The Youngest Member Chapter 6

Cheon Woojin's steps were neither slow nor fast.

No anger, killing intent, or fighting spirit could be felt.

He just walked calmly with the black Crescent Moon Staff hanging down.

Nevertheless, Cheon Woojin's presence heavily pressed down on the vast training ground of the Martial Alliance.

Everyone instinctively felt that sothing would happen the mont Cheon Woojin approached Gu Jinseok.

Nevertheless, the instructors could not stop Cheon Woojin.

Their instincts as martial artists had stopped their steps. Their capabilities were also still low. Since it was not a formal exam but rely a grading, the Martial Alliance had not deployed high-level martial artists.

At best, Zhuge Lin, the deputy commander of the Black Tortoise Unit, was the highest-ranking martial artist. Originally, she was not of a rank to be deployed to such a place, but her young age was the reason.

Zhuge Lin felt a sense of responsibility and stood in front of Gu Jinseok.

"Applicant Cheon Woojin. Stop. If you cause any more trouble, both of you will be disqualified without question."

Nevertheless, Cheon Woojin's steps did not stop.

Soon, when Cheon Woojin stood in front of Gu Jinseok and Zhuge Lin.

Zhuge Lin felt her breath stop for a mont.

It was not an aura that could be emitted from a re applicant. No, beyond the aura, the depth of his gaze was as if she was facing an old, experienced master.

Gu Jinseok just kept his mouth shut.

From the mont Cheon Woojin picked up the Crescent Moon Staff, he already knew. That he was no match for him.

Cheon Woojin asked in a low voice.

"I believe you were pouring out killing intent."

"..."

Gu Jinseok could not open his mouth.

Because Cheon Woojin's gaze seed as if he could swing that staff and smash his head at any mont.

But he couldn't apologize for his mistake either. It was more in his nature to bite his tongue and die than to suffer such humiliation.

For that reason, all Gu Jinseok could do was hide behind the much smaller Zhuge Lin.

"Applicant Cheon Woojin!"

Zhuge Lin's voice rose.

Cheon Woojin's gaze montarily shifted to her.

'Gasp!'

Zhuge Lin sucked in her breath.

Naturally, she could not see Cheon Woojin's level. But she was overwheld by the energy felt from his gaze.

Cheon Woojin said in a low voice.

"For a martial artist to pour out killing intent on another martial artist ans that they are prepared for that much..."

It was not a loud voice, but every word was clearly heard by everyone present.

Cheon Woojin said to Gu Jinseok.

"I'll give you a choice. I don't know what you're dissatisfied with, but if you don't like , you can have a match like a martial artist right here, or you can sincerely apologize."

"..."

Gu Jinseok shut his mouth.

Although Gu Jinseok was two heads taller than Cheon Woojin, his back sohow looked shabby.

Cheon Woojin's presence completely overwheld him.

'Apologize to ? In front of all these people?'

Gu Jinseok clenched his molars tightly.

He couldn't do that.

There was a separate reason why he had deliberately provoked Cheon Woojin.

Because he really thought that Cheon Woojin was a spy sent to the Martial Alliance by another force.

He already knew the information of all the personnel participating in the Martial Alliance mber selection exam. He had grasped the martial skills and personalities of all the rising talents. It was a top-secret docunt, but Gu Jinseok's family had made it possible.

The na Cheon Woojin was definitely not on the list of people to watch out for. If so, the probability of him being a spy was more than eighty percent.

It was not uncommon for spies to infiltrate the Martial Alliance mber selection exam. For the forces that kept the Martial Alliance in check, there would be no better opportunity.

However, most of them are filtered out before the third exam is over.

The Martial Alliance also had that much information power and ability.

Therefore, when it was revealed that Cheon Woojin, who had received everyone's attention, was a spy, he just wanted to show off his foresight in knowing it in advance.

He thought that no matter how much he provoked him, he wouldn't be able to step forward.

Because this guy was a spy. But for him to rush in like this without thinking was unexpected for Gu Jinseok.

It was then.

Cheon Woojin slowly raised the Crescent Moon Staff.

At the sa ti, Gu Jinseok instinctively said.

"Misunderstanding..."

Cheon Woojin pointed the Crescent Moon Staff at Gu Jinseok.

"Who apologizes like that?"

Cheon Woojin had not t many people. He had lived his whole life in the mountains with two old n. However, guests sotis ca, and most of those guests were the Black Master's enemies.

Of course, eighty percent of the Black Master's enemies died, and twenty percent returned disabled. The way they, who had co so confidently, apologized to the Black Master was still vivid.

The apology in Cheon Woojin's mind was like that.

Cheon Woojin's staff was swung lightly.

But the result was not light.

Thwack-!

With a heavy hitting sound, Gu Jinseok's knees hit the floor with a thud. For a mont, Gu Jinseok seed to have lost feeling in his legs.

"T-this crazy bastard...!"

In the end, Zhuge Lin reached out her hand towards Cheon Woojin.

But it only cut through the air.

Zhuge Lin turned her head with a dumbfounded look.

Cheon Woojin had already taken a position behind her.

The black iron staff was above Gu Jinseok's head.

Cheon Woojin's low voice rang out.

"Last chance."

The fact that Cheon Woojin gave him two chances was thanks to the influence of the White Master. If he had been a man who grew up only under the Black Master, Gu Jinseok's limbs would have been separated long ago. Of course, the sa went for Zhuge Lin who had stood in his way.

Gu Jinseok looked up at Cheon Woojin, caressing his pained leg.

'...This bastard is serious.'

A man who could smash a person's head without hesitation in the middle of the Martial Alliance. That was Cheon Woojin. Gu Jinseok realized it at this mont.

In the anti, the Crescent Moon Staff moved little by little.

Even though no particular energy was gathered, the rough dark tal looked very hard.

Gu Jinseok said urgently.

"I-I misunderstood. I'm sorry for misunderstanding and persecuting you as I pleased in front of everyone."

"And?"

"...I was wrong, please forgive ."

"Hmm."

Cheon Woojin raised the Crescent Moon Staff high.

Gu Jinseok closed his eyes and hunched his neck.

A mont passed like that, and...

When nothing happened, Gu Jinseok opened his eyes.

He saw the back of Cheon Woojin, who was walking away with the staff on his back.

Gu Jinseok let out a sigh of relief, and at the sa ti, an indescribable sense of sha welled up.

* * *

Imdiately after the incident ended.

Gu Jinseok returned to his residence, filled with sha and anger. A middle-aged man in a dark monk's robe was waiting there.

"Young Master, are you alright? If I had rashly stepped forward in that situation, the Martial Alliance's suspicion..."

"Shut up!"

Gu Jinseok shouted, panting.

Gu Jinseok, who was recalling what had just happened, said with a nacing look.

"I must kill him in the second exam."

"...There's no need to go that far."

Gu Jinseok glared at the middle-aged man.

Then the middle-aged man slightly bowed his head.

"I was humiliated by a guy whose na and face were unknown. At that level, he's probably a spy planted by one of the Black Plaque Star, the Heavenly Killing Group, or the Demonic Cult."

"...I didn't feel any demonic energy at all."

"Shut up! That's not what's important right now. The key point is that I was beaten by a guy like that. I must kill him. If I leave him as he is, it's no different from tarnishing my father's na!"

"..."

The middle-aged man sighed inwardly.

He had picked a fight first, and now he was using his father's na to vent his anger after being beaten.

'They say raising children is the most difficult...'

Seeing that even the head of the Gu family, who could be called the hegemon of a region, left his son as such a ruffian, it seed that saying was right.

The middle-aged man said.

"Then, shall I go and kill him myself?"

"Are you kidding ? What if you get caught?"

"...Do you not trust ?"

Gu Jinseok glared at the middle-aged man as if he was truly frustrated. His skills were good, but his thoughts were so simple that the more he looked at him, the more frustrated he felt.

"This is the Martial Alliance. The second exam will assign missions to subdue small unorthodox sects, demonic heads, or public enemies. Can't you think of using this with that head of yours?"

"...I'm sorry."

"You should have understood by now, right? Make sure that guy dies in the second exam. If he's still alive and well when we return to the alliance after the exam..."

Gu Jinseok swallowed the rest of his words.

But anyone could guess the next words.

The middle-aged man's heart grew heavy. He was not afraid of Gu Jinseok. He was just afraid of the head of the Gu family who would accept the whims of such a ruffian and persecute him.

The middle-aged man, who straightened the folds of his dark monk's robe, bowed his head.

"I will handle it well, Young Master."

* * *

"Young hero, are you perhaps a madman?"

Unlike his words, a smile never left Song Yiyeon's face. The image of the brutish-looking Gu Jinseok kneeling and apologizing was still vivid.

Cheon Woojin let out a sigh.

"I definitely felt it this ti. That my training is still lacking."

"Young hero, stop saying such unlucky things. If your training is lacking, does that an

and the ones in front of us are all idiots?"

At Song Yiyeon's words, the seven idiots walking on the forest path ahead glared at the two.

However, neither Song Yiyeon nor Cheon Woojin paid much attention.

The second exam was a mission to subdue demonic heads and the black path, just as Gu Jinseok had obtained information in advance.

The seven martial artists who received a comprehensive 'A' evaluation in the grading, including Cheon Woojin and Gu Jinseok.

They were each fairly divided and assigned to seven teams. Of course, the sa went for the B, C, and D martial artists.

Song Yiyeon received three 'A's and two 'B's in each category and received a comprehensive 'B' martial artist evaluation.

Of course, Cheon Woojin knew. That Song Yiyeon had not revealed his true skills this ti either. Because there were two among the martial artists who received an A who were inferior to Song Yiyeon.

Cheon Woojin suddenly said.

"If I were a master like my Black Master, that guy wouldn't have even thought of picking a fight in the first place."

That was usually the case.

Most people, regardless of age, gender, or martial skill, were afraid when they first t the Black Master.

Of course, they were also afraid when they t him a second or third ti.

But that was not just because the Black Master was a master. It was because of the unique dangerous atmosphere emitted by a martial artist who had lived his entire life thoroughly as a villain.

Of course, Cheon Woojin, who had lived with the Black Master since he was very young, wouldn't know.

Song Yiyeon suddenly said with a determined face.

"The guys we're going to subdue this ti. They're said to be very vicious. They only picked small villages with few martial artists and governnt soldiers, raped the won, and killed the n."

"Why?"

Song Yiyeon looked at Cheon Woojin with a face that said 'why are you asking such a thing'.

"Where is the reason for guys like that? They're villains because they do such things without a reason."

"Hmm."

However, Cheon Woojin's thoughts were different.

His Black Master was definitely a villain. He himself had said so, and the White Master had also acknowledged it.

But he did not do evil deeds without a reason.

His Black Master was a person who might have valued justification more than his White Master. It was just that he did not care about the ans and thods at all when acting according to his values.

It was not that the Black Master's actions themselves were justified. The Black Master also lived his life doing countless things that would make the common people shed tears of blood.

He killed everyone who stood in his way, whether they were good people, old people, or children. He would often kill and torture even pitiful people who were used by other villains.

In the first place, the reason the White Master made such a bet with the Black Master over Cheon Woojin was also to stop his evil deeds by diverting his attention elsewhere.

It was just that in the Black Master's evil, there were clear standards and justifications of his own, even if others could not understand them.

Just as Cheon Woojin was thinking about the reason why the targets of the subjugation had committed evil deeds.

The rising talent at the very front raised his hand.

At the sa ti, the line ca to a halt.

In the dense thicket.

A faint sound of rustling leaves ca from the front.

Of course, it was a presence that Cheon Woojin had already been feeling for a long ti.

A rising talent said in a low voice with a tense face.

"There's soone ahead. Seeing that they're intentionally hiding their presence, there's a high probability of an enemy ambush, so let's check carefully..."

"No."

Cheon Woojin cut him off.

The real world of martial artists was not as easy as the rising talent had just said. The theories learned in the white path were honest, but sotis they were sowhat detached from reality.

Check because it might be an enemy?

They would die before that. The enemies were already waiting, fully prepared.

Most of all, the enemy's martial skill was strong enough to easily overwhelm the rising talents.

"They're not intentionally hiding their presence, but revealing it."

With their martial skill, it would not have been difficult to deceive the senses of the rising talents, let alone Cheon Woojin.

But the fact that the rising talent had noticed ant that they were deliberately luring them.

But would the Martial Alliance really have assigned masters of that level as mission opponents to the applicants?

Cheon Woojin, who had been thinking for a mont, said.

"Sothing seems to have gone wrong."

Cheon Woojin, who said so, glanced back.

Naturally, the Martial Alliance would not send only the rising talents. The energy he had been noticing for a long ti was approaching at a trendous speed, and...

"Everyone, stop!"

Zhuge Lin suddenly appeared.

She was the instructor of Team 3, where Cheon Woojin and Song Yiyeon were.

The rising talents looked bewildered at the sudden appearance of a Martial Alliance mber. Song Yiyeon glanced at Cheon Woojin and said.

"Did you know again, young hero?"

Cheon Woojin nodded his head without a word.

Song Yiyeon shook his head with a fed-up face.

"Tell

next ti too. Don't just know by yourself."

Zhuge Lin smacked the back of Song Yiyeon's head.

Thwack-!

Song Yiyeon grabbed the back of his head with both hands and looked at Zhuge Lin. Then Zhuge Lin put her index finger to her lips and signaled him to be quiet.

Song Yiyeon was sowhat wronged, but since they were facing an enemy, he followed Zhuge Lin's instructions.

Zhuge Lin said in a low voice.

"Sothing's wrong. Everyone, hide your energy and, not too fast, but not too slow either. Turn around and get out of here with the sa speed and atmosphere you ca with."

Zhuge Lin also felt the opponent's presence. She felt a much stronger and more dangerous energy than the enemies the Martial Alliance had identified in advance.

Just as the rising talents were following Zhuge Lin's instructions and turning to leave the place.

Crack-!

A rising talent stepped on a branch and broke it.

At the sa ti, a trendous amount of killing intent poured out from all sides.

Black-clad n shot out like arrows from between the dense thickets.

Their aura was quite secretive and sharp.

Zhuge Lin, who hurriedly drew her sword, bit her lip.

'It's impossible. There are too many of them.'

If she was alone, she would have sohow escaped, but she was not confident that she could escape while protecting the rising talents.

"Everyone, gather here! You'll die if you scatter!"

Zhuge Lin, who shouted so, looked at Song Yiyeon and Cheon Woojin.

'The only ones who can be of any help are those two...'

Song Yiyeon had drawn his sword and was preparing to fight the black-clad n. But Cheon Woojin was not there.

Zhuge Lin's eyes widened as she looked around.

Not only could she not see him, but she could not find Cheon Woojin's presence in her senses either.

Zhuge Lin gritted her teeth.

Could it be that he ran away in that short mont? Alone?

'It's a relief, but...'

It was a relief if even one person survived and escaped.

Zhuge Lin sincerely thought so.

On the other hand, it was also true that it was absurd.

Soon, when about twenty black-clad n approached to slaughter Zhuge Lin and the rising talents.

For a mont, Zhuge Lin doubted her eyes.

Whoosh-!

A heavy sound of cutting through the wind and a black energy that filled the surroundings in an instant.

In the middle of it all stood Cheon Woojin, and a black full moon drawn around him.

Dark Sky Full Moon.

(End of Chapter)