Chapter 69

Chapter 68. Don't worry! I'll make sure you win! (3)

"The disciples are returning."

"Hmm."

Hyun-jong let out a heavy sigh.

While it is good that the children who left the closed temple are returning, it is not easy to think positively about what will follow.

"How far have they come?"

"Some seem to have already arrived at Hwaeum, and most are almost there."

"I see."

Hyun-jong lifted his head and looked at Un-am.

"Jang-mun."

"Speak."

"Why has the Huazong Assembly, which was originally scheduled for six months later, been moved up?"

"A message came from Zhongnan. They want to hold the Huazong Assembly a bit earlier this time."

"Can't we postpone or delay it?"

"It's difficult."

Un-am sighed.

"Huashan is currently on the rise. Everything is going well, and people can live without worrying about food. Everyone's faces are filled with smiles. This is a remarkable change compared to just a few months ago."

"That's true."

Hyun-jong agreed with Un-am.

The most significant change is that Huashan is now full of vitality.

People who once lived without knowing what the next day would bring have found hope. Their smiles warm the hearts of those who see them.

"But fundamentally, we are a martial arts sect."

"That's true."

"Although we are discovering and practicing new martial arts, it's not yet time for significant results. Even if we achieve results, they won't be enough to match Zhongnan."

Hyun-jong nodded silently.

Un-am's words are all true.

In the past, Huashan possessed martial arts that could overwhelm Zhongnan, but now, the martial arts left in Huashan are just a shell. The discovery of the Seven Plum Sword has only brought a faint glimmer of hope.

'Even that is a faint hope.'

The road ahead is long.

We have just solved the problem of survival. But to restore Huashan's former glory, we must regain our past martial prowess.

But can martial arts be mastered overnight?

Time is our greatest shortage.

"If the outcome of this Huazong Assembly is the same as before, I fear that the disciples who have just begun to see hope will become defeatists."

"Un-am."

"…Yes, Jang-mun."

"Why wouldn't I know that?"

Hyun-jong shook his head.

"But will avoiding it change anything? If we avoid the Huazong Assembly, will the disciples still have hope? Won't they think that even the Jang-mun doesn't believe in them?"

"That's…"

Un-am bowed his head.

"Losing a match is not shameful. If you lose despite your best efforts, it's inevitable. You can try harder. But avoiding a match to avoid losing is something that should never be done. It's like inviting a greater disaster for the sake of temporary comfort."

"My thoughts were short-sighted, Jang-mun."

"I understand your concern. But… postponing the Huazong Assembly is difficult in many ways."

Un-am sighed.

'I've disturbed the Jang-mun's mood with unnecessary words.'

Now, I need to say something more hopeful.

"Actually, if the disciples can achieve good results, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"That's true."

Both Un-am and Hyun-jong knew that it wouldn't be easy.

Once, Zhongnan was beneath us, but now the gap between Zhongnan and Huashan is too wide to bridge. The weight of Zhongnan's disciples and Huashan's disciples is as different as a thousand-pound rock and a feather.

Even though they have trained hard in the closed temple, it will be difficult to win.

'At least, it would be good if we don't lose easily.'

Hyun-jong's heart sank.

"Un-am."

"Yes."

"These are the children who have worked hard and returned. Prepare good food and plenty of alcohol for them."

"But…"

"It's fine to give the children who have trained hard a day of rest. And they need to know that Huashan's situation has changed."

"Indeed. I'll prepare everything properly."

"Good."

"Then, I'll take my leave."

Un-am stood up and bowed carefully.

After Un-am left, Hyun-jong quietly got up and opened the window. Looking at the Lianhua Peak outside, he let out a deep sigh.

'Zhongnan.'

It's like a thorn in my heart. It hurts every time I breathe, and it will eventually pierce deeper, cutting off my breath.

"It's difficult. It's so difficult."

Winter is long, and Huashan's spring is still far away.

* * *

"Can we win?"

Yun-jong and Jo-geol gathered in Cheong-myeong's room.

If someone else had said this, they might have ignored it, but Cheong-myeong's words carry weight.

Yun-jong and Jo-geol know that Cheong-myeong has never spoken in vain. No matter how absurd his words, he always keeps his promises.

"Us?"

Cheong-myeong clicked his tongue.

"Not yet."

"Huh? Even after becoming this strong?"

"The senior disciples have become strong."

"Is that so?"

Cheong-myeong held his thumb and index finger a tiny distance apart.

"Only this much?"

"…"

"…"

"Ah, I was joking. It's not that little."

"Of course!"

"Right."

Cheong-myeong held his thumb and index finger twice as far apart.

"About this much."

"…"

"…"

Jo-geol, whose face was turning red and blue, finally couldn't hold it in and stood up, waving his arms.

"Hey! We've been training so hard for months, and you're saying we've only become this strong? I can feel it in my body."

"You won't become strong just by rolling around for a few months!"

"But we are definitely stronger than before…"

"Can you compare a chestnut that has grown three times as big to a tree?"

"Ugh."

Cheong-myeong is giving an honest evaluation.

The growth of the third-generation disciples is indeed frightening. Cheong-myeong has never seen anyone grow at this speed. Given how much they have strived and practiced, it would be more impressive if they hadn't improved.

But…

'We still have a long way to go.'

Compared to the third-generation disciples of the past Huashan, the road ahead is ten thousand miles. And the same goes for Zhongnan.

While the current Zhongnan is hard to match against Huashan, it is still one of the Nine Sects. If they have maintained their strength from back then, none of the current blue-robed disciples can defeat the third-generation disciples of Zhongnan.

'At least this one?'

Jo-geol might have a chance if he faces a good opponent. Yun-jong needs a better match.

Just two out of the third-generation disciples. There's no need to think too hard about the overall comparison.

"Then how can we win?"

"By getting stronger."

Yun-jong frowned.

"The Huazong Assembly is only about two weeks away. How can we catch up in two weeks, even after training for months?"

"That's why I asked."

"…Huh?"

Cheong-myeong smiled.

"Are you prepared to die?"

"…"

No, that's…

"Can't we at least hear what the method is?"

"What's important is whether you're prepared."

"…"

Just as Jo-geol was about to say something, Yun-jong cut him off.

"I am prepared."

"Senior!"

Jo-geol raised his voice, but Yun-jong didn't even look at him.

"I don't know about the other senior disciples, but I am prepared. And I believe most of the other children are also prepared."

"Senior, but what this guy is doing…"

"I know."

Yun-jong was resolute.

"But that doesn't matter. I'd rather die than go through that again. I still see in my dreams the Zhongnan disciples laughing as they trampled on my chest."

"…That's true."

Both of them have the experience of representing Huashan at the Huazong Assembly two years ago. They suffered a defeat so crushing that it can't be described.

How can they express that humiliation in words?

"If I can return that humiliation, I am prepared to die. Living with that grudge is not the way of a martial artist. I'd rather leave the mountain and return to secular life than go through that again."

Jo-geol nodded.

Hearing Yun-jong's words, the humiliation of that time resurfaced. They never want to experience it again, not even once more.

"Hmm, then I'll make sure you win, Senior."

"I believe you."

"Good."

Cheong-myeong smiled.

But Jo-geol, who couldn't help but feel uneasy, asked a question he shouldn't have.

"Cheong-myeong."

"Yes."

"Can't you tell us what the method is now?"

"Oh, it's nothing much. I'm just going to change the training method."

"How?"

Cheong-myeong answered nonchalantly.

"Practical combat."

"Huh?"

"Once you've built it up, you need to use it. I'll teach you how to use the body you've trained."

"…"

Jo-geol's eyes wavered.

"Umm… How to use it?"

Cheong-myeong shrugged.

"You know. All martial arts are learned by rolling around. Get ready. We'll start tonight."

"…"

Both of them had a feeling that something was going wrong.

* * *

Late at night.

The third-generation disciples gathered at the training ground.

"Really, do we have to meet like this in the middle of the night?"

Jo-geol pouted and grumbled.

Now, no one is unaware that the third-generation disciples train on their own in the early morning.

At first, there were those who expressed concern about the training and those who criticized the training methods, but as the training continued for months, everyone has become more accepting.

The head of the White Plum Hall, Un-geum, also acknowledged the effectiveness and stopped interfering.

So, they could train during the bright day, but Cheong-myeong insisted on training only in the early morning.

"Senior, what exactly are we going to do?"

"Who knows?"

Yun-jong shrugged.

Despite their complaints about training in the early morning, all of them were present and lined up.

They all know that while Cheong-myeong's training methods are extreme, they are effective.

Since Cheong-myeong promised to make them stronger, they are sure that this time will be no different.

"Everyone's here?"

At that moment, Cheong-myeong sauntered into the training ground.

The third-generation disciples looked at him with a mix of excitement and fear.

He will surely do something outrageous, but if they can endure it, they will surely see results.

They have come to trust Cheong-myeong, despite the strange methods.

"Cheong-myeong. What kind of training are we going to do this time…"

At that moment.

Swish.

Cheong-myeong drew the sword from his waist.

"…"

A real sword?

…What?

That looks like a real sword.

The sword Cheong-myeong drew glinted blue in the moonlight.

Even a normal person holding a real sword is intimidating, but seeing a madman do it in the middle of the night makes one's heart sink.

"Oh, training?"

Cheong-myeong asked calmly, then slowly approached them with the