Chapter 90
The Moyong family members, as well as Hong-ryeon, the Beggars’ Sect Chief, the Martial Alliance Leader, and other famous masters, came to see So-ah off. After bidding them farewell, So-ah headed to the guest hall’s room 17, which was assigned to the Human Division students.
Tang Il-gi, Myo-seon, and the others were also with their respective sect members, and his junior sister and junior brother were also staying at the Moyong family’s residence, so at first, he had no intention of going.
But because he wanted to see the Human Division group, So-ah opened the door to room 17’s banquet hall.
And.
“Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!”
“Bottoms up, bottoms up, bottoms up! Bottoms up, bottoms up, bottoms up!”
“The alcohol is going in!”
Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp!
“One more! What are you hesitating for! We’re all going to get wrecked anyway!”
“Kikikik.”
“Kekekel.”
Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp!
“Let’s go!”
“Pour it in!”
“Slurp! This is the old man’s Star-Sucking Great Art. I’ll suck up all the alcohol!”
So-ah’s teeth chattered as he saw the figures of Han Baek, Eon Yeong-je, Seok Won, Paeng Il-gi, and Jang Byeong-il at the center, drinking like madmen.
“What the hell are you guys doing?”
So-ah suppressed his anger as much as possible and opened his mouth to ask.
The answer that came back was a spectacle.
“Oh?! Brother Jin, you’re here? Kya! Congratulations in advance on becoming one of the Ten Great Masters of the Orthodox Path! You know you can’t forget me even after you make it big, right?”
“Hey, Brother Seok. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Kekeke.”
Among them, there was one who was the most outstanding.
That is.
“Hic… hic… hey, Jin So-ah! You’re pretty good, you know? You brat… you! This great one acknowledges you. From now on, you’re one of the Ten Great Masters of the Orthodox Path!”
It was Han Baek, who was hiccupping constantly, his face flushed red from how much he had been drinking.
Crack.
So-ah clenched his two fists and asked.
“The Shaolin side wouldn’t have given you alcohol. Where did you get the alcohol?”
“Where else! Of course, we secretly brought it. Kikik.”
In the end, he frowned.
“Even if you’re a bunch of crazy brats, to be drinking and singing in the largest temple in the Jianghu? Are you really crazy, you brats?!”
He knew they were a bunch of troublemakers.
Would they be from the troublemaking Human Division for no reason?
Moreover, since only the most hopeless humans were gathered in the Human Division, he had thought that they would at least have a cup of tea with some sense.
But.
On the table were Dongpo pork, beef noodle soup, fish-fragrant shredded pork, braised beef, and even sweet and sour pork ribs.
Weren’t all the side dishes meat?
And what about the alcohol?
From white liquor to Erguotou, bamboo leaf liquor, daughter’s wine, and even red snow liquor.
This was just a forest of meat and a lake of wine.
In a word, it was a mess.
“It seems you guys need to become human before you become officials of the Martial Alliance. Tsk tsk.”
The former Human Division, the troublemakers, who felt So-ah’s voice twist uncomfortably, finally came to their senses and their eyes widened.
But it was already too late.
“Do you want to get beaten?”
“What?”
“Or do you want to do some gymnastics in the moonlight and sober up?”
“Hey. Don’t joke around. Why are you being like this, Brother Jin… you’re scaring me.”
“Does it look like I’m joking?”
“…”
“How dare you make such a mess in the thousand-year-old Shaolin on the day of your former respected teacher’s sacred duel? I’ll give you a moment. Get out to the front of the mountain gate without a trace.”
As soon as his words ended, So-ah left the banquet hall.
“Ah… why is he being like that again?”
“I told you. Let’s be moderate.”
“This is all because of that brat Han Baek. If he hadn’t crossed the line, he would have let it slide.”
As the blame was suddenly shifted to Han Baek, Han Baek pouted and hiccupped repeatedly.
“Hic… these brats… hic… why do they always… hic… pick on me? Huh?!”
‘Ugh. To think that a brat like that is becoming a third-rank, thirty-man commander-level official.’
‘By the way, why am I feeling guilty? Can’t I just ignore Brother Jin’s words?’
‘But if I do that, I feel like something big will happen… Ah! Why do I have to listen to that demon Jin even after graduating? This is just automatic, automatic.’
Then, soon, someone stood up and opened the door and went out.
One.
Two.
Three.
They left like that.
Even Han Baek, who had been sitting calmly until the end, as if his instinct for survival had taken precedence over his drunkenness, contorted his face and staggered towards the mountain gate.
A little later…
A strange cry, which seemed like an auditory hallucination, but was not an auditory hallucination, was heard softly by the martial artists who were still in the banquet hall, dividing tea and discussing the major and minor affairs of the Jianghu.
“Infinite…”
“Stamina…”
“Body…”
“Remodeling…”
At that sound, Tang Hwa-rin was startled and asked Tang Il-gi.
“Brother Il-gi. This is…?”
“Hmm… I don’t know what happened, but that’s right, Hwa-rin-ah.”
“Hul…”
The two were so dumbfounded that they couldn’t even laugh.
***
The next day.
As soon as the day broke, So-ah rushed to the medical hall.
It was to check on Gwang-won’s condition once again.
When he went, as expected, Gwang-won, who was in a much better condition than yesterday, was sitting in a cross-legged position on the bed and practicing his heart law.
“Monk. Are you training from the morning? You’re really amazing. If it were me, I would have used the excuse of being injured and rested for about ten days.”
“Haha. Young Master Jin. The disciples prepared the medicinal water according to the prescription you gave, and I soaked my body in it all night. It was a truly mysterious medicinal water. Thanks to that, I’ve gotten much better.”
“I’m glad it was helpful. I was so worried.”
“Then you should have hit me a little softer.”
“This monk is quite a joker. Keke.”
The two exchanged jokes in a friendly atmosphere, to the point where it was hard to believe that they had fought a bloody battle just a day ago.
Because they had poured out all their strength against each other without any regrets.
A natural reverence had arisen.
Just then.
Gwang-won’s expression and voice changed to a slightly serious tone.
He said to So-ah.
“Thanks to Young Master Jin, this humble monk has learned about the world for the first time. I also realized how arrogant I had been. I sincerely thank you once again.”
“I’m glad it was a learning experience. And to be honest, Monk Gwang-won’s martial arts. They were really amazing. I’m not just saying this, but you could probably fight against the head-level of the Nine Great Sects right now and not lose.”
“Hah… of course, I should. Even though I look like this… ahem!”
So-ah shook his head, dumbfounded, as he saw Gwang-won clear his throat while curling up the corners of his mouth.
“Whoa. This monk is really a funny person, the more I get to know him. So! He’s the strongest bald monk in history who overcame the Arhat Hall! Is that what it is? Hahaha.”
“Hey, a bald monk is a bit much! You’re being too much, Young Master Jin. Hahat!”
After a round of loud laughter.
So-ah casually extended his hand to Gwang-won.
“Now! When we meet next time, become an even stronger bald monk. Monk Gwang-won.”
At that, Gwang-won also smiled and took So-ah’s hand.
“Look forward to it. At that time, my Iron Head Art might crush Young Master Jin’s Iron Head Art. Amitabha…”
No, why are you reciting a Buddhist chant while saying such a menacing thing!
***
“So-ah. Since you’ve resigned as an instructor, you’ll be immersed in martial arts for a while. Hoho. If anything happens, send word to our sect at any time. This old woman will help you.”
“Keke! So-ah. When you’re active in the Jianghu and need the power of the Beggars’ Sect, you know the wooden plaque I gave you before, right? There is no place in the world that the hands of the Beggars’ Sect cannot reach. You can use it at any time.”
It was time to go back.
So-ah spent a busy time until noon to pay his respects to the Orthodox Path people who had not spared him any encouragement. In particular, he had to give a special and polite greeting to the Sword Empress, Hong-ryeon, the Dragon Head of the Beggars’ Sect, Hong In-geol, and the former Martial Alliance Leader, Ha Won-sang, before he could finish his preparations to leave.
Of course, he also shared a moment of sad farewell with his friends.
But the problem was.
“Han Baek. You’ll ruin your life if you keep drinking like that. Get a grip. There’s nothing to say about Brother Tang Il-gi, Brother Namgung, or Myo-seon. Let’s see… Junior Sister! And Junior Brother! You can’t do anything to smear the face of the Moyong Family, okay? And, Seok Won, Eon Yeong-je, Paeng Il-gi, the three of you. You guys should act your age. Hwa-rin, you…”
It was that it was hard to tell whether his farewell words were words of encouragement or nagging.
Just then.
“Hey! Stop it! Former Chief Instructor?”
Tang Hwa-rin stepped in at the right time and cut off So-ah’s words.
At that, as if they had been waiting, they began to let out their complaints one by one.
“Phew. Don’t we have the right to tell you what to do and what not to do anymore?”
“I never thought that a person who had just finished such a fierce duel would make us do stamina training again. Brother Jin. To be honest, I don’t even want to see your face anymore.”
“Of course, of course. He’s a demon. I’m afraid he’ll appear in my dreams.”
But even while letting out such complaints, a faint smile was drawn on their faces.
So-ah, as if he didn’t have the courage to nag any more, just smiled and waved his hand.
“I’ll always be watching you.”
At those words, the former students of the Human Division got goosebumps.
***
Ten days later…
—Moyong Family.
So-ah, who had returned home after a long time, was still spending busy days.
Since his recent journey had been so tight, he could have rested for a few days, but So-ah had no time for that.
‘Even though I took the Great Purity Ultimate Pill, I couldn’t overwhelm Gwang-won with my internal energy.’
He didn’t tell anyone.
But that point was a distress to So-ah.
In the first place, his goal was to become as strong as his grandfather.
Also, to make the Moyong Family prosper as the strongest group in the Jianghu, surpassing the Nine Great Sects.
To do so, there were still a mountain of things to do, so he could not afford to be idle.
Of course, since he was naturally diligent, he never skipped a day of training.
Instead, it was Huin-dung-i who was enjoying a luxury by chance.
“Keoheung…!”
As Huin-dung-i, who was busy running with So-ah in the deep mountains, let out a huge roar, the mountain birds flew up into the air with a chwareureuk.
“You brat. You like it that much? Hyung has been so busy that I haven’t been able to play with you. I’m sorry.”
As So-ah stroked Huin-dung-i’s head, Huin-dung-i, as if he was the happiest in the world, lay on his back and rubbed his body here and there.
After playing with Huin-dung-i leisurely like that, So-ah sat on a high rock with a good view of the sun and sat in a cross-legged position.
Then he looked at the hot sun and recited the incantation of the Great Whale Heart Law.
As white steam rose from So-ah’s Baihui acupoint, Huin-dung-i also sat quietly and yawned lazily.
The intimate time of the two continued until the night deepened.
***
A fortnight later…
“Is anyone there!”
A strange figure knocked on the main gate of the Moyong Family.
So-ah, who was just then studying the footwork by stepping on the directions in the training ground, opened the door and greeted the guest.
“Who are you?”
“Ah! Aren’t you Young Master Jin?”
“Yes. I am.”
“I am a second-class official of the Martial Alliance, Yuk Seon-dal of the Henan Yuk Family.”
At the words Henan Yuk Family, So-ah was pleased.
Because the Henan Yuk Family was the main family of ‘Yuk Bong-man,’ who had served as an instructor at the academy with So-ah.
“Ah! Please come in.”
After guiding him, a little later.
Moyong Baek, who had been out to meet Young Lady Yuk Jeong-ran for a commercial matter, came in, and only then did Yuk Seon-dal open his mouth softly.
“It is an honor to meet the esteemed head of the great Moyong family and the great disciple, Young Master Jin.”
“You have worked hard coming all this way.”
“The reason I have come to the Moyong family is to inform you about the election of the new Martial Alliance Leader.”
At the same time, he took out a letter from his bosom.
So-ah and Moyong Baek, who opened the letter, were at a loss for words for a moment.
“There was a decree from the former Martial Alliance Leader that one of the famous masters listed on the letter would be elected as the new Martial Alliance Leader. After a fierce discussion, the Martial Alliance plans to elect a new Martial Alliance Leader by gathering the opinions of not only the Nine Great Sects and the Eight Great Families, but also the small and medium-sized sects of the Jianghu and all the first and second-rate guest martial artists. I have come to collect the opinion of the Moyong Family.”
At that, Moyong Baek, with a serious look, pondered and then asked So-ah.
“So-ah. What do you think?”
“Uncle.”
“Yes?”
“People have to repay their debts.”
“That’s right.”
“There’s no need to look into this any further. We should of course…”
“…Of course?”
“We have to support Grandma Hong-ryeon! And with all our might.”
(End of Chapter)