Chapter 28. A Second-Rate Warrior Dominates the Exam (3)
“The third exam is actual-combat martial arts sparring. The sixteen examinees selected through the previous two exams, please come forward.”
At Lee Ja-gon’s words, the children who had ultimately failed to make it into the top sixteen took their places on one side of the Great Training Ground.
Strangely, what was different from my previous life was that no regret or sense of injustice remained on the children’s faces.
Just seeing that Gye Cheol-yeong was no longer standing alone through the power of personal wealth seemed to have left them with no regrets about the exam.
“The rankings will be selected according to the martial duels, so examinees, please do your utmost until the very end.”
At that moment, one of the children outside the training ground raised his hand high.
It was Gwak Sam-nam, the third son of the Gwak family, whose father worked in an inn kitchen.
“Wasn’t the exam originally supposed to select only one person to go to the Murim Academy? Why are people being selected according to ranking?”
“That is correct. However, special prizes have been prepared to commend the examinees who worked hard studying for the exam, so please do your best.”
A flash of light began to shine in the eyes of the children who had made it into the top sixteen.
Since Sa-ryeon and the Geum-pyo brothers had already swept through the upper ranks, even if they could not take first place, they intended to seize the chance for second or third place.
Moreover, these were gifts prepared by the Murim Alliance.
They were surely precious things that could not be easily obtained even in Taeul Sect.
“Eldest Senior Brother, what happened?”
Geum-pyo approached with a puzzled face.
“What is it?”
“Why is Eldest Senior Brother’s rank eighth?”
I had adjusted my ranking after looking at Gye Cheol-yeong’s score in the first exam.
“This must all be the result of wandering around instead of training hard.”
Geum-pyo clicked his tongue and said,
“Please say something that makes sense. Senior Brother, you wrote the book of previous exam questions and even taught us the improved Minor Heaven Sword Art, yet your result is like this?”
“You brat. It seems your tone will only be fixed after Eldest Senior Brother properly smacks your backside.”
Since I had lived like brothers with the three Geum-pyo brothers since childhood, there was no formality between us.
Moreover, there was only a one-year difference between me and Geum-pyo, the eldest of the three brothers.
“Tell me honestly. Are you trying to yield to the junior brothers right now?”
“You brat, I am going to win the third exam anyway, so what problem is there if my scores in the first and second exams are lacking?”
“……”
The answer came not from Geum-pyo, but from beside us.
“Is that so?”
Geum-pyo, who turned his head, startled violently, lowered his head, fidgeted, and then left his place.
No matter how mature Geum-pyo was, standing before an Appraisal Envoy was uncomfortable.
“What do you mean?”
“I am talking about your score coming out in this state.”
“I do not know whether you heard, but it must be because I was lazy in studying and often skipped training.”
“And a person like that picked out the exam questions like an expert tutor?”
How does this man know that?
“I heard the story from the examinees who received high scores.”
“Is there a problem?”
“It could become a problem, could it not? Unless the exam was leaked.”
“To leak the exam paper of an Appraisal Envoy of the Murim Alliance. That sounds frightening just to hear.”
Lee Ja-gon’s words did not hold from the start.
The management of exam papers was arranged so even Mantongbu, the final branch of the Military Division, could not interfere carelessly.
In such a situation, if an exam paper had been leaked? Not only would the exam be wrong, but the position of the One Hundred Eight Peaks itself would be shaken.
What Lee Ja-gon was saying now was not that.
“I want to hear your story.”
“The exam is about to begin, is it not?”
On the Great Training Ground stood Sa-ryeon, first place in the total score, and Un Ji-hyang, ninth place.
And shortly afterward, the Appraisal Warrior acting as referee announced the start of the match.
“You are conveniently eighth.”
I let out a small sigh.
Since I could not say that I had seen the exam paper in my previous life, naturally, words to talk around it flowed out.
“Is the exam not close to a formality anyway? Most sects already decide who will go to the Murim Academy. In our case…… it is a little special, though.”
I glanced at Gye Cheol-yeong.
His eyes watching the arena were red, as though he had not slept, and his chest was rising and falling as though he were excited.
“I know the circumstances of your sect. That is not exactly a new story. What I am curious about is this. This exam is different from before. You cannot make a predicted question book just by referring to the previous exam.”
Lee Ja-gon did not seem to like rambling much.
I nodded obediently.
“I was simply lucky.”
“You were lucky?”
“Using the exam as an excuse, I tried teaching things that would be useful later when they went to the Murim Alliance. It motivates them too, does it not?”
“Then why did you match yourself to eighth place?”
“A person who can match something like that……”
“I have already heard about you. They say you never forget something once you have seen it.”
Lee Ja-gon would later become famous enough to be known by the epithet Gentleman Iron Sword.
He was famous for unfolding flawless martial duels with a thoroughgoing personality, and it seemed that personality was already manifesting here.
There seemed to be a limit to persuading him vaguely.
“To make the exam fair.”
“Are you saying this exam is not fair?”
“The exam is fair. But even so, I merely wanted to take the exam from the same place as my junior brothers and junior sisters.”
“And that is the result of deliberately lowering your ranking?”
“That is right.”
“Why go out of your way to do such a thing?”
“Is there not already someone taking the exam unfairly?”
My gaze turned toward Gye Cheol-yeong, and Lee Ja-gon’s gaze followed mine.
Lee Ja-gon looked at him for a moment, then spoke.
“That senior still has not realized that a shortcut can sometimes become a dead path.”
“Will you not stop him?”
“Stop what?”
There was no way an expert of Lee Ja-gon’s level had failed to notice something strange.
He was deliberately pretending not to know.
“Do you have to save your senior’s face?”
The other day, Lee Ja-gon had spoken of the exam’s strictness to Jang Sa-gun and completely dismissed his opinion in front of everyone.
Thanks to that, the disciples too had been able to think that this exam was fair.
“An Appraisal Envoy is not influenced by any institution of the Murim Alliance. Much less by something like affection from old ties.”
“I see.”
“You seem to suspect something, yet you are not appealing against the unfairness?”
“It does not matter. I intend to make it fair.”
Lee Ja-gon’s gaze looked as though he were seeing some strange living creature.
“““Waaaaaaaaah!”””
“So cool!”
At that moment, Un Ji-hyang’s sword flew away, and the Appraisal Warriors declared Hong Sa-ryeon’s victory.
The disciples and hall masters also spared no applause for Sa-ryeon’s excellent swordsmanship.
The exam did not take long.
In the leading group, Sa-ryeon did not exceed thirty forms in each martial duel against the disciples.
She did not unfold the Great Advance Divine Art or the Flash Thunder Sword Art she had secretly learned at all, but even with only the studies she had learned at Busaeng Hall, there was no disciple who could handle Sa-ryeon, who practiced all night at the Sect Leader’s personal training ground every night.
After defeating Eun-ho, who had made it to the semifinals, Sa-ryeon secured her place in the final.
Up to this point, things were not greatly different from my previous life.
On the other hand, in the rear group where Gye Cheol-yeong and I were, Gye Cheol-yeong showed overwhelming skill.
If Sa-ryeon did not exceed thirty forms, Gye Cheol-yeong showed a stunning display by not exceeding ten forms.
Since the use of martial arts was free in the third exam, Gye Cheol-yeong did not hesitate to use the Three Shadows Sword, and his first opponent even saw his own Blue Steel Sword cut apart by Gye Cheol-yeong’s sword.
“The next match is between Gye Cheol-yeong and Jin So-un!”
At the Appraisal Warrior’s call, Gye Cheol-yeong and I stood facing each other on the training ground.
The one who won here would face Sa-ryeon last.
“In the end, I meet you here.”
Unlike usual, Gye Cheol-yeong was scattering tremendous fighting spirit in every direction.
Because it stretched out without being gathered, just standing in front of him made my skin sting.
“Are you tired? Your eyes are red.”
“Yes. That is right. I am tired, so I plan to finish this quickly and rest.”
When Gye Cheol-yeong unfolded his Opening Stance, the Appraisal Warrior who had stood in the middle stepped back.
Instead of likewise taking the Opening Stance, I approached Gye Cheol-yeong.
“That is not it, is it? Is it not because of the Blood-Explosion Pill that you want to finish quickly?”
“…!!!”
Gye Cheol-yeong’s eyes widened.
Even in my previous life, Gye Cheol-yeong had used the Blood-Explosion Pill out of concern for Hong Sa-ryeon, who had been chasing closely behind him.
I learned this fact only after the Great Righteous-Demonic War broke out and I read through Mantongbu’s documents, so it had been far too late to correct the wrong.
“How……”
“I will set what is wrong right.”
Before Gye Cheol-yeong could say anything, I also took the Opening Stance and immediately thrust toward his neck.
CLANG—!
The force with which Gye Cheol-yeong knocked away my sword pressed in heavily.
“You will not be able to do anything!”
“Is that so?”
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.
I drew up Fifth Star inner arts and unfolded the original Minor Heaven Sword Art.
The confident Gye Cheol-yeong unfolded the Three Shadows Sword, and the swift swords I swung were frequently blocked and cut off by his sword shadows.
“Try using even that petty trick. If you put out your hand, I will cut off your hand, and if you put out your foot, I will cut off your foot. I am not indecisive like Namgung San!”
It seemed Gye Cheol-yeong had built up a great deal of dissatisfaction over what happened with Namgung San.
Gye Cheol-yeong’s sword, filled with the power of the Blood-Explosion Pill, was heavy as a boulder.
I changed my sword force to the Breaking Strike Form of the Minor Heaven Sword Art and began responding again.
CLANG—! CLANG—! CLANG—!
The speed of the Breaking Strike Minor Heaven Sword Art aiming at vital acupoints grew even faster, and Gye Cheol-yeong could not keep up with that speed.
It was not easy for him to control the suddenly increased inner arts.
Gye Cheol-yeong’s clothes were cut away one by one, and small wounds began forming beneath them.
“You son of a bitch!”
Seeing blood, Gye Cheol-yeong began drawing up the energy of his entire body.
The killing intent pouring out was intense enough to rival that of renowned experts.
“I will never forgive you.”
I did not know what I had done so wrong, but Gye Cheol-yeong’s sword, filled with all the resentment of the past, was no longer at the level of a martial duel.
Yet what was strange was that Lee Ja-gon, the Appraisal Envoy, was not stopping the martial duel.
‘What is this?’
I put aside idle thoughts for a moment and raised my inner arts to Seventh Star.
Gye Cheol-yeong felt frustrated that it seemed he could cut me down at any moment, yet he could not, and that feeling of his was revealed in his sword.
CRASH—! CRASH—! CRASH—!
Gye Cheol-yeong’s sword strikes were clearly drawing up all of his inner arts.
Because there was a condition that treasured swords could not be used in the exam, I had been unable to bring the Black Dragon Sword, so I could only watch as fragments of the Blue Steel Sword flew in every direction.
“You ruined it! You ruined everything!”
The speed of the martial duel between Gye Cheol-yeong and me had already far surpassed the level of examinees.
The disciples could not take their eyes off the martial duel between Gye Cheol-yeong and me.
RUMBLE. BOOM—!
When Gye Cheol-yeong’s sword struck down on the Great Training Ground, the marble shattered into pieces, and fragments flew in every direction.
“Sh-Should we not stop this?”
“Cheol-yeong’s condition seems a little strange.”
Not only the hall masters but even the Appraisal Warriors sensed something strange and looked at Lee Ja-gon, but Lee Ja-gon merely shook his head silently.
And I judged that the time had come and drew up all my Tenth Star inner arts.
CLANG—!
Gye Cheol-yeong, whose sword clashed with mine, stepped back three steps for the first time.
“Senior Brother, this is exactly the hundredth form now. I think it may be dangerous if you go beyond this. Are you all right?”
“!!!”
The safe range of the Blood-Explosion Pill was one hundred forms.
Gye Cheol-yeong, who had already used one hundred twenty forms, was beyond the safe range.
“Just give up. There is no need to give up your life over the Murim Academy.”
“You…… you…… are obstructing my grand ambition to the very end!”
An even greater wave of qi burst out from Gye Cheol-yeong’s body.
The Blood-Explosion Pill had caused a second explosion.
“Hup!”
“That is!”
“Sword qi?!”
The people let out cries of shock when they saw the red qi gathered on Gye Cheol-yeong’s sword.
Thanks to using power beyond his original level, Gye Cheol-yeong could even emit sword qi.
But this was absolutely not something to be glad about.
Because now, Gye Cheol-yeong was in a situation where a permanent wound would be left in his Dantian, and if things went wrong, he could even fall into qi deviation.
“No!”
Someone in the spectator seats shouted as though squeezing out their voice, but no one turned their eyes toward them.
“I will kill you. I will kill you. I will definitely kill you!”
Gye Cheol-yeong charged in like a person who had lost his mind.
“Senior Brother, do you know? How many sins you have committed?”
As if he no longer heard my words, Gye Cheol-yeong charged like a madman.
At that, I too did not flee and ran toward Gye Cheol-yeong.
The sin of becoming an executive of the Murim Alliance through the Murim Academy in my previous life and using the position of eldest senior brother to work the junior disciples like slaves.
The sin of driving the disciples into the very front line of the Great Righteous-Demonic War for the sake of your own merit.
The sin of pretending not to know when Taeul Sect was in a dangerous situation.
“I will settle all those sins here!”
“Die! Die! Die! Die!”
Gye Cheol-yeong kept shouting “Die” as he swung his sword wildly, and I avoided those sword strikes, entered his chest, and unfolded Lotus, the hand technique of the Flowing Cloud Sect’s Transplanting Flower and Grafting Tree Art, spinning Gye Cheol-yeong around three times.
THUD. BOOM.
Gye Cheol-yeong sprang up from his place like a man who did not feel pain and charged at me.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.
It was unstable, but sword qi was still sword qi.
It was not something that could be blocked with an ordinary Blue Steel Sword.
As proof, cracks began to form little by little on my Blue Steel Sword.
“What a fine sight, Jin So-un!”
Gye Cheol-yeong spoke as though his victory was already certain.
‘It makes sense.’
Sword qi, which could only be unfolded after entering the ranks of first-rate, was an object of longing for children of this age, no less than any divine sword.
“I will kill you! Go to the Murim Academy! And rise in the world!”
Glossy lips and bloodshot eyes.
Gye Cheol-yeong was already certain of victory.
“If you kill me, you lose by disqualification, Senior Brother.”
“Shut up!”
The size of the red qi doubled, and Gye Cheol-yeong unfolded the Three Shadows Sword with all his strength.
Three solemn strands of sword qi aimed at my vital acupoints and pressed in, leaving no room to move.
Though he had used the Blood-Explosion Pill, there was no doubt it was an outstanding move.
‘But….’
In my previous life, my enemies were packed with men who could spew out not only sword qi but even sword force like toys.
“Do you think you can face them with only this level of achievement!”
One step.
Together with the step I took into the sword force of the Three Shadows Sword, the sword qi of the Three Shadows Sword narrowly grazed past my vital acupoints.
Two steps.
Following the step I took once again, red sword qi brushed past my earlobe.
Three steps.
At the Three Shadows Sword swung last, I thrust the Minor Heaven Sword Art in.
SWOOSH.
CLANG—!
Along with a sharp metallic sound that seemed to pierce the eardrums, half of the Blue Steel Sword I was holding flew away.
At that sight, Gye Cheol-yeong opened his eyes wide and smiled.
“I won, Jin So……”
But that lasted only a moment.
Because I had struck it away, his chest opened outward along with his sword, and I pierced through it, taking the final step.
“Live your whole life in atonement, Senior Brother.”
I swung the half-remaining sword twice.
SLAAAAASH.
SLAAAASH.
Once from his left shoulder to his right waist, and once from his right shoulder to his left waist.
Two sword wounds passed across Gye Cheol-yeong’s body.
SPURT—!
Like fruit flesh bursting, blood erupted from Gye Cheol-yeong’s body.
“Cheol-yeong!”
Gye Yeon-seok, who had been watching from the spectator seats, rushed over like lightning and held Gye Cheol-yeong.
“Come to your senses! Cheol-yeong!”
Seeing him covered in bright red blood all over his body, his eyes rolled back, Gye Yeon-seok screamed at the top of his lungs.
“What are all of you doing! That bastard! Jin So-un used a killing move on our Cheol-yeong!”
At Gye Yeon-seok’s words, Lee Ja-gon came up onto the training ground.
“The match is decided. The winner of this martial duel is Jin So-un.”
At Lee Ja-gon’s words, Gye Yeon-seok, who had entrusted Gye Cheol-yeong to the physician who had come with them, foamed at the mouth.
“What are you saying! That bastard used a killing move! Are your two eyes knots in wood!”
“The one who raised sword qi in the martial duel and used a killing move first was Gye Cheol-yeong!”
“……But… but….”
“Go back. Even if you are a parent, I will not overlook any further action than this.”
When Lee Ja-gon turned his head and looked at me as though finding me strange.
“Khheuuh… I will kill… I will kill….”
Gye Cheol-yeong, who had been held in the physician’s arms, sprang to his feet.
His entire eyes were bright red, and though it was not winter, white steam poured from his mouth.
Proof that the Blood-Explosion Pill had gone berserk.
‘He will have to spend his whole life lying on a bed.’
Just as I was about to turn around like that.
“It is because of you… You! You ruined all my plans.”
Gye Cheol-yeong shook off the physician and his father, kicked off the ground, and flew up.
“……Even if I end here, I will definitely kill you!”
The moment Gye Cheol-yeong’s voice rang out thunderously and the disciples flinched their shoulders, I also corrected my posture to respond.
However.
SWISH.
Lee Ja-gon, who had stood between Gye Cheol-yeong and me, quickly flew up, appeared above Gye Cheol-yeong’s head, and brought his hand blade down as it was.
THWACK. CRASH—!
Gye Cheol-yeong, who had been nailed into the training ground in a single move, was bleeding from all seven orifices.
“Cheol-yeong! Cheol-yeong!”
Gye Yeon-seok approached Cheol-yeong and examined his condition.
“What is this! For an Appraisal Envoy to do this to an examinee!”
Toward Gye Yeon-seok, who shouted with a bright red face, Lee Ja-gon spoke in a low voice.
“Do you know the punishment received when an examinee uses a prohibited medicine?”
“!!!”
“You should know it. I intend to visit the Gyeryong Merchant Guild as soon as the Special Admission Track exam ends.”
“……”
Gye Yeon-seok, who clenched his teeth hard, turned around and looked around him.
“Jang Sa-gun!!! Jang Sa-gun!!! You son of a bitch!”
He was looking for the cause that had driven matters to this point.
But Jang Sa-gun and the two assistants, who had been stuck at Gye Yeon-seok’s side and whispering in his ear only a moment ago, had vanished without a trace.
“Guild Master! First, we must move the Young Master.”
“Ghk! What are you doing! Hurry and move Cheol-yeong!”
When Gye Yeon-seok spoke while foaming at the mouth, the warriors and physicians carrying Gye Cheol-yeong on their backs quickly left Taeul Sect.
“As expected, you knew.”
“Rather, why did you not speak more strongly? If you had spoken more strongly, Gye Cheol-yeong would not have gone this far.”
I spoke in disbelief.
“Are you telling me now that I should have confronted an Appraisal Envoy?”
“If there is a wrong rule, one should have spoken even while bearing the damage.”
Lee Ja-gon spoke as though he had been testing something.
“Now that I see it, you are quite shameless.”
“You are a little different from what I expected.”
Whatever he had expected from me, Lee Ja-gon smacked his lips as though regretful.
“If you could not handle it, I would have stopped the exam somehow.”
“You had the ability to do so, yet you did not?”
“The act of using a prohibited medicine in an exam that must be fair corresponds to the crime of betraying one’s teacher and destroying one’s ancestors. As you know, our Taeul Sect cannot punish him through normal precedent. But that does not mean it can simply be let pass.”
“Huh. So you deliberately left him be, even knowing?”
“Yes.”
Lee Ja-gon’s two eyes trembled faintly.
“And now, Envoy, you will have to take responsibility for knowing this fact and still letting it pass.”
Lee Ja-gon’s lips twitched as though he were forcibly holding back laughter.
“To whom?”
“Is the Education Pavilion not under Mantongbu? I intend to submit a petition there. I personally know someone there.”
Of course, if I stayed close to him, I would have to settle down in Mantongbu, so this was merely a threat.
At that, Lee Ja-gon laughed without hiding it.
“The Education Pavilion is under Mantongbu, but it does not receive outside influence except for the orders of the Pavilion Master. However, if it is the Grand Strategist’s request, that is a little different.”
I could not understand at all what he was trying to say, so I tilted my head.
“Before I left the Murim Alliance, the Grand Strategist said this. He told me about Jin So-un of Taeul Sect and told me to submit a report on him.”
“!”
It seemed Jegal So-myeong had not given up on me yet, despite my refusal.
“Thanks to that, I will be able to report not only your outstanding mind, but also your martial skill, which seems even more outstanding than that. Would the Grand Strategist not be pleased?”
For the first time, I failed to manage my expression and deeply furrowed my brow.
