Chapter 140: Why Are You Out There (1)
Chapter 139 – Why Are You Out There (1)
Black Line, the Obscurity Society Leader, who had gone to bed, snapped his eyes open at some point.
“……!”
Sensing an instinctive sense of discomfort, he slowly turned his head.
A presence was felt beyond the bead curtain.
Precisely at the table by the window.
‘Who…?’
Who dared to enter the Obscurity Society Leader’s bedchamber without permission?
Black Line slowly stretched out his hand.
He stretched his hand so flexibly and smoothly that the expression “sliding” was truly fitting.
However, just before his hand could touch the sword placed beside the bed!
“If you are awake, come out here.”
“……!”
Black Line flinched and looked at the shadow beyond the bead curtain.
In the end, he let out a shallow sigh and sat up.
“Which master has come from where?”
“Have you forgotten my voice already?”
Only then did Black Line open his mouth at the voice that was somehow familiar.
“Ah… is it you, Lord?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Finally breathing a sigh of relief, Black Line pushed aside the bead curtain and approached the window.
Sure enough, Namgung Cheon was sitting at the table by the window.
“How did you come here without any contact?”
“Do I have to contact you before coming?”
“N-No, that is not it. Would you like some tea?”
“Forget it. Just select two guys who are good at hiding and quite agile.”
“By when should I prepare them?”
“The sooner, the better. When can it be done?”
“I will have them ready within half a shijin.”
“Good. Because there are some guys I need to keep an eye on.”
“May I ask who they are?”
“They are the ones who created something called the Shining Monk Association in Yixian. Two bastards. Right now my kids are keeping watch, but after all, that is not their specialty. It is better to leave such matters to experts, is it not?”
“You are correct.”
“Then keep a good watch on them, and contact me if there is any unusual activity.”
“Understood. I will take action immediately.”
“Then, good work.”
Namgung Cheon raised his hand and stood up from his seat without any lingering regret.
Left alone in the room, Black Line shook his head.
‘He is truly like a ghost.’
* * *
The Martial Alliance’s Ascension Pavilion.
Flutter, flutter! Flutter!
The flags fluttered in the wind.
A flag depicting the shape of a dragon ascending to heaven.
Every time it fluttered in the rough wind, it truly looked as if a dragon was ascending to heaven.
Between the large flags on the left and right hung a grand signboard, inscribed with “Ascension Pavilion”.
Looking up at the signboard, Namgung Cheon muttered with a lukewarm expression.
“Even though it is just a place in charge of apprentices, they made it so extravagant.”
Actually, this was his second visit to the Ascension Pavilion.
Since, in the past, before the Joint Conference main tournament, the Martial Alliance had hosted a banquet in the back garden of the Ascension Pavilion.
However, it was a pitch-black night back then, and looking at the Ascension Pavilion now in broad daylight gave a different feeling.
Finishing his brief impression, Namgung Cheon passed through the main gate and went inside, where a relatively wide training ground appeared.
In front of the pavilion over there, the cadets who had arrived first were gathered.
Spotting Namgung Cheon first, Jin So-hong waved her hand in delight.
“Namgung Cheon! Over here!”
At her shout, the other cadets also turned their heads to look at Namgung Cheon.
All of them were cadets who had reached the quarterfinals of the main tournament.
Murong Gang, who was leaning against a pillar of the pavilion, snorted with his arms crossed and looked away, while Baek Mu-geuk remained consistent with his usual blank expression.
Yun Gyeong merely twisted the corners of his mouth slightly.
As Namgung Cheon approached, Yu Hyeon first smiled warmly and walked over.
“It has been a long time, Young Master Namgung.”
“It has been a long time, Priest Yu Hyeon.”
“You seem to have changed a bit.”
“The same goes for Priest Yu Hyeon.”
Appropriate well-wishes were exchanged.
Withal, Yu Hyeon quickly assessed Namgung Cheon’s changes.
Not only had his build changed.
‘His aura has become firmer. He is indeed an amazing person.’
Yu Hyeon could not help but admire inwardly.
Meanwhile, Paeng Su-hyeok walked over slowly.
“Are you here?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s been a long… time!”
Swish!
In a split second, did Paeng Su-hyeok not draw the great saber slung on his back and strike straight down?
Whoosh!
At the sudden surprise attack, the watching cadets froze like stone and gaped.
Boom!
As the great saber struck the floor, a heavy sound echoed, and a crack spread out.
Crack…!
His jaw dropping at the sudden turn of events, Yun Jong-seung clicked his tongue internally.
‘That crazy bastard! A real surprise attack?’
Meanwhile, Namgung Cheon, who evaded by a hair’s breadth, stepped directly on the back of the blade and quickly rode up it.
Swish!
In an instant, flying up to the hilt of the saber, Namgung Cheon kicked Paeng Su-hyeok’s chin hard with the tip of his foot.
Thwack!
“Argh!”
Letting out a short scream, Paeng Su-hyeok staggered before barely regaining his balance and coming to a stop.
Landing on the ground in succession, Namgung Cheon glared at Paeng Su-hyeok.
“What are you doing? If you want to get beaten up, just say so.”
“Tch! To think you’d counter while I was off guard.”
As Paeng Su-hyeok muttered while stroking his chin, Yun Jong-seung shook his head with a dumbfounded expression.
‘Is the bastard who launched the surprise attack usually the one saying such a thing?’
Regardless, Paeng Su-hyeok continued with his usual shameless attitude.
“It was an appropriate counterattack. I praise you.”
Although it was an absurd attitude, the cadets, surprised by the martial arts of the two, only focused their gazes on the crack formed on the floor.
‘Formidable. Have they become stronger in the meantime?’
Watching from a slight distance, Yun Gyeong narrowed his eyes. Having sparred with Paeng Su-hyeok before, he could tell at a glance what a grand improvement that strike just now was.
Of course, he himself had not merely played around during the break either.
After realizing his shortcomings through the Joint Conference, he had trained in martial arts harder than anyone.
Yet Paeng Su-hyeok was not just at that level.
There was something that could not be explained merely by the word “effort”.
What should he say?
It was as if he had pinpointed and reinforced his weak points like tweezers?
‘Although he got kicked in the chin by Namgung Cheon…’
Let us count that as Namgung Cheon being such a monster.
What on earth had happened?
Meanwhile, there was also a cadet who focused on Namgung Cheon rather than Paeng Su-hyeok.
It was Baek Mu-geuk.
Inside his head, Mu-geuk and Il-geuk were having a heated debate.
‘Whoa, did you see that? Mu-geuk? That bastard evading the great saber and kicking that idiot’s chin?’
‘I saw it.’
‘Don’t you feel anything?’
‘I didn’t get hit, so I don’t feel it.’
‘Not that, you idiot! Do you realize nothing even after seeing that!’
‘It seems Namgung Cheon has become stronger.’
‘Yes! That guy hasn’t just become stronger, he’s become tremendously stronger! That bastard is a really interesting guy. Isn’t he?’
Mu-geuk also nodded silently as if agreeing.
While the cadets were lost in their respective impressions like that, Yun Jong-seung crept up to Namgung Cheon.
“Haha… Cheon-ah. Have, have you been well?”
Hearing Yun Jong-seung’s voice, Namgung Cheon turned around with a furrowed brow.
“You bastard. Using your head? If you leave first like that, I’ll… hm…?”
Namgung Cheon, who was speaking, frowned and examined Yun Jong-seung’s battered face.
“Why is your face in that shape? Did I beat you up without knowing?”
What do you mean beat up, man!
Yun Jong-seung composed his bewildered feelings and replied.
“It’s not that. There were some circumstances.”
“Where do you go getting beaten up like this?”
“I wasn’t unilaterally beaten.”
“Hmm. Don’t get beaten up.”
“……!”
Hearing the unexpected words, Yun Jong-seung looked at Namgung Cheon with a surge of emotion.
He did not know he would look after him this much, considering him a friend from the same hometown.
‘Even though I harassed you so much…’
Yun Jong-seung, feeling touched deep inside, nodded while holding back tears.
“I’ll be careful. From now on.”
“Yeah. If you go somewhere and get beaten up, for some reason…”
“……?”
“It feels like my rice bowl has been stolen.”
It was that way!
Stolen? What stolen, you crazy bastard!
Just as the complaints rising to his throat were about to burst out, a clearing of throat was heard from inside the pavilion, and someone appeared.
“Ahem!”
At the somehow nervous cough, the cadets all shut their mouths and turned around.
A middle-aged man who appeared on the platform.
His mustache grew in the shape of the character eight, his build was scrawny, and his eyes were slanted like a weasel’s.
“Has everyone arrived?”
“Yes.”
At the cadets’ reply, the man narrowed his already small eyes even further.
“Eight people in total. Everyone is here. I am the Ascension Pavilion Lord, Jo Sun-uk.”
“Greetings, Pavilion Lord.”
As the cadets greeted him, Jo Sun-uk nodded offhandedly and spoke.
“From now on, you are apprentice warriors. You will undergo apprenticeship courses in the main organizations of this Alliance. From now on, it is real combat, not practice. Therefore, you must strengthen your determination in everything. Do you understand?”
“Yes!”
“The assignment to organizations may vary according to your abilities and characteristics, or you may be assigned together with a comrade. However, the authority to choose is entirely determined by the heads of each organization, not you. Anyone who knows how many halls and pavilions make up this Alliance, speak up.”
At that, Yu Hyeon answered with a soft voice.
“I understand it currently consists of ten halls and twenty-two pavilions.”
Jo Sun-uk nodded.
“Correct. There are ten halls and twenty-two pavilions in total. Besides them, there are also the Alliance Leader’s Hall and the Elders’ Council, but you won’t have any business snooping around there.”
“When will the assignments be made?”
At Paeng Su-hyeok’s question, Jo Sun-uk looked down with his eyes lowered and replied.
“It will be done right now.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Then, I will head inside, and the instructor who will guide you will come out. I hope everyone adapts safely and well.”
As Jo Sun-uk went back inside the pavilion, another man walked out after a short moment.
The Dragon Heaven Academy cadets who confirmed his identity opened their eyes wide.
“Uh… uh…?”
Yun Jong-seung pointed his finger at the man and let out a foolish noise.
Since the person who appeared instead of Jo Sun-uk was none other than Bi Ryang.
“Hello, everyone. I am Bi Ryang. I am the instructor who will guide you from now on.”
“Uh… why is our instructor guiding us?”
At Yun Jong-seung’s question, Bi Ryang asked, the corners of his eyes curving like crescent moons.
“Why? Do you have a complaint?”
“N-No, it’s not that. You were originally in charge of our class.”
“Since the year has changed, the person in charge of that class has changed to another instructor. And originally, the Ascension Pavilion guiding instructor position is designed to be rotated annually among the instructors of the Three Great Academies.”
“Ah…”
At Bi Ryang’s kind explanation, Yun Jong-seung nodded, finally convinced.
Meanwhile, Namgung Cheon narrowed his eyes upon seeing Bi Ryang.
‘Bi Ryang…’
He recalled what the Obscurity Society Leader had reported about Bi Ryang a short while ago.
“Name, Bi Ryang. What we found out is almost identical to the results of the Ghost King’s investigation. Nothing more has been revealed. The Alliance treats this person’s track record as quite confidential. However, one thing is certain: he is not a close associate of the Alliance Leader. Rather, he tends to keep his distance from the Alliance Leader.”
The only figure whom even the Obscurity Society had failed to fully grasp.
Although it was a relief that he was not the type of person who shared intentions with the Alliance Leader.
In any case, although coincidental, there was nothing strange about it since it was a guiding instructor rotated among the instructors of the Three Great Academies.
‘Oh, rather, it might be a good opportunity to observe him up close.’
While Namgung Cheon kept his thoughts to himself, Bi Ryang smiled brightly and spread his arms wide.
“Now, then, from this moment on, we will have the time to assign where you all will undergo your apprenticeship!”