Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 236 - Imperial Guard Bureau Martial Examination (4)

Chapter 236 – Imperial Guard Bureau Martial Examination (4)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The internal energy measurement, which marked the start of the Embroidered Uniform Guard selection, finally began.

At the training ground before the platform, the six Thousand-Household Commanders stood in a row. In front of them were dozens of thick stone slabs.

Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Chae Ho-seong addressed the cadets lined up in six rows.

“Can you see them? The slabs before you are made of Gyeokse Stone.”

-Murmur, murmur.

The cadets stirred at the mention of Gyeokse Stone.

-Ho. That much Gyeokse Stone? The imperial palace really does have money to burn.

At Cheong-ryeong’s remark, Mok Gyeong-un asked curiously,

-What is Gyeokse Stone?

-You do not know Gyeokse Stone? …Ah. Of course a sentient being like you would not. There are certain ores that can be refined into stones capable of enduring internal energy.

-Enduring internal energy?

-Yes.

-Then they must have been created for a reason.

-Naturally. If internal-energy masters who had reached a certain realm trained in an ordinary hall, do you think the room would survive? Most training halls belonging to great martial clans and sects are made from Danse Stone or Gyeokse Stone.

-Danse Stone?

-It is somewhat inferior to Gyeokse Stone in material and durability, but it can easily endure first-rate internal energy. To shatter it, one must at least possess mature Peak-Realm internal energy.

-Ho. Then Gyeokse Stone must be even tougher.

-Of course. Gyeokse Stone is for internal-energy experts who cultivate superior martial arts. Its durability cannot even be compared to Danse Stone.

That meant Gyeokse Stone was durable enough to withstand internal energy from Peak Realm even approaching Transcendent Peak.

Hearing that, Mok Gyeong-un understood why Cheong-ryeong had been surprised.

Unless one possessed wealth on the level of the imperial palace, who would even dream of preparing that many Gyeokse Stone slabs just for an examination?

At that moment Chae Ho-seong continued,

“Silence. If you are frightened by this much, how do you expect to become members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”

No one answered.

“The test is simple. I do not care whether you use a blade, a sword, or your fists and feet. Use internal energy to leave a mark at least one cun deep. Anyone who fails to do so is eliminated. Understood?”

At those words the cadets’ faces darkened.

Gyeokse Stone was said to be fit for first-rate use, but unless one stood near the very end of the first-rate level, one could not even scratch it.

Yet now they were being told to leave a mark more than one cun deep.

The difficulty was absurdly high.

“Why are you not answering?”

“Yes, sir!”

Under his rebuke, the cadets shouted back.

And so the selection began under the supervision of the Thousand-Household Commanders of the various divisions.

One candidate after another stepped forward to leave a mark on the slabs. Very quickly, the test separated those who would pass from those who would fail.

“Gwak In-myeong, fail!”

“Heo Juk-ye, fail!”

“Han Myeong-cho, pass!”

Every announcement split the crowd into joy and despair.

Some of the eliminated looked merely disappointed. Others openly wept. A few even pleaded for one more chance because they could not accept the result.

But the deputy supervisors dealt with them coldly.

“Did you really think you could join the Embroidered Uniform Guard with that pathetic level of internal energy? Get out.”

“Kuhk…”

“If you have only just entered first-rate, you should have given up from the start.”

“M-my apologies.”

The gap between someone who had only just entered first-rate and someone who had reached its extreme was obvious.

Those who had barely stepped into first-rate could only leave marks around half a cun deep.

But those close to the extreme or nearly at Peak Realm left clear marks exceeding one cun.

Then someone produced nearly one and a half cun.

“Ju Sang-jae, pass!”

‘I did it.’

After carving a sword scar deeper than one and a half cun into the slab, Ju Sang-jae cried out in delight.

He had just taken one step closer to becoming a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Once he moved to the line of successful candidates and sat down, he looked toward the cadets still being tested with a proud face.

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard really is the finest elite force in the palace. To think the standard for new recruits is practically the far edge of first-rate.”

Seop Chun clicked his tongue quietly.

He had heard that in the past the imperial palace had not possessed many martial experts.

Because of that, several painful incidents had occurred, and the palace had begun putting serious effort into cultivating martial masters.

As Seop Chun admired the setup, Mong Mu-yak, standing behind him, said,

“Do not make such a fuss over it.”

“What do you mean, fuss?”

“Internal energy matters, but in the end the core of combat strength is actual combat ability. Increasing the number of people who are useless in real battle means nothing.”

“Listen to the great man.”

Would it kill him to admit something once in a while?

Clicking his tongue, Seop Chun provoked him.

“Since you are so impressive, how about a light wager?”

“A wager?”

“Yes. Let’s see who leaves the deeper mark.”

“…And the stakes?”

Seop Chun’s lips curled.

He had known Mong Mu-yak would accept.

No matter what he said, the fellow saw him as a rival, so he always fell for that sort of provocation.

“I am the one taking the worse bargain anyway, but how about this. The loser has to call the winner elder brother.”

“Elder brother?”

Seop Chun was older than Mong Mu-yak to begin with.

It was not that he disliked being treated like a friend. He simply wanted to see Mong Mu-yak forced to call him that with a miserable expression.

“What? Scared?”

“…Who is scared?”

In the end, Mong Mu-yak accepted.

Around then it became the turn of Yeom Gyeong, one of the cadets everyone in the advanced class had been watching.

Yeom Gyeong steadied his breath and thrust his sword toward the slab.

-Thrust.

The blade filled with internal energy bit into the stone.

And at a glance, the depth was extraordinary.

It had gone in well over two cun.

“Ohhh!”

Admiration erupted from all directions.

Until now, no one had broken past the two-cun mark.

Mak Myeong-bo, the Thousand-Household Commander of the Office of Four Investigations who was supervising his lane, called out in satisfaction,

“Cadet Yeom Gyeong. Two and a half cun. Current first place.”

‘Huh?’

Until then they had only announced pass or fail. Now they were announcing exact depth and ranking as well.

Current first place meant he had produced the best result so far.

Yeom Gyeong walked back to the successful-candidate line looking very pleased.

‘It was nothing special.’

Watching him return so triumphantly, Ju Sang-jae, who had only managed one and a half cun, ground his teeth.

The Mount Hua Sect was not one of the great sects for nothing.

Then another shout rang out.

“Cadet Namgung Cheong-hyeon. Four cun. Current first place.”

‘What?’

‘Four cun?’

Ju Sang-jae and Yeom Gyeong both stared at Namgung Cheong-hyeon in shock.

It was an overwhelming result, practically the same as piercing through the entire slab.

As he calmly sheathed his sword and walked back, the cadets who had not yet taken their turn looked at him with open awe.

‘As expected of one of the Seven Great Families of the martial world.’

He was the strongest cadet recognized by everyone in the advanced class.

Even the surrounding Thousand-Household Commanders clicked their tongues inwardly.

‘As expected of the Namgung Clan.’

‘Namgung Cheong-hyeon…’

Even Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak, who had shown no interest in the others, reacted to his result.

He was the grandson of Namgung Jin, the Azure Heaven Martial Sword, one of the Eight Stars of the martial world.

As befitted such lineage, his ability was no empty reputation.

Yeom Gyeong and Ju Sang-jae, both of whom considered him a rival, glared at him with jealousy.

Then yet another result came out.

“Cadet Geum Jong-hyeon. Three cun. Second place!”

‘Damn it!’

‘That bastard Geum Jong-hyeon got three cun?’

Geum Jong-hyeon walked back yawning as if the whole thing bored him.

The sight made Ju Sang-jae and Yeom Gyeong grit their teeth.

Yeom Gyeong in particular had instantly been pushed all the way down to third, which left him looking bad.

‘…Tch. The real competition starts now anyway.’

This was only an internal-energy measurement.

A difference of one or two cun was not something to ignore, but it was still not enough on its own to separate true gems from ordinary stones.

Then it became Seop Chun’s turn.

The nearby cadets immediately focused on him.

After all, this was a chance to see the level of the Heaven and Earth Society’s rising generation with their own eyes.

-Swish.

Seop Chun briefly grabbed the hilt of the treasured Guangmu Saber at his waist, then let go.

Because it was a treasured weapon unique to him, he felt that using it would produce a result beyond what his bare internal energy alone should show.

Although it was only a wager, he wanted to keep it fair. So he concentrated edge energy into his hand instead.

Then he drew his hand across the slab like a blade.

-Slash.

Soon the result was announced.

“Cadet Seop Chun. Three and a half cun. Second place!”

-Murmur, murmur.

The cadets stirred once more at the astonishing result.

He clearly seemed to be a saber-user, yet he had achieved three and a half cun with his bare hand.

That meant if he had used his saber, the result might have been even greater.

“He may be in second place, but isn’t that basically tied with Namgung Cheong-hyeon?”

“…So the three great powers really are not just all talk.”

“He’s a monster.”

Everyone around him was impressed, but Seop Chun himself was not satisfied in the slightest.

He almost felt he should have simply used the Guangmu Saber after all.

Still, he had his pride as a martial artist. Coming in below Namgung Cheong-hyeon of the orthodox faction did not sit well with him.

Namgung Cheong-hyeon felt much the same.

‘…Did he deliberately avoid using a weapon because he was conscious of me?’

Namgung Cheong-hyeon’s own sword was merely an ordinary blade from an ordinary smithy.

Even so, the difference between using a weapon and not using one could not be ignored.

Perhaps because of that, even Namgung Cheong-hyeon privately reproached himself for not also abstaining from using his sword.

Then someone else produced a result.

-Boom.

A heavy punch shook the Gyeokse Stone.

The slab caved inward under that single fist.

‘Would you look at this fellow. He was at this level?’

Seeing it, O Mu-gi, Thousand-Household Commander of the Office of Three Lines, raised the corner of his mouth and announced,

“Cadet Wi Bu-cheong. Three cun. Joint third place!”

Many were astonished by that result.

Yeom Gyeong in particular, who had been pushed straight out of the top ranks, was practically gnashing his teeth.

Though not entirely satisfied with his own result, Wi Bu-cheong looked toward someone and gave a disdainful snort.

‘Did you see that? That is the gap between you and me.’

The target of his contempt was Ju Un-hyang.

Ju Un-hyang let out a quiet breath.

“Huu.”

He knew perfectly well why Wi Bu-cheong acted like this.

Wi Bu-cheong seemed to believe that since Ju Un-hyang could not use internal energy, he had only reached the advanced class through backing.

Shaking his head, Ju Un-hyang stepped forward.

It was almost his turn now.

Then another shout rang out.

“Cadet Mong Mu-yak. Three and a half cun. Joint second place!”

-Murmur, murmur.

“Another three and a half.”

“This is insane.”

“Did the Heaven and Earth Society collect nothing but monsters?”

The cadets clicked their tongues in disbelief.

Nearly all one hundred advanced-class cadets struggled just to surpass one cun, yet three and a half cun was a stunning figure.

It would not have been an exaggeration to say they were simply on a different level.

‘Damn it.’

Even Wi Bu-cheong, who had been reasonably satisfied with his own result, could not hide his frustration.

After seeing Seop Chun produce his mark barehanded, he too had chosen not to use his sword and had instead relied on a fist art he trained only as a secondary discipline.

Thanks to that, he had reached three cun. But now even another member of the Heaven and Earth Society had surpassed him, making it feel as though the Four Allied League, the power to which he belonged, lagged furthest behind the three great factions.

“Tch.”

Even after hearing his result, Mong Mu-yak looked displeased as he walked toward the line of successful candidates.

For the sake of pride, he too had refused to use a weapon.

Even so, he had intended to take first place.

Instead he ended up tied with Seop Chun.

Their wager was a draw.

“Whew.”

Watching him, Seop Chun let out a small breath of relief and rubbed his chest.

He had been inwardly nervous that Mong Mu-yak might use his sword or unleash enough internal energy to beat him in the wager, so a tie was a fortunate result.

Then Ju Un-hyang stepped before the slab.

Quite a few cadets watched him carefully.

But there was no expectation in their eyes.

‘Tsk. He got greedy for nothing.’

‘He used backing to skip up a class, so let him be properly humiliated now.’

‘How is someone without internal energy supposed to leave a mark?’

They wanted him to fail publicly.

Ju Un-hyang calmed his breathing and stood before the Gyeokse Stone slab.

Mak Myeong-bo, the deputy supervisor standing in front of him, looked at him with no expectation whatsoever.

‘Why did Deputy Thousand-Household Commander So Ye-rin even place a bet on a fellow like this?’

He inspected Ju Un-hyang with his senses, wondering whether the young man might have been hiding his strength.

But it was the same as before. The boy seemed to have cultivated no internal energy at all.

And this was not Danse Stone. Gyeokse Stone was too hard for someone without internal energy to scratch.

‘He’ll do nothing except learn the limits of relying on backing.’

-Swish.

Ju Un-hyang placed his palm on the slab.

He did not strike it or make any overt movement, merely laid his hand against it.

Mak Myeong-bo frowned and snapped,

“Cadet Ju Un-hyang. Participate in the internal-energy test properly…”

Before he could finish,

-Kwadeudeudeuk!

A burst of wind pressure erupted around Ju Un-hyang’s palm and began spinning violently.

In the next instant the Gyeokse Stone slab cracked in a spiraling pattern, then failed to endure the force and exploded apart, fragments flying in every direction.

-Papapapapak!

“Huh!”

Because he had been standing right in front of it, Mak Myeong-bo hurriedly blocked the fragments and sprang backward.

The people on either side did the same, leaping forward to shield the testing cadets and knock away the flying shards.

‘!!!’

Silence instantly swallowed the entire training ground.

‘That’s impossible.’

‘He shattered a Gyeokse Stone slab…’

‘He completely blew it to pieces.’

Every cadet’s mouth fell open.

The Thousand-Household Commanders of the Six Pavilions were just as stunned.

It was pure shock.

The only person who looked as if this outcome were natural was So Ye-rin, who quietly lifted one corner of her mouth.

* * *

Everyone present remained stunned.

Not a single one of them had imagined that Un-hyang would break the slab itself.

‘Wasn’t that bastard supposed to have no internal energy?’

‘This makes no sense.’

Even more than the result itself, they were shaken by what it implied.

They had believed Ju Un-hyang had risen to the advanced class only through backing precisely because he had a constitution that prevented him from cultivating internal energy.

‘How can this be…’

They had expected him to fail cleanly in the internal-energy test. Instead he had reduced the slab to pieces.

Wi Bu-cheong was so dumbfounded he could barely think.

How could such a thing be possible?

‘Hah…’

‘What in the world…’

The Thousand-Household Commanders of the various divisions were no less bewildered.

They had already reviewed the cadet dossiers prepared in advance.

The records concerning Ju Un-hyang had been a complete mess.

And yet now he had displayed something absurd.

‘…This isn’t the level of a cadet.’

To destroy Gyeokse Stone outright required internal energy at the fully mature Transcendent Peak level.

Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand-Household Commanders serving as deputy supervisors could hardly accomplish that.

‘What exactly is he?’

‘Has he been hiding his strength this whole time?’

Their thoughts grew tangled.

One of the two chief supervisors for the entire selection, Chae Ho-seong, was no less shaken and could not take his eyes off Un-hyang.

Without even turning to look at So Ye-rin beside him, he asked quietly,

“Did you know?”

So Ye-rin only answered with a faint smile.

That reaction narrowed Chae Ho-seong’s eyes.

Even he had failed to notice until now whether Ju Un-hyang had been concealing his martial ability.

If she had noticed it, then…

‘…So Ye-rin, are you actually a step above me?’

Until now he had assumed her martial prowess was either on his level or slightly below it.

That made this even more shocking to him.

As someone aiming for the seat of the next South Suppression Warrior, he could not help but become wary.

“Commander Mak. Announce the result.”

Chae Ho-seong’s voice broke the silence.

Mak Myeong-bo, who had just been brushing away the fragments of the shattered slab, shouted loudly,

“Cadet Ju Un-hyang. Complete destruction of the Gyeokse Stone. First place!”

The waiting cadets, the failed candidates, and even those who had already passed all continued staring at Ju Un-hyang in disbelief, as if the shock had still not worn off.

“Hah. So the imperial palace had a monster of its own after all. Right?”

Mong Mu-yak said nothing to Seop Chun’s words.

He too had been deeply shaken.

He had thought there could not possibly be many young people who had not even reached their twenties yet had climbed to such an absurd level, apart from his own lord Mok Gyeong-un.

But the world was wide.

And apparently one of those monsters had been hiding right here in the imperial palace.

Then Seop Chun jerked his chin and said,

“It’s our lord’s turn.”

“Ah.”

As he said, Mok Gyeong-un was already walking toward the slab.

Some of the cadets showed interest.

That was because Mok Gyeong-un was also one of the Heaven and Earth Society’s younger generation.

But those reactions only came from the failed candidates or from cadets whose internal-energy levels were low.

The supervisors and top-ranking cadets judged him differently.

‘This one seems to be the most ordinary among the Heaven and Earth Society’s juniors.’

‘He’s weaker than those other two.’

‘He’ll probably pass without trouble, but he does not look like someone who will stand out.’

That was the general opinion.

The reason was simple. Through their senses, Mok Gyeong-un seemed to possess no more than mature Peak-Realm power.

Of course, even that was better than most of the advanced-class cadets.

It was only when compared to the Heaven and Earth Society or the upper-ranked candidates that he appeared lacking.

Mok Gyeong-un came to a stop before the Gyeokse Stone slab.

“Begin.”

That order came from Si U-ryang, the Thousand-Household Commander of the Office of Two Records, who was supervising Mok Gyeong-un’s lane.

‘Probably around two cun to two and a half,’ he guessed.

Then Mok Gyeong-un looked at the slab and said,

“Is there really much meaning in scratching an unmoving stone that is neither alive nor capable of resistance?”

At those words, Si U-ryang gave a derisive snort.

“Say that after you’ve managed to leave a proper mark on it, Cadet.”

For someone who did not even seem capable of reaching the highest level here, his attitude sounded unbearably arrogant.

If someone like Ju Un-hyang, who had just blown the slab apart, had said such a thing, it would have at least made sense.

‘Tsk.’

But then Mok Gyeong-un placed his hand not on the front of the slab, but on its top edge.

Si U-ryang immediately warned him,

“Do it properly. Not there. On the front of the slab…”

Before he could finish, Mok Gyeong-un clenched the top of the slab with all five fingers and slowly dragged them downward.

-Keugeugeugeugeuk.

At that instant, something unbelievable happened.

The Gyeokse Stone slab was gouged apart as if it were nothing more than packed earth.

‘!!!!!!’

End

© Hanjung Wolya