Chapter 15
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Thousand Gold Merchant Group's Favor
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The opponent was already in a state where he couldn't resist whatever I did.
Pretending to go for a low kick, I rushed straight at him and attempted a takedown.
Suddenly struck by the desire to leave an even bigger impact here, I switched to a wrestling slam technique.
Just knocking him down wouldn't be fun enough, after all.
I grabbed both his legs, hoisted him high overhead, and slammed him brutally onto the sparring platform floor.
Kuuuung!
"Gwaaaack!"
Then I swiftly circled behind him, seized his back with both hands, hooked my right leg over his right leg, slipped under his armpit, and wrenched his neck with a twisting lock.
An enormous sound reverberated through the sparring hall.
Crack-cra-crack!
It was like that miraculous crunch you hear the first time you get chiropractic treatment.
With just a bit more pressure, a agonized wail erupted immediately.
"Kaaaagh!"
This technique was incredibly dangerous—if the user wanted, it could easily snap the opponent's neck vertebrae and sever their spine.
But this was just a spar, and I had no intention of killing him, so I held back appropriately and whispered in his ear.
"Give up?"
"I... I give! I give up!"
The moment he cried out his surrender, I released the hold.
Cheon-sim-dan, his face flushed beet-red like a blood-engorged persimmon, was finally freed from his hellish torment.
After accepting his surrender, I scanned the crowd around the platform. Everyone stared at me in stunned silence.
Ignoring them, I put my clothes and shoes back on and stepped down from the platform.
Leaving Cheon-sim-dan behind like a ragged rag doll, body and mind alike in tatters.
As the match ended, the students waiting to take the exam began murmuring among themselves.
Even the entrants from great sects chimed in with their thoughts.
"I've never seen martial arts like that before. Where did he learn something so bizarre? Is he from Tianzhu or something?"
"I never even imagined a technique that twists the body to neutralize an opponent."
"But it seems useless against multiple foes, doesn't it? If you're rolling on the ground grappling, do you think the other enemies will just stand by and watch? To me, it looks like mutual destruction."
"Hmm, that was just him locking the position to force a surrender. If he'd snapped the neck and waist right then and backed off, it could work fine in real combat."
"That low kick was savagely executed, though. Using it that way is pretty fresh, isn't it?"
"Hmph! If it'd been me, I'd have severed his legs outright."
"To drop a talent like that in the interview... Dragon Academy's in a tough spot now."
"Yeah, talk about awkward. Heh."
"As a fellow warrior, it's a shame. I wanted to test myself against him."
With the match over, Professor Song Baek-gyeong—the very one who'd rejected Hwang Tae-seong—was breaking out in cold sweat.
'This is bad!'
His fellow professors voiced their concern.
"Hey, Professor Song. Shouldn't you go grab him now before it's too late?"
"You're gonna catch hell from the dean, you know."
"......"
Gulp.
"Aw, come on—even if I flip my decision right after rejecting him, what happens to my dignity? It'd be like admitting to everyone that I'm incompetent, right? Isn't that so, Professor Song?"
"......"
A sharp jab from Professor Cha, his rival for the next head professor position, made Song Baek-gyeong feel like he was sitting on a bed of nails.
Right then.
"Sniff! Sniff sniff sniff! Sniff......"
"What the heck? Why's that guy been acting weird since earlier!?"
"How should I know? Maybe allergies."
Professor Song Baek-gyeong, trying to mask his anxiety, ended up taking it out on the innocent Shaolin monk.
Back at the inn, I slumped into a chair, staring blankly at the ceiling in a haze of emptiness.
I'd been so sure I could waltz right in, but getting rejected like this felt utterly infuriating.
Dragon Academy.
True to its reputation as the Central Plains' premier institution, it had drawn an overwhelming number of applicants, their skills far beyond what I'd imagined.
But it felt like a place that had ossified completely.
The contempt and disdain in their eyes during the interview.
Even the instructors who were supposed to teach there seemed steeped in elitism.
And judging by scum like Cheon-sim-dan, the disciples of prestigious sects were no doubt brimming with the same superiority complex.
For an outsider like me to wedge my way into their entrenched privileges wouldn't be easy.
'I thought hard work would let me blend into the righteous factions naturally. What a delusion. Hmph! If they can't recognize talent, I'll pass on them first!'
I decided to wipe Dragon Academy from my mind and consider alternatives.
'Should I check out Demon Dragon Academy after all?'
I knew Demon Dragon Academy had a force comparable to the White-Clothed Youth Corps.
But heading there was too risky.
Demonic Cult members attended Demon Dragon Academy.
If one of them discovered I'd cultivated demonic arts, I'd be branded a traitor and killed.
'Damn, damned if I do, damned if I don't.'
At this point, neutral ground might be the smarter play.
Then Imperial Palace Martial Academy crossed my mind.
'Imperial Palace Martial Academy, huh......'
Imperial Palace Martial Academy was solidly neutral territory.
Plus, the guidebook had mentioned they recruited for the White-Clothed Youth Corps as well.
I pulled out the guidebook and confirmed the details.
Sure enough, by imperial decree, some White-Clothed Youth Corps members were selected from Imperial Palace Martial Academy.
My face brightened again.
'Hmm, worth looking into.'
I rushed back to the bookstore and gathered info on Imperial Palace Martial Academy.
Funny thing—the books on it were half off.
That sparked a twinge of unease, but was I in a position to be picky?
I bought several cheap volumes on Imperial Palace Martial Academy and returned to the inn.
Late into the night.
With the lamp lit, I was poring over the books when someone knocked on the door.
Knock! Knock!
"Who is it?"
"Master~ Someone's here to see you downstairs."
"Hm? Who'd visit at this hour?"
Better safe than sorry—I grabbed my dagger and hidden weapons.
Having left the Overlord Sect heir half-crippled, they might've come for revenge.
I followed the young errand boy down to the first floor.
There, an elderly man and woman in fine robes waited with escorts.
'Who are they?'
Strangers seeking me out put me on high alert instinctively.
Their escorts were all peak first-rate experts—nothing to sneeze at.
"These folks were looking for you. I'll be going now."
As the boy slipped away, the white-haired elder and young woman rose, offering a fist salute.
"Sorry to barge in so late at night. I'm Nip Byeong-mun, leader of the Thousand Gold Merchant Group."
'The Thousand Gold Leader? Why's he here for me?'
I returned the salute courteously.
"I'm Hwang Tae-seong of the martial world."
"Have a seat first. Hey, some tea over here."
"Yes, Leader."
While his subordinates ordered tea from the innkeeper, I voiced my curiosity.
"What brings you here so late, Leader?"
"Haha, apologies for the late hour."
"No, it's fine."
"Good. Since it's late, I'll get to the point. You may or may not know, but your spar today has already spread like wildfire across Xi'an."
"Has it? It wasn't anything special."
"Far from it. Would the son of the Overlord Sect Leader have ordinary skill? Word is you toyed with him from start to finish. Xi'an's buzzing to recruit you. You'll have plenty of visitors tomorrow. That's why... I heard you made an urgent request to our branch manager before."
The Leader waved his hand, and subordinates brought a wooden box the size of a rice cooker.
"What's this?"
"Modest as it is, it's a token of my goodwill toward you."
"A token?"
"Open it."
"Yes."
Creeeak—
Inside was a pill resembling the Ox Bezoar Calming Pill, but redder, with a rich, subtle aroma of medicinal herbs wafting out.
Clearly no ordinary elixir.
"What is it?"
"Thousand Ancient Pill."
"Thousand Ancient Pill?"
"An elixir developed by our group. We distribute it only to our faction's experts. Not quite on par with Shaolin's Great Return Pill or Huashan's Purple Spirit Pill, but it offers substantial internal energy enhancement. I guarantee it."
"Must cost a fortune, then."
"Don't worry about the price. It's just my sincerity."
The scariest thing in the world is unmotivated kindness.
Growing up an orphan, how many times had I been exploited by malice disguised as such?
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept it. If you're selling, I'd be happy to buy."
"Of course I know you have the means. Truth be told, I wouldn't say I want nothing from you."
"So you do want something from me?"
"Do you belong to any sect?"
"Not yet."
"Then, how about working with our Thousand Gold Merchant Group?"
"......"
The Thousand Gold Merchant Group was a powerhouse in the martial world, renowned for its wealth.
Its martial strength was somewhat lacking relative to its size, but its influence on the righteous martial world was undeniable.
Ten years ago, during the great righteous-evil war, it had opened its coffers to supply the righteous defense forces.
For its leader to personally recruit me was a huge opportunity.
If I took his hand now and joined, I'd have a smooth path ahead in the group.
But that wouldn't achieve my goal.
Acquiring peak first-rate subordinates.
Sure, with their full backing, I could hire top mercenaries and build my desired force.
But would pragmatic merchants like the Thousand Gold Merchant Group offer massive support to someone vowing to fight the Heavenly Demon?
I was skeptical.
After mentally tallying the pros and cons, wrestling with the decision, I made up my mind.
To politely decline.