Is He Really That Stupid?

After three exchanges, Sa Un-yeong coughed up blood and retreated several steps.

"I... I have lost," Sa Un-yeong said with difficulty, extending the sword he had chosen toward Jo Pacheon. "This sword is an extraordinary blade, possessed of its own spiritual nature. I hope you will put it to good use, Young Master Pacheon."

Jo Pacheon replied indifferently, "I have no need for this sword."

The spectators expected Jo Pacheon to show some courtesy and return the blade to Sa Un-yeong. Instead—

Clang!

A flash of sword-light erupted. Jo Pacheon swung his own blade, slicing the Sky-Piercing Sword Sa Un-yeong had offered him clean in two.

"You...!" Sa Un-yeong was livid. It had been painful enough to surrender the sword he had carefully selected and named. Though their time together had been brief, he had grown attached to the blade; it felt like a new friend. To see Jo Pacheon snap it in half right before his eyes was an unbearable insult.

"Isn't that going too far?!" Baek Geum-un stood up and shouted. "Senior Sa Un-yeong was the first to name his blade the Sky-Piercing Sword! You, Jo Pacheon, only used that name afterward. To destroy the sword your opponent named... that's just barbaric!"

The crowd seemed to snap out of their trance, their eyes gleaming as they murmured in agreement. Jo Pacheon's actions were undeniably excessive. Sa Un-yeong had indeed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been the first to claim the name 'Sky-Piercing' for his chosen blade. Jo Pacheon had known this, yet he chose the same name anyway. Not content with simply winning the right to the name, he had gone as far as to destroy the rival blade. It was a blatant display of cruelty.

However, Jo Pacheon didn't even spare Baek Geum-un a glance.

"If you want someone to blame, blame your own weakness," Jo Pacheon said calmly, looking at Sa Un-yeong. "A weakling who cannot even withstand a single strike has no right to bear the name 'Sky-Piercing'."

Sa Un-yeong glared at Jo Pacheon with eyes full of fury for a long moment before silently returning to his seat. The taciturn genius from Yeongseong made a silent vow: once he mastered his swordsmanship, he would challenge Jo Pacheon again. He didn't care if the man was the top disciple of White Cloud City. He would surely avenge the Sky-Piercing Sword that had perished this day.

The tournament continued. The gluttonous swordsman Pa Dae-chwi's Food Sword style possessed unusual power; he defeated Gyeong Rim to advance to the next round. Bukjin's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠second opponent was Im Hae-dang, a man who exuded a strangely seductive aura despite his gender.

In this match, Bukjin once again displayed shocking skill. Wielding the Sword of Justice, he defeated Im Hae-dang with a single strike using only the Opening Stance. Gasps of admiration rippled through the audience. Even Elder Hae's eyes flickered with a strange light.

'The sword style I created was revealed to the world for the first time at this Sword Covenant. No one could have possibly learned it beforehand. And yet, that boy Im Bukjin has mastered my techniques to such a degree in such a short time... All he did was sleep off his drunken stupor. Could he have been pretending to sleep while secretly memorizing the forms? Even so, that level of talent is staggering. He's almost on par with Jo Pacheon. I must keep a close eye on him,' Elder Hae thought.

The second round concluded quickly. The winners were Bukjin, Jo Pacheon, Song Gyeol-il, Myeong Nak-cheon, and Pa Dae-chwi. In the subsequent drawing of lots, Pa Dae-chwi received a bye, advancing directly to the finals. Bukjin's next opponent was Song Gyeol-il, while Jo Pacheon was set to face Myeong Nak-cheon. The competition was rapidly reaching its climax.

The third match was a whirlwind. Myeong Nak-cheon was a genius swordswoman from Sun-Moon City, the premier city of the Daecheon Province. However, her skills paled in comparison to Jo Pacheon's. Their duel ended in just three exchanges when Myeong Nak-cheon lost her grip on her sword.

"Haha, Classmate Myeong. There is no need to be so disappointed. The skill you showed just now was quite decent. It's just that the amplitude of your Hyeongi was a bit excessive, which caused a problem. Let me teach you the essence of the technique I just used, The Highest Good is Like Water..."

Unlike his cold treatment of Sa Un-yeong, Jo Pacheon offered a smile and began analyzing his opponent's defeat. But Myeong Nak-cheon cut him off coldly.

"No. There is no need for you to go to such trouble, Young Master Pacheon. I will train on my own."

With that, Myeong Nak-cheon returned to her seat with an icy expression. Jo Pacheon was left standing there with an awkward look on his face, having been so flatly rejected. A dark shadow flickered across his eyes. He had assumed that a little bit of kindness would have the beautiful Myeong Nak-cheon flocking to him. He believed in his status, his position, his talent, and his intellect. Reality, however, was proving to be quite different from his imagination.

Watching the whole scene, Bukjin laughed so hard his stomach hurt.

'Hahaha! That moron! He doesn't know the first thing about a woman's heart! What girl is going to like it when you crush her in three moves and then immediately start pointing out everything she did wrong? He's even stupider than I thought! At this rate, he's never going to win a woman's heart in this lifetime.'

Bukjin recalled various tips for winning over women that he had seen on the internet back on Earth. Suddenly, a surge of confidence washed over him.

'I have a handsome face and the ultimate weapon—a smartphone. On top of that, I have the forbidden knowledge of how to capture a woman's heart from the internet. In this world, I'm basically an invincible Peerless Handsome Master!'

Bukjin felt as though countless girls would fall for him even if he didn't lift a finger.

"What are you grinning about all by yourself?" Baek ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Geum-un asked, noticing the devious smile plastered on Bukjin's face.

"Mind your own business," Bukjin replied.

Baek Geum-un opened her mouth to snap back, but Bukjin was already walking forward. It was his turn to fight. For this match, Bukjin once again chose the Sword of Justice. His opponent was Song Gyeol-il.

"Classmate Im. I never imagined you were a tiger wearing the skin of a pig. That performance of yours, pretending to sleep while mastering martial arts, was very impressive," Song Gyeol-il said with a smile.

"Just make your move," Bukjin said, beckoning with his finger. He wasn't one for small talk during a duel.

"I have a feeling that if I strike first, I won't be able to handle you. Why don't you go first, Classmate Im?" Song Gyeol-il held a massive greatsword that looked incredibly heavy. This was essentially the semi-final. The fact that he had made it this far meant that Song Gyeol-il's talent and skill were among the very best of the twenty geniuses present. However—

Whoosh!

A sound like a massive tidal wave crashing down echoed through the hall. Simultaneously, a blue light, like a ripple on the surface of water, flashed brilliantly.

Thump!

Song Gyeol-il's sturdy frame was sent flying several yards back, landing hard on his backside.

"Ouch!" Song Gyeol-il winced in pain before slowly picking himself up. "To think... in such a way... Just you wait."

Rubbing his sore behind, Song Gyeol-il conceded defeat. He didn't even fully understand how he had been blown away. But he could clearly feel the massive gap that existed between himself and Bukjin.

Baek Geum-un stared at Bukjin again, her mouth hanging open in a daze.

'Is it possible that... I'm the one who's actually stupid?'

Faced with Bukjin's nonsensical martial prowess, Baek Geum-un began to doubt her own talent. The skill Song Gyeol-il had shown previously was truly formidable; he had demonstrated swordsmanship capable of suppressing opponents within three moves. He was not someone who should have been defeated so easily. Yet, before Bukjin, he couldn't even withstand a single exchange.

As Baek Geum-un thought about it more deeply, she realized that none of Bukjin's opponents so far had managed to survive more than one strike. A chill ran down her spine. The elder swordsmen watching from their seats also began to view Bukjin in a new light. Even Baek Hae-geum, who had maintained a relaxed expression throughout, found himself furrowing his brow.

He couldn't help but think that while Jeong Sam-seok might have been kicked out of White Cloud City, his eye for disciples was extraordinary. First, he had discovered Jo Pacheon, and now, he had found Bukjin. Both were talents so gifted they would be considered geniuses even within the walls of White Cloud City. However, the serious expression on his face soon vanished. While Bukjin's skill was impressive, it was still far inferior to Jo Pacheon's. Furthermore, Baek Hae-geum had a hidden trump card prepared specifically for this Sword Covenant. He had no doubt that his disciple would emerge as the final victor.

Among those watching the matches, the one most delighted was none other than Cho Heun. As the dean in charge of the 3rd Academy's second-year students, he was currently trembling with excitement.

'Bwahahaha! I've found a pearl ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠buried in the mud!' He laughed boisterously in his mind.

From the moment Bukjin began to stand out, Cho Heun had argued that they should focus all their efforts on nurturing him. And now, the harvest was unfolding right before his eyes. Bukjin's performance exceeded his wildest dreams. Cho Heun was so overcome with joy that if this weren't the solemn occasion of the Sword Covenant, he would have jumped up and started dancing.

Jeong Sam-seok, on the other hand, maintained a very calm expression. In truth, he was the one who understood Bukjin's terrifying talent better than anyone else here. He had expected this result to some extent. Meanwhile, watching from a distance, Im Ji nodded slowly.

'That kid is something else. I thought he was just a delinquent, but he actually knows what he's doing.'

Still, Bukjin's current performance was slightly different from what Im Ji had initially expected. He decided he needed to keep observing. Just then, another drawing of lots took place.