Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Chapter 13 Midterm Exam (1)
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Nangong Yun-ho rose from his seat.
It was a rather refreshing morning.
Considering how he hadn't even been able to properly get up until just recently, this was the first comfortable morning he'd had in a long while.
After stretching lightly to loosen his stiff muscles and joints from the night, his body felt as light as if it could float away.
"Mm. Perfect."
He had taken good care of his body in preparation for today.
And yesterday, the instructor had given him a special secret remedy—a decoction that reeked strangely.
"It tasted like hell, but the effects seem pretty good."
Not only did it leave him feeling refreshed, but his body was incredibly light.
It was a miraculous sensation.
Clunk.
When he opened the window, the chilly dawn air rushed in immediately.
Nangong Yun-ho stood up, watching the sunlight chase away the darkness of the Divine Martial Academy for a moment.
Today was the day of the midterm exam.
Before heading to the Grand Training Grounds, there was a place he needed to stop by.
After a simple session of circulating his qi and adjusting his breathing, Nangong Yun-ho got to his feet.
"Let's see... the gourd bottle..."
There was something he had to do before going to the midterm exam.
It was the dawn mineral spring water gathering that had now become a habit.
"Good. It's right here."
He picked up the old gourd bottle and stepped out of the room.
As soon as he stepped outside, one person was already waiting at the entrance.
"Finally coming out?"
"Jegal. What's up so early in the morning?"
"Well, I know exactly where you go every dawn."
"Haha. Especially on exam days, drinking the dawn spring water puts my mind at ease."
"I'll go with you. I woke up early anyway, and going back to sleep would be awkward."
"Suits me fine."
Walking the path he always took alone with someone else felt pretty nice.
Chirp chirp chirp chirp.
The quiet mountain bird songs he enjoyed while walking were drowned out by the voice coming from beside him.
"A midterm exam already? Time flies, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Before, time didn't pass this quickly. It dragged on so much it was boring. Talk about a change of times..."
Nangong Yun-ho smiled faintly at his chattering friend's voice.
Just as his morning routine had changed, so had his friend.
Just as he had changed from someone who lay awake anxious and restless, his friend's face had softened considerably too.
"Why the grin? Something on my face?"
"Nah, you just seem to have changed a lot too."
"You think?"
A chuckling sound came from beside him.
"Well, I am aware I've gotten a bit more easygoing. People around me still seem scared of me, though."
"You've caused so much trouble."
"Heh, even the instructors are wary of me. It's only natural the students are intimidated too. And I'm one of the older ones in Bronze Hall."
"True. There probably aren't even a handful of people over twenty still in Bronze Hall."
Bronze Hall.
The lowest level of the halls in the Divine Martial Academy, where people usually learned the basics briefly before moving on.
Some didn't even need that and went straight to Silver Hall.
His younger brother, called the Little Sword Dragon, was one such case.
It was a place to teach the fundamentals to those still too immature for full academy life.
That was Bronze Hall's purpose.
'And yet, back then it seemed like such a high threshold.'
The shame grew with each passing year, beyond words.
Why can't I do it?
Why does everyone else move ahead and leave me behind?
After that, he shrank away from the students' gazes. With the light gone from his heart, his judgment narrowed too.
It was largely because his eyes were blinded by self-loathing that he fell victim to those trying to latch onto the Nangong Family's favor or extort money from him.
'But that's all in the past now.'
The mountain breeze brushing his nose felt especially fresh today.
At the end of the familiar mountain path was a small mineral spring sitting all alone.
A bamboo pipe wedged between rocks poured out clear stone water with a steady trickle.
He placed his hand on the moss-covered stone wall, boasting its age, bent at the waist, and skillfully filled the gourd bottle.
"Didn't know there was a spot like this."
"Not many people do. I found it by chance."
When he wanted to spend time alone, he wandered looking for deserted places.
That's how he discovered it.
"Whew. Refreshing."
"How about you try getting into morning walks too?"
"Pass. I used to get bored and do something, but lately, I mostly lose to the comfort of the blanket in the morning."
His phrasing oddly resembled someone else's.
"Has the blanket's comfort become violent for you too? Unbeatably so?"
Jegal Tan nodded, lightly scratching behind his ear with his index finger.
"Actually, I tried mimicking that weird instructor's habits to study him—what kind of mindset he has, what he does. And it's surprisingly nice."
Jegal Tan, unable to escape the blanket.
It would be quite a sight.
"These days, I even feel like seriously lying down and doing qi circulation exercises."
"Kukukuk. Hold it together."
The 'Instructor Slayer' rolled up in the blanket, snoring away.
Nangong Yun-ho finally burst into laughter.
"What's so funny now?"
"Haha. Let's head down."
It was a day with a nice start.
Buzz buzz.
When he left the mountain path and returned to Bronze Hall, the atmosphere was strangely excited.
It was only natural.
To advance in the Divine Martial Academy, doing well on the midterm exam was crucial.
They had been under outing restrictions due to an unfortunate incident, so they might be even more eager.
Buzz buzz.
As he walked among the students heading to the Grand Training Grounds, he saw a cluster of students ahead.
Interestingly, quite a few male students stood with their mouths agape, entranced by something.
"No way this is..."
"Probably."
Pushing through the crowd of students, sure enough.
"......"
A striking beauty stood aloof, holding three swords in her arms.
Her long hair fluttered in the wind, her face coldly expressionless as she ignored the world.
Like she was the only one in existence, not sparing a glance to those around her.
One cat-like female student yelled sharply at her indifference.
"Eek! Ignoring me again? This time I'll knock that arrogance down a peg!"
Recognizing the snarling female student, Nangong Yun-ho recalled her.
'That must be the young lady from the Plum Blossom Sword Family... Song Hee-jeong, right?'
Jegal Tan's voice, matching his expectation, flowed out from beside him.
"Song Hee-jeong, young lady of the Plum Blossom Sword Family. I hear she's quite the prodigy..."
"Then why's she so mad?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Unlike him, who ignored those around him, Jegal Tan seemed to know a lot.
"It's because of Baek Ri-seol."
"Why her?"
"You really haven't heard the rumors."
Jegal Tan grinned and explained.
"Do you know what the students have been calling Baek Ri-seol lately?"
"What?"
"Bronze Hall's Ice Flower."
Bronze Hall's Ice Flower.
Meaning the ice flower of Bronze Hall.
"She's become a thorn in the side of Song Hee-jeong, who used to be admired in Bronze Hall."
"I see..."
"She feels competitive, but gets no reaction at all."
A gaze of admiration from male students.
A gaze of wariness from female students.
Brushing it all off indifferently, maintaining her aloofness—it suited the name Ice Flower perfectly.
'Her personality has changed quite a bit compared to at first...'
Having known Baek Ri-seol since her clumsy beginnings, it didn't feel real.
"When someone's talking to you, at least look at them!"
Song Hee-jeong yelled sharply again.
As he considered intervening, a small girl squeezed in.
"Waaah! No fighting!"
A tiny girl ran up beside Baek Ri-seol and shouted.
"Fighting is bad!"
Many students' faces melted at her waving hands trying to block the way.
"So cute."
"Is that Moyong So-hye?"
"Even cuter and more adorable than I heard."
On the other hand, a few—those who had seen Moyong So-hye—turned pale as ghosts.
They were fist fighters with bandages on their hands instead of swords or wearing gauntlets.
With faces drained white, they stammered.
"Bronze Hall's Blood Fist."
"Someone called her Asura Blood Fist Moyong So-hye..."
"She turns opponents into limp puppets."
"One punch sends a soul flying."
Moyong So-hye's face crumpled into a pout.
"Blood Fist..."
The intimidated Song Hee-jeong backed away hesitantly.
She had apparently heard the rumors about Moyong So-hye too.
Her sharp face was filled with fear.
Seeing this, Jegal Tan snickered.
"Kukukuk. This calls for some mediation."
"Agreed. If it drags on, Moyong might start crying."
Step.
Jegal Tan strode forward, and Nangong Yun-ho matched his pace shoulder to shoulder.
As the tall Jegal Tan emerged from the young students, another wave of whispers spread.
"Instructor Hunter..."
"Bronze Hall's Ghost."
Standing at the center of the gazes made his face flush with embarrassment for no reason.
The only one unchanged was Baek Ri-seol.
She lifted her chin haughtily, biting her lip and stamping her feet.
"You guys over there."
Glancing busily beyond the crowd, Baek Ri-seol asked.
"Seen our instructor?"
She was back to her usual self.
The cold demeanor from moments ago was gone, leaving only the foot-stomping girl.
"Haven't seen him."
"I pretended it was coincidence and waited at his quarters, but he never showed. Checked the cafeteria where he always lounges too—no sign."
Oh no. Had she already scoured Bronze Hall?
"There's this thing called Thousand-Li Pursuit Fragrance. Should I get some?"
Planning to track the instructor?
Nangong Yun-ho replied to her bold, dangerous words.
"On a day like today, he probably can't afford to be as leisurely as usual."
"Really?"
Moyong So-hye, having spotted her friends, ran off giggling and mingling before returning with news.
"Someone got dragged off by Instructor Yeo Mae-hong by the ear."
All three nodded at her words.
"It's the instructor."
"The instructor."
"Yup, the instructor."
Baek Ri-seol, blocking the entrance to the Grand Training Grounds, turned away as if losing interest.
"Hmph! Nothing to see here."
Tap tap.
She strode ahead, radiating displeasure.
"Unni! Wait for meee!"
Moyong So-hye followed.
He considered going with them but...
"Shoo! Shoo! Stay away. No males within a zhang except the instructor!"
Shoo shoo.
Like shooing a dog eyeing a chicken leg, Baek Ri-seol threateningly waved her hands, forcing the two to fall back.
'Well, still a nice way to start the day.'
Thud thud thud thud.
Nangong Yun-ho lightly stepped toward the Grand Training Grounds, eyeing the splendidly decorated arena at its center.