Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: The Time of Tempering (4)
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"Everyone, you've all worked hard. This is a splendid start. It seems like you've all got a rough grasp on the Subjugation Formation, so starting tomorrow, we'll run drills assuming various scenarios. As Jeong Hyeon suggested, we'll rotate who plays the role of the opposing force. Today the opposition was small in number, but we'll also practice cases where the Subjugation Formation side is outnumbered."
Having thus encouraged the Blue Bamboo Hall students once more, Instructor Myeong Tae-seong offered one reminder and a word of encouragement.
"Those whose weapons broke should talk to the student council about getting replacements. Oh, and I heard the new students have their final midterm subject, Introduction to Martial Arts Theory, this afternoon. I wish you all good scores. That's all."
With that, today's Subjugation Formation training came to an end.
We simultaneously formed the fist salute toward Instructor Myeong Tae-seong and opened our mouths.
"Thank you for your hard work!"
Instructor Myeong Tae-seong waved off our thanks with a flick of his hand and departed.
Before dismissing the students, I sought out the relevant officers to handle the matter of the broken weapons that Instructor Myeong Tae-seong had mentioned.
"Yin Junior. Ha-seong. So-rung."
At my call, the three stepped forward.
Among them, Yin Xia Lian, who had instantly grasped why I called her, let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"You want us to replace the students' weapons?"
"Exactly."
"...Couldn't you have gone a bit easier?"
At Yin Xia Lian's somewhat sullen tone, my master at my waist seemed to feel pity and chimed in.
- ...You break the swords. Ha-yeon does the work.... Poor girl.
'...Hmm. If anyone else said that, fine, but shouldn't you be the last person, Master? Who was it that pushed me into this?'
- That's that, and this is this. Can't I even say she's pitiful? And if you'd handled the sword a bit more cleanly, you wouldn't have broken so many. Keep refining it, keep refining.
Sheesh.
Just moments ago, she'd been proud that I'd pulled it off so convincingly after seeing it only once?
Well, I could understand Yin Xia Lian's sullenness.
From her perspective, she'd just been shocked watching the Subjugation Formation get smashed because of me.
And now there was the Introduction to Martial Arts Theory exam coming up.
With extra work piling on in that situation, who wouldn't feel deflated?
So I offered what consolation I could.
"...It wasn't on purpose. I was half out of my mind myself."
At my words, Yin Xia Lian shook her head and replied.
"That was just me talking. You had some kind of realization in that moment, right? Sigh. Young Master Eon always seems just a few steps ahead, then suddenly dozens ahead."
"Not dozens. Just about one step. If I'd taken that one step, I probably wouldn't have broken so many swords. You're doing great, Yin Junior."
And at the end, words of congratulations.
"Anyway, congrats on your achievement."
"Congratulations, brother!"
"Us too!"
Congratulations end there.
Back to her role as Chief of General Affairs, Yin Xia Lian immediately brought up the White Lotus swords.
"We still have plenty of White Lotus Pavilion weapons in stock, but given the Martial Alliance's nature, there's no guarantee they'll sponsor us on this scale again. Even if they do, it'll be next year at earliest, so shall we send the broken ones to a nearby smithy for repairs?"
"But those folks charge an arm and a leg not just for new ones, but repairs too, don't they?"
"True, but no real alternatives. I calculated: going outside Single Sword Valley adds shipping and guard costs that make it cheaper to just eat the rip-off here."
"...Tch. Maybe we buy out a smithy altogether. It's not the money; their attitudes are the problem."
"I agree, but you know that's not something we can do right away? Territory issues aside, tons of internal and external approvals needed."
"Of course. Repairs first. We'll go with your plan."
Having gotten my verbal approval, Yin Xia Lian promptly directed Yin Ha-seong and Wu So-rung to handle the freshly decided matter cleanly.
"Announcement from the student council! Anyone whose weapon broke during today's training, gather the pieces and come to the council room!"
"Yes! We'll confirm and issue replacements if you want, or pay repair fees if you prefer your familiar one!"
Watching them, I offered a retort to my master.
'She handles everything so cleanly whenever I assign it. How could I not give her the work?'
- ...I'm glad I took you as a disciple sometimes. If it were reversed, whew.
Having cleared the chores for tomorrow's Subjugation Formation training first, those of us who couldn't study with a nagging feeling went for a bath, while those short on study time threw on windbreaker robes and regathered in the student council room.
And we began studying for the Introduction to Martial Arts Theory exam, the capstone of the midterms.
"Ha-yeon, you know this? Brother said last year they had to discuss the differences between swords and spears."
"Oh, I heard that too. Your little brother got full marks arguing about effective striking range, right?"
"Yeah, you knew? Sigh, I really hate studying. If the prompt's like that, the scope's inhumanly broad, no? Better if midterms were spars too."
"I'm still clumsy at spars, so essays suit me better?"
"...Annoying."
"Annoying my foot. Unlike you, Ok-gi, who shines in spars, if I don't score here, finals will be a disaster."
Introduction to Martial Arts Theory traditionally had midterms as essay exams writing thoughts on given prompts based on lessons learned, and finals as practical sparring exams.
"Comparing swords and spears, all I think of is length. What's effective striking range?"
"To explain simply what I know: basically, the blade length. Spears have reach, but swords have longer blades, right? Probably your brother argued that point."
Well, essay exams are ultimately about adding your thoughts to what you've learned, so I was confident.
I'd studied lectures until I understood them each day before bed.
And I was decent with words.
This time, just pour it out with pen instead of mouth.
Thus, instead of books or notes, I spent time quietly recalling my master's form from that morning.
'Refresh it at least once before the memory fades.'
She'd said offhand if I'd swung more cleanly, I wouldn't have broken the other students' swords like that?
'...She's right.'
Come to think of it, Master had flung her sword as if shaking it off, while I'd pressed down.
'Even with her always at my side, she's so far ahead.'
How long had I skipped lunch to mull over her intoxicating sword, recalling it?
"Young Master Eon? Time for the exam."
The Introduction to Martial Arts Theory exam time had drawn near.
Entering the designated classroom, I sat, and a large scroll unrolled with a rumble.
<Void>
The prompt was on emptiness.
Letting go, or emptiness.
This was a theme the various professors always stressed as essential for breaking through plateaus, using countless analogies.
Thus, the other peers' brushes flew madly.
Of course, the fastest was Zhuge Seolji.
As if she had the entire library in her head, while others gnawed nails, stared into space sweating, barely filling one scroll answer sheet,
"TA? May I have another answer sheet?"
"Of course."
Zhuge Seolji filled two sheets densely in one go and was first to submit.
"Just leave it here and go, right?"
"Took two sheets and already done? Yes, leave it there. Good work."
Having submitted, Zhuge Seolji glanced my way as she left the exam room.
But I'd been delaying writing, so my scroll was blank.
Seeing that, she smiled in relief and left.
'I can guess what she was smiling about.'
I'd never learned mind-reading arts, but reading Zhuge Seolji's thoughts was easy.
'She won the department exams, at least. Something like that.'
Currently, Zhuge Seolji and I had each gotten two perfect scores in different subjects, tied with merits in the rest.
Seeing the remaining time and my blank sheet, she must have been convinced of her win.
'......'
But I wasn't leaving it blank from having nothing to write.
'I could neatly compile the lessons too.'
Even so, the reason I'd tormented the innocent brush?
Perhaps from obsessing over Master's sword display all half-day, the prompt itself looked a bit different.
Thoughts end here.
I picked up the long-tormented brush and moved to the answer scroll.
With the Introduction to Martial Arts Theory exam, midterms ended.
Several days later.
On the day of Introduction to Corpse Techniques class.
No overlap with others; Ok-gi rushed to her lab, so I was reporting alone in the council room when,
A grad student senior with dark circles brought a bundle of rolled scrolls, graded Introduction to Martial Arts Theory answer sheets.
"Oh, the rankings by grade and department are up on the blackboards in the student plaza. Go check if you haven't."
And informed that the four blackboards in the student plaza had the midterm rankings by grade and department.
Wanting to check my rank first, I headed to the plaza.
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First-year, First-semester Midterm Rankings.
1. Eon Yong-un
2. Zhuge Seolji.
3. Yin Xia Lian.
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My name was at the top.
This result meant my Introduction to Martial Arts Theory answer got full marks.
'I wrote it with some confidence.'
Honestly, I'd half-wondered if it'd get zeroed.
But the best outcome.
My mouth opened unwittingly.
"Good instincts."
As I muttered that,
Jeong Hyeon and Yin Ha-seong, hearing of the rankings and rushing over, commented on the board.
"...Wow. I always believed in you, brother, but honestly didn't expect you'd beat Zhuge Junior even in department exams."
"Indeed. Truly excelling in both pen and sword. Who now dares deny Young Master Eon's current top scholar title?!"
As those two made a fuss,
Zhuge Seolji arrived a bit after Ha-seong and Jeong Hyeon, lips trembling as she grabbed my sleeve.
"Yong-un... If it's not too much, could I see your Introduction to Martial Arts Theory answer sheet just once?"
At Zhuge Seolji's entrance, Ha-seong gulped and whispered to Jeong Hyeon.
"...A denier appeared, Jeong Hyeon."
"...Indeed. I overlooked Zhuge Junior."
Too loud for a whisper.
But no issue.
Zhuge Seolji clarified her stance.
"...No, not like before, refusing to accept. Pure curiosity. I won't be a bother. Please?"
"If just to look, no problem."
"Yes. I won't trouble you, Yong-un. Not like the go match finals..."
Staking grandfather's name?
Well, if she puts it like that, no reason to refuse.
"Grandfather's name unnecessary. Trust your promise. Follow me. I'll show you."
Thus leading Zhuge Seolji, Jeong Hyeon, and Yin Ha-seong back to Blue Bamboo Hall's council room, I found my answer sheet.
Not hard to find.
Grabbed the topmost scroll, unrolled it—mine.
Below the red "Full Marks" seal, exactly six characters.
Blue Bamboo Hall .
Eon Yong-un .
Just hall and name on the answer sheet.
Confirming it was indeed my submitted answer, I folded it neatly for handing and offered to Zhuge Seolji.
"Here."
"Thank you."
This moment.
Zhuge Seolji took my answer sheet with trembling hands, unrolled it, gasped, pupils dilating.
"Bl, blank?"