Chapter 108
"Pardon?"
The entire second-generation disciples were flustered.
"You have a complaint about the selection?"
"No. Rather than a complaint, I want to know the criteria clearly..."
Nonsense. The criteria is an excuse. He's probably dissatisfied that he wasn't chosen. Mok Wigun looked at the disciple who had spoken and said.
"Isn't the criteria simple? I chose the people who could get good results in the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly preliminaries."
It means that the eight people who were chosen now are like that. There were a few who were dissatisfied. But they couldn't easily protest to Mok Wigun.
The sect leader, after thinking about how to treat Mok Wigun, had decided to treat him like the sect leader of a sect. Although he had a connection with the second-generation disciples of Zhongnan, he was now the head of a proper sect.
On top of that, the favor he had bestowed on Zhongnan was also great. In fact, compared to what Zhongnan had received, that was also not enough. Besides, isn't the Zhongnan Sect in a position where it has to rely on the Demon Dragon Manor now? So all the disciples were also showing him the appropriate courtesy. In such a situation, it was difficult to protest.
"Looking at your faces, a few of you seem to think you can do better. Is that what you think?"
"That's right. I'm curious about the reason for my disqualification."
A guy said as if he was struggling. Mok Wigun chuckled.
"So let's do it again. Then it's fine, right?"
The voice of the guy who had just shouted became quiet.
"Is that really so? Then in what way will you select them..."
"Is there a need for a different method to go to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly? The person who wins in a duel is selected."
A few people's faces brightened noticeably. The disciples who had been selected had their faces darken rapidly.
"First, the people who will participate in the selection match, come forward."
Except for a few, everyone came forward. About forty people. Mok Wigun grouped them into groups of five.
"One person from each group will be selected."
"What happens if strong people are in the same group?"
A funny guy. Usually, a guy who nitpicks like this is a case of not having much confidence. In fact, the disciples who seemed to have decent skills were already warming up. The guy who had spoken had poor skills.
"I'll give you a chance to challenge after you're selected."
You have a complaint after eight people have been selected? Then challenge. Nominate a person you think you can beat and fight. If you win, that person gets the qualification to participate.
"If we do it like this, there will be no complaints, right?"
"Yes. That's good."
Most of them wanted to go to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly. He saw that point positively. Since it was a failing sect, they could have lost all such motivation, but that was a relief.
Seeing that the eight people who had seemed passive had come out to do the selection match, they clearly had the heart. Of course, that much is not enough. That much of a mindset could not satisfy Mok Wigun's eyes.
But one person suddenly protested. It was Mun Geomyeong, the younger brother of the Mun siblings.
"When you selected us, you must have had your own reasons."
"Of course, I did."
"But to suddenly overturn that and hold a selection match like this doesn't seem right."
A face full of dissatisfaction. That's right, you have to come out like this. You have to drag the beast that is crouching inside you out.
"Why? Are you not confident?"
"No."
Although he said no, his voice was small. The beast was still crouching. Mok Wigun threw a question.
"How have your results been when you went to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly so far?"
At the sensitive story, everyone shut their mouths.
"I heard it was a mess. Has anyone won more than they've lost in the sect battles so far? Raise your hand."
The sect battle is mainly composed of second-generation disciples. Because seven out of nine are second-generation disciples. Of course, among the disciples here, there are quite a few who have participated. But the results were terrible. Mok Wigun waited for a moment, but in the end, no one could raise their hand.
"You're mistaken now, but what's important is not being selected here."
This Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly has a greater meaning than ever before. It is a competition where they must get good results. Everyone knew that.
"But since you say you can't believe it, I'll hold a selection match. However, the selection match will not end with this one time."
Mok Wigun said he would hold two more selection matches starting from today.
"We'll hold a selection match every five days. And in between, we'll continue to train."
You can't be relieved just because you won today. You have to survive until the last selection match to get the qualification to participate.
"Then can the person who is selected at the end go to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly and get good results?"
Mun Geomyeong asked. Mok Wigun looked at Mun Geomyeong and made eye contact with the other disciples.
"It won't work as it is now. Your goal now is to just get the qualification to participate in the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly. That's absolutely not enough."
Mok Wigun said firmly.
"You have to think that you can win even if you fight with the Huashan Sect. No. If you don't have the thought of fighting with the strongest, Shaolin or Wudang, you can't change."
Mok Wigun said that anyone who wanted to quit now should quit.
"So anyone who thinks that's impossible should give up now. A huge amount of pain will follow. Anyone who doesn't think they can endure it should also give up. That's more comfortable for both of us."
Mok Wigun said that and waited. Disciples who gave up came out. But most of them kept their places.
"Alright. We'll hold the selection match and then go into training. So don't use up too much energy."
Mok Wigun said with a bright smile.
"Welcome to hell!"
* * *
"Are you okay?"
Pyon Juksu said. When Mok Wigun didn't answer, he asked again.
"What are you going to do if the kids you picked are not selected at the end?"
"Then it can't be helped."
If they can't even win here, can they go to the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly and bring back a victory? Even if they have talent, it's difficult to achieve something if they don't have the will. In that case, it's better for both of them to just drop out.
"Still, a few of them went up."
As a result of the first selection match, three of the disciples Mok Wigun had picked remained, and five were eliminated. But Mok Wigun didn't care.
That incident ten years ago. The Zhongnan Sect had suffered a huge blow from the incident where the masters of the Zhongnan Sect were annihilated. In such a situation, would there be anyone to properly teach the second-generation disciples?
"So the kids became like this."
The second-generation disciples of the Zhongnan Sect were in a strange state. There were guys with strange bad habits, and there were guys who performed martial arts by modifying them as they pleased.
They had found their own way in their own way, but it was because they hadn't received proper guidance. Rather than those guys, the disciples who had only continued to learn the basics well were better. At those words, Pyon Juksu also agreed.
"That's right. Because it takes a long time to get rid of a habit."
So he had picked those eight. A disciple with good basics and no strange habits or quirks. Of course, as the results of today showed, they might seem incompetent now.
"But since they have a great talent for feeling internal energy and their basics are good, they'll grow quickly."
As the two of them were talking like that, the sect leader entered the room. Pyon Juksu greeted him. The sect leader rather comfortably accepted Pyon Juksu's informal treatment.
"What's the matter?"
"I came because I was worried. I heard there was a fight today."
It seemed the matter between the disciples had reached the sect leader's ears.
"I heard you held a selection match again, is that okay? There's not much time left."
"Of course, it's not an easy matter. Is it possible to suddenly become a master in the world?"
Pyon Juksu acted quite well. He treated the sect leader as if he was a real deceased person who had undergone the Reversal of Aging. Well, that guy is an immortal being. Since he's a being who has lived for an enormous amount of time, it might be more comfortable and natural for him to treat him like this.
Sect Leader Jeung Yakcheon said with a face full of worry.
"There are only about twenty days left now."
"We have to do our best and leave the rest to the heavens. Don't worry too much. It doesn't seem like the heavens have abandoned Zhongnan."
At Pyon Juksu's words, the sect leader's expression brightened a little.
"Is that so? I really hope so."
Sect Leader Jeung Yakcheon received some comfort from Pyon Juksu and then went back. Pyon Juksu clicked his tongue and said.
"Tsk tsk. He must be having a hard time."
"So he's coming to hear some comforting words like this."
As the sect leader left like that, the training story started again.
"Are you going to train them with that method?"
What Pyon Juksu asked was the training he had used on the Light Wind Unit members. The training method that had improved their skills in a short period of time while going to Mount Xiaohua.
"The kids can't. They can't even feel their internal energy properly, so that training is useless."
"Then?"
"I can't help it. Since there's no time, I have no choice but to engrave it into their bones and flesh."
Pyon Juksu asked as if he was worried.
"Then you have to do it all, are you okay?"
"Since I have to watch each and every one of them, it will be incredibly difficult."
He is prepared. Then something suddenly came to mind.
"How are your potions coming along?"
"Ah. I think I can show it to you in a few days. Although I have to check the effect."
Mok Wigun said he wished that at least that would come out properly.
"It's going to be incredibly difficult from now on, so I wish I had some potions."
"Look forward to it. Although it's not something I'm very fond of, I think it will come out fine."
Pyon Juksu said, patting his chest.
"Who am I?"
"Yes. I know. The noble of the night."
As he said that, Mok Wigun stood up from his seat. It was to go to sleep. From behind him as he left the room, he heard Pyon Juksu's grumbling voice.
"There's more after that! If you're going to call me, you have to call me properly. There's the noble blood and a lot of other things. I'm just shortening it."
* * *
"It will be completely different from today."
Mok Wigun had about ten people stand around him. And then he had them train to move their internal energy slowly.
"Since there's no time, I've decided to help you specially."
Slap!
The stick in his hand hit Jang Sogun's back.
"Ack!"
"It's fast. It's useless if you do it like that. Slower. Gather your breath and with a feeling of pushing gently."
Thwack.
This time, he poked another disciple's side.
"Ugh!"
"Don't slack off. If you're going to do that, just quit!"
Mok Wigun took control of the atmosphere with a stern and firm tone unlike before.
"Focus!"
This time, he drew a line from So Jeonghak's shoulder to his chest with the stick and said.
"This is the right direction. It's useless if you move in the wrong direction."
The stick that flew in without a break and Mok Wigun's voice. The disciples trained with more concentration than ever before. If there was even a slight problem, it would fly in without fail, making it impossible to relax for even a moment.
When the first group was finished like that, the disciples who had trained all collapsed on the spot. They were in a state of complete exhaustion, both physically and mentally.
So Jeonghak said to Jang Sogun as if it was strange.
"Wow. How did he know I was resting for a moment?"
"I don't think I've ever concentrated this much in my life."
In terms of time, they had trained for about half a shichen, but it was much harder and more tiring than training for a few days. The other trainees also talked while lying on the ground.
"No, it's strange. How does he know that the internal energy in my body is moving?"
"I know. I also don't know sometimes. Can he see internal energy?"
Someone said.
"He's the Demon Dragon Body. He can probably see such things."
It was then. Mok Wigun, who had been resting, came back and said. His voice was slightly mixed with annoyance.
"The word 'Demon Dragon Body' is forbidden from now on. Anyone who says that will have their training doubled."
(End of Chapter)