Chapter 32 – Competitive Spirit

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read more at Nineheavens.org

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Chapter 32 – Competitive Spirit

The spacious southern training grounds within White Peak Sword Sect.

It was approaching noon.

Under the warm sunlight blazing down, the eyes of all the disciples were sunken and hollow.

The training grounds, thick with the stale smell of sweat, was filled with incessant groaning sounds.

"Guk… Damn… I can't feel my whole body right now."

"Aagh… At this rate… we're really… going to die…"

"Urgh… I don't think… I can hold on… any longer…"

"Um… It's almost noon… When is the Sect Master coming?"

Currently, the disciples all wore grimacing expressions while maintaining the third position of the whole-body twist isolated movement.

Their limbs trembled uncontrollably from exhaustion.

Their stamina had long been depleted.

In truth, not only was the training process itself grueling, but having stayed up all night, they were holding on by willpower alone.

But now.

Even that was at its limit.

They knew well that this hellish training wouldn't end until Cheol Ryu-heun returned, but they couldn't help the urge to give up that kept surging.

A thunderous reprimand fell from Hyeop Mu-geuk, positioned in the front row.

"Oi! Who here isn't having a hard time? Stop being dramatic!"

Befitting his title as Chief Supervisor, his posture was quite stable.

Of course, his hands and feet trembled due to the all-nighter's effects, but compared to the others, it wasn't noticeable.

Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In in the same row were the same.

All three had faces that had changed from originally rough-looking to almost fiendish, but they were maintaining the difficult posture reasonably well.

Setting everything else aside, weren't these three people whose stamina was no less than Hyeop Mu-geuk's?

The three Head Instructor brothers each raised their voices as if to boost morale.

"As they say, joy comes after hardship – if you endure this process, you'll be able to grow even faster!"

"The only way to repay Sect Master Cheol's great grace and trust is through blood-shedding effort!"

"That's right! There's even an old saying that blood is thicker than water!"

There seemed to be one completely irrelevant statement mixed in at the end, but the disciples didn't have the luxury to nitpick such things.

Yeop Hwon on the platform clapped his hands and encouraged them.

"Come, come! I'll blow the whistle soon, so hold on just a bit longer! The Sect Master will be pleased when he sees this!"

His voice was hoarse after blowing the whistle all this time.

Yet his expression was brighter than ever.

Honestly, he had expected that someone would definitely give up during the morning, but seeing everyone persevere without a single exception filled his heart with pride.

Finally.

Tweet-!

When the whistle rang out cheerfully, the hundred or so people including Hyeop Mu-geuk completed the final whole-body twist movement without calling out the count.

"Heheh, well done. Everyone take a moment to catch your breath in a comfortable position."

The moment Yeop Hwon finished speaking, everyone lay flat on the training ground floor and completely relaxed their bodies.

Just then.

Trudge, trudge…

All eleven workers approached with drooped shoulders and listless gaits.

Yeop Hwon looked at them as they neared the platform and tilted his head.

"What's wrong with your appearances?"

The eyes of all the workers, including Tae Sa-ja, were just as sunken and hollow as the disciples'.

They somehow looked like they would collapse if you poked them with a finger.

Tae Sa-ja answered quietly through half-closed eyes.

"Everyone burned pure white with passion."

"Hm? What does that mean?"

"We also stayed up all night working until now, wanting to be recognized by the Sect Master later. Starting with the outhouse cleaning, we fixed up the northern wall and the stable wall completely."

"My, how admirable."

"Although we're former bandits, we worked with grit to prove that our passion is greater than anyone's."

"Still, there was no need to stay up all night…"

"Pardon? Gasp, then did we do it for nothing?"

"Ah… Th-That's not it. Of course it's worthy of praise."

"Oh my, thank you."

Tae Sa-ja bowed with sleepy eyes, then his legs gave out and he sat down.

In turn, the ten workers behind him also simultaneously plopped down on the ground as if falling.

Seeing that, Yeop Hwon spoke with gentle eyes.

"When the Sect Master arrives, I'll speak to him separately. I'll suggest that since all the workers are utterly exhausted from finishing various tasks, it would be good for them to rest for a day or two."

Meanwhile, the disciples sprawled flat on the training grounds could barely even twitch a finger.

Without exception, drowsiness was rushing in.

Just as everyone's eyelids were automatically drooping.

Thump… thud-thump… thump…

A faint vibration was detected from the ground touching their backs.

It felt like something was continuously striking the ground.

Thud-thump, thump, thud-thump…

Soon, the vibration came more strongly, and everyone's drowsiness completely vanished.

'Hmm?'

The source was just outside White Peak Sword Sect.

Along with the successive vibrations, a heavy noise penetrated everyone's ears.

Thud-thud-thud-thud- thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-

"Ah! Th-That's…!"

"The Sect Master has arrived!"

"Finally!"

The delighted disciples all sprang to their feet without anyone leading and stared at the main gate.

Not to be outdone, the eleven workers also hurriedly got up and turned their heads.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-!

The noise grew closer.

Could the sound of powerful hoofbeats ever be this welcome?

But then.

'Huh?'

The direction of the noise was strange.

Not toward the main gate… but toward the wall on its right side?

Suddenly, all the workers' faces went pale.

"Gaaah!"

"No, don't!"

The moment an ominous premonition flashed through their minds.

Crash-!

Divine Wind smashed through the wall and entered the training grounds, raising a cloud of dust.

Sure, go ahead.

What do you mean don't?

As if ignoring the workers' words, Divine Wind exhaled from its nose and mouth and held its neck up straight.

"Th-That crazy horse again…"

"Aah, we're done for…"

"Son of a… biii…"

The workers were so extremely fatigued and so enraged that it shot up to the tops of their heads that they fainted.

Some of them were even so aggrieved that they foamed at the mouth.

Tae Sa-ja clicked his tongue at them.

"Tch, how weak. That broken wall will be quickly restored with just one more all-nighter."

Cheol Ryu-heun, mounted on Divine Wind, had somehow come close and said.

"Wipe your nosebleed before you talk."

"Pardon?"

Tae Sa-ja quickly wiped his nose with his sleeve.

"Gah! Bl-Blood!"

He let out a startled cry and simultaneously rolled his eyes back and fainted.

Thud.

The executives and disciples who had gathered around stared at Tae Sa-ja with blank expressions.

"What's that? Did he faint because he was scared of his own blood?"

"I've heard there's such a thing as hemophobia…"

"Wait, how did someone like that live as a bandit?"

Cheol Ryu-heun let out an expressionless sigh.

"Of all things."

Then he dismounted and untied the thick rope binding Ye Woon-rang's body.

'Urk… Now I feel like I'm alive!'

Ye Woon-rang finally stood upright on two feet on the ground and soothed his churning stomach.

But at that moment.

'Hm?'

Upon seeing the rough-looking Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In, he involuntarily flinched and stepped back.

"Eek! What are unorthodox villains doing in an orthodox sect…!"

At Ye Woon-rang's startled cry, the three Guyang brothers inwardly bristled.

'Who's calling who an unorthodox villain! We're proper Head Instructors of this sect!'

One of the disciples spoke while holding back laughter.

"Ah, um… Those three are the Head Instructors of this sect."

Only then did Ye Woon-rang notice the mountain patterns embroidered on the martial attire the three Guyang brothers wore.

'Mmm, I see. Head Instructors of White Peak Sword Sect…'

Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In came to formally introduce themselves.

"Swordsman of fluttering passion, First Head Instructor Guyang Cheon."

"Swordsman of crying-out effort, Second Head Instructor Guyang Ji."

"Swordsman of binding grit, Third Head Instructor Guyang In."

Cheol Ryu-heun snorted dismissively.

"Fluttering, crying-out, binding – the Three-in-One Head Instructors have arrived."

At that, Guyang Cheon burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha! Pretty good, right? All three of us didn't have decent titles, so we tried making some up."

All the disciples silently shook their heads.

Why is the embarrassment our burden?

At that moment, Guyang Ji casually asked a question.

"Sect Master, by the way… is that elderly gentleman perhaps the one who will become our sect's guest retainer?"

This time, Ye Woon-rang inwardly bristled.

'Who's an elderly gentleman! I haven't even reached forty!'

It wasn't like this was the first or second time he'd experienced this, but it still made him angry every time he heard it.

"Thirty-three."

At those words from Cheol Ryu-heun, the three Head Instructor brothers looked bewildered.

"Pardon?"

"He's the same age as you three."

"…!"

Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In momentarily wore expressions of being at a loss for words.

Of course, the reactions of the others standing around – Yeop Hwon, Hyeop Mu-geuk, and the rest – weren't much different.

Someone exclaimed shortly and quietly.

"Sh-Shocking and horrifying!"

Ye Woon-rang inwardly bristled once more.

'Shut up! What's shocking and horrifying!'

The three Guyang brothers poured fuel on the fire by whispering among themselves.

"At this rate, when he's around forty he'll look well over sixty."

"Huh, how did he end up like that? Did he take the wrong medicine as a child?"

"Can't you tell just by looking? He was just born that way. It won't change until he dies… How pitiful."

Damn bastards, I can hear everything!

Ye Woon-rang forcibly suppressed his boiling insides and opened his mouth.

"*Ahem*, hem… Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Ye Woon-rang, a wanderer who was drifting without purpose until I crossed paths with Sect Master Cheol and became the first guest retainer of this place."

The disciples stared at Ye Woon-rang's face upon hearing that name, just as Cheol Ryu-heun had done.

The name was quite beautiful and elegant.

The problem was that his face gave off too much of a contrasting impression.

Guyang Cheon soon muttered with an awkward smile.

"W-Well… It's not the name's fault. That face is what's at fault."

Not to be outdone, Ye Woon-rang quietly retorted.

"Is it any better than faces like goblins?"

Reflexively, the thick eyebrows of Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In twitched upward.

"A guest retainer… talking back?"

Invisible sparks flew wildly between them.

Competitive spirit.

Each insisting their own face was better…

Of course, to everyone else, it was just a case of comparing rotten apples.

Once the introductions with Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were finished, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke in an indifferent voice while gesturing with his chin.

"Guest Retainer Number One's martial prowess is no less than the Elder's or the Chief Supervisor's, so he will be a great help in strengthening our sect's combat power."

Simultaneously, exclamations flowed from the disciples' mouths.

"Wow…!"

Suddenly, words Cheol Ryu-heun had said yesterday came to mind.

-There's someone I locked up somewhere a while back, so I'm going to check on their condition first. He's not that weak, so he shouldn't be dead yet.

They didn't know the detailed circumstances of where or how the two had gotten involved, but they hadn't held much expectation, assuming he would just be a reasonably useful martial artist.

But lo and behold.

If his martial prowess was at a level comparable to Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk, who had advanced through Seven Energies Returning to Origin and Five Energies Returning to Origin, then it was literally a jackpot.

Ye Woon-rang added with a somewhat embarrassed look.

"In any case, I will do my best not to hear that I'm not earning my keep."

All the disciples applauded with expressions full of expectation, cheering him on.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun gave orders while walking away.

"Alright, everyone clean up and stand by before lunch. Elder and Chief Supervisor, follow me."

"Yes, Sect Master. But what is this about?"

"Is there perhaps a matter to discuss separately?"

As Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk asked while following behind, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke without even turning his head.

"I'm planning to bring out the original White Peak Sword Manual. Well, good things should be shared equally. Don't you think?"

The two, not understanding, blinked their widened eyes.

Shared equally? What does that mean?