Chapter 154: Chapter 154
The situation was quickly resolved.
Most of the survivors from the collapsed Black Tiger Gang and Gwiyu Sect either left Yan’an or became subordinates of Soheung Fort.
Soheung Fort expanded its power in a single breath.
On the contrary, the Ilhwa Sect took the biggest hit and was in a miserable state.
Broken gates and pavilions.
Even the sect leader, who was severely injured and had cloth wrapped around his chest, and the groaning disciples.
There was no worse situation than this.
The only fortunate thing was that no one died.
Ju Go Yul bowed deeply to Cheon-hwi, Jeok-geom, and Seol Ran in front of him.
“Thank you for helping us.”
There was no other way for him to express his greatest gratitude right now but this.
“I only did what had to be done.”
“Senior Martial Brother is right.”
While Jeok-geom and Seol Ran waved their hands, perhaps feeling embarrassed, Cheon-hwi looked around.
‘It would be hard to just go back right away.’
The interior of the Ilhwa Sect was miserable.
It was partly because it was old and worn out, but the attack just now must have been quite large, as the walls and pillars were extremely precarious.
Was that all?
The Ilhwa Sect Leader was lying in the room, and the disciples were with him.
The only ones fine were Ju Go Yul and two disciples guarding the pavilion.
“Are there no other disciples?”
At Cheon-hwi’s question, Ju Go Yul smiled bitterly and nodded.
“These are all the personnel.”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed.
Not only was there no one uninjured, but there were only about ten people.
“Were there originally this few?”
“…Before, there were still nearly fifty disciples.”
Ju Go Yul spoke while recalling the past.
It was small compared to the Mount Hua Sect, but it still possessed a number of disciples that could be counted among the small and medium-sized sects.
But now…
“Most of the disciples were won over or couldn’t overcome the threats and left.”
“Then those remaining over there are the ones who stayed until the end.”
“That is right.”
“Hmm.”
Cheon-hwi fell deep into thought.
If he just left the Ilhwa Sect like this, he felt uneasy even with Soheung Fort around.
‘This is ambiguous.’
At that moment, Ju Go Yul jumped up.
And then he bowed his head deeply.
“Would you please stay until our sect regains stability?”
“I was thinking of doing so anyway.”
“Thank you.”
Bowing, his eyes shone.
“And if it isn’t rude, could you please teach martial arts to me and the disciples just while you are staying here?”
“Martial arts?”
Jeok-geom and Seol Ran looked on in fluster, but.
“I beg of you.”
Ju Go Yul was more serious than anything else.
‘I must support the Ilhwa Sect instead of relying on my father.’
His eyes were full of flames.
It was likely due to the enthusiasm for martial arts he had forgotten for a long time and the sense of responsibility he now felt.
‘Hmm, martial arts? That would rather be better.’
Rather than bringing back those who left half-heartedly in vain, it was better to teach martial arts to the Ilhwa Sect disciples.
If the results turned out well, rumors would spread, and because of that, there would be people wanting to enter the sect.
“Alright.”
“Really?”
Ju Go Yul’s expression brightened.
“Thank you.”
Cheon-hwi immediately turned his head to the side.
“Then you two teach them.”
“Pardon? B-But Martial Uncle is here, how could we…”
“We are lacking to teach martial arts.”
It was hard for the two to hide their bewilderment.
Wasn’t it like a pupa showing off its wrinkles in front of a master?
“Don’t you want to cross the wall?”
At that moment, the two widened their eyes.
The ‘wall’ Cheon-hwi spoke of meant the wall heading towards the peak realm.
The two gulped dry saliva.
“Are you saying it’s possible with this?”
At Jeok-geom’s question, Cheon-hwi grinned.
“You learn things while teaching. And shouldn’t you guys try anything right now?”
Cheon-hwi looked at them wavering and drove in the wedge.
“Or else you will fall behind.”
The two bit their lips firmly.
After entering the Seven Plum Blossom Gates a few days ago, their mindset had completely changed.
“At this rate, let alone catching up to Senior Martial Sister Cheon-hyang’s martial prowess…”
“We will be caught up by Senior Martial Sister Danmok Rin.”
The two had been brimming with confidence until recently.
By receiving Cheon-hwi’s training, they had no match among the second-generation disciples, and they had unrivaled skills even among the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
But the moment they witnessed Cheon-hyang’s true skills and Danmok Rin’s tremendous talent.
Their confidence collapsed in a single breath.
‘Had she been going easy on us all this time?’
‘…We were foolish.’
The two smiled bitterly as they watched Cheon-hyang’s martial arts as she dodged and struck away the iron balls.
All this time, Cheon-hyang had not exerted her true skills.
Internal energy, of course, and even sword arts.
Everything could not be compared to them.
And what about Danmok Rin?
Having discarded the mind art she originally learned and newly learning the Plum Blossom Qi Art, the two thought they had to protect her.
‘But it was an arrogant thought.’
‘It wasn’t time to worry about others.’
Recalling that time, the two smiled bitterly.
As if they weren’t the only ones who thought so, Cheon-hyang also said she would help, but.
‘This is a trial. I will do it.’
She rejected everyone’s help.
And the appearance she showed made not only the two but also Cheon-hyang and the Martial Training Pavilion Lord admire her.
Although her internal energy was lost, the experience Danmok Rin had acquired her whole life remained intact.
However, what caught everyone’s eyes more than that was her perseverance.
No, it could be called something filled with spite beyond perseverance.
Even when hit by iron balls, no matter what other trials there were, she didn’t even groan and didn’t hesitate to move forward.
Even when Cheon-hyang hesitated!
Jeok-geom and Seol Ran, who had watched the two right beside them, felt skepticism.
Towards themselves who were satisfied with the present.
“Understood.”
“Alright.”
At their positive answers, Ju Go Yul swallowed his regret and bowed.
“I look forward to working with you.”
* * *
Three days passed since staying at the Ilhwa Sect.
During that time, Jeok-geom and Seol Ran were dedicating their whole hearts and strength to teaching Ju Go Yul and the Ilhwa Sect disciples…
Their method was truly unique.
“Huff, huff. C-Can’t we rest just a little bit?”
Ju Go Yul, who kept running around the manor at Jeok-geom and Seol Ran’s commands, pleaded desperately.
For three days, there was absolutely no martial arts taught by the two.
Running, horse stance, running, horse stance…
Saying physical strength was important before learning martial arts, they kept running around the manor.
And it wasn’t just him.
The Ilhwa Sect disciples with slight minor injuries were also doing the horse stance under the scorching sun, having deathly expressions.
But even with such appearances of theirs.
“Why are you trying to rest already?”
“It’s still a long way off.”
Jeok-geom and Seol Ran, looking on with their arms crossed, didn’t blink an eye.
Rather, they didn’t stop the discipline.
“Ehem! If you can’t even do this much right now, how could you possibly learn martial arts?”
“Before learning martial arts, you must refine your body first. If you can’t even endure this… Phew.”
Seol Ran shook her head side to side.
The training they were doing now was just a very light part, not even half of half of the training they received from Cheon-hwi.
Yet they were struggling with just this.
In her eyes, it was pathetic.
“Don’t you want to become strong?”
“T-That is true, but…”
Ju Go Yul hesitated and said.
“Rather than continuously running around like this…”
‘Learning martial arts would be effective.’
He swallowed the latter words he was about to say inwardly.
“Are you saying learning martial arts is better?”
However, Seol Ran had already grasped the words he couldn’t bear to spit out.
It was far too natural.
Because when she received training from Cheon-hwi in the past, she also thought that every day.
But.
“While you can’t even endure such trivial training, how do you plan to learn martial arts?”
She criticized sharply.
“While learning martial arts, stamina consumption is great. Yet you want to learn martial arts without even building up such stamina.”
“That is…”
Ju Go Yul sweated profusely.
“Are you hoping for a child who can’t even stand up yet to run?”
“…”
At Seol Ran’s cold words, Ju Go Yul’s speech was blocked.
“In the time it takes to talk, shut your mouth and run.”
Bowing his head deeply, Ju Go Yul gritted his teeth and ran around the manor again.
“Junior Martial Sister, aren’t your words too harsh?”
As Jeok-geom asked with an awkward smile.
“Yes? This is?”
At that time, Seol Ran widened her eyes roundly.
“I have to speak to this extent to wake them up. What’s the point of teaching them half-heartedly?”
“That is true, but…”
“And what is harsh about this? This is kind.”
She spoke with a proud expression.
She looked as if she thought she was genuinely teaching kindly.
‘…She has been tainted by Martial Uncle.’
Watching Seol Ran, who seemed to have no awareness, Jeok-geom sighed and shook his head.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Jeok-geom said to Seol Ran.
“Junior Martial Sister, take charge of Young Master Ju. I’ll take charge of over there.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Hearing her answer, he stepped back.
And approaching the Ilhwa Sect disciples doing the horse stance, he smiled and said.
“It was hard, wasn’t it? Let’s take a short break.”
The expressions of the Ilhwa Sect disciples brightened.
At the same time, when they were about to plop down on the ground.
“Still, don’t sit down.”
Jeok-geom spoke coldly.
“Still, just sitting down…”
“Just for a moment…”
“Then don’t receive training.”
Jeok-geom spoke coldly.
“If you can’t even endure that, how can you learn the Mount Hua Sect’s martial arts?”
“…”
Shadows cast over the faces of the Ilhwa Sect disciples.
“The Jianghu is a place where you don’t know when or where you’ll be attacked. Yet how can you let go of your tension like that? Do you want to lose your lives right now?”
Jeok-geom spoke fluently like flowing water.
‘It was good that I memorized it.’
Having said exactly what Cheon-hwi had said, he spoke with an expression as if he was being generous.
“Still, I’ll give you one cup of tea’s time to rest. Everyone go drink water and come back.”
It was a statement made with a big heart.
When training with Cheon-hwi, let alone break times, he didn’t even give them time to drink water and made them do other training or errands.
But a break for one cup of tea’s time?
‘There is no other paradise like this!’
Jeok-geom put on a satisfied expression.
“O-Only one cup of tea’s time?”
However, differently from his thoughts, the Ilhwa Sect disciples shrank their necks and were startled.
‘Only one cup of tea’s time?’
‘Is he crazy and trying to kill us?’
What sect makes you do the horse stance for two hours and rest for one cup of tea’s time?
It was almost torture, not training.
‘They like it because there is a lot of break time.’
But misinterpreting those Ilhwa Sect disciples, Jeok-geom spoke with a satisfied expression.
“Then it is one cup of tea’s time starting now.”
Jeok-geom didn’t know.
That the one tainted by Cheon-hwi wasn’t just Seol Ran, but also himself.
“Ughhh!”
“Huff, huff. Save me…”
When the manor was filled with the rough breathing and wailing sounds of Ju Go Yul and the Ilhwa Sect disciples.
“Yawn.”
Cheon-hwi, the source of all these events, was lying on the bed and yawning.
‘Hmm. I have to look after them up to a certain point before leaving, but it will take a few more days.’
The Ilhwa Sect’s situation was not favorable.
The Sect Leader, Jo Song, was treating his wounds, and the number of Ilhwa Sect disciples was too small.
They had to create at least a certain level, but it seemed it would take some time.
“Well, if it seems like it won’t work out, I’ll just roughly toss a martial arts manual and go.”
Cheon-hwi said it casually.
Even though he was helping, it wasn’t something he absolutely had to do, was it?
Having also thought of a way to leave in the middle, Cheon-hwi scratched the back of his head and stood up.
‘They’re here.’
Looking out the window, Cheon-hwi packed the two swords he had left beside him and went outside.
“Are they Plum Blossom Swordsmen…”
The eyes of the young man, who was spying from a distance of the Ilhwa Sect with his presence killed, became sharp.
‘To think the Mount Hua Sect would join hands with Soheung Fort and destroy the Gwiyu Sect and the Black Tiger Gang.’
The young man, who was a disciple of the Ten Nights Sect, couldn’t believe the current situation.
The Gwiyu Sect had expanded its power at an astonishing speed with the support of the Ten Nights Sect.
On top of that, what about the Black Tiger Gang?
He knew that it wasn’t enough for the Green Forest to support them with money, but they even sent experts.
That was why he thought Yan’a would break out into a fight between the Gwiyu Sect and the Black Tiger Gang, but…
‘To think both of them would collapse.’
It was an unexpected result.
“The plan went completely awry. We intended to expand our power after acquiring Yan’a through the Gwiyu Sect, but…”
“What were you going to do after that?”
“Of course, Shaanxi… Hup!”
The Ten Nights Sect Disciple, who was about to answer the question unconsciously, was startled and jumped back.
A young Daoist was standing with his hands behind his back in the place where he had been.
“W-Who are you?”
The young Daoist, Cheon-hwi, chuckled.
“What are you going to do if you know?”
“Do you know where we…”
When the Ten Nights Sect Disciple was about to yell.
Puk!
A chilling sound was heard.
Startled by the sound, the Ten Nights Sect Disciple lowered his head, and a sword was pierced into his chest.
“…W-When… Cough!”
Vomiting blood, his body slowly lost strength and leaned towards Cheon-hwi.
“Being annoying.”
Catching the falling corpse, Cheon-hwi threw it into the river next to him with a swift motion, as if it was annoying.
Splash…
Watching the corpse floating down the flowing river water, Cheon-hwi swiftly turned his body.
“Won’t they just come all at once?”
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