Chapter 106
Leading the New Recruits (1)
“Hubei Province is becoming noisy.”
At Yun Gyeongjong’s mutter, Namgung Jun asked,
“Hubei was one of the more peaceful regions, wasn't it?”
“It was. But it seems even that place can't escape these troubled times.”
Seeing Namgung Jun’s curiosity, Yun Gyeongjong handed him the letter he had been reading.
The name that appeared most frequently caught Namgung Jun’s attention.
“Weeon Manor? Is it a well-known force?”
“A solid mid-sized sect in Hubei. Recently, they've been expanding their sphere of influence recklessly and growing larger by the day. It's almost as if becoming the ninth great orthodox sect is their dream.”
Yun Gyeongjong was right.
According to the report, more than four smaller sects had already fallen due to Weeon Manor’s tyranny, and the suffering inflicted upon commoners continued to increase.
“Will the Changcheon Society intervene?”
“For now, we'll continue observing. The Wudang Sect is in Hubei, after all. As it happens, several of Wudang’s affiliated secular sects are already showing signs of movement.”
Yun Gyeongjong tapped the edge of his desk with a finger.
“Hubei and Hunan are gradually becoming more chaotic. The Sun Moon Demonic Cult, having replenished its strength, has begun turning its gaze eastward once more. Before long, one of those two provinces may require the intervention of the Ten Halls. If that happens, the Heavenly Sword Hall will likely be dispatched. Keep that in mind.”
“Thank you. I will inform my master.”
Namgung Jun nodded.
Recently, the Heavenly Sword Hall had been assigned to defend the main headquarters while building up its strength.
It was a deliberate decision, allowing them time to organize the newly arrived recruits and make proper use of the medicinal elixirs distributed after their return to the Third Hall.
***
After Namgung Jun departed, Yun Gyeongjong remained alone in his office.
The impression of the young swordsman lingered vividly in his mind.
He looks to be on the verge of attaining Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. He may attempt promotion to Fourth Cloud before long.
Namgung Jun had not even reached twenty years of age.
Yet he was already approaching the realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
The achievement was simply astonishing.
Even the Hall Masters, talents who could stand proudly anywhere in the world, seemed ordinary when placed beside Namgung Jun.
Someday, Namgung Jun will become a peerless master representing the Changcheon Society.
At present, the Society possessed only three peerless masters.
The Society Leader.
The Sword Lord of the Heavenly Will.
And the Elder Court Lord.
The Society Leader had declined and could no longer display his former might.
The Sword Lord of the Heavenly Will was struggling through his secluded cultivation.
That left only the Elder Court Lord as a peerless master capable of immediately taking the field.
Yet even he was responsible for defending the main headquarters and could not easily venture into the Jianghu.
Returning to the Origin. The peerless realm...
Of course, Yun Gyeongjong himself bore five clouds and held the rank of Mukju among the Five Clouds.
But that position had been granted because of his qualifications as Mukju.
His actual martial prowess remained only at the level of a peak expert who had attained Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
That was why his expectations for Namgung Jun were so great.
“When will the day come when a new Divine Sword of the Changcheon Society is finally forged...?”
Yun Gyeongjong turned his gaze toward the sky beyond the window.
Thud!
Clang! Clang!
When Namgung Jun returned to the Heavenly Sword Hall, the swordsmen were training as diligently as ever.
Most of them had become noticeably stronger.
It seemed they had faithfully consumed their medicinal elixirs and continued cultivating the Sword Foundation Art without neglect.
Among them, Lee Seha was overseeing their training.
“Master.”
“Jun! You're back? It took longer than expected.”
Lee Seha raised a hand and waved enthusiastically.
Namgung Jun returned the greeting with proper respect.
“There was more work than anticipated.”
“You've worked hard. I heard you accompanied the Sword Lord.”
“He is quite an unusual person.”
At Namgung Jun's brief assessment, Lee Seha's smile widened.
“The Sword Lord is a bit eccentric, that's true. But he's a good man. Sometimes he even invites the Hall Masters to watch his sword dances.”
“Is that so? I danced with him myself.”
“What?”
Lee Seha, who had been speaking while watching the Heavenly Sword Hall members train, whipped his head around.
His eyes widened dramatically.
“You danced with him?”
“Yes. We performed together several times.”
“How strange. He never allows anyone to synchronize with him. He always insists on dancing alone.”
Namgung Jun asked with curiosity,
“Was there a reason for that?”
“Who knows? He always says our swordsmanship isn't graceful enough.”
Since the explanation didn't immediately make sense, Namgung Jun simply nodded.
Lee Seha irritably kicked at the stone floor a few times before speaking again.
“I haven't even had the chance to perform a sword dance with you yet, and the Sword Lord beat me to it? We should dance together sometime.”
“Very well.”
Smiling, Namgung Jun accepted.
Then he examined Lee Seha's condition.
“Master, how is your health now?”
“Perfectly fine, of course. A little sickness is nothing. I was hit by the frigid energy of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, yet it ended with nothing worse than a fever. Isn't that impressive?”
Lee Seha placed a hand on his hip and grinned proudly.
“That is a relief.”
A faint smile appeared on Namgung Jun's face as well.
Though unintended, Lee Seha had fallen ill because of the cold yin energy from the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
Since he was a peak expert who cultivated blazing yang energy, the situation had worried Namgung Jun even more.
Now, however, Lee Seha claimed to have fully recovered.
Only then did Namgung Jun feel at ease.
Even during his mission, he had often found himself concerned about his master's condition.
“Now that you've returned from your mission, go get some rest.”
“I'll look around a bit first.”
Namgung Jun turned his gaze toward his fellow hall members.
Every one of them was immersed in training.
Compared to the last evaluation of their combat strength, they had all made noticeable progress.
Meanwhile, he had heard that several promising recruits had recently joined the Heavenly Sword Hall.
Of course, despite being newcomers, they were still older than Namgung Jun.
The reason might have been that, despite outranking them in rank, martial prowess, and seniority of entry, Namgung Jun was still the youngest member of the Heavenly Sword Hall.
The veterans still called him Maknae—half as a joke, half as a term of endearment.
“Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the maknae assess the new recruit this time.”
“It'll be a good experience for him as well.”
Lee Seha readily nodded.
“Let's hear Jun's evaluation of the newcomer.”
Namgung Jun turned his gaze toward the man who had recently joined the Hall.
For a recruit, he seemed rather old.
His face was tanned dark by years under the sun, and his impression was remarkably simple and honest. His round, clear eyes stood out in particular.
Had he been carrying farming tools instead of a sword at his waist, he would have looked exactly like a farmer.
I heard he passed thirty several years ago.
An age at which one could no longer be called a member of the younger generation.
In most sects, someone of his age would have difficulty even entering as a recruit, but the Changcheon Society paid little attention to such matters.
What mattered most was what one carried in their heart.
After observing the recruit's stance, Namgung Jun asked,
“You use your left hand?”
“Yes. I've always been more comfortable using my left hand.”
“A left-handed swordsman.”
Such swordsmen were rare in the Jianghu.
Some deliberately trained in left-handed swordsmanship to take advantage of unfamiliar sword paths and mirrored variations, but the training was difficult and the rewards were hard-earned.
Most eventually hit a wall and returned to conventional right-handed swordsmanship.
What about this man?
Namgung Jun raised his sword and nodded.
“Come.”
“I look forward to learning from you, Senior.”
At the recruit's words, the Heavenly Sword Hall veterans watching nearby burst into laughter.
The sight of someone calling the Hall's maknae “Senior” was strangely amusing.
Ignoring the laughter around him, the recruit advanced cautiously.
His sword traced a straight line as it descended toward Namgung Jun's shoulder.
Clang!
Namgung Jun casually knocked the strike aside with an upward sweep.
Then his relentless assault began.
He pressed forward mercilessly, as though trying to force the recruit into a corner.
Each time, the recruit could only part his lips in surprise and desperately parry.
His round eyes darted back and forth anxiously.
More straightforward than I expected.
There were none of the unusual angles or unpredictable trajectories typical of left-handed swordsmanship.
His style was honest and direct, as if he simply used his left hand because it felt natural.
His talent isn't particularly remarkable.
Yet his swordsmanship was extremely solid.
Not because of talent, but because of effort.
It was the result of countless hours of sweat and perseverance.
Naturally, reaching this level still required some degree of aptitude.
But compared to the other swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall, it would not be an exaggeration to say his talent lagged behind.
He was an ordinary talent—
Perhaps even a dull one.
Namgung Jun studied the recruit's sword and then unleashed the Storm Companion Sword Art.
The dazzling variations multiplied.
Sword paths rained down like a storm around the recruit's feet.
His eyes, hands, and feet became overwhelmed trying to follow them.
Though he moved frantically, he somehow managed to block every strike.
The Heavenly Sword Hall veterans watching nearby were visibly impressed.
“Hm. The sword itself isn't shocking, but his foundation is incredibly solid.”
“He built his basics well. It's as though he's spent his entire life training only the Three Talents Sword Art.”
“First Clouds, pay attention. This is the power of fundamentals.”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Meanwhile, the recruit was being pushed further and further back.
Eventually, he reached the edge of the sparring platform.
“Let's see if you can withstand this.”
At that moment, Namgung Jun's sword changed once again.
The blade swelled with dense sword wind.
The Heavenly Wind Sword Art.
A strike that seemed capable of tearing the very air apart descended vertically toward the recruit's head.
Fortunately, Namgung Jun had warned him beforehand.
The recruit gritted his teeth and raised his sword.
KRAAAANG!
With a thunderous clash of steel, the recruit was blasted completely off the platform and sent sliding backward.
Yet he maintained his stance to the very end.
Though he had lost the match by leaving the arena, he neither dropped his sword nor broke his posture.
An indomitable spirit.
He lacked talent, but it was obvious he had never wasted the resource called time.
“Huff...”
The recruit struggled to steady his breathing.
Even so, he maintained his guard stance without wavering.
After watching him for a moment, Namgung Jun lowered his sword.
The spar had been sufficient.
He now understood the recruit.
“Recruit. What is your name?”
“I go by Yu Geunsu.”
“Yu Geunsu. I'll remember it. Welcome to the Heavenly Sword Hall.”
Turning toward Lee Seha, Namgung Jun gave a small nod.
The gesture clearly indicated his approval.
***
Master and disciple walked side by side after the spar.
Lee Seha spoke first.
“What do you think of the recruit?”
“His aptitude may be lacking, but I like the sword he carries. It is not the sword of someone who wasted his years.”
“You seem to like him quite a bit.”
Namgung Jun immediately agreed.
“His growth may be slow, but one day he will undoubtedly become a swordsman capable of steadfastly protecting the Heavenly Sword Hall.”
Lee Seha smiled at the praise.
“Then accompany him on his first mission.”
Namgung Jun remembered his own first mission.
Heo Il had accompanied him then, observing how a newcomer conducted himself.
It felt strange to realize that he had now become the one responsible for guiding and evaluating new recruits.
“Very well.”
“If he's going on his first mission...” Lee Seha said. “You know the rule, don't you?”
“What rule?”
Lee Seha tapped the bamboo hat Namgung Jun was wearing.
“All recruits must reach the fifth-star level of the Soyeon Sword Art before they're allowed to undertake their first mission.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Namgung Jun remember.
Since he had mastered the Soyeon Sword Art almost immediately, the rule had never remained in his mind for long.
“The recruit only recently started learning it. Apparently it takes him more than twice as long as the average person just to grasp the Soyeon Sword Art.”
“I see. To that extent.”
Namgung Jun pondered for a moment.
Then a confident smile appeared on his face.
“I'll make sure he's ready for his first mission within a month.”