Chapter 34
Promotion Examination (2)
Namgung Jun looked down at the paper in his hand.
“You must reach the examination site within the time limit using only the clues written on this paper.”
“And if I fail to do so?”
“Then, naturally, you will fail the promotion examination.”
The scholar cupped his fist in salute.
“The time is already running, so you should move quickly. I wish you good fortune.”
“How much time remains?”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you that.”
Having delivered the paper, the scholar immediately turned and departed.
“Hm.”
Namgung Jun looked at the scholar’s receding back and felt the texture of the paper in his hand.
There was no doubt about it.
The promotion examination had begun.
He had to find the examination site using only the clue written on the paper.
Simply arriving at the location was itself part of the test.
So it really isn't an examination that evaluates only martial skill.
The Ten Halls were the elite forces of the Changcheon Society.
When operating in the jianghu, there were many situations that could not be solved through martial arts alone.
Furthermore, because the Ten Halls were perpetually short-handed, individual missions were frequently assigned.
As a result, the members of the Ten Halls trained themselves in a wide variety of fields.
Investigation, tracking, infiltration, escort duties, medicine, assassination—there were many different specialties.
This examination was meant to verify whether a candidate possessed the minimum capabilities required to undertake independent missions.
Namgung Jun read the clue written on the paper.
“Jamyeong Pavilion.”
One of the Five Pavilions under the Ink Fragrance Division.
It was responsible for managing and supplying equipment, weapons, clothing, and other materials, as well as maintaining formations, buildings, and facilities.
Upon arriving at Jamyeong Pavilion, Namgung Jun slowly surveyed the area.
The craftsmen and laborers of the pavilion paid him no attention whatsoever despite noticing him. Everyone seemed occupied with their own work.
I need to find a clue here.
Namgung Jun steadied his breathing and broadened his awareness.
Had he been the Sword Emperor of his previous life, who had devoted himself solely to the sword, he might not have known what to do.
But things were different now.
To prepare for today’s promotion examination—and for his future activities as a member—he had learned many things from his seniors, including Heo Il.
Namgung Jun carefully examined the countless traces scattered around Jamyeong Pavilion.
Footprints.
Wheel tracks.
Marks left by dragged crates.
Numerous traces remained.
Among them, he managed to identify a set of relatively recent wagon tracks.
Though mixed with many others, one particular set stood out for being unusually deep and clear.
That means it was carrying something especially heavy.
Namgung Jun recalled the only subject of the Second-Rank Promotion Examination that had ever been publicly disclosed.
Blue Jade Stone.
Blue Jade Stone was extraordinarily dense and therefore extremely heavy.
If it had been transported by wagon, it would naturally leave deeper tracks than anything else.
Having reached a conclusion, Namgung Jun immediately set off.
It would have been nice if there were other promotion candidates so we could cooperate, but I don't see anyone. Was that the examiner's intention?
Following the wagon tracks through the main stronghold, Namgung Jun suddenly stopped.
The wheel marks ended abruptly.
It couldn't have suddenly flown into the sky or sunk into the ground.
Remaining calm, he examined the surrounding area.
Eventually, he discovered tracks branching off in both the eastern and northern directions.
“One of them is fake.”
After studying both trails closely, he noticed a subtle difference.
The depth and shape of the tracks were slightly different.
Namgung Jun crouched down and examined them with his own hands.
The wheel marks heading north are slightly different. The eastern trail is the real one.
Just as he was about to move—
RUMBLE!
A tremendous crash erupted from a construction site beside him where a building was being expanded.
Moments later, shouts erupted.
“Someone help!”
“A man’s trapped!”
Namgung Jun glanced once at the eastern trail before immediately rushing toward the construction site.
When he arrived, he found a laborer pinned beneath a fallen wooden pillar while several others struggled to lift it.
The workers were exerting themselves together, but the pillar was so thick and heavy that it barely budged.
After assessing the situation, Namgung Jun acted without hesitation.
“Move aside.”
Shhk!
His sword flashed from its sheath.
With a single stroke, he cut the massive pillar into three sections and personally pulled the laborer free.
“Fortunately, your injuries don't seem serious.”
As he inspected the worker, however, a trace of confusion crossed his face.
If someone had truly been crushed beneath such a heavy pillar, it would not have been surprising for an arm or leg to be broken.
Yet the laborer appeared perfectly fine.
Then it happened.
“Thank you, Young Hero. I was exhausted after transporting Blue Jade Stone to Yangui Peak yesterday. My strength suddenly gave out, and this happened.”
Namgung Jun tilted his head slightly.
“Yangui Peak?”
“That's right. Thanks to you, I’m alive.”
Yangui Peak was the name of a mountain peak located west of this area.
That's the exact opposite direction from the trail I found earlier.
After a brief moment of thought, Namgung Jun kicked off the ground and headed west instead of east.
Before long, he found fresh traces of Blue Jade Stone transport along the path leading toward Yangui Peak.
“So the eastern trail was fake as well.”
Had he ignored the laborer and rushed ahead because of the examination’s time limit, he undoubtedly would have followed the eastern route.
Realizing the trap hidden within the examination, Namgung Jun sprinted toward Yangui Peak.
Even within the mountains, he continued advancing by following every trace he could find.
Thanks to the lessons Heo Il had taught him while they were chasing the wild boar days earlier, Namgung Jun was able to proceed without losing his way.
Crossing through dense undergrowth and continuing up the mountain, he eventually arrived at a hidden clearing midway up the peak.
At the center of the clearing stood a massive stele that appeared to be made of Blue Jade Stone.
“You arrived first.”
A middle-aged man stepped out from behind the stele.
He had a lean build, but rather than looking skinny, he seemed exceptionally fit. His unusually long legs were particularly striking.
It was the Lord of the Flying Divine Hall, the supervisor of this promotion examination.
“Greetings, Lord of the Flying Divine Hall.”
“You’re already attempting the promotion examination. You're moving very quickly.”
The Hall Lord looked Namgung Jun up and down with interest before letting out an impressed sigh.
“So the report from the Heavenly Sword Hall Master was true. You haven't even practiced martial arts for very long, yet you've already entered the Peak Realm. Your rate of growth is enough to remind me of our hall's movement techniques.”
“It is only thanks to the excellent guidance I've received.”
“You're giving the credit to your master. The Heavenly Sword Hall Master truly found herself a good disciple.”
The Flying Divine Hall Lord smacked his lips with a hint of envy in his eyes.
At that moment, Namgung Jun voiced a question.
“If I had gone east, would I have failed the examination?”
“That’s right. Members of our Society must establish clear priorities when carrying out missions. Otherwise, they’re no different from the countless wandering swordsmen of the jianghu who abandon their responsibilities.”
Just as he had expected.
The disturbance at the construction site had been a staged performance prepared for the examination.
“It’s a childish and simple trap, but when it's arranged naturally, few methods are more reliable. A person's split-second decisions reveal their character.”
Namgung Jun nodded.
An unclear time limit.
A sequence of choices presented one after another.
The examination had clearly been designed to pressure candidates into making hasty judgments.
“Do all candidates encounter the same trap?”
“We prepared many different scenarios for today. What you experienced was merely one of them.”
As they spoke, other candidates began arriving from various directions.
In total, only four people reached the Yangui Peak examination site.
The Flying Divine Hall Lord glanced at the incense stick planted in a nearby rock and nodded.
“Time is up. The five who still haven't arrived have failed.”
“Yes.”
At his words, a waiting scholar immediately wrote down the names of the failed candidates without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the Hall Lord approached the stele.
Ting!
He flicked the Blue Jade Stone with a finger infused with internal energy, producing a clear, resonant tone.
“As everyone knows, the second test is to leave a mark at least one inch deep on this Blue Jade Stone.”
Namgung Jun examined the stele carefully.
Rather than being neatly carved with smooth, straight surfaces, it resembled a naturally formed boulder, full of uneven ridges and rounded protrusions.
Leaving a mark on such a surface would be several times more difficult.
“You may use internal energy. If you're capable, you're also permitted to use sword qi.”
Most candidates taking the Second-Rank Promotion Examination were still at the First-Class level.
However, there were always a few who had begun martial training late or advanced unusually quickly and had already reached the Peak Realm before attempting promotion.
That was why the use of sword qi was permitted.
Several candidates brightened visibly at the announcement.
They were those who had entered the initial stage of the Peak Realm.
“Order doesn't matter. Challenge it as you please. You have three attempts.”
“Yes.”
The moment permission was given, a man stepped forward.
He appeared to be nearly thirty years old, and judging by his aura, he had reached the beginning of the Peak Realm.
Hummm—
Without hesitation, he unleashed sword qi.
A diagonal slash cut through the air.
He seemed to be aiming for a gap between the stele's uneven protrusions.
KAAANG!
The attack was completely deflected.
Only a tiny scratch remained.
The Flying Divine Hall Lord didn't even bother checking the mark. He had apparently predicted the outcome simply by watching the strike.
“If you rely solely on sword qi and attempt to force your way through with brute power, you'll never succeed. Focus on the fundamentals.”
The swordsman retreated with a dejected expression.
The next challenger stepped forward.
The second participant, a saber user, performed somewhat better.
Though he had not yet reached the Peak Realm and could not produce saber qi, he managed to infuse a faint layer of internal energy into his weapon.
Even so, he left a deeper mark than the previous swordsman.
He didn't focus solely on internal energy. He trained his fundamentals diligently.
Namgung Jun nodded in approval.
However, the mark was still too shallow to pass.
“A pity. Compose yourself and try again.”
The remaining candidates stepped forward with confidence, but none succeeded on their first attempt.
Naturally, everyone's attention shifted to the only person who had not yet made an attempt.
Namgung Jun.
Not only the other candidates, but even the Flying Divine Hall Lord watched him with anticipation.
Everyone present knew who he was.
The rising star of the Changcheon Society.
The disciple of the Heavenly Sword Hall Master.
Receiving everyone's gaze, Namgung Jun calmly stepped forward.
He did not stop to assume a stance.
As he walked toward the Blue Jade Stone, he merely rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.
He did not draw upon sword qi.
It was simply a pure sword strike.
The blade swept upward diagonally, releasing a sharp whistle through the air.
The clear trajectory it traced passed cleanly through the Blue Jade Stone.
The strike descended with such smoothness and refinement that the other candidates' eyes widened simultaneously.
Click.
From the instant of the draw to the upward-rising sword strike, and from there to the immediate resheathing, every movement flowed naturally.
It was so elegant that it was difficult to believe he had even struck the stone.
The moment the blade disappeared completely back into its scabbard, the Blue Jade Stone slowly split apart along the path of the sword.
KUUUUNG!
The massive stele broke cleanly in half and crashed to the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
Yet even the dust could not conceal the perfectly divided stone.
As everyone's gaze trembled in shock, only the blue sleeve of Namgung Jun's robe settled quietly back into place.
A profound silence descended upon the clearing after a single sword strike.
“...Hm?”
Even the Flying Divine Hall Lord could only stare blankly at the fallen stele, absentmindedly wiggling his toes.
When the Hall Lord failed to say anything, Namgung Jun, who had been patiently waiting, spoke first.
“Have I passed?”
The scholar was the first to recover his senses.
His brush immediately moved toward the blank space reserved for the names of successful candidates.