Chapter 27. A Second-Rate Warrior Dominates the Exam (2)
Murmur, murmur.
After the exam ended, that evening.
A large sheet of paper was posted in front of the Great Training Ground.
The examiners who had graded the first exam publicly revealing the results of that day’s exam was part of the Special Admission Track exam process.
The people of Taeul Sect who saw the results could not hide their surprise.
“Is that true?”
“How can a result like this come out?”
…….
18th place. Song Ja-mun.
19th place. Gye Cheol-yeong.
20th place. Gwak Sam-nam.
…….
Gye Cheol-yeong, who saw the exam results, could not bring himself to close his mouth.
The number of disciples who had taken the exam was sixty-three.
It could be considered upper rank, but considering this was an exam that selected one person, it was by no means an excellent ranking.
Moreover, he had even spent an enormous sum to invite a teacher.
The teacher who had been hired for an enormous sum could not hide his shock even more.
The very fact that a disciple he had taught had produced such a score was something that could not happen to him in his lifetime.
In Gye Cheol-yeong’s own view, he was not a prodigy, but he was at a level that could be considered a talent.
His understanding and memorization of the predicted exam Jang Sa-gun had made had definitely been completed.
In the end, it meant that the predicted questions he had made had not matched.
“Does this not make no sense!”
Jang Sa-gun stopped Lee Ja-gon, who had finished organizing the exam and was trying to move to the lodgings Taeul Sect had provided.
“For Cheol-yeong to be nineteenth place, this cannot be!”
“……”
When Jang Sa-gun shouted, Lee Ja-gon’s face turned cold.
“Senior. Are you doubting the fairness of the Appraisal Envoys?”
“!”
Even if he was a senior who had once been an Appraisal Envoy, the position of Appraisal Envoy that the Murim Alliance conducted put fairness and impartiality first above all else.
Jang Sa-gun realized that he had become excited and made a fatal mistake.
“What I mean is that it does not accord with reason for a result like this to be produced.”
No matter how he talked around it, in the end, it meant he could not accept the result.
Lee Ja-gon’s expression sank even further.
Jang Sa-gun’s eyelids trembled.
Even so, he could not back down.
If Gye Cheol-yeong had a poor score despite having no problem, then in the end, it was no different from saying that there was a problem with him.
“Even if you are my senior, I do not think there is any need for us to prove the fairness of the exam…… but I will assume that you have made the objection that Taeul Sect should have made, and show you.”
Lee Ja-gon took out the exam paper positioned at the very top of the stack and showed it to Jang Sa-gun.
“This is the exam paper of the child who placed first.”
Jang Sa-gun quickly examined the questions.
The fifty questions in total ranged from basic common knowledge of martial arts to the operating method of sword formations, the components of formations, and questions on distinguishing poisonous herbs and medicinal herbs that a warrior should know.
“The direction of the score was decided by the questions in the forties. Question forty-two, which was newly included in this exam, about the possibility of qi deviation and response methods. Question forty-three, about methods of distinguishing the Face-Fixing Art and the Disguise Art. Question forty-six, which asked them to state the characteristics of the Silver Concealment Art and response methods. Question forty-eight, about methods of expelling poison qi through Qi Circulation and Breathing…… and so on.”
“Th-These appeared?”
Jang Sa-gun was human too, so there were limits to his predictions regarding the exam.
However, even so, this time, those predictions had missed by far too much.
“Are these not things that are not included within the scope of the basic exam?”
“Because of the excessive enthusiasm of the examinees, it has become more and more difficult to distinguish between them. Especially thanks to the activity of ‘teachers’ like you, Senior, there were many full marks, and the level of the exam clearly rose.”
Lee Ja-gon’s words sharply jabbed Jang Sa-gun again and again, but Jang Sa-gun still could not come to his senses.
“Ev-Even so, is that not strange? We also teach about these parts. But qi deviation, the Face-Fixing Art, things like that are not contents that examinees who have completed basic martial arts would learn, are they? How can there be eighteen people ahead of Cheol-yeong?”
At Jang Sa-gun’s words, the scholars who had administered the exam tried to step forward one by one with angry expressions, but Lee Ja-gon raised his hand and stopped them.
“Of course, it is not study that examinees would normally learn, but…… is it not study that all warriors doing basic study should do?”
“……Are you saying that Taeul Sect predicted what even I did not predict?”
“That was not the case. I also found it strange, so I gathered first, second, and third place and asked them, and they said Taeul Sect’s chief disciple gathered the children who were neglecting their studies and taught them one by one. He even made a book himself.”
“The chief disciple?”
Jang Sa-gun’s gaze turned toward Jin So-un, who was making a commotion with the children to one side.
“Of course, studying for the exam is good as well, but in the end, I wonder if the talent needed by the Murim Alliance is not someone strong only in exams like this, but someone who has grounding in martial arts as a whole.”
With those words, Lee Ja-gon headed to the lodgings together with the scholars, and Jang Sa-gun stared blankly for a long time with blazing eyes at Jin So-un and the people of Taeul Sect, including the hall masters.
“How did this happen!”
It was only natural that the bewildering result would lead to a scolding like frost.
Gye Yeon-seok burst out with as much anger as he could, in a way he had never shown before Jang Sa-gun.
“Did you not say I should trust only you! Did you not say you would definitely have him pass!”
His extremely respectful tone had, at some point, changed into a half-formal tone, but Jang Sa-gun said nothing in particular.
Because he had grown thoroughly sick of receiving such changes in attitude from fanatical parents.
When a matter concerning one’s child was involved, this was an industry where even high officials and ministers bowed as though they were receiving an audience with the Emperor.
But conversely, if the result was not satisfactory, one also had to endure the opposite treatment.
“I apologize. It seems that focusing his studies in order to make examinee Gye Cheol-yeong’s score close to perfect instead became a shackle.”
“If it stays like this…… if it stays like this…….”
“Please do not worry. The second exam will be different from the first exam.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“The thing I have put the most effort into over this past time is the second exam. In the second exam, they test the martial arts of one’s affiliated martial sect.”
“Cheol-yeong has learned the forms, but not the inner arts heart method!”
“Please do not worry. Because there is a stark difference in the level of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, high and low, the Murim Alliance excludes inner arts and tests only the forms. In particular, one can receive a higher score only if one can unfold the forms skillfully without inner arts, and is there anyone in Taeul Sect who already possesses higher martial arts proficiency than examinee Cheol-yeong?”
“……Ahem. I will wait and see.”
“The second exam is a test that measures how high one’s understanding of the martial arts of one’s sect is.”
At Lee Ja-gon’s words, for some reason, the faces of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild’s people brightened.
“For the exam, each person will unfold the martial arts of their sect in front of the ten Appraisal Warriors. However, for safety, the use of inner arts is entirely prohibited.”
At Lee Ja-gon’s words, Gye Yeon-seok let out an exclamation of “That’s right!”
He shouted so loudly that the elders and the Sect Leader on the platform looked at Gye Yeon-seok, but Gye Yeon-seok’s gaze remained fixed on the exam ground.
“If they cannot use inner arts…… in the end, Senior Brother Gye will come first.”
Geum-pyo, who stood beside me, muttered.
He was the eldest son of the miller’s family, who disliked Gye Cheol-yeong the most among the disciples attending Taeul Sect’s Busaeng Hall.
As the eldest brother of Eun-ho and Dong-ryong, and because he also took it upon himself to act as the eldest brother of the other disciples and cared for them well, there were many children who followed him.
“Are you worried?”
“It would be a lie to say I am not worried. Senior Brother Gye always finds famous martial arts masters from somewhere and does personal training, does he not?”
The forms of Taeul Sect, which centered on swift swords, had monotonous aspects, so from the position of Gye Cheol-yeong, who had already learned various forms, he could possess even greater proficiency.
In reality, if they had sparring matches with forms without using inner arts, I was the only person who could defeat Gye Cheol-yeong in most of the sparring matches, and Sa-ryeon was about the only one who could be evenly matched with him.
“Eldest Senior Brother, please be sure to take first place.”
“You scored higher than me in the written exam, did you not?”
I had deliberately adjusted my ranking and placed around fifth.
Geum-pyo had been fourth place, just above me.
“Even so, I want you to go to the Murim Academy, Senior Brother.”
“It is not over yet. And did you learn all of the Minor Heaven Sword Art I taught you before?”
“Of course.”
“Then you can look forward to it.”
“To what?”
Instead of answering, I looked at Lee Ja-gon, who continued speaking.
“Thus, the Appraisal Warriors will use only Taeul Sect’s basic sword art, the Minor Heaven Sword Art. The examinees likewise will use only the Minor Heaven Sword Art and must break the Appraisal Warriors’ forms within fifty forms.”
At Lee Ja-gon’s words, the faces of the hall masters and the Sect Leader hardened.
The Appraisal Warriors were made up of those at least third-grade warriors of the Murim Alliance.
No matter how skilled Taeul Sect’s disciples were in the martial arts of their sect, there would be great difficulty in breaking their forms.
However.
“He said we only have to use the Minor Heaven Sword Art?”
“He definitely said that, right?”
“I heard it clearly too.”
For some reason, the disciples could not hide their excitement with gleeful voices.
After the battle with Namgung San, the children who had come to me asking me to teach them the Minor Heaven Sword Art were taught the Ascendant Form of the Minor Heaven Sword Art.
A form based on the Sword-Breaking Form, transformed through the conversion of forms to erase weaknesses and develop strengths further.
Because of that, it was not an exaggeration to say that it was most specialized for shattering the original Minor Heaven Sword Art.
The Gyeryong Merchant Guild grew heated in a different sense.
“See here! Teacher Jang Sa-gun! What in the world is going on!”
The person who let out an angry shout, forgetting even the silence of the exam, was Gye Yeon-seok.
Jang Sa-gun’s expression also hardened further.
……
6th place. Gwak Il-nam.
7th place. Gye Cheol-yeong.
8th place. Song Gyeong-mun.
……
In the second day’s exam, Gye Cheol-yeong’s final score barely made it into the top ten.
“What are you going to do now!!”
Gye Yeon-seok’s tone, which had at least maintained half-formality, eventually changed into informal speech.
Jang Sa-gun’s eyelids trembled with humiliation.
“Father. There is still a chance.”
Though Jang Sa-gun even used respectful speech and spoke desperately, Gye Yeon-seok’s eyes were filled with distrust.
“In the end, what accounts for the greatest number of points in this Special Admission Track is the third exam. Fortunately, because Cheol-yeong’s second score is not poor, the board can be overturned as much as necessary.”
“Keep talking.”
“……The third exam is an exam where only the top sixteen people from the previous two exams are selected and have martial duels. The previous exams are, in effect, merely preparations for this exam.”
Of course, it was a lie.
The third martial duel was an exam that assessed the comprehensive depth of martial arts at a level where the heat would not become excessive.
In the end, if there was no difference in the superiority or inferiority of skill here, one would be affected by the scores of the previous exams.
‘However.’
Conversely, it also meant that if one could win overwhelmingly in the martial duel, the scores of the previous exams would become meaningless.
“Hmph! Taeul Sect may be a third-rate sect, but even inside it, there are a few brats who seem to have some aptitude. How can you guarantee that Cheol-yeong can overwhelm them and win?”
Gye Yeon-seok was now speaking completely as though dealing with his subordinate.
Even so, Jang Sa-gun clenched his teeth hard and spoke.
“I know as well. the three brothers Geum-pyo, Eun-ho, and Dong-ryong. These three brothers from the miller’s house are on the decent side in terms of martial depth within Taeul Sect, and Hong Sa-ryeon, the daughter of Sect Leader Hong, shows the most outstanding skill among the children of Busaeng Hall.”
“One person is missing. Jin So-un! Even now, I cannot believe it, but he is the fellow who defeated Blood Wolf Iron Sword Seong Mo-hyeon and Heaven-Opening Divine Dragon Namgung San. How in the world is Gye Cheol-yeong supposed to overwhelmingly defeat them?”
Gye Cheol-yeong, who was being lumped in and cursed wholesale because of Jang Sa-gun, trembled.
However, because he knew the importance of the matter, he said nothing in particular.
“Father. You must trust me.”
“It is only if you give me trust that I can trust you!”
“I also heard the rumors and know them. The divine might that child Jin So-un showed was ultimately like a suicidal attack on the level of mutual destruction. In this exam, before it reaches such a situation, all the examiners will stop it.”
“Get to the point! The point!”
At Gye Yeon-seok’s urging, Jang Sa-gun swallowed.
Then, when he nodded toward the female warrior, the female warrior, who had hesitated briefly, took a red wooden box out from within her robes.
When she opened the wooden box, five sinister red pills popped out inside.
“What is that?”
“It is the secret method that will send Cheol-yeong to the Murim Academy.”
“……”
“It is called the Blood-Explosion Pill.”
Gye Yeon-seok’s eyes widened, and his mouth trembled.
“Y-You bastard, you have made up your mind to cut off the Gye family line!! How dare you bring such a sinister medicine!!”
“Father. Do you know why the Demonic Cult was destroyed in the distant past?”
“Why is that coming up all of a sudden!”
“Is it not strange? In the Murim World, countless unorthodox factions and Black Path groups commit all sorts of atrocities, but the Murim Alliance does not destroy them. Then why was only the Demonic Cult destroyed?”
“……”
“There are various reasons, but if one had to name the greatest reason, it would be because of this secret method. It is because the Blood-Explosion Pill has the effect of raising latent power by no less than double without any conditions.”
“Yes, and it turns people into cripples.”
“No.”
“What?”
“That is what is known, but in truth, that is not the case. That is why the Murim Alliance of the time, fearing that the Demonic Cult’s power would grow mighty and threaten the whole world, destroyed the Demonic Cult.”
“This is the first time I am hearing such a thing.”
This time, Jang Sa-gun nodded to the male scholar.
The male scholar took a bluish-green wooden box from the carrying frame and opened it.
“It is called the Dormant Blood Pill. After raising latent power with the Blood-Explosion Pill, if the latent power is put back to sleep with the Dormant Blood Pill, one can exert maximum strength with minimal aftereffects.”
“……”
Gye Yeon-seok’s eyes began to waver.
As Jang Sa-gun said, there was no way there would be completely clean and no side effects.
If such a medicine existed, the Blood-Explosion Pill would not have been distributed secretly like this.
However, he had no choice but to think it over.
There was the fact that a counter-medicine called the Dormant Blood Pill existed.
In addition, there was the fact that, as things stood now, Gye Cheol-yeong did not have the scores to go to the Murim Academy.
Gye Yeon-seok, who had been looking at Gye Cheol-yeong, spoke to Jang Sa-gun.
“If you do not speak honestly, I will chase you to the ends of hell and ruin you. ……What are the aftereffects of that medicine?”
Jang Sa-gun swallowed with a gulp.
“……If he goes past one hundred forms, it will leave a permanent wound in his Dantian.”
“You…… damn bastard…….”
“But think about it. Father. Cheol-yeong’s Dantian contains no less than thirty years of cultivation. Even if that child Sa-ryeon and that child Jin So-un worked themselves to death with Taeul Sect’s martial arts, they would not have filled even twenty years of inner arts. They will not be able to easily withstand even a single move from Cheol-yeong after he eats the Blood-Explosion Pill.”
In a fight between experts, one hundred forms was a fleeting instant, but at Cheol-yeong’s level, if it was one hundred forms, he would be exhausted before he could even fill them all.
Moreover, considering martial duels that would not exceed five rounds in total, eating the Blood-Explosion Pill was not such a bad idea.
“Father. You must trust me.”
At that moment, Gye Cheol-yeong stepped forward.
“Father! I will eat it.”
“This is not the time for you to step forward.”
“Think about it. Father. Even though Great Hero Namgung San could only use Third Star inner arts, he and Jin So-un did not even exchange fifty forms in total.”
Gye Yeon-seok, who thought for a long while, finally ground his teeth.
“If so much as a fingernail-sized wound is left in Cheol-yeong’s Dantian, I will tear you to death.”
Jang Sa-gun also answered with the feeling that he was standing at the edge of a cliff.
“Trust only me. Father.”
