The Shameless Billboard

The time it took for a single stick of incense to burn passed before Im Jin finally turned around. A satisfied smile, a rarity for her, graced her lips. It was the smile of a young girl returning from a spring outing. She hummed a light tune, her footsteps airy and cheerful. Her expression was soft, devoid of any worry or care.

As she walked, she reached out to caress the wildflowers blooming in the field, her touch as gentle as if she were holding the hand of a dear friend. She looked nothing like the usual Im Jin; she seemed like an entirely different person. Even when a thorn from a wildflower pricked her finger, she maintained her blissful smile. But when she looked up and saw Im Hyeon standing behind a tree, her warmth vanished instantly.

Every trace of emotion froze over. It was as if the girl from a moment ago had been a mere illusion. The radiant sunshine of her presence shifted into the cold, piercing light of a winter moon. Her eyes flashed with a sharp, icy glare as she stared at Im Hyeon. He stood there, unable to find his voice, and lowered his head.

"Get lost," Im Jin said coldly.

Without a word, Im Hyeon turned and walked away.

Approximately three hours later.

"Im Bukjin! Im Bukjin!!!"

The thunderous cheers of six thousand spectators surged through the massive martial arts arena. 'What a foolish crowd. Their memories are as short as their fuses. This morning they were cursing me for ending the match too quickly, and now they’re screaming my name?'

Standing in the center of the ring, Bukjin felt a pang of disappointment. His opponent for this round wasn't Jo Pacheon. Bukjin had hoped to crush his greatest headache in the individual matches so he could participate in the team battles with a lighter heart. If he had to face Jo Pacheon during the team matches, there would be too many variables to account for. Unfortunately, the Hyeonmun Array had not granted his wish.

Bukjin's opponent for the second round was the slender and beautiful Mi Yeo-yeon.

"Fellow student Im, I look forward to a good match," Mi Yeo-yeon said, drawing her sword and facing him with a refined posture. Her delicate frame made her look as fragile as a flower. However, her eyes held a cold glint, clearly harboring hostility toward him.

Ever since the incident where Bukjin used the Doke-iljo-chae to knock out the Thunder Tiger, most of the female students in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition had kept their distance. They believed his "repentance" was a sham and that he was still a lecher at heart.

Meanwhile, Bukjin stared at Mi Yeo-yeon with a look of deep concern. 'Should I shoot her or not?'

He had intended to test the power of his Iron Wall Bow and Four Dragon Arrows by using the Sikwol-yongjeon technique in this round. However, the girl standing before him looked like she might blow away in a stiff breeze. Pulling out a massive iron bow to shoot someone so dainty felt a bit too barbaric, even for him.

Seeing Bukjin's hesitant gaze, Mi Yeo-yeon misunderstood his intentions even further. Anger flared in her eyes.

Whish!

A flash of sword light cut through the air. Mi Yeo-yeon made her move. Her body moved with the fluid, rapid grace of the wind.

"Wind-attribute Hyeongi?"

Bukjin decided to retreat for the moment. Wind-attribute Hyeongi wasn't one of the five primary elements, but it was a formidable force that combined decent offensive power with incredible speed. Mi Yeo-yeon's sword seemed to shimmer, expanding and contracting rhythmically, while she herself moved so fast she left afterimages in her wake.

Flash!

The sword light gleamed. Mi Yeo-yeon was already in front of him. Her blade lunged straight for the space between his brows. Even before the metal could reach him, the sharp wind pressure radiating from the blade stung his skin. Bukjin felt a sharp prick of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pain on his forehead and recoiled in surprise.

'This girl is ruthless! Is she trying to ruin my face?'

Bukjin had already decided not to use his bow against her. He swept his hand through the air, and two swords he had purchased from the Iron Hammer Head Weapon Shop appeared in his grip. The moment the left sword manifested—Clang!—sparks flew. He had parried Mi Yeo-yeon's rapier.

Then, he swung the other sword in his right hand with monstrous strength. A gale-like pressure surged forward, forcing Mi Yeo-yeon back. She was stunned by the sheer physical power Bukjin exerted while wielding a heavy sword in each hand. However, her reflexes were top-tier. The moment Bukjin drew his twin blades, she retreated thirty feet, securing a safe distance. She continued to move erratically, guarding against the possibility of Bukjin overwhelming her with a continuous assault.

But Bukjin didn't pursue her. Instead, he struck a bizarre pose.

He stood exactly where he was, raising both swords side-by-side in front of his chest. He slowly rotated, showing the blades to the spectators and the Thousand-Mile Eyes positioned around the arena. At that moment, the audience noticed vivid red characters inscribed on the thick blades of the two longswords. It was clear the ink was fresh.

The writing on the left sword read:

The writing on the right sword read:

"Good grief!"

"Is he seriously advertising right now?!"

The referees below the stage went pale. The thousands of spectators sat in stunned silence for a heartbeat before the arena erupted into a confused murmur. Bukjin remained perfectly composed, his face a mask of shamelessness. But he wasn't done yet. He flipped the massive blades over with both hands.

The new text on the left sword was:

And the right sword:

The crowd could no longer remain calm after seeing the promotional text on Bukjin's swords.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Where's my ticket?!"

"Wait, where did I put it?!"

"Thank goodness, I still have mine! A discount! I’ve been wanting to buy a Blue Bird Sword!"

"Is it really a sale?"

Many people were instantly swayed by the advertisement. For warriors, owning the latest products from Beom the Great’s Weapon Shop was a point of pride. Much like people on Earth clamoring for the newest smartphone, new weapons were the ultimate temptation for martial artists.

Sitting in a corner of the stands, Beom Jo-ang breathed a sigh of relief. He had struggled for a long time after opening the Unmong branch of Beom the Great’s Weapon Shop. Sales had plateaued, and he had been searching for a breakthrough. He had taken a gamble by investing a large sum of money to hire Bukjin for advertising, and he had been anxious that the boy might forget.

Observing the crowd's reaction, Beom Jo-ang felt confident that the investment would pay off. Meanwhile, Yang Chim-ju, who had stayed up all night crafting the Iron Wall Bow and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Four Dragon Arrows for Bukjin, stared at the scene with an incredulous scowl.

'That little brat...? He's holding swords from my Iron Hammer Head Weapon Shop while advertising for Beom the Great?'

However, his opinion of Bukjin had shifted significantly since their last meeting. Despite his annoyance, he couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.

In the VIP box.

"Is that young man the top candidate for the championship, Im Bukjin?"

A beautiful and elegant middle-aged woman spoke, her eyes sparkling with interest as she looked at Lee Ung-bu. Lee Ung-bu looked mortified.

"Yes, that is him. I apologize for his rudeness, Principal Wang."

The woman was Wang Yeo-ui, the Principal of the National Imperial Junior Academy in Pung-eo-haeng-do. Her status in the educational world was immense. Lee Ung-bu had been hosting the various dignitaries visiting Unmong City, but he never expected a giant like Wang Yeo-ui to attend in person.

Furthermore, vice-principals from over ten prestigious institutions—including the 1st Academy, Geomeum Academy, Haean Academy, Dongmyeong Academy, Sinjin Academy, Daicheon Academy, and Seonam Academy—were present to scout for talented students. Lee Ung-bu was still trying to figure out the true reason for this sudden influx of heavyweights.

'What is going on? Is it because the talent in Unmong this year is truly that exceptional? Or is there some other reason...'

He considered seeking out City Lord Im Gun-hyeon to get a better grasp of the situation. While weighing the possibilities, he focused on attending to the guests.

"That young man is quite entertaining," said On Da-rim, the Vice-Principal of Haean Academy, with a laugh.

The reactions of the other academy officials were mixed. Cho Heun and Ryu Gye-hae were speechless. To them, Bukjin was an unstoppable force of chaos. Previously, Bukjin had used a "Lucky Surcoat" for advertising, a method many students had copied. This had infuriated the Board of Education, leading to a complete overhaul of the student dress code. Now, he had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moved on to engraving ads directly onto his weapons.

'To use a sword like that... and he calls himself a swordsman!'

They felt the reputation of the 3rd Academy sinking into the dirt.

Back in the ring.

"You're advertising... at a time like this?!"

Rage boiled in Mi Yeo-yeon's eyes. She began to move again, her speed rivaling the wind. Using her wind-attribute Hyeongi, her footwork was so profound it created the illusion of multiple clones. The rapier in her hand began to vibrate rapidly, and the blade seemed to elongate as she lunged toward Bukjin with a flurry of afterimages.

Whish!

Her sword, propelled by the wind, was encased in a layer of transparent, razor-sharp air as it struck at Bukjin with blinding speed.

"Pointless," Bukjin muttered.

He swung his swords with both hands. With a single, heavy strike, Mi Yeo-yeon's blade snapped in two.