Chapter 35: Overwhelming First Place (1)
Chapter 34 – Overwhelming First Place (1)
After Murong Gang, no one climbed onto the tower ship for a long time.
It was because the gap between the two and the rest of the cadets was quite large.
The gap widened even further, especially upon reaching the water.
Namgung Cheon stared blankly at Murong Gang.
‘Is that guy Murong Gang?’
He had already heard from Yun Jong-seung that he was the number one of the Righteous Chivalry Academy.
His face was definitely similar to Murong Baek, whom he had met a long time ago.
If he were to evaluate his appearance, how should he put it?
Right, the phrase ‘looks like a rude bastard’ would fit perfectly.
As Namgung Cheon stared blankly at him for quite a while, Murong Gang turned around with a displeased look and asked coldly,
“Is there something on my face?”
“No. It is so clean that even dust would slip right off.”
At Namgung Cheon’s banter, Murong Gang let out a cold laugh and turned his head away again.
He was definitely rude.
It must be a family trait of the Murong Clan.
Meanwhile, one person soared over the railing and landed softly.
He caught his breath for a moment and glanced at Namgung Cheon and Murong Gang.
Although Namgung Cheon did not know who he was, he could recognize his origin at once.
‘He is from the Kunlun Sect.’
When it came to Kunlun, was it not indeed lightfoot arts?
Cho Rip-pyo, who had been coldly rejected twice before, did not approach any more cadets.
After that, the cadets began to arrive on the deck one by one.
Cadets would also be boarding the other tower ship next to them.
Finally, Yu Hyeon arrived, climbing over the railing.
Unlike at first, he was holding Ju Yeon-hwa’s hand.
Ju Yeon-hwa beamed at Yu Hyeon and said,
“Thank you, Senior Brother.”
“Next time, I will not take your circumstances into consideration. A full-grown adult having a fear of water. Tsk.”
“Hehe. Somehow, I feel like I overcame it starting today! Thanks to you, Senior Brother.”
“Did you perhaps… do it on purpose?”
“Oh, no way. What are you talking about?”
Ju Yeon-hwa waved her hand and feigned ignorance.
Namgung Cheon stared at the sight and clicked his tongue.
‘That fellow is also quite a clueless blockhead.’
Anyone could see that the junior sister harbored feelings for her senior brother, yet he could not notice it?
Those who arrived now were mostly cadets of the Valiant Martial Academy.
In terms of the passing rate, the cadets of the Valiant Martial Academy were the most numerous.
It was nothing to be surprised about.
Since it was an academy directly established by the Martial Alliance and possessed the most rising stars of the Nine Great Sects.
Meanwhile, Yu Hyeon, who was looking around for a moment, walked with heavy steps toward somewhere.
“Huh? Senior Brother!”
Ju Yeon-hwa quickly followed Yu Hyeon.
Standing at the spot where Yu Hyeon was heading, Murong Gang sneered inwardly.
‘He seems to be conscious of me.’
In fact, Murong Gang was also wary of Yu Hyeon.
Unlike the Righteous Chivalry Academy, the Valiant Martial Academy did not have a clear ranking among its cadets.
However, he was well aware of Yu Hyeon, who made a name for himself as a rising star of the Mount Hua Sect.
Because Yu Hyeon was one of the few competitors he acknowledged in this tournament.
Yu Hyeon, who approached with long strides, smiled gently and opened his mouth.
“We meet again like this. I am Yu Hyeon, a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect and a second-year cadet of the Valiant Martial Academy.”
“I am from the Murong Clan…”
Murong Gang, who was about to speak, froze and opened his eyes wide.
For Yu Hyeon, whom he thought was talking to him, passed right by his side.
Glancing back, he saw Yu Hyeon approaching Namgung Cheon and greeting him.
‘These bastards…!’
Unaware of Murong Gang’s cold gaze, Yu Hyeon clasped his hands toward Namgung Cheon and continued.
“I was truly impressed by young hero’s martial prowess. If it is not rude, may I ask your name?”
“What name between peers? Speak comfortably. My name is Namgung Cheon.”
Then, Ju Yeon-hwa, who had followed Yu Hyeon, pointed her finger and cried out,
“Ah! Then the official pushover of Dragon Heaven Academy!”
At Ju Yeon-hwa’s reaction, Yu Hyeon was taken aback and quickly scolded her.
“Hwa-ya! What kind of language is that?”
“Ah… I am sorry.”
As Ju Yeon-hwa apologized with hunched shoulders, Yu Hyeon continued with an awkward smile.
“I apologize. My junior sister is still immature…”
“Indeed. I recall she also got into trouble at the Grand Martial Arena due to her loose tongue, so I wonder if she is practically an idiot.”
“W-What did you say? Excuse me!”
As Ju Yeon-hwa flared up again, Yu Hyeon scolded her harshly with a frightening expression.
“Hwa-ya! If you are going to keep acting like this, let’s not go around together!”
“S-Senior Brother…”
“Did I not tell you? We are currently no different from the face of Mount Hua!”
“I was… wrong.”
“Tsk tsk.”
Yu Hyeon clicked his tongue and turned back to Namgung Cheon.
“I apologize politely once again.”
“Well, it is fine. If I think of her as a lacking person, it is not incomprehensible.”
Ju Yeon-hwa was inwardly furious at Namgung Cheon’s reply, but she had no choice but to shut her mouth while watching her senior brother’s reaction.
Yu Hyeon continued with an awkward smile.
“Anyway, I did not expect you to be a child of the Namgung Clan. I look forward to working with you.”
“What is there to request when we are competing with each other?”
“Haha, is that so?”
Yu Hyeon scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
In the meantime, the cadets were arriving one after another.
Namgung Cheon glanced at a cadet who had just arrived.
It was a female cadet with freckles below her cheekbones.
She had a plain appearance and was dressed in simple clothes that looked slightly larger than her build.
The reason Namgung Cheon’s eyes were particularly drawn to her was that, for the first time, she was a cadet of the same Blue Dragon Class from Dragon Heaven Academy.
‘She was a quiet child who did not speak much, right?’
A child who had not particularly joined in bullying the pushover.
She was a child so quiet that it was as if she were not even there, but surprisingly, her lightfoot art seemed to be outstanding.
How much time had passed since then?
“Hraaaah!”
Along with a loud shout, a dark figure soared into the air.
Thud.
The person who landed on the deck with a heavy sound was none other than Paeng Su-hyeok.
Because he had fallen into the water, his entire body was dripping wet.
Panting, he looked around, and when his eyes met Namgung Cheon’s, he snorted roughly and turned his head away.
Meanwhile, looking at the cadets arriving one by one, Gale Squad Captain Cho Rip-pyo fell into silent thought.
‘There seem to be quite a lot of talents this year. There is no need to rush.’
By the way, to think that child was Namgung Cheon.
He had not paid any attention to Namgung Cheon, who was known as the official pushover of Dragon Heaven Academy, in the first place.
But to think he would take first place so overwhelmingly.
Well, since his father suffered so much because of the Gale Squad, it must be an organization he never wanted to join.
Fate is truly mysterious.
Just in time, a red signal flare was shot up from the other ship.
Screeech, bang.
A red signal flare was shot up from the other ship.
It meant that the quota of one hundred people was full.
Cho Rip-pyo asked his subordinate.
“How many do we have left?”
“Currently ninety-eight! Two people left!”
While the subordinate was speaking, another cadet climbed up the rope.
Now, only one remained.
Cho Rip-pyo stared blankly at the cadets lagging behind.
Each of them was in a frenzy to run to the tower ship first.
Cho Rip-pyo commanded his subordinates.
“Now, cut all the ropes except for one!”
As the subordinates cut the ropes all at once, several cadets fell away with screams.
They might feel it was unfair since the rope they were holding happened to be cut, but it could not be helped.
Had he not said so?
In the Jianghu, luck is also a skill.
Moreover, for those who were lagging behind like this, luck especially became a skill.
* * *
Gurgle…! Gurgle…
He sank.
His body and mind grew cold and wet.
Heavily, heavily, he sank.
What would happen if he kept sinking like this?
Death.
Yes, leaving this world full of regrets just like this wasn’t bad… like hell it wasn’t.
He wanted to live! He had to live.
In that instant, Yun Jong-seung snapped his eyes open.
‘Is this… underwater?’
Just then, his last memory flashed through his mind.
Right, he had been blown away like a pebble by Paeng Su-hyeok’s kick.
He could not die like this.
How had he endured that hell all this time?
He could not die while still being the official pushover of Dragon Heaven Academy.
Yun Jong-seung flailed his limbs desperately.
His body began to float up little by little.
Light glimmered above the surface of the water.
‘I must move toward the light! Toward the light!’
His breath rose up to his throat.
Perhaps because he had already swallowed a lot of water, his body felt even heavier.
How long did he struggle like that?
Finally, the light on the surface embraced Yun Jong-seung.
“Puhah! Haaah! Heugh!”
Spitting out his held breath, he kept paddling his limbs.
Just then, something caught his fingertips.
A rope…?
‘I-I survived!’
Looking up, he saw a single rope hanging down long from the railing of the tower ship.
‘Ah, they are trying to save me!’
Tears flowed from a sudden rush of emotion.
But for some reason, the cadets were clamoring and rushing toward Yun Jong-seung.
‘Could it be that they are also rushing to save me from drowning?’
Ah, it was still a world worth living in.
Indeed, such a warm and caring world.
He did not want to die yet.
“Everyone, do not worry! I am safe!”
He shouted at the top of his lungs while holding the rope, but the cadets running toward Yun Jong-seung did not stop.
Rather, their expressions were more desperate than anyone else’s.
This would not do.
He had to climb up to the tower ship and show them that he was safe.
As Yun Jong-seung gripped the rope tenaciously and began to climb the tower ship, the running cadets shouted,
“No!”
“Stop!”
Geez, I said I’m safe.
Though his body was deathly exhausted from his near-death experience, it was a moment that warmed his heart due to everyone’s concern.
* * *
“How is it? Did you find any talent?”
Hearing a clear, ringing voice, Cho Rip-pyo turned around to find Tang Ye-seol standing there.
She had just run straight here after confirming that the cadets had left the Grand Martial Arena.
Cho Rip-pyo wore a bitter smile.
“I was rejected for recruitment by the overwhelming first place.”
“Oh? Who is that cheeky fellow? Could it be Murong Gang?”
If it were Murong Gang, it would be understandable.
However, the reply that came back was unexpected.
“No. It is Namgung Cheon.”
“Namgung Cheon…?”
A look of surprise crossed Tang Ye-seol’s face.
Her gaze quickly swept over the cadets and located Namgung Cheon.
“That child is… overwhelmingly first place? Come to think of it, I do not see Jo Gang-min.”
“I received a report that Jo Gang-min is unable to participate in this tournament.”
“Jo Gang-min? Why?”
“It seems he was quite severely injured.”
“How?”
“I do not know the details either. It is children’s business, after all. It seemed the Dragon Heaven Academy was keeping it quiet in its own way.”
“Hmm. To think that Jo Gang-min was injured…”
Tang Ye-seol narrowed her eyes and looked at Namgung Cheon.
Call it a woman’s intuition.
She had a hunch.
Jo Gang-min was absent, and Namgung Cheon, whom no one had expected, took the overwhelming first place.
Was it an overreaction that these two things did not seem to be entirely unrelated?
“Jo Gang-min is out and Namgung Cheon is in… It is already interesting.”
At her murmur, Cho Rip-pyo chimed in suggestively.
“Still, the problem starts now.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it a group battle starting from the next test?”
“Indeed.”
“Which cadet would want to be in the same group as the child of the Great Killing Star?”
Indeed. It was a valid point.
The test to be held starting tomorrow was a group battle.
The problem was that when forming groups, it was left to the autonomy of the cadets.
In short, raising one’s own recognition and winning the hearts of others was also considered a qualification that an orthodox martial artist should possess.
In other words, forming a group was a test in itself.
If they failed to form a group within a day, they would be disqualified.
‘It will definitely be difficult for Namgung Cheon.’
Tang Ye-seol stretched lazily and said,
“It is boring to wait, so shall we just end it one person short this year?”
“Shall we?”
Cho Rip-pyo replied as if it were the best news he had heard.
It was then.
A hand suddenly popped up over the railing.
“Cough, huff, huff! I-I survived!”
The one who barely climbed onto the deck was none other than Yun Jong-seung.
Regardless of the tournament or whatever, he had boarded the ship desperately solely to survive.
Yun Jong-seung stood up unsteadily and waved his hand toward the outside of the railing.
“Everyone, thank you! I-I am safe! It is all thanks to everyone! I survived like this!”
Seeing this, Cho Rip-pyo frowned and shouted with a Lion’s Roar.
“That is all, two hundred people boarded! The first test is concluded!”
In that instant, Yun Jong-seung turned around with a blank look.
“Huh…? The first test…? What is?”