Chapter 106
"I've been with that friend for a long time."
Pyon Juksu began to write a novel.
"I was trapped in a strange place during the great cataclysm. At first, I tried to escape somehow, but I realized it was impossible. So we talked about each other's martial arts and sparred."
So they exchanged martial arts for a long time. Thanks to that, he came to know the martial arts of Zhongnan inside and out. It seemed that time was over fifty years.
"There was nothing to do but practice martial arts. So now I think I'm more familiar with the martial arts of Zhongnan. Hahaha."
"I see. It's a truly unbelievable story."
In fact, it wasn't, but Jeung Yakcheon had no choice but to believe it.
"I'm so sad that that friend went first. And while I was living like that, I underwent the Reversal of Aging, and a crack appeared because of an earthquake, so I was able to come out to the outside world."
The sect leader was so engrossed in Pyon Juksu's story that he listened without even breathing.
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in advance."
"No. Even if you had told me, would I have easily believed it?"
The sect leader now completely trusted Pyon Juksu. And he treated him almost like his own grand-master. Then he suddenly asked with a surprised face.
"Are you perhaps helping Zhongnan because of that connection?"
"Haha. That's right. That's why."
Mok Wigun intervened because it seemed the story would never end if he left it alone.
"The fact that I helped Zhongnan was also influenced by that."
"Ah. I see. It's a great blessing for Zhongnan."
Jeung Yakcheon was greatly delighted, saying that he could revive the lost martial arts.
"So you said you have a way to get through the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly."
That wasn't it. But isn't it okay to think of it in a good way, no matter how you think of it?
"So I have to look at the children now. So I can pick the children who will participate and practice them, even if it's for a short period."
"That's right. I understand. I'll have to talk to them myself."
The sect leader was very excited. He had been carrying all the burdens alone as the greatest elder of Zhongnan, but a senior deceased person named Pyon Juksu had appeared and had lightened that burden.
"But it would be better to hide the fact that Physician Pyon is a deceased person who has undergone the Reversal of Aging."
"Hmm. I guess so. Just the story of the Reversal of Aging would be annoying from all sides."
Even if it's later, if it becomes like that now, it's not good for Zhongnan either. The sect leader said he would keep it a secret.
"I'll tell the disciples appropriately. I can just say he's a senior's unregistered disciple."
It was an appropriate measure. But the sect leader made another proposal.
"Since you have a deep connection with Zhongnan, how about you take the position of Grand Protector?"
"Grand Protector?"
"That's right. Even if you keep the fact that you've taken the position a secret for a while."
The sect leader wanted to create a connection with Pyon Juksu somehow. It's understandable. Since it's a difficult situation now, he's probably thinking of him as a reliable support. But given Pyon Juksu's personality, there was no way he would take on such a troublesome thing.
"Alright. I'll do that."
"Thank you."
What is this? As soon as he went outside, Mok Wigun asked.
"What is it? You hate troublesome things, don't you?"
"Grand Protector? Why, it's cool and good. I've been feeling empty because there was nothing that suited my noble status. It's a good thing that it happened just in time."
It was strange.
"You. You're talking for a long time, so you're a little strange."
"What? I just did it because it seemed fine. And I don't think I'll have anything to do."
Since it's the highest position, no one will order him to do anything.
"Anyway, just don't do anything strange. Then it's fine."
"Alright. Who am I? The noble of the night and the master of noble blood. The great and noble primordial being."
"It seems the modifiers have increased a little compared to before."
"It was originally longer than this. I'm just shortening it."
* * *
The matter of examining the children's martial arts skills was well resolved. And the atmosphere was better with Pyon Juksu than with Mok Wigun alone.
When the sect leader said that Pyon Juksu was a senior Daoist's unregistered disciple of the Zhongnan Sect, everyone was happy.
"How about this one?"
Pyon Juksu asked, pointing to a child's name. Mok Wigun shook his head.
"His basics are weak. Even if he looks decent now, his potential for development is low. He's just full of showing off."
"Then what about this one?"
"I'm not sure about him."
"Oh? I thought he looked fine."
"Then let's take another look."
He was in the process of selecting from the fifty or so second-generation disciples for the first round.
"What about this Jang Sogun? I thought he was fine."
"Me too. He learned well from the basics. He has no bad habits either."
Strangely, there were many children with bad habits. It seemed it had become like that because they had practiced without being properly taught.
"Since the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly is urgent now, it can't be helped. I'll have to fix it later."
And so, about a dozen people were sorted out. What had been selected before was completely ignored. There were really no standards and no principles. It seemed the instructor had just picked the kids he liked.
"We have to look at the second round. This time, more meticulously."
"Alright. For now, since the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly is the priority, let's focus on growth potential."
It has to be a child who can learn Mok Wigun's method in a short period of time. So in the second round, he was planning to tell them Mok Wigun's method and check how accurately and how quickly they learned it.
"Since I'm of a similar age, they seem a little uncomfortable, but they seem a little more comfortable with you."
"That's all because of the elegant grace and noble energy that flows from me."
"You're talking nonsense again, so it seems your research funds are overflowing..."
"Hey. Hey. It's a joke, a joke. Why are you so uptight?"
For some reason, Pyon Juksu was very excited. This much was not bad. It's better than being down in the dumps for no reason.
"So the thing about moving your internal energy slowly. You do the teaching."
"Alright. Instead, you do the watching."
"Alright. If you just teach, I'll do the rest."
Mok Wigun has to watch them in detail anyway. He was half looking forward to and half worried about how many would adapt.
"The problem is that almost all of them fail."
"Then that would be a real failure."
It was a result he didn't even want to think about. If that happened, he would have to come up with another countermeasure. So he asked about the next countermeasure he was thinking of.
"Didn't you say your potion was almost done?"
"Ah. Hwangbo Ryeong is boiling it now."
Pyon Juksu had entrusted all the things that took time to Hwangbo Ryeong. Thanks to that, it was hard to even see Hwangbo Ryeong's face. Because she was working in the cave every day.
Still, he said he had tried to make it according to the method here, so he was looking forward to what would come out.
"Don't expect much from the first one. Just about five years of internal energy? I'm expecting that much."
"Hey. Where is five years of internal energy? If a pill of that level came out, people would fight with swords to buy it."
"Is that so? But it's an item that doesn't satisfy my standards. My ambition is not that small!"
Pyon Juksu was burning with the desire to make something much more improved than that.
"Let's improve the item gradually, and teach the kids well. Don't teach them strangely."
"I got it. I'm good at this kind of thing. Just watch."
Although he had a sense of unease, Pyon Juksu had a reason to be so confident. He taught the children very cleanly, and the children tried hard to learn what Pyon Juksu had taught them.
Pyon Juksu, a senior's unregistered disciple, on top of that, his excellent medical skills and the martial arts skills he had shown before. On top of that, there was a rumor that Pyon Juksu had caught the single-horned great serpent and the human-faced spider, so the children thought Pyon Juksu was a really amazing person. Since such a person had taught them, they were struggling to learn it somehow.
"That's a relief."
When Mok Wigun muttered, Pyon Juksu asked.
"What is?"
"Because there are many talented kids."
He had been worried about what to do if there were none, but quite a few children had adapted to the first stage. To be honest, even Mok Wigun was surprised.
"There are four who are doing well, and about four who are fine. This is much better than the Light Wind Unit."
The Light Wind Unit had also adapted quite well. But there were a few comparable targets. Among the mercenary groups and knight orders he had taught before. But he had seen the children of the Zhongnan Sect for the first time. He had never seen people who learned so quickly.
"For now, the most anticipated are Dan Yuhyeon, Jang Sogun, Gwak Wol, and Mun Geomyeong. These four."
Mok Wigun was happy that Jang Sogun and Gwak Wol, among the children he had been close to, showed excellent talent.
"And So Jeonghak, Deungroe, Mun Soso, and Beom Munsaeng. These four are also on the good side."
Among the children he had been close to, So Jeonghak and Deungroe were also adapting quickly. Come to think of it, all the children Mok Wigun had been close to had excellent talent.
"Is this also some kind of fate?"
And another interesting thing was that both the siblings Mun Soso and Mun Geomyeong had talent. And so, the outline of the children to be taken to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly was being formed to some extent.
* * *
"What are you thinking about so hard?"
Pyon Juksu looked at Mok Wigun as if it was strange.
Thinking and researching was a sight that suited Pyon Juksu himself. But since Mok Wigun was doing it, it looked strange.
"I'm thinking of paying some attention because the kids' talents seem really good."
What Mok Wigun was preparing was a plan to train the children in a customized way. It was the first time that so many talented people were gathered. To the point where even Mok Wigun, who was teaching, was greatly looking forward to it.
"So I'm thinking about whether there's a way to draw out their abilities in a better direction."
So he was grasping and organizing the children's strengths and weaknesses. Because he had to enhance their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses.
"You're doing something difficult."
The words are simple. Enhance strengths and compensate for weaknesses. But Pyon Juksu knows well how difficult that is.
If that was simple, all the potions in the world would be overflowing with amazing potions like elixirs. Isn't it simple? You just have to make the strengths better and gradually eliminate the weaknesses.
Because that doesn't work well, the world is overflowing with mediocre potions. The really good ones are so precious that when they come out into the world, everyone rushes to them.
"Didn't you say something like that before? That they work hard but have no talent?"
"Oh. The instructor said that at that time."
Mok Wigun chuckled.
"Foolish brat. That guy blew his chance to make a name for himself in the world. To think he didn't recognize such a collection of raw gems."
Mok Wigun was surprised even as he was organizing. Because the children were shining with different strengths.
"Yes. It has to be this much for me to have the taste of teaching while suffering."
Mok Wigun thought and searched his memory for a method, and then he wrote it next to each person's name. And he shouted 'hurray'.
"It's done."
He looked at what he had organized and smiled. It was a smile that gave off an endlessly evil feeling.
"Kids. Look forward to it. I'll let you experience something you've never tasted before."
(End of Chapter)