Chapter 44: The Midterm Exam (4)

“Instructor! I won with all my love!” Baek Ri-seol declared.

“More like you pummeled them with all your bloodlust,” Cho Un-hwi retorted.

“Sob, sob, it was so tiring. Poor, delicate Seol-i is exhausted.”

“You look like you could rampage for another ten days straight.”

“Hmm, delicate Seol-i wouldn’t know anything about that.”

Baek Ri-seol swayed dramatically, while Mo Yong So-hye stood beside her, her eyes vacant and lifeless.

“Sob… sob…”

“Good job. You turned your friend into a bloody mess.”

“Waaaaah!”

Ignoring Mo Yong So-hye’s outburst, Cho Un-hwi turned to Jegal Tan.

“The Four Directions Sword Formation competition is in the afternoon, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. And then we have the written exam.”

“That’s a tight schedule.”

Usually, the sparring matches were spread out to give the students time to recover their stamina and internal energy.

‘Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter for Dongcheon Hall students.’

Their internal energy was weak, and their techniques were rudimentary. It was called a “passing-through hall” for a reason.

Personally, he preferred a shorter exam period.

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“But Instructor, aren’t you going to watch our matches?”

“Nope.”

Baek Ri-seol shrieked, “Why not? I want to be under your watchful gaze at all times!”

“No.”

“I have things to do.”

Namgung Yun-ho looked surprised.

“Things… to do?”

“Of course. I’m an instructor, after all. I have to do something. Usually, I referee matches or help clean up the equipment.”

His students stared at him blankly.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing… it’s just…”

“I never thought I’d hear you say something like that.”

“Yeah, instructors are usually busy, especially during the midterm exams. It’s a big event that only happens twice a year.”

Mo Yong So-hye was still skeptical.

“Are you sure you’re not just collecting broken dummies?”

He couldn’t believe it.

His authority as an instructor had plummeted.

His words carried no weight.

He sighed, feeling like a retired scholar on a deserted island, witnessing the decline of education.

“I’m serious. I’m going to be a proctor for the written exam.”

His students looked at him with disbelief.

They were mirroring the expressions of the other instructors when he had volunteered to be a proctor.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

He felt a little hurt.

Well, he did have an ulterior motive.

***

The students sat in neat rows, their eyes fixed on Cho Un-hwi, who stood before them in his instructor’s uniform.

“I am Instructor Cho Un-hwi, your proctor for the written exam.”

Gulp.

The students tensed up as they saw the infamous instructor.

Normally, he would have told them to figure things out on their own, but today was different.

“I know you’ve all worked hard. Believe in yourselves and give it your all. You’ll get the results you deserve.”

He surprised them with his solemn speech.

A few students whispered amongst themselves.

‘Is that really the crazy instructor?’

‘He seems perfectly normal.’

‘Who said he was going to fall asleep during the exam? He looks wide awake.’

‘Oh no, I didn’t study.’

He sighed.

He had no idea what kind of rumors were circulating about him.

“Good job, Instructor.”

Jo Hyeon gave him a thumbs-up, then distributed the exam papers.

“Begin.”

The students flipped over their papers and began writing.

They all had one thing in common: they were all reclusive students who rarely left their rooms.

Cho Un-hwi smiled as he surveyed the room.

He remembered his conversation with Sima Yul.

“You haven’t checked on all the students?”

“I’ve checked on most of them, but only the ones who leave their rooms. There’s no way to check on the ones who never come out.”

“So the reclusive students are the problem.”

Sima Yul had pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

“I have a plan.”

“You have a way to lure them out?”

“If they won’t come out on their own, we’ll just have to make them.”

Is that even possible?

Sima Yul had grinned and assured him, “Leave it to me.”

…And this was the result.

*We can’t help it if they’re weak.*

*But we have to teach them how to survive in dangerous situations, regardless of their skill level.*

*Some vessels take longer to forge in the fire. Some talents bloom later and shine even brighter.*

*This small decision might save a future hero!*

Seon In-hyeok, moved by Dokgo Yul’s passionate speech, had approved the introduction of the “Murim Survival Common Sense” exam.

‘I can’t believe it was this easy. Why did I struggle so much in the past?’

He felt a sense of accomplishment as he looked at the reclusive students, gathered in one place.

He wondered if his lover was among them.

He straightened his back and cleared his throat, his heart pounding with anticipation.

He would show them the charm of a mature and responsible instructor.

***

Cho Un-hwi walked between the rows of students, his eyes sharp.

“Hey, you in the fifteenth row, put that cheat sheet away.”

“You in the thirty-second row, stop chewing . Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“Hey, you in the back row, stop trying to switch papers!”

He caught every cheater, much to Jo Hyeon’s amusement.

“Wow, you’re amazing.”

She was impressed by his ability to spot cheaters without even looking at them.

He was vigilant, his eyes scanning the room, searching for a familiar face.

‘Nope.’

‘Not her either.’

‘Hmm, not even close.’

His gaze swept across the remaining students.

“You in the seventeenth row, stop looking at your neighbor’s paper!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

The students fell silent, intimidated by his aura.

***

“Wow, you were amazing. The best.”

Cho Un-hwi smiled as Jo Hyeon gave him a thumbs-up.

“Ha… ha… I’m glad it went well.”

“Are you okay? You look tired.”

“I’m just a little exhausted.”

“Here, let me clean up. You go and rest. You made my job easier today.”

“Thanks.”

Cho Un-hwi left the exam room and walked until he found a secluded spot.

He slumped against the wall and sighed.

“She’s not here. She’s not here at all.”

He had checked on all the reclusive students.

But his lover was nowhere to be found.

“She’s not in Dongcheon Hall.”

He banged his head against the wall.

“I knew it was a long shot, but it’s still disappointing.”

She was a strong and capable woman who had fought by his side until the very end, even when the Murim world was consumed by chaos.

She was known as the “Star of Salvation” in the righteous Murim.

With her talent, it was unlikely that she would have enrolled in Dongcheon Hall.

“I was hoping that she might have been overlooked because she wasn’t that remarkable before she met her master, but it seems I was wrong.”

Perhaps her talent was too bright to be hidden, even before she met her master.

‘What was the point of all that effort?’

He felt a surge of frustration as he thought about all the time he had wasted searching for her.

But he slapped himself on the cheeks and steeled his resolve.

“It’s okay. It’s still a valuable discovery to know that she’s not in Dongcheon Hall.”

He still had time.

‘Her master, the Demon Subduing Nun, won’t be here for a while.’

The Emei Sect, one of the two main Buddhist sects alongside the Shaolin Temple.

The Demon Subduing Nun, the previous abbot of the Emei Sect, was his lover’s master.

She had entered seclusion six years ago.

And she had met his lover by chance at the Shinmu Academy.

It was possible that his lover wouldn’t become her disciple until after she emerged from seclusion.

“I have at least three years. I can find her.”

He had embarked on this journey with no leads, no clues, no guarantees.

This was nothing.

“I’ve overcome death. I won’t be defeated by this.”

*If our time together meant anything to you…*

Her voice echoed in his memories.

*Please find me again, even at the end of this nightmare.*

“I will. I promise.”

He would find her again.

His eyes regained their focus.

***

He returned to the viewing stand, where Yeo Mae-hong was waving at him.

Instructor Yeo and Instructor Yang were sitting next to her, holding large rice balls. Jo Hyeon had also returned and was chattering excitedly.

“Good work, Instructor.”

“You were amazing! You caught every cheater without even looking at them…”

Instructor Yeo and Instructor Yang gasped.

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“You can do it when you set your mind to it.”

Yeo Mae-hong dragged him over to their seats and poured him a cup of tea.

“Drink some tea first. The matches are about to start.”

The drums sounded as the Murim Alliance and Shinmu Academy flags were raised on the platform.

The Grand Training Ground fell silent.

Two figures appeared on the platform.

“Oh, isn’t that Instructor Yang’s student?”

“Hmm, his opponent is tough. He’s one of the top students in Euncheon Hall.”

“Oh, it’s starting!”

The match was surprisingly short.

Instructor Yang’s student was overwhelmed by his opponent and defeated in less than thirty moves.

Instructor Yang clicked his tongue.

“Damn it, why did he freeze up like that? He could have at least put up a decent fight if he had used his full potential…”

“He was unlucky with his opponent. An-ho from the Island Sword Clan is a skilled swordsman.”

“Of all the people…”

Most of the matches ended in victories for the Euncheon Hall students. It was to be expected.

Euncheon Hall was considered the real Shinmu Academy. The level of competition was much higher.

It was unrealistic to expect the inexperienced students from Dongcheon Hall to defeat the seasoned students from Euncheon Hall.

But there were exceptions.

“Oh, it’s Namgung Yun-ho’s turn.”

“Hmm, I wonder how he’ll do…”

“It’s going to be a close match… what?!”

Clang! Clang!

In less than five moves, Namgung Yun-ho disarmed his opponent and held his sword to his throat.

Yeo Mae-hong squealed.

“He won! He won!”

She jumped up and down, cheering as if she had won the match herself. Instructor Yang also shouted in excitement.

“Wow! He finished him off so cleanly!”

“Instructor Cho, you’re on a roll! Aren’t you?”

Cho Un-hwi, who was half-embraced by Yeo Mae-hong, gave a thumbs-up.

“Indeed.”

“Ah… I’m envious.”

He was a little disappointed that she used bandages, but he was satisfied with the outcome.

Jegal Tan, Baek Ri-seol, and Mo Yong So-hye also won their matches, earning gasps and sighs from the crowd.

“Wow! They won again!”

“That was close…”

A few Dongcheon Hall students managed to defeat their Euncheon Hall opponents.

But it was a rare occurrence.

In the end, most of them had to admit defeat and walk off the platform, their spirits crushed.

The instructors applauded and encouraged them.

“Good job! You did well.”

“You’ll do better next time. Cheer up.”

“Hold your head high!”

The midterm exams came to an end amidst a mix of cheers and sighs.