Sweeping the Academy with a Wooden Sword

“I was ordinary. Ordinary among geniuses, that is.”

Hwangbo Seryeong recalled the past.
Unlike her other siblings who were innately blessed with good physiques, her body was relatively weak.

“I left the family. Though the family’s martial arts were certainly powerful, I couldn’t match my siblings with just those tyrannical martial arts.”

Hwangbo Seryeong, who left her clan at 15, had to contemplate martial arts on her own.

She had to incorporate variability and elegance into the Hwangbo family’s martial arts that were purely destructive. She observed Shaolin’s martial arts with her eyes, and defeated those who called themselves strong.

“Fifteen years passed.”

It took 15 years to remake the family’s martial arts to suit Hwangbo Seryeong herself, and make them into martial arts usable in real combat.

“Then one day, I heard that the family had been exterminated.”

Whoosh…

“The majestic halls that the Hwangbo family had prided themselves on were collapsed, and the houses were all burned down.”

Decapitated corpses were strewn about between the structures.

Hwangbo Seryeong gazed at the Taesan tree swaying in the wind.

“Except for this Taesan tree.”

Lee Dojin listened to the story beside Hwangbo Seryeong.
Hwangbo Seryeong looked at Lee Dojin.

And asked in a nonchalant tone.

“Is it boring?”

“No, it’s interesting.”

Hwangbo Seryeong chuckled at the sight of Lee Dojin shaking his head.

Though it wasn’t an interesting story in content.
But because it was the world Sword Emperor Dan Cheonwoo lived in, and the story of the world Hwangbo Seryeong before him lived in, he thought it was worth listening to.

Mistilteinn sat on the wooden bench, watching their backs.

“The family’s extermination was related to the Zhuge family. Those who claimed to be intermediaries between the righteous and evil sects formed an alliance with the demonic cult. The Blood Sect was behind the Zhuge family.”

The Zhuge family, who claimed to be a trade route between the righteous and evil sects.
They allied with the Blood Sect for their own interests, and as a token of that alliance, they exterminated one of the famous righteous sect families together.

“I had no intention of getting involved with the family. Until they were exterminated.”

She had defiled the Hwangbo family’s martial arts to suit herself.
That’s what she thought.

“But what could I do? They were all dead. Even the nine-year-old youngest was dead. He was my younger brother’s son. We used to exchange letters every half year.”

Lee Dojin thought he saw faint ripples in Hwangbo Seryeong’s black eyes.

“I started finding and killing the Zhuge family members. One… two, I must have killed about 200 family-related people with my own hands. Killing that many people raised my power. Covered in blood, pulling out bones… that’s how I reached higher realms.”

Hwangbo Seryeong caressed the Taesan tree.

“It took 40 years to half-exterminate even the Blood Sect members. I dedicated my life to revenge, you could say.”

Hwangbo Seryeong stared at Lee Dojin.

“Do I seem like a murderous demon?”

Lee Dojin slowly shook his head.

“Wasn’t what you did the right thing? My teacher always said to tie up grudges properly.”

Hwangbo Seryeong’s eyes showed a strange light.

“You said your sword technique is called Reverse Heaven Sword, and what’s your teacher’s name?”

“Dan Cheonwoo. He was called by the title Sword Emperor, I was told.”

Hwangbo Seryeong’s brow furrowed.

“Sword Emperor… Dan Cheonwoo.”

As if something was coming to mind, she repeated the words.

And her eyes widened.

“A master from two generations ago. The peerless warrior who prevented the demonic cult from appearing in the world for over 200 years.”

Hwangbo Seryeong twisted the corners of her mouth.

“Then what you showed was that person’s martial art? This is an honor.”

Hwangbo Seryeong patted Lee Dojin’s shoulder.

“If you’re that person’s disciple, you should become much stronger than you are now. If you were to name three people who influenced the history of the martial world, he would occupy one of those spots. Such a reputation in the martial world isn’t given without reason.”

Lee Dojin finally realized.
That there was no falsehood in what his teacher Sword Emperor Dan Cheonwoo had said.
That he was one of the top people even in the martial world overflowing with strong individuals.

“Yes, I need to become stronger.”

Hwangbo Seryeong looked at Lee Dojin and jerked her chin.

“Now tell me your story.”

And she walked over casually and sat on the wooden bench where Mistilteinn was sitting.

“According to the information you injected into me, it seems I have to stay here for a year. Then wouldn’t it be good to get friendly?”

Hwangbo Seryeong stroked Mistilteinn’s snow-white hair.

“Y-Yes.”

Mistilteinn seemed quite flustered but didn’t avoid Hwangbo Seryeong’s touch. Because her gestures were very delicate and affectionate.

Lee Dojin told his story.

Starting from his mana inability, to the story of meeting Mistilteinn.

That he could only release qi outside through wooden swords and branches.

Hwangbo Seryeong chuckled.

“You have quite a peculiar body too, don’t you.”

And after hearing about the modern world, hunters and academies, Hwangbo Seryeong said to tell her more in detail, seeming interested.

“Oh, then you’ll have to go outside soon.”

As they talked for a while, half of Sunday had already passed.

“That’s right.”

Just like when he summoned his teacher Dan Cheonwoo, he couldn’t keep staying in Mistilteinn’s world.

Because he had to live his academy life.
Still, since time flowed twice as slowly in Mistilteinn’s world, it seemed he could come in whenever he had time after the academy schedule was over and meet frequently enough to learn a thing or two.

“I want to learn fist techniques.”

Hwangbo Seryeong clicked her tongue.

“A guy who can use a sword to that extent wants to swing fists too? You’re greedy.”

“Isn’t it good to know how to do many things?”
Hwangbo Seryeong gazed at the blue sky.

“…Not today. I’ll teach you slowly starting tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

Hwangbo Seryeong stared at Mistilteinn.

“What’s possible here? Is it possible for me to eat food too?”

Mistilteinn was flustered.

“W-We’ll have to try to know.”

Mistilteinn got Hwangbo Seryeong’s permission and put her hand on her head.

A wooden table appeared in front of the bench.
And then a plate appeared on the table, on which glossy dongpo pork appeared.

Then a gourd bottle labeled “bamboo leaf liquor” in Chinese characters.
Finally, fish-fragrant pork appeared.

Clack-!

Hwangbo Seryeong neatly arranged her chopsticks and started eating the food bit by bit.

“Beautiful scenery and delicious food. This must be heaven.”

Lee Dojin blankly watched her enjoying the food.

“Can you taste it?”

Hwangbo Seryeong nodded greatly.

“You eat some too.”

Lee Dojin, still with a blank face, picked up a piece of fish-fragrant pork with his chopsticks and ate it.

The texture of meat and mushrooms and the garlic flavor hit him.
Then sweet, salty, spicy, and sour flavors blended and enveloped his mouth.

“…Well, I could taste blood too.”

To think such a thing was possible.
He thought his teacher Dan Cheonwoo, who left after just swinging swords with his disciple, might feel quite wronged.

“Um… then I’ll be going.”

Hwangbo Seryeong nodded while chewing dongpo pork.

“Mm, go on.”

Lee Dojin felt his head aching slightly for some reason.

**

Another two weeks passed quickly.

On Friday, Sword Empress Yoo Seol-ah grinned as she watched Lee Dojin come out after beating monsters in the mock training room of the underground training area in her villa.

“Your movements seem to have become a bit more flexible?”

“You think so?”

Lee Dojin didn’t think those words were just casual remarks.
He felt that his body had become lighter too.

‘It must be thanks to sparring with the Fist King.’

Though it was called sparring, he was just one-sidedly beaten up since he put down his wooden sword and fought with just body techniques, but even that allowed him to learn how to use his body more efficiently.

That seemed to be Hwangbo Seryeong’s intention too.

The Sword Empress looked into Lee Dojin’s eyes.

“Do well on the mock dungeon exam on Monday.”

“I have to.”

He became the freshman representative at the academy.
He’s already at the very top, so he can’t go down from here.

Lee Dojin handed a towel to Baek Hwayeon, who was running on the treadmill, and said,

“Hwayeon, let’s go. The mock dungeon exam group announcement is at 5, right?”

“Ah, that’s right! Thanks!”

Baek Hwayeon, who stopped the treadmill, slowly reduced her speed and smiled brightly.

Unlike usual, they were told to gather at the freshman auditorium at 5 PM today, so the two headed straight to Iroaz Academy.

**

I moved my steps towards the Iroaz Academy freshman-only auditorium.

Students from combat classes 1 to 10 were packed tightly in the auditorium.

A man’s voice was heard.

“Are the magic class kids not participating?”

“I heard those noble guys only enter mock dungeons from the second semester.”

“They’re just cowards. Tell them to go out and die.”

Quite a few vulgar words were heard, but it was meaningful information.

Park Cheol-ung, the homeroom teacher of combat class 1, went up on the platform.

“The group members decided through the Iroaz Watch will be sent now. Gather according to your groups.”

Ding!

A sound burst from the Iroaz Watch.

-The list for the mock dungeon exam has been finalized.

-Please check your group and group members.

-You are in Group 12.

-[Class 1] Ryu Jia, Lee Dojin [Class 10] Choi Bit-na, Kim Ji-hoon.

“I’m in the same group as Jia.”

The blind swordswoman and morning exercise companion, Ryu Jia.
It was good to have one person I knew well.

I stopped my steps at the very end of Class 1 where Ryu Jia was standing.

“Jia, let’s go. It’s fortunate that someone I know well is in the same group.”

Ryu Jia, who still had her eyes closed, slowly nodded her head.

“Yes, it really is fortunate, Dojin.”

I entered the area where the hologram for Group 12 was shining, together with Ryu Jia.

It was time to wait for the remaining two members.