Chapter 5

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 5

Chapter Title: Entrance Ceremony

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Having thoroughly read through all the backlog of informational posts, I stepped out of the academy gates feeling refreshed.

Originally, I planned to just head straight home.

But a massive crowd caught my eye and piqued my curiosity.

In the midst of it, a booming voice rang out.

"Come on, come on! This isn't an opportunity that comes every day! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠With your keen eye, turn one silver tael into a hundred— the chance of a lifetime!"

He seemed like your typical street hustler.

But a 100x return rate? That's a different story.

Men with the Geum surname have a nose for money.

I'm no exception.

I slipped through the crowd to find the source of the voice.

There stood a sharply dressed man in luxurious silk robes.

I focused on the emblem embroidered on his sleeve.

It matched the one on our 'Gyungdu'-nim's robe—the Moyong Family crest.

Trust level: skyrocketed to 100%.

I mean, who in their right mind would try scamming under a Ten Great Families name right in front of the academy?

Sensing the scent of money growing thicker, I eyed the banner he'd unfurled.

"Hooh."

Curiosity got the better of me, so I scanned the QR code. A sleek, detailed page popped up.

This is legit serious business.

I tore my eyes away from that nose-Jayeong name that seemed ripe for bullying and decided to dive in for real.

Why pass up a sure bet when I already know the answers?

I scrolled down quickly to find the name I remembered.

Since I'm a guy character, let's see...

There we go.

Without hesitation, I bet 10 gold taels.

My ranking shot up instantly, but still only to 38th.

Stick it out to the end, though, and it's all mine.

That guy's the protagonist's rival character.

"Young Master Geum Sihyeon has bet 10 gold taels on Beggars' Sect's Young Master Unhak!"

"?"

Aren't private betting pools supposed to be anonymous?

I looked up from my smartphone at the hustler.

He was staring right back at me.

The way he casually flicked mahjong tiles between his fingers was no amateur move.

This bastard.

He knew who I was and called out my name to stir the pot.

"Haha! Perfect timing, you're here. A bit embarrassing to meet like this, but allow me to introduce myself anyway. I'm Moyong Taek."

"...Geum Sihyeon. Nice to meet you."

My mask nearly cracked.

But I nailed the polite chaebol youngest son cosplay.

I extended my hand.

Western-style handshakes over bows were trendy in the Central Plains too.

He grabbed it immediately.

Staring at the text floating over his head.

I shot him a cold glare.

Just in case Unhak doesn't take first.

This shady operator would be spreading all kinds of rumors for a while.

Back home, a familiar face greeted me after ages.

"Brother, what's up? Did you get fired?"

"You little shit, watch your mouth with your sky-high brother."

My second brother, Geum Sirang.

The star of our Geum family, who brought us the glory of top scholar.

"Today's the day my little bro might end up a jobless thug, so as your big bro, shouldn't I celebrate?"

"Just curse me out, why don't you."

Says that, but.

He ruffled my hair roughly, grinned, and handed me some candy.

Still treats me like a snot-nosed kid.

"Delicious."

Not that I mind the candy.

That's my bro.

After laughing off a few rounds of fussing and taking a solid nap back in my room.

In ancient murim terms, just past the hour of the dog.

In cult murim style, 8 PM.

Bzzz—

My smartphone vibrated.

"Finally!"

Must be the entrance exam results.

Of course, it buzzed during family dinner.

All eyes on me.

"How'd it go?"

"Little bro, let me offer condolences in advance."

"Aigoo, Sirang. How can you curse like that...!"

Watching Mom smack my worthless brother's back, I checked the results with a slight thrill.

Acceptance was a given.

I checked the certificate next.

"Kuhuhu...!"

That's more like it!

I proudly thrust my smartphone up for all to see the achievement.

"You got 1st...? Did you cheat or something? Confess now, or— ack, ack, ack! Mom, it hurts...!"

Sigh.

That worthless idiot.

As if I'd cheat like some rat.

I won fair and square with mode advantages.

Shrug, shrug!

Shoulder dance slipped out involuntarily.

The whole house turned into a festival.

"Not bad for a mountain corpse. Good work."

"All thanks to you, Elder. My gratitude."

Even the Life and Death Divine Doctor, who rarely left his quarters, came out with warm congratulations.

Finally, time for Geum Sihyeon to make his mark in the murim world.

Me, descending.

A week flew by.

As the fallen dreams of those who came to the capital with hopes but tasted bitterness faded in Xi'an.

I proudly became a freshman at Hundred Flowers Academy.

100 from general admission, 100 from prestigious sect admission.

They started at different lines from birth.

And competed on separate paths to enrollment.

Now, shoulder to shoulder at last.

But right after enrollment, a dire crisis hit.

"...Thus, Foreseeing an impending crisis in the murim world, the Sword Venerable gathered the will of the heroes of the Central Plains to establish this academy, likening it to the Hundred Schools of Thought of ancient times—where a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools contend."

The opening event cutscene won't skip...

Where's the murim decorum and ESC key?

Already, half my classmates had dozed off from this terrifying ordeal.

If there's a supreme sound art, it's the academy head's history lecture.

But I'm a polite young man from the land of Eastern etiquette.

...Not really.

The moment this rambling ends.

I have to take the stage for my heavy duty.

Even L and Light greeted together in that one notebook.

Fate of the top enrollee, I guess.

"...Moreover, we urge you to train diligently with gratitude toward the fellow murim heroes who generously shared even their sect's secret arts..."

Modern summary of that tirade:

Study hard.

With a bit more:

A Central Plains-scale crisis event is coming, and they'll teach you killer ultimate moves, so study hard.

Something like that.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Of course, no free lunches in this world.

Want to learn that flashy plum blossom sword art that makes flowers from your blade? Sure.

But from then on, you're Mount Hua affiliated.

It's salesmanship to fold promising general admission kids into prestigious sect folds.

Connections cartel gonna cartel.

"Yawn..."

Yawning, I glanced at the seat next to me.

Prestigious sect top enrollee.

Canon genius who descends like dancing from the heavens. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Protagonist's rival.

The treasure who netted me 77x returns.

Unhak was there, jiggling his leg like crazy.

"Uh, rude on first meeting, but... you okay?"

Not one to chat up strangers first.

But he looked bad enough to spark sudden human empathy.

Cold sweat pouring.

Restless hands and feet.

Desperate for the bathroom or something?

We're future friendly rivals.

But I don't want our first encounter defined by him shitting himself.

Unhak's pale face creaked toward me.

Then, in a tiny voice.

"Th-that... W-women... t-too m-many..."

"..."

Just a severe gynophobe, apparently.

...I can't claim to be fully comfy around women yet either, but this is next level.

Unfortunately, until taking the stage, he kept triggering magnitude 7 earthquakes.

But.

"...Thus, delving into Beggars' Sect arts reveals profound profundity, and beyond the Nine Great Sects and Ten Great Families, countless warriors exist with their unique arts—imagining their beauty alone swells the heart..."

The second martial arts talk started, women forgotten, he spun 540 degrees into a total motormouth.

Not a birdbrain.

A martial maniac.

"Next, general admission top enrollee, Young Master Geum Sihyeon of Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress, please share a few words."

Seeing him wrecked by the academy head's sound assault and the maniac's follow-up eased my mind a bit.

I took the stage and surveyed the crowd.

Mostly strangers.

But some familiar faces mixed in.

Rat-girls, dice gamblers, even people straight out of game illustrations.

Hitting me with the real Hundred Flowers Academy world immersion.

Though more wary glances than friendly ones.

...Makes sense.

I'm so-called prestigious sect.

Not Nine Greats or Ten Great Families.

In-game, just backstory.

But living as Geum Sihyeon, I felt the ironclad cartel they formed.

No matter how much Dad hustled or threw money at it.

Couldn't hire a proper master as my martial instructor.

Maybe even someone linked to my poisoner is here.

Whatever.

Can't be loved by everyone—a truth I learned in my past life.

Ahem, clear throat.

"Greetings. I'm Geum Sihyeon from Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress. Looking forward to our time together."

Started with textbook politeness.

After my short, concise, perfect speech hitting all the essentials.

Time for today's main event.

"Finally, to conclude the ceremony, allow me to introduce our special freshman."

A great step injecting tension into the lax orthodox murim cartel.

"Although the orthodox sects and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult have had no real exchanges since the truce, in keeping with the purpose of Hundred Flowers Academy, members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult will be joining this term for an exchange program."

Started small.

Then massive murmurs spread through the hall.

"Oh! So we get to see demonic cult arts too!"

I brushed off the maniac's interjection next to me.

From behind the stage, as if waiting, the cult folks slowly ascended.

Especially drawing all eyes.

A girl too slender to call a woman.

Exaggerating a bit, she evoked vast plains trampled by Genghis Khan, utterly flat as she thudded up and stood on stage.

Or seemed to stand.

Moyong Seol rushed over ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with a box and placed it at her feet.

Only then did the girl's face poke above the podium.

Face slightly flushed, she stood blankly again.

"...?"

This time not Moyong Seol.

A cult member dashed up with a paper and handed it to her.

Only after taking it did the girl's sealed lips part.

"Ni-ce... to... meet... you... fellow... murim... heroes..."

Stammering.

Her mechanical, low voice echoed faintly.

The moment Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's young vice leader—nicknamed 'Pancake Heavenly Demon'—made her flashy murim debut.