Chapter 105: Staying at Mount Hua
Elder Hyeoneom came to a stop right beside Sect Leader Wonmyeong.
He planted his staff against the ground with a sharp tap.
“The Sect Leader seems to be having trouble answering, so this old man will add a word.”
Then he looked at Wonmyeong.
“You don't mind, do you?”
Wonmyeong's stiff expression brightened instantly.
“If Elder Hyeoneom is willing to help, I would be grateful.”
Wonmyeong had been completely cornered by Jin Gwangung's rough way of speaking.
Naturally...
he welcomed Hyeoneom's sudden intervention.
Once the Sect Leader gave permission, Hyeoneom stepped toward Jin Gwangung.
With the small Elder Hyeoneom standing opposite the massive Jin Gwangung...
it almost looked like a child staring up at an adult.
Yet Hyeoneom showed no sign of being intimidated.
Instead, he looked Jin Gwangung up and down and spoke indifferently.
“You... what was your name again?”
He frowned.
“Gwangyong?”
Jin Gwangung's face twitched.
“...Gwangung.”
“Ah, right, right.”
Hyeoneom nodded.
“Im Gwanung.”
“...Jin Gwangung.”
“Yes, yes. Im Gwanyong.”
"..."
Jin Gwangung clenched his jaw and glared at him.
His face had gone bright red.
He was clearly furious.
Normally...
with Jin Gwangung's temper...
he would've exploded long ago.
But somehow, he was gritting his teeth and holding it in.
He had heard what Jinwon told me on our way to the training ground.
Elder Hyeoneom was the highest-ranking senior within Mount Hua.
Even Sect Leader Wonmyeong treated him with great respect.
No matter how reckless Jin Gwangung was...
he couldn't treat someone like that however he pleased.
Barely suppressing his anger, Jin Gwangung asked,
“What exactly did you mean just now?”
“You said we couldn't leave Mount Hua.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Didn't we complete the Five-Step Sword Art as promised?”
Hyeoneom snorted.
“Good grief.”
He shook his head.
“As expected, you look impressive on the outside, but there's not much going on inside that head.”
"..."
Jin Gwangung's tightly clenched fist began trembling.
Hyeoneom either didn't notice...
or simply didn't care.
He continued.
“You connected one final form and now you're already throwing around the word ‘complete’?”
Jin Gwangung opened his mouth.
“But—”
“Hah! You still don't understand?!”
Hyeoneom cut him off sharply.
He didn't even give him time to breathe.
“Simply demonstrating one form once isn't enough!”
“If you're truly exchanging teachings, then both sides should produce a completed version that everyone can acknowledge.”
Jin Gwangung ground his teeth.
“What exactly are you saying?”
Hyeoneom clicked his tongue.
“What do you think I'm saying?”
He tapped his staff against the ground.
“I'm saying we should properly finish the True Five-Step Sword Art together.”
Then he pointed toward me.
“And to put it bluntly, what good is it if only that brat called Young Hero can perform the True Five-Step Sword Art?”
Hyeoneom looked toward Wonmyeong.
“Mount Hua should gain something from this too if it's supposed to be a proper exchange.”
Wonmyeong immediately understood where Hyeoneom was going.
Hyeoneom asked,
“Sect Leader.”
“Yes, Elder Hyeoneom.”
“Wasn't that what you meant by this exchange?”
“The young Taoists of both sects putting their heads together to create a completed version?”
Wonmyeong nodded quickly.
“Exactly.”
His voice became more confident.
“My original intention was to create a martial arts manual that had undergone full verification by the Martial Training Institute.”
Hyeoneom nodded.
“There. That's the point.”
Then he looked back toward Jin Gwangung.
“Listen, Elder Im Gwanyong.”
Jin Gwangung's eyebrow twitched.
“...Jin Gwangung.”
“Whatever.”
Hyeoneom waved a hand.
“Now do you understand why you need to stay at Mount Hua a little longer?”
"..."
Jin Gwangung let out a long sigh.
“Haa...”
Then asked,
“How long are you saying we need to stay?”
Hyeoneom glanced aside.
“The head of the Martial Training Institute can answer that.”
The moment he finished...
Cheongbaek quickly stepped forward.
“Elder Jin.”
He gave a martial salute.
The crazed look he'd shown me earlier was completely gone.
He had returned to the composed demeanor of the head of the Martial Training Institute.
“According to the Martial Training Institute's established procedures...”
“producing an officially completed version will take at least two weeks.”
Jin Gwangung raised his voice in disbelief.
“Why does it take two whole weeks?!”
Cheongbaek answered without backing down.
“Completing a martial arts manual requires careful consideration.”
“If even a single line of the mnemonic formula is recorded incorrectly...”
His expression grew serious.
“it could place the practitioner in grave danger.”
He was right.
The martial arts manuals stored in the Abandoned Martial Hall were perfect examples of what happened when that kind of thing went wrong.
And as the Hall Master of the Abandoned Martial Hall...
Jin Gwangung knew that better than anyone.
He asked in a resigned tone,
“Fine.”
“Then what exactly do you need us to help with?”
Cheongbaek answered immediately.
“First, Taoist Han Mujin must repeatedly demonstrate the True Five-Step Sword Art.”
“We will organize the mnemonic formula based on his sword path.”
“Then others must perform it as well.”
He continued without pause.
“If any problematic phrase or movement appears, we correct it and repeat the demonstrations.”
“Only after all of those processes are completed can the martial arts manual truly be considered finished.”
Cheongbaek rattled off the explanation in one uninterrupted stream.
Jin Gwangung looked exhausted just listening to him.
He waved both hands.
“Enough! Enough already!”
He grimaced.
“Stop before my ears start bleeding.”
Then he sighed heavily.
“So in the end...”
“no matter how we look at it, we have to stay another two weeks.”
Wonmyeong nodded.
“I think this is an excellent outcome.”
He smiled.
“Mount Hua and Kunlun combining their efforts to complete one sword art together.”
“That is exactly the kind of exchange I hoped for.”
Jin Gwangung nodded reluctantly.
“...Fine.”
The moment he accepted...
Wonmyeong visibly relaxed.
“Then Head Cheongbaek will organize and explain the upcoming schedule.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Wonmyeong was about to conclude the gathering.
“Then we'll end things here for today—”
“Wait.”
A voice echoed through the training ground.
Everyone turned toward it.
Elder Hyeoneom.
He rested his staff lightly against the ground and looked directly at me.
“Young Hero.”
