Recognition (3)
"Do you have any doubts about the evaluation of your nature?"
"No, I do not."
"You seem curious about the test method. It's simple."
The examiner spoke in an indifferent tone.
"Perform the fastest sword technique you can. One strike is enough. I will observe and judge."
'Simple enough.'
Jung Yeon-shin felt relieved.
He had expected a more complicated method.
Although Heon Won-chang, who looked anxious, seemed to think differently, judging skill with just one sword strike seemed narrow-minded but also generous.
In Jung Yeon-shin's experience, real combat had all sorts of variables.
The first test seemed to be just a filter.
"Can I start right away?"
He asked, stepping back a few steps.
The examiner nodded.
"I, I'll go first!"
It was Heon Won-chang.
He looked at Jung Yeon-shin with an apologetic expression.
'I'm too nervous.
Sorry.'
Jung Yeon-shin, who wasn't too bothered, nodded his head slightly.
Heon Won-chang, standing in the spot where the boy had stepped back, gripped his sword hilt.
He glanced at the examiner, who stood with arms crossed as if telling him to draw his sword at any time, and then fixed his expression seriously and took his stance.
It wasn't an outstanding posture, but Jung Yeon-shin sensed the wave of energy rising from his entire body.
'Strong.'
It was a well-honed aura, stronger than any of the wanderers he had seen on the way to Yangyang.
'When the energy is refined, there's no waste.
You can put all your strength into the sword.'
As Jung Yeon-shin thought this, Heon Won-chang drew his sword, and the air split.
"Wow! That warrior is something else."
"I couldn't see it."
"I only saw a faint blur."
The spectators exclaimed in admiration.
There were even gamblers betting quickly on whether he would pass.
"Not bad."
The examiner nodded.
A bright smile spread across Heon Won-chang's face, and the examiner took a number plate from him.
Heon Won-chang returned to Jung Yeon-shin's side and whispered.
"If the warrior receives a plate in this first test, it means they passed. If they are told to return the plate at the reception desk, they failed."
"Have you passed the first test several times?"
"Well, the second test, the martial arts duel, was always the problem."
"Is there a third test?"
"It's an interview with the Lord of Ip Hwang City. Some martial artists come to Yangyang just for that, hoping to gain insight or enlightenment."
"I see."
Jung Yeon-shin nodded and stepped forward.
Those who had been reacting with mixed feelings to the outcome of Heon Won-chang's test, and even those who had been skeptical, showed curious reactions.
"Is he really an applicant?"
"A young swordsman with spirit."
"Indeed. If he's from another region, when else would he get to demonstrate his swordsmanship in front of the warriors of Ip Hwang City?"
"Even hearing a word of advice would be a valuable experience."
Among those murmuring, the gamblers didn't even place bets.
Some wore smiles as if watching a child's play.
Jung Yeon-shin silently placed his hand on the sword hilt and looked at the examiner.
The examiner nodded with an indifferent expression.
"You may begin."
In the next moment.
"······."
Nothing happened.
The only change was that the sword was already drawn in Jung Yeon-shin's hand.
It was a scene as if the action had been segmented when one blinked.
Only the examiner nodded with a stiff face.
"The future of Ip Hwang City is here."
An incredible compliment.
The spectators and Heon Won-chang reacted as if they couldn't believe it.
Some gaped, others looked at their neighbors as if asking if they heard wrong, and Heon Won-chang's dumbfounded expression was particularly amusing.
Jung Yeon-shin was surprised in a different way.
'I didn't even see myself using the sword.'
It seemed the examiner had seen the swift sword strike that even his own eyes couldn't catch.
Is this what they call true eye technique? They say reading an opponent's attack is also martial arts.
"Give me the plate."
"······Yes."
"Hmm. Number thirteen."
The examiner took the plate and traced the number with his hand as if engraving it in his mind.
His eyes, which were intently watching Jung Yeon-shin, seemed to hold a mix of emotions.
Then, as if resigning to something, he closed his eyes once and nodded, signaling him to leave.
"Then."
Jung Yeon-shin sheathed his sword and left the training ground with a fist salute.
Heon Won-chang, who had been standing as if frozen, hurriedly followed.
The glances from nearby were slightly annoying.
"Why are you doing that?"
"Uh, um······ are you perhaps from a renowned family?"
Jung Yeon-shin laughed at the cautious inquiry.
"What difference does it make? Once inside Ip Hwang City, it's all about martial arts, talent, and effort, isn't it?"
"Huh··· You truly intend to pass the Ip Hwang City test."
"Isn't that why we came? Not just me, but you too, Brother Heon Won."
"······That's right. You're right."
Heon Won-chang closed his mouth.
Staying at a different inn, he was silent for a long time before saying goodbye and disappearing.
Jung Yeon-shin hoped to pass the second test with that kind and talkative man.
The intervals between the first and second tests were one week and two months, respectively.
At the time Jung Yeon-shin passed the first test, about three weeks remained until the second test.
During that time, he trained in Jeong Ga Dong Gong, Quick Sword Technique, and the amplification energy technique he named Si Geuk Gyeong.
In the mountains outside the town where the inn was located, he practiced all three, and when he returned to his room, he focused on using Si Geuk Gyeong.
While creating new martial arts is good, he believed that honing his existing skills was the right choice with the upcoming real combat.
Martial Arts Duel.
It is a test of the martial arts one has learned.
The final Ip Hwang City test ends with revealing one's martial prowess alongside an opponent.
Jung Yeon-shin devoted all his remaining time to martial arts, and during that period, Heon Won-chang never visited.
-Rustle rustle.
And now.
"This is······."
Inside Ip Hwang City, there were dozens of grand and splendid pavilions.
All the martial artists passing by exuded a stern aura.
The horizon visible in the distance and the vast natural scenery were neighbors to the numerous clusters of pavilions.
While moving under the guidance of a servant, he saw others in the same situation as himself.
"This is truly the world's greatest martial arts learning place······."
"I heard the white martial arts uniform is for beginner warriors, but how can their aura be so powerful?"
"Isn't it obvious? Even wearing white guarantees a bright future."
"I wonder what hidden dragons will emerge this time······."
"I, Cho Moo-ryang of Hangsan, will become a dragon stretching its wings!"
Though they seemed to be strangers, they were chatting well, and Jung Yeon-shin saw a familiar face.
Just then, the person also noticed Jung Yeon-shin and approached with a delighted expression.
"Jung Gongja! You seem to have grown taller!"
"Brother Heon Won, you look well too."
"I've had some small achievements."
Heon Won-chang, still wearing the noticeable yellow dragon hero band on his forehead, rubbed under his nose.
"But you never know. Winning isn't important in this test. They say it's enough to catch the eye of the Ip Hwang City masters observing the duel, even if you only participate in one of the two duels······ but that's the hardest part."
"So you can win the duel and still fail."
"Exactly. Especially today, it's obvious the examiners' standards will be even higher."
"Why is that?"
"You haven't heard the rumors. They say the White Kirin will appear in today's Ip Hwang City test."
"The White Kirin, you mean from the Namgung family?"
"Yes. He's already famous in Namjikrye. They say he annihilated a notorious bandit group before turning fifteen, defeated the black path sword master Bun Sal-gak, and at around eighteen, he defeated all the late-stage disciples at the Yongbongji meeting of the Eight Great Families. The Yongbongji meeting is where the late-stage disciples of prestigious families socialize, and since no one has denied such rumors, it might be true."
This time, even Jung Yeon-shin couldn't hide his surprise.
With such achievements, he indeed deserves the nickname of a legendary creature like the Kirin.
The reality of the martial world, which he had only heard about in bits and pieces in Sinya-hyeon, felt much closer now, making him truly realize he had entered the martial world.
"If he's a late-stage disciple of the Namgung family, he lacks nothing. Why would he come to Ip Hwang City if he has martial prowess?"
"Because he's an illegitimate child. He can't become the family head."
Heon Won-chang whispered, covering his mouth as he leaned in close.
Jung Yeon-shin frowned at the breath he felt on his ear and quickly stepped back.
Heon Won-chang laughed, as if he had never maintained a respectful distance before.
"Even though the Lord of Ip Hwang City is said to be a noble family and has maintained a youthful appearance for over two hundred years, even becoming a single master is enviable compared to the head of the Eight Great Families. The prestige is even greater. It's a position that coordinates the order of the martial world in the center of the Central Plains."
"Is it really that significant?"
"Ip Hwang City is involved in every major martial arts event, so of course. Are you from a village, not a family?"
Jung Yeon-shin kept his mouth shut and walked.
Heon Won-chang, with a look as if he were watching a cute younger sibling, smiled and followed.
"Please wait here. When your name is called, proceed to the training ground."
The attendant left about thirty aspiring entrants behind and departed.
They stopped at a small garden behind the large training ground.
There was another one on the opposite side, and people were gathered there as well.
With the newly sprouted green shoots and the brightly blooming petals here and there, no one paid attention to the scenery.
Each person was either standing with their eyes closed, practicing mental training, or staring blankly into space.
Jung Yeon-shin waited, rotating Jeong Ga Dong Gong with subtle movements.
Eventually, one person from each side was called out to the center.
They engaged in martial arts duels among the Ip Hwang City warriors who had gathered in a circle.
After the fight, those heading north had shoulders that seemed to pierce the sky, while those returning south were slumped.
"How can they do that······."
Heon Won-chang couldn't hide his anxiety again.
"Among the warriors who passed the first test, there must be no one who hasn't been called a prodigy. I was also called a martial genius in our town."
His attempt to lighten the tension with humor was almost pitiful.
"Being selected among these prodigies is such a cruel and difficult task. Moreover, to display martial arts among the masters of Ip Hwang City."
"Isn't it an exciting thing?"
"Hmm?"
"Being recognized for your talent is thrilling. At least it's twice as good as being ignored as a weirdo."
"Gongja······."
Just as Heon Won-chang was about to say something.
"Jung Yeon-shin from Sinya-hyeon, Namyang, Hanam Province, please come out!"
The attendant who had run to the garden called out.
"I hope to see you again. Here, in Ip Hwang City."
Jung Yeon-shin placed his left hand on the sword hilt at his left waist and leisurely walked out of the garden.
Behind him, Heon Won-chang's shout echoed.
"Let's definitely do that!"
The first martial arts duel was uneventful.
The opponent was a strange person who seemed to have trained alone in some small village, even speaking strangely.
Although there are the Four Books and Three Classics in the world and various sects each teach their doctrines, most martial artists who haven't learned proper orthodox martial arts live in their own world.
The spirit of the times is nothing but survival of the fittest.
In the Central Plains, there are all kinds of people, so it's impossible to predict others' values and behaviors.
"You are the moth struggling without knowing that the destination is despair!"
The swordsman, grinning with yellow teeth, said.
As soon as the duel began, Jung Yeon-shin struck the opponent's mouth with the sword sheath.