"That child said that?"
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Unam's face twisted strangely. Ungeom, surprised by Unam's unexpected reaction, tilted his head.
"Did you not know?"
"How would I know?"
"...Huh. I thought the Sect Leader deliberately brought him in. Otherwise…"
"We're not in a position to go looking for talent. He came here on his own."
"Since the Sect Leader said he accepted a new disciple…"
Ungeom trailed off.
The Sect Leader, who had said he wouldn't accept any more disciples, had accepted this child. So, naturally, Ungeom thought there must be some story behind it. That's why, even though there had been quite a stir, he had let it go.
But Unam genuinely seemed unaware.
"Is there something only the Sect Leader knows…?"
"No. He really came here on his own."
"...It's strange."
Unam smiled faintly.
'The more I think about it, the stranger it seems.'
A child who suddenly came all the way here, said he wanted to become a disciple of Mount Hua, and within a day, was already causing a stir.
'Maybe it's an overreaction.'
He wondered if the child might be a spy sent by another sect to ruin Mount Hua, but that seemed too far-fetched.
First, Mount Hua was no longer a sect worth ruining. Second, even if that were the case, it would be nearly impossible for such a young child to have that kind of capability.
If a child had such abilities, it would be more beneficial to nurture him with all their might rather than sending him as a spy to rot.
"Then, wouldn't it be better to stop him now?"
"Let it be."
"But, Senior Brother."
"You didn't stop him because you have some expectations of him, right?"
Instead of answering, Ungeom slightly bowed his head.
"I know your efforts well. Leading the disciples is a natural duty as a senior, but I also know you've been bearing that duty excessively alone."
"That's not true, Senior Brother. I just…"
"It's fine."
Unam smiled softly.
"Everyone is struggling. I don't know what that child is thinking, but if you judge that he will be helpful to you and Mount Hua, there's no need to stop him."
Ungeom raised his head and looked at Unam.
"I'm not entirely sure yet. That child…"
"Ungeom."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
"That child is now also a disciple of Mount Hua."
Ungeom's eyes wavered slightly.
"I understand that you feel more affection and attachment to the disciples who came first. But even if he came later, as long as he has decided to stay in Mount Hua, he is also a child of Mount Hua that we must care for together."
"...I was foolish."
Ungeom slightly bowed his head.
"If it becomes too much, you can stop him. Don't you know more about Baekmaegwan than me or the Sect Leader?"
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Ungeom stood up.
"Then, I'll take my leave."
"Go ahead."
As Ungeom left, Unam quietly poured tea into a cup.
'What a strange child.'
Certainly, an extraordinary child had entered.
A child who couldn't hide his presence for even a day would undoubtedly bring rapid change. Whether that change would be a blessing or a curse for Mount Hua, Unam couldn't tell.
But one thing was certain.
'Change is needed.'
Mount Hua needed a new wind. Drifting aimlessly in a vast, windless sea would only lead to death by thirst or starvation. Even if they didn't know where they were going, they had to set sail.
Even if the destination turned out to be a deserted island, it would still be better than dying of thirst in the vast sea.
Unam slowly brought the tea to his lips.
He hoped that Chung Myung's presence would become the wind that moved Mount Hua.
Of course, whether he would remain so calm knowing that the wind might be a typhoon remained to be seen.
❀ ❀ ❀
"I feel like I'm going to die."
"...I'm already dead."
Groans could be heard from all around. Of course, those groaning were the third-generation disciples of Mount Hua.
'What is this, some new kind of torture?'
They knew about strength training. And Mount Hua hadn't neglected strength training either. Even Shaolin, the foundation of all martial arts in the Central Plains, didn't neglect strength training.
'But there's a limit.'
Yun Jong looked down at the table.
Stir-fried vegetables were served as a side dish, but his hands were shaking so much that he couldn't pick them up properly, and the vegetables were scattered all over the table.
"Ugh… I can't even eat properly."
"We have sword training in the afternoon. What if we drop our swords? If we swing a real sword and drop it, it'll be a disaster. Someone might get stabbed."
"...Luckily, I don't think we'll have the strength to swing it that hard."
"Is that supposed to be comforting?"
Yun Jong sighed.
'Say it to his face. Say it to his face.'
If you have complaints, shouldn't you confront him directly? What's the point of talking behind his back?
"There's nothing I can do."
"Senior Brother!"
Complaints erupted from all around. But Yun Jong just silently picked up the stir-fried vegetables.
With even Ungeom siding with Chung Myung, what more could he do?
"Senior Brother! Even so, if you don't speak up now…"
"Isn't that what being the senior disciple is about?"
Just as Yun Jong was about to speak, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"You guys sure love to chatter."
The gazes of the third-generation disciples in the dining hall all turned in one direction.
"Jo Gul?"
For a moment, there was silence. Jo Gul, who had been quietly eating in the corner, noticed the attention and spoke in a sharp tone.
"Is the senior disciple your errand boy? If you have something to say, go say it directly. There's no need to hide."
"...No, we…"
"If you can't confront him directly, then shut up and eat. If you don't eat, you won't last through the afternoon."
With Jo Gul speaking like this, no one dared to open their mouths.
Yun Jong looked at Jo Gul with a strange expression.
'This is odd.'
The Jo Gul he knew should be the one loudly denouncing Chung Myung right now. Wasn't he the one with the most authority and strength among the third-generation disciples?
But with Jo Gul subtly siding with Chung Myung, everyone found it difficult to speak up.
Thud.
Jo Gul put down his chopsticks, stood up, and approached Yun Jong.
"Senior Brother."
"Hmm?"
"Can I have a word?"
"...Sure."
Yun Jong also put down his chopsticks and stood up.
The remaining disciples watched the two leave the dining hall, tilting their heads in confusion.
"I don't know if I'm seeing things wrong, but…"
Once they reached a secluded spot, Yun Jong spoke first.
"You seem quite refreshed?"
Jo Gul raised his hand and rubbed his face.
"Does it show?"
"You're not good at hiding your expressions."
"I didn't know that."
Jo Gul smiled awkwardly.
"You can still smile after all that?"
"...Senior Brother."
"Hmm?"
"What do you think of Mount Hua?"
Yun Jong closed his mouth. It was too serious a question to answer lightly.
"That's a difficult question."
"I can just go back to my family if things get too hard. But you, Senior Brother, plan to bury your bones here, don't you?"
"That's right."
Yun Jong nodded quietly.
He was already set to receive the title of Taoist. While the other third-generation disciples hadn't made their choices yet, he would become a true disciple of Mount Hua and share its fate.
"Do you think Mount Hua has a future?"
"That's reckless. You shouldn't say such things carelessly."
"I used to think there wasn't."
"..."
It was a statement that should have been rebuked. But Yun Jong couldn't bring himself to do so. His thoughts weren't much different from Jo Gul's.
"You used to think that? Does that mean your thoughts have changed?"
"...A little."
"Changed?"
"Even though it was forced, I realized something during this training. I've never pushed myself to my limits like this before."
Well, of course.
Yun Jong found himself nodding unconsciously. He had never done such training either. He always thought he was working hard, but he had never pushed himself to the point where his hands and feet trembled like this.
"But that guy is doing more than double what we're doing, and he's not even tired."
It's probably more than double.
Just the number of repetitions alone is double. If you include the weight, the intensity of the training would be much higher. Yun Jong was also shocked when he saw Chung Myung training with sandbags heavier than his own body.
"He's strong, so he can do it. But that guy's age is definitely not much older than me. He's not strong just because he's strong. He's strong because he's been doing this all along."
"You're right."
"Senior Brother. I used to think it was impossible for me to become strong in Mount Hua. I thought I might reach a level where I could show off my strength somewhere, but I never thought I could become a top martial artist who could command the world."
"Jo Gul."
"Please hear me out, Senior Brother."
"..."
Jo Gul swallowed dryly and continued.
"But watching that guy, I realized I was wrong. Honestly, is there anyone our age who can match him?"
There isn't.
Absolutely not.
Even though Yun Jong wasn't the strongest among the third-generation disciples in martial arts, he was confident in his abilities. He was sure he wouldn't be far behind the disciples of the Nine Great Sects.
But that monster flipped Yun Jong over with a single finger and sent Jo Gul, who was stronger than Yun Jong, flying into the ceiling with one strike.
Could there be another monster like that?
"Which martial arts you learn isn't important. What's important is how you learn them. I used to think that was just a nice-sounding saying. But seeing that guy, I realize it's true. Senior Brother, I want to give it my all."
"...I feel the same."
Jo Gul nodded firmly.
"So, Senior Brother, please comfort the others. This might be our chance to change greatly. Even if it's annoying and frustrating, we need to follow that guy for now."
Yun Jong looked at Jo Gul with calm eyes.
Jo Gul was not only strong but also had a knack for understanding the flow of things, perhaps because he was from a merchant family. He would have become a great merchant if he pursued that path. If someone like him was saying this…
"Let's do it."
"Senior Brother!"
"You're right. As things are now, we're going nowhere. I've decided to bury my bones in Mount Hua. If it's something that can help Mount Hua, I'll do anything."
Jo Gul nodded at Yun Jong's firm words.
"But it's funny when you think about it. All because of a junior who just arrived yesterday…"
"He's not an ordinary junior."
"That's true."
The two shared a light laugh and turned away. They had said what needed to be said. Now, it was a matter of how much they could calm the others.
"Jo Gul."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
"Do you really think we can become strong?"
"One thing is certain."
"Hmm?"
"Even if we don't become strong, we'll have trained hard enough to feel wronged."
"...That's comforting."
The two exchanged words as they returned to the dining hall. And at that moment, they still hadn't noticed the gaze watching them from the shadows.