The Mending Studio - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 7
“That will do.”

Jang Hyeon Jinsa rose from his seat.
As he brushed his sleeve once, the tense energy that had filled the hall began to dissipate.

“From now on, treat Soji District and Cheong Yang District as a single region, bound together.”
“Cheong Yang District?”
“Precisely. That way, we’re not removing Soji District from the Selection itself, and no matter who gets chosen, the chances of walking away completely empty-handed diminish considerably.”

Several people exchanged glances in silence.

“A sound approach.”
“That seems fair enough.”
“I have no objections either.”

Cheong Yang District was larger than Soji District, and in recent Selections it had consistently produced at least Middle Spiritual Roots. By pairing the two districts together, whichever Peak was chosen, the risk of returning completely empty-handed would lessen.
More importantly, since the name Soji District itself would not be erased, there was justification for the Daoists of the upper echelon who had ascended.
Won Geom Jinsa, too, nodded reluctantly.
At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside the hall.
A young man entered.
Dressed in a cyan robe, he had a refined face and a composed bearing. Though he wore neither sword nor dharma implement at his waist, his every step flowed with unbroken energy.
The moment he stepped into the hall, the eyes of all seven Suzas fastened upon him, yet he showed not the slightest sign of nervousness.
Like one who had grown up long years at the side of the Sacred Child, his bearing was impeccable.
It was Lee Jang Myeong, the Sacred Child of Taehyeon Seongjji.

“Disciple Lee Jang Myeong offers respectful greetings to all of you, Martial Uncles.”
“You’ve arrived.”

Jang Hyeon Jinsa smiled.
In Lee Jang Myeong’s hand was a single Disciple Register.
It held the results of the newly selected disciples.
Cheong Yeop Jinsa spoke first.

“How did this Selection fare?”
“Not badly at all.”

Lee Jang Myeong answered warmly, but cast the briefest glance toward Won Geom Jinsa.
Cheong Yeop Jinsa did not miss that subtle look.

“Why do you look at Won Geom?”
“Nothing of consequence.”

Jang Hyeon Jinsa raised a hand.

“All seven Peak Suzas are present—tell us the results.”
“Yes.”

Lee Jang Myeong opened the register.

“In this Selection from the seven Peaks, we have selected a total of one hundred seventy-nine disciples.”

The hall fell silent.
The Suzas’ minds were already turning the numbers over. The total itself was neither too great nor too small; what mattered was what qualities lay mixed within it.

“Of these, ten possess Supreme Spiritual Roots.”

Several faces brightened.

“Seventy-two possess Superior Spiritual Roots. As for Middle Spiritual Roots…….”
“Wait.”

Gu Geo Jinsa cut in.

“How many Supreme ones did you say?”
“Ten, sir.”
“Ten?”

Not only Gu Geo Jinsa but the other Suzas straightened in their seats. It was uncommon for ten Supreme Spiritual Roots to appear in a single Selection, and if each peak claimed even one properly, the entire martial strength of Taehyeon Seongjji could shift within decades.

“Yes. And that number does not include one Superior Metal-type Spiritual Root.”

A Superior Metal-type Spiritual Root was so prized by disciples that it was difficult to count it as merely one Superior grade. At a place like Yeonggeomp Peak, it would be coveted no less than a Supreme specimen.
Gu Geo Jinsa’s face brightened visibly.

“Ha! This year we have a proper harvest indeed.”

Ten Supreme Spiritual Roots.
Over seventy Superior grades as well.
By any measure of Taehyeon Seongjji as a whole, it was cause for celebration.
The other Suzas nodded in agreement.
But Lee Jang Myeong’s gaze remained fixed on Won Geom Jinsa.
Only then did Won Geom Jinsa sense that something was amiss.

“Why do you keep staring at me?”

Lee Jang Myeong glanced down at the register once more.

“Because of the results from Yeonggeomp Peak, which you oversee.”

Won Geom Jinsa’s face hardened.
He recalled how loudly he had argued just moments ago for removing Soji District from the Selection grounds.

“Surely not.”

He had spent the entire time beforehand complaining about Soji District.
If he heard now that it had turned up empty again, Cheong Yeop Jinsa would undoubtedly mock him for days.
But Lee Jang Myeong’s next words came from an entirely different direction.

“Seven of the ten Supreme Spiritual Roots came from Yeonggeomp Peak.”
“…What?”

Won Geom Jinsa’s voice cracked.
Yeonggeomp Peak had failed to produce even a single Supreme Spiritual Root in nearly twenty years. That was why he had been insisting, until just moments ago, that he would rather accept the peak’s decline than lower the standards.
But seven.
All at once.
The meaning of those words did not immediately register.

“And the one Superior Metal-type Spiritual Root I mentioned also comes from Yeonggeomp Peak.”

This time Won Geom Jinsa rose fully from his seat.
The other Suzas turned their faces toward him in unison. Lee Jang Myeong continued.

“All eight are from the same place.”
“The same place?”
“Yes.”

Lee Jang Myeong’s voice remained calm.

“Soji District.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Jang Hyeon Jinsa’s fingers stilled.
It had been a Selection site maintained in name only because it was the hometown of a sect that had declined to the upper ranks. Five years ago, not a single Middle Spiritual Root had emerged from it, and until just moments before, they had concluded it could barely hold its own face only when paired with Cheong Yang District.
Yet from that small village, seven Supreme Spiritual Roots and one Superior Metal-type Spiritual Root had appeared all at once.
The number was too great to dismiss as coincidence.
The expressions of the elders who had just unanimously agreed to remove Soji District from the Selection sites froze in unison.
Cheong Yeop Jinsa stared at Won Geom Jinsa with his mouth hanging open, and Gu Geo Jinsa alternated his gaze between Lee Jang Myeong and the Disciple Register, wondering if he had misheard. The other Suzas were no different.
Only Won Geom Jinsa wore an entirely different expression. Astonishment had already passed.
Then came an incredulous joy, rushing in like a tide.
But the suddenness of it all left even his laughter stuck in his throat.
The fact that mere moments ago he had suggested erasing that village altogether had already vanished from his mind.
Taehyeon Hall fell silent.
The Selection site that had just been mentioned as a candidate for closure had transformed in an instant into the place Taehyeon Seongjji most needed to watch.
The expression of Won Geom Jinsa, who had thought himself to have drawn the most unlucky lot, slowly transformed. Before his astonishment could even fade, the corners of his mouth rose.
The chagrin from moments before had already left no trace.
By contrast, a gravity never before seen descended upon the faces of Jang Hyeon Jinsa and the other Suzas.
No one spoke lightly of Soji District anymore.

“Soji District?”

It was Cheong Yeop Jinsa who regained his composure first.
He regarded Lee Jang Myeong with an expression of disbelief.

“You mean that Soji District?”
“Yes.”
“The one our Daeryeong Peak visited five years ago?”
“That’s correct.”

Cheong Yeop Jinsa’s face twisted ever so slightly.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

The other Suzas felt much the same.

“Seven Supreme Spiritual Roots and one Superior Metal-type Spiritual Root?”
“From Soji District?”
“Could the record be wrong?”

These were the very people who had just been arguing that Soji District should be removed from the Selection sites.
It was only natural that they would find it difficult to accept so readily.
Five years.
It was an ambiguous span of time—neither clearly long nor short for a cultivator.
Yet in that interval, a single ordinary village had suddenly produced eight cultivation geniuses all at once.
Seven of them Supreme Spiritual Roots at that.
It meant some inexplicable change had occurred within those five years.
By contrast, Won Geom Jinsa’s expression continued to transform.

“Jang Myeong.”

He rose from his seat.
One step.
The next instant, he was already before Lee Jang Myeong. Won Geom Jinsa’s hand gripped Jang Myeong’s arm firmly.

“Is it true?”
“Martial Uncle.”

Lee Jang Myeong’s face twitched slightly. The old man’s grip was stronger than expected.

“I am certain of it.”
“So seven of them truly have Supreme Spiritual Roots and one has a Superior Metal-type Spiritual Root?”
“Yes.”

Lee Jang Myeong held out the register he’d been carrying.

“And there’s one more thing.”

Won Geom Jinsa’s eyes widened.

“More?”
“All eight of them have reached the seventy-second stage of the Dung Cheon Test.”

This time, silence fell across the entire hall. The Dung Cheon Test wasn’t merely a measure of Spiritual Root quality or raw power—it revealed constitution, willpower, and the fundamental strength of body. The children’s rankings spoke to far more than gifts.
The seventy-second stage.
The Dung Cheon Test grew exponentially harder with each ascent. There was a gulf between passing the thirty-sixth stage and the fifty-fourth, but the seventy-second was known to exert a pressure that even seasoned adult practitioners struggled to withstand without extensive preparation.
Yet here were children barely ten years old, all of them reaching that pinnacle.
Their inborn constitution, their will, their Qi-Blood foundation—everything marked them as far from ordinary.
At such a level, they could aspire to far greater heights beyond the Inner Gate. Won Geom Jinsa’s hands trembled.
A lingering doubt remained: had Lee Jang Myeong embellished the account to console him, or had the Selection team made an error in their numbers?
He opened the register.
Finding the Yeonggeomp Peak section took no time.
Lee Sun Poong, Jo Gwang Ui, Beom Jung Eom, Wi Chung Hyeon, Oh Sam Gye, Lee Cheong Jo.
Names continued below those.
Eight in total.
The handwriting was neat, and beside the record was even Yuk Mu Ssang’s countersignature. Won Geom Jinsa’s mouth broke into a laugh as he confirmed there had been no error.

“Ha……”

It started small. Then it swelled.

“Hahaha!”

Yeonggeomp Peak had long suffered from a scarcity of talent, and in that laughter—so hearty it shook the hall’s ceiling—decades of accumulated frustration erupted in a single release.
Each time another peak brought in new disciples, he had maintained outward composure, but his heart had never known peace.
Yet this time, everything was different.
Seven Supreme Spiritual Roots.
One Superior Metal-type Spiritual Root.
And constitutions and wills to match.

“Heaven has not forsaken Yeonggeomp Peak!”

The corners of Won Geom Jinsa’s eyes reddened as he laughed. Across his weathered face, joy and relief mingled with the complex emotions of so many long years.
The other Suzas watched in silence.
The words spoken moments ago about excluding Soji District suddenly felt embarrassing.
Jang Hyeon Jinsa sent Jeona to Lee Jang Myeong.

(There were no errors in the recording process?)

Lee Jang Myeong nodded very slightly.
Jang Hyeon Jinsa’s expression grew grave as he registered the response.
While the other six Suzas slowly gathered toward Lee Jang Myeong, Cheong Yeop Jinsa, who had been reviewing the register, suddenly furrowed his brow.

“Something odd about these names, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“These children.”

Cheong Yeop Jinsa pointed at the names with his finger.

“Worldly children often can’t read characters until they enter the Mountain Gate. Their birth names are usually crude things—One, Nine, Third Well, that sort of thing.”

The Jinsa beside him nodded.

“That’s why new names are given after entry into the sect.”
“But look at the birth names of these eight.”

Lee Sun Poong, Jo Gwang Ui, Beom Jung Eom, Wi Chung Hyeon, Oh Sam Gye.
None were names a rural family would bestow carelessly on a child.
The children came from different families and different surnames, yet their names shared an odd kinship—not the haphazard assembly of any favorable characters, but the deliberate work of someone who understood both meaning and sound.
The Suzas, being people of long practice, were versed in scripture and classical texts. Which made this all the stranger.

“Lee Sun Poong carries the elegance of Daoism.”
“Wi Chung Hyeon has a peculiar air of Confucian virtue to it.”
“Jo Gwang Ui wasn’t arbitrarily chosen either.”
“Did one person give them all their names?”
“If so, that person must possess more than shallow learning.”
“You can’t say they know only Confucianism—a name like Lee Sun Poong is too distinctly Daoist in character.”

As the remarks passed between them, suspicion naturally gathered around whoever had bestowed such names on all eight children of one village.
Moreover, those same children all happened to possess uncommon Spiritual Roots. Too many coincidences strung together to dismiss as chance, and Jang Hyeon Jinsa’s gaze began to shift.

“Lee Jang Myeong.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Bring the Selection officer from Yeonggeomp Peak and all the children to Taehyeon Hall.”
“I shall obey your command.”

Even after Lee Jang Myeong withdrew with proper courtesy, the conversation in the hall did not cease.

“Judging by names alone would be premature, but something is certainly at work here.”
“I suspect there’s been a change in the Spirit Vein beneath Soji District.”

Gu Geo Jinsa stroked his beard as he spoke.

“Is it possible an Ancient Immortal passed through and revived the Spirit Vein?”
“It’s possible.”
“Someone of that caliber came to the very doorstep of Taehyeon Mountain and we knew nothing?”
“A figure of such stature would have little trouble remaining hidden.”

With each exchange, speculation swelled. Some suggested a master of the Dual Cultivation of Daoism and Confucianism; others proposed an Ancient Immortal of legendary standing. One point drew consensus: this was no ordinary change, and if such a world-class immortal truly dwelt in Soji District, the implications could only multiply.

“If such a being came as far as Soji District, why did they not visit us at Taehyeon Seongjji?”
“Could it be they took no notice of us?”

When someone ventured the delicate question, silence fell briefly over the hall.
It was not pleasant to hear.
But neither was it easy to refute.
Among the world-class masters who had lived for millennia, some wandered the mortal realm cultivating their hearts. To them, one ordinary training sect could hardly seem remarkable.

“First, let us meet the person.”

Jang Hyeon Jinsa did not rush toward conclusions, even in his own mind. The Spirit Vein might have been revived, or the world-class immortal might have simply passed through Soji District. Or some entirely different cause might be at play.
But one thing was certain.
The eight children from Soji District likely bore traces of whatever change had occurred in their very bodies.
Jang Hyeon Jinsa drew the discussion to order.

“Once we examine the children directly for any such changes, we should find our clues.”

Not a week had passed before footsteps were heard.
Lee Jang Myeong had returned.

Then Yuk Mu Ssang entered with eight children.
Won Geom Jinsa’s face brightened at once.
He forgot all propriety and went forward to meet them himself.

“Come, come here.”

He examined each child’s face in turn.
His eyes brimmed with satisfaction.

“From this day forth, you are my direct disciples.”

The children’s faces showed they did not fully understand what he meant.
Just this morning they had been running through the alleys of Soji District; within a few hours they had undergone Spiritual Root examinations and climbed an enormous Mountain Gate and endless stone steps. Now a white-haired elder was declaring them his direct disciples.
Lee Sun Poong looked up at Won Geom Jinsa, then glanced at Jo Gwang Ui beside him. Jo Gwang Ui only blinked, while Yuk Mu Ssang chuckled softly from behind.

“Disciples, bow to your Master.”

The children looked at one another.
Then, one by one, they knelt.

“Disciple Lee Gu…….”

The first child hastily closed his mouth.
He began again, as he had been taught that morning.

“Disciple Lee Sun Poong greets his Master.”
“Disciple Jo—— Jo Gwang Ui greets his Master.”
“Disciple Wi Chung Hyeon pays his respects.”
“Disciple Oh Sam Gye greets his Master.”
“We greet our Master!”

The voices of the children at the back overlapped with theirs.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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