Fortunately for Kwak Du-yong, as the commotion grew uncontrollable, the student supervisor intervened.
"Enough!" The supervisor glared at the dormitory and shouted, "From now on, anyone who throws something will receive demerit points!" Immediately after that sharp voice echoed, the flying objects vanished as if by magic. 'How tightly must he have held the students for them to be this scared?' This moment revealed just how much the students feared the supervisor.
The supervisor's piercing gaze turned towards us.
"You all too! If you cause any more trouble, I will kick you out, interview or not!" At that moment, both I and Ak Yeon-ho made a face of utmost grievance as if we had made a pact.
"What? We didn't do anything."
"We were just sitting quietly when they suddenly..."
We truly had been sitting quietly (only Kwak Du-yong could hear our whispers), so the supervisor's fierce gaze immediately shifted to Kwak Du-yong.
"If the interview is over, you should leave immediately!" "What? But..."
"Shall I forcibly throw you out?" Kwak Du-yong, who had been huffing, flinched at the old man's fierce gaze and hurriedly left his seat.
I quietly watched Kwak Du-yong flee with his hands behind his back.
Without saying a word, and without even raising my internal energy, I had defeated my enemy.
I had seen countless masters in my life, but this was the first time I had witnessed such a thing.
Enlightenment came to me without me even realizing it. "…I see. So that was it."
From this morning until just now, after experiencing a series of events, I gained one significant realization.
"Haha..."
As I smiled gently like a monk who had attained enlightenment, Ak Yeon-ho widened his eyes and asked, "What? What is it?" I willingly shared my realization with him.
"It's thrilling. It's new. Being handsome is the best." "…?" At that moment, Ak Yeon-ho looked at me with a strange expression that was hard to put into words.
"Earlier, you were talking about that damn appearance supremacy, right?" "That's just an excuse for the ugly ones. What can I do about being born this way? From now on, I've decided to humbly accept my true self."
I chuckled lightly, and for some reason, Ak Yeon-ho sighed deeply.
"I hoped you would gain self-awareness, but I didn't expect it to be to this extent..."
After a while, it was finally our turn to enter the interview room.
"It feels like I've seen them somewhere before..."
The student supervisor, Mae Geuk-ryeom, narrowed his eyes and watched the backs of the two young men entering the interview room.
Both were handsome like flower boys, which didn't particularly please him, but Mae Geuk-ryeom was not someone who would hastily form prejudices based on appearances.
What he evaluated was solely whether they had the ability to teach students well.
Therefore, he didn't take the recent disturbance to heart. 'When many people gather, disputes are bound to arise.' But why... did the face of the taller young man keep lingering in his mind?
"Is he the child of a graduate?" Mae Geuk-ryeom recalled notable graduates.
He had been working as an instructor at Cheongryong Academy for over several decades.
However, among the graduates from the last twenty years, there was no one who resembled the young man who had just entered. 'There were many handsome young men, but...' There had never been one who was so good-looking that the female students would go wild over him.
Mae Geuk-ryeom searched his memory further back in time.
Suddenly, an unwanted face popped into his mind.
"No way..."
Although it wasn't as noisy as today, there had been a young man who had caused countless female students to lose sleep since the moment he enrolled.
He was the number one target of vigilance, always watched for fear of causing disturbances in the dormitory.
He was famous throughout the academy and the entire city as a charming young master.
And above all, he was the scoundrel who had run away with his only daughter! The one who had ultimately caused him to sever ties with his only daughter! The Jade-faced Young Master, Baek Mu-hun!
"He resembles him..."
Suddenly, Mae Geuk-ryeom became unbearably curious about the name of the young man who had just entered.
The interview room was sparse.
In the large room, there were no special furnishings, just tables and chairs placed on either side, with three interviewers sitting in a row at the front.
As I took my seat, I observed them. 'In the middle is Cheonsu Gwaneum, on the left is Hwa Yeom-do, and on the right is Samjeol-geom?' On the opposite table, five applicants, including me and Ak Yeon-ho, sat in a row.
"Then, we will begin the Sixteen-Group interview."
The person who spoke with a tired expression was a stout middle-aged man sitting on the left.
Noticing the Taoist sword beside him, I realized that this man was Hwa Yeom-do, the deputy head of Cheongryong Academy, Kwak Cheol-woo.
"Please introduce yourselves briefly, one by one."
At Kwak Cheol-woo's words, the man sitting on the far left, who was short and sharp-looking, jumped up and began his introduction.
"Hello! I am from the Ming family in Shandong..."
One by one, the introductions continued until it was Ak Yeon-ho's turn.
True to his noble lineage, Ak Yeon-ho stood formally and said, "I am Ak Yeon-ho from the Ak family in Shandong, and I greet the seniors. I have a good connection with Cheongryong Academy, so I am applying for the position of spear instructor this time."
As expected, perhaps due to the influence of his prestigious family, the mention of the Ak family changed the expressions of Kwak Cheol-woo and Namgung-su.
Kwak Cheol-woo asked.
Most of the questions were directed by him.
"What is your relationship with Lord Chang-wang?" "…He is my fifth cousin."
"Have you met him recently?" "Just briefly before I left..."
Ak Yeon-ho received questions for several times longer than the other interviewees, and the atmosphere was warm.
But I was not the same.
"I am Baek Su-ryong from Hwaichang. I have no nickname, and I have taught children martial arts at my father's martial arts school for ten years. I am applying as an external martial arts instructor."
"Cough."
At my humble introduction, Kwak Cheol-woo cleared his throat.
He read my recommendation letter placed in front of him and said, "Bi Eung-gak recommended you. That friend has a good reputation. I heard he helped solve a recent civilian murder case... Can you tell me more about that incident?" "The old man was a notorious loan shark..."
As I began my story, I observed the expressions of the interviewers.
Kwak Cheol-woo pretended to listen attentively, while Namgung-su openly showed disinterest.
The most surprising thing was that the middle-aged head of Cheongryong Academy began to listen to my story with great interest.
"Haha. That's an interesting story."
The old man was the first to speak, smiling kindly like a bodhisattva.
For a moment, I doubted my eyes. 'Is that old man Cheonsu Gwaneum?' The Cheonsu Gwaneum I knew was a man who resembled a fierce ghost.
His personality was as rough as a lion, and once a fight started, he wouldn't stop until one side was dead or crippled.
He was quite famous as a madman even within the righteous sect... 'Now he seems like a kind old man from the neighborhood.' The change in a martial artist's personality usually occurs for one of two reasons: either they have gained enlightenment and significantly improved their level, or they have not and have resigned themselves to it.
It was impossible to tell which state the old man was in just by looking at him.
"Ah, Lord Gwanju. We are running out of time, so let's hear from the next person."
"Ah, right. I was rambling."
At Kwak Cheol-woo's words, the old man nodded and slightly leaned back from facing me.
...
And thus, my turn ended.
After all the self-introductions were finished, Kwak Cheol-woo said to lighten the mood, "From now on, feel free to ask questions."
Though he said that, most of the questions were still directed at him, and the target was mostly Ak Yeon-ho.
"Does Lord Chang-wang have any plans to visit Cheongryong Academy anytime soon?" "Ah, that..."
It was so blatant that Ak Yeon-ho even glanced at me and the other interviewees for help. 'This isn't good.' I had nothing to boast about in terms of background or martial arts.
The interviewers also showed no interest in me.
If this continued, the chances of me failing the interview without being able to do anything were high.
While I was racking my brain for a solution, "Baek Su-ryong."
In the brief pause of Kwak Cheol-woo's affectionate questioning of Ak Yeon-ho, Namgung-su, who had been mostly silent during the interview, spoke to me.
"Yes."
I answered with a soft smile that had captivated the female students.
However, the response I received was quite cold.
"What is the reason you applied for the position of external martial arts instructor?" Namgung-su was a tall, handsome man with intelligent eyes and a moderately slim physique.
Yet, the look in his eyes as he regarded me was quite hostile. 'What is this?' I had to answer, so I replied as politely as possible.
"Because I am most confident in external martial arts. Of course, I can also teach other martial arts like sword techniques or Taoist techniques. I can also teach stealth techniques or passing techniques."
In reality, I could teach most martial arts.
Furthermore, I had knowledge of basic self-study and the principles of martial arts.
But if I said all this, it might come off as too boastful.
"Confident in external martial arts, huh..."
However, it seemed that Namgung-su's intention in asking me this question was not genuine curiosity.
He sneered and said, "In my opinion, you are not suited to be an external martial arts instructor. Also, there are hardly any traces of you having cultivated internal energy. I might not be able to recognize the level of your martial arts if my own training is shallow, but..."
Namgung-su glanced at the old man sitting next to him.
He was the highest-level master among those present in the interview room.
The old man looked at me and smiled.
"That young man seems to have learned some special martial arts, but it is not the level of Banbakgwi-jin. Of course, if he were a master with martial arts far superior to mine, I might not be able to recognize it..."
Everyone present knew that this was impossible.
The old man had been considered a top master decades ago.
I nodded in agreement.
"It is true that my internal energy is lacking. But that does not mean my external martial arts are weak."
However, Namgung-su still wore a dissatisfied expression at my answer.
"It sounds like a pitiful excuse that you are not confident in your internal energy, so you want to teach external martial arts instead."
"Um. That's not it..."
"Baek Su-ryong. Does Cheongryong Academy seem easy to you? Do you think the skills you taught to children in the countryside will work here too?" "..."
Is this what they call a pressure interview? It was clear to anyone that Namgung-su did not like me.
In fact, I had been through all sorts of things at Blood School, so I was unfazed.
Rather, Ak Yeon-ho beside me was getting worked up and protested.
"Aren't you being too harsh?" "The one being harsh is not me, but someone who wants to become a teacher at Cheongryong Academy without even having the basics."
"You can't just say that without seeing for yourself..."
"It's fine."
I stopped Ak Yeon-ho, who was about to get angry on my behalf.
Then I smiled and looked at Namgung-su.
"Namgung-su, do you doubt my abilities? Or do you just dislike me?" "…I have no personal feelings."
"I don't think so."
I felt like I understood why this guy was making things difficult for me.
He resembled me.
A cold demeanor, tall and slim physique.
And a handsome, young instructor.
Namgung-su frowned and said, "Cheongryong Academy is one of the five great academies of the martial world. I take pride in teaching students here. I dislike it when someone who hasn't even mastered the basics looks down on my work."
"Then it's simple."
Since we resembled each other, comparisons were inevitable.
Namgung-su instinctively felt that he might lose his position to me in the future.
I stood up and walked towards Namgung-su. 'This is perfect.' Standing in front of Namgung-su, I looked down at him and smiled.
"I will prove that I have those basics."
He looked up at me with a sour expression.
"You say you will prove it? How?" This guy's tongue was sharp for someone who had just met me.
Since his words were not kind, mine wouldn't be either.
Bang! I placed my hands on the table and looked straight at him.
"How about I make you a mess with external martial arts right here?"