Chapter 159: How Dare I... Insult the National Sword Master
The man, oblivious as ever, couldn't contain his excitement and kept talking.
"Word spread like wildfire through the Imperial City today that National Sword Master Yeop Hyeon was returning to Canglan Academy. We all rushed here at dawn just to catch a glimpse of him!"
Yeop Hyeon simply stared at him in a daze.
"So all these people gathered here to wait for the National Sword Master?"
"Exactly! Some of the ones up front have probably been standing here since who knows when. They're even more obsessed with him than I am!"
"How did you know he was coming today?"
"Hahaha, who doesn't know? The whole Imperial City is buzzing about it!"
Yeop Hyeon let out a sigh and shook his head. It had to be the country lord who heard from Gang Gu and let the news slip somehow.
To blow a minor matter this far out of proportion!
Yeop Hyeon placed a hand on the man's shoulder and said, "I'm just an ordinary person like anyone else. There's nothing to see here, so please..."
"What nonsense is that?!"
The man suddenly flew into a rage and shouted.
"How dare you call the National Sword Master ordinary? He's the guardian of our nation, the one and only sword cultivator in all of Jiang Kingdom! And here you are, insulting him with your filthy tongue!"
Unable to hold back his fury, the man swung a fist at Yeop Hyeon.
Yeop Hyeon stood there lost in thought.
What did I even say?
As the fist came flying, Yeop Hyeon casually stepped back a few paces.
The man's face filled with shock when his attack was effortlessly dodged.
At that moment, the crowd's eyes turned toward Yeop Hyeon.
Just as Yeop Hyeon was about to explain himself to the man, a boy nearby pointed at him and yelled, "I heard that guy insulting the National Sword Master with my own ears!"
"......"
At those words, the gazes fixed on Yeop Hyeon ignited like flames.
Yeop Hyeon. That name was now the most sacred in all of Jiang Kingdom. Anyone who dared tarnish it would be beaten senseless and chased naked out of the city.
News of Yeop Hyeon's deeds for the nation had spread across Jiang Kingdom, elevating his fame far beyond even An Ranxiu's.
On top of that, he'd gone all the way to the distant border fortress of Gaeyang Fortress to defend the kingdom. This only fueled the people's frenzy for him. His patriotism was more than enough to stir their hearts.
Right then, a man nearby scanned Yeop Hyeon up and down with a puzzled expression and muttered, "Tch, but why does he look so familiar?"
Yeop Hyeon nearly burst out laughing at that.
In truth, it wasn't strange that they didn't recognize his face. His fame hadn't been that great while he was in Jiang Kingdom, and after he became famous, few had actually seen him up close.
Yeop Hyeon sensed that any more misunderstanding could lead to real trouble, so he opened his mouth to reveal the truth. But at that instant, the man who'd thrown the punch shouted, "I know a face or two, and I've never seen a mug like that that wasn't a con artist or a thief. So let's beat him half to death first and hear him out later!"
Yeop Hyeon's face twisted in disbelief.
What? Con artist? Thief? Are your eyes just for show? Fine, hit me if you must, but did you have to come up with reasons like that to feel better?
It was right then.
"It's Yeop Hyeong!"
Someone shouted, and the massive crowd parted like the sea in an instant. Through the opened path stepped a young girl in a dark green skirt. She was small and delicate, still just a child.
Her hair was braided into several strands that bounced and clacked cutely against each other with every step.
Yeop Hyeong!
Yeop Hyeong already enjoyed some fame in Canglan Academy and the Imperial City. Not only was she always at the top of the class rankings, but as the youngest, she monopolized everyone's affection.
Yeop Hyeong looked around at the crowd.
"What's all this commotion about?"
A man who had been about to strike Yeop Hyeon bowed deeply with reverence and replied, "Lady Yeop Hyeong, someone was slandering the National Sword Master."
Yeop Hyeong's expression turned icy.
"Who dares?"
The man pointed straight at Yeop Hyeon. The people in front of her hurriedly made way, and Yeop Hyeong's eyes fell on him.
"Uh, uh......"
Yeop Hyeon smiled and approached the speechless Yeop Hyeong.
"What, don't you recognize me?"
Snapping out of it, Yeop Hyeong said in a tense voice, "Brother... no, Dean..."
'Dean?'
Those two words plunged the area into dead silence.
The man who'd called for the beating collapsed to the ground, murmuring in a daze, "What... what was I about to do?"
"......"
Yeop Hyeon smiled and addressed the crowd.
"I'm grateful for all your adoration, but I'm just an ordinary citizen of Jiang Kingdom like the rest of you. So please, head home for today!"
Yeop Hyeon turned to Yeop Hyeong.
"Let's go to the academy."
Yeop Hyeong nodded shyly and followed behind him.
In a flash, the two figures vanished from the square.
Meanwhile, the man on the ground kept muttering blankly.
"I... I almost... How dare I insult the National Sword Master..."
In front of Canglan Hall.
Yeop Hyeon spotted Ji An Zhi and stopped in his tracks.
"You're back!"
Ji An Zhi hurried over to him.
Yeop Hyeon greeted her warmly with a hug.
"No troubles while I was gone?"
"Nothing at all!"
"Good. Can you gather all the students?"
Ji An Zhi nodded and hurried off somewhere.
Before half a ke had passed, all of Canglan Academy's students had assembled in front of Canglan Hall.
The students gazing up at Yeop Hyeon on the platform brimmed with excitement and respect.
At this time, Canglan Academy held an exalted status in Jiang Kingdom. Every citizen revered it, and every young man yearned desperately to enroll.
Of course, it was all thanks to Yeop Hyeon.
At Yeop Hyeon's side stood Ji An Zhi and Bai Ze.
Yeop Hyeon stepped forward and surveyed the students. Out of the 42, 21 were in the Soaring Realm, 9 in the Penetrating Mystery Realm, and the rest in the Control Qi Realm.
Finally, Yeop Hyeon spoke.
"As you all know, soldiers from Cho Country, Wol Country, and the Daeun Empire have gathered outside Gaeyang Fortress. If the fortress falls, Cho Country's hundred thousand cavalry will sweep south unchecked, claiming countless lives across Jiang Kingdom."
Yeop Hyeon's voice grew louder.
"Is there anyone here willing to come with me to Gaeyang Fortress and defend our kingdom?"
'Become soldiers and defend the fortress?'
The hall fell deathly silent.
No one had expected him to call for enlistment.
"If the fortress falls, Jiang Kingdom falls with it. Canglan Academy won't be spared either. But I'm not forcing anyone who doesn't want to go."
At that, Yeop Hyeong stepped forward from the crowd.
"I'll go to Gaeyang Fortress."
One by one, the other students followed, until all of them declared they would go.
Yeop Hyeon felt a quiet joy and spoke gently.
"Let me warn you now: some of you may not return to the academy."
A male student laughed and said, "How could we sit idle while our dean fights the enemy?"
"Exactly! We'll live and die together with the dean!"
"No, you can't!"
A voice like cold water doused the hall.
With it, two old men appeared. They were Muk Won and Bong Nam, whom Yeop Hyeon had invited as scholars.
Muk Won strode quickly to Yeop Hyeon and met his eyes.
"I can't agree to this. As you know, war isn't child's play. These students may have trained in martial arts, but with no real combat experience, nine out of ten will die miserably on the battlefield."
Yeop Hyeon smiled mildly.
"That's why this is the perfect chance for them to gain that experience."
Muk Won's tone grew more solemn.
"But it's too soon. These are the geniuses Canglan Academy poured its heart into raising. If they all die, not only will your efforts be wasted, but the previous dean's legacy will amount to nothing."
Yeop Hyeon shook his head.
"What's the use of genius warriors if the nation falls? We're Jiang Kingdom citizens first, academy members second. Regardless of status, when our country is in crisis, we all have a duty to unite and overcome it."
Muk Won gazed at Yeop Hyeon silently.
Yeop Hyeon continued.
"I don't want my students to be fragile flowers trapped in a greenhouse. They must go out and learn how brutal war truly is. At the same time, this will be their training. Without real combat experience, how will they face enemies if crisis strikes Canglan Academy in the future?"
After meeting Yuk Ban Jang, Neung Han, and the warriors from Jungto Sinju, Yeop Hyeon had realized one thing.
No matter how much you train indoors, a warrior without worldly experience is utterly useless!
Was the prowess of Neung Han and the Je Gu Mercenary Group born from mere training?
Absolutely not. They'd forged it through countless life-and-death battles.
If Canglan Academy's students never faced mortal combat, they'd never catch up to even the heels of Jungto Sinju warriors, no matter how long they lived.
Even the finest steel is just scrap without repeated tempering.
Muk Won stared at Yeop Hyeon's face for a long while, his expression gradually softening.
Then he spoke to Yeop Hyeon.
"Follow us."
A flicker of surprise crossed Yeop Hyeon's eyes. In that instant, the auras emanating from Muk Won and Bong Nam had shifted mysteriously.
Putting aside his thoughts, Yeop Hyeon followed them.
They arrived at the back mountain, where Muk Won stopped.
Muk Won turned and opened his palm, revealing a small box inside.
"This is...?"
In response to Yeop Hyeon's question, Muk Won silently opened the box. From within emerged twelve tiny golden figures.
"The Twelve Golden Men. Cast long ago by an emperor who gathered all the gold from the Nine Provinces of the world. They contain formations; infuse them with spirit energy, and they wield terrifying power. But they were damaged before, losing much of their spirituality, so now they only match the Divine Fusion Realm. Plus, with the formations broken, operating them once will require vast amounts of top-grade spirit stones."
Yeop Hyeon asked, "How powerful are they?"
Instead of answering, Muk Won flicked his finger lightly. One golden figure from the box glowed brightly, expanding into a colossal form even larger than Yeop Hyeon.
Only then did Muk Won say calmly, "See for yourself."
Yeop Hyeon pointed a finger, sending a sword beam grazing the golden figure.
But it left not even a scratch on its body.
Yeop Hyeon was inwardly startled. His Spirit Water Sword was a true sword, wasn't it!
"Are there conditions for handing this over?"
Muk Won met Yeop Hyeon's gaze squarely.
"Join our Yudo. Become its representative. Do that, and we'll support you with all we have!"
"Yudo?"