"Hah..."
"How, at that age, such an achievent...!"
Exclamations mixed with admiration erupted one after another from all over the training ground.
Myeonghye, who had arranged the duel, looked at the four broken wooden staffs on the dueling stage with a sowhat vacant look.
'Already four...'
In particular, the martial monk who had lost last was a second-generation disciple of Shaolin. He was at a level where he could sufficiently exchange blows with the unit commanders of the main headquarters of the Martial Alliance.
Myeonghye looked at Cheon Woojin and let out a long breath.
It was so different from the picture he had first thought of. He had just wanted to show that praiseworthy newcor alliance mber the profundity of Shaolin's martial arts.
However, before he could show him the profundity or anything, the wooden staffs were all breaking. Even though that praiseworthy newcor alliance mber was just bringing his dark iron staff to bear with a blank expression.
'What on earth is it made of...'
Of course, the user's internal strength would have supported it, but it seed that the iron staff itself was essentially a divine weapon.
This wouldn't do. Myeonghye quickly scanned his surroundings. Already, the first-generation disciples and even so elders had co out and were watching the duel. If it ended like this, it could be called a disgrace to Shaolin.
"...Deokcheon, you go."
"Yes?"
The martial monk called Deokcheon was startled. The reactions of those around him were similar.
Deokcheon was the strongest among the second-generation disciples. Although he didn't bother to show off because his achievents were superior to his senior brothers', there was no way to hide his innate talent.
At Myeonghye's intense gaze, Deokcheon tilted his head repeatedly even as he went up to the dueling stage.
'Sigh, is this okay...'
Deokcheon's gaze turned to Cheon Woojin. He knew that he was very strong from the previous duels. However, the age difference between him and that alliance mber seed to be over ten years at a rough glance.
Since he had difficulty finding an opponent even among his peers, there was no way he would be pleased with a duel against an opponent who was at least ten years younger.
'He shouldn't get hurt...'
Deokcheon let out a worried sigh. In the previous duels, he had dealt with it by just bringing his iron staff to bear, but if he tried to block his attack in that way, he could be seriously injured.
In the first place, the assumption that he would lose was not in Deokcheon's head. It would just be a disgrace even if he won, and it would be a big problem if he accidentally injured him.
Deokcheon looked at Myeonghye with a wistful look, but Myeonghye just nodded his head with a very firm face.
"Hoo..."
Deokcheon, who let out a long sigh, his gaze turned to Cheon Woojin. Anyway, since he was on the dueling stage, he had to be polite.
"I am Deokcheon, a second-generation disciple of Shaolin."
"I am Cheon Woojin."
Cheon Woojin just stood there with the Crescent Moon Staff hanging down. The people were once again amazed at Cheon Woojin's dry expression.
"Hah, his ntal strength is amazing."
"That's why he beca a master of that level."
It seed they thought it was amazing that he was taking a calm attitude even with a master like Deokcheon.
However, to Song Yiyeon, who was watching the duel together, it looked different.
'Oh? I can see it...'
Young hero Cheon would sotis let out a smirk when he was thinking about sothing, but he was generally expressionless. It was the sa even when he was facing the disciples of the Dark Heavenly Son, and even when he was facing a big shot like the alliance leader.
At most, his eyes would widen a little when he ate delicious food or saw a bustling scenery.
But perhaps because they had been together for quite a long ti.
He could see the subtle emotion revealed behind Cheon Woojin's blank expression.
'He's in a difficult situation. But why?'
The ki of the martial monk nad Deokcheon was not ordinary. However, young hero Cheon was not a man who would be nervous for such a reason.
"Sigh."
At that mont, young hero Cheon let out a very low sigh. Only then did Song Yiyeon realize the reason. That sigh was very similar to the sigh he had let out when Gu Jinseok or Seok Dobyeok were annoying him.
'...He's annoyed.'
He was dumbfounded when he realized the reason. Young hero Cheon was annoyed by a duel with a Shaolin master.
No, he had brought it up first...
Song Yiyeon glanced at Myeonghye for no reason. However, unlike him, it seed that everyone else could not read the emotion from young hero Cheon's expression.
And so, just as the duel between Cheon Woojin and Deokcheon was about to begin.
Cheon Woojin suddenly turned his head and stared at a place outside the dueling stage. At that sight, Deokcheon's brow narrowed slightly. It seed he thought he was being ignored.
"Hey. Still, a duel..."
However, Deokcheon's words did not continue. An old monk ca up the stairs that Cheon Woojin was staring at with small steps.
For a mont, the atmosphere in the room changed in one go. Those who were concentrating on the duel looked at the old monk with tense faces.
'Who on earth is he?'
By the ti Song Yiyeon was thinking with puzzlent.
Myeonghye, who was next to him, ran over like an arrow, put his palms together in a prayer, and bowed his head deeply.
"Grandmaster, what brings you here..."
Song Yiyeon's jaw dropped slightly. There was only one person in the world whom Myeonghye, a first-generation disciple, would call 'grandmaster'.
He was the grandmaster of the current abbot of Shaolin and the last remaining old monk of the 'Fa' generation, Grandmaster Fajin. He was the greatest elder not only in Shaolin but also in the entire white path.
The Martial Alliance would even ask for Grandmaster Fajin's opinion when making important decisions that would have a great impact on the martial world, and it was said that there were as many as three alliance leaders who had sought his advice. It was no exaggeration to say that he was the living history of the white path martial world.
Grandmaster Fajin laughed heartily with a wrinkled face and said.
"The air was good for the first ti in a while, so I ca out for a walk, and it seems there is an interesting sight."
"Ah, I was arranging a duel between the martial artists from the Martial Alliance and the children."
Since the result of that duel was disastrous, Myeonghye answered with embarrassnt. Grandmaster Fajin, who gave a gentle smile, lightly patted Myeonghye's shoulder and then headed for the dueling stage.
Everyone watched him without even making a sound. Even the disciples of Shaolin rarely had a chance to see Grandmaster Fajin.
Because he had been replacing his als with grain pills for decades, and he spent most of the year cultivating in his residence.
There were even so among the young monks who had co out to watch the duel who were seeing Grandmaster Fajin for the first ti.
And so, Grandmaster Fajin, who crossed the dueling stage with slow steps, receiving everyone's attention, stopped right in front of Cheon Woojin.
"..."
Cheon Woojin blinked his eyes and looked at Grandmaster Fajin.
Grandmaster Fajin also stared at Cheon Woojin.
How much ti had passed in that awkward silence?
"Y-young hero Cheon!"
Song Yiyeon made a gesture of cupping his fist from behind. Only then did Cheon Woojin belatedly cup his fist and pay his respects.
Of course, Cheon Woojin was also not a man who did not know this much etiquette. It was just that he was so surprised that he had briefly broken down.
'The original ki...'
Naturally, a person has an innate energy. It was an energy called innate ki, original ki, and unlike internal energy, it was almost impossible to consu and regenerate.
But, this old monk's original ki was not felt at all, as if he were on the verge of death.
Nevertheless, although he was a little thin, his body was so healthy that he looked like a martial artist who had just passed fifty, so it was strange.
If one were to face a spiritual being such as a ghost, an immortal, or a Buddha, it would feel exactly like this.
"Cheon Woojin, Cheon Woojin..."
Grandmaster Fajin, who had repeated the na several tis, looked at Cheon Woojin for a while as if observing him and then continued.
"By any chance, is your master from the Bai family?"
"...Yes, that's right."
Grandmaster Fajin had a strange smile.
"Follow ."
Grandmaster Fajin, who said so, turned his body and walked the way he had co. Everyone just looked back and forth between Grandmaster Fajin and Cheon Woojin with a bewildered expression.
* * *
Cheon Woojin entered Grandmaster Fajin's safe house with Song Yiyeon.
It was a small thatched house built quietly in the very back of Shaolin, and since there was a Buddha statue inside, it felt as if the entire room was filled with a spiritual energy.
"Sit down."
At Grandmaster Fajin's suggestion, the two sat down slightly.
Cheon Woojin imdiately asked what he had been thinking about on the way.
"Do you perhaps know the person called the 'Ancient Tree of Mount Song'?"
At Cheon Woojin's question, Grandmaster Fajin had a strange smile. Unlike his wrinkled face, it was a mischievous smile, like that of a teenage boy.
"Why are you looking for him?"
"My master ordered
to inform one of the five masters of his passing."
Grandmaster Fajin let out a sigh as if it were a pity.
"Hah, so it ca to that..."
Grandmaster Fajin's gaze, who was looking at the empty air as if recalling sothing, deepened.
Cheon Woojin just waited without a word. He had already instinctively realized that the person called the 'Ancient Tree of Mount Song' was Grandmaster Fajin.
As the two savored the silence without a word, Song Yiyeon also held his breath. Because it was so quiet that even the sound of breathing seed loud.
How much ti had passed like that?
Grandmaster Fajin's gaze turned to Cheon Woojin.
Cheon Woojin, who t his eyes, felt as if he were naked for a mont. It was as if those deep, deep eyes were looking right through his insides.
Soon, Grandmaster Fajin said.
"Did you have two masters?"
"How did you know?"
Grandmaster Fajin had a gentle smile, as if looking at his youngest grandson.
"When you get to this age, you can see many things. Also, that guy's ki is not easy to hide."
Grandmaster Fajin, who said so, turned his gaze to Song Yiyeon this ti. Song Yiyeon, when the topic of Cheon Woojin's master ca up, had an expression as if he were curious, but also not curious.
In fact, it was so. From what he had seen and heard while being with Cheon Woojin so far, he knew that he had two masters.
'One is a renowned hero of the white path, and the other was probably a famous villain.'
So he was curious, but he didn't want to hear it. Because if that villain was a very bad person, he felt his heart would be confused.
As if reading Song Yiyeon's such thoughts, Grandmaster Fajin said with a gentle smile.
"You are wise. There are tis when ignorance allows one to continue living."
Song Yiyeon swallowed hard. Because Grandmaster Fajin's words were a euphemistic expression of 'if you know, you'll get hurt. You punk.'
'I should never ask.'
Song Yiyeon just wanted to continue his carefree friendship with young hero Cheon as it was now.
Grandmaster Fajin, who was looking at Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon with a satisfied look, suddenly asked.
"So, how did you, who received the teachings of those two, co to be here? Tell
your story."
Cheon Woojin thought for a mont and then nodded his head. It seed that Grandmaster Fajin already knew that his other master was the Black Master.
"My two masters told
to see and judge for myself whether the world is evil or good. So, I am staying at the Martial Alliance for now, but I don't know when I will leave."
"What did you say? Where are you leaving?"
Song Yiyeon asked with a start. Although he knew it was not polite in front of Grandmaster Fajin, he was so surprised that he couldn't help it.
Cheon Woojin answered nonchalantly.
"If I fully understand what kind of place the Martial Alliance is, I may leave. After all, that was my purpose."
"No..."
Song Yiyeon let out a groan. Since he had just joined the alliance, he had not thought that Cheon Woojin would leave again.
Grandmaster Fajin, who had been looking at the two for a long ti, suddenly burst into laughter.
"To judge good and evil for yourself. It's just like them."
"Do you know my masters well?"
Cheon Woojin was puzzled. It was not strange that his White Master had a connection with a high monk of Shaolin. However, for so reason, Grandmaster Fajin did not seem to harbor any hostility towards his Black Master either.
Even though his Black Master was a person who was hated by both the demonic path and the black path.
"Of course I know them well."
Grandmaster Fajin pointed to his left eye with a strange smile. There was a long diagonal scar centered on the golden pupil.
"There was a ti in my youth when I completely lost the sight in one eye. Thanks to that, my life as a martial artist was practically cut off, and it was only after I reached the Golden Well stage in my later years that I was able to see the light again."
"..."
"This eye. Who do you think did it?"
Cheon Woojin firmly shut his mouth.
'My master, what on earth...'
(End of Chapter)
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