Chapter 365

Chapter 365
Chapter 365. Invisible Torrent (5)

—

Namgung-seon-hwa was speechless for a considerable duration.

More accurately, she found herself completely at a loss for words.

“…….”

It was undeniable that Jin-so-un had become the center of attention lately.

Simply being a student at the academy granted someone a baseline level of appeal to the opposite gender, and on top of that, he held the prestigious position of valedictorian.

Furthermore, with the recent proliferation of stories regarding how he had managed the crisis within the Silent Forest to guide the academy students to safety, admiration for Jin-so-un—particularly with prospective marriage in mind—had truly skyrocketed.

The representative delegation was constantly receiving matchmakers sent by ruined noble lines and wealthy merchant houses.

Even the female students within the academy, who previously disregarded Jin-so-un due to his modest origins, had begun showering him with intense interest.

Yes, that was undeniable, but…….

Even so, she never would have guessed that Dang-seo-hui would emerge as a rival.

And to think she had openly inquired if he had any intention of marrying into a family as a *deril-sawi*.

“What makes you…… curious about that?”

A query that could easily be perceived as impolite slipped past her lips involuntarily.

By the time she caught herself, the words were already out.

Fortunately, Dang-seo-hui paid little heed to the slip, continuing to munch on her confectionery.

“It isn’t my own curiosity.”

“Oh! Is that so?”

Namgung-seon-hwa’s relief lasted only a fleeting moment.

*Gulp—*

Swallowing the sweet treat in one mouthful, Dang-seo-hui clarified.

“My grandfather is the one who wants to know.”

Namgung-seon-hwa felt her heart sink once more.

“Y-your grandfather…… you mean the esteemed Poison King, correct?”

“Yes, him.”

Feigning nonchalance, Namgung-seon-hwa pressed further.

“W-why would your grandfather be interested in that?”

Dang-seo-hui gazed aimlessly toward the ceiling while reaching for another piece of candy.

After a moment, she tilted her head to the side.

“That…… I am not entirely sure.”

“…….”

Though the speaker remained oblivious, Namgung-seon-hwa, who had posed the question, felt she understood the reason all too well.

After all, Dang-seo-hui was the sole individual of marriageable age within the Dang Family.

Surely the elder hadn’t inquired with her cousin in mind, who was a decade younger than her.

A sudden wave of anxiety washed over Namgung-seon-hwa.

The reigning Poison King of this era, Dang-hyeok-je, was notoriously obstinate and renowned for invariably realizing whatever objective he set his mind upon.

Once he targeted someone, escaping his radar was an incredibly difficult feat.

If that was the reality of the situation…….

‘Sigh…….’

Her only option was to sway the perspective of the woman herself.

“Say, *Sunbae* Dang…… what are your thoughts regarding marriage?”

“Marriage?”

Dang-seo-hui reacted with an expression as though she were being asked to recite the Four Books and Three Classics, but she soon gave a nod.

“Ah, matrimony! Well…… it isn’t something I’ve given thought to yet.”

“Exactly! You are far too young to be contemplating marriage.”

Namgung-seon-hwa brought her fist down against her palm.

“I am certain *Sunbae* Dang still has countless goals to pursue…… and even if your relatives pressure you to wed, you surely wouldn’t want to marry a person you hold no affection for, right?”

When it came to sheer stubbornness, Dang-seo-hui was easily a match for Dang-hyeok-je.

Her ability to master the orthodox teachings of the Dang Family was the result of her incredible genius paired with a fierce obstinacy that nearly saw her starve to death when she refused sustenance for a whole month.

Moreover, she was currently a prominent figure in the Jianghu, having earned the title of White Hand Divine Maiden through the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

A union arranged completely against her desires would simply be impossible.

While Namgung-seon-hwa took a brief moment to catch her breath.

“If the marriage is arranged by my family elders, I would give it consideration.”

“What did you say???”

It felt as though a thunderbolt-grenade (*Byeok-ryeok-tan*) had exploded right then and there.

“Marriage is a significant matter. Provided the individual lacks any fatal flaws, it is something I can go through with.”

“…….”

Something she could go through with, she says.

Right up until the final moment, Namgung-seon-hwa wavered.

She understood that remaining silent was the wisest path, yet she knew sleep would elude her tonight if she left the question unasked.

“Um…… *Sunbae* Dang, out of curiosity…… how do you view Young Master Jin?”

“Jin-so-un? I view him as an exceptional academy student.”

“Well…… if you had to define it in terms of fondness or dislike……?”

“Huh? You certainly are asking peculiar things today.”

As Namgung-seon-hwa pushed the plate of pastries toward Dang-seo-hui, who had pouted her cheeks, the latter与之 elaborated.

“……If forced to choose, I suppose I like him. *Munch, chew*…… we participate in righteous undertakings together, and he always treats me to sweets.”

“…….”

Reaching for yet another confection before anyone realized it, Dang-seo-hui stared at Namgung-seon-hwa briefly, tilting her head.

“Why do you look like that, *Hubae*? Did you remember an adversary? Just point them out. I can easily go thrash them on your behalf.”

“No. It is merely that I appear to have misjudged a situation. I genuinely believed he was someone who maintained impeccable boundaries with women…… but perhaps that isn’t the reality? Ahaha……”

The fading spark within Namgung-seon-hwa’s chest began to blaze with renewed vigor.

‘Huh?’

I whipped around after sensing a sudden chill, but there was nothing there save for a solid wall.

Still, a bizarre premonition lingered.

‘What could it be?’

Don’t these instances happen occasionally?

Even if one leads a perfectly respectable and orderly life, there are moments when a shiver runs down your spine, bringing a profound dread of impending doom, as though you’ve catastrophically blundered somewhere without realizing it.

“Academy student Jin-so-un, is there an issue?”

A deep, commanding voice snapped me back to reality.

Then again, considering the circumstances, it would be weirder not to feel a sense of dread.

“It is nothing.”

“Then let us proceed.”

I had arrived because my assistance was requested for an investigation, but no matter how I analyzed it, this gathering did not seem aimed merely at reviewing the events of the Silent Forest.

“So, how exactly did that massive beast manifest, and what actions did it take?”

“It wasn’t a standard bear, but an elemental spirit. A Ten-Thousand-Year Earth……”

“Which means it was fundamentally a bear.”

If this were a routine inquiry, why on earth was Jang-bo-geuk, the Grand Hall Master of the Red Dragon Hall, sitting in on a briefing meant for the Thousand Eyes Pavilion?

“It assumed the shape of a bear, but…… sigh, forget it.”

“What? Did you just let out a sigh?!”

“Grand Hall Master Jang, cease your constant disruptions. And lower your leg. Is this not an official briefing we are supposed to be reviewing?”

The one reprimanding Grand Hall Master Jang-bo-geuk was Grand Hall Master Hwang-seo-yul of the Azure Dragon Hall.

And it wasn’t limited to just those two.

Representatives from the White Tiger Hall, the Black Martial Hall, the Yellow Phoenix Pavilion, and the Red Phoenix Pavilion were all present.

While they might not be the absolute supreme commanders of their respective factions at this very moment, these were the individuals destined to command the martial halls of tomorrow and become legendary figures.

‘Assembling a group of this caliber is no simple task…….’

For the record, not a single representative had appeared from the White Wolf Pavilion, which happens to be the unit I intend to join.

This omission spoke volumes about the current standing of the White Wolf Pavilion, which was viewed largely as an outsider faction.

For me, it was quite a letdown.

I had effectively lost a prime opportunity to make a favorable impression on those who would become my future superiors.

To make matters worse, the attitude of the audience listening to the presentation was utterly atrocious.

“My apologies, academy student Jin-so-un. The group has only recently returned from their campaign in Sichuan, so their discipline has loosened a bit. Please show them some leniency.”

Hwang-seo-yul, who at least maintained a polite and professional demeanor, offered an apology.

Jang-bo-geuk, who still hadn’t removed his foot from the tabletop, rested his head against a rough hand and scoffed.

“Why did you even venture into that unholy territory in the first place? Isn’t it because you wandered in there recklessly that you crossed paths with that creature?”

These people have no bearing on my future career anyway.

How they behave or what opinions they form about me is entirely irrelevant.

“You ought to have retreated to the entry point immediately. Why waste time trying to act clever?”

True, they don’t matter to me, but……

Damn it, listening to this nonsense is getting incredibly grating.

“Why the silence? Are you withholding something from us?”

“You! Sit back down……”

“Had the Red Dragon Hall encountered that exact scenario…… every single member of our force would have perished.”

“……!?”

“……??”

Ah, my tongue slipped.

Hwang-seo-yul, who had been attempting to rein in Jang-bo-geuk, now wore an expression of clear displeasure.

The other hall representatives looked equally stunned.

Well, there was no taking it back now.

I decided to just double down since the damage was already done.

It wasn’t as if these guys were going to be my bosses anyway.

“Did you fail to comprehend my earlier explanation? They had deployed a Heaven and Earth Net (*Cheon-ra-ji-mang*). On top of that, a corrupt, malicious energy was actively warping the mental fortitude of the academy students. Charging blindly toward an enemy encampment where the opposition knew exactly where we would emerge and had already established a defensive formation……”

Gazing directly at Jang-bo-geuk, I let a mocking smirk touch my lips.

“Why don’t you just command your soldiers to strap heavy boulders to their chests and plunge off a precipice instead?”

“…….”

Jang-bo-geuk’s complexion flushed a violent crimson.

Pulling his leg down with a rigid expression, he slammed his fist into the surface of the table.

*Slam!*

The tea vessels arranged on top were instantly upended and shattered, while the solid wood table split down the center and collapsed into splinters.

The sheer power he possessed was on a completely different tier compared to a standard Hall Master.

Even without actively projecting murderous intent, the raw pressure emanating from his frame made the very air feel heavy and suffocating.

“What…… did you just utter?”

However, I was acutely aware that showing any weakness here would mean total defeat.

Because Jang-bo-geuk despised hypocrites who manufactured excuses just to preserve their dignity.

“Let me state it clearly. If Grand Hall Master Jang-bo-geuk and the Red Dragon Hall had been the ones trapped there……”

He was precisely the type of martial artist who respected someone willing to stand their ground and clash head-on, even if it meant being broken in the process.

Looking straight into his eyes, I delivered my response.

“Not a single soul would have made it back alive.”

*Whoosh—*

The atmosphere in the room turned ice-cold instantly.

“Do you possess any inkling of who…… I am, to dare speak to me in such a manner?”

I remained completely unfazed.

“Well, I haven’t spoken a single falsehood, have I?”

I only ever speak the absolute truth. The main drawback is that my honesty often sounds like an open invitation to a brawl.

*Crick.*

Jang-bo-geuk, who proceeded to grind the armrest of his wooden chair into absolute dust, glared at me with an intensity that could pierce steel.

“Do you hold the Red Dragon Hall in such low esteem?!”

“Then let me pose a single query to you. What specific strategies does the Red Dragon Hall employ when countering the Unorthodox, the Bizarre, and the Demonic paths?”

“……Such heretical arts can simply be——”

I cut him off mid-sentence.

“That you will simply overpower them through sheer internal mental cultivation…… surely you aren’t going to give me an answer like that? There is no way the illustrious Red Dragon Hall relies on something so basic.”

Jang-bo-geuk’s mouth opened and closed silently, looking exactly like a stranded fish.

“Hmm…… it appears my assumption was correct.”

“…….”

“I recall hearing that your forces suffered immense casualties in Sichuan precisely because the members of the Red Dragon Hall had completely depleted their spiritual tools (*Je-ryeong-gu*). Was your mental cultivation somehow lacking during that engagement?”

Within moments, his entire frame began to shake with rage.

He no longer bothered to suppress his immense aura, which felt on the verge of detonating.

“If you proved incapable of repelling them, how could you possibly claim to withstand the horrors of the Silent Forest……”

“You insolent brat!!!”

His temper finally snapped completely.

He unleashed a devastating, condensed fist-force straight at me.

*Thud!*

The destructive gale narrowly missed my ear, grazing the skin of my neck to leave a faint scratch before boring a deep crater into the stone wall behind me.

“Ha…… he didn’t even flinch?”

“His nerve is truly something else, isn’t it?”

“They weren’t kidding when they said his resolve rivals the most hardened members of the Black Way……”

Murmurs of genuine admiration rippled through the audience.

……Though it was clear none of them understood what was actually happening inside my head.

‘Holy…… he actually threw a real strike.’

I had assumed he would stop at a mere display of intimidation, but Jang-bo-geuk was far more unhinged than I anticipated.

Regardless, since appearing unbothered was the best way to maintain my dignity, I stood perfectly still as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Seeing my total lack of agitation, the very man who had thrown the punch began to look somewhat self-conscious.

“Y-you arrogant piece of……”

As Jang-bo-geuk stood frozen in awkward frustration, Hwang-seo-yul intervened with a calm but firm tone.

“That is enough, Jang-bo-geuk.”

Though the delivery was entirely casual, it caused Jang-bo-geuk to visibly flinch and shudder.

Having restored order, Hwang-seo-yul offered me a slight bow of his head.

“Academy student Jin-so-un. Please accept my apologies on behalf of everyone present. If this encounter has shaken you, we can easily reschedule this debriefing for another time.”

“There is no need. I am perfectly fine.”

“Much appreciated. Please, continue your account.”

Perhaps it was my stoic reaction to the near-miss strike, but the demeanor of the audience shifted dramatically for the remainder of the session.

As the narrative unfolded, their expressions cycled through waves of indignation, profound admiration, and sheer astonishment that they could barely conceal.

By the time I concluded my report, a heavy, contemplative stillness settled over the chamber once more.

Lost in deep thought, Hwang-seo-yul gave a slow, deliberate nod.

“Incredible.”

Wait, is that the entirety of their reaction?

I wasn’t expecting a standing ovation, but they could at least openly validate that the strategy was highly effective…….

The response felt remarkably subdued.

“Is this truly a strategic plan that a mere academy student could conceive and execute? What are your assessments?”

Following Hwang-seo-yul’s prompt, the other representatives began sharing their thoughts one after another.

“It defies logic. That level of tactical brilliance isn’t easily found even among veteran Hall Master-level strategists……”

“It pains me to admit it…… but had our own units been placed in that situation, none would have survived.”

“To be entirely blunt, even if only half of this account is accurate, the sheer scale of the operation is staggering.”

“When the Chief Strategist brought this up, I was highly skeptical…… Now I fully comprehend why he spoke so highly of it.”

Ultimately, Hwang-seo-yul turned his attention toward Jang-bo-geuk.

The tight-lipped warrior endured the gaze for a moment before finally shaking his head in reluctant capitulation.

“I…… I concede that the boy possesses remarkable capability.”

At that moment, a sudden doubt crossed my mind.

Wasn’t the primary objective of summoning me to the Thousand Eyes Pavilion to gather intelligence regarding the adversaries lurking within the Silent Forest?

Why were the heavy hitters of the primary combat halls occupying the seats meant for intelligence officers?

“Are there any further inquiries?”

Operating under the assumption that these combat units might be deploying to the Silent Forest in the near future, I welcomed more questions to provide them with every possible scrap of useful data…….

“Very well, what is your top preference for your future military placement?”

“Excuse me?”

Why on earth was my future career path being brought up in this setting……?

Well, since the question was asked, I had to provide an answer.

“I am currently aiming for the White Wolf Pavilion……”

“What? The White Wolf Pavilion? Not the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”

“Given that the current climate of the Jianghu is highly unstable, I reasoned it would be far more beneficial to embed myself within the front lines immediately to devise practical countermeasures, rather than engaging in the ceremonial duties of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”

“Huh…… even so, why choose the White Wolf Pavilion specifically?”

From that point onward, the queries drifted entirely away from the events of the Silent Forest.

“Do you perhaps possess an interest in covert special operations divisions?

“We are well aware of your exceptional martial prowess, but do you hold any secondary talents or specialties?”

“From your explanation, it doesn’t sound like you are rigidly set on the White Wolf Pavilion…… is there perhaps another division you secretly desire? Say, for instance, the Red Phoenix Pavilion, or, ahem.”

“Do you enjoy partaking in alcoholic beverages?”

“…….”

Eventually, an utterly ridiculous question regarding my drinking habits was thrown into the mix, causing me to stare blankly at the perpetrator.

Jang-bo-geuk deliberately shifted his gaze away from mine, clearing his throat.

“Th-this is an exceptionally vital piece of information!”

“…….”

I was completely at a loss as to what this gathering was actually trying to accomplish.

Were these high-ranking figures truly devoid of any actual duties……

“So…… exactly what is your tolerance for liquor?”

A massive headache was rapidly beginning to form.