Vol 2 Chapter 52. It Will Be Different This Time (2)

As ‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍a result, it was decided that the martial arts tournament would continue to be held.

Because the atmosphere was absolutely not one to stop.

‘To quit in this situation?’

‘After causing all this disruption, to end it like this?’

‘That madman….’

It is a situation where Patrick very naturally stimulated the accumulated dissatisfaction of the small and medium sects.

No matter if they were the Nine Sects and Five Great Families, it was absolutely impossible to ignore all of them and stop the martial arts tournament.

Thus, the martial arts tournament came to be held.

No, to speak accurately….

[If we are going to do it, let’s do it properly.]

Due to that single remark from the Jaegal Clan Head, it came to be held on an even larger scale.

Certainly, this number of people gathering in one place is not common.

And since the Nine Sects and Five Great Families are all attending, this is not a simple talent show for children.

Although they are not the main force, aren't they the rising stars symbolizing the next generation?

Making them compete against each other in skills will become a yardstick to gauge the potential of the sects. In that case….

‘We must win no matter what.’

‘It actually turned out well.’

‘It was a good thing I brought the disciples.’

Like that, a proper tournament to determine the best of the next generation began to proceed.

“Senior Brother, the number of sparring stages is insufficient.”

“Bring the flat stones from the Great Training Ground and lay them down to make temporary ones.”

“How should we organize the match schedule?”

“The Abbot and elders will decide that. We just need to receive the participation list and send it up.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Once the channel was opened, the tournament preparations were carried out steadily.

Shaolin’s martial monks moved busily, and under their leadership, over ten sparring stages were created in the wide training ground.

And at this stage, Patrick….

“It’s rolling well on its own.”

He said that and quietly slipped to the back.

Of course, he pocketed the participation fees though.

And he gathered the Twin Dragon Sect disciples and spoke.

“Now, due to these circumstances, the stage has been set.”

“What do you mean by ‘these and those circumstances’?”

“It is all work caused by you, Worshipped Duke.”

“…….”

Including Sanghun who nodded silently, all the disciples criticized Patrick.

Coming to see Shaolin and traveling was good.

Although they suffered like dogs subduing bandits on the way here, sure. Let’s say that was good too.

As chivalrous warriors of the Orthodox Faction, isn’t it work that naturally must be done? However….

“A martial arts tournament.”

“Are we fighting the disciples of the Five Great Families or the Nine Sects One Gang? Us?”

“…Impossible.”

The three despaired.

Looking at the three, Patrick laughed with a smirk as if he was dumbfounded.

‘It is better than a frog not remembering its tadpole days, but this is, well….’

These frogs are underestimating their own capabilities too much.

Perhaps it might be because the fantasy about the Nine Sects One Gang or the Five Great Families is too strong.

But in Patrick’s view, right now, these three do not fall behind at all even compared to the rising stars of other sects.

Rather, there are more parts where they are ahead.

In the sect, they had constantly sparred with experts like Sanson, Oliver, and Persona, and they had undergone sufficient practical experience against the Unorthodox Faction.

Furthermore, the internal energy accumulated due to the World Tree’s blessing is also on the outstanding side for their age.

Above all….

‘This I taught them myself.’

It is not an exaggeration; this is a true world-shaking destined encounter.

A whopping himself….

The Radiant Dragon Great Master, the Double Dragon, and the great hero who cut the Heavenly Demon’s neck and saved the world, personally trained them.

But these guys are lagging behind mere peers of the same age?

That cannot be.

Patrick looked at the disciples who had lost confidence with stern eyes and spoke.

“First…. Yun-a.”

“Yes. Worshipped Duke.”

“Your fast sword is a speed that enters the top five even among the disciples of the Twin Dragon Sect.”

“That is….”

“Do not oppose with strength but utilize your advantages. Do you understand?”

“Then can I win?”

“I guarantee it.”

When Patrick said that, Yun-a nodded slightly and answered, ‘Yes.’

“And Sanghun.”

“Yes.”

“Your advantage is Strength, opposite to Yun-a. If you suppress the opponent from the front and seize the initiative, do not let go.”

“Yes.”

“If you compete in a head-on contest of strength, even against the saber of the Hebei Peng Clan, you will not fall behind a peer of the same age.”

“Yes.”

“Believe in yourself and do your best.”

“Yes.”

“Then the result will follow.”

“Yes.”

“…By any chance, can you not say any answer other than yes?”

“No.”

It’s something to brag about.

Patrick let out a sigh and looked at Mun Yul, the last one remaining.

What advice would Patrick give?

Having seen the precedents of the two junior siblings, Mun Yul looked at Patrick with a pounding heart.

And Patrick placed both hands on Mun Yul’s shoulders, smiled brightly, and spoke.

“Yul.”

“Yes. Worshipped Duke.”

“You are the Head Disciple of our Twin Dragon Sect.”

“Yes. I know.”

“That means if you lose to brats of the same age from other sects, you die.”

“Yes. I kn… Pardon?”

“Win unconditionally.”

“Uh…. Uh uh….”

What is this? Is this advice?

It seems quite different from the junior siblings before me.

No, and leaving everything aside, win?

Me? You’re telling me to win?

“No, I do want to if I can. I want to, but….”

“Then do it.”

What is the problem?

Looking at Patrick’s expression saying that, Mun Yul gritted his teeth and shouted.

“No, does it make sense to win in a martial arts tournament where the Five Great Families and Nine Sects One Gang are all gathered?”

“Yeah. It makes sense. You just have to do it.”

“No, how? By what means?”

“I said you just have to do it with guts.”

“That doesn’t make sen….”

“Yul.”

It was then.

To Mun Yul who was about to yell loudly, Patrick put his arm around his shoulder and spoke.

“As you also know, in this martial arts tournament, our Twin Dragon Sect’s Eldest Senior Sister Persona is put up as the winning prize.”

“Yes. You put her up, Worshipped Duke.”

“Moving on from such trivial things….”

“…….”

It is unreasonable.

To Mun Yul whose lips were protruding out, Patrick spoke passionately.

“If you cannot win? Uh oh? Persona has to get married off to another sect as if being sold off?”

“…….”

“Whose fault is that?”

“Worshipped….”

“Tsk! It’s because you didn’t win, isn’t it? Because you didn’t win.”

“No, before that, Worshipped Duke….”

“Don’t say things like ‘before that’!”

“…….”

“I’m saying if you don’t win, Persona gets sold off to another sect?”

Now it’s not even getting married, but being sold off?

My poor Senior Sister.

“In other words, it’s the responsibility of you who didn’t win. Your responsibility. Understand?”

“No matter how I think about it, that’s not it though?”

“It is. It is all correct.”

“No, logically….”

“Don’t talk about things like logic and just win. Win! Only then can we sweep up all the prizes put up by other sects too.”

“…….”

Ah, so that was your goal.

“Shaolin is putting up a Great Return Pill for this martial arts tournament. The Namgung Clan is putting up a famous sword passed down only to the direct line of the Clan Head, and Mount Hua is….”

Originally, a martial arts tournament must have plausible prizes.

Although Patrick had already insisted Persona was the Number One Beauty Under the Heavens and put her up as a prize smoothly, the Nine Sects and Five Great Families couldn’t just keep their feet out of it here.

They too presented precious spiritual pills, treasured swords, secret manuals, and so on as prizes. That means….

“We win unconditionally. Unconditionally! Do you even know how much that is if converted to money? Huh?”

It means conditions sufficient to make this Great Demon go crazy have been met.

And Mun Yul realized.

‘Ah… This is hopeless.’

Things like logic have no power before Patrick.

There was only the reality before his eyes that if he didn’t win, very bad things would happen to his personal safety.

* * *

The martial arts tournament began.

The Nine Sects and Five Great Families.

And countless small and medium sects that arrived at Shaolin following them had their disciples participate.

The participation condition is between 15 and 29 years old.

Regardless of generational rank, they decided to look only at age.

When they heard this condition, the sect leaders of the small and medium sects harbored hopeful thoughts.

‘Wouldn’t it be doable?’

‘Maybe if it were later, but in a period that is still unripe, even the prestigious orthodox sects have clear limits.’

‘If we do well, our disciple might achieve good results.’

Like that.

However, after crashing into the wall called reality, such dreams and hopes of theirs had to crumble with a crash.

“Hebei Peng Clan’s Peng Mu-seong, Victory!”

“Mount Hua Sect’s Jin Seong, Victory!”

“Emei Sect’s Im Yeon-hwa, Victory!”

The reason people call the Nine Sects or Five Great Families prestigious in the Gangho is that they deserve it.

Even if they are still young disciples, the depth of internal energy or the precision of martial arts and so on was distinctly different from the disciples of small and medium sects.

After undergoing the first preliminary round, more than 60% of the small and medium sect disciples fell in droves.

And when they underwent the second preliminary round, about half fell again.

“Hohoho, in the end, prestigious is prestigious.”

“It seems the saying that a dragon rises from a small stream is also false.”

“The wall is high. Truly high.”

Watching the grumbling small and medium sect leaders, the Jaegal Clan Head covered his mouth with a fan and smiled brightly.

‘Did you think it would work then? You foolish fellows.’

It is a martial arts tournament started for a ridiculous reason.

But now that things turned out this way, it didn't seem bad.

Agreeing with the Evil-Breaking Swordsman feels unpleasant, but this was better than wasting time on consumptive arguments that no one knew when they would end.

If they show the insurmountable wall between the small and medium sects and the prestigious orthodox sects through this martial arts tournament, it will be a great help for the newly formed Murim Alliance to show strong dominance within the Orthodox Faction.

In that sense, if possible, the Nine Sects or Five Great Families had to show a clear difference in skill and defeat the small and medium sects….

“Kueook!”

“Twin Dragon Sect’s Sanghun, Victory!”

...But….

“Oooooh, he won.”

“A disciple of the Twin Dragon Sect beat the son of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”

“Amazing. Isn’t it the first time? For a disciple from a small or medium sect to defeat one from the Five Great Families.”

The Jaegal Clan Head gazed intently at the sparring stage where the Twin Dragon Sect disciple was coming down.

‘Impressive?’

The person that Sanghun fellow defeated is Dang Sin-u, the son of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Of course, Dang Sin-u is never an outstanding rising star.

Called the Drinking Mad Dog of Sichuan, he is famous as a dissolute wretch who relies on the Tang Clan’s name to commit all sorts of tyranny. However….

‘Still, he is a direct descendant of the Tang Clan.’

That means he possesses at least first-rate martial prowess. For a disciple of a small or medium sect lacking internal energy, it would have been a wall hard to overcome.

However, that disciple named Sanghun defeated such a Dang Sin-u. And that is not all.

“Twin Dragon Sect’s Yun-a, Victory!”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

A young girl politely bowing with fist and palm while sheathing her twin swords and descending below the sparring stage.

The person collapsed with a dazed expression behind that child is a disciple of the mighty Mount Wudang Sect.

“Wow…. Twin Dragon Sect won again?”

“Hoho. This time she defeated the Hyeonun Sword of the Mount Wudang Sect.”

“She is a child who looks young in age too….”

When two disciples of the Twin Dragon Sect defeated disciples of the prestigious orthodox sects, the audience stirred greatly.

And the Jaegal Clan Head tapped his head with his fan and thought.

‘Twin Dragon Sect…. Is it indeed the Twin Dragon Sect I know?’

* * *

Before the Heaven Breaking Martial Emperor rose to prominence.

The great ancestor who led the golden age of the Orthodox Murim and the golden age of the Jaegal Clan.

Heavenly Secret Wise King, Jaegal Hyeon.

Together with his close friend, the Azure Sky Sword King Namgung Cheon, he led the war against the Blood Cult to victory and ushered in the golden age of the Orthodox Murim.

He is the ancestor most proud of by the descendants of the Jaegal Clan and a hero of the Gangho.

And although not known to the Gangho, it is said that such a great ancestor had a few close friends with deep stories with whom he shared a life-and-death friendship.

One of them was certainly….

‘They said he was Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon of the Twin Dragon Sect.’

He is a figure who did not leave a large footprint in the history of the Gangho.

Because it is said he died young at the age of mid-40s, which can be called the prime for a martial artist.

However, where is the Jaegal Clan?

They are obsessives of records who record and store all sorts of information in detail.

If the Beggars’ Sect’s information is focused on things happening in the current generation, the secret library of the Jaegal Clan records all history that happened in the Gangho from the distant era of Shu Han, down to trivial details.

And in there, the traces of the Radiant Dragon Great Master also clearly remained.

If the Radiant Dragon Great Master had not died at the Falling Phoenix Sect and had continued to survive, the status of the Twin Dragon Sect might have stood above the Five Great Families then.

‘Is what the record says. However….’

Honestly, it is hard to believe.

A sect can shine briefly with the appearance of one genius, but maintaining that is a separate matter, isn’t it?

If one can do such a thing, such a person is not called by the shabby title of genius.

Usually, such people are called Grandmasters.

‘Surely he couldn’t have been such a giant. The ancestor must have looked favorably upon his friend.’

The Jaegal Clan Head laughed with a smirk.

However, apart from that, if the Twin Dragon Sect’s skill is truly outstanding and if they are truly inheriting the Radiant Dragon Great Master’s true teachings properly….

‘Perhaps they might be able to resolve the family’s long-cherished desire.’

Without realizing it, the Jaegal Clan Head paid attention to a boy coming up to the training ground far away.

“East! Twin Dragon Sect’s Mun Yul.”

Following the referee’s call, Mun Yul went up onto the training ground. And on the opposite side….

“West! Mount Zhongnan Sect’s Yeon Mu.”

A giant of the Nine Sects One Gang came up.