The mood on the Wudang side had become so depressed that it couldn’t be calmed now.

Four straight losses.

No, it was a losing streak.

How would one react if someone had told them before this spar that Wudang would be defeated by Mount Hua five times?

They wouldn’t have even entertained it and would have laughed it off.

Because it is something that, according to common sense, cannot happen.

But today, the disciples of Wudang realized that common sense and thoughts were simply ignorance about things that they have yet to witness.

However, no matter how miserable the feelings of the Wudang disciples were, they were nothing compared to the despair Heo Sanja felt.

Clench.

The sound of a tooth breaking came from his mouth. This was the ultimate humiliation.

Only after trembling at this ridiculous humiliation did Heo Sanja understand why the ancestors had been so sensitive to the name of Mount Hua.

In Heo Sanja’s and others’ eyes, Mount Hua was a fallen sect. Still, when he had just joined, his ancestors must have vividly remembered what Mount Hua was like.

If he had seen something like this with his own eyes when he was young, he would have thought it was like a dagger stuck in the heart of this fallen sect.

‘The same Taoism….’

Didn’t Heo Sanja know that two tigers cannot live on the same mountain?

It was just in stories that people got along when they were on the same path; rather, since they walked the same path, they would start growling at each other, too.

Heo Sanja turned his head and glanced at his disciples. Then, suppressing his anger, he opened his mouth.

“It is fine now.”

“… uh?”

“The humiliation ends here. From now on, all we have to do is win and restore our lost honor.”

Mu Jin spoke with a darkened face.

“But Elder. Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon is remaining.”

“Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon will not be coming out.”

“… uh?”

Heo Sanja slowly turned his head, glanced at Mount Hua, and then said,

“Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon is a person who hates pointless wins.”

He had heard a lot of information about Chung Myung and had managed to understand his nature.

“If he comes out now, he will have to accept the result of winning five times first and then losing five later. So, he will not come for that.”

“…So he will come at the end?”

“Yes. If not, he would come in at the end and try to erase our previous wins.”

Heo Sanja’s analysis of people was accurate, and knowing Chung Myung well, they nodded their heads in admiration.

“Right.”

Heo Sanja’s eyes sparkled.

“It means no one on the other side can win over us.”

In any case, from the time the rules of the challenge were laid out, the result was fixed.

The Five Swords of Mount Hua would be able to win against the Wudang, but the rest could never win over the first-class disciples of Wudang. What was important was how to play the remaining cards.

‘This is the worst result. But that is only within the expected range.’

Losing five times in a row must have been a huge shock to the disciples of Wudang, but if they wanted to win in the coming ones, they would have to let go of this shock to some extent. In that case, one could just protect the result by winning the matches.

“Come forward.”

Heo Sanja gritted his teeth.

“We must win the remaining matches perfectly. Don’t worry about Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, who appears at the end; we have someone to handle that. Instead!”

Heo Sanja looked back at the disciples with narrowing eyes.

“Do not forget our purpose.”

“…”

“Our goal is not to defeat Mount Hua. It is to inform everyone that there are no other core people in Mount Hua, and the lower disciples cannot surpass the name of Wudang.”

“Yes, elder.”

“Push them down without mercy. Mount Hua’s people shone bright, proving that it was like raising eaves without pillars!”

The Wudang disciples nodded.

They had already lost too much. Even if everything went as Heo Sanja had hoped, everyone knew that the goal they were striving for had already been compromised. But because of that, they couldn’t afford any more slack. They were nearing the end.

“I will head out.”

Heo Sanja looked at the person who stepped forward.

“Mu Gak.”

Mu Gak wasn’t bad. Although he wasn’t on par with the Three Swords of Wudang, he wasn’t far behind either. He was highly skilled among the warriors.

“Break their spirits and come back.”

“Yes!”

Mu Gak stepped onto the stage with a stern look.

“…So.”

Baek Cheon looked at the disciples around him.

“…What do we do?”

There was no one to send out. Baek Cheon unconsciously scratched his head.

‘Was there no other way?’

This could actually be a turning point for Mount Hua.

Of course, the other disciples were also skilled warriors who had taken the pills from Chung Myung and trained to the brink of death from overwork. But even so, it was true that they were inferior to the Five Swords.

‘No, actually, it’s a bit worse.’

Even if five of them attacked together, they couldn’t handle one Yoon Jong.

This was their journey to bridge the skill gap, but a conflict with the Wudang had arisen in the meantime.

“Yah, Chung Myung.”

“Uh?”

“Aren’t you going to step in?”

Chung Myung just shrugged his shoulders at Jo Gul’s words.

“I will, but what happens later if I step in now?”

“…Right.”

If Chung Myung had their back, then those who went out to spar would feel less burdened. But if Chung Myung went now, won, and came back, the burden on those who went after would be doubled.

“Then… Soso… ugh.”

Baek Cheon scratched his head.

Of course, Soso was strong. Even after experiencing a difficult battle in the North Sea, she never succumbed and continued to grow.

But no matter how much he thought about it, Soso didn’t seem to stand a chance against a Wudang disciple. Her skills were still lacking for that.

“Then how…”

Every time Baek Cheon’s head turned left and right, the disciples flinched and avoided eye contact.

“Right! You…”

“Sahyung.”

Baek Sang grinned as soon as he was pointed out.

“I have devoted myself to the Finance Hall, so I don’t know things like cutting and stuff.”

“… truly amazing, you bastard.”

Baek Cheon couldn’t hold back the feeling of despair and sighed.

Everyone was unsure now. But that doesn’t mean they could step up. In the first place, it didn’t make sense for the second and third-class disciples to even have a gathering now.

The Five Swords managed to win, and it wasn’t strange.

“Ugh. Just a few… Uh?”

It was then that Baek Cheon’s eyes stopped somewhere.

In between the black robes was this golden brown robe catching his eye. He raised his head a little more and saw something shiny…

“Monk?”

“Uh? Monk Hae Yeon?”

“You there?”

“I didn’t even know he was behind us.”

As everyone’s attention focused, Hae Yeon’s face turned red.

“A-amitabha. It is embarrassing to be alone…”

In the beginning, he stayed at the merchant place alone, saying that Mount Hua and Wudang were the ones fighting and it would be odd for a monk of Shaolin to appear there.

But seeing how he sneaked in, they couldn’t help but smile.

“Monk… uh, Hae Yeon.”

Baek Cheon, who was about to say something, turned to Chung Myung and asked.

“Monk Hae Yeon can spar?”

“… monk…?”

“Ah, no, wouldn’t it be okay if we insist on him being in Mount Hua as a guest? At places like the family sects, even the guests who stay long for guidance are considered their members.”

“This is like getting the dog to eat grass! Painting the bald head and giving him a sword would be better! Then, even if plum blossoms don’t bloom, at least lotuses will come! He will be a mess!”

Chung Myung’s eyes widened, but Baek Cheon didn’t back down this time.

“That is because we have no one else to send there, no one! This is why you should have thought before sending us all out!”

“But you all won!”

“Is that the problem here, you bastard!”

“A-amitabha….”

As the two people growled without giving an inch for another to speak, Hae Yeon didn’t know what to do and shouted.

And at that moment.

A person appeared on the stage and bowed to the Mount Hua camp.

“I am Wudang’s Mu Gak. Who will be my sparring partner?”

“…”

Baek Cheon’s face looked gloomy.

He couldn’t waste time now.

‘Soso? Maybe Baek Sang? If not that… Baek Mu.’

No matter who challenged, no one would win.

He knew.

Well, the results were known. Nevertheless, Baek Cheon was worried because it was clear that no one would want to deal with the first loss after the winning streak.

It has to be someone a little more courageous and wouldn’t be hurt by the defeat.

“Sang!”

Baek Cheon’s face turned determined.

“You go.”

“M-Me?”

Baek Sang looked at Baek Cheon with an embarrassed look.

“If sahyung says it, I can leave, but… honestly, I don’t have much confidence.”

“I know.”

Baek Cheon nodded his head.

“Defeat is acceptable. But even defeat has its benefits. Show yourself as a proud disciple of Mount Hua.”

“… yes, sahyung.”

Baek Sang nodded as if he didn’t have a choice. And the moment when he was about to head up.

“No.”

Someone grabbed Baek Sang with a calm voice.

Everyone turned to the person, looking shocked.

“It isn’t Sang. But me, who has to go.”

“S-senior sasuk?”

“Teacher?”

It was Un Geom.

All the Mount Hua disciples were shocked.

“S-senior sasuk…”

“What is with you people?”

Un Geom chuckled at the odd reaction.

“The first-class disciple of Wudang stepped up, so there is no reason why a first-class disciple of Mount Hua shouldn’t go, right?”

“… it isn’t that….”

“Then what is the problem now?”

“…”

No one spoke. Yet their gazes were honest, all fixated on the empty right sleeve of Un Geom.

Had his hand been intact, no one would have thought about stopping him. On the contrary, since Un Geom stepped forward, his mere presence alone had emboldened them.

But now…

“Sasuk.”

“I can head out, right?”

Baek Cheon bit his lip.

“Don’t say that. You are the senior sasuk. How could I possibly stop you from doing what you wish?”

“Thank you.”

Un Geom grinned, lightly tapped the sword at his waist, and walked forward.

No one stopped him.

At that moment, a blunt tone halted him.

“Are you sure?”

Un Geom turned to Chung Myung.

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t even gotten used to using a sword with your left hand.”

Un Geom smiled softly as if he had anticipated this response.

“Still, I can swing a sword. And it’s embarrassing to see the disciples fight so hard while we watch from afar.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung sighed.

“I will be watching closely.”

“I would prefer that.”

Un Geom smiled at Chung Myung and continued on his way.

“Didn’t Baek Cheon say it earlier?”

“Uh?”

“Even defeats have their benefits.”

“…”

Un Geom stared towards the stage and walked there.

“I wish to show that determination now.”

The empty sleeve fluttered in the wind.

The eyes of the Mount Hua disciples watching him head towards the stage grew significantly more serious than before.