Chapter 34: Promotion Exam (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: Promotion Exam (2)
Namgung Jun looked down at the paper in his hand.
"Based on the clues written on this paper, you must make your way to the exam site within the time limit."
"And if I fail to do so?"
"Naturally, you will fail the promotion."
The scholar clasped his hands in a polite salute.
"Time is ticking even as we speak, so you must move quickly. I wish you good fortune."
"How much time do I have left?"
"My apologies. I cannot disclose that."
Having handed over the paper, the scholar turned on his heel and vanished.
"Hmm."
From the scholar's retreating back to the texture of the paper in his hand, Namgung Jun could feel it clearly.
The promotion exam had begun.
He had to find the exam site using only the clues on the paper. Reaching the site was a test in itself.
They weren't kidding when they said this exam wouldn't just evaluate martial prowess.
The Ten Halls were the elite of the Azure Heaven Association. When traveling the Jianghu, there were times when martial arts alone could not solve a problem. Furthermore, due to the chronic shortage of manpower in the Ten Halls, individual missions were frequently assigned.
Therefore, the Clouds of the Ten Halls honed their skills in various fields: inquiry, tracking, infiltration, escorting, medicine, assassination—the branches of their training were diverse.
This exam was also meant to verify whether one possessed the minimum capability to undertake a mission alone.
Namgung Jun muttered the clue written on the paper.
"Jamyung Pavilion."
It was one of the Five Pavilions under the Ink Fragrance Department, an organization responsible for managing and supplying goods like weaponry and clothing, as well as maintaining facilities such as formations and pavilions.
Arriving at Jamyung Pavilion, Namgung Jun slowly looked around. The artisans and laborers paid him no mind, each one busy with their own work.
Am I supposed to find a clue here?
Namgung Jun calmly steadied his breathing and expanded his senses. If he were still the Sword Emperor of his past life, who had dedicated his entire existence to the sword, he might not have known what to do.
But things were different now.
In preparation for today's promotion exam and his future activities as a Cloud, he had received various teachings from his seniors, including Heo Il.
Namgung Jun closely observed the countless tracks left in Jamyung Pavilion. Footsteps, wheel ruts, marks from dragged crates—numerous traces remained. Among them, he managed to find a relatively recent set of wheel ruts.
Although many tracks were tangled together, one set stood out for being exceptionally deep and clear.
That means they were transporting something incredibly heavy.
Namgung Jun recalled the only detail of the Second Cloud Promotion Exam that had been made public.
Blue Jade.
Blue Jade was exceptionally hard, which also made it incredibly heavy. If they had loaded and transported Blue Jade, it would have left deep tracks just like these.
Having made his decision, Namgung Jun immediately leaped forward.
If there were other examinees, we could have joined forces, but I don't see anyone. Did the proctor intend for this?
Moving through the main fortress while following the wheel ruts, Namgung Jun suddenly hesitated. The tracks abruptly cut off at the end of the path.
They couldn't have suddenly flown into the sky or sunk into the ground.
Namgung Jun calmly surveyed his surroundings. Soon, he discovered tracks branching off toward both the east and the north.
"One of them is fake."
Examining the two sets of tracks closely, Namgung Jun noticed their depth and shape were subtly different. He reached down to inspect the ruts himself.
The wheel ruts heading north are slightly off. The east is the real one.
Just as Namgung Jun was about to leap forward—
Rumble!
A loud crash erupted from a nearby construction site where a pavilion was being expanded. Immediately after, the clamor of shouting voices reached his ears.
"Someone, help!"
"A man is trapped underneath!"
Namgung Jun glanced toward the eastern tracks, then immediately dashed toward the construction site.
Arriving at the scene, he saw a laborer pinned beneath a fallen wooden pillar while others were desperately trying to lift it. Although the laborers pooled their strength, the pillar was so thick that it refused to budge.
Assessing the situation, Namgung Jun leaped forward without hesitation.
"Step back."
Slash!
Drawing his sword in a flash, Namgung Jun sliced the wooden pillar into three pieces and pulled the laborer out himself.
"Fortunately, you don't seem to be severely injured."
As Namgung Jun examined the laborer's body, a sudden doubt crossed his mind. If someone had been pinned under such a heavy wooden pillar, it wouldn't have been surprising if they had broken a limb, yet the laborer seemed perfectly fine.
It was then.
"Thank you, young hero," the laborer said. "I exhausted myself yesterday moving Blue Jade to Two Ceremonies Peak. My strength suddenly failed me, and this happened."
Namgung Jun tilted his head slightly.
"Two Ceremonies Peak?"
"Yes. I owe you my life, young hero."
Two Ceremonies Peak was the name of a peak located to the west of his current position.
It's in the exact opposite direction of the tracks I found earlier.
After pondering the laborer's words for a moment, Namgung Jun kicked off the ground, heading west instead of east.
Before long, starting from the path leading to Two Ceremonies Peak, the tracks left by the transported Blue Jade reappeared.
"So the eastern tracks were fake as well."
Had he ignored the laborer out of anxiety over the exam's time limit, he would have undoubtedly headed east. Realizing the exam's trap, Namgung Jun sprinted toward Two Ceremonies Peak. He continued his advance through the mountains, tracking the clues. Thanks to the various lessons he had received from Heo Il while chasing wild boars, he was able to navigate without losing his way.
Pushing through the underbrush and climbing higher up the mountain, Namgung Jun eventually reached a hidden clearing halfway up the peak. In the center of the clearing stood a massive stone monument, seemingly made of Blue Jade.
"You are the first to arrive."
A middle-aged man emerged from behind the Blue Jade monument. He had a slender build, but he appeared solid and toned rather than skinny. His exceptionally long legs were particularly striking.
It was the Flying Swiftness Hall Master, who was presiding over this promotion exam.
"Greetings, Flying Swiftness Hall Master."
"Challenging the promotion exam already. Very fast."
The Flying Swiftness Hall Master scanned Namgung Jun with intrigued eyes and let out an admiring hum.
"The Heavenly Sword Hall Master's report was true. To think you've already reached the entry stage of the Peak Realm so soon after starting your martial arts training. Your growth rate is as swift as our hall's Lightness Movement Art."
"It is all thanks to receiving excellent guidance."
"Giving credit to your master, I see. The Heavenly Sword Hall Master has indeed raised a fine disciple."
The Flying Swiftness Hall Master smacked his lips with an envious look. Namgung Jun then voiced a lingering question.
"If I had headed east, would I have failed the exam?"
"Correct. The Clouds of our association must establish clear priorities when undertaking missions. Otherwise, they would be no different from any sellsword in the Jianghu who abandons their responsibilities."
It was as he had expected. The commotion at the construction site had been a staged play for the exam.
"It's a childish and simple trap, but when set up naturally, nothing is more effective. A split-second decision reveals a person's true character, after all."
Namgung Jun nodded. An unclear time limit and a sequence of multiple choices—it was certainly designed to make the examinee anxious and force a hasty decision.
"Then do the other examinees go through the same trap?"
"We prepared various scenarios for today. What you experienced was merely one of them."
While he conversed with the Flying Swiftness Hall Master, other Clouds began to emerge one after another from different directions. A total of four people had arrived at the Two Ceremonies Peak exam site. The Flying Swiftness Hall Master checked how far the incense stick planted in a rock had burned down, then nodded.
"Time is up. The five who have yet to arrive are disqualified."
"Understood."
At the Flying Swiftness Hall Master's words, the scholar waiting behind him wrote down the names of the failed candidates without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the Flying Swiftness Hall Master approached the monument.
Ting!
When he flicked the Blue Jade with a finger infused with internal energy, a clear, resonant ring echoed out.
"As you all know, the second test is to leave a mark of at least one inch on this Blue Jade."
Namgung Jun examined the shape of the monument. It was rugged and rounded, resembling a natural, bizarrely shaped rock. It would be twice as difficult to leave a mark on this compared to a smoothly cut, flat surface.
"You may use internal energy, and if you are capable, you are also permitted to use Sword Qi."
Most of the Clouds taking the Second Cloud Promotion Exam were still at the First-Rate stage. However, there were occasional cases where someone entered late or progressed rapidly, reaching the Peak Realm before taking the exam. That was why the use of Sword Qi was permitted.
At the Flying Swiftness Hall Master's words, some faces lit up. These were the ones who had entered the entry stage of the Peak Realm.
"The order is up to you. Challenge it as you wish. You have three attempts in total."
"Yes, sir."
As soon as the Flying Swiftness Hall Master gave his permission, a man stepped forward. He looked to be nearly thirty, and judging by his aura, he had reached the entry stage of the Peak Realm.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, the man unleashed his Sword Qi. He delivered a diagonal slash, seemingly aiming for the gaps between the rugged protrusions.
Clang!
But the blade bounced right off, leaving nothing more than a tiny scratch.
Perhaps having anticipated the result, the Flying Swiftness Hall Master didn't even bother to inspect the mark.
"If you rely solely on Sword Qi and try to slash with brute force, you won't stand a chance. Stay true to the basics."
As the crestfallen swordsman stepped back, the others stepped forward one by one.
The bladesman who went second fared slightly better. He hadn't reached the Peak Realm yet, as he couldn't manifest Blade Qi, and was merely channeling a faint amount of internal energy into his weapon. Even so, he left a deeper mark than the previous swordsman.
He didn't just focus on internal energy; he faithfully honed his basics.
Namgung Jun nodded in agreement. However, the mark was still too shallow to pass.
"A pity. Compose yourself and try again."
The other Clouds stepped up with confidence, but none of them passed on their first try. Naturally, all eyes turned to Namgung Jun, who had not yet made an attempt. Not only the other challengers but also the Flying Swiftness Hall Master watched him with expectant eyes.
Everyone present knew who he was.
The rising star of the Azure Heaven Association, the disciple of the Heavenly Sword Hall Master—
Under the collective gaze of the crowd, Namgung Jun stepped forward with a calm expression.
He did not stop to take a stance. He simply walked toward the Blue Jade, his hand resting naturally on the hilt of his sword. He didn't even summon his Sword Qi. It was a purely physical strike.
His sword, slashing upward diagonally, tore through the air with a sharp whistle. The clear path of the blade sank cleanly into the Blue Jade. At the sight of the strike slicing through so smoothly, the eyes of the other Clouds widened in unison.
Click.
From the draw that soared toward the sky to the immediate sheathing that followed, the entire process was seamless. It was so fluid that it was hard to believe he had just struck the Blue Jade.
The moment the blade was completely hidden back inside its scabbard, the Blue Jade monument slowly split along the clean cut and began to tilt.
Crash!
The monument split in half and crashed to the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust that couldn't hide the perfectly severed stone.
While everyone's gaze wavered in shock, only Namgung Jun's indigo sleeve fluttered gently before settling.
A heavy silence fell over the clearing.
"Huh?"
Even the Flying Swiftness Hall Master could only stare blankly at the fallen monument, wiggling his toes in astonishment.
When the Hall Master remained silent, Namgung Jun, who had been waiting, spoke up first.
"Did I pass?"
The scholar, the first to snap out of his daze, moved the tip of his brush toward the blank space where the names of those who passed would be written.