Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Yi Class Examination Assignments
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The Yi Class lessons came to a halt, and an assembly order rang out for all the martial initiates to gather at the Grand Training Grounds.
“What’s going on?”
“No idea. Maybe a surprise evaluation?”
“Again? We just had the comprehensive one yesterday.”
The initiates buzzed with confusion as they headed to the Grand Training Grounds.
Those who arrived early were already lined up in formation under the eight instructors. Once everyone had gathered, Dragon Peak Pavilion Master Deng Yeopyeong and Yang Sobang—one of the Righteous Martial Seven Stars—made their appearance.
“I am Yang Sobang.”
“Woooaaah!”
The weight of his name alone.
Most of the initiates had only heard of him and were seeing him for the first time.
Cheers erupted naturally at the sight of one of the seven strongest warriors in the righteous martial world, renowned for his elusive movements.
“I trust you can guess why I’m here.”
Gulp.
The initiates swallowed hard, gazing at Yang Sobang with resolute eyes.
Yang Sobang nodded, and Chief Instructor Baek Cheonseong stepped forward.
“Those called out will stand before your assigned instructor, in order. Huashan’s Hyun Seon!”
“Yes!”
Hyun Seon was the first called.
He was assigned to Instructor Yeo Oksang of the Heavenly Sword Group, who led one team.
“Next, Musan Sect’s Gwi Chil!”
The called initiates formed new lines one by one.
By the time half of the eighty initiates had taken their places...
“Wudang’s Cheongsang!”
“Yes!”
“Group Seven.”
Cheongsang’s group was set.
It was under Instructor Dam Pyeongik, the Fast Sword Wanderer famed for his swift swordsmanship.
Zhuge Sansan was assigned to Group Five, and Cheongu’s name hadn’t come up yet.
“Stone Gate General Dan Woojin!”
“Yes!”
“Group Eight. That’s all!”
Baek Cheonseong closed the folder with the initiates’ names and stepped back behind Deng Yeopyeong.
“Huh? Um, you didn’t call that one over there.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Cheongu, left standing alone after the last call. Some initiates snickered, while the instructors frowned.
“Isn’t that kid...?”
Yang Sobang, who recognized him, asked. Deng Yeopyeong gave an awkward smile.
“He’s the one with a bit of a problem.”
“Hm? What kind?”
“His martial talent ranks among the top ten in Yi Class... but he fails everything else.”
“Hmph.”
Yang Sobang eyed Cheongu.
Wasn’t he the Second Generation Disciple of Wudang who followed Jinmu around?
Come to think of it, he’d heard Jinmu—whom he’d tried to get involved with—had finished a spar with Justice Alliance Leader Cheol Ji-ryang and left the ferry right away.
That punk. Wouldn’t show his true skills against me.
Recalling Jinmu, Yang Sobang smirked.
“What’s the point of the rest? Include him in the test subjects for now. We can decide later if he doesn’t stand out.”
“Hm, understood. Then...”
Deng Yeopyeong pondered briefly, then whispered something to Baek Cheonseong. Baek Cheonseong nodded, gave Cheongu a displeased look, and shouted.
“Wudang’s Cheongu!”
“Yes!”
“Group Seven. That’s all!”
No sooner had the words fallen than Cheongu waddled over and took the very back spot in Group Seven. He thought he was hurrying, at least.
And then.
“The Yi Class examination begins now. Each group will travel with your instructors to one of eight regions in the Central Plains to conduct the test! Departure at the start of Mao hour tomorrow! The top performers from each group will be promoted to Jia Class! Give it your all!”
“Yes!”
The initiates’ response echoed thunderously across the training grounds at Deng Yeopyeong’s words.
The examination had begun.
Along with the test, they would also investigate those referred to as the “Palace” bunch.
“The kids’ determined faces look so reliable.”
Yang Sobang smiled warmly as he watched the initiates disperse to prepare for departure.
“What are your plans now? Stay and rest a bit.”
“Can’t do that.”
“Pardon?”
“Can’t leave it all to the kids. I need to check too.”
“Then you’re leaving right away?”
“That’s the plan. Might run into some nasty fellows along the way.”
“Pardon?”
“Something like that.”
Yang Sobang grinned at Deng Yeopyeong’s puzzled expression.
He planned to look for Jinmu on his way out too. Didn’t matter where he was—just tell the headquarters to find him.
You punk, you damn punk. At least let me see your face before I go.
“Hey!”
“What?”
Baekpyo, who had been smashing a hulking mass exuding a sinister aura, turned at Jinmu’s shout.
“You cursed me in your head just now, didn’t you?”
“Me?”
“I swear I heard something like ‘damn punk’ or whatever.”
“Absolutely not.”
Baekpyo shook his head.
“Don’t lie! You got all smug just ’cause I let you slice meat nicely.”
Smack!
Jinmu strode over and smacked Baekpyo upside the head.
“I said no! Why hit me, benefactor?!”
Daring to talk back? Has this punk lost his mind?
Jinmu stared at Baekpyo in disbelief.
The past month’s journey.
After leaving Dongting Lake, Jinmu and Baekpyo traveled south by waterway, then carriage.
They’d arrived at Xing’an, the northeastern gateway of Guangxi Province, not far from Baek Manor.
Along the way, they’d raided three mountain bandit strongholds and smashed two Black Evil Society branches that picked fights in villages.
Thanks to that, their names were spreading rapidly among the unorthodox sects in the southwestern Central Plains.
Southwest Twin Freaks.
What a ridiculous moniker.
They hadn’t advertised it, but slapping “freak” next to a Wudang disciple? And twins?
Should’ve been something like a deity and his subordinate, or apostle of justice and his sidekick.
Why pair him with this evil bastard?
Totally beneath him.
Anyway, after rumors spread of them as nasty attackers of good unorthodox warriors(?), ambushes increased. The heaps at Baekpyo’s feet were such assailants.
Through it all, Baekpyo naturally gathered qi with the absorption technique, boasting a now-sturdy build.
His sunken eyes bulged fiercely, muscles thick and solid—finally looking the part of a martial artist.
Infused with inner power, his Wild Wave Blade sliced so sharply it didn’t even whistle through the air.
The problem? His personality changed along with his body.
Right after regaining his senses, he’d been a bit thuggish but still polite like a righteous sect scion. But as qi built up, his eyes—and temperament—turned downright sinister.
“What’s that? Not bowing your head?”
“......”
“Keep it up, and I might slice you instead.”
“Slice me? I’ve never harbored such thoughts against you, benefactor!”
“That’s the look of a guy who has.”
Baekpyo, glaring at Jinmu with murderous, gleaming eyes, wilted under the pressure and looked away.
What kind of side effect is this?
Way too defiant.
He called him benefactor properly and obeyed well enough, but those eyes were the issue.
“What’d I even do wrong...”
His mumbling hit Jinmu’s ears clearly.
“You little...?”
As Jinmu clenched his fist and glared, Baekpyo clamped his mouth shut and irritably kicked a stone.
“Seriously, damn... Ugh, forget it.”
Jinmu recalled Jinhyeo and Jingung scolding his own speech patterns. Fair enough, they’d been annoyed.
But their positions were different, right?
He looked young but was over eighty-two. That rude mouth toward him?
The appeal of keeping Baekpyo for his meat-slicing skills kept fading.
Yeah, just until Baek Manor.
Dragging him around would just be a hassle.
How many times had his mind changed already?
Jinmu, who’d always kept his word, was even pondering changing his nature.
But could an eighty-year habit just vanish?
“Hey! Quit yapping and clean up quick.”
“Yes, got it! Benefactor!”
Look at this punk, raising his voice like he wants to be heard?
Should I really beat him till he cries?
“Doesn’t lift a finger himself. Always bossing me around...”
Mumbling again.
Damn, just kill him?
Suppressing the rising impulse, Jinmu inwardly chanted boundless merits of Buddha nonstop.
He didn’t aspire to be a Taoist, but nothing beat it for calming the mind.
“Gonna get anger sickness. Anger sickness.”
As Jinmu regulated his breathing, Baekpyo began absorbing from the fallen heaps.
“Ughhh...”
Groans rose from the drained foes.
“Here.”
“......”
Baekpyo handed Jinmu the pouches from their bosoms.
Handy at times like this. After showing him a few times, he did it without orders now.
“Pretty heavy.”
Feeling the weight of five pouches eased his prior irritation.
“Alright, got money now. Wanna go grab some meat?”
“Sure, benefactor.”
Baekpyo’s face brightened instantly.
The emotional volatility side effect still held.
“How about wolf pup today? Tasted great last time.”
“......”
Baekpyo, following behind, halted and grimaced.
“Why? What?”
“You’re not saying hunt again, are you?”
“Why? Problem?”
Of course.
Money in hand and need for meat? Normal to spend it, right?
“No, look. There, there, over there.”
Baekpyo pointed irritably at lit-up spots.
“Taverns and inns everywhere.”
“So?”
“So? With money, don’t you think ‘let’s hit a tavern for delicacies’ instead of this nonsense?”
“Hmm.”
Jinmu pondered, then nodded.
“True. Forgot about taverns and inns.”
Baekpyo nodded back.
Yeah, even a master benefactor could miss it if distracted.
“Here.”
“......”
Clink.
Jinmu dropped a few coins from the pouch into Baekpyo’s hand.
“Go buy liquor. Best stuff. Specially, I’ll let you have a bottle too.”
“......”
Baekpyo’s face crumpled at Jinmu’s beaming, no-brainer smile.
“Hurry. I’m hungry, and wolves get fiercer at night.”
Unbelievable. Why’d he end up with this guy as benefactor?
Mostly stolen from bad guys, but money’s for spending.
Save it.
Not a penny spent, all saved.
Stack it up at the Dongrim Battlefield branch.
Benefactor with savings skills to piss off a miser.
“Damn...”
“Go on. Might smack you if you do.”
Under the grinning threat, Baekpyo swallowed his words, turned, and headed to the tavern for liquor.
And that night, deep in the mountains near Xing’an, wolves met untimely doom from an infuriated intruder.
“Wow! This is killer.”
Jinmu exclaimed nonstop at the roasting meat.
Damn rotten benefactor punk! Miserly benefactor punk! Benefactor punk deserving heavenly punishment!
Baekpyo slaved away slicing and grilling thin cuts.
“You cursed me again, didn’t you?”
“For real! No, why keep saying that, benefactor! Should I just char it?!”
His flare-up confirmed the cursing.
Annoying as hell, but Jinmu figured forgiving once wouldn’t hurt.
Absorption-boosted inner power deepened his Wild Wave Blade realm, making meat tastier than ever.
“Grill more. Liquor left.”
“......”
Despite grumbles, Baekpyo diligently sliced and grilled. Watching him, Jinmu thought Myeongjin must’ve had it easy.
Come to think of it, as Lord of Evil Hegemony Heaven, he’d never lifted a finger.
After sorting Baek Manor, keep him? Just fix that mouth, and he’d be perfect.
As Jinmu’s mind flip-flopped a dozen times daily before the meat, the night deepened on their way to Baek Manor.
With delicious roasting meat and fragrant liquor.