Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: Secondary Examination
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Dang Gon secretly visited the Black Tortoise Pavilion in the dead of night.
With irritation etched all over his face.
"Ah, seriously! Don't you know that if we're caught doing this, we'll both be kicked out immediately!?"
"Then pack up and head back to Nine Dragons County. It'll be your loss, not mine. Kicking out the disciple of the family head? That'd stir up a real storm, wouldn't it?"
"Sure, the branch leader might be fine with it! But it's my head on the line here—mine! I still haven't paid off the loan I took out to buy my house... Damn it!!"
"Not my problem, is it?"
"You wanna die or what!?"
Unhwi chuckled and backed away as Dang Gon looked ready to grab him by the collar.
Truth be told, just as Dang Gon said, such private meetings were best avoided.
No matter their master-servant bond, this was Tang Gate Branch territory.
Unhwi was an examinee, and Dang Gon was the chief instructor.
A clandestine rendezvous like this could only breed ugly rumors.
Unhwi knew that full well, which was why he'd sent word to meet at this hour under cover of darkness.
"The group training is starting soon, right?"
"...If you're asking about the exam contents, I'm not telling."
"There'll be instructors assigned to each group then, but for Banak Division, Master Musabu is coming personally, yeah?"
"This guy's not even listening to me anymore!?"
"There's one favor I'd like to ask while you're at it."
Dang Gon no longer had the energy to retort.
No, more than that—why was he assuming so casually that he'd be assigned to Banak Division?
Someone else could be assigned, couldn't they?
Sure, he'd declared he'd go there himself, but this was getting ridiculous...
For a moment, Dang Gon felt a deep sense of defeat.
No matter how he sliced it, he just couldn't escape Unhwi's clutches.
Still, he had no intention of granting Unhwi's "personal favor."
Separate from his loyalty, this bruised his pride as chief instructor.
He didn't want to tarnish the new Stormwind Corps with filth.
But then.
"...Huh?"
After hearing out Unhwi's request in full, Dang Gon couldn't hide the twisted expression creeping across his face.
* * *
Ten days later.
"The gates are closed!!"
The main gates of Tang Gate Branch, which had been admitting examinees, slammed shut.
Boom...!!
Tension rippled through the watching examinees at the sight.
What would the entrance exam entail?
Would they learn the Stormwind Art?
What form did the famed Stormwind Formation take?
Would there be poison techniques or hidden weapons?
What about explosives?
The Tang Clan trained in the Hundred Strikes and Eighteen Armaments—would that mesh well with their own martial arts?
Who among the applicants was the biggest threat?
Why had the first exam required prepping synergy with incompatible roommates?
Questions begat more questions.
Speculation spawned further speculation.
Most of it lacked any real source or basis, so rumors only proliferated.
As the rumors swelled, reactions varied wildly.
Alliances formed and dissolved ceaselessly.
Just like Banak Division, factions of all stripes emerged.
Thousand Sword Grove, centered on Yi Cheolsan and like-minded swordsmen; Striving Voices, splintered from Lake Assembly with the largest numbers; Phoenix Party, built around Tang Ye-won, Tang clansmen, and her admirers.
And there were far more minor factions besides. Count in their subgroups, and the tally became incalculable.
Some even joined three or four overlapping groups, as each faction's guessed exam contents demanded different preparations.
But now, such speculation was moot.
And when the long-awaited notices finally went up, all 567 examinees gasped in unison.
—Primary Exam Concluded.
"What the hell does this mean?"
"Hey, isn't that notice wrong!? The exam's already over? We just finished registering—"
The crowd's fierce protests died on their lips at the next notices.
—Exam Contents: Faction Formation.
—Passer List
Nine Dragons Branch Family Tang Unhwi
Azure Star Sect Yi Cheolsan
Tang Gate Branch Tang Ye-won
.
—Fail List
.
.
"!!"
"S-So that's why they said to gather plaques however we could... That was the exam!?"
"Wait! I was still deciding on a faction! Even now—right now—I'll pick one! Just give us time—"
"Hints were dropped multiple times already. No reversals."
The posting supervisor rejected all objections.
Some rebelled, protesting there was no proper announcement for such an exam, but enforcers from the Discipline Hall soon appeared and dragged them all out of Tang Gate Branch by force.
"I told you. This entrance exam is about forging a new Stormwind Corps. That means structured like a true organization, unlike loose jianghu life. How can people who can't even form a single bond adapt to group living?"
The examinees fell silent at the supervisor's chilling explanation.
"Of course, some grasped the primary exam's nature early and swiftly recruited talent. But that just shows sharp improvisation and organizational skill—no grounds for complaint. Now, the secondary exam announcement."
New notices went up.
—Secondary Exam Announcement
Contents: Stormwind Art and Stormwind Formation Training
Duration: One Month
Evaluation: Mission Assignment per Faction
"The secondary exam will have the factions from the primary as your groups. Instructors will be assigned per group to lecture on the Stormwind Art and Formation, with training to last about a month."
Some let out silent screams.
One month?
An absurdly short time.
The Stormwind Art alone was renowned as a supreme technique.
Mastering its forms would take at least a fortnight minimum, and grasping its principles years.
Yet they had to nail it in a month—plus learn the Formation.
The Stormwind Formation was the Stormwind Corps' signature combo assault and battle array.
Teamwork was key, demanding group training.
Joint sessions interspersed with personal practice— the schedule felt crushingly tight just thinking about it. Would they even sleep properly?
"Of course, no objections accepted. If you don't like it, exit through the front gate. We'll cover your travel expenses generously."
But the Tang Clan's trademark audacity—"take it or leave it"—shut down all the examinees.
"Ha Hu Clan's front gate here. May I ask one question?"
"Speak."
"The mission assignments in the evaluation—any details on contents or criteria?"
"Impossible. You'll know after a month."
"...Hmm."
"But a hint? Sure. Heroism!"
Ha Hu Jeongmun's eyes lit up at that instant.
He bowed deeply with a cupped-fist salute.
"A fine answer. My thanks."
The supervisor turned to the crowd and bellowed.
"Then let the true secondary exam begin!!"
* * *
Bae Hye-in clenched her fists tight.
'I'll master the Stormwind Art and Formation perfectly within a month, no matter what!'
Truth be told, when the secondary exam was announced, Bae Hye-in felt like she could fly.
They were handing over the two signature techniques that birthed the Stormwind Corps legend of Sichuan's martial world—just like that?
Most examinees figured real training came after everyone passed.
No, that was common sense. Entrance exams typically gauged talent first, sharing secrets only after full integration.
Even then, taught in stages.
Yet Tang Gate Branch was just... giving it during the exam.
And if you flunked?
Go home. They'd even slip you travel money.
After you'd learned the Stormwind Art and Formation.
Utterly unconcerned about their techniques leaking.
It was in this that Bae Hye-in and the examinees sensed Tang Gate Branch's vast magnanimity.
And trembled at the arrogance.
—Take it home with you? Fine. Consider it a gift.
—Figure out the counters? Go ahead. If you can.
Bae Hye-in glimpsed one facet of why the Tang Clan dominated Sichuan's martial world.
Her resolve blazed brighter.
To become family here.
A true Stormwind Corps member.
What unbreakable backing and support would she have then?
"We... can do this, right?"
"My heart's already pounding like crazy. Driving me nuts."
Bae Hye-in's friends took deep breaths.
Banak Division's final roster: 131 strong.
Most were masters whose names or aliases rang familiar, weighing heavy on their shoulders.
Could they really carve out a place here? Old worries crept in.
But Bae Hye-in always rallied her friends.
"What are you talking about? We can all pass! Become Stormwind Corps together! So let's go, fighting!"
"Y-Yeah. All pass together. Fighting!"
"Fighting!!"
Bae Hye-in smiled faintly at her friends.
Yeah, with these friends, they'd power through any training...
Bae Hye-in was steeling herself inwardly when she bit her lip. Her friends did the same.
Bi Cheon Lake Assembly's Gong Son-beom was passing by.
He seemed utterly disinterested in them, but facing him still spiked their tension inescapably.
Since Lake Assembly's dissolution, Gong Son-beom mostly wandered solo or with a tiny entourage.
His old crew had vanished entirely.
Bae Hye-in let out a relieved sigh.
'We'll cross paths constantly in Banak Division life ahead. Gotta overcome this fast. And someday, surpass him.'
Bae Hye-in's gaze shifted elsewhere.
Her idol, Tang Gyu-jin, was chatting with Yu Su-min and Sima Seon-ui.
Voices too low to catch, but their serious faces suggested sword talk.
'All three are dead serious about swords! Their usual chats must be miles above our makeup tips and romance gossip. Step it up. To stand beside them, train harder.'
Not just Cheoksa Trio were psyching up pre-training. Most of Banak Division felt it.
All true martial enthusiasts.
Even this set them apart from Striving Voices or Phoenix Party.
Thousand Sword Grove was the closest match?
But too small for real comparison.
Bae Hye-in felt strength surge into her shoulders.
Right then.
"...They're coming."
"Those are our instructors from here on?"
"All ex-Stormwind Corps, alright. Aura's on another level."
Ten instructors filed into the training grounds.
Tension etched Banak Division members' faces.
Now it truly felt like they'd entered Tang Gate Branch.
And when Dang Gon appeared last, the examinees burst into admiration.
Each slow, hands-behind-back step seemed to whip up a mighty aura storm.
Yet not a whisper harmed the examinees—truly masterful.
Thus did the presence of Dang Gon, Stormwind Knight who penned Sichuan's history alongside Dang Ho-san, etch deep into their minds.
But.
"...Huh?"
"Uh?"
"What's that?"
The moment they spotted the porters trailing Dang Gon, the examinees' expressions turned peculiar.
The porters strained, dragging piles of iron chains that looked to weigh dozens of catties each.
Dang Gon's face, watching them, was oddly sullen.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Bae Hye-in and the others felt an inexplicable unease hard to put into words.
And then.
"...Figures."
"No wonder luck felt good today."
"This is scary..."
Cheoksa Trio's vision darkened as dread became reality.
Reincarnated Demon God Legend