Chapter 38 — Search Party
I left the Sect Leader’s Hall alone.
Jin Gwang-ung had said he still had things to discuss with the Sect Leader, so I came out first.
I immediately headed to the location where the search party was supposed to gather.
It was the secret training ground located behind the Literary Accomplishment Pavilion, where the Great Assembly of Elders had been held before.
The moment I entered the training ground, three figures came into view.
Myeong-jeon, the representative of First Generation Elder Na Gwang-do from the Finance Hall.
Yu Seol-ah, the granddaughter of the Explosive Sword Yu Gwang-cheol.
And Hyun-kwon, the Junior Hall Master of the Hall of Martial Law and direct disciple of the Iron Lion Gwang-heon.
The three stood at a distance from one another, each giving off a completely different aura.
The first one who caught my eye was Myeong-jeon.
He was nervously pacing in a tight circle in the middle of the training ground.
His complexion was as dark as if he were being dragged to hell.
Yet he kept sneaking glances at Hyun-kwon and Yu Seol-ah, clearly reading the room.
‘This guy is scared out of his mind.’
In contrast, Hyun-kwon showed the complete opposite attitude.
With a long spear strapped to his back, his feet kept fidgeting restlessly.
He looked slightly excited.
He reminded me of a racehorse eager to burst forward.
‘…He’s probably itching to make a name for himself.’
His face was filled with anticipation, without even a speck of worry about clashing with the Heavenly Demon Cult.
‘Tsk. Guys like him are always the ones who cause accidents.’
I shook my head as I watched the hot-blooded young man.
Finally, there was Yu Seol-ah.
Despite appearing to be the youngest, her expression was the calmest among the three.
There was a strange sense of stability in the way she quietly closed her eyes and regulated her breathing.
‘As expected of the Explosive Sword’s granddaughter. Not a trace of nervousness.’
I steadied my breath for a moment and approached the three.
Surprisingly, Myeong-jeon was the first to notice my presence.
The moment he saw me, his eyes widened and he practically ran toward me.
“Ah, ah! Senior Brother Han Mujin!”
His face brightened instantly, as if he had met an angel in hell.
He stopped in front of me and bowed so deeply that his head nearly touched the ground.
“Do you remember me? I am Myeong-jeon from the Finance Hall! We briefly met during the Great Assembly of Elders, but this is the first time I’m greeting you properly. It is an honor, Senior Brother Han Mujin!”
I paused for a second at Myeong-jeon’s excessive reaction.
We had only seen each other once during the Great Assembly and had never spoken privately.
“…Yes, nice to see you, Myeong-jeon. But honor is a bit—”
Myeong-jeon immediately waved his hands.
“No, no! Not at all! You are the unparalleled genius who has inherited the legacy of Azure Cloud True Person, the greatest under heaven! How could it not be an honor to join the search party with someone like you, Senior Brother!”
“Haha… ha.”
It was a little awkward, but I accepted it as it was.
He wasn’t exactly wrong, and if that’s how he felt, there was no need for me to deny it.
I nodded at Myeong-jeon.
“Anyway, it’s good to see you too.”
“Oh my, to be welcomed like this by you—I don’t know where to put myself. I can only thank the heavens for forming such a deep connection with someone like you, Senior Brother.”
Myeong-jeon smiled brightly as he looked into my eyes.
I tilted my head inwardly.
‘Why is this guy acting so friendly all of a sudden?’
‘Deep connection,’ ‘thank the heavens’…
Even if he wanted to get close to me, wasn’t this a bit much?
It was then.
Myeong-jeon took another step closer and whispered quietly, almost like a secret.
“But I heard this search mission… might be related to the Heavenly Demon Cult. It’s going to be really dangerous, right?”
“Yes. It probably won’t be easy.”
“Still, I’m not worried at all.”
“You’re not worried?”
“Of course not. With someone as reliable as Senior Brother Han Mujin by my side, what could those pathetic Heavenly Demon Cult bastards possibly do? All you have to do is swing your sword once and it’ll be over. I’ll just follow Senior Brother’s lead and stay safe.”
Myeong-jeon rubbed his hands together and moved even closer to me.
His movements were as natural as flowing water.
I couldn’t help but let out a small, inward chuckle.
‘Look at this guy. He’s quite the schemer.’
During the Great Assembly of Elders, Myeong-jeon had been the only representative who had used a movement technique. He was probably the weakest in terms of pure martial prowess among the three.
‘He’s probably sticking close to me because he thinks it’ll be safer.’
As expected of someone from the Finance Hall that deals with money — his social skills were no joke.
I didn’t feel any displeasure at Myeong-jeon’s attitude toward me.
Rather, I found his desperate effort to survive quite likable.
‘Using every means available is the right way.’
I acknowledged those who used everything at their disposal to achieve their goals.
Whether it was shameless flattery or clever social maneuvering, it didn’t matter.
My experiences as a test subject, desperately struggling to survive, had only strengthened this mindset.
‘Guys like him usually live the longest.’
Noticing that my expression hadn’t soured, Myeong-jeon continued in a coaxing voice.
“By the way, Senior Brother Mujin, how old are you? Eighteen? Nineteen?”
“Fifteen.”
“…Ah, you’re… younger than I thought… Three years younger than me…”
Myeong-jeon looked momentarily flustered.
But it didn’t last long.
Soon, he delivered another peak example of flattery.
“But! What does a trivial age difference matter! In the path of a Kunlun disciple, reaching the ‘Dao’ comes first, doesn’t it!”
“……”
Impressive.
A kid who had just turned eighteen was already this skilled at flattery.
In all my combined lifetimes, I had never met someone who could spout such shameless compliments without a hint of embarrassment.
‘He’s going to go far.’
As I nodded at Myeong-jeon,
“Hmph. It’s so sickening I can’t watch anymore.”
The one who threw in the sarcastic remark was Hyun-kwon.
He snorted and walked over to me.
“It’s been a while, Han Mujin.”
As always, Hyun-kwon stared at me with burning eyes.
His blood was boiling so intensely that steam seemed ready to rise from him.
‘Why does this guy always glare at me like that?’
I thought I had properly suppressed him during the Great Assembly of Elders, but after a few months he was back at it again.
I looked straight at Hyun-kwon and spoke calmly.
“Yeah. Have you been well? How long has it been since we last saw each other?”
“It has been sixty-three days. This is the first time since the Great Assembly of Elders ended.”
What a petty guy.
He had even counted the exact number of days.
‘He must still be really bitter about losing to me back then.’
There was a certain fun in teasing hot-blooded kids like this.
I smirked and said teasingly,
“It’s already been that long, huh? Since I won the Great Assembly of Elders and our dear friend Hyun-kwon very, very, very narrowly took ‘second place.’”
Hyun-kwon’s eyebrows twitched.
“It was only the difference of a single sheet of paper, according to the observers at the time.”
“You’re right, it was the difference of a single sheet. The problem is that it wasn’t a sheet of paper, but a ‘zhang.’ Since one zhang is ten chi, it’s probably taller than the main gate of the Hall of Martial Law.”
“……”
Hyun-kwon clenched his fists tightly, clearly angered by my words.
His face had turned bright red.
‘He really is still young. He can’t even hide his emotions at all.’
Seeing Hyun-kwon react so immediately to a single remark made teasing him quite enjoyable.
Is this what they commonly call the thrill of striking back?
“Don’t get cocky just because you won once. The Great Assembly of Elders determined superiority through demonstration, but real combat will be different.”
Hyun-kwon glared at me and spoke in a slightly excited voice.
‘This brat, he must be really pissed.’
Seeing Hyun-kwon glaring like that made me want to tease him more.
I replied with a relaxed expression.
“Yeah. Real combat might be different. But, our ‘real combat expert’ Hyun-kwon, when exactly have you gone out to real combat to speak so confidently?”
“W-well, that’s…….”
Hyun-kwon trailed off as if flustered.
I smiled faintly as I watched him.
‘Of course he has nothing to say.’
Hyun-kwon’s apparent age didn’t seem much different from mine.
At most, two or three years older?
What real combat experience could a kid who hasn’t even reached twenty have?
He must have just gotten worked up by my words and spat out whatever he picked up somewhere.
‘Give it up, Hyun-kwon. You still have a long way to go.’
The Han Mujin standing in front of you is an elder who has tasted all the sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness of life.
Don’t even think about competing with me in words.
“If you’re anxious too, Hyun-kwon, just stick right next to me. Wouldn’t it be safer to stay next to the winner of the Great Assembly of Elders?”
“Ugh…….”
Hyun-kwon’s face turned bright red as he trembled in front of me.
It was then.
“Both of you, that’s enough.”
A voice that wasn’t loud but carried clear firmness.
The owner of the voice was Yu Seol-ah.
She quietly walked out from the shaded area on one side of the training ground.
Her eyes and gait were full of confidence.
She looked just as bold as she had during the Great Assembly of Elders.
“We have an important mission ahead. There’s no need for us to waste our energy on pointless bickering among ourselves.”
Yu Seol-ah said as she looked back and forth between me and Hyun-kwon.
Her tone was mature beyond her age.
Yu Seol-ah, standing in front of me, slightly bowed her head.
“Congratulations on your victory in the Great Assembly of Elders, even if it’s late. The Flowing Flower Sword you showed during the event left a deep impression on me.”
“Uh, um… thank you.”
Caught off guard by the sudden congratulations, I answered awkwardly.
Then Yu Seol-ah immediately asked back.
“But, should I also call you Mujin Sasuk-nim?”
“Huh?”
“I think the word ‘Sahyung’ feels friendlier than ‘Sasuk’…….”
[TL Note: Sasuk (사숙) generally refers to a martial arts uncle or teacher’s martial brother.
And Sahyung (also spelled sahyeong or sa-hyung) is a Korean martial arts term (사형, 師兄) that translates to “older martial arts brother” or “senior brother.”]
Yu Seol-ah asked with a slight blush on her face.
‘Why is she suddenly acting like this?… Ah! It must be because of that.’
I had heard after the Great Assembly that she was very interested in sword arts.
She probably had an interest in the Flowing Flower Sword I learned.
‘Well, there’s no harm in getting close to the Explosive Sword’s granddaughter.’
I nodded at Yu Seol-ah.
“You can call me whatever is comfortable. Seol-ah.”
When I said that, Yu Seol-ah smiled brightly and replied.
“I will, Mujin Sahyung.”
At that moment, Myeong-jeon, who was next to me, raised his hand.
“Then, can I also call you Sahyung—”
“You just keep calling me Sasuk.”
“…Yes…….”
Myeong-jeon drooped his head with a dejected expression.
I heard him quietly muttering, ‘Why not me……’ but I just ignored it.
But soon Myeong-jeon recovered his bright face and stuck close to my side again.
As expected, his social skills were first-class.
As the search party members with their various personalities were checking each other out,
“What are you all chattering about like this!”
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