Chapter 52
Chapter 52
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: A Top Scorer Emerged from the Eon Family (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Having finished speaking, I immediately drew up my inner energy.
Then, gripping Regret in my hand, I swung it horizontally with ferocity and kicked off the ground.
In response, the fierce energy extending from Regret transformed into the stance of the Heaven-Splitting Whirlwind, drawing a sharp crescent.
Sssaaaaek!!
To my strike, Master was startled and sent his thoughts over.
- You were just saying it would be troublesome if you cut off a head?! Isn't there too much killing intent in that stance? If some half-baked fool blocks it head-on, they'll die, you rascal!
'It doesn't matter.'
- ...? Why doesn't it matter?!
In truth, Master was right.
'If one of the examinees really gets hit and dies by my thrust?'
Things would get quite messy one way or another.
But to deceive the enemies, I had to deceive myself first.
I completely erased thoughts of gains, losses, and future consequences from my mind.
And continued pouring killing blows into the thrust of Regret.
Ssaek! Sssaaaaek!!
'Anyone who stands in my way head-on can live or die for all I care!!'
As I said before, the fact that they had come charging at us proved they were no pushovers.
The beads I scattered in three directions were a clear path to life, while ahead of Regret was certain death.
No one would choose death between those two options.
The path opened in that instant.
- Swinging with the intent to kill, and yet you avoid bloodshed instead?! Heh. Even if one comprehends that in their head, putting it into practice is another matter entirely. To do it without batting an eye... You've got the guts of a tiger.
Master chuckled and added that remark. Thinking about it after hearing him made me feel a bit embarrassed.
While I pretended otherwise for a moment, Jeong-hyeon and U So-ryeong, activating their lightness skills, stuck to my heels like a formation.
"The enemies kept multiplying, even linking up in the end. I was wondering how you planned to handle this mess, Eon Gongja. To think you'd put Young Master's words into practice and open a path in that situation!"
"Young Master Wu Qi is the strategist said to rival Sun Tzu of the Art of War, right, Jeong-hyeon Dojang?"
"Indeed. Young Master Wu Qi said, 'One man throws his life, cowing a thousand.' Ah, is that too obscure, U Gongja?"
"...Honestly, it sounds pretty obscure to me."
"Hm. In plain terms, it means one person staking their life can terrify a thousand. It's like the ingenuity Zhang Fei Yide used at Changban Slope, halting Cao Cao Mengde's elite cavalry with a single steed. By tossing what looks like an easy path to survival with those beads while demonstrating overwhelming power, those guys got scared off and cleared the way. Isn't that right, Eon Gongja?"
"...Well, that was the intent, but isn't dragging in Wu Qi and Zhang Yide a bit much? Don't gild the lily too much."
"Not at all! This is no gilding!"
Whatever.
Anyway.
Having deliberately waited for the encirclement to thicken before breaking it in one go, no one appeared to block our path afterward.
"I was tense thinking more blockers might show up, but not even an ant in sight? Was that all of them from earlier?"
U So-ryeong opened his mouth while busily moving his legs.
To help his understanding, I tossed in a few words.
"Probably? Those who didn't covet others' beads or picked low-point ones would've already returned to base."
"Now that you mention it, yeah!"
Seeing U So-ryeong relaxed enough to chat, and Jeong-hyeon showing hardly any fatigue, the thought crossed my mind that we could pick up the pace.
"Right. Let's speed up while we're at it. Oh, but do you all have enough inner energy?"
"Yep."
"Yes."
But there was no need to rush.
We still had plenty of time until the deadline the gatekeeper mentioned.
So I checked my teammates' conditions once more.
"Time's ample, so no need to push. I just sped up because I want to submit quick and grab some food. If you're low on energy, don't tough it out—speak up now."
So we wouldn't have to share spirit pills later.
"I've only used lightness skill and hand techniques? Plenty left, really."
"Me too. And now that you say it, I'm getting hungry. Curious what side dishes Head Chef Go-go at the academy cafeteria set aside this time."
Hearing that, I put more power into my kicking legs.
Following me, Jeong-hyeon and U So-ryeong also accelerated.
Whoosh! Whooosh! Whoosh!!!
Like that, we flew past the mid-mountain of Wudang, reaching the entrance where we split with Ha Seong-i's group.
Thud! Thud!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
From there, we dashed a bit further and finally arrived at base.
At that, many eyes turned toward us simultaneously.
"...Another group arrived."
"I was hoping it'd end here! Ugh, so close—please have lower scores than me!"
Some spat curses close to that.
Others recognized me and threw specific barbs.
"Hm? That guy's number looks like 79? Number 79 examinee— isn't that the terrifying elite warrior Eon Yong-un?!"
"Now that you say it, yeah. Fireworks went up, but no group has submitted a 5-pointer yet. Maybe they got it?! Damn. Eon Yong-un was top-tier anyway, but two of his teammates were low-rankers. If they each go up by 5, I'm totally screwed?!"
"Don't lose hope. I bet Huangbo Jun Gongja's group got the 5-pointer—they're all heirs from prestigious families. A 5-point bead isn't a joke!"
"...Phew, please be 3 or less."
Well, I could understand.
As the name implied, the group task was the final hurdle.
In other words.
The blackboard scores updated in real-time with each group's arrival would decide this cohort's pass/fail.
'No wonder nerves are on edge.'
Whatever.
Anyway.
While catching my breath amid the focused stares.
"Hyungnim Yong-un!!"
Ha Seong-i bounded out with a joyful face, holding out the verification slip from the clinic.
- But why's that Silver Family kid's face like that? Sunken and hollow—looks pathetic, like boiled green onions. Didn't you say groups heading to the clinic would be fine?
'Yeah?'
But as Master said, though Ha Seong-i's expression was glad, his eyes were deeply sunken, suggesting he'd been through some hardship.
I checked the slip and asked about it.
"Good work. But what happened to you? Your face looks rough after just a short time. Nothing happened at the clinic, right?"
"Ah, I ran into Yong-myeong Hyungnim."
"And? What'd Yong-myeong say?"
"No! It wasn't that—Yong-myeong Hyungnim's group leader is Zhuge Seolji Sojeo. Somehow I ended up meeting her, and after chatting a bit, I got worried about this and that, so I must've stressed a little. That's probably it."
Ah.
Zhuge Seolji...
'Meeting her would do that. No exaggeration.'
Without exceptional intellect and composure, you'd feel your very soul drained.
Feeling a pang of sympathy, I patted Yin Ha-seong's shoulder.
"You did well."
How long had it been since I shared a brief reunion with Ha Seong-i?
Not far off—near the counter where we'd registered our group this morning—I sensed a presence and turned my gaze there.
Sure enough, the instructor in pale blue robes sat with a face far more haggard than Ha Seong-i's.
Our eyes met, and a weary voice leaked from that sunken face.
"You there. Group that hasn't submitted yet? Save the chit-chat for later and submit first. You're done once you submit, but us supervisors and your senior helpers here have paperwork, blackboard updates—tons to do. Saying it myself makes me wanna run away."
The senior who'd advised me against grad school had apparently switched shifts; the assistant instructor was now a woman.
Master clicked his tongue softly at her disheveled hair—unkempt for at least two days—and dark circles.
- ...Tsk tsk tsk. Pale blue robes mean she's a grad student too? Male, female, young, old—everyone looks wrecked.
Sobered by that, I quickly stepped forward.
I gave a quick fist salute and apologized.
"Ah, sorry. We had some team matters to discuss due to circumstances, so we were late. Here's the verification from the clinic. The bead is..."
That was when.
As I rummaged in the pouch at my waist to pull out the 5-point bead I'd stored first.
A familiar voice interrupted.
"Hah. 'Team matters'? You just lost track of time, that's all."
Lifting my head at the voice, among the helpers in black, yellow, red, and blue training uniforms beside the instructor stood Un-hyeok in dark black attire.
'Un-hyeok.'
One of Wudang's second-generation disciples, action leader type, and dorm supervisor of Hyangran Hall among the four major dorms. On the first day of the entrance exam, he'd brought Jo Cheol-seong and Un-jin to catch Jeong-hyeon like a mouse.
"...Tch."
A disagreeable figure's appearance nearly made a curse slip out unwittingly.
But thinking it over, I had nothing to fear from him.
'The mess with Jeong-hyeon was ultimately their blunder.'
Both the lightness skill gate incident with Un-hyeok's junior and such.
Besides, at this point with all tasks done, a mere helper had zero influence on the exam.
With thoughts reaching there, I barely swallowed the curse.
"...Sniff. Senior Un-hyeok is here too?"
I forced my lip corners up in formal courtesy.
"You two know each other? Hm? But this one's not a Wudang disciple?"
The counter instructor glanced between Un-hyeok and me, then shook her head.
"Doesn't matter. Means nothing to me. I gotta work! Work! Work! Then back to research after! Hehehe! Whew. Anyway, examinee, hand over the bead."
She waved her hand dismissively, urging the bead.
At her words, Un-hyeok extended his palm like he was demanding it too.
"Yeah. Hurry and hand over the bead."
With a 'fine, let's' mindset, I rummaged for the bead again.
But then.
Un-hyeok smirked mockingly and added,
"Stuffed in a pouch full of junk and arriving this late—you probably scraped together a pathetic 2- or 3-pointer at best."
Hm.
A bit pissed?
Unlike Un-hyeok's prediction, my pouch clearly held the 5-pointer, so I wasn't that mad, but looking down on me irked me slightly.
Wondering how to mess with Un-hyeok here to make it legendary gossip,
'That'll do.'
One idea came to mind.
My forced smirk turned genuine.
- That expression...?
I grinned and casually pulled out a 2-point bead, pretending to offer it to Un-hyeok.
(II)
"Pfft."
Un-hyeok snorted like he'd expected it and reached to snatch it from my hand.
Whoosh—
But I didn't let him.
Whish—
With fluid handiwork, I dodged his hand and dropped the 2-point bead not into his palm, but onto the ground.
Plop—
Un-hyeok immediately bellowed.
"What the hell are you doing?! Telling me to pick it up?"
"Not at all."
"Hah. Not?"
"No. Definitely not."
"Then what's that mean? Explain if you've got a mouth."
"Just not the bead I meant to give you."
"...What?"
Shutting Un-hyeok up was easy.
Just keep pulling beads from the pouch.
"Not this one."
"...?"
"Argh. Not this either?"
I pulled out beads one by one, enjoying Un-hyeok's face turning red then pale like he was entering qi deviation.
But pushing further might insult the instructor too, so I stopped teasing.
Clatter—
Clatter—
I upended the pouch, dumping all remaining beads.
(V)
Then picked up the largest, most iridescent one and held it forward.
"Ah, took a while— it was at the very bottom."