Try Throwing It Again
Whoosh—!
Baek Geum-un's body spun rapidly as she was pushed back by the sheer momentum. Ryu Gye-hae, startled, moved to help her, but a calm voice stopped him.
"I'm fine."
Baek Geum-un was focusing every ounce of her strength and spirit into clutching that invitation. She continued to slide back until she slammed into the wall of the Mageom-gwan with a heavy thud. A spray of blood erupted from her lips.
Her arm, still gripping the invitation, had struck the wall so hard it left a visible indentation in the stone. Blood dripped steadily from her pale, slender fingers. Yet, despite the impact, the invitation remained firmly in her grasp.
"...I caught it," Baek Geum-un said, struggling to pull herself upright. Her face was deathly pale, but her eyes burned with an indomitable will.
The onlookers were stunned, their expressions shifting to shock. She had risked her life, putting everything on the line, just to secure a single invitation for the 3rd Academy.
Watching her, Jo Pacheon's expression flickered slightly. He spoke with a detached air.
"Hmph. I didn't expect the person to stand tall for the 'mighty' 3rd Academy would be such a little girl. You used a few tricks to manage it, but since you ended up with the invitation in your hand, I'll consider it a pass. That invitation is yours."
Upon hearing those words, the tension finally left Baek Geum-un's body. She swayed for a moment before losing consciousness and collapsing to the floor. Ryu Gye-hae, the 1st-year dean, rushed forward to catch her, his face etched with pity.
'Not only is her talent extraordinary, but her willpower and character are as well. She is the most brilliant girl in the fifty-year history of our 3rd Academy.'
During the entrance exams, Baek Geum-un had recorded scores that surpassed every other student, tripling or even quadrupling the average. Ryu Gye-hae had initially thought that because of her young age and short training period, she wouldn't be able to face upperclassmen like Han Bul-bu in a direct confrontation. However, he was now certain that if she continued to train diligently, she would become a genius on par with Bukjin.
The only major flaw in Baek Geum-un's personality was her excessive love for risk-taking. She had a tendency to act without considering the consequences. After checking her condition, Ryu Gye-hae let out a sigh of relief. He nodded toward Cho Heun and Ban Oe-min, signaling that she wasn't in critical danger, before quickly carrying her toward the infirmary for treatment.
"Three out of the four have been tested, so that leaves only one," Jo Pacheon said, his gaze finally settling on Bukjin.
"You've been awfully quiet. Are you afraid? I heard you were the greatest genius of the 2nd year and Jeong Sam-seok's prized disciple... Surely you aren't inferior to that little girl who just caught the invitation, are you?"
Bukjin let out a sharp laugh.
"Haha! So that was your real goal all along! Jo Pacheon, your true target was me! You're nothing but a petty coward who betrayed his own master. You spend a few years in White Cloud City and come back here acting all high and mighty, showing off your martial prowess? You're a clown, nothing more, nothing less. Don't you find yourself pathetic?"
"What did you just say?"
Jo Pacheon's face contorted with rage. His eyes flashed with fury. The greatest stain on his life was betraying Jeong Sam-seok to enter the tutelage of Baek Hae-geum. Consequently, there was nothing he hated more than having that incident thrown in his face. Bukjin's words were the equivalent of slapping him in front of a crowd.
"I said..."
Bukjin stepped forward, releasing his aura. His eyes glowed with an intense light as a cold sneer played on his lips.
"To the swordsmen of Unmong City, you're just an arrogant jester. Coming here to play games with a measly invitation! Hah! Go ahead, throw that precious invitation of yours at me. If I move even a single step while receiving it, I'll admit defeat."
The atmosphere in the Mageom-gwan shifted instantly. Bukjin's momentum was incredibly fierce. The crowd had already seen Han Bul-bu, the top genius of the 3rd year, fail to hold his ground. Even if Bukjin was the top of the 2nd year, his combat power shouldn't be significantly higher than Han Bul-bu's. And yet, he claimed he wouldn't move a single step?
"Hahahaha!" Jo Pacheon erupted into laughter. "I didn't think there was anyone left who was so delusional about their own standing! You're so desperate for fame that you don't even know what's coming out of your mouth! Im Bukjin, do you even understand the weight of what you just said?"
Bukjin simply beckoned him with a finger.
"You talk too much. Just hand over the invitation."
It was the exact same phrase Han Bul-bu had used. Bukjin was intentionally using the same words to provoke Jo Pacheon. Han Bul-bu, watching from the side, felt a surge of gratitude. He realized that Bukjin was venting his anger on Jo Pacheon on his behalf.
However...
'Can Im Bukjin really catch it?'
Doubt flickered in the eyes of Cho Heun and the others. While it was incredibly satisfying to see Bukjin openly insult Jo Pacheon to his face, words meant nothing if he couldn't back them up. If he failed to catch the invitation, the fallout would be disastrous.
Jo Pacheon's face hardened into a mask of pure hostility. He wore a chilling smile as he spoke.
"Fine. If you're so eager to humiliate yourself, I'll grant your wish."
Snap—!
With a flick of his wrist, Jo Pacheon sent the invitation flying toward Bukjin. This time, the invitation traveled much slower than it had for the other students. However, the sound of it cutting through the air was far sharper. One could see the air around the invitation swirling and vibrating violently.
The onlookers' faces darkened. It was obvious to everyone that Jo Pacheon had put far more power into this throw than any of the previous ones. If he had thrown it like this at Han Bul-bu, the older student's arms would have likely shattered upon impact.
Cho Heun, fearing Bukjin would be seriously injured, moved to intervene. But in that split second, Bukjin stepped forward and reached out his hand.
"Come."
The next moment, every eye in the room widened in disbelief. The invitation flying toward Bukjin simply vanished into thin air without a trace. Then, almost instantly, a dark red object appeared, held firmly in Bukjin's hand.
It was the invitation Jo Pacheon had thrown.
"Hmph! It's just a small scrap of paper. Normally, an invitation is a gesture of respect, written by a person of high standing to show courtesy. It represents the character and etiquette of the sender. But to see such a thing used by a clown like you just to show off your strength... Tsk, tsk. Jo Pacheon, you're dragging the name of White Cloud City through the mud."
Bukjin spoke calmly as he unfolded the invitation to read it.
The Night of the Full Moon, Moonlight Fills the Heavens.
At the Peak of the Governor's Estate, a Single Sword Pierces the Profound.
The content was identical to the one Cho Heun had received. The only differences were the design on the paper and some of the mystic patterns. The one Cho Heun held was one of twelve sent to the Great Masters of Unmong City, while this was one of twelve intended for the young geniuses of the sword.
Jo Pacheon stood frozen, his handsome face twisted in a shock he couldn't hide. He looked as if he couldn't believe his own eyes.
'What the hell just happened? How did the invitation vanish and suddenly appear in Im Bukjin's hand? Was that... the legendary Telekinetic Seizure technique using Innate Mystic Qi?'
But that was a feat only a high-level master in the Martial Warrior rank could achieve. Bukjin was just a student at a junior academy. The idea that he had reached such a realm was inconceivable.
It wasn't just Jo Pacheon. Cho Heun, Ban Oe-min, and the other teachers were equally stunned. Even they couldn't quite grasp what had just occurred. However, their confusion couldn't mask the excitement blooming on their faces.
Bukjin had actually done it. He had backed up his boast perfectly. He hadn't moved a single inch and had caught the invitation with ease. The teachers felt a surge of triumph. Seeing the shock on the face of the arrogant, elitist Jo Pacheon was like a breath of fresh air after years of stagnation.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Bukjin asked.
Jo Pacheon was speechless. Bukjin continued.
"To be honest, my skills are a step below Senior Han Bul-bu's. Yet, I caught your invitation. This proves that Senior Han only failed because he was caught off guard by the petty tricks you hid in your throw. In the end, you're just a small-minded coward who uses underhanded methods to trap others."
"That's nonsense! I—!" Jo Pacheon roared in fury.
Bukjin cut him off with a cold, mocking smile.
"I get it! There's no point in talking anymore. Regardless, I caught the invitation just as I said I would. If you want to throw another one at me, feel free. The paper is a bit stiff, but if I crumple it up well enough, it might be useful for wiping my ass when I'm in the privy."
"You...!"
Jo Pacheon was so consumed by rage that he could barely form words. For a moment, he felt a murderous impulse to draw his sword and strike Bukjin down where he stood. However, a shred of reason deep within his mind managed to keep the impulse in check.
This was the middle of the 3rd Academy. Three deans were present, and he still hadn't gauged the true depth of Bukjin's strength. Furthermore, as much of a rogue as Bukjin seemed, he was the person Jeong Sam-seok had chosen. Deep down, Jo Pacheon still harbored a lingering sense of awe for Jeong Sam-seok, the man who had first set him on the path of the sword and recognized his talent. If he started an unjustified duel here, he would be the only one to suffer the consequences.