Chapter 55: I Will Let You Live (1)
Chapter 54 – I Will Let You Live (1)
Namgung Cheon fell into nostalgia for the first time in a while as he watched the fourteen cadets flying toward him like moths to a flame.
Indeed, such things had been common in his past life.
To exaggerate a bit, anyone who made eye contact with him had been itching to kill him.
But wait, why fourteen?
Even excluding Song Won-gyo, there should have been fifteen.
Through the chaotic swarm of moths, Baekli Hyang could be seen standing with an anxious expression.
She could not bring herself to join the attack and was merely scanning the surroundings warily.
Namgung Cheon let out a smirk.
‘Is her brain finally working?’
He could not bring himself to blindly trample a pitiful creature that was so utterly terrified and cowering.
Having finished his thoughts, Namgung Cheon drew the Emerald Silk Sword and drove it straight into the ground.
*Crash!*
The momentum was so fierce and powerful that the frantically charging moths faltered.
It was also strange that he did not swing the Emerald Silk Sword but instead drove it upside down into the ground.
On the other hand, Namgung Cheon burst into laughter as the hesitating cadets looked like moths wavering before a blaze.
When he suddenly burst into laughter instead of cowering in fear, the cadets frowned.
‘What is this? Is he crazy?’
As these thoughts crossed each of their minds, Namgung Cheon suddenly swept his gaze over the cadets with eyes as cold as ice.
“Line up, you bastards. In the order you want to get beaten.”
“Is he crazy…?”
The cadets stared at Namgung Cheon with blank faces for a moment before they began flying in from all directions.
Seriously, kids these days never listened.
A brief thought crossed his mind that the instructors must have a hard time teaching such rebellious brats.
In the meantime, Eon Ho-ryang rushed in first and threw a punch.
Seeing the yellow energy surging from his dantian, it was the Qi of Earth. Moreover, looking at the path of the internal energy spreading throughout his entire body and the way it concentrated in his fist…
‘It’s the Jinju Eon Clan.’
Since he had clashed with martial artists of the Jinju Eon Clan in his past life, it was not difficult to identify.
The Jinju Eon Clan’s martial arts were characterized by applying the methods used in Jiangshi arts to the human body, making it as hard as steel. Therefore, clumsy attacks would fail to leave even a single scratch on the opponent and might instead break one’s own wrist.
When he had mentioned this to someone in his past life, a guy had argued that it made no sense, asking why an orthodox sect belonging to the Ten Great Clans of the Jianghu would learn Jiangshi arts.
However, that was nothing but bullshit spouted by someone trapped in narrow-minded thinking who did not know a damn thing about how this Jianghu operated.
Not knowing that behind the clean facade of those prestigious orthodox sects lay mountains of dirty secrets.
Anyway, even if a bastard of the Jinju Eon Clan turned his skin into a sheet of iron, there were still parts that could not be hardened.
*Swish!*
As Namgung Cheon slid half a step to the side, the punch that flew in with a tearing sound narrowly brushed past his cheek.
Having dodged the Eon Clan Fist in that manner, Namgung Cheon dug into the inner space and thrust his fingers forward.
*Squish!*
A squishy sensation traveled up his fingertips.
“Arghhhhh! My eyeeees!”
As he pulled his fingers out, Eon Ho-ryang screamed and collapsed.
As Namgung Cheon’s methods were more brutal than expected, the pupils of the recklessly charging moths trembled violently.
However, they were in a situation where they could not stop even if they wanted to.
The cadet, carried forward by inertia, thrust his spear straight toward Namgung Cheon’s shoulder.
Yet, as if he had already anticipated it, Namgung Cheon spun his body like a top, snatched the cadet’s wrist, and slammed his forehead directly into him.
*Crack!*
“Grargh!”
With his forehead split open, the cadet dropped his spear and was sent flying.
Namgung Cheon briefly rubbed his forehead.
“Does it hurt? It hurts for me too, you bastard.”
“Yeeeaah!”
This time, a battle cry erupted from behind.
*Whoosh!*
Turning around, he saw Jin Tae-gon swinging a gently curved falchion.
As Namgung Cheon threw his head back and utilized footwork to retreat, the falchion brushed past his neck by a hair’s breadth.
He probably had not swung it with the intention of actually killing him in the first place, but because Namgung Cheon’s response was so brutal, a lethal strike had naturally unfolded.
*Clang!*
As Namgung Cheon flicked his finger, the falchion wobbled like a soft sword and bounced back.
“Urgh!”
The moment Jin Tae-gon tightened his grip on his wrist to avoid losing his sword,
“Hup!”
A large fist flew straight toward his face!
*Smack!*
“Argh!”
His nasal bone collapsed, and his eyes were struck hard by the fist.
As Jin Tae-gon was sent flying like that, Namgung Cheon grabbed the ankle of the cadet kicking from the side and twisted it in the opposite direction of the joint.
*Crack!*
“Gurgle!”
The cadet’s eyes rolled back as he let out a scream.
While holding the cadet’s ankle, Namgung Cheon threw him forcefully toward another cadet rushing in from the left wielding a sword.
“Whoa!”
*Crash!*
Three cadets tangled together and tumbled messily.
Namgung Cheon’s fingertips trembled slightly.
What a thrilling sensation.
When he saw these guys getting crumpled and sent flying, there were times when humans did not seem human.
Like pebbles scattered along the roadside, perhaps? As one would know, kicking pebbles for no reason and watching them roll was quite entertaining.
That was exactly the case now.
The perfect impact, the pleasantly bursting screams, and the pebbles tumbling around in crumpled heaps—pebbles, pebbles, pebbles…!
*Thud! Bam! Thud!*
A strange sense of euphoria wrapped around his entire body.
The hungry spirit of his fugitive days, which he had forgotten for a long time, also revived.
Back then, he had secretly enjoyed brawling like this.
When one spent all day running in constant anxiety, one’s nerves would become extremely frayed.
At those times, he wanted to break anything, but having a massive fight instead would make him feel relieved.
The process was usually the same.
The opponents would always charge in with anger just like now,
*Thud!*
“Argh!”
And after getting beaten and sent flying like this,
“Groan.”
They would groan and remain on guard,
*Thud! Crack! Bam! Thud!*
“Aaargh!”
“Argh!”
And they would end up staring blankly, only watching their comrades get beaten up.
In that manner, Namgung Cheon swung his fists and kicked enthusiastically, immersed in a strange nostalgia.
He was so wild, bold, and domineering that one might think he was a man born solely to fight.
Madness had already crept into Namgung Cheon’s eyes, making them glisten.
“You bastard!”
Namgung Cheon expressed his gratitude by delivering a backkick to the cadet who had kindly yelled to warn him even while attacking from behind.
*Thump!*
“Urgh!”
Once the cadet, with a footprint stamped on his abdomen, collapsed and rolled away, there were no more cadets left standing properly.
Ah, except for Baekli Hyang, who was shivering at the entrance over there.
Namgung Cheon took a deep breath as if filled with ultimate satisfaction, then grinned.
He liked it.
The golden energy had definitely settled inside his body and completed its adaptation.
Every movement had become fast and light, yet he was also able to add weight to them.
Usually, to obtain the inner dan of such a spiritual beast, one would have to fall off a cliff and miraculously discover a cave, or fall into water, lose consciousness, drift away, and reach a utopian land to obtain a fortuitous encounter…
To obtain it so easily during an exam hosted by the Martial Alliance was truly an absolute steal!
Namgung Cheon looked around, clenched his fist, and cheered them on.
“Don’t stay down. Overcome it. Are you not still in your youth? Pain is a prerequisite for youth!”
Having spouted off whatever came to his mind, he himself did not even know what he was saying.
However, he quite liked the last phrase.
Indeed, if not for those youthful days when he felt pain, would he be standing tall here now?
“Groan…”
“Urgh…!”
Perhaps encouraged by his support, the cadets who had been crumpled here and there stood up while groaning feebly.
As expected of youth. This was indeed what it meant to be young.
Rather than a fully blossomed flower whose martial arts had reached full bloom like this, he preferred a promising bud. There was quite a thrill in popping open flower buds.
Namgung Cheon tossed a word to the cadets who were fully enjoying their youth.
“Will you line up now?”
“You relentless bastard…!”
Dokgo Jin gripped his sword tightly and gnashed his teeth.
Come to think of it, when did that guy get beaten by him?
Because he had swung his limbs so enthusiastically, he could not even remember. He was newly disappointed that the guy possessed such a faint presence.
By the way, calling him relentless. That was a bit harsh.
To plot a gang-beating against a single person and then call him relentless. Wasn’t that something he should be saying?
His mood turned sour, and his excitement died down.
At that moment, without Namgung Cheon even realizing it, the energy he used to exude during his peak days spread out in all directions.
*Woosh!*
“…”
The aura from the days when he was called the Great Killing Star.
Of course, compared to back then, it was no different from a gentle lamb.
Nevertheless, to the cadets who had zero real combat experience, it was simply terrifying, as if a beast’s fangs were right before their eyes.
Their bodies stiffened at the unfamiliar sensation, and their minds went blank.
As Namgung Cheon took a step forward, all the cadets, including Dokgo Jin, flinched and retreated.
Suddenly, Dokgo Jin widened his eyes and stared at the tips of Namgung Cheon’s feet.
‘Could it be that bastard…?’
It was certain.
Namgung Cheon had driven the Emerald Silk Sword into the ground and had not strayed more than a radius of one zhang from it.
How?
It was shocking enough that he had dealt with all of them alone, but he had fought without a single wound, barely even moving from his spot?
He had now realized it clearly.
It was not that they had surrounded Namgung Cheon; rather, Namgung Cheon had trapped them!
As his thoughts reached this point, his limbs stiffened even further.
However, Namgung Cheon did not wait.
“If you are not coming, shall I go?”
“No!”
“…?”
Dokgo Jin shouted out reflexively and startled himself.
But he had no choice. It would be far more dangerous if Namgung Cheon were to move himself. In particular, if that crazy bastard were to pull out the Emerald Silk Sword and swing it, he would be nothing short of a grim reaper.
Dokgo Jin gnashed his molars and issued an order that he could barely bring himself to utter.
“W-we go first. Everyone, a-attack!”
“…”
“What are you doing! Attack!”
Dokgo Jin let out a loud shout and rushed forward.
For a moment, just as it seemed Namgung Cheon had vanished from sight, the sword sliced through empty air, and a fist surged from beneath his chin.
*Smack!*
“Gurgle!”
*Crash!*
Sent flying as he was, Dokgo Jin lay limp on the ground.
Within his fading consciousness, he saw his classmates charging in like moths to a flame.
‘Ah… maybe I should have told them to line up and attack instead…?’
* * *
“Groan.”
How long had he been sprawled out?
Song Won-gyo, who had barely regained consciousness, frowned deeply at the splitting pain in his head.
His vision was blurry, and his ears were ringing. He seemed to have injured his head when he collapsed.
Looking around through his blurry vision, it seemed the sun had almost set.
If so, the third trial would end soon.
Song Won-gyo, who was about to quickly raise his body, realized his left arm was broken and let out a scream.
“Aaaargh! Damn it!”
Belatedly, the memory of being defeated by Yun Jong-seung came back to him.
“Why did I get done in by a pushover like him…!”
Spitting out the words unconsciously, he flinched and looked around. Fortunately, Yun Jong-seung was nowhere to be seen.
What happened to the exam?
By now, it should have been time for Dokgo Jin to arrive.
“Groan…!”
Song Won-gyo stumbled to his feet and walked toward the entrance.
Just then, he saw someone running quickly from over there.
However, as his vision was still blurry and his ears were ringing, he could not identify the person properly.
“They seem to be waving their hand and saying something…”
The opponent’s voice only echoed in a rumble, as if heard from inside a cave.
At this hour, it must be… Dokgo Jin returning with the hostage.
Song Won-gyo also waved his hand back.
“Good work! I knew Brother Dokgo would pull it off! Namgung Cheon must be utterly smashed by now—”
However, the person who had run up to the entryway suddenly leaped into the air and rammed a knee into his chin!
*Thud!
“Aaargh!”
Garing down at Song Won-gyo, who had been sent rolling, Paeng Su-hyeok panted as he spoke.
“What is this idiot blabbering about? I told you to get out of the way and not block my path. We don’t have time. Tsk…”