Go ahead and prove it. (5)
“Keep your head down properly, damn it!”
A man and a beast were on the ground, their heads pressed to the ground and their backsides raised high in the air.
“Uuuuugh.”
Kiiiii……..
“What are you whining for, as if you did something right! I’ll ram you straight into the wall!”
Chung Myung sprang up, about to kick, but Hye Yeon swiftly snatched him out of midair.
“Let go! Won’t you let go? Argh! I’m so damn pissed off, seriously!”
Even as he dangled from Hye Yeon’s grip, Chung Myung kept kicking at the empty air and scolding them, and both man and beast alike shed streams of tears.
“A bastard who calls himself a martial artist fell off a horse?!”
“No… well, I was just so startled.”
“Startled?”
Fire practically burst from Chung Myung’s eyes.
“Startled? Did you just say startled? A man who has trained for over ten years falls off a horse just because he got a little startled? When all you had to do was hold on for that one moment?”
“I-I didn’t know the rope would snap”
“Just die already! You damned idiot!”
“Whoa, whoa. Chung Myung, behave.”
“Calm down, calm down.”
“Hitting him won’t change the result. Hold back, Sahyeong.”
The disciples of Hwasan all clung to him and, for the moment, managed to restrain Chung Myung. But even amid all that, the looks they cast at Jo Geol were cold beyond measure.
“Who can we blame? We should have placed our expectations on someone worth expecting things from in the first place.”
“That’s true. In fact, we’re at fault too.”
“All he had to do was hang on, and he couldn’t even manage that. Good grief.”
A sorrowful dew gathered at the corners of Jo Geol’s eyes. Then something short and small tapped him lightly on the head. Seeing Baek Ah comforting him as if telling him not to cry, Jo Geol spoke with all sincerity.
“It’s all because of you! You damned weasel!”
Kiiiiiiiiiiii!
Watching beast and man become one tangled mess as they squabbled, Hye Yeon slowly shook his head.
“Amitabha. If there is such a little difference between a man and a beast after all, is there any reason to rise beyond the realm of beasts? What, indeed, is the difference between a man and a beast?”
“…You have gone too deep, Monk.”
While the disciples of Hwasan were lamenting, triumphant laughter rang out from the Confucian scholars’ side.
“Uahahahahah!”
“That’s more like it! That first archery round was just luck. As if we could lose to Taoists!”
“Naturally.”
“How could horsemanship possibly be easy? With bow and arrow, one might hope for a stroke of luck, but riding a horse is another matter entirely.”
Of course, since they were talking among themselves, they were not openly mocking them, but the way they kept glancing this way and laughing was an eyesore. Baek Cheon ground his teeth.
“Which bastard said Confucian scholars are modest and value propriety?”
“….People are all the same, aren’t they? It’s not as if we live on nothing but grass like everyone says, either.”
“Isn’t that just because Hwasan is strange?”
“Let’s move on.”
Baek Cheon steadied his breathing and soothed his anger. In the meantime, Jwa Gohak approached them with a smile spread across his whole face, an obnoxious one… at least, that was how it looked to Baek Cheon.
“That was close.”
“Ptooey!”
“I mean it. It truly was beyond my expectations.”
Just as Baek Cheon’s face took on a strange expression at Jwa Gohak’s earnest look…
“Live long enough, and you really do see everything, don’t you? Even a weasel riding a horse. And…”
Jwa Gohak kept his head fixed in place and moved only his eyes slightly, casting a sidelong glance at Jo Geol and Baek Ah, who were still bickering.
“And as if that weren’t enough, to witness a man and a weasel fighting like that as well. Haha, truly, the world is full of wondrous things. Had we not come face-to-face with you Taoists Masters, would we ever have had such an experience, even if we lived out our whole lives?”
Baek Cheon, who had been silently staring at Jwa Gohak, turned his head away weakly.
“…Yoon Jong-ah. This is a strange thing to say, but I suddenly feel like apologizing to my Hyeong.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Looking back on it now, I don’t think that man was quite that insufferable after all.”
“You’re mistaken, Sasuk.”
“….You think so?”
Baek Cheon let out a long sigh and snapped.
“So, what is the next test?”
“Is there any need to be in such a hurry? We’ve each claimed a victory now. As it happens, I recently acquired some excellent tea. Why not take things slowly and enjoy the time?”
“I’m sorry, but I feel like I’d get indigestion if I drank tea sitting across from you.”
“…You would get indigestion from drinking tea?”
“Exactly.”
Sparks flew from both their eyes once again.
“You damned Taoist…”
“What was that, you ink-stained bastard?”
“…”
“…”
Baek Cheon, who had been grinding his teeth fiercely, spoke firmly.
“Enough. Let’s begin.”
“Well…”
Jwa Gohak shrugged as if he had no choice in this matter.
“Even when I try to be considerate, you refuse me this firmly, so I have no choice either. The moment when you can enjoy this evenly matched contest will only be now.”
“Hm?”
Just as a faint unease crossed Baek Cheon’s face, Jwa Gohak smiled meaningfully.
“The next subject is the art of writing [서(書)], that is, calligraphy.”
Crack.
Baek Cheon froze on the spot.
“C-Calligraphy?”
“Yes.”
“You mean… that thing where you compete over who writes better?”
Jwa Gohak nodded without delay.
“That is precisely it. That is why I told you, did I not? That we should take it slowly.”
Jwa Gohak was openly mocking him now, but this time, even Baek Cheon could not make any reply.
“There, there was a subject like that?”
“…I believe I explained it from the very beginning?”
“Even so, this is too much.”
Dumbfounded, Baek Cheon muttered blankly.
Of course, none of the previous events had been easy for Taoists either. Had they not been archery, which they had never once tried before, and horsemanship, which they had likewise never once tried before?
Compared to those, even a man who kept books at arm’s length would have written a few characters at some point in his life. Depending on how one looked at it, this might seem like an easier event. However.
‘What utter nonsense.’
For Confucian scholars, calligraphy was part of daily life, but for Hwasan’s disciples, writing was merely something they wrung out when they had to write letters of apology. It was an event in which competition itself was impossible from the start.
Even the slightest stroke of luck they might have hoped for in the other events was clearly out of the question here.
They could not win this. They could not win this if their lives depended on it.
Having grasped the situation, Baek Cheon laughed awkwardly.
“Erm…”
“Yes?”
“I know this is shameless of me to say, but perhaps…. a change of event?”
Jwa Gohak smiled with the most delighted expression imaginable.
“Do you think that would be possible?”
“……Damn it.”
“Haha. As expected, you Taoists have truly unconventional ways of thinking. I clearly told you this was a test, and yet because the actual thing is so difficult, you ask to have the subject changed. You truly are as free-spirited as they say. I suppose that is why you believe you can become immortals.”
“This bastard……”
“This is not the time to get worked up, Sasuk.”
“Uuuuugh.”
Baek Cheon raked both hands through his hair.
‘If we lose again here, things will become really difficult. What was the next event again?’
To be honest, luck had been on their side in the previous two contests. If they lost this one, the outcome was as obvious as looking at a fire. Somehow, they had to find a way.
“W-Wait a moment! The results of the other contests are clear, but calligraphy is not like that, is it? Depending on the viewer, the writing they feel is better may differ.”
“Ah, you needn’t worry about that. We happen to have those three gentlemen over there, right?”
“Huh?”
Jwa Gohak pointed to So Jung-gyeong and the two old scholars watching them from the side.
“Those renowned great Confucian scholars [대유(大儒) – master of Confucianism] will judge fairly. And since there are three of them, there will be no chance of a draw either.”
“…”
“What is the matter? Your expression does not look very good. Could it be that you are doubting those gentlemen right now?”
“No, great Confucian scholars or whatever aside, those gentlemen ARE Confucian scholars too, so who can guarantee they won’t openly take sides… Mmph! Mmmph!”
The disciples of Hwasan turned pale and clamped their hands over Baek Cheon’s mouth.
“Has this guy gone mad!”
“Why do you think we came here?”
“Get a grip, will you?”
The whole reason they had come was to seek the cooperation of those so-called great scholars. If, just because they did not want to lose, they offended them here, they would be putting the cart before the horse.
Baek Cheon, pinned down by his Sajils, and even discreetly kicked by a few of them in the process, protested as if he had been wronged.
“B-But what am I supposed to do? There’s no way to win this.”
“Even so…”
“Are any of you good at calligraphy?”
When Baek Cheon pressed them, the disciples of Hwasan all turned their eyes away and pretended not to hear.
It was not as though any of them had handwriting bad enough to be called atrocious. Depending on one’s standards, there might even be a few among them whose writing could be considered quite elegant.
But no matter how one looked at it, how could they possibly compare to people whose profession was writing and reading all day long?
“…This time, it really might be better to forfeit.”
“It would be a waste of time.”
“Ugh, this is frustrating. If it were a contest of swordsmanship, we’d win.”
“……Uuuuugh.”
Just as Baek Cheon, having acknowledged that there was no other way, was about to declare their forfeit with tears in his eyes…
“Calligraphy, is it.”
Chung Myung, who had been sitting in the back, rose without a sound like a shadow. Then, with a faint smile on his lips, he quietly nodded.
“It can’t be helped. Is it finally time for this great one to step forward?”
“No.”
“Forget it.”
“Put that away, put that away.”
“We forfeit over here!”
“No, what? What is wrong with you people!”
Chung Myung’s face twisted instantly, and he glared at them.
“What, you’re saying you don’t trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you even need to ask? Saying it twice would only wear out my mouth.”
“…”
Before Chung Myung could say anything, Baek Cheon casually slung his arm over Chung Myung’s shoulder.
“Chung Myung-ah.”
“Yeah?”
“No matter what, a person ought to have a conscience. When you look at your own handwriting with your own eyes, what thoughts come to mind?”
“….Thoughts?”
“I have this thought, you see. Even an earthworm wouldn’t crawl so messily.”
“…”
“And someone like that wants what? To compete in calligraphy? Did you leave your conscience behind at Hwasan?”
“Why, you!”
Chung Myung kicked Baek Cheon hard in the backside.
“Who said I was going to compete in calligraphy?”
“Huh? Then?”
Chung Myung clicked his tongue.
“Calligraphy or whatever else, in the end, all we have to do is win!”
“So I’m asking how exactly you plan to do that?”
The event was literally about writing. Just how in the world was he supposed to win?
And yet Chung Myung, who could not possibly be unaware of that situation, was nodding firmly.
“Don’t worry. Doing it twice would be hard, but if it’s just once, we can definitely win.”
“Huh?”
Chung Myung turned his head around sharply to look at Jwa Gohak.
“Hey, you.”
“Yes?”
“Whether we agreed to it or not, competing in calligraphy is advantageous to your side. You’ll admit that much, won’t you?”
Jwa Gohak readily nodded.
“Of course. There’s no way to deny that.”
“Really? Then, for the sake of fairness in the contest…”
“Hm?”
Chung Myung grinned, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“There shouldn’t be any problem with our side choosing the phrase, at least. Isn’t that right?”
Jwa Gohak narrowed his brow slightly.
Of course, there was nothing difficult about it. In calligraphy, what mattered was the writing itself, not the phrase. And if he refused to concede even this much, people would surely say he was afraid of competing against those Taoists.
‘Then why does this feel so unsettling?’
Something about it bothered him. No matter how he thought it over, there was nothing to be wary of, and yet this smelled somehow fishy, especially that guy…
“Very well.”
“Good, then…..”
“However!”
“Hm?”
Jwa Gohak smiled broadly and said.
“The content of the phrase must not be anything that our side would find objectionable. For example, insulting Confucius.”
Chung Myung muttered blankly.
“No, no matter what, I wouldn’t stoop that low…”
“Ugh, what a shame!”
“That would have been a brilliant idea!”
“If it was Chung Myung, that was definitely a move he would have made. And it got blocked.”
“…”
Chung Myung was left speechless as he looked at the demons of Hwasan. Just what kind of monsters had he raised?
Baek Cheon sidled up and whispered.
“Chung Myung, what a shame. It really was a genius idea. Only you would think of something like that.”
“…”
“But it looks like you got caught, so what now?”
“Caught doing what, you lunatics!”
“Why are you getting angry? Weren’t you going to make the writing prompt a phrase insulting Confucius?”
“Why would I do that?! Are you out of your mind?”
“No, because if not that, then there’s no way to win…”
Baek Cheon grumbled, ‘What do means or methods matter when it comes to winning? It’s not as if I’m personally acquainted with that Confucius or whatever.’ Chung Myung could only tremble in disbelief, unable to even find words to respond.
‘Sect Leader Sahyeong. Will this be all right?’
– Who do you think made them this way, you madman?
Ah, why are you swearing at me… But actually, I’m reflecting on it a little too.
“So, what will you do?”
“Hm?”
“What phrase will you choose?”
Hearing that, Chung Myung shrugged and answered casually.
“Great Hwasan Sect [대화산파].”
“Huh?”
“That will do.”
A meaningful smile spread across Chung Myung’s lips.
Special Spinoff Chapter 46 >>>
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