Chapter 189
CHAPTER 189
Early in the morning as the sun rose.
“Master, what about that child?”
At the entrance of the inn where they had gone after apprehending the middle-aged man, a young Daoist who looked barely past his teens was waiting.
Plum blossom patterns were embroidered onto the sleeves of his robe and his sword.
Anyone familiar with the martial world would recognize his affiliation at a glance.
“Ah, he's the child I found while cleaning up.”
The young Daoist stared blankly at his master.
The middle-aged Daoist wore a gentle smile.
The young Daoist found it a little frightening that his master referred to taking lives as “cleaning up,” but he soon nodded.
His master was only strict toward bad people.
Still, he was not the kind of person who would speak so harshly merely because of salt smugglers.
Which meant he must have been angry because of the child.
“So you rescued him, Master. Were there no other children?”
“There were none. And it didn't seem like they were keeping this child there to sell him either. Among all their goods, he was the only human.”
“Then?”
“I don't know. However, the authorities seem content as long as they've stopped the illegal salt trade, so I brought the child with me.”
“You did well. What do you intend to do with him?”
“I told him I'd take him home, but he won't say a word. He doesn't seem frightened either. Haha.”
“His eyes certainly look bright and alert. Though they do seem to be drooping from exhaustion.”
The two Daoists looked at the child with bitter expressions.
“Master, could he be from another country?”
“That is possible.”
“Then what should we do?”
The middle-aged man had said he would return the child home, but he knew all too well that most children who were sold away no longer had homes to return to.
And if the child had come from another nation, the chances were even higher.
The only group around here that would do such things was the Japanese pirates, and he had heard plenty about their methods.
“Let's go inside first. The child's eyelids look heavy.”
“Yes.”
The two Daoists entered the inn.
After laying the child down and putting him to sleep, they left the room and sat at a table.
The middle-aged man ordered food and wine before speaking.
“It seems we'll have to teach him the language first. You'll have to work hard.”
“Ah, Master! I don't have time!”
“There is plenty of time.”
“Won't we reach the Alliance in half a month? I need to prepare too.”
The young Daoist stretched his upper body while sitting down. His eyes were filled with anticipation and excitement.
Not because it was his first visit to the Martial Alliance.
The middle-aged man knew exactly what those feelings were and why he had them, but asked anyway.
“Prepare? What preparations?”
“Come on, Master, you already know. I need to raise Mount Hua's reputation there so I'll have the face to meet Senior Brother.”
“Why Senior Brother?”
“No matter how talented I am, I know I'm still inferior to Senior Brother.”
“Hah. Calling yourself talented with your own mouth. Truly remarkable.”
He was talented.
Among disciples of the same generation, the young Daoist was the youngest.
Though he belonged to the second generation, he was young enough to fit in with the third generation disciples.
The disciple sitting before the middle-aged man was eighteen years old.
The oldest among the third-generation disciples was sixteen.
The average age of the second-generation disciples was twenty-four.
And among them, his martial prowess ranked second.
“Even so, thanks to Senior Brother giving up his spot, I get to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, where all the young talents of the world gather!”
“Indeed.”
Perhaps his confidence ranked first.
“Shouldn't I win the whole thing there? That's my goal!”
He spoke resolutely.
Like a true man boldly proclaiming his ambitions to the world.
But that changed nothing.
“And what does that have to do with teaching the child?”
“Fine, fine, I understand. But in just half a month, the only words I can probably teach him are things like moon, butterfly, sun, and so on. If he were at least ten years old, it'd be different, but...”
“Yes, that will be enough.”
“Haha. Your disciple is about to participate in the biggest event in the martial world, and instead of giving me guidance...”
“Quiet.”
The middle-aged man raised his wine cup to his lips and emptied it in one long gulp.
“A Daoist drinking wine!”
The young Daoist cried out playfully.
“Even the Sect Leader drinks.”
His master's ultimate counterattack immediately silenced him.
“Ugh, sorry. But then... are you planning to take the child to Mount Hua?”
If he had nowhere to return to.
“I suppose I must.”
“Hahaha! Master! This child is a genius! A genius! He's already starting to understand our words vaguely!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! Look at this. Do you want some sweets?”
The young Daoist waved a sweet he had just bought at the market in front of the child.
The child nodded.
The young Daoist handed him the sweet.
Watching the scene while stroking the child's head, the middle-aged man let out an exasperated sigh.
“...Isn't that just because you were waving the snack around?”
“No, Master. When I talk to him, I get the feeling he understands something. From the way he nods to how he looks directly at me.”
“Really?”
The middle-aged man smiled.
“Yes.”
“Truly?”
His smile never faded.
“Yes.”
“You've only been teaching him for one day. Tell this master exactly what you taught him that allowed him to vaguely understand things already.”
“Ugh. Do you really hate teaching the child that much?”
His disciple was not even twenty yet. This sort of petty resistance was merely cute.
Though there was always the possibility he was telling the truth.
“...No. If that were the case, would I have bought him sweets? Hehe.”
“Very well. So you really think he understands our language?”
“Yes.”
“Hm. That is possible.”
“What do you mean?”
The child certainly looked as though he was trying very hard to follow their conversation.
His eyes moved back and forth, tracking their mouths.
“Perhaps he became mute due to trauma.”
“Gasp. Then what should we do?”
“However, it doesn't seem like he fully understands our language either, so I do think he's from another country. In that case, perhaps he spent his captivity constantly trying to understand what people were saying. I don't know how long he was held, but he seems exceptionally intelligent. Once someone begins teaching him properly, he'll probably learn very quickly.”
“Was that your way of telling me to teach him, Master?”
The young Daoist was rather perceptive.
“Yes, exactly.”
The middle-aged man nodded.
As they traveled toward the Martial Alliance, the two Daoists continuously spoke to the child.
The child also appeared to be doing his best to understand what they were saying.
“Hm. The more I see him, the smarter he seems.”
“When we arrive at Mount Hua, he'll become my junior nephew-disciple, right?”
“Indeed. At last, you'll hear someone other than a child two years younger than you calling you Martial Uncle. Hahaha.”
Half a month later, they arrived at the Martial Alliance.
“Wow, there are so many people!”
“They've all come to watch the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Follow me.”
At the entrance of the Martial Alliance, the middle-aged man showed his identification token to a guard.
“I am looking for the Plum Blossom Immortal Sword.”
Taking the child and his disciple with him, he entered the building.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
“Are we staying here?”
“Yes.”
“For the duration of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”
“Possibly longer than that.”
“Ooh! I'm starting to feel more and more sorry toward the senior brothers.”
“Enjoy looking around while everything is still novel. Once you become accustomed to this place, nothing will seem interesting anymore.”
As they headed toward their destination, the middle-aged man exchanged greetings with various people.
“Isn't that Great Hero Jinyeon? It's good to see you. I suppose the children behind you are disciples of Mount Hua.”
“Thank you for your help last time.”
“It has been a while.”
Jinyeon, a first-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, aged thirty-eight...
Jinyeon had once been the vice-captain of the Martial Alliance's White Tiger Division.
That was the identity of the middle-aged Daoist.
After leading the children to the rooms assigned to them through prior correspondence, he came back outside alone.
“Ah.”
Someone was waiting for him beyond the door.
“I greet the Elder of Wudang.”
Jinyeon immediately showed proper respect.
“That will do. And aren't we inside the Alliance right now? Call me an Alliance Elder.”
“Yes, Elder.”
“Let's have a brief conversation.”
“Understood.”
The two entered an empty room where no one else was present.
“Do you know why you were summoned here this time?”
“I do not.”
“The Mount Hua Sect Leader didn't explain?”
“No.”
“I see. Well, that's understandable. This matter is highly confidential. But you were told that you might need to stay here for quite some time, correct?”
“Yes. Is it related to the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”
“...Not exactly. To be precise, the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is related to this matter.”
“I see.”
The atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy.
The elder let out a deep sigh before looking at Jinyeon.
“Do you know of the Black Sword Ghost?”
“I've heard of him. An unidentified martial artist who carries a black sword.”
“Then you should know about his activities as well.”
“Yes. I heard that for the past two years he has quietly visited sects and schools, mysteriously appearing and disappearing while challenging people to duels. To those curious about his identity, he offered it as the reward for defeating him. Yet despite fighting the elders of various sects, his identity remained unknown, earning him the title Sword Ghost.”
“Correct. Though it was never made public, he also visited the great sects and clans—Mount Huang, the Songshan Sect, Shaolin, the Namgung Family, the Peng Clan, and Moyong. He would suddenly appear and disappear again. Eventually, he came even to Wudang.”
“I see.”
“And then the Martial Emperor stepped forward.”
“The Taiji Martial Emperor?”
Jinyeon looked puzzled upon hearing that Wudang's strongest expert had personally entered a duel.
“The Martial Alliance requested our cooperation in uncovering his identity. The moment the Martial Emperor saw him, he declared that he personally had to handle it.”
“Was his identity revealed?”
Naturally, Jinyeon assumed the Taiji Martial Emperor had won.
“It was. He calmly revealed his face as though it were of no consequence. But his identity was shocking.”
“Who was he?”
“The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
Jinyeon's eyes widened.
The Demonic Cult.
Although peace between the righteous martial world and the Demonic Cult had lasted for several decades, it was still astonishing that a member of the Demonic Cult—and its Young Cult Leader no less—had been wandering around seeking duels.
But even more shocking than that was—
“Isn't the Young Cult Leader only just past twenty?”
Twenty years old.
Judging by when he first appeared, that meant he had begun this journey at eighteen—the same age as Jinyeon's disciple—and had defeated the elders of major sects.
Was such a thing even possible?
“Was he pretending to be the Young Cult Leader?”
“No. The face he showed us was undoubtedly the one we knew. And the Martial Emperor said that in ten more years, he might no longer be able to handle him.”
Jinyeon was deeply shaken.
That was not something one of the Five Great Masters of the world should ever say about a young man.
No matter who he was, even the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, talent should have limits.
“The next Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult defeated the elders of major sects at only twenty years old. And we're told that within ten years he'll join the ranks of the Five Great Masters. Do you understand what that means?”
“The birth of an absolute master.”
“Exactly. The balance of power will tilt heavily to one side. For reference, his movement technique was extraordinary. After revealing his identity, he smirked and said he had learned a great deal before vanishing. Only the Martial Emperor was able to follow his movements.”
In other words, eliminating him before he matured was impossible.
Silence settled over the room.
The elder gave Jinyeon ample time to think before continuing.
“The disciple you brought from Mount Hua is eighteen years old?”
“Yes.”
“Mount Hua's most outstanding disciple, correct? What was his name?”
“Hyunwoon. Though I wouldn't say he's the most outstanding—”
“Ah, let me rephrase. Hyunwoon is the most talented disciple, isn't he? Like you were?”
“That's... yes, that's true.”
“Good. It seems the Mount Hua Sect Leader is taking this matter seriously as well.”
“Could you explain further?”
“This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is merely a pretext. A reason to gather promising youngsters at the Alliance without attracting attention. Once the Gathering ends, we intend to create a special division composed entirely of those children.”
“Ah...”
Using tournaments to identify talented youths and provide them opportunities was common practice.
Jinyeon himself had entered the White Tiger Division through such a method.
“For reference, that division's sole purpose will be education. The great masters of the righteous sects will gather together to guide these exceptional children.”
To help their talents fully bloom.
“What about external activities?”
“We'll announce something suitable as a cover. And not only youths approaching adulthood—gifted children from each sect will also be taught within the division. If we create the best possible environment, younger children will absorb more and grow even further.”
No one knew whether the Young Cult Leader would wait for those children to mature.
Nor did anyone know whether their growth would be enough to catch up.
Even so, it was better than doing nothing.
“That makes sense. No wonder so many direct descendants of major clans are here.”
“Exactly. In any case, let me ask—what about the young child who came with you? I heard Mount Hua's third-generation disciples were not sent because none had yet displayed sufficient potential.”
“Ah...”
“Has his talent perhaps awakened late? If so, we should naturally accept him. Right now, every child with even the slightest chance of opposing the next Heavenly Demon is precious.”
“Nothing like that.”
“Then?”
“He's a child I happened to take in along the way. As for talent in martial arts...”
After hearing the explanation, Jinyeon understood the whole situation.
This newly formed division could hardly be called anything less than the greatest opportunity in the martial world.
The great masters of every sect would teach them.
The greatest geniuses would study and compete together.
He could easily imagine how much thought each sect leader and clan head had put into selecting their candidates.
Especially the younger children.
And compared to those carefully chosen prodigies—
“He'll probably fall short.”
He knew it without even testing the child.
“In that case, are you taking him to Mount Hua?”
“Most likely.”
Though nothing was certain yet.
“He hasn't officially joined the sect?”
“No. He doesn't even know the first thing about martial arts.”
“Then until the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering ends, it would be best not to bring him where the children are gathered. Children who learn martial arts early tend to become arrogant. Especially those praised as geniuses within their families.”
“Haha. That's how clan children are.”
“Exactly. That's how clan children are. Every one of them is rude. Tsk.”
It was fine.
The child couldn't even speak properly, so what interaction could there be?
The elder also asked Jinyeon to teach the children within the new division. Jinyeon replied that he would think about it before returning to his room.
He felt exhausted.
First, he had wondered whether the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was insane for wandering around challenging people to duels.
Then he wondered if the man was insane for martial arts in an entirely different sense.
Raising talented youths to stop him...
The future leaders of every force would gather there.
Powerful experts from every faction would inevitably assemble in one place.
“Master! You're back? He finally talks now! Hey, Junior Nephew! Hurry and tell Master what you wanted to ask earlier!”
“Oh? Really?”
Jinyeon's face brightened immediately at the unexpected good news. He approached the child, and urged on by Hyunwoon, the child opened his mouth.
“I'd like... to see... a sword?”
His voice trailed off shyly at the end.