It was about another hour after that when we entered the Zhuge family.
The head of the Zhuge family had told us to do as we pleased, and thanks to that, we had fun, excitedly breaking and destroying the formations and chanisms as we climbed the mountain.
Although it seed that it would take quite a long ti and money to restore it again, I thought that since the Zhuge family was so rich, this much would be fine.
Since I had taught Zhuge Ling why she couldn't learn martial arts, I didn't feel guilty for doing this much.
"Have you had your fill?"
At the question of the head of the Zhuge family, who seed to have no energy, Senior Brother Uncheol replied with a faint smile, "Yes. Although it's a great pity that we couldn't go all the way to the end... I think we did our best in our own way."
We couldn't climb the mountain to the end.
Because as we went up, more and more complex formations appeared, and the chanisms also beca more and more dangerous, so I thought that soone might really get hurt, so I gave up in the middle and asked for help.
As soon as we said we were giving up, the head of the Zhuge family, as if he had been watching from sowhere, quickly appeared and brought us to this reception room, sat us down, and served us a cup of tea each.
"You guys... are you the third-generation disciples of Wudang, right?"
"That's right."
"Heh heh... are you perhaps the five most outstanding among the third-generation disciples this ti?"
Senior Brother Uncheol, perhaps not knowing why the head of the Zhuge family was asking such a question, looked back at once and then answered, "No. There are also disciples who are more outstanding than us."
"Is that really so?"
"Yes. Strictly speaking, we are also in the upper ranks, but we are not the strongest room."
"Room? Ah...! I've heard of it. The Yuyeop Hall of the Wudang Sect has five senior and junior brothers living in one room, right? And when there are various events or competitions, the rooms compete against each other."
"That's right. There are several rooms that are stronger than us."
After Senior Brother Uncheol finished speaking, he glanced at .
I gave him a slight nod as if to say he had done well.
What Senior Brother Uncheol said is true.
As my senior brother said, we were eliminated in the last martial arts competition without even going to the second round, and even if the martial arts competition were held again now, it's uncertain if we could win first place.
Because the average skill level of the first room, where Un Gwang is, is outstanding.
Of course, if the head of the Zhuge family had asked my senior brother who was the strongest among the third-generation disciples, Senior Brother Uncheol would probably have answered that it was .
"To think that there is a room stronger than you... the Wudang of this generation is blessed with great fortune."
He admired us and then continued, "Although you couldn't climb the mountain to the end, our family's artisans who installed the formations and chanisms evaluated that it would take ten first-rate martial artists to climb up to where you ca. So, to put it simply, it ans that the five of you have a power comparable to ten first-rate martial artists."
"Thank you for seeing us that way. We were lucky."
"Heh heh. Humility is good, but if you say you broke through our formations so easily by luck, our artisans will be very sad."
The head of the Zhuge family laughed for a long ti and then looked at us.
To be precise, my eyes.
It seems he already knows that I played a key role in breaking through the formations and chanisms.
In fact, I have no intention of hiding it.
Because I had shouted and given instructions to my senior brothers like that, anyone who had just listened from the side would have noticed.
"Are you Taoist Master Unhwi?"
"Yes. That's right, Family Head."
His gaze felt strangely changed.
I heard that among the martial arts of the Zhuge family, there is a way to grasp the opponent's spirit and level just by looking at them, and it seems that he is using such a martial art.
Although I could have let him read my body and energy as they were, for so reason, I didn't want to.
I subtly raised the Six Yang Divine Art and blocked his internal energy that was trying to secretly wrap around my body.
If it had been an ordinary internal technique, I wouldn't have been able to resist because of the difference in our internal energy, but the extre yang true qi of the Six Yang Divine Art wrapped around as if threatening to burn him if he ca close and blocked his energy.
'Is he trying to figure out my identity because I'm the one who could have killed his daughter?'
Although it's true that I taught Zhuge Ling how to learn martial arts, in fact, that thod is also the sa as the path to death.
Because telling soone to circulate their internal energy technique backwards is no different from forcing them to fall into qi deviation.
Zhuge Ling must have first learned the martial art by circulating the internal technique as I told her, and then told the head of the Zhuge family.
Because if she had consulted him before learning the martial art, no father would have let her do such a crazy thing.
"Umm..."
The head of the Zhuge family, who had been blocked by the Six Yang Divine Art and couldn't examine my body as he intended, let out a groan.
I looked straight into his eyes and gave him a bright smile with a face as if I knew nothing.
Then the head of the Zhuge family let out a small laugh and said, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I didn't think your qi sense would be so sensitive, and that you would have such a profound internal energy."
I let out a small laugh without realizing it.
Because it seed that his one word just now explained the character of the head of the Zhuge family well.
It's not a common thing for a senior in the martial world to apologize to a junior.
That one word of apology explains well that the head of the Zhuge family is not a narrow-minded person.
But the content of that apology is not for trying to examine my body as he pleased, but for getting caught by because he underestimated my level.
'Flying Eagle Fan... what was he like in my past life?'
Even if I try to recall the past, my impression of the head of the Zhuge family is not that deeply ingrained.
No, in the first place, the Zhuge family itself was one of the first families to be destroyed in the invasion of the Demonic Cult.
Although Zhuge Ling's dazzling appearance and martial arts caused a stir in the martial world at the ti, I don't rember the Zhuge family well, except for her.
"No. I think you might be curious about . But I am ready to answer any questions you ask. From now on, you can just ask."
At my calm answer, he looked at with surprised eyes, and then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! I see. I was rude. I was rude. I heard from Okhangjin-in that you are no ordinary disciple. But you seem to be more extraordinary than I expected."
I gave him a wide grin instead of an answer.
Although there are surely many anings in those words, it was certain that at least there was goodwill in them.
"Now. Then let's talk later, and why don't you rest for a day at the Zhuge family? I want to treat you to dinner tonight. Taoist Master Uncheol. Is that okay?"
"Yes. It's a ten-day journey, but it's a month ago now. The Sect Leader gave us plenty of ti to see various things and have many experiences on the way. It's fine to stay here for a day."
"That's a relief. I'll have a servant guide you to the room where you'll be staying today. And I'll introduce you to my son and daughter tonight."
"They are the ones who will be going to the Nangong family with us."
"That's right. I hope you will lead them well. My daughter has only been learning martial arts for a short ti, and my son is ill-mannered and doesn't know etiquette well. Since he grew up as the only son for three generations, he was spoiled too much..."
For a mont, he spoke not with the face of a family head, but with the face of a father worried about his son, and then he cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"Anyway, you'll know when you see them later, so let's see them later. I'll prepare a al so that the table legs bend, so look forward to it. Ah, right! But is this really true...?"
The head of the Zhuge family fumbled in his bosom and took out a letter, and then handed it to Senior Brother Uncheol.
But Senior Brother Uncheol, who read the letter, had a very surprised expression.
He, with a still surprised expression, handed the letter to without even asking the head of the Zhuge family.
A familiar handwriting was written on the letter.
"It's a letter from my Master."
"That's right. I heard that Taoist Master Hyeon Yang is your master."
I hurriedly read the letter.
At first, it was a formal greeting, and then an apology for not having been able to visit the head of the Zhuge family recently.
Since these are formal things, that's that... and as I continued to go down, it was written like this in the last postscript.
[The disciples who will be visiting the Zhuge family are disciples who are allowed to eat at like , so they are not children who have to eat only vegetarian food.]
A smile spreads across my face as I see the letter.
My Master, perhaps worried that I wouldn't be able to get any delicious food wherever I went, seems to have sent such a letter in advance.
Perhaps he might have sent one to the Nangong family as well.
I folded the letter neatly and handed it back to the head of the Zhuge family.
"Although I have so acquaintance with Taoist Master Hyeon Yang, he has never sent a letter of greeting like this in his usual personality."
"That's right. My Master is not that kind of person."
"So no matter how much I think about it, I thought that the real ssage in the letter that Taoist Master Hyeon Yang sent was the last postscript."
"It seems... so."
The head of the Zhuge family laughed heartily and said in a confident voice, "So I will prepare the food that our family is most confident in. Look forward to it."
***
We ca out of the reception room of the head of the Zhuge family and, following the guidance of a servant, unpacked our luggage in a luxurious-looking building.
There, five beds were placed as if they had been prepared for us.
After unpacking our luggage and looking around the room, Senior Brother Unsik pressed the bed with his hand and said to Senior Brother Uncheol, "Senior Brother. The bed is really soft."
"That's right."
"The wood is also luxurious, and the windows are large... it's the first ti I've slept in such a luxurious place."
"We must thank the family head."
As Senior Brother Unsik said, we had never stayed in such a luxurious place before.
Not to ntion that the quarters of the Wudang Sect's Yuyeop Hall are shabby, and even after leaving Wudang, we usually slept outdoors or in cheap inns.
At least the quarters of the Eungnam rchant Guild were clean, but it was far from this luxurious feeling.
"I'm really looking forward to what kind of food will be served for dinner later."
"Will it be more delicious than the bear at that Unhwi caught a few days ago?"
"I don't know. I can't really imagine it."
I let out a small laugh and joined their conversation.
"Of course it's delicious. Although at is delicious, it's just grilled and sprinkled with salt. Imagine cooking that at properly. How delicious would it be? And maybe fresh fish or chicken, duck will also be served. They are all the sa at, but they all have different tastes."
Even if I just say this much, my senior brothers are already drooling.
"I'm looking forward to it. I want to beco a stronger martial artist quickly and go out into the martial world."
"Are you going to go out into the martial world, Senior Brother Unmi?"
"Yes. Although I'm a Taoist of Wudang, I can cultivate the Tao later, right? For now, I want to travel the world and have various experiences."
The martial artists of the Wudang Sect can make two choices when their martial arts exceed a certain level or when they reach a certain age.
The first is to continue to take root in the Wudang Sect and cultivate the Tao and train in martial arts alone.
And the second is to co down from Mount Wudang and travel the martial world, eting various martial artists and having many experiences.
The Wudang Sect does not force either of the two, as it is a matter of choice.
Because they think that both staying in the Wudang Sect and leaving are one of the ways to cultivate the Tao.
Of course, you can also leave and then co back, and there are countless cases where a Taoist who had decided to stay in the Wudang Sect suddenly leaves, saying he wants to gain enlightennt.
"I want to stay on Mount Wudang for now. I... need more ntal cultivation."
" too... if I go out into the martial world, I'll have a lot of experience, but I think fights and quarrels will be inevitable."
Senior Brother Uncheol and Senior Brother Unsik said that they wanted to stay in Wudang for now, and Senior Brother Unjeong said that he wanted to go out like Senior Brother Unmi.
"Hwi-ya, what about you?"
The four pairs of eyes look at .
I smiled brightly as if asking sothing obvious and said, "What are you asking? Of course, I have to travel the martial world."
"As expected, right?"
"But my criteria for leaving Wudang will be a little different from the other senior brothers."
"How...?"
"The other senior brothers decide whether to stay or leave depending on what level their own martial arts have reached, right?"
"That's right?"
"But for , the standard is not , but you senior brothers. When you senior brothers beco as strong as I can acknowledge, then I will leave. So... you all have to beco as strong as the standard I'm thinking of. Do you understand?"
Although I was smiling and speaking in a kind voice, for so reason, my senior brothers' faces seed to have hardened.
(End of Chapter)
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