The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

Hyeok'ugun asked with a face as if he was seeing something he shouldn't.

"What are you doing?"

"What."

"I asked what you're doing."

"..."

Jong Ryeo'ak couldn't bring himself to answer.

He was currently busy waving a folding fan for Jin Sohyun.

Thanks to him, Jin Sohyun, who was able to rest comfortably, was spending a leisurely morning while letting out a yawn.

"Look at that."

"Huh? Young Hero Jong? What is he doing over there?"

"It looks like he's fanning him?"

"So why?"

"How would I know."

The martial artists from the same Jongnam Sect as Jong Ryeo'ak were just as confused.

Who was Jong Ryeo'ak?

Hadn't he been at the forefront of the officials who looked down on Jin Sohyun, hating him more passionately than anyone else?

But overnight, he had become part of Jin Sohyun's group.

As if that wasn't enough, he was even fanning him to keep Jin Sohyun from getting hot.

Of course, Jong Ryeo'ak's face was contorted in an angry expression.

He glared at the officials who were whispering about him.

The officials avoided his sharp gaze.

"Relax the strength in your eyes."

"Isn't this all thanks to you, older brother?"

Jong Ryeo'ak said in a barely audible voice.

"You're the one who asked for a spar. Hey! You! Go away."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why! Because of you, people are looking at me and whispering. It's so distracting I can't sleep."

"You were the one who told me to fan you from the side, older brother. Old. Er. Broth. Er."

"That's enough now, so go away!"

While Jin Sohyun and Jong Ryeo'ak were bickering, Gwak Myeong came to find the resting officials.

As usual, he gathered the officials in one place.

"Is everyone gathered?"

"Yes."

All thirty officials of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple were gathered in one place.

Gwak Myeong slowly scrutinized their faces, one by one.

His gaze passed the twenty-ninth official and now reached the last official, Jin Sohyun.

"Haaam..."

The man who, as always, was making a bored face, even yawning in front of the Daoist Temple Master.

And yet, the man's face no longer looked hateful.

‘This lazy brat is surprisingly good at getting things done, isn't he?’

The mediation mission in Hebei and the rescue operation at the Baekhwa Pass.

They were difficult and complicated tasks that would have faced hardship and failure even if the Martial Arts Alliance had stepped in directly.

But Jin Sohyun had accomplished both tasks without difficulty.

No, rather, he had achieved outstanding results.

In Hebei, he had blocked the evil hands of the Heretic's Path Alliance who were aiming for the iron ore vein, achieved mediation, and the Peng Clan was greatly pleased to have purchased high-purity iron at a reasonable price.

Wasn't it so much so that the family head had personally sent a letter of thanks to the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple?

Moreover, at the Baekhwa Pass, he had rescued numerous women who could have been unjustly sold.

Even though he had discovered a huge amount of gold bars in the process, Jin Sohyun had not touched them.

He had generously given it all for the sake of the pitiful women.

‘His accomplishments are too great to simply call him a lazy bum. And yet, I can't praise him.’

If he praised him even a little, he would laze around, saying things like he wanted a vacation or that he wouldn't do anything anymore, so Gwak Myeong decided not to praise him.

Gwak Myeong just looked at Jin Sohyun with a pleased face.

On the other hand, Jin Sohyun's thoughts were different.

‘Why is the Daoist Temple Master uncle looking at me with such a sly face? Don't tell me... he's planning to work me again?’

Jin Sohyun stealthily hid his body behind Jong Ryeo'ak's back.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't move and cover me a little."

"Why should I?"

"Ahem. This brat keeps trying to be my equal?"

As Jin Sohyun lightly tapped the back of his head, Jong Ryeo'ak turned around with an angry look.

"Look forward."

‘Just you wait... I will definitely put you beneath me and work you like a slave for the rest of your life!’

Jong Ryeo'ak clenched his fist, dreaming of future revenge.

In the meantime, Gwak Myeong, who had examined all the officials, raised his voice and said.

"In three months, the Four Divine Assembly will be held. It will be easier to think of the Four Divine Assembly as, literally, a sparring tournament between the officials who are training their martial arts at the Four Divine Daoist Temples."

"A sparring tournament between the Four Divine Daoist Temples!?"

As the officials showed excitement and curiosity, Gwak Myeong nodded his head and continued his explanation.

"Of course, not everyone can participate in the Four Divine Assembly. Each Daoist Temple will send out a total of ten officials, and this is the same for the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple."

At Gwak Myeong's explanation that only ten people could participate, most of the Blue Dragon officials made a dispirited face.

"We won't be able to go..."

"We'll just have to cheer."

"The officials from the White Moon Palace and the Nine Great Sects will go, right?"

"Don't forget the Five Great Families."

The officials from minor sects gave up cleanly.

They had already felt the power of the prestigious sects with their whole bodies in the sparring tournament held within the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple.

Of course, if there were those who gave up, there were also martial artists who were tense and were examining each other.

‘Can I make it into the top ten?’

Moyong Susu and Oh Seolhwa had the same thought and looked around.

The martial artists most likely to participate in the Four Divine Assembly were Jin Sohyun, Cheon Gaseong, Cheon Yerang, Jong Ryeo'ak, Hyeok'ugun, and Peng Xiaofeng.

These six people.

If so, they had to somehow get into the remaining four spots.

While the officials from prestigious sects and families were burning with enthusiasm, Jin Sohyun and Zhuge Ming showed no great emotion.

"I won't be participating, but what about you, Sohyun?"

"Of course, I will absolutely not participate."

Zhuge Ming and Jin Sohyun whispered, hiding behind Jong Ryeo'ak's back.

"Will the Daoist Temple Master stay still?"

"I'll have to feign illness. It's hard enough just staying still, but a sparring tournament... ugh... just thinking about it is a hassle. What about you?"

"My martial arts skills won't make it into the top ten, so I'll just have to cheer from behind."

"I'm jealous."

"Are you teasing me?"

"Of course not."

While the two were exchanging words, at Gwak Myeong's instruction, the instructors brought a large wooden board with a poster attached to it.

The poster was divided into sections for individual and group.

Pointing at the wooden board, Gwak Myeong said in a loud voice.

"The sparring tournament of the Four Divine Assembly is largely divided into two methods."

"Two methods?"

The officials waited for the Daoist Temple Master's words with a puzzled expression.

Gwak Myeong continued.

"Individual matches and group matches."

Individual matches and group matches.

The expressions of the officials, who had only been thinking of individual matches like a normal sparring tournament, became complicated.

Individual matches were a familiar method for martial artists, so there was no problem.

The problem was the group matches.

Each individual's martial arts were all different, and their dispositions were also different.

They had to compete against the same number of opponents with all this taken into consideration.

"And in this group match, Yu Oseon, Sangsuk, Wu Seongcheon, Zhuge Ming... and Cheon Gaseong will participate."

"What?"

"Is this right?"

"Why of all people..."

As if he had no intention of changing the list, Gwak Myeong wrote the names of the five people on the poster.

Among the officials who could not understand Gwak Myeong's choice, there were four people who were feeling confused.

"Why... me?"

Yu Oseon stared at the poster with a face as if he couldn't believe it.

This was the same for Sangsuk and Wu Seongcheon, who were participating in the group match with him.

"Your name is there."

"No way..."

Zhuge Ming blinked his eyes and checked the poster where his name was written.

No matter how many times he looked again, it was definitely his name.

"Good heavens... but is Young Hero Cheon participating in the group match instead of the individual match? Why of all things?"

Zhuge Ming could not understand Gwak Myeong's choice.

Excluding Jin Sohyun, the strongest martial artist in the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple was Cheon Gaseong.

And yet, he was participating in the group match instead of the individual match.

As if he were dissatisfied with this, Cheon Gaseong's expression was cold.

Gwak Myeong, who felt his cold gaze, asked. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Cheon Gaseong. Do you have a complaint?"

"May I know the reason why I am participating in the group match?"

"You were the leader of Group Five in the previous real-world mission. And what did you do when you went to the sect that asked for help?"

"I did as they wished."

"You abandoned your group members and single-handedly stormed the opposing sect and made the sect leader kneel. Didn't you?"

"The Dobong Sect committed an act that went against the orthodox faction."

"I do not doubt your individual martial prowess. But you do not know how to cooperate. You also acted arbitrarily in the last sparring tournament. Only for your own greed."

As Cheon Gaseong did not deny it, Gwak Myeong continued.

"I know it too. That you have enough strength and skill to win the individual match. So why would I send you to the individual match? What you need is not individual martial prowess, but how to cooperate."

"Nothing will change by doing that."

"That will depend on what you do, Cheon Gaseong."

Gwak Myeong came down from the platform and stood facing Cheon Gaseong.

"The reason the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple and the other Four Divine Daoist Temples exist is not to make you the number one under heaven, but to prepare for the coming war against the dark path."

"I know."

"If so, rather than thinking of showing off your individual strength, cultivate what you lack. War is not a fight between individuals... but a fight where the orthodox path and the dark path bet everything they have."

Having finished speaking, Gwak Myeong went back up to the platform.

Now what was left was to select the officials who would participate in the individual matches.

"The people who will participate in the individual matches of the Four Divine Assembly are..."

***

"The Daoist Temple Master doesn't seem to have any intention of winning the Four Divine Assembly, does he?"

At Oh Seolhwa's murmur, Moyong Susu nodded her head in agreement.

"If he had that intention, he should have sent Young Hero Jin to the individual match, even if not Young Hero Cheon. Don't you think so?"

"What about it?"

Jin Sohyun, who was not participating in the group match, let alone the individual match, was all smiles.

Seeing his face, Moyong Susu let out a small laugh without realizing it.

"Well, I suppose this is better for you, Young Hero Jin."

"This is ridiculous! Does anyone know why I'm participating in a sparring tournament that even Young Hero Jin isn't participating in!?"

As Zhuge Ming asked, tearing at his hair, Peng Xiaofeng laughed heartily.

"Consider it an honor, younger brother Zhuge."

"Brother Peng! This is a serious matter! I think I should make a suggestion to the Daoist Temple Master..."

Jin Sohyun grabbed the shoulder of Zhuge Ming, who was about to step forward without delay.

"Sohyun?"

"Stop it! Do not raise an objection to the decision of our wise and just Daoist Temple Master."

"Are you saying this now because you're not participating in the sparring tournament!?"

"Yes! Of course."

At Jin Sohyun's confident attitude, Zhuge Ming made a tearful face.

Jin Sohyun, who had forcibly sat Zhuge Ming down, half-raised his body and said.

"From now on, if there is anyone who raises an objection to the Daoist Temple Master's decision, I will not leave them alone in the name of Jong Ryeo'ak!"

"Why Young Hero Jong of all people?"

"It's a hassle for me to step forward. Got it? Younger brother."

"..."

Jong Ryeo'ak, who had been silently filling his seat, glared again.

If looks could kill, Jong Ryeo'ak would have already killed Jin Sohyun dozens of times over.

But unfortunately, Jin Sohyun was not weak enough to die from just a glare.

Meanwhile, the four people who were watching the strange relationship between the two put their heads together.

"What on earth could have happened?"

"I don't know. Even if I ask Sohyun, he just passes it on, telling me to ask Young Hero Jong..."

"There's no way Young Hero Jong would tell us."

"So we can't find out. It's certain that something happened between the two of them."

"Hehehe! Isn't it obvious? Young Hero Jong, who learned of Young Hero Jin's true strength, came to respect him and decided to follow him, calling him older brother."

At Peng Xiaofeng's opinion, Oh Seolhwa narrowed one of her eyes.

"He didn't look like he was respecting him, though?"

As she said, Jong Ryeo'ak was glaring at Jin Sohyun with a face as if he would pounce on him at any moment.

Of course, Jin Sohyun didn't seem to care about such a Jong Ryeo'ak at all.

While the gathered officials were discussing the strange relationship between Jin Sohyun and Jong Ryeo'ak, a young instructor came to find them.

"Jin Sohyun."

"Yes?"

"It's a call from the Daoist Temple Master. Go to the Daoist Temple Master right now."

"M-Me?"

"Yes. You."

Jin Sohyun, who had gotten up from his seat, staggering, went to the Daoist Temple Master's office with an ominous feeling.

Knock knock—!

"Daoist Temple Master... I'm here."

"Come in."

Jin Sohyun, who had entered with a faint sigh, stood facing Gwak Myeong, who was sitting in a chair and organizing a list.

"I heard you called for me."

"Yes. Come closer. Don't stand at the door."

Jin Sohyun, who had approached with slow steps, sat down in a chair.

The way he was constantly looking around was like a thoughtless disciple who had been called by his master after doing something wrong.

"Do you know why I called you?"

"Don't tell me you're telling me to participate in the Four Divine Assembly... you're not, are you?"

"It would be better if it were something like that, but unfortunately, that's not why I called you."

"Then?"

Jin Sohyun's face brightened.

"The Four Divine Assembly is an annual event where all the officials of each Daoist Temple gather. Since it's a large-scale event, there will be big and small problems. And among those problems, there will also be problems related to the Heretic's Path Alliance."

"An event where the rising stars selected by the Martial Arts Alliance gather in one place... the Heretic's Path Alliance won't stay still."

Gwak Myeong, who had nodded his head, held out a map with the structure of the venue where the Four Divine Assembly would be held.

As Jin Sohyun, who had confirmed this, made a puzzled expression, Gwak Myeong said in a solemn voice.

"What will you do?"

(End of Chapter)