Chapter 38: The Search Party
I left the Sect Leader's Palace alone.
Jin Gwangung still had more to discuss with the Sect Leader, so I had been sent ahead by myself.
I headed straight for the place where the search party was supposed to gather.
It was the secret training ground behind Mungseong Pavilion, the same place where the Elders' Lecture Gathering had been held.
The moment I stepped inside...
three people came into view.
Myeongjeon, representative of First Elder Na Gwangdo from the Finance Hall.
Yu Seola, granddaughter of Explosive Sword Yu Gwangcheol.
And Hyeongwon, Young Hall Master of the Martial Discipline Office and direct disciple of Iron Lion Gwangheon.
The three stood apart from one another.
And each of them gave off a completely different impression.
The first one to catch my eye was Myeongjeon.
He kept pacing in a small circle in the middle of the training ground, clearly restless.
His face looked as dark as though he were about to be dragged straight into hell.
At the same time...
he kept sneaking glances at Hyeongwon and Yu Seola, nervously watching their reactions.
This bastard is terrified.
Hyeongwon, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
He had a long spear strapped across his back.
His feet kept shifting restlessly.
There was even a hint of excitement in his expression.
He reminded me of a racehorse eager to burst out of the gate.
Looks like he's itching to go out and earn some merit.
There wasn't even the slightest trace of concern that we might run into the Demonic Cult.
His face was filled with nothing but anticipation.
His overflowing bloodlust and competitive spirit made it painfully obvious that he wanted a chance to prove himself.
Tut.
It's always bastards like that who cause trouble.
I shook my head at the hot-blooded kid.
Lastly...
Yu Seola.
Although she looked like the youngest among the three...
her expression was also the calmest.
She stood quietly with her eyes closed, regulating her breathing.
For some reason, there was a reassuring sense of stability about her.
As expected from the granddaughter of Explosive Sword.
She doesn't look nervous at all.
I steadied my breathing and approached them.
Surprisingly...
the first person to notice me was Myeongjeon.
The moment he saw me, his eyes widened.
Then he practically jumped forward.
“A-Ah! Martial Uncle Han Mujin!”
His face brightened instantly, as if he had just found an angel in the depths of hell.
Myeongjeon hurried in front of me and bent so deeply that his head nearly touched the ground.
“Do you remember me? I'm Myeongjeon from the Finance Hall!”
“We briefly met during the Elders' Lecture Gathering, but this is the first time I've had the chance to properly greet you.”
He beamed.
“It's an honor, Martial Uncle Han Mujin!”
His excessive reaction made me pause.
We had only seen each other once during the Elders' Lecture Gathering.
We had never even properly spoken.
“Uh... yeah.”
I nodded awkwardly.
“Good to see you too, Martial Nephew Myeongjeon.”
“But calling it an honor is a bit...”
Myeongjeon immediately waved both hands.
“No! Absolutely not!”
His voice grew louder.
“Are you not the once-in-a-generation genius who inherited the legacy of True Immortal Cheongun, the former strongest under heaven?”
“And now I even have the honor of joining the same search party as someone like you!”
He pressed a hand to his chest.
“How could I possibly call it anything other than an honor?”
“Haha... ha.”
It was a little awkward...
but I decided to simply accept it.
He wasn't exactly wrong.
And if that was how he genuinely wanted to think about me...
who was I to tell him otherwise?
I nodded.
“Anyway, I'm glad to meet you too.”
Myeongjeon immediately grinned even wider.
“To think someone like Martial Uncle Mujin would welcome me so warmly...”
“I hardly know what to do with myself.”
He clasped his hands together.
“I can only thank the heavens for allowing me to form such a deep connection with you.”
Myeongjeon stared at me with a huge smile.
I tilted my head inwardly.
Why is this bastard acting like we're already close?
A "deep connection"?
Thanking the heavens?
Even if he wanted to get on my good side...
wasn't this a little too much?
Then...
Myeongjeon took one step closer.
He lowered his voice as though whispering.
“By the way, Martial Uncle...”
“I heard this search mission might be connected to the Demonic Cult.”
His face grew nervous again.
“It's going to be dangerous, right?”
“Probably.”
I nodded.
“I doubt it'll be an easy mission.”
Myeongjeon suddenly straightened.
“But I'm not worried at all.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“You're not?”
“Of course not.”
He smiled brightly.
“Because I have someone as dependable as Martial Uncle Mujin beside me.”
He began rubbing his hands together.
“What can a few Demonic Cult bastards possibly do?”
His praise flowed without hesitation.
“Martial Uncle Mujin inherited True Immortal Cheongun's martial arts.”
“All you have to do is swing your sword once and it'll be over.”
Then he pressed closer to my side.
“I'll just trust you and follow behind you.”
The movement was so smooth...
so natural...
that I almost laughed.
Look at this bastard.
He's got some brains.
During the Elders' Lecture Gathering, Myeongjeon had been the only representative who demonstrated a movement technique rather than a direct combat art.
In terms of pure combat ability...
he was probably the weakest among us.
So he figures sticking close to me will make him less likely to die.
That explained the shameless flattery.
As expected from someone raised in the Finance Hall.
His social survival skills were on another level.
Still...
I didn't dislike his attitude.
Actually...
I rather liked it.
You should use every tool available to survive.
I respected people who used whatever they had to accomplish their goals.
Whether that meant shameless flattery or clever social maneuvering didn't matter.
My experience as a test subject...
desperately struggling to survive...
had only strengthened that belief.
Guys like this usually live the longest.
Apparently realizing that I wasn't displeased, Myeongjeon spoke even more sweetly.
“By the way, Martial Uncle Mujin...”
“How old are you?”
He tilted his head.
“Eighteen? Nineteen?”
“Fifteen.”
"...Oh."
Myeongjeon's face froze.
“You're... much younger than I expected.”
He blinked.
“Three years younger than me....”
For a moment...
he looked visibly shaken.
But only for a moment.
Then he unleashed the ultimate form of flattery.
“But!”
His voice rose sharply.
“What meaning does a mere difference in age have?”
He clasped his hands together.
“As disciples of Kunlun, isn't the order in which one reaches the Dao what truly matters?”
