Seol-Hwi was the sect leader at the time.
He used his position as sect leader in Qingcheng to investigate various matters in Wudang.
Among them, the incident involving 53 warriors particularly caught his attention.
New Taoists, promising warriors who would lead the next generation, simply vanished. The rumor spread so widely that even other sects wanted to discover the reason.
But Wudang, which was directly involved, chose to remain silent.
And Jin Gu, whom he had struggled to meet during his time as sect leader, said nothing about the death of his peers.
From then on, the Wudang Sect began to isolate itself when it came to the activities of Kangho.
This might have been the moment when they decided to stop showing their face to the outside world.
Here, Seol-Hwi devised a possible explanation. First, daily hygiene.
The Central Plains people are somewhat careless with their hygiene. They did not wash thoroughly or change their clothes frequently.
In particular, among the sects or military where the men were young, there were instances of deaths due to some unknown endemic.
However, such cases would typically occur only within certain units. Could it really be that not just other sects of Kangho but also talented individuals handpicked by Wudang were killed in this manner? That seemed strange.
It is more likely for someone to have poisoned the food.
The second possibility was large-scale poisoning. But then the question arose: why would Wudang cover it up without saying anything?
Why? The disciples were like their own flesh and blood.
Dozens of young Wudang disciples were killed at once, and they just buried them without making it public?
Seol-Hwi could not comprehend this. No, honestly, he did not want to become too involved. His goal was simply to meet the best warriors in Wudang and learn from their experiences and insights to improve himself.
But once he learned about the incident, there was something that made it impossible to overlook.
The absolute being. Demon God.
Which sect was most likely to produce Profound Demon level warriors?
Of course, it would be one of the Nine Great Sects.
Among them, Wudang and Shaolin stood out. Just in case these 53 deaths were his doing.
What if there was a warrior who would become a genius in the future under Wudang, and that was why they had to eliminate them?
It is quite possible. If one wants to hide leaves, the best way to do it is in the forest.
Rather than singling someone out, killing all the Taoists of one generation might serve as a warning to Wudang.
It was meant to say, “Don’t try to do anything.”
Seol-Hwi knew that all of this was just an assumption and nothing more. But one thing was clear: it was said that after that incident, the Wudang sect closed its doors.
This was in complete contrast to the life that nurtured young believers today.
In the end, I have to find out the reason for myself. From within the sect.
A secret that he could not uncover even through his status was a sect leader of Qingcheng in the past.
That was why he decided to enter Wudang in this life.
“Everyone, focus now! Concentrate!”
After studying for a while, they began to train again.
This time it was lower body training, which was the most basic and fundamental part of martial arts. It was an approach to foster their growth.
“Ugh.”
“Huh.”
It was a stance known as the horse stance. Training that was essential for those learning martial arts, but it was a movement that one would never get accustomed to.
Even a young man who had not neglected physical training would be drenched in sweat with his legs shaking during this exercise.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAt this point, the number of people who gradually began to tremble would groan even more. After just this exercise, the thighs, calves, and muscles would turn sore for an entire day.
So it was normal to stop there, but the instructor of the day had a different idea.
“Don’t make a fuss! We are planning to weed out those who have been using tricks to avoid the eyes of our superiors. Those who give up halfway should be prepared to receive a failing rank.”
Everyone’s faces turned thoughtful at those words.
Failing meant expulsion, which meant they would no longer participate in the class.
For those who came in with pride as a Wudang disciple, this was something they could never have imagined.
“Next, the walking stance.”
Just as they processed that, another request came.
A form that required lifting the foot and keeping it at knee level. The body had to stand up straight, and the head should not move left or right.
More groans could be heard with this because it strained the lower body even more than before.
“Ughh.”
“Enough…”
“Ah.”
The groans of the young people grew louder. Now sweat poured down on them like rain.
‘Hmm.’
Taoist Myung Gam, the teacher for this class, looked at all the disciples.
Behind him was someone holding a sheet and writing something—an officer.
These were the five people that Myung Suk had brought. The teachers changed depending on the class, but these people who wrote things down continued to work.
Is it him…?
As he walked around the area, he observed this young man. This undisturbed stance and straight eyes belonged to the young man known as Jin Hwi.
Grassland Warrior.
He had heard about that too. The sudden attack of demons, how he overpowered two or three elder-level warriors in an instant.
Honestly, it was a story that was tough to believe. If someone was an elder, then that meant they were on par with him, but had there ever been such an expert at this age?
And at that level, he was not a third-rate warrior but one at the Supreme level. Naturally, he felt curious and excited.
And then anticipation rose.
Should I take a look at your skills now?
In fact, it was this young man who was the reason he had decided to teach such a class.
During training with peers of the same age, they shared the pain together.
They also had the chance to understand their suffering and to observe the skills of those around them.
“Now, everyone, look at the teacher during the posture training.”
Myung Gam shouted to the young Taoists and stepped forward to where he was pointing.
“From now on, the one in charge would like to make a suggestion to you. You will see a recording person next to me.”
The kids murmured at that.
They suddenly stopped the training and wondered what this man would do.
“Based on your age, you have sasuk, right? One by one, come at him and demonstrate your force. Anything and anyone is allowed. If you make him happy, I end the class right now.”
“OHHH!”
“Woah!”
The Taoists all responded happily to that. It felt like hell to stay in a single posture all day. Moreover, it was obvious that the posture he would adopt next would be tougher.
“Me! I will do it!”
Jin Gu, who was first overall, came forward, and most cheered for him, and Jin Suk did not hate it either.
Because he clearly wanted to change from this training too.
“Okay then, demonstrate the Taiji Fist.”
All the recording personnel were Myung’s disciples. They were the sasuk level ones.
Each of them had learned martial arts for over ten years now. And to get noticed and acknowledged by them meant to be a genius.
“Let’s start then.”
Jin Gu bowed and then took his stance.
He shifted the center of his body balance to the back, placing his left leg in a seated position to bend and lift the knee.
And while moving forward, he made a circle around the opponent’s attack, raised his hand to block the enemy’s skills, and then punched him.
Wooong!
There was a dull vibration where the fist was directed.
What Jin Gu did was the most flashy demonstration of the basic movement. The movements were so flawless that all the disciples were shocked. And it was that good.
“Not enough.”
“Uh?”
The teacher shook his head, his expression bored, while Jin Gu, who had done his best, looked sullen.
“Next.”
The person recording spoke and glanced at the others.
“I will!”
Jin Suk stood up, looking at Jin Gu with disdain, then smiled as he rose to his feet.
“Ready?”
In Jin Suk’s eyes shone the earnestness of his fellow Taoists. It was an opportunity.
An opportunity to earn everyone’s trust. And with that in mind, he said,
“Didn’t you say it was fine as long as the martial arts were demonstrated?”
The teacher nodded at those words.
“Yes.”
“Then, I would like to receive direct instruction from the teacher to evaluate my skills.”
“Oh?”
The idea seemed .
He taught by giving lessons. The notion of learning through combat was intriguing, a simple demonstration being interpreted this way.
Regardless of their Taoist training, they were young and should possess a competitive spirit.
“Officer. Perhaps…”
“Okay. I think it will be fine, too.”
He asked, just to be sure, and the officer agreed, evidently still enthusiastic.
“Euk.”
“Please, quickly…”
Amid the groans of the young people, two individuals stared each other down.
Gulp
Jin Suk knew the officer before him would be tough to defeat, but he also thought this might shock them into letting their guard down.
So, how do you make someone let their guard down? Close combat was a straightforward tactic.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmRight.
Pat
As he rushed in without assuming a stance, the officer was truly taken aback by the seemingly reckless attack. Yet, as before, he instinctively defended himself.
Tak! Kuak!
He parried the elbow strike and counterattacked immediately, but Jin Suk was resolute and tried to retaliate.
This guy.
The officer snorted.
With their bodies close, the angle for a hit felt just right. After blocking with both hands, he extended his legs to strike at his opponent’s face.
Whack
Soon, Jin Suk took a quick step back and swung both hands.
“It is worth a try…”
“Enough.”
“…Uh?”
Jin Suk wore a blank look. He had performed well, and the results were beginning to show. He thought he was going to win.
“Look at your wrist first.”
An unimpressed voice naturally emerged, followed by a point to his hand. When Jin Suk raised his hand, he felt a sharp pain in his left wrist.
“Just how…”
“When defending, progress with consideration.”
The official responded to Jin Suk’s mumble.
“Are you saying you attacked while defending?”
“I loaded my hand with energy. If I hadn’t controlled my strength, your arm would have broken.”
“Ah…”
Jin Suk’s expression stiffened. He had forgotten about it for a moment.
A warrior not only in Taiji but also in study. Who was the person in front of him?
“I lost.”
As Jin Suk showed his courtesy, foam came out of the monk’s mouth.
“Ahhh.”
“Don’t give up!”
Two wins, two losses.
Nevertheless, as the complaints continued, another participant emerged as if waiting.
“This time, we will adopt the 24-position Taiji.”
“Ahh!”
“UGH!”
Groans spread around as they changed their stances.
Did this not mean that they would have to lower their bodies further and lift their knees?
Now, sweating was common. There were people who groaned to the point of nearly fainting.
“Hmm.”
Step
Meanwhile, he came forward to check the form of the young Taoists, who were looking at various children, and stopped at one point.
Jin Hwi. He was in front of the Taoist who had been brought in at the start of the month.
“Why didn’t you come out?”