Pay‑to‑Win King of Martial Arts (Novel) - Chapter 79 - Preparation (3)

Chapter 79 – Preparation (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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It seemed that the fact I was going out in the formal match was not actually that shocking. I was the very one positioned at the center of this conflict between the Wudang Sect and the Zhuge Clan.

“But even so, is it really all right for me to go out?”

“Among the third-generation disciples, you’ll be the best one for it.”

“Aren’t they just kids?”

“Heh heh. If Myeong-gyeong had heard that, he would’ve grabbed your hair and yanked it out.”

That was true. All my senior brothers were like that, but Myeong-gyeong in particular greatly disliked being treated like a child by me. If Master had not ordered my senior brothers out, I would never have had the chance to say that.

“It was the Zhuge Clan that proposed it first. They said that since the conflict had been sparked by the allocation of a third-generation disciple and a lay disciple, it wasn’t right for the adults to step forward.”

Ah. So they brought out an excuse like that. They had caused the conflict first in the first place, yet now they were acting broad-minded, which was laughable.

“In the end, they were saying in a roundabout way that they wanted you to come out.”

“That is true.”

If only disciples were fighting one another, then it was right for me to go out. Sometimes a person had to take responsibility even for matters that lay outside his own scope.

If I turned away from the formal match here and simply led my merchant company, then the Radiant Crystal Merchant Company would not be viewed kindly either. The reason I had put my own name on the merchant company was so that I could live openly and honestly.

“So how many people are going out from each side?”

“Four first-generation disciples, four second-generation disciples, and you. Nine in total.”

“I see.”

Well, the first-generation disciples were now adults around thirty, and the second-generation disciples were youths around twenty. Even if they were not the experts representing the sect, they were enough to gauge each other’s strength.

“I stand out a bit. It can’t be that the Sect Leader is sending me. Did the Zhuge Clan request it?”

“That’s right. They pointed you out specifically and said they hoped you would come out. They even talked about the one who tied the knot being the one to untie it.”

“Sigh. They’re the ones who twisted it up, and now they tell me to untie it. What trash bastards.”

“Ahem. Preserve Wudang’s dignity. Are you trying to become the same kind of people as them?”

“I wasn’t a lofty person to begin with.”

“From now on, become a little loftier.”

“Tsk.”

No matter how I thought about it, I did not think my way of speaking, aged over decades on the market floor, would change. In that sense, I might be able to become a martial artist, but I could never become a Daoist. Thinking about it again, refusing to become a main-sect disciple really had been the right choice.

“So that’s why you even came into my sleeping quarters.”

“Yes. Of course the victories and defeats of the other disciples matter too, but the most important one is you. In the end, you are the one standing in the very middle of this storm.”

“It just somehow turned out that way. But what if I lose?”

“There is no option of losing. The result of a formal match is announced to the entire Central Plains.”

“They go that far?”

“That is why people try not to hold formal matches if they can help it. Compared to what there is to gain, there is simply far too much to lose.”

“If they committed such a risky act themselves, then they must have something they trust in.”

“That would be so. But how could the Zhuge Clan ever defeat the Wudang Sect?”

Cheong-hwa’s voice was full of pride.

Well, among the Nine Great Sects, if one spoke only of martial arts, the Wudang Sect stood shoulder to shoulder with Shaolin. It seemed he considered fighting the Zhuge Clan, which ranked at the very bottom in martial strength among the Five Great Families, to be as easy as eating cold porridge.

“The other disciples aren’t the concern. The important thing is you.”

“That’s right. People will probably be curious about my sparring match more than anything.”

Right now, I had a rather unusual background. From the outside, I was probably someone impossible to understand.

Beginning with the fact that I was a registered lay disciple, there was already something unusual, yet the Zhuge Clan had used me as a pretext to pick a fight. Most people would react by asking just what kind of person Muk Hui-yeong was that they were going this far over him. Once it became known that I would take part in the formal match as well, public attention would surely focus on me.

“Now you understand why I’m here.”

“Yes.”

“Since the Zhuge Clan is focusing on you, the Wudang Sect will focus on you as well.”

“That feels a little burdensome.”

“Come out.”

Cheong-hwa ignored my words and went outside. When I went out after him, several first-generation disciples and second-generation disciples were gathered together. They seemed to be the ones selected for the formal match.

“The Sect Leader showed consideration and told us to focus on training until we go out for the formal match.”

“So we’ll be training together.”

“Yes. Seek much instruction from the first-generation disciples and second-generation disciples as well. They will become your drill instructors.”

I quietly looked over the first-generation disciples and second-generation disciples. We were only at the stage of greeting one another whenever we happened to meet in passing. To me, they were senior brothers far removed by rank.

But for some reason, there was a prickling edge in the way they looked at me.

Suddenly, I thought that they might resent me for bringing about this situation.

“First of all, I’m sorry. Because I got into a conflict with the Zhuge Clan, it has affected the Wudang Sect as well.”

I bowed my head deeply first. I was going to be with them until the formal match was over, and I thought it would be good if our feelings could be settled quickly.

But not only Cheong-hwa, even the other disciples only blinked at one another as though they found it strange.

Then one of the first-generation disciples slung his sword sheath over his shoulder and spoke.

“What nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden?”

“Pardon?”

“If someone from Wudang makes a mistake, isn’t it only natural that Wudang covers for them?”

“No, but even so…”

Even now, the complexions of the first-generation disciples and second-generation disciples did not look good. Since they were still eating grass roots and tree bark, they would naturally have no strength.

“On top of that, you did nothing wrong. The Zhuge Clan merely picked a one-sided fight. Do not say something like that again.”

“Myeong-yeop has said what I wanted to say for me.”

Cheong-hwa clapped his hands. I truly could not understand it. Even if it wasn’t my fault, they were people who had suffered losses because of me. Wasn’t it only natural for them to pour out their irritation at me and demand compensation?

Yet no one seemed to think that way. Rather, they looked like the sort of people who would get angry if I brought up compensation.

“…Understood. Then I’ll focus only on beating those Zhuge Clan bastards to pieces.”

I gave a simple martial salute. Smiles appeared on the faces of the first-generation disciples and second-generation disciples as well.

It was the moment when the full-scale training for the formal match began.

***

Wouldn’t I be an uncomfortable presence to the main-sect disciples. That was what I had thought. It was not exactly that my self-esteem was low. This simply seemed the more rational thought.

By now, everyone would in effect know that I had kicked away becoming a main-sect disciple and chosen to become a registered lay disciple.

If main-sect disciples who loved the Wudang Sect strongly heard that story, wouldn’t they be angry? They took enormous pride in the position of main-sect disciple, yet some fellow who came rolling in from nowhere had refused to become one.

But it seemed that really had only been my own thought.

“Hey! Your left foot has to go forward first!”

“Swing it one more time. Effort does not lie!”

This was the first time I had gotten tangled up this deeply with the first-generation disciples, and they really treated me like a junior brother. They were completely different from Myeong-gyeong, who only strutted around saying with his mouth alone that he was my senior brother.

“Huff, huff. Can’t I rest just a little?”

“What? Do you want to get smashed to pieces by the Zhuge Clan?”

“…No.”

“Run!”

From directly behind me, a chilling killing intent rapidly approached. Right now, they were teaching me a new movement art.

The stepwork I basically knew was the Azure Cloud Steps. But this was not stepwork, but a movement art that moved the body itself.

If the Azure Cloud Steps mixed swiftness into softness, then the Flowing Cloud Movement Art added softness to softness. It was truly a movement art said to be the very extreme of softness, to the point where it looked like a languid dance.

Yet paradoxically, they were telling me to run fast. Of course it was hard to run fast. It wasn’t that they were merely telling me to run fast. They were telling me to run like mad while using the soft Flowing Cloud Movement Art, so how could it not be hard. But if it was a soft movement art, why were they forcing me to run fast?

“Is this really the right training method?”

“Martial Uncle! This one says we’re strange!”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Run!”

The sword poked into my back. It stung. It wasn’t a wooden sword, but a real sword.

After fooling around only with children like Myeong-gyeong using wooden swords, seeing a real sword made my head spin. Was this what adult training was like. Well, the Wudang Sect would not have become the greatest in the Central Plains for no reason.

“Waaaah!”

I was running through Wudang Mountain when someone suddenly jumped out from the bushes. Since I was so out of breath, I hadn’t even noticed anyone in front of me. I immediately used the familiar Azure Cloud Steps and dodged to the side.

“Well, well? What did I say would happen if you used the Azure Cloud Steps?”

“No, come on. This is a bit much. You didn’t have to dig a trap too.”

“Add another half-shichen!”

Without even being able to voice any further complaint, I started running again.

Contrary to my belief that the first-generation disciples would find me uncomfortable, they completely worked me over.

‘Are these people insane?’

They too seemed to know roughly that my sparring match was important. That was why they were helping me while even setting aside their own training. To be honest, I thought they didn’t need to help me.

Right now, I had the sixth-grade talent Ghostlike Elusiveness, so I could become faster if I wanted to, but that did not mean I could master the Flowing Cloud Movement Art in a single day. In the first place, they were demanding the impossible of me.

“There is no impossible!”

As if he had read my mind, Myeong-yeop shouted from behind.

Certainly, being a martial artist did not really suit me. I thought it best to clear away the impossible quickly and focus on what was possible.

They truly forced only the movement art on me. When I said I would inspect my swordsmanship a little more, they said that was not needed right now.

Even if I had doubts, I had no choice but to follow them. When it came to martial arts, they were clearly my seniors. Unless they were trying to harm me, there was no way they would teach me a wrong method.

Then, after running all day through Wudang Mountain and returning to the Hall of Exhausting the Way, Myeong-gyeong welcomed me. The face of Myeong-gyeong, who had sometimes seemed irritating, was so welcome that I hugged him the moment I saw him. Though flustered, Myeong-gyeong was rather pleased. A junior brother had to have this kind of cuteness, he said.

“Ah, ahh. Senior Brother. Could you apply it a little more gently?”

“I only touched you with my fingers.”

“Didn’t you deliberately press down?”

“You’re treating your senior brother like some strange person. Wudang’s discipline truly has fallen to the ground.”

Clicking his tongue, Myeong-gyeong applied wound medicine to my utterly ruined feet.

“But I’m jealous. You’re already learning the Flowing Cloud Movement Art.”

“Pardon?”

“You really are a genius, Junior Brother.”

I looked at Myeong-gyeong. He really did seem somewhat bitter.

Myeong-gyeong too was clearly talented, considering he would later become a martial artist of consequence, and yet even he was feeling deprived when he looked at me. Once again I thought the Martial Talent Shop was fraudulent, and at the same time I felt sorry toward Myeong-gyeong.

“It’s fine, even so. If my junior brother is strong, that’s good. I’ll become strong faster too.”

“Aagh!”

After applying all the wound medicine, Myeong-gyeong slapped my foot with his palm. A tingling shock surged up my spine and into my head, as if my foot had caught fire.

When I looked at Myeong-gyeong with tears gathered in my eyes, he had turned his back. He probably didn’t want to show me a bitter expression. Myeong-gyeong too was gradually becoming an adult.

“Senior Brother.”

“What.”

Myeong-gyeong answered without turning around. His voice was clear and unchanged in the slightest.

“I’ll smash the Zhuge Clan to pieces.”

“Of course you will.”

Perhaps his expression was fully under control now, because Myeong-gyeong turned around and smiled. I smiled back as well.

It felt as though the day would end warmly like that.

That was, until Myeong-yeop kicked open the door of the Hall of Exhausting the Way.

“Muk Hui-yeong! Night training!”

“…What?”

I don’t think even half a shichen has passed since I entered the Hall of Exhausting the Way just now.

“I gave you time to eat dinner, so did you think that meant it was over?”

“I didn’t eat dinner, though?”

“That’s your own fault.”

Behind Myeong-yeop, I could see Wudang’s disciples wearing unpleasant smiles.

“Myeong-gyeong. It should be all right if I borrow Hui-yeong for a bit, yes?”

“Y-yes! Of course, Senior Brother!”

“Thank you.”

In an instant, Myeong-yeop grabbed the back of my neck and dragged me away.

“Senior Brother!”

I called out to Myeong-gyeong, but Myeong-gyeong was only waving brightly at me.

…For the first time in a while, I felt like running away from the Wudang Sect again.