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Chapter 373. Surging Currents (5)
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
A pleasant sensation traveled up from my feet every time I stepped on the freshly fallen snow.
The snow was slowly dampening my new shoes, but the feeling of treading across ground no one else had touched kept me from using movement arts.
The sun had been up for some time, but not a single Academy student was coming or going.
The time to leave the Academy was drawing near.
Е ń ūm̈ а
"Eldest Senior Brother."
The Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers approached from the direction of the four-person dormitory.
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Sa-ryeon had apparently been with them, because she was coming along too.
Eun-ho, his voice thoroughly cracked, asked me.
"Are you heading to the Thousand Swords Wall now?"
"Yeah. It's time you should be studying—you didn't come all the way here for nothing, did you?"
Ẁ е̇ b̊ ṅ о́v̂ el Е n um̆а
The deep, ink-dark circles under his eyes were a pitiful sight.
That's what he got for choosing such a grueling post.
"No matter how busy I am, as a disciple of the Taeul Sect, I have to be here for this."
And yet the boy smiled as wide as he could, his haggard face brimming with anticipation.
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I shook my head.
What a thing to fuss over.
Е ň um а̇ . і.d́
Others sometimes left it to a stonemason.
But it wasn't as though I couldn't understand the feeling.
I, too, had come out to do personally what could have been left to a stonemason.
"Hurry up. We'll be waiting."
At Sa-ryeon's urging, I started walking again.
We traded all the stories we hadn't been able to share, what with the rush of pavilion applications and exams.
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In truth, the strange silence was so uncomfortable that I had to say something—anything.
After all, I'd gotten all my junior brothers and sisters to apply to the White Wolf Pavilion, only to be the one left out.
But then—
"What? Going where?"
Dong-ryong's sudden announcement caught me off guard.
"The Alliance Leader's Hall."
W е̌ b́ n o.vĕ l̆ Е̂ n ü m̌ а̌
Since when had the Alliance Leader's Hall officially recruited people?
More to the point, could an Academy student even get into the Alliance Leader's Hall?
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The Alliance Leader's Hall rarely recruited new personnel in the first place, and even when it did, it only accepted those who had reached a mature level of mastery—individuals whose martial prowess, experience as warriors, and reputation in the murim all exceeded a certain threshold.
And they'd accepted a freshly graduated Academy student?
Because so many people feared the Alliance Leader might privatize the Murim Alliance, bringing on even a single person was incredibly difficult.
As a result, only those who had reached the rank of Eminent Master could realistically get in.
Е̃nu̇ ḿã . і̊d
In some ways, the Alliance Leader's Hall was even harder to enter than the Mantongbu.
The news that the Hall was recruiting was surprising enough, but learning that Dong-ryong had gotten in was truly staggering.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Geum-pyo, Eun-ho, and Sa-ryeon clearly hadn't known either, because they all stared at Dong-ryong with wide eyes.
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Thank goodness. At least I wasn't the only one out of the loop.
Regardless of our shock, Dong-ryong scratched his head and murmured quietly.
Еń u mа
"I was actually planning to decline, so I didn't think it was worth mentioning."
What did I just hear......?
The Taeul Sect disciples were collectively stunned.
Decline? The Alliance Leader's Hall?
"Eldest Senior Brother and Senior Sister both said they'd go to the White Wolf Pavilion. I didn't want to go somewhere different on my own."
His answer was so matter-of-fact that we could only gape like carp.
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Even after all the surprising things that had happened, this was on an entirely different level.
"Well, not all of us. Eldest Senior Brother didn't make it."
Sa-ryeon's addendum made me want to say something, but the glares I got in return were sharp enough to keep my mouth shut.
"But I asked if they could accommodate a condition."
Another shock wave struck.
"......"
Е̇ṅ_ǔmȧ_. і d
"......"
"......"
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We stared at each other simultaneously, wearing expressions like temple statues.
No one said it aloud, but our eyes conveyed the message: "Our youngest really has a spine. Negotiating with the Alliance Leader's Hall."
When the silence stretched on, Dong-ryong began fidgeting with his fingers.
"......Did I do something wrong? I thought Eldest Senior Brother would definitely present his terms in a situation like this......"
Ӗ ṅ u̇m̃ ā .і̄d̆.
"......"
Sa-ryeon shot me a pointed look for some reason.
"What did I......"
"Don't you know you have to be careful even drinking water in front of the kids?!"
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Come on, it was sharp and impressive. No need to be like that.
But saying that out loud would probably bring up the whole White Wolf Pavilion debacle and earn me an earful, so I quickly changed the subject.
Еn̂ u̇ m а̄
"So what did you ask for? Don't tell me it was money...... or something like that."
If it was, I might actually want to die......
"Private lessons."
"Hm?"
"I asked to receive private instruction."
"......"
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Dong-ryong's shoulders slumped.
"I realized it in the Black Forest. That I'm still nowhere near good enough to help Eldest Senior Brother. No—at this rate, I might never be able to help Eldest Senior Brother in my entire life...... So I asked...... urk."
Sa-ryeon threw her arms around Dong-ryong and pulled him close.
Though Dong-ryong had grown quite a bit, Sa-ryeon still held him as though he were the baby of the family, and Dong-ryong subtly bent his knees to match her height.
"No, Dong-ryong. You're doing more than enough. And in the Black Forest, we all received so much help from you."
After burying his face in Sa-ryeon's shoulder for a moment, Dong-ryong lifted his head and looked at us.
Ŵ ӗ b́ ǹ о̃v е l Én̂ùmа̇
"I'll work harder. For my own sake, and for the sake of my fellow brothers and sisters."
At Dong-ryong's resolve, smiles naturally found their way onto all our faces.
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Everyone had truly grasped what was important.
As the eldest, I looked at them and spoke with conviction.
"That's right. Where we end up going or not going—what does any of that matter? In the end, as long as we look out for one another, that's all that......"
"The person who ran away by himself should keep quiet."
Еnúm̄а
"Ah! Sorry."
Foiled.
Sa-ryeon, who had been glaring at me, softened her expression and gave Dong-ryong an approving pat on the shoulder. The boy scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
While this warm atmosphere continued—with me excluded—Eun-ho raised a question.
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"But who's going to give him private lessons? The Alliance Leader's Hall doesn't exactly have its own unit or anything."
Eun-ho tilted his head, puzzled, and Geum-pyo promptly gave him a tap on the shoulder as if to say, "What are you even worried about?"
W e bn̂ о̀ v́еl Е̊.nǔm̃ӓ
"Come on, with all the masters in that place, you think they can't handle one Dong-ryong?"
"Yeah, but those people all have their own sects...... They can't just teach him willy-nilly."
"That's true......"
"Hmm, if you take them out, that leaves the bodyguards...... Surely a guard warrior wouldn't step forward to teach Dong-ryong."
Even Geum-pyo seemed to sense something was off and turned to Dong-ryong.
"Dong-ryong, did they mention who'd be teaching you?"
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Dong-ryong shook his head.
"No, I told them there was a specific person I wanted to learn from. Fortunately, they agreed."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Every Taeul Sect disciple's head swiveled in unison.
W̄е b n̂ оv e l Ё.n̊u m̆а̃
Had Dong-ryong known anyone in the Alliance Leader's Hall? I was puzzling over that when I voiced the question.
"Who is it?"
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Dong-ryong answered with his characteristically innocent smile.
"The Alliance Leader."
"......"
And I was left without words.
Ѐ ň ú m̃ ӑ .i d
"Uh...... um...... well......"
My mind went blank as I looked at my junior brothers and sisters.
Their eyes were all but popping out of their skulls, so at least I hadn't been hearing things.
***
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"What are you doing here?"
Seong Mo-ran's voice snapped us out of it.
Ẽ ň ü m̀ а̌
"Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be at the Thousand Swords Wall by now?"
"......Oh, well...... we just heard something so shocking...... Anyway, what brings you here, Seong So-jeo?"
"Just...... nothing to do. So I came out."
For the Taeul Sect disciples, it was a source of pride that their eldest senior brother was going to the Thousand Swords Wall. But for other students, it probably wasn't the most welcome event, so her casual "I just came out" was unexpected.
"Is our graduating class a bit unusual? Big Brother."
From behind Seong Mo-ran, Murong Jae-hwa and Eun Seol-ran approached, bows in hand.
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Murong Jae-hwa had apparently been shooting for quite some time; beads of sweat dotted his brow.
"You two as well?"
"......Was it wrong for us to come?"
"No, that's not what I meant......"
Behind them, Jang Woo-jae stopped in his tracks on the way over to our group, hesitating, unable to decide whether to approach.
And it wasn't just him.
W е b́ n̂ оv̇е l̂ E ṅů m̃а
As we made our way toward the Thousand Swords Wall, people kept joining.
Namgung Seon-hwa and Il-gak, Cheol Sun-jik and Nam Hwa-seong, among others.
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Every few steps, new faces appeared, swelling the group again and again.
"Why are you all here?"
When I scowled, the students pointed their thumbs downward in unison.
"Hmph, because today is a day of bitter humiliation. I won't forget this disgrace."
Еn̊ um̌ā
"A gentleman's revenge takes ten years. I shall engrave today's events in my eyes and, with the resolve of one who sleeps on brushwood and tastes gall, repay it without fail. I shall see it done."
"I just had free time."
They must all be bored out of their minds.
But since this wasn't exactly a secret affair, telling them not to come felt pointless, so I just let them follow.
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Before long, we reached the Thousand Swords Wall, tucked in the deepest corner of the Murim Academy.
"Representative Jin......?"
Ènù m̆ а̀
The waiting academy official and stonemasons tilted their heads.
Fair enough—quite a crowd had gathered.
"This is a first. They say murim folk have fierce jealousy."
I nodded at the stonemason's remark.
If I were in their shoes, my insides would have been so twisted I wouldn't have been able to eat for three days.
"Representative Jin So-un."
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The academy official stepped forward and led me.
"This way."
The spot he led me to was one section of the Thousand Swords Wall.
There, freshly carved characters had been clearly inscribed.
Murim, Seventy-First Generation.
_______ led.
Е̌ n̆u m̄ а
The official pointed to the empty space.
"It's rather small. You may inscribe your sect's name here."
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I looked above the spot he indicated and saw an identical sentence with only one word different.
Murim, Seventieth Generation.
Wudang led.
And the same sentence, with only the sect name changed, filled the wall in dense rows.
Wе̄ b n о́v̇е́l Е́.n̈ ǔmа
I raised my hand and gently traced those sentences.
Records that had accompanied the Murim Academy's history.
An act begun half in jest by someone of the very first generation.
Followed by the Academy representative of the second generation.
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Then the third and the fourth representatives, who found it to their liking and carved their own names as well—and so, on this small cliff tucked in the Academy's deepest recess, a tradition belonging solely to the students was born.
And as that tradition passed through ten, twenty long generations, it became a symbol for all Academy graduates.
Еnù m a
By the fortieth generation, the Alliance Leader of the era had personally bestowed the name Thousand Swords Wall upon this small cliff, and it became an official Academy ceremony.
The Thousand Swords Wall, named for its intent to hold a thousand records.
Though in my past life, contrary to that name, the records had ended at the seventy-first generation.
Until the Murim Academy ceased to exist, the inscriptions on the Thousand Swords Wall had been a source of pride for the students and a point of honor for the sects whose names were recorded there.
I raised my head and looked at the very first record.
Characters engraved far larger than the rest caught my eye.
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Murim, First Generation.
Shaolin led.
Being an Academy graduate didn't mean one had led the murim, but it was a symbol.
A symbol of how the people of that generation would move forward.
And it was an undeniable fact that the sects whose names were recorded here had flourished in their respective eras.
Beyond those, the names of "Wudang," "Diancang," "Mount Hua," and many others were inscribed.
Е̂n ů m̌ ā
The majority bore the names of the Nine Sects and One Gang, followed by the Five Great Clans. Occasionally, the names of sects from the One Hundred Eight Peaks appeared as well.
An interesting detail was that a few names of sects that no longer existed remained on the wall.
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Sects that had vanished from the murim and been forgotten from people's memories—yet the records on the Thousand Swords Wall clearly testified that those sects had once existed.
And.
"......"
Those who gazed upon such records were moved by a peculiar sentiment.
Ẁ еb̌nо̃v е l̂ Е̌n ùmа̂
This was precisely why every student who entered the Academy yearned to leave their name here.
I was no different.
In my memories of my past life, the Thousand Swords Wall's records, which had begun with Shaolin and ended with Shaolin, had been the driving force behind my relentless pursuit of the representative's seat ever since I entered the Academy.
While I stood lost in thought before the wall—
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"What's taking so long? I'm freezing to death."
"He's nervous because it's so small. If he messes up, it'll be a spectacular disgrace."
Еnü m̄а
"They say a person's sword path reflects their enlightenment—bet he's worried his'll turn out vulgar as hell."
"Wouldn't put it past him, heh heh heh."
The idle chatter that roused me from my reverie made my teeth grind.
I was about to whirl around and curse them out, but—
"......"
Some of the students were gazing up at the Thousand Swords Wall with strangely wistful eyes.
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"We tried everything to drag Jin So-un down."
"I know. I thought seeing this would make me furious."
Then—
"But you know......"
One student, staring at the cliff with misty eyes, murmured quietly.
"Has that record—'led'—ever been truer for any graduating class than ours?"
Ẅ eb̈ n ov ӗ l̇ Ѐ.n ũm̊a
No one denied it.
And those words etched themselves into my heart before I knew it.
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The students still gazed endlessly at the cliff, tracing and retracing it.
They all seemed lost in their own reflections, so I didn't break the silence.
I was grateful they'd come all this way in the cold to witness this.
I turned back to face the cliff.
Е̄ n̊um̌ ȧ . і d̀
SHING.
The Red Radiance Sword slid free.
The official stepped back.
Then, slowly, I drew upon the Taeul True Scripture.
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This was not to kill anyone, so my mind settled into a calm deeper than any I'd known.
And I moved.
Е̃n̂ úm̆.а̇ .і̀ d
Neither too slow nor too fast.
Neither too deep nor too shallow.
Carrying the will of the ancestor who founded the Taeul Sect five hundred years ago, and my own resolve to change the future.
Just as a different name would now be left from my past life's, I wished this record would not be the last.
Ssssss.
Stone dust scattered faintly, and the inscription slowly took shape.
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A sword path that was not flashy but not lacking either.
Sssk.
When I sheathed the blade—
"Ohh!"
Small exclamations erupted here and there.
I slowly raised my head and engraved the sentence I had carved deep into my memory.
È.n̈u m̊ а̇
Murim, Seventy-First Generation.
Taeul led.
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Among seventy-one records, it was a name inscribed for the very first time.
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