"News has come that the Heavenly Sword will personally come to escort you."
As Gongsun Su was tidying up the room, he turned in surprise at the words.
He saw Heo-Young kneeling before him.
"The Heavenly Sword is coming? What about the Emperor's guards?"
The Heavenly Sword was the strongest among the Golden Guards and was counted among the top ten martial artists in the world.
However, he was also the shadow that always protected the Emperor.
"It is said that His Majesty personally sent for the Heavenly Sword."
"Haha. What does this old man have to warrant such attention…."
Gongsun Su closed his eyes for a moment, touched by the Emperor's heartfelt gesture.
Days had passed since the assassination attempt by the assassins.
As soon as it was revealed that the former Prime Minister Gongsun Su had been attacked, the imperial palace was thrown into chaos.
It was said that the Emperor was furious and ordered the capture of the culprits, and several related individuals had already been apprehended.
Furthermore, many officials were said to be fearful of Gongsun Su's return, who was once known as the iron-fisted Prime Minister.
"…I have received contact from many officials. What should we do?"
"Tell them all the same thing. Those who have sinned will pay for their sins, and those who have shed blood will pay with blood."
"Yes."
With a briefly cold expression, Gongsun Su turned back to continue tidying up the room.
There were only a few belongings, so it did not take long to organize them.
The items consisted of a few changes of martial robes, a few favorite books, and a wooden sword that he had wielded in the room.
Gongsun Su smiled as he caressed the worn wooden sword.
"Haha. It has seen better days."
"…You never let it go even while sleeping."
Heo-Young knew better than anyone how hard Gongsun Su had worked.
To become strong with a body that was slower and weaker than others, he had no choice but to work several times harder than anyone else.
Gongsun Su spent his days holding the sword, swinging it, and thinking about it.
He was never ashamed to seek out his master to ask questions, no matter how small or trivial they were.
"If only the kids from the Blue Dragon Academy had worked half as hard as you, they would have won the Heavenly Martial Tournament as easily as eating a meal…."
Baek Soo-ryong remarked, shaking his head.
Over a month had passed, and Gongsun Su had trained diligently in martial arts during that time.
As he reminisced about the past, his gaze became distant.
"It feels like a dream."
"…I think it was a time when dreams were realized."
"Haha. You've become quite the talker."
"How could I not improve being between you and Teacher Baek?"
"Look at you! Soon you'll be asking to collaborate with me."
"There's nothing stopping us from doing that now."
"What did you say? Hahaha!" As Gongsun Su laughed heartily, Heo-Young smiled in response.
She had changed too.
There were more days when a natural smile graced her lips.
All of this was a change that had come since arriving at the White Dragon Hall.
Although she had not learned martial arts from Baek Soo-ryong, she had seen and learned many things.
"We both learned a lot here."
"…Yes. I think I will miss it."
Gongsun Su reached out and picked up the only new item on the table, a palm-sized jade tablet shaped like a coiled blue dragon.
The Blue Dragon Tablet was a student ID given only to students who entered the Blue Dragon Academy.
The final results of the entrance exam for new students at the Blue Dragon Academy had been announced yesterday afternoon.
"Congratulations once again on passing."
"It was close. I thought my name was at the very bottom, so I was going to look from there."
"Honestly, it was a bit absurd when you looked from the top."
"You little rascal…."
Gongsun Su squinted at Heo-Young, who averted her gaze.
"Anyway, a pass is a pass."
Although he was at the bottom, Gongsun Su had proudly passed the entrance exam for the Blue Dragon Academy.
"Haha. Yes. Whether at the top or the bottom, a pass is a pass."
With the Blue Dragon Tablet tucked away, Gongsun Su and Heo-Young finished packing and left the room.
"Before we leave, I should meet Teacher Baek once more to express my gratitude. This is all thanks to having the best teacher."
"…If Teacher Baek is the best teacher, then you were the best student."
"Just do one thing if you're going to do it. If you keep teasing me, I might just end up with horns on my backside."
"Please let me complain a little since it's the last day."
"Tsk tsk. Who will I marry off this little rascal to…."
The two exchanged light banter as they exited the room.
"Grandfather!"
"Old man. Why are you so late?"
Wei Zhi-Chen, who was sitting in the pavilion waiting, waved his hand, while the pale-faced Han Yuan-Gang grumbled. 'Haha.
I wonder if that kid is even human.' Han Yuan-Gang, who had suffered a severe injury, had surprisingly recovered enough to walk around within just a few days.
Thanks to the elixirs that Gongsun Su had generously fed him and the healing techniques taught by Baek Soo-ryong, his self-recovery had improved, but to the two who did not know this, he appeared as a monster.
'Anyway, I'm glad to see him better before we leave.' After taking a final look around the White Dragon Hall, Gongsun Su spoke to everyone.
"Let’s go before we are late for the entrance ceremony."
Today was the day of the entrance ceremony for new students at the Blue Dragon Academy.
And today, Gongsun Su would return to the imperial palace.
The entrance ceremony was grandly arranged.
In the center of the great martial hall, a total of one hundred new students stood in formation.
Around them, the parents and acquaintances of the new students watched with emotional expressions.
"Not long ago, we faced a treacherous attack from assassins. You all remember what happened at the martial exam site."
The head of the Blue Dragon Academy, Lord Noh, spoke, and the new students nodded seriously.
The assassination attempt by the assassins at the martial exam site was publicly declared as a "conspiracy to disrupt the entrance exam of the Blue Dragon Academy."
As a result, it had fostered a sense of camaraderie among this year's new students.
"Throughout history, the challenges from the evil factions have continued, but as always, we will overcome them once again. The Blue Dragon Academy will stand at the forefront of exterminating evil!" As Lord Noh's speech concluded, thunderous applause erupted.
After Lord Noh stepped down from the podium, Mae Geuk-ryeom, who was hosting the entrance ceremony, announced, "Next, we will have a speech from the representative of the new students. The top student, please come up."
A moment later, a boy began to ascend the podium.
He was small in stature and appeared frail, looking more like someone who would be swung by a sword than someone who wielded one.
Yet, no one there dared to underestimate him.
'That kid is Wei Zhi-Chen….' 'A genius who competed equally with senior Dokgo-Jun.' 'To think such a monster is the same age as me….' All the instructors at the Blue Dragon Academy unanimously recognized him.
He was the top student with overwhelming grades.
His fellow new students looked at Wei Zhi-Chen with envy, admiration, and jealousy.
"Yes. Enjoy this moment to the fullest. I will definitely…."
Namgung Seok, who had also secured the second place unanimously, gritted his teeth, burning with competitive spirit.
However, Wei Zhi-Chen had no interest in Namgung Seok.
He was overwhelmed by the countless gazes of people.
"Ah, hello. I am Wei Zhi-Chen."
At the shy boy's greeting, some laughed, while others shot him disapproving looks.
Mae Geuk-ryeom reassured Wei Zhi-Chen, saying, "Just say what you want comfortably."
The speech of the new student was one of the most glorious moments one could experience while attending the Blue Dragon Academy, alongside the graduation speech.
"I wanted to stand here as the top student."
In front of everyone’s gaze, Wei Zhi-Chen continued, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Because I wanted to give my speech to someone else."
"What?" "What do you mean?"
Everyone was surprised by his words, but the most shocked was Gongsun Su.
Wei Zhi-Chen's gaze had been directed at him all along.
"Chun-Ah. You can't be…."
"Gongsun Su, please come up."
At Wei Zhi-Chen's call, Gongsun Su shook his head vigorously.
This was wrong.
He could not take the reward that Wei Zhi-Chen had earned through his efforts, simply because they were close.
At that moment, "Elder."
Baek Soo-ryong, who had approached without Gongsun Su noticing, gently pushed his back.
"Go on up. If you keep this up, his face will turn red and burst."
"…Did you know?" Baek Soo-ryong sighed and shrugged.
"How would I know the hearts of children? It seems he prepared this secretly. Anyway, go up. If the event drags on, my leaving will be delayed."
Pushed from behind, Gongsun Su found himself on the podium before he knew it.
Wei Zhi-Chen encouraged him, saying, "Do your best," and quickly descended.
"Haha… I wonder if this is alright. Lord Academy Head, is it really okay for me to take his place?" Gongsun Su asked, looking back at Lord Noh, who initially appeared flustered but soon smiled and replied, "Since it is a reward for Wei Zhi-Chen, how he uses it is up to the student."
In the end, it meant that Gongsun Su was to give the speech as the representative of the new students.
"Haha… I see. Understood."
The moment of confusion passed.
Gongsun Su, who had been dignified even in front of the Emperor and many ministers, would not be nervous in front of just a few hundred people.
After organizing his thoughts, he calmly looked at the students below the podium.
"I am Gongsun Su. I am sixty-five this year. If there are any new students older than me, please come up here. These days, it’s hard to gauge age just by looking at faces."
Gongsun Su's joke elicited laughter from the crowd.
He had glanced at Namgung Jehak, who was seated among the distinguished guests.
In an instant, Gongsun Su had captured everyone's attention and continued speaking.
"I am not the top student, so I do not have any grand ambitions. However, I would like to share a few words of advice with you. This is just the ramblings of an old man, so feel free to take it lightly."
Before long, everyone was focused on Gongsun Su's voice.
Perhaps among the new students, he might be the weakest in martial arts, but the natural aura emanating from him overwhelmed the crowd.
"First, do not be discouraged if you feel inferior to others. When that happens, think of me. I only stood here at sixty-five."
Gongsun Su looked at Wei Zhi-Chen, a boy with talent that everyone would envy.
"…The world is an unfair place. Depending on who your parents are, the size of your talent, and what you possess, life is almost predetermined. Changing that is truly not easy."
But Gongsun Su envied all the talents, including Namgung Seok, who was biting his lip behind Wei Zhi-Chen, and the children behind him.
All the children who entered the Blue Dragon Academy were among the best talents in the martial world.
"I am not saying do not work hard. Give your best every day. Remember that today will not come again."
Gongsun Su turned to look at Han Yuan-Gang.
Despite his rough appearance, he was a warm-hearted kid.
Even while losing to Wei Zhi-Chen in daily sparring, his determination to win one day was commendable.
"If you are doing your best, that alone means you are doing well enough."
Han Yuan-Gang pouted, probably muttering, "Damn old man."
Gongsun Su chuckled and turned to look at Heo-Young.
"Second, find good friends. If you live your life only looking up, you will have no friends around you, only enemies."
Heo-Young was… holding back tears.
Their relationship had begun as a protector and a guard, but now they were more than friends; they were family. 'How can one cry on such a good day?' Gongsun Su smiled at Heo-Young and then turned to look at Baek Soo-ryong.
Their eyes met.
"Lastly, find a good teacher."
"…."
As Gongsun Su's gaze softened, Baek Soo-ryong smiled back pleasantly.
"If you find a teacher who believes in your potential, you will realize that you are far more outstanding than you ever thought."
At first, Gongsun Su did not believe he could do it either.
Perhaps it was just a light amusement, a mere joke, as Dokgo-Jun had said. 'You made it serious.' He awakened the potential that even the students themselves did not believe in, made them believe they could, and turned it into reality.
What other teacher could do such a thing besides Baek Soo-ryong? 'You were the best teacher.'
'You were the best student.' Without needing to speak or exchange words, the two understood each other's hearts through their gazes.
"That is all I wanted to say. Wherever you may be in the future, I wish for the success and fortune of all my fellow students from the Blue Dragon Academy."
Taking a step back, Gongsun Su took a bow.
Clap, clap, clap.
Baek Soo-ryong began to applaud.
It was not a ceremonial or formal applause, but one filled with genuine feeling.
Following him, Heo-Young, Han Yuan-Gang, and Wei Zhi-Chen also began to clap.
The applause, which started with a few people, spread like an infection around, continuing for quite a while even after Gongsun Su stepped down from the podium.
After the entrance ceremony concluded, Gongsun Su submitted his resignation from the Blue Dragon Academy.