The Youngest Member Chapter 51

"Umm..."

Cheon Woojin let out a groan. He knew from what he had often heard that his Black Master had lived a certain kind of life.

How could his White Master have said, 'It's good to assu that all martial artists are the Black Master's enemies, regardless of whether they are from the righteous, evil, or demonic paths'?

However, to witness his master's evil deeds with his own eyes was a slightly different matter.

For so reason, even Song Yiyeon next to him was feeling dizzy. To think he would inflict such a wound on the eyes of the greatest elder of the white path of the era, what kind of master had he served?

At the sight of the two, Grandmaster Fajin gave a gentle smile. Because it was quite amusing to see the two n, who clearly had strong backbones, sweating so much.

Cheon Woojin got up from his seat and cupped his fist. It was common in the martial world for a master's karma to be passed on to his disciple.

"I cannot replace my master, but I will apologize..."

"It was the Bai family guy."

"Yes?"

Cheon Woojin was rarely flustered.

His White Master did that?

It was sothing he couldn't understand at all. Because he was a person who had dedicated his entire life to the annihilation of evil and the spirit of good.

Grandmaster Fajin, who was looking at Cheon Woojin's ever-changing expression as if it were amusing, continued calmly.

"There was a ti when the Bai family guy was on the verge of death in his youth, and I saved him. It's the sa now that he's old, but he was a reckless fellow in his youth. He went into the Heavenly Demon Cult alone, saying he would subjugate the demonic path."

Song Yiyeon's mouth dropped open. He didn't even have the mind to maintain his composure, whether he was the greatest elder of the martial world or not.

No, where in the world was a crazy... person who would go into the Demonic Cult alone?

However, the expression of young hero Cheon next to him was surprisingly calm. As if he were a person who would do such a thing.

'What kind of people did he serve?'

Song Yiyeon couldn't even dare to imagine.

Cheon Woojin chewed on Grandmaster Fajin's words with an attentive attitude.

"If it's my master, I can fully understand."

"Hahaha! Yes, he was that kind of guy. Anyway, after hearing that news, I belatedly chased after him to the Demonic Cult and brought back the Bai family guy, who was on the verge of death, myself. The father of the current Demonic Cult Leader was the cult leader of the era, and I made a deal with him."

Cheon Woojin tilted his head.

"I don't think the Demonic Cult Leader would have let him go easily..."

Cheon Woojin trailed off. Because only then did he understand the wound on Grandmaster Fajin's eye.

Song Yiyeon also had a similar expression. No matter how much he was a renowned master of the white path, how many people in the world could give up one eye for a junior?

Cheon Woojin, who got up from his seat, bowed with a serious expression.

"Thank you."

If he was a person who had saved his master's life with such a great sacrifice, he could bow hundreds of tis.

At that sight, Grandmaster Fajin had a satisfied smile.

"No. I saved the greatest hero in the world by lending one of my insignificant eyeballs, so it was a cheap price."

Grandmaster Fajin, who said so, looked at Cheon Woojin's face for a mont. It was a deep gaze, as if he were glimpsing the years that Cheon Woojin had lived.

"So, what do you think of the world?"

It was a question about the bet between the White Master and the Black Master.

Cheon Woojin was lost in deep thought.

It was a question he had not yet answered.

His White Master had said that a few wicked things had sprinkled ink on the good that supported the world, and his Black Master had said that hypocrites covered in white bird droppings were running wild on a completely black world.

Cheon Woojin, who had served two masters who looked at the world with opposite eyes, couldn't help but be confused.

Cheon Woojin, who couldn't co up with a proper answer in the end, just said what he had felt so far.

"I still don't know. There were many people in the Martial Alliance, which is called the roof of the white path. Narrowly speaking, there was a person like the unit commander who would not bend his righteous beliefs to the point of being ignorant, and broadly speaking, there was the alliance leader whose hair had turned white from looking over all the affairs of the world."

"That's right. The White Robe Sword Saint and that child, the Black Tortoise Unit Commander, are truly excellent fellows."

Grandmaster Fajin let out a laugh as if he were truly satisfied.

However, Cheon Woojin's continued story was not only about the bright side of the Martial Alliance.

"But there was also a corrupt commander who was blinded by money, and there was a person who spread malicious rumors out of jealousy of a peer's success. Also, among the n of the black path, there was a man who cried large tears in front of his daughter's life and shouted that he would repay the grace..."

The more Cheon Woojin spoke, the more he felt confused.

"Anyway, I still don't know."

"Kekeke, that's how the world is. There was a guy who seed foolishly kind but would stab his comrade in the back if the opportunity arose, and there was a guy who seed to be the worst in the world but would give food to the poor. That's how human beings are. The martial world is also made up of people, so it can't be helped."

Cheon Woojin chewed on Grandmaster Fajin's words several tis, considering them not just a simple observation but a teaching.

"...Good and evil are not clear. Then were my masters wrong?"

He had no choice but to co to that answer. However, Grandmaster Fajin shook his head with a firm face.

"I'm not saying that there is no good and evil in the world, but that how you look at the world is the most important thing. To soone, a cloud may be an immortal they want to reach, but to another, it may be an enemy they want to tear to shreds. And to soone, ink may be an evil they don't even want to be near for fear of being stained, but to another, it may be an object of admiration and a dream."

Cheon Woojin realized that the cloud and the ink symbolized the White Master and the Black Master, respectively.

He still couldn't fully understand Grandmaster Fajin's words. Because he lacked the experience of observing the world.

However, he thought that the day would co when this teaching would hit him.

"Thank you for your teaching."

Grandmaster Fajin, who smiled with satisfaction at that sight, said.

"But."

"Yes."

"Those two probably didn't send you to the Martial Alliance just for that reason."

Cheon Woojin tilted his head. In the first place, he had headed for the Martial Alliance because his White Master had designated the 'Sword Slower than a Turtle' as the first of the five masters to whom he should deliver the news of his passing.

But Grandmaster Fajin was talking as if the Black Master and the White Master had agreed to send Cheon Woojin to the alliance.

And not just for the reason of checking whether the alliance was a good place or a group of hypocrites.

"Then what do you think my masters were thinking?"

At Cheon Woojin's question, Grandmaster Fajin stroked his chin with his index finger and thumb and was lost in thought for a mont.

How much ti had passed like that? By the ti Song Yiyeon bit his tongue to hold back a yawn.

"Hmm, there's sothing the White Master often said in his later years. The best thing he did in his life was to take in a disciple and raise him, and the thing he regretted the most was walking alone."

"..."

"I wouldn't know since I've always been with my fellow disciples in this small temple, but he said that path was very lonely."

Cheon Woojin shut his mouth. Although his Black Master was also like that, his White Master was also a person who had walked alone his whole life.

In his mory, his masters were always infinitely strong, but to think they had felt lonely. For so reason, his heart felt bitter.

"He probably wanted his disciple, at least, to live in a place where there were always people by his side, unlike him."

Grandmaster Fajin thought so. Also, given the White Master's personality, if he had wanted his disciple to live among people, he would have naturally sent him to the Martial Alliance. Because the White Master was a man who cherished the Martial Alliance and the juniors of the white path more than anyone else in the world.

"...I will keep that in mind."

Cheon Woojin just nodded his head. He was just sad that he couldn't ask his two masters, who were no longer in the world, for an answer.

Grandmaster Fajin covered his mouth with his hand and let out a long yawn. At that sight, Song Yiyeon had a sorry expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry if you're tired because of us."

Grandmaster Fajin looked at Song Yiyeon with a satisfied look, as if looking at his youngest grandson.

"That guy. He's really handso."

"Umm, thank you."

Although it was sothing he had heard to the point of being sick of it his whole life, he was strangely embarrassed to hear it from the greatest elder of the white path, and an elder of the Buddhist faith at that.

"Have you learned the Virgin Boy Art?"

"Yes!?"

Song Yiyeon was startled for a mont, but then he nodded his head, thinking that it wouldn't be strange for Grandmaster Fajin to know.

"Y-yes, I have. Although my achievent is still insignificant..."

"Excellent. Originally, in the martial world, there is a saying that one should be careful of won, children, and the elderly."

"...Yes, that's right."

"Especially handso n like you should be even more careful, but since you have learned the Virgin Boy Art, now you just have to be careful of children and the elderly."

"...Thank you?"

In fact, he felt it was ambiguous whether it was a complint or a tease, but who would dare to talk back to whose words?

At that sight, Grandmaster Fajin gave a gentle smile.

"Although everyone says it lightly, in fact, it is by no ans an easy thing to learn and practice the Virgin Boy Art at a young age when one's vigor is strong. How can it be an easy thing to abandon one's innate desires?"

"..."

"You are already doing an excellent job, so if you just continue as you are now, you will achieve a result that is twice as great as others."

"Thank you."

Song Yiyeon got up from his seat and cupped his fist.

Grandmaster Fajin, who was nodding his head, said.

"They say that when you get old, you lose sleep, but perhaps because I've eaten too much, I'm getting more sleepy. I should get so sleep now."

Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon got up from their seats. Since they had already received many teachings, they had no regrets.

As the two paid their respects and were about to leave, Grandmaster Fajin suddenly said.

"Ah, alliance mber Song, if you think you are qualified later, co and find

again. No matter how precious the Virgin Boy Art is, there are many manuals rolling around in Shaolin."

Song Yiyeon, whose face had blood for a mont, tilted his head.

"How do I judge if I am qualified?"

"Do I have to feed you that too?"

"Ahem, I'm sorry..."

Grandmaster Fajin added with a mischievous smile.

"You will surely know for yourself."

"Uuuuum..."

Although it was a rather ambiguous statent, who would dare to talk back to whose words? He just nodded his head.

* * *

The two, who had left Grandmaster Fajin's residence, walked slowly.

"It's an opportunity. Although he said it was a rolling manual, if the grandmaster is giving it himself, it is obvious that it will be a high-level martial art."

"I won't expect it. The bigger the expectation, the bigger the disappointnt."

Although Song Yiyeon said so, he couldn't help but have his nostrils flare with anticipation.

By the ti Cheon Woojin was about to let out a smirk at that sight.

"Hey, hey there!"

A hurried voice was heard. When he turned his head, it was not a particularly welco face.

It was the third head escort of the Henan Escort Agency, and he was running so fast that his thin goat beard was fluttering in the wind.

Cheon Woojin asked nonchalantly.

"Did you perhaps wait here?"

"...Ahem, of course not. I was just about to go down after looking around Shaolin, and I saw you."

Of course, he didn't believe him, but since it wasn't an important issue, Cheon Woojin just nodded roughly.

The third head escort, who was observing Cheon Woojin's and Song Yiyeon's expressions with a subtle look, said.

"Actually, I saw you when you were dueling with the martial monks of Shaolin. It was truly amazing. I heard that those who lost to you were also renowned disciples of Shaolin."

A hint of desire flashed in the third head escort's pupils. The Henan Escort Agency had a rather severe political struggle between the head escorts. That's how it was in a place where a lot of money flowed.

Therefore, the head escorts would build their factions by securing excellent escorts and porters, but the third head escort had fewer escorts than the other head escorts.

But a talent had just caught his eye.

"But, what is your relationship with Grandmaster Fajin? Are you perhaps from the Five Great Families? Judging by your atmosphere, you don't seem to be from the Nine Sects One Gang."

The third head escort scanned Cheon Woojin up and down with a suspicious look. A raw atmosphere was exuding from him, so no matter how he looked at it, he didn't seem to be from the Nine Sects One Gang.

'But I don't think a person like Grandmaster Fajin would talk to a re Martial Alliance mber for this long...'

Of course, a person who was a child of the Five Great Families would not work as an escort. However, just by building a friendship, it would be a great help in the future competition for the branch manager position.

Cheon Woojin looked at the opportunist with glittering desire and answered shortly.

"I'm an orphan."

"Oh my."

Soon, Cheon Woojin started walking. A cold energy, as if a north wind was blowing in midwinter, lingered in the empty space.

* * *

The two, who had left the third head escort behind and left Shaolin, headed straight for Hubei.

Although there was still so ti left in the given mission, since there was no other place to look around, they were planning to return to the alliance right away.

While they were running at a speed that was neither slow nor fast, Song Yiyeon suddenly asked.

"Young hero, are you really going to leave the Martial Alliance?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well, didn't your master also say that he wanted you to live in the Martial Alliance?"

Cheon Woojin shook his head. That was just Grandmaster Fajin's guess, and nothing had been revealed yet.

Thinking about it now, it was a little strange.

Did his two masters really send him here just for the reason of judging the good and evil of the Martial Alliance?

Also, seeing Grandmaster Fajin, who was healthy even though he was close to ninety, it was once again strange that his two masters, who were stronger than anyone else, had already passed away.

'Is there sothing I don't know?'

Cheon Woojin looked up at the sky for no reason. They were people whose insides were hard to know even when they were alive, but since they had passed away, it felt as if their intentions had disappeared into the fog even more.

It was then.

The sky that he had looked up at, looking for his masters for no reason, was red. The problem was that it was deep in the night.

Song Yiyeon also looked at the reddened sky far away with a serious look and said.

"Young hero, it seems there's a big fire. At that rate, it's like a small village is burning down completely..."

The place where the fire had broken out was in the direction of a residential area.

Song Yiyeon looked at Cheon Woojin. It was a look that said 'let's go and check', so Cheon Woojin nodded his head.

Soon, the two, who had increased the speed of their movent skills, arrived in front of the huge flas and could not help but be dumbfounded.

The villagers were carrying water in buckets, and among them, two very familiar faces were mixed in.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Ah, young hero Song! Even young hero Cheon..."

It was Jin Yun of the Huashan sect, who had taken fourth place in the Martial Alliance selection exam, and Seok Dobyeok, whose rank was unknown.

Cheon Woojin looked at Jin Yun as if he were dumbfounded.

'It seems they've been at it for quite a while.'

The white hero's scarf that he had wrapped around his forehead like a Taoist was so scorched that the plum blossom pattern was not even visible, and his long black hair was tangled with sweat and dust.

(End of Chapter)