Chapter 9
“I thought that for the first time since the academy opened, we’d have people fighting to the death before the entrance ceremony even began, but this is a shame!”
A man with a build similar to Maeng Ryeong-ji’s, carrying a massive saber on his back.
He looks to be about the same age as my father.
In the circumstances, he must be a martial arts instructor, right?
I clasped my hands together and bowed very politely.
One must show respect to a martial arts instructor!
“Greetings, Instructor.”
“Hmm?”
He stared at me, scrutinizing my face from every angle.
“You’re the daughter of the North Pole Saint Emperor!”
He recognized my identity at a glance.
“Yes, I am Seol Sool-ryeo from the North Sea Ice Palace.”
“Hah, I see. You look exactly like him, but unlike that fellow, you’re quite polite! I’m curious to see how much of his martial arts you’ve inherited!”
If he knows my face, is he an acquaintance of my father?
Because of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, I am keeping my use of Ice Soul Divine Palm to a minimum.
I simply smiled without a word.
“It’s a pity you didn’t break any records, but don’t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities to fight until you’re bleeding soon enough!”
Of course, the instructor didn’t really care.
Even though no one was worried about that, he spoke in a booming voice and patted Maeng Ryeong-ji and Eun-hyun on the back hard.
“Disciple of Myeong-gyeong.”
The instructor called Eun-hyun that, and then—
“I’ll go fetch Myeong-gyeong, so head over to the Black Rock Pavilion.”
He pointed to a pavilion not far away.
Then, practically hoisting Eun-hyun up, he disappeared toward it.
What on earth?
If you were going to stop them, you should have stepped in sooner!
“That’s the martial arts instructor, right?”
When I asked Maeng Ryeong-ji quietly—
“That would be the Great Hero Paeng Jung-geol of the Mad Flame Saber.”
She even personally knew the name of the instructor.
How is a girl from far-off Yunnan so well-informed? It really is nice to have siblings.
* * *
I had only intended to watch lightly, but a fight almost broke out.
Still, the situation was resolved as everyone calmed down.
I was able to watch how the instructor evaluated the other applicants alongside Maeng Ryeong-ji.
“They really seem to value potential for growth.”
“Hmm. That guy passed even though he has almost no internal energy.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very interesting spectacle.
We stepped out for a while to go to the center of Luoyang, wandered through the market to eat some snacks, and returned just in time for the Hour of the Rooster.
Perhaps rumors of Eun-hyun had spread in that short time, as there were several times more people gathered than before.
“That doesn’t look like Mount Hua’s sword technique at all.”
“That guy, he’s someone who has used a killing sword.”
What killing sword?
I felt a chill because men with realistic scars on their faces were standing next to me.
The reviews were absolutely terrible.
He was barely holding back, as if he were dealing with a small child.
Anyway, there were no surprises in the results of the sparring.
A boy named Ju Pyeong-sam lost to Eun-hyun in six exchanges and dropped his sword.
Dan-li-hyang, who had defeated Gu Won-ui after a fierce battle, was no match for Eun-hyun either.
“The Nine Great Sects are different indeed!”
“What? Unlike before, he’s not breaking their bones?”
“Perhaps he was warned by the instructor.”
The only thing that had changed was that, unlike the previous spars, he was showing a bit more mercy.
After Ju Pyeong-sam dropped his sword, he even asked if he wanted to forfeit, and while fighting Dan-li-hyang, he avoided her vital points.
He’s just a bit clumsy, but everyone is being too harsh on such a kind kid, really.
“I’m looking forward to this year’s Heavenly Martial Gathering.”
Everyone was buzzing about Eun-hyun.
But since his opponents were too weak to force him to draw out his full strength, I thought it was meaningless to compare him to anyone.
Among the other children, I personally found Gu Won-ui’s way of wielding the sword interesting.
And Dan-li-hyang’s will to keep getting up even after being knocked down by Eun-hyun several times was impressive.
“Good work, everyone! Yes, fighting to the very end like that is the attitude of a martial artist!”
It seemed Paeng Jung-geol liked Dan-li-hyang’s spirit as well.
After the spar ended, he handed Dan-li-hyang a pellet, presumably a medicinal pill.
“This is a Small Return Pellet. Eat it and recover, and you’ll be healed by the entrance ceremony.”
…Is that really a medicinal pill? What is it?
I’ve never heard the name, but it seemed like a medicine to restore one’s original energy.
To go out of his way to provide something like that—I suppose instructors really do look favorably upon those who fight to the end?
‘If I end up facing Eun-hyun, I should do the same.’
I inwardly decided on my course of action for when I eventually have to fight a stronger opponent in front of the instructor.
“Hmm, you don’t need this, you’ve eaten plenty at Mount Hua.”
But Paeng Jung-geol handed a pellet to Eun-hyun as well.
“Huh?”
“All those who passed the entrance exam for the 22nd class of the Heavenly Martial Academy will be provided with a Small Heaven Pellet.”
That wasn’t even the end of it.
Not only the three who had just sparred, but all the children who had passed while we were out had received the pellets.
“What is that? They can’t all be medicinal pills, right?”
I asked in surprise.
Do they give them to everyone just for entering? Can I receive one on the day of the entrance ceremony too?
“It’s a Small Heaven Pellet. Ah! It seems they bestow them upon those who pass the exam to narrow the gap with students from major sects.”
“There’s such a thing?”
No, I wondered why Eun-hyun bothered to take the exam! There was a reward like that?
As I stared intently at the medicinal pill in Eun-hyun’s hand, Maeng Ryeong-ji shook her head, saying there was no need to be that envious.
“I heard that Small Heaven Pellets are easy to obtain just by achieving results at the academy or performing simple missions. My own kin receives them often, and I’ve eaten the Yang-Heating Pellet several times too.”
Ah…
Well, if they were incredibly rare, everyone would have taken the exam instead of acting arrogant with recommendation plaques.
It probably doesn’t mean much to friends who have been drinking medicinal pills like water, like the direct descendants of the Five Great Clans.
It seems even someone like Maeng Ryeong-ji doesn’t find them particularly special.
Ugh, I wish I could use internal energy that isn’t Yin-Cold Qi.
“If it’s you, Sool-ryeo, you’ll be able to receive the Heavenly Ice Pellet and even the Great Heaven Pellet, the secret medicine of the Medicine Immortal! I guarantee it!”
What I need is actually the Yang-Heating Pellet, but I can’t talk about the Severed Meridians.
I pushed my disappointment aside and nodded.
‘Still, to be handing out medicinal pills like that… it really is amazing.’
Seeing the medicinal pills right in front of my eyes made my motivation surge even more.
I’ll live as a perfect model student and participate in every opportunity to receive a reward.
“Those who have never taken a medicinal pill, stay behind, and the rest of you, return!”
Before I knew it, another instructor’s brief congratulatory speech ended, and Paeng Jung-geol shouted loudly.
The event ended in an instant.
Soon, people dispersed.
Eun-hyun looked around for a moment, then followed a man dressed similarly to him.
“Thanks for inviting me. It was fun thanks to you.”
“Same here! It was brief, but I got to witness your skills!”
I only used a little bit of strength to stop them, so it wasn’t exactly “witnessing skills.”
I postponed Maeng Ryeong-ji’s request to have a proper spar until after we entered the academy.
I returned quietly to the inn and told Great Hall Master Baek-woong about what I saw today.
“Aren’t the kids quite childish?”
“Hmm… that is… um… no. You did well.”
He expressed a slight regret that he hadn’t followed me to the testing grounds.
He’s not exactly an adult who stops fights himself, so why bother?
“How did the Mount Hua swordsman use his sword?”
“Ah, should I show you? The onlookers said it didn’t look like Mount Hua sword technique. Oh, and the martial arts of the kid who claimed to be unaffiliated were also very unique.”
Well, perhaps I could have grasped the martial arts of the other successful candidates more easily.
“Did you memorize the martial arts immediately after seeing them for the first time?”
I briefly reenacted the forms Eun-hyun had displayed.
Even if I couldn’t infuse them with the same internal energy, the movements were roughly correct.
“Hmm… why do I see traces of the Sword Pavilion in the Mount Hua sword technique?”
Sword Pavilion? Pota Sect?
Isn’t that a sect that only has women?
That’s completely out of the blue.
“The onlookers said it looked like he had used a killing sword?”
“Is that so? I can’t tell from the sword technique you’ve reenacted, my lady. Forget it. I don’t know the sword techniques of the Central Plains that well either.”
While the North Sea Ice Palace might be the most knowledgeable about the martial arts of the Central Plains, Great Hall Master Baek-woong wouldn’t know everything.
I nodded and then demonstrated the martial arts Gu Won-ui had displayed.
Spending the remaining days pondering the subsequent forms and various counters with Great Hall Master Baek-woong, the day of the entrance ceremony finally dawned.
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