‘Crazy…’

Cold sweat flowed. Of all people, to be pointed out by her.

If the opponent is decided like this, it’s the end.

‘She definitely won’t hold back.’

Considering the opponent’s nature, it was obvious that I would be shattered in one exchange.

In that moment, I raised my voice.

“I’m sorry!”

The surrounding gazes that flocked. Originally, a junior student has no choice. Before being stopped, I immediately continued.

“I have a friendship with Namgung Bihwa-nim, so I am worried that I will ruin the friendly match personally.”

At the sudden remark, the surroundings began to murmur.

“Did he say friendship?”

“What a ridiculous thing to say!”

“But there’s no reason to lie in this place.”

“Come to think of it, I saw the two of them chatting in the library before! Their voices were loud.”

The murmuring crowd. Especially when a witness appeared, the commotion grew.

I received those words and added.

“That’s right. I was also indebted to her in the library.”

“Is that true?”

“Heh, isn’t it natural for prestigious families to have connections?”

“But if it’s that Namgung Bihwa, the story is different. Hasn’t she been living particularly aloof since entering the academy?”

The venue became even noisier with the added tidbit. Namgung Bihwa was a strong and beautiful being, and on top of that, she had few friends, so it was bound to be controversial.

As she suddenly became the center of a strange rumor, she narrowed her brow.

At this, Wu Hwiryeong showed an interested expression.

“Is it true?”

“Absolutely not.”

Namgung Bihwa answered coldly.

Her eyes were full of killing intent. I was certain in that moment. If I fight now, I’ll die.

‘I have to avoid it somehow.’

It was a trivial suspicion in the first place. Since I had already started the stage, I had to inflate it somehow and see it to the end.

Because the routes I could take in the future would change depending on what kind of ability I showed in the friendly match.

At this moment, face was irrelevant.

“Please look at that fierce denial. A strong denial is also a strong affirmation!”

At my assertion, Namgung Bihwa’s expression disappeared. To the point where I felt like my breath would stop at that condensed gaze. But here, I had to be shameless.

“Hehe, is that so?”

Wu Hwiryeong looked at us with a grin and then made a judgment.

“This won’t do. The senior side is full of killing intent. This is a friendly match, not a rival match. Disallowed!”

The murmuring surroundings. Wu Hwiryeong’s joke had added to the rumor.

Whether that was the case or not, I let out a sigh of relief. With this, the possibility of being able to do something had increased to some extent.

‘The problem is the aftermath, though.’

When I looked over there, Namgung Bihwa was glaring at me as if she would kill me. She parted her lips.

“…I will choose Peng Geun-u. It has nothing to do with me, though.”

A chill ran down my spine. The formless killing intent seemed to pierce my brow.

An uncomfortable time passed, and finally, it was the third turn.

Mo Yonghan. He looked this way and then declared.

“Then I’ll go with Zhuge Cheonwu.”

Only then did the tension ease. It was as planned.

Because according to what I had prepared, fighting with Mo Yonghan was the best option.

“We don’t have a friendship, do we?”

Mo Yonghan asked with a smiling tone, as if he were seeing right through me.

“That’s right.”

– But why did you lie earlier?

A telepathic message came right away. It seemed he was getting straight to the point.

Thinking about it calmly, there were many suspicious points in my assertion. It was just that Wu Hwiryeong had found it interesting and let it pass. If it hadn’t been for Wu Hwiryeong, I would have made another excuse.

‘Normally, they would just let it pass.’

Mo Yonghan, unlike his large build, had a clever side.

‘What to do.’

I don’t know how to use telepathy yet. But it was also strange to make an excuse out loud now.

To suddenly bring up the story of Namgung Bihwa and make an incomprehensible excuse?

This was strictly an event.

Earlier, I had raised my voice with the justification of fairness, but if I added more nonsense here, it was obvious that many bad things would happen.

So I had no choice but to just beat around the bush.

“I have heard high praise for your protective qi from a distance. I hope I can learn a lesson.”

When I praised him to change the subject, Mo Yonghan made a benevolent face.

“Hehe, you’re really…”

– Looking down on me.

Damn it, it didn’t work at all. Even though his mouth was smiling, his eyes were different.

It seemed he didn’t like the fact that I had refused a duel with Namgung Bihwa but had readily chosen him.

It was a similar situation to with Do Sogi.

‘Nothing goes as planned.’

To be misunderstood no matter what I do. It’s a very uncomfortable body. It’s probably because of my bad reputation.

After that, Yeo Jingon of the Zhongnan Sect chose Baek Hasin, and Go Subin of the Beggars’ Sect chose Yeom Chaekyung, and the nomination ceremony came to an end.

“Then we will begin the duels in the order of nomination.”

‘Huh?’

I suddenly felt a sense of wonder at Wu Hwiryeong’s sudden change of attitude and progress. Originally, it was common for such events to go from the weakest to the strongest.

But to have a big match from the very beginning. It was a strange thing.

As I was thinking so, I saw Wu Hwiryeong bowing her head.

Only after turning my head to follow did I understand the reason.

Because I saw a middle-aged man with a dignified atmosphere sitting in the most honorable seat before I knew it.

Cheon Mujin, the head of the Martial Academy and one of the three great masters of the Martial Alliance.

Next to him were the former academy head, Mi Tae-eul, whom I had seen before entering the academy, and the chief professor, Gu Jabeom.

Since those busy figures had taken the time to sit down, they had no choice but to bring out the most important stage from the very beginning.

Although the progress was light, the unique intuition of a master stood out.

‘It’s actually a good thing. Thanks to that, I’ll get to see their skills first.’

From the first match, it was Bong So and Baek Cheong.

A stage where the futures of Shaolin and Huashan, which were considered among the best of the Nine Sects, would clash. Naturally, it was bound to attract attention.

“I will yield the first move.”

Bong So, who had stepped onto the duel stage, declared, looking at Baek Cheong.

“I will learn a lesson.”

A single sword that was slowly drawn. Baek Cheong moved first.

The blade, which had started with a fluttering movement, created an afterimage and then rushed in with dozens of sword strikes.

The martial art of Huashan certainly contained the essence of a swift sword.

‘Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordsmanship.’

It was different from the Six Harmonies Sword I was learning.

An incredible speed and profound changes.

As if he had reached the realm of the peak, the swift sword, with its sword qi formed, left an afterimage and brightened the area.

On the other hand, a sense of gravity was felt from Bong So’s sword, which was receiving this.

Even though his hand speed was not fast, he was blocking all the numerous sword paths, and on the contrary, he was showing off a martial prowess that pressed the area.

‘I heard he was a peak-level master, but the difference is clear.’

From the peak level, the deviation in skill becomes large, and the stages are sometimes divided into entry, mastery, proficiency, and ultimate.

If Baek Cheong was at the end of the entry stage, Bong So had already reached the stage of proficiency.

Unless there was a variable, Bong So would win without any difficulty.

As if he knew this, Baek Cheong’s sword flashed in an instant. The sword qi was densely condensed, and along with the acceleration, a sword wind burst out in the surroundings.

The sword strikes became faster and faster. The form of the sword path, which had only been leaving afterimages, now began to look like scattering petals.

At that sight, everyone sitting in the audience burst out in admiration.

Plum blossoms.

Like a propeller that is too fast and seems to be spinning slowly. The brilliance of the sword qi that remained in the place where the swords had clashed poured down like a rain of flowers from a flower viewing party.

‘Incredible.’

Strong, overwhelmingly so.

Although his status was that of a junior student, his level had already far surpassed that of an intermediate student.

An ordinary student would have been torn apart by that sword dance.

If his opponent hadn’t been Bong So, that is.

“The future of Huashan is bright.”

A single straight line split the center of the light cluster.

Like leaves scattering in a seasonal wind, the afterimage of the Plum Blossom Sword disappeared in an instant.

The swift sword of Huashan had failed to break through the Arhat Swordsmanship of Shaolin.

‘There was a difference in level.’

Far from breaking Bong So’s solid defense, the strength of the swift sword, its variable forms, had been seen through.

As proof of that, Baek Cheong’s sword was stuck in a clash and couldn’t move. He couldn’t break the balance of power.

‘That’s the top student of the intermediate students.’

The road ahead felt long.

It was to the point where it was laughable that I had thought I had become quite strong until now.

My attention turned back to the training ground.

Baek Cheong, who was being pushed back in sword strength, eventually stepped back. It seemed his intention was to create a distance and take advantage of the subtleties of the swift sword.

However, this time, Bong So did not give him an opening. The footwork that swallowed the gap was light yet bold. As if it were striking the opponent’s weak point.

Their sword forms crossed in the air. The plum blossoms withered and disappeared before they could even bloom, and instead, only a firm blade was established in the place.

At this rate, he would be pushed back by the Arhat Swordsmanship, which was imbued with dharma power. He was no match in martial prowess, internal energy, or experience.

If he starts to get caught up like that, it’s the end.

In that moment, Baek Cheong boldly dug into the gap.

He had instinctively found a path to enter.

The sword that was shot out from his bosom shone with sword qi.

Clang!

Along with a loud noise, a cloud of dust rose.

A lull came after the final exchange.

What was there was Bong So, standing with his sword, and Baek Cheong, who had been pushed back two steps with a vein popping out on his neck.

Anyone could see that he was not in a normal state. It seemed the backlash from forcibly circulating his internal energy had set in.

It seemed he had been pushed back in internal energy.

“I’ve lost.”

Baek Cheong, who had finally gathered his energy, cupped his fists.

“It was a good duel.”

Likewise, Bong So bowed his head.

““Waaaaaaah!””

In that moment, a cheer came out in the area.

The incredible martial prowess that could not be seen at the student level and the appearance of the rising stars that would only appear in unofficial histories were enough to make those who admired the martial world enthusiastic.

It was the same for me. I was so immersed in the last move that I was drawn in.

‘I’m gaining a lot.’

Seeing is believing. It was much more effective to see it once in person than to analyze it with the knowledge from the secret manual library.

As I was engraving it in my mind, Namgung Bihwa and Peng Geun-u, who were called next, came out to the center of the training ground.

Since both of them were rising stars who were receiving attention in the righteous path, it was a similar aspect to the previous duel.

However, the content was completely different from the previous duel.

“…I’ve lost.”

In just a few minutes, Peng Geun-u said, half-kneeling as if he had suffered an internal injury.

‘Don’t tell me, I never thought it would end so quickly.’

For some reason, Namgung Bihwa was not in a good mood today, and as a result, a scene where Peng Geun-u was knocked out in just three forms was produced.

“Amazing!”

“Wasn’t that a protective qi that Peng Geun-u showed at the end? To think he was also a peak-level master.”

“Even so, it ended in just three forms, didn’t it?”

“Even if it’s the peak, it’s not the same level.”

In the excited atmosphere, the students acted like connoisseurs.

The sight of the lightning-like sword strikes pouring down was chilling even now.

Although the onlookers cheered for her exhilarating offensive, I alone could not enjoy it with a light heart.

“But Namgung Bihwa must have been in a bad mood.”

“Was the thing with Zhuge Cheonwu true?”

The people around started to murmur again, looking this way. The more such rumors spread, the greater Namgung Bihwa’s anger would become.

‘I have to get stronger.’

So that I can survive when that sword reaches me someday. Of course, since Namgung Bihwa is a righteous path person, she won’t draw her sword easily.

“Then next is Zhuge Cheonwu!”

Just then, at Wu Hwiryeong’s call, I pushed aside my worries.

It was finally this side’s turn.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep