“You…”

Before Baek Cheong could say anything, I sheathed my sword.

“I have a class, so I’ll be leaving now.”

Because I had consumed a considerable amount of internal energy and mental strength with that demonstration just now.

‘I’ve gotten everything I need.’

I reconstructed the nature of my qi according to the insight that came to me while circulating the qi in my body.

It was an opportunity I had gained while handling the Six Harmonies Sword.

‘It was a good thing I came to find Baek Cheong.’

Because Baek Cheong had pierced through the principles of the Six Harmonies Sword, I was able to get this flash of insight.

If it had been another instructor, it would have been different.

“Of course, that gaze is a bit unsettling, but still…”

Even now, Baek Cheong’s gaze was on me.

A premonition that it would become troublesome for no reason.

It was a good thing that I had a class scheduled afterwards, otherwise I might have gotten entangled with that martial arts fanatic.

Because even in the original work, he was one of the supporting characters who discovered Baek Hasin’s potential and stuck to him.

‘It’s probably just a thought.’

Thinking so, I headed to the classroom.

“…Beautiful.”

Baek Cheong’s admiring voice scattered in the gentle breeze.

“I’m interested.”

Baek Cheong’s gaze, as he said that, was fixed on Zhuge Cheonwu’s back. Until that back disappeared, hidden by the building.

* * *

This class was ‘Introduction to Tactics and Formations’.

It was a rare indoor class at the Martial Academy, and it was an unpopular subject, especially because it was theory-oriented.

The martial world is all about skill. They think it’s better to swing a sword one more time in that time.

That’s why there were almost no cases of prominent rising stars taking this class.

In my case, since I was busy just training because of my weak stamina, I needed to mix in theory classes.

Of course, I had other motives, but there was no reason for talents who were different from birth to do so.

‘But why are you here?’

I felt bewildered, looking at Baek Hasin sitting in the front seat.

To think that Baek Hasin, who had entered the academy as if he had been kicked out of his family and should be burning with ambition for growth, was taking a class like this.

‘Unexpected.’

I sat in the diagonal back seat, which was good for secretly observing him.

Then, this time too, a student who was sitting nearby stiffened and stealthily moved his seat.

‘My reputation is really something.’

If there was a repulsion formation, there would be nothing like it.

As I was thinking so and about to lean back on the chair, the front door of the classroom opened.

It was a thin and tall man wearing a formal robe.

Sama Un, a member of the Sama family, famous for its formations.

“It’s been a while. Haha.”

A thin and pale complexion, and a gentle appearance in his late 20s gave a weak impression.

He had the appearance of a scholar rather than a martial arts professor.

Perhaps because of that, even though he had entered, the students had a relaxed atmosphere rather than a tense one.

“Then let’s begin the class.”

He looked around and started the class right away with a greeting.

Before moving on to the lesson, he glanced this way and then started with a basic summary.

“Tactics range from combat on a small scale to military strategy on a large scale, and their texture is diverse.”

As the slow explanation began, I could feel the attention of about half of the surrounding students scattering.

“Last time, we learned about the compatibility between swordsmanship, the military strategies used in group battles, historical examples of strategic wisdom used in confrontations between multiple groups, and furthermore, the importance of terrain and the response to formations among them.”

It seemed they had covered a lot of ground while I was gone. Still, as is often the case in educational fields that deal with a lot of content organically, the review and application continued, so it was manageable to follow.

Of course, that’s from my perspective.

In reality, everyone started to doze off. Since they were all people who only used their bodies, they were weak in theory.

It would have been much more bearable to learn a stationary posture.

As a result, it became a situation where only a very few, including myself, were listening with interest.

‘Quite interesting.’

I concentrated and put various contents into my head. To know this world, I had to know its history, and to know its history, there was nothing like war.

And so, when the general theory lecture was over, Sama Un suddenly lifted his head from the blackboard and declared in a low voice.

“Today, we will have a special practical session.”

As soon as the words were finished, the windows closed, and the inside became dark in an instant.

A changed atmosphere. A strangeness was even felt from his appearance as he lifted the formal robe in the center of the lectern.

A few of the dozing students lifted their heads, as if they had felt that the aura had changed.

“What is it?”

One of them raised his hand and asked. It was not a polite etiquette. Perhaps they were thinking of it as an easy theory class.

Nevertheless, Sama Un answered without caring.

“It’s a formation escape.”

The rest of the students, who couldn’t get out of their drowsiness at the unfamiliar class development, also came to their senses.

“From now on, I will trap you in a formation. You can come out through the life gate based on what you have learned.”

With that, he fiddled with the arrangement of the iron pillars that had been set up in the corner of the lectern. At the same time, a jade stone fell from Sama Un’s hand, and in an instant, his figure disappeared.

Nevertheless, his voice continued to be heard. The voice echoed as if they had come to a cave.

“The passing line is one quarter of an hour (15 minutes). Those who fail to get out within that time will be considered to have failed the practical session.”

With those words, the figures of the students disappeared one by one due to the power of the formation.

“Huu. To be caught so easily just by looking at the appearance, without any suspicion. They’re too soft.”

Sama Un muttered to himself, sensing the students who were flustered by the sudden situation.

The martial world was overflowing with strange people. If you judged by appearance or prejudice, you would often die as a stranger.

So much so that there was even a saying that you shouldn’t trust children, women, and the elderly the most.

The reason why he had always used honorifics to lower their guard, and why he had made them subtly ignore him without paying attention, was for this reason.

Because it would be much better to be backstabbed here than to be taken down in a real battle by underestimating the opponent.

“Still, this student is a bit different. No, something…”

Just as Sama Un was about to observe the inside of the formation, feeling that something was unusual.

“What is it?”

“Ugh?!”

He was startled for a moment by the voice that suddenly came from behind.

“W-what…!?”

His eyes widened as he turned his head. What was standing there was the former top student and junior student, famous for being a scoundrel, Zhuge Cheonwu.

He barely managed to calm his surprise, which felt like his heart would jump out, and he managed to utter a single word.

“How?”

He couldn’t believe it. He had been setting up a formation inside the classroom for several days for today.

No matter how much of a junior student he was, that much preparation was needed to hold that many people.

That’s why he was confident. That no matter how great a rising star was, they wouldn’t be able to pass easily.

Naturally, he had never dreamed of it. That there would be someone who had escaped beyond his control.

But Sama Un didn’t know.

That the young man standing in front of him had, in fact, not been caught in the formation from the beginning.

“It was obvious. So I slipped out before it was activated.”

When he said it as if it were no big deal, Sama Un’s expression changed strangely, and he blinked his two eyes as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Slipped… out?”

Sama Un was an outstanding scholar and formation master. But to think he had slipped out of the formation he was controlling, and without him noticing at that.

He couldn’t believe it.

But what came out of the opponent was an even more astonishing answer.

“Ah, since you told us to escape, I decided to deceive you rather than take away the initiative.”

“Deceive?”

“I constructed a formation within the formation. A, a parasitic formation.”

Sama Un’s mouth fell open. It was as if he had been struck by lightning for a moment.

“Don’t tell me… a formation within a formation.”

A bewildered mumble spread through the room.

A mere junior student had constructed an escape formation without him noticing and had leisurely slipped out.

“I’ve escaped for now… is it a pass?”

He put on an innocent expression as if he knew nothing, and the opponent gave a dumbfounded smile.

“…It’s a perfect score. I’d rather like to give you extra points.”

Sama Un scratched his cheek as if embarrassed and added.

“It seems there isn’t much I can teach you, so I’m embarrassed.”

“That’s not true.”

I was sincere. Because I had many things I was curious about.

“I’ll tell you what I know.”

“Is it possible for that to be experience, not just knowledge?”

“Experience?”

When Sama Un asked back, I brought out the business I had prepared.

“My knowledge is narrow, so I would like to see various formations. I heard there are quite a few formations within the academy.”

“You’re from the Zhuge family, but your knowledge is narrow?”

Sama Un expressed his doubt.

“Unfortunately. I was always the troublemaker of the family, so I didn’t have many opportunities.”

“Ah…”

At those words, Sama Un’s gaze softened.

‘Good.’

“I’m just asking you to call me if there is an opportunity to see them later.”

I was planning to get a clue about the tomb of the Heaven-Shattering Demon. Because a lot had been omitted in the original work’s development.

A large-scale formation usually needs maintenance. Perhaps a person with the status of a professor would have a high possibility of being related to it in some part.

“Hmm, I see.”

Sama Un readily nodded his head.

‘Good.’

I had somehow succeeded in making a connection. Since I had also made a definite impression, it would be helpful for my future plans.

I, who had achieved my small objective, asked him subtly.

“By the way, were there any other students who passed like this?”

“Hmm, there were cases where they partially broke through the formation itself. Like Zhuge Paegang.”

The answer I wanted came back.

“How was it?”

It was certainly plausible, as per his nature.

“It was considerable. How Zhuge Paegang escaped the formation was…”

As I was listening to the explanation, I suddenly felt a strange tremor from the formation.

“The first… no, the second escaper has finally come out.”

The formation churned as if it were being torn, and Baek Hasin came out.

“This is…!”

Baek Hasin looked around and finished his sentence. He seemed puzzled by the fact that the place he had arrived at after escaping the formation, which had seemed wide, was in front of the lectern.

“This is actually quite amazing, you know…”

Sama Un muttered to himself in a low voice.

To have escaped a formation of this size in just a few minutes. It was something to be surprised about, but since it was after Zhuge Cheonwu, the impression was less.

“It’s a perfect score. Today’s class is over with this. You may go back.”

He seemed to be trying to send them away in advance, as the passers would soon start to pour out.

I said my goodbyes and came outside.

When I looked to the side, Baek Hasin was looking at me strangely.

“What is it?”

“The words you said last time…. What did you mean?”

At Baek Hasin’s question, I deliberately answered ambiguously.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The story that I’m learning a martial art that doesn’t suit me. You said a hegemonic martial art would suit me.”

It seemed he had had an achievement after the duel that day.

“What’s with the change of heart?”

“I was chosen as the representative this time. They said it will be announced soon.”

It was as planned. However, the more this happened, the more I shouldn’t be hasty.

“My advice is precious. If it’s just a probing question, it would be better not to listen in the first place.”

I deliberately dragged it out. So that there would be at least a little hope for the future development.

But Baek Hasin seemed to think differently.

“…I showed a childish reaction in the duel last time. I apologize. Thanks to you, I was able to broaden my horizons.”

‘Oh?’

I could see a glimmer of possibility in his obedient admission.

Has this day finally come? It’s been a long time.

It was a moment that could be said to decide Baek Hasin’s future path. Although he himself didn’t know.

“Fine, I’ll tell you.”

Baek Hasin lifted his head.

Upright eyes, certainly a gaze worthy of a protagonist who pursues the righteous path.

In a serious atmosphere. I looked him straight in the eye and said.

“Baek Hasin, a demonic art suits you.”

(End of Chapter)

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