Chapter 73: A Heart Demon Must Have Grown
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: A Heart Demon Must Have Grown
With Ki Mu-hyeok's match concluding, the First-Rate License Exam came to an end, and an announcement echoed through the hall.
“After the dueling stage has been prepared, we will begin the scheduled Peak Master License Exam. We kindly ask our esteemed guests to wait a moment.”
Their attendance had already shown sufficient respect to the Martial Alliance Leader, so no one would fault them for leaving midway.
However, among the busy dignitaries from all walks of life, few chose to depart.
Even those who had intended to leave remained seated, conversing with their neighbors.
“This… it seems the Korean Martial World is about to be shaken.”
“Five Rising Stars passed the First-Rate License in the first exam alone, didn't they?”
“The exam itself seems much harder than last year.”
“That Rising Star, Ki Mu-hyeok, who appeared last, apparently doesn't belong to any sect yet.”
“Is that true?”
Even among the Rising Stars who had finished their exams, no one left their seats.
Those who had been carried to the infirmary also returned after receiving only emergency treatment.
The stated reason was to watch the Peak Master License Exam that would begin shortly, but…
‘He's my age, but a Peak Master…’
‘I couldn't even properly see what happened at the end.’
‘The goosebumps still haven't subsided.’
That was just an excuse; everyone's gaze furtively darted towards the one who had accomplished something no one else had.
“Hoo…”
Ki Mu-hyeok closed his eyes, quietly replaying his fight with the Alliance Leader.
At that moment, no one dared to approach him.
“Hey—you cheap bastard!”
Shin Kang-heon, his forehead wrapped in bandages, appeared and immediately approached Ki Mu-hyeok, picking a fight.
“You really ought to be grateful to me.”
“What is it now?”
Ki Mu-hyeok opened his eyes and looked at him with an annoyed expression. Shin Kang-heon placed both hands on his hips and brazenly tilted his head up.
“Are you asking because you don't know? I went out first and wore out the Alliance Leader!”
“...Is this guy for real?”
Ki Mu-hyeok, with a bewildered expression, soon grinned and teased Shin Kang-heon.
“Right, you wouldn't want to admit it. I lasted ten moves, but someone else was sprawled on the floor after just three…”
“That's hilarious. Don't you think it would've been the other way around if you were first and I was last?”
Shin Kang-heon scoffed and retorted, unwilling to back down, but when it came to verbal sparring, Ki Mu-hyeok was always several steps ahead.
“Hold on. Don't you hear a strange noise? The sound of some First-Rate Expert wannabe mouthing off to a Peak Master…”
“Aghhh! You're seriously pissing me off!”
Thanks to Shin Kang-heon fuming and raging, the somewhat stiff atmosphere around them softened.
It was because the surrounding Rising Stars burst into laughter at the sight of the two, bickering childishly despite possessing unbelievably excellent martial arts.
A moment later, unlike Shin Kang-heon who had rushed out mid-treatment, Oh Jung-min and Song Jun-ho, who had properly finished their treatment and returned, also came over to offer their congratulations.
“Mu-hyeok, you were truly speechless. Can't you get stronger a little slower?”
“Just you wait. I'll get my Peak Master License next year too!”
“But what exactly happened at the end?”
Perhaps stimulated by Ki Mu-hyeok's fight, the three of them, including Shin Kang-heon, talked excitedly about Ki Mu-hyeok's duel for a long time.
And it wasn't just them.
“What is it?”
Ki Mu-hyeok felt a shiver run down his spine and turned around, only to see Yang Ha-yun, who had been staring intently at him, quickly avert her gaze.
In the fleeting glance he caught, her eyes were somehow glistening with tears.
“She should have just talked to me…”
Feeling vaguely uneasy, Ki Mu-hyeok realized that even after the exam, many people were still looking at him.
From all directions, the name 'Ki Mu-hyeok' was heard incessantly.
His ears were itching, and his face felt hot.
“Ugh…”
Ki Mu-hyeok scratched his cheek, unaccustomed to the public attention he'd never received in his life.
If asked if he disliked this much attention, the answer was no.
He was naturally happy and proud to be recognized in an official setting.
He had closed his eyes for a moment both to review his spar with the Alliance Leader and to compose his overwhelming emotions.
‘So this is what it feels like. To stand on a dueling stage with so many people watching…’
It felt like he had taken another step towards the goal he had dreamed of since childhood.
It also felt like he had passed the first gate on the path to the World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament.
Although today's duel was an exam, not a tournament, proving his martial arts in front of many people was the same.
Ki Mu-hyeok met the gazes directed at him and gave an awkward smile.
“Looks like I won't be living quietly anymore.”
On the other hand, he was also worried.
He had planned to hide his skills and conceal his Constitution until he was confident he was fully prepared.
He disliked the idea of excessive attention interfering with his training, and he judged that it might make it difficult to respond to any potential contact from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
‘Am I truly prepared now?’
Even though he had reached the realm of a Peak Master, Ki Mu-hyeok wasn't arrogant.
Because even he, a regressor, couldn't accurately predict what would happen next.
So much had already changed, so there was no telling if the future he knew would continue.
But strangely, he wasn't particularly anxious.
Ki Mu-hyeok soon realized why.
‘Because I'm not alone like before.’
Unlike his previous life, now he had family, his Master, and friends by his side.
He could also receive assistance from a strong Martial Alliance, unlike in the past.
It would be impossible alone, but with them, he felt confident he could change the bleak future.
A future where ordinary people could smile, not a world of the strong preying on the weak, dominated by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Ki Mu-hyeok suddenly looked up at the sky and muttered to himself.
“I've become the most noticed Rising Star in Korea, but… this is just the beginning. There are far more incredible individuals in the world.”
“What's he saying? This unlucky bastard.”
“You don't realize you have a face I want to punch right now, do you?”
“The cameras are filming here…”
As the three surrounded Ki Mu-hyeok, showering him with insults, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Haha, it seems the protagonist has completely changed, hasn't he?”
“Alliance Leader.”
Yeo Pil-geuk, wearing a pleased smile, looked around at Ki Mu-hyeok and the other Rising Stars who had taken the First-Rate License Exam, offering words of encouragement.
“You all worked hard. I hope this was a time where you gained something, regardless of the outcome. Strive even harder and surprise the world even more next year.”
“Yes!”
At the vigorous reply of the young Rising Stars, Yeo Pil-geuk smiled contentedly and nodded.
“Excellent. There's still much to see, so look forward to it.”
Turning, Yeo Pil-geuk walked towards the martial artists waiting for the Peak Master Exam.
“Now it's your turn. I expect you to prove your qualifications with the martial arts you've cultivated.”
“...Yes.”
“We will bear that in mind, Alliance Leader.”
The eight First-Rate Martial Artists participating in the Peak Master License Exam replied with a disciplined Fist Salute.
However, a moment later, as the Peak Master License Exam began, unexpected events occurred one after another.
“I will withdraw.”
“I shall withdraw.”
“Feeling my own inadequacy to the core…”
Out of the eight participants in the Peak Master Exam, three withdrew without even stepping onto the dueling stage.
All of them looked unwell, but the Alliance Leader didn't ask for reasons or scold them, simply nodding with a bitter smile.
“Is that so. I understand.”
Of the remaining five participants, four bravely challenged the Martial Alliance Leader, but failed to withstand his ten moves.
“Next!”
“Next!”
“Neeext—!”
All four were skilled enough to have passed the exam in previous years, but their will was broken by Yeo Pil-geuk's final three moves.
“Well, isn't the standard for Peak Master too high? To meet the Alliance Leader's criteria, half the Peak Masters in the main sects would have to return their licenses.”
Changcheon Sword Elder Na Il-cheon chuckled, making a pointed joke.
The Sect Leaders of the other Eight Great Sects also wore displeased expressions.
However, they couldn't dispute the Alliance Leader's judgment.
“Given the display of endurance we just saw…”
“Ultimately, this, too, happened because of that child.”
The Sect Leaders of the Eight Great Sects looked at Ki Mu-hyeok with complex gazes.
The one who had naturally become the passing standard for the Peak Master License Exam.
Three First-Rate Experts, feeling the pressure, ultimately gave up the exam, and four others, though brave, lacked the capability.
“...A small Heart Demon must have already grown in their hearts.”
At Jang Jin-myeong's low murmur, the Sect Leaders faintly nodded.
His voice was subtly trembling, but no one had time to notice.
‘Becoming a Peak Master in the first license exam is abnormal to begin with.’
‘Is this not the second coming of Richard Han?’
‘Even I would have lost heart…’
They frowned, recalling the young Richard Han.
A monster who had frustrated countless martial artists called geniuses in his generation.
The year he appeared saw the highest number of martial artists abandoning the exam since its inception.
Would the same thing repeat this time?
“Bu Yeon-ha, First-Generation Disciple of the Changcheon Sword Sect, requests guidance from the Martial Alliance Leader!”
At that moment, Bu Yeon-ha leaped onto the dueling stage and calmly raised her sword, taking a starting stance.
Unlike those who had despaired and given up, she seemed to have gained some insight from the conversation between Yeo Pil-geuk and Ki Mu-hyeok, her eyes sparkling.
She even smiled leisurely.
“The spotlight keeps falling on one junior, but I intend to snatch it all away.”
“Hahahaha! I truly like your bold ambition! Let's begin at once!”
Soon, the Changcheon Sword Sect's weighty sword and the Fist King's fist clashed repeatedly.
Thunderbolts repeatedly struck the blue sky, and lightning-like Sword Qi swirled in all directions.
CRASH! CRACKLE! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Though she appeared to have sustained various injuries, big and small, Bu Yeon-ha ultimately endured until the tenth move, Golden Dragon Ascension, and stood proudly on her own two feet even after the duel ended.
Yeo Pil-geuk smiled with a satisfied expression and nodded.
“Congratulations on becoming a Peak Master.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Bu Yeon-ha finally descended the dueling stage on her own two feet before collapsing to the ground, receiving a standing ovation from the dignitaries.
She was the first and last successful candidate for the Peak Master Exam after Ki Mu-hyeok.
“Hehehe. That child is my granddaughter! She is the future of our Changcheon Sword Sect!”
“Ah, yes…”
Na Il-cheon, oblivious to his own indiscretion, stood up and boasted about his granddaughter to everyone, while the Sect Leaders of the Eight Great Sects nodded with awkward expressions.
This was because, among the Eight Great Sects, no one else had become a Peak Master except for Bu Yeon-ha.
“Now, all exams are concluded!”
With Bu Yeon-ha's match, the License Exam, which had stirred the hearts of all onlookers, came to an end.
As Yeo Pil-geuk had said, it had been less than an hour.
Yeo Pil-geuk addressed the dignitaries who had not yet left, and the cameras.
“After a short break, there will be a license qualification ceremony. Furthermore—!”
The Martial Alliance Leader's piercing gaze seemed to devour the cameras whole.
“There will be a major announcement to change the Korean Martial World in the right direction!”
The Martial Alliance Leader had just announced a bombshell.
At the Alliance Leader's unexpected declaration, the Sect Leaders of the Eight Great Sects looked at each other in bewilderment.
“Did any of you receive prior notice?”
“...I received nothing.”
“Nor I…”
They couldn't guess what the Alliance Leader intended to do.
They thought it might be similar to how he unilaterally changed the License Exam, but they were plagued by an instinctive, inexplicable unease.
An intensity hotter than ever before.
Countless eyes focused excessively.
Therefore, they couldn't rashly step forward, and they realized that this situation, too, was the Alliance Leader's intention.
“What in the world is he planning to do…”
They realized they couldn't escape the stage the Alliance Leader had set.
“Hoo… hoo…”
Sun Moon Sect Leader Jang Jin-myeong was in his waiting room, eyes closed, regulating his breathing.
Lately, it had become increasingly difficult to control his emotions.
Killing intent kept bubbling up, and he wanted to burn everything to ashes.
He knew the reason himself, but he couldn't stop.
He was already too deeply immersed in Demonic Arts to escape.
“My Lord.”
At that moment, a black-clad figure appeared in the room like smoke and knelt.
Jang Jin-myeong opened his eyes, glaring at his subordinate with bloodshot eyes.
“Heuk Yeon! What are you doing here? If your presence were to be discovered…”
“Our main sect has been attacked.”
“...What did you say?”
Heuk Yeon quickly spoke to Jang Jin-myeong, who had frozen solid.
“The Glacier Goddess has betrayed us. She led the Yin Energy Faction martial artists and attacked us. Our safe house was also discovered, though I don't know how. The communication lines were cut first, so it's clearly a pre-planned operation. I barely managed to escape to inform My Lord of the news.”
Looking again, Heuk Yeon's clothes were splattered with blood.
“The Glacier Goddess… Hyeon Eun-ha betrayed us?”
“My Lord. You must escape immediately.”
Jang Jin-myeong remained silent for a long time.
He covered his face with his hand, then began to let out a grotesque laugh.
“Hehehe… Hehehehahahahaha!”
His face, as he threw his head back and burst into roaring laughter, had already twisted into that of a demon.