Chapter 114: The Selection Ceremony (1)

The Murim Excursion was decided.

Given the accidents that had caused delays, it was determined that the schedule could no longer be postponed.

The departure date was set for a month later.

Although it seemed like there was plenty of time, there was so much to prepare that Euncheon Hall was bustling.

With nightly overtime and extra work, they were making thorough preparations to ensure a safe Murim Excursion.

That was the gist of what he had heard.

For a delinquent instructor with no overtime or extra work, it was a story that garnered no sympathy.

Above all, there was no energy to worry about anything else at the moment.

“Ugh… The miscellaneous tasks are endless.”

Throwing down his brush, Cho Un-hwi groaned.

“Do instructors not have human rights?”

This paperwork is excessive!

As he complained, a rebuttal came from the side.

“You brought this on yourself.”

Fixing a wooden puppet, Mo Yong So-hye spoke.

“Even half of it is being done by Jegal Tan.”

Her tiny finger pointed to Jegal Tan, who was struggling with the instructor logs at a makeshift desk made by Namgung Yun-ho.

With a white cloth wrapped around his head and dark circles under his eyes from overwork, he looked terrible.

“Well, it’s better than me suffering.”

“Wow, that’s the worst.”

“Since you dumped all the supplementary class work, you don’t even know what was taught.”

“Could you think about the students’ rights before your own?”

No, I can’t.

It’s unfortunate that I’m suffering, but it can’t be helped if others are.

As he grumbled, a fragrant aroma tickled his nose.

“Instructor, take it easy.”

With a bright smile, Baek Ri-seol offered a cup of warm tea.

“It’s tea from the Muhan Branch. It’s said to be good for relieving fatigue.”

“Oh, thanks.”

As expected from the Muhan Branch.

Being a well-off branch of the Baek Ri Clan, their snacks and tea leaves were all high quality.

Eating the crispy snacks and sipping the tea made him feel much better.

“It’s really delicious.”

“I took it from my father, who was trying to keep it for himself. It’s top quality.”

“Sister, Jegal Tan looks really tired too…”

Baek Ri-seol’s expression turned cold.

“Hmph. That unlucky guy can drink the stagnant water from the swamp.”

Come to think of it, Baek Ri-seol and Jegal Tan don’t get along well.

They always seem like a cat and a dog bickering.

“Haha. Lady Baek Ri is quite devoted. She’ll make a good bride.”

“Oh, you have a good eye.”

The old man with a broom who appeared next was none other than Sima Bai, disguised as the righteous recluse Wang Woo, the Lone Flying Swordsman.

He always muttered something with a smile, and today he was saying, “Ninety-seven times. One point added.”

“Old Wang. Why are you here again?”

Recently, Wang Woo had been following him to the temporary residence and even to the swamp.

For Cho Un-hwi, who wanted freedom, the visits from this scheming subordinate were extremely annoying.

“Haha. It seems Instructor Cho finds me bothersome.”

“No, I just find it annoying.”

Baek Ri-seol scolded him briefly, saying it wasn’t right.

“I always think you’re cool, but it would be even better if you respected your elders.”

“Ninety-seven times. Three points added.”

“…What does that mean?”

“My words slipped out. Haha.”

Laughing lightly, Wang Woo changed the subject.

“I came with a purpose today.”

“A purpose?”

“This was delivered.”

Wang Woo pulled out a gold-colored invitation.

Baek Ri-seol’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Which stray cat sent this invitation?”

“Haha. It’s not like that.”

Tilting the invitation slightly, the words on the front became visible.

Written in a bold, vigorous script were the words:

– Selection Ceremony.

“Oh, I’ve heard of this.”

As Mo Yong So-hye flapped her hands, Jegal Tan, who had been struggling with the instructor logs, approached.

“Ah, it’s about time.”

“Don’t act like you know everything. Explain it.”

“The Murim Excursion evaluates students based on the tasks they’re assigned, right?”

Yes, I know that.

It’s a subject designed to evaluate performance based on actual achievements.

“However, the evaluation can vary greatly depending on the assigned destination and task.”

“Of course.”

“In the past, there were several instances where people tried to assign their sect or family’s disciples to easy tasks.”

As a result, this was created.

“The Selection Ceremony. Tasks are fairly assigned through a public lottery.”

In summary, it’s a blind draw.

“Haha. It sounds like a fun event.”

“I’ve heard it’s quite a spectacle to see the instructors’ mixed reactions.”

“It’s good to see such fairness and transparency. Haha.”

Seeing Wang Woo speak with a smile, Cho Un-hwi chuckled.

‘Fairness, my foot.’

Is this the same person who was plotting to rig the draw with Dokgo Yul yesterday?

As he pondered the upcoming event, Namgung Yun-ho, who had been focused on grilling fish, tapped the pot with a ladle.

“The fish is done. Please have some.”

What a good guy.

Just in time, I was getting hungry from just tea and snacks.

Sitting by the campfire, Namgung Yun-ho handed him a carefully grilled fish on a skewer.

“It’s hot, so be careful.”

The well-cooked fish, with its crispy skin glistening with oil, looked delicious.

Crunch.

Biting into the back of the fish, a rich flavor spread instantly.

“Wow, this is really good.”

“Haha. I’m glad you like it.”

“I’m serious. You should consider doing this professionally.”

It’s good enough to compete with the famous grilled entrails from Palmiro that even brought back runaway husbands!

It was so delicious that even Wang Woo made a slip of the tongue.

“Two hundred and one times. Ten points. Pass.”

I don’t know what that means, but.

***

Buzzing with activity.

The Euncheon Hall instructors’ room was bustling with people.

Not only instructors but also people in the uniforms of the Murim Alliance were present, making it seem like a grand event, just as Jegal Tan had said.

“Maybe we should have come earlier?”

Carrying a stack of overdue instructor logs and reports, navigating through the crowd was quite a task.

“Ah, sorry…”

An instructor bumped into him, looked him up and down, and frowned.

“What? A temporary instructor?”

As he considered hitting the guy who turned away, a familiar voice called out.

“Oh! Instructor Cho!”

Yeo Mae-hong appeared beside him, accompanied by another beauty.

“It’s the first time seeing you inside Euncheon Hall, right?”

Mo Yong Seon-ya, who smiled warmly, added gloomily,

“I’ve seen you inside the Academy’s punishment room.”

“Let’s not bring up painful memories.”

As he rebuked her lightly, Yeo Mae-hong, excited, bounced on her feet.

“Really. I’m going to pick a good one!”

Unlike the enthusiastic Yeo Mae-hong, Mo Yong Seon-ya looked gloomy.

“What should I do? I have terrible luck with draws.”

“Sister, it’ll be different this time.”

“I hope so.”

Mo Yong Seon-ya muttered darkly.

“In the first year, I drew Suseo County. The task was to catch a demonic rapist.”

The task itself wasn’t bad.

The problem was that the rapist had fled to the territory of the Iron Thread Alliance, making it a nightmare.

“The next year, I drew Gangpo County in Jiangsu Province. The task wasn’t difficult.”

The problem was that Gangpo County was hit by floods that year. When we arrived, the village was submerged.

We couldn’t even start the task.

“The next was Mount Zhengyang. Do you remember? There was a massive wildfire…”

Listening to her tearful explanation, Cho Un-hwi cut in bluntly.

“It’s not bad luck with draws. Your life is just cursed.”

“That’s harsh!”

Oh, my ears.

Regaining her composure, Mo Yong Seon-ya put her hands on her hips and spoke confidently.

“But this year! This year will be different!”

When asked the reason for her baseless confidence, she gave a short answer.

“I got a talisman from a famous fortune-teller in Palmiro.”

Palmiro has not only a famous grilled entrails place but also a fortune-teller?

What a place.

***

The open space in front of the Euncheon Hall instructors’ building.

As the time approached, people gathered in the open space.

*Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.*

Soon, a bell rang, and three people appeared on a grand platform.

The first to step up was a man with a good physique and graying hair.

“Oh, it’s the head of Euncheon Hall.”

“The head of Euncheon Hall?”

“Yes, Instructor Cho, this is your first time seeing him, right?”

The Affectionate Swordsman, Hyun Wook.

A swordsman from the Wudang Sect, known for his gentle personality.

Following him were Senior Instructor Jang Cheol-sim and an unfamiliar person.

As they stepped onto the platform, the head of Euncheon Hall cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Thank you all for attending the Selection Ceremony.”

Bowing to the crowd, he continued.

“Recently, there have been many events. Some were good, and some were unfortunate.”

This doesn’t bode well.

As expected, he continued with a long, unnecessary speech for about a quarter of an hour.

‘This is boring.’

He might have a kind personality, but he lacks consideration.

As everyone grew bored, Jang Cheol-sim nudged him.

Finally, he got to the point.

“…So, to ensure a fair and transparent assignment of tasks for the important Murim Excursion, we’ve gathered here today.”

*Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.*

As the bell rang, people in the uniforms of the Murim Alliance took turns stepping onto the platform.

“Esteemed guests of the Murim Alliance, please ensure that the draw is conducted fairly.”

At his request, the guests of the Murim Alliance responded in unison.

“We’ll watch closely.”

“Don’t worry!”

“The draw will be fair!”

It seemed they had put some thought into this.

‘If a master decides to rig the draw, it’s not impossible.’

But it’s different with masters watching.

No matter how bold someone is, they wouldn’t dare cheat under the watchful eyes of masters.

It would be difficult to deceive those with keen senses.

‘The best part is that this ceremonial act will prevent any backlash.’

The Murim Alliance is serious about this.

As he chuckled, the first name was called.

“Instructor Jakyum!”

At the call of Hyun Wook, the head of Euncheon Hall, an instructor stepped out from the crowd and onto the platform.

Jang Cheol-sim pointed to a large box.

The box had a small hole on top, indicating it was for drawing lots.

As expected.

Jang Cheol-sim explained.

“Put your hand in and draw a ball.”

“Yes, Senior Instructor.”

Jakyum put his hand in and drew a wooden ball.

Splitting it open, Jang Cheol-sim announced loudly.

“Shanxi Province! Zhangzhi County! Task: Lower level!”

At the loud announcement, sighs of disappointment were heard.

“Why is that?”

“Sister, isn’t a lower-level task easy?”

It seems like a jackpot.

Muttering, Yeo Mae-hong was corrected by Mo Yong Seon-ya, who shook her head.

“Although they’re classified as upper, middle, and lower levels, the difficulty difference for tasks in Euncheon Hall isn’t that significant.”

“It’s not Geumcheon Hall, after all.”

Mo Yong Seon-ya continued.

“Do you know where Shanxi Province is?”

“Well, it’s near the Great Wall, right?”

“Yes. What about Zhangzhi County?”

“I’m not sure…”

Mo Yong Seon-ya’s expression soured.

“It’s a remote area. A desolate place in the mountains.”

“It’s a journey to a place with no water, toilets, or bustling areas, leading a group of students.”

“You can’t even dream of taking a bath, it’s uncomfortable, and the students get cranky!”

“If you’re unlucky, some students might drop out during the forced march!”

“It’s the beginning of hell!”

With obvious bad memories, Mo Yong Seon-ya grabbed Yeo Mae-hong’s shoulders and said,

“So, listen carefully. You must draw a place near Muhan City.”

“And a bustling area.”

“You must draw a civilized place!”

“That’s how we survive.”

And keep your wrinkles at bay.

Mo Yong Seon-ya added.