“... At this rate, my face will be pierced.” It seemed better to avoid the barrage of gazes coming from all directions.
While I could dodge the stares, there was no way to escape the prickly eyes surrounding us.
Glancing around, I felt the weight of attention as we stepped through the main gate of the Qinglong Academy.
It was as if everyone inside the academy had their eyes glued to us.
“Ahem...” The gazes of the competitors who had come for the interview, as well as the students peering down from the dormitory windows, were all upon us.
I felt quite awkward in this situation, as it was my first time experiencing such attention.
“Indeed, clothes give wings, don’t they? A handsome face isn’t everything.”
“...”
Beside me was the source of all this commotion, Ahn Yeon-ho, walking confidently while enjoying the attention.
Although he couldn’t openly grin due to the reputation of his noble family, he subtly smiled behind his fan, which was quite...
“Oh my!”
“Eek! Did you see me just now?”
The women who caught his smile blushed, causing quite a stir.
“Hehe.” Ahn Yeon-ho greeted them with a gentle smile, bowing slightly as he passed by, the fan fluttering in his hand.
It was as if he had sprayed perfume, leaving a sweet scent in his wake.
‘If this guy were born in the underworld, he would have become a legendary seducer.’
On the other hand, I walked straight ahead.
Not used to the public gaze, my expression was stiffer than usual, and my steps felt rigid.
Thankfully, most of the women were focused on Ahn Yeon-ho, so I didn’t attract much attention...
“Both of them must be applying for the new instructor position, right?”
“I prefer the tall guy on the left.”
“Look at that cold expression and the troubled look on his face...”
“Ah, I hope he scolds us in class...”
...
I didn’t hear anything.
I heard nothing at all.
Ahn Yeon-ho nudged my side with his elbow and whispered, “How is it? The lovely ladies are welcoming us so warmly, isn’t it nice, hyung?”
“Nice? Not at all...”
As much as I was receiving attention from the women, I was also feeling the hostility from the men.
In truth, I was quite accustomed to being in the spotlight and remained calm.
However, this kind of attention was new to me, and it was quite awkward.
Three days ago...
“The first impression is the most important! A dull black robe will lose points! ...” I had been swayed by those words and ended up letting Ahn Yeon-ho drag me around to buy new clothes, shoes, belts, and even style my hair.
And today.
I had entrusted my body to Ahn Yeon-ho, who was fidgeting from dawn, and the moment we stepped out of the inn in the morning, the trials began.
“Um, um, I’m really sorry, but... could you at least tell me your name?”
The first girl I encountered twisted her body nervously to speak to me, and that was just the beginning.
“Older brothers! Please have some of this.”
“No, eat this instead. Our shop’s sweets are tastier.”
“What are you saying? Are you crazy?”
“You’re the crazy one!”
I had to sweat profusely trying to break up the fight between the daughters of competing sweet shops in the marketplace, and...
“... Young hero, could you pluck just one hair? Or even a piece of your nail...?”
I almost had my hair and nails forcibly pulled out by a man with a gloomy gaze, suspected to be a disciple of the Mo-san faction.
After enduring all those trials and entering the Qinglong Academy, it was no surprise that everyone was still staring at us.
I couldn’t help but think, “Damn this appearance-based society.”
Ahn Yeon-ho chuckled at my low mumble and turned to me, as if admiring a piece of art, he looked me up and down and said, “A masterpiece. It’s a masterpiece.”
“Stop with the nonsense and let’s go in quickly.”
“We have to line up, so we can’t go in right away anyway. Since it’s come to this, let’s enjoy it.”
“... Enjoy what?”
“The longing gazes of the female students from above! Now, hyung, manage your expression and smile at the future students we will teach.”
“...”
As Ahn Yeon-ho lowered the fan that had been covering his mouth, his handsome face was revealed.
At that moment, the female students watching us from the dormitory windows collectively gasped.
“Ah...”
I sighed deeply and shook my head.
Just like that, I heard a “eek eek” sound from somewhere.
...
What are they trying to do?
We stood in line with the other applicants who had entered the Qinglong Academy.
Our interview attire was a bit excessive compared to the other competitors, but...
I decided to think positively. ‘At least I succeeded in drawing attention.’
To survive in this competitive world, one must have at least one unique strength.
Those who are average or similar to others are quickly forgotten and eliminated.
Especially in a place where only a few are selected from so many, leaving a strong impression was necessary.
“I don’t know how much this face will help in the interview...”
“Probably more than you can imagine.”
Hearing my mumble, Ahn Yeon-ho smiled and lightly patted my shoulder.
At that moment, I felt a gaze piercing me from a distance.
I naturally lifted my head to see the source.
On the rooftop of a distant building stood a pair of young men and women.
‘Are they students?’
From the perspective of martial arts, the male student was more impressive, but it was the cold-looking female student who was glaring at me.
‘But why is she staring at me like that?’
I didn’t shy away and met the female student’s gaze directly.
“...”
“...”
Then, after a moment, the female student took a deep breath, as if preparing to unleash a lion’s roar.
“What, what is it?”
Startled, I covered my ears, but I couldn’t stop her voice, filled with inner strength, from echoing throughout the academy.
“Admitted!”
“... What?”
I stared at her with a blank expression.
Not just me, but all the applicants waiting for the interview turned to look at her.
The overly excited girl pointed at me and Ahn Yeon-ho alternately, saying, “You two! You two are accepted without question by the authority of the student council... Ugh, ugh!”
“Vice President! Are you crazy?”
The male student next to her hurriedly covered her mouth.
After a brief struggle between them, the male student managed to subdue the female student and led her away, ending the farce.
“... What was that just now?”
“It was from the dormitory...”
“Was the rumor about a crazy girl in the academy true...?”
As the applicants began to murmur about the incident, an elderly man standing in the center of the large hall shouted in a sharp voice.
His strong inner strength caused those with weaker inner strength to wince in pain.
“I ask that you maintain silence in the academy until it is your turn.”
After saying that, the old man clasped his hands behind his back and scanned the crowd, as if warning everyone.
He seemed to glare at me particularly... but that must be my imagination.
“Who is that old man?”
“They say he’s the student supervisor.”
“No wonder he looks so stern.”
“Doesn’t it seem like he’s looking this way a lot? Do you know him, hyung?”
“I’m here for the first time too. How would I know the student supervisor?”
Student supervisor? For some reason, I felt like I should remember something... but since I couldn’t recall, it probably wasn’t important.
As I chatted with Ahn Yeon-ho, the line gradually shortened.
The interviews were conducted in groups of five, where we would enter, talk with the interviewers, and then come out.
“Who are the interviewers inside?”
“The academy head, the deputy head, and the top instructor of Qinglong Academy, Namgung Soo.”
When I asked Ahn Yeon-ho, who had returned from chatting with other applicants (mostly girls), he immediately shared the information he had gathered.
‘The academy head must be... the Thousand-Handed Guanyin, Lord Noh.’
Thousand-Handed Guanyin, Lord Noh.
He was one of the top martial artists mentioned even decades ago when I was in the Blood Sect.
In the righteous faction, a chivalrous hero is akin to a demon in the underworld.
Lord Noh had killed dozens of underworld figures.
‘Though I’ve never seen him in person, I remember his appearance being quite striking...
It’s been decades, so he might have changed.’
In any case, he was a figure to watch out for.
Next was the deputy head, Hwa Yeom-do, Kwak Cheol-woo.
He seemed to practice the Yanggang style of martial arts, but I had never heard of him before.
And the last interviewer was the legendary instructor, Namgung Soo.
He was from the Namgung family and represented Qinglong Academy as its top instructor.
He was my goal as well.
“A top instructor... I’ve always wanted to see how well he teaches.”
“Can you tell just by looking at his face?”
“If I’m at this level, I can tell just by looking at his face.”
“... Master, do you think I can pass the interview today?”
I was killing time with Ahn Yeon-ho, who was joking around.
The interview took longer than expected.
Each group took anywhere from a short meal time to half an hour.
We had set out early in the morning, but due to the various people crowding around, we were assigned a later number and still had a couple of groups ahead of us.
‘It’s getting a bit boring.’
I turned my head to look around Qinglong Academy.
As expected of one of the five great academies of the martial world, it was large, and the facilities looked good.
However, the level of the students and instructors...
‘Honestly, it’s disappointing.’
It wasn’t just their skills; what disappointed me was their attitude.
Usually, disciples from prestigious families or great sects carry themselves with pride, walking confidently with their shoulders back.
But I didn’t see that in the students or instructors of Qinglong Academy.
What should I say...
“Are they like those trying to grab a last bit of wealth from a rich family that’s going downhill?”
“... Why not just curse them instead?”
It wasn’t a curse, but a sincere evaluation from my heart, so I stood firm.
I opened the dormitory window and looked back at the students who were watching us.
“Why aren’t the numbers decreasing?”
“Rather than decreasing, it seems like there are more than before?”
“Tsk tsk.”
What’s so entertaining about this? I’d rather swing my sword one more time during that time.
‘Still, a few seem to show promise...’
While searching for students who looked promising, I spotted a girl holding a piece of paper and quickly sketching something.
Swish, swish.
Her hand movements were extraordinary, but more importantly, she kept making eye contact with me while drawing “something.”
Does that mean, “Is she drawing our appearance?”
“It seems like that’s the case.”
Ahn Yeon-ho smiled brightly and lowered his fan, striking a pose.
“... What are you doing?”
“I’m letting her draw comfortably. We have plenty of time anyway.”
“Ha...”
Feeling like a monkey in a zoo, I sighed deeply and covered my face with my hands.
“... I hope the interview starts soon.”
“There’s only one group left now.”
As we were joking around, waiting for our turn to come, a man who had just come out of the interview spotted us and began striding over with wide eyes.
“Oh! What a coincidence! I’ve found you guys!”
The burly man approached us threateningly, his twisted expression resembling that of a bandit coming to collect tolls.
Ahn Yeon-ho turned to me and asked, “Do you know him, hyung?”
What is this? He’s trying to push everything onto me whenever something happens.
With my good memory, I recognized him immediately.
“Isn’t that the pig you chased away at the inn?”
I thought I was whispering, but it seemed he heard me.
“Who are you calling a pig?”
The man, who was called a pig, snorted like a wild boar and pointed at me.
“Listen well! I am Kwak Du-yong of the Divine Power Blade!”
Seeing his face turn red as he shouted, Ahn Yeon-ho seemed to remember too.
“Ah... the pig we met that time?”
He was the man who had caused a scene at the inn on the day I first met Ahn Yeon-ho, embarrassing himself and fleeing.
“Ha! You guys still haven’t come to your senses. You’re here for the entrance exam at Qinglong Academy, right?”
Unlike the time he had fled like a scared pig, today he seemed to have some confidence, strutting with his shoulders back.
He grinned ominously and lowered his voice as he spoke to us.
“Do you know who is here?”
Suddenly, a shoe flew from somewhere and hit Kwak Du-yong squarely on the back of his head.
Stumbling and nearly falling, Kwak Du-yong barely regained his balance and turned around sharply.
“Who did that?”
The answer came from the direction of the dormitory.
“Get out of the way, you ugly bastard! We can’t see the two instructors because of you!”
The girl who had been drawing our appearance just moments ago was threateningly waving her remaining shoe.
“How dare you speak to an instructor...!”
Kwak Du-yong’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.
But his troubles were just beginning.
Suddenly, a half-eaten sweet flew and stuck to Kwak Du-yong’s shoulder.
This time, it was a different girl.
“Why are you picking on those who are just standing still?”
Once or twice was manageable, but three or four times was easy.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Various items from the female dormitory began flying toward Kwak Du-yong.
Perhaps because they had learned martial arts, their accuracy was remarkable.
“Why are you bullying the weak instructors?”
“Being ugly also means having a bad personality!”
“You got a zero in the student evaluation!”
“Ugh!”
...
A man was being beaten up by female students simply for being ugly.
No, that wasn’t the only reason.
To the students, it seemed like Kwak Du-yong had approached us out of nowhere to pick a fight, which was why they were all so furious.
“Looks like the girls of the martial world learned not to stand by while a villain oppresses the innocent.”
Ahn Yeon-ho looked at the students with a proud expression and laughed.
I looked at him with a bewildered expression.
“Isn’t the absolute standard for judging good and evil based on appearance?”
“... Hyung, appearance isn’t the absolute standard for judging people. Personality, conduct, speech, and various other factors are all criteria for judgment. But...”
Ahn Yeon-ho covered his face with the fan and chuckled.
“How can you know someone’s personality, conduct, or speech when you first meet them? If someone is handsome, they seem good too.”
“Ha...”
“Now do you understand why I said your appearance is a tremendous weapon and that you should dress well?”
With a snap, Ahn Yeon-ho closed the fan and looked up at the female students.
When their eyes met, the girls screamed, “Eek eek!”
“See? A handsome man can win over half the world.”
“...”
From the way he spoke, he seemed like a great master imparting wisdom to his disciple.
In reality, I had learned something from Ahn Yeon-ho’s words, so I fell into deep thought.
Even while we stood there chatting, Kwak Du-yong was being bombarded with a shower of items.
“Ugh! Ouch! Stop! Please, just stop!”
Perhaps because he was such a large target, everything thrown at him hit.
Now, not just from the female dormitory but also from the male dormitory, all sorts of items were flying.
I asked in confusion, “Why are the male students doing that? Could it be that they’re also doing it because of our looks...?”
“They’re just doing it for fun. Boys are like that.”
“...”