Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 4

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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 2: Initiation Ceremony (1)

“Welcome to Mil Geom Dan. I’m Woo Gon.”

A man with one eye covered by a patch smiled broadly at the recruits assigned to his team.
He looked to be in his early thirties, and beneath his generous warmth lay the unmistakable bearing of a seasoned martial artist who had weathered countless storms.

“Nam Goong Ho.”
“Ha—Ha Jo Gyeong, sir.”

Unlike the other two, who were visibly tense, Dok Go Jin’s eyes sparkled with genuine warmth as he looked at Woo Gon. This was the man who had cared for him most during his callow years, alongside Yu Seol Ran, before he understood anything of this world.

“Dok Go Jin, sir.”

Woo Gon regarded Dok Go Jin—who showed no fear of him—with a curious gaze and nodded.

“Well then, let’s have everyone introduce themselves.”

Before Woo Gon’s words had even finished, Yong Cheol Seung raised his voice.

“Yong Cheol Seung. Not to boast, but I wrote something of a legend during my time in the training grounds. I covered the Hwan Yu Gok ridge in half an hour. The nickname I earned that day was Flash Lightning Flying Shadow. Surely you’ve heard of it?”

Yong Cheol Seung asked with an expression full of anticipation.
When the recruits only shuffled nervously without speaking, Won Jong, standing just behind him, let out a scoff.

“From the look on your faces, it’s obvious you haven’t. A legend? Competent disciples cover the Hwan Yu Gok ridge in that time easily. Not that I’m saying anyone’s beaten your record, of course.”

Won Jong, who had smoothly mollified the bristling Yong Cheol Seung, turned his head toward the recruits.

“Do you still do that ridiculous training?”
“What training is that……?”
“The one where you leap off the cliff.”

The moment the name Seon Nyeo Am was mentioned—the actual name, not the corrupted version—both the senior disciples and the recruits frowned.
Seon Nyeo Am, a jutting rock atop a cliff some thirty lengths high, was infamous throughout the training grounds as the most treacherous and dangerous training: an exercise where disciples hurled themselves without hesitation from that stone into the ravine of Hwan Yu Gok below.

“I still don’t understand why we’re supposed to jump. Do any of you? They say it builds courage and boldness by overcoming intense fear, but there are plenty of other ways to develop such things without resorting to this madness. This is a wound from that trial. Hell, I’ve seen training injuries deeper than wounds earned in actual combat with enemies.”

Won Jong exposed a grotesque scar running from his shoulder down his chest and frowned.

“Damn fool! Here you are at a name-sharing, not even speaking your own, just baring some trivial scar.”

At Yong Cheol Seung’s rebuke, Won Jong grinned wryly.

“That’s right? Heheheh! I’m Won Jong. As you can see, this one and I trained together.”

Dok Go Jin smiled inwardly as he watched the two bicker.
On the surface, they didn’t appear to be close, but theirs was a bond of such deep trust and faith that they could entrust their backs to each other even in the face of death.

‘Thirty lengths? Senior, have you ever felt what it’s like to fall from three hundred?’

As Dok Go Jin swallowed the question he could never voice aloud, Yu Geom Ha, who had been waiting for his turn, suddenly beat his chest with a bright expression.

“Yu Geom Ha. It’s truly wonderful to meet you all.”

His face younger than the others, his voice unusually high—whether from the thought that he could finally escape being the youngest or something else, he spoke with particular eagerness.

“You’re the cohort just above this one. You might have passed each other on the way to the training grounds.”

Nam Goong Ho and Ha Jo Gyeong greeted them warmly upon learning they were the same age and from the cohort just ahead. They seemed to feel a greater kinship with these two than with the seniors introduced earlier.
But Dok Go Jin could not share in that warmth.
On the day Dok Go Jin had thrown himself from the summit of Hwan Yu Gok, Yu Geom Ha was the one who had stood beside Nam Goong Ho, protecting him until the final moment—and had lost his life for it.

‘Chief! Hey, my dear junior! You have to survive!’

The memory of Yu Geom Ha’s face, caked with blood yet still wearing that familiar bright smile as he met his end, seized Dok Go Jin’s chest before he could stop himself. He bowed his head, struggling to hide his reddened eyes.

“Well then, since our introductions are complete, shall we hear from our new recruits as well?”

Nam Goong Ho was about to speak when Woo Gon’s gaze fell upon him.
The door swung open, and Yu Seol Ran appeared.

“Report to the training grounds.”
“The training grounds? Already?”

The way Woo Gon immediately questioned it suggested he’d grasped the meaning of the summons at once.

“Ah, the Initiation Ceremony!”
“Isn’t that supposed to be tomorrow? We just arrived today—this seems too soon.”

Yong Cheol Seung and Won Jong, who had caught on a moment late, spoke with barely contained excitement.

‘The Initiation Ceremony already? It was supposed to be tomorrow. So this has changed too.’

As Dok Go Jin’s brow furrowed at the subtle divergences from what he remembered, Yu Geom Ha placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry—the Initiation Ceremony isn’t anything special. Just think of it as a chance for everyone to meet you. Relax, all of you.”
“Yes, senior.”

Nam Goong Ho and Ha Jo Gyeong nodded firmly, bolstered by Yu Geom Ha’s words.

‘This part is the same.’

Dok Go Jin gave a bitter smile, remembering that in his previous life, too, he had received Yu Geom Ha’s encouragement just before the Initiation Ceremony.

* * *

Shortly after the Mil Geom Dan members assembled, Hyeok Ryeon Su and Jong Gak arrived at the training grounds.
Hyeok Ryeon Su made eye contact slowly with the new recruits positioned at the front of each group, a smile on his face.

“Welcome to Mil Geom Dan, having safely completed your rigorous training. I am Chief Hyeok Ryeon Su.”

The new recruits bowed in unison before Hyeok Ryeon Su had finished speaking, offering their respects.

“We greet the Chief.”
“I hear this year’s training was particularly demanding. That speaks well of your talents. I have great expectations for you all.”

After Hyeok Ryeon Su offered his brief remarks and stepped back, Jong Gak came forward.

“I suppose there’s no need for introductions.”

Jong Gak regarded the recruits with a sharp, settled gaze as he slowly moved toward the center of the training grounds to continue.

“Starting now, I will conduct a simple assessment of your abilities. It’s merely a review of the evaluations prepared at the training center, so don’t feel unnecessary pressure. Let’s begin at once—”

Before Jong Gak could finish, Gok Sa Bong stepped forward with an expression of surprise.

“Surely the Vice-Chief doesn’t intend to conduct the evaluation himself?”
“Indeed. The Chief needs to attend a meeting shortly, so I’ll handle it quickly.”
“Really? Is that so?”
“We can finish it fairly quickly as well.”

The group leaders, who had been preparing to properly instill discipline in the new recruits under the guise of the Initiation Ceremony, each voiced their disappointment.

“Enough.”

Jong Gak, dismissing the group leaders’ protests, had already taken his stance in the center of the Yeon Mu Jang.

“Well then, who’ll go first?”
“The first cohort will take up the challenge.”

Gok Sa Bong spoke, placing a hand on Pung Ak’s shoulder—a prize won after fierce contention among the group leaders.
Though he secretly wanted to first assess Nam Goong Ho’s abilities, Jong Gak gave a nod without revealing anything.

“Come now, don’t be nervous. Show me what you’ve got.”

Gok Sa Bong tapped Pung Ak’s chest and turned his gaze away.

“It won’t take long, so Jo Su Hwang, you get ready next.”
“Yes, understood.”

Jo Su Hwang, who possessed fairly excellent skill in the Poison Technique but was somewhat lacking in martial arts compared to his cohort-mates, answered with a tense expression.

“Huh!”

As Pung Ak took a deep breath and stepped forward, cheers from his seniors rang out from behind.

“Hey, hang in there for three strikes.”
“Do it right. Act like a fool and you’re dead.”
“Prove exactly why the first cohort is the first cohort.”

At the seniors’ brutal voices of encouragement, not only Pung Ak but all the new recruits across the cohorts went pale. Of course, Dok Go Jin, knowing it was all just senior’s playful jesting, barely suppressed a smile.

‘That said, it’s surprising the Vice-Chief stepped up. The Initiation Ceremony used to be strictly the group leaders’ domain.’

Dok Go Jin’s gaze drifted toward Gok Sa Bong, who was cheering with both fists clenched.

‘I’d been wanting to face him again. Too bad, senior.’

His eyes held an emotion that was hard to define.
On the day he first entered Mil Geom Dan and underwent the Initiation Ceremony, Dok Go Jin had suffered a thorough humbling in his sparring match against Gok Sa Bong.
After confirming that Dok Go Jin’s abilities were far from ordinary—contrary to his evaluation report—Gok Sa Bong had given him a proper demonstration of what real combat actually meant.

‘Still, thinking of what lies ahead, facing the Vice-Chief would be better than facing the group leader.’

Dok Go Jin, already thinking of how to make his presence known properly from the very start of the Initiation Ceremony, felt his gaze sharpen and settle.

“Come on!”

Jong Gak waved the Wooden Sword he was holding and spoke.
Hearing that he would waive the three-strike allowance, Pung Ak wasted no time and swung his blade.

‘Impressive.’

Watching Pung Ak’s sword drive downward while covering all eight directions at once, Jong Gak’s face broke into a satisfied smile.
The blade’s movements were quite formal, perhaps because he lacked actual combat experience, but in terms of raw skill alone, he was at a level that could be deployed in the field immediately.
Swish!
As the first attack failed, the blade underwent a dramatic shift.

‘His adaptability is quite solid too.’

Jong Gak sidestepped the attack with a subtle shift of weight, then moved his wooden sword with deliberate slowness. With that, he thrust it cleanly into the place where his opponent’s blade moved most frantically.
It was an unremarkable move—and yet it was enough.
Pung Ak’s previously swift and sharp movements suddenly looked clumsy; the commanding flow of his blade dulled to clumsiness.
Gritting his teeth, Pung Ak poured everything into a desperate swing to regain control, but the wooden sword cut in like lightning and cracked across his wrist.

“Ngh!”

With a strangled cry, Pung Ak lost his grip on the blade and stared at Jong Gak in disbelief.

“Your transitions were good, but too ornate. If you wove change into simplicity rather than elaborateness, you’d develop far more.”

Pung Ak was no fool.
Knowing full well how much those casually tossed words would help him, he bowed to Jong Gak, who turned away with indifference.

“Th-thank you, sir.”

Jong Gak moved to the center of Yeon Mu Jang and gestured toward Gok Sa Bong.

“Come on, don’t waste time—get in there.”

Gok Sa Bong shouted at Pung Ak, who still had his head bowed.
The moment three seconds—which Jong Gak had yielded—passed, Pung Ak fell in a single exchange. Yet Gok Sa Bong’s expression was bright, as if he’d been pleased by what he saw in that attack.

“See that? The difference in skill is like heaven and earth. So don’t waste energy on useless thoughts—just do what you can. That alone will be a great help.”
“Yes, understood.”

Jo Su Hwang, who had been thoroughly intimidated watching Pung Ak collapse in an instant—someone who had never won even once during training—took a deep breath and headed into Yeon Mu Jang.
The seniors’ encouragement, which sounded like threats, came at once, but he didn’t tremble as badly as before.
The other recruits felt the same.
They steeled themselves in their own ways and waited for their turn.
The wait was not long.
Jong Gak gave everyone the same three seconds, gauged their skill, and ended his assessment with a single strike.
None of the recruits from the first, second, or third cohorts could withstand Jong Gak’s one blow.
None—save for Nam Goong Ho.

“Well, I figured as much, but he’s got real talent.”

Gok Sa Bong couldn’t tear his eyes away from Nam Goong Ho as he and Jong Gak traded fierce blows, admiration spilling from his lips.

“Right? If I’d known this would happen, I’d never have let him have those handicap seconds.”

Gwak Ryeong clicked his tongue, unable to hide his chagrin.

“What are you making such a fuss about? The Vice-Chief is just favoring him.”

Beon Hu pouted, prompting a dry laugh from Gwak Ryeong.

“Even if your pride’s wounded, you should speak straight. It’s true the Vice-Chief shows kindness in his methods—but he does the same for the others. So what were the results? Not a single one of them lasted even the first exchange.”
“Well, he does have real skill, that much is clear.”

Under the gaze of Gwak Ryeong, Gok Sa Bong, and Yu Seol Ran, Beon Hu had little choice but to acknowledge Nam Goong Ho’s ability.

“It’s more than just ‘having skill,’ though.”

Wi Dae Bung, who had been staring at Yeon Mu Jang with a rigid expression, continued in a grave tone.

“There are definitely rough edges to him yet. If we were to fight now, I’d be confident of breaking him down more easily than expected—though I’d have to go all out, of course. But the question is: how long can that remain true?”

Wi Dae Bung’s question hung unanswered among the group leaders.

“If he just keeps accumulating experience, honestly, I don’t think we’ll be able to handle him. Look — his skill is improving in such a short span. The Vice-Chief must see it too, which is why he’s guiding him like that.”

A brief silence fell among the group leaders.

“Fair point. His movements have definitely changed from the beginning.”

Gok Sa Bong broke the silence.

“We need to sharpen ourselves. It’s good when a talented junior surpasses us, but if we’re too weak, we lose face as seniors.”

At Gwak Ryeong’s words, Beon Hu brushed back what little hair remained on his head and let out a scoff.

“Ha! It won’t be that easy. Not a chance.”

On the surface, it might have seemed like jealousy of a junior’s talent, but none of the group leaders saw it that way.
They all understood that Beon Hu was the type who would drive himself harder than anyone else, not out of mere rivalry or envy, but to set an example as a senior.

“You need to manage your people well. It doesn’t show, but you know what happens to those who rely only on their skill and get cocky.”

Yu Seol Ran smiled at Gok Sa Bong’s advice, her lips curling slightly upward.

“Don’t worry. The moment I catch even a whiff of that attitude, I’ll break their neck.”

Meanwhile, Nam Goong Ho, who could hold out no longer, returned with an air of exhaustion, having conceded defeat.
He had displayed overwhelmingly superior skill compared to the other recruits, and perhaps because he’d gained so much through his bout with Jong Gak, his expression remained bright despite his weariness.

“Good work.”

Yu Seol Ran, whose pride had swollen a little at her group member’s performance, gave Nam Goong Ho a rough pat on the back.

“All right, next up — Dok Go Jin. Your turn.”

At Yu Seol Ran’s call, Dok Go Jin rose from his seat.
As he headed toward the training ground, Yu Seol Ran whispered to him in passing.

“High expectations.”

But Yu Seol Ran wasn’t the only one who expected much.
Beon Hu, who had marked Dok Go Jin long ago, along with the other group leaders who had sensed something unusual in the subtle tension between Beon Hu and Yu Seol Ran, all watched Dok Go Jin with keen, curious eyes.

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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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