Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Must Save Her (3)
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When people pool their strength to get things done, there are parts where their intentions align, but inevitably, there are also parts where they don't.
This was no different for the Heavenly Four Absolutes, the father and mother figures of the Righteous Martial Academy who were praised for laying the foundation of today's White Path world.
The Heavenly Four Absolutes agreed that the young sprouts of the White Path martial world needed a place to learn, exchange, and compete.
However, they differed on how to define the scope of these 'young sprouts'.
'That's why the four dormitories—Yunmae, Hyangran, Yunguk, Cheongjuk, and Maeran Gukjuk—split off.'
The dormitory represented by the black uniforms worn by Un Hyeok's senior group and the kids was Hyangran Hall among them.
Because it was symbolized by dark uniforms, students also called it Mukran Hall.
In any case, the founding purpose of Hyangran Hall was to 'cultivate knights rooted in fundamentals'.
'It sounds plausible, but it's just about bloodlines. Even Brother Cheol-seong looks like that, but he's from the Changsan Zhao Family, famous for spear arts alongside the Divine Spear Yang Family and the Shandong Yue Family, right?'
From the start, its founding purpose was 'to make a name through bloodlines!', and as those who agreed gathered over generations...
By now, it had become the dormitory with the strongest sense of authority and the most obsessed with saving face, as described in the original work.
'It's exactly as the original said.'
Look at them even now.
Judging from the trembling corner of Un Hyeok's eye, Un Hyeok probably wanted to beat me down right then and there.
- That Un Hyeok punk. He's glaring at you like he's about to charge any second.
Seeing the same thing, my master at my waist spoke to me.
But my mind was as calm as a serene lake.
'Yeah. Looks like it.'
- He looks at least five or six years older than you, so if he spent those years at Wudang, he's probably eaten plenty of spirit herbs, and the aura emanating from him suggests he's properly cultivated orthodox martial arts.
'That's true too.'
Seeing my demeanor, Master added a word out of concern.
- ...Hmm. But why are you so relaxed? Wudang swordsmanship has a fluid quality that could be tricky for someone like you who hasn't held a sword long. Don't underestimate it.
But I knew.
That Un Hyeok would absolutely not charge at me in this situation.
And it had to be that way.
First, there were plenty of onlookers, and second, he couldn't gauge my skill level.
'Un Hyeok is a Hyangran Hall student who values face above all. Not just any student—he's a vice-head of the self-governing student council. With Jo Cheol-seong already humiliated in front of the examinees, if he embarrasses himself too, Hyangran Hall becomes a laughingstock. That horse-faced punk won't dare come at me, Master.'
- Is that so? If he's not going to fight, he should just leave, so why's he standing there like that?
It was clear he had no more will to fight, and it was obvious he had no rebuttal to my claims.
So, as Master said, Un Hyeok's group had only one choice left: retreat.
'But backing off just like that would hurt their pride, so he's hesitating.'
- What pathetic, exhausting fools. Ugh!
Tsk.
In the original, Yong-myeong mediated, so this didn't happen.
The Pearl Eon Family background provided just the right excuse for the Hyangran seniors to withdraw.
On the other hand, I was a mid-grade warrior kicked out of my family who had just shamed Jo Cheol-seong, so the situation was a bit tangled.
But since I knew exactly where it was tangled, dealing with it wasn't hard.
'Just force an excuse for them to back off.'
Finishing my thoughts, I deliberately smiled even wider and cupped my hands toward Un Hyeok in salute.
"Thank you for accepting this junior's advice, Senior. As expected of White Path martial world's future pillar nurtured by Wudang Sect—you're wise in worldly affairs."
With those words from me, Un Hyeok's lack of any action or response became tacit agreement.
I'd forced a situation where he could only bow his head.
"...!"
Realizing he'd been had, Un Hyeok ground his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.
'The moment he rebuts me, Un Hyeok himself becomes the fool ignorant of worldly affairs, and Wudang Sect becomes the one that produced such a disciple.'
Heh heh. Should've decided faster then.
Of course, just cornering them like that could backfire.
To seal the deal, with the mindset of tossing them a bone, I continued.
"I also thank Senior Jo Cheol-seong for the guidance. If you'd had your spear, this clumsy junior wouldn't have stood a chance."
And sure enough.
Un Hyeok realized this was his best chance to withdraw gracefully, stopped grinding his teeth, and opened his mouth.
"...Good that you know. Indeed, if Cheol-seong had held his spear, it would've been harsh for you."
But at that moment.
Ha Seong from the back yelled out.
"Huh? But our big bro didn't use his sword either, right?!"
Please just shut up.
The situation was finally wrapping up, so I pretended not to hear Ha Seong's outburst.
And fortunately, Un Hyeok matched my vibe and continued, ignoring it too.
"...Ahem. I came thinking it was Wudang's internal matter, but hearing you out, you have a point, so we'll withdraw here. Hyangran Hall isn't as rigid as the rumors say."
"Of course. Of course."
"Eon Yong-un. I'll remember that name."
"No need for that. Anyway, take care, Senior."
"To the end... Anyway, good luck on the rest of your exam."
With that, Un Hyeok turned and headed back to Hyangran Hall.
"Hey, Cheol-seong. Let's go for now. Big brother decided to withdraw."
His remaining junior started wrapping things up.
"What are you looking at?! Show's over?! You think you guys who barely passed this stage have time for that? Did you all get high scores?! Get back to your business!"
Whatever.
I had my own business.
In the original, Eon Yong-myeong sent off the Hyangran seniors and then cheered up Jeong Hyeon.
So I had to do the same.
To be honest, I didn't remember exactly what the original Eon Yong-myeong said.
But it wasn't hard.
The point was just to remind Jeong Hyeon of the meaning of the sword at his waist.
'The sword genius of Murim Academy—the Songmun Sword is the one given to disciples recognized by Wudang Sect's leader.'
In other words.
The fact that Wudang's leader sent Jeong Hyeon—who was shunned from Wudang Mountain after the Taeheo incident—with the Songmun Sword to the Righteous Martial Academy was proof that all the nonsense from Un Hyeok's group was bullshit.
So, no more, no less—one sentence was enough.
"That sword at your waist. Looks good on you?"
"...!"
Sure enough, things in the world rarely go exactly as planned.
I'd tossed the Songmun Sword into Jeong Hyeon's mind and was about to leave with Ha Seong when...
"Ugh!! Then, among the seniors, the Zhao Family guy glares and throws a palm strike! And our Yong-un bro here twists like lightning, slaps away the Zhao guy's hand with his left—smack! Then right hand palm strike—bam! So the Zhao guy goes 'Hurk!!'"
"Nah, no way. A Hyangran senior's gotta be from a prestigious sect bloodline. Even if that big guy's amazing, does that make sense?"
"You got fooled. Big guy arrived late, so you missed it. Plenty of witnesses. Even the little master here was the main guy. Right, Instructor Jeong Hyeon?"
"...No mistake."
Why was Ha Seong so excited? On the way back chattering nonstop, he tossed Jeong Hyeon 'Hey, since we're fated, join us if you haven't eaten' and now we're stuck like this.
"Ha Seong."
"Yes, Big Bro Yong-un."
"Shut up. Let me eat. You doing this now? Use that time to think how to pass the third stage."
"...Yes sir."
The academy cafeteria ran on a self-serve system with top-quality food from Guangdong's best chefs, which had me hyped, but sitting with original protagonist Jeong Hyeon, I can't tell if it's going in my nose or mouth.
"And Jeong Hyeon."
"Yes?"
"You don't need to chime in on everything that kid says. Actually, better not hang around him."
"Huh?!"
"B-Big brooo!"
In the original, you two were barely acquaintances for a while, right?
'Ah, whatever.'
Since we're both at the academy, we'll bump into each other anyway, and we're already tangled with the Hyangran seniors, so one meal won't change much.
From morning, all sorts of annoyances piled up in the most irritating way.
But it didn't affect passing the third gate of the Righteous Martial Academy entrance exam.
The third gate, named Wu Hou Gate.
True to its task name of 'Destruction', it was a labyrinth with formations, mechanisms, traps, etc., where you had to find clues and secrets to escape within the time limit for a pass; fail, and it's a fail.
According to the original, one-pointers were just mazes pouring physical attacks on intruders.
Two-pointers added partitions and secret passages to the mechanisms, upping the difficulty.
Three-pointers included the secrets of the Eight Gates Golden Lock, requiring basic formation knowledge on top.
And finally, my chosen five-pointer was a gate with the Peach Blossom Formation.
No physical mechanisms or traps, but intruders had to navigate through identical peach trees amid swirling full-bloom peach blossoms—a notoriously disorienting formation.
"...Examinee number 79. Pass."
But for me with mental immunity, it was easier than swimming on dry land.
"W-Wait, a mid-grade warrior broke the Peach Blossom Formation?!"
"My classmate helped with the mid-grade warriors' martial exam yesterday and said the guy who smashed the Great Strength Palace came out of there. Now that I think, it was examinee 79."
"...N-Not just broke it...? The only one—no, not only anymore, there are two now... Anyway, didn't he break it faster than Jeon Gal Seol Ji, the top-grade who picked Peach Blossom before?!"
"Yes, Little Martial Marquis Jeon Gal Seol Ji escaped when the incense burned down about one knuckle. But examinee Eon Yong-un escaped with two knuckles left."
Honestly, for me, the two-pointer labyrinth or one-pointer maze might've been harder.
In my past or this life, I'd handled mechanisms and traps with corpses or skeletons upfront, but I couldn't use those here.
'Oh, right. That one was tough.'
Killing time.
Afraid tearing through the formation right away would raise suspicions, I forcibly stalled inside. It was brutal.
I'd planned to cheese it more, but even playing word chain with Master had limits.