#70. Hell's Regular Exam, The First Gate (4)
“This is the token proving you're a guest of our Haomen. With this, no matter where you are, we can find you.”
What Yeo Mi-mi held out was a small black plaque. How were they supposed to track him with this?
“You'll inevitably end up in our sights anyway. But even if not, this black plaque contains the pure essence of our Cheonri Chujonghyang.”
So that faint scent wafting from it was the Thousand-li Tracking Scent.
“Every morning, we'll deliver the latest compiled intelligence.”
“……Is that even possible?”
No matter how elite an information network, there had to be limits. Every single morning? And how would they know his movements to send someone daily?
“It's truly strange. You seem to know us inside and out better than anyone, yet know nothing about us in return.”
There had been no details on how Haomen guests received their intel.
Yeo Mi-mi still gazed at him as if he were some marvel.
“We'll do our utmost to help you achieve what you desire. Our fates are already tied to yours.”
“……Don't hit me with that heavy burden out of nowhere. I said we'd work together, not that you'd stake your destinies on mine.”
Yeo Mi-mi and Hae-ryeong both smiled faintly.
He shook his head and spoke up.
“First off, there's something I'd like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Spread some rumors about me.”
“Rumors about you? The jianghu is already buzzing with tales of your exploits.”
“That's why I'm asking. Spread word that my martial arts aren't all that impressive.”
“Hm…… That might be tricky. Word of you facing down the Yongbong Assembly has already spread far and wide.”
“The Yongbong folks won't spread those rumors themselves. And won't it take time for people to buy into their truth?”
“Ugh…… You want those tales delayed as long as possible.”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“Understood. Don't worry. We'll make the world think you're not the Black Flame Dragon, but an earthworm.”
“…….”
He didn't care for the Black Flame Dragon moniker, but he sure as hell didn't want to be called an earthworm either.
Trapped in that awkward mix of emotions, he just shut his mouth.
After a solitary night at the inn, he grabbed some light provisions and headed for Hwun Mountain.
He'd told them if they didn't want to spend the night up there, come down quick—but that was impossible.
Even the Small Justice Squad, thrown into dire straits, had taken a fortnight to master Tae-eul Haenggong.
Just escaping Hwun Mountain would take them at least three days.
Naturally, he figured they'd barely made it halfway down and were crashing in the woods.
“Ho……”
But as he entered the base of Hwun Mountain, there were the gold-silver-bronze brothers moving at a decent clip.
“Looking almost turtle-like now.”
If the Small Justice Squad saw this, they'd be floored by the rapid progress.
“Well, those kids had trash-tier aptitude anyway.”
Geum Pyo finally staggered up to him, gasping.
“Huff, huff, huff. Senior Brother…… You lied about getting down before nightfall, didn't you?”
“Drink some water.”
Dripping sweat like he'd been caught in a downpour, Geum Pyo chugged the canteen dry in one go.
“Pulled an all-nighter?”
“Yeah…… Honestly…… huff, lemme…… huff. That…… huff. Senior Brother…… huff, using Haenggong…… huff. Was a lie, right?”
He offered a steamed bun from the inn.
“Want a bun?”
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Geum Pyo glared at the non-response, then snatched the bun and wolfed it down like a frog snapping at flies.
As Geum Pyo collapsed in exhaustion after a bit of food, Eunho arrived, followed last by Dongryong.
“Huff…… huff…… huff…… Big Senior Brother…… Liar……”
“Huff…… huff…… Liar.”
The two brothers shot him resentful glares, too winded to string words together.
“Water first? Or bun first?”
He handed them water and buns.
*
Their walking pace was picking up bit by bit.
From turtle-slow, they reached chick-speed, then slow-ox pace.
As the kids gained momentum, he veered off the main path onto the mountain trail.
Their speed dropped again.
“Hurry up. At this rate, the Murim Academy exam'll be over.”
“Haa…… haa…… Then why not stick to the main road? We were just getting the hang of walking.”
Mountain trails were no main path. Hands and feet had to work together, constant restrictions on movement.
Layering Haenggong on top? Pure madness.
The pre-dawn climb dragged on till the sun hit midday, barely covering ten ri with no progress.
“No lunch till you summit the peak.”
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”
Murderous intent flickered in the mill brothers' eyes.
“Oho, already mastering killing aura without lessons? My senior brother grace truly rivals the heavens' height and ocean's depth.”
They looked ready to speak volumes but clamped their mouths shut.
Whatever it was, it worked—their pace quickened.
Piiiieek—
Suddenly, a black bird soared through the sky, crying out.
Its call echoed so far that forest birds scattered en masse, squirrels vanishing into hiding with curious stares.
“What's that?”
Peering through the canopy, a massive hawk dominated the heavens.
Weaving the skies, it suddenly dove straight for him.
“Ho? Hunts humans too?”
The brothers flinched skyward at his words, spotting the hawk's wings—longer than a man's armspan—plummeting fast.
“Senior Brother, heading our way?”
“Yeah. That…… thing…… Senior Brother!”
“Tch! Haenggong!”
He released a subtle killing aura at the kids dropping their circulation to flee. They froze like startled prey under a predator's gaze, eyes squeezed shut, neither fleeing nor dodging.
In that instant, the hawk flared its wings, slowed, and glided gently to him.
“What the……?”
It eyed his shoulder, so he offered it. It perched neatly.
The brothers blinked in awe at the sight, while he spotted a small bamboo tube on its ankle.
“Well, damn. Not a messenger pigeon—a messenger hawk? Hold on……”
The hawk rubbed its feathers on his unfamiliar head, then pecked his chest pocket.
Home to Wang Geumsan's silver plaque and Haomen's black plaque.
“Impressive. Trained even hawks on Cheonri Chujonghyang?”
He pulled out the black plaque, stroked it, and the hawk nuzzled like reuniting with its master.
Then he extracted and skimmed the Haomen intel from the bamboo tube.
Current situation summary: Of the 2,400 bandit strongholds targeted by the Murim Alliance, 1,400 have vanished.
“Senior Brother, what the heck?”
“Looks like from the one promising me intel.”
Geum Pyo approached in wonder; the hawk's eyes turned fierce, screeching sharply.
“……One mean bird.”
“Unlike pigeons, messenger hawks keep their wild instincts. Tougher to train, but less predation risk. Don't touch recklessly—looks like an iron hawk. It'll snip fingers clean off.”
Geum Pyo paled and withdrew.
“Hm……”
He finished the docs, jotted addendums on needed intel, and tucked them into the hawk's tube.
It knew the drill, launching skyward.
“What was that?”
Eunho eyed the papers curiously.
“Brief on the situation. Says 1,400 of the Murim Alliance's targeted strongholds are gone.”
“Already?”
Just three days into the exam—that was blistering pace.
“If you idiots mastered Haenggong faster, this wouldn't happen! If I flunk the academy exam 'cause of you, you taking responsibility?”
Geum Pyo and Eunho stared in disbelief.
Dongryong's eyes still burned with venom, muttering something like 'kill……'—probably at rivals.
The good kid who'd waited days for a rice cake scrap wouldn't dare threaten big senior brother.
“Caravan master! Young Master Cheol-yeong's state is off!”
“What?!”
The familiar voice and name drew their gazes to the main road below.
A ronin band of a hundred led by a caravan, Gye Yeonseok at the fore.
Gye Yeonseok peeled back alone at the call, Gye Yeonseung—once their Busengdang Lord—beside him.
“Escort run?”
Gye-ryong Merchant Group handled final distribution sans escorts, no wagons beyond three here.
They headed to an ironclad wagon between loads.
Gye Yeonseok knocked; out came Gye Cheolyeong, face twisted unnaturally.
“Holy……”
“Whoa……”
“Why……”
Nearly five years together—they recognized the grotesquery instantly.
“Ah-oo, ah-oo. Ahh.”
Gye Cheolyeong could barely speak.
“Just hold on. Over this mountain's a village—rest there.”
“Ah-oo, ah-oo. Ah-oo.”
Drool trickled from warped lips; Gye Yeonseok wiped it tenderly.
“No worries. You'll definitely, definitely enter the Murim Academy.”
Gye Yeonseok returned front, caravan rolling out.
Long after they passed, the gold-silver-bronze trio stood dazed.
He wasn't much different.
Gye Yeonseok dragging his ruined son to the exam embodied chilling obsession.
Chicken skin crawled involuntarily.
“……Do they have to go that far for the exam?”
Geum Pyo finally grasped what test he was taking.
“The jianghu's hierarchy, centered on Murim Alliance power logic, is long set. Gye Yeonseok craving more wealth and power naturally wants his sole heir in the academy.”
“But in that state…… Can he even take it? Or attend if he passes?”
Amusingly, Alliance rules strictly limited aides but not examinees.
Post-enrollment life aside, once inside, free medical aid flowed.
No martial recovery, but graduation might snag an Alliance post.
Gye Yeonseok's gamble wasn't wrong.
“No time to fret over them. Didn't you see the caravan's muscle?”
“……What do you mean?”
“Up front with Gye Yeonseok: Yeon Chu-ak of Yeonra-bu, Mu-pung-ma-gan Han Geum-taek, Sam-su-gwi-won Dam Cheol-gak. Top-tier ronin.”
“……Mu-pung-ma-gan Han Geum-taek…… Isn't he black path?”
His freakish rod hooked noses, spun skins airborne till death—a black path nightmare technique.
“Just worked black path as ronin. Pay him, he'll flip white anytime.”
“Senior Brother, I heard first-rate or above can't aid.”
“That's the issue. Ronin skills unlogged, Alliance underrates unaffiliated—so they might pass as sub-first-rate.”
“That's such BS……”
“So hurry and walk right. Competition's toughening; you're slowing us more.”
He grilled them, but this time their eyes held fire, unyielding.
And their pace surged.
Bracing for Gye Yeonseok's band, they skipped two villages; their speed hit normal folk mountain-crossing level.
Seeing adaptation set in, he dropped back to the main road.
“Trails now okay.”
“Yeah! Confident!”
“Why train easy? Try footwork with it.”
“…….”
“…….”
“Haenggong plus footwork? Endless perks. Especially Tae-eul Paeman Sinbo—illusory divine steps. Master it, escape foes endlessly.”
“……Senior Brother, week's rough camping, no baths. Can't we go normal today?”
“Fine. Inn rest it is.”
The trio's mouths hung agape to their ears.
“Then back to Tae-eul Gate. Can't risk you as big senior brother. Hate training? We all head home. Poor Saryeon, shouldering us all—way too~ tough.”
Their lips quivered.
“…….”
“…….”
Little Dongryong cracked first.
“Big Senior Brother!”
“What?”
“This Tae-eul Paeman Sinbo stepping right?”
Dongryong stomped; Geum Pyo and Eunho trembled with betrayal.
“Nope. Lemme reteach. Dongryong pushing on? You two quitting?”
“……Obviously going together.”
“Yeah! Love camping anyway!”
Mumbling, they followed his steps.
“Freely wield Tae-eul Paeman Sinbo? Best inn next village on me.”
“Huh?”
“For real?”
“Senior Brother, broke.”
Geum Pyo, Eunho, Dongryong in turn; he flashed Wang Geumsan's fat money pouch.
“Who said broke?”
Clink clink.
Gold gleamed; their eyes sharpened anew.
'Whip and carrot, huh.'
Craving fancy inn feasts and hot baths fueled them—three days later, wielding Tae-eul Paeman Sinbo with Haenggong.
Day 10. Endless camping blurred beggar from Tae-eul disciple.
At least black uniforms helped.
“Senior Brother! Found it—the best value inn!”
Hwang Mountain hit, Eunho pointed Geumgung Guest House after asking around.
“High-class spot, one nyang silver a night.”
He pointed to the sleek building beside.
“That an inn too?”
“Geumgung Guest House—five silver nyang.”
“Then there.”
“Huh?”
“Promised best inn.”
“B-but Senior Brother. Four's twenty silver.”
Eunho's voice shook.
“More breakthroughs, more luxuries. Rest up, train hard.”
Heading in, the hesitant trio trailed.
“Welcome!”
The pageboy beamed, then grimaced at the brothers' state.
He slipped a silver nyang.
“Week's camping wrecked 'em. Rooms, baths, food, new uniforms.”
The pageboy's face bloomed.
“We'll serve you well. Dinner first?”
“Please.”
“This way.”
As he followed, Eunho tugged his sleeve.
“Big Senior Brother, there……”
Eunho pointed upstairs balcony.
“…….”
Gye Yeonseok's eyes bloodshot, Gye Cheolyeong's face twisted freakishly, glaring down.
“Tae-eul Gate……”
Gye Yeonseok's teeth-grinding echoed even here.