I Am the One Who Got Rich
Bukjin returned to the Bamboo Garden with a lingering sense of unease. Upon reaching his bedroom, he opened the App Store, downloaded the Glimmering Shadow Wolf Step app, installed it, and hit run. Thus, a new regimen of movement technique training began.
He promptly deleted Rain Amidst the Clouds, as it no longer provided any benefit. Bukjin had been systematically removing apps he had already mastered, yet he kept Basic Swordsmanship: Close-body Triple Link. It was a sentimental gesture; he wanted to commemorate the very first martial art he had learned in this world.
He began organizing the apps on his smartphone screen. Currently, the home screen displayed the following:
Among these, seven apps—Jesujeon Sword Technique, Understanding Mental Power: Beginner, Twin Flying Daggers of the Frozen Mist, Flowers Before the Moon Sword, Fragrance-Stealing Bone-Crushing Step, Evil Dragon's Roar, and Peerless Sword Body: Complete Edition—had already reached the stage of Great Perfection.
While Understanding Mental Power: Beginner was a cultivation-focused app and didn't generate a specific finishing move, the other six combat-related apps had already formed their ultimate secret techniques. Consequently, keeping these apps running no longer provided any training benefit to Bukjin.
"It's time to cut out the dead weight," he muttered.
After a moment of deliberation, he deleted the seven apps that had reached their limit. Even after deletion, the abilities he had cultivated remained ingrained in his body. Currently, his Mystic Energy cultivation was at the 2nd Grade Martial Warrior Rank, with his Water attribute fully awakened. Aside from its unique healing properties, his Water Mystic Energy hadn't manifested any other distinct characteristics yet.
Physically, his Peerless Sword Body had reached the Black Iron Sword Bone stage, granting him the strength of ten thousand jin. His skin had also become incredibly thick and resilient, far surpassing the physical durability of any warrior at the same rank. As for his mental power, he had reached the first stage of the three great realms: Refining Essence into Qi. He was nearing the level of Great Perfection in that regard as well.
Combining all these factors, his actual combat power was estimated to be around the peak of the 6th Grade Martial Warrior Rank.
His mental training was intrinsically linked to his physical form. Overall, even without using poison or his Blood-Reversal Qi-Circulation Berserk Art, Bukjin could exert power two full grades above his official rank. If he were to unleash every tool and power at his disposal—including the various mystical functions of his smartphone—it was impossible to accurately judge just how high his combat capabilities could soar.
However, one thing was certain: no matter how many tricks he had, it was absolutely impossible to face a master of the Grandmaster Rank. The Grandmaster Rank was a completely different dimension of martial arts compared to the Martial Warrior Rank. No matter how strong Jo Pacheon was, he hadn't yet reached the level of a Grandmaster who had transcended the Martial Warrior Rank.
Having analyzed his overall combat ability, Bukjin felt much more at ease. He set down his smartphone and drifted into a deep sleep. The words Elder Hae had spoken to him rippled through his mind, serving as a wake-up call. He reminded himself not to be arrogant or careless during the remaining trials of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition.
August 12th, Year 88. The fourth day of the Unmong City Academic & Martial Arts Competition.
A light drizzle began to fall in the early hours of dawn. However, by the time the sun began to crest over the horizon, the rain stopped. Though brief, the shower had refreshed the world. The lush greenery seemed to pulse with life, boasting an even more vivid hue.
While Bukjin was still asleep, Butler Wang Chung knocked on the door and burst into the bedroom, brimming with excitement. He brought excellent news.
"Young Master, we are rich! We have a total of 4,500 gold! The winning bidders from yesterday's auction were the Thousand-Mile Merchant Guild, the Flowing Radiance Jewelry Guild, and the Unmong City branch of Master Beom's Armory. As you commanded, I had them prepare all the items, and they have already arrived at the Bamboo Garden!"
Wang Chung's face was filled with profound respect for Bukjin.
"Very good."
Bukjin's grogginess vanished instantly. He sat up, stretched, and corrected Wang Chung's wording.
"It's not that 'we' are rich. It's that 'I' am rich."
"..."
The shimmering golden light of 4,500 gold coins made Bukjin feel like a true tycoon. With a smirk, he picked up a single gold coin and handed it to Wang Chung.
"Ten silver! This is your bonus for your hard work. You went through a lot last night, so you deserve at least this much. Go on, take it."
"..."
Young Master? You just handed me a gold coin.
However, Wang Chung didn't dare question him. He quickly pulled out 90 silver coins to give Bukjin his change and accepted the single gold coin. Bowing deeply with an air of immense gratitude, he said, "I am deeply thankful for the reward you have bestowed upon me, Young Master."
Wang Chung thought to himself that this was the first time in his life he had seen someone take change back from a reward. I suppose if you live long enough, you see everything.
Bukjin suppressed the excitement swelling in his heart. He picked up a pouch containing 2,500 gold and said, "This is capital. Take this today and hit every gambling den in the city. Don't leave a single copper behind—bet it all on me. Today is the only day we'll be able to make this kind of money through gambling. Once today passes, an opportunity this good will never come again."
Wang Chung thumped his chest confidently and took the gold. After a moment of thought, as if making a final decision, Bukjin handed him another 1,500 gold.
"Take this too."
You have to strike while the iron is hot. If I win, I'm a billionaire; if I lose, I'm a beggar.
Bukjin set aside the remaining 1,000 gold as an emergency fund, intending to use it for charging his smartphone. It was a more than sufficient amount.
Under the care of his two beautiful maids, Cheong-cheong and Cheon-cheon, Bukjin bathed, changed into fresh clothes, and ate breakfast. After instructing the two maids to give A-kwang his homework, he headed to the academy to join the other students.
"Senior Im, how is your injury?" Baek Geum-un asked loudly from across the carriage as they headed to the testing grounds.
"You guys found out too?" A smile played on Bukjin's lips. Rumors sure travel fast. He replied casually, "It's already healed, so there's no need to worry."
"I figured. Your healing ability is absolutely peerless, after all," Baek Geum-un said.
Han Bul-bu and Ak Hong-hyang said nothing, but they both let out sighs of relief upon hearing that Bukjin was fine.
"This morning's test is the Movement Technique exam. In the afternoon, we have Pill Refinement and the Mystic Energy exam. We have to complete three subjects in a single day. The schedule is going to be incredibly tight," Han Bul-bu said, trying to break the tension with a change of subject.
Ak Hong-hyang nodded and smiled. "I suspect this exam will be conducted in some special way. That's probably how they can finish it within the allotted time. Still, we shouldn't let our guard down today."
Baek Geum-un, however, didn't seem particularly interested in the exam scores. She shifted the topic again.
"Phew, did you hear the rumor? O Bonggok, the Chief Proctor from yesterday, was fired from the Education Bureau. His civil servant status was completely revoked. Tsk, tsk. Senior Im, do you have anything to say about that?"
Hearing this, Bukjin gave Baek Geum-un a light noogie. "You're getting cheekier by the day! Have you lost your respect for your seniors?"
Baek Geum-un clutched her head and shrieked playfully. Everyone in the carriage burst into laughter.
Bukjin continued, "I'll say it again: as you all saw, I took the exam seriously. I didn't even object to the retest. But if the proctor insisted on passing me until the very end, what was a mere student like me supposed to do? Hahaha!"
The other representatives of the 3rd Academy were well-acquainted with Bukjin's shamelessness by now and didn't even blink.
A short while later, the carriage arrived at the National Imperial Junior Academy. The sixty-two genius students gathered in the center of the training grounds. Jeong Su-chae and nine others had already been eliminated on the first day, so they were relegated to the audience, watching the others compete.
To everyone's surprise, Lee Ung-bu, the Chief of the Unmong City Education Bureau, made an appearance. Before the day's competition officially began, he announced the punishment of yesterday's Chief Proctor, O Bonggok. It was exactly as Baek Geum-un had said.
O Bonggok, the watermelon-loving proctor, had been completely purged from the civil service. The reason given for his dismissal was that he had brought up topics unrelated to the exam and engaged in illegal advertising within the testing grounds. It had nothing to do with Bukjin's actual performance.
This meant the Education Bureau had reached a decision regarding Bukjin's score. His result from yesterday's Sword Speed exam was valid. Bukjin finally let out a sigh of relief. The faculty of the 3rd Academy were equally relieved.
Having finished his speech on the podium, Lee Ung-bu cast a sharp, blade-like gaze toward Bukjin, who was standing among the students.
"I am someone who appreciates it when students display their wit. However, I believe we have seen enough of these dangerous attempts to participate in the exam in... 'unconventional' ways. I will take this opportunity to emphasize once more: from this day forward, no student shall make any remarks unrelated to the exam during the testing process. Should any student do so, their eligibility for the Academic & Martial Arts Competition will be revoked on the spot!"
Upon hearing this, Bukjin was the first to smile and applaud enthusiastically, wearing an expression that suggested the 'certain student' the Chief mentioned couldn't possibly be him.
Meanwhile, the faces of several other students turned pale. Having struggled to overcome their pride as geniuses, they had sought out merchants yesterday and signed contracts for several advertisements, lured by the promise of easy money. But before they could even fulfill their end of the bargain, the Education Bureau had banned advertising in a public declaration.
Those students were now facing the prospect of paying penalties several times the amount of their advertising fees. And so, with Lee Ung-bu's ominous warning, the fourth day of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition began.