Chapter 200 :

<An Unwelcome Visitor to the Academy (5)>

I questioned Ak Byeongbi, the Blood Star, once more.

"Have you come as a hall master of the Inspection Pavilion?"

"Does that matter?"

"The man who approached me yesterday claimed to be from the Inspection Pavilion."

"…"

"For someone who does not even belong to the Inspection Pavilion to impersonate it… Is that not a serious crime?"

As I continued speaking despite the taut tension in the air, Ak Byeongbi's face twisted further.

"That is not important."

Keeping his chin raised, he lowered his eyes toward me and growled.

"What matters most right now is that I have come for you."

As he said, attracting the Inspection Pavilion's attention was tantamount to finding oneself in danger.

The Inspection Pavilion had the authority to investigate people and uncover their other offenses.

Within the Martial Alliance, its nickname was the "Grim Reaper."

It had earned that name because those dragged there never returned unscathed.

But—

"That is why I am asking. Have you come here as a hall master of the Inspection Pavilion?"

"…"

"Or are you using the Inspection Pavilion's authority for personal purposes, just as Oh Ungyeong of the Ak Family did?"

"How dare you…!"

Even the Inspection Pavilion could not simply arrest anyone and pin crimes on them without proper justification.

And I had no intention of being just anyone.

"I see no one from the Enforcement Pavilion, despite the Inspection Pavilion taking action. Why is that?"

"…"

"Ultimately, I can only conclude that you came to intimidate me using your position in the Inspection Pavilion."

He had not produced so much as an order or identification token.

In other words, he had come here as Ak Jupyeong's uncle, rather than as the master of the Inspection Pavilion's Third Hall.

Arrogance appeared on his face.

"You are mistaken about something."

"…"

"I am the master of the Inspection Pavilion's Third Hall. An order can be issued afterward."

"…Is that so?"

I had heard that when the Inspection Pavilion lacked an order, it sometimes abducted its target first and extracted a statement through torture.

Were those rumors true?

"As expected, you did not come here without a plan."

I had discovered everything, including his sending Oh Ungyeong yesterday to impersonate the Inspection Pavilion.

Ak Byeongbi could hardly let that pass.

Apparently, he intended to take me away first and deal with the consequences afterward.

Well, that was unfortunate for him.

I was no longer the idiot who simply let others do as they pleased.

Tap!

Using the Taeul Eight Myriad Divine Steps, I created four afterimages to confuse Ak Byeongbi.

"…"

Yet, for some reason, he remained standing motionless.

Then, just as I unleashed World-Solitary Divine Movement to race toward the academy director's office—

Ak Byeongbi slammed his spear shaft into the ground.

Crack, crack.

The training ground's solid marble floor broke apart like dry leaves.

The vibration originating from Ak Byeongbi traveled in a peculiar wave, making the marble beneath my next step suddenly leap upward.

The Blood Star could use techniques like this too?

Having lost my footing, I untangled my steps and tried to leap again, but Ak Byeongbi spoke indifferently.

"Where do you think you are going?"

At his words, rustling sounds came from around the training ground, accompanied by the presence of people.

Martial artists revealed themselves one by one.

Before long, they surrounded Ak Byeongbi and me.

"The only place you are going is the Inspection Pavilion."

My steps, which had been about to accelerate, gradually slowed again.

'He prepared this thoroughly…'

Not all the Ak Family's martial artists would be experts, but if they attacked alongside Ak Byeongbi, I could not possibly handle them.

While I considered how to escape, Ak Byeongbi turned and spoke.

"However, I will give you a choice."

His spear pointed toward the Ak Family's martial artists.

"Break through the Ak Family's spear formation, or escape from me. Choose one."

"…"

Ak Byeongbi offered me an absurd choice.

"Neither option appeals to me."

"Is that so? Losers always run from making choices."

"I do not put myself in situations where all the choices are unfavorable."

"How unfortunate. But the world does not always proceed according to your preferences."

While Ak Byeongbi spoke, my gaze drifted toward the building's roof.

'Yaryul Geuk.'

Yaryul Geuk, who had come to ambush me and strike the back of my head again today, was creeping over the roof.

I immediately sent him a voice transmission.

—Yaryul Geuk! Make a commotion right now and draw their attention. Then I will head straight to the academy director's office…

But before I could finish, Yaryul Geuk moved.

'That bastard!'

Perhaps sensing the strange atmosphere, he was backing away, keeping his movements as small as possible.

I trembled with a sense of betrayal.

"Yaryul Geuk! Go to the academy director's office right now and tell him the Inspection Pavilion is here!"

As my voice rang out, he started in alarm and glared at me as though he wanted to kill me.

That cowardly bastard.

So what if you glare? What are you going to do?

One of the Ak Family's martial artists immediately approached Yaryul Geuk from behind, subdued him, and threw him before Ak Byeongbi.

Even after being captured, Yaryul Geuk continued glaring at me.

"…Jin Sowoon! You filthy, scheming…"

"You bastard! This is all your fault!"

"…My fault?"

"Yes! Everyone here is from the Ak Family."

With his paralysis acupoint sealed, Yaryul Geuk could only move his eyes as he glared murderously at Ak Byeongbi.

"The Ak Family…! Jin Sowoon, release me. I will kill them all…"

"Shut up and stay out of the way."

I kicked him into a corner of the training ground.

After glancing at the loudly protesting Yaryul Geuk, Ak Byeongbi spoke.

"Are you finished?"

There was no avoiding this now.

Even Yaryul Geuk, my last resort, had ended up like that.

He really was useless.

I adjusted my grip on the Blood Dragon Sword.

If I could not run away, I would simply have to break through.

"Have you finally given up?"

I glared at Ak Byeongbi.

"You will pay for what you have done today."

"I hear Jupyeong has been left with a disability…"

Energy gathered around his spear tip.

Unlike the clumsily scattered energy I had seen the previous day, his spear energy possessed a perfect shape, as though precisely sculpted.

"You will be the first to pay dearly."

Trying to gauge my abilities against the Blood Star was foolish from the outset.

I drew up my internal energy as well and unleashed the Ten Thousand Seas and Heaven-Earth Sword Art.

"Try it if you can."

Six myriad swords appeared.

Sword energy gathered around them.

An absurd quantity of internal energy drained away, but now was not the time to consider what came afterward.

I could not allow myself to be dragged to the Inspection Pavilion.

"…Now I understand why you came into conflict with Jupyeong. You are an ill-mannered brat."

"Look who is talking!"

The six myriad swords began moving.

Emitting sword energy, they began performing the Twin Heaven Sword Art.

Countless swords now filled the sky above the small training ground without a gap, all aimed at Ak Byeongbi.

Yet there was not the slightest sense of danger on his face.

"Come!"

"Hah!"

Ak Byeongbi prepared to swing his spear in a wide arc.

Using the Taeul Eight Myriad Divine Steps, I charged at him.

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

The Small Heaven Sword Technique tore through the air, targeting his vital acupoints.

The Great Heaven Sword Technique confused his vision.

Despite his imposing opening stance, Ak Byeongbi repeatedly retreated to evade the swords.

Then, when his feet finally stopped moving backward—

"Blazing Flame Spear!"

Absurdly, the name of a martial art burst from his mouth.

"You have got to be kidding…"

Was shouting sword arts and technique names not something only neighborhood children did while playing war?

I wondered whether he was trying to deceive me, but the spear energy around his spear tip turned crimson and began radiating heat.

'He is really using exactly what he shouted?'

Whoosh!

With a rush of scorching heat, the burning spear energy swallowed the Twin Heaven Sword Art.

Boom, boom, boom!

Pressure erupted between the clashing energies, pushing my body backward.

I braced myself with the Thousand-Jin Drop technique while directing the other myriad swords at him from five directions.

Crash, crash, crash!

As the myriad swords descended, Ak Byeongbi evaded them with unbelievable agility.

At the same time, I unleashed the Myriad Transformations Invincible Fist with my left hand to block his retreat.

"Heaven-Piercing Fiery Radiance Fist!"

"…"

Once again, Ak Byeongbi shouted the martial art's name as he thrust out his hand.

His right hand flashed brilliantly as a barrage of strikes came pouring toward me.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

After exchanging three techniques in an instant, we were driven apart by the resulting wave of energy.

Scrape—

I resisted the force pushing me backward as much as possible, but I still had to retreat seven steps…

'He overwhelmed me in internal energy?'

Incredibly, he had retreated only three.

Ak Byeongbi looked at the fist he had just used against me, then pierced me with his usual sharp gaze.

"Brat… For a disciple of the Taeul Sect to possess such internal energy. You truly are suspicious."

Even if he was one of the Seven Stars, I found it difficult to believe that he possessed more internal energy than I did.

"Does the Ak Family drink Empty Azure Stone Milk instead of water? You seem equally suspicious to me."

"…Very well. You can explain everything in the Inspection Pavilion's dungeon."

He gripped his spear with both hands again and assumed a charging stance.

"Dark Cloud Flashing Lightning Spear!"

It was the signature spear art that had made the Ak Family renowned for its spearmanship.

Supposedly, only the foreign tribes of the north and villains of the heretical martial world had witnessed its true power.

Ha. And now I would see it myself.

It was a martial art that exploited the spear's greater reach compared with a sword.

Abandoning any thought of evasion, I transferred the Blood Dragon Sword to my other hand and charged at him.

"Fool!"

Crack!

With his second push off the ground, the marble shattered, and clumps of earth scattered like a spray of water.

Ak Byeongbi's body became one with his spear as he rushed forward, seemingly ready to pierce me in a single bound.

I raised the Blood Dragon Sword in a reverse grip and desperately blocked the spear.

Screeeeech.

I pressed the flat of the blade against my forearm to disperse the impact, but even the remaining force felt as though it would break my arm.

Then I seized the spear shaft with my other hand and performed Lotus Flower to its utmost.

I kicked off the ground so hard that the marble shattered, scattering stones everywhere.

Even though he was charging in a straight line, I could not easily choose to evade.

'If I dodge, I die…'

The true terror of the Dark Cloud Flashing Lightning Spear lay in the hidden scheme concealed within its simple attack.

The instant the target avoided a direct confrontation, a second push off the ground would send the spear through them, no matter which direction they fled.

Apparently unprepared for the sudden grafting technique, he failed to dissipate his forward momentum and was pulled toward me along with his spear.

I immediately followed with Snow Flower, hurling his enormous body away with all my strength.

Crash!

Ak Byeongbi flew beyond the training ground.

The moment he struck the wall, throwing sand and dust into the air—

I fired sword energy into the dust like a madman.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Nearly twenty blasts of sword energy shot out and exploded in a single breath.

As several Ak Family warriors maintaining the encirclement flinched and moved toward Ak Byeongbi—

I immediately unleashed World-Solitary Divine Movement and broke through the perimeter.

"Deploy the formation!"

But an Ak Family warrior quickly blocked my path.

I unleashed the Twin Heaven Sword Art, intending to throw him aside and race away, but…

"Already?"

An enormous wave of energy surged behind me.

Without even time to turn, I desperately performed the Taeul Eight Myriad Divine Steps.

Crash!

With a noise like an exploding Thunderclap Bomb, the ground caved in.

At the end of the crater stood Ak Byeongbi, his spear driven downward.

"Why did you not announce your martial art this time? How cowardly."

"…"

He wiped fresh blood from the corner of his mouth.

"There are more than a few things I wish to know about you. How can an academy student possess such skill?"

"If that is all, I can answer without going to the Inspection Pavilion."

"…"

…

That exchange had made one thing clear.

He did not possess the tremendous internal energy I had imagined.

All this time, he had merely been absorbing and dispersing the impact of our clashing energy with his external art.

Moreover…

He was clearly afraid the commotion would spread beyond this place.

'That should have been a perfect opportunity for him.'

When I had turned my back to deal with the Ak Family warrior, I had certainly left myself exposed.

I had known it, yet failed to prepare. Caught off guard by the situation, I had carelessly relied on the Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Garment…

But Ak Byeongbi had let that perfect opportunity pass.

'Because… if we fought there, people outside would notice what was happening here!'

His shouting martial arts and technique names until now must have been an extension of that concern.

He had wanted me focused on him, preventing me from turning my attention outward.

"…So that is how it is."

A smile formed on my lips.

I could see straight through him.

"You pretended to be bold and straightforward, but you were a cunning fox wearing a bear's skin."

Apparently displeased by my reaction, Ak Byeongbi frowned deeply.

"…What are you talking about?"

"As I thought, you do not want this commotion spreading outside, do you?"

"…"

"That must also be why you could not deploy the spear formation to capture me."

For the first time, Ak Byeongbi's face went rigid.

It was not an expression of suppressed anger, but a desperate attempt to conceal his alarm.

"…Your realizing that changes nothing."

"Do you truly think so?"

This was why I loved fighting arrogant bastards.

They were so complacent that they never investigated their opponents properly.

And when I struck them from behind while they were off guard…

'Nothing could be more exhilarating.'

Whoooooosh.

The air shook violently, and a powerful wind rose.

As though being drawn into a cave, currents of air gathered fiercely in my hand.

Watching me concentrate on the flow of the air, Ak Byeongbi ground his teeth.

"What are you plotting…?"

The mighty Blood Star would hardly fail to evade the Mad Heaven Divine Palm.

But that did not matter.

If the Mad Heaven Divine Palm erupted within the Martial Academy, people would look this way whether they wanted to or not.

KABOOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion thundered in every direction.

It was a signal announcing that the Ak Family and I were here.