Chapter 33: The First Trial (1)
Chapter 32 – The First Trial (1)
Once the opening ceremony was declared, the venue instantly fell silent.
It became so quiet that it was hard to believe so many people had gathered in one place.
The woman standing on the platform was more than enough to capture everyone’s attention.
She had red silk robes that would stand out anywhere, skin like white jade, and clear, bright eyes.
She was none other than Tang Ye-seol, the Captain of the Martial Alliance’s Red Wave Corps.
The eldest daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan and the older sister of Tang Wu-gi, Tang Ye-seol scanned the venue with eyes so cold they bordered on heartless, before pausing her gaze for a brief moment.
The place where her gaze lingered was none other than where her younger brother, Tang Wu-gi, was located.
‘What kind of trouble is that fool causing again? Hm? That child is surely…’
Tang Ye-seol, who had briefly fixed her gaze on Namgung Cheon, soon scanned the Grand Martial Arena again and spoke.
“Since the opening ceremony of the 14th Wuhan Joint Dragon and Phoenix Conference is about to be held now, all cadets in the venue are to maintain silence!”
Her presence was certainly not something that could be ignored.
Even though she did not particularly use the Lion’s Roar, each and every word flew softly into everyone’s ears.
It likely meant she could delicately control her profound internal energy to that extent.
Namgung Cheon carelessly tossed Hwangbo Seung’s fist, which he had been holding, to the side and raised his head.
In the VIP seats prepared behind the platform, there were quite a few faces he had not seen in a long time.
‘About half of them are familiar faces.’
In particular, Cheol Pae-gang, the Captain of the Alliance Guard Corps who wore a black patch over one eye, was someone he had personally traded blows with in his past life.
‘They have all aged quite a bit in the meantime. How did he lose that eye? Ah… did I do that?’
Since so many bastards had lunged at him back then, he did not remember for sure.
It was not as if only one or two guys had lost an eye or a limb while rushing at him.
What was certain was that his eyes had been perfectly fine until that guy lunged at him.
‘Hmm. I feel like I might have stabbed his eye back then, but then again, maybe not.’
He must have stabbed somewhere on his face, but it was vague.
In times like this, it was easier to just think he had not done it.
He had no idea who the old hag sitting next to him was, and the giant sitting next to her again was Go Cheon-su, the Captain of the Pest Extermination Squad.
An expert whose face was hideously distorted by burn scars on one side.
He remembered that guy clearly.
This was because there were not many people whose faces he had ruined with fire attacks.
He had used gunpowder while fleeing back then, and that guy unfortunately got caught in it and suffered burns.
He had personally witnessed half of that face burning up, so it seemed the guy had miraculously survived without dying.
Since that was already about seven years ago, his position might have changed by now.
Indeed, Cheol Pae-gang was not originally the Captain of the Alliance Guard Corps either.
If that guy was still only around the level of the Pest Extermination Squad Captain, he could not really be called a high-ranking official.
Anyway, thinking about it made him feel dirty.
What kind of organizational name was the Pest Extermination Squad?
Am I some kind of bug?
At any rate, the Martial Alliance bastards had a knack for getting under people’s skin.
While Namgung Cheon scanned the high-ranking officials one by one like that, Tang Ye-seol continued her brief speech.
When Namgung Cheon glanced back, Tang Wu-gi seemed to be needlessly walking on eggshells around someone, while Hwangbo Seung groaned as he clutched his broken arm.
Hwangbo Seung subtly averted his gaze the moment their eyes met.
As expected, when hunting, one had to bite down firmly.
Just as a water buffalo sometimes attacked a tiger, if the hierarchy was not clearly established, these things would crawl up without knowing their place.
The other cadets were listening to Tang Ye-seol’s speech with highly encouraged expressions.
“Now, there will be a speech from the Alliance Leader.”
At Tang Ye-seol’s voice, not only the cadets but even the commoners who had come to watch raised both hands and shouted cheers.
Namgung Cheon shook his head at the enthusiastic spectacle.
‘Good grief, he’s no different from a cult leader.’
They said he was the most popular Alliance Leader in history, but was this not a bit too much?
Why on earth did they like that old serpent?
Finally, an old man with a relatively small frame and simple attire appeared on the platform.
The Martial Alliance Leader.
Boom.
Drums rolled, adding dramatic effect to his entrance.
As the Alliance Leader raised his hand, the shouting stopped and the surroundings fell quiet.
It was a tremendous presence, to the point that no one’s eyes would wander to Tang Ye-seol standing beside him.
Namgung Cheon also stared up at the Alliance Leader and clenched his fists tightly.
His heart pounded.
Of course, it was in a different sense from those who were enthusiastic about the Alliance Leader.
Hatred, resentment, a desire for revenge, and pent-up anger made his blood boil.
Namgung Cheon knew very well that behind that benevolent-looking face lay hundreds of venomous snakes.
The man who bore the original sin of killing him, ruining his wife’s family, and driving his son to death.
In his heart, he wanted to fly over right now and beat him to death with a single blow.
But he endured.
Did they not say that a gentleman’s revenge was not too late even if it took ten years?
Though he was no gentleman, he strongly agreed with the maxim that one must know how to bide their time.
Now was not the time.
However…
‘Alliance Leader! I will surely kill you with my own hands one day.’
While Namgung Cheon glared with burning eyes, the Alliance Leader gave a long-winded speech.
Naturally, not a single word entered Namgung Cheon’s ears, but to the other cadets and commoners, every single word seemed to be nothing but a wave of deep emotion.
“……Now, display your skills and talents to your heart’s content, and prove that the future of our Orthodox Martial World is full of hope and light.”
As the Alliance Leader finished speaking with a benevolent smile, the cadets and commoners sent out enthusiastic cheers.
“Waaaah!”
“Long live the Alliance Leader!”
“Long live the Martial Alliance!”
In particular, perhaps because the commoners who packed the spectator stands had scattered something like confetti, the sky was dyed in five-colored splendor.
Namgung Cheon shook his head.
Everyone has gone stark raving mad.
But as the Alliance Leader stepped down from the platform, he suddenly stared precisely at Namgung Cheon.
The Alliance Leader, who went to sit in the VIP section, asked the man standing beside him.
“Is it that child by any chance?”
“Yes, that is correct, Alliance Leader. It is the illegitimate child of the Great Killing Star, Namgung Cheon.”
Murong Sin, the Young Patriarch of the Murong Clan and the Captain of the Martial Alliance’s Blue Wave Corps, replied in a respectful tone.
Dressed in blue martial robes in contrast to Tang Ye-seol, he possessed a handsome appearance just like his younger brother, Murong Gang, but exuded a uniquely cold atmosphere.
The Alliance Leader nodded and muttered.
“As far as appearance goes, he seems to take after his mother’s side.”
“Do not worry. They say his talent is rather mediocre.”
“It should be. If the child of the Great Killing Star were to make a name for himself as a rising star, the optics would be rather…”
Murong Sin wore a faint cold smile.
“That will never happen.”
The Alliance Leader nodded again and turned his gaze.
“I have high expectations for your younger brother.”
In the direction of the Alliance Leader’s gaze, Murong Gang, who closely resembled Murong Sin, was standing with his arms crossed while cradling his sword.
“He is still lacking in many ways, but he is a fellow who does his part.”
“The Murong Clan must feel reassured.”
Smiling gently, the Alliance Leader placed his gaze on Namgung Cheon once more.
“Only…”
The Alliance Leader was about to say something, but closed his mouth.
Instead, he muttered to himself.
‘Somehow, he has that guy’s scent.’
Well, since he was that guy’s son, it was only natural.
But the old man’s sixth sense was telling him.
That there seemed to be something else, something different.
Chuckle.
A smirk appeared on the Alliance Leader’s face.
A sixth sense, of all things.
‘Is this why they say once you get old, you should die?’
While he was harboring thoughts he did not truly mean, Namgung Cheon stared at the Alliance Leader and thought.
‘It seems those bastards are talking about me right now?’
The intuition he had sharply honed while living as a fugitive for decades was something that could never be ignored.
When his eyes locked with the Alliance Leader who had just returned to his seat, the old man was definitely talking about him with the pretty boy standing next to him.
‘Even if he is the child of the Great Killing Star… for the Alliance Leader to pay attention to a mere cadet?’
A change of plans.
He had been wary that winning the tournament might mark him in a bad way.
But it seemed he had already been marked.
In that case, he might as well do it openly and grandly.
Since it had come to this, his goal for this Joint Conference would be victory.
‘I will climb up to the position where you are as quickly as possible!’
If so, the enemy would also become clear.
The moment his decision was solidified, Tang Ye-seol shouted.
“The First Trial of the Joint Conference that you will take now is a lightness skill test, which is the foundation of all martial arts! The final passing limit is the first two hundred people on a first-come, first-served basis!”
The cadets murmured.
“Is it finally starting?”
“If it’s lightness skill, we’ll have to run like crazy.”
Tang Ye-seol continued her explanation.
“Those who pass will be granted the right to choose their lodging in order of arrival. All of you just need to run toward the destination. The destination is the tower ships floating in the middle of the Yangtze River! The test will end once a total of two hundred people board the two ships!”
The cadets looked at each other and became stirred up.
“What? We’re doing it right now?”
“Suddenly, out of nowhere?”
Meanwhile, a few quick-witted cadets began running toward the main gate.
“Huh? Is it starting just like this?”
“Without even a start signal?”
Watching the confused cadets, Tang Ye-seol silently sneered.
‘Novices. In the Jianghu, nothing comes with a warning. Just like death, opportunities are the same. In the end, the quick-witted survive and last long. The Jianghu is a place where wit is skill, and luck is also skill.’
Realizing too late that the test had already begun, the cadets started running in a crowd.
“L-let’s go!”
“Damn it! Why are they starting a tournament so out of the blue like this?!”
* * *
Yun Jong-seung sat on a sand dune, helplessly staring only at the Yangtze River flowing before him.
Only after a long time had passed did he look at the Joint Conference entry pass held in his hand.
A deep sigh came out for no reason.
What was the point of all this?
They must be taking the First Trial by now.
What would the contents be?
Should he go back even now and take the test?
No. What could a mere official pushover of Dragon Heaven Academy do?
Although he had applied to participate just in case and had even received his entry pass, he thought it was a futile effort after all.
When he saw the prominent rising stars entering the main gate of the Martial Alliance, he realized that no opportunity would be given to him.
It was obvious that he would fail without even passing the First Trial.
That was why he had laid everything down, turned back, and was currently idling by this riverside, doing nothing but sighing.
‘Namgung Cheon. Just as you said, I am going through hell, but why am not I getting stronger?’
Gritting his teeth, Yun Jong-seung soon smirked.
Indeed. There was no comparing him to Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon had endured in that hell for years.
Meanwhile, for him, not even a few months had passed.
To become as strong as Namgung Cheon, he might have to experience hell for that much longer.
“Should I go back even now and try taking the test?”
He shook his head after needlessly talking to himself.
The First Trial must already be underway, so what would be the use of going back and facing it without even knowing its contents?
Sigh, there are unusually many boats today.
There were ferryboats floating here and there, and for some reason, they were all throwing large and small logs into the river.
What were they doing?
Come to think of it, he could also see two large tower ships that he did not usually see.
“Huh? Is that the Martial Alliance flag?”
The Martial Alliance flags fluttered in the wind as they rose from the two tower ships.
Yun Jong-seung furrowed his brows.
“What is it? It’s not like a war broke out.”
It was then.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…
Just as he felt the ground shaking, albeit faintly, a thick cloud of dust came rolling in from far behind.
“Uh…?”
The dust cloud was clearly rushing toward Yun Jong-seung.
He suddenly felt a surge of fear for no reason.
“W-what? What’s going on? Is it a real war?”
While he wore a bewildered expression, someone was running like an arrow ahead of the dust cloud.
“Is that… Namgung Cheon?”
Surprisingly, the one running at the very front while leading the dust cloud was none other than Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon, who had been incredibly far away, rapidly grew larger in size before passing by him like the wind in an instant.
Whoosh.
“Whoa!”
The startled Yun Jong-seung turned his head back, only to see a crowd of cadets rushing forward like a herd of cattle.
“Uwaaaah! W-what is going on?!”
While Yun Jong-seung curled up and screamed, the cadets at the front quickly ran down the sand dune following Namgung Cheon.
Just then, someone roared at Yun Jong-seung.
“You stupid bastard! Get out of the way and scram!”
Startled, he looked up to see Paeng Su-hyeok running like a mad bull before kicking out his foot with all his might.
Bam!
Suddenly kicked, Yun Jong-seung flew all the way into the river.
“Aaaargh!”