episode_0070

Yongbong branch.

Four letters that make your heart race just by hearing them.

It is a subject that frequently appears in the martial arts novels I read in my previous life.

Of course, the reality is that it is similar to the friendly relations between the families of the various conglomerates, including the old-timers and the five great families who used to eat everything.

However, perhaps because they didn’t want to be criticized for being the only ones who did it, they included a sort of disclaimer that said that even if you’re not a member of the old faction or the old faction, you can still participate after going through the preliminaries.

“I don’t care.”

Even though it’s called a preliminary round, it’s just a device to weed out the idiots, and with my skills, I can pass without any problems.

At first, I was thinking of participating in that way, but thanks to things going well, I was able to confidently join the Jongnam faction.

I have a letter of recommendation written by none other than the head of the Jongnam faction, so I can participate right away without any preliminaries.

It’s not like each sect has a separate assigned number of people.

There was a minor issue where Jongnam and Hwasan had a war of nerves in front of someone else’s house, but in any case, they had overcome the Haenam faction’s threshold.

After we were assigned our accommodations, everything went smoothly.

“Oh, it’s comfortable.”

During the day, when the sun rose, they rode horses, and when the sun set, they were beaten with swords under the pretext of training in martial arts.

Even though I had a physique like steel, it was a strange forced march that didn’t tire me out.

As soon as I laid down on my back in the assigned room, an old man-like sound came out of me without me realizing it.

It’s already warm in the south, and with the fire lit, it’s like a paradise.

I was thinking about taking a nap to relieve my fatigue, when someone knocked on the door from outside.

“Are you inside the Yeonjin Sohyeop of Jongnampa?”

“Who are you?”

I was thinking of taking a break now, but what the heck?

As I opened the door and went out to see the face of the culprit who had disturbed my comfortable rest, a man wearing Haenam-pa uniform was waiting and then grabbed the ticket.

“Excuse me. My name is Hwang Woo, the second disciple of Haenampa.”

“I’m Yeonjin. But I’m not a member of the Jongnam faction… … .”

“Ah, aren’t you a member of the Jongnam faction?”

“I have a letter of recommendation written by the head of the Jongnam faction, but I believe they belong to a different faction… … .”

Hwang Woo looked puzzled.

what.

Why do I have this expression on my face as if my sect was dealt with as a Jongnam sect without me knowing?

It’s not something you can proudly show off to others that you’re a member of the Demonic Cult, but you already have enemies in the Demonic Cult, so don’t change someone’s affiliation on your own.

When I looked at Hwang Woo with a puzzled expression, Hwang Woo scratched his head with a puzzled expression.

“I guess there was a mistake.”

“Is this a mistake?”

“Yes. If Sohyeop is not a member of the Jongnam faction, the bracket will probably be rewritten. Originally, it was customary for the disciples of the old faction and the five great factions to face each other until the third match… … .”

Does this mean that they will give a chance to those from less prestigious schools who passed the preliminary round?

The intention is good, though.

Oh, that’s not important right now. What’s more important is that my temple was suddenly changed without my permission.

“Has the bracket already been released?”

“Yes. The matchup has already been announced, with Jongnampa’s Yeon So-hyeop competing against Hwasan and Geom in the first match.”

“I don’t have a surname, so you don’t need to change my name to a foreign character. By the way, is it a real volcano?”

“Oh, sorry for being rude… … Yes, it is customary to put together places that have some kind of competitive spirit, like Jongnam and Hwasan, Mudang and Shaolin, from the beginning.”

After that, Hwang Woo continued his explanation in detail.

In places where such competitive spirit comes into play, if you don’t stick together from the beginning and move on quickly, it can have a big effect when you stick together at a higher place and cause an accident or something.

That’s true.

He nodded and recalled the expression on Cheon Yang-jin’s face when they were engaged in a war of nerves at the threshold of Haenam-pa.

If you think about it, I kept my mouth shut and stayed still, but you looked at me as if you didn’t like me.

When I think about it, it feels unfair?

And you’re angry?

“No, it’s okay if you leave it as is. It’s a hassle to change it now.”

“Yes? But you said you didn’t have an enemy in Jongnampa just now… … .”

“Actually, the King of Geumcheon Swords is kind to me, so I am receiving some instruction from him. Strictly speaking, I am not his disciple, but is it a kind of anonymous disciple?”

“Not a disciple, but in a similar position to an anonymous disciple… … ?”

“There is something like that. So, it’s hard for me to say that I’m not a member of the Jongnam faction at all. If I were to be a little more specific, I’d say I’m a member of the Jongnam faction? I think you can think of it as something like that.”

“… … Okay, I understand for now.”

Hwang Woo’s expression became grotesquely distorted.

He must have had a face like he wanted to ask what the hell he was talking about, but there was a reason for everything.

I said he was a genius.

Since the volcano chieftain didn’t like me first, wouldn’t it be okay if I lowered the volcano faction’s reputation as a result of a legitimate fight?

Little Yeonjin can’t stand it.

I glanced at Hwang Woo, who was plotting such a scheme, but still had the same expression on his face – “This isn’t it.”

I don’t know, but you Volcano people, be prepared. You’re going to suffer some losses.

* * *

The Yongbong Branch is a place where the best political indices of the Central Plains gather together to select the best political indices.

The winner will be given the honor of being the best in the league, and those who rank high enough will be given the honorable nicknames of Dragon for female reviewers and Phoenix for male reviewers.

Even if they are unrelated sects, it is a stage enough to ignite a competitive spirit.

But what if there were sects like Jongnam and Hwasan that were close to each other from the beginning?

Both were swordsmen representing Shaanxi, and were also Taoist.

Hwasan was proud of the plum blossom sword technique that represented his faction, and was proud of having established himself on Hwasan, the westernmost of the five sacred mountains.

Although Jongnam Mountain is not one of the five sacred mountains, Jongnam was proud of the fact that it was a sacred place of Taoism where Laozi founded Taoism, and also the place where the outstanding patriarch Wang Jungyang founded Jeonjin, which can be said to be the predecessor of Jongnam.

In the case of other schools of similar Taoism, the Mudang faction is so overwhelmingly powerful that there are even sayings such as “Northern Shaolin” and “Southern Shamanism”, so it is out of the question.

Cheongseong and Gongdong each have their own historical significance and pride, but they are so far apart that it is out of the question.

If so, then in the end, through the method of elimination, it is a structure in which they cannot help but feel competitive with each other because they are nearby and have the commonality of being checkpoints and gates.

“Ugh.”

Although there was still some time left until the Yongbong branch meeting, at the gathering of distinguished guests who had willingly sat down to attend the opening ceremony before that, Cheon Yangjin put down his teacup and sank into a deep sleep.

That’s why I felt sick.

And in the case of Jin Seong-yeon, who was sitting across from him, he was watching the scene with a look on his face as if he was full even though he hadn’t eaten.

Participating in the Yongbong branch is a positive factor.

And since only the later generations of the same age who have been raised with great care participate, in these places, the topic of conversation immediately comes up as bragging about one’s disciples or blood relatives.

Coincidentally, the one who raised the topic was Gong Yu of Shaolin.

“Come to think of it, the martial arts of the black giraffe siju who came with Jongnam this time seem to have advanced even more. Last time I saw the black giraffe siju in Shaolin, it wasn’t to that extent. Amitabha.”

The great and mighty Gongwoo.

Jin Seong-yeon’s face brightened immediately when Gong Woo, one of the Four Great Diamonds of Shaolin and who had already met Yeon Jin at Shaolin Temple, lifted his teacup and brought out a koan.

“That’s why I wrote to you in a letter. At that age, you have made a name for yourself with the sword, and you don’t tolerate injustice, so you have the potential to become a great swordsman.”

The great man is a man of great national pride and people.

A great swordsman serves his country and its people.

It is surprising that he has accumulated great skills that are starting to reach the peak of his power at a young age, but he has the character of chivalry in his heart and does not tolerate injustice, so he has the makings of a great chivalrous man.

Even though her true intentions were different, Yeonjin’s behavior was reflected in the eyes of the Jeongpa’s Myeongsuks.

“I realized why the King of Geumcheon had praised him so much when the black giraffe came to Shaolin.”

Gongwoo smiled broadly.

“The saying that you should not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing impressed me. Doing good deeds and thinking of them as something natural and not thinking of them as something important. If this is not the compassion that the Buddha spoke of, what else is it?”

“Not only is he good in terms of his qualities, but his character itself is excellent. That’s why I recommended him as my disciple. Although I couldn’t officially take him as my disciple because he has a teacher, I did teach him a few lessons on his way to Ye.”

Jin Seong-yeon nodded her head with a pleased smile.

Of course, it was just a happy smile by Jin Seong-yeon’s standards, but to others, it was just a blank expression with no change in expression.

Cheon Yang-jin, who had known him for a long time and was like a close friend to him, clicked his tongue when he saw that expression.

“You’re old and foolish. When you get old, there’s nothing to do but brag about your disciples, but what are you going to brag about when you’re not even a real disciple?”

Jin Seong-yeon raised the corners of her lips at Cheon Yang-jin, who was frowning.

“Your judgment is likely to be distorted. In the first match of the Yongbongjihoe, Jongnam and Hwasan will fight, but if that Black Kirin kid comes out, Hwasan won’t be able to get a single win.”

“Are you done talking?”

“I don’t think I said anything wrong.”

And if the topic of conversation flows like this, it will soon turn into a fierce battle of pride between adults who are not worth their age.

Cheon Yang-jin raised his voice.

“How arrogant! You have to try to know the long and short of it! I saw it myself and I can tell that the kid has outstanding martial arts skills that are not appropriate for his age, but the Volcano Sword is definitely no pushover!”

“If the difference is this big, even a blind person can tell right away. The Hwasan’s sword is not easy, but it’s time to admit that Jongnam’s sword is stronger.”

“This kid!”

Sparks flew from Cheon Yang Jin’s eyes.

The time that Cheon Yang-jin and Jin Seong-yeon have known each other is almost a century.

There are probably not many elders here who can stop him, as he is on the verge of regurgitating the foul language he and Jin Seong-yeon used to use when they were young, calling each other “this bastard” and “that bastard.”

In fact, the honor of Hwasan and Jongnam had already fallen to the ground, but Cheon Yang-jin, who held on to the thin thread of reason, shouted.

“Good! Then in this first match, if the disciple of the main faction loses to Black Kirin, that kid, I will give him Jasodan! And on top of that, I will personally protect him while he is taking Jasodan. What do you want to bet? You don’t have anything worth betting on, do you, Jongnam?”

“Ugh… … !”

Jongnam and Hwasan are enemies, so they fight every time they meet.

In fact, since it was something that happened all the time to Gong-woo and others, I just watched the two bickering with an awkward smile.

If this turns into a full-blown bet, and the volcano starts off with the Jasodan as the prize for the bet, then the story is a little different.

When it comes to artificially created spirit groups, the Shaolin Temple’s Daehwandan is considered the best, but the Hwasanpa’s Jasodan is also a rare entity that is not far behind.

It is not easy for the Jongnam faction, which does not even have decent elixir manufacturing technology, to come up with something of such value.

But if I back down here, I could be said to be unqualified as the leader of the Jongnam faction.

Jin Seong-yeon took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and then answered in a voice that was just as loud.

“Okay. Then Black Giraffe, if that kid loses, Jongnam will be sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. Is that enough?”

“Fifteen years.”

“Okay, good. Let’s do it for fifteen years. I will take responsibility as a long-term servant and serve for fifteen years. Is that enough?”

“Don’t change your mind later. It’s been fifteen years.”

“You’re the one who should change your words just because you feel sorry for Jasodan.”

The fifteenth anniversary of the founding of Jasodan.

After the prizes for the bet were all decided, and the two elders were still arguing, one of the elders of the Sacheondangmun sitting next to Gong-woo tapped Gong-woo on the side and sent a message.

[Bicheon Geumgang, shouldn’t we stop now?]

[Amitabha. Jongnam and Hwasan have been acting like this for more than a day or two, so would they listen even if Soseung spoke up?]

Gong-woo smiled awkwardly.

A war of nerves, which can be called a fight of nerves, is a constant occurrence.

This time, it was especially intense because Jongnam won overwhelmingly from the beginning.

Originally, the famous war of nerves between Jongnam and Hwasan was known even in the political world.

It is not for nothing that the gamblers who discuss the outcome of the Yongbongjihoe additionally gamble on the winner of the Jonghwajijeon or Hwajongjijeon between Jongnam and Hwasan as a bonus event.

“Let’s wait and see when the Yongbong branch meeting starts.”

“That’s what I have to say.”

And then, almost simultaneously, Cheon Yangjin and Jin Seongyeon glared at each other and then quickly turned their heads.

Regardless of the intention of the parties involved, a fifteen-year sentence of Jasodan or a sect was placed on Yeonjin’s shoulders.

After calming down to some extent, Cheon Yang-jin began to regret.

‘Damn, my head is burning so much I’m going to die… … .’

It was difficult to understand the details since I didn’t feel the pulse directly, but when I saw it at first glance, it was an extraordinary weapon.

Jin Seong-yeon kept nagging at me, so I tried to get rid of the self-pitying behavior first, but I started to feel uneasy that she would give me the self-pitying behavior anyway.

And at the sight of Cheon Yang Jin-in like that, one of the elders who was performing the ritual grabbed his chest as if his heart was about to collapse.

‘Long story… …!’

With a silent scream.