I Am the Youngest Disciple of the Martial Arts World’s Mastermind
Chapter 39
Chapter 39
The Youngest Disciple of the Murim’s Hidden Mastermind
Chapter 39
“…….”
“It felt like I was looking at my past self. I’m sorry for acting on my own again, and for… making you worry.”
I looked Master straight in the eye and bowed my head once more.
After a moment of silence, Master finally spoke.
“…Soyoung-ah.”
“Yes?”
It had been a while since he called me by the name he gave me, rather than the affectionate nickname he usually used.
As my eyes widened in surprise, Master gently took both of my hands in his.
I couldn’t feel his touch fully through the bandages, but his warmth reached me clearly.
“From the moment I first took you in, I made a vow. I promised that I would never let you die a vain death beyond the reach of my sight.”
“Why would you…?”
He spoke with such certainty, as if he were convinced that I was destined to die that way.
Suddenly, the words of Samok-seon flashed through my mind again.
‘Even if your Master protects you with all his might now, the unstoppable flow of fate will catch up to you one day.’
As I thought of Samok-seon, the sound of a pit of snakes hissing nearby seemed to tickle my ears.
When I reflexively flinched, Master immediately added more.
“I know that at times, I may seem strange or even frightening to you.”
“…….”
He spoke as if it were only natural for me to be afraid of him or stay on my guard.
But I hadn’t flinched because of him just now….
His calm voice continued, whispering softly.
“Even so, I am your Master. I am your teacher. If you have no parents, then I must fulfill that role. For those who ascend Cheongsanbong, severing ties with the secular world means forging a new bond with me.”
“…A bond.”
“Yes. That is why I….”
Master tucked a strand of my damp hair behind my ear and smiled broadly. It was a benevolent smile, like that of a father.
“I will protect you, no matter what happens. Do not be so afraid. Lean on me a little more. Use me, if it means you can grow up safe and healthy.”
Use him?!
I hurriedly shook my head from side to side.
“I never thought of using you! I just felt like you were being… too kind to me….”
Master caught my words as if he had been waiting for them.
“Exactly. So pester me to be even kinder. You could use me for small things, like doing your hair. I worry because you don’t rely on me enough.”
“…….”
I stole a glance up at Master and asked cautiously.
“Then… could you tie my hair for me?”
Even as I asked, I was skeptical.
Had a man like him ever tied a child’s hair before?
“Of course. Let’s see now.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Master tenderly turned me around.
His hands were steady as he meticulously brushed through my nearly dry hair, smoothing it into place.
“……!”
My eyes grew wider and wider as I stared into the mirror in front of me.
“There, all finished. How do you like it?”
“Wow!”
It was an adorable style, with my hair tied into two round little buns on either side.
Tied like this, I actually looked like quite a cute child.
Especially since my cheeks had filled out while living on Cheongsanbong, I looked like a normal kid my age, which I liked.
“I love it so much. It suits me….”
“Huhuhu.”
As I gripped the mirror as if I were about to fall into it, Master let out a low chuckle.
“I’m not just saying this because you’re my disciple, but Soso, you are the cutest thing in the world.”
This is amazing. I’m so happy. I wish this moment could last forever.
Just as the corners of my mouth were about to split into a wide grin—
“Now then… what shall we do about your punishment?”
“…Huh?”
Punishment, all of a sudden?
I whipped my head around to look at Master.
“Pu-punishment?”
“Did you think you wouldn’t receive one?”
“I thought you forgave me?!”
The mood was so good just a second ago!
I glared at him as if to protest, but Master, chuckling softly, showed no sign of letting me off the hook.
“Making sure you weren’t hurt was the first priority. Now, you must be punished for disrupting the order of the sect so that this never happens again.”
“I-I promised I’d never do it again…!”
“If a promise was all it took, why would rules even exist?”
“……!!”
I looked at Master with eyes full of indignation.
He had moved me to tears with all those sweet, warm words, and yet he was still so strict about business when it mattered…!
Wearing a mischievous smile, Master snapped his fingers as if a great idea had just struck him.
“Ah. I have the perfect punishment for you, Soso. Rest well tomorrow, and from the day after….”
“Aren’t you paying attention? Your discipline has completely crumbled just because it’s the last day.”
“No it hasn’t….”
Gwangeum glared at me with his handsome eyes, pausing in the middle of explaining the internal structure of a mechanism he had just dismantled.
“I told you I’m not showing you twice.”
“Yes, sir….”
Since I was guilty of being late for today’s ‘punishment’ because I was chatting with Danhwi, I couldn’t say a word and just hung my head.
Right. The punishment Master had assigned was none other than….
“Inspecting mechanisms is no easy task.”
“I know….”
It was acting as an assistant to Gwangeum while he inspected the mechanical devices.
I thought helping Gwangeum would just mean standing by and handing him tools when he needed them. But.
‘What are you just standing there for? Come here and look at the structure. You read the books, didn’t you? It’s easy if you understand the formations.’
Gwangeum seemed intent on passing down every single detail of how to handle mechanisms and formations to me.
The problem was that it was incredibly difficult.
At first, Gwangeum seemed to be making allowances for the fact that I was a child, but….
‘You really read that whole book? Then explain the objective and the third move of the Heavenly Thunder Formation.’
‘Uh….’
‘You can’t, can you? I knew it. Do you think reading is just putting the words in your eyes? You have to master it, memorize it, so it comes out the moment I ask….’
‘The Heavenly Thunder Formation is a mobile formation for cavalry, inspired by the movements of bandits when the Martial Arts Alliance was suppressing them. The third move is the Lightning Flash; after the vanguard retreats to the rear, the main force surges forward like a wave to annihilate the enemy all at once….’
‘…Huh?’
‘That’s what I remember, is that right?’
I had been so annoyed by Gwangeum treating me like an idiot that the words just spilled out.
Perhaps it was because I knew the world of this novel so well, but once I cleared the hurdle of the unfamiliar Hanja characters, memorizing the content wasn’t hard at all.
Anyway, since then, Gwangeum seemed to think I was some kind of prodigy and stopped treating me like an eight-year-old.
“Tsk. What are you daydreaming about now that your eyes aren’t following me?”
“Nothing….”
If he thought of me as an eight-year-old, there’s no way he’d nag me like this. Yeah.
“Watch closely. If you pull this branch, the mechanism rotates and activates. It reacts to changes in weight. Keep in mind that rust usually forms where this kind of friction occurs. Understand?”
“Yes.”
Regardless of his eccentric personality, Gwangeum’s skills were the real deal. Thanks to that, my knowledge of mechanisms and formations grew rapidly with every lesson.
Currently, we were checking the devices installed on the peaks slightly below Cheongsanbong that amplified the mountain mist.
The problem was….
“…….”
“…….”
‘This awkward atmosphere…!’
Whenever Gwangeum stopped his explanations and began the actual inspection, silence fell between us.
Gwangeum had turned completely cold upon hearing the news that I had secretly snuck down Cheongsanbong, that Senior Brother Hyeonhak had been involved, and that I had returned injured.
I could still vividly recall the scene where Gwangeum, eyes bloodshot, had stood up to Master.
‘Master. I cannot stand the sight of someone you haven’t even officially accepted as a disciple setting foot on Cheongsanbong. Furthermore, if they are of the Demonic Cult, I absolutely cannot accept it.’
‘Gwangeum. Calm yourself.’
Master himself had to step in to calm him down when he went on a rampage, threatening to immediately kick out Ryang—who was currently hoistered up in the Medical Hall, a place even I hadn’t been able to visit.
Though he only directed cold glares at me and didn’t scold me directly….
“If you don’t use the designated paths when leaving Cheongsanbong, you will run into mechanical traps like these.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Usually, people don’t even realize they’ve triggered a mechanism before they’re trapped in the mist, wandering forever until they fall off a cliff.”
“…Yes, sir.”
‘He’s definitely trying to scare me, right?’
The message he wanted to send me was crystal clear in the words he spoke every single day I went to help with the inspections.
Because of that, I naturally started choosing my words carefully.
Still, perhaps it was because it was the last day.
“Hey.”
Gwangeum was the first to speak.
