Chapter 283: Entrance Exams (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 283: Entrance Exams (3)
“Hey, you fucker.”
The shocking words slipped from my lips, instantly silencing the excited crowd around me.
And the person I’d just cursed at was none other than the famous son of the Alliance Leader.
Behind me, Gu Jeolyub and Gu Yeonseo took a step back, their faces masks of disbelief.
…These fuckers…
They were already trying to pretend they had nothing to do with me. Did they forget we were wearing the same uniform?
I couldn’t believe they’d betray me so quickly, and in such an idiotic way.
They learned fast.
Yes, that’s how you survive.
But I’ll see you later, Gu Jeolyub.
He was a dead man walking.
Flinch–
Putting aside Gu Jeolyub, who was nervously rubbing his shoulders as if he could feel the chill I was radiating, I turned back to Jang Seonyeon. He wore a dumbfounded expression for a moment after being sworn at, then a faint smile touched his lips.
“…You haven’t changed at all.”
No, he wasn’t smiling.
He had just put on a mask, one far thicker than before.
“It seems you despise me.”
“The feeling is mutual. You hate me too.”
“Of course not. Why would I bother coming to greet you if that were the case?”
“The nonsense you spout is laughable.”
Chuckle.
I reined in the laughter threatening to burst out and stepped closer to him.
“Well? How is it?”
“…How is what?”
“How. Is. It?”
I closed the distance between us.
Seeing his handsome face up close only stoked my anger, but I held myself in check.
“Can you see it?”
“…!”
His pupils trembled slightly at my question. How pathetic. That was all it took to shake the foundation of his thick mask.
“…What did you just do?”
“I got closer to you while controlling my anger. So, can you see it or not? You can’t, right?” His intentions were obvious.
Just as his own strength had grown, he was curious about my progress. He’d done the same thing to the Sleeping Dragon in my past life—approaching his opponent under the guise of civility. This time, I was his target. Which was exactly what I wanted.
However…
“There’s no way you can. You’re a joke.”
He couldn’t see what he was looking for.
After all, I wasn’t so weak that my power would be visible to a mere bastard like him.
“…”
Crack.
I heard the soft, distinct sound of teeth grinding together. It was fleeting, but standing right in front of him, I caught it clearly.
“Haha.”
The bastard, shaken for just an instant, quickly restored his placid mask. He had certainly improved since our last encounter. He’d gotten better at hiding his true feelings.
Not bad.
It’ll be more enjoyable to tear you apart now.
The thicker the mask, the more satisfying it would be to shatter it. Whether I broke him, ripped him apart, or burned him to death, I had no intention of letting him live. I’d sooner bite off my own tongue than allow him to survive.
The surroundings were deathly quiet, all eyes fixed on our tense standoff with anxious gazes. To an outsider, this must have looked like a simple battle of nerves.
-Isn’t that the Meteor Sword? Did someone actually pick a fight with him?
-What’s wrong with the other guy? He’s got a nasty personality.
-Just look at him. Does he seem like the friendly type? For the Meteor Sword to be harassed by a weirdo like that…
-Which clan is he from? This is the first time I’ve… Ah, wait…!
The Gu Clan of Shanxi. Once they recognized my uniform, the faint whispers died down again.
-…The Sword Phoenix.
After someone muttered the title under their breath, understanding nods spread through the crowd. Even my insane behavior was being excused because of her reputation.
…Just what did she do here?
Once again, I found myself curious about what Gu Huibi had gotten up to during her time at the Heavenly Dragon Academy.
Just as I was about to sigh…
-Isn’t the True Dragon from the same clan?
Whispers about me began to circulate.
-…The True Dragon? That True Dragon?
The True Dragon was the True Dragon, what did he mean by ‘that True Dragon’?
-Then that bastard is the True Dragon?
-Isn’t it the guy behind him? The handsome one.
-…Oh… You might be right. He is handsome.
I didn’t know why they were judging us based on looks, but the Master Sword of Heroic Flame, Gu Jeolyub, visibly flinched as they mistakenly identified him as the True Dragon.
“…Eh?”
He began to roll his eyes in a panic as everyone’s stares shifted onto him.
-But the True Dragon doesn’t use a sword.
-It could just be a hobby.
-Understandable, I guess.
You fuckers. What do you mean, ‘understandable’?
Being the center of attention was more troublesome than I’d expected. And it was too soon for me to attract their gaze; I’d planned to lay low after passing the exam.
Shoving the sharp gazes to the back of my mind, I addressed Jang Seonyeon. “If you’re done with your business here, how about you screw off?”
“…Business, huh.”
No sooner had Jang Seonyeon whispered those words than I felt something strange.
A toxic Qi was trying to stealthily invade my body.
Ha.
Clench.
“…!”
The moment I felt the foreign energy attempt to intrude, I seized it with my own energy and crushed it.
Jang Seonyeon’s eyes widened slightly, clearly not expecting me to catch and neutralize his aura.
“You fucker…”
Crack.
I was speechless.
“I’m doing my best to hold back, so why are you testing my patience?”
My Dantian reinforced my qi, infused it with my raging emotions, and spread it throughout my body via my blood.
Woong.
Qi flooded my middle Dantian, and my breath grew hot.
Crack.
I clenched my fist, watching the invasive Qi shatter and dissipate. It was definitely Blood Qi. It seemed he was still relying on that damned energy.
Unbelievable.
I thrust my hand forward to grab the bastard by the throat, but my attempt was unexpectedly thwarted.
Kwak!
Someone else had caught my wrist, their grip like iron, making it impossible to break free.
Who is it?
I shot a cold glare at the interlopers and met an equally heavy, impassive gaze.
“It’s nice to see that you are still full of youthful vigor…”
His tone was gentle, but his face was utterly emotionless.
“But with such a large audience, you would be wise to temper your fighting spirit a little.”
Bijuu the Dishonored Venerable.
No, it was Bi Eejin of the Bi Clan.
“…”
I internally gasped the moment I saw him.
Why was he here? Was he seriously planning to enroll in the Academy? I couldn’t believe an old man like him was participating in what was essentially a children’s party.
I’d been trying my best to avoid him, and now, of all times, I had to run into him.
Moreover…
I hadn’t even sensed his approach. Granted, I was pissed off and might have lost focus for a second, but still… a Heavenly Venerable was on a different level.
I also needed to figure out why the Dishonored Venerable had chosen to intervene. He didn’t seem the type to meddle in petty squabbles.
What’s his goal?
I couldn’t decipher his intentions. His gaze suggested he wanted something, but I had no idea what, and that made me even more wary.
Bi Eejin stared at me for a moment longer before shifting his gaze to Jang Seonyeon, all without releasing my wrist.
Flinch.
Jang Seonyeon flinched the instant their eyes met. It was understandable; it’s difficult for anyone to hold a stare with eyes that hold not a shred of human emotion.
“Brother, it would be wise for you to refrain from any unnecessary actions as well.”
“…Dragon Warrior.”
It seemed Jang Seonyeon also knew of Bi Eejin.
“If you cause trouble before the exam begins, you will be disqualified.”
Only after hearing Bi Eejin’s words did my mind start working clearly again.
Ugh, you idiot.
I cursed myself internally. Jang Seonyeon was a son of a bitch, but he obviously had an ulterior motive for approaching me. Despite knowing that, I’d lost my cool just seeing his face.
Was his aim to provoke me… so I’d be barred from the exam? I wondered if he’d really resort to such a cheap trick, but I couldn’t rule it out.
Hearing this, Jang Seonyeon didn’t deny it. Instead, he replied, “…And what makes you think you are involved in this matter, Brother Bi?”
“As you can see, I am not involved. I simply have a meddlesome personality.”
The moment he said that, I thought to myself: That’s definitely a lie.
He was the farthest thing from meddlesome. What did he mean by that?
I stood still, staring speechlessly at Bi Eejin.
“Since nothing good will come of this, shall we all stop here?” Bi Eejin suggested to Jang Seonyeon with a smile.
Then he added, “If you prefer not to, I can show you just how meddlesome I can be.”
The moment those words left his lips…
“…!”
A shiver ran down my spine, and I instinctively took a step back. Bi Eejin wasn’t emitting any Qi or killing intent. He’d merely spoken, yet the hairs on my arms stood on end.
As expected of him…
I looked at the Dishonored Venerable with newfound shock. He might have undergone Eternal Youth, but he was still one of the three strongest experts in the Central Plains before the Heavenly Demon’s rise. Just feeling his aura drove home the immense experience he possessed.
Seeing Jang Seonyeon shrink back slightly, it seemed he felt the same overwhelming pressure.
Then, he glanced at me…
“…Sigh.”
…and let out a sigh.
Why was this bastard sighing at me? I felt offended.
“…It seems Brother Gu always has interesting people around him.”
“What are you talking about?”
His tone was disgustingly suggestive. Just hearing the emotion laced in his words made me want to slap him…
“…”
But my wrist remained firmly trapped in Bi Eejin’s grasp. Of course, I could have broken free using my Qi…
But that might cause an even bigger problem.
I had a feeling that forcing my way out now would lead to something far more troublesome. Besides, the gazes from the onlookers had grown strange. Because the Meteor Sword had called him ‘Dragon Warrior,’ everyone now realized that the man holding my wrist was Bi Eejin, one of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
Does this look weird?
Listen, everyone, I am not friends with this man. I wanted to announce it to the world, but Bi Eejin’s gaze kept me silent.
After staring at me for a moment longer, Jang Seonyeon smiled again, as if his previous reactions had never happened.
“I merely came to offer a small greeting today.”
“What an aggressive greeting. It must suit your taste.”
“…I look forward to our next meeting.”
With that, he turned and walked away without another word.
Only after he was gone did Bi Eejin release my wrist.
Putting Jang Seonyeon aside for now, even though I wanted to avoid Bi Eejin at all costs, I had to ask. “Why did you stop me?”
What was his reason for intervening? I couldn’t understand why he’d bother, especially since he disliked attention more than anyone.
“As I said, I was simply being meddlesome.”
“You don’t strike me as the meddlesome type.”
“Oh?” Bi Eejin wore a strange expression upon hearing my words. “You speak as if you know me well.”
“…It’s just intuition.”
“Well, you aren’t entirely wrong.”
Bi Eejin’s eyes scanned my body appraisingly. “I didn’t want to see you sent back.”
“…What do you mean?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like.”
He’d stopped me because causing a scene would have likely gotten me disqualified and sent home. It also implied he knew exactly what I would have done to Jang Seonyeon if left unchecked.
Smile.
His smile seemed artificial. It was different from the mask Jang Seonyeon wore, but the cold, dead eyes I’d seen during that battle were probably his true face.
“I’ve grown somewhat interested in you, Young Master.”
“…Pardon?”
I took an involuntary step back. For some reason, he sounded a bit too much like that lunatic from the Peng Clan.
Bi Eejin seemed to find my reaction amusing, as he let out a soft chuckle. “I haven’t seen that expression in a long time. I didn’t think I’d meet someone who could make me see it again.”
“…Do you perhaps…”
“I like women.”
“Oh, is that so?”
I stopped retreating. Thank goodness. That Peng Clan bastard had added a suspicious “?” at the end of his declaration.
“Or maybe not.”
“…”
What was wrong with this guy? I was starting to feel seriously uncomfortable.
Am I only popular with guys?
First Yung Pung, then the Sleeping Dragon in my past life… for some reason, it seemed I had a peculiar appeal to men.