Zhongnan Sect!
When you talk about Zhongnan Sect, it’s the main site and holy place of the largest sect of Taoism, called the Zhenjian Sect.
In the past, there was a Taoist named Wang Zhongyang, who tried to get an official position when he was young but failed miserably in the exams.
Realizing he might not be cut out for scholarly pursuits, he turned to martial arts to rise to fame, but he flopped there too.
The shock of failing in both the civil and military careers hit him pretty hard, and he ended up burning down his home and wandering around pretending to be crazy.
(Put it this way: if you think of a wandering idiot burning down his home, that’s actually the tame version.)
However, when he met a teacher during this chaotic time, he achieved a great enlightenment. This teacher was none other than one of the Eight Immortals, the swordmaster Yeodongbin.
And thus, Wang Zhongyang achieved great enlightenment, took on disciples, and finally settled on Zhongnan Mountain, marking the birth of the Zhenjian Sect, the Taoist faction Zhongnan Sect.
Notably, one of his disciples, a Taoist named Hak Daetong, opened a Taoist temple near his master and taught the way, which eventually became the Hwasan Sect.
So, the biggest achievement of the Zhongnan Sect is that it gave rise to the Hwasan Sect.
On the downside, the Zhongnan Sect has always struggled with a talent shortage compared to the Hwasan Sect, which often means they lag in skills.
You can understand the Zhongnan Sect’s frustration.
Hwasan Sect is so bold, calling themselves the “Hwasan Sword Sect,” leaning more towards a worldly faction than a true Taoist school.
Their martial arts are brutally practical, focusing on killing enemies with deadly techniques.
Besides, Hwasan’s martial arts hide that brutal intent in flashy moves.
So when common folks see the Hwasan Sect, they’re all like, “Wow! Hwasan! Mei Flower Sword!” But wait, don’t they have just a few Mei Flower trees at Hwasan? Hmm, not sure!
But Zhongnan Sect is the true Taoist sect, right down to the core.
Of course, this claim is supported by the Qingseong Sect and the Kunlun Sect together.
Thanks to this situation, these three sects share the title of being the true Taoist sect, which makes their distinctiveness a bit diluted.
Yet, the Zhongnan Sect doesn’t seem to mind.
Why? Because they’re way richer than the Hwasan Sect.
The biggest characteristic of the true Taoist faction is wealth, no doubt.
Sure, Hwasan may have fame in martial arts, but if you ask where you’d want to go for rituals and offerings, you’d naturally choose Zhongnan Mountain, the third holy site of Taoism.
Plus, there’s an old tradition where if the royals come to offer sacrifices, they naturally pay for the land around—it’s common practice! The Zhongnan Sect is the first-choice favorite among royal descendants visiting the Central Plains.
Of course, they still can’t compare to the Buddhist sacred sites like Songshan and Ami.
Anyway, that’s why the Zhongnan Sect is loaded with land.
Their land even stretches into the front yard of the Hwasan Sect!
So, the bizarre situation is that while they pay protection fees to the Hwasan Sect, they’re actually cultivating their own land!
Consequently, the scenery of the Zhongnan Sect is luxurious.
Beautifully constructed halls spread out widely, resembling the downtown of a city.
As Qing approached the gates of Zhongnan with Seoliri by her side, she saw the massive, well-paved grounds lavishly decorated with golden and silver embellishments, sprawling out like her hometown.
While signing the guest book and taking a moment to catch her breath in the guest hall, she soon received word to greet the Sect Leader.
Upon entering the leader’s chamber, she was warmly greeted by a middle-aged man adorned in what looked like a gold-gilded robe, shining brightly.
This was the Zhongnan Sect Leader, Ta Jeong Jin-in.
“Merit from the Murim Malhak’s Seomun Mo greets you, Sect Leader. How have you been?”
“I’m Seoliri from the Ice Palace. How’s everything with you?”
“Oh, you’re not the youngest anymore. So, it’s been a while since the Ice Palace’s child visited, or maybe this is the first time? It’s a pleasure to see you again. Did you have any troubles on your way here?”
“Yes. The Shaolin Sect’s Hall Master also sent his regards.”
“What regards does a Taoist have? So, did you gain any insights from seeing the Shaolin Sect’s Jeolgeumbyeok?”
“Yes, a bit embarrassingly.”
“Oh, you’re definitely a promising one. So, how many insights did you gain?”
“Huh?”
“Oh no, I meant how many techniques did you pick up?”
“Ah, just one. The name is Yua Dokjon.”
“Hmm.”
Ta Jeong Jin-in let out a disappointed sigh.
Truth be told, when it comes to martial arts in Zhongnan, they lacked practical power.
Mind you, this refers to their skills in the So Heung Eight Directions.
If Qing were to list out Zhongnan’s martial arts, they would be met with a brilliant spectacle of shimmering golden feats.
Anyway, since it had already been acknowledged that Zhongnan’s martial arts were somewhat lacking amongst the Four Great Schools, after hearing about the Dokkogu Sword’s tales, he secretly coveted that first technique.
The first technique connects to the essence, the root, the primal meaning possessed by martial arts.
But Shaolin, really? With so many high-level techniques, shouldn’t they just claim the title of the world’s best instead of settling for the first technique?
“Then, you gathered the first and eighth techniques, I see.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Hmmm. I won’t be greedy for the ninth technique. But could you perhaps manage with the seventh technique? Zhongnan has a deep bond with the number seven after all.”
“Um… that’s not really up to me to decide.”
“Ah, right.”
Ta Jeong Jin-in’s shoulders drooped in disappointment.
“Well then, let’s see… it’s a bit early for dinner, huh? Let’s prepare an extravagant feast and after seeing the Jeolgeumbyeok, we can all dine together.”
Dressed in golden robes and with an air of excitement, he looked more like a rich shopkeeper than a Taoist.
But the words he spoke pierced right into the heart, proving he indeed was the real deal.
“Hehe. Thanks a lot.”
“No need to thank me. Now, let’s go.”
And so, Qing got up from her seat.
But then…
“Um, Sect Leader, don’t you have a few extra companions?”
“Should I be honest? Or more honest?”
“Both if you could?”
“Honestly, I was thinking if you go into a trance during the finals like you did in martial arts, they all want to see what happens. Who knows? Maybe one of my disciples might gain insight from witnessing it.”
“And if you want to be extremely honest?”
“Because, you see, these Taoists have nothing important to do. Why bother reading dull scriptures when lovely beauties are around? They all just crawled out in boredom, and I have no reason to stop them.”
Based just on those words, it seemed like he was the kind of eccentric cult leader you could imagine.
After all, looking like a rich guy draped in golden garb, he certainly didn’t look much like a Taoist.
Yet, despite his odd behavior and look, he was genuinely remarkable in his achievements.
In fact, the Zhongnan Sect is so loaded with money that they don’t even realize how precious gold and silver are and just spend it recklessly.
Spending it casually isn’t too meaningful for a Taoist, after all.
So, just a bit of feeding the starving, clothing the naked, and giving a place to sleep for those without roofs is about it.
While the scenic beauty of Zhongnan Mountain is graceful, it isn’t harsh. So, as the warriors chatted lightly while climbing the mountain, they quickly reached the Jeolgeumbyeok.
And as they looked up at the Jeolgeumbyeok, they wondered about Great Master Mucheondae’s fateful encounter, and their minds wandered aimlessly.
The world was bathed in a grey hue.
The Hwasan Sect had seen Great Master Mucheondae display his techniques, and the Shaolin Temple had experienced firsthand the old man’s overwhelming sword.
And now, this time it was not an experience, but rather an observation.
In a colorless world, a stubborn old man sat perched on a protruding rock, vividly standing out.
Great Master Mucheondae rested his chin on his hand, casting a collected gaze in Qing’s direction.
What will happen now?
Qing was buzzing with anticipation, thinking wouldn’t it be nice to have snacks? She decided she’d have to bring some corn for the next time when staring at Great Master Mucheondae.
“……”
“……”
“……”
“……”
But the old man did nothing.
It seemed like a bit over an hour had passed, and he just sat there breathing, giving off no sign of doing anything.
“Uhm, what’s going on? Why is he just sitting there?”
Just then, right on cue, a monologue slipped out.
“I’m waiting.”
“Oh! Guess we’re about to start.”
“……”
“……”
But, more silence.
Qing tilted her head in confusion.
What’s up? Do I also need to wait for something alongside him?
After about another hour had passed.
Finally, Great Master Mucheondae spoke again.
“Wretched girl.”
That was quite the curse.
“Rude little brat.”
Another insult.
It was right when Qing began to sense something was off.
“When do you plan on standing there like a statue? When you see an elder, aren’t you supposed to greet him first? Didn’t you learn that? Being rude doesn’t describe just any simple manner of rudeness; it also embarrasses your parents! Huh?”
Qing turned to look back where the voice came from.
In the grey world, there were nothing but grey rocks.
“Um, are you perhaps talking to me…?”
“Of course! Who else would I be talking to?”
“Uh, can you see me?”
“Why? Do you think I can’t see just because I’m an old man?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just… well, um… you see, I came to see the techniques you left at the Jeolgeumbyeok, so you usually weren’t like this before?”
“Oh, so that’s how it is.”
“Elder?”
“That thing he left behind is this, huh? Now it makes sense. You probably won’t understand, but there will come a time when you too will understand. Until then, there’s no need to learn about it. Anyway, let’s leave that aside for now.”
For some reason, a wave of great anger surged within Qing at that moment.
What’s up with that tone? Why did I suddenly feel so angry?
Then Great Master Mucheondae chuckled.
“It’s a joke. If I talk like this, everyone thinks there’s something serious behind it and they get all worked up. So, how’s the main body? The real Great Master Mucheondae is dead, right?”
“They say he transcended.”
“Did he pull it off? I expected so.”
“So, you’re not the real Great Master Mucheondae?”
“Of course, I’m not. What should I say? It’s the legacy? The essence of the sword, let’s call it the sword’s will. You’re interpreting it based on what you see.”
“The sword’s will?”
“You’ll also achieve similar status when you become a master like me. Though honestly, I don’t think that day will ever come. Not everyone can just become a master.”
“Even if I were a master, I wouldn’t think I could do that. What kind of martial art is this? Isn’t it more like magic or some kind of sorcery?”
“It’s not that grand. You know how when you read the lines of wise sages and all of a sudden feel a strong connection and understand the underlying meaning? Watching my sword movement, you’ll come to understand my great will through that process.”
This was nothing like the image she had pictured in her head.
She thought he would be a serious, stubborn, and somewhat noble old man.
Turns out he wasn’t that serious at all.
“That’s because the image of the Great Master Mucheondae you constructed in your mind is this person. No matter what, a person perceives the world through their own eyes, and since you interpret me like this, here I am. But what in the world did my records say to make me look like this? Like a scoundrel or something.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yup.”
Honestly, Qing had always thought the Great Master Mucheondae was the type who caused a ruckus at the palace, made mischief at the demonic faction, and created chaos among the heterodox sects and the Blood Sect.
“Well, you know, I did some good things in the world. So, saying I caused chaos is a bit disappointing.”
“Huh? Can you read minds now?”
“That’s exactly what you made me into, isn’t it?”
“Uh, I don’t know. Can’t we just see the techniques and finish already?”
“Not a chance.”
“Why not?”
“Because you were born under the sign of Heaven’s Kill. If you see it now, you’ll be sucked into the entrance of the Demon in one go. Becoming a demon. If you’re a demon born under Heaven’s Kill, oh boy, that’d be horrifying. And not just any demon, but a great demon.”
“A great demon? That sounds kinda bad.”
“Does it sound good? It’s the word ‘great’ added before demon, you know? Not only lacking manners, but also what’s in that big head of yours.”
“Ugh, why do you have to be like this? Can’t you speak more politely?”
Then Great Master Mucheondae gave a look of disbelief.
“Didn’t you make me that way? You secretly wanted to hear insults, didn’t you? Now let me ask you this, why do you want to be insulted like that? What’s bothering you? What’s on your mind?”