Chapter 8
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Hazing Ritual
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The final test Seo Pung mentioned to Namgung Yuya and Ha Yuseong didn't actually exist.
What Seo Pung was doing now was the usual hazing ritual, an indirect way of showing two soft rookies who dared to badmouth their superior that the Murim Alliance was not to be taken lightly.
However, there was some truth to his words.
‘If they can't even overcome this, they're better off not being in the Murim Alliance.’
To prevent any pointless sacrifices.
“The final test is simple. If you can land a single successful attack on me in a spar, I'll officially pass you.”
* * *
Facing him directly like this, Namgung Yuya realized the rumors had been greatly understated.
They called him a madman, but this guy was a complete lunatic.
What the hell! I passed the test fair and square, and he was the one who even picked me, so what's with this nonsense?
Land one hit? That was like telling a toddler who had just started walking to sprint.
Right! This was completely impossible.
“This is unfair!”
Namgung Yuya didn't hold back, voicing his complaint about the unfair treatment to his superior. The superior picked his nose as he replied.
“If you don't like it, become a Unit Leader yourself.”
One of the conditions to become a Unit Leader in the Murim Alliance was to be a 1st-class warrior.
To become a 1st-class warrior, one needed a recommendation from another 1st-class warrior and had to fight a fellow 1st-class warrior to at least a draw, or win.
In other words, the title of a Murim Alliance Unit Leader meant you were strong enough to be ranked among the top 100 in this vast martial world.
This meant the madman before him was one of the legendary Top 100 Masters of the Martial World he had only ever heard stories about.
“Hic!”
Meeting the gaze of one of the Top 100 Masters head-on made him hiccup involuntarily.
Namgung Yuya quickly lowered his eyes and glanced to the side.
Unlike him, Brother Ha looked calm—no! His eyes seemed to be filled with anticipation.
At a glance, he even seemed a little excited.
‘Don't tell me Brother Ha is a madman too?’
The type who enjoys unfair situations?
Brother Ha's next words made Namgung Yuya's jaw drop.
“So, can I beat you up?”
He's a madman!
“Hah! How amusing!”
Is my heart the only one shriveling up here? What's wrong with that guy!
“Then, give it a try!”
The moment he finished speaking.
Seo Pung lightly kicked off the ground.
* * *
He was in front of them in an instant.
Namgung Yuya’s eyes tracked Seo Pung’s movements, a step behind.
He belatedly caught up to the motion.
A single hand approached slowly.
‘Six Harmonies Fist, First Form: Single Harmony Collapsing Fist.’
The Six Harmonies were the foundation of all martial arts. And Namgung Yuya knew better than anyone what could be built upon that foundation.
The fluttering fist looked as harmless as a child's cotton-padded punch, yet goosebumps prickled Namgung Yuya's arms.
This was the Six Harmonies Fist, but it wasn't a simple Six Harmonies Fist.
‘It starts with the Six Harmonies, but the enlightenment within it is something else entirely.’
I'm going to get hit.
Unfortunately, while he could recognize the attack, he didn't have the skill to dodge it.
‘Am I going to fail like this again?’
Just as he was having this self-deprecating thought.
He felt something grab the scruff of his neck.
“Hngh!”
Namgung Yuya let out a strange cry as he was thrown backward.
When he came to his senses, he found himself shoved into a corner. Feeling wronged by the sudden toss, Namgung Yuya lifted his head to protest.
“Who was that!”
“Me.”
It was Brother Ha who had pulled him.
You could've said something before you pulled me!
“Brother Namgung! You can't just stand there spacing out! It's common sense to dodge when someone attacks you.”
What! Did I want to space out? It's just because that crazy Unit Leader is so damn fast!
After saying his piece, Brother Ha immediately charged forward.
At the same time.
“Looks like you have time for a chat.”
*Swish.*
Namgung Yuya's eyes followed Seo Pung's path.
Unlike before, he now calmly assessed his opponent's martial arts by looking at the footprints left on the ground. Among the countless martial arts in his mind, one with perfectly matching footprints came to mind.
'One of the Murim Alliance's beginner techniques, the Great Light Steps.'
Seo Pung had already reached Brother Ha.
The same situation he had been in moments ago.
Seeing this, Namgung Yuya expected to see Brother Ha get hit by Seo Pung's fist and go flying.
The approaching fist.
The same Six Harmonies Fist as before.
Brother Ha made no move until the fist was right in front of his face.
He's going to get hit.
Just as he thought that.
He gently kicked off the ground and slid to the side. It was as natural as a fish swimming through water.
He reacted?
And he had seen it clearly before dodging.
‘Can Brother Ha see that crazy Unit Leader's movements?’
As if to shatter that hope, Seo Pung's movements became even faster.
Seo Pung moved behind him instead of attacking from the front.
He stretched both arms wide forward.
*Grab.*
And wrapped them around Ha Yuseong's body.
“One down!”
Seo Pung's waist bent back like a bow, and he slammed Ha Yuseong into the ground.
Watching this, Namgung Yuya squeezed his eyes shut, anticipating the outcome.
‘His head is going to crack open!’
*CRASH!*
“Oh!”
An exclamation of surprise was heard.
At the sound, Namgung Yuya peeked open his eyes, his jaw dropping and drool trickling down.
He saw Brother Ha, protecting his head with both hands and supporting himself on the ground with his arms.
Brother Ha then twisted his legs from above, using the rotational force to break free from Seo Pung's grasp.
Then, dusting himself off, Brother Ha muttered to himself in relief!
“Phew! I almost died.”
Then he asked Namgung Yuya something completely out of the blue.
“Brother Namgung, you got a perfect score on the written exam, right?”
“Y-Yes, but?”
Why was he suddenly bringing up the written exam?
No! Before that, why is a guy who almost died looking so bright-eyed!
“I've always been bad with my head. I'm not good at thinking about complicated things.”
He could pretty much tell that from his actions so far.
“Tell me how to get through this situation. You got a perfect score, after all.”
Just then, Seo Pung moved again.
Brother Ha moved to counter him.
Hands and feet flew through the air, aimed at each other.
In a situation where he was clearly outmatched, Brother Ha was definitely being pushed back, but he was holding his own well against a 1st-class warrior of the Murim Alliance.
Watching this, Namgung Yuya realized one thing.
'At a glance, it looks like the Unit Leader is going all out, but he's not using his internal energy.'
Right! When you thought about it, this spar wasn't about winning.
They just had to land one successful attack.
Plus, their opponent wasn't using his full strength.
If a Unit Leader fought rookies with all his might, he'd be a petty bastard, not a Unit Leader!
On the premise that internal energy was forbidden, with Brother Ha's ridiculous physical abilities shown earlier, it might be possible.
Namgung Yuya's mind started racing, and he reached a conclusion.
'It's worth a try.'
They would probably only get one chance.
Namgung Yuya approached Ha Yuseong and whispered something, and Ha Yuseong nodded.
* * *
*Thump, thump.*
The sound of his heart beating pounded in his ears.
Just standing still sent vitality coursing through his entire body.
This very moment was overwhelming.
It would be an exaggeration to say he was struggling to hold back tears.
The Murim Alliance he had always looked up to.
And he was there.
What's more, he was now facing a master of the Murim Alliance whom he wouldn't have dared to even look at before.
Although it was crystal clear that he was vastly inferior in skill, this was the realization of a lifelong dream.
A scene he never thought would happen.
Today could be his last day in the Murim Alliance.
But as always.
I will do my best.
Because I've decided not to have any more regrets.
Ha Yuseong spoke softly.
“Here I come.”
“Come on!”
‘The basics of a fight start with closing the distance. In other words, footwork is the beginning and foundation of a fight.’
Six Harmonies Footwork.
It was one of the most basic and well-known footwork techniques in the martial world, but it was something Ha Yuseong, a third-rate ronin, had never had access to.
To learn the Six Harmonies Footwork, one had to join an orthodox sect, and no sect would accept a third-rate ronin.
Therefore, this was the first time in his life that Ha Yuseong was performing a proper martial art.
As Brother Namgung had instructed, he sent his internal energy to the Liangqiu, Zusanli, and Zhongfeng acupoints.
At the same time, he bent his knees.
His thighs swelled.
*PANG!*
His feet left the ground as he shot forward.
Objects flew past him, receding into the distance faster than ever before.
The air whipped against his face.
‘With this, I might be able to land a hit on the Unit Leader, who was unreachable until now!’
The mere Six Harmonies Footwork could never produce such speed. However, Ha Yuseong didn't know that yet.
An unexpected movement.
But his opponent was Seo Pung, a 1st-class warrior of the Murim Alliance.
Seo Pung's body blurred.
To the right.
Ha Yuseong's eyes tracked Seo Pung.
Ha Yuseong kicked off in the opposite direction and extended his leg. His opponent was already gone.
A sudden chill from behind. Instinctively, Ha Yuseong used the Six Harmonies Footwork again to dart forward, pressing his body low to the ground.
*Whoosh!*
He saw his opponent's fist graze past above his head. The fist blurred, and where it had been, a foot appeared.
It came crashing down toward him.
Ha Yuseong rolled away.
*CRASH!*
The foot smashed through the ground.
Pushing himself up, Ha Yuseong was panting heavily.
Though he was clearly on the defensive, paradoxically, a smile graced his face.
‘This is fun.’
This situation is insanely fun!
* * *
Seo Pung was quite surprised.
The attacks he had meant to end the spar had already failed twice.
For a Unit Leader, this was a bit embarrassing. If his other subordinates were here, they'd be laughing their heads off, teasing him relentlessly.
‘Time to wrap this up.’
Seo Pung decided to get just a little bit serious against the fledgling who had just joined the Murim Alliance.
*Swish.*
He kicked off the ground and moved forward.
Seo Pung's movements were like sliding across the ground.
In an instant, Seo Pung was in front of Namgung Yuya and gave him a light flick on the head.
*Thwack!*
With a loud sound that didn't seem like a simple flick, Namgung Yuya's head snapped back, and he passed out.
“Brother Namgung!”
Seeing this, Ha Yuseong used the Six Harmonies Footwork to quickly approach.
Seo Pung's body blurred once more and appeared at Ha Yuseong's side.
Once again, Ha Yuseong reacted to Seo Pung's movement.
‘Amazing. So that movement wasn't a fluke.’
But while he was a little surprised, a rookie was still a rookie.
His lack of experience was inevitable.
Seo Pung launched his finishing attack.
And it was at that very moment.
Namgung Yuya's second piece of advice.
-He will definitely finish with the last three forms of the Great Light Steps, the Great Heaven's Single Ray. He'll show a feint from the front to bait you into attacking. Then the real attack will come from the side. You have to aim for that moment.
The situation Brother Namgung had described.
He wasn't sure if the Unit Leader's current movement was the Great Heaven's Single Ray that Brother Namgung had mentioned, but his instincts were screaming at him.
That the moment was now!
Ha Yuseong feigned an attack and threw his body forward.
*PANG!*
The spot where he had just been.
A heavy kick came from the side.
Judging by the sound of the air exploding, if it had connected, it would have had enough power to break at least one rib.
Ha Yuseong immediately closed the distance with the Six Harmonies Footwork and kicked upward toward the side, just as his opponent had.
His opponent's other foot was still in the air.
It was a beat—no! Half a beat too late to dodge.
He saw Seo Pung raise his arm to block.
Ha Yuseong's foot struck it.
*Thud!*
“I did it!”
In that instant, Ha Yuseong felt his vision flip upside down.
“Huh?”
“Insolent rookie. Daring to lay a hand on your Unit Leader.”
*CRASH!*
Seo Pung had grabbed Ha Yuseong's leg and slammed him onto the floor.
Ha Yuseong, practically embedded in the floor, passed out.
Seo Pung looked down at the wrist he had just been hit on.
The wrist was slightly swollen.
That final attack.
“Not bad.”
Poking the unconscious Ha Yuseong and Namgung Yuya with his finger, Seo Pung said.
“Welcome to the Crouching Dragon Unit. You brats.”