A Brewing Headache
"This... this makes no sense." Cho Heun rubbed his eyes and stared intensely at the screen.
"Could they have taken some kind of forbidden elixir? You know, the kind that burns one's life force to temporarily boost cultivation at a terrible cost? That sort of thing is strictly prohibited by the rules of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition..." Ban Oe-min spoke with a worried tone.
Ryu Gye-hae chimed in. "That's unlikely. If it were those two troublemakers, Im Bukjin or Baek Geum-un, I might suspect it... but Han Bul-bu and Ak Hong-hyang are model students. They would never commit such a foul act."
"Then how on earth did this happen?" The three of them turned simultaneously to look at Elder Hae.
However, a look of bewilderment was also etched onto Elder Hae's face. "Why are you looking at me? As I told you this morning, I only supervised Im Bukjin's training. I didn't interfere with the other three at all."
Meanwhile, the other teachers and students of the 3rd Academy were cheering like mad. They felt immense joy seeing their fellow students and classmates perform so spectacularly. As the Academic & Martial Arts Competition progressed, the status and reputation of the 3rd Academy within Unmong City were growing more powerful by the day.
In the past, students could walk the streets in their 3rd Academy uniforms and no one would spare them a glance. If they did receive attention, it was usually negative. In fact, it wasn't uncommon to see a passing parent point at a 3rd Academy student and mockingly tell their child:
"Look closely, dear. If you don't work hard on your Mystic Energy cultivation, you'll end up at the 3rd Academy just like them."
But now?
"Do you see that cool older brother over there? The clothes he's wearing are the uniform of the 3rd Academy. If you train hard, when you're old enough, Mommy and Daddy will make sure you get into the 3rd Academy! That's right! The 3rd Academy is the very school that raised Im Bukjin and Han Bul-bu!"
Such scenes were now unfolding throughout the city. Since the start of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition, the public's perception of the 3rd Academy had undergone a literal metamorphosis. Currently, every student of the 3rd Academy walked the streets with their heads held high, basking in the envious gazes of the crowd. They felt a profound sense of pride in being part of the institution.
"I regret it so much!" Oh So-bang couldn't help but lament aloud. He originally had the chance to be Bukjin's friend. He could have been standing by Bukjin's side right now, playing an active role in the competition just like Han Bul-bu, Ak Hong-hyang, and Baek Geum-un. He felt a deep, gnawing regret for his past actions.
Gwan Bi-do felt the exact same way. He was sitting in the VIP section with his parents. His father was a member of the branch line of the Gwan family, one of the four great families of Unmong City. Because his father had a keen eye for business, he had managed to secure a certain level of power within the clan, and he had desperately hoped his son, Gwan Bi-do, would distinguish himself in the competition. Had he done so, their branch's standing would have been solidified, and they could have risen to a more central position within the family.
Instead, Gwan Bi-do had been expelled from the 3rd Academy. At the time, he hadn't cared much. After all, the 3rd Academy was considered the bottom-tier school in Unmong City. He never imagined that Bukjin—the very person directly responsible for his expulsion—would display such overwhelming skill, shocking everyone and single-handedly elevating the 3rd Academy's status to such heights.
All of this filled Gwan Bi-do's parents with immense sorrow and regret.
If only I had known it would turn out like this, I never would have crossed Im Bukjin...
An indescribable wave of regret washed over Gwan Bi-do. Setting everything else aside, the skill and potential Bukjin was currently displaying proved he was destined to become a titan in the future. He was a genius too great to be contained within the small pond of Unmong City. Having made an enemy of such a man, Gwan Bi-do realized that as time passed, he wouldn't even be worth the notice of an ant in Bukjin's eyes. The thought filled him with a creeping terror.
"It's a good thing Im Bukjin made that life-and-death bet with Jo Pacheon. I hope Jo Pacheon wins and snuffs out Im Bukjin's potential once and for all." Gwan Bi-do quickly turned his head to look at another crystal screen.
The battle at White Cloud Lake had just concluded. Jo Pacheon and his teammates had once again completely overwhelmed their opponents to seize victory. They had utterly crushed Gun Mong-ham's 'Reign Under Heaven' squad. Even though Gun Mong-ham possessed skill that far exceeded the average, he couldn't withstand the combined assault of Im Yeok and Dong Bang-jeon on his own. Furthermore, Gun Mong-ham's other teammates were simply no match for the attacks of Jeong Seok and Mo U-chon.
Jo Pacheon hadn't even lifted a finger during this battle.
"You are strong," Jo Pacheon said, looking down at Gun Mong-ham, who refused to yield even in defeat. "Serve me from now on. If you come under my wing, I can take you to White Cloud City. If you do, you might even get the chance to become a member of the city itself."
"Nonsense," Gun Mong-ham replied with a cold sneer. "Even if I ever decide I want to go to White Cloud City, I will enter its gates with my own strength and dignity. I have no intention of living as someone else's lackey."
"Heh, is that so?" With a chilling smirk, Jo Pacheon moved like a bolt of lightning and appeared instantly in front of Gun Mong-ham. He clenched his fist and struck with devastating force.
Hit by the blow, Gun Mong-ham was sent flying thirty feet back, coughing up blood as he collapsed onto the deck.
"A weakling who can't even handle a single punch... Tsk, tsk. Fine then, try and see if you can enter White Cloud City on your own. You're a fool who can't even grasp an opportunity when it's handed to him." Jo Pacheon snatched Gun Mong-ham's flag and turned back toward his own warship.
Time continued to flow. Warships collided, and battles raged on. The fervor of the flag-snatching event grew hotter by the minute, the spectators watching with bated breath. By the afternoon, every warship had completed two rounds of combat.
Out of all the participants, only three warships maintained a perfect winning streak. Those three were Bukjin's Ryu-chae Jewelry Merchant, Jo Pacheon's White Cloud, and Ya Mi-ang's Divine Grace. All three had recorded two consecutive victories.
In this team battle involving ten warships, the groups led by Bukjin, Jo Pacheon, and Ya Mi-ang had collectively seized eight flags. Ya Mi-ang had been somewhat unlucky; the second opponent her Divine Grace encountered was Zhu Ga-a's Rising Cloud. Although Ya Mi-ang's squad won, they couldn't obtain a flag. Of course, Zhu Ga-a's luck was even worse. She had hoped to make up for the flag she lost to Bukjin's team in her second battle, but she ended up facing Ya Mi-ang and suffered yet another defeat.
Fortunately, Ya Mi-ang had shown mercy, stopping her attacks once victory was assured. However, this situation was a massive blow to Zhu Ga-a's pride. Her morale was in the gutter; one more defeat would mean her complete elimination from the running. The Rising Cloud, having suffered back-to-back losses to the Ryu-chae Jewelry Merchant and the Divine Grace, was utterly drained. Her chance to distinguish herself in the team battle had effectively vanished.
The other groups that had managed to secure two flags were Wang Hyeong-eo's 1st Academy and So Byeong-gam's Through Im Bukjin.
Just then, before the spectators could even take a moment to rest, the third round of battles began.
Im Gun-hyeon sat in the best seat of the VIP section, watching the matches with a consistently expressionless face. Beside him sat Lee Ung-bu and other titans of various organizations, who were occasionally smiling and sharing opinions as they enjoyed the spectacle.
At that moment, an official from the City Government's Administrative Office rushed over to report a piece of news. The face of Sim Ji-jeol, the Chief of the Administrative Office, changed instantly. He hurried to Im Gun-hyeon's side and whispered in a low voice.
"My Lord, the investigation team from Pung-eo-haeng-do has arrived. They are already at the harbor. The man leading the team is the First Administrator of Pung-eo-haeng-do, Dam Gogeum..."
Im Gun-hyeon's expression shifted slightly.
So, that man has come. This is going to be a bit of a headache for Im Bukjin.
Im Gun-hyeon immediately led the officials of Unmong City out to receive Dam Gogeum. As the First Administrator of Pung-eo-haeng-do, Dam Gogeum was the man who held the reins of power in the provincial administration. His authority was second only to the Governor, making him a titan among titans within the province. When he moved, it caused massive waves not just in Unmong City, but throughout the entire coastal region it belonged to.
Except for Im Gun-hyeon, the other officials of Unmong City were trembling at the mere mention of Dam Gogeum's name. It was no exaggeration to say they usually had zero chance of ever coming into contact with such a high-ranking figure. It was obvious that First Administrator Dam Gogeum had visited Unmong City because of the death of Bang Jin-yu. Whether this situation would turn out to be a blessing or a curse for the Unmong officials was still hard to tell.
Leaving the spectator stands, Im Gun-hyeon quickly came face-to-face with Dam Gogeum's party. Dam Gogeum was a middle-aged man who appeared to be around forty, with a tall, slender frame. Dressed in a snow-white robe, he gave off the impression of a straight, unyielding stalk of bamboo. His face was so pale it was almost translucent, like someone who hadn't seen the sun in a very long time. He had a long, three-pointed beard, and his face was frozen in an ice-cold expression. He looked like a man who never smiled; his narrowed eyes flashed with a light as sharp as a blue blade. It was as if he were trying to discern which of the people standing before him was the culprit.
A massive entourage followed behind Dam Gogeum. In addition to the officials who had come out from Unmong City to meet him, there were many investigators who had traveled with him from the province. They were all experts from the Pung-eo-haeng-do Security Bureau, accompanied by masters dispatched from the Provincial Government. The composition of the investigation team Dam Gogeum had brought was truly formidable. As they appeared, an overwhelming pressure radiated in all directions, making the Unmong officials feel as though their legs might give way. Even the chiefs of various departments, including Lee Ung-bu, looked anxious. Only Im Gun-hyeon maintained his usual calm and composed demeanor.