Chapter 8 :

Chapter 8

Act Three: The Grand Martial Path Entrance Examination (1)

Azure Mountain.

Its name evoked an image of lush vegetation and rugged mountain terrain, but what lay before Yise was a tall peak and a considerably large settlement that appeared to have been carved into the mountainside.

It was too large to be called a town, yet too small to be considered a great city.

One thing was certain: auspicious energy emanated from the entire mountain.

This must have been what the books meant by “mountain terrain abundant in spiritual energy.”

Crowds far larger than anything Subu Village had ever seen filled the streets, mingling with carriages, porters carrying luggage, and confused tourists.

The clamorous noise never ceased.

The savory aroma of cooking rice, the sharp fragrance of incense, and even the foul stench of fish filled the air.

The city overflowed with the smells of human life.

Yise passed a sign bearing the words “Azure Mountain Capital” and continued forward.

What made the atmosphere of Azure Mountain Capital even more peculiar were the shops displaying objects unlike anything he had ever seen.

Talismans hung everywhere, while magical-artifact shops, weapon shops, and inns sold demon fangs, ritual bells, and artifacts containing unusual energy.

To Yise, who had spent his entire life within Subu Village and Spirit-Guarding Temple, it felt like another world.

His curiosity aroused, Yise stopped before a nearby magical-artifact shop.

A message beside its signboard read, “Both coins and spirit stones accepted.”

The proprietor noticed Yise examining a talisman, cleared his throat, and immediately approached.

“Welcome. That is a demonic-energy-blocking talisman that is extremely popular among disciples of the Grand Martial Path.”

“This one?”

Yise instinctively questioned him.

He could not accurately sense spiritual energy, but he could at least detect the auspicious energy emanating from ritual implements and spirit treasures.

Yet he could feel absolutely nothing from this object.

“It appears to be an ordinary talisman.”

“What? Are you accusing me of fraud?”

“...That wasn’t my intention. How much is it?”

“Thirty thousand jeon—roughly thirty million won. One spirit stone would also be sufficient.”

The absurd price would consume all the money Yise possessed.

He quietly put the object down.

It seemed most of the goods traded here were counterfeits rather than genuine articles, and that the city contained more thieves than merchants.

“The Grand Martial Path’s disciples wouldn’t be deceived by these things. These people must prey upon applicants hoping to take the examination.”

“Are you an applicant for the Grand Martial Path entrance examination?”

“Yes.”

“Then I recommend this instead.”

The proprietor handed him another talisman.

It was a crude-looking object bearing the words “Great Success in the Examination.”

“The disciple who achieved the highest score in last year’s entrance examination bought this very talisman before entering.”

The proprietor cleared his throat pompously and puffed out his chest.

“I wish you many sales.”

Yise withdrew his attention from the swindlers scattered throughout the area and headed toward the center of Azure Mountain Capital.

Finding the entrance-examination registration office was easier than expected.

The crowd seeking it was already flowing in a single direction like a river.

“Grand Martial Path Entrance-Examination Registration Office.”

The administrative building was clean but modest.

After waiting in the long queue for approximately two double-hours, Yise entered and found clerks wearing the Grand Martial Path’s robes seated behind desks at several counters.

“Next.”

The queue gradually shortened until Yise’s turn arrived.

“Name.”

The clerk behind the counter asked without even looking at him.

“Yise.”

“Place of origin.”

“Subu Village.”

“Age.”

“I turned sixteen this year.”

“Affiliation.”

Yise briefly considered giving the name of Spirit-Guarding Temple before answering, “None.”

It was not because he felt no sense of belonging there.

He simply wasn’t certain whether he was permitted to reveal its name carelessly.

“Copy this.”

“What a thoroughly emotionless person.”

Muttering inwardly, Yise unrolled the document the clerk had handed him.

“I, the undersigned, will raise no objection even if I am injured or killed during the entrance examination. I will not disclose the examination’s contents to outsiders, and if I violate this agreement, I will accept any resulting punishment or disadvantage.”

Yise quickly copied the declaration and asked a question.

“Are there many casualties?”

“We do not deliberately kill or injure applicants.”

When Yise finished writing and put down the brush, the clerk accepted the application.

“This is your registration token. If you lose it, you cannot register again. The examination begins in two days, at the start of the Hour of the Goat (4:00 PM to 6:00 PM)—at the training yard outside the entrance to the institute on the mountain’s summit. Climb the mountain and wait there in advance.”

“Yes.”

“How remarkably unfriendly.”

Leaving that brief impression behind, Yise walked out.

Perhaps dealing with such enormous crowds had made the clerks mechanical.

After completing the most important task, he headed toward an inn.

Darkness had fallen over the city, and he intended to eat his fill before spending the next two days training.

He selected a reasonably large and clean inn.

The moment he opened the door, the aromas of oil, roasting meat, and hot soup struck his nose.

“Are you staying the night or eating?”

“Both. I would like a room for two nights.”

“You must be an examinee. Sit over there by the window.”

As soon as Yise sat in a corner, he looked through the entire menu.

“Is there anything you recommend?”

“Our braised meat is outstanding.”

“Then I’ll have one bowl of spicy chicken soup, three servings of braised meat, one serving of thin noodles, one order of steamed dumplings, a large dish of steamed eggs, a large kimchi pancake, and plenty of rice.”

The proprietor’s hand stopped while writing down the order.

“Are more people coming?”

“No. I’m alone.”

“If you intended to order that much, why did you ask for a recommendation?”

“I wanted to order an especially large amount of it.”

Silence followed.

The proprietor shook his head, added, “Don’t leave anything behind,” and walked away.

“What a strange thing to say.”

Yise possessed three principles that mattered above all else: eat well, sleep well, and train without missing a single day.

Regardless of the type or quantity of food, he had never left anything uneaten or allowed anything to go to waste.

Before long, the dishes emerged one after another.

Steam rose from the spicy chicken soup, the ribs glistened, and the surface of the steamed eggs trembled softly.

The food immediately began disappearing into Yise’s mouth.

It was less like eating and more like sweeping everything inside and swallowing it.

The inn’s other customers stared in horror and began whispering.

“Did some Hungry Ghost wander in here...?”

The proprietor could only click his tongue.

At that moment, the inn’s door burst open with a crash, and a boy entered with a shout.

“Innkeeper! Bring me two of every dish you have!”

The boy’s skin was deeply tanned.

He possessed a solid physique, striking features, well-maintained clothes made from expensive fabric, and glossy hair.

At first glance, one might mistake him for a farmer, but he was clearly no country bumpkin.

He lacked elegance, yet unmistakably appeared wealthy.

The boy quickly took the seat beside Yise and repeatedly pounded the table.

For some reason, he carried the scent of the sea breeze.

“Wow, you have an incredible appetite. Are you an examinee?”

Instead of answering, Yise merely nodded.

“If things go well, we might become fellow disciples. You’d make the perfect dining companion.”

“So you’re an examinee too. Let’s both do our best.”

After giving a perfunctory response, Yise resumed rapidly consuming his food.

“Innkeeper! Hurry up with the food!”

“Damn it! You could have ordered one of each!”

The boy chuckled at the proprietor’s grumbling.

“What’s your name?”

“Yise. Innkeeper, bring me one more of every dish as well.”

“What an unusual name. But you’re still going to eat more? Slow down. Is someone trying to steal your food? Food is supposed to be savored.”

Yise needed to finish eating and return to training.

He could not understand why the boy kept speaking to him.

Needlessly sociable people were always troublesome.

“My name is Hae Unchan.”

At that moment, the entire inn froze.

The sounds of chopsticks stopped, and the conversations died away.

Within the silent inn, only the clatter of Yise’s utensils continued to echo.

He noticed the change in the atmosphere but ignored it and focused solely on eating.

When Yise showed no further reaction and the food arrived, Hae Unchan also lost interest in him and concentrated on his meal.

Meanwhile, Yise had completely emptied every plate on his table and was licking his lips.

How many more times had they ordered food?

Before long, everyone else had left the inn, leaving only the two of them.

Yise politely raised his hand and began placing what he expected to be his final order.

“Innkeeper, one bowl of meat soup and two more trays of dumplings, please.”

“There’s nothing left! Nothing! You Ravenous Ghosts ate everything! We’ve run out of ingredients!”

“Then please make anything you can with the remaining ingredients.”

“Would you like me to show you the empty kitchen?”

“.......”

Yise could not understand why the proprietor was irritated when they had bought so much food and greatly increased his earnings.

Nor could he understand why the man was sweating so heavily.

The kitchen matron of the Spirit-Kin Race could single-handedly prepare several hundred times this amount without difficulty.

Yise briefly wore an expression like someone who had lost his country before glancing toward Hae Unchan’s table.

It was an extremely appealing table, laden with warm food.

Yise quietly moved closer and attempted to act shamelessly friendly.

“Didn’t you say something earlier about being dining companions?”

“I’m sorry, but who are you?”

Honor among martial artists had truly fallen into the dirt.

Yise lamented the state of the world.

***

The following day.

Yise climbed the peak of Azure Mountain.

He had eaten well and had not neglected his training for two days.

His body was in peak condition.

He did not know what the Grand Martial Path’s examination would entail, but he was confident he could achieve the best result possible.

However, a new concern had emerged.

“Food is far too expensive.”

He had only eaten his usual fill, yet the expense was considerably greater than expected.

When he thought about how much he had eaten among the Spirit Kin, he almost felt guilty.

“The Grand Martial Path will provide meals, won’t it?”

While entertaining that idle thought, he arrived at the entrance-examination waiting hall, which was larger than he had expected.

Yet the enormous hall felt cramped because of the vast crowd gathered inside.

There appeared to be well over a thousand people.

Most were boys and girls around his age or slightly older.

Despite their youth, some emanated conspicuously powerful presences.

“Silence. The Chief Examiner is approaching.”

When one of the Grand Martial Path’s members shouted from one side of the hall, the entire gathering quickly fell silent.

The waiting hall’s doors opened, and a man with a neatly trimmed beard entered.

At that moment, tremendous pressure spread through the hall as though swallowing it whole.

“Greetings. My name is Kang Yitae, and I will serve as the Chief Examiner for this year’s entrance examination.”

The previously silent hall filled with murmurs.

“Kang Yitae, Master of the Qilin Hall...”

“I can’t believe I’m seeing him in person.”

“So this is the presence of a Great Cultivator in the Core Formation Realm...”

The man before them was Kang Yitae, master of one of the Eleven Inner Halls said to constitute the Grand Martial Path’s central fighting force.

Kang Yitae did not even tell the applicants to remain silent.

He simply pressured them into closing their mouths with the spiritual energy carried in his voice.

“There are many applicants this year. So many that this hall appears stifling.”

A deep furrow crossed his forehead, though it was difficult to tell whether it came from age or irritation.

His gaze, however, was infinitely sharp.

“But it will soon become spacious, so don’t worry.”

It was a peculiar statement.

Kang Yitae appeared to have no intention of explaining it and immediately continued.

“The entrance examination will consist of seven different tests conducted over seven days. I will explain them in detail after the first test concludes. Let us begin immediately. The first test is simple.”

His following words were perfectly calm.

“All you need to do is pass through the institute’s main gate.”