Chapter 102
"The Demon Dragon Manor's intervention is the bigger problem."
At Taeseokgwan's words, Baek Seokhu quickly agreed.
"That's right. Rather than arguing about who is responsible for what has happened, we should talk about the future. Lady Jang, please pull yourself together."
Baek Seokhu was certainly experienced. He had cut down what needed to be cut down, and he had sufficiently mentioned what he had used his strength for. And he had also slightly pulled Lady Jang up from the abyss. He was certainly skilled.
"Then what should we do now?"
At Lady Jang's words, Baek Seokhu expressed his opinion.
"They say Pung Oksan barely saved his life. So shouldn't we see it as a matter of time?"
"That's a relief. That damn Demon Dragon Manor."
That damn Demon Dragon Manor. Everything was because of the Demon Dragon Manor. And it wasn't just that Pung Oksan had saved his life that was the problem. A bigger problem was waiting.
What was the reason for laying a hand on Zhongnan? It was because he had planned to deal with Zhongnan first to keep the Demon Dragon Manor in check. By removing the forces friendly to the Demon Dragon Manor and also taking the funds. Isn't that a good idea? But a serious problem had started to arise there.
Lady Jang, who was watching his expression, opened her mouth to somehow make up for her mistake.
"To lay a hand on him once more..."
"That's not possible."
Baek Seokhu stopped her. Mok Wigun was there, and he had brought some of the Demon Dragon Manor's people. In such a situation, sending an assassin again was a very dangerous act.
"That's right. Assassination has no behind. If you fail once, that's the end of it."
"That's right. Daoist Master Tae. But Pung Oksan's body is not normal, and he says he will go to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly."
"So that's what's strange."
Taeseokgwan said that it was possible that Pung Oksan's claim that he needed to recuperate was a lie.
"But according to the information from inside, they say he's really not well. He saved his life, but he has to continue to recuperate."
"Oh? Then that's strange. There are no people, are there?"
The party going to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly is usually composed of about ten people. The leader is an elder-level person, a few first-generation disciples, and the rest are second-generation disciples.
"Even if anyone can be the leader, there are no first-generation disciples. Except for Pung Oksan, aren't all of them people who have joined hands with us?"
The first-generation disciples of the Zhongnan Sect, except for Pung Oksan, were all Elder Jo's people.
The Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly has individual and group competitions, and to pass the preliminaries, the results of the individual competition are very important. But the individual competition is mainly participated in by first-generation disciples.
"If it's not Pung Oksan, there are no people, so what on earth are they planning to do?"
"That's right. Even if there are, it would be a few Daoists who study scriptures or research..."
Baek Seokhu paused for a moment while talking. Taeseokgwan was the same. The two of them looked at each other at the same time.
"Could it be him?"
The two of them thought of the same person at the same time.
* * *
The people in the key positions of a sect are mostly people with rich experience and seniority. Usually, people of the same generation as the sect leader take on the roles. So when the sect leader changes, the heads of the main positions also change.
"Those people are called elder-level."
"What about the first-generation disciples and the second-generation disciples?"
Pyon Juksu said to explain the rest as well. The two of them were on their way to meet someone, and on the way, Pyon Juksu was asking about the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly in detail.
"To accept a disciple, you have to have experience in the martial world and be of a certain age, right?"
"I guess so."
"So they usually take in disciples when they are around thirty."
The martial artists raised in a sect go out into the martial world when they are in their late teens. After being active for about ten years like that, they accept disciples.
The way each sect accepts disciples is a little different, but they roughly accept children around the age of ten. So they are roughly twenty years different from their master.
"The people in their thirties and forties who are actively active are called first-generation disciples, and the disciples below them are called second-generation disciples."
Then, when the first-generation disciples reach a certain age, the elders retire, and the sect leader changes.
"I see."
"Yes. So the most actively active people in the martial world are the first-generation disciples. That's why the individual competition, which is mainly participated in by first-generation disciples, is highly regarded at the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly."
"What about the elders?"
Since the elders are old, they mainly play the role of managing the major and minor affairs of the sect. Mok Wigun explained it roughly because it was annoying.
"But who is the person we're going to meet now? And what's this luggage?"
"If there are no first-generation disciples, you're not eligible to participate. So we're going to get a usable first-generation disciple."
Mok Wigun said to follow him without saying anything.
"But am I going as a luggage carrier?"
"You said you were curious and came."
"That's true, but..."
Pyon Juksu was curious about what kind of person he was going to meet. And he had followed him because he was curious about this and that, but thanks to that, he was moving with a lot of luggage.
"And it's not heavy."
"That's true. It's bulky but light."
Mok Wigun knew. Why Pyon Juksu had followed him, and why he was carrying the luggage.
Pung Oksan had survived after a great deal of hardship. But his condition was not yet complete. A situation that required recuperation.
And although Mok Wigun had succeeded in the bone marrow washing, there was a sense of disappointment compared to what he had thought. According to the original plan, Mok Wigun's body should have been in a perfect state. But because he was treating Pung Oksan, it had become a slightly unstable state.
"But are you okay anywhere?"
"I'm fine. I know medicine better than you. So you don't have to worry."
Pyon Juksu carefully examined Mok Wigun on the way.
"It's a pity. It could have been a much better state."
"This is enough. I'm satisfied."
He had saved Daoist Master Pung. What more could there be than that? He had saved the life of a precious person. On top of that, he had a complete dantian. The broken dantian had been completely fixed.
"But it's like a lizard became a dragon..."
Mok Wigun also knows. That for having done the bone marrow washing, it was a really disappointing result. Should he say it's a little worse than a normal person's dantian? It had become that kind of state.
That was the result of performing the great art while using the luminous pearl. Some might say it was a complete failure. But what does that matter? He has the ability to more than make up for it.
"I just need a dantian. That's enough, so you don't have to worry about it anymore. More than that, how are your potions coming along?"
"Ah. I think it will come out in a little while. There's quite a lot of data here."
Although most of the data was only partial, it was really precious data for Pyon Juksu. As the data was added to his original knowledge, the potion research gained momentum.
"That's good. Make it quickly. I'll also take some."
"I'll give you the first one I make. I promise."
As he was saying that, they arrived at their destination. It was a shabby house a little away from the main building of the Zhongnan Sect.
When he went inside, the walls were densely covered with transcriptions of Daoist scriptures. And there were also pictures hanging here and there, and both the writing and the pictures were of quite excellent skill.
"How is your brother?"
The owner of the house asked.
"He's fine. He saved his life, and he's recuperating now."
"He has a long life. What good will he see by living longer in this dirty world?"
The owner of the house grumbled. He was Pung Chosan, Pung Oksan's younger brother. A person who was famous for being eccentric.
"But why did you come to see me, who only studies scriptures and researches?"
He treated him bluntly. But Mok Wigun took it with a straight face.
"I heard you were quite good at martial arts in the past. I heard you were a talent who combined both literary and martial arts."
"Where did you hear such nonsense? You heard a false rumor."
He was a man with a rough mouth.
"Hahaha. You're an interesting person."
"Me? Hahaha."
Mok Wigun noticed it at once. This guy is a madman. And Pung Chosan was also feeling it. That Mok Wigun was a guy similar to him. Isn't there a saying that madmen recognize each other?
"So you're telling me to take the kids to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly?"
"That's right."
"Then you must also know that I will refuse."
"Of course."
Pung Chosan scratched his forehead and asked.
"Then why did you come? When you knew I would refuse?"
Mok Wigun held out his hand. At that, Pyon Juksu, who was next to him, gave him the luggage he had brought.
"Although you like Daoist scriptures, you also like paintings so much."
At the word 'paintings', Pung Chosan showed curiosity. But his words were still blunt.
"You're talking nonsense."
But his eyes were staring at Mok Wigun's hand. His expression was one of dying of curiosity about what would come out of the bundle he was holding.
"These are some of the paintings I have."
"Oh oh. This is a painting by Yuk Yeogeosa!"
Pung Chosan quickly snatched the painting and admired it. He kept letting out cries of admiration and couldn't take his eyes off the painting.
"Hooo. As expected, the paintings of a master are different."
"There are other things here."
This time, he also snatched the painting. Mok Wigun could confirm that his hand movements had used the technique of the Golden Capture Hand.
"Ugh. Isn't this a painting by Wen Zhengming? To think I'm seeing this painting."
Pung Chosan was so moved that his hands were even trembling. Mok Wigun watched him quietly, and when he thought he had seen the painting enough, he took out one more.
"Huh? That's..."
He reached out his hand to snatch the painting again. But this time, Mok Wigun didn't hand over the painting.
"Let's see."
Mok Wigun unfolded the painting. At that, Pung Chosan approached Mok Wigun as if he was possessed.
"This. This is perhaps a painting by Mi Fu? This is something that is really hard to get..."
"How about it? There are quite a few paintings besides this."
At Mok Wigun's words, Pung Chosan suddenly became serious.
"Haha. Are you trying to tempt me with something like this? You mean you'll show me something like this, so I should go to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly?"
Mok Wigun answered with a smile.
"That's right."
"Hahaha. Do you think I will accept such a proposal?"
Mok Wigun said with a chuckle.
"Everything is good, but let's talk after putting this down."
Pung Chosan was holding the painting by Mi Fu with one hand.
"Huh? Why am I holding this?"
Although he said that, he couldn't take his hand off. That was the answer. Mok Wigun shouted.
"Let's go to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly!"
* * *
"You managed to persuade him."
The sect leader said.
"It wasn't that difficult. In fact, it seems he had a mind to do so."
"That might be so. That guy also has a very deep attachment to Zhongnan."
Pung Chosan was also one of Zhongnan's rising stars. But he had been stuck in his current place, tired of Elder Jo's continued tyranny.
"Then since the first-generation disciple has been resolved, it's time to punish them."
"But how are you going to sort it out? There's no evidence, and their backlash will be severe."
Mok Wigun said with a smile.
"I will prepare it myself. You can look forward to it."
(End of Chapter)