Chapter 109 : Guiding the New Recruit (4)
Chapter 109: Guiding the New Recruit (4)
The loud clashing of metal echoed from the distance.
Occasionally, heavy explosions rang out as well.
It seemed the aloof senior had begun causing a commotion at the village entrance.
Feeling all the presences scattered throughout the village hurriedly moving, Yu Geun-su's breathing and footsteps grew even more hurried.
‘He wants me to rescue the captives?
And then Senior Namgung suddenly disappeared.’
Namgung Jun had abruptly entrusted such an important role to him, the recruit.
Even though he had already voiced his concerns, after meeting those blade-like resolute eyes, Yu Geun-su had no choice but to obey.
‘Someone like me...’
The worries in his mind over whether he would succeed or fail vanished in an instant.
Before he knew it, a thatched hut guarded by two bandits stood before him.
One glance was enough.
With his current strength, these were not opponents he could subdue easily.
The bandits had already spotted him and were raising their axes.
Judging by their wide-open mouths, they were shouting something, but he could not hear them clearly.
However, Yu Geun-su paid no attention to such trivial matters.
He erased every distracting thought and focused solely on defeating the bandits.
Two axes rushed toward him from both sides with terrifying force, yet Yu Geun-su did not retreat.
Because he feared the bandits might threaten the lives of the hostages.
Because he did not want to become a hindrance to the younger seniors, each carrying out their own roles.
“Haaa!”
With a battle cry, Yu Geun-su cut down the bandits.
The harsh training he had undergone before setting out on his first mission had not been in vain.
Having barely subdued the bandits, Yu Geun-su flung open the warehouse door.
“Ah!”
Namgung Jun's prediction had been correct.
Inside the warehouse were around fifteen women and four children.
Every one of them wore eyes filled with terror.
‘Hah!’
Yu Geun-su's lower lip trembled.
Being met head-on by those fragile eyes that looked as though they could collapse at any moment left him speechless, even though he himself had never threatened them.
All he had done was defeat the two bandits standing guard and unlock the warehouse door.
That was all.
Yet he instinctively realized that their lives now depended on him.
Simply making a vague promise to protect someone and standing face-to-face with those you had to protect were completely different things.
For a moment, Yu Geun-su felt as though massive boulders had landed upon both his shoulders.
“Wait, the men guarding the warehouse have been taken down!”
“So the commotion at the entrance was just a distraction!”
The shouts from behind instantly snapped Yu Geun-su back to reality.
He did not even need to turn around.
The other bandits were approaching the warehouse.
There were quite a few of them, and among them were those who appeared to be the leaders.
They had deemed the warehouse more important than the village entrance.
At a glance, there was no chance of victory.
He could not stop them alone.
Even so, the thought of retreating never crossed Yu Geun-su's mind.
The eyes of the hostages he had seen moments ago remained vividly engraved in his mind.
Exhaling the breath he had been holding back, Yu Geun-su spoke in a resolute voice.
“I'll protect you.”
Whoosh!
A throwing axe hurled by the middle-aged man who appeared to be the leader shot toward the center of Yu Geun-su's forehead.
Unable to react properly, Yu Geun-su barely managed to raise his sword.
Even though he instinctively sensed death approaching, he did not move from his position.
The resolve to protect transformed into the courage to confront death.
Clang!
“See?
You accomplished it just as I expected.”
“Senior Namgung?”
Namgung Jun had appeared before Yu Geun-su in an instant and knocked away the axe.
Holding his sword low, Namgung Jun calmly walked toward the bandits.
“You're a man capable of protecting others.”
Stepping forward, Namgung Jun took in the seven bandits before him.
‘As expected, they're generally not weak.’
They were not elites from a major sect, but they were stronger than ordinary martial artists from the unorthodox factions.
Even the middle-aged man who seemed to be their leader appeared to have reached the peak of the Peak Realm.
Yet Namgung Jun launched himself forward without hesitation.
Boom!
Using the dazzling sword forms of the Drizzling Rain Sword Art, he forced the bandits apart before immediately unleashing a fierce assault upon the leader.
“You brat!
You dare look down on me!”
The middle-aged man blocked Namgung Jun's sword once again, but his expression gradually stiffened.
“Help me!”
The other bandits quickly joined the fight at the leader's command.
Even so, the situation did not change.
Amid the seven tangled bandits, Namgung Jun freely wielded his sword as though dancing, relentlessly driving them back.
Every time the Eternal Righteousness Sword swung, its sword momentum changed completely.
Watching from beside the warehouse, Yu Geun-su could only stare blankly.
‘So Senior Namgung is this strong.’
After joining the Heavenly Sword Hall, he had often heard that Namgung Jun was an extraordinary genius.
But seeing him fight in person was so astonishing that Yu Geun-su could not even find words of admiration.
He could not even imagine stepping in to help.
‘Do you need talent capable of mastering so many different swords to become that strong?’
Compared to Namgung Jun's sword, his own felt utterly simple.
Slash!
Beginning with the leader's right arm flying into the air after more than ten exchanges, the remaining bandits died one after another.
After swiftly dealing with the bandits, Namgung Jun glanced toward the village entrance before walking over to Yu Geun-su.
“Man Ye-won didn't draw their attention properly.
I'll have to scold her later.”
“Shouldn't we help her?”
“Judging by her aura, she'll finish things soon enough.
She was never someone who'd lose to opponents at that level.
She's a proper member of the Heavenly Sword Hall.”
Namgung Jun lightly patted Yu Geun-su on the shoulder.
“And the same goes for you, Recruit.”
“All I did was kill two bandits.”
Namgung Jun pointed to the spot where Yu Geun-su stood.
“You stood your ground here until the very end and defended it.
You've taken your first step as a Cloud of the Azure Sky Society.
That's enough.”
Yu Geun-su blankly looked down at his own feet.
Only after quite some time did the stiffness leave his face.
“I'm glad I managed to help.”
Weak footsteps echoed from the distance.
“What are you two smiling at each other so warmly for?
You didn't even come help me.
How mean.”
Man Ye-won trudged over looking completely disheveled.
Looking around, she spotted the unconscious middle-aged bandit whose arm had been severed.
“You left that one alive?”
“We'll escort him back to the main stronghold for now.
Someone with strength like his shouldn't be wandering the jianghu.
We should extract more information from him.”
Yu Geun-su asked,
“So... is the mission over now?”
“Yes.
There's still some cleanup to do, but the mission is essentially complete.”
When Namgung Jun nodded, Yu Geun-su let out a deep sigh.
“That's a relief.”
“What is?”
“That I completed my first mission safely.
I was worried I'd make a mistake and get expelled...”
Namgung Jun and Man Ye-won smiled as they looked at the recruit.
“Let's head back.”
Namgung Jun's group immediately gathered the hostages and returned to the main stronghold.
After finishing their report to the Ink Fragrance Division, Namgung Jun stopped while walking toward the lodging together.
Yu Geun-su, who had been following behind him, had suddenly come to a halt.
“Senior Namgung.
There's something I'd like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“To become as strong as you, do I need to learn many different sword arts?
I've noticed the other seniors in the Heavenly Sword Hall all use various sword techniques too.”
Namgung Jun immediately understood what Yu Geun-su was really asking.
After seeing him fight at the bandit stronghold, the recruit had clearly become troubled.
Since he already learned a single sword art more slowly than others, it was only natural for him to grow anxious.
“This is my Martial Dao.
Every martial artist walks a different path.
There's no need for you to imitate mine.”
“Then what kind of sword art suits me?
You said my sword momentum was upright and solid, so perhaps a heavy sword would suit me after all...”
“You mustn't draw such a simple conclusion.
That's something you'll have to discover for yourself.
And to do that, you'll need to continue devoting yourself to the sword.”
Walking ahead, Namgung Jun spoke firmly.
“One thing is certain.
Simply learning many martial arts—or even supreme arts—doesn't automatically make you stronger, Recruit.”
“Yes, Senior Namgung.”
“Don't become too obsessed with martial arts themselves.
If you become a truly strong person—a truly strong martial artist—then the distinction between third-rate martial arts and supreme arts will gradually lose its meaning.”
Yu Geun-su let out a thoughtful hum.
“So... is it alright if I just keep doing what I've always done?”
“Of course.”
Yu Geun-su's face brightened considerably.
Watching his expression, Namgung Jun raised a hand.
“Wait here for a moment.”
After entering the lodging, Namgung Jun returned carrying a small wooden box.
He immediately handed it to Yu Geun-su.
“What's this?”
“A spiritual medicine I received as a mission reward.”
At the mention of a spiritual medicine, Yu Geun-su's eyes widened.
“I received it quite some time ago, but I never had the chance to take it.
Later, I found even better opportunities, and my internal energy advanced quickly after absorbing the power of my severed meridians.
Even if I take it now, it won't do much for me.”
“But it's still a spiritual medicine.
I can't possibly accept something like this.”
Yu Geun-su shook his head and tried to return the wooden box, but Namgung Jun simply pushed it back.
“Yu Geun-su.
You said you began cultivating the Great Expansion Heart Art after joining the Heavenly Sword Hall, didn't you?”
“Yes.
The Heart Art I had been cultivating before was rather poor, so the Hall Master recommended it.”
“How far have you progressed?”
“I've only just barely reached the Second Stage.”
Yu Geun-su lowered his gaze slightly in embarrassment.
“Take this and improve your cultivation.
This standard-issue spiritual medicine will be of great help to you as you are now.
It is right that you take it, not me.”
“How could you give something like this to me...”
“If the comrade who watches my back grows stronger, it ultimately benefits me as well.”
As though refusing to hear any further objections, Namgung Jun turned and walked away.
Even after Namgung Jun had disappeared, Yu Geun-su remained standing there for quite some time.
‘The day has actually come when I'm taking a spiritual medicine.’
Since beginning martial arts, he had heard about spiritual medicines countless times.
Yet he had never even seen one, much less taken one.
He could hardly believe it was now resting in his own hands.
“How am I ever supposed to repay this?”
At Yu Geun-su's murmur, an aloof voice suddenly came from behind him.
“By becoming stronger, obviously.”
“Senior Man.”
It seemed Man Ye-won had just finished locking up the captured bandit in the Ink Fragrance Division's prison.
“Looks like he really took a liking to you, Uncle Geun-su.
Since you've been given this opportunity, you'd better achieve something worthwhile.”
“I've never received help like this before, so it feels rather unfamiliar.”
“I was the same at first.
I thought it was because I was the granddaughter of the Head of the Council of Elders.
But later I realized he only helped me because we were comrades in the Heavenly Sword Hall.
Though, unlike you, I never received a spiritual medicine.”
Man Ye-won glanced toward the lodging where Namgung Jun had entered before heading on her way.
Only after the other senior disappeared from sight did Yu Geun-su finally begin walking.
Compared to before, his steps felt much lighter.
‘Yu Geun-su of the Heavenly Sword Hall...’
Receiving the spiritual medicine was not what mattered most.
Perhaps it was because he had completed his first mission safely.
The feeling of finally being acknowledged as a member of the Heavenly Sword Hall filled his heart with warmth.
The day after giving Yu Geun-su the spiritual medicine.
Yu Geun-su brought the news that his Great Expansion Heart Art had advanced to the Third Stage.
To others, it was an expected achievement.
Yet Yu Geun-su looked exceptionally delighted.
‘Perhaps it's because it was his first time taking a spiritual medicine.’
Smiling faintly, Namgung Jun turned toward the entrance of the Heavenly Sword Hall.
A scribe from the Ink Fragrance Division was approaching.
After looking over the swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall, the scribe spotted Namgung Jun and walked directly toward him.
“Young Hero Namgung.”
As the scribe offered a respectful greeting, Namgung Jun politely cupped his hands.
“What brings you here?”
“A mission has been assigned to the Heavenly Sword Hall.
Could you deliver it to the Hall Master?”
“Of course.”
Accepting the letter from the scribe, Namgung Jun asked,
“Where is this mission taking us?”
“To Hubei Province.
The situation in Hubei Province is becoming increasingly urgent.”
Namgung Jun lowered his gaze to the letter.