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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Shadows at the Initiation
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"You really got stabbed with a knife, huh?"
I was admitted to the infirmary at Cheonsubakryeonsa.
The attending physician, a man with a distinctive goatee, made a huge fuss when he first saw me carried in, drenched in blood.
But soon enough, he tilted his head in bewilderment at my body, which had almost no wounds compared to all that blood splattered around.
[Once every full moon cycle, emergency musculoskeletal repair like this is possible. It comes with many limitations and is only temporary, though.]
I touched my stomach.
The cold sensation of that kitchen knife piercing my gut was still vivid.
I didn't know what Moyong Taese had written in the recommendation letter, but fortunately, I received word that the admission paperwork had gone through without issue, even while I was laid up here.
Though there were no major external injuries, I suffered from anemia and slight difficulty walking, so they gave me an extra week for recovery.
The scale of Cheonsubakryeonsa, as glimpsed from the infirmary, was beyond imagination.
'The nickname "a murim within the murim" wasn't an exaggeration at all.'
Vast, countless training grounds and practice halls radiated out from an enormous, endless wall, giving the feeling of stepping into another world entirely.
People came and went in droves, and there were even inns, dormitories, and all sorts of facilities just for Cheonsubakryeonsa members.
The infirmary itself was quiet.
"The initiation ceremony hasn't even started yet. This is your one shot at real rest. Once the 'trials' and 'promotion exams' kick off at the four halls, the injured start pouring in—ugh, don't get me started. It's hell, pure hell."
The physician in charge here introduced himself as the Haseo Physician.
Cheerful as he was, he was bored out of his mind and kept chatting with me, and through him, I gathered all sorts of info right up until my discharge on initiation day.
"Man, your body's a born martial prodigy. Flex your arm for me?"
Initiation day morning.
As I prepared for discharge, I sporadically did the stretches and poses he asked for.
Moving my arms and extending my body to its full range, I cautiously asked,
"That person hasn't come back since?"
"Who?"
I dredged up the memory.
"The one who was a bit on the short side, with those striking silver eyes."
"If you mean Executioner Eunseolryeong,"
The Haseo Physician clapped his palm with his fist.
"She's probably already forgotten she even dropped you off here. I guarantee it."
"…What's an executioner?"
"Doesn't matter for a lowly initiate like you. Anyway, to her, cases like yours aren't special. She dumps injured folks here all the time and vanishes."
It stung a little, oddly enough.
"Are cases like mine that common?"
"For her, yeah—guys who piss her off and end up half-dead. Oh, right. There's something I wanted to ask you anyway."
The Haseo Physician's demeanor turned serious.
"Not that it's likely, but… Moyong Bi, you don't get along with your other brothers back home, do you?"
"That's… true. But why bring it up all of a sudden?"
The Haseo Physician sighed, his face clouding over with a complicated expression.
"Of course, we expected this cohort to be a big one—Cheonsubakryeonsa opens every six years, but it's been a full decade this time… Sigh. Well…"
He struggled to continue.
Only after I prodded him a few times did the Haseo Physician finally speak.
"Word is, all three Moyong Family brothers are joining this cohort at Cheonsubakryeonsa. Sure, scions from the other great families enter when they come of age, but all three from one house at once? Never happened before."
My mind went blank.
Even with my shallow knowledge of the jianghu, I could tell right away.
It was too contrived.
It didn't add up.
I'd come here trusting it was a neutral ground, free from influence.
Moyong Taese had recommended it so strongly because no one's breath reached this place.
"You're hearing this for the first time, huh."
Reading my face, the Haseo Physician looked worried.
He didn't go into details.
But knowing I was the Moyong Family bastard already, he seemed to grasp the situation well enough.
"Don't worry too much. Cheonsubakryeonsa's about martial arts, sure, but plenty join for connections with the Nine Great Sects, One Gang, and major factions. It's probably not about targeting you—more like sibling rivalry pushing them all in. Though the Moyong Family's massive funding means their influence weighs heaviest, naturally."
A heaviness settled in my chest.
The Haseo Physician started to say something, then closed his mouth.
"If things get tough, come find me. I'll lend an ear."
That was probably the best comfort he could offer.
I smiled and bowed deeply in sincere thanks.
Then I turned and headed toward the training ground where the initiation ceremony would be held.
"All three Moyong Family young masters entering…"
[I agree with the physician. They see you as a thorn, true, but all three rushing into Cheonsubakryeonsa just to eliminate you personally? That's overthinking it. Right.]
I veered right into an alley.
"Rumor has it the three brothers are at each other's throats like mortal enemies… Makes sense it's rivalry between them."
[My take? It's about their own martial achievements and building networks for support bases. Left.]
I turned left again.
"This place, gathering all the jianghu's young talents, is perfect for making connections, right?"
[Plus, if they can off each other 'accidentally,' problem solved. Stop.]
I halted.
[One and a half張 away. Right wall. Blue training uniform.]
"I thought it was just coincidence."
Staring hard at the alley mouth, I said.
[Our paths crossed three times. No such thing as coincidence.]
The area bustled with initiates heading to the training ground.
Amid them, I clearly spotted it.
Under the wall, a man stashing a dagger in his chest sheath before vanishing.
[Probably not entering alone—they've disguised their followers as initiates too.]
"…Figures. No one's that stupid."
Gam Seoin's advice came to mind.
Even the second brother, infamous for being dull, flighty, and womanizing, had a solid power base you couldn't ignore.
The first and third were absolutely not to be underestimated.
[If they're watching a bastard like you this closely, what are the purebloods plotting among themselves? Unimaginable.]
I gripped the strap of my bundle digging into my shoulder.
"Moomyeong, you know what I was thinking when that knife went into my gut at the gates?"
[What?]
I ground my teeth.
"I'll overlook a lot. But anyone—man, woman, child—who points a blade at me even once? No mercy. Family head or whatever, I don't care. But…!"
I vowed it, etching each word into my bones.
"Blood for blood. If becoming Moyong Family head is how I survive, then that dog of a patriarch? I'll take the seat myself. Better me dead than let the bastards hunting me live."
Moomyeong stayed silent for a long while.
Then, softly, it murmured in my head.
[All good, but cut the swearing. If you're gonna do it, do it right. Not half-assed.]
"…Fuck."
[Not in your head either. Strong thoughts echo sometimes.]
My head throbbed.
Felt like having a nagging mother-in-law camped in my skull.
Before I could sink deeper into thought, a sharp voice pierced my ears.
"Attention, all!"
Young men and women my age swarmed toward the voice in the plaza.
They wore uniforms symbolizing their various sects.
"Don't block the way. Move."
I rubbed my shoved shoulder and glanced back.
A group towering a head above me, clad in black training uniforms.
"Which sect are you from? Go join your sect's group."
They waved me off like I was invisible and pushed ahead.
"That's our spot. Move."
"We claimed this. Go somewhere else."
Tensions were heating up.
Everyone wanted the front row, easiest to catch the platform's eye.
What started as seat squabbles was morphing into sect pride clashes.
"This is Jeomchang Sect's spot. Leave while we're asking nice. Unless you want blood on initiation day."
"Bullshit—our Kunlun Sect youngest has been here since morning. The nerve!"
"What'd you say?"
Some groups were already radiating murderous intent.
Of course, some had prime spots without any friction.
"Ugh, the smell!"
Off to one side stood Beggar's Sect kids, all in ragged, torn clothes, scratching their heads.
"What? We even washed, our style."
"That's why prejudice is scary!"
I gaped from the back, pushed aside.
"…Amazing."
[Close your mouth, host. Stay composed.]
This was the world I'd hoped to join.
I'd failed to even enter minor sects in reality.
Yet here I stood, sharing space with disciples from those prestigious houses.
Cheonsubakryeonsa wasn't for just anyone—only heirs from local powers and famed sects trained here.
"Attention, all. No more commotion."
The noise died instantly.
A burly man with rippling muscles and black hair slicked back neatly appeared on the platform.
His mere presence exuded crushing pressure.
"Welcome to Cheonsubakryeonsa. I'm Gang Buryong, chief overseer here. Skip the honorifics. You're not official initiates yet."
- Twitch
For martial artists, honor and pride were innate.
No one takes that lightly.
"Looks like you're picking pointless fights already. Cut the crap, you fledglings. You're still green as hell—nowhere near worthy of representing your sects."
Overkill provocation, I thought.
He was speaking way too harshly.
Such blatant disrespect would provoke the obvious response.
"That insult to our sect—we won't stand for it!"
A man in cyan robes, short hair tied with a band, shouted. Gang Buryong smirked coldly.
"To clear up misunderstandings: when did I insult your sect? I just trashed you and your skills, idiot."
"W-what?!"
The cyan-robed man bellowed, face flushed.
"A-anyway! This is an outrage to a martial artist! I'm Ryu Baek-san, third-generation disciple of Jeomchang Sect! I've got the skills. You're just a frog in this mountain well, blind to the jianghu's true powerhouses…!"
- Whoosh
Gang Buryong's form blurred, reappearing before Ryu Baek-san.
"Frog?"
- Thwack
Gang Buryong's fist smashed into Ryu Baek-san's cheek.
The big man's neck snapped back, body flipping to crash on the ground.
"…!"
Silence gripped the crowd.
Gang Buryong dusted his fist.
"Yeah, every cohort brings at least one loudmouth like you. But yours is extra foul-mouthed. Didn't your seniors warn you? At Cheonsubakryeonsa, don't strut around Pahwanggun or me."
"Ugh…!!"
Stomping Ryu Baek-san's head, Gang Buryong said coldly,
"And I'm that Gang Buryong. Got beef? Get your sect leader's okay and challenge me to a deathmatch. I'll accept anytime. Gotta visit your Jeomchang Sect head soon anyway. Last cohort had solid disciples fitting a great sect, but now this fool who can't gauge strength, rampaging like thunder, dragging mud on the name…"
Overwhelming presence silenced everyone.
Showing strength as an example.
Simple, but most effective.
No doubt, among the crowd filling the vast ground, few lacked talent or pride.
To unify such colorful, strong-willed types, this was essential.
'Definitely.'
Not everyone in the crowd was hot-headed.
Some stayed calm, silently observing even amid the uproar.
'…'
A few locked eyes with me especially.
A few stood.
Unease crept up like mold in my chest.
"No way, not here."