Chapter 6
Evenings at the Yuyeop Pavilion were more troublesome than I thought.
The Martial Uncles took turns standing guard every day, going around to each room one by one for the bedtime roll call.
"Room number nine, total of five members. No issues."
"Total of five members? Ah! I heard Unhwi came back. Right. Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, Martial Uncle. No issues at all."
"That's a relief. I heard you lost your memory. Do you know who I am?"
I racked my brain, and another name popped up.
Hyeonjin.
Fortunately, it wasn't a particularly bad memory.
The memory that came to mind was of a person who wasn't very meticulous but was very affectionate.
"Martial Uncle Hyeonjin. Even if I forget everything else, how could I forget Martial Uncle Hyeonjin's Taoist name?"
"Haha! Really? Were you always a child who could speak so well?"
"It seems there was an elixir in the water that made one's guts grow. Haha."
"Well, well, you can even joke. Right. You look much better now. Haha!"
Martial Uncle Hyeonjin laughed heartily at my words.
But, I felt Senior Brother Unmi, right next to me, glare at me.
You just wait a little. The time for our conversation is not now.
"Then, sleep well. You know there's dawn training tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. I heard it's at the beginning of the Hour of the Tiger."
"You know well. Uncheol, you are the room leader, so you must take good care of the youngest. Understood?"
"Yes, Martial Uncle."
Martial Uncle Hyeonjin closed our door and went to the next room.
"Aigoo. How troublesome."
I stretched and sat on the edge of my bed.
It was a simple roll call to check if anyone was sick or uncomfortable, but having to stand in a line in front of the door at this time was quite a hassle.
'I never thought I could lie freely on my bed during my usual rest time, not just at this time.'
Contrary to my expectation of a very rigid and stuffy atmosphere, the atmosphere of Wudang, especially the Yuyeop Pavilion, was more free than I thought.
There were three group training sessions: dawn training, morning training, and afternoon training, but as long as you worked hard during those times, you could spend the rest of the time freely.
You could do additional personal training, or just lie down on your bed and rest.
They said that resting was as important as training hard.
Now that the roll call was over, the senior brothers also started to get into their beds one by one.
Before everyone went to sleep, there was one thing I had to check.
"Senior Brother Unmi. Senior Brother Unmi."
"What?"
This brat. His reply is strangely prickly.
He clearly thinks I was showing off by having a pleasant conversation with Martial Uncle Hyeonjin.
"I have something to ask because I don't remember well."
Instead of answering, Unmi glanced at Uncheol.
As expected, that Uncheol over there is more of a problem than this one.
He's made it so this one can't even answer on his own, and he's acting all prim and proper in the back as if he did nothing.
'Is he a cunning one? Or is this really just their excessive loyalty?'
I pondered for a moment but decided not to think too deeply about it.
After all, I can just ask him during our sincere conversation (?) later.
Nod—
While I was thinking, Uncheol nodded his head.
Only then did Unmi finally open his mouth.
"What is it. Spit it out."
"Where do the Martial Uncles go after the roll call? Do they keep patrolling or something?"
"Martial Uncles? You mean Martial Uncle Hyeonjin?"
"For today, yes."
Unmi pointed in a direction with his hand, even though it was blocked by a wall and he couldn't see.
"Room number one is in that direction, right?"
"Right."
"Didn't you see the small building next to it?"
"Ah, I saw it."
He casually lowered his arm and spoke with a look that said, 'You don't even know that?'
"That's where the Martial Uncles sleep when they're on duty."
"Aha. So he'll be there today."
"Yes. Usually, when other Martial Uncles are on duty, they patrol often, but Martial Uncle Hyeonjin rarely comes out of that room."
"Oh! Really? Thank you, Senior Brother."
He's giving me good information without even knowing he's digging his own grave.
I sincerely thanked the senior brother, but Unmi looked at me with suspicious eyes and asked, "But why are you asking that?"
"Because I don't remember. I thought I should know."
"Is that all?"
"Of course. What else could there be?"
"Hmm... I see."
He spoke and then turned his back to me.
I don't know if he's quick-witted or slow-witted.
A moment later, everyone was lying in their beds.
It was said that putting out the last oil lamp was the youngest's job.
I heard from Un Gwang that although there were senior and junior brothers, it was by no means a hierarchy of status, but these guys didn't seem to think so at all.
And of course, lighting the oil lamp in the morning was also the youngest's job.
"Senior Brothers. I'm putting out the lights."
"Alright."
Hoo—
As I blew out all the oil lamps with my mouth, darkness soon fell.
For now, I quietly got into my bed.
It seemed Uncheol was not yet asleep.
I opened my mouth softly.
"Senior Brother Uncheol."
"Are you calling me?"
"Yes. Senior Brother Uncheol."
When I called Uncheol, I could feel the other three tense up slightly.
If they react this much just from me speaking to them, I don't know what they'll do later.
"I asked again because you rarely call me directly. Why did you call?"
"I have something I want to ask."
"Is it because of your lost memory? Didn't I tell you to ask Unmi if you're curious?"
"No. It's something I must ask you, Senior Brother."
"......"
A moment of silence flowed.
He seemed to be thinking hard about what I was thinking when I said this, and what I was going to ask.
"Alright. Ask away."
He paused for a moment and then answered me.
Even if he had told me not to ask, I was going to say it anyway, but I immediately asked him.
"Why did you lie to me?"
"...What?"
"You lied to me."
"What lie did I..."
"The elixir in the pond. That was a lie, wasn't it?"
Uncheol slowly sat up.
Then I also sat up.
My eyes had adapted to the darkness quite well, and his figure was clearly visible.
"You seem to be mistaken about something. It was Unmi, not me, who told you that story."
I let out a smirk.
Because I could even feel sincerity in Uncheol's words.
I became truly curious about the reason why he went to such lengths to kill me... no, the previous owner of this body.
"A mountain bandit stabbed a merchant crossing a mountain to death with a knife. Then was it not the mountain bandit who killed him, but the knife?"
"What did you say?"
"Unmi, who mindlessly relayed your words, is also at fault, but I think the person who ordered it is more at fault."
"Hey! What kind of tone are you using with your senior brother..."
"You shut up. I'll talk to you later too."
"......!"
Thanks to the killing intent I shot out, Unmi couldn't even answer and just opened and closed his mouth.
I was born into a no-name family and stood shoulder to shoulder with martial artists from high-nosed, large sects.
Even the elders of the Nine Sects, One Gang and the Five Great Families would yield to me, so I could squeeze out enough killing intent to shoot at these little brats even with this shabby body.
"Unhwi! I thought you were strange from a while ago, have you really lost your mind?"
"Isn't trying to kill a perfectly fine kid what's losing one's mind? Why on earth did you try to kill me?"
"Trying to kill you. Your words are harsh."
"Then telling this weak child to jump into that pond wasn't telling him to die?"
"That's...!"
The face of Uncheol, who had been acting like some kind of gentleman all along, finally crumbled.
It seemed to be a complex emotion.
I didn't think he would really die. He would probably say something like that.
Right. That's not what's important right now.
First, I need to make sure that guy's body is filled with the desire to tell the truth.
"Fine. Don't answer. The fact that you tried to kill me doesn't change."
"I'm telling you...!"
Flap—!
I didn't listen to the end of his answer and kicked off the blanket.
The blanket I kicked flew up and landed on top of Unmi, whose bed was closest to me.
"What is this! Ugh!"
Thud—
I immediately got up from the bed, kicked off the blanket, and rushed towards Uncheol.
From the feeling under my feet and the scream I heard, it seemed I had stepped on Unmi's head, but I didn't care.
Whoosh—
Thanks to the good stepping stone, I leaped to Uncheol's bed at the far end of the room in one go and threw a punch as I fell.
The best punch I could throw, with my body weight behind it.
But, Uncheol, far from being flustered, raised his head and looked straight at me.
They said Uncheol was on the stronger side among the third-generation disciples, and it seemed to be true.
Thwack!
Contrary to my courageous flight, my punch was futilely blocked by Uncheol.
Uncheol didn't let go of my fist and said, "What do you think you're doing right now?"
"Me? I'm trying to take over the power in this room."
"Power? For someone who says that, your attack is too pathetic. If you quietly return to your bed, I'll specially forgive you this one time. As you said, it's partly my fault that you fell into the water."
"Ha, partly?"
I couldn't help but laugh.
It was infuriating that he was trying to deny his fault even at this point.
My hand was caught by Uncheol, but I was relaxed.
Even when I lived as Unhwi in my past life, I was always the weak one.
I had experienced situations like this dozens, hundreds of times.
CRACK—!
"Keuk!"
I swung my leg and kicked Uncheol's calf hard.
Uncheol let out a groan of pain and had no choice but to let go of my hand.
This time, I mixed in a good amount of internal energy when I kicked.
Whoosh—
I dodged the arm he swung wildly to grab me by leaning my upper body back.
The sound of it cutting through the air was frightening.
But, if you get hit in a situation where you can predict the next move, you're an idiot.
CRACK!
My kick followed immediately.
It was the exact same spot I had hit before.
"You, you brat!"
CRACK!
Another hit as I dodged his punch.
The three senior brothers, Unjeong, Unshik, and Unmi, who were sitting on their beds, couldn't stand up or sit down and were watching our fight in an awkward posture.
'These guys have no guts. They'll never be able to rush at me.'
After finishing my assessment of the senior brothers, I hit the same spot several more times.
"Un, Unhwi, do you know what you're doing right now?"
"I told you earlier. A transfer of power."
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Wobble!
After hitting the same spot several times, Uncheol's huge body began to tilt.
I followed the footwork that came to my mind and approached him in an instant.
"Eek!"
Uncheol squeezed out his last bit of strength and threw a punch at me.
The moment I saw that punch, I realized.
'This is Taiji.'
I could feel a faint wind from Uncheol's punch.
The very wind from when one operates Taiji.
FWOOSH—!
I also operated my energy as it came to me earlier and put it into my fist.
And I send my fist exactly where I want it to go.
The destination of my fist is Uncheol's fist.
But, it wasn't thrown with the purpose of breaking his fist.
The moment my fist touched Uncheol's fist.
Whoosh!
My fist, like a leaf riding the wind, rode up Uncheol's arm.
The fist that went up very smoothly arrived at Uncheol's chin.
Uncheol's face showed that he didn't realize what was happening to him.
CRACK!!
With a tremendous sound, Uncheol's body flew backwards.
He soon flew to the side of his bed and fell with a loud clatter.
Seeing as he couldn't get up right away, it seemed he had fainted.
Astonishment filled the faces of the three senior brothers looking at me.
Senior Brother Unjeong, who was decent at martial arts besides Uncheol, looked at me with eyes as wide as lanterns.
"Tai-Taijiquan! When did you learn it?"
"I didn't learn it."
"Don't lie! That was definitely Taijiquan!"
"Is that what's important right now?"
"......!"
Unjeong finally looked at Uncheol, who was sprawled out next to the bed.
I gestured to Unjeong and Unshik with my eyes and said, "Move now. Start by putting Senior Brother Uncheol on the bed."
"What are you doing..."
BANG—
When I punched the bed, Unjeong and Unshik were startled and rushed over to Uncheol, struggling to move him onto the bed.
And I, with only my head sticking out of the blanket, looked back at Unmi, who had watched the entire process, and said, "Senior Brother Unmi."
"Wh-Why... no, what is it?"
"It's about time we had a deep physical conversation too, right?"
"N-No. Brother. Brother Unhwi!"
Perhaps because he didn't want to get hit, Unmi even called me 'brother'.
But what can I do? I have no intention of letting him off.
Grin—
A satisfied smile naturally bloomed on my lips.
(End of Chapter)