Chapter 82 : Chapter 82

Chapter 82. Ah, so this is what injustice feels like (1)

True Master Cheongheo Hyun Won.

When he was still young, there had been one person he idolized.

A genius among geniuses.

A man who, in his mid-forties, had already brought the Supreme Polarity Wisdom Sword to complete mastery and was praised for newly establishing Wudang’s sword.

A man who, as a first-class disciple, earned the title of Wudang’s Greatest Sword.

In Wudang’s long history, there had never been such a genius.

Some even judged him great enough to inherit the footsteps of Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng.

Even within the traditional and strict sect of Wudang, he had been treated as an exceptional existence beyond normal standards.

Naturally, Hyun Won wanted to become his disciple.

To be precise, at the time, all of Wudang’s younger generation had wanted to become his disciple.

In fact, for a first-class disciple, it was about time to begin nurturing a successor to inherit one’s sword.

Naturally, there was fierce competition among many fellow disciples.

Hyun Won did his utmost in that process.

And the “utmost” he spoke of did not mean only pure martial contests.

‘I will definitely inherit that man’s sword.’

Having resolved that way, Hyun Won fully exercised his unique talent for political maneuvering and insidious scheming.

Those who were sent on dangerous missions and came back injured.

Those who fell for the temptations of courtesans and sank into indulgence.

Those who, unintentionally, violated sect rules and ended up punished.

By various means, he quietly eliminated strong competitors.

And in the end, after defeating the remaining minor rivals through sheer skill and proudly passing the sect’s trial, he finally met that man.

Their first meeting was not in a grand sect hall, but in a thatched hut deep in the mountains, where the man was alone honing his sword.

At that time, the man said—

“Are you Hyun Won?”

“This unworthy disciple Hyun Won greets the Master—”

“That’s enough. Enough. Just raise your sword.”

“……Yes?”

Was the Master perhaps someone who taught roughly through real combat?

He had heard that among the eccentrics of the martial world, there were such people.

But Hyun Won’s expectations were shattered completely.

The man, holding his sword, looked at him and said—

“So you’re that ill-mannered little brat, huh?”

“Pardon?”

Hyun Won was flustered.

He felt a pang of guilt inwardly, but still managed his expression and spoke.

“This unworthy disciple does not understand the Master’s meaning—ugh!”

CRASH!

The sword sheath came down on his crown.

It hurt like hell.

Then, glaring with bulging eyes, the man said—

“What kind of frozen-over master are you talking about? You impudent bastard!”

“What is that sup—”

“You little punk, already learning rotten tricks at your age. Do you think Wudang is that easy? Did you think you could place the entire world in your palm and manipulate it?”

Under that thunderous roar, Hyun Won’s body trembled violently.

Of course, he had never thought he had deceived the upper ranks perfectly.

He had not left obvious evidence, but circumstantial evidence existed, did it not?

When various incidents occurred, the person who benefited the most was inevitably suspected.

But—

‘That’s right. There is no proof. There can’t be.’

The fellow disciple who fell for a courtesan had only been taken out once to celebrate his birthday.

The senior brother injured on a mission had leaked information beforehand to the other side through several intermediaries.

Reporting a disciple who violated sect rules was simply fulfilling one’s duty as a member of Wudang.

So—

“It’s a misunderstanding. I did nothing—gah!”

THUD!

Pain as if his shoulder had collapsed forced Hyun Won to slump down.

Then the man said—

“You keep playing petty tricks to the end.”

“Urgh…… listen to me—”

“A man like you, if your character isn’t corrected properly, will only bring harm to the world. So before the sword, I will straighten that twisted character of yours.”

And from that day, for five years.

Hyun Won lived in that man’s thatched hut, receiving what was called education.

In truth, it was little different from abuse.

That man’s philosophy of education was—

“Either get beaten to death, or have your character properly corrected. Pick one!”

That was how it went.

There was hardly anything that could be called instruction in swordsmanship, yet his martial arts increased greatly.

To survive day after day in that hell of violence, they naturally had to.

In the end, that ordeal? Ascetic practice? Education?

Whatever one might call it, it came to an end after five years when the then Sect Leader of Wudang came to check on the situation.

“Junior brother, stop.”

“No, Sect Leader, why are you doing this?”

“What kind of teaching is this? It’s no different from abuse.”

“That brat needs his character fixed first.”

“Hoo…….”

In the end, through the Sect Leader’s intervention, Hyun Won was rescued.

And on that day, watching Hyun Won leave the thatched hut, the man said—

“Tsk, if this bastard doesn’t fix his character, it feels like he’ll cause a huge incident someday.”

“I will carve Junior Uncle’s concern into my bones.”

“Tsk……. Go. Just go.”

And with that, he turned his back without regret.

“Please take care of yourself, Junior Uncle.”

Facing his departing figure, Hyun Won respectfully clasped his hands and left the hut.

On the way, the Sect Leader said—

“Do not resent him too much. That child originally had a rather eccentric side.”

“How could I dare resent my Junior Uncle?”

“Ho ho. Is that truly so?”

“It is merely that, in my Junior Uncle’s eyes, I was lacking. My own bucket was shallow first; how could I blame the depth of the well?”

“Ho ho…… well said. Well said indeed.”

Seeing the young Hyun Won show not a trace of resentment, the Sect Leader of the time smiled in great satisfaction.

Hyun Won then parted from the Sect Leader and returned to his quarters.

Only after checking several times that no one was around—

CRUNCH……

“That damned son of a bitch.”

He finally revealed his true feelings.

Hyun Won came to harbor an intense grudge against that man.

The past five years had been like hell.

Of course, he had tried pretending to reflect and repent outwardly.

But—

[Unbelievable. Lying again in the middle of all this?]

“N-no, Junior Uncle. How could I?”

[You really are something else. Even after getting beaten this much, you won’t change the way you live?]

“Junior Uncle, truly. I am reflecting. How could I lie to you?”

[Enough. I’m not one to give up either, so let’s see which of us wins.]

That monster always saw straight through his thoughts.

Lies didn’t work, persuasion didn’t work.

All he could do was endure five years of being pressed down under education that demanded repentance and becoming a new person.

He would never forget this grudge.

“Just you wait. Someday, I will repay every humiliation and disgrace I suffered. I will, without fail.”

From that day on.

Hyun Won began to move more seriously in political ways.

Wherever people lived, it was all the same.

Even in Wudang, when people gathered to live together, politics inevitably arose, whether one liked it or not.

That was like water to a fish for Hyun Won, and in time, he fully exercised his strengths and became the Sect Leader of Wudang.

Yet even now, as Sect Leader—

[What? So what? What do you want, you damn Sect Leader?!]

There was still someone in Wudang he could not control.

The legend known as the Supreme Polarity Sword Emperor.

***

‘Why do I see him in this brat?’

His words did not work.

His authority did not work.

Above all, this brat did not trust him.

In all these aspects, the brat before his eyes overlapped perfectly with the Supreme Polarity Sword Emperor.

That realization flustered True Master Cheongheo, and at the same time filled him with anger.

‘I don’t understand.’

The Supreme Polarity Sword Emperor, at least, had the standing to be like that.

But what about this brat before him?

Limitless Gate?

He had heard the name.

But he had merely thought, “So something like that came into existence,” and left it at that.

Compared to the Sect Leader of Wudang, it was a name not worth mentioning.

A candle that would go out with a single puff of breath—so why did it bare such undisguised hostility toward him?

What was he relying on?

True Master Cheongheo could not understand the man called Han Cheong-un at all.

Unable to understand his opponent, he could not seize the initiative either, and could only hesitate.

Then Han Cheong-un spoke coldly toward True Master Cheongheo.

“Schemes where you arrive late, lay down your spoon, shove responsibility onto others, and take only your own profit will not work.”

“You bastard—”

THUD!

Han Cheong-un slammed his spear into the ground, spreading his momentum as he spoke.

“This is a place reserved only for those who shed their own blood to seize survival and honor. It is not a place for trash who show up at the end and just flap their mouths!”

“You dare—”

“Shut up, trash!”

Han Cheong-un cut off True Master Cheongheo’s attempt to respond with a sharp rebuke.

“If you want to play the schemer you love so much, get lost back to the Murim Alliance headquarters. This is a battlefield of martial artists!”

“…….”

True Master Cheongheo bit his lip hard.

At Han Cheong-un’s words, which completely looked down on and excluded him, he trembled with humiliation.

But Han Cheong-un paid him no heed and passed by.

Then he spoke to the martial artists behind him.

“Martial artists of Sichuan!”

Han Cheong-un shouted in a thunderous voice infused with inner energy.

“You now stand at a crossroads.”

There was no reply.

But Han Cheong-un continued.

“Will you discard honor and choose temporary comfort? Or will you, as martial artists, prove your worth with blood?”

“…….”

“There is no other path. You must choose one.”

Emei, Beggar’s Gang, Qingcheng, Tang Clan……

All martial artists living in Sichuan listened intently to Han Cheong-un’s words.

This was not the crafty rhetoric of someone like True Master Cheongheo, who used positions and circumstances to carve out advantageous ground.

It was simply Han Cheong-un’s honest way of speaking, laying bare his sincerity.

“If you accept the Murim Alliance’s mediation, you will gain temporary peace. But I guarantee you, it will only be temporary. They will invade again.”

“……Why is that?”

A young disciple of the Emei Sect asked back.

Perhaps a second-class disciple?

Her still-young face bore the fear of war.

Of course.

Unless one was insane, anyone who experienced war would feel fear.

And she spoke in a trembling voice.

“If the war ends…… it might not happen again, right? We have already…… seen enough blood, more than enough.”

Though she was only a young second-class disciple, no one stopped her.

That was because many empathized with her words.

And Han Cheong-un answered—

“The moment you retreat and yield here, you become prey rather than predators.”

“…….”

The young Emei disciple closed her mouth.

Others began to stir.

Those who instinctively understood Han Cheong-un’s words wavered.

Then Han Cheong-un continued—

“The martial world is a harsh and dusty place. The difference in standing between the weak and the strong is always clear.”

Han Cheong-un pointed toward the unorthodox faction behind him and said—

“The moment you yield even once and show weakness to them, they will recognize us not as enemies, but as prey.”

“…….”

“And there is no predator in this world that leaves prey alone.”

The unorthodox side flinched.

But no one stepped forward to deny it.

The law of the jungle.

Was that not the single truth that governed the unorthodox factions?

A young disciple of the Tang Clan spoke.

“Then…… do we have to fight again?”

“Yes.”

“Until when? Until when do we have to fight for peace to come?”

Han Cheong-un answered decisively.

“For life.”

“…….”

To the Tang Clan disciple gaping in shock, Han Cheong-un said—

“There is no such thing as a martial artist who lives peacefully. If you want tranquility, take up a brush. Take up a hoe.”

“…….”

“If you are a martial artist who lives by the sword’s edge, do not seek tranquility. We are those who protect peace, not those who enjoy it!”

“…….”

“I will ask again. Do you wish to live as martial artists? Or do you wish to live as dogs of the Murim Alliance?”

“…….”

“If you say you will fight as martial artists, this one will stand with you to the end. If you wish only to survive by submitting to the Alliance, then I have no reason to remain here any longer.”

“…….”

“The choice is entirely yours.”

Having said all he wished to say, Han Cheong-un stood proudly on his own two feet.

From behind him, True Master Cheongheo interjected.

“I wondered what you were saying…….”

Looking at Han Cheong-un as if he were pathetic, he said—

“Child, you are now—”

Ssssh.

The tip of Han Cheong-un’s spear emitted a chilling killing intent and touched the end of True Master Cheongheo’s beard.

Then Han Cheong-un said—

“If you call me ‘child’ one more time, in that very moment, either you or I will die.”

“…….”

“Do you understand, Cheongheo?”

He meant it.

“Ahem, very well. If that is what you want, so be it.”

Pressed down by that icy edge, True Master Cheongheo dared not resist.

He then continued—

“Then let me ask. You have just said this to the people of Sichuan, have you not?”

“…….”

“To go with the Murim Alliance? Or to go with Limitless Gate?”

“…….”

“Is that correct? You forced this choice upon them?”

“That is so.”

The moment he heard Han Cheong-un’s words, True Master Cheongheo laughed hollowly.

“Do you think that is even worth weighing on a scale?”

The Murim Alliance and Limitless Gate.

Which of the two was larger and more influential was not even worth discussing.

Scale of organization, history, tradition, power, prestige……

By any measure, they were incomparable.

What kind of foolish binary choice was this?

“You are the one playing politics. You say that martial artists should seek honor rather than peace, yet in the end you are trying to separate the Sichuan martial world from the Murim Alliance.”

“…….”

Seeing Han Cheong-un not respond, True Master Cheongheo rebuked him sternly.

“After committing such treachery, do you still dare hope to be safe? To stand openly against the Murim Alliance means that the Alliance would have nothing to say even if it designated you an enemy.”

“That would be so. They might even designate me a public enemy of the murim.”

“You know that, and yet—”

“Try it.”

“……What?”

“Go on. Try it.”

Han Cheong-un did not retreat a single step.

At his attitude of daring them to designate him a public enemy, True Master Cheongheo felt his anger about to explode.

‘This damn brat who won’t listen to reason…….’

Why did he harbor such hostility toward him?

Why, exactly?