On the day of the graduation ceremony.
The students gathered at the training ground with excitement.
Today is the last day of the semester and the first day of vacation.
Although some students were upset because they were not satisfied with the report cards they received, most of them looked relieved.
"… … This year, The Azure Dragon Academy has undergone great changes in one semester."
While waiting for the podium master to finish his speech, the students thought about their vacation plans.
Go home and see your family for the first time in months, take a trip you've been planning with close friends, or start a hobby you've been putting off because you don't have time.
The students were already excited at the thought of being free from the school's rules and enjoying freedom.
Given the circumstances, the governor's words could not possibly have reached his ears.
'Haha. Everyone's mind is in the vaction field.'
The old gentleman also knew that fact. He smiled and quickly finished his lecture.
"… … This year, both students and teachers are doing their best to achieve good results in the Heavenly martial competition. Expectations are high, too. However, regardless of the results, your efforts will never be in vain."
"… … ."
Noh Gun-sang looked around at the students with the warm gaze of a grandfather looking at his grandchildren.
And he left a final word of advice.
"So please, stay healthy and have a good rest during the vacation."
The moment Noh Gun-sang smiled and stepped down from the stage, thunderous applause erupted.
Clap clap clap clap!
The students were very excited at the thought that vacation would soon begin.
Now that the governor's speech is over, the host will announce the end of the semester and it will be vacation time!
Some were already raising their internal energy to quickly leave the academy.
"Quiet! Everyone stay in your seats!"
But this year's graduation ceremony was different from previous years.
Kwak Cheol-woo, the vice-chairman in charge of the closing ceremony, shouted with all his might.
"Then, the leader will give his speech."
As the leader, who had been keeping his place as a guest on one side, came up to the stage, the students looked at him with questioning eyes.
There were murmurs here and there.
"Why, my lord?"
"My friends are waiting outside… … ."
"It'll be over soon, right?"
thud-!
As the leader's light footsteps caused an earthquake-like vibration, all the commotion died down.
The leader, standing on the podium with a strong presence, spoke.
"Nice to meet you. I am the leader of the Murium Alliance, Yelü Huang. First, I would like to thank the students who have trained hard for a semester. The reason I am standing on this stage is… … ."
The students were dumbfounded but focused on the intimidating words of the leader.
"… … Thus, to prepare for the threat of the Blood Cult, the Murim Alliance and the Azure Dragon Academy decided to form a historic alliance."
Declaration of alliance between Azure Dragon Academy and Murim Alliance!
Everyone's eyes widened at the surprising news.
Although there have been rumors floating around for some time, this is the first time it has been officially announced.
'An alliance? Really?'
'I heard that we are joining the Murim Alliance... ... .'
'Are the two different?'
'You idiot. Of course, it's different.'
Even the instructors couldn't stop the students from chattering.
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And the surprising news didn't stop there.
"In addition, starting this year, selected students from the 4th year of the Azure Dragon Academy will gain practical experience as trainee members of the Murim Alliance."
"!!!"
The fourth graders who were involved were the most surprised.
They opened their eyes wide in disbelief, and then slowly a color came over their faces. The same was true for the third-year students.
The Murim Alliance is the most desired job for students after graduation, but the competition is so high that most people cannot even think about applying.
'Just a few months of internship experience will be of great help when applying for jobs elsewhere.'
The instructors who were watching the scene also had pleased smiles on their faces.
But my joy at that fact was short-lived….
Students and instructors at Azure Dragon Academy learned another surprising fact.
"Fifty years ago, the martial arts world had to make a great sacrifice to destroy the Blood Cult. In that war, I lost my master who was like a father to me, and all of my brothers who were like real brothers to me. At that time, the detestable Blood Cult guys set a trap… … ."
'The leader talks too much!'
The leader of the martial arts world prepared a longer lecture than the students had expected.
He was not usually a talkative person, but he got excited whenever stories related to the Blood Cult came up.
The leader spoke passionately with a solemn expression.
"In my time, at the age of fifteen, I had already been covered in the blood of the demons countless times. Compared to that, you are practicing martial arts comfortably in a safe place. I
am not blaming you. It is because the world was at peace. However, now that the threat of the Blood Cult is upon us once again, you too must change your attitude. You must know that war can break out at any time. I will say it again, in my time, the Blood Cult… … ."
As the students' hated phrase "When I was~" was repeated, the students began to squirm in boredom one by one.
In the end, No Gun-sang came up to the stage and stopped the leader.
"Master. At this point, I think the students have learned their lesson."
"There's still something left to prepare… … ."
"Let's do it next time. Next time."
In the end, the leader finished his speech with a face full of regret.
"Let's all work even harder!"
Wow!
At the thought that it was finally over, thunderous cheers and applause erupted.
Only the oblivious leader nodded, knowing that the students were impressed by his lecture. He regretted not doing more.
"Well, then lastly… … ."
When those words came out of the leader's mouth, more than half of the students screamed inwardly.
'You said it was the last one!'
The voice of the leader, filled with internal energy, echoed throughout the entire Azure Dragon Academy.
"To promote friendship between Azure Dragon Academy and the Murim Alliance, we have prepared a friendly match. Students who wish to watch the match are encouraged to come and watch."
A friendly match?
The students who had been looking at the leader with eyes full of resentment opened their eyes wide.
No one would not be curious about the word 'Bimura'.
"If it's a friendly meeting… … ?"
"Are you saying that the Murim Alliance and the representative of the Azure Dragon Academy are fighting?"
"Who with whom? By any chance… … ."
The most important thing is who is engaging in a friendly war.
As the students' expectant gazes turned here and there, Noh Gun-sang from the Azure Dragon Academyy called Baek Su-ryong's name first.
"Professor Baek Su-ryong!"
As Baek Su-Yong, who had been standing next to his classmates, took a step forward, the students' chatter became as loud as a market.
Then, the leader of the martial arts world called out the name of the opponent of the Azure Dragon Association.
"Cheonmu Daeju!"
A tall and slender man, as tall as Baek Soo-ryong, stepped forward.
A man with such fine features that he could be mistaken for a woman if it weren't for his tall stature.
Above the white scabbard of the sword on his waist, a plum blossom in full bloom was drawn.
The students who found out who Baek Su-ryong's opponent was shouted.
"It's the Plum Blossom Swordsman"
Mount Hua Sword Tiger Chocheonsang.
A disciple of the leader of the Hwasan faction at the time, he was a genius swordsman known for his outstanding talents since childhood.
He was a man of great ability who graduated at the top of his class from Cheonmu Academy and became the head of Cheonmu Academy at the young age of only late twenties.
He was such a skilled swordsman that there was no one among the students who handled the sword who did not know him.
"A showdown between the Azure Dragon Swordsman and the Plum Blossom Swordsman!"
"This is awesome!"
Azure Dragon Swordsman and the Plum Blossom Swordsman.
The two men were of similar age, and both had a greater interest in handling swords.
The leader, who had seen such a reaction, shouted.
"The rain will start in half an hour, so anyone who wants to go home can go!"
The graduation ceremony was over and vacation had begun, but no one left Cheongryonghakwan.
If you don't watch the match that will begin soon, you'll regret it for a long time.
* * *
More than ten large tents were set up in a circle around the main stage. Chairs were prepared so that hundreds of people could sit and watch.
"Isn't the gap between the stage and the front row seats too narrow? If even a black light comes out… … ."
"The leader and the governor will sit in the front, and the top players will sit behind them, so it won't matter much."
"Teacher! This seat is blocked by the tent next to it!"
From students to teachers.
The excitement was evident on the faces of everyone waiting for the match.
Azure Dragon Swordsman and the Plum Blossom Swordsman.
Although their fame and achievements have not yet reached the level of the ten greatest martial artists, it would not be an exaggeration to say that this was a showdown between masters who would soon take the world by storm.
"Who will win?"
On one hand, a betting game took place among students over the outcome of the contest.
Opinions were divided.
"Of course you are Mr. Baek Su-ryong, right? Your recent fame is said to be on par with that of the Ten Commandments!"
"Don't underestimate the Heavenly Sword Master. Haven't you heard that his sword will soon surpass the level of the Ten Masters?"
"Isn't that a rumor? Master Baek Su-ryong killed the elder of the Blood Cult in Namgung Se-ga."
"Based on his accumulated achievements, he is no less than Plum Blossom Swordsman. Does Cheonmu Daeju look easy?"
"Ha! I wasn't going to tell you this story… … ."
The students' opinions were more evenly divided than expected.
Few students thought that Baek Su-ryong's martial arts skills were truly comparable to those of the ten greatest martial artists of the martial arts world.
Also, Baek Su-ryong was a face I saw every day at the school. Given his fame, I couldn't help but feel relatively comfortable.
On the other hand, Hwasangeomho was a master who was only known by rumors.
The lonely atmosphere is unique to a warrior who has mastered the martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect.
Added to this was her beautiful appearance, which gave her the air of a fairy who had come down to earth.
"Just looking at the atmosphere, it's the Mount Hua Swordsman… … ."
"Are you going to set the mood for the rain?"
thud!
On the table where the piles of bets were gathered, one unusually heavy bundle fell.
"I bet that the teacher will win and that the match will end in 100 seconds."
A huge shadow fell over the gambling table. The students who saw their opponents opened their eyes wide.
"Senior Geosangwoong?"
It wasn't just Geosangung. Baekryongjang's other disciples also joined the betting one after another.
"A hundred seconds? I think seventy seconds would be enough."
Yeomin bet all the money she had been saving up on Baek Su-ryong's victory.
"I'll bet on fifty seconds. Of course, you win!"
Wi Ji-cheon bet that the Azure Dragon Alliance would win within fifty seconds. The boy's eyes did not doubt that his master would win.
"Fifty? Forty? Hey, you little furball. Where do you think I should hang it?"
Kyaak!
"Okay. I'm fifty too."
Beast Hyuk bet on Baek Soo Ryong to win within fifty seconds by using Eun Ho's fortune telling.
"Tsk tsk. Do you guys still don't know that guy? Whatever we imagine, he'll show us more than that."
After shaking his head at his foolish seniors and juniors, Heonwon Kang made the boldest bet.
"I bet my entire fortune and this black sword that the Blue Dragon and White Dragon will win in thirty seconds!"
"You're going too far! That's the knife my grandfather made for me!"
"It doesn't matter since the teacher is going to win anyway."
The problem was that Heonwon Kang's voice was too loud.
"… … This is so unpleasant."
The warriors of Cheonmu-dae heard the story.
The leader of the Cheonmu-dae unit, who happened to be passing by, looked back at Heonwon River with a cold gaze.
"Does this look like a joke to you? This kind of bet is nothing short of insulting to the two warriors."
"… … Yes. Sorry."
If only it had stopped there.
There was no need to click your tongue and add insult to injury.
"I feel bad for the Cheongryong Shinhyeop. Shouldn't we be teaching these guys as our disciples?"
At that moment, Heonwon Kang's eyes turned fierce.
If you just listened to these words quietly, you wouldn't be a scoundrel at Cheongryong Academy.
"Hey, isn't that a bit harsh?"
"Severe? Me?"
"To be frank, you're more upset because I said that Cheongryong Shinhyeop would win than because of the bet itself. Who would think you're stupid?"
"What? Huh… … !"
The commander looked at HeonwonHyuk with an expression that said, 'What kind of guy is this?'
Cheonmu-dae was the most elite martial artist in the Murim Alliance.
It was not a position where a mere student of the school, and especially a student of the Azure Dragon School, could look straight at him.
'A guy I wouldn't even be able to make eye contact with if I met him somewhere else… … .'
The commander felt his killing intent rising, but the other warriors tried to stop him.
"They are children. Don't bother with them and just go away."
"… …Consider yourself lucky."
The commander turned around and muttered to himself as if telling others to listen.
"It's obvious that you're uneducated. Well, since you're from Cheongryong Academy, it can't be helped that your words and actions are like those of a street urchin. This is why a person's origins are important."
"That kid!"
Heonwon Kang, who was upset, tried to chase after him and ask him questions, but someone came forward before him.
"Did you just call me a city thug?"
"… … ."
The commander of the Cheonmu-dae unit made a troubled expression as he looked at the man blocking him.
'Why of all things… … .'
The next most difficult opponent in the Cheongryong Academy after Gwanju and Baeksuryong.
The third prince of the Namgung family stood in front of us with a cold face.
"Why can't you speak? Didn't you just say that the students at Cheongryong Academy are from the same background as the city thugs?"
"… … I didn't say that."
"So you're saying that it was similar."
Namgungsu's expression became even colder. The deputy commander's expression also showed annoyance.
Even if the opponent was the son of Namgung Se-ga, the deputy leader was not greatly inferior in status.
'What's there to be afraid of, a son of the Namgung family that is on the verge of ruin?'
As I thought about that, I became more confident.
"What do you want me to do? Just let it go. There is a limit to how much I can tolerate insults."
"I guess you don't know who insulted whom."
Namgungsu chuckled and passed by the deputy commander, muttering to himself.
"I thought everyone from Cheonmu Academy was outstanding, but one loach is muddling the waters."
"What are you saying now… … !"
Namgungsu took the pouch out of his bosom and placed it on the table where the students had placed a pile of pouches.
Thud!
"I'll bet everything on Baek Soo-ryong's victory."
"Yes, yes?"
While the students were asking questions in surprise, Namgungsu looked back at the leader of the Cheonmu-dae unit. His eyes were endlessly provocative.
"Would you like to go too?"
"What kind of childish prank are you playing… … ."
"Why? Are you not confident?"
One corner of Namgungsu's mouth went up.
An obvious laugh. A laugh that sounded a lot like someone who wasn't there.
"If you're scared, just run away."
"… … How dare you!"
The fight hadn't even started, but sparks were already flying outside the stage.