Book 2 Chapter 25

A Maze of Utterly Bad Luck

It was wide. Ah, it was too wide.

The Cheonmu Academy was truly incredibly vast.

It was so wide that someone visiting for the first time would easily get lost and become a stray child. The academy grounds were just terribly wide.

The walls, so high they could block out the sun, and the forest of buildings, so wide they could obstruct the path of the wind, were enough to sicken anyone trapped within. Moreover, despite being so expansive, there wasn't a single guidepost within the academy, making it even easier to get lost and wander. Of course, while the Cheonmu Academy was a cradle of learning, it was undeniably a martial arts organization. It was natural for countermeasures to be established with the existence of enemies as the primary consideration.

In that context, all the buildings were constructed according to the meticulous principles of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. In other words, the layout of the Cheonmu Academy followed a colossal formation, and anyone unfamiliar with it would wander like a mouse in a maze or a blind crow. The complexly constructed buildings, in accordance with the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, generated the effect of a grand formation. This meant it was intentional architecture designed to disorient people and make them lose their sense of direction.

Despite this, the Cheonmu Academy did not provide guides to new disciples. The intention was for them to find their way out on their own and reach their sleeping quarters. How could they possibly endure the difficult and arduous lessons ahead if they couldn't even decipher such a simple formation, was the common thought among those in charge. Their training had already begun.

What the new disciples were looking for now was a place called 'Muhonji,' a complex of male dormitories. Dozens of shared dormitory buildings named Muhon, Geomhon, Dohon, Changhon, etc., were erected there, and most disciples who entered the Cheonmu Academy resided and took their meals there. Of course, given the immense size of the Cheonmu Academy, there were also several restaurants, taverns, and teahouses within the grounds, but since using them incurred significant costs, most disciples took care of their meals and lodging there.

The old man seen earlier at the Cheongsim Hall appeared to be the administrator and general manager of Muhonji (the land where the spirit of martial arts breathes). Although the old man explained the facilities, geography, and rules of Muhonji in a clear voice, Biryu Yeon, who was far from adhering to rules, didn't pay any attention to such trivial matters. Hyoryong was in a similar situation, making one truly realize the meaning of birds of a feather flocking together. Therefore, neither Biryu Yeon nor Hyoryong knew the way to Muhonji, and they were currently wandering there together.

If this wasn't called reaping what you sow, it would be hard to find an opportunity to use the phrase for a while. Had they been wandering for half an hour? Biryu Yeon, who was inherently far from formations, still hadn't found the way after half an hour of wandering. Just as annoyance was about to reach its peak, they encountered someone. After half an hour of wandering, this was the first person they met. Looking around the grounds, it was evident at a glance that he was in the same predicament as them. The only difference was that he looked too old to be a new disciple from this year. With a beard as unkempt as weeds that hadn't been trimmed for several years, and eyes that held a thin but wise smile, he was too old to be in his early twenties. The relaxed smile hanging on his lips was no exception.

Even at his best, his appearance was that of a complete middle-aged man. The middle-aged man noticed them first. Seeing Biryu Yeon and Hyoryong, the man waved his hand and greeted them.

"Hey? Could it be…"

He must have spoken with a sliver of hope that the two might know the way, but his hope was shattered spectacularly.

"We don't know either."

Biryu Yeon's words were firm. He looked disappointed inwardly but didn't show it much.

"It's confusing no matter when you come here…"

"Yes, what did you say?"

He mumbled so softly that Biryu Yeon and Hyoryong standing next to him couldn't quite understand what he was saying.

"Uh, no, no."

The man shook his head and awkwardly brushed off their questions. Hmph… The two shot him glances filled with deep suspicion. Then, the man gave an awkward smile and introduced himself with a formal bow.

"My name is Jang Hong! I'm a new disciple who entered this year."

"Lies!"

The two shouted in unison. It was a strong declaration that they were not to be lied to, no matter who the liar was. At first glance, his face didn't look like someone in his early twenties at all. Then, the man who introduced himself as Jang Hong showed a troubled expression and looked embarrassed. Jang Hong's right hand kept scratching the back of his head in vain.

"I'm telling the truth…"

However, his words could never inspire belief in others. The weight of belief in his words was lighter than a fallen leaf.

After all, he was someone they met while lost. What use could such a person be in finding the way? So, even after meeting Jang Hong, Biryu Yeon and Hyoryong wandered around the academy grounds for a long time. As expected, Jang Hong was of no help in finding the way. The gamble of the two, who had placed a tiny hope on their sharp intuition being wrong, ended in complete failure. And finally…

After an hour and a half dedicated to finding their way through the maze, the three of them stood before a large, long rock. The imposing rock, shaped like an egg and as tall as two grown men, had the three characters "Muhonji" inscribed on its surface with magnificent calligraphy. It was a wonderful technique, as if the spirit of a martial artist could be felt emanating from it. Behind it, a path surrounded by trees led further on, and beyond that, dozens of buildings could be seen in the distance. It was where the Muhonji Geomhong Hall, which they had been searching for so desperately, was located.

It had already been over an hour since they arrived here. Even though they could have walked a few hundred steps in that time, they showed no intention of moving and just stared intently at the path like statues. Why were the three of them standing at the entrance, staring at the path instead of entering, even after finding the destination they had been searching for so eagerly?

Finally, Hyoryong turned his gaze to Biryu Yeon. It was as if he was asking for his opinion. Biryu Yeon's brow furrowed slightly.

"I really don't want to walk down that path!"

Biryu Yeon blurted out. Hyoryong nodded in agreement. He also seemed to have noticed something.

"Doesn't it look really unlucky?"

"It looks so unlucky that it seems dangerous."

"Honestly, I don't know what they were thinking when they built the road like this…"

Biryu Yeon nodded in agreement with Hyoryong's words. Only Jang Hong watched the path leading to the buildings with a peculiar glint in his eyes behind them. His gaze was of a different kind than that of the other two. A strange brilliance flowed from his eyes.

'It's finally starting. The Cheonmu Academy's traditional initiation ceremony. The newcomer's trial, the ultimate newcomer torment!'

Jang Hong seemed to know something already. However, Jang Hong did not reveal the information about what he knew or give any hints to his companions. He couldn't.

"I'd rather decline if possible, but the situation doesn't allow it. In times like these…"

Biryu Yeon's mouth opened again. A mischievous smile returned to his face.

"In times like these?"

Hyoryong retorted.

"Forceful breakthrough!"

Biryu Yeon said, enunciating each word clearly as if it were obvious.

"Forceful breakthrough!"

Hyoryong and Jang Hong shouted in unison. Of course, their gazes clearly conveyed the reproach, "Why don't you think a little bit before acting, and act systematically?" But Biryu Yeon had already made up his mind. His eyes seemed determined to carry out such a crude method. As if there was no need to wait any longer, Biryu Yeon took a bold step forward.

"Dodge!"

An arrow, appearing out of nowhere, flew directly towards Biryu Yeon's face. It was a surprise attack with no warning or signal.

"Swish!"

However, as if he had expected this, Biryu Yeon dodged the arrow with a simple movement of slightly tilting his head and then lightly took the next step. The arrow that flew left only the sound of piercing the air in the void and embedded itself in a tree behind Biryu Yeon. There was not the slightest change in Biryu Yeon's expression. On the faces of Hyoryong and Jang Hong behind him, there was an expression that conveyed, "Just as I suspected, it's just as I feared." These two had also already sensed that traps were laid on the path.

After wandering for half an hour to an hour, the three finally found the entrance to their destination and were about to enter when they felt a strange sense of unease. Their instincts sounded a severe alarm, warning them. That path was not one to be walked carelessly… For many years, through immense training, their premonitions rarely proved wrong, so they were confident in their senses.

Upon closer inspection, the narrow path extending to the buildings seemed suspicious. It lacked the scent of nature and was filled with the smell of artificial manipulation, making it difficult to dare to step forward. Furthermore, if one looked closely, faint bloodstains could be found in various places. In addition, a faint scent of blood still lingered, suggesting that something unusual was hidden there. And it was something that threatened their very bodies. So, they had a hunch, and their guess was perfectly accurate, hitting the bullseye. After taking just one step, the trap had already sprung. How impatient they were… But this was just the beginning.

"Whoosh!"

On the second step, there were three arrows. They were fired with a fearsome consecutive technique, accurately targeting the upper, middle, and lower sections. However, Biryu Yeon rendered them all useless with just a slight sway of his body, as before.

However, the mechanical traps did not end there. More terrifying and cunning devices continued to hide, revealing themselves with each step taken. Biryu Yeon disliked these young ladies who recklessly rushed forward to flaunt their existence. These terrifying young ladies seemed to know no refusal and charged forward with their bodies, as if throwing themselves at him, who wouldn't want that?

This time, the young ladies were invisible, tiny needles. This meant it was no joke. Judging by the color of the needles, they didn't seem to be poisoned, but the fact that dozens of needles were flying towards his eyes made them extremely dangerous. Normally, such needles are not very effective if they merely hit the target, so they are almost always coated with poison or medicine. Fortunately, there was no such thing.

He wondered what would come after the needles. But then came a rain of arrows, just like before. The only difference was that the number was incomparably greater than before. However, the problem was that this difference was significant enough to put a person's life at risk. The eyes of the two watching from behind widened. In their opinion, Biryu Yeon couldn't possibly evade this barrage of arrows this time.

There seemed to be no way to evade the arrows raining down from all directions. Was the only method to block them with immense skill? But Biryu Yeon crushed such expectations. His body became soft and limp.

"That… that's like… like…"

"Yes, it's truly like an octopus."

Jang Hong, too shocked to continue, only widened his eyes, and Hyoryong, feeling pity for Jang Hong, expressed his astonishment on his behalf. Jang Hong and Hyoryong were truly astonished. They suspected their hearts might have jumped out of their throats. They couldn't believe what their eyes were seeing. Had their eyesight deteriorated? Or had they been negligent in their training of perception techniques? They even felt self-reproach. Perhaps reading the martial arts manual all night last time was a mistake. How was such evasion possible for a human body? And how could such a thing be done so openly in broad daylight?

Biryu Yeon's physical movements were astonishing and could not be considered human. His entire body moved with a fluidity like a soft-bodied creature, as if he had discarded all the bones within him, each movement unlike that of a human.