absolute. Even if it ordered someone to leap into fire unarmed, they had to obey.
That's why the elders were frantically trying to stop him now.
Jinheo finally released the staff. The elders sighed in relief.
"Is... Master unharmed?"
Jinheo asked with a distant, wistful gaze.
"I haven't seen him myself, but they say he's put on some healthy weight."
"His face is glowing with vitality."
"They said if they hadn't seen him use the Baekbo Singwon with their own eyes, they might not have recognized him as the Venerable One, haha!"
As Jinheo reached for the staff again, the chuckling elder's laughter cut off abruptly.
"Master must've lived comfortably all this time? Meanwhile, I've withered away like this."
Ilseon Dosa had abruptly abandoned Sorimsa and vanished. Jinheo had bled himself dry filling the void, rising to this position. Over a dozen years later, news of his master had arrived—unbelievable news, at that.
"Who knows about this right now?"
One elder gave an awkward smile.
"Probably... the entire martial world by now."
"What? This top-secret info?"
The elder pondered how to explain to the stunned Jinheo. He himself had needed time to process today's events.
Once he'd gathered his thoughts, the elder began explaining. After hearing it all, Jinheo's reaction was:
"Namgung Daeso... How old is that kid again?"
"Hard to believe, but he's thirteen now."
"Then we'll meet him soon enough. Master and the others will surely come too."
"Yes. They'll have to participate, after all."
"The child chosen by Master, who abandoned Sorimsa... Interesting. This just got very interesting. Don't you think? Hahahahaha!!"
The elders had feared Jinheo would erupt in rage and storm the Namgung Clan, but his unexpected calm left them off-balance.
They still had something unsaid.
-Didn't they say the Namgung youngest young master used Sorimsa martial arts?
-Specifically, the Nahanjin formation of eighteen Arhats. And other sects' arts too.
-We cannot tell the abbot that. If we do...
Unlike other sects, Sorimsa was sensitive about its martial arts—especially involving the Namgung Clan!
The Namgung Clan once held most of the martial world's techniques. But at some point, sects began reclaiming them one by one, and Sorimsa had benefited too. The problem? Sorimsa's most vital arts were still tucked away deep in the Namgung vaults.
-He might grab the Emerald Buddha Staff and march on Namgung right now. If so, knock him out if we have to.
-Absolutely!
-Amitabha.
-We can't let our generation destroy Sorimsa!
-Wise words.
* * *
At that moment, in the Namgung Clan.
"Wait, hold on—why the hell are they coming here?"
The culprit who had won the proxy duel and set the world abuzz was now scowling miserably, face twisted in dismay.