Pay‑to‑Win King of Martial Arts (Novel) - Chapter 86 - Formal Match (3)

Chapter 86 – Formal Match (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The clash between the children that broke out before the formal match properly began carried considerable meaning for both sides. Leaving aside who was right or wrong, it had brought the children involved an immense experience.

“…So, are you saying the child of the Zhuge Clan was truly that strong?”

“Yes. He could not be compared to the opponent I faced last time.”

Cheong-ui stroked his chin. Going by Myeong-il’s spoken account, the child of the Zhuge Clan had still used the Minor Heavenly Star Sword Art. To Wudang, the Minor Heavenly Star Sword Art was a basic stage of swordsmanship that thrust forward, much like the Five Elements Sword.

That meant it was not as though the Zhuge Clan had obtained some other secret art from somewhere. Then one inevitably arrived at the conclusion that the child of the Zhuge Clan himself was outstanding.

If so, one question remained. Why in the world had that nameless child of the Zhuge Clan been hidden until now.

Usually, famous families liked to boast of their younger-generation stars. The reason for that was not merely the honor of the sect or clan. Unlike sects that belonged only to the martial world, clans were closely entangled with the merchant and political spheres of the Central Plains. Because of that, they kept expanding their power by receiving investment and forming agreements.

Those investments and agreements were judged by future value, and one of the measures of that future value was precisely the younger generation. That was why saying that the younger generation was the future of a sect or clan was by no means an exaggerated expression.

Which meant that a clan should not keep its younger generation tightly hidden away, but should keep showing them and promoting itself. Cheong-ui did not believe that the Clan Head of the Zhuge Clan could fail to understand such a simple principle of running a great family.

“I cannot understand it.”

“I was also shocked because he was so different.”

In Cheong-ui’s eyes, Myeong-il was not a child who would deliberately praise up a child of the Zhuge Clan merely to save face. In truth, from Myeong-il’s mouth did not come petty excuses like that the Zhuge child had used a killing move first, or that his hand had moved before he knew it because the opponent was too strong. He only said he had been wrong where he truly had been wrong, and only on the points Cheong-ui asked did he answer after thinking deeply.

“Even so, what you did was gravely wrong. We might have crossed an irreversible river with the Zhuge Clan.”

“I am sorry. This dull disciple made a great mistake. Whatever punishment the Sect Leader gives, I will accept it willingly.”

“Once this formal match is over, shut yourself into the Cave of Repentance in secluded reflection for half a year.”

At Cheong-ui’s words, the other elders were surprised. Myeong-il was the disciple who had shown the most outstanding attainment among the third-generation disciples of the Myeong generation, and even in this Taiji Sword Guardians examination he had shown the elders a figure of even greater growth, which had filled them with pride. If the future of the sect were locked away in the Cave of Repentance and happened to go astray, that would in the end become a loss to Wudang.

“Senior Brother Sect Leader. It is true that Myeong-il made a great mistake, but the Cave of Repentance is too harsh for a child Myeong-il’s age.”

“Exactly. Even the Clan Head of the Zhuge Clan said he would not make much of it, so why should we go out of our way to punish him.”

The other elders hurried to dissuade Cheong-ui. They too were elders of Wudang. They had judged that sending Wudang’s greatest younger-generation star into the Cave of Repentance was dangerous.

“He is my disciple. Speak no more of it.”

Cheong-ui firmly cut off the elders’ complaints. The elders all watched his face and then fell silent. They all knew that when Cheong-ui spoke that firmly, he did not change his mind easily.

“Until you enter the Cave of Repentance, remain under discipline. If another clash arises because of you, even I will find it hard to shield you.”

“Understood. I will treasure the Sect Leader’s command.”

Myeong-il bowed his head deeply and left the Sect Leader’s room.

“Hm.”

Cheong-ui watched the place where Myeong-il had gone with regret. As Sect Leader, it had been an unavoidable decision.

No matter how sincere and clever Myeong-il was, he was still a child. If punishment and reward were delayed based on past achievements, Myeong-il might develop a wrong way of thinking. That was why Cheong-ui had no choice but to discipline Myeong-il.

“Is there any elder who knows anything about the Zhuge Clan’s recent movements?”

Cheong-ui entered the main subject. The reason the elders had gathered like this was not to punish Myeong-il. It was to scout the enemy’s strength right before the formal match.

The elders watched one another’s faces and none spoke up. Cheong-ui had roughly expected as much.

“This is certainly strange. Myeong-il is a child with talent that would rank among the best even when compared with the younger generation of the other Nine Great Sects. If a child with talent comparable to Myeong-il had existed in the Zhuge Clan, how could he have failed to reveal himself like an awl hidden in a pocket.”

“We too do not understand it well.”

There was clearly something in the Zhuge Clan that they did not know. To have something unknown about the opponent right before the formal match was certainly an unpleasant thing.

“…We have no choice but to trust the disciples.”

Cheong-ui sighed. It felt both regretful and bitter that, as one of Wudang’s adults, all he could do was trust the disciples and watch. But now there was no way to call off this formal match. Just as Cheong-ui said, all he could do was trust the disciples.

***

“Well done. Myeong-a.”

Zhuge Gyeom placed a hand on the child’s head and stroked it.

The child shrank his neck and rolled his eyes upward.

“Thank you.”

Zhuge Gyeom felt proud. As expected, he had not been wrong. Of course, the child had almost had his neck cut, but spoken inversely, that also meant the child of the Zhuge Clan had pressured the child of Wudang to that extent. That child of Wudang was Myeong-il, whom even Zhuge Gyeom knew well as one of Wudang’s finest younger-generation stars.

From the Zhuge Clan’s perspective, the fact that a child of the Zhuge Clan had matched Myeong-il, who was called Wudang’s greatest younger-generation star, was a considerable achievement. That was why Zhuge Gyeom had been in so good a mood that he had even stopped Cheong-ui when the latter mentioned disciplining Myeong-il.

“Now it is your elder brothers’ turn to do their part. You have done all you needed to do.”

“Thank you, Clan Head.”

“Heh heh. Did I not tell you to call me Father when it is only the two of us.”

“…Yes, Father.”

“Good. Now go.”

Zhuge Gyeom patted the child’s back and tried to send him outside. But the child lingered and did not go.

“What, do you have something to say?”

“…My name.”

“Hm?”

“My name is Zhuge Sang, Father.”

Tension and fear were mixed in the eyes with which Zhuge Sang kept glancing at Zhuge Gyeom. Seeing Zhuge Sang look at him so cautiously, Zhuge Gyeom felt sorry for him.

“Come here. Sang-a.”

Still watching his face carefully, Zhuge Sang came before Zhuge Gyeom. Zhuge Gyeom embraced Zhuge Sang, covering his small body.

“Your father has been so busy these days that I mixed up your name for a moment.”

“N-no. It is my fault, Clan Head.”

“Ahem. I told you to call me Father.”

“…Father.”

“Good.”

Like that, father and son held each other tightly. Yet for some reason, the more Zhuge Sang’s skin touched Zhuge Gyeom’s, the more it felt as though a chill was creeping over him.

***

Tonight, unlike yesterday, the moon was hidden by clouds, so it was dark. I rather thought that was better. The darker it was, the better I could concentrate.

It would be two days before the disciples truly faced off in earnest. Even though it did not take that long to get from Xiangyang to Jun County, fairness required that time be given to shake off travel fatigue. Starting tomorrow, judges from the Martial Alliance would come, and they said people from great sects would also come to serve as witnesses. For the two days remaining, my goal was to finish organizing my final insights into the Flowing Cloud Sword Art.

Thinking back on it, I seemed to have swung the sword for longer than I expected back then. It had certainly been dark dawn when I first began swinging it, yet when I came to my senses, the sun was already overhead at noon.

I had heard that while I had been training in the back yard, there had been a clash between Myeong-il and the children of the Zhuge Clan, and that a very serious accident had nearly happened. I tried to visit Myeong-il and comfort him, but he had shut himself in his room and would not come out, so I simply gave up.

At that moment, I sensed a presence outside. I stopped my mental training and directed my attention outward.

“Are you inside?”

The owner of the voice was Master. I rose from my bed and opened the door.

“What brings you here in the middle of the night?”

“Let me in first.”

Cheong-hwa came into my room. I shook the lamp to see whether there was oil left, then carefully lit it.

Cheong-hwa’s face revealed in the light was stiff. I pulled over a chair for Cheong-hwa, then sat down myself.

“Did you hear about the accident during the day?”

“Yes. They said Daoist Myeong-il almost killed a child of the Zhuge Clan.”

“That is right.”

“He certainly did a good job seizing the momentum.”

“Do you really think so?”

“No.”

I too knew why Cheong-hwa’s face had stiffened.

It had not even been a year since Myeong-il, Myeong-seong, and I went to the Zhuge Clan. At that time, most of the Zhuge Clan’s direct-line children had been nothing special.

And yet now, without warning, they had suddenly become strong enough to match Myeong-il and even lure out a mistake from him. Of course, as one of Wudang’s adults, Cheong-hwa could not help but feel anxious.

“The other senior and junior brothers do not seem to have seen clearly, but I saw a little of that child of the Zhuge Clan’s swordsmanship. I was the first to come down from the Three Purities Hall.”

“I see. How was it?”

“It made me think we might lose.”

For a moment I closed my mouth. Hearing such words come from Cheong-hwa was surprising.

“To that degree?”

“Yes. Did I not see the swordsmanship of the Zhuge Clan’s children together with you last time as well. It was completely different from then. Their talent and comprehension themselves are different.”

“Could it not be that only that child is exceptional?”

“It would be good if that were so. I have the feeling something is strange.”

“Because if he were that talented, there would have been no reason to hide him?”

“Exactly.”

“What is strange about it? Did you feel any邪 qi from him? Or was the sword art vicious in a way unbefitting the orthodox path?”

“Neither. It was sharper than before, but I think that came from his disposition. Otherwise, it was no different from the Zhuge Clan’s martial arts.”

“Then it is simply a vague anxiety.”

“Yes.”

Cheong-hwa was anxious. It was almost the first weak side of Cheong-hwa I had ever seen.

“Anxiety toward the unknown exists in everyone. And that anxiety and fear usually prove not to exist at all.”

“Your words are not wrong. Even so, I cannot dispel the unease. I fear cold water may be thrown over this good mood just when Wudang has become so united.”

For some reason, laughter escaped me. Cheong-hwa looked at me as though looking at a madman.

“You can laugh now?”

“No, it’s just that you have a rather human side too, Master. I thought someone with the fame of the Boundless Divine Sword would be filled with nothing but confidence.”

“A martial artist is human too, human.”

“Exactly. It seems I had forgotten that.”

In truth, Cheong-hwa’s anxiety likely arose from the fact that he himself could not be the one fighting. If he were the one fighting, he would probably have had confidence instead. Because his martial nephews were the ones fighting, he was thinking they might lose.

But I, the one who would actually fight, thought a little differently.

“So then, did you come here simply because you were anxious?”

“Yes.”

“Do not worry. Does not Wudang have me.”

“Honestly.”

Cheong-hwa shot me a look as if I were absurd. Well, it might look laughable for nothing more than a lay disciple to say such a thing. But my words had a basis of their own.

“If the Zhuge Clan as a whole is unknown to us now, then am I not the one unknown thing in Wudang to the Zhuge Clan?”

“…Is that so?”

“That is what I am saying.”

I answered with a smile. Cheong-hwa still seemed dubious, but even so, his tension appeared to ease a little.

“When you fight, do not be too tense. If it seems you will get hurt, simply surrender. The honor we have built up is not so shallow that it would plunge from a single formal match.”

“Ah, you keep saying weak things.”

I was not someone who would be shaken by such pressure. I was someone who had crossed countless waves Cheong-hwa knew nothing of.

“We will win. Believe in us.”

It was merely a vague statement. There was no basis for it. But there was certainty. No matter how strong the Zhuge Clan might be, Wudang would not lose.

“Very well. I will believe.”

“Good.”

When I answered, Cheong-hwa clasped both my hands.

It felt as though something hot was throbbing in his palms, as if Master’s heart were there.

And I, no, we, had the duty to answer that throbbing.