Chapter 179: Chapter 179
Cheon-hwi, who had arrived at Samong Plaza, looked down at the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect in front of him.
Eighteen First-Generation Disciples.
Forty-two Second-Generation Disciples.
The personnel gathered here now were those considered the strongest force in the current Mount Hua Sect.
‘Look at these guys?’
Cheon-hwi scanned them, who were showing signs of excitement, with a dumbfounded look.
“You guys seem to be in a really good mood?”
Several of them flinched.
Cheon-hwi tilted his head at their reaction and opened his mouth.
“The joint operation failed, and you showed a disorganized appearance like a rabble a few days ago, but laughter sure comes out easily.”
“…….”
“If it were me, I would have been so embarrassed that I would bow my head right away or not even think about making eye contact. Hmph. Where did you leave the word ’embarrassment’?”
As much as his tilted head, no.
Even more crooked words than that pierced the hearts of the disciples gathered at Samong Plaza.
In particular, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen who went on the joint operation and failed hung their heads low.
Cheon-hwi half-opened his eyes.
He understood why they were happy.
It was because they had become part of the first combat unit that would go down in the history of the Mount Hua Sect.
But that was that.
Now was not the time to be excited.
‘You have to face reality.’
Why was the combat unit created?
It was because the Mount Hua Sect faced a crisis and needed to increase its power as quickly as possible.
But to be excited.
‘At a time when even whipping them wouldn’t be enough.’
So he deliberately spoke harshly, and fortunately, it seemed to have worked.
However.
“Junior Martial Brother. Isn’t that too harsh?”
Cheon-hyang stepped forward and said.
Was it because of her sense of responsibility as the Eldest Senior Martial Sister?
Or was it because of her pride as a Plum Blossom Swordsman?
She, who came out representing the dispirited Plum Blossom Swordsmen, pouted as if she really didn’t like what Cheon-hwi had just said, and opened her mouth.
“Did you think we wanted to fail?”
Cheon-hyang’s words were an indirect expression that they had done their best.
However, Cheon-hwi didn’t have the slightest intention of accepting her words.
“Then are you saying failure is natural?”
“No, it’s not that…….”
Cheon-hyang scratched her head and opened her mouth, seemingly not knowing he would catch fault instead of glossing over it.
“I’m asking you to recognize that we also put in effort in a disadvantageous situation.”
“Eeeffort?”
As if Cheon-hyang’s following words were absurd, Cheon-hwi dragged out the end of his words.
“Wow. I was going to talk about that anyway, so this is perfect.”
Cheon-hwi rolled his eyes fiercely.
“So if you put in effort, it’s okay to fail?”
“Th, that’s…….”
Cheon-hyang stammered.
“And if you’re going to put in effort, why aren’t you doing it now? What, did you train until you fainted after coming back? Or did you even think about doing closed-door training?”
“…….”
“Good grief. It’s not like you were making a fuss about getting revenge either, you were just sitting still receiving treatment. Ah! Receiving treatment was the effort. Oh my, I didn’t recognize that. Right?”
At Cheon-hwi’s harsh criticism that poured out endlessly without stopping for even a moment, Cheon-hyang eventually closed her eyes tightly.
“Senior Martial Sister doesn’t even seem angry, does she?”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes sank.
“Against mere Unorthodox Faction bastards, one person’s body was half-crippled and a few came back sickly, yet you don’t even get angry.”
“No, I’m angry too…….”
Cheon-hyang’s voice trailed off.
She, who was always confident at any time, was completely overwhelmed by Cheon-hwi.
It wasn’t just her.
The Plum Blossom Swordsmen who met Cheon-hwi’s gaze shrank their necks and avoided his eyes.
“For someone who says they are angry, you sure are carefree. If it were me, I would have been so furious at my skills that I would have immediately gone into closed-door training, but being this excited and not even training, tsk!”
At Cheon-hwi’s bitter words, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen bowed their heads deeply as if they had become sinners.
“From today on, I will properly show you what that effort you mentioned is.”
Cheon-hwi glared at them.
“Ah, right! Before that, there’s something you need to know. When training, there’s no such thing as First-Generation Disciples or Second-Generation Disciples.”
The disciples stirred at the unconventional words. The First-Generation Disciples were flustered, and a look of dismay appeared on the faces of the Second-Generation Disciples.
However, whether they showed such a reaction or not, Cheon-hwi continued speaking.
“If you want to receive my teachings, you’ll have to put down your pride and everything else. Well, but if you don’t like that.”
Cheon-hwi pointed outside with his index finger.
“Leave this place.”
Everyone held their breath.
The Second-Generation Disciples showed no signs of wavering, but some of the First-Generation Disciples deliberated.
Because bowing their heads to a Junior Martial Brother was a very humiliating thing.
But their deliberation was not long.
‘It’s an opportunity to become stronger.’
‘Does pride protect my life?’
The day they failed the joint operation flashed in their minds and disappeared.
Being weak and getting beaten was more humiliating than bowing their heads to a Junior Martial Brother.
Seeing the disciples with looks of resolution, Cheon-hwi smiled in satisfaction.
Right, if they have pride, they should be like this.
“Then since everyone stayed of their own free will, don’t even think about complaining about the training that will happen from now on.”
Anxiety settled on the disciples’ faces.
But it was something that had already happened.
When everyone was gulping down their saliva.
“Then, to get things organized first, the three newly appointed unit leaders, come out.”
When Cheon-hwi spoke nonchalantly.
“Yes!”
“Did you call for me?”
“I’m out.”
The three of them popped out swiftly.
Cheon-hwi pointed at the three of them one by one with an annoyed expression and said.
“Flying Sword Unit, Martial Bloom Squad, Hwaryeong Unit, you’ll each take charge like that.”
After pointing at Jeok-geom, Seol Ran, and Cheon-hyang in order, he twisted the corners of his mouth.
“Now, then, go and pick the members to join your combat units on your own.”
“Yes?”
“Me, members?”
“Are you telling us to pick them ourselves?”
“Should I pick the members you can entrust your backs to? You should pick them yourselves.”
At Cheon-hwi’s logic, the three of them were momentarily swayed.
‘Certainly, picking them ourselves is…….’
‘If it’s someone to entrust my back to…….’
‘Hmm, members.’
Just as the three were about to deliberate.
“It would be better to go quickly rather than that. If you’re late, you’ll get your members stolen.”
Cheon-hwi urged them.
The moment those words ended, the three of them ran to the people they had in mind and spoke to them.
“Won’t you join the Flying Sword Unit?”
“Won’t you trust me and join the Martial Bloom Squad?”
“Trust me and come in.”
About a quarter of an hour passed.
“We’ve gathered everyone.”
“It’s done.”
“I did it like this.”
The three of them lined up in front of Cheon-hwi with the members they had directly gathered.
Cheon-hwi looked at them and let out a hollow laugh with a dumbfounded expression.
‘It’s truly amazing. Even though I told them to do as they please, they came back matching the numbers perfectly.’
As if they had planned it, the three of them had chosen exactly nineteen people each, fairly matching the numbers.
“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter for now.”
Cheon-hwi trudged out.
And looking at them, he opened his mouth.
“Then let’s start the first training now.”
In an instant, everyone gulped down their saliva.
At the same time, just as anticipation and a slight sense of anxiety were about to appear in their eyes.
“You see over there?”
As Cheon-hwi spoke and pointed behind him with his thumb, everyone’s gaze went upward.
That place was Falling Goose Peak.
When everyone was looking quizzically at Cheon-hwi, who was pointing at the incredibly steep peak.
“Go to the summit and come back.”
“Y, you mean over there?”
A deflating question was heard.
Unlike what they had expected, everyone was deflated by the too simple training.
Looking at them, Cheon-hwi slowly and deeply twisted the corners of his mouth.
“It would be best to go and come back quickly.”
The moment those words ended.
Ta-at!
There were those who dashed forward like an arrow.
The disciples who were scanning their faces couldn’t hide their bewilderment.
“U, Unit Leader?”
“J, Jeok-geom Senior Martial Brother?”
It was Jeok-geom, Seol Ran, and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen who had trained with Cheon-hwi.
And Cheon-hyang chased after them.
“E, even Senior Martial Sister?”
When everyone was staring blankly.
“What are you doing not going? Well, it wouldn’t matter if you did as you please.”
Cheon-hwi cut off his words midway and smiled wickedly.
“You’ll just have to experience it yourself.”
“……!”
Only then did the rest of the disciples snap out of it and urgently ran toward Falling Goose Peak.
Ta-da-dat!
They executed their footwork without even caring that all their internal energy was being consumed.
Soon, only Cheon-hwi was left in Samong Plaza.
“Hmm.”
Cheon-hwi raised his head and looked up.
The sight of dozens of disciples desperately climbing Falling Goose Peak was creating a spectacle rarely seen.
“They urgently need physical stamina.”
Mind, Qi, and Body, which are the most important things for a martial artist.
At least they had built up their internal energy with the Dark Fragrance Pill, and they were learning martial arts fairly well.
But physical stamina was the problem.
‘No matter how much internal energy you have and how strong your martial arts are, it’s useless if your stamina doesn’t keep up.’
Cheon-hwi recalled the dogfight that took place when they were choosing the unit leaders of the combat units.
No matter if it was a melee, it was a serious problem that most of them were panting and struggling in less than two hours.
‘Still, I guess it’s fortunate that physical training can yield faster growth than building internal energy or learning martial arts.’
Cheon-hwi took his eyes off Falling Goose Peak, rummaged through his sleeve, and took out a black pill.
It was precisely the Dark Fragrance Pill.
“The toxicity is stronger than before.”
The Dark Fragrance Pill, which had been handled a lot, shone even blacker than the last one.
Not only that, but even though he wasn’t close to it, the poisonous scent pierced his nose.
“Even so. It has to be at this level for them to do their best not to eat it.”
* * *
“Heuk, heuk!”
“I’m d, dying.”
“To think we’d have to continuously execute our footwork to the extreme to go back and forth like this.”
The disciples who went up and down Falling Goose Peak lay on the ground and panted.
Normally, it wouldn’t be something to be this out of breath for, but it was because the physical exhaustion was great due to the competition.
“It gets more miserable towards the back.”
Cheon-hwi scanned those who had arrived.
Cheon-hyang, who arrived first, and Jeok-geom and Seol Ran, who came right after her, were perfectly fine.
But the further back they came, the more their struggle showed on their faces.
“The latest guy is…….”
Cheon-hwi approached the disciple who came last and shoved the Dark Fragrance Pill into his mouth.
“U, ugh! Gulp! Wh, what did you just feed me?”
“What do you mean, it’s that elixir you like so much.”
Cheon-hwi spoke nonchalantly.
However, the face of the person hearing those words began to turn pale blue.
“D, don’t tell me it’s the Dark Fragrance Pill……?”
Cheon-hwi grinned instead of answering.
At that, the disciple’s face began to turn purple, and soon his eyes turned red.
“Uuuuugh!”
A faint groan leaked out.
Unable to bear the pain, he abruptly sat up and began regulating his breathing.
“As expected, mental fortitude is the problem.”
Cheon-hwi smiled proudly.
He said he couldn’t lift a single finger just a moment ago, but wasn’t he taking the breathing regulation posture, unable to bear that pain?
“Let’s see. The other guys who came late are…….”
Cheon-hwi looked at the disciples around him like a beast aiming for prey, then moved.
“It’s those guys.”
“Kku-ak!”
“Uwaaaah!”
“S, save me!”
Soon, five disciples had seizures.
They hurriedly engaged in breathing regulation and fought a desperate struggle to suppress the energy of the Dark Fragrance Pill.
“Tsk. That’s a shame.”
Cheon-hwi smacked his lips.
“If I had more Dark Fragrance Pills, I would have fed them to the other guys too. Well, it can’t be helped.”
In an instant, those who shuddered at Cheon-hwi’s wicked actions swept down their chests in relief.
At the same time, they exchanged glances with each other.
‘I, I lived!’
‘If I was late…….’
When they were feeling relieved.
“Now that everyone seems to have rested, let’s do the next training.”
Cheon-hwi spoke with a bright smile.
“For now, let’s lightly do the horse stance for one shichen. Of course, not just normally…….”
Cheon-hwi lifted his scabbard and swung it toward the huge boulder next to him.
Seu-geok!
When the rock, slashed diagonally showing a smooth cross-section, was slowly tilting.
Swish…
Cheon-hwi lifted it with his scabbard.
It was an astonishing martial art technique.
Cheon-hwi, who lifted the rock with the tip of his sword and balanced it, lifted it lightly and opened his mouth.
“With this placed on your head. Ah! If you drop it, you know, right?”
As Cheon-hwi spoke with a grin, the blood completely drained from the disciples’ faces.
“Then I will start right now, so get into the horse stance first. So I can put it up quickly.”
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