The Moment of Truth
When the moment finally arrived, Bukjin looked at Jo Pacheon’s face and let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Trash."
The word was heavy with pure, unadulterated contempt. Fury surged to the very top of Jo Pacheon’s head as he screamed, "I am...! I obviously...!"
"No matter what you say, you’re still just trash." Bukjin cut him off again, his voice dripping with mockery. "What? You were terrified at first, but then you crunched the numbers and realized a few arrows wouldn't kill you? So you suddenly found the 'courage' you never had? Measuring, calculating, weighing every little thing... *Hah!* You’re a man who will spend his entire life just 'sizing things up.' The moment you face something that exceeds your calculations, you tremble in fear. You don't deserve the name of a Baekun City disciple! Like the traitorous scum you are, you have less spirit than a common street cur."
Jo Pacheon shook violently, his body convulsing with a mix of humiliation and rage so intense it felt as though he might spray blood at any second. In all his dealings with Bukjin, he had never felt the man’s words be this poisonous. He wanted to weave a logical counterargument, to tear Bukjin down with his own rhetoric, but he realized with a sinking heart that he wasn't even in the same league when it came to a battle of wits.
"I won't waste my breath on a pathetic fool like you," Jo Pacheon spat, struggling to suppress the blood-qi boiling within him. He turned his back on Bukjin. "Im Bukjin, don't get cocky just yet. Just wait. I’ll show you exactly who gets the last laugh."
Bukjin merely offered a cynical smirk in response, not bothering to say another word.
"How is that even possible?"
"Is Im Bukjin the winner?"
"He cleared Rainstorm Canyon in just five beats?"
"He didn't even use his sword once, and he was three beats faster than Jo Pacheon's record!"
Cries of disbelief and awe erupted across Unmong City. Meanwhile, inside the Central Gambling House, the air was thick with the sound of wailing and the gnashing of teeth.
"Jo Pacheon, you absolute moron!"
"You useless piece of...!"
"I-Im Bukjin won? *Aaaargh!* I thought he was supposed to be critically injured!"
Countless gamblers roared in fury. They had just watched their life savings vanish into thin air. The outcome had defied their expectations in every possible way. A supposedly crippled Bukjin had utterly humiliated the genius of Baekun City. Though the difference in their records was a mere three beats, the actual content of their trials was as different as heaven and earth.
"Which idiot swore on his life that Im Bukjin was half-dead and guaranteed to lose?!" one gambler screamed, unable to contain his rage. But when the crowd looked around for the man who had been so confidently trashing Bukjin earlier, they found he had already vanished without a trace. A strange, suspicious atmosphere began to permeate the gambling hall.
"There's still a chance! Let's wait! We haven't seen Im Jin or Ya Mi-ang yet! There's still So So-yeon, Mi Yeo-yeon, and Chang San-seol! If even one of them sets a faster record than Im Bukjin, our losses won't be as catastrophic!" another gambler shouted.
The possibility was slim, and it was already impossible to recover the massive losses most had sustained, but like drowning men reaching for a single blade of grass, they clung to that desperate hope. However, the results that followed only served to shock them further.
Ya Mi-ang used a secret wing technique to deflect the arrows and cleared the Rainstorm Canyon movement trial in a mere seven beats. She took second place, right behind Bukjin. Meanwhile, the other legendary genius, Im Jin, showed an uncharacteristically weak performance. She cleared the trial in fourteen beats and was struck by two arrows. Her score was lower than those of Mi Yeo-yeon, Chang San-seol, and So So-yeon—even a rank below the likes of Im Yeok and Im Hyeon.
The gamblers shrieked in agony once more. Those who had bet on Im Jin to win lost everything. As the trials continued, not a single student managed to surpass Bukjin’s record.
The "good-for-nothing" Bukjin, who had entered the competition with zero expectations, had shattered every prediction to take first place. He now stood at the top of the total score rankings, looking down on everyone else.
"Damn it all!"
"That deceitful bastard! He was definitely faking those injuries!"
"Was that leaked footage of his treatment all a staged performance?"
"We were all played by that kid!"
The sounds of weeping gamblers echoed through the streets.
At the same time, near the entrance of the 3rd Academy.
Wang Chung was calmly dividing the profits with Gong Gong. "The money you earned by betting your own capital is yours to keep. And for your hard work today, here is a bonus of 100 gold. Use it to treat the younger brothers you brought along. Also, this 300 gold is your personal cut. Do with it as you wish."
Wang Chung handed over the money with a grand, generous flourish. Gong Gong’s face lit up with joy. "Brother, you are like a real older brother to me! From now on, I, Gong Gong, will follow your every word!"
Wang Chung’s expression turned solemn. "You’re wrong. Little brother, you’re thinking about this the wrong way. Our brotherhood exists solely to serve Young Master Bukjin. If you are to follow anyone’s words, they must be the Young Master’s. Even if you don't feel it in your heart, you must at least appear to follow only him. Do you understand?"
Gong Gong trembled with excitement. "What? Brother, does that mean... am I officially one of Young Master Bukjin’s people now?"
"You handled this task exceptionally well. I am very satisfied, and I’m sure the Young Master will be too. I’ll put in a good word for you. If he’s in a good mood, he might just take you on as an external operative."
"That’s incredible! Brother, just say the word! What do I need to do? Give me an order, and I’ll carry it out with every ounce of my passion and sincerity!" Gong Gong spoke as if he couldn't wait another second.
Gong Gong had already figured out what kind of man Bukjin was. To his eyes, Bukjin was a man of immense potential whose depth was unfathomable—and more importantly, a man who acted without shame or hesitation. Gong Gong was certain that Bukjin would become a titan of the future. He believed that as long as he stayed close, he would eventually get to share in the feast, or at the very least, gather the crumbs that fell from Bukjin’s table.
For a commoner like Gong Gong, whose path to social advancement was virtually non-existent, Bukjin represented a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity. 'If I can just hold onto Young Master Bukjin’s leg, my daughter’s tuition and cultivation resources will never be an issue again. But if I fail...'
It didn't matter. Gong Gong had started with nothing and had nothing to lose.
Wang Chung looked at him and asked, "Do you truly want to serve the Young Master? You should think carefully. He is currently engaged in a life-or-death bet with Jo Pacheon. If the Young Master loses... well, you know the consequences."
Gong Gong laughed. "I know. It’s highly unlikely, but if a man as incredible as the Young Master were to lose, then I’ll just consider it my own bad luck."
Wang Chung looked surprised. "Impressive. I thought you were just a cunning fellow who only cared about profit, but I didn't realize you had such loyalty and spirit."
After a moment of deliberation, Wang Chung nodded as if he had made a decision. He spoke with a grave tone. "Fine. I’ll give you a proper chance. Take this 200 gold. Use this money to gather as many people as you can. Start some businesses with them and build up your strength. Also, start collecting intelligence from every corner. If you find any specific information or useful news related to the Young Master, record it and report it immediately. You know how to handle yourself from here, right?"
Gong Gong hesitated for a brief moment before respectfully accepting the pouch of 200 gold with both hands. "Brother, rest easy. I know exactly what to do. Just watch and wait."
With that, Gong Gong turned and departed. Wang Chung, left alone, began walking toward Juk-won with the remaining 18,000 gold. This single scheme had earned them a sum of money that could literally turn the world upside down.
At the same time, in the central plaza of the National Imperial Junior Academy.
The movement trial had finally come to an end. Now came the most brutal part of the proceedings. It was time to announce the second round of eliminations based on the combined scores of the Strength Trial, Swordsmanship, and Movement trials. Out of the 62 remaining representatives, 10 had to be cut.
The final scores had already been calculated. Names began to flicker onto the surface of the massive stone stele.
Bukjin sighed as he watched the list. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but the moment had finally come.
Ak Hong-hyang
Baek Geum-un
...
As expected, Ak Hong-hyang’s name was on the list. She had performed well in the written exam and had shown activity in the practical martial arts trials that far exceeded her natural abilities, but in the end, her scores lagged behind the other students. In particular, her failure to pass the Paper Bridge Crossing had caused her rank to plummet. Though she had shown incredible willpower and courage in the Rainstorm Canyon, even moving the hearts of the Chief Examiners and earning a relatively high score, the reality was cold and harsh.
Objectively, Ak Hong-hyang’s skill level did not meet the average of the representatives participating in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition. In truth, she had only qualified for the competition in the first place because Bukjin had lent her a hand. Reaching the main tournament and surviving this far was already a massive achievement that surpassed her own limits.
Another person tasting the bitterness of elimination alongside her was Baek Geum-un. Despite her unusually curvaceous development, Baek Geum-un was still only a first-year student at the 3rd Academy. In other words, she had only been receiving systematic martial arts training for a single year. She had made it this far purely on her own monstrous talent and potential, but it seemed she had finally hit her limit. Her scores were slightly better than Ak Hong-hyang’s, but not enough to save her.
As for Han Bul-bu, he managed to rank fourth from the bottom, narrowly escaping elimination by the skin of his teeth to advance to the next stage.