A dumbfounded Jo Gul looked blankly at the person standing in front of him and asked,
"What did you say?"
"I asked why we have to do this."
Was he in his forties?
The stern middle-aged swordsman was glaring at Jo Gul with a dissatisfied expression.
"Did you not hear me?"
A wry smile escaped Jo Gul's mouth instead of a response.
Half-jokingly, they had shouted that there was no hierarchy in Mount Hua, but in reality, Mount Hua is not a sect without hierarchy. And the swordsman in front of him was twice as old as Jo Gul.
Given the situation, Jo Gul was left speechless, unable to consider whether the man's argument was right or wrong.
"Is there a problem?"
When Jo Gul rolled his eyes and asked, the middle-aged swordsman snorted loudly as if it were absurd.
"Did you ask if there was a problem? You should ask what isn't a problem. Can't you see with your own eyes?"
"Pardon?"
"How are we supposed to train here?"
The middle-aged swordsman, Moyong Banghwa, gestured behind him.
Various people in different attire had stopped what they were doing and were staring in this direction.
Swordsmen, Taoists, martial artists, beggars, etc. Seeing them mixed together on the spacious training ground felt like witnessing the end of the world. It was such a bizarre sight.
But Jo Gul still tilted his head, as if he didn't understand what the problem was.
"So, what are you trying to say...?"
"Unbelievable!"
Moyong Banghwa pounded his chest as if his heart would burst.
"Training, I mean training! Not just any training, but training to prepare for war!"
"Is that so? That's why we're training so hard right now, aren't we?"
"Have you ever seen someone so frustrating? How can we train here when the disciples of other sects are staring at us with sharp eyes? Are we only supposed to repeat basic techniques that are not even considered secrets?"
"...What?"
Jo Gul's eyes widened in genuine confusion. Moyong Banghwa raised his voice.
"In this critical period before a war, what is this inefficiency? What kind of plan did the Deputy Sect Leader have in mind when giving this order?"
"Uh..."
Normally, Jo Gul would have said, "Hey, it was an order from above, so why are you complaining to me? If you're so frustrated, go and complain to them!" But he couldn't say that now.
After all, Jo Gul was the Vice Unit Leader of this faction. He had a reputation to maintain and authority to uphold. He couldn't just admit that he was a mindless follower of orders.
"Please calm down. Training is just something you can do."
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
Before he could finish, a vehement response made Jo Gul flinch unconsciously.
"I'm talking about secrets, secrets! If we can train in front of the disciples of other sects, why would they be called secrets? Does Mount Hua not have such a concept?"
Huh? Jo Gul tilted his head slightly.
'Do we?'
There was a rule against transmitting techniques to other sects, but there wasn't anything about not training in front of others, was there?
If Chung Myung had heard this, he would have rolled his eyes and said that any martial arts that could be learned through mere observation weren't worth calling secrets in the first place.
'He might have even beaten them up for slacking off.'
In short, this argument would have been dismissed as nonsense if they were in Mount Hua.
But unfortunately, this wasn't Mount Hua, and even more unfortunately, the others watching seemed to agree with Moyong Banghwa's logic.
"So, what are you suggesting?"
"I can't train here anymore!"
"Pardon?"
Jo Gul repeated himself for what felt like the umpteenth time.
"Ah, no, what do you mean by that?"
"You heard me; why ask again? I can't train here!"
Jo Gul stared blankly at Moyong Banghwa.
"The rules of the Moyong family state that we cannot train our secrets in front of members of other sects! But the Vice Unit Leader has ordered us to train here, which is contradictory."
"That is..."
"Given that we cannot just repeat basic techniques before a war, it is better to find a secluded place to train alone."
"So, are you saying that you're defying orders?"
"Mutiny, you say!"
At the sudden booming voice, Jo Gul flinched. Moyong Banghwa's beard was trembling with rage, looking like a man who was deeply wronged.
"That..."
The emotion looked too genuine and intense to be an act. Jo Gul felt increasingly at a loss for words.
"Do you think I am the kind of person who would commit mutiny? How dare you insult me like that!"
"No, I was just saying that..."
"We're not asking the Vice Unit Leader for an explanation! Didn't Mount Hua always pride itself on being a place where authority didn't suppress people, where things were discussed and coordinated?"
By now, Moyong Banghwa had subtly shifted from saying "I" to "we," but no one cared to point this out or refute it.
Jo Gul became even more confused.
"Did I say that?"
Was that true about Mount Hua?
Wasn't it just Chung Myung beating everyone into compliance? What discussions and coordination were there?
Most importantly, why did this guy seem to know Mount Hua better than he did?
Bang!
Moyong Banghwa stomped the ground forcefully.
"So, whether you ask the higher-ups or discuss it among the leaders, give me an answer I can accept."
"..."
"That's the role of the Vice Unit Leader!"
Jo Gul stood there with his mouth agape, unable to say anything, and just watched the retreating figure of Moyong Banghwa in a daze.
Soon, the other disciples who had been watching the situation began to disperse into groups. With more than half of them leaving, the training ground quickly became empty.
"Um..."
Jo Gul, who was left looking like he had been punched, started to tear at his curly hair.
* * *
"Damn it! I really want to just"
Bang!
Jo Gul kicked the innocent wall.
"It'll break, idiot!"
"If it breaks, we can rebuild it!"
"Have you ever thought about not breaking it in the first place?"
"Aargh!"
Jo Gul, restrained by Yoon Jong, started kicking the ground instead.
"I want to kick that damn mouth of his!"
"...Yes. That's exactly how we feel about you. Now you understand."
"Are you fanning the flames right now?"
Jo Gul snapped at Yoon Jong, who was frowning.
"What about you, Sahyung? Is your unit doing well?"
"Hmm. Everyone's very proactive."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yes."
Yoon Jong smiled contentedly.
"They're so proactive that the Beggar's Union folks went off to practice the Dog-Beating Stick Technique."
"..."
"When I asked if they had to do it now, they said if not now, should they practice during the war?"
"The Beggar's Union?"
"Yes. Indeed, they're free spirits. Not bound by rules or regulations, coming and going like the wind."
"Stop grinding your teeth, Sahyung. You'll break them."
"Ugh..."
Yoon Jong clutched his head and trembled. Jo Gul looked at him with pity.
At least Jo Gul had been hit by the Moyong Family, but Yoon Jong had been hit by the Beggar's Union. Given their psychological closeness to the Beggar's Union compared to the Moyong Family, the impact must have been greater.
"Damn those people!"
The more Jo Gul thought about it, the angrier he got, grinding his teeth again.
They didn't openly disregard him. But they cleverly and persistently provoked him.
As if they refused to recognize them as Vice Unit Leaders.
"If they were going to do that, they should have objected from the start!"
"They're probably thinking that what the higher-ups agreed on is separate from them."
"No! Who wanted this job anyway? They forced it on us!"
"Do you think they care about that?"
Both of them sighed deeply at the same time.
"This is exhausting."
If he were a little younger, he might have tried to fight back, but he is older than Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, so he can't just act recklessly.
At this point, he suspected that the so-called experience in Kangho actually referred to the power of seniority.
"Damn people, seriously! If they have complaints, they should go to their Sect Leaders! Why are they taking it out on us?"
"Since the sects are temporarily dissolved, the Sect Leaders can't say anything. It's a good excuse."
"Ugh.... Annoying."
Jo Gul gritted his teeth but then seemed to remember something and turned his head.
"Sasuk. There shouldn't be any problems on your end. Eeek!"
Jo Gul was startled and backed away when he saw Baek Cheon, who was turning his head awkwardly in the dark.
"G-ghost! No, Sasuk! Are you sick?"
"I'm already... No, seriously. Why do you look like that? Sasuk, your face looks like that of Jang Ilso."
It wasn't much of an exaggeration. Baek Cheon's face was as pale as if flour had been sprinkled on it. Dark circles under his eyes made him look like he had makeup on.
Baek Cheon, with hollow eyes, looked at the two and trembled his chapped lips. Then he muttered weakly.
"Yoon Jong..."
"Yes?"
"It might be rude to say this; no, it's definitely rude."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I envy you for being an orphan."
"No, have you gone crazy, Sasuk!"
As Jo Gul ran up, ready to kick him, a weak voice escaped Baek Cheon's lips.
"My father keeps asking me to make proper decisions."
"..."
"That damn Jin Geum Ryong just stands next to him, laughing."
Oh...
"Every time I say something, he goes, 'Does the Vice Unit Leader think this is right?' It's really..."
"Hold on, Sasuk. Let's put down the sword first. No matter what, there's a line we mustn't cross as human beings."
"Isn't there a way to become an orphan posthumously?" (Posthumously- after the death of the originator. Meaning his father)
(Posthumous recognition
A posthumous promotion is an advancement in rank or position in the case of a person who is dead. Posthumous promotions are most often associated with the military, but may be granted in other fields such as business, public safety, science, or the arts.)
"There isn't! No such thing! Get a grip, you crazy man!"
Jo Gul grabbed Baek Cheon and shook him, while Yoon Jong watched and shook his head.
How much pain must he be in to act like this?
"Really, one by one..."
It's not that he didn't understand, but this was too much.
Are they more annoyed by taking orders from a young guy than by the impending war?
Now, he genuinely wondered how Kangho was functioning.
"We're on the brink of war, and this is what we're doing? Time is precious! We should be synchronizing our efforts! What's going on in their heads?"
"Maybe it'll get better once the fighting starts."
"From what I've heard, it won't. During the last war with the Demonic Sect, they fought to the death on the front lines but acted the same in the rear. Throughout the entire war. It was said they wanted to kill them all because of that. Do you think people will change after a hundred years?"
"Right... Hmm? But where did you hear that?"
"What?"
"It's a hundred-year-old story. This is the first time I'm hearing it."
"Oh...? Where did I hear this from?"
As Jo Gul tilted his head in confusion, Yoon Jong let out a deep sigh.
"Is this going to continue throughout the war?"
Even with enemies in front of them?
Just thinking about it was depressing.
"How are the others doing?"
"I heard Namgung's side is a bit better."
"That's probably because he's going to be the head of the Namgung Family, so they can't openly challenge him."
"Then why is our Sasuk...?"
"Their situation is different."
Yoon Jong sighed again.
This ordeal had taught him something.
Despite being hailed as one of the Five Swords and Mount Hua's talents, he had felt a sense of pride.
But now he realized the truth. The praise was directed at Mount Hua's 'talent,' not at him personally.
Without the halo of Mount Hua, Jo Gul, Yoon Jong, and the others were just young novices not yet fully recognized in Kangho.
"Then Hye Yeon should be somewhat better."
"Probably? After all, he's from Shaolin and famous as a rare genius. He's treated differently from us."
"Indeed..."
"Do, Dojang! Dojanga! Dojangg!"
"Eh?"
At that moment, someone came rushing in urgently. On closer inspection, it was an unexpected figure.
"Namgung Sogaju?"
"What's happened?"
Namgung Dowi, who had sprinted to their front in a flash, shouted.
"Th-this is a disaster!"
"Excuse me? What's the matter?"
"Monk Hye Yeon! Monk Hye Yeon has beaten someone!"
"...Excuse me? Who?"
"I told you, Monk Hye Yeon beat one of my men! Right now!"
Baek Cheon, Yoon Jong, and Jo Gul looked at each other.
"...Genius?"
"No, it's a disaster, you fool!"
"I want to try..."
"Put down your sword, Sasuk!"
Yoon Jong, greatly flustered, grabbed his head and stood up abruptly.
"L-let's go see! Find out what happened."
His steps were urgent as he followed Namgung Dowi.