Chapter 106 : Guiding the New Recruit (1)
Chapter 106: Guiding the New Recruit (1)
“Hubei Province is becoming restless.”
At Yun Gyeong-jong's murmur, Namgung Jun asked,
“Wasn't Hubei Province one of the more peaceful regions?”
“It was.
But it seems even that place cannot escape this age of chaos.”
Seeing Namgung Jun's curiosity, Yun Gyeong-jong handed over the letter he had been reading.
The name that appeared most frequently in the letter immediately caught Namgung Jun's attention.
“Weeon Manor?
Is it a well-known force?”
“It is a solid mid-sized sect in Hubei Province.
Lately, they've been rapidly expanding their sphere of influence, as though their dream is to become the ninth major unorthodox sect.”
Just as Yun Gyeong-jong had said.
According to the letter, more than four minor sects had already fallen due to Weeon Manor's tyranny, and the number of commoners suffering from their actions continued to increase.
“Will the Azure Sky Society intervene?”
“For now, we'll continue observing.
The Wudang Sect is in Hubei Province, after all.
It seems several of Wudang's affiliated secular sects are already showing signs of making a move.”
Yun Gyeong-jong lightly tapped the edge of his desk with his finger.
“Hubei Province and Hunan Province are both gradually becoming more turbulent.
The Sun and Moon Demonic Cult has finished gathering its strength and is turning its attention eastward once again.
Before long, one of those two provinces may become the target of a mission from the Ten Halls.
When that happens, the Heavenly Sword Hall will be deployed.
Keep that in mind.”
“Thank you.
I'll inform my master.”
Namgung Jun nodded.
Recently, the Heavenly Sword Hall had been assigned to guard the main stronghold while conserving its strength.
It was to allow time for the members to properly make use of the medicinal elixirs they had recently received and to settle in the newly recruited members after returning to the Third Hall.
“Hm.”
Left alone in his office, Yun Gyeong-jong still vividly recalled Namgung Jun's presence.
“He appears to be on the verge of achieving Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit.
He may soon challenge for promotion to the Fourth Rank.”
Namgung Jun had not even reached the age of twenty.
Yet he was already approaching the realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit.
It was truly astonishing.
Even the Hall Masters, whose talents would not lose to anyone beneath the heavens, appeared ordinary when placed beside Namgung Jun.
‘One day, Namgung Jun will become one of the absolute masters representing the Azure Sky Society.’
At present, the Azure Sky Society possessed three absolute masters.
The Lord of the Changcheon Society, the Heavenly Sword Master, and the Head of the Council of Elders.
The Society Lord had declined, making it difficult for him to display his original strength, while the Heavenly Sword Master was still struggling through secluded cultivation.
The only absolute master capable of immediately taking the field was the Head of the Council of Elders.
Even he remained tasked with protecting the main stronghold, making it difficult for him to venture into the Jianghu.
‘Five Qi Returning to the Origin.
The Absolute Realm...’
Of course, he himself also bore five clouds.
However, he had only attained the rank of Fifth Rank by virtue of his position as Ink Lord.
His true martial prowess was merely that of a peak expert who had achieved Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit.
That was why Yun Gyeong-jong held such great expectations for Namgung Jun.
“I wonder when the day will come that the Azure Sky Society forges its new Divine Sword...”
Suddenly, Yun Gyeong-jong turned his head and gazed toward the sky beyond the window.
Clang!
Clang! Clang!
Upon returning to the Heavenly Sword Hall, the swordsmen were, as always, fully immersed in their training.
Having all taken medicinal elixirs and diligently cultivated the Sword Foundation Art, the aura of nearly every member of the Heavenly Sword Hall had become noticeably stronger.
Among them, Lee Se-ha was overseeing the swordsmen's training.
“Master.”
“Jun.
You're back?
It took longer than expected.”
Lee Se-ha waved energetically with a broad smile, and Namgung Jun respectfully returned the greeting.
“There was more work than expected.”
“You've worked hard.
I heard you accompanied the Sword Master?”
“He was quite an unusual person.”
Namgung Jun's brief assessment only deepened Lee Se-ha's smile.
“The Sword Master is a bit of an eccentric.
Still, he's a good man.
Every now and then, he even invites the Hall Masters to watch his sword dances.”
“Is that so?
I even danced together with him.”
“What?”
Lee Se-ha, who had been speaking while watching the Heavenly Sword Hall members train, abruptly turned her head.
Her widened eyes fixed squarely on Namgung Jun.
“You danced together?”
“Yes.
We performed together several times.”
“How strange.
He never allows the Hall Masters to match his rhythm and always insists on dancing alone.”
Namgung Jun asked with a puzzled expression,
“Was there a reason?”
“Well...
He said our swordsmanship wasn't graceful enough.”
Unable to fully understand the explanation, Namgung Jun merely nodded.
Lee Se-ha irritably kicked the stone ground a few times before asking,
“I've never had the chance to perform a sword dance with you, but the Sword Master beat me to it?
Let's dance together sometime.”
“Gladly.”
Answering with a smile, Namgung Jun carefully observed Lee Se-ha's aura.
“How is your body now, Master?”
“Perfectly fine, of course.
A little fever was nothing.
After being drenched in the Nine Yin Severed Meridians' frigid Yin Qi, the fact that it ended with only a fever instead of internal injuries is impressive enough, isn't it?”
Lee Se-ha proudly rested one hand on her waist and grinned.
“That's a relief.”
Namgung Jun smiled faintly as though a burden had finally been lifted.
Though unintended, Lee Se-ha had fallen ill because of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians' frigid Yin Qi.
Since she was a peak expert who had cultivated blazing Yang Qi, he had worried even more.
Now that she said she had completely recovered, he could finally put his mind at ease.
Even during his mission, he had often found himself worrying about her condition.
“Now that you've returned from your mission, go inside and get some rest.”
“I'll look around a bit first.”
Namgung Jun turned to look at his other comrades as well.
Every one of them remained devoted to training and had clearly improved compared to the Combat Strength Evaluation.
Meanwhile, several promising new recruits had recently joined the Heavenly Sword Hall.
Naturally, they were all still older than Namgung Jun.
In rank, martial prowess, and time since joining, he surpassed them all.
Yet perhaps because he was still the youngest in age, the senior members of the Heavenly Sword Hall continued to call him Maknae, half teasingly and half affectionately.
“It wouldn't be a bad idea for Maknae to assess the new recruits this time.”
“That would also be valuable experience for Maknae.”
Lee Se-ha readily nodded.
“Let's hear your opinion of the new recruit, Jun.”
Namgung Jun turned to look at the man who had joined this time.
For a new recruit, he appeared rather old.
His face was deeply tanned by the sun, and he had an exceptionally honest appearance.
His eyes, in particular, were large, round, and clear.
Had he been carrying farming tools instead of the sword at his waist, he would have looked exactly like a farmer.
‘They said he passed thirty several years ago.’
He was now too old to be called one of the younger generation.
In another sect, someone of his age would likely never have been accepted as a new recruit.
But the Azure Sky Society did not concern itself with such things.
What truly mattered was what one carried within one's heart.
After quietly observing the newcomer's stance, Namgung Jun asked,
“You use your left hand?”
“Yes.
I've naturally been more comfortable using my left hand since birth.”
“A left-handed swordsman.”
It was rare to encounter left-handed swordsmen in the Jianghu.
Some intentionally trained that way to exploit the unfamiliar sword paths and symmetrical variations unique to the left hand.
However, the training was far more difficult, and achieving mastery was equally challenging.
Most martial artists who deliberately walked the path of the left-handed sword eventually reached their limits and returned to using their right hand.
‘What about this man?’
Namgung Jun raised his sword and nodded.
“Come.”
“I look forward to your guidance, Senior.”
The newcomer's words caused the senior members watching nearby to burst into laughter.
The sight of Namgung Jun, who was always called Maknae, being addressed as Senior was unexpectedly amusing.
Despite the laughter surrounding him, the newcomer approached cautiously.
A straightforward sword strike descended toward Namgung Jun's shoulder.
Clang!
The moment Namgung Jun lightly deflected the attack with an upward slash, his fierce offensive began.
He relentlessly pressed the newcomer as though intent on cornering him.
Each time, the newcomer could only part his lips slightly while desperately blocking the incoming strikes.
His large round eyes darted anxiously from side to side.
‘More honest than I expected.’
There were none of the unusual variations or deceptive sword paths characteristic of a left-handed swordsman.
His swordsmanship truly reflected someone who simply used his left hand because it felt natural.
‘His aptitude isn't particularly remarkable.’
Yet his swordsmanship was exceptionally solid.
It was not born of talent, but of effort.
It was martial prowess built steadily through blood and sweat.
Of course, reaching this level without any talent at all would have been impossible.
Still, compared to the other swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall, it was fair to say his talent was lacking.
He was ordinary—
No, closer to dull.
Watching the newcomer's sword, Namgung Jun began to execute the Drizzling Rain Sword Art.
The increasingly dazzling variations poured down around the newcomer's feet like wind and rain, throwing both his vision and movements into confusion.
Even as he frantically moved his body, he somehow managed to block every one of Namgung Jun's attacks.
Watching from the side, the veteran members of the Heavenly Sword Hall were visibly impressed.
“Hm.
The sword itself isn't anything extraordinary.
But its foundation is exceptionally solid.”
“He has built his fundamentals well.
It's as though he spent his entire life practicing only the Three Talents Sword Art.”
“First Rank members, watch carefully.
That is the power of solid fundamentals.”
Clang! Clang!
Meanwhile, the newcomer was driven even further into a corner.
He had been forced all the way to the edge of the sparring platform.
“Let's see if you can withstand this.”
At that moment, Namgung Jun's sword, which had been executing the Drizzling Rain Sword Art, transformed once more.
The blade swelled with dense sword wind.
It was the Heavenly Wind Sword Art.
The sword strike that tore through the air descended vertically toward the newcomer's head.
Perhaps because Namgung Jun had warned him in advance, the newcomer gritted his teeth and raised his sword overhead.
Craaang!
Accompanied by an enormous metallic crash, the newcomer was blasted far beyond the edge of the sparring platform.
Even so, he maintained his sword stance to the very end.
Though he had been forced off the platform, he neither lost his sword nor broke his stance.
It was an unyielding posture.
He lacked talent, yet it was clear he had never wasted the resource called time.
“Huff...”
The newcomer struggled to calm his heaving chest and steady his breathing.
Watching him maintain his ready stance until the very end, Namgung Jun finally lowered his sword.
That spar had been enough for him to understand the newcomer.
“New recruit.
What is your name?”
“My name is Yu Geun-su.”
“Yu Geun-su.
I'll remember it.
Welcome to the Heavenly Sword Hall.”
Namgung Jun turned toward Lee Se-ha and nodded.
The gesture clearly meant that he liked the new recruit very much.
Master and disciple walked side by side after the sparring match.
The master spoke first.
“What do you think of the new recruit?”
“He may lack talent, but I like the swordsmanship he possesses.
It isn't the sword of someone who has wasted his years.”
“You seem to like him quite a lot.”
Namgung Jun immediately agreed.
“Though his growth may be slow, one day he will surely become a swordsman who steadfastly protects the Heavenly Sword Hall.”
Lee Se-ha smiled at Namgung Jun's high praise.
“In that case, Jun, you'll accompany him on his first mission.”
Namgung Jun recalled his own first mission.
Heo Il had accompanied him on that mission to observe how he conducted himself.
It felt strangely unreal that he had now become the one responsible for guiding and evaluating a new recruit.
“Very well.”
“If he's going on his first mission... you remember the requirement, don't you?”
“What do you mean?”
Lee Se-ha lightly tapped the bamboo hat Namgung Jun was wearing.
“All new recruits must reach the Fifth Stage of the Lesser Expansion Sword Art before they can go on their first mission.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Namgung Jun remember.
Since he had immediately achieved Great Mastery in the Lesser Expansion Sword Art, the rule had never remained in his mind.
“The new recruit has only just begun learning the Lesser Expansion Sword Art.
Apparently, it takes him more than twice as long as an ordinary person to master it.”
“Hm.
So it's to that extent.”
After thinking for a moment, Namgung Jun smiled confidently.
“I'll make sure he's ready for his first mission within a month.”