Chapter 203
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Heading to the Academy Hall
The first semester opening ceremony.
Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul ascended the platform and scanned the cadets as he delivered his speech.
The start of the first semester was different from the second.
First-year cadets.
It was because of the influx of new recruits.
The opening ceremony and entrance ceremony were held simultaneously.
Hidden Dragon Corps, Wa Dragon Corps, Fierce Dragon Corps.
Even at a glance, it was obvious who the new cadets were.
'I wonder what kind of kids we've got this year.'
Pang Do-yul thought as he stepped down from the platform after his speech.
He had already memorized all the profiles of the new cadets.
This year was truly unusual.
'Probably because of last year's Eastern Tournament.'
People who wouldn't normally enter the Dragon Training Pavilion.
A lot of them had come.
It had to be due to the rumors from the Eastern Tournament.
The results had been so astonishing.
And another thing.
The Fierce Dragon Corps was different from last year too.
Last year, most of them had entered without knowing even the basics of a single style.
But this year, most had at least some martial arts training.
There were even disciples from mid-tier sects with some reputation.
The origin of these changes.
Pang Do-yul glanced briefly at Squad Seven of the Fierce Dragon Corps.
After the opening ceremony, the instructors led the cadets away.
The first-year cadets departed first.
"This takes me back."
Dang Jin-san muttered as he watched them go.
A snicker.
Baek Ri-pyeong, Nak Woo-jin, Dan Mok Un-roe, Yeon Ha-min.
All four burst out laughing at once.
"Huh? What's so funny?"
Dang Jin-san turned to his squadmates.
One year ago today.
The five of them remembered exactly how they'd been.
So they couldn't help but laugh at Dang Jin-san's words.
They had gathered here tense and on edge.
Each with their own circumstances and stories.
Some had nowhere to go if they left this place, others had come to hide.
And some were here just to make a living.
A year is long if long, short if short.
To them, it had felt short.
And yet, they had changed beyond recognition.
A version of themselves they couldn't have imagined back then.
That was who they were now.
Han Seol-bing approached the group.
"Stop chit-chatting and gather up."
There was a hint of irritation on her face.
It couldn't be helped.
Ha Mu-baek had dumped Squad Seven's guidance on her too.
He'd complained he hadn't rested enough and skipped today entirely.
Twenty Squad's two members and Squad Seven's five.
Leading all seven, their destination was.
"The Academy Hall."
Han Seol-bing said curtly.
"Huh? Why there?"
With Dang Jin-san's mutter, questioning looks turned to Han Seol-bing.
"From second year on, the curriculum changes a bit."
She had only learned this two days ago from Fierce Dragon Corps Leader Moyong Jin-ho.
The veteran instructors all knew, but as new instructors, she and Ha Mu-baek hadn't been informed.
She'd gone to that meeting alone.
Ha Mu-baek was resting so fiercely she couldn't even find him.
She'd finally tracked him down yesterday, only to hear he needed one more day off, so he'd leave today to her.
Even thinking about it now made her blood boil.
"Huh? It changes?"
Ha Seol-ran tilted her head curiously.
"Yeah. I heard the Dragon Training Pavilion doesn't just do squad-based classes."
"Right. Hidden Dragon and Wa Dragon do large group classes together sometimes, or bundle a few squads, or go squad-only."
Dang Jin-san answered.
He knew because he was from the Sichuan Tang Clan.
"Fierce Dragon Corps does that starting second year too."
"What?"
That, he hadn't known.
"You'll take classes with the first-years from Hidden Dragon and Wa Dragon."
The seven froze in place.
They thought they'd misheard.
"First-years?"
Baek Ri-pyeong asked.
"Yes, first-years."
Some cadets scowled.
"Sigh."
Han Seol-bing let out a knowing sigh.
"You're special cases. Corps Leader Moyong told me that even second-year Fierce Dragon lags far behind first-year Hidden and Wa Dragon, so those groups actually hate it."
Dang Jin-san, who had been about to grumble, shut his mouth.
It was true.
Considering the typical Fierce Dragon Corps level.
"Still, the Pavilion Lord insisted you need to learn basic things any martial artist should know before you leave. First-year doesn't matter, but second-year, you might pick up something useful. That's the idea."
Han Seol-bing started walking again as she spoke.
The cadets followed suit this time.
They mulled over her explanation.
True enough.
The reality of Fierce Dragon Corps.
It was a place where people came who didn't know a single basic style, with no connection to martial arts or the jianghu.
Even in Squad Seven, Dan Mok Un-roe, Nak Woo-jin, and Yeon Ha-min had been like that.
Put them with Hidden and Wa Dragon first-years?
They wouldn't have lasted a week.
But now was different.
One year in Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven.
That had transformed them beyond recognition.
All thanks to Ha Mu-baek.
The instructor who'd made it blatantly obvious he wanted them to go home.
Yet he'd gotten them to achieve shocking results in the Eastern Tournament.
"The joint classes will be handled by Hidden and Wa Dragon instructors. Mostly theory. Though from what I hear, they don't have many capable ones, so that's why the groups are big."
They arrived at the Academy Hall to see crowds lining up to enter.
There was a reason it was the largest building in the Dragon Training Pavilion.
In truth, first-years could come here too.
Fierce Dragon instructors sometimes used the small classrooms to teach basics to clueless cadets.
But Squad Seven was different.
The first time they'd come here was just to escape the rain.
And thanks to Dang Jin-san's slip of the tongue, they'd ended up doing self-study in the script repository that day.
People who could barely read manuals properly.
'Come to think of it, this is where I first saw a martial arts manual.'
Dan Mok Un-roe thought, gazing up at the Academy Hall.
She'd thought it was in her clan's secret vault.
No.
For some reason, she'd completely forgotten this place, but this was where she'd first seen one.
'Five Elements Divine Fist, was it?'
A grandiose name for an utterly basic martial art.
More like an introductory booklet than a true manual.
Every fist form illustrated, with detailed annotations.
Her first real manual had indeed been in the clan vault.
Inside the Academy Hall, they spotted a few familiar faces.
Fierce Dragon Corps cadets.
And plenty of strangers.
They all looked tense too.
Naturally.
They were the new Hidden Dragon and Wa Dragon first-years.
'No one from our clan this year, right?'
Dang Jin-san recalled his sister's words.
The Sichuan Tang Clan wasn't sending any disciples this year.
A glance at Baek Ri-pyeong—no Zhongnan Sect disciples either.
During the break, their instructor had gone to Zhongnan and stirred something up, probably why.
They eyed each other warily.
It couldn't be helped.
Fierce Dragon Corps were second-years.
Having endured a year of disdain from Hidden and Wa Dragon cadets, they were naturally guarded.
For the first-years, today was their first day in the Dragon Training Pavilion.
Time to be wary of everything.
Hidden Dragon and Wa Dragon instructors came out to organize them.
They checked assigned halls and classes.
They entered a large classroom.
Seating about fifty, they took their spots.
Moments later, the instructor entered.
Han Seol-bing, face pinched in a frown.
"Huh?"
"What?"
Questioning looks from Squad Seven.
Naturally.
She'd said outside she had nothing to teach.
Yet here she was.
The Hidden and Wa Dragon first-years brightened.
Naturally.
A stunning beauty as their instructor.
"Haa. I'm Fierce Dragon Corps Instructor Han Seol-bing, in charge of 'Basics and Understanding of Formations'."
Her self-introduction began with a sigh.
Squad Seven and Twenty nodded at the class name.
They'd experienced her formations firsthand.
'Damn it. Why is Jegal Myeong the only instructor here who knows formations in this whole huge pavilion?'
Jegal Myeong was swamped, busier than if he had two bodies.
On top of that, teaching shield arts to Fierce Dragon Corps.
So when he'd personally asked her to handle the formation class, she couldn't refuse.
It had happened just before.
Thus began the first class of the semester.
As they left the Academy Hall after class.
"Now it really feels like we're in the Dragon Training Pavilion."
Dan Mok Un-roe said, glancing back.
Nak Woo-jin and Yeon Ha-min nodded.
"Yeah. Actual instruction instead of self-study—progress."
Dang Jin-san snickered.
Now they could tell self-study at a glance.
The rest of today's schedule was self-study.
No instructors in sight anywhere.
"Food first."
At Baek Ri-pyeong's words, the group headed to Devouring Dragon East Pavilion.
Planning to hit the training grounds after.
Crowds of cadets were already eating.
New first-years among them.
Huddled in the corner, eating cautiously.
Fierce Dragon Corps newbies.
Constantly glancing around.
Come to think of it, those five were all the second-year Fierce Dragon cadets here.
Maybe because of first-year memories, second-years mostly used Devouring Dragon South Pavilion.
They came to East occasionally.
These newbies probably wandered in cluelessly since it was close.
Thus drawing lots of stares.
However.
As Baek Ri-pyeong's group entered, the stares vanished instantly.
It couldn't be helped.
Baek Ri-pyeong and Joo Woo-myung were last Eastern Tournament runner-up and champion.
In other words.
The two strongest here.
"Sigh."
Dang Jin-san let out a deep breath.
Then he went and sat at the corner table.
Right next to the Fierce Dragon first-year.
The surrounding tables were empty.
As Dang Jin-san moved, the others filled the table.
Cadets kept glancing over.
But the vibe was different.
Before, it had been blatant stares of "What are those guys doing here?"
Now, it was "Why are they sitting there making everyone awkward?"
As they got their trays and were about to dig in.
"Um..."
A first-year from the next table spoke up hesitantly.
Eyes turned to him.
"You're Fierce Dragon Corps second-year seniors, right?"
The cautious first-year.
A boy, still boyish-faced.
"I watched the Eastern Tournament last year. I was so inspired, I volunteered for Fierce Dragon Corps."
His gaze fixed on Joo Woo-myung and Baek Ri-pyeong.
The two shifted awkwardly under the fervent stare.
"Ahem. Junior."
Dang Jin-san called to the first-year.
"Yes, senior. Name's Cho Moo-ha."
"Right, right. Junior Cho. Do you know what Fierce Dragon Corps is like?"
Dang Jin-san's question.
Cho Moo-ha paused, then nodded.
"Yes. I know."
"Oh? You know what happens after finishing second year?"
Dang Jin-san asked again.
Cho Moo-ha nodded once more.
"Go home."
Dang Jin-san said firmly.
His comrades, watching silently, gaped at the words.
'What the hell?'
'What's with Jin-san?'
As those thoughts arose.
Dang Jin-san repeated.
"Go home."
Cho Moo-ha stared blankly, utterly confused.
The other first-years at the table were the same.