The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

BANG—

The door burst open with a loud noise.

Everyone in room number eight was startled and looked at the door.

There, a large man stood panting.

"Is it true that you've been talking behind my back?! And that you've been looking down on our room number nine?!"

"...Uncheol?"

Unjihak, who had just come into the room and was changing into his casual clothes, called out to Uncheol reflexively.

"Jihak! I never thought you would do such a thing. I thought we were close."

"That's..."

"Are you going to say it's a lie? I have confirmed it myself!"

Uncheol raged as he had learned in the dining hall.

The key to this operation was not to give the opponent time to answer.

"So..."

"And Un Chi! You, who are of a lower rank among our senior and junior brothers, are trying to cause discord like this? Do you know your fault!"

"S-Senior Brother..."

BANG—

Un Chi tried to answer, but he couldn't this time either.

Because I had kicked the door open at the exact moment he was about to speak.

Since Unjeong was next in rank after Senior Brother Uncheol, it would have been a natural picture for him to kick the door, but the senior brothers of room number eight had no time to confirm such things right now.

A strategy of relentlessly pushing forward!

"Jihak. You have insulted all the junior brothers of our room number nine. Do you admit your reckless words?!"

"Uncheol! That's..."

Unjihak tried to answer something but couldn't finish his sentence.

Because he had been talking about room number nine little by little, and at lunchtime today, he had had a conversation with Un Chi that could literally be called backbiting.

He had no excuse even if he had ten mouths.

"B-But who did you hear it from? Senior Brother?"

In the midst of this, Un Chi rolled his eyes and asked Uncheol.

Since he was the one who had said some rather harsh things at lunch today, his face was pale.

One of the most serious crimes in the Yuyeop Hall was disturbing the hierarchy among senior and junior brothers. The words he had said while looking at Uncheol earlier were enough to be punished if they had reached the ears of the Martial Uncles.

"Is it important who I heard it from? If you know that, will what you said become undone?"

"That's not it, but..."

Unjihak, who had been out of it until now, seemed to have come to his senses, stood up from his spot, and walked towards us, saying, "Uncheol, calm down. I apologize. It's true that I said those things. I said them out of concern because you've changed recently, but it became a criticism of you. It was my fault."

Uncheol flinched his shoulders and was slightly surprised.

Actually, I was surprised too.

'No, why is this kid so nice.'

Usually, when people are confronted like this, they make excuses to get out of it or get angry and lash out.

But, Unjihak admitted Uncheol's words as they were.

Uncheol unknowingly turned his head and looked at me.

He must have looked at me reflexively because I had said I would take responsibility for any unexpected situations.

I quickly moved to Senior Brother Uncheol's side and opened my mouth.

"Senior Brother Jihak. Is this a matter that can be ended with an apology? I was truly hurt. After hearing that news, it was hard for me to even chew and swallow my food properly!"

"But, at the dining hall earlier..."

"Moreover! I couldn't even sleep because of this injustice. Do you see the dark circles under my eyes? This is all because I couldn't sleep due to mental anguish."

"But I only talked behind your back at lunch today...?"

Unjihak was strangely logical.

I raised my voice even higher.

"Is that the attitude of someone who is apologizing? Is that what's important right now?!"

"Ah... no, it's not important."

"I was about to go and tell the Martial Uncles right away, but I barely managed to stop myself and come here. Do you understand?"

"Th-Thank you."

Unjihak answered my words reflexively.

Phew. The atmosphere has finally shifted back.

"Senior Brother. What should we do now?"

I looked at Uncheol and nudged his side.

Uncheol, who was blankly watching me speak, flinched, and then, as if he had just remembered the next line, he opened his mouth.

"I-I did not come here for a mere apology. Our room number nine formally requests a spar with your room number eight. Isn't it a proper way to check if we are truly substandard trash as you say?!"

"Substandard... no, I don't think I said it that harshly... anyway, you're requesting a spar?"

At Uncheol's proposal, a look of doubt appeared on the faces of everyone in room number eight.

It was common knowledge that room number nine was a collection of the weakest disciples in this 'Un' generation, with the exception of Uncheol.

"Uncheol. Think again. I'm not looking down on you and your junior brothers, but..."

It seemed they thought that if they had a spar, they would naturally win.

Unjihak stepped forward to stop Uncheol.

This isn't helping at all.

I had no choice but to step forward again.

"Senior Brother! That is looking down on us! You were about to say we should give up the spar because it's obvious we'll lose, right? If that's not looking down on us, then what is?"

"......"

Unjihak couldn't answer.

Because what I said was true.

Now I'm starting to feel a little bad for being looked down on for real.

Flick—!

I extended my finger and pointed at Un Chi.

"You laughed at our training method, calling it a foolish act, didn't you?"

"...What?"

"I heard everything. You were wondering who heard and told us earlier, right? I am the one who heard it directly. I was so shocked after hearing that!"

"Where on earth..."

I lightly ignored his question and continued.

As I said before, in a war of words, you shouldn't give the opponent a chance to answer.

"Are you also trying to avoid the spar, Senior Brother? Why? Do you think you'll lose to me?"

"...What did you say?"

"If not, then why are you trying to run away? There's nothing to lose. Unless you're afraid of losing."

"Run away? You think I'm scared?"

As expected, I should have targeted this one instead of Unjihak.

He reacts immediately to every word I say.

"Well, how embarrassing would it be to lose to our room, which you've been talking behind our backs, calling us weak?"

"You brat! I know you're the youngest among our 'Un' generation, but what kind of tone is that to your senior brother?"

"Then what kind of tone is that to our Senior Brother Uncheol, Senior Brother?!"

"You...! You...!"

Anyway, I just stated the facts, but he can't even answer properly and is just staring with wide eyes.

"Junior Brother Unhwi? Calm down now..."

"Ah! This will work. The martial arts competition is not far away, right? How about we run to Martial Granduncle Okgil right now and ask him to have our two rooms fight in the first round?"

As I spoke, I winked at Uncheol, and Uncheol hurriedly nodded and answered.

"Yes, Jihak. If you're burdened by having a spar right now, using the existing competition is also a way."

"That's right. If you refuse even this, I'll go around spreading rumors that Senior Brother Un Chi refused the proposal because he was scared to fight us. And of course, the fact that you were talking behind our backs too!"

"You really, I've been letting you off, but!"

Un Chi shot up from his spot and approached.

"Fine. Let's do it! Let's go to Martial Granduncle Okgil right now and ask him to set up our match separately!"

"Junior Brother!"

"Senior Brother. How can I just stand by after hearing something like this? It's not any other room, it's room number nine. No matter how gentle our Wudang sect is, we can't be polite to a room like that!"

Un Chi, who was finally so angry that he couldn't distinguish between what he should and shouldn't say, spat out his words.

Hearing those words, I also felt my anger rising, but since I have a very, very mature patience and composure (?), I was able to hold back my anger.

"Are you that confident that you'll beat our room?"

"Yes. You don't really think you'll win, do you?"

"But we do."

"Besides Senior Brother Uncheol, you all have mediocre skills... you haven't forgotten the last martial arts competition, have you?"

At Un Chi's words, Senior Brothers Unjeong, Unshik, and Unmi flinched.

They were trying hard to act angry, but it seems they can't help their gentle nature.

'Hoo... how long will it take to completely reform their minds.'

The senior brothers are the senior brothers, but the immediate problem is Un Chi.

Fortunately, Un Chi didn't seem to have noticed the senior brothers flinching.

"That was the last competition. Don't you know that for martial artists in their growth spurt like us, every day is different?"

"How much stronger could you have gotten with that loud and strange training method of your room?"

"Are you looking down on our training method now?"

"Hmph! That kind of show-off training is what street performers do in the marketplace, not something we should be doing in our Wudang!"

Although I have a mature personality, I can't stand it this time.

It might seem funny to get angry while trying to provoke someone, but not holding back your anger is also a way.

But, I didn't even have a chance to get angry.

Suddenly, the senior brothers in my room started shouting at Un Chi.

"What did you say? Don't say things like that without even knowing how great this method is, Un Chi!"

"Even if you're a senior brother, I can't stand you insulting our training. Take that back!"

"How can you make such a judgment without even experiencing it? Did we look that pathetic to you?"

The senior brothers, who had been quiet when they were being insulted, suddenly rushed at him when he insulted the training method I had taught them.

Un Chi, who had been so angry, was also flustered by the unexpected situation and was stuttering, unable to speak.

'Well, well. Not bad.'

I didn't even give them a script, but the senior brothers created a pretty good opportunity.

I quickly said, "Then how about we make a bet?"

"A bet?"

"Let's make a bet on the outcome of the first round of the martial arts competition, as you said, Senior Brother. If we win, you apologize for talking behind our backs until now, and you do everything I say. Including the training method you insulted, Senior Brother."

"What? That strange training method?"

"You just have to win, so what's the worry?"

Un Chi trembled his fists and shouted.

"Fine! But what will you do if we win?"

I cheered inwardly.

He fell for it perfectly.

"We'll do whatever you want. What, should we leave Wudang or something?"

"Yes! You guys should stop learning martial arts and go to the Taoist hall. So you don't get on my nerves!"

"Alright! We'll leave Wudang."

At my answer, Unjihak was startled and looked at Uncheol, saying, "Uncheol. I don't think Junior Brother Unhwi is in his right mind right now. I'll pretend today's conversation never happened, so hurry up and take that child back to your room."

It was a genuinely worried gaze.

Unjihak knew very well how talented Uncheol was, even if he didn't know about the other junior brothers.

He must be thinking that it would be a really foolish thing to lose him from Wudang because of a spar and a bet.

"Unjihak, you really... are looking down on us."

"Uh...?"

But, belying his concern, Uncheol answered with a cold expression and tone.

That didn't seem like acting, it seemed genuine.

"If you felt even a little threatened by us, you wouldn't be able to genuinely worry about me. You're pretending not to, but you're thinking of your room's victory as a foregone conclusion. Unjihak. I'll ask you. Can you genuinely beat me?"

"......"

Unjihak couldn't answer Uncheol's question.

But, Uncheol nodded as if he had heard the answer.

If he had seen Unjihak as a difficult opponent, he wouldn't have been unable to answer like that.

"Good. Just the two of us need to go to Martial Granduncle Okgil. The junior brothers in our room should all go back to the room. I'll go back after I've been to the Martial Granduncle."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

At Uncheol's low voice, I couldn't say anything more and returned to our room with the other senior brothers.

The way Uncheol looked at the end was, no matter how I look at it, genuine.

'Did I touch something I shouldn't have...?'

It seems his pride was genuinely hurt by the expression Unjihak made at the end.

His expression was worse than when he was hit by me.

It was probably because it was a disregard from a friend he had known for a long time.

Senior Brother Uncheol returned after about an hour.

In that time, he seemed to have regained his composure and had returned to his usual expression.

"Senior Brother. Did you have a good trip? What happened?"

"Fortunately, Martial Granduncle Okgil accepted our proposal. Our first match in this martial arts competition will be Jihak's room."

He spoke simply, then gathered his clothes and went outside to do his self-training.

For some reason, his back showed more seriousness than before.

It was what I intended, but... this is a good thing, right?

(End of Chapter)