Book 20 Chapter 27

Mysterious Lady

-The Ascension Festival (昇天武祭)

Yoo Un Bi's main test was conducted by Junho Yoon of Hwasanpa.

"It looks really glazed.

Even to Chuck, Yoon looked really weak.

"How could someone so weak be an examiner for such a big test?

I had no respect for my seniors.

"Maybe it's not a big deal!

Liu Yunfei smiled inwardly at his conversion, already certain of his victory before he even fought. But that smile would not last long.

"Uh-huh?

The test was to defend against Yoon's ten seconds, and to take advantage of opportunities in between to set up five chokes.

"I'll take that and lie down and eat it!

But Yun Jun's sword, which seemed so fragile, was unexpectedly persistent. Like a plum blossom branch swaying in the wind, Yu Yunfei repeatedly missed the sword's trajectory. It was a sword that was soft, but it would never break.

That didn't mean his attacks were working, though. In a desperate attempt to make amends, he unleashed a series of Sylphblades, but his trusty stab missed every time.

Bam!

"Wow, that was one hell of a stab, this is the stab of the rumored diviner."

Junho Yoon clapped his hands in pure admiration.

"Is he making fun of me?

But the smile was too innocent for that.

"Am I a failure?"

I've never been able to do that, so it's entirely possible.

"No, I passed."

"Yes?"

"For some reason, most everyone else couldn't get my ten seconds. I think you're the fifth person to make it through, and your movements were so sloppy I couldn't even look at you. Were you all sick? I hope it wasn't mass food poisoning……."

Scratching the back of his head, Yun Junho said innocently.

Boom!

Yu was left speechless.

* * *

Yulan's exam proctor was not as nervous as Yoon's.

Her opponent was none other than Na Yerin.

"You only have to stop or avoid it for a second."

Na Yerin's conditions were much simpler.

The fight was over in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, the blade was in front of his chin, and Yulan had barely taken half a step back before he had to swing.

"Wrong!

Yulan felt dejected inside. He couldn't believe he'd frozen like a fool.

"Pass."

Na Yerin said in a monotone voice.

"Yes? Why?"

Yulan's half-sentence was more like a shout.

"Something wrong?"

"No, not really… but I'd like to know why."

"Because you moved half a step."

Na Yerin replied, still in a nonchalant tone.

"Yes?"

Yulan's answer, of course, required some explanation.

"If you can only lift your heels, you pass. Well, you're the first one to move more than half a step, so I'll give you extra credit."

It's not like they were expecting to stop or avoid it.

Mer- uh- ugh

Yulan's mouth dropped open, speechless at the way he was stating the obvious.

* * *

"This moment has finally arrived!"

The politeness of the moment was palpable. The time he had been waiting for had finally arrived. The examiner in charge was none other than Mo Yonghui of the Seven Feast Divine Sword.

"We're spherical."

Mo Yonghui had seen it before, when he was caught up in a ruse to lure Yi Shiguan.

"Yes."

Gong Zonghui swallowed hard. Mo Yonghui's sword-sheathed figure didn't waver an inch.

"What a great idea!

At the time, I only saw a glimpse, but when I saw him face to face with Bimu, it was different. I couldn't help but feel jealous that he was able to achieve this level at such a young age. However, I had been sneaking up on him and making all kinds of countermeasures.

"This is the day I will put down the mockery and elevate the politeness tax!

Polite, he told himself.

However, the difference between him and Mo Yonghui was greater than he thought. As the test began and Mo Yonghui's swords were flying, he could only dodge. He felt like he was about to be killed if he didn't find a way to counterattack. He desperately tried to unleash his family's sword techniques, but Mo Yonghui's clever attacks repeatedly cut him off.

"Yikes!

I couldn't afford to lose without ever being able to fight back. He had to attack, even if it meant using a bit of force. Gongsong Zhenghui realized that he had no chance of winning now that they were so close together, so he quickly kicked the ground and pulled away from Mo Yonghui.

"Hey, if it's this far away!

Mo Yonghui didn't chase after him. He just wanted to see what he could do.

"Ha!"

With a loud cheer, the tip of Gong Yonghui's sword unfurled, revealing the cutting edge of the Exalted Sword Technique.

The secret technique of the Dignified Sword Method.

The Supreme Being (至尊無上).

A brilliant sword qi erupted from the tip of Polite Demeanor's blade.

"Ten points for creating your own interlude!"

Mo said.

"But you're wasteful with your food, so I'm deducting twenty points."

It was a colorful and powerful looking herb, but it was too wasteful and cluttered for Mo Yonghui's liking. It was wasting too much of its power on things that weren't necessary to deliver a valid hit to the target.

"This is not very effective in a battle of the masters."

Mo Yonghui didn't feel the need to use any herbs, so he just moved his sword around a few times to block them.

"My friend said. He said, "You have to be frugal. You should try to conserve your moves a little more."

Mo Yonghui, who was now in the presence of the polite man, advised.

"Uhhh……."

CHANG!

The sword, the symbol of the Gongsong family, whirled and soared into the sky. There was a gap that no amount of determination and willpower could bridge. The sword, which had soared to a height of five zhang, fell backwards and plunged into the ground.

"That's the refrain of a polite tax collector. Well done."

Mo Yonghui expressed his admiration with a quick, concise motion, but his praise sounded like a mockery to Gong Gonghui.

"Please don't tease me. I lost, does that mean I failed?"

The polite voice of the enemy asked.

"What do you mean? No one has ever gotten me to move as much as you have. Almost all of them ended in self-destruction before I could take a single step. You passed. Congratulations."

But Mo Yonghui's congratulations did not reach his ears.

Drawing his sword from the ground, he walked out of the hall with the stride of a madman.

"Why is it doing that?"

Mo Yonghui shook his head as he stared at Gong Yonghui's back, which had drooped in defeat even though he had clearly passed. He had been so focused on the barrier he had to overcome that he hadn't noticed her competitive spirit or sense of challenge.

Needless to say, the insensitivity of the response was even more hurtful to politeness.

He staggered along with a dazed look on his face, but when he found a deserted spot, he stopped, buried his face between his knees, and wept like a child.

A wide shadow fell over his weeping body, and as the sun's stinging rays faded, as if to rebuke him, Gong Zhenghui stiffened in horror. Peeking out from between his knees was a handkerchief in a beautiful hand.

He lifted his head and looked up. A jet-black umbrella, draped in cotton threads, shaded him from the sun. The owner of the inky umbrella was a woman clad in ebony robes, standing as gracefully as an exalted crane.

"It's hot, isn't it?"

The woman smiled brightly. It was as if she was saying, "Your face is a mess because you're hot and sweaty, and I haven't seen any tears, so don't worry, take it. Yong Soo-cheol's body jumped like a bouncing ball. He stood nervously erect and stammered, "I'm sorry, sir.

"Boo, you've made a shameful showing."

If there was a rat hole, I'd jump in it.

"Don't be embarrassed, you might get a little sweat under your eyes at some point in your life, and it's not like it's a girl's prerogative to have sweaty eyes, right?"

Even though he knew, he purposely pretended not to know, and added comfort, and I was overwhelmed by his deep consideration.

"Ha, but……."

Behind the cotton threads draped around the umbrella, the woman seemed to smile.

"Did something upset you?"

"Well, yes."

"Like failing a test, for example?"

There wasn't much else to cry about here.

"Oh, no, you passed."

We lost, but a pass is a pass.

"Okay, so what's a frustrating job……?"

"That… that's because I lost to someone who shouldn't have lost."

It was painful to admit that to oneself. But a loss was a loss, and there was no deluding oneself about it.

"Was it a big game?"

The woman asked.

"He was the one who had to win. The family name was on the line."

Balling up his fists, the polite man replied.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm wondering who you're so desperate to beat."

"It's the Mo Yonghui of the Seven Deadly Swords!"

"Ah! The glitch……."

"Yes?"

"Well, it's nothing, it's okay, if it's that good of an opponent. Sometimes you lose, you're still young, you just have to give up."

"Well, but?"

"If you let one loss stop you, you'll never do anything in your life, and besides, you didn't fail, you passed, so you've got a few more chances to try, right?"

"I see."

"I don't think you should be too heartbroken because you've got a year and a half and two years to make it up to me, right?"

"Wow, that's definitely true."

He had a point, but no one had ever told him it was okay to lose or that he could win next time.

"I… hope you'll excuse me if I ask for Sojae's username……."

The polite man hesitated, then spoke.

"…Well, maybe you'll excuse me, whoops."

A bubbling, clear laugh rang out from between the lady's red lips. Gong Zhenghui sucked in a breath, feeling his face heat up unnecessarily. The woman extended her beautiful hand to him once more.

"Okay, that's it for now, good luck with your grades."

By the time she was finished, he had a handkerchief in his hand that he didn't recognize. He felt a sudden tingling in his chest, and while his manners floundered, the woman bowed lightly and turned away with graceful steps.

"Well, over there……."

By the time he regained his senses and opened his mouth to speak, she was already far away, wrapped in a black cloak. He reached out absentmindedly, as if trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious shadow, but there was nothing in his grasp.

"Will we ever see each other again……."

He watched the woman's back as she walked away, his eyes blank, as if mesmerized by something.

* * *

"You're so bad at martial arts, you can't even hold a sword properly yet, and you still managed to make it to the main competition, huh?"

Looking down at the examinee sprawled on the floor, Namgungsang clicked his tongue.

"Well, then?"

The answer had already been decided a second earlier.

"Failed."

"Aaaahhhhhh!"

One examinee ran out of the room in tears.

"There you go again! But I can't believe you're getting all worked up over an internal topic……."

How many times has this happened? There are degrees of weakness. I am in awe of the recklessness of someone who would even think of challenging the Ascension Festival in such a state of mind.

"Next!"

Namgungsang exclaimed in a slightly irritated voice.

Grrrrr.

A woman glided gracefully into the room, a jet-black umbrella slung over her shoulder.

"What umbrella?

Whatever the material, the umbrella was black and lustrous like a black pearl, with a plum tree embroidered in gold and silver that was both simple and splendid. The branches of the golden plum tree were slender and graceful, with a dignified poise and determination, and the dazzling silver petals of the blossoms were so beautiful as to make the viewer's mind wander. The Southern Lord's gaze naturally turned to the underside of the umbrella, but the woman's face was more than half hidden by the cotton threads along the rounded rim. However, the unobstructed tip of her nose, full lips, and slender jawline suggested that she was quite beautiful. Furthermore, she wore a soft ebony robe that was both simple and elegant, highlighting her slender, willowy figure and pearly white skin.

"Take care."

The woman smiled brightly.

"Oh, good luck with that."

Namgungsang, who had been watching in fascination, spoke up.

"I'm curious about the test."

A dignified woman holding a jet-black umbrella at an angle asked in a calm voice.

"What, what is this power?

Despite his position as proctor, Namgungsang couldn't help but feel nervous. This woman was unlike any of the others he had ever tested.

"Am I being overwhelmed?

It shouldn't be possible. But the power of the woman's presence in the silence was astonishing.

"If I just stand there, do I pass?"

The prefect asked again. It was an evasive Hilnan.

"Oh, I'm sorry. The rules are simple. If you can block or avoid all ten of my seconds, you pass, and if you touch the hem of my shirt at the same time, you get extra points."

"Oh, yeah, that's easy."

The prefect smiled wryly.

"Well, is it really that simple?

I can count on one hand the number of students who have ever met that requirement, and that's only because I've been kind enough to give them a break.

"Oh, by the way, can I ask you one more thing?"

"Anything."

The king is pleased and agrees.

"How many people have touched the hem of your shirt so far?"

In response, Namgungsang smiled a smile of conversion and spoke confidently.

"Not a single one."

The woman was not surprised by the answer, but spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"Then I'll be the first one."

For the first time since I started proctoring exams, Namgungsang was pleasant.

"If you can."

Namgungsang replied, his voice full of pride.

"Hmm, so any means of touching it is okay?"

"Of course!"

"…You're a cool guy."

Once again, the woman lifted her sleeve to her mouth and smiled slightly. At that moment, Namgungsang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"What, what is this chill?

Suddenly, I felt a chill in the back of my neck.

"Am I mistaken?

He's a little tired, but then again, he's been pushing himself too hard lately. It would be nice to finish and get some rest. Namgungsang thought.

"Come on, then."

The woman asked.

As she glided across the ground with her umbrella, she looked like a dancer on ice. What's even more amazing is that she never loses her balance while holding the umbrella. The sword herbs in the Southern Palace were powerful, but she dodged them with the ease and skill of someone strolling through a garden.

"Oh, great!

He was surprised, for he hadn't expected the woman to be this skilled. The calm power he'd felt earlier hadn't been a lie.

"Which one?

He was proud of his knowledge, but he was still unable to determine the woman's martial history. Clearly, she still needed more lessons.

Even if it's not a life-or-death situation, it's inevitable that you'll find yourself thinking about things in the middle of a fight.

The woman wasn't bothered enough to pretend she didn't see the gaping hole.

She seemed to have made up her mind that she was going to pull off the coolest, most colorful move she could, if that was what it took.

Boom!

As the silent umbrella floated upward, Namgung Sang was momentarily distracted by its trajectory.

"Ouch!

It was a lapse in judgment that I would never have made, but it was too late to regret.

The Wise Woman's hand was unrelenting.

Thump!

The woman stepped forward resolutely. At the same time, she loaded her elbow with a powerful countermovement and slammed it sharply into Namgung Sang's side.

"Kewpie!"

Namgungsang felt a terrifying impact and thought his side had been sliced in half. The pain was so excruciating that he was surprised he didn't cough up blood.

"You caught me off guard."

The woman who had delivered the blow to the side of Namgung-san's head gracefully accepted the slowly falling umbrella as if nothing had happened.

Spinning around, the woman looked at the statue of Namgung, still unable to straighten his back, and smirked.

"I guess proctors have a lot on their minds sometimes, huh?"

Namgungsang was too busy chewing on a piece of foam in his mouth to respond.

"So, does that pass like you said?"

"Off, Boo……."

Boom, boom, boom!

"Boo……, does that mean I'm a flop?"

It took all the strength he could muster to answer the question.

"Ha, ha, pass."

Still, he wandered back and forth between life and death.

"Oh, I see, thank you. See you next time……."

The woman bowed and walked away. And in the middle of the examination hall, a half-dazed Namgungsang was left alone with a white foam in his mouth.

It was a bittersweet fall from grace for a man who had defeated even the goddess Ami.