The Rising Martial Arts Genius

Chapter 10: First Mission

Above the elders of the Demon Extermination Sect, only the sect leader and vice-sect leader existed.

This meant that Seo Gyu-sang, standing before Jang Woo-hyun, was one of the ten most powerful individuals in the enormous sect, which rivaled the Nine Great Sects.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jang Woo-hyun.”

As he greeted Seo Gyu-sang, Jang Woo-hyun observed him closely.

His skill seemed similar to that of Jin Ha-un from the Blue Star Sect he had met earlier.

Though relatively low for an elder of a large sect, it made sense, considering the unique nature of the Demon Extermination Sect.

The sect was not an ancient one like the Nine Sects.

It was hastily created for a single purpose, so its overall level was naturally lower.

“Alright, Warrior Jang. Please, have a seat.”

After sitting down, they began to talk.

As expected, Seo Gyu-sang had the same questions Hwang An had raised earlier, and Jang Woo-hyun gave the same explanations.

He then added one more thing.

“I’ve heard that the Demon Extermination Sect offers a lot of freedom.”

“That’s correct. We’re not bound by master-disciple or blood relationships but are united by a common purpose.”

“That’s important to me. My knowledge is still lacking, and one day, I’d like to travel and see more of the martial world.”

“That’s a good mindset. Hearing about something and experiencing it firsthand are two very different things.”

Understanding Jang Woo-hyun’s situation, Seo Gyu-sang nodded and continued speaking.

“As you may have guessed, I wanted to meet you in person because your skill is extraordinary. For now, take this.”

Seo Gyu-sang handed him a small token.

On one side, the characters for “Demon Extermination” were written, and on the other, the character for “Silver” gleamed.

“This is…”

“It’s the silver token of the Demon Extermination Sect. Are you familiar with the structure here?”

Jang Woo-hyun nodded.

He had looked into the sect’s basic structure before coming.

Warriors of the Demon Extermination Sect started with a wooden token.

Those holding wooden tokens were like trainees, accepted into the sect to learn martial arts.

The next level began with the iron token, then the silver token, followed by the gold token, and finally, the rank of sub-leader.

“After meeting you, I can see that even a gold token wouldn’t be too much for y ou. However, due to regulations, I can’t grant it just yet. There are concerns about spies, and we don’t know how you’ll perform in actual combat. You’ll need to build a bit of a record first. I hope you understand.”

“Of course.”

All Jang Woo-hyun had done so far was deflect some arrows from a mechanism and cut down a stationary wooden pillar.

Seo Gyu-sang’s reasoning was sound since practice and real combat were entirely different.

“But what do you mean by spies?”

“Since we accept anyone, some strange characters slip through. There are rumors that the Thousand Demon Sect has allied with the Demon Cult, so we need to be cautious of them too. That’s another reason I can’t give you a gold token right away. As you know, a gold token grants a pretty high status in the sect.”

After saying that, Seo Gyu-sang paused for a moment, despite his large size, before cautiously continuing the conversation.

“And there’s another reason—it’s because you don’t have any affiliations.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, not really. It’s just… Do you know anyone here?”

“I don’t. As I mentioned earlier, I’m basically new to the martial world.”

At his response, Seo Gyu-sang smiled widely.

“You may not know yet, but the Demon Extermination Sect is quite diverse in terms of backgrounds, making its internal dynamics more complicated than you might expect. People tend to group with others they get along with. So, how about sticking with me?”

“Stick with you? What do you mean?”

“Oh, don’t pretend you don’t know. I’m telling you to align yourself with me.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Jang Woo-hyun understand what Seo Gyu-sang was suggesting.

‘So it’s like forming a faction.’

It was an offer to join his side.

Even a small sect like the Cloud Sword Sect had an elder plotting to take over, so it was no surprise that a massive sect like this would have similar politics.

Moreover, the Demon Extermination Sect didn’t have master-disciple relationships like other sects.

Most members came from outside, and new people were constantly joining and leaving.

Both the Cloud Sword Sect and the Demon Extermination Sect showed Jang Woo-hyun that the martial world wasn’t built on righteousness and camaraderie but on suspicion and intrigue.

“I understand now. I’ll think about it. It’s always good to have the right connections.”

Smiling outwardly, Jang Woo-hyun expressed his thoughts, though inwardly he remained cautious.

Seo Gyu-sang seemed pleased with his response and smiled back.

“I hope we can work together, even if only for a while. And even if you leave the sect someday, I hope we remain on good terms.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Although I can’t give you a gold token yet, I’ll make sure you’re treated at the gold level. Your accommodations and salary will reflect that. Since I handle most of the exams and token issuances, it should be fine. Now, off you go.”

“Thank you, Elder. I’ll be sure to visit again.”

Despite feeling a bit bitter inside, Jang Woo-hyun finished the meeting with Seo Gyu-sang smoothly.

***

Two days after being assigned his accommodations, Jang Woo-hyun was deployed on his first mission.

He hadn’t had time to learn much about the basics of the Demon Extermination Sect, but since it was focused more on real combat than training, he was quickly assigned a task.

When he arrived at the designated training ground, Hwang An was the first to greet him.

“Jang Hyung!”

For some reason, he seemed overly excited as he approached with a smile.

“Now that we’re in different positions, it’s hard to see you. Wait, no… Should I be calling you Warrior Jang or Hyung-nim now, since you outrank me?”

Seeing Hwang An becoming serious over nothing, Jang Woo-hyun corrected the misunderstanding.

“I’m just a silver token.”

“Huh? A silver token? Is that true?”

Without saying a word, Jang Woo-hyun showed him his token.

“Oh? It really is! But I haven’t seen you in the dormitory.”

Jang Woo-hyun explained where he was staying and what Seo Gyu-sang had told him, and Hwang An nodded in understanding.

“Well, with your skill, that’s the treatment you deserve. Your lodgings are with the gold token warriors, aren’t they? From the gold token level, you get your own room. Silver token warriors usually share with two to four people.”

It seemed that Seo Gyu-sang had indeed arranged for him to be treated at the gold token level.

“I thought you were the leader of this mission since I heard you had joined, but I guess you’re one of the three silver token warriors.”

This mission involved one gold token warrior as the leader, three silver token warriors, and fifteen bronze token warriors.

The ten others gathered in the training yard, aside from Hwang An and Jang Woo-hyun, appeared to be bronze token warriors.

As they chatted about the last two days, a middle-aged man approached the training ground, swinging his arms casually.

“Nice to meet you all. I’m Lee Cheol-jung, the leader and person in charge of this mission.”

With a weary expression, Lee Cheol-jung introduced himself.

“I’m Jang Woo-hyun.”

“I’m Hwang An.”

After brief introductions, Lee Cheol-jung led the group.

One silver token warrior and five bronze token warriors had already left to scout ahead, so there were only thirteen people in the group departing.

They used two carts for transport, as the bronze token warriors, being at the initial stages of second-rate martial artists, were not skilled enough in light-footwork (Qinggong) to reach the destination quickly.

This was fortunate for Jang Woo-hyun, who also lacked sufficient Qinggong skills.

“So, both of you are new recruits, right?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be too nervous. It’s a simple task. Let me explain.”

Lee Cheol-jung unfolded a map on the floor of the cart and pointed to a spot.

“We’re headed here. The Thousand Demon Sect seems to be setting up a formation to summon monsters. We just need to go there, clear out the formation, and deal with the monsters. Then we’re done.”

“What kind of monsters are we dealing with?”

In response to Hwang An’s question, Lee Cheol-jung chuckled and answered.

“What do you think? It’ll probably be Ong-hwa or Jang. You know what those are, right?”

Jang Woo-hyun knew from the basic information he had read the previous day.

Ong-hwa referred to the monkey monsters he had seen when he met Jin Ha-un of the Blue Star Sect, while Jang were monsters resembling leopards.

“This is a simple mission. Since you’re new recruits, we’re sending an excessive force for the experience. Honestly, I wouldn’t normally have to go. Two or three silver token warriors and ten bronze token warriors would usually be enough. Plus, we’re not far from the sect. It’s probably just a diversion to cause confusion. The real action is likely happening deeper in Qinghai Province.”

After giving a few more instructions, Lee Cheol-jung settled in a corner of the cart and went to sleep.

Despite the cart’s constant shaking, he quickly drifted off.

The cart, which had left the Demon Extermination Sect early in the morning, finally stopped after traveling for quite some time.

Two bronze token warriors from the sect approached the stopped group.

They reported to Lee Cheol-jung, and the group, now disembarked from the cart, immediately set off on foot.

“The two bronze token warriors will stay behind and guard the cart. The rest of us will go after the enemies.”

Issuing orders quickly, Lee Cheol-jung led the group up the mountain, following the two scouts who had come to meet them.

Less than half an hour later, they reached a waiting point.

“It’s been a while, Senior Lee.”

The man with a rough beard, holding a bow, was the last of the silver token warriors who had been sent ahead for reconnaissance.

“It’s been a while, Choong-won. With you scouting, today’s mission will be even easier. These two are the new silver token recruits.”

“I’m Hwang An.”

“I’m Jang Woo-hyun.”

“I’m Ma Choong-won.”

Ma Choong-won nodded slightly in greeting, but as his gaze passed over Hwang An and landed on Jang Woo-hyun, he trembled in shock.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Though Ma Choong-won was a silver token warrior, his background as a hunter gave him keen eyesight and sharp instincts.

‘Silver token?’

What nonsense was this idiot Lee Cheol-jung talking?

Hwang An wasn’t the problem.

The real issue was the man who introduced himself as Jang Woo-hyun, the pale-skinned warrior.

He was different.

Silver token?

Not even close.

‘Gold token. Maybe even higher.’

Jang Woo-hyun’s presence felt more fitting for a gold token warrior, or perhaps even for someone at the rank of Sub-leader.

Compared to the lazy Lee Cheol-jung, Jang Woo-hyun was clearly more powerful.

‘Perhaps I can’t fully assess him because of some special mission I’m unaware of. Or maybe he’s just a new recruit and hasn’t received his gold token yet. Or…’

“What’s wrong, Choong-won? What are you thinking so hard about?”

Lee Cheol-jung’s irritated voice broke Ma Choong-won’s train of thought.

Realizing that they were in the middle of a mission, Ma Choong-won snapped back to attention.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just surprised to see such skilled newcomers.”

“Surprised? There’s no need for that. You’re much more skilled than they are. Your tracking skills are unmatched in the Demon Extermination Sect. Let’s get moving. Where are the enemies?”

“If you head up this way, there’s an old temple. They’ve set up camp inside.”

“How many are there?”

“There are three spellcasters and about thirty Ong-hwa (monkey monsters).”

“Thirty Ong-hwa? That’s more than I expected.”

But that was all.

Even without the two bronze token warriors guarding the cart, they still had seventeen people, including one gold token warrior and three silver token warriors.

With favorable conditions and enough time, Lee Cheol-jung could have handled thirty Ong-hwa on his own.

“What about the spellcasters? How skilled are they?”

“I couldn’t get an exact read on them, but they didn’t seem particularly strong.”

“Of course. If they were any good, you wouldn’t be here talking to us. Let’s go deal with them.”

“Yes.”

At Lee Cheol-jung’s command, the warriors of the Demon Extermination Sect began to move.

Following Ma Choong-won’s lead, they soon reached the old, crumbling temple.

The temple was quite large, but only two or three buildings were still intact.

Dozens of yellow-furred monkeys roamed the temple grounds.

“We can’t afford to let any escape, so let’s take them down in one sweep.”

Lee Cheol-jung split the group into three units.

Except for Ma Choong-won, whose primary weapon was the bow, each group was led by a silver token warrior.

Once the three groups spread out to surround the temple, Ma Choong-won shot a signal arrow that whistled like a bird.

Whistle

At the artificial birdcall, Lee Cheol-jung and Hwang An charged in.

Lacking in light-footwork skills, Jang Woo-hyun moved a bit slower, crossing the crumbled wall with the bronze token warriors.