You're Just Not That Bright
Strictly speaking, Baek Geum-un was the weakest among those who participated in the Sword Testing Rite today. However, the Jesujeon Sword Technique she displayed was enough to prove that her insight was far from shallow, even if she had only managed to execute half a form.
Her opening stance, in particular, had been remarkably stable. If one were to judge solely on the comprehension of the Jesujeon Sword Technique, she was easily on par with Gyeong-rim, who had won earlier. But Jo Pacheon was a freakish genius.
With a single swing of his Chamcheon Sword, the sound of crashing waves echoed around him. It was a level of mastery that seemed impossible for someone who had only studied the manual for the duration of a single incense stick. He was, quite literally, a monster.
Jo Pacheon had only shown one move, but his level of cultivation had already reached the Entering the Room stage. His comprehension and training speed were supernatural. To master a 2-star sword style to this extent in such a short time meant that if he were given a full day, he might very well reach the stage of Pure Perfection. His innate talent for the sword was terrifying.
A satisfied smile played on Baek Hae-geum's lips. Jo Pacheon’s talent was a gift from the heavens. He was a monstrous prodigy. If he weren't, would Baek Hae-geum have gone to such lengths to steal him away from Jeong Sam-seok? He wouldn't have bothered making the boy his disciple otherwise.
Baek Hae-geum was even planning to mobilize every resource at his disposal to put Jo Pacheon through a Marrow Cleansing procedure. He harbored a grand ambition to stimulate the boy’s bloodlines and nurture him into a peerless, unrivaled genius of the sword.
Baek Geum-un said nothing. She simply wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve and returned to her seat.
"You okay?" Bukjin asked.
"I'm fine," Baek Geum-un replied haughtily, tilting her chin up. "Hmph! Don't bother comforting me. I know how to accept defeat. I'm three years younger than that Jo Pacheon guy, anyway. My training period has been shorter, so it's only natural I lost today. But I'm still young. If I focus on my training for a few more years, I'll be able to hand him a defeat with this Great Treasure Sword of mine."
Oho, she’s got quite the spirit, Bukjin thought. To suffer a crushing defeat and immediately pivot to a 'mental victory' without getting discouraged... He felt that Baek Geum-un’s mindset was surprisingly mature and open. It was a good attitude to have.
Just then—
"Hahaha! Im Bukjin, get out here! It's our turn!"
A boy with flame-red hair named Hyeol-yeom leaped onto the stage, waving a hand at Bukjin. "I can't wait to see you do your business while standing on your head! Hahaha! My Chokma Sword is screaming with hunger!"
Hearing this, Bukjin looked down at the three swords he carried. After a moment of deliberation, he picked up the Jeong-igeom and stepped forward.
"Hahaha! You're going to use a dagger?" Hyeol-yeom sneered, his lip curling. "I'll give you one chance. Go back and get that Deokgeom of yours. A tiny toothpick like that won't even withstand a single strike from me."
Bukjin looked at him calmly. "One move."
"What?" Hyeol-yeom asked, looking baffled.
"One form," Bukjin clarified. "If I can't take you down in a single move, I'll consider it my loss."
Hyeol-yeom burst into laughter, which slowly twisted into a savage glare. "You arrogant little brat. You dare provoke me? I don't care who you are—no one acts this insolent in my presence. I won't let you off easy today! I'll teach you that there's always a heaven above the heavens."
"Can we stop the useless chatter and just start?" Bukjin countered. "You go first."
"Hmph! Don't you dare regret this!"
With a fierce shout, Hyeol-yeom lunged forward, his red hair fluttering as he thrust his Chokma Sword toward Bukjin. An illusion of flowing water appeared in the air, accompanied by the sound of a rushing stream. Ripples even seemed to spread through the atmosphere. A blue, watery light shimmered atop his blade.
"Impressive," one of the elderly swordsmen in the audience murmured in admiration.
Hyeol-yeom was truly the top genius of Eun City. In an instant, he had perfectly executed Water Overflowing the Heavens, the most powerful killing move among the twenty-one forms of the Jesujeon Sword Technique.
Facing this lethal strike, Bukjin simply stood there in a relaxed posture. It looked as though he was about to be skewered by the overflowing tide. But then—
Swish!
The Jeong-igeom in Bukjin's hand shot forward with blinding speed. It was a concise, simple motion. Bukjin had executed the very first form—the basic opening stance of the Jesujeon Sword Technique.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar erupted, sounding like the collision of two massive tsunamis.
CLANG!
The screech of metal hitting metal rang out across the courtyard.
"Gah!"
Hyeol-yeom, having collided with Bukjin’s sword, was sent flying backward. The Chokma Sword slipped from his grasp, spinning through the air before embedding itself into a boulder at the back of the courtyard. The blade vibrated violently—vroom, vroom—from the sheer residual impact.
"Urgh!"
Hyeol-yeom doubled over and vomited a massive amount of blood. His face turned deathly pale.
The entire audience was frozen in shock. The young boys and girls looked back and forth between Bukjin and Hyeol-yeom, their expressions filled with disbelief. Hyeol-yeom was known for his foul temper and rude behavior, meaning he didn't have many friends, but no one denied his talent. Most had assumed he would be among the top rankers of today's rite.
And yet, he had been defeated by Bukjin in a single strike.
The moment Bukjin had swung the Jeong-igeom, an illusion of a gargantuan ocean wave had appeared, accompanied by the roar of a violent tide. This was the same "trash" Im Bukjin who had been fast asleep after a single drink. No one could understand how he had achieved such a profound level of comprehension in the Jesujeon Sword Technique.
Watching from the sidelines, Baek Geum-un stood with her mouth agape. She had prepared a mountain of nagging remarks for when Bukjin inevitably lost and returned to his seat. Now, she had no choice but to swallow every word.
How did that degenerate senior do that? He just drank and took a nap! When on earth did he learn the sword to that level? It was impossible to believe.
The elderly swordsmen were equally stunned. Even Elder Hae, the proctor, looked like he couldn't wrap his head around what he had just seen.
Not far away—
"Huh? That was actually impressive. I've completely misjudged him."
Im O was just as surprised. He had already grasped the rules of this round and knew that Bukjin had slept while the incense burned. Yet, despite that, Bukjin had emerged victorious.
How did he do it? Im O felt a surge of intense curiosity toward Bukjin. I wondered how this degenerate managed to shake our Jin's composure, and it turns out he really did have a hidden card. But this whole process is too bizarre.
Im O had seen countless sword prodigies. Some were so gifted they defied description. For someone with immense talent and effort, it wasn't entirely impossible to master a 2-star technique to the level of Pure Perfection in the time it took an incense stick to burn. But he had never heard of someone gaining enlightenment through a nap.
Could he have used some kind of trick...? Or perhaps he had already practiced the Jesujeon Sword Technique beforehand? He couldn't rule out that possibility.
I need to observe him closely. If that degenerate is truly an unprecedented genius of the sword, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take him along to an audience with His Highness. A new plan began to form in Im O's mind.
He turned his gaze toward Im Jin. She was resting her chin on her hands, staring at Bukjin with a dreamy, entranced expression. Seeing this, Im O felt a pang of annoyance. He didn't like seeing his precious younger sister looking so captivated by a man like that.
At that moment—
"I lost!" Hyeol-yeom shouted at the top of his lungs.
With a flash of movement, he blurred toward the boulder, ripped his sword out, and turned back to Bukjin, gritting his teeth. "But don't think I'll just accept this so easily! I'll challenge you again once the Sword Testing Rite is over. I will reclaim my lost honor!"
Bukjin simply turned around and walked back to his seat, looking like he couldn't be bothered. Baek Geum-un immediately scurried over.
"Um... Senior, how did you do that?"
It was the question everyone was dying to ask. Bukjin replied nonchalantly.
"Hm? Oh, that? A simple sword style like this... you just have to look at it once to master it, right? It's not that hard. It's just that you're not very bright."
Hearing that, Baek Geum-un felt a sudden, violent urge to smash a wine bottle over Bukjin's head. The others nearby winced and slowly turned their heads away.
The competition continued. In the rapid-fire matches that followed, winners and losers were decided one after another. Finally, the first round came to an end.
Im Bukjin, Jo Pacheon, Gyeong-rim, Song Gyeol-il, Song Cheong-bong,
Pa Dae-chwi, Myeong Nak-cheon, Dong-bang-jeon, Sa Un-yeong, Im Hae-dang
The ten victors drew lots once more under the watchful eye of Elder Hae. As the tournament progressed, the battles were expected to grow more intense. This was because the more these practitioners fought, the deeper their understanding and enlightenment regarding the Jesujeon Sword Technique would become. While self-reflection was important, the practical application of the sword in a duel was a major factor in improving one's skill.
Jo Pacheon’s momentum was unstoppable.
"The name of my sword is Chamcheon. And the name of your sword is also Chamcheon," Jo Pacheon said, staring down his opponent, Sa Un-yeong.
"How about we decide that the winner of this match gets to keep the name Chamcheon? The loser shall surrender their sword to the victor."
Sa Un-yeong was a confident genius from Yeong City, possessed of extraordinary talent. He was a man of few words, usually preferring to keep to himself.
"Fine."
Clang!
The duel between the two began.