"…Master Zhang."
Hyun Jong closed his eyes without saying a word. "…Shouldn't we stop?" Mu Gakju spoke with a trembling voice.
However, Hyun Jong could not respond at all.
Stop? How could he possibly say to stop? In front of so many prominent figures from the province of Shanxi, was he supposed to say, "We cannot match Jongnam, and if we continue, only the children will get hurt, so it would be better to stop here"? That would be tarnishing the name of Hwasan.
No matter how much Hwasan had fallen… No, it was precisely because it had fallen that there were things that needed to be protected.
That was the name and the pride.
If he could not protect the name of Hwasan and the pride of being a disciple of Hwasan, then Hwasan would not just be a fallen prestigious sect but would degrade into a mere third-rate sect.
And that moment would be when Hwasan lowered its banner.
Hyun Jong could not allow that.
Not for his own honor, but to preserve the possibility that Hwasan could one day rise again, as the Master, he could not utter those words.
But Hyun Jong knew that Hyun Sang, who was fully aware of this situation, was speaking out because the circumstances were extremely dire.
Nine consecutive defeats.
Nine had lost in a row.
They had already achieved the worst record in the history of the Hwa Jong Conference.
But the bigger problem was not the wins or losses, but the content of those matches.
Not a single one of the nine had managed to land a proper hit on their opponents.
It felt as if it would be less tragic for an adult to fight a child than this.
And all the prominent figures from Shanxi were watching this spectacle. 'How can I bear this humiliation?' Hyun Jong's eyes trembled.
It felt as if all his insides were being torn apart, and his heart was being ripped out by his own hands.
What truly tormented him was not the humiliation he was experiencing at that moment.
It was the thought of how much despair his disciples must be feeling right now.
He had pushed the children into danger without properly gauging the strength of their opponents.
Thinking about the psychological pain those children would suffer because of this incompetent Master made him want to carve himself with a sharp blade.
"Master…" Hyun Jong quietly opened his eyes.
Then he let out a deep sigh. "…It is the will of the heavens."
"One…"
"Do you think I am not anxious?" At that moment.
"Cough!" The last disciple of the second generation, who was battling in the training hall, dropped his sword and fell to the ground.
For a swordsman to drop his sword was, in a way, a humiliation worse than death.
The disciple of Jongnam, who had skillfully targeted only his wrist until the end, whistled.
"A swordsman dropping his sword? Unbelievable. Does Hwasan not teach such things?" Mockery.
Even knowing that this mockery was the agreed-upon result, he could not help the blood that surged up inside him.
Ten consecutive defeats.
There could not be a more tragic outcome.
The faces of the elders of Hwasan twisted in horror. 'Is it really this bad?' They had thought they had finally caught a chance to revive Hwasan.
So many good things had happened recently.
But now, all those who had been lost in dreams were facing the cold reality at this moment.
In the end, Hwasan was a powerless sect.
Without the support of the martial arts, no luxury held any meaning.
Everyone here was painfully aware of that fact.
"Well done."
"Yes, Elder!" Samaseung patted the shoulder of Akho, who had returned to his seat.
It was an utterly satisfying result.
Not only had they won, but the content of the matches had also been extremely one-sided.
Most importantly, the prominent figures from Shanxi were watching this match. 'Now, the reputation of Hwasan will fall to the ground and will never resonate again.' Wasn't this the situation they had wished for countless times since the previous generation? It was a joy to see that wish fulfilled by none other than Samaseung's hands.
Samaseung listened closely.
By now, those watching must have grasped the situation.
Sure enough, murmurs began to rise.
"This is too one-sided."
"I had hoped for something from Hwasan, but… The past is the past, and the present is the present. Hwasan can no longer be called Hwasan."
"Wasn't this a known fact?"
"Still, I didn't expect it to be this tragic… Honestly, I can't tell if Jongnam is strong or Hwasan is weak."
"Both, perhaps?"
"It's a pity. It's truly a pity. It seems Hwasan has really come to an end. How empty this feels…" Samaseung twisted his lips into a smile.
The public opinion had completely turned towards Jongnam.
However, today his goal was not to elevate Jongnam's status.
It was to drag Hwasan down into the abyss.
To do that, he needed to burn even the sprouts so they would not grow again.
"Now, it is time to finish things. Did you see how the disciples handled it?"
"Yes, Elder!" The three great disciples of Jongnam looked at him with resolute faces.
"Do not hesitate."
Samaseung's eyes sparkled.
"A tiger puts in its utmost effort even when catching a rabbit. Show no mercy. You must crush them so that they will never think of practicing martial arts again."
"Yes! I will remember!" Samaseung looked up at the sky with a grim smile. 'What a clear day it is.' And what a pleasant day it was.
"……."
Yun Jong was at a loss for words.
He could not bear to look at the second-generation disciples gathered beside him.
He could tell without looking.
He knew what expressions they wore.
And how deep their despair must be.
And the same went for the three great disciples. 'Is the gap with Jongnam this vast?' Until now, the Hwa Jong Conference had a certain harmony to it.
The defeat was the same, but it was not as one-sided as it was now, where people were crushed like ants.
Only then did Yun Jong realize that Jongnam had never truly faced Hwasan with sincerity.
"…Our Chulyeon?"
"……."
The faces of the three great disciples darkened.
It was true that they had received training from Cheongmyeong, but the overwhelming gap before their eyes stripped away even the confidence gained from their training.
No, but more than that, right now… Yun Jong subtly shifted his gaze to Cheongmyeong sitting beside him.
And he gasped.
Creeeak! The sound of grinding teeth made Yun Jong's heart drop.
Cheongmyeong's face was so red it seemed it might burst at any moment.
"……."
With each disciple that fell, Cheongmyeong's face grew slightly redder, until it was now as bright as a fully bloomed plum blossom.
Seeing that face, Yun Jong cautiously reached out and grabbed the hem of Cheongmyeong's clothes. 'This guy is about to explode.' A dog that has been trained for three years can recite poetry, and being beside Cheongmyeong for three months makes one a master at reading the mood! Yun Jong spoke in a trembling voice.
"Ch-Cheongmyeong, calm down for now."
"……Calm down?" The moment he heard that sarcastic tone, Yun Jong felt something drop in his heart… No, he must not let it drop! This is the Hwa Jong Conference! Not just the Master, but everyone from Jongnam and Shanxi is watching! If this guy has a fit here, it might be worse than if all the second-generation disciples lost! Yun Jong began to soothe Cheongmyeong as if calming a mad dog.
"Ch-Cheongmyeong, think carefully. You said it yesterday. Patience is the most important thing when a person is about to take action!"
"……Patience."
"Yes! Patience!"
"……Brother."
"Yes, Cheongmyeong. Remember what you said…"
"I thought about it."
"Uh?" Cheongmyeong's head slowly turned towards Yun Jong.
And Yun Jong saw it.
Cheongmyeong's eyes were half-rolled back.
"……I have no patience!"
It was a declaration.
This guy.
Unam took a deep breath.
His face was as pale as could be.
He wanted nothing more than to leave this place right now.
However, unless the Master gave the order, he had to continue with the Hwa Jong Conference.
"Next… I will hold the martial arts competition of the three great disciples. Each of the three great disciples…"
At that moment.
"Grab him! Don't let him go!"
"Cheongmyeong, you said you would go last! This is troublesome!"
"People are watching, people! Please, let’s only do this when we’re alone!" Unam looked around in disbelief at the three great disciples.
Among the tightly packed disciples trying to hold someone back, someone was trying to step forward with wide eyes.
'Cheongmyeong?' Why is that kid? Questions overflowed, but he had to finish what he was saying.
They were not the only ones here.
"The vanguard is…"
"Graaaah!"
But Unam could not continue his words.
The moment he mentioned the vanguard, Cheongmyeong broke free from the grasp of his brothers and leaped onto the training ground like a bolt of lightning.
"Hoooh!" Cheongmyeong took a deep breath on the training ground.
Then, glaring at Jongnam with shining eyes, he spoke.
"One of you, come up quickly!"
"……."
"Anyone is fine. One of you, come up quickly. Before everyone dies."
Samaseung's mouth dropped open.
"Th-That crazy guy!" He knew he was insane, but he never expected him to be this crazy.
To act so recklessly in front of not only Jongnam but also the prominent figures of Shanxi!
"Calm down, Elder."
Jin Geumryong quickly stopped Samaseung from exploding.
"We can't jump into the fray just because a madman is jumping around. Soon enough, that guy will know his place."
"Ugh!" However, seeing Samaseung still unable to hide his displeasure and clearing his throat loudly, Jin Geumryong spoke lowly.
"Woo Ryung."
"Yes, Master!" Sun Woo Ryung, who was supposed to face Cheongmyeong, nodded firmly.
"Though he came out as the vanguard unexpectedly, it won't change anything. Teach him his place!"
"Yes, Master! Don't worry!" Sun Woo Ryung gripped his wooden sword and leaped onto the training ground.
Then he pointed his sword at Cheongmyeong.
"I'll smash that arrogant mouth of yours. I am from Jongnam's…"
At that moment, Cheongmyeong vanished from his spot and appeared right in front of Sun Woo Ryung.
"Se-…"
Sun Woo Ryung saw it.
The furious, Asura-like face suddenly appearing before him.
And how that face was suddenly engulfed in complete darkness.
Darkness? Why is it dark in broad daylight… Ah! It’s not dark; it’s covered! This is right in front of me, so this… a fist?
And at that moment, the disciples of Hwasan heard a tremendous sound they had never heard since joining Hwasan.
Bam!
He spun.
Sun Woo Ryung's body spun in the air more than ten times before crashing to the ground.
"……."
Sun Woo Ryung's body, buried in the ground, twitched as if he had caught a fever.
Seeing the fallen Sun Woo Ryung, Cheongmyeong sneered.
"Just a trivial matter, yet acting so grand."
You're going to die.