Chapter 302
Chapter 302
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 302
Chapter Title: Not Easy (2)
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To blend in with the examinees, Yin Ha-seong and Wu So-rung used the last characters of their names as surnames.
They even borrowed characters from Eon Yong-un's name one by one to create fake identities.
"I'm Seongryong."
"Neung-un here."
"Seongryong, Neung-un. Where are your assigned dorms?"
"We're both in Hyangran Hall. What about Brother Sang and Brother Baekri?"
"I'm in Unmae Hall, and my friend Baekrigyeom here is in Yunguk Hall. If you're okay with it, want to stop by his dorm on the way?"
"Does Brother Baekri's dorm have a honey jar or something?"
"The exam stages for the entrance trials are revealed on the day, but the very last one is always a group project, right?"
"Yeah?"
"My friend Baekrigyeom here loves making connections, so he has a lot of followers. If we're going to be in groups anyway, I figured it'd be good to get friendly with our gang ahead of time."
And just like that, Yin Ha-seong and Wu So-rung naturally joined Sang Woo-cheong and Baekrigyeom's crew, thanks to getting kicked out of the academy students' cafeteria.
The two were shocked when they checked out the members of the group.
"!"
"!?"
It was because there were more people following Sang Woo-cheong and Baekrigyeom than expected.
[Yin-form. More people than I thought.]
[Yeah. It's only been two days, and there are already over twenty? Even that Yong-un hyung-nim only had us and the Jeonghyeon dojo folks as his gang when he took the entrance exam...]
[Eon hyung had that scoundrel label, though.]
[Anyway, how do these guys have so many?]
Their questions were naturally resolved once they mingled into the group and got a feel for the atmosphere.
"Right now, this Hongpil envies Brother Baekri and Brother Sang more than the Murim Alliance Leader or the Emperor himself."
"We're just taking the exam—what's there to envy about us?"
"Your names are plastered at the top of the rankings on the blackboard. That's as good as guaranteed admission, isn't it?"
"Haha. Too early to say that."
"Early? You'll pass, and in your generation, both the Nine Great Sects and the Baekri family will rise greatly. Meanwhile, I might end up tasting failure if I'm not careful."
"Hongpil, just do your best. If it's not enough, aim for next year. You're young—what's there to worry about?"
"Preparing for the entrance exam isn't cheap, so this feels like my last shot."
"If that's your worry, trust Baekrigyeom here."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"If anyone in our gang fails, Baekrigyeom will give them another chance. Our family runs a martial arts school. He'll help you focus on exam prep there calmly."
The group was mostly made up of those barely scraping by in the passing zone or just participating and barely clearing stages.
"Brother Baekri! Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
With a lifeline guaranteed by the Nine Great Sects and the Baekri family opening up amid their despair, they naturally followed Sang Woo-cheong and Baekrigyeom.
If Yin Ha-seong and Wu So-rung were truly clueless examinees, they would have just judged the two as having big-brother vibes. But they had heard Eon Yong-un's stories.
So, the chatter from the group sounded different to Yin Ha-seong and Wu So-rung's ears.
The moment their eyes met.
'That martial arts school of the Baekri family is probably a demonic cult den if we look into it, right?'
'Probably.'
As the two exchanged glances like that.
Baekrigyeom spoke to the fellow examinees thanking him nonstop.
"Enough. This isn't about hearing thanks—it's about not getting down. We have to change the orthodox murim dominated by those Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families' cadets."
Hongpil and the other examinees began chattering excitedly in response.
"With Brother Baekri and Brother Sang, it's possible!"
"Yeah. That Eon Yong-un shook up the academy as a first-year, so why not you two?!"
"Exactly. If you think about it, Eon Yong-un is just a selfish brute who leads with fists over words. He just got lucky with the times and swept everything under achievements, right?"
"Rumors always get exaggerated like an empty cart rattling loud. In reality, he might be nothing special once you face him."
"And that gang following 'Eon little brother' might just be riding their family prestige?"
That's when someone uninvited cut into their conversation.
"That sounds unpleasant to hear. Eon Yong-un hyung-nim and all the other brothers and sisters are good people. They're not for you to talk about like that."
It was none other than Jang Seon, whom Eon Yong-un had brought all the way to Yangyang and entrusted to the Haemam Sect.
"……!"
"……!"
At Jang Seon's appearance, Yin Ha-seong and Wu So-rung held their breath, fearing he might recognize them.
Meanwhile, Hongpil cupped his hands toward Jang Seon and spoke.
"...Are you staff? Sorry for the noise."
One of the nearby examinees recognized Jang Seon and spoke up.
"Hong hyung, he's just another examinee like us. Remember that super old-looking guy in the C-rank group from Haemam Sect?"
Realizing he'd bowed to a fellow examinee, Hongpil flushed red and yelled.
"Oh? Now that you mention it, he's wearing C-rank uniform... and you said hyung-nim and noona? Damn, you scared me! I thought you were a professor! Hey, you punk!"
"My name isn't 'punk'—it's Jang Seon."
"Jang Seon, short Seon, whatever. What, you Eon Yong-un's little brother or something?!"
"...Not yet."
"Then why make a fuss? It's our mouths—we can say what we want. They say you can curse the Emperor and kings behind closed doors, so what's Eon Yong-un?!"
At the casual trash-talk of Eon Yong-un's name again, Jang Seon's eyebrow twitched.
"Then can I use my fists freely too?"
"Ha. Don't you know fighting among cadets during the entrance exam can disqualify you?"
"Thanks to you, I know now. Doesn't matter to me. So take back what you just said. Or I'll use my fists freely."
Jang Seon's words that they were all good people and shouldn't be badmouthed.
And his attitude that he'd risk failing if they didn't apologize.
Seeing that, a swell of emotion filled Yin Ha-seong's chest for some reason.
'The kid's got a good heart... Still not used to him calling him hyung-nim.'
But now wasn't the time for that.
They'd stayed quiet fearing recognition, but this was a powder keg that could ruin Jang Seon's exam.
Yin Ha-seong snapped to attention and turned to Wu So-rung.
Wu So-rung's eyes were already welling up.
"……."
No one noticed since all eyes were on Jang Seon, but they couldn't leave it like this.
Yin Ha-seong pinched Wu So-rung's thigh secretly to snap him out of it.
"!"
While he did that, things exploded over there.
"A Haemam Sect disciple isn't afraid of disqualification? It'll tarnish your sect. You gotta pick your spots for that nonsense."
Saying to watch who he talked to, Hongpil spat unforgivable words without checking Jang Seon's temper right in front of him.
"Apologize my ass! Screw off! Eon Yong-un's a piece of shit, and you're a shitty dog following him around!"
The instant he heard the insult to Eon Yong-un, Jang Seon gritted his teeth and kicked off the ground.
Ssaeak!
'G-Gotta save him!'
Yin Ha-seong muttered inwardly and hurriedly jumped between Hongpil and Jang Seon.
As a result, Jang Seon's fist flew toward Yin Ha-seong's jaw.
Ppaak!!!
They say a temple dog recites poetry after three years, and Yin Ha-seong had chased that vicious Eon Yong-un from Hwiju onward.
In that split second, Yin Ha-seong circulated his inner energy, pulled his jaw back, and absorbed the impact before Jang Seon's arm fully extended, reducing the force.
'...What kinda power is this.'
Even so, Yin Ha-seong saw stars from Jang Seon's monstrous strength for a moment.
He barely steadied his nearly snapped-back neck and spoke.
"...Urk. I'll apologize for you. Take back what you said. Good?"
"Be careful."
The storm named Jang Seon thus left the front of Baekrigyeom's gang.
Yin Ha-seong rubbed his throbbing jaw and spoke to Hongpil.
"Aigoo, my jaw. Hey, Hong hyung. That guy's obviously a simple brute—why get so heated? You were just grumbling about shit earlier; don't you know to avoid the dirty stuff?"
"Heh heh. Got heated for a sec. Didn't think he'd actually charge. But he's a Haemam Sect disciple—why snap at Eon Yong-un trash talk?"
"Who knows...?"
"Oh, I was talking to myself."
"My head's ringing from the hit... brain's not turning."
"Thanks for stepping in. I froze worrying about the exam. Seongryong, you saved me from eating shit."
Yin Ha-seong waved it off casually.
"Yeah. Anyway, I'm heading to the infirmary."
Baekrigyeom said then,
"Head ringing and you're going alone?"
Wu So-rung quickly chimed in.
"I'll go with him."
"Do that."
As Yin Ha-seong and Wu So-rung left the dorms being used by examinees, various praises followed their backs.
Stories about spotting their boldness when kicked from the cafeteria, or their quick moves.
It was an unexpected incident, but their standing in the group rose.
Of course, Yin Ha-seong had zero interest in such pointless popularity.
'Built like a tank, but our maknae's punch packs a wallop.'
His jaw still stung from the maknae's hit, so he just thought to move carefully.
Pat-.
Perhaps because of that, as Wu So-rung climbed a tree and slipped the note into the hollow Eungyong-i was supposed to check.
Yin Ha-seong muttered unwittingly.
"...Seriously. Being Yong-un hyung-nim's little brother ain't easy."
Wu So-rung, who had come down, looked at Yin Ha-seong with misty eyes.
"Yeah."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ With the entrance exam in full swing, the Eon little brothers had gone to assist the professors.
In the student council room, only I, Yin Xia Lian, and Dang Ok-gi remained.
Among us, Yin Xia Lian and I were wrestling with paperwork to finish the academy newsletter—our scholarship foundation duty—before the exam ended.
Then Eungyong-i flew in through the window and cooed lowly.
Horuk-
"Eon Yong-un! Eungyong-i's here?!"
That meant Yin Ha-seong and Wu So-rung, mixed in with the examinees, had found something and sent a letter.
"Good work."
I set down my brush, took the note from Eungyong-i's beak, and started reading.
"Sang Woo-cheong and Baekrigyeom are inciting discontent among borderline-fail examinees while luring them with future exam prep help to grow their gang. Assuming Yong-un hyung-nim's prediction is right, high chance they'll drag them into the demonic cult later. P.S., that Jang Seon kid was impressive? ...Why's Jang Seon suddenly mentioned?"
As that finished.
Dang Ok-gi, furrowing her brows, spoke.
"Eon Yong-un, were you a dog chasing demons in a past life? Your nose is too sharp."
"……."
"But it only mentions Sang Woo-cheong and Baekrigyeom—no Dokgo Cheol?"
Anyone else would think it odd, but it gave me even greater certainty.
If the Heaven-Splitting Blood Demon was loyal to the Demonic Cult's main base in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, then Dokgo Cheol should've moved with those two connected to the main base.
'The fact he isn't... means the ones linked to the main base don't even know Dokgo Cheol is tied to the Blood Cult.'
In other words, proof that Dokgo Cheol's action was the Blood Cult's solo move, and evidence the Blood Cult was trying to break from the Demonic Cult.
"Dokgo Cheol..."
I tried to explain right away, but.
Thinking it over, it didn't seem like the right time, so I said something else.
"...Dang Ok-gi, once you're done helping at the infirmary, don't slack—work on the Thousand Poison Pill research."
"Kak! Can't stand seeing people have fun!"
That's when Yin Xia Lian spoke.
"So what're you gonna do, Eon young master?"
"Gotta head to the main office first. The papers on the left are reviewed; handle the rest alone. Ask Jeon-gal miss to help when she comes."
"Sigh. Got it."
- ...Poor thing.
I ignored my master's tongue-clicking and headed straight to the main office.
I requested the chancellor convene the operations committee.
The professors gathered in the chancellor's office immediately, knowing it involved Demonic Cult matters.
Before the professors, I laid out various suspicious circumstances and read the infiltration team's letter aloud.
"...Thus, I request the disqualification of cadet Baekrigyeom and examinee Sang Woo-cheong."
Then Chancellor Kyung Hye began the meeting.
"What do the other committee members think?"
Professor Changryang spoke first.
"Baekrigyeom and Sang Woo-cheong—their actions don't seem fitting for those walking the path of righteousness."
As other professors nodded.
The admissions director narrowed his brows and spoke.
"However, there's no clear evidence of collusion with the Demonic Cult, and both cadets are top-rankers, aren't they?"
"You have more to say—continue."
"Yes, Chancellor. Plus, if they're forming groups as the letter from Chairman Eon Yong-un says, even if we got consent forms agreeing to Mabi-ryeon's judgment initially, wouldn't there be fierce protests?"
Indeed.
Especially since their sects and families—Nine Great Sects' Gongdongpa and Baekri family—shed much blood in the last Ortho-Demonic War.
'Add Demonic Cult scheming, and wild speculations will snowball.'
It would tarnish me and the academy's reputation while stirring unrest in orthodox murim.
I mulled it over briefly and voiced my idea.
"How about this?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Five days had passed since discussing Baekrigyeom and Sang Woo-cheong in the chancellor's office.
Meanwhile, many stages were assigned to examinees, disqualifying quite a few.
The night before group projects were assigned arrived.
"Admissions Director Im Tae-ok here."
The surviving cadets until the final stage gathered in the academy students' cafeteria for the group assignment.
"Before assigning the final project, there's an announcement from Eon Yong-un, cadet and former inaugural student council president, current Mabi-ryeon director."
With that, the admissions director yielded the podium to me.
"An anonymous tip came in that examinees Baekrigyeom and Sang Woo-cheong are connected to the Demonic Cult. Thus, Mabi-ryeon has decided to bench them from this exam."
As expected, protests poured from the examinees in their gang.
"Those two are from sects that bled heavily in the last Ortho-Demonic War! Disqualify them for Demonic Cult ties?!"
"Right! Disqualifying them based on an anonymous tip that won't even reveal itself?! What kind of nonsense is that?!"
I showed them my palms and spoke.
"I understand. But with the Demonic Cult rampant, the world of murim has entered chaos, and the academy burned last year. No orthodox warrior wants even joking suspicion of Demonic ties. I'm saying this to help cadets Baekrigyeom and Sang Woo-cheong."
"...Help?"
"Recall what I said. Not 'disqualified,' but 'benched.'"
I calmed the boiling crowd and continued.
"The academy has always flexibly set passing quotas. These two examinees cleared prior stages with top scores, so if they faithfully undergo verification by the Murim Alliance, the operations committee has decided on special admission. For other examinees, that means at least two more passing spots..."
Up to there, I smirked and dropped the rest.
"For Baekrigyeom and Sang Woo-cheong examinees, it means passing without group project variables and shedding needless suspicion, don't you think?"
I said that much, then grinned at the two clearly flustered bastards.
Checkmate, you fucks?