Chapter 26
Chapter 26
"Right. I suppose that's for the best, isn't it? It’d be good to send the Vice-Captain in my place and have him listen in. Yes. That’s right. For the Tenth Division, it should be fine for the Vice-Captain to attend the Captains' meeting, shouldn't it? It was the Tenth Division that accomplished what even the First Division couldn’t, and it was us who brought back the martial artists of the First Division, who nearly died."
The more he spoke, the more confident he seemed.
Then, as if there was no point in delaying, he called in the Vice-Captain.
Won Jirim entered with the look of someone who already knew he’d been summoned to be sent to the Captains' meeting in the Leader’s stead.
"Captain, if you do this too often, people might start talking."
"Talking? What kind of talking? Who’s talking? If someone has something to say, let them say it to my face. Do you think there are people out there who don't mind getting on my bad side? If they find themselves in a pinch during a mission later, they’ll want help from us, and yet they’re grumbling about me now? If they don’t value their lives, let them babble all they want. I couldn’t care less."
Won Jirim looked like he wanted to say something, but then shook his head. Yet perhaps thinking he couldn’t just let it go, he seemed to resolve himself and spoke.
"Captain, the Tenth Division is still very weak. What we accomplished this time was truly incredible, but it was only the first step in our growth. We still have a long way to go. I don't think there's any need to create enemies prematurely during that process."
Seo Mugyeom was genuinely relieved that the Captain had such a Vice-Captain who would offer wise counsel. He was also curious about how the Captain would respond.
Pyo Inhaeng, though visibly annoyed, did not ignore Won Jirim’s words.
"Alright. But still, I think it’s better for the Vice-Captain to go instead of me. Others might think it absurd that I’m dueling with Seo Mugyeom, but this time is very important to me. If anyone really wants to know what I have to say, they’re welcome to watch our duel."
"I understand. I know this is an important time for both you and Seo Mugyeom, and also for the Tenth Division as a whole. I merely hoped we could be a bit more considerate to those who are wounded, especially since we currently have the upper hand."
"And what about all the things we went through? They don’t count? After everything, now that we finally have a chance to boast a little, they want us to show compassion?"
Even as he grumbled, Pyo Inhaeng stopped at that. He, too, understood what Won Jirim was getting at. No one liked creating enemies unnecessarily. If someone applauded such behavior, they were the one to be wary of.
"Alright, then go. Tell them I’m recovering from internal injuries I sustained while rescuing the First Division martial artists."
It seemed like a spur-of-the-moment excuse, but once he said it, he looked rather proud of how plausible it sounded.
"How about it? Sounds good, right?"
"It sounds good. Just don’t let anyone outside find out about the duel. But… is it really alright to spar here?"
Won Jirim asked as he looked around the Captain’s office.
His face clearly asked why they were doing this here instead of the training hall.
"Fair question. Right now, we’re working on refining our techniques, so we don’t need a large space. Besides, we agreed not to use internal energy, so even more reason it’s fine. Go on now. You don’t want to keep the other Captains waiting, do you? They’re probably already grumbling about why only the Tenth Division is sending their Vice-Captain."
"Yes, Captain. I’ll be off now."
Won Jirim said, then smiled at Seo Mugyeom. When Seo Mugyeom respectfully bowed in return, Won Jirim looked at him with pride, like he was looking at a lucky charm.
These days, it wasn’t hard to find others in the Tenth Division who viewed Seo Mugyeom the same way.
"Now then, Seo Mugyeom. Let’s continue. You’re not tired yet, are you? Well, not that it matters—I’m not tired, so no need to worry about me."
At that, Seo Mugyeom burst into laughter.
"You should worry about me too, Captain."
"Say that after wiping your mouth. The two of us here know that’s nonsense, don’t we?"
He was referring to Seo Mugyeom’s internal energy. He looked at him with genuine curiosity.
"Seo Mugyeom, can you really not tell me how you obtained that internal energy? Not even a hint for me?"
"No."
Seo Mugyeom’s curt reply made Pyo Inhaeng blink in confusion, unsure what that answer was for.
"Then this time, I’ll start first."
As he raised his sword, Pyo Inhaeng shook his head.
"Who knows when Young Mistress Ak’s visit to the Imperial City will be decided. Judging by how things are moving, it wouldn’t be strange if they suddenly ordered you to head to the Ak Clan right away. So we need to prepare as much as we can beforehand."
"You’re right. That makes sense. Let’s begin."
And so, the two resumed their training.
A few days passed without Pyo Inhaeng leaving the Tenth Division or meeting with anyone.
In that time, he entrusted all major duties to Won Jirim and focused solely on his sparring sessions with Seo Mugyeom.
His demeanor gradually changed. He became far more serious and often lost in deep thought. It seemed there weren’t enough hours in the day for him to think about everything.
One could say his daily routine was entirely consumed by duel preparation and the duels themselves.
The one who noticed how much Pyo Inhaeng had changed was none other than Seo Mugyeom. He looked forward to the day he would be able to see how far the Captain had come.
While all this was going on, the outside world stirred—Divine Martial Sect Sect Leader Ji Yongbok had come.
Seo Mugyeom was quite surprised to hear of the Sect Leader’s visit, as he had barely ever seen him in person.
People scrambled in confusion to welcome him, but the Sect Leader merely kept a calm face and came straight for Pyo Inhaeng.
He was an old man well past sixty, with hair, eyebrows, and beard as white as snow.
His long brows nearly covered his eyes, and his beard was so full that reading his expression was nearly impossible.
Even Pyo Inhaeng, who showed no reserve in front of the First Division Leader, behaved with full decorum before the Sect Leader.
"What brings you here, Sect Leader?"
When Pyo Inhaeng went out to greet him upon hearing of his arrival, Seo Mugyeom stood by his side. Seo Mugyeom thought he had no place there, but Pyo Inhaeng brought him along from the office.
Since an opportunity to meet with the Sect Leader wasn’t something that came often, Pyo Inhaeng had decided to introduce Seo Mugyeom at that moment.
The Sect Leader also seemed to have a rough idea of what Pyo Inhaeng had in mind. He glanced briefly at Seo Mugyeom, then walked past him toward the Captain’s office.
"I hear you had a rough time recently, Captain Pyo?"
His tone was gentle, and his outward demeanor resembled that of a sage. While such a description was far from complimentary for the Sect Leader of the Divine Martial Sect, the successor of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Seo Mugyeom couldn’t help but think it.
In all his past lives, Seo Mugyeom could barely recall meeting the Sect Leader.
Even when he graduated the Martial Arts Academy or attended major events at the Divine Martial Sect, he had only ever seen the man from afar.
Never had he held a conversation with him up close.
Seen from nearby, the Sect Leader appeared rather ordinary.
"Will he be listening in as well?"
He asked while looking at Seo Mugyeom, to which Pyo Inhaeng answered instead.
"Yes, Sect Leader. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like him to stay. He’s someone I’ve been mentoring recently."
"Is that so? A child mentored by the Tenth Division Captain—how interesting. Seems I’ll need to keep an eye on him. What’s your name?"
Seo Mugyeom, slightly tense at being addressed directly by the Sect Leader, answered.
"Seo Mugyeom of the Divine Martial Sect Guardian Ten Division, Tenth Division."
"Seo Mugyeom, huh. Seems like there’s no one in the Divine Martial Sect these days who hasn’t heard your name. Intriguing."
The Sect Leader said, then watched Seo Mugyeom intently for a while, his gaze scrutinizing. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction. Pyo Inhaeng, standing beside him, looked proudly pleased.
"Come closer."
When the Sect Leader beckoned, Seo Mugyeom glanced at Pyo Inhaeng, who gestured as if to say, "What are you waiting for?"
Pyo Inhaeng had already guessed why the Sect Leader was calling Seo Mugyeom over—he wanted to show off his internal energy.
As Seo Mugyeom approached, the Sect Leader took his wrist and sent a stream of qi into him.
Seo Mugyeom was startled by the difference in scale between the Sect Leader’s qi and that of his Captain.
He wasn’t sure how to describe it exactly, but compared to the Sect Leader, the Captain felt like a child playing in the sand.
It was as if a massive tidal wave had instantly surged over him, beyond what his senses could even fully comprehend.
The storm of qi rampaged through Seo Mugyeom’s body.
Although Pyo Inhaeng was eccentric and temperamental, he had always been careful when observing Seo Mugyeom’s interior. Once he realized Seo Mugyeom possessed a mysterious form of internal energy, he handled it with great care.
But the Sect Leader didn’t seem to care about such things. If he sensed foreign qi inside Seo Mugyeom, he looked ready to strike it awake without hesitation.
Instinctively, Seo Mugyeom became defensive and began to stir his own qi to block it. He tried to awaken the dormant mass of energy and use it as a barrier.
But making that decision and actually being able to act on it were two different matters. The Sect Leader’s qi was so overbearing that it seemed it could tear through him regardless of his efforts.
Seo Mugyeom had never consciously tried to hide his internal energy before. Especially not from someone directly channeling qi into his acupoints.
Had it been anyone other than the Captain or Sect Leader, he wouldn’t have even allowed them to check his pulse.
The Sect Leader heightened his qi and meticulously examined all of Seo Mugyeom’s acupoints.
Then, with a face suggesting something felt off, he stared at Seo Mugyeom for a long time before withdrawing his energy.
"You’ve cultivated diligently. I thought Captain Pyo was fond of you because you had some special talent, but you’re more ordinary than I expected."
Pyo Inhaeng looked at the Sect Leader as if to ask what he meant by that, but Seo Mugyeom felt relief wash over him.
"I hear you brought Seo Mugyeom with you to assist the First Division?"
The Sect Leader asked, his interest in Seo Mugyeom seemingly waning as he turned to Pyo Inhaeng.