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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Bobt
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“There is a misunderstanding, Senior Brother.”
Joo Seo-cheon momentarily showed an annoyed expression but then waved his hands and smiled bitterly.
Not only Nak So-wol, but Joo Seo-cheon was also an oddball, unlike a child.
“How could I ignore Senior Brother’s words? Senior Sister was merely conveying a message from the supervisor.”
Joo Seo-cheon spoke as if pleading.
“Is that true?”
Lee Geon asked with a suspicious look. He didn’t forget to shake the collar he was grabbing.
“Yes, it’s true.”
“…Hmph.”
Only then did Lee Geon loosen his grip on the collar.
“You unlucky bastard!”
Lee Geon glared at Joo Seo-cheon once more and turned his body. His footsteps still showed that he was angry.
“His voice is still really loud.”
Since entering the Lotus Hall, Lee Geon had viewed Joo Seo-cheon unfavorably. It was because of the attention Nak So-wol had for Joo Seo-cheon.
Nak So-wol had been famous since entering the Mount Hua Sect. Not only for her talent but also for her eye-catching beauty.
As soon as she entered, she had ignited the hearts of the boys, and because of that, the education on self-restraint and self-control had only increased.
Lee Geon was also one of those boys. From his perspective of being infatuated, he greatly disliked Joo Seo-cheon. So whenever Joo Seo-cheon talked to Nak So-wol, he would uncannily notice and come to pick a fight.
Sometimes Joo Seo-cheon would get a little angry at those actions, but he could endure it because Lee Geon didn’t cross the line.
Lee Geon, like other fourth-generation disciples of the Mount Hua Sect, also dreamed of becoming the Plum Blossom Swordsman.
If he caused trouble in the Lotus Hall, it might become a negative factor in becoming the Plum Blossom Swordsman in the future.
Whether it was because of that concern or not, he had never directly caused significant harm.
If he crossed the line, Joo Seo-cheon intended to stop tolerating it and teach him a lesson(?), but he never did.
Other than Lee Geon, Joo Seo-cheon’s relationship with the other members of the Lotus Hall was neither good nor bad. They rarely interacted.
At first, he had received contemptuous gazes due to the incident during the Lotus Hall entrance assessment. The reason was that he had tarnished the name of the sacred assessment ground.
However, that was only in the beginning, and after about a year, their gazes changed to indifference.
When training with the successful applicants, if their coordination wasn’t good, they wouldn’t know, but Joo Seo-cheon appropriately followed along, so they didn’t say much.
The only one who openly showed dislike was Lee Geon.
Other than that, life in the Lotus Hall was smooth. He spent his days without any incidents.
He mainly spent his time training in martial arts, and after completing his daily routine and training, he pondered about the secret treasury of the Three-Eyed Divine Thief through meditation.
“Not much time left.”
Two years remained. During that time, he had diligently made plans. He just needed to put them into action.
“When?”
The members of the Lotus Hall were faster than ordinary disciples in everything. Making their debut in the murim was no exception. They ventured out before even reaching their twenties.
Even if their skills were slightly lacking, they would go out accompanied by a protector under the pretext of gaining experience.
This was the Lotus Hall’s tradition of simultaneous education policy. It was bound to happen.
Joo Seo-cheon endured and endured, looking forward to that day.
* * *
There is a saying that when you look forward, it’s slow, and when you look back, it’s fast.
Before he knew it, another year had passed.
“Hah, no matter when I look at you, your internal energy is truly monstrous.”
The Elder of Mount Hua, Yeong Jin, exclaimed after finishing the pulse diagnosis.
Joo Seo-cheon had turned twelve years old.
The Plum Blossom Vitality Technique accumulated six years’ worth of internal energy each year, and thanks to that, the total amount of internal energy was fifty-one years.
Soon, it would reach a full cycle. Even other disciples of the Nine Great Sects couldn’t achieve this level of result.
“To think that he’s only twelve years old and is about to reach a full cycle, it’s not for nothing that a fateful encounter is called a fateful encounter.”
Not many people in the Mount Hua Sect were interested in Joo Seo-cheon. The Alchemist Yeong Jin was one of them.
Two years ago, Yeong Jin had raised his hand in approval of Joo Seo-cheon’s entrance, saying he would observe him.
The observation wasn’t anything grand. It was just regularly checking his physical condition.
“It’s not the power of the Water Spirit Divine Fruit, but the Plum Blossom Vitality Technique.”
Joo Seo-cheon smiled bitterly inwardly.
Yeong Jin had mistaken Joo Seo-cheon’s internal energy, which was increasing at an ultra-high speed day by day, as the virtue of the Water Spirit Divine Fruit.
He didn’t know the secret of the Plum Blossom Qi Technique, the Plum Blossom Vitality Technique, so it was only natural.
“To think that a good thing like that was shared between you and that weakling. You stingy bastards. Shouldn’t you prioritize the elders of the sect?”
Yeong Jin clicked his tongue, expressing his regret.
“He’s not a weakling.”
“Hah, look at you glaring when I talk about your master!”
Yeong Jin raised his voice as if he couldn’t stand it.
“Please stop teasing me. Is it that fun to tease a twelve-year-old child?”
Joo Seo-cheon let out a deep sigh as if he was tired of it.
“Yes, it’s fun! Hahaha!”
Yeong Jin regularly visited for pulse diagnosis, so he had the most frequent interactions. Over the past two years, they had become somewhat close.
That’s why they exchanged jokes like this.
“If the pulse diagnosis is over, I’ll get up now.”
“I brought news about your master.”
“Elder Yeong, you are the best elder in Mount Hwa.”
Joo Seo-cheon stopped getting up and sat back down. He politely placed his hands on his knees.
Two years ago, after making his debut in the murim, Yu Jeong-mok had spent most of his time outside Mount Hwa.
He occasionally returned to Mount Hwa to show his face, but in less than a month, he would receive orders and descend the mountain.
Joo Seo-cheon was dissatisfied with this but couldn’t say anything.
It was because Yu Jeong-mok had received that much consideration due to his poor health. It was time to repay that debt.
“It’s not that great, so loosen up the force in your eyes.”
Yeong Jin delivered the news about Yu Jeong-mok with a tired face.
As he said, it wasn’t really anything significant. It was just about what mission he had completed and where.
As Joo Seo-cheon became close with the Five Elders of Mount Hua, he received news about his master even before Yu Jeong-mok sent a letter.
“That alone is enough. I’m always grateful.”
Joo Seo-cheon bowed to express his gratitude. Sincerity was evident in each and every gesture.
A warm smile naturally formed on his lips.
It was a master-disciple love that anyone would think was truly wonderful.
“Ah, and you should also start preparing to go out.”
Yeong Jin said while writing something on a piece of paper.
“…”
Joo Seo-cheon widened his eyes.
“Finally!”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart was beating wildly. His breathing quickened a little. Something was secreted in his brain, emitting heat.
Yeong Jin continued talking, still focusing his gaze on the paper, unaware of Joo Seo-cheon’s reaction.
“You’ve heard that the members of the Lotus Hall make their debut in the murim earlier than ordinary disciples, so you should know well…”
Yeong Jin explained something enthusiastically, but it wasn’t very audible.
Joo Seo-cheon tried his best to suppress his excited mood.
“Finally, the time has come.”
He had been quite anxious this year as there was only one year left until the deadline. Fortunately, that anxiety and unease were now over.
Debut in the murim. These four characters filled Joo Seo-cheon’s heart.
The debut in the murim from the Lotus Hall was not for everyone. Only a certain number of members went out.
The priority was determined by the age at which they could be in the Lotus Hall. Those who hadn’t ventured into the murim until the age of fifteen were unconditionally given the lowest priority.
Other than that, it was based on recommendations or martial arts ranking. In the case of recommendations, usually when the master or supervisor thought that a debut in the murim was necessary, it was given priority after age.
Joo Seo-cheon had already made a request to Yu Jeong-mok through a letter in advance. Yu Jeong-mok seemed worried, but when his disciple, who had never acted spoiled before, pleaded and begged for the first time, he had no choice but to agree.
By the way, there wasn’t much competition for making a debut in the murim.
If one was a member of the Lotus Hall, they would unconditionally go out into the murim once before reaching adulthood. There was no need to rush.
Moreover, for members of the Lotus Hall who already had experience in the murim, their priority naturally fell to the bottom.
There was no need to worry about competition in the first place.
The members for the debut in the murim were determined.
“Nice to meet you. From today onwards, I, Goo Poong, will be in charge of you.”
Fourteen Sword Hero, Goo Poong.
He was the guide and protector of this Lotus Hall’s journey to the murim.
Even among the third-generation disciples, his martial prowess was outstanding. He was a transcendent master whose fame was well-known even in the murim.
Not only his martial prowess but also his seniority was high. Among the third-generation disciples, no one addressed Goo Poong as a disciple and looked down on him.
He was also an uncle to Joo Seo-cheon.
“Before descending the mountain, I will confirm the members.”
Goo Poong called out the names of the inexperienced disciples in front of him.
“Jang Hong, Jang Seo-eun, Joo Seo-cheon.”
“Yes!”
The three of them answered simultaneously as if they had made a promise. Their voices were filled with strength.
At this, Goo Poong smiled bitterly and patted each of their shoulders, speaking in a gentle tone.
“We’re not going to die or anything, so there’s no need to be so nervous. We’re just descending Mount Hwa.”
The tense atmosphere softened.
“Well then, let’s go.”
Goo Poong took the lead, and they followed.
“Senior Brother Jang Hong, Junior Sister Jang Seo-eun.”
Joo Seo-cheon walked at the very back and observed the boy and girl in front of him. They both had expressions mixed with anticipation and nervousness.
Jang Hong was fourteen years old and had the highest age and seniority in the Lotus Hall. Jang Seo-eun was thirteen years old and was Jang Hong’s junior martial sister.
Joo Seo-cheon was relieved to hear that these two martial siblings would accompany him. They had a relatively good relationship in the Lotus Hall.
They didn’t view him very favorably, but they didn’t despise him either. To put it bluntly, they were indifferent.
It was much better than someone like Lee Geon who would annoyingly pick fights for no reason.
By the way, as soon as the members for the journey to the murim were determined, Nak So-wol came to bid farewell with a regretful look in her eyes.
Nak So-wol also said that she wanted to accompany them if she could, but she gave up because of the watchful eyes of Shim Ok-ryeon, who viewed Joo Seo-cheon unfavorably.
“Uncle, I have a question. May I ask?”
Joo Seo-cheon asked Goo Poong.
“Ask as much as you want.”
“Where is our destination?”
“We will head south, past Chongqing, to Guizhou.”
“Guizhou, you mean?”
Jang Seo-eun asked back with a slightly tense face.
“Yes, it’s the border region between the orthodox sects and the unorthodox sects.”
Guizhou was a place where fights never ceased since ancient times.
It was because the influence of the orthodox sect’s territory and the unorthodox sect’s territory was mixed half and half as if cut by a sword.
They had been constantly fighting to expand their influence and conquer each other, even if just a little.
There had been dozens of ceasefires.
It was commonly known as a conflict zone, and this Guizhou was a place where fights occurred even when there was no war, so major sects like the Nine Great Sects sent their disciples there to gain practical experience.
“As I said before, we’re not going there to die, so don’t worry. I’m here, and since Guizhou is dangerous, there are also many orthodox sect masters stationed there. There won’t be any injuries or deaths.”
For a martial artist, venturing into the murim meant using the martial arts they had accumulated on people to gain practical experience.
Although it seemed like they had come out for a leisurely trip, it was definitely not.
“Chongqing!”
Jang Hong and Jang Seo-eun seemed quite nervous upon hearing that they were going to Guizhou, but Joo Seo-cheon was not.
What was important to him was not Guizhou but Chongqing.
What he had been searching for was hidden there.
“The secret treasury of the Three-Eyed Divine Thief!”
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