Chapter 57

Jang Hong shouted in a tone of utter disbelief. It was Bi Ryu-yeon's case of entering without any prior knowledge or information that should be considered abnormal. It was common for everyone to familiarize themselves with prior knowledge about the Cheonmu Academy before entering. In other words, he had irresponsibly entered without doing any of the things that a very normal person would have naturally done. Jang Hong felt his head spinning even though he didn't have anemia.

"I can't help it. I'll explain it to you in detail."

"I prefer a simple explanation over a detailed one. Explain it to me in detail, but simply."

Bi Ryu-yeon said in a tone that showed he hated troublesome things. Jang Hong despaired once again at the fact that he still showed no signs of remorse, but he decided not to show it.

"First, the required subject for first-year students is Introduction to Poison Art. The study related to poison is a field that all grades must take for the minimum defense and survival of the body, even if they are not professional poison art users. That's how ruthless and heartless a world the Jianghu is, where schemes and secret struggles are rampant. Hidden weapons are the same in that respect. These two are often linked to survival on the path of Murim rather than the enhancement of skills. Anyway, it's not wrong to say that there are no sects that handle poison and hidden weapons in our orthodox faction, except for the Sichuan Tang Clan. Besides that..."

Jang Hong explained the required subjects without a break. In addition to the fields of poison and hidden weapons, the subjects that first-year students had to take were「Reading and Understanding of Martial Arts Incantations」,「Introduction to Breaking Formations」,「General Theory of Sword Methods」,「Application of Various and Strange Human Body Acupoint Striking Methods」, and for liberal arts, they had to compulsorily take「Theory of Murim Political Situation」, etc. There was not a single one that was not troublesome.

Bi Ryu-yeon, who was clutching his head and complaining of pain, suddenly turned his gaze to Hyo-ryong, who had come with them. But contrary to his expectations, Hyo-ryong was diligently flipping through the booklet next to him and was lost in deep thought, as if he were not fed up. For some reason, Bi Ryu-yeon felt that his movements were skillful.

Bi Ryu-yeon was just puzzled how these two knew so much about this place, even though it was their first time, or if he, who had come without any prior knowledge, was the strange one.

But he soon stopped caring. Because it didn't matter to him either way. He just felt fortunate that there was Jang Hong, who knew this place well.

"Do you have any particular martial arts field you want to listen to?"

Jang Hong asked, flipping through the booklet. Bi Ryu-yeon shook his head from side to side. Because he had not yet felt the need to learn anything special.

"Usually, people choose the sword, saber, or spear as their major. Because they are the most common and also the most well-refined fields. The system is also the most well-established, and it's easy to find a good teacher. As it is a path that many people have walked, you can get a lot of advice and encounter various related martial arts. Among them, for a righteous path person, isn't it the sword, after all? The king of all weapons is indeed the sword."

Jang Hong, perhaps because he also practiced the sword, had a great belief in the sword. He considered the saber or spear not to be the orthodox way of martial arts.

"I'll pass on all three."

"No, why? It's a bit much to say this, but it's difficult to become a peak master with strange weapons or other martial arts. It might be okay for a year or two, but in the end, it's hard to hear the sound of a master. It's not too late now, so how about you change your mind? It's a sincere advice as a friend."

Hyo-ryong naturally chose the sword. He was a high-level sword master, enough to cast a sword curtain. The desire to see a higher realm of the sword was a primitive and instinctive natural desire as a swordsman. So he was engrossed in finding a class that would raise his sword realm even higher, and it seemed that the conversation between Bi Ryu-yeon and Jang Hong did not enter his ears. He was lost in his own world and did not know how to get out. Being able to have one's own world might be a happy thing. Until one ruins one's life with it...

Bi Ryu-yeon had handed over most of the choice of his course registration to Jang Hong and was acting as if he didn't know. So Jang Hong was taking care of Bi Ryu-yeon's course registration. But, in the most important choice of major, he was turning his back on the three major martial arts, so it was a failure. Bi Ryu-yeon had turned his back on the sword, saber, and spear, but surprisingly, there was one field of study that he was interested in. It was the martial art for playing the Ink Thunder zither, which he had borrowed from his sect, better, namely, Sound Art.

"Then look into the Sound Art side for me."

"Sound Art?"

Jang Hong's question was tinged with bewilderment.

"It's unexpected. That you're interested in Sound Art. Sound Art is a more delicate and elegant study than it looks."

"Don't worry about that. How common would an elegant handsome boy like me be? My foolish master knows about music, but he knows nothing about Sound Art, so I thought it would be good to learn Sound Art on this occasion."

"But Sound Art is a much more difficult martial art than you think. It requires not only a deep knowledge of music, but also a huge amount of internal energy to perform. Besides, its application in actual combat is also difficult, and compared to the depth and difficulty of learning, the progress speed is as slow as a snail, and the effect is as small as a booger... It's a study with many restrictions. Will you still take it?"

"Of course."

Bi Ryu-yeon answered without a trace of hesitation.

He might be called arrogant, but it was his own judgment that he was not in a position to be attached to any other field besides Sound Art. And since he had never once encountered a basis to overturn that judgment, he had no intention of changing it.

"Hmm... I've also been very interested in Sound Art. How about we take it together?"

Hyo-ryong, who had been diligently flipping through the thick course registration manual and was lost in thought, suddenly chimed in. He had thought he wouldn't care about anything other than the sword, but unexpectedly, he was interested in the Sound Art side.

"As you wish."

There was no reason to refuse. Jang Hong began to search for the Sound Art section in the course registration manual. As expected, there were many kinds of lectures written there, making the viewer's eyes dizzy and their chest feel stuffy.

"You said you know a little about music, right? Then, excluding the basic music theory, I think「Introduction to Sound Art」by the Heavenly Sound Fairy Hong Ran would be good. As expected, the basics are important for everything. Then, do you want the zither, or the tungso, daegeum, piri, or gyeongjong?"

"There are so many kinds. Why is it so complicated..."

"If you will, please express it as professional. The nuance is better that way. The introductory part is about learning the basic theory, so we can take it together, but how can we all learn from one person when the instruments we play are different? The teaching of Sound Art naturally changes completely depending on the instrument used. This is what we call common sense."

Jang Hong subtly mocked Bi Ryu-yeon's lack of common sense. But Bi Ryu-yeon was not a person with such a delicate nerve to care about such trivial things one by one. If necessary, he was a person who could reconstruct the surrounding common sense with his very personal and arbitrary standards. And surprisingly, he had actually been doing so until now. The countless unavoidable(?) tragedies that had occurred in the process had been quietly buried along with the sorrow of the weak...

"What I have is a zither. What I can do is also only the zither."

"Really? Then, I think「Understanding of Zither Sound from a Beginner's Martial Arts Perspective」by Old Master Bi Geum Seo-pyeong would be good. That old master is a very famous master of Sound Art in the Jianghu."

"Then do that for me."

Bi Ryu-yeon, who was dark about the Jianghu situation, comfortably and refreshingly entrusted everything to Jang Hong.

"Then let's do this. Just don't say anything different later."

Jang Hong did not forget to give Bi Ryu-yeon a kind warning in case of any eventuality.

Thus, Bi Ryu-yeon chose Sound Art as his major, and fortunately, he got to learn it with Hyo-ryong. And he registered for two additional lectures on Sound Art.

Whether he would be able to learn Sound Art properly was a question. That would probably have to be seen by watching the future progress of the situation. And no matter how hopelessly dark the prospect was, it might be too early to give up already.

While they were engrossed in course registration, one of the registration windows located in a corner of the registration office suddenly collapsed with a loud noise.

Crash-bang-bang-bang.

As one registration window collapsed with a scream, unable to withstand the excessive population concentration, the gazes of the crowd all turned to the source of the scream. There, an excessive number of people were entangled and fallen, covered in dust. It was a very impressive sight, in contrast to the quiet and even peaceful surrounding registration windows.

In the Cheonmu Academy course registration office, the registration windows were divided by field and type to disperse the applicants. That would have been a very reasonable and rational judgment.

But why did a course registration window collapse for no reason? What was the commotion in a place like this, where the possibility of being invaded by an external enemy was almost nil?

It was natural for curiosity to well up. And Bi Ryu-yeon was not a person with a patient enough personality to just leave the curiosity that had welled up from the depths of his heart as it was. It was his usual belief that once a question arose, it had to be solved quickly, regardless of the reason.

It would be stranger for a punk not to be curious about whose class that course registration window, which was so crowded with a bustling crowd that it was chaotic, was for. Bi Ryu-yeon decided to grab anyone passing by and ask a question.

"Hey, why are there so many people over there?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked, pointing to the people who were gathered in a corner, on the verge of fighting to the death.
Even though the registration window had collapsed, the people seemed to have no intention of giving up on course registration.

"What, you don't know?"

"What is it?"

The man briefly gave Bi Ryu-yeon a look as if seeing a very strange creature. His gaze was kindly sealed with a look of concern, 'Tsk tsk, to be so slow with the news...' The man soon opened his mouth again.

"There's a very famous master among the newly invited masters this time, and that's the course registration window for his class."

In this course registration office, in addition to the registration windows by field and type, there were also separate registration windows for some famous popular lectures and special lectures, and the one that had just collapsed was one of them. How famous a master was he?

"Whose class is it?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked, even though he wouldn't know even if he heard. But surprisingly, that person was someone that even Bi Ryu-yeon, who was a blockhead in Jianghu experience and knowledge, knew well.

"If you don't know, don't be surprised when you hear. It's the great hero, Yeomdo!"

Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes widened. But the reason he was surprised was not because he was surprised by the greatness of that person, as the other person was worried, but because the name of his own disciple(?) had suddenly popped out of the other person's mouth, completely unexpectedly.

"You also know the famous lone wolf, the great hero Yeomdo, right?"

Of course, Bi Ryu-yeon was in a position to know that fact better than anyone, so he immediately nodded his head. In fact, there was probably no one who knew the whole story and the hidden corruption of that matter as well as Bi Ryu-yeon. Except for Yeomdo himself.

Yeomdo originally liked to travel alone and hated to associate with or belong to other forces, so it was a very unusual thing for him to stay here at the Cheonmu Academy and give teachings.

"To take his class, all those who are said to be good with the saber, those who are said to be the best in that field, have all flocked to the registration office, creating a chaotic scene. Besides, even those who have learned Yang-Gang martial arts have rushed in, so it's a mess. At this rate, we'll have to decide the registration number by a duel. It'll be a good match with the great hero, Binggeom Gwan."

"What, if it's the great hero, Binggeom Gwan, are you referring to the great hero, Binggeom Gwan Cheol-su, one of the Five Great Swordsmen of the World?"

Yun Jun-ho chimed in, letting out a cry of astonishment. The Five Great Swordsmen of the World were figures like idols that he dreamed of. He couldn't hide his bursting excitement just from the fact that such a person was right around him, and at a very close distance.

"Who else could have the title of Ice Sword besides him? It's the very person you know."

Currently, the most popular in the field of swordsmanship at the Cheonmu Academy was the Ice Sword's swordsmanship class. Since the class hours were not many, its rarity was added, and those who wanted to receive even a little of his teachings flocked like clouds.

But there was a limit to the number of students. Therefore, in order to take the desired subject first, the disciples not only stayed up all night in front of the registration window the day before course registration, but in severe cases, there were even persistent people who set up tents and lined up for days, almost reminiscent of a war. It is said that various and diverse methods are mobilized here.

"Ah, to be able to listen to the class of such a person right next to me..."

Once again, Yun Jun-ho was drowning in a sea of emotion, attempting to drown. Bi Ryu-yeon, looking at Yun Jun-ho, frowned slightly.

"But you can't take it yet."

Fortunately, the man poured cold water on the crucible of emotion that Yun Jun-ho had created.

"Why?"

Yun Jun-ho looked at the man with a gaze as if asking how the world could be so harsh. But, the man simply trampled on the earnestness in his eyes. But, why was a smile appearing on Bi Ryu-yeon's lips?

"You're still a first-year, right?"

"Yes."

"His class is only available for third-year students or higher, or at least those with the qualification of Three Sword Dragons or higher. In reality, due to the competition rate, they are almost all masters with the skill of Five Sword Dragons or higher. You probably don't know well because it's your first time, but to take some specific lectures here at the Cheonmu Academy, you need a corresponding qualification. This place is not as easy as you think. It's a place like a battlefield where you can only survive by breaking through fierce competition. You guys should also not be careless and devote yourselves to training."

"Thank you."

Yun Jun-ho expressed his gratitude for the senior's advice with a fist-and-palm salute. He too seemed to have felt the reality of this Cheonmu Academy a little with his skin only then. A look of solemnity briefly appeared on his face and then disappeared.

If Binggeom Gwan Cheol-su had raised his fame with his bamboo-like character, sword-like perfection, and ice-like coolness, Yeomdo was highly renowned in the Murim for his fiery temper, magnanimity, and countless strange tales and eccentricities, in addition to his outstanding saber skills. Among them, there were many cases where he had run wild, unable to tolerate injustice. Still, he was a person of the orthodox path.

His straightforward and hot-blooded, extremely manly personality—the Ice Sword side would criticize it as a thoughtless, power-first, ignorant, and radical behavior—was supported by numerous young people. So, especially among those who used the saber, there were many who followed him. But since Yeomdo preferred to travel alone, he had almost no interaction with people, and as such, there was no opportunity to encounter his skills.

Even in this Cheonmu Academy, where the best of the best gathered, there were currently few who had such skills. Besides, regardless of whether his personality was good or bad, he was a person with unparalleled skills in the field of saber techniques and Yang-Gang martial arts. Therefore, it was natural that the disciples were now desperately rushing to pick up even a snippet of his lecture. Of course, Bi Ryu-yeon's heart was not convinced at all.

Was his disciple such a great person?
For Bi Ryu-yeon, who had lived with him for nearly two months, it was a fact that was hard to admit.