The Youngest Member Chapter 119

The first target was Song Yiyeon.

There was no great reason. It was simply to subvert everyone's expectation that he would attack Cheol Jiak first.

The Black Master in Cheon Woojin's mory was always such a person. On the surface, it seed like he was simply smashing things, but he always deceived his opponents with thorough calculations, went beyond their expectations, and played tricks.

However, because the result of such calculations was so destructive, everyone just rembered the Black Master as a more tyrannical person than anyone else.

Just like now.

"Uh, uh..."

Song Yiyeon's already large eyes grew even larger.

There was absolutely no way Young Master Cheon would kill him. This was just training. Nevertheless, as the Crescent Moon Staff approached his nose, the smashed heads that had been broken by that staff flashed by like a revolving lantern.

Just as fear began to well up in Song Yiyeon's eyes.

Thwack-!

The Crescent Moon Staff slightly altered its trajectory and struck his shoulder.

Song Yiyeon, who had been hit, flew a long way, crashed into the wall, and then slid down.

Everyone was startled. They had not expected Cheon Woojin to hit so roughly.

"Y-Young Master Song. Are you alri..."

This ti, Jin Yun, who had been worrying about Song Yiyeon, was hit by the Crescent Moon Staff and sent flying. Similarly, after crashing into the wall, he was laid neatly next to Song Yiyeon.

"He won't die. Probably."

Cheon Woojin said calmly.

At that dry voice, the remaining three froze. For so reason, the 'probably' he had added at the end felt unusually loud.

Cheon Woojin's gaze turned to Cheol Jiak this ti.

Cheol Jiak, as a Hall Master of the Martial Alliance, rushed forward first, as if to prove that he was different from the previous two.

However, it was difficult to satisfy Cheon Woojin. It seed that everyone had not yet properly understood the Black Master's training thod.

It was only aningful if one approached it with the resolve that one could really die. In Cheol Jiak's two rushing fists, there should have been not just a fierce resolve, but fist ki.

Only by overcoming death, and overcoming it again, and overcoming it several tis, would this training have aning.

'There's no other way.'

Cheon Woojin slightly dodged Cheol Jiak's first punch and at the sa ti, threw the Crescent Moon Staff. The Crescent Moon Staff, which had left Cheon Woojin's hand, tore through the air and rushed forward.

The greatly alard Cheol Jiak quickly turned his head.

The Crescent Moon Staff shallowly grazed his cheek.

Cheol Jiak's hair stood on end at the thought that he had almost died. But the person who was actually facing a life-threatening crisis was soone else.

Kwaang-!

The Crescent Moon Staff that had grazed Cheol Jiak lodged itself in Namgung Jin's solar plexus. Soon, Namgung Jin, unable to withstand the force, flew all the way to the wall.

"Keoheok!"

Namgung Jin, who was suddenly caught between the Crescent Moon Staff and the wall, vomited with a pale face.

Cheon Woojin, still with a dry attitude, stretched out his hand into the air. At that, the Crescent Moon Staff was pulled in, and Namgung Jin slid down the wall and collapsed.

At that point, Jin Yun staggered to his feet.

Namgung Jin was lying on the ground, just blinking his eyes with a face that asked what had just happened.

Cheon Woojin, who had checked the condition of the five in turn, continued to speak in a nonchalant tone.

"From now on, I will assu that all five of you are using your full strength."

In other words, it ant that he would deal with them according to their respective full strength, so if they didn't use their full strength, they could really die.

Of course, Cheon Woojin had no intention of killing them. However, there was a possibility that they could be seriously injured.

But it didn't particularly matter.

How could a martial artist grow without getting injured?

Whether the unique values inherited from the Black Master were fully transmitted to the other five, everyone's montum changed in an instant.

Jin Yun and Namgung Jin each drew their swords.

Cheol Jiak's two fists were filled with clear fist ki, and Zhuge Lin's sword was filled with sword ki.

Only then did Cheon Woojin make a satisfied expression.

What was most satisfying was...

That Song Yiyeon was pretending not to have regained consciousness yet and was secretly preparing a surprise attack.

For this reason, he had rated Song Yiyeon's talent the highest. Others looked down on him as a rchant, but Cheon Woojin rather thought that because he was a rchant, he could escape the unique way of thinking of martial artists.

* * *

Late that night.

The Martial Alliance mbers coming and going in front of the Hidden Dragon Unit's estate were whispering.

The sound of wailing had started from the afternoon and was continuing into this long night.

At this rate, wouldn't soone have died?

While such rumors were spreading outside, everyone inside was having similar thoughts.

'This will only end when soone dies...'

Cheol Jiak's two fists were already completely burst. Zhuge Lin's wall sword was in tatters after being hit by the Crescent Moon Staff hundreds of tis.

The two of them were relatively better off. It was because they were at least leaning against a wall or a tree.

Song Yiyeon, Jin Yun, and Namgung Jin were completely spread out.

Next to the three were a shattered saber and two swords.

Cheon Woojin approached the three who were lying down.

At that, Namgung Jin shouted as if he had seen a demon.

"D-don't co! Don't treat !"

"Please, just let

lie down for a mont..."

Every ti the three were knocked down, Cheon Woojin would forcibly infuse a gentle and warm true ki into their bodies.

Then, they would suddenly feel a surge of vitality and be able to get up. At first, they had thought it was very amazing and great, but from the tenth ti onwards, he looked like a demon who was alternately performing treatnt and torture.

The Black Master's training was originally like that. Until the day's quota was t, ending the training, resting, or even collapsing from exhaustion was not allowed.

As the three struggled, Cheon Woojin stopped abruptly.

At that, a glimr of hope flashed in the three's eyes.

Was the training finally over?

But Cheon Woojin had no intention of doing so. Rather, he chose an even more cruel thod.

"Hall Master."

"Uh, uh, why."

Cheol Jiak, who had been resting against the wall, answered in surprise.

"Do we have to pick a deputy commander?"

"I suppose it would be better to have one."

"In that case, it would be better to pick the strongest person. That way, the complaints of the remaining two will be less."

At that, the three who were sprawled on the floor exchanged glances.

They had the sa thought.

There was only one way for everyone to be happy.

They just had to not get up together.

But what if only one person got up?

They would have to watch that guy beco the deputy commander.

Neither Song Yiyeon, nor Jin Yun, nor Namgung Jin had any desire to live calling their peer "Deputy Commander."

"Damn it..."

And so, the three got up from their seats with crying faces.

* * *

Ten days passed, and the day the Inspection Hall's first mission began.

Due to the nature of its missions, the Inspection Hall was under the direct managent of the Alliance Leader.

Because of that, they headed to the Alliance Leader's Hall before going out on the mission.

"Alliance Leader."

Cheol Jiak's solemn voice was low.

As soon as Belil Tian's permission was granted, all the mbers of the Inspection Hall, led by him, entered the office.

Belil Tian, who saw this, was startled and asked.

"Did sothing happen to all of you?"

The Chief Strategist, Sima Hui, next to him, also nodded his head vigorously.

Had it only been about ten days since he had last seen them? But the kids' eyes and montum had beco as sharp as if a blade had been embedded in them.

He understood their solemn hearts since it was their first mission, but their expressions looked as if they were going to kill their parents' enemies.

"We did so training."

His tone was still solemn.

As Cheol Jiak ntioned training, Zhuge Lin, Song Yiyeon, Jin Yun, and Namgung Jin naturally recalled the past ten days.

Recalling that hellish training, sothing welled up in their hearts. At the sa ti, a fighting spirit towards the Qingcheng Sect rose like a haze.

It could be called a side effect of the Black Master's training thod, but as much as they had beco stronger, they were itching to express that strength.

Cheon Woojin had a very calm personality, so the side effects weren't that great even when he was young, but the other five felt like they would die if they didn't sprint towards the Qingcheng Sect at full speed right away.

"This mission is about whether the Qingcheng Sect has committed any evil acts in relation to the establishnt of the Righteous Heaven Alliance..."

"If they have, shall we kill them on the spot?"

"...?"

A look of bewildernt appeared on Belil Tian's face.

Was that Zhuge Lin child always so aggressive?

Not only her, but everyone else had a similar expression.

And so, right after the Alliance Leader and the Chief Strategist's explanation and encouragent were over.

The Inspection Hall finally took its first step outside the Martial Alliance.

"We will gather in front of the Cheongsong Tavern in Deyang."

Cheol Jiak, who had said so, suddenly shot forward.

Then, as if they had been waiting, Zhuge Lin, Song Yiyeon, Jin Yun, and Namgung Jin followed in order.

Only the remaining Black Tortoise Unit mbers were bewildered.

"No, what on earth kind of training did you do for ten days?"

Those who had not experienced the Black Master's training thod could not understand.

"The last five to arrive are on watch duty."

Soon, as the voice of Cheol Jiak, who had run ahead, continued for a long ti, the remaining Black Tortoise Unit mbers also had their feet on fire.

And so, Cheon Woojin, who had been watching everyone run out until the very end, leisurely took a step.

It didn't take long for the side effects of those who had experienced the Black Master's training thod to be completely resolved.

* * *

"P-please, stop..."

"Infinite Life Buddha. Primordial Heavenly Venerable. Amitabha..."

Song Yiyeon dry-heaved as he looked at Cheon Woojin's back, which was not getting any closer, and Jin Yun, who was half out of his mind, chanted Taoist titles and then suddenly chanted Buddhist titles.

Right, they could just stop.

They could let Cheon Woojin go first and go at a leisurely pace themselves.

But Cheon Woojin had said that the one who arrived last among the three would be completely excluded from the deputy commander position.

The reason Namgung Jin had pretended to fall and pulled on Jin Yun's clothes to make him fall, and the reason Song Yiyeon had thrown wet leaves on the path Namgung Jin was running on to make him slip, were all for that reason.

How long had they run like that?

Suddenly, Song Yiyeon proposed to the two.

"Let's make it a draw for all three this ti. At this rate, we'll die before we even start the mission properly. Let's all enter the tavern at the sa ti. Huh?"

Jin Yun and Namgung Jin agreed.

They also had no desire to ruin their first mission by using up all their strength running.

The compromise was a dramatic success, and the three slowed down together, keenly feeling how beautiful peace was.

How many days had they run like that?

A town was visible below that hill. The scale itself was not as large as Luoyang in Henan Province or Hefei in Anhui Province, but thanks to the Qingcheng Sect being located nearby, it seed to be quite lively.

Then, a tavern suddenly caught his eye.

The words Cheongsong Tavern were clearly written on the signboard.

A strange current flowed between the three who were running at the sa pace. Just as they were wary of the person next to them and were ready to run out at any ti.

"Let's not betray each other. Aren't we martial artists of the Orthodox Path? It's too sad to deceive a colleague with lies and all sorts of petty tricks."

Song Yiyeon proposed again.

Jin Yun and Namgung Jin, as mbers of their respective Nine Sects One Union and Five Great Families, were also ashad of doing a dirty act.

And so, the three maintained peace until the end and stood in front of the tavern. For so reason, a sense of camaraderie was born. They even had this thought.

'In fact, wasn't Young Master Cheon expecting us to cooperate like this? This is a true colleague, a comrade-in-arms.'

The mont a flower garden blood in Jin Yun's head.

Song Yiyeon suddenly grabbed the two's clothes and entered the tavern first.

"...The world of competition is a harsh one."

The remaining two looked at such a Song Yiyeon with faces stained with bewildernt and betrayal and entered the tavern. Coincidentally, Jin Yun and Namgung Jin's feet stepped on the tavern floor at the sa ti.

Cheon Woojin, who had arrived first and was waiting, looked at this and said in a low voice.

"Since two people entered at the sa ti, it's a draw."

"...?"

Song Yiyeon was startled and looked at Cheon Woojin.

However, Cheon Woojin ignored his gaze and just slurped the noodles in front of him. He also tried to ignore Song Yiyeon being dragged to the back of the tavern by Namgung Jin and Jin Yun.

What was the reason he had decided to beco the Hidden Dragon Unit Commander?

It was to establish the White Master's will in the Martial Alliance. As they say, for all things to go well, the family must first be harmonious. In that sense, he could not condone Young Master Song's cheap strategy.

Soon, the sound of Song Yiyeon becoming a good boy was heard for a long ti from the back of the tavern.

(End of Chapter)