Chapter 359
Next, Senior Brother Un-hwang went in, and I stealthily approached Un Gwang's side.
Un Gwang was clutching the worn-out secret manual as if it were a precious treasure.
"Excuse me. Grand Senior Brother."
"Yes. Unhwi-ya."
"Are you really satisfied with that?"
"I am."
Un Gwang answered with a gentle smile.
Seeing that face, it was hard to say anything more, but still, I hardened my heart and opened my mouth.
"From my perspective, it seems a little wasteful."
"Wasteful? What is?"
"Actually, the opportunity to pick up an item from the Martial Alliance's secret vault is not a common opportunity, is it?"
"That's right. It's not."
"And right now, you are in a situation where you need to get even a little stronger."
"That's right. It is."
"Then isn't it better to choose an elixir that can increase your internal energy right now, rather than taking a secret manual that you don't even know when you can restore?"
"That's right. It is."
For a moment, a feeling of anger welled up at Un Gwang, who kept repeating the same answer, but I managed to control my feelings and said to him, "Grand Senior Brother. Can't you say anything other than 'that's right'?"
"No. It's not that."
"Then why have you been saying only that since a while ago?"
"Because you keep saying only the right things."
"Are you saying my words are right?"
"Yes. I sincerely think they are right."
"Then do you regret choosing that secret manual after hearing my words?"
"That's not it either."
"Yes?"
Un Gwang, giving me a broad smile, said to me who was frustrated, "Hwi-ya. Do you think there is only one right answer to everything in the world?"
"Yes...? That's not it."
"I think my choice is also one of the right answers, just like what you said."
"You think it's the right answer?"
"It's true that I want to get stronger faster right now, and it's also true that I am absolutely lacking in internal energy and physical strength. Just like the conversation I had with the Alliance Leader earlier."
At some point, the Alliance Leader was looking at us.
It seems the conversation between me and Un Gwang had caught the Alliance Leader's attention.
Whether he knew this or not, Un Gwang continued to speak.
"But the Alliance Leader said so, right? That those are problems that time can solve."
"Yes... he did say that."
"So I thought I should shorten the necessary time by working hard myself. Instead, I chose something that I can never get with my time and effort. I don't know if you know, but the Nine Heavens Forbidden Demonic Divine Art is the martial art of a hero who saved the martial world from chaos in the past. Although it is said that much of it has been lost now, I can learn the martial art of someone who lived a completely different life from me and had completely different thoughts."
"If so, shouldn't you have brought a complete secret manual, not a lost martial art? You can't even learn that martial art now."
"That's why it's more valuable. If I were just going to learn a martial art, there are many Wudang Sect martial arts that I haven't learned yet. But if I only learn completed martial arts, wouldn't I never be able to have the experiences I can have while restoring a lost martial art like this?"
Un Gwang's tone and expression were so serious that I couldn't easily refute his words.
No, for some reason, I even felt that I shouldn't refute them.
"And finally, the reason I chose this is also thanks to you."
"Me?"
"You taught me the Heaven and Earth One Sword and the Taiji Sword Art, and I mixed them well to create the Taiji Nine Swords, right?"
"You did."
I answered and glanced at the Alliance Leader.
The Alliance Leader's eyes are full of interest.
With that level of insight, he must already know that the Heaven and Earth One Sword that Un Gwang just mentioned is a martial art of the Hebei Peng family.
It seemed he was curious about how I knew the Peng family's martial art and even taught it to Un Gwang.
"What I felt then was that it was difficult to bring about a great innovation with only the martial arts within the Wudang Sect. If we bring in the martial arts of other sects and combine them well with the advantages of our Wudang's martial arts... wouldn't the martial arts of the Wudang Sect also develop one step further in the long run?"
Since Un Gwang had said this much, I had nothing more to say.
I, with a deep sigh, said to him, "I understand. I completely understand why you made that choice."
"Really? Thank you for understanding."
He said so brightly.
At that brightness, not only I, but also the Martial Alliance Leader and Maeng Gwang-gae, who were eavesdropping on our conversation, chuckled.
Just then, the door of the secret vault opened and Senior Brother Un-hwang appeared.
The item in my senior brother's hand was a black piece of clothing.
It was a top that seemed to be made of fine silk like ebony, but upon closer inspection, the material of the clothes was not silk.
"It's a top made of cold iron thread. It's impervious to most swords, but since it's made of very fine iron thread, the feel of it is not that bad."
At the Alliance Leader's supplementary explanation, I knew what Senior Brother Un-hwang had brought.
It can be said to be an armor that is one or two grades lower than the turtle shell I am wearing now.
Senior Brother Un-hwang is one of the most aggressive types of martial artists among our senior brothers.
So when he thought about what he was most lacking in, he must have thought of defense, and it is clear that he chose that kind of armor as a way to supplement it.
The fact that Senior Brother Un-hwang chose the armor is as good as a declaration that he will continue to maintain an aggressive fighting style in the future.
It's good that a person is consistent.
"Alright. Then the next one, go in."
This time, Senior Brother Un Cheol went in, and my senior brother was holding a fist-sized pill.
I could recognize what that elixir was at a glance.
"Heavenly Transformation Pill?!"
Because it was the very elixir that the Alliance Leader had given me before.
"Haha! I think there was probably only one Heavenly Transformation Pill left, but how did you know and bring it? You have a very good eye."
Although Senior Brother Un Cheol had brought a rare thing like the Heavenly Transformation Pill, the Alliance Leader, on the contrary, clapped his hands and was happy.
To think he could be so happy while giving something. I thought that not just anyone could be the Martial Alliance Leader.
Next, Senior Brother Un-ji-hak, who went in, came out with a sword.
The sword was not as splendid as a treasured sword, nor was it made of cold iron, but it was a famous sword from which a faint sharpness flowed even from a distance.
Senior Brother Un-ji-hak, as if he were a little embarrassed to have brought out a weapon.
"Haha. I picked it up without thinking, but the length, thickness, and weight of the sword fit my hand so perfectly."
I naturally turned my head and looked at the Martial Alliance Leader.
It meant that I was asking for a supplementary explanation of what that sword was.
Since it was in the secret vault of the Martial Alliance, it was of course not an ordinary sword, but I couldn't recognize what kind of sword it was.
"That sword is known to be the sword used by the old senior who was called the Great Master of Three Swords, One Kill in the past. The martial art that the Great Master of Three Swords, One Kill had learned was a martial art mainly composed of cutting, and in order to perform that martial art, he personally designed a sword suitable for cutting, and it is said that he completed that sword by visiting the blacksmiths who were called masters in the Central Plains. Now that it hasn't been used for quite a while, the blade may be damaged and it may be rusty... but if you take care of it with your heart, it will surely be able to regain its past glory."
"Yes, Alliance Leader. I will definitely make sure the sword finds its form and strength."
"Yes. Good."
And the Alliance Leader, glancing at me, said, "Then the last one. It's Unhwi's turn."
"Yes, Alliance Leader."
"Are you going in right away?"
"Yes. Even if I think about it, I'll do it inside. It's useless to think about it outside, isn't it?"
"Well. You could say that."
I, leaving the smiling Alliance Leader behind, moved my steps into the secret vault.
As I stood in front of the secret vault, the two martial artists guarding the place opened the door to both sides, and I was finally able to enter the secret vault.
"Wow... to think a person made all of this. It's really amazing."
Admiration flowed out of my mouth without me realizing it.
Although I didn't know it was this big when I saw it from the outside, a very large space unfolded inside.
And that wide space was filled with dozens of bookshelves, dozens of shelves, and so many items that it was hard to count.
Most of these items were either donated, or confiscated when they raided the lairs of evil faction bastards, or items that the members of the Alliance had obtained because they thought they would be needed on the orders of the Martial Alliance Leader.
So choosing a good item from among these is, in a way, as good as a skill.
My senior brothers each chose the items they wanted, or the items they needed.
To be honest, even though I had come inside, I couldn't decide what to choose.
First of all, the elixirs here will not be of great help to me right now.
Thanks to taking the Hwari's inner core, my Six Yang Divine Art has grown greatly, and now, it seems I have eaten most of the elixirs.
In fact, I had a chance to eat a Great Purity Pill a while ago, and after taking it, only my fatigue was slightly relieved, and there was almost no substantial increase in internal energy.
Perhaps the Heavenly Transformation Pill that Senior Brother Un Cheol took out is the best elixir that can be found here, but that much cannot increase my internal energy.
And I can't choose a weapon or armor.
Because I already have the Red Dragon Sword I received from the Sword Emperor, and also the turtle shell I received from the Lord of the Ten Month Tower.
Since the things that Senior Brother Un-hwang or Senior Brother Un-ji-hak chose are already not better than what I have, I don't need to look for the rest.
Finally, it's also ambiguous to choose a secret manual.
Right now, I'm busy enough just learning the divine arts of the Wudang Sect that I'm learning from my master.
It doesn't mean that it's difficult to learn them, but it means that there is no martial art that I have completely mastered to the end yet.
I'm busy enough making all those martial arts completely my own, so researching a new martial art now is, no matter how I think about it, inefficient.
And Un Gwang will surely create a new martial art that is good to use by researching it.
'Then what should I really choose?'
I, who had been walking around without any purpose, stopped for a moment and, slowly looking around, thought.
'That door is probably... the door that leads to the place that only the Alliance Leader can enter.'
Although I didn't know when I first saw it because it was dark, there was a human-sized iron door on one wall.
Since it was firmly closed, I had a hunch that there were more precious items inside, or a very dangerous item.
"Hmm...?"
My eyes, which had been staring at the door without any thought, widened slightly.
Because I had detected a very, very faint flow of energy on that door.
'A formation?'
If it weren't for the Divine Eye Art I had obtained from the tomb of the Meteor King, I would have never discovered it.
I naturally moved my steps in front of the door.
And I thought for a moment in front of it.
'Should I try to disarm this? Or not?'
The thought became quite long, and in the end, I made a choice.
'The Alliance Leader never said that I absolutely shouldn't go in here... it must have meant that if I could get in with my skills, I should try. And right now, there's nothing for me to take here, right?'
Although the thought was long, the action was quick.
I immediately disarmed the formation as I saw it with the Divine Eye Art.
Then.
The door, making a rubbing sound, was pushed to the side and then opened.
And since the door was already open.
I, without any more hesitation, stepped inside.