Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Turning Point
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The posters went up on Saturday morning.
The content announced that Demonic Cult spies had infiltrated the first-year combined class practical training session on Mount Uicheon.
The incident itself wasn't described in detail, but just mentioning "Demonic Cult" spies was enough to change the atmosphere at the academy.
That day, from the morning the posters went up, all sorts of birds took flight from Uicheon Academy. The birds that soared up flapped their wings vigorously in different directions.
Bang Jun also sent a hawk to the Zhongjing branch the moment he saw the poster. In truth, there was no real need to send it.
The academy's public announcement meant they had already notified the Murim Alliance. The academy hadn't hidden the Demonic Cult spies.
The Beggar Clan was where the world's rumors gathered most, and the Murim Alliance headquarters had eyes and ears planted everywhere.
Still, he couldn't exactly not send it. The Zhongjing branch would have already heard about the practical training ambush, but if Bang Jun didn't send the hawk, they'd surely blame him later.
'I shouldn't have passed out back then.'
Bang Jun didn't know it was Seo Il who knocked him out.
Probably some expert from the Dark Shadow Division. If he hadn't blacked out and had held onto his consciousness...
He might have at least caught a glimpse of the spy. Bang Jun clicked his tongue and twirled his chopsticks in his noodle bowl.
"Ugh, this is getting heavy."
Bang Jun muttered as he glanced at Wi Seong-cheon sitting across from him.
The whispers around them were so blatant. Yet Wi Seong-cheon showed no sign of it as he ate his meal.
"They say spies even infiltrated the Sword Pavilion dorms?"
"Isn't it suspicious? All this started happening after that bat from Heavenly Flower Gate enrolled."
"Did you see Hwangbo Seong-u? He was a total mess..."
"Heard he got beaten by Wi Seong-cheon."
"Probably used some dirty trick. Who knows? That bat might even be connected to the Demonic Cult..."
It was nonsense, but undeniable that the students' gazes toward Wi Seong-cheon had sharpened compared to before.
"You just gonna ignore crap like that?"
"Let 'em. They wanna yap, let 'em yap."
"Empty-headed idiots. Connected to the Demonic Cult? Do they think the instructors have dog eyes like theirs?"
Bang Jun slurped up all his noodles in one go with his chopsticks and grumbled.
No matter how much others chewed on it, Wi Seong-cheon prioritized chewing the food in his mouth first. After finishing his bite, Wi Seong-cheon asked casually.
"How's Hwangbo Seong-u doing?"
He was asking Dang Heeran, who sat across from him. In truth, all eyes were drawn to this trio—they couldn't help it.
One was the only third-generation disciple in Beggar Clan history to enter Uicheon Academy, and another was the youngest daughter of the Tang Clan. Nine Great Righteous Sects and Three Great Clans.
They were closely tied, but the two of them alone looked awkward together. Add the Heavenly Flower Gate bat, and it was no wonder they drew stares.
"Yeong So-jin almost got hit."
Dang Heeran seemed unperturbed. No reason to pay heed to mutterings from cowards who couldn't say it to their faces.
"What's that mean?"
"Last night. Apparently Yeong So-jin was mumbling at the dorm lounge."
Dang Heeran looked at Wi Seong-cheon with a bored expression.
"Said he was badmouthing you."
"It wasn't even badmouthing Hwangbo Seong-u. So why almost get hit?"
"I don't know what that Hwangbo Clan bear was thinking either. Anyway... here's the setup. Just like those idiots yapping over there. Yeong So-jin was blabbing that you used dirty tricks and might really be tied to the Demonic Cult..."
Suddenly, Hwangbo Seong-u jumped down from the second floor. He glared at startled Yeong So-jin and raised his fist wrapped in bandages. That's as far as it went.
"He didn't swing. Just held up his fist, glared a bit... spat something like 'Don't talk shit,' and went back up. I didn't see it myself."
"Who told you?"
"Ha Ji-tae."
He came and told me without me even asking? Dang Heeran shrugged as she said it. Felt like he did it on purpose. Ha Ji-tae knew Dang Heeran was close to Wi Seong-cheon.
He'd know word would reach Wi Seong-cheon through her.
"Weird guy."
Bang Jun muttered. Truth be told, the weirdest one was right in front of him.
Wi Seong-cheon...
The guy had ultimately "taken down" Hwangbo Seong-u. No one had imagined he'd actually do it.
"Who's next? Sang Irin?"
"Nah, no need to rush Sang Irin."
Wi Seong-cheon muttered as he pulled a book from his robes. He'd memorized it long ago, but it was still better to check directly.
"Same year anyway. Plenty of chances without rushing."
From third year, things got busier, and by fourth year, they barely stayed at the academy. By then, they'd learned all they could there and started roaming outside properly.
Even the current fourth-years had left for Sichuan right after returning from break. They were mobilized to exterminate the demonic beasts that had started appearing there in recent years.
"Isn't that too soon?"
"Planned to take it slow and steady at first. But things changed."
What Wi Seong-cheon wanted was a tie with Hwangbo Seong-u. Strictly by results, you could call it a tie. Wi Seong-cheon broke Hwangbo Seong-u's right arm, but Hwangbo Seong-u never turned into a bear.
No matter what Hwangbo Seong-u thought, students who only heard rumors without seeing it would defend Hwangbo Seong-u's "defeat" and downplay Wi Seong-cheon's win.
If that's where it ended.
But rampaging Paeng Yeon-hwa threw in a wild card. Hwangbo Seong-u was pushed to the brink of death, and even with excuses, Hwangbo Gwang's shoulder got slashed. And Wi Seong-cheon subdued that Paeng Yeon-hwa.
The poster didn't mention Paeng Yeon-hwa's rampage. No certainty, but Hwangbo Seong-u probably wouldn't blab about it. Instructors wouldn't say it outright either.
But Wi Seong-cheon subduing Paeng Yeon-hwa was undeniable fact, witnessed by too many eyes.
Truthfully, the biggest variable wasn't Paeng Yeon-hwa—it was the Taiji Sword Lord.
'With Paeng Yeon-hwa,' or whatever, but he'd offered personal guidance.
That Taiji Sword Lord of the Ten Heroes. To students, his teachings carried more weight than a recommendation from the Radiant Buddha.
Empty-headed jealousy was natural. Jealousy could be ignored. But around that level, along with jealousy, questions would arise: was Wi Seong-cheon really weak enough for the lower class?
So previous strategy wouldn't work. No point clinging to looking weak and taking it slow when circumstances had changed.
"Uicheon Festival's coming up soon."
"...Yeah? October's almost here."
"Perfect timing. The Uicheon Festival sparring tournament has no year restrictions. Depends on the bracket, of course. But we aim for that."
"...Just in case, okay?"
Dang Heeran, who'd been listening, hesitated before speaking.
"If you end up in the same group as my sister in the Uicheon Festival tournament... forfeit or something. Don't do anything stupid."
"Why?"
"Just take my word for it. Serious advice."
Dang Heeran's face was stiff.
Serpent Beauty Dang Seona.
Wi Seong-cheon nodded slowly, recalling their first meeting. Dang Heeran even hesitated to say her name.
It nagged at him, but he didn't press now. His planned "next" wasn't Dang Seona anyway. She was still second-year.
Fourth-year Flame Flower Jeong Mi-ju.
Third-year Little Buddha Jin-u, Sword Peak Woo Ha-yeon.
Those three were what Wi Seong-cheon had in mind first.
"Alright then."
Wi Seong-cheon muttered as he grabbed the liquor bottle in front of Bang Jun. Alcohol was served at the cafeteria on weekends. Not fancy enough for young drunks, but decent stuff.
Bang Jun's eyes widened as he watched Wi Seong-cheon chug from the bottle.
"...What the hell are you doing?"
"Urp."
Wi Seong-cheon grimaced in disgust as he upended the bottle. Over half the liquor left poured straight down his throat.
"Honestly, I never get what the point of drinking this stuff is."
Wi Seong-cheon said as he pushed back his chair and stood. Bang Jun and Dang Heeran stared blankly at his sudden move.
He'd downed half a bottle of strong rice wine, but not a hint of buzz. Just a bitter aftertaste from booze that didn't suit him.
Wi Seong-cheon licked the damp liquor from his lips. The bitter tang on his tongue annoyed him. He gripped the bottle upside down and turned his head sharply.
The situation had already changed, and he planned to change his attitude starting now.
Wi Seong-cheon decided this moment was his turning point.
Ignoring Bang Jun and Dang Heeran's blank stares, Wi Seong-cheon strode over. A familiar face sat there: mid-tier first-year Jang Il-u.
He'd been listening to the talk around him with a sour look, but startled when his eyes met Wi Seong-cheon's approaching figure, shrinking his shoulders.
"I mean, it doesn't make sense, right? How could some Heavenly Flower Gate punk beat the Hwangbo Clan young master?"
"Definitely used dirty tricks. Hey, they said Demonic Cult spies were hiding in the Sword Pavilion dorms too. Ambushed the moment Hwangbo Seong-u took one down?"
"Or maybe a sneaky team-up. Upper-tier Group 3 had Dang Heeran, after all. Who knows..."
The plates on the table where Jang Il-u and other mid-tier students sat were already clean, but they were gleefully picking Wi Seong-cheon apart for dessert.
"Gasp."
Jang Il-u swallowed hard, and the students across from him tilted their heads at the sudden sound. Then the ones next to Jang Il-u finally spotted Wi Seong-cheon and pointed.
"Hey, behind, behind you."
"What?"
Wi Seong-cheon's steps halted. He cocked his head sideways and stared at the mid-tier students. The ones who'd been ripping into him blinked.
"I-I didn't say anything."
Jang Il-u stammered, sweating bullets.
Wi Seong-cheon smiled brightly.
"I know, Il-u."
"What're you on about?"
The one who'd been trashing Wi Seong-cheon hardest scowled fiercely. Who was it again? Wi Seong-cheon stepped forward, pondering briefly. Too many mid-tier students, all similar in skill, hard to keep track.
He'd memorized the book from Inspector Woo, but hadn't matched every mid-tier face to name yet.
'Not worth remembering anyway.'
Someone worth knowing, he'd recall the name without thinking.
As Wi Seong-cheon kept approaching, the guy glared and shot to his feet.
"You bat bastard. What the hell do you want?"
He reached out to shove Wi Seong-cheon's shoulder as he spoke.
"What's your sect?"
"What the...?"
The guy's hand grabbed Wi Seong-cheon's shoulder.
Crack!
The liquor bottle swung upward struck the center of his wrist dead-on. The bottle shattered, shards flying. The guy's hand flew up limply. He gawked, still processing.
His cheek sagged with his open mouth—perfect target.
"Argh!"
Wi Seong-cheon smashed the jagged bottleneck sideways across the guy's cheek. The bottle neck branded a red ring into the spinning face.
The startled mid-tier students jumped up. But faster, Wi Seong-cheon's foot kicked the table upward.
"And yours?"
The table and dishes spun in the air. The guy with the circular mark on his cheek roared in fury and swung at Wi Seong-cheon.
Wi Seong-cheon reached out indifferently. Didn't block palm-center. A bit higher, at an angle where his hand would "bend." As his palm flexed back from the push, Wi Seong-cheon hooked his fingers to pin the guy's knuckles and shoved his palm forward.
Crash!
The kicked table and dishes hit the floor.
"Argh!"
Piercing the noise, the guy screamed at the top of his lungs. His fist had twisted backward, knuckles jammed against forearm.
"Just curious, but no one's answering."
"L-Let... go!"
"Nope."
Wi Seong-cheon smirked as he yanked the guy's fist. The guy shrieked and staggered after him.
His voice grated metallic from the joint pain.
"J-Jin Clan! Jin Clan!"
"Oh dear, a clan disciple? That's even worse."
Wi Seong-cheon tsked as he wrenched the guy's arm behind his back.
"My father, the Heavenly Flower Gate Lord, really valued manners."
"Let... go!"
"But looks like Jin Clan teaches different."
Wi Seong-cheon grinned as he poked the circular mark on the guy's cheek.
"Didn't know you could get smacked for talking shit at the dinner table?"