Chapter 21
In the end, Senior Brother Uncheol's pain grew worse, so he went to the medical hall first to take care of his wound, and the matches continued.
The overall level of the Wudang Sect's third-generation disciples was better than I thought.
I watched their matches carefully and engraved in my mind which parts each individual was lacking in and what kind of training I should give them to improve further.
And.
"The winner of this competition, following the last competition, is room number one. Everyone, please come up to the sparring stage."
The martial arts competition was decided with Un Gwang's room number one as the winner.
In the following matches, Un Gwang literally showed a brilliant performance and displayed skills worthy of winning.
"I will award each of you with a Micheongdan. Take it and improve further."
"Thank you, Martial Granduncle!"
"Then this martial arts competition ends here. You all worked hard, and I hope to see you all improve in the next competition."
My stomach churned as I watched them take my Micheongdan.
From the next competition, there will be no mercy. The next competition is in six months.
I vowed to make the level of my room's senior brothers so high that the senior brothers of room number one wouldn't even be able to catch up by then.
But that's not to say that I only lost in this competition.
"Senior Brother Unjeong. How on earth did you get so strong? Is it really because of that training you always do?"
"Unmi-ya. Let's talk for a moment. Do you have any separate training you do besides the training we do together?"
As soon as the Martial Granduncle announced the end of the martial arts competition and disappeared, dozens of senior brothers who usually had no interest in us flocked around us.
It's understandable, since we, who were evaluated as the weakest, had crushed the senior brothers of room number eight, so it's natural that they would be interested.
"Senior and junior brothers. First of all, Senior Brother Uncheol has gone to the medical hall, so let's go there first and talk later. Wouldn't it be better for you to hear Senior Brother Uncheol's story rather than ours?"
"Ah...! Yes. I'll visit your room later. Go quickly."
"Thank you."
I had anticipated this and had instructed Unjeong to say this beforehand, and he carried out my instructions well.
Unjeong, who had taken all of our room's members and escaped the crowd, asked me while leading us to the medical hall.
"Hwi-ya. Isn't this too much attention all of a sudden?"
"No. This is just right. More than that, don't you all feel it?"
"What is it?"
"Your changed status, Senior Brothers. Have we ever hidden our training method while doing it until now?"
Senior Brothers Unjeong, Unshik, and Unmi shook their heads simultaneously.
As I said, we didn't hide our training method, but rather, we trained loudly.
"When we were doing it so loudly in the dining hall, on the street, in the training ground, and in the Yuyeop Hall, they had no interest, but now they're curious about what kind of training it is. Don't you feel anything even after I say this?"
"I-I do. They ignored us back then."
"That's right. There were even senior brothers who laughed at us."
"I could understand if it was just the senior brothers. Even the junior brothers younger than me laughed at us."
Even while saying this, a small smile spread across the senior brothers' lips.
They were feeling it too.
The reward and pride of hard training. And their changed status.
"Those people changed just like that as soon as they saw our skills. As I said before, my goal is for all the third-generation disciples of our Wudang to become as strong as us. So they have to make a fuss like that for them to want to learn our training method."
"Yes. I followed you and trusted you, and I'm really improving."
"You're only realizing that now?"
"Actually, at first... I just thought you were trying to bully us. But it was all real."
To be honest, there were times when I was more severe because I wanted to bully them... so I felt a little guilty inside, but I spoke nonchalantly.
"See? I told you that if you just listen to me well, good things will happen even when you're sleeping."
I turned away from them and hurried my steps towards the medical hall.
A smile was slowly starting to form on my face, but I didn't want to show this face.
Because I know that it's not even close to being satisfied yet.
"What are you doing. Aren't you coming quickly? We have to go see Senior Brother Uncheol and then do today's training."
"The martial arts competition ended today, but we're training today too...?"
"You ate yesterday, so are you not eating today? We only skip training on the days we don't eat."
"What day do we not eat?"
"So I'm saying we do it every day."
The senior brothers clicked their tongues but followed me without a word.
Today was a day that served as an opportunity for the senior brothers from the other rooms to see our room in a new light, but it was also a day when the senior brothers' trust in me grew immensely.
It was only a few hours ago that we were despised as the weakest room.
Now the senior brothers must have clearly realized it.
That my training was real.
***
Senior Brother Uncheol's injury was more serious than I thought.
Two of his ribs were cracked, and the area around it was so bruised that it was not just black and blue, but red.
It was proof that Senior Brother Unjihak's wooden sword had gone in properly.
After checking Senior Brother Uncheol's condition, I sent the other senior brothers to the room first.
It's not like Uncheol would get better faster just because there were a lot of people here, and more than anything, the other senior brothers had to do today's training.
"No, Senior Brother, you were going to participate in the next round even in this state?"
"Ahem. I didn't know it would be this bad."
"Your body is the most important thing in the world. No matter how hard you train, what's the use if you get hurt and can't fight? From now on, don't even think about things like mutual destruction. Got it?"
"Um... I understand."
"You promise?"
Martial artists like Uncheol are upright.
No, they're not just upright, they're even foolish.
That's why I have to nail it in from the beginning like this.
"Hwi-ya. But what are you going to do about room number eight now."
"What do you mean, what am I going to do?"
"Since we won, aren't they supposed to train with us?"
"That's right. I was just about to go there after checking if you were okay, Senior Brother."
"You're going yourself?"
"Of course I have to go myself. Since they have to listen to me well from now on."
"What are you going to do if they don't listen properly?"
I looked at Senior Brother Uncheol as if he was asking something so obvious.
Then, a look of anxiety appeared on Senior Brother Uncheol's face.
I smiled brightly and said, "Senior Brother. Have you already forgotten why you listen to me so well?"
At my question, his pupils began to tremble noticeably.
How could he forget. The one who resisted me the most at first was Senior Brother Uncheol.
He answered immediately.
"N-No. I haven't forgotten."
"Then what are you asking?"
"Then from when?"
"From now on. I'm planning to go right away when I get back to the quarters."
He slowly nodded his head and then said to me, "Then I'll go back to the quarters with you too."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes. I've received all the treatment I need anyway."
Senior Brother Uncheol stood up from his spot, tidied up his surroundings, and then stood next to me.
He was still breaking out in a cold sweat, so the pain must be considerable, but his mental strength is truly amazing.
"Then let's go."
"Where should we go. Our room first?"
"No. The other senior brothers are probably not in the room since I told them to train. Let's go straight to room number eight."
I took Senior Brother Uncheol and headed towards the Yuyeop Pavilion.
The time was still before evening, in the afternoon.
"Is there still about half an hour left until dinner?"
Half an hour is enough.
Because of the martial arts competition today, there is no group training, and I also don't have training with Martial Uncle Hyeon Yang, so all the senior brothers from room number eight will be in their room.
Including Senior Brother Unjihak, since he wasn't in the medical hall.
'Senior Brother Unjihak was hurt much more than Senior Brother Uncheol, but he couldn't move with that wound? How weak is his endurance?'
While I was grumbling, we arrived in front of room number eight.
I went up to the door and knocked.
Knock, knock—
"Who... huh..."
The door opened slightly, and a senior brother from room number eight saw me, flinched, and opened the door.
Was his Taoist name Un Gyu?
"Why are you so surprised to see a person's face? It's embarrassing. Anyone would think I'm a monster."
I nonchalantly opened the door and went inside.
Then, two were lying on their beds, and the other three were standing, and the two lying down were Senior Brother Unjihak and Un Chi.
"Neither of you are that hurt, but you're still lying down? Senior Brother Uncheol is already walking around."
Unjihak clutched his chest and sat up.
"Uncheol, you're here? Are you feeling a little better?"
"No. Not at all. To swing a wooden sword at a person like that."
"And you stabbed me as if you were going to kill me."
"That was the only way to beat you."
"......"
An awkward silence flowed between the two.
"Hey..."
"Jihak..."
"Ah, you go first."
"No. You go first."
Unjihak hesitated and then opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know my thoughtless words and actions would hurt you."
"No. I'm sorry. I got angry on purpose even though I knew you didn't have that intention."
The two exchanged apologies and then fell into silence again.
I was so dumbfounded that I said to them, "What are you doing right now?"
"What do you mean, what are we doing, we're reconciling..."
"Do you have to reconcile so awkwardly?"
I shook my head from side to side.
I thought Senior Brother Uncheol's heart had become a little stronger, but now that I see it, he's still far from it.
He still has the mindset of a flower in a greenhouse.
It seems he needs more intense training in the future.
"Anyway, I get that, but we came here for a different reason, right?"
Although I spoke softly, I frowned and glared at Uncheol, and Uncheol, as if he had just remembered the reason he came, looked at the senior brothers of room number eight with a guilty expression and opened his mouth.
"Yes. Since we won, you haven't forgotten that you're supposed to do the same training as our room, right?"
"That's..."
While Unjihak couldn't easily answer, Un Chi, who couldn't even sit up straight because his butt hurt, stood up awkwardly and shouted.
"Just because you won the match by luck, you're trying to make me do such a ridiculous thing?! I'd rather die!"
At that shout, I felt a surge of anger.
"What did you say? How can you say such a thing? Say it again."
"I said I'd rather die!"
"No, before that."
"What...? A ridiculous thing?"
"A little before that."
"You won the match by luck?"
"That's right! You won by luck. How can you say something so harsh? No matter how many coincidences overlap, there's no way I would lose to you."
Un Chi's expression crumpled for a moment.
I didn't care and continued.
"And keeping a promise is a basic quality and courtesy of a martial artist, but it seems you have no intention of keeping your promise at all?"
"What did you say? Aren't you the one who doesn't know courtesy! A brat who doesn't even show basic courtesy to his senior brother!"
"I show courtesy to a senior brother who acts like a senior brother. How can I show courtesy when there's not a single thing to respect, from your personality to your skills."
"Then let's have another match right now! I was careless earlier, but this time, there will be no mercy!"
"Haa..."
A sigh of frustration escaped me.
To think he's acting like that again after being beaten by me so badly.
It seems an injection of courtesy is urgently needed.
I didn't answer him at all and turned around and headed for the door.
"Are you trying to run away? Cowardly?!"
I didn't even react to the sound of a dog barking from behind and checked if the door was properly closed, even locking the bolt.
Click—
After carefully checking if the bolt was firmly locked, I turned around, and Senior Brother Uncheol quietly avoided my gaze and slipped to the wall.
I gave Un Chi a bright smile and answered what he had said to me a moment ago.
"No. I'm trying to make sure you can't run away."
"What?"
Paat—
Instead of answering his words, I threw myself at him.
To inject some manners.
(End of Chapter)