The Birth of a Brand

Bukjin began his explanation with a practiced air of nonchalance. "To be honest, while I was clearing out the bandits at the Northern Emperor Mountain stone fortress, I discovered quite a few secret manuals on the bodies of their leaders. Among them, I found a 3-star secret technique on the Chief Bandit called the Reverse Blood Circulation Qi Overload Technique. It’s a skill that overloads one's Mystic Energy and Blood Qi to temporarily exert several times their original power."

He then briefly outlined the pros and cons of the technique. "While using Mystic Energy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was strictly forbidden during the trial inside the hall, there was no rule against utilizing one's Blood Qi. So, I used the cultivation method of the Reverse Blood Circulation Qi Overload Technique to detonate the Blood Qi within my body, allowing me to draw out at least three times my usual strength. Of course, the price was high—I’ve completely drained my internal reserves and even lost a portion of my vital essence."

The Reverse Blood Circulation Qi Overload Technique was divided into two stages: 'Reverse Blood' and 'Qi Circulation.' While the 'Qi Circulation' aspect was suppressed by the hall's formation, the 'Reverse Blood' stage remained accessible. The faint red glow that had emanated from Bukjin’s body when he lifted the cauldron was the physical manifestation of his Blood Qi surging violently due to the 'Reverse Blood' process.

"So that’s how you did it," Cho Heun remarked, marveling at the mysterious twists of fate as he listened.

Ban Oe-min, who had been nodding in admiration throughout the explanation, added his own insight. "Perhaps this was only possible because you awakened a Water-attribute Mystic Energy. Your energy possesses innate healing properties, and through your Water Circulation Art, you can treat yourself. Even if your body is left hollow after performing such a secret technique, you can immediately begin recovering and refilling that void. Anyone else would have been bedridden for a month after using that skill, which would have ended their participation in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition right then and there."

Bukjin smiled at the assessment. "What do you think? Looking at it from that perspective, you can't really call my use of the Reverse Blood technique 'cheating,' can you?"

Cho Heun thumped his chest with his arm, a confident grin on his face. "Rest easy! Even if they investigate until the end of time, they’ll never be able to call it cheating. The method you used stayed entirely within the boundaries allowed by the competition rules."

CRACK—!

The sound of a bone snapping echoed through the room the moment Cho Heun finished speaking. Simultaneously, his face turned a sickly shade of pale. Bukjin and Ban Oe-min stared at him, their eyes wide with shock.

"I'm fine, I'm fine... Haha," Cho Heun stammered, trying to act as if nothing had happened, though his mind was screaming in agony.

'Dammit! Yang Chim-ju, you idiot! If you were going to make the Heavenly Horse Meteor Arm this powerful, you should have warned me!'

In his excitement, Cho Heun had forgotten to regulate his strength when thumping his chest, and he had just cleanly snapped one of his own ribs.

Two hours later.

The first stage of the Martial Arts Exam—the Test of Strength—officially concluded. Following Bukjin’s performance, a wave of fervor had swept through the remaining students. It was as if they had been galvanized by his monstrous record, with many of them pushing far beyond their usual limits.

Among them, Im Jin once again stunned the crowd by lifting the 6th cauldron, weighing 3,000 jin. Despite her delicate appearance—looking as though a stiff breeze might blow her away—the terrifying strength she displayed with her slender arms and waist, all without the aid of Mystic Energy, overwhelmed even the most burly male students, including Jo Pacheon. Had it not been for Bukjin, Im Jin would have undoubtedly dominated the exam and stood as the sole center of attention.

There were other notable performances as well. Im Yeok lifted the 4th cauldron, earning a 'High' grade for 4-Cauldron Strength. Im Hyeon, a member of the branch family of the Seong Prefecture's Im Clan, also achieved an excellent 'A' grade for 4-Cauldron Strength. Other geniuses like So So-yeon, Mi Yeo-yeon, Ju Ga-a, Chang San-seol, and Wang Hyeong-yeo showed exceptional skill, all scoring at least 3-Cauldron Strength or higher.

Wang Hyeong-yeo’s performance was particularly striking. The small girl displayed an uncanny level of mental fortitude, pushing her body to exert power far beyond her level to earn a 'B' grade in 4-Cauldron Strength, leaving the spectators in awe.

The other two representatives from the 3rd Academy, Baek Geum-un and Han Bul-bu, both succeeded in 2-Cauldron Strength. They had attempted to lift the 3rd cauldron but failed halfway, resulting in an 'A' grade for 2-Cauldron Strength. While their results seemed modest compared to the other ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠geniuses, it was by far the highest score either of them had ever achieved. In fact, excluding Bukjin’s freakish record, it was the highest score any representative from the 3rd Academy had ever recorded in history.

With the strength test over, the geniuses returned to their respective academies to rest and prepare for the next challenge.

The following day.

The second stage of the Martial Arts Exam—the 'Sword Forms' test, a combat-oriented subject—was set to begin. On this day, Bukjin’s name shook the entirety of Unmong City. However, a completely unexpected phenomenon was unfolding within the city walls, one that would leave Bukjin utterly bewildered.

"Aigoo, Big Brother, I am truly moved. From this day forward, I have decided to follow you. What do you say we become sworn brothers? I shall be your loyal younger brother..." a bald, middle-aged man said, wearing a fawning smile as he looked at Wang Chung.

Wang Chung looked back at him with a dismissive gaze. "There's no need for such useless talk. Did you eat the table yet?"

The bald man maintained his shameless grin. "Big Brother, look at the state of me. I've lost every penny I had. And if I actually eat that wooden table, I'll die..."

Wang Chung, with the Blue Bird Sword strapped to his waist, was busy fiddling with a pouch bulging with gold coins. He was in an exceptionally good mood. "Whether you live or die, what does that have to do with me?"

The bald man leaned in, his face thick-skinned. "It has everything to do with you, Big Brother! Are you not my elder brother now? We are brothers in all but blood. You are the Great Wang Chung, the former butler of the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor, are you not? And the 3rd Academy representative, Im Bukjin, is your young master. Am I right?"

"Huh?" Wang Chung gasped in surprise. "You rascal! You actually know who I am!"

In truth, since the fall of the Jeon-cheon-hu family, Wang Chung’s appearance had changed. He had grown thin from hardship, and his clothes were no longer fine silks but tattered cotton. Furthermore, he had even applied a slight disguise to avoid revealing his identity at the gambling dens. Yet, this bald man had seen right through it.

"Big Brother, I have respected you since the days you were at the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor. Even though times have changed, you are still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as magnificent and impressive as ever." The bald man took his flattery a step further. "You must be the first to receive any information regarding Young Master Im Bukjin, right? Please, help this younger brother get a piece of the action."

Wang Chung gave a cold sneer. "If I had such information, I'd keep the profits for myself. Why on earth would I cooperate with you?"

"Big Brother, there is so much wealth in this world; do you really intend to swallow it all alone? You'll get indigestion! If the two of us share information and cooperate, we can surely earn far more together than you could alone."

Wang Chung blinked, looking at the bald man with newfound interest. "I thought you were just a fool, but you actually have a brain in that head of yours. You’re quite the talent."

"It's all thanks to learning from your example, Big Brother! You are my idol, after all."

"You're right! Your face is even thicker than I imagined. You've given me some fresh inspiration. Haha! From this moment on, though we have different parents, we are brothers. By the way, what was your name...?"

The bald man answered quickly. "Big Brother, my name is Gong Gong."

"Gong Gong (Eunuch)?" Wang Chung’s eyes instinctively darted toward the man’s crotch. "Did you... snip it?"

"A-Ah, no! Not that Gong Gong! It's Gong as in 'Respectful' and Gong as in 'Artisan.' Gong Gong!" the man explained frantically.

"With a strange name like that, it's only natural to misunderstand! Anyway, do you have any useful people working under you?" Wang Chung asked.

The bald man gave a sly smile. "Big Brother, I have about twenty friends. We're all street rats. We might not be able to handle grand tasks, but when it comes to delivering messages and spreading rumors, we're the best in the business."

"Excellent." Wang Chung stroked his chin, lost in thought. After running some calculations in his head, he spoke again. "Many people were shocked that I won a fortune today by betting my entire stash. The gambling dens will ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠surely adjust the odds starting tomorrow. It won't be this easy to make money again. We need a new plan. Bring your friends and wait for me in front of the 3rd Academy gates this evening."

Gong Gong bowed deeply, overjoyed. "Understood, Big Brother. We will be there on time without fail."

The two spent a few more moments discussing their strategy, eventually lamenting that they hadn't met sooner.

"Hm? Why is it so noisy up ahead? What's going on...?"

As Wang Chung prepared to head back after their meeting, he noticed the night market near the gambling den was already in full swing. The atmosphere was incredibly heated and chaotic. A massive crowd had gathered, buzzing with excitement. Wang Chung looked toward the commotion with curiosity, only for his face to turn blue with shock.

The entire street was overflowing with such shouts, a cacophony of commercial exploitation centered entirely on one man.