Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Orientation
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Wang Si-ik was pointing inside the door with a smile as heavy and ponderous as his build.
It was probably a gesture to go in.
Han Ibi entered fourth, following Jong Ri-hyeok, Yeon Nanju, and So Eun-ri.
And then, the carbon dioxide filling the air from every direction.
Though it was a spacious room, it felt cramped because of all the young people packed into it.
Even at a rough count, there had to be at least fifty or sixty.
A few in their twenties caught the eye here and there, but most had the fresh faces of mid-to-late teens.
Han Ibi thought.
'Damn it. This really feels like I've come to school.'
At that moment, the chatter among the young men quieted for an instant.
They had spotted the newcomers—Han Ibi and his group—and were watching them with curious eyes.
Then, a middle-aged man in light robes, who had been standing near the front podium with his arms crossed like a teacher, greeted them.
"I heard about you yesterday. You're from the Qingcheng Sect, right?"
Jong Ri-hyeok replied.
"Yes, that's right."
Murmurs rippled through the room from all sides.
Some of the comments were so clear they grated on Han Ibi's nerves.
"What's Qingcheng doing here?"
"Yeah, they couldn't even make it into the Nine Great Sects."
"Hey, hey. No need to say it. They must have some backing."
"And they sent four at once?"
"Heh heh. Guess they're trying to push through with numbers since their skills suck."
"But what's with that scruffy guy?"
"Yeah... he doesn't even look like a martial artist..."
Han Ibi bristled.
He was about to glare daggers at the ones who'd said it when the middle-aged man pointed to one corner.
"We've prepared seats for you. Just head over there and sit."
"Thank you."
Jong Ri-hyeok expressed his gratitude, and the four of them shuffled awkwardly to the empty spots and sat down.
Han Ibi was startled as he sat.
This Hyeongseol Hall was furnished just like a modern university lecture hall.
On each desk sat a neatly arranged set of paper, brush, inkstick, and inkstone—shining so brightly they had to be top quality.
Han Ibi's jaw dropped as he thought.
'As expected of the Murim Alliance... the scale is on another level.'
He glanced at So Eun-ri and Yeon Nanju.
So Eun-ri, as always, wore her usual inscrutable expression.
Yeon Nanju, on the other hand... her face lit up like a kid's at a toy store.
It overlapped perfectly with a middle school girl thrilled over a luxury pen from a fancy store.
And the piercing stares from the men stealing glances at them...
Their beauty stood out anywhere.
That was when it happened.
The entrance at the front of Hyeongseol Hall burst open again.
Han Ibi and the other young heroes turned their gazes there.
And they were stunned.
The inside of Hyeongseol Hall suddenly felt brighter.
Was it just his imagination that the faces of the girls—barely a fifth of the total—flushed red...?
Yes.
The reason they were shocked was the entrance of some astonishingly handsome sculptures-come-to-life.
They looked to be in their late teens.
If born in the modern world, they could've been idol group members with their dazzling looks.
And even more shocking... the two looked almost identical.
If one didn't have long hair, no one could easily tell them apart.
The middle-aged man in light robes smiled again and asked.
"Where are you young heroes from?"
The long-haired youth among the two clasped his hands in greeting and said.
"Greetings. We're terribly late."
His mid-low tone had a clear, resonant timbre that left an impression.
"We just arrived from the Beggar Clan."
Shock rippled across the faces of all the young men.
And understandably so—the Beggar Clan was a beggar organization, yet these two exuded the aura of noble young masters.
Come to think of it, their clothes did have patches sewn on.
But even that seemed like fresh, cutting-edge fashion thanks to their killer builds.
Perhaps because he already knew all the details, the middle-aged man seemed unfazed by the situation.
He said.
"Good. Now all the selected young heroes are gathered here. You two, go take those seats over there."
The two Beggar Clan youths thanked him and headed to their spots.
Murmurs arose again, just like with Han Ibi's group.
"The Beggar Clan sent candidates too?"
"Yeah. They're based in the Murim Alliance but famous for not meddling much..."
Women's voices mixed in.
"Who cares where from? Aren't they just so cool?"
Jealous tones crept in too.
"Cool my ass. Beggars are beggars."
Finally, the two Beggar Clan youths sat down.
The middle-aged man stepped up to the makeshift podium and spoke.
"Some of you I've met before, but this is our first formal assembly. Allow me to introduce myself first. I am Heo Son-dam, in charge of arrangements for the Yeomsa Association."
The youths returned the greeting from their seated positions.
Han Ibi had no idea what a "paejeongsa" was, but he awkwardly followed suit.
Heo Son-dam continued.
"Today's gathering was made possible by the decisions of the Murim Alliance's various sect leaders and clan patriarchs. On this occasion, I offer my thanks to those generous leaders and patriarchs who approved this difficult request."
Han Ibi thought.
'What... if you're gonna say that, tell it to them, not the kids. What's the point...?'
Heo Son-dam said.
"Today, young heroes from Shaolin, Wudang, Huashan, Emei, Jeomchang, Kunlun, Quanzhen, the Ten Scholars Society, Chaoyang Sect, and the Nine Great Sects including the Beggar Clan are gathered. Also the Five Great Clans: Sichuan, Murong, Zhuge, Nangong, and Hebei Peng Clan. And finally, the imperial army's young heroes. Each faction sent a slightly different number, of course."
At that, Yeon Nanju raised her hand slightly.
"Hero Heo. It seems you've forgotten Qingcheng Sect."
Heo Son-dam slapped his forehead with an apologetic look.
"Ah, right. With the late addition from the outskirts, I overlooked it. My apologies."
Then Han Ibi, scanning the room, spotted familiar faces.
Yun Bang-mun of Jeomchang Sect and Tang Baek-mun of Sichuan Tang Clan.
'They're here too!'
They were the youths dispatched to the mountain lodge to hunt for Gu Cheon-sa when he fled.
'They must be top talents in their sects to be sent after Gu Cheon-sa... Ah...! Now that I think about it, I don't see Tang A-yeon. If Gu Cheon-sa hadn't killed her, she'd be here too...'
Heo Son-dam's voice rang out.
"Some of you may know, but we've gathered here with great difficulty because... the movements of the Black Dao and the Demonic Cult are far from ordinary."
Someone asked at that moment.
"Black Dao or Demonic Cult... aren't they all the same?"
Heo Son-dam shook his head.
"No. They share the point of harming the jianghu and the common folk, but each has their own forces and haven't cooperated."
A girl asked.
"So... you're saying the Black Dao forces and Demonic Cult fiends are now joining hands?"
Heo Son-dam shook his head again.
"No concrete evidence. But if they did, it would be a massive threat to our Murim Alliance and the imperial court."
Han Ibi thought.
'Either way, Qingcheng's an afterthought...'
Heo Son-dam said.
"In fact, bizarre incidents suggesting as much have been occurring lately."
Someone asked.
"What kind of incidents?"
"I can't disclose details publicly here, if you'll understand. Ever since the armistice after the Great Righteous-Demonic War three hundred years ago..."
'Sigh... Recycling the same old Great Righteous-Demonic War plot from wuxia novels...'
"...the factions have grown separately without much exchange or conflict. Especially the Demonic Cult, hiding in the western regions without revealing themselves—we have zero intel."
Another voice chimed in.
"So we're gathered here to learn about the Demonic Cult?"
"Simply put, yes. You'll learn the details as you go through the process, so no need for more explanation now."
Murmurs and chatter filled the room for a while.
Heo Son-dam raised a hand to quiet them.
"The top five performers among you will receive the official Murim Alliance title of Little Five Dragon Lords."
The youths' whispers grew louder.
And no wonder—"Five Dragon Lords" was the nickname for the five most skilled in the current Nine Factions and Eight Paths.
Earning "Little Five Dragon Lords" through this would guarantee meteoric rise in the jianghu.
Most of the youths' eyes sparkled.
But Han Ibi was thinking something else entirely.
His one and only goal: 'Get home.'
He had no interest in fighting tooth and nail for honor.
He resolved to coast through and hurry back to hunt his scheduled "fortuitous encounters."
At that exact moment—
Main Quest: Achieve excellent results in the Yeomsa Association's trials and earn the title of Little Five Dragon Lords.
🎁 Reward: Unknown reward awaits.
Gasp!
What the hell is this!
System! Why do you always pop up at times like this to mess with me?
Why me? Why!
Why do I have to earn some bullshit "Little Five Dragon Lords" title from the Yeomsa whatever-it-is that has nothing to do with me!
Hack!
Han Ibi felt like he might foam at the mouth and collapse right then.
So Eun-ri, sitting beside him, noticed and asked with mild surprise.
"Is something wrong with your body?"
Han Ibi startled and forced a calm expression.
"No. Nothing. Just... had something on my mind..."
That was when it happened.
Hyeongseol Hall's entrance burst open again.
There stood a short, gaunt old man with eyes sharp as daggers.
Heo Son-dam, seeing him, panicked and fumbled his greetings.
"H-how did the President come all the way here...?"
The man called President glanced at Heo Son-dam and snapped in a piercing tone.
"How dare you pretend this solemn ceremony isn't happening!"
Then he bellowed at the youths.
"You arrogant brats! Sit up straight!"
Instinctively, the young heroes straightened their backs.
The old man growled on.
"Look at your postures—utterly sloppy. Get your heads straight! Little heroes, great heroes—you're all a joke. You weren't sent here because you're hotshots. You're the middling ones. Would your sect leaders waste elite talents on this if you were?"
The young heroes, stunned by the old man's entrance, went rigid.
The old man bellowed again.
"If you're just here to kill time, get out now!"
Silence swept the room...
(To be continued in the next chapter)