"Ugh..."
As consciousness returned, a terrible pain surged through me.
Bai Qian groaned as he barely managed to open his eyes. 'How long was I unconscious?' The concept of time eluded him.
It felt like an eternity, yet it could have been just a moment.
Upon opening his eyes, he saw the dark sky above, and thankfully, it seemed he hadn't been out for more than half a day.
"Ugh..."
Turning his head slightly, he caught sight of Yu Yiseol, who was slowly swinging a sword a short distance away. 'It seems not much time has passed.' Of course, those who fall into a trance sometimes lose track of reality for a day or even three, so he couldn't deduce the time solely from her presence.
With great effort, Bai Qian pushed himself up from the ground.
A familiar yet strange voice reached his ears.
"Are you awake?"
"......"
His head snapped around.
There sat Qingming, crouched with a wooden sword resting on his shoulder.
Startled, Bai Qian's body jerked back before his mind could react.
"Surprised, are we?" Qingming chuckled.
Bai Qian's eyes widened as he stared at him, letting out a sigh of realization. 'I lost.' No, it wasn't just losing.
The fight just moments ago was so embarrassing that it was hard to even discuss victory or defeat.
He still couldn't comprehend how such a thing had occurred, but one conclusion was clear: he had been utterly defeated.
Bai Qian pressed his hands against his head, which still throbbed like a bell after being struck by Qingming.
However, this was not a situation where he could afford to whine.
The very person who had knocked him down was watching him with wide eyes.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"...... How can you be so strong?"
"Hoh?" Qingming looked at Bai Qian with a hint of surprise. 'Interesting.' Usually, those who experience such absurd situations refuse to accept reality.
Even when faced with clear evidence, they often scream in denial, unable to accept what has happened.
Especially those with strong pride tend to refuse acknowledgment until they are forced to confront it directly.
Yet here was Bai Qian, someone who seemed to thrive on pride, quickly accepting the current situation.
That was one point in his favor, but...
"I'm not strong; it's just that you are weak."
"Me?"
"Yes."
The corners of Bai Qian's eyes twitched.
"You say I'm weak?"
"Yes."
Bai Qian staggered to his feet and glared at Qingming with a fierce look.
"Don't underestimate me. I am Bai Qian, the great disciple of the Bai family and a top master who will one day become the leader of Huoshan."
"Uh, right."
Qingming nodded in agreement.
There was nothing wrong with Bai Qian's words.
Just one thing.
"But that doesn't prove you're not weak, does it?"
"......"
Just as Bai Qian was about to retort, Qingming raised a finger and pointed at him.
"A frog in a well."
"......"
"That's exactly what describes you right now. A well so narrow that no other frogs would even think of entering. A frog puffing itself up inside."
Bai Qian's face twisted in anger.
"You call me a frog?"
"Yes."
"Me?"
Qingming chuckled at Bai Qian's refusal to accept the label.
"Hey, disciple."
"......"
"You do know that Huoshan has fallen, right?"
"...... Of course."
While the word 'fallen' was harsh, it was undeniable that the truth of its decline could not be ignored.
Reviving the fallen Huoshan was Bai Qian's mission.
He had lived believing that until now.
"But that's why I've been working hard. Somehow, to revive Huoshan..."
"Working hard?" Qingming looked at Bai Qian with disbelief.
"When?"
"......"
Bai Qian was momentarily at a loss for words at Qingming's reaction.
"From what I see, it doesn't seem like you've been working hard at all. Playing around with the kids under the pretense of closing the sect, enjoying a drink on the way back, and now you're just bullying the weak disciples. Is that your idea of effort?"
Bai Qian fell silent.
He didn't think he had been lacking in effort.
However, he had no rebuttal for Qingming's pointed observations.
"It seems you don't know what effort really is. Spending your free time doing whatever you want isn't effort. It's about reducing what you want to do and investing that time into something worthwhile."
"......"
"You haven't made an effort. You just wanted to reign like a king in your little kingdom of Huoshan. With no real competition and no one to nag you, it was comfortable, wasn't it?"
Bai Qian bit his lip.
"No, no. There's no need to make that face. I'm not saying anything bad about you. But if you wanted to live like a king while refusing to be compared to others, then you shouldn't claim to have made an effort. And you need to let go of the illusion that you're strong."
Qingming spoke with a dismissive tone.
"Have you ever fought someone properly?"
"......"
"At most, it was just Zhongnan, right? Bai Qian. While Zhongnan is treated like a grim reaper here, in the grand scheme of the martial world, he's barely in the top ten. Other disciples from the various sects are soaring through the skies, and you think you're strong just because you can jump a little? Strong? Bai Qian?"
A clear sneer appeared on Qingming's face.
"Don't be deluded, you frog. It's not that I'm strong; it's that you are weak."
A loud bell rang in Bai Qian's mind. 'You say I'm weak?' He didn't want to accept it.
But upon reflection, there was not a single flaw in Qingming's words.
Huoshan was struggling even against Zhongnan.
Even if he were to shine in this Huozhong gathering and defeat Zhongnan, there were certainly sects in the world stronger than him.
"...... So, there are plenty of people in other sects stronger than you?"
"What nonsense is that? I'm the strongest!"
"......"
Your words don't even make sense, you fool!
But the fact that Bai Qian had been defeated didn't mean he was strong.
The current Bai Qian couldn't even defeat Zhongnan.
Naturally, he couldn't even compare to disciples from places like Shaolin, Wudang, or Namgung, where talents were abundant.
Bai Qian clenched his lips tightly.
However, Qingming mercilessly threw a stone at Bai Qian's chest.
"So, it wouldn't be particularly difficult for anyone, even if it's not me, to knock you down. Do you understand?"
He understood.
But he didn't want to accept it.
Who would genuinely want to understand the words, "You are just one of the grains of sand scattered across the world"?
Yet Bai Qian gritted his teeth instead of rebelling.
"I know that."
"......"
"Do you think a disciple of Huoshan wouldn't know that? I know. I understand. But there's nothing I can do about it. Unless I become a disciple of Wudang or Namgung, I can only work with what I have!"
"You haven't even made that effort," Qingming said with a bored expression.
"You haven't made an effort properly, and your direction is all wrong. Do you think just working hard will make you a master? If that's the case, you might as well go hit a scarecrow over there. After five hundred years of that, you might be able to use a sword technique."
Even when saying the same thing, Qingming knew how to make it sound unpleasant.
Bai Qian crumpled his face and asked,
"So you know the right direction?"
"At least I seem to know better than you," Qingming replied with a smirk.
Bai Qian sighed deeply at his response. 'What a devilish fellow.' He couldn't understand how someone could be so strong, so confident, and so relaxed.
It was beyond his comprehension.
'No wonder he can be so arrogant.'
In Qingming's eyes, Bai Qian must have appeared as someone without any real skill, yet acting all high and mighty.
If the roles were reversed, Bai Qian would have likely been even worse than Qingming.
One thing was certain: Qingming was stronger than Bai Qian could imagine.
For reasons unknown, Qingming might even be stronger than Yun Zhaobei.
Even if Bai Qian were to spar with Yun An or Yun Jian, he wouldn't be beaten so thoroughly without being able to fight back.
After a moment of contemplation, Bai Qian looked at Qingming with determined eyes.
"So, can you make me strong?"
"Hoh?" Qingming narrowed his eyes at Bai Qian's words. 'This guy is definitely strange.' His pride was excessively strong, yet he was aware of reality.
Usually, when one aspect is distorted, the other tends to follow suit.
So, to put it negatively, this disciple seemed to be someone who, while fully aware of his situation, still insisted on his pride.
It was terrible for a human, but not necessarily bad for a martial artist.
After all, a martial artist lives on the belief that they are the strongest or will become the strongest.
"Of course, it's possible," Qingming said, nodding slowly.
"Then..."
Bai Qian extended both hands forward, preparing for a martial stance.
"Huh?" Then, with an utterly serious voice, he spoke, "Then make me strong. I will do whatever you ask."
"......"
Bai Qian lifted his head slightly.
"If I can become strong, I won't hesitate to learn from you. If the relationship between disciple and teacher feels burdensome, I won't treat you as a teacher. If you want me to regard you as an elder, I will do so..."
"I don't want that."
"As a master... uh?"
Qingming answered dismissively, "I don't want that."
"...... Why?" Bai Qian's eyes wavered.
Hadn't he said all this to guide Bai Qian?
"Why should I? It's a hassle."
"......"
"And it seems you're under the illusion that you understand, Bai Qian."
"Eh?"
"It's not over yet."
Qingming stood up and lifted the wooden sword, spinning it around.
"People are quite strange. They forget what they've done and compromise with themselves. They think, 'This is enough punishment for me.'"
"......"
"Yeah, that's right. You've paid your dues. You've sufficiently repaid the debt for bullying the three great disciples. But!" Qingming's eyes blazed with fury.
"My anger doesn't end there!"
No, you madman! Bai Qian recoiled in horror.
But Qingming approached him leisurely, wearing a wicked smile like a grim reaper.
"You still don't get it, do you? Right?"
"No! I understand! I've understood enough!"
"No, no. You still don't fully grasp it. Even now, you're surely confused about how this situation has come to be."
Why do you get to decide my state? I said I understood!
"Don't worry. The night is long. I will make you understand today. Why you are weak, why your sword is flawed. And..."
Qingming's eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Why you should never touch me."
"......"
"Hehehe! Here I go!"
"Yikes!"
The screams that flowed from Nak An Peak regrettably did not reach the main peak of Huoshan.
Regrettably, indeed.