Myth of Martial Arts - Chapter 29

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 29
When Jang Wook heard Mu Jin speak, he paused mid-page and glanced at him once before answering calmly.

“Oh? They’ve returned?”

Mu Jin nodded and spoke.

“Over the past few days, I’ve had people monitoring their movements closely. So I already knew when they arrived this afternoon. I’d planned to come tell you tomorrow, but they just sought me out themselves. Since it concerns the Yellow Abyss Trial, I had to rush here and inform you at once.”
“The Yellow Abyss Trial?”

Jang Wook’s expression registered surprise.

He knew the Yellow Abyss Trial well. Changung Academy had participated in the past, but for the last seven years they’d simply refrained from entering.

Jang Wook frowned and slowly closed the book before him, which recorded Mortal-tier martial techniques of the highest grade.

“What did they say?”

Mu Jin drew a deep breath and spoke slowly.

“They said they wanted to invite Changung Academy’s students to participate in this year’s Yellow Abyss Trial.”
“Is that all?”

Jang Wook asked with a puzzled expression.

They came all this way to Mu Jin with such urgency just to pass along a single message?

“Both of them tried to pry information from me, but I said nothing.”

Mu Jin recalled the shameful figures of Im Hae Ae and Na Ak San, and contempt filled him.

At those words, Jang Wook suddenly laughed.

“Ha, amusing. So they extend an invitation to Changung Academy for the Yellow Abyss Trial, but they don’t dare approach me directly—they send word through you instead?”
“Those two cowards value their lives. How could they possibly face you in person?”

Mu Jin laughed along.

Shaking his head, Jang Wook rose and stretched his body.

“I thought they’d never show themselves again. Now that they’ve surfaced, I suppose I’ll have to go collect what they owe me.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Jin suddenly recalled something he’d learned that afternoon.

“Wait a moment, sir!”

Jang Wook turned his head. “What is it?”

“What is it?”
“According to the information I received, there was one more person among those who returned—besides Im Hae Ae and Na Ak San.”

A rare flicker of gravity crossed Mu Jin’s face.

“I observed that Im Hae Ae and Na Ak San treated this person with considerable deference. There were clear signs of flattery and an attempt to curry favor. Based on my assessment, that person likely has no small backing. In fact… there’s even a possibility they’re a master of the Wa Seon Realm.”

Mu Jin sensed that the Imperial City was growing increasingly chaotic. The fragile peace that had barely held for seven years seemed ready to shatter.

“A master of the Wa Seon Realm… did they invite me specifically to face them?”

A cold glint flickered across Jang Wook’s eyes.

“Hmph, those two certainly think highly of me.”

He had confidence, but he refused to act recklessly before determining the identity of that person.

“Mu Jin. Continue having people watch him. If you hear anything, report to me at once.”

Jang Wook settled back into his seat and abandoned his earlier decision to visit Sinwang Academy.

After issuing instructions to Mu Jin, Jang Wook hesitated for a moment before speaking, lost in thought.

“As for the Yellow Abyss Trial…”

As Jang Wook deliberated, the system—which had seemed to vanish from his mind—transmitted that peculiar mechanical sound once more.

“A new quest has been activated through the Yellow Abyss Trial.”

【Side Quest 1: Acquire Renown (Required Renown: 300,000 | Current Renown: 156)】

【A great academy must possess the influence and dignity befitting its stature.

Only through powerful influence can it draw more students and become the supreme sanctuary in people’s hearts; only through commanding dignity can it suppress petty individuals from all quarters and prevent anyone from showing disrespect within the academy’s walls.

Changung Academy has maintained a low profile for far too long. People have begun to forget the academy’s very existence.

The Patron hopes that you will actively elevate the reputation of Changung Academy.】

【Quest Reward: Enchantment Technique

】

【Time Limit: Three days from the start of the Yellow Abyss Trial, ending at 0:00:00 on the third day】

【Quest Failure: No penalty】

Upon hearing the system’s words, Jang Wook thought to himself.

‘I can’t refuse this. Enchantment Technique—the name doesn’t sound particularly serious, but I’m not sure what the specific effects are. Still, it’s bound to be something extraordinary.’

Jang Wook shook his head, then promptly spoke to Mu Jin.

“Mu Jin, relay my acceptance to them on my behalf.”

Mu Jin hesitated and spoke with concern.

“Director, there may be some scheme hidden in this.”
“Not ‘may be’—there definitely is.”

Jang Wook spoke calmly, a faint smile on his face.

“You’ve interacted with Im Hae Ae long enough to know her character, haven’t you? But whether it’s a scheme or a straightforward challenge, Changung Academy will absolutely participate in this Yellow Abyss Trial!”

He was not at all concerned about the person that Im Hae Ae and Na Ak San served. Even if that person were truly a master of the Waseon Realm, it did not mean he could not win. Cannot win? Then he would simply flee.

As it happened, Jang Wook had been refining a divine cultivation technique these past few days.

Once this refinement succeeded, he would be able to escape from even an unbeatable opponent with ease.

Seeing that Jang Wook had already made his decision, Mu Jin could not dissuade him further and finally answered with gravity.

“Understood, sir. Tomorrow I’ll give them an answer according to your wishes.”
* * *
After watching Mu Jin leave, Jang Wook examined what the system had announced once more, this time with meticulous care.

“Even though Changung Academy has declined, there should be no shortage of people who know about it. How could it possibly be only 156?”

Jang Wook dismissed his own reasoning, then fixed his attention on that figure: 156. Only after considerable thought did he grasp something faintly.

“Perhaps… it’s the number of people who not only know of it, but truly acknowledge it?”

If that were the case, then among all those who had heard of Changung Academy, only 156 souls genuinely recognized it?

If Jang Wook’s suspicion was correct, the result would be cruelly disheartening. As he exhaled a heavy sigh, the system spoke.

“Your reasoning is accurate, Host. The number behind the reputation represents those who have heard Changung Academy’s name and acknowledged it in their hearts. In fact, more than half of this 156 points of reputation has been contributed by Sinwang Academy and Unsan Academy.”

A toneless mechanical voice rang out slowly.

Jang Wook’s eyes widened.

“Sinwang Academy and Unsan Academy? Is this some sort of joke?”

More than half of Changung Academy’s reputation came from rival academies?

It seemed the system had picked up a sense of humor somewhere.

“Enough of this. I don’t have time to worry about such things right now. I simply want to know what effect the Enchantment Art has.”

Jang Wook shook his head and asked the system with curiosity in his voice. But the answer that came back was not what he had hoped for.

“You will come to understand naturally once you complete the quest.”

This system—its voice unchanged, but its words growing increasingly playful.

Judging that no further information could be extracted from the system, Jang Wook had no choice but to give up.

“Three hundred thousand in reputation… this quest won’t be easy.”

Looking at the pitifully small figure behind “Current Reputation,” Jang Wook felt his eyes ache. After staring at it for some time, he sighed.

“The permanent population of the Imperial City is around four hundred thousand. To complete this quest, approximately eighty percent of the city’s residents would need to acknowledge Changung Academy…”

Now he understood why this Main Quest had been triggered just before the Yellow Abyss Trial began. Such a thing would only have hope during the trial period.

Thinking of the Yellow Abyss Trial, Jang Wook recalled again the newly appeared master of the Waseon Realm. This quest was not only extraordinarily difficult but also extremely dangerous.

Having endured turmoil seven years ago, he knew all too well that in this world, strength was the ultimate truth. Everything hinged on whether he could cultivate sufficient power himself.

After a moment of contemplation, Jang Wook released a long sigh and set aside thoughts of the quest and the newly appeared master of the Waseon Realm.

Then he opened the book in his hand once more and murmured to himself.

“I can’t revise the cultivation method just now, so I should focus on martial techniques. First, I’ll refine a superior Mortal-tier special technique, and if time permits, I’ll attempt a superior Mortal-tier martial technique as well.”

The Yellow Abyss Trial would begin in half a month. Jang Wook had no confidence he could perfect two martial techniques in that time, but he resolved to make every effort.

The difficulty of refining martial techniques was far greater and more complex than revising the first stage of a cultivation method.

In the quiet Library Pavilion, only Jang Wook’s murmurs occasionally echoed.

In truth, revising cultivation methods and martial techniques was tedious work, yet Jang Wook found it anything but tedious.

Rather, each time a perfect technique took shape before his eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.

As if this were the very reason he had come to this world.
* * *
The next day in class, Jang Wook finally finished his lecture on the Severance Strike after three consecutive days of teaching.

Before ending the lesson, Jang Wook asked everyone a question.

“You’ve all heard of the Yellow Abyss Trial, haven’t you?”

The Yellow Abyss Trial was the largest event of the year in the Imperial City. Naturally, as residents of the Imperial City, none of them could be unfamiliar with it.

At Jang Wook’s question, everyone nodded, their eyes alight with curiosity.

“Yesterday, Sinwang Academy and Unsan Academy invited us to participate in the Yellow Abyss Trial. After careful consideration, I have decided to accept their invitation.”

Jang Wook spoke calmly, a faint smile crossing his face.

“So focus on your training. You have only about ten days remaining.”

At these words, everyone’s eyes flashed with excitement as they cried out in eager voices.

“Does this mean we can also participate in the Yellow Abyss Trial?”

Since entering Changung Academy, they had been so absorbed in their training that they had no time to think of anything else.

Such days were deeply fulfilling, yet also monotonous. The Yellow Abyss Trial would undoubtedly provide a welcome stimulation.

Of course, what concerned them more was that the opportunity had finally arrived to shed the stigma of “useless” that they had carried for years.

No one wished to be treated as useless every day. Even though their inborn talent was truly abysmal, they could not simply accept the contempt and dismissal of others with equanimity.

Jang Hyung Yang cast off his usual playful demeanor, clenched his fists, and spoke with eyes shining with emotion.

“This is wonderful, sir!”

With their current strength, merely participating in the Yellow Abyss Trial would surely earn them considerable renown. When that day came, who would dare to look down on them?

The Yellow Abyss Trial was the stage where Changung Academy’s students could reclaim their honor.

“Sir, does this mean we no longer need to conceal our true strength?”

Mo Jang Bong asked in a careful voice.

Since joining Changung Academy, all the students had maintained an extremely low profile. Outsiders could at best sense their cultivation realm, but they knew nothing of their true power.

Only Jeon Pung and Noh Gun had discovered their real strength, but Jang Wook had killed them both himself.

In other words, aside from Changung Academy’s people, no one in the entire Imperial City knew of their true ability—not even the patriarchs of their own families.

Their desire to earn recognition from others and cast off the stigma of “useless” was immense. Yet unless Jang Wook gave the word, they had to suppress the urge to reveal their strength.

Hearing Mo Jang Bong’s words, Jang Wook looked surprised and puzzled.

“When did I ever tell you to conceal your strength?”

Had he ever said such a thing?

Perhaps it wouldn’t have been that way.

“Um… well…”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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