221 - Linker

Translated and Implemented Instructions Chuan Techniques 9, Chapter 21 Chapter 57: It's Not Easy Being Lazy (1) "You're giving it?" "Yes! I will give it to you! So please don't talk about seclusion!" Cheongyeong wanted to cry. 'Why is this elder acting like this...' When an elder martial artist talks about seclusion, it might sound nice, but in reality, it’s like saying, "Don’t think of using my name for anything because I won’t be involved with the sect anymore." 'I already have enough headaches with the Taiji Sword Master.' From Mount Hua’s perspective, the Wudang Sect's Taiji Sword Master was always a thorn in their side. If Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Sword Master goes into seclusion, they won’t be able to stand up to Wudang until the Taiji Sword Master retires. 'I can’t allow such a situation during my tenure!' The value of ten pieces of gold was nothing compared to that. "I’ll give it to you! I’ll give it to you right away. I won't even ask what you plan to use it for, so please retract those words!" "Hmm." The Plum Blossom Sword Master nodded in satisfaction. "Sect Leader." "Yes, Elder Martial Uncle!" "Though I'm taking the money, do you think I'd use it personally for such a large amount?" "......" "It's all for Mount Hua, so don't worry too much." What nonsense is this, Elder Martial Uncle? There were countless things he wanted to say, but they couldn’t escape his lips. Cheongyeong suppressed the rising frustration and forced a smile. "How could I have any doubts?" "Hahaha, I'm glad you understand. Then." As the master extended his hand, Cheongyeong looked at it with a reluctant expression. "Must it be given now?" "You said immediately." "......Just a moment." Cheongyeong sighed, went inside, and opened the safe. "This is all operational funds though......" Funds always seem abundant at first, but by the end, they run short. If this significant amount of ten pieces of gold leaves, Mount Hua might have to survive the rest of the year on nothing but grass. Wiping away the tears that threatened to escape, Cheongyeong retrieved the ten gleaming pieces of gold from the safe. "Here it is." The Plum Blossom Sword Master cleared his throat and accepted the money from Cheongyeong, unable to hide the smile that emerged on his face. "This money will become the foundation for Mount Hua's advancement to a new realm, so don't regret it too much." "......Yes, Elder Martial Uncle." "Then." As the joyous Plum Blossom Sword Master walked away, Cheongyeong let out a low sigh. 'What exactly are you planning to do...' The money was one thing, but worry loomed large. What in the world did he intend to do with such a hefty sum? Just then— "Hmm." A low cough startled Cheongyeong, who turned his head in surprise. 'This is not something to show others...' "Taiji Sword Master, sir?" Seeing the Taiji Sword Master, who was watching with an awkward expression, Cheongyeong couldn’t help but think of various possibilities. 'How come he’s here?' Of course, he knew the Taiji Sword Master had come to Mount Hua to meet with the Plum Blossom Sword Master. However, hadn’t he hurried off to find the Plum Blossom Sword Master after a brief greeting? 'Did he hear everything I discussed with Elder Martial Uncle?' Despite the Taiji Sword Master being renowned as a peerless swordsman and Wudang's foremost sword expert, it was unacceptable for him to slip into the whereabouts of Mount Hua's Sect Leader without notice. Just as Cheongyeong was pondering the consequences and the impact on the relationship between Mount Hua and Wudang, he let go of everything upon hearing a voice by his ear. "Sect Leader, I apologize, but could you possibly lend me ten pieces of gold as well? I promise to repay it when I return to Wudang." "......" Cheongyeong looked off into the distance. 'Damn peace.' Surely, a devil had descended upon Mount Hua. *** "So tiresome, seriously." Wi Yeonho was rolling around on his bed. This place was undoubtedly hazardous. More and more people were imposing labor on him. He couldn't understand why everyone was so eager to act. "Don't they ever get tired?" For Wi Yeonho, who occasionally found even breathing a chore, comprehending those who willingly pursued hardships was an exceedingly challenging endeavor. But evidently, such individuals indeed existed. The person hovering outside his room seemed to be one of them. Knock knock. Sure enough, he heard a knocking sound. 'Do they have no sleep?' While it was a very early hour for an average person, it felt like the dead of night to Wi Yeonho, who was just about to turn in. Though he had a rough idea of who it was from the aura, Wi Yeonho fell into contemplation. 'If I stay silent, will they go away?' No doubt they were here to assign him some troublesome task. Rather than replying and getting involved, perhaps staying quiet would make them think he was asleep and they might leave... "I'm coming in." That seemed not to be the case. As the door swung open, Wi Yeonho could only mourn the lack of proper locks in Mount Hua's measly accommodations. 'Isn’t it exactly because they didn’t consider this that they established the sect on a mountain top!' He wasn’t sure who first founded Mount Hua, but if that person had had a bit of foresight, they might have established the sect right in a bustling district for the future generations. To conduct rituals for Mount Hua, one had to risk life and climb cliffs. Which wealthy, erratic devotee would climb Mount Hua to pray? There's a reason Mount Hua lags behind Wudang. His thoughts had evolved from personal laziness to Mount Hua's developmental direction. Listening to it from Mount Hua's perspective, they would readily retort, "At least handle your own matters properly." Unfortunately, no one from Mount Hua was aware of Wi Yeonho's thoughts. So, of course, they wouldn’t have installed locks. The door opened, and Jin Yeran stepped inside. Newly Encountered Words: 1. Taiji Sword Master (태극검선) 2. Plum Blossom Sword Master (매화검존) 3. Elder Martial Uncle (사숙) 4. Wudang's foremost sword expert (무당제일검) Translated and Implemented Instructions "What is it?" Wi Yeonho asked nonchalantly. Jin Yeran, too, seemed to have no inclination to believe he would be asleep as she replied just as nonchalantly. "Wi Jeonghan, the Sagacious Hero, is looking for you." "Father is?" "Yes." Wi Yeonho's face twisted slightly. "Is it urgent?" "I don’t really know…” Wi Yeonho scratched his head. 'If it was urgent, they wouldn't have sent her.' Surely, if it was something of urgent nature, he would have come personally. After all, Wi Jeonghan took pleasure in waking Wi Yeonho and flipping over his bedding while he was asleep as if it was a favorite pastime. "Ugh." Wi Yeonho sighed deeply. Why couldn’t the world just leave him alone? He had crawled out of that cave only to find that the world was still a harsh place for him. “Aren't you going to go?” “Ugh.” Wi Yeonho rolled off the bed, groaned, and took a deep sigh. "Let’s go then." As Wi Yeonho trudged toward the door, Jin Yeran stopped him with her hand. “Huh?” Looking up, he watched as Jin Yeran pulled out a towel from the basket she had brought and drew it to Wi Yeonho's face. “There are other people there.” "..." “Laziness may not be a fault, but there’s no need to show it to others.” Jin Yeran smiled gently after wiping Wi Yeonho's face and tucked the towel back into the basket. “Let’s go downstairs now.” "Uh-huh…" Wi Yeonho scratched his head. ‘Something feels a bit strange...’ There was a tickling sensation in his stomach. It was a feeling he couldn’t quite get used to, as it was rare to receive such consideration from anyone other than his mother. ‘Come to think of it, that's true.’ Wi Yeonho's life had been a series of struggles. He had fought against his brother’s attempts to train him, was nearly sold to the martial house before meeting his master, and even after leaving the cave, he was endlessly dragged and forced to fight and fight again. In the midst of that, how many had shown him kindness? "Hmm." Clearing his throat to dispel the awkwardness, Wi Yeonho followed Jin Yeran who was leading the way. “What’s the matter?” “Other participants have arrived.” "…What's that got to do with me?" “Perhaps it’s because Young Master Wi is considered a junior compared to them, so they want you to greet them.” “What?” Wi Yeonho's face twisted rapidly. "Did he call me down here just for something as trivial as that?" “I’m not sure of the exact reason.” “Ugh.” Even as he grumbled incessantly during the short journey from the second floor to the first, he did head there nevertheless. ‘It’s better than getting hit.’ At one time, realizing he had become an expert in his own right, he had celebrated the idea of no longer being beaten by his brother or father, but that idea was a pipe dream. His body, accustomed to beatings since childhood, still shriveled when he saw his father. It wasn’t just his father; he shrank before his brother and cowered even more at the sight of his mother. Wi Yeonho, who had learned the simple truth that no matter how strong he got, he could never overcome his father, walked with a sorrowful heart. “Should I run away once things settle?” “Pardon?” “Thinking about it, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live freely while in the central plains with Father and Brother around.” "Ah...." “Martial artists live long, don’t they? Our father will probably remain robust for another seventy years, and my brother could live for more than a hundred.” Shuddering at the thought alone, the image of his father barging into his room even as he lay down as an old man, flipping his bed, and his brother approaching to lecture him played through his mind, turning Wi Yeonho’s face grim. ‘This is something that can’t just be overlooked.’ It was a perfectly plausible scenario. “Could I live past a hundred and still be bullied?” “That won’t happen.” “You say that because you don’t know my family.” “No. It won’t happen. It’s because you’re their son and brother now. Once you marry and start your own family, they’ll respect that.” "…Marry?" Startled by an idea that had never crossed his mind, Wi Yeonho flinched, but Jin Yeran gave no reply. She merely quickened her pace a little. “Marriage, marriage…” Wi Yeonho’s face took on a grim cast. He had never considered living through marriage. Being lazy meant accepting there were lots to give up. The notion of responsibility was non-existent to Wi Yeonho, making supporting a family and raising children an outlandish concept. “Is that the only solution?” It sounded remotely reasonable. Certainly, his father wouldn’t beat him in front of grandchildren, would he? No matter how much Wi Jeonghan lived day by day for the singular joy of beating Wi Yeonho, surely he would have that much discretion. Now that he had some money… Rationally speaking, this seemed the best way to end this semi-enslaved life. Yet... “No way, who would marry me?” Wi Yeonho didn’t think anyone would marry him. Self-awareness and knowing his limits were among his few qualities. “...There might be someone, you know.” “Come on, who?” “There is.” "What?" "Ah, never mind." Wi Yeonho, bewildered, watched Jin Yeran hasten her steps, speaking to himself in a daze. “What is she doing?” Such affairs would be something Wi Yeonho would never fully comprehend.