The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you. Haha.”

Zhuge Ming and the disciples, who had proudly stepped down from the sparring stage after winning the group competition, blushed at the ensuing congratulations.

They had secured a victory in the first battle representing their Daoist Temple.

Moreover, their opponent was the Kunlun Sect, which was said to be the best in the Central Plains for defensive sword formations, along with the Kongtong Sect.

The victory achieved by the disciples, who had never received much attention throughout the year, against the Kunlun Sect was even more valuable.

“Next up are the White Tiger Daoist Temple and the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple.”

“It will be more difficult from now on, so we must watch carefully.”

Zhuge Ming, who had returned to the waiting area while receiving congratulations from Moyong Susu, Peng Sopyeong, Oh Seolhwa, and others, calmed his excited feelings for a moment and cooled his head.

His two eyes stared at the sparring stage.

‘We were lucky.’

It was fortunate that their first opponent was the Vermilion Bird Daoist Temple.

With Go Durim’s help, they had learned how to deal with the defensive sword formation.

This method would only work once, so it was useless in the following group competitions.

‘The real thing starts now.’

Zhuge Ming stared at the sparring stage with wide eyes.

Ten disciples representing the White Tiger Daoist Temple and the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple came up to the sparring stage.

As expected, the White Tiger Daoist Temple was mainly composed of Shaolin monks, and behind them stood disciples from the Hwangbo Clan.

“It’s the Hwangbo Clan.”

The Hwangbo Clan.

Although they were not listed among the Five Great Clans, they were also a martial family with a considerable history.

In terms of position, they could be said to be below the Five Great Clans and above the minor families.

Hwangbo Geom and Hwang Wi-eok from the Hwangbo Clan stood shoulder to shoulder with the Shaolin monks.

“If we just do as we practiced, we can achieve a smooth victory.”

“Understood.”

The Shaolin monk, Do Eon, and two other monks stood side by side with their palms together.

Zhuge Ming, who was watching them, called over Yu Oseon, Sangsuk, and Wu Seongcheon.

“The White Tiger Daoist Temple will probably win this group competition, so we must watch their movements carefully.”

At Zhuge Ming’s explanation, Sangsuk showed a puzzled expression.

“The fight hasn’t even started yet, but you can already tell?”

“The Shaolin monks’ individual martial prowess is powerful, but when they gather together, their power is on a different level. Especially in a group competition like this, the Shaolin’s formation shows its true value.”

“Aah.”

The three disciples nodded their heads.

As Zhuge Ming said, the Shaolin’s formation was already the most famous in the martial world.

The power of the Shaolin’s formation had already been proven when they had blocked the main force of the Ming Cult with a small number of people.

“We will soon be facing Shaolin.”

Zhuge Ming spoke in a confident tone, as if he had foreseen the future.

And not long after, the group competition between the White Tiger Daoist Temple and the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple began.

***

“Whew… that’s brutal.”

Jin Sohyun, who was watching the second group competition while fiddling with a short spear, even frowned at the brutal content of the match.

Against the White Tiger Daoist Temple, which was composed of Shaolin and the Hwangbo Clan, the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple had sent out martial artists from a little-known sect called the Namrangbang and a martial artist from a minor sect called the Namho Bang.

What the martial artists of the Namrangbang, who were facing the Shaolin monks and the two swordsmen of the Hwangbo Clan, had brought were long wooden spears.

As the expression ‘king of bladed weapons’ suggested, the spear was not an unfamiliar weapon even in the martial world, which was centered on swordsmen.

In fact, there were many martial artists who had served as generals in the imperial court and then established martial families after retiring from the military, and through them, martial arts using spears had emerged.

Therefore, there was no way the Shaolin monks or the Hwangbo Clan swordsmen would be flustered just because they brought spears.

But.

The Namrangbang was different.

Their spearmanship was bizarre.

“This… can’t be…”

Do Eon couldn't properly comprehend the situation before his eyes.

The Black Tortoise Daoist Temple disciples from the Namrangbang were in the process of pressuring the Hwangbo Clan swordsmen by brandishing their long spears in succession.

‘What happened?’

Do Eon recalled the situation just a moment ago.

He had definitely unfurled the Golden Statue Non-Retreat Formation, which Shaolin prided itself on.

Although the power of the formation was reduced by about half because it was unfurled by only three people, it was enough to face five people.

And the next moment.

A spearhead approached them.

‘What is this?’

Before he could comprehend the situation, Do Eon was hit in the abdomen with a spear and bent his back with a gasp.

Starting from that point, the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple disciples from the Namrangbang began to brandish their spears.

The speed of the spears was so tremendous that the five disciples representing the White Tiger Daoist Temple couldn't even properly use their hands and collapsed on the sparring stage with painful groans.

While the referee, who was watching in a daze, couldn't decide the winner and loser, a young disciple from the Namrangbang named Go Eul said in a dry voice.

“It’s over.”

“Ah, the, the winner is the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple!”

There were no cheers.

As if they had expected this, the martial artists of the Namrangbang held their wooden spears and silently stepped down from the sparring stage.

Only after a little time had passed did the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple disciples send cheers.

“Awesome!”

“The best! Go Eul!”

At the unexpected overwhelming victory of the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple, Zhuge Ming’s jaw dropped.

“This is ridiculous!!”

“Young Master Zhuge! You said the White Tiger Daoist Temple would definitely win!”

“…”

Zhuge Ming had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths.

It wasn't just because his prediction was wrong.

‘I can’t think of any way to win!’

He couldn't think of a way to win if they were to face the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple in a group competition.

It was a hopeless feeling.

‘What a tremendous fast spear. It’s the first time I’ve seen a fast spear of that speed.’

It was fast even when seen from this far away, so how would the White Tiger Daoist Temple disciples who faced the fast spear right in front of them feel?

They probably realized that something had come only after they were hit.

The one who felt that the skills of the Black Tortoise Daoist Temple were not to be trifled with was also Cheon Gaseong.

He stared silently at the receding Go Eul with his arms crossed.

“Young Master Cheon… what should we do now?”

Zhuge Ming asked in a diffident voice.

“Nothing changes. Find a way before the next match.”

“But you saw, didn’t you? It’s not a fast spear of a level we can block…”

Cheon Gaseong turned his body sharply and disappeared, as if he had nothing more to say.

“Damn it… if only Sohyun were here at a time like this…”

When it came to speed, was there anyone like Jin Sohyun?

Zhuge Ming thought of Jin Sohyun, who was probably playing and eating comfortably at his estate right now, and gave a bitter smile.

“Sohyun would be happier now. Aish! Let’s just find a way.”

While Zhuge Ming was moving to find a way, above the spectator seats, Yeom Yoa was panting and glaring at the spearmen of the Namrangbang with angry eyes.

‘That’s not the skill of a late-stage prospect! What on earth happened!?’

Yeom Yoa, who had been aiming for the victory in not only the individual competition but also the group competition, was furious at the unexpected overwhelming defeat.

“Black Tortoise Daoist Temple Master.”

At her call, Heonwon Hu, who was getting up from his seat, turned his head.

“You called?”

“Congratulations. But it’s surprising. For late-stage prospects of that level to appear from the Namrangbang, which is not even properly known in the south, let alone the Nine Great Sects and One Union or the Five Great Clans… I’m tempted to ask how you trained them.”

Yeom Yoa’s eyes were smiling, but a sense of hostility could be felt in her voice.

Heonwon Hu knew what her inner thoughts were.

Nevertheless, he spoke calmly without being agitated.

“They were talented children from the beginning. Their talent just blossomed at the right time.”

After finishing his words, Heonwon Hu turned his body and left the spectator seats.

Yeom Yoa, who was glaring fiercely at his back, crushed her lower lip with her upper teeth.

“Tsk!”

Meanwhile, Heonwon Hu, who had left the spectator seats, stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brow.

‘Were they hiding their true strength?’

The Black Tortoise Daoist Temple disciples from the Namrangbang were all people who had never shown much prominence.

As if they were there but not there.

They had spent their lives in the Daoist Temple quietly without revealing any particular presence.

Then, in the selection match to select the disciples to represent them in the group competition of the Four Daoist Assembly, four disciples from the Namrangbang stepped forward.

They used their mysterious spearmanship and proudly won the selection match.

If they had won the selection match at that time with their cooperative techniques, which involved handling their strangely long spears with freedom, this time it was different.

They had broken the Shaolin’s formation not with cooperative techniques, but with their individual martial prowess.

The gap in their power was abnormal.

“Hmm.”

Heonwon Hu was contemplating whether he should be happy about this situation or harbor suspicion.

However, the Namrangbang was, after all, one of the righteous path sects that had made great sacrifices in the fight against the Ming Cult and protected the Central Plains, so Heonwon Hu decided to put aside his suspicions.

“Sometimes, flowers bloom even on rocks.”

There was no law that said a great master of the martial world had to be born only from a prestigious sect.

Heonwon Hu moved his steps with a much lighter heart.

***

The second day of the Four Daoist Assembly also ended in great success.

The three hundred-some disciples had faces full of excitement from the unexpected results in the group competition.

In particular, the interest in the Namrangbang was immense.

“To think that Shaolin was defeated without even being able to lift a hand.”

“I guess we can’t ignore the minor sects anymore, can we?”

With their good performance in the group competition, the Namrangbang became a symbol of hope for the minor sects.

The Namrangbang, which had been one of the minor sects ignored by the prestigious sects or families, had defeated Shaolin, which was called one of the two great mountains of the Nine Great Sects and One Union along with Wudang, in front of everyone.

And it was a victory achieved not by tricks, but by pure martial prowess.

It was only natural for the martial artists from minor sects and families to be excited.

However, Jin Sohyun, who knew nothing about the martial world, whether it was prestigious or minor, stretched and rubbed his eyes.

“Aigoo, I’m so tired.”

It felt like his eyeballs were going to fall out.

It was only natural, as his eyes were bloodshot from keeping them wide open all day and monitoring the more than three hundred disciples and any external intrusions.

His head was also dizzy and he felt nauseous.

“Let’s rest a little. At this rate, I’ll die first.”

Jin Sohyun lay down on the roof tiles and stared at the sky, which was dyed crimson by the setting sun.

Clouds flowed gently across the high sky.

“Did they say the Four Daoist Assembly lasts for a total of 5 days?”

The remaining period was three days.

After the group competition finals and the individual competition semifinals and finals, and then the awards ceremony and closing ceremony, the first Four Daoist Assembly would come to a safe conclusion.

For this, the Hidden Shadow Unit, the Zantetsu Guard, and the general warriors of the Martial Alliance were thoroughly guarding the estate where the Four Daoist Assembly was being held, day and night.

And Jin Sohyun, who was secretly guarding the estate, blinked his drowsy eyes.

“Aww, I’m so tired.”

If he had his way, he wanted to ride Hwanggu back to his clan.

“How did I end up coming all the way here to suffer…”

While muttering, something caught his eye.

“A bird.”

It was the same bird again.

The bird, which was freely gliding through the sky, circled the estate where the Four Daoist Assembly was being held a few times and then dropped down.

Watching this, Jin Sohyun scratched his cheek.

“Hmm…”

Jin Sohyun’s black eyes began to glow blue.

***

“Is this it?”

The man’s eyes shone as he looked at the black sphere with a ring attached to it.

The black sphere was placed on a soft silk cushion, and as he reached out his hand, the old man who was watching shouted with a roar.

“Stop!”

At the old man’s shout, the man quickly withdrew his hand.

“You scared me!”

“It’s better to be scared! Inside that is the Formless Earth Killing Poison. It can explode with even a small impact, so if you touch it carelessly, you and I will die here, bleeding from all seven orifices.”

“Gasp!”

The man, who had almost died covered in poison, quickly withdrew his hand.

“If it’s this dangerous, you should hide it.”

“Hmph! It’s not dangerous as long as bastards like you don’t touch it.”

The man felt a surge of anger.

Nevertheless, he couldn't show hostility to the old man.

An old man with a bent back, a face full of liver spots, and a hooked nose, with an ugly appearance.

Anyone who saw him would think he was a shabby-looking old man commonly seen on the streets, but the man knew well who this old man was.

The old man’s identity was the Soul-Chasing Poisonous Snake, Gwi Hak, from the Poison Sect.

Gwi Hak was not only able to handle poison arts freely, but his skill in producing poison was second to none to the Sichuan Tang Clan.

And the poison contained in this black iron ball was the Formless Earth Killing Poison that Gwi Hak had created after receiving the recipe from the Hao Sect.

“So… are you all ready?”

At Gwi Hak’s question, the man nodded his head.

“Of course, we can start as soon as the signal comes.”

The man’s gaze turned to a distant place.

It was the place where the huge estate where the Four Daoist Assembly was being held was located.

Gwi Hak, who was watching the estate with the man, cackled.

“Hateful Martial Alliance… and you dogs of the righteous path, enjoy it a little more. Soon…”

Gwi Hak’s whitish eyes took on a murderous intent.

“Disaster will fall like rain.”

(End of Chapter)