Chapter 101

The next day. Hwang Sung tilted his head, staring at the peculiar object Yeon Woo Jin handed him. “What’s this? It looks like something they’d use to read fortunes based on the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, but the design is unusual.” “I made it.” “You made this, my lord? Are you planning to read the children’s fortunes or something?” “No. I’m planning to assess their cultivation levels.” “What? Assess their levels?” “Yeah. You mentioned it before — that a lot of the kids can’t accurately gauge their own levels.” “Th-That’s true.” “From now on, use this.” Hwang Sung hesitated, unsure whether to believe Yeon Woo Jin or not. His expression clearly conveyed his skepticism, prompting Yeon Woo Jin to grin and infuse Qi into the Five Elements Convergence. Click-click-click. The circular plate began to spin rapidly, its components aligning. [Transcendence-Level, Seven Stars.] Hwang Sung’s current level was Transcendence-Level, Seven Stars. Since he was a civil official, his martial arts level wasn’t particularly high. Still, it was more than sufficient to handle the academy students. “This is your current level, Hwang Sung. Correct?” “Y-Yes.” Hwang Sung stared at the Five Elements Convergence with sheer amazement. The device ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) was surprisingly simple to use. Just point the gemstone toward the target and infuse it with Qi. It could even be used covertly from a distance. “Here. Take it.” “You’re really entrusting me with such an incredible device?” “Of course. Isn’t it the tool you need the most right now?” “But such a precious item...” “I told you, I made it. If I need more, I can just make another one. So, don’t hold back. Use it as much as you need.” “Understood. Then, what would you like me to do with it?” “Well, for now, I want you to assess the exact levels of the key figures from the other academies — excluding the Western Region.” “Understood. I will personally go and use this divine tool crafted by you, my lord, to accurately assess their levels.” “I’m counting on you.” “Count on me? It’s a command, my lord.” Hwang Sung bowed deeply, and Yeon Woo Jin smiled. “Then, I shall take my leave to carry out your command.” “Yes. Oh, and one more thing.” Yeon Woo Jin handed something to Hwang Sung. “What’s this?” “A little travel money. Eat well and stay in good inns.” It was a considerable sum of money. Deeply moved, Hwang Sung bowed once more. “To think you’d be so considerate toward me... I shall dedicate my life to serving you, my lord!” “Take care, then.” “Understood!” After watching Hwang Sung leave, Yeon Woo Jin pulled out another Five Elements Convergence from his sleeve. This one was for his personal use. “Now, let’s see how much my kids have grown.” **** Yeon Woo Jin summoned all the key figures of Baekyeong, including Sunwoo Baek and Jang Woon. Everyone gathered in one place, exchanging confused glances, trying to guess the reason for the sudden assembly. “Are we finally going to launch the attack on Cheongseok?” “That’s the only reason he’d call all of us together like this, right?” “We’ve been so busy lately, I can’t even tell if I’ve gotten stronger or not.” “I feel like I had some kind of breakthrough... but I can’t tell if it was a genuine realization or if I was just delirious from exhaustion.” “Isn’t there some kind of device that can accurately measure our levels?” “Hahaha. You think such a thing exists? Ridiculous.” “I was just saying. I’m always confused whether I’ve actually broken through or not.” “You’re just tired. When you’re that exhausted, you can’t tell if you’ve progressed or not.” “But I do feel stronger.” Listening to the chatter of the younger students, Gwak Pyeong chuckled. “You’ve all gotten stronger. I can feel it. You’ve all probably ascended at least one level.” “R-Really?” “But without clear confirmation, it’s hard to officially register a breakthrough.” “True. Normally, we’d feel it clearly, but lately, we’ve been so busy surviving that we don’t even have the chance to notice.” “Exactly.” As the conversation about cultivation levels continued to heat up, Yeon Woo Jin appeared with a mischievous grin, holding a sheet of paper. “So, you’re all curious about your current levels?” The entire hall instantly fell silent at his arrival. Jang Woon spoke up. “You’ve been working us so hard that I’m too tired to even tell if I’ve advanced or not.” Yeon Woo Jin smirked. “You’re at Peak-Level, Eight Stars.” “Huh? But I was only at Six Stars.” “You’re at Eight Stars now. Sunwoo Baek is also at Eight Stars.” Everyone stared at him in shock. They had felt some growth, but they never expected to have advanced two whole levels. The strangest part was that none of them doubted Yeon Woo Jin’s words for a second. If Yeon Woo Jin said it, then it was true. Still, they were curious. How did he know? Jang Woon asked, “How did you figure out our levels? Can you just see it now?” “No. I made a device that measures levels.” All the students exchanged bewildered glances. So now he was making mystical devices too? Their eyes naturally gravitated toward the object in Yeon Woo Jin’s hand. Noticing their stares, Yeon Woo Jin stepped toward Gwak Pyeong and pointed the device at him. Click-click. The circular plate whirred and clicked as it aligned itself. Gwak Pyeong swallowed nervously. “Gwak Pyeong’s level is Transcendence-Level, Three Stars. Congratulations.” The moment the word “Transcendence-Level” left Yeon Woo Jin’s mouth, the entire room erupted in shock. “What?! G-Gwak Pyeong is that strong?!” “I thought he was at Peak-Level, Eight Stars!” “How many levels did he climb?!” Amid the uproar, Gwak Pyeong hesitated before confessing. “I... I’ve been hiding my true level. My actual level was already Transcendence-Level, Two Stars.” “What?!” Another wave of shock rippled through the crowd. And then Yeon Woo Jin dropped another bombshell. “Well, that’s what you’d expect from someone from Jungcheon.” “What?! J-Jungcheon?” “Gwak Pyeong is from Jungcheon?” “What the hell is going on?” Gwak Pyeong sighed deeply. “Sorry... I wasn’t trying to deceive you. It’s just that if you knew I was from Jungcheon, you’d avoid me. I just wanted to blend in. That’s why I left Jungcheon in the first place. I apologize.” Gwak Pyeong’s sincere apology quickly calmed the room’s chaos. Jang Woon shrugged. “We have the grandson of Mushincheon’s Lord here anyway. What’s the big deal?” Everyone nodded in agreement. While it was shocking to learn Gwak Pyeong was from Jungcheon, it wasn’t as big of a deal as they initially thought. Gwak Pyeong blinked, stunned by how quickly they all accepted it. He glanced at Yeon Woo Jin and smiled. Yeon Woo Jin had clearly revealed Gwak Pyeong’s origin to help him get it off his chest. Thanks to that, the awkward tension that had been lingering for so long melted away. “All right, everyone. Now you know your exact levels, right?” “Yes!” The students responded with renewed energy. Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes glinted as he smiled. “Then let’s go.” The students exchanged confused glances. Jang Woon asked, “Go where?” “Cheongseok.” “Now?” “Yeah, now. Why waste time?” At Yeon Woo Jin’s words, Go Seung snorted and stepped forward. “I’m all for it! Hahaha! Finally, it’s time for some payback!” Go Seung’s current level was Peak-Level, Ten Stars — the same as Yoo Ji Gwang. He had thrown himself into training more intensely than anyone else, refusing to let anyone else handle his revenge. Watching him, Gwak Pyeong chuckled. “Looks like I’m just here to spectate.” “Of course! You just sit back and watch, senior! What are the rest of you doing? Move it!” Go Seung’s eyes blazed with a ferocious determination that no one dared to stop. **** At Cheongseok Martial Academy, Yoo Ji Gwang was sitting in a pavilion, leaning his chin on his hand as he watched the koi fish swim lazily in the pond. Sensing someone approaching, he lifted his head. “Jo Deok. What is it?” “They’re here.” “What’s here?” “The kids from Baekyeong.” “Oh-ho. Took them longer than I thought. I expected them to rush over immediately.” Yoo Ji Gwang chuckled as he rose from his seat. “Well, I was getting bored anyway. Let’s go.” As he moved to walk away, Jo Deok stepped closer and spoke. “That guy... he’s here.” “That guy? Who?” “The one you beat up.” “The one who carried that massive sword?” “Yes.” “That’s impossible. Must be someone who looks like him.” “No. It’s definitely him. He’s leading the group.” Yoo Ji Gwang stopped in his tracks, turning back to Jo Deok. “You really think that’s possible? I broke his arms and legs. At the very least, he shouldn’t be able to move properly for a year. If he wanted to heal completely, it would take two years minimum. And you’re saying he’s here?” “Yes. And he looks perfectly fine.” “Perfectly fine? That’s impossible. Must be a twin.” “A twin?” “Think about it. How could that possibly be the same guy?” “True. I did think it was strange... but I hadn’t considered the possibility of a twin.” “There you go. He’s probably here to avenge his brother.” “That... makes more sense.” Jo Deok nodded, deciding to believe it. After all, the idea that Go Seung had recovered so quickly was simply unrealistic. “Let’s go see. Whether it’s the older brother or the younger brother, let’s see if he’s any better than the one I beat up.” Yoo Ji Gwang resumed walking, and Jo Deok followed closely behind. “How many of them came? They didn’t bring the entire Baekyeong group, did they?” Yoo Ji Gwang asked, chuckling. “They brought about the same number of people we took when we went to Baekyeong.” “What? Hahaha! So they’re copying us out of pride?” “Seems like it.” “Well, well. Then I guess we should really show them the difference in skill this time.” “Want me to call the boys?” “Hm. Yeah. Gather everyone. Let them watch. Our guys could use some entertainment too.” “Got it.” A glimmer of madness flickered in Yoo Ji Gwang’s eyes before it quickly vanished. **** “Wow, talk about a warm welcome.” “I didn’t think they’d all come out to greet us like this.” “So, are we supposed to knock out every single one of them before we leave?” “That’s possible, so stay ready.” “We survived tougher crowds than this.” Surrounded by the Cheongseok students who had come out to encircle them, the Baekyeong students made casual remarks as they assessed the situation. Meanwhile, Go Seung’s eyes zeroed in on one specific person, his gaze seething with uncontained rage. Yoo Ji Gwang. Yoo Ji Gwang noticed Go Seung staring at him and looked at him with a surprised expression. “Wow! They really do look alike. If they’re twins, they’re practically identical.” At Yoo Ji Gwang’s words, Go Seung tilted his head, then smirked. Even he had to admit, if he were in Yoo Ji Gwang’s position, he’d think the same. After all, considering the injuries he’d sustained, it was only logical to assume he couldn’t possibly have recovered this quickly. Go Seung smiled and said, “Are you the Yoo Ji Gwang who did that to my brother?” For now, he decided to play along and keep his true identity hidden. After all, even if he told the truth, they probably wouldn’t believe him. “Oh, so he’s your brother? Hahaha! Yeah, that was me. What’s the matter? You here to get the same treatment?” “Sorry, but I’m stronger than my brother.” “I heard you’re the top student among the intermediate division of Baekyeong? Wasn’t it that other guy?” “No, that was me. I just stepped aside for him.” “Hah! From what I can see, you don’t look much different from the other guy.” As Yoo Ji Gwang and Go Seung exchanged barbed words, Yeon Woo Jin stood at the back, quietly conversing with Gwak Pyeong. “Hm. As I thought, Yoo Ji Gwang isn’t the strongest one here.” Yeon Woo Jin was pointing the Five Elements Convergence toward Jo Deok. The reading displayed on the device: [Transcendence-Level, Two Stars.] Gwak Pyeong’s eyes widened. “What? He’s that strong? Why hide it?” “Probably to avoid becoming a target in his household. I suspect he’s been deliberately concealing his level.” “A target?” “He’s the adopted son. If he were stronger than the biological son, how do you think the family would see him? As a threat.” “So... they don’t even consider him a real son? Then why is he still staying there?” “To Jo Deok, they’re his only family.” Yeon Woo Jin’s gaze softened slightly as he said this. After all, he understood that sentiment well. To him, his grandfather was his only family.