Chapter 110
"I'm short on time as it is, is it okay?"
Pyon Juksu raised an objection. It was a very unusual thing. Because until now, if Mok Wigun said to do something, he would grumble but follow.
"I think it might be a good opportunity. So instead of just a few, how about we do all of them?"
What the Changhyeon Martial Arts Hall had proposed was to have a duel with only the second-generation disciples who were participating. Usually, seven people participate, and they take one or two more as reserves, so it was to have a duel with about eight or nine people. But Mok Wigun had proposed to do it with all fifty or so people.
"I don't know how many people are on that side, but let's do it as much as we can."
"Haha. I'll try to talk to them, but since they also have their own circumstances..."
The sect leader said he would try to discuss it. And he expressed his gratitude to Mok Wigun. It was because he thought Mok Wigun had agreed, thinking of his face. And so, the duel with the Changhyeon Martial Arts Hall was arranged.
"Are you sure it's okay?"
Pyon Juksu asked as he came out. He seemed to have a lot of complaints about this duel.
"What's the matter? You're paying so much attention to this kind of thing?"
"No. It's because I feel like we're doing something useless when the kids are short on time."
He had only been teaching for a short time, but it seemed he had grown fond of them in the meantime. Well, when he's cold, he's as cold as if he has no blood or tears, but once he starts to take care of someone, isn't he a guy who takes care of them terribly?
'That's why he's been with me for so long.'
Thinking about that, it was understandable. Well, come to think of it, didn't he also take care of Mugwang? So Mok Wigun explained it in a little more detail.
"The kids have a problem, they have too little confidence. And if they just keep doing it among themselves, they can't really know if their skills have improved or not."
"Well, if it's something like that. Then are you trying to boost the kids' morale?"
Pyon Juksu was easily convinced. Because he had also felt that the kids lacked confidence. But Mok Wigun's answer was a little different.
"No. By mixing it up appropriately?"
"What do you mean by mixing?"
"I see that there are kids who are too tense, and there are kids who are down, and so on."
Both of them lack confidence. When faced with a certain situation, each person expresses it in a different way. Some people shrink indefinitely when they lack confidence. On the other hand, there are also people who act recklessly and pretend to be strong.
"So you have to give each of them the right treatment."
So he was planning to press down the disciples who needed to be pressed down, and to lift up the disciples who needed to be lifted up.
"That's good. I'll help too."
Pyon Juksu came out actively. But Pyon Juksu's complaint bounced to another place.
"But I think the sect leader is a bit of a problem. He should have cut off something like this on his own."
In this urgent and desperate situation, to accept such a proposal because of face was absurd. It was a good thing that Mok Wigun had thought of a way to use it, otherwise, they would have wasted the time they didn't have.
"To be honest, Jeung Yakcheon is not suitable for a sect leader in the current situation."
"That's right. A person with that kind of personality and disposition is good when things are going well. And when it's a peaceful time."
"It was probably like that when Jeung Yakcheon became the sect leader of the Zhongnan Sect. Because I heard it was like that."
Until ten years ago, it was a time when the Zhongnan Sect was growing rapidly. There was even a saying that if it weren't for that incident, they would have surpassed the Huashan Sect.
The problem is that in a bad situation like now, you have to be shameless and know how to throw away things like shame.
"That's what you call luck."
Who would have known it would turn out like this? If Zhongnan had grown as it was without having an accident, that aspect of Jeung Yakcheon would have rather shone. Seeing that, the previous generation would have placed Jeung Yakcheon in the position of sect leader.
"Well. Even if it looks good now, you don't know if it will be like that later."
Is there anything that is eternal? Everything changes. Isn't that why there's a saying that the mulberry fields turn into the sea?
"So the Zhongnan Sect won't stay in this state forever."
"Just like you were always dying at the forefront and then later even caught the Demon King?"
"Ah. Why are you talking about that?"
Mok Wigun felt a pain in the back of his neck. Whenever he heard stories about the Demon King or the dragon, his anger flared up. It was because it reminded him of the hardships he had gone through, the betrayal he had suffered, and on top of that, all the gold and treasures he had collected being blown away.
So he had also forbidden them from talking about the Demon Dragon Body. Because that thought kept coming to mind. Mok Wigun turned his head this way and that and said.
"Let's go and finish the training."
"Oh. Alright."
Pyon Juksu answered cautiously.
And after a while, screams began to be heard from the training ground.
* * *
It was decided to proceed with a duel with a number that was neither here nor there. Since it was difficult for the Changhyeon Martial Arts Hall to bring all its disciples, it was agreed to have a duel with only fifteen people.
The date was also right away. The Changhyeon Martial Arts Hall came to Zhongnan as if they had been waiting. The twenty or so people from the martial arts hall who had come warmed up before the duel. Mok Wigun watched them carefully.
"It's an honor. To meet the great hero Mok of the Demon Dragon Manor."
The head of the Changhyeon Martial Arts Hall came and greeted him. The Demon Dragon Manor was the strongest sect in the Chang'an area with no rivals. The head thought it was natural to go and greet him first.
"I've heard a lot about the incident at Mount Xiaohua through the martial artists of Hamyang."
Many martial artists from Hamyang had also gone to Mount Xiaohua. Among them, there were many who had been involved with Mok Wigun. At that time, it was a bad connection, so there were bad feelings, but not now. Rather, it was a source of pride that they had been at Mount Xiaohua together at that time.
So when they drank, the most talked about stories were about the monsters of the Flame Pond and the Demon Dragon Manor.
"The disciples' skills are..."
The head was about to say with a smile. 'You're overpraising me. How can they be compared to the disciples of Zhongnan? They just know how to swing their fists a little.'
It was a cliché, so it was a phrase that was almost stuck to his mouth. But Mok Wigun's words were something he hadn't expected.
"Not much. Just so-so."
"Haha. Well, in the eyes of the great hero Mok, their skills are far from enough. Of course. Of course."
Although the head was flustered, he quickly recovered. Since he had lived a life in the martial world, he was able to cope somehow.
"The disciples of Zhongnan here also lack skills, so I was hoping a strong opponent would come. It's a pity."
The head was even more flustered. He had heard the story. That Mok Wigun was a madman. But after coming and experiencing it, he felt that those words were not enough. This was a guy he had never heard of or seen before.
He went back to where the people of the martial arts hall were and told the instructors what had just happened.
"No. Is he some kind of Heavenly Demon? There's a basic courtesy. He's completely ignoring me."
The head said, panting as if his anger hadn't subsided.
"And he's also dissing the disciples he taught, saying their skills are terrible. Is he laying the groundwork in advance because he's afraid he'll lose today?"
At that, the instructors stopped him.
"Calm down. They'll hear you."
"Let them hear. We won against Zhongnan last year, so do we have to be treated like this?"
"Phew. Head, that's not what's important."
When one of the instructors said that, the head finally became a little quiet. Mok Wigun, who was watching that, smiled brightly.
Mok Wigun had deliberately provoked the opponent. Then the head would get angry. Of course, he would do his best in the duel with Zhongnan, and if he gets excited, he becomes careless.
'Isn't it strange to anyone? To request a duel at a time like this, knowing what kind of situation Zhongnan is in?'
He must have been instigated by the Baek family's side and came out to investigate this side's power. That's what he wanted to confirm. The opponent had fallen for it.
'That's not what's important? Yes. You came to investigate this side, right?'
So he was planning to show them. The current state of Zhongnan.
"How about we start now?"
The head approached and said. His expression was calm as if he had calmed his anger.
"Let's do that. Then if you come out first, I'll send out a person to face you from the Zhongnan side."
"Pardon?"
The head was flustered again. What kind of absurd thing is this? They had already agreed to do it in the Heavenly Martial Arts Assembly style. So they just had to decide on the list of participants, exchange it with each other, and then proceed according to that list.
"No. Isn't the promise wrong?"
"Promise? What promise?"
Mok Wigun said he didn't know the story.
"If you're not going to do that, then go back."
The head let out a hollow laugh. Then he shook his head in an exaggeratedly large way and said.
"Yes. Yes. Do that. Let's do that."
And then he went back to his camp, and his face turned red, and he said something to his disciples. It was probably a story to the effect that he wouldn't leave alone the guy who lost.
And so, the duel began, and the first to come out was a disciple of the martial arts hall. From what he had seen when he was warming up earlier, he was a guy with skills below the middle. He must have sent him out to explore this side's skills. Mok Wigun immediately called out a name.
"So Jeonghak."
"Pardon? Me?"
Yes. You. He's a perfect opponent for you.
So Jeonghak was too down. So he had matched him with an opponent he thought he could beat. But So Jeonghak was dawdling and not coming out. Since he was already in a state of low confidence, he felt burdened by having to go out first.
It was then.
"From what I see, he's an opponent you can definitely beat, so why are you so anxious?"
Pyon Juksu approached and was reassuring So Jeonghak.
"Is that really so? Can I win?"
"Don't you trust my insight? From what I see, he's an opponent you can beat with ease if you just don't make a mistake."
Pyon Juksu said to trust him. At that, So Jeonghak's expression became much better than before.
"Alright. Then let's start."
The pressure of the first match. The two of them couldn't easily attack.
"What are you doing? If you don't attack while I count to three, your training will be doubled."
At those words, So Jeonghak suddenly attacked. Perhaps because it was a rushed attack. The opponent easily blocked the wooden sword and came in with a horizontal cut. So Jeonghak's mind suddenly cleared.
'He said my side would be empty if I performed that technique, right?'
It was as if he could hear Pyon Juksu's voice. And with those words, he felt a phantom pain in his side where he had been hit. So Jeonghak stepped on the lightness skill and spun his body to avoid the opponent's attack.
"Phew."
Not only during Pyon Juksu's guidance, but he had also been hit a lot during the actual combat with the Light Wind Unit. Since he had been hit in various ways, his body knew how to make the best defense.
"Chahat!"
He made the same attack. This time, a slightly more powerful and faster attack. But the opponent blocked it again this time and counterattacked in the same way.
'It's not like I was just getting hit during training.'
He had also thought of his own way and counterattacked. Of course, he had failed. Because Pyon Juksu and the Light Wind Unit were not martial artists that So Jeonghak could do anything about just by thinking.
But he had learned. How to succeed. When, where, and how to move. So Jeonghak slightly lowered his posture and gathered strength in his thighs.
'Now.'
So Jeonghak could tell. That the time Pyon Juksu and the Light Wind Unit had talked about was now. The opponent's wooden sword that was sweeping his side. So Jeonghak lowered his posture and blocked the wooden sword. The tip of the opponent's sword touched the handle of So Jeonghak's wooden sword.
"Ugh!"
In that state, he exploded the strength he had gathered. As the strength gathered in his thighs exploded, So Jeonghak's body flew forward like an arrow.
(End of Chapter)