Moon-Shadow Sword Emperor

Episode 101

I stood in the seat assigned by the examiner and looked up at the large rock.

It must have been a task to transport rocks of this size to the training ground.

I had no idea how much manpower and money would have been consumed.

If you wanted to test the power of martial arts, you could have ordered people to cut the wall in the canyon where the first test was held.

‘So you probably thought it wasn’t fashionable.’

I chuckled and placed my hand on the sword soldier.

The upper echelons of the Murim League also did something very regrettable.

There was no waste like this.

If we had this kind of money, we could increase the Senate’s budget a little more.

‘Anyway, the passing criteria for the test are very ambiguous.’

Everyone use their martial skills and leave scars on the rock.

Examiners will decide whether you pass or not by looking at the traces left on the rock.

No objective conditions for passing were presented at all.

Passing is determined at the discretion of the examiners.

If the test tube was purchased, it would also be possible to eliminate certain late-stage indices.

What kind of test is so full of loopholes, including the first preliminaries?

In terms of fairness, I thought that the Demonic Church’s Holy Fire Festival might be better.

‘If you lose, you and everyone go to the underworld equally.’

I didn’t know that I might be harmed by a loophole in the test rules.

Considering what happened in the first preliminary round, there was a good chance.

How can we know what kind of wrongdoing Jeomchang’s Malko might have committed?

‘I didn’t really want to do anything that would stand out in the preliminaries.’

If you leave an ambiguous result, you may be helplessly eliminated.

I wanted to decline that situation.

Suddenly, what a late Jisoo said to a member of the main team flashed through my mind.

‘You said you could completely destroy it, right?’

As soon as the test tube was announced to start, the late-stage indexes each pulled out their weapons and pointed them at the rock.

Some people chanted the name of the herb with powerful energy, while others closed their eyes and recited the Buddha’s name to concentrate.

The sounds of collisions rang out one after another.

However, very few people succeeded in breaking the rock.

Although there were not many talented people who could perform such powerful moves, there were certainly some who did not think there was a need to show off their skills in the preliminaries without spectators.

I slowly raised the hand holding the sword.

Absolutely! Quick!

A brain flag was overlaid on the surface of the raised sword.

A terrifying energy wave spread and bright lights flickered.

The participants’ eyes all turned to me.

Hwang Bo-jin, who was standing in front of a rock whose side had been roughly torn off and had a triumphant expression on his face, let out a groan.

There was no need to put on a fancy herbivorous meal.

He simply lowered his sword from top to bottom in a dull manner.

However, the results were by no means light.

Kwaaaaang!

A huge rock shattered into pieces.

A thick cloud of dust rose and debris flew in all directions.

Other participants who were taking the test nearby were scammed without even knowing what was going on.

“……”

I looked down at the completely collapsed remains of the rock and calmly looked down.

Silence fell over the entire training ground.

I asked a question to a nearby Suzaku member who had a blank expression on his face.

“Is this enough to pass?”

“…Of course I passed.”

If the criteria for passing are ambiguous, it is enough to show a result that everyone has no choice but to accept.

The exam wasn’t finished yet, but since the member of the main team had made an announcement, my passing was almost certain.

Hwang Bo-jin’s low muttering pierced my ears.

“You monstrous bastard. “Where on earth did a guy like that come out…”

I glanced in his direction and raised my eyebrows.

Hwang Bo-jin, who was shocked that the thief was losing his feet, shrugged his shoulders like a small animal.

I thought it would be nice to meet him in the first round of the finals if possible.

Don’t let me gain vain fame like I did in my previous life.

* * *

Same time.

Zhuge Huan, a soldier of the Murim League, entered the leader’s room carrying a bundle of documents and had a frowning expression on his face.

A grizzled old man yawning with a bored expression.

As I watched Koraji lying down on the desk without doing what he was told to do, I burst into heat.

“Lord.”

“Why are you calling me, soldier?”

“Lord!”

“I’m not deaf.”

“Didn’t you say you would take care of everything today?”

“I tried.”

“Are you saying that now?”

“Before that, I discovered an interesting kid a little while ago…”

“Do you think I’ll just ignore you if you try to change the subject so blatantly?”

“Just listen first. “Because he was the perfect fit for the type of talent you were looking for.”

“……?”

“Do you remember how I secretly escaped from the village not long ago?”

“Of course I remember. “We mobilized the black night team and searched the entire village like teeth to find the leader who had abandoned all his work and ran away.”

“You have thorns in your voice.”

“Doesn’t it stand out?”

“Actually, I was watching the first preliminary round at the time…”

“You’re proud of me.”

“Don’t interrupt and listen to the end. “Wouldn’t one late-term index leave behind the determined race route and jump over the cliff to the finish line?”

“…Does that make sense?”

A furrow was carved between Zhuge Huan’s eyebrows.

He knew it was an obvious trick, but he was curious so he seemed like he would let it pass for now.

A smile of conversion appeared on the old man’s lips.

“I thought it didn’t make sense, but what can I do? “I can’t deny what I saw with my own two eyes.”

“If it’s true, it’s a great review index. “What clan are you from?”

“I asked about the relic gate, and they said it was Cheonreimun.”

“Tennis Gate?”

“It is a one-person legend file whose name is not known to the world.”

“Huh… … .”

“Age is a condition. He was the youngest among the participants. “I hate to say this, but that kid will probably win this competition.”

“Is it that much?”

“It’s barely that much. “My guess is that the child is already close to the level of a 100-year-old master or has a level of martial arts that is even higher.”

“…!”

“I don’t think there is anyone else who meets the criteria you mentioned better than this.”

“What is the young man’s name?”

“Yeonsoun. They’re probably going through the second qualifying round right now. “I think it would be better to do some groundwork in advance to avoid being taken over by the old faction. What do you think?”

“For now, let’s investigate that young man separately.”

“If you’re relaxed like that, you’re going to get in trouble if other guys catch your eye, right?”

“However, we cannot contact the target without at least some prior investigation.”

“Anyway, you seem like a tough person.”

“Please take this first.”

“What is that?”

“This is a newly uploaded payment document.”

The old man’s face was very distorted.

He grunted as he scanned the contents of the document.

“Can’t the military take care of this kind of thing?”

“I took charge of most of the issues and resolved them. “This is also a selection of only the issues that absolutely require the Lord’s approval.”

“If there is a hell of human life, this is it.”

“There are subordinates who experience even more hell because of their boss who complains every day and does nothing.”

“I don’t know who it is, but it’s so pitiful. “I need a raise.”

“It’s pitiful. The boss needs to work hard for that poor subordinate. “What he needs is a vacation, not money.”

“What can I do? I can’t give you a vacation because it’s a very busy time. “At least the salary should be raised.”

“In my next life, I will never be tangled up with the Lord.”

“What a coincidence. “I had the same thoughts as you.”

“I will come back in two hours.”

“It’s the leader’s office in name, but isn’t he going in and out like it’s his own home? “How about leaving at least a day apart?”

“I will come back in two hours.”

“You don’t have to emphasize it.”

“I’ll just go now.”

Zhuge Huan left the office, smoothing the dark shadows around his eyes.

The old man, Joo Hwa-baek, who had been quietly staring at the back, leaned back on the back of his chair and laughed.

“Seeing as there’s less nagging than usual, it seems like he’s starting to get interested.”

* * *

After passing the second preliminary round and returning to my dorm, I narrowed my eyes when I saw a man standing in front of the guesthouse with his arms crossed.

It was a familiar face.

“Did you do well on the test?”

“yes.”

“Well, there’s no way someone as talented as you would be eliminated from the preliminaries.”

“What brought you here?”

“I have something I want to tell you. “Would you like to take a walk for a while?”

“great.”

Pang Mun-hwan, the next head of the Hyeonmu Department.

A direct blood relative of the Hebei Peng family, who occupied the first seat of the Five Great Families.

After joining the alliance as if he was kicked out due to succession issues, he continued to rise to his current position.

Since he is a person who is likely to become an elder of the group when he retires from active duty, there was no harm in building a close relationship with him.

As we walked along the lakeside together and chatted, Pang Mun-hwan came to me with a message.

-They said there were late-stage indexes who interfered with you in the first preliminary round.

-Where did you hear that story?

-You’re not asking because you don’t know, right? Hyunmudae was in charge of supervising the first test.

-but.

-Do you know who the beast is?

-I have a rough guess.

-someone?

-Do you plan on punishing me if I tell you?

-It would be difficult to officially publicize and punish the wrongdoing. There is no physical evidence, and most importantly, no rules have been broken.

-Unofficially, it seems like you are saying that you can punish as much as you want.

-Is that possible?

Pang Mun-Hwan burst out laughing.

Although he said no in words, at first glance, he seemed to be full of motivation.

-I had no idea that you came here because you were worried about my safety.

-I just want to find out who committed the fraud.

-I am grateful, but I don’t think you need to help me.

-Why?

-I made a bet with someone who was suspected to be a villain.

-bet?

-We decided to compete to see who would achieve higher results in this competition.

-Are you saying that he interfered with you in order to win the bet?

-This is just a guess.

-That’s absurd. So what is his identity?

-This is Changin Dojang, one of the disciples of the Jeomchang faction.

-He is a disciple of the Jeomchang faction. This is not a position to be taken lightly.

-Anyway, I don’t want to provoke my opponent until I get the payback for my bet.

-Okay. If that is what you mean.

-sorry. You showed me favor at best.

-Don’t worry about it. The reason I asked about the identity of the cheater in the first place was out of curiosity, and there was another reason why I came to meet you.

-……?

-Elder Sohyeongeom told me to tell this to you. It seems like Wan Li Qian is up to something, so be careful. Something might happen soon.