Chapter 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Water is Self-Service
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Once all five hundred kids had gathered, Uijin swept his characteristically impassive gaze over them and opened his mouth.
“From now on, you’ll be called by the numbers you received when you entered this place, not your names. Make sure you remember your numbers well. Got it?”
“Yes!”
A thunderous response echoed across the courtyard.
“I’ll lay out the schedule, so listen carefully. Rise at mao hour and assemble at the training ground on top of that peak by mao hour plus one quarter-hour. After morning training, you’ll have lunch at si hour four quarters. The afternoon is for exams. The exam events change daily, so keep that in mind.”
Putting it in a modern-style schedule for clarity:
AM 5:00: Wake-up
AM 5:00 - 5:15: Assemble at training ground
AM 5:15 - 12:00: Morning training
PM 12:00 - 1:00: Lunch
PM 1:00 onward: Exams
The morning routine wasn’t much different from what we’d been doing so far. But now the real worries kicked in—how brutal the morning training would be, how our bodies would hold up the next day, unexpected accidents, and so on.
That’s why Uihyeon kept waking me at dawn. Forcing miracle morning training on kids who should be growing was all for this.
“Anyone who fails the exam or doesn’t stick to the morning schedule will be eliminated immediately. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“From now on, trainees will live in this building until the final exam. With me at the center, left side is for boys, right side for girls. Eight per room.”
I’d checked out the rooms right when we arrived at the Selection Hall, and I grimaced at his last words. The rooms were ridiculously cramped for eight people.
I shot my hand up immediately to lodge a complaint.
“It seems too small for eight people to sleep in!”
“No need to worry. It’ll be plenty spacious in a few days.”
I swallowed hard at his ominous words. How many are they planning to drop right from the start?
“Any more questions?”
I shot my hand up again.
“No breakfast?”
“After training, you’ll think skipping breakfast was a blessing.”
No matter how I heard it, that sounded like they were going to grind us until we puked.
“No more questions? Dismissed. It’s the first day, so you get some rest time.”
The kids were already clustering in groups of twos and threes, forming their little packs. With only thirty spots left here anyway, did we really need to make friends now?
I strolled leisurely through the front courtyard, scanning for any promising talents, when a bold voice caught my ear.
“I’m definitely going to pass. My great-aunt is an elder of Mount Hua!”
Huh? Sounds like that guy whose granddad was an elder—got bullied in the sect as a parachute kid, right?
Even if that little squirt passes, his road ahead looks rough. The sharp glares already aimed his way were no joke.
Judging by his smug shrug, he acted like his spot as a Core Disciple was guaranteed.
But you think they’ll hand you a seat they didn’t even give me?
Sorry to say, this isn’t Wudang—it’s Mount Hua. Unlike Wudang, the supreme sword sect with no entry corruption.
I clicked my tongue and left the front courtyard, heading back to the hall. Like it or not, I’d be bunking here for a week or ten days.
While those bright-eyed little brats bonded, maybe I’d claim a decent room first.
* * *
Boom-boom-boom-badoong-! The drums blared noisily.
Realizing it was the wake-up call, I snapped my eyes open on reflex.
With eight bodies lined up, I barely extricated my squished frame.
Uihyeon’s relentless dawn wake-ups had paid off. He couldn’t interfere directly with the exams, so this was his way of helping me.
And I, oblivious to his grand intentions, just whined every time about being woken before dawn…!
A surge of emotion welled up; I rubbed my eyes. No tears. A yawn finally brought them, painting the picture I wanted.
In our room of eight, only four of us—including me—bolted up at the drumbeat.
‘Safe travels home!’
I gazed fondly at the sleepers, bidding them silent farewell in my heart.
No need to wake them. They’d be happier dropping out quick and sleeping in at home.
I folded my bedding, left the room, and saw kids trickling out from others, rubbing sleepy eyes.
Some woke their whole room before emerging; others tiptoed out on their toes, fearing they’d create more rivals.
Most were the latter, of course. Were Righteous Faction hopefuls supposed to have personalities like this? But since I was the same, I let it slide.
Righteous and unorthodox are separated by a sheet of paper, after all.
After a quick splash on my face, I raced up the peak’s stairs and reached the training ground unscathed.
I thought I was first, but some were already there, sprawled on the dirt.
Sleeping at the training ground instead of the hall wasn’t a bad idea…?
No need to climb stairs early, and unlike cramming eight into a room, I could hog the wide-open space solo.
I tried lying on the dirt, but the hard ground dug into my back. I grimaced and sat up.
Sleeping here would mean muscle aches tomorrow. Guess my body’s too spoiled by soft bedding.
When the sundial hit exactly 5:15, the instructors blocked the training ground entrance.
Latecomers wailed, begged, threw tantrums—but were soon dragged down the stairs.
Quite a few succumbed to sleep; today’s crowd was noticeably thinner than yesterday’s courtyard gathering.
Uijin assembled us like before and pointed to a corner.
“See the water jugs?”
“Yes!”
“The ones with your numbers are yours. Eliminated trainees’ jugs get removed immediately, so no sharing. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“Drinking water is in the stream beyond those rocks. The rest of the brook water isn’t potable—keep that in mind.”
Fetching water would be a chore. I sighed at the rugged path to the valley.
“Now, grab your jugs and fill them with water for training. You have one quarter-hour. Go!”
Damn, even water’s self-service?
With exams in the afternoon, starting training by draining us like this—what’s the plan?
Grumbling inwardly, I filled my jug and trudged back along the prickly, rocky valley path.
But that was just the beginning of our real ordeal.
“I didn’t say stop. Keep running!”
Gritting my teeth at Uijin’s bellow, I lapped the training ground. I’d lost count of the laps.
Seeing kids finally halt and puke on the dirt, I got why no breakfast.
Unless you wanted to regurgitate it for confirmation.
‘This is true hell, boundless Buddha.’
No wonder Mount Hua disciples called it Selection Hell.
I’d never forget today either—brag about passing till I die.
The instructors were vicious, yelling stop just shy of collapse.
Until then, no rest. Rest meant elimination.
A brief breather ended, and hell training resumed.
Uijin watched with arms crossed—didn’t he remember his own suffering here?
Some things grit can’t fix. One girl had already fainted mid-run and been carried off.
True kid-killer, this Selection Hell.
‘Exams this afternoon—will this wrap in one day?’
All flunk first round, zero passers—worst in Mount Hua history.
Without my solid base fitness, I’d have gloriously bombed today.
Lost in the run, a booming voice pierced my ears.
“Meal time! Down to the mess hall!”
Clutching my starving gut, I staggered toward the stairs linking training ground and hall.
Never thought “meal time” would sound so heavenly.
* * *
After eating and a short rest, the long-awaited first exam began.
Let’s see how brutal Mount Hua’s entrance exam really is?
—I wanted to play it cool, but the morning’s extreme training was brutal enough. No leisure; anxiety gripped me like facing an unknown foe.
Holding our jugs, we squirts buzzed before the dizzying peak as Chief Proctor Doseon spoke.
“First exam: Summit Jangha Peak and return.”
His finger pointed to the peak’s top.
Steep-looking but with a clear path—not too tough a hike.
Just climbing? No spirit beasts or harvesting inner cores? Too easy for an exam?
Murmurs grew; I wasn’t alone.
“Time limit: Before the sun fully sets.”
No big hassle there. Easy exam, so cull via morning training?
I snorted, standing cocky, when my eyes met Uijin’s behind Doseon.
What? Why’s that guy grinning?