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Chapter 106. Great Journey of Avici Screams (5)
“Damn it, look at him strutting just because he earned a bit of petty fame!”
Nam Hwa-seong of the Three Origins Sect fumed.
It was clear that the other party had made a foolish and stupid choice, yet for some reason, his resentment would not fade.
“…….”
“…….”
The others’ feelings were not very different.
In particular, their resentment was even greater because they had been unable to take their eyes off the shining beauty of Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran, who looked to anyone as though they had just woken up, more than Ha Yeong-yeong, who had appeared adorned in splendor, saying she would seduce the Black Flame Dragon with her beauty.
“Brother Cheol, seeing him flounder over beauty, it seems the rumors about his intelligence were all lies too.”
Even at Nam Hwa-seong’s question, Cheol Sun-jik gave no answer.
“…….”
“Brother Cheol?”
“Hm?”
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
“Nothing.”
Cheol Sun-jik went back over what had just happened.
He had made his offer, and Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran had sent Jin So-un a Sound Transmission as though they had given up.
No matter who saw it, it must have been telling him to choose the Twelve Peak Citadels instead of them.
In such a situation, it was only natural that he would reluctantly pretend he could not help it and choose the Twelve Peak Citadels.
‘But he did not.’
There had not even been any hesitation.
He had been refused as though it were the natural choice.
To say that he could not abandon those who had been with him because his chivalrous spirit was too strong was absurd, because Taeul Sect currently held far too many Entry Tokens.
Expected number of entrants: four.
Among the lower sects of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, there were many sects that could not send as many disciples into the academy as Taeul Sect.
He would give up such an opportunity and choose loyalty?
Even the Abbot of Shaolin Temple would laugh at that.
‘Could he have noticed?’
The tail of Cheol Sun-jik’s thoughts naturally led to an absurd suspicion.
The things he had planned to do after recruiting Taeul Sect.
In other words, the things meant to further strengthen the alliance and balance the One Hundred Eight Peaks.
If as many as four people from Taeul Sect entered Murim Academy right now, it would create a great ripple throughout the One Hundred Eight Peaks.
That would soon cause confusion, and confusion would weaken the solidarity of the One Hundred Eight Peaks.
Reducing the number of entrants by giving them a suitable price would also be better for strengthening the unity of the One Hundred Eight Peaks in the future.
In exchange, they would elevate the Black Flame Dragon as the hero of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, raising Taeul Sect’s prestige while at the same time creating public opinion that the One Hundred Eight Peaks truly led the murim.
Of course, in the process, their own obligation to share Entry Tokens with the Flying Wind Sect and the Ghost Bow Sect would also be reduced, so this was killing two birds with one stone.
No, killing three birds with one stone.
And yet all of those plans had been tangled up by a single word from Jin So-un.
“This is a problem.”
“What is?”
“Taeul Sect.”
“I think so too. Are they not truly arrogant and insolent?”
“That is not what I mean. I am worried that the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans will take away the chance that the One Hundred Eight Peaks has finally seized.”
Whether Jin So-un existed or not was not especially important.
If a hero did not exist, they simply had to create one anew.
However, the Twelve Peak Citadels had, for the first time, gained an opportunity to surpass the Nine Sects and One Gang and enter as the top student.
If Jin So-un and his precarious companions had their Entry Tokens taken by the Nine Sects and One Gang here, they would have to wait through another tedious stretch of time.
“But what can we do? He kicked away his own blessing.”
“Even if he says he dislikes it, can we throw away our duty? As one peak of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, we must make him bear responsibility.”
“How?”
“Send a letter to the Flying Wind Sect and the Ghost Bow Sect. Tell them there is no need to come all the way up to Zhengzhou.”
“……Why did you do that?”
For some reason, both of Seong Mo-ran’s cheeks were flushed red as she left the reception room.
Had I done something wrong?
I thought I had kept faith in my own way.
“They kept calling me the Black Flame Dragon. As if that were a good epithet.”
“……Young Master Jin.”
“Of course, it was because I wanted to travel with the two of you.”
“…….”
“…….”
I had made a small joke to blow away the solemn mood, but the atmosphere became even more awkward, and the two women’s ears turned red, perhaps because they were angry at the chilly joke.
“……I am not so shameless that I would pretend not to know the people who ended up in this situation because of me.”
“……Even so, considering the situation…….”
“Moreover, the two of you are not such insignificant people that I would have to exchange you for Murim Academy.”
What if, in the future Great Righteous-Demonic War, I can quickly persuade the Namgung Clan, the Iron Sword Sect, and the Murong Clan?
Would that not be far better than the sluggish response from my previous life?
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In that sense, entering Murim Academy was important, but strengthening my relationship with them was even more important.
“……!”
“……!”
Seong Mo-ran stared at me blankly, unable to close her mouth, and Namgung Seon-hwa’s expression was not much different.
A brief silence settled.
“I, I absolutely will not give up.”
Namgung Seon-hwa suddenly clenched both fists and said that.
“Yes? Is that not only natural?”
“No matter how hard things become from now on, I will not say that it is hard. No, I will not even think that it is hard.”
Had those people’s rude behavior somehow motivated her?
Seong Mo-ran let out a small sigh and said, “Young Master Jin really is different. I will not complain that it is hard from now on either.”
“Is that so? That is fortunate. It looks as though things will become even harder, just in time.”
“Yes?”
The faces of Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran, which had been burning with passion, twisted with unease.
Had they not just said they would work hard?
“Did you not hear what they said just now? The Flying Wind Sect and the Ghost Bow Sect are two days away, are they not?”
“……Yes, they are, right? But what does that have to do with things becoming harder?”
“Are those two sects not representative Trial Token plunderers?”
“…….”
“Then who would be the tastiest prey for them to target?”
“Um…… Taeul Sect?”
Namgung Seon-hwa was escaping reality.
“No. It would be Taeul Sect traveling together with the Namgung Clan, the Murong Clan, and the Iron Sword Sect.”
Seong Mo-ran, who had been listening, opened her mouth in shock and muttered,
“We are ruined.”
The Great Journey.
Compared to the distance traveled to pass the First Trial and the Second Trial, the route of the Third Trial was short.
Even so, the reason people called this road the Great Journey was not the distance, but its harshness.
There was even a saying that it would be more fitting to call it the Skull-Cracking Journey, since most people had their heads smashed in. In that fierce Great Journey, even leading sects such as the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Clans often became targets of attack.
To examinees who had lived their entire lives looking only toward Murim Academy, this Great Journey was their final chance to enter the academy.
The examinees who had no next time clung tenaciously to the provisional passers like people with no tomorrow.
“Hm?”
A strange sight entered my eyes.
Warriors from different sects were mixed together, forming a formation.
“……The formation seems…….”
Kang Seo-pyo answered my question.
“The warriors of the Murong Clan are not yet accustomed to the White Tiger Sword Formation, so we mixed them together.”
“Is that possible?”
Not only the Iron Sword Sect, but also the Murong Clan and the Namgung Clan possessed tremendous pride in their own martial arts.
Moreover, most of them should know how lowly the White Tiger Sword Formation was treated in the Murim Alliance. And yet they mixed together in order to learn it?
“If they want to eat, they have to do it.”
I could only let out a bitter smile at the fact that the White Tiger Sword Formation, created by the genius Jegal Cheon-gi, was being used merely to protect meal bowls.
“Um, Young Master Jin…….”
Kang Seo-pyo spoke with an unusually serious expression.
“Please give us direct orders from now on.”
“Yes?”
Thinking I had misheard, I asked again, but,
“I mean exactly what I said. Until we reach Wuhan, you may speak to us directly without going through anyone else.”
“…….”
Our chain of command had been in the form where I spoke to Namgung Seon-hwa, Seong Mo-ran, and recently even Murong Jae-hwa, and then they directly relayed it to the warriors of their respective sects.
“If we receive the message after it has been relayed, our response is delayed.”
“Is that all right?”
I did not mind, but I wondered whether the warriors would properly accept it.
“If there is any bastard who does not listen, I will crack his skull.”
“No, there is no need to go that far…….”
“Lady Seon-hwa, Lady Mo-ran, the Young Master, Captain Cho, and Captain Baek have all already agreed to it.”
When I looked around, the people who had been listening to my conversation with Kang Seo-pyo each nodded.
“Understood. Then I will take responsibility for that.”
“Thank you.”
“That is something I should be saying instead.”
“No. Not that…… I truly thank you.”
“Hm?”
Then Cho Mu-bin, who had been running beside us, also spoke.
“I thank you as well.”
I did not know what they were thanking me for, so I looked at Seong Mo-ran, but Seong Mo-ran quickly changed the subject.
“M-More importantly, where are we going? Of course we are going toward Shaoshi Peak, right?”
To leave Zhengzhou and cross into Hubei, we had to pass Mount Song.
There was a road leading directly to Taishi Peak and a road leading to Shaoshi Peak.
Taishi Peak was famous for its rugged and arduous road even within Mount Song, one of the Five Sacred Mountains.
Instead of answering, I asked Murong Jae-hwa.
“If it were you, where would you go?”
“……Yes?”
“I am asking which path you would take between Taishi Peak and Shaoshi Peak.”
“Uh…….”
Seeing the flustered Murong Jae-hwa, Namgung Seon-hwa grinned.
“I heard Jae-hwa liked going around to play since childhood, so he did not study military arts or strategy at all.”
“S-Sister Seon-hwa!”
Murong Jae-hwa’s face reddened. After thinking for a moment, he answered hesitantly.
“I-If it were me, I would go to Taishi Peak.”
“That idiot…….”
“Ugh…….”
That reaction was only natural.
After all, for us, speed was the most important thing.
“So we will go to Taishi Peak.”
“Yes?”
“Young Master Jin!”
“B-Brother!”
Even Murong Jae-hwa, who had given the opinion, turned pale and tried to stop me.
“From now on, we cannot think only about those chasing us from behind. We also have to think about those waiting ahead.”
“Ah…….”
“Even so, to face them, would it not be better to take the more comfortable road? Taishi Peak is disadvantageous for us too.”
“What I am worried about among the plunderers is the Ghost Bow Sect and the Flying Wind Sect.”
Plunderers.
Among the jackals aiming for Entry Tokens, they were those who had given up on the exam entirely and waited for a long time while aiming only for the Great Journey from the start. Since they had conserved their strength, if they encountered terrain where their martial arts could shine, they would be able to face any enemy.
“Why are they suddenly appearing?”
“Did Cheol Sun-jik not say they were supposed to join up in two days? Mount Song happens to be exactly two days away from Zhengzhou. And Shaoshi Peak is the terrain archers like most. Is that right?”
“Yes? Y-yes.”
“It looks like he just answered without knowing anything.”
“S-Sister Mo-ran. I answered because I knew everything too.”
As Mount Song drew nearer, pursuers attached themselves behind us.
“It is the Twelve Peak Citadels.”
“Seeing that they even rode horses here, it looks like they intend to force a short decisive battle, just as Young Master Jin said.”
“Should we increase our speed?”
I shook my head.
“There is no need. They will not try to approach us until we enter Shaoshi Peak.”
Even if our numbers were small, the Five Great Clans were still the Five Great Clans.
If they rashly clashed with us and suffered damage, they would worry about being bitten by the other jackals.
Their best choice was to wait until we entered Shaoshi Peak.
“Now, let us go.”
When a flat, broad road and a steep, narrow road appeared, we entered the steep, narrow road without delay.
Then the group from the Twelve Peak Citadels that had been chasing us from behind visibly faltered.
“Young Master Jin! They stopped.”
“From now on, we raise our speed.”
“Yes? The carriages will not be able to keep up with our speed.”
“We leave the carriages here. We will cut straight across Taishi Peak and strike the rear of the Flying Wind Sect and the Ghost Bow Sect.”
No matter how much I thought about it, I did not know when I would meet him next, so since I had met Cheol Sun-jik this time, I should at least smack him in the face once before leaving.