Chapter 9. Discuss the Future of the Murim World in the Next Ten Years.
The structure of the Martial Alliance is divided into one institute, two halls, three pavilions, two councils, and five divisions.
Given that this organization is a gathering of various sects and clans, the intricate network of relationships and power struggles is deeply embedded in its structure.
The Nine Great Sects aimed to expand their influence, the Five Great Clans sought to strengthen their prestige, while the wandering martial artists and smaller sects fought to gain a foothold within the existing power structures.
This was bound to have a significant impact on the Martial Alliance exam, preventing any one group from monopolizing the selection process for new talents.
As a result, the examination process rotated among the various factions.
‘To hell with it,’ thought Jegal Su-hyeok, the third leader of the Patrol Division of the Martial Alliance. He despised this practice.
Why was the Martial Alliance originally established?
It was created to counter the rising threats of the Demonic Cult, the Outer Martial World, and the potential danger posed by the Sado Union.
But after just 20 years of peace, this once noble organization had devolved into a battleground for power struggles.
Just yesterday, when it was announced that he would oversee the 8th-level exam, the higher-ups had already started naming their preferred candidates, their requests thinly veiled as orders. It was nauseating.
Even his own family, the Jegal clan, which he had left behind long ago, had sent requests in the form of commands.
Even the division leader had joined in.
‘To hell with them. I’ll select whomever I damn well please.’
Jegal Su-hyeok had no intention of heeding their words. After all, the division leader was close to retirement, and the other division heads didn’t dare challenge him.
No matter how long ago he left the family, the name of Jegal still held power, enough to keep them in check.
He was fortunate that the first and second leaders of the Patrol Division, who could have restrained him, were currently away on external missions.
‘I need to bring in some fresh blood at least once. I’ll select someone with a discerning eye. How much longer can the martial world remain peaceful?’
Jegal Su-hyeok was determined to make the most of this opportunity.
“Team Leaders, begin grading now. Honestly, we wanted to oversee the 10th and 12th levels as well, but we couldn’t. Still, since we have the 8th level, do your best even if you have complaints.”
“Yes, sir!”
The seven team leaders of the Patrol Division’s Third Unit responded in unison. Jegal Su-hyeok trusted them, as they had been carefully selected under his watchful eye.
He was confident that these men would choose the right candidates according to his intentions.
The grading of the written exams for the 8th-level Martial Alliance exam began, with the team leaders flipping through hundreds of answer sheets. They were meticulous, knowing that passing the 8th level meant the candidates would become team leaders themselves, potentially their future colleagues.
Watching them work, Jegal Su-hyeok pulled an answer sheet from the stack before him and began reading.
For a while, he went through the answers.
‘Pathetic.’
While many had answered the red scroll’s questions well, none had provided a satisfactory response to the question:
[Discuss the future of the martial world for the next 10 years.]
Most responses were filled with optimistic views, assuming that the 20 years of peace would continue. They cited the Demonic Cult’s silence, the fall of the Blood Cult, infighting among the Outer Martial World, and the chaos within the Sado Union due to the rise of the Black Sky Alliance.
All of these points were valid, but they lacked depth. As a member of the Martial Alliance, one must always prepare for the worst-case scenario, especially if they wished to join the organization responsible for maintaining order in the martial world.
“Ugh, what’s this?”
Jegal Su-hyeok tossed aside a few more answer sheets, frustrated by the lack of insight.
Despite leaving his family behind, he had once been hailed as a prodigy of the Jegal clan, and none of these answers met his standards. But then—
He heard someone laughing.
Glancing over, he noticed that Na Il-jang, the second team leader of the Patrol Division’s Third Unit, was chuckling over an answer sheet.
‘What’s so funny?’
Curious, Jegal Su-hyeok approached from behind and peered over Na Il-jang’s shoulder at the answer sheet.
First, he glanced at the answers to the red scroll.
‘Is this guy an idiot?’
Even the name of the current greatest swordsman was wrong, with the candidate having written the name of the eldest son of Jinju Eongga instead of the head of the Hwangbo clan. It was such an easy question, but this candidate seemed completely out of touch with the martial world.
The rest of the answers were no better. With so many mistakes, it was clearly a failing grade.
But where was the humor?
Then he spotted the text on the yellow scroll.
[Twenty years after the Great Demonic War, the martial world has become too complacent. The Sado Union is gaining experience by fighting the Black Sky Alliance, and the Demonic Cult is consolidating its power by reaching out to the Outer Martial World. Meanwhile, the Martial Alliance is preoccupied with maintaining the status quo.]
“......!”
The sharpness of the statement caught Jegal Su-hyeok’s attention, and he continued reading.
[The invasions by the Demonic Cult have occurred in cycles of 20 to 30 years. It’s an optimal period for a generational shift and for power to be restored. The Sado Union will soon ally with the Black Sky Alliance. Ultimately, the martial world follows the strong, and conflict cannot last forever. Soon, they will set their sights on the rich lands of the central plains. Can the Martial Alliance withstand their invasion?]
It was a compelling argument, aligning with Jegal Su-hyeok’s own thoughts.
The Martial Alliance needed to change. And then—
“Sir?”
Na Il-jang, startled, noticed Jegal Su-hyeok reading over his shoulder. But Jegal Su-hyeok didn’t mind and snatched the answer sheet from his hands.
“It’s amusing, sir. The candidate went on to write a story predicting the revival of a demonic cult or the Blood Cult in a year. It’s like he thinks he’s some kind of prophet.”
Jegal Su-hyeok ignored Na Il-jang and continued reading.
“Ah...!”
He couldn’t help but express his admiration. The candidate’s writing was logical and precise, as if they had seen the future.
Each statement began with:
[If I were to seize control of the martial world...]
[If I were to sow chaos in the martial world...]
[If I were to...]
And each one was disturbingly accurate. While some points seemed exaggerated or overly pessimistic, they couldn’t be dismissed.
The answer sheet concluded by once again criticizing the Martial Alliance’s complacency.
[The signs have already begun. Every year, children are kidnapped from the backstreets. People of all ages go missing. Where are they taken? Demons appear, and they seem to have an endless supply of money. Where is this money coming from? We must prepare to face this evil.]
Finally, Jegal Su-hyeok looked at the candidate’s name.
Yi Si-woo—
It wasn’t a name on the major candidate list, but he knew who it was. He had memorized the backgrounds of the hundreds of applicants.
[The eldest son of an innkeeper in Ja-gang-hyeon.]
Jegal Su-hyeok couldn’t help but laugh.
Even the son of an innkeeper could provide such a detailed analysis of the martial world’s future. This was true talent, a blessing.
“Pass him.”
“Sir? Isn’t this too ridiculous? It’s more like a novelist or a prophet wrote it...”
“Your judgment is what’s ridiculous. We may not know if his predictions will come true in a year, but his broad perspective and logic are commendable. Pass him. He didn’t score high enough, but we need candidates like him. It wouldn’t be right otherwise.”
“But it wouldn’t be fair...”
“Then raise the scoring weight of the yellow scroll for all candidates. Even if they scored perfectly on the red scroll, only count 30% of that in the total score.”
“....”
Jegal Su-hyeok issued his orders without hesitation. After all, it was his exam to oversee.
It was within his discretion.
Although there were some fantastical elements in the answer, as Na Il-jang had pointed out, who could say for sure that they wouldn’t come true? The candidate had at least backed up his predictions with logical reasoning.
‘Unlikely as it may be.’
Besides, there was no guarantee that Yi Si-woo would make it through the final rounds. His overall score wasn’t high, so he would need exceptional martial skills to pass the practical exam.
‘Let’s hope his martial skills are formidable.’
It might be too much to expect from the son of an innkeeper, but that was beyond Jegal Su-hyeok’s control. This was the Martial Alliance, not the military division.
If worst came to worst, he could recommend the candidate to the military division.
* * *
Due to our late arrival, we secured a room on the outskirts of Wuchang.
It was inconvenient, being far from the Martial Alliance, but the good thing was that there was a quiet, open space nearby.
It was the perfect place to clear my mind through movement.
*Swish!*
I kicked forward, neither too fast nor too slow.
*Thunk!*
But the force I felt in my sole was heavier than intended. I kicked forward again, this time using only a small part of my foot.
*Tap!*
The force was too light. Once more.
*Thunk!*
This time, it felt just right. It was as if I were floating in the air.
What I was doing now was creating a new martial art.
In the Black Market, I had consistently used the Yama’s Hundred and Eight Techniques and the Heaven-Devouring Step, but these techniques were too brutal and rigid in their movements.
I had been working on developing alternative techniques for some time, and while I hadn’t yet found a replacement for the Yama’s Hundred and Eight Techniques, I had recently received inspiration for an alternative to the Heaven-Devouring Step.
‘From the campfire...’
The inspiration didn’t come from anything grand. While camping on the way to Wuchang, I watched sparks from the fire, and something clicked in my mind.
‘Like sparks, light and nimble. But once they land, they’re more dangerous than anything.’
Footwork that was both weighty yet free, subtle yet fierce.
I planned to create a new step technique that would pair perfectly with the Yama Divine Technique.
I even had a name ready.
Inspired by the movements of fire, I would call it the *Hwa-ryu Step* (Fire Flow Step).
It was still in its infancy, just a single step, but I knew that once I perfected it, the next steps would follow naturally, like fire spreading.
Fire instinctively seeks out what it can burn best.
*Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!*
‘As if I am fire itself, moving as freely as fire.’
The *Hwa-ryu Step* would replace the *Heaven-Devouring Step*. I’d likely need to refine it further through real combat.
*Inhale... Exhale...*
After about two hours of intense training, I was slightly out of breath.
Even though I had never skipped a day of training since leaving Ja-gang-hyeon, it was clear that the *Hwa-ryu Step* wouldn’t be an easy technique to master.
That was only natural, given that it was based on my experiences from my past life.
‘I’ll leave the *Hwa-ryu Step* here for now... But have the exam results been announced yet?’
Just as I was about to resume my training, the thought suddenly crossed my mind.
*Tsk!*
The reason I had thrown myself into creating this new technique immediately after the written exam was to distract myself from thinking about it.
‘Did I fail?’
The red scroll, sure, but I believed I had written a solid answer on the yellow scroll.
But when I told Bang Yak-rip and Cho-ryeong about it, they had shaken their heads in disbelief.
- Savior, did you really write that about the future of the martial world?
- Yes, I wrote what I thought was accurate.
- If I were the examiner, I’d think it was fiction. What’s your basis for saying that the Demonic Cult or the Blood Cult will attack in a year?
- Historically...
- How can you predict it’ll happen exactly a year from now?
- .......
‘Yeah, even I don’t fully believe it.’
In my panic over not being prepared for the exam, I had written something so grounded in reality that it might have come across as far-fetched.
Just then,
“Brother! I passed!”
“...!”
Cho-ryeong burst into the clearing, shouting at the top of her lungs.
“Brother Bang passed the first exam too. He’s about to take the practical test. If he passes, he’ll join the medical division. Isn’t that amazing?”
“...!”
She was practically yelling with excitement, completely unaware of my inner turmoil.
Damn, so I’m the only one who failed?
“Ah, really? Congratulations.”
“Right? I told you I’d become an entertainer at Huanghelou.”
Cho-ryeong stuck her tongue out playfully. It was infuriating, but cutting off her tongue wasn’t an option, right?
But come to think of it, if the medical division results were out, then the results for the martial division’s written exam should have been announced too.
“Savior! The results are out.”
Just then, Bang Yak-rip appeared behind Cho-ryeong. My heart started pounding.
Did I really fail?
I had a feeling I did. That would be humiliating.
My family’s honor was at stake. How could I face my younger sister?
The memory of my parents’ hands patting my back flashed through my mind.
“Really? How did you do?”
“I passed, of course.”
“And me?”
Thump thump—
My heart was racing.
“Well, obviously.”
Thump thump—
Bang Yak-rip hesitated before replying.
“You passed.”
Thud!
My heart sank.
“I knew it. Let’s go. I need to prepare for the practical test. Let’s get some good food too. Training has made me hungry.”
The two of them laughed as they watched me. What were they laughing at?
* * *
“Brother, it’s still crowded, isn’t it?”
“There were nearly a thousand people at the written exam. It’s thinned out a lot.”
“And you passed in such a competitive field?”
“I guess I did.”
Cho-ryeong and I had arrived at the entrance of the Patrol Division’s headquarters in the Martial Alliance.
Cho-ryeong, who had successfully entered Huanghelou, had initially come along to cheer on Bang Yak-rip, but when he left for the medical division’s practical exam, she had no choice but to follow me.
Despite not yet being an official entertainer, she had dressed in full courtesan attire to make a good impression, but she must have been disappointed.
However, Bang Yak-rip still hadn’t fully recovered from the pain of losing his family, and it was unclear if he ever would.
‘You never know. Cho-ryeong might be the one to heal his heart.’
Cho-ryeong, too, had a tragic past.
Her parents abandoned her when she was young, and though she was lucky enough to be adopted, her adoptive parents sold her to the Black Market.
Perhaps due to this life of constant abandonment, there was always a shadow behind her innocent smile.
If they could comfort each other, it might lead to a good relationship.
“It looks like they’re starting!”
The gates opened, and a familiar face emerged.
Unlike the medical division, the 8th-level Martial Alliance exam, which selected team leaders for the martial division, wasn’t held inside the Patrol Division’s building.
As one of the five main martial organizations representing the Martial Alliance, the interior was off-limits, and this part of the test took place outside.
Though we had entered the Martial Alliance grounds, we hadn’t passed through the inner gates, so technically, this area wasn’t truly “inside” the Martial Alliance.
The real interior lay further in.
“Congratulations to all of you who passed the first written exam. But remember, there’s still the second practical exam, followed by an interview. Only after passing all these will you have completed the 8th-level Martial Alliance exam. Now, we’ll start by checking each candidate’s internal energy before announcing the practical exam task.”
Jegal Su-hyeok, who had overseen the first written exam, stepped forward and addressed the candidates gathered at the Patrol Division’s gates.
Last time, I had been too focused on the written exam to notice, but now I could hear the murmurs around me.
- It’s Jegal Su-hyeok, the Mad Sword. He’s even more intimidating up close.
- Incredible. I heard there’s an opening in the Patrol Division’s Third Unit?
- Are you kidding? Do you want to work under the Mad Sword? Even half the rumors are true, he’s not right in the head.
I recognized Jegal Su-hyeok from my previous life.
Following the orders of the Baek family, I had set a trap that ultimately led to the downfall of the Martial Alliance Leader. Jegal Su-hyeok was the only one who had sensed my presence.
Because of him, I had to rely on Bang Yak-rip’s help for several days. Eventually, I had cut Jegal Su-hyeok’s throat.
If the Martial Alliance Leader and Jegal Su-hyeok had survived, the Baek family wouldn’t have been able to rise so easily in my previous life.
‘I thought he was part of the Alliance Leader’s division, but at this time, he was the leader of the Patrol Division.’
Even without my involvement, the Baek family would likely target the current Martial Alliance Leader and Jegal Su-hyeok in this life.
I would never allow that to happen.
“Yi Si-woo, step forward.”
I heard my name being called.
“I’ll be back. It’s just an internal energy check. Stay here.”
“Good luck!”
I left Cho-ryeong behind and approached the table set up at the entrance. The exam officials handed me a jade stone.
The stone was designed to split in half when internal energy was channeled into it, depending on the amount of energy.
I immediately gripped the stone and infused it with my internal energy.
*Crack—*
The stone split cleanly in two.
“Your internal energy is pure.”
“Can you tell?”
“The way the stone splits reveals it. It’s rare to see such a clean break.”
“Really?”
“Not that it matters. You passed. Wait here until we announce the practical exam task.”
‘I’m glad I didn’t use the Mixed Origin Technique.’
Had I overused it to the point where I couldn’t purify my internal energy, it would have been caught by the jade stone.
The basic conditions for the 8th-level Martial Alliance exam weren’t set arbitrarily. This place was proving to be quite interesting.
I stepped aside and began to make my way back to my original spot.
Several warriors’ gazes followed me, but I didn’t pay them any mind. However, I noticed a commotion where I had been waiting.
Curious, I pushed through the crowd.
*Slap!*
A pale-faced man struck Cho-ryeong across the cheek.
“How dare a lowly courtesan act so arrogantly?”
“I’m sorry,” Cho-ryeong whispered, bowing her head.
My chest tightened with anger.
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