Reincarnated Sword Ghost-Chapter 16 : Rising Stars

Rising Stars
It wasn't that he wasn't curious.
Martial artists of a similar age, whose ki had been trained so well.
It was certainly intriguing, but not enough for Jeong-un to want to strike up a friendly conversation.
'It's not as if I'm going to have a duel here anyway.'
If he wasn't going to test martial arts skills, he'd much rather focus on the bowl of noodles set before him.
However, it seemed the man in front of him had a completely different idea than Jeong-un.
"Well, fine."
After staring daggers at Jeong-un with a stiff face, the man suddenly let out a short laugh and nodded.
Then, with a slight smile, he gestured to himself.
"I am Pyo Jin-cheon from Changju, northern Zhili. And these here are my close friends with whom I've shared ties since childhood."
He introduced both his name and origin first.
On top of that, his companions offered polite nods as well; at this point, Jeong-un could not ignore them.
"... I am Yu Jeong-un from Hanzhong."
"Hanzhong, as in Shaanxi?"
"Yes."
When Jeong-un answered shortly, Pyo Jin-cheon narrowed his eyes and quickly asked again.
"You came all the way from Shaanxi at this time? Then you must have only one purpose."
"...?"
"Did you pass?"
For some reason, his tone had a hint of amusement.
Even the others, who had been sitting quietly without a word, turned to look at Jeong-un with curiosity.
"Pass what?"
"The general exam for Heavenly Martial Hall, of course. Surely that's why you came, isn't it?"
At that, Jeong-un shook his head.
As if he'd expected that response, Pyo Jin-cheon snorted.
"Knew it. Of all famous rising stars in Shaanxi, there isn't one I don't know."
"Young master Pyo!"
Receiving a reproachful glance, he waved his hand and spoke again.
"Ah, pardon me. No malice was intended, so forgive me. Anyway, since you failed but are still here, are you perhaps hanging around to observe the special exam candidates? Well, just watching high-level martial arts can be a great lesson."
"Are all of you here for the special exam then?"
"That's right."
Jeong-un glanced at them with a strange look.
Apparently, it wasn't only a very select few who took the special exam.
To think everyone in a guesthouse he encountered by chance would be candidates.
"Is there a big difference between the general and special exams?"
"A big difference, you ask?"
Pyo Jin-cheon widened his eyes at Jeong-un's question.
"Think of how many moths fly into Heavenly Martial Hall drawn by its prestige, forgetting their own level. Can we simply trust where they're all from? There are even some spies the Evil Faction sent among them. So the general exam checks the candidates' origins and skills before sieving them out. That's why it takes a whole month."
"I see."
"But the special exam is different."
A hint of pride crept onto Pyo Jin-cheon's face.
"It's a special test only the rising stars from the hundred major sects, whose names are officially registered in the Murim Alliance's roster, can take. Since the origins are guaranteed, the process is simpler."
Apparently, the Cloud Dragon Token was given to those hundred sects in advance.
'The thing I have was probably originally one of Mount Hua Sect's.'
It was more or less what he'd expected. Yet another question formed in Jeong-un's mind.
"Why divide the exam into two?"
"Why, you ask?"
Pyo Jin-cheon narrowed his eyes and asked back.
"Didn't I just explain?"
"Why not just let everyone take the general exam? If someone is talented, surely they'd pass regardless."
"..."
A strange silence settled over the wide table.
The noisy surroundings only made the mood feel more out of place.
"As I said, the special exam picks those whose backgrounds are unquestionably reliable..."
"Didn't you say backgrounds are checked in the general exam as well?"
Pyo Jin-cheon looked at Jeong-un with a cold gaze.
"... Are you questioning Heavenly Martial Hall's entry procedures?"
"I'm just curious why an event that's held anyway is divided into two."
"Are you suggesting we take the test mixed in with that rabble?"
"Is there any reason you shouldn't?"
"How rude!"
Pyo Jin-cheon burst out, as if mortally offended.
Jeong-un, however, simply looked at him with mild confusion.
'Why is he getting upset?'
Hadn't he just claimed he was confident in his achievements in martial arts?
Jeong-un was genuinely curious why the test had to be split in two.
'Aren't we going there to train in martial arts anyway?'
They say if you want to become the world's greatest, you go to Heavenly Martial Hall.
It's a gathering place for masters; the thought of experiencing all those martial arts made his heart race.
'But to divide applicants at the very threshold?'
He couldn't help but think it seemed inefficient, starting with such a convoluted process.
"If you're just being bitter over failing the general exam...!"
"The young master isn't wrong."
Just as Pyo Jin-cheon raised his voice again, someone cut him off mid-sentence.
It was another young woman who had been silently observing.
"Y, young lady Tang."
As she spoke up in support of Jeong-un, Pyo Jin-cheon turned to her, a little bewildered.
But she paid him no mind and continued while looking at Jeong-un.
"It's a kind of privilege, after all. You don't have to wait in long lines to apply, no need to undergo strict checks, and the test only takes a few days. Compared to the month-long general exam, it's a huge advantage, no doubt."
She spoke in a calm tone, as though discussing someone else.
There was no pride for being a beneficiary of this privilege, nor any shame about the unfairness.
She simply stated the truth as it was.
"You're Young master Yu Jeong-un, right? I'm Tang Yerin."
When Tang Yerin introduced herself to Jeong-un, the faces of the men around her changed.
Their eyes said they hadn't expected that at all.
"Young Master, are you aware that Heavenly Martial Hall is tangled up in as many complicated interests as its fame is high?"
"By interests, you mean..."
When Jeong-un asked, Tang Yerin explained patiently.
"If you distinguish yourself at Heavenly Martial Hall, your name spreads across the Central Plains. That's why all young martial artists long to go there. It's not just about fame—it's also a chance to master powerful martial arts."
"And how does that relate to the special exam?"
Jeong-un knew that all sorts of prodigies gathered at Heavenly Martial Hall.
It wasn't just a simple military hall where multiple people learned under one master.
"When a martial artist makes a name for himself, his school's reputation also soars. Reputation brings money, and money becomes power. That's why the martial arts sects are obsessed with how many disciples they can send to Heavenly Martial Hall."
At her words, Jeong-un naturally thought of the Yu household.
The household had prospered even after losing a duel to Five Star Gate—because he had defeated the Five Star Gate Leader.
Such things happened even in a tiny village.
"Then what do the sects do with that money and power?"
"...?"
"They want to send more disciples to Heavenly Martial Hall. And this time, they'll look for a way that's even easier."
Jeong-un nodded quietly.
In that short moment, he understood why the Murim Alliance created that unnecessary list of the hundred major sects, and why only these chosen few received privileges.
'I was thinking only in terms of efficiency.'
The Central Plains was entangled in far more complex relationships. He nodded inwardly.
The towering pavilions of Heavenly Martial Hall seen from afar had not been built without reason.
"So, does it make sense now?"
"Thank you for enlightening me."
As Jeong-un bowed politely, Tang Yerin smiled softly and nodded.
Pyo Jin-cheon, who had been looking sour at their exchange, abruptly spoke out.
"Young lady Tang, why go out of your way to explain things so kindly? He failed even the general exam anyway."
Even the way he addressed her had changed.
It was clear he didn't take to Jeong-un at all.
At that, Tang Yerin looked back at Jeong-un.
This time, there was a subtle spark of interest in her eyes.
"Did you really fail the general exam, Yu young master?"
"... No."
When Jeong-un shook his head, Pyo Jin-cheon's eyes widened.
"Then you passed?"
"No."
"...?"
"I haven't taken any test yet."
"...!"
At that, everyone stared at Jeong-un with startled looks.
They had realized that Jeong-un intended to challenge the special exam, not the general.
Only Tang Yerin let out a barely suppressed chuckle.
"How did you know I was planning to apply for the special exam?"
Jeong-un looked at her in mild surprise; Tang Yerin shrugged.
"I just guessed. You hardly showed any interest until the special exam was mentioned. Someone who'd already failed wouldn't act that way."
A loose guess, but it made enough sense.
He had thought she was simply quiet, but she had been observing all along.
"Then, do you have an Cloud Dragon Token?"
Pyo Jin-cheon asked in disbelief.
When Jeong-un nodded, Pyo Jin-cheon's face looked genuinely shocked.
"Which school are you from...?"
"I came from the Yu household in Hanzhong. It's not a place many have heard of. As for the Cloud Dragon Token, I received it from someone else."
"W-what...!"
The statement about having received it from someone else left the group dumbfounded.
Even Tang Yerin looked surprised.
"It's not normally given to outsiders. You must have quite the connection."
"..."
Jeong-un couldn't bring himself to answer that.
'Can I really call it much of a connection?'
Honestly, he was still unsure.
It was clear the token would have originally gone to one of Mount Hua Sect's own disciples.
"I heard they rank people in the general exam. Is it the same for the special exam?"
"Hmph, why do you ask?"
Pyo Jin-cheon jumped in with a sneer at Jeong-un's question.
"Don't tell me you're aiming to take first place?"
Jeong-un stared back at him calmly.
'What's with this guy?'
He could feel a persistent edge in Pyo Jin-cheon's every word.
Despite this being their first meeting.
He also found the reverse question odd.
"Are you not aiming for it, then?"
"What?"
As Pyo Jin-cheon scowled again, Jeong-un spoke to him.
"If you came all this way, shouldn't you at least be confident enough for that much?"
"...!"
With a single line, Pyo Jin-cheon was left as the man without backbone, face turning red.
Yet when Tang Yerin covered her mouth and laughed, he couldn't even get angry.
'... Now that I see it.'
Anyone could tell at a glance these were all children of well-off families.
And now that he knew the Cloud Dragon Token was distributed only to the hundred major sects, it meant at least that much.
Yet, oddly, the whole group seemed to revolve around Tang Yerin as the center.
"Might I ask, young lady...?"
"Mm..."
Jeong-un asked cautiously, but rather than answer, Tang Yerin hesitated.
Anxiously, another person on the side whispered in a low voice, as if warning to be careful about speaking.
"She's the granddaughter of Tang Gaseon, the great hero of Sichuan Tang Clan."
"... I see."
The Tang Clan—that was the undisputed tyrant of Sichuan.
Even Jeong-un, a complete outsider to martial world affairs, knew the name.
He had only been guessing, but it turned out she really was from the Tang Clan.
'So that's why.'
He understood why the others bristled at him.
They all wanted to look good in front of her.
'I've become the uninvited guest.'
Jeong-un barely managed not to let out a wry smile.
So this was why people bragged about their connections to the Peng Family in Hebei or the Namgung clan.
"Then, please enjoy your meal. I'll be going."
Jeong-un rose from his seat with a martial salute.
He'd preferred to travel rough precisely to avoid getting caught up in these tangles.
The other men, who had looked uneasy, were quick to say their goodbyes.
Especially Pyo Jin-cheon, who looked as if a bad tooth had just been pulled.
"It was nice meeting you. I hope you achieve a good result in the special exam,"
Tang Yerin said.
Her words turned the other men's faces ashen again.
'Who cares.'
With an indifferent expression, Jeong-un gave a calm nod and turned to go.
He didn't think he would see much of them again anyway.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
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