Chapter 32: The Uninvited Guest (1)

Swish!

Namgung Yun-ho’s sword moved like a beam of light as he practiced the Shinmu Sword Technique.

His movements shifted as he increased his speed.

The blinding flash of his sword, which had seemed capable of cleaving sunlight just moments ago, now moved slower than a snail.

If his previous movements had resembled a swift sword dance with a reed in place of a steel blade, now they seemed to embody the weight of a heavy sword forged from the densest metal in the world.

“It seems he’s finally grasped the rhythm of the sword.”

He had moved beyond mere strategy and entered the realm of controlling the speed, angle, and trajectory of his blade.

This allowed him to execute countless variations of the same technique, making his swordsmanship unpredictable and versatile.

Baek Ri-seol’s progress was different.

She tossed three swords into the air.

Then, she danced around them, gracefully catching and releasing each blade, slashing and thrusting at imaginary opponents.

She didn’t limit herself to using just her hands.

When her hands were full, she used her flowing sleeves to manipulate the swords, even kicking them with her feet.

The three swords moved around her as if they were alive, creating a mesmerizing sword dance.

“She’s finally understood why I called it a sword dance, not a sword technique.”

She had embraced the swords as tools for her dance, transcending the limitations of rigid forms.

It was a simple but significant change.

It meant that she was beginning to grasp the essence of the Phoenix Flame Heaven Dance.

Her five-star potential was blossoming.

“Unlike a crane, a phoenix doesn’t need two wings. Its wings are made of countless flames.”

That was why she had chosen to wield three swords.

She would eventually incorporate four, five, or even more swords into her dance.

‘The Crimson Witch also carried four swords.’

Her awakened talent was drawing her closer to the infamous witch of the past, or perhaps the future.

Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing remained to be seen.

Jegal Tan was practicing diligently, his sword leaving trails of afterimages.

Flicker! Flicker!

Pale blue wisps of light followed his movements.

Cho Un-hwi, tired of watching him waste his Sword Qi on weak afterimages, had taught him the Azure Flame Mantra.

The Azure Flame Mantra was a secret technique from a forgotten Taoist sect that allowed one to imbue their Sword Qi with their will, enhancing its precision and control.

With the Azure Flame Mantra, Jegal Tan could create denser afterimages, and his swordsmanship began to create illusions.

His sword moved, leaving behind a trail of afterimages that resembled a flurry of blades.

The chaotic dance of Sword Qi was sure to confuse and disorient his opponents.

Jegal Tan’s swordsmanship was becoming a formidable weapon.

Cho Un-hwi frowned and flicked a pebble with his finger.

Twang!

“Ugh!”

Jegal Tan dropped his sword and fell on his butt.

“Are you trying to destroy all the dummies I just repaired?”

“I’m sorry, I was too focused on my swordsmanship…”

“Go home and focus on your swordsmanship in your room! Stay away from the dummies!”

Cho Un-hwi shooed him away like a dog.

Jegal Tan trudged away, his shoulders slumped.

Mo Yong So-hye, who had been watching them, spoke up.

“Instructor, is it okay for me to just keep fixing dummies?”

“What’s wrong with fixing dummies?”

“I want to learn something cool and flashy too.”

“How about we attach some hair to the dummies? That would be pretty flashy.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Cho Un-hwi sighed.

“Fine, I’ll teach you something.”

“Really?”

“The Asura Bloodwood Hundred and Eight Hands Technique. It’s a technique that allows you to crush your opponent’s skull and never stop until they’re dead. Pretty cool, huh?”

“That’s not cool at all!”

Mo Yong So-hye hugged a dummy and started crying.

“Please teach me a normal martial art. I’m losing all my friends because of the sparring matches.”

“The Murim world is a lonely place. You don’t need friends.”

“You might not have any friends, Instructor, and you probably never will, but I do! Waaah!”

“Everyone’s a potential rival. Defeat them all.”

They continued to chat as they worked on the dummies.

Jegal Tan returned and called out to Cho Un-hwi.

“Instructor, it’s time to start.”

“Oh, has it been that long already?”

“Yay! I’m free!”

Mo Yong So-hye jumped up and down excitedly.

Cho Un-hwi chuckled.

She was so easily amused.

***

Jegal Tan was a surprisingly capable assistant.

He had an excellent memory.

“A woman from Euncheon Hall? I think I remember her.”

He claimed to never forget a face.

He was a true Jegal.

“There are a few female students who match your description, but it’s difficult to be certain without more specific details.”

That was to be expected.

“Are there any other distinguishing features?”

There were, but he couldn’t mention them.

‘She has a mole on her cleavage.’

It wasn’t something a male student could have noticed.

And if Jegal Tan had noticed it, Cho Un-hwi would have crushed his skull.

‘She smells nice.’

That wasn’t helpful either.

He didn’t know if she smelled nice to other people.

“Hmm… I can’t think of anything else.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“It is.”

But it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

He had confirmed that there was a potential candidate in Euncheon Hall.

And Jegal Tan was a valuable source of information about Euncheon Hall.

“The male and female students live in separate dormitories, but it’s not impossible for them to meet.”

“There are secret training grounds where they can practice their martial arts together.”

“There’s a training ground near a pond on the east side of Euncheon Hall that’s reserved for female students…”

He was intelligent and well-informed.

He was not only useful for the future, but also for the present.

“Can I help you with the Four Directions Sword Formation?”

Cho Un-hwi, who had been struggling to figure out how to teach the formation, was delighted by Jegal Tan’s offer.

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Shouldn’t we practice the formation organically, under your guidance?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Shouldn’t we at least assign each student to a specific direction?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Jegal Tan, sensing Cho Un-hwi’s lack of interest, took charge of the formation practice.

“Hmph! You’re just showing off!”

Baek Ri-seol was not happy about it.

“Why should I take orders from you?”

“I can learn the Four Directions Sword Formation in no time.”

“I’m going to be the one who leads the formation!”

Cho Un-hwi looked at her with a bored expression.

“Seol-ah.”

“Yes, Instructor!”

“If we fail this exam, I’ll be stuck in Dongcheon Hall. You’ll all get promoted, but I’ll be left behind. I’ll be stuck here forever, earning a meager salary and slowly withering away.”

Baek Ri-seol gasped in horror and immediately calmed down.

She was such a good girl.

Jegal Tan began to give instructions.

“Namgung Yun-ho will take the north position, Baek Ri-seol will take the south, I’ll take the west, and Mo Yong So-hye will take the east.”

The Four Directions Sword Formation was a basic formation that involved four swordsmen taking positions in the north, south, east, and west, allowing them to attack and defend effectively against multiple opponents.

It was a simple formation, but it was still an important part of the Shinmu Academy’s curriculum.

They wouldn’t include it in the midterm exam if it was completely useless.

Jegal Tan proved to be a surprisingly effective leader.

“No matter which direction the attack comes from, we need to make sure Namgung Yun-ho is always in the front line.”

It was an excellent strategy.

Namgung Yun-ho, with his strategic mind and his ability to control his swordsmanship, would be able to hold off the enemy and buy them time.

“While Namgung Yun-ho is holding the front line, Baek Ri-seol will strike at the enemy’s weak points.”

That was a good decision too.

Baek Ri-seol was a sharp blade.

She was fast and powerful, but she lacked stamina. It was unavoidable, considering her three-sword style.

She was supposed to use only the Shinmu Sword Technique in the exam, but she had become so accustomed to the Phoenix Flame Heaven Dance that she even executed the Shinmu Sword Technique with the same fluidity and grace.

She had transformed a solid and stable technique into a dazzling display of swordsmanship.

“Mo Yong So-hye will support Baek Ri-seol, and I’ll coordinate the formation.”

So, they had Namgung Yun-ho holding the front line, Baek Ri-seol exploiting the enemy’s weaknesses, Mo Yong So-hye providing support, and Jegal Tan directing the formation from the rear.

‘Not bad.’

Cho Un-hwi was pleased with their progress.

They were working together seamlessly, despite their short time together.

“If they keep this up, they might even get a high score on the midterm exam.”

He was especially happy that his students were finally becoming more independent.

He could focus on fixing dummies and clearing his demerit points.

It was a beautiful sight.

“I can finally relax.”

***

The difficult days were over.

His students were improving steadily.

He could now repair ten dummies a day.

It was a golden age for his performance evaluations and demerit point reduction.

He could finally focus on finding his lover, without being bogged down by tedious tasks.

All the students would be participating in the midterm exam, so he would be able to observe the ones he hadn’t seen before. And if he couldn’t find her there, he could always earn enough points to get promoted to Euncheon Hall.

“I have nothing to worry about anymore.”

But life rarely goes according to plan.

***

There was an emergency summons in the morning.

He would have ignored it if it had been just Chung-hyeon, but it was an academy-wide emergency.

He heard rumors that something was happening in the Murim Alliance.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. This has never happened before.”

Even Yeo Mae-hong, who was a Shinmu Academy graduate and usually well-informed, was puzzled.

They gathered in the instructors’ office and waited.

Chung-hyeon entered the room, his expression unusually grave.

He was wearing a white armband.

“A white armband?”

“Not now…”

“Damn it, what happened?!”

The instructors started murmuring.

Cho Un-hwi turned to Yeo Mae-hong, who looked worried.

“Instructor Yeo, what does that mean?”

“It seems there’s been an incident in the Alliance.”

An incident?

Yeo Mae-hong explained, “A white armband means that an instructor from the Shinmu Academy has died.”