Chapter 94

Chapter 94

“Mujeong Hall victory!”

“I’ve learned much. Amitabha.”

With the referee’s judgment and Unjin, who had been defeated, slowly descending from the training ground, I wore a slight smile. Then Unjin, looking at me, awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“Haha. I thought I could catch one more……but it seems I made a hasty judgment. I apologize, Sect Master.”

“No.”

I slowly shook my head at Unjin’s words, his body covered in bruises here and there. Though he had been defeated in this match, Unjin’s result couldn’t truly be called defeat.

“You did well. You exceeded expectations.”

He caught Cheonggyeong.

More than that? Unjin caught one more Mujeongwando who came after Cheonggyeong. In other words, Unjin defeated two people before descending from the training ground.

The original plan was for Unjin alone to take down two people, so you could say it went according to plan.

But did it really go according to plan?

Because, to the degree visible, the Mujeongwando were crushed by the desperate momentum of Seomun Cheok and Unjin, these two consecutive fighters.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to do this much.”

“Is……that so?”

“Mm.”

I nodded to affirm Unjin’s words. Because facts were facts.

Simply winning and overwhelming an opponent are different stories. If the difference in skill isn’t large, overwhelming an opponent is even more difficult.

To overwhelm an opponent with a defensive appearance is also difficult work. But what about Unjin?

The wall Unjin built didn’t even have a crack. Even while enduring shock that seemed like it would break bones, Unjin’s expression didn’t change one bit.

Even while facing Cheonggyeong, Unjin didn’t retreat a single step. How did that appear to the Mujeongwando?

I don’t know, but probably it felt like an unbreakable wall, didn’t it?

“You’ve grown.”

“Why are you making this embarrassing? Haha…….”

At my words, Unjin, who laughed awkwardly, rubbed his warmed head with his hand, then seeing me maintain a serious appearance, closed his mouth. And after a brief silence, a question flowed out.

“Though it’s strange to ask a Buddhist question of the Sect Master……Sect Master. May I ask one question?”

“What is it?”

“Buddhism teaches to distance oneself from worldly desires and greed. All practitioners polish themselves to cast away worldly things.”

“That’s right.”

That Buddhism’s spirit comes from giving is a famous story. The teaching of Buddhism is that one enters nirvana  by benefiting sentient beings and abandoning one’s own desires.

Thinking of that point while looking at Unjin, Unjin bit his lips. And the following question.

“Even so……do you think it’s acceptable for me, a Buddhist disciple, to have greed?”

At Unjin’s quiet question, I didn’t answer immediately but looked at Unjin, and Unjin looked at me with an anxious expression. Eyes as if hoping for confirmation of something.

“Whether it’s acceptable to have greed.”

After briefly reconsidering the question, I closed my eyes. Because I seemed to know what he was contemplating.

“I don’t know. I’m not a disciple of Buddhism.”

“……Is that so.”

“Yes.”

At my matter-of-fact answer, Unjin, who laughed awkwardly, tried to maintain a bright expression while raising his Buddhist staff. And as he was about to open his mouth to say something.

“But I know one thing.”

I quietly opened my eyes and spoke again.

“Martial artists don’t grow without greed. Yearning for new realms. The will to win against opponents. All of that pulls martial artists upward.”

“I’ve heard that Buddhist practice begins with abandoning the desires one has. Then the story is simple, isn’t it?”

After all, what one doesn’t have cannot even be abandoned.

“First try having it, then think about it. Abandoning it isn’t too late even later.”

As I grinned and patted Unjin’s shoulder, Unjin bit down hard and trembled slightly.

“You worked hard.”

“Go on. Your comrades are waiting.”

“……Haha. I don’t want to go.”

“Why?”

“If I go now, won’t I get beaten up?”

At Unjin’s words, I turned my gaze toward where the trainees were gathered and smiled bitterly. The sight of trainees already gathered together, raising fists and eyes gleaming, just waiting for Unjin to come.

“Take it willingly. Aren’t they happy fists?”

“Is there such a thing as happy violence?”

“Who knows.”

As I shrugged my shoulders, Unjin looked at his comrades with a complicated gaze and gave a bitter smile. And as he turned back, Unjin left one remark.

“……Thank you.”

Hearing that thanks soon buried in screams and striking sounds, I smiled quietly and turned my gaze. The scores being tallied.

“Four wins, two losses.”

Not a bad situation. No, you could say it was a good situation.

In terms of strength, we were ahead by two people. Morale was also significantly ahead. Even considering variables arising from the power difference, we could maintain an advantage of about one person.

“Is the end the key point?”

Namgung Hyeon and Baek Risan. Victory or defeat would be decided depending on how these two came out.

“It’s certain they have some plan.”

Looking at Cheongryoo far away, watching me with strange eyes, I let out a quiet laugh.

Whatever strategy they’d prepared didn’t really matter. Hadn’t it always been that way?

Whether Cheongryoo or I, there was only one thing to do. Whatever strategy the opponent prepared, crush that strategy with full power.

“I don’t know what they’ve prepared, but.”

I’ll crush the end head-on.

Watching another trainee going up on stage, I quietly crossed my arms and settled into my chair.

The two-month Grand Competition was gradually rushing toward its end.

Why do people feel fear in darkness?

If you were to give reasons, there would be many. Being more prone to danger in dark environments, or that predators are active at night, and such things.

But if you trace the fundamental story, the reason for fearing darkness boils down to just one thing.

The unknown .

After all, isn’t it frightening because you can’t know what’s beyond the darkness?

What cannot be guessed, what cannot be known, is frightening. That’s a truth that applies not only to people but even to mere creatures.

“We’re being pushed back.”

That’s why Namgung Hyeon now, watching Cheongryoo quietly sitting in Mujeong Hall’s waiting area looking at the training ground, couldn’t help but feel a trace of fear.

Swaeaek!

“Heok.”

On the training ground.

Paeng Jin, who had been using body techniques while out of breath, barely avoided Oh Ryeong’s whip with a sweat-soaked appearance. Simultaneously, Oh Ryeong’s figure relentlessly pursuing while gritting her teeth.

“Just fall already!”

Watching Paeng Jin being pushed back continuously and on the defensive, the Mujeongwando wore dark expressions and closed their mouths. Because it was a self-evident fact that Paeng Jin, exhausted from the previous match, was being pushed back by Oh Ryeong.

They’d won twelve times so far and lost thirteen times.

Though it was a difference of just one, the Mujeongwando, having lost morale, were more powerless than expected. They clearly became intimidated even against Muryeongwando inferior to themselves, and there were cases where they lost pathetically, truly powerless to anyone watching.

Cheonggyeong was subdued by Unjin. Tang Seol, who was evaluated as potentially able to win two people if done well, lost absurdly, unable to adapt to Dan Riyeon’s speed, and lastly, even Paeng Jin, their final hope, was currently being pushed back by Oh Ryeong.

‘If even Paeng Jin loses……do two of us have to take down four?’

What remained in Mujeong Hall were Namgung Hyeon himself and Baek Risan. The two of them had to catch four to achieve victory.

Originally, he would have thought it wasn’t a difficult condition. Objectively evaluating, these two, himself and Baek Risan, were on a different level from other trainees.

Handling two people per person wasn’t difficult talk. Right away, Muryeon Hall’s core forces represented by Seomun Cheok, Oh Ryeong, and Unjin had mostly all gone, hadn’t they?

That meant there were no high-ranking trainees in the latter half of Muryeon Hall who could handle him. In that sense, you could say there were few variables.

‘I also don’t know what strategy they’ve prepared.’

Whether making up for insufficient power differences with non-skill aspects, or preparing perfect counters to overwhelm opponents.

It was Muryeon Hall and Baek Riyun who continued laying strategies even in consecutive victory battles where it seemed strategy couldn’t be established. If they intentionally pulled the situation this far, they surely had a way to break through this situation.

He had to devise a plan. A plan to win, a plan that could win even excluding whatever “unknown thing” Cheongryoo had prepared.

Pyueong!

“Muryeon Hall, victory!”

Having been continuing his thoughts when a striking sound suddenly rang out, Namgung Hyeon, who raised his gaze, looked at the fallen Paeng Jin and let out a contemplative sound. Paeng Jin’s figure, already a complete wreck, gasping roughly.

“Paeng Jin! Are you okay?”

“I’m okay……ugh, I don’t think I’m okay.”

Having dangled his martial uniform torn to rags here and there by the nine-section whip, Paeng Jin clicked his tongue and staggered toward Namgung Hyeon before opening his mouth.

“Sorry. I tried to hold out more.”

“No, it’s enough.”

“Well, I think so too. Their momentum right now is no joke, so their skills seem to have improved by about half. It’s really something.”

Pretending to be nonchalant while shrugging his shoulders, Paeng Jin frowned at the felt pain, then turned his head slightly to look toward Baek Risan, still keeping her head down.

“Did you talk to her?”

“……No.”

Having shaken his head, Namgung Hyeon spoke quietly.

“I tried, but even when I spoke to her, there was no response. She still seems to be continuously contemplating something.”

At Namgung Hyeon’s story, Paeng Jin, who rubbed his aching nape, clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“I’m worried—did they have her learn demonic arts or something? Instructor Cheongryoo seems like the type who’d do anything to win, doesn’t he?”

“……No matter what, he’s an orthodox sect person. Would he go that far?”

“Who knows? I heard his will to win is extraordinary. You know those people, right? Who’d do anything to win. That doesn’t distinguish between orthodox and unorthodox paths.”

“……That’s.”

Unable to fully deny Paeng Jin’s words, Namgung Hyeon sighed and pressed down on Paeng Jin’s shoulder. At the force suddenly applied to his shoulder, Paeng Jin groaned and slumped into a chair.

“Aaak! What are you doing?”

“I mean stop talking nonsense and just rest. Anyway, you did well. What remains is my portion.”

“Think you can handle it?”

“Who knows.”

Objectively looking, it would be difficult. No matter how much of a genius Namgung Hyeon was, facing four people including Seonwoo Gang consecutively was close to impossible.

“I have to try.”

He had no interest in victory. What came to mind now was only the well-being of Baek Risan, who had taught him the joy of martial learning.

“Somehow.”

Hadn’t he been told to give his full power?

Recalling what Cheongryoo had said before starting, Namgung Hyeon, having solidified his determination, walked up onto the training ground.

“Assume stance!”

A few seconds after Namgung Hyeon and Oh Ryeong faced each other.

“Begin!”

Simultaneously with the match start.

“Sorry. I have no room to spare.”

“What?”

Changgungmuaegeombeop  Secret Technique

Changgungmuhan

The sword tip touched Oh Ryeong’s neck.

Kwaaaaaaa—!!!!!