Chapter 51: I Kept My Promise, Now You Keep Yours
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: I Kept My Promise, Now You Keep Yours
Ki Mu-hyeok continued to play on No Gu-cheon's guilt.
He bowed his head deeply, apologizing, and lowered his upturned eyes as much as possible.
Suddenly, he started coughing, something he hadn't done before, and spoke in a faint voice.
"Cough! Actually, I really wanted to place within the top three in this License Exam. I wanted to seize that golden opportunity to receive guidance from the Alliance Leader... But now that I'm injured like this, I couldn't even take the exam properly, so it feels like that chance has slipped away... Cough!"
It was a story that poked right at No Gu-cheon's heart, who already felt sorry for Ki Mu-hyeok. After all, Ki Mu-hyeok couldn't take the License Exam properly because of the Assassins who infiltrated the exam hall, and ultimately, it was the Martial Alliance's fault for failing to prevent it beforehand.
"I have no interest in anything but martial arts... Cough! In my haste, I made an unreasonable request. I truly apologize if I burdened you."
"Hmph, well now..."
No Gu-cheon was also a seasoned Peak Master, worn out from his time in the Martial Alliance. He couldn't possibly not know that Ki Mu-hyeok, who had been perfectly fine until he arrived, suddenly coughing like an invalid was obvious acting. Yet, he didn't find such behavior irritating; rather, he was pleased.
'This request must stem from a martial artist's yearning for a higher realm... I can't bring myself to dislike it at all.'
No Gu-cheon, who had been pondering for a while, let out a short sigh and nodded.
"Alright. I'll take responsibility and arrange a meeting with the Alliance Leader somehow."
He knew Yeo Pil-geuk would surely scold him for making such a promise without consulting him, but No Gu-cheon believed this was the only way the Alliance Leader could offer guidance without a guilty conscience.
Immediately, a bright smile appeared on Ki Mu-hyeok's face.
"Thank you!"
As the faint, patient-like voice returned to normal, No Gu-cheon chuckled heartily.
"You rascal. It was acting after all!"
"Perhaps my injuries improved because I'm so overjoyed?"
"What was that? Hahahaha!"
Shin Kang-heon and Kim Bok-ja watched Ki Mu-hyeok, who was exchanging jokes and conversing with a Peak Master far older than himself, with looks of utter disgust.
'Wow, what a shameless bastard...'
'First the Master, and now this guy... why does he get along so well with all the old men and grandpas?'
Shin Kang-heon, in particular, pouted, seemingly envious of Ki Mu-hyeok getting to receive guidance from the Martial Alliance Leader. However, he didn't think the reward Ki Mu-hyeok was receiving was unfair.
'Because I have to admit it.'
The Assassins who infiltrated the License Exam hall were strong enough that a whole group of Rising Stars had to gang up to subdue them.
'And this crazy bastard endured against those Assassins all by himself...'
The more Shin Kang-heon saw of Ki Mu-hyeok, the more astonishing he found him. His martial arts skill, his incredibly diligent personality, the chilling gaze he sometimes showed, and his composure that felt almost cold. He was someone who made Shin Kang-heon feel an inferiority he'd never experienced in his life. And every time he felt such emotions, a competitive spirit to defeat his opponent surged within Shin Kang-heon.
As Shin Kang-heon quietly glared at him, Ki Mu-hyeok narrowed his brows and asked,
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Just you wait. My License Exam score will be much higher than yours."
Shin Kang-heon scoffed demonstratively, then turned his head to No Gu-cheon and asked,
"What about our exam?"
Although the License Exam had been halted midway, Shin Kang-heon had been vying for the lead in the team missions right up until then. While he wouldn't mind starting over, he secretly felt a sense of regret.
"I was just about to tell you the exam results."
No Gu-cheon continued, a vague smile on his face.
"We analyzed the recorded footage from the exam and assigned scores. Rising Stars with clear passes or failures will be notified of their results, while those whose performance was difficult to judge will take a re-exam later."
Martial Alliance officials were currently moving through the wards, delivering exam results to the Rising Stars.
"As for you two in this exam..."
At those words, Shin Kang-heon swallowed hard and focused intently. Ki Mu-hyeok, on the other hand, wore an indifferent expression.
'It'll be hard to expect a good score. Maybe a re-exam... or if my injuries don't heal properly, it might be better to aim for the next exam.'
Unlike Shin Kang-heon, who maintained a leading position throughout the exam, Ki Mu-hyeok and Yang Ha-yun had fallen into the Black and White's trap and couldn't even properly complete their first mission. Of course, since he had secured a private meeting with the Alliance Leader, his most important goal, he had no major complaints.
'Besides, there was an unexpected gain.'
Within Ki Mu-hyeok's Dantian, Extreme Yin Energy still writhed. He had wondered if it might disappear over time, but instead, it felt like it had settled in even more firmly.
'Would a master of the Alliance Leader's caliber know why Extreme Yin Energy permeated my body?'
He hadn't had a chance to ask his Master, Choi Geon. But when he was told about the Five Elements Affinity, he hadn't heard anything specific, so he could only guess that very few people knew, or perhaps no one at all. However, he had a hunch that if he mastered the Five Elements Divine Art, he would be able to properly control the Extreme Yin Energy.
'I've laid the groundwork to become even stronger in the future, so the exam results aren't important.'
It would be a shame, but he decided to think that way even if the results were bad.
As if reading Ki Mu-hyeok's thoughts, No Gu-cheon chuckled playfully and continued.
"Congratulations. Both of you passed the License Exam and acquired the qualification of a Second-Rate Martial Artist."
"Yessss!"
"…?"
Shin Kang-heon cheered, raising his uninjured arm high, while Ki Mu-hyeok, surprised by the unexpected result, widened his eyes in disbelief and asked again,
"Me too? But my exam score must have been among the lowest..."
"The mission you were assigned. There was a problem with the difficulty adjustment."
It turned out that the Assassins disguised as Black and White had significantly raised the difficulty of the exam to make Ki Mu-hyeok and Yang Ha-yun fall behind. Even though the examiners only evaluated the footage of the two before they entered the cabin, everyone agreed that their progress must have been several times more difficult than that of other participants.
"That part was taken into consideration during the evaluation. The Sect Leaders of the Eight Great Sects also watched the footage and agreed with the result, so it won't change."
Ki Mu-hyeok chuckled in bewilderment and muttered,
"No wonder it was so damn tough..."
"That's great! Now you can eat comfortably when you go home."
"Well, if only you failed, I guess I would've felt a bit uneasy too."
Kim Bok-ja and Shin Kang-heon giggled, as happy as if it were their own success. Ki Mu-hyeok gave a weak laugh, nodded, and let out a sigh of relief. He had been prepared for failure, but naturally, passing felt better than failing.
"Then I should go back to the meeting."
No Gu-cheon urged the two to take good care of themselves and expressed his gratitude once more.
"You risked your lives, fought against villains, and ultimately protected your comrades. I believe that is the spirit of the Orthodox Martial World. May you live with pride and honor for what you did today for a long, long time."
Hearing those words, Ki Mu-hyeok felt his chest swell slightly. Even in his past life as a Vagrant, he had never forgiven villains nor abandoned his comrades. But he had never been acknowledged by anyone. Vagrants in the Underworld were always tagged with the label of acting only for money.
"...It really was a good choice to become Orthodox."
"What kind of crazy talk is that?"
Kim Bok-ja, who had been listening quietly, poked Ki Mu-hyeok in the side. Ki Mu-hyeok had requested that his achievements be attributed to Yang Ha-yun, and No Gu-cheon agreed. No Gu-cheon praised Ki Mu-hyeok's indifferent attitude towards fame.
"Hahaha! It's fine! I also think it's fortunate that you, Mu-hyeok, chose the Orthodox path!"
Fortunately, No Gu-cheon didn't seem to find it strange at all. He was the disciple of the Sword Demon, of all people, wasn't he? It wasn't strange for his ideology to be a bit more free than others.
"Approximately one month from now. The suspended First-Rate License Exam and the Peak Master License Exam will be held together. And in the end, you'll all compete to determine the final scores... I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"Competing with Peak Masters? That... sounds amazing?"
"You said one month, right? Hey, you crazy bastard! As soon as we're discharged, it's special training!"
How much more would these dazzling talents have grown by the next time he saw them? No Gu-cheon felt pleased just imagining it. Even now, Ki Mu-hyeok and Shin Kang-heon were already sparkling with such eagerness.
"Competing with Peak Masters? That... sounds amazing?"
"You said one month, right? Hey, you crazy bastard! As soon as we're discharged, it's special training!"
"You idiots, don't even think about grabbing a weapon until you're fully recovered!"
And then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, Ki Mu-hyeok asked,
"Oh, by the way, do you know what happened to Yang Ha-yun?"
*
Yang Ha-yun regained consciousness three days after collapsing.
"Ha-yun! Ha-yun! Are you awake?"
A moment later, a familiar voice came from beside her bed.
"Master?"
It was the Glacier Goddess (Sun Moon Sect Grand Elder), who embraced her disciple with a tear-streaked face. Yang Ha-yun had completely exhausted her Extreme Yin Energy and almost damaged her core, but thanks to the Martial Alliance's emergency treatment and the Glacier Goddess, she was able to avoid any major after-effects.
Yang Ha-yun asked in a hurried voice,
"Ki Mu-hyeok! Do you know what happened to Ki Mu-hyeok?"
"You mean the boy who was attacked by Assassins with you? Don't worry. They say he's recovering well from his injuries and will be discharged soon."
Yang Ha-yun thought Ki Mu-hyeok must have been injured because he returned to save her, and she felt complex emotions about the fact that he had hidden his Constitution. The Glacier Goddess said that the Sun Moon Sect wanted to reward Ki Mu-hyeok and was even willing to take him into their sect and teach him martial arts.
"Oh, now that I think about it, he came to visit yesterday."
"What? Ki Mu-hyeok came? Why are you only telling me now!"
The Glacier Goddess took something out of the freezer compartment of the refrigerator in the corner of the room. Yang Ha-yun's eyes widened as she recognized what it was.
"Ah..."
The egg they had received as their first mission from Black and White was there, perfectly intact. Only one thing was different. Ki Mu-hyeok had drawn an emoticon on the egg, one that old-fashioned people used, and written a message beneath it.
`(^-^)/ I kept my promise, now you keep yours`
Yang Ha-yun unconsciously clutched the egg tightly in both hands.
'Promise? What promise?'
As her imagination took flight, Yang Ha-yun's ears slowly turned red, and a blush spread across her cheeks.
"You idiot... You should have told me..."
Yang Ha-yun held the egg carefully in both hands for a long time.
'What should I do with this...'
And the Glacier Goddess, watching her young disciple, found herself with a new worry.