While the first examination continued across various parts of the country, the candidates who had already passed and arrived at the Martial Alliance were undergoing individual assessments.
The purpose of these evaluations was to ensure that the teams formed for the upcoming second examination would be as evenly matched as possible.
Each candidate would be assessed in five fundamental areas: physique, movement techniques, visual tracking ability, internal energy, and external strength.
The physique assessment was particularly straightforward.
Examiners thoroughly inspected the candidates' bodies, examining everything from bone thickness and limb length to shoulder width and finger length. Based on their findings, they assigned grades ranging from A to D.
It was now Song Yiyeon's turn.
He stood before his examiner with an unusually nervous expression.
Unfortunately for him, that examiner happened to be Zhuge Lin.
"I'll be in your care."
"Yes, well..."
Zhuge Lin extended one pale hand, looking distinctly reluctant.
The candidates being examined elsewhere watched Song Yiyeon with open envy.
After all, having a beautiful woman like Zhuge Lin personally examine one's body was something most of them could only dream of.
Yet Song Yiyeon remained entirely indifferent to her touch.
The reason lay in the peculiar characteristics of the martial arts he practiced.
After examining his body for some time, Zhuge Lin let out a long, weary sigh.
"Applicant Song Yiyeon. Grade A..."
Song Yiyeon accepted the wooden plaque bearing the letter A and smiled pleasantly.
"Was giving me an A really something worth sighing over?"
"Of course not."
Despite her words, Zhuge Lin still looked thoroughly displeased.
Song Yiyeon grinned and waved two additional wooden plaques before her.
He had already completed the internal energy and movement technique assessments.
Both plaques bore the same letter.
A.
The other candidates looked on with growing envy.
"That fellow's probably going to be the most famous candidate this year."
"He's already famous! Just look at his face. I've heard his name is known not only among the applicants but even among the Martial Alliance members."
"Seriously, though. Isn't there supposed to be some balance in the world? If a man's that handsome, shouldn't he at least be lacking in talent?"
"Please, let him at least be lacking in size down there."
Somehow, Song Yiyeon had become the common enemy of every male applicant present.
Naturally, he seemed delighted by the attention.
He was thoroughly enjoying the mixture of admiration, envy, and resentment directed his way when—
BOOOOM!
A tremendous explosion shook the training ground.
Cries of astonishment and excitement immediately erupted from the gathered candidates.
Song Yiyeon and Zhuge Lin turned toward the commotion.
"Whoa! That's insane!"
"Who is that?"
"No idea! But they're saying he got an A in every category!"
At the center of everyone's attention stood a young man with a perfectly calm expression.
A mound of fine gray powder lay scattered around his feet.
It was the result of the final assessment.
External strength.
The task was simple in principle: candidates had to destroy a boulder considerably larger than an ordinary man's torso, using whatever means they wished.
Song Yiyeon stared at the scene before letting out an incredulous laugh.
"That's Young Hero Cheon Woojin. I told him he only needed to break the rock, and he went and turned the whole thing into powder..."
Even more astonishing was the weapon Woojin had used.
It wasn't the black iron staff he usually carried on his back.
It was a white fan.
The middle-aged examiner approached Woojin with a somewhat dazed expression.
"May I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Wouldn't it have been easier to break the boulder with that staff on your back? Why did you use the white fan instead?"
"Because it's more fun, isn't it?"
"...I see."
The examiner let out a helpless chuckle.
Well, it certainly had been entertaining.
A fan was hardly a conventional weapon for demonstrating external strength.
Yet this young martial artist had struck an enormous boulder with one and reduced it to fragments.
Even after spending so many years in the Martial Alliance, the examiner had never witnessed anything quite like it.
He studied Woojin's face carefully, as though determined to commit it to memory.
Then he handed him a wooden plaque bearing the letter A.
"Congratulations. You've earned an A in all five categories. Good heavens, how long has it been? Twenty years or so?"
The Martial Alliance's assessment standards were notoriously unforgiving.
A candidate who earned three A grades was considered a prodigy.
Four A grades marked someone as a genius.
But five?
A martial artist who achieved an A in every category was said to possess a Heavenly Martial Physique.
Such a person was believed to have the potential to master any martial art they pursued to its very limits.
Throughout the hundreds of years that the Martial Alliance had conducted its entrance examinations, only five martial artists had ever achieved this distinction.
The most recent had appeared like a comet twenty-three years earlier.
That man now wielded the greatest influence in the entire Orthodox Path.
The current Alliance Leader.
Beili Tian.
As the examiners and candidates recalled that illustrious name, their gazes toward Woojin grew increasingly complicated.
Woojin, however, merely scratched his head, puzzled by all the sudden attention.
And then—
BOOOOM!
Another tremendous explosion erupted from the opposite side of the training ground.
A massive boulder burst apart, sending hundreds of jagged fragments flying through the air like hidden weapons.
The nearby instructors hurriedly intervened, deflecting the dangerous projectiles before they could strike the spectators.
When the thick cloud of dust finally settled, the figure responsible came into view.
A hulking young man stood amid the shattered stone.
His clothes were made from expensive, old-fashioned silk, a peculiar contrast to his ferocious appearance.
With that menacing face and enormous build, one might easily have mistaken him for the leader of an unorthodox faction.
He casually brushed bits of stone from a fist as large as a cauldron lid.
For some reason, his eyes were fixed on Cheon Woojin.
"G-Gu Jinseok. Grade A."
A young examiner timidly offered him a wooden plaque, carefully watching his expression.
Gu Jinseok snatched it without so much as a glance.
Still staring at Woojin, he began walking toward him.
Thud. Thud.
His enormous physique was intimidating enough on its own.
Combined with the savage aura surrounding him, he hardly resembled a promising young martial artist of the Orthodox Path.
The candidates nearby instinctively tensed as he approached.
The oppressive atmosphere seemed to follow him with every step.
Woojin, however, merely watched with an expression of mild indifference.
Gu Jinseok eventually stopped directly in front of him.
Woojin was already taller than most men, but Gu Jinseok was an absolute giant, standing at least two heads above him.
Looking down, Gu Jinseok spoke in a deep, gravelly voice.
"Cheon Woojin. That's a name I've never heard before."
The provocation was obvious.
Every applicant within earshot recognized it.
Even the instructors began exchanging glances, wondering whether they ought to intervene.
Woojin, however, didn't quite understand what the man was trying to accomplish.
After all, a provocation was generally meant to intimidate one's opponent.
And Woojin felt no intimidation whatsoever.
He scratched his cheek with one finger.
"Do you make a habit of memorizing everyone's names?"
"...A martial artist capable of earning an A in every category should already be famous. Especially one who doesn't belong to the Five Great Families or the Nine Sects and One Gang."
Gu Jinseok raised his voice, clearly intending for the surrounding candidates to hear.
"Tell me, has anyone here ever heard of Cheon Woojin?"
Naturally, no one answered.
How could they?
Woojin had only just descended from the mountains.
Gu Jinseok surveyed the crowd with a smug smile.
"What are you, then? Some secret disciple raised by a great master deep in the mountains?"
It was meant as sarcasm.
After all, that sort of thing belonged in martial arts novels.
In reality, most of the great masters who dominated the martial world came from powerful families or prestigious sects.
But Woojin's reaction was not what Gu Jinseok expected.
His eyes widened in genuine surprise.
Without thinking, he reached back and touched the Crescent Moon Staff resting against his back.
How did he know?
Seeing Woojin's expression, Gu Jinseok let out a derisive laugh.
"Well, I suppose time will tell. Either you're a new hero destined to make his mark on the martial world..."
He paused deliberately.
"...Or you're a spy sent here by some other faction for reasons of your own."
There was no mistaking which possibility he wanted the crowd to believe.
An unknown young martial artist had appeared out of nowhere and achieved results that only a handful of people had ever managed.
Therefore, Gu Jinseok was suggesting, it was more likely that Woojin was an infiltrator than some extraordinary new talent.
It was an accusation designed to cast suspicion on him.
Song Yiyeon, who had been listening nearby, immediately bristled.
That son of a—!
He stepped forward.
But before he could say anything, a smaller figure swept past him.
Song Yiyeon blinked in astonishment as he recognized Zhuge Lin's back.
She marched straight toward Gu Jinseok, her steps sharp and forceful.
"Applicant Gu Jinseok. What exactly do you think you're doing?"
Gu Jinseok looked at her without the slightest hint of apprehension.
"We're simply having a conversation between fellow applicants."
Zhuge Lin's eyes narrowed.
Does this brat come from some influential family?
His expensive clothing certainly suggested a wealthy background, despite his rough appearance.
Not that she particularly cared.
Whatever family he belonged to, it would hardly be enough to intimidate her.
She was a Deputy Commander of the Martial Alliance.
And, more importantly, she was a member of the Zhuge family, one of the Five Great Families of the Orthodox Path.
"You call this a conversation? Anyone with eyes can see you're deliberately provoking him. Do you think you can behave however you please within the Martial Alliance?"
"I was merely expressing a reasonable suspicion."
"Oh? You mean your little accusation about him being a spy?"
Zhuge Lin's smile turned cold.
"Then are you suggesting that the Martial Alliance is so incompetent it can't even properly investigate a single applicant?"
"..."
Gu Jinseok fell silent.
He had been born into a respectable family, possessed exceptional martial talent, and had spent much of his life behaving as arrogantly as his imposing appearance suggested.
But even someone like him couldn't openly insult the Martial Alliance.
Zhuge Lin glared at him a moment longer before turning toward Woojin.
"Applicant Cheon Woojin, why are you just standing there listening? You could at least defend yourself. Or simply walk away."
"Why?"
"Huh?"
Zhuge Lin hesitated.
"Applicant Gu Jinseok is threatening you right now."
"Threatening me?"
Woojin blinked.
He understood perfectly well that Gu Jinseok was trying to pick a fight.
But it didn't feel particularly threatening.
Besides, there was something more important to consider.
"My master taught me never to lay a hand on someone weaker than myself without good reason."
With those words, Woojin pointed toward Gu Jinseok's waist.
Five wooden plaques hung there.
Four A grades.
And one B.
The B had come from the movement technique assessment.
Gu Jinseok's enormous physique had earned him outstanding results in nearly every category, but his movement techniques were comparatively lacking.
By any ordinary standard, he was a genuine genius.
To Woojin, however, he was merely an awkward, lumbering fellow whose massive build hindered his movements.
Woojin turned back to the dumbfounded Zhuge Lin.
"Anyway, it seems I've caused a disturbance. I'll return to the temporary residence. The assessments are finished, after all."
"...Oh. All right."
Zhuge Lin nodded absently.
The other instructors and candidates looked equally bewildered.
Then Song Yiyeon burst into laughter.
"Pahaha! Did that big fellow ever imagine he'd be treated like a weakling after earning four A grades?"
His laughter proved contagious.
The surrounding applicants began chuckling as well.
Whatever they thought of Cheon Woojin, watching the arrogant Gu Jinseok get put in his place was strangely satisfying.
Woojin paid none of it any attention.
He simply turned and headed toward his accommodations.
Perhaps I should just find the person I'm looking for and leave.
He had never intended to remain at the Martial Alliance.
His original purpose had been to locate the martial artist mentioned in White Master's will and deliver news of his death.
The only reason he had agreed to participate in the entrance examination was that White Master appeared to have arranged it beforehand.
Ignoring his master's wishes entirely would have left a bad taste in his mouth.
So he had decided to at least give the examination a try.
But now...
This is starting to feel troublesome.
If things continued like this, he suspected that unpleasant incidents would keep finding their way to him.
Especially that Gu Jinseok fellow. He's bound to cause trouble sooner or later...
It was at that moment.
A fierce presence suddenly surged behind him.
Woojin turned around without any particular urgency.
There stood Gu Jinseok.
The enormous young man was openly radiating killing intent, his expression twisted with barely restrained fury.
He looked ready to charge at any moment.
The surrounding instructors immediately grew tense, preparing to intervene if necessary.
And as Woojin watched him, the familiar voices of his two masters resurfaced in his memory.
"Woojin, my boy. A martial artist must always protect the weak."
"You don't necessarily have to protect them. But anyone who goes around bullying people weaker than himself isn't a villain. He's just a damn fool."
That much had been consistent throughout Woojin's childhood.
Despite their vastly different philosophies, his two masters had always agreed that preying upon the weak was contemptible.
But there had been one occasion when their discussion had taken a different turn.
"However, Woojin, if a martial artist overestimates his own abilities and attempts to oppress you without just cause, then the situation is different. Even if that person happens to be weaker than you..."
"Then you kill the bastard! What's with all the unnecessary rambling?"
White Master had always been a worrier.
He had wanted to raise Woojin to be a righteous man.
Yet he also feared what might happen after he and Black Master were gone.
Their disciple possessed extraordinary power, but his understanding of the world was unusual.
White Master worried that unscrupulous people might exploit Woojin's nature, mistaking his restraint and goodwill for weakness.
And as much as White Master disliked admitting it, Black Master had a point.
The world wasn't populated entirely by villains.
But neither was it filled exclusively with good people.
They argued over the matter for a long time.
Their discussion was heated, and neither showed any inclination to yield.
Eventually, however, White Master arrived at a conclusion he could accept.
"Woojin, listen carefully. If a martial artist directs killing intent toward you despite your having done nothing wrong, then it is reasonable to regard that person as a villain."
"Hahahaha! Exactly! Those are the bastards whose skulls you ought to smash! Now you're finally talking sense!"
For once, their teachings had aligned.
Remembering that conversation, Woojin looked at Gu Jinseok with an almost absentminded expression.
The man's killing intent brushed against the back of his neck.
To Woojin, the sensation was little more than a faint tickle.
It wasn't remotely threatening.
Still, leaving the matter unresolved would probably invite further trouble.
And since his two masters had agreed on how such a situation ought to be handled...
Woojin reached over his shoulder.
His hand closed around the Crescent Moon Staff.
Then he drew it from his back.
At that instant, the atmosphere changed.
The air across the training ground seemed to grow heavy.
Woojin stood perfectly still, the black staff hanging loosely at his side.
He had not assumed a fighting stance.
He had not even raised his weapon.
Yet an overwhelming presence spread outward from him, settling over the entire training ground like a dense blanket of fog descending upon a moonless night.
The surrounding instructors swallowed hard.
Even Zhuge Lin, who had been watching the confrontation, unconsciously stirred her internal energy.
...He's become a completely different person.
Woojin began to walk.
Thud.
Thud.
His footsteps rang through the oppressive silence.
And as he advanced toward Gu Jinseok, not a single person dared stand in his way.
******