Volcanic Age - Chapter 14

Editor: Summerstood, Imagine

The entrance test of the Lotus Peak opened up.

The evaluation was divided into two parts. It was intelligence and literacy.

In the case of intelligence, it wasn’t a hard thing. In the first place, it was because they were evaluating a minor.

What would they hope for a minor in the first place? The most important thing in martial arts wasn’t intelligence, but martial arts.

Mumble mumble.

“Ugh, my teeth hurt.”

“Hmph, they are all trash.”

Above the prepared drill hall of the Lotus Peak.

This place was bustling with disciples that were between six and twelve and they amounted to a hundred of them.

All of these kids were young martial artists that would challenge the examination.

It was noisy precisely because they were young and the reactions were varied too.

Some felt like crying because of excessive tension, they got hard like rock, or others even checked their surroundings because they were on edge.

Ju Seo Cheon took place in a corner that wouldn’t attract attention and waited for his turn.

“Who is that?”

“No clue.”

Ju Seo Cheon received unwanted attention while he was waiting for his turn.

“Isn’t he a bit old to challenge the evaluation?”

He had grown unnoticeable fast thanks to the cliff climbing and internal energy. He seemed like a fourteen year old kid even though he was only ten.

Maybe it was because of that they spoke between them that Ju Seo Cheon wasn’t fit to be evaluated.

“Why worry about him? He won’t pass anyways.”

Someone snorted. It was a clear ridicule.

“I already investigated everyone that could become competitors. Looking that he’s not in my memories, he’s not someone great.”

You were able to get reexamination in the Lotus Peak if you were at the adequate age.

Adulthood in the Midlands was at fifteen years old. Even if you entered at fourteen years old, several benefits followed it.

There was nothing to say about the honor of being a graduate of the Lotus Peak, and most of all you could receive outstanding training that was on another level.

It didn’t matter even if that period was one year.

Because of this, people preparing to enter the Lotus Peak were abundant and their effort was also incredible.

The evaluation changed every year but because many of them failed at the test, they investigated each other thoroughly. It was to find a method that would let them win against others, even if it was by a little.

Whatever the case, the person called Ju Seo Cheon wasn’t in their investigations.

Part of it was because he didn’t get along with others but also because he started to receive attention just recently.

“Wait.”

Someone recognized Ju Seo Cheon.

“That face, I saw it a short while ago…Ah right. He’s the disciple of the Smiling Gentle Sword.”

A while ago several visitors went to find Yu Jong Mok to congratulate him and there were some even inside Mount Hua Sect.

It seemed like there was a disciple related to those visitors.

Some kids mumbled at the name of Smiling Gentle Sword.

“Hmph!”

A high nosed kid snorted.

“His prestige became high recently but I have never heard that his disciple was special!”

‘Mm, good. I will just let it slide.’

He was planning to crush them right here if they spoke bad about their master even by a little but he let it pass as it was a compliment. He didn’t feel bad either.

“It will be better to move a little bit more rather than pay attention to that guy!”

“Right, it’s just like you said. Let’s go.”

The two kids that liked to speak left.

“Hm, they are all kids that will fail the test. I will be able to enter easily with no effort.”

Ju Seo Cheon laughed after getting relieved.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Exactly one year later, the fourth generation disciples despaired in front of the examination.

“No, i’m doomed!”

Screams filled everywhere.

Even the disciples that had sneered at Ju Seo Cheon before the examination began looked pale.

“How do we defeat her?”

Some kids lost their will to fight even before trying.

“I knew that a genius would appear some day…”

“But who would have thought that day was today!”

A child that was next to him despaired and walked away without strength while dropping his shoulders.

“Next!”

The examiner nominated the next disciples waiting for their turn.

But most of them returned without strength.

“Hoo.”

Ju Seo Cheon also looked at the examination stage with a surprised look. There was a young girl standing in the middle of the stage, in front of the examiner.

‘Nak Seo Wol!’

A fourth generation disciple that was a year younger than Ju Seo Cheon. She was also a famous being in Mount Hua Sect.

Information about Nak Seo Wol passed in Ju Seo Cheon’s head. It was because she was such a great figure even in his previous life that remained in his memories.

‘The Plum Blossom Sword Peak…!’

The Plum Blossom Sword Peak, Nak Seo Wol.

She was a descendant of the Iron Plum Sword, one of the only women among the current Five Elders.

Their relationship of master and disciple was already something not normal, but the girl herself was a great figure that shouldn’t be ignored.

She didn’t have a talent to shake an entire generation but she still showed great talent since she was young.

With her talent, effort and having one of the Five Elders as her ancestor, her future was no different from being secured.

In his past life, Nak Seo Wol grew up at an overwhelming pace and became a Plum Blossom Examiner.

After that, she got recognized to the point she received the nickname of ‘Predator‘. That was one of the best even among the latter levels of the Righteous Faction in Murin.

However, she was also called as the unhappy beauty.

After the era of war opened up, Nak Seo Wol achieved great merits and became a hero but died without even becoming thirty.

Her power was something else and when she turns at the marriageable age she becomes one of the best beauties of Murim.

One of the heroes Ju Seo Cheon chased the back of. One of those people was the Plum Blossom Sword Peak Nak Seo Wol.

“Ha, they are so unlucky… they tried to get examined as if they were taking a stroll.” There was no one that could threaten them among the other disciples.

Excluding one person, Nak Seo Wol.

“Next!”

But.

It didn’t mean that there were no challengers at all. There were some that this examination was the last one for them.

They climbed the examination stage and challenged Nak Seo Wol so their efforts until now weren’t in vain.

Cheeeng!

“Aghh!”

Every time Nak Seo Wol swung her sword, the challengers fell off like leaves. It was an obvious thing.

Some examiners clicked their tongues and shook their head sideways. It seemed like they didn’t need to see anymore.

Nak Seo Wol was the granddaughter of one of the Five Elders. She had received the outstanding teachings of her master in martial arts. Her talent was added on top of that so victory and defeat was obvious.

The various feelings like nervousness, hope and passion had disappeared. They only saw despair.

The level of the challengers wasn’t level at all.

All of the fourth generation disciples in this place were at the upper levels.

The Lotus Peak was an association of the elites before they became adults. The level of the challengers also increased naturally precisely because it was a place where only talents gathered at.

It was just that their opponent was bad.

“They say that the roots of heroes are different…”

Ju Seo Cheon feigned laughter and stood from his place.

“Next!”

The examiner checked his surroundings and raised his voice but no one stepped up.

“This year is over…But we still have the next year…”

“She’s also young…Why did it have to be this year…!”

Resignation and despairing sighs came out from everywhere. It seemed like the examination ended like this this year.

“I’m still here.”

But someone completely unexpected appeared.

‘He’s the disciple of the Smiling Gentle Sword.’

The examiner recognized Ju Seo Cheon.

“That stupid fool!”

The fourth generation disciple that had laughed at Ju Seo Cheon half an hour ago laughed as if it was absurd. It was a clear ridicule.

Victory and defeat was already decided. There were no challengers that could defeat Nak Seo Wol in this place.

No, precisely speaking rather than victory or defeat it was a matter of how long they could endure.

On top of that, Ju Seo Cheon’s name wasn’t even on the list of challengers that they should be aware of. In reality, most of the examiners felt doubts.

“Is he crazy because he wants to suffer embarrassment?”

“No, he doesn’t have any thoughts at all. He is able to act that courageously because he doesn’t know about Nak Seo Wol.”

The surroundings started to mumble once again.

“May I start?”

Ju Seo Cheon asked the examiner.

And the examiner nodded instead of replying.

“I will be in your care.”

Nak Seo Wol greeted him with manners. The manners were engraved in her body even though she was only nine years old.

Ju Seo Cheon nodded at Nak Seo Wol’s greeting and bent down his knees in preparation to start right away.

He put strength in his hands holding the sword and looked at his front. There were no changes in his expression.

Nak Seo Wol looked at Ju Seo Cheon as if it was mysterious.

“It’s the first time I see someone have a calm expression while looking at me.”

“I should be the one asking why you are so mature when you are only nine.”

Ju Seo Cheon laughed in spite of himself at the absurdness.

He marveled at the manners engraved in her body but he was more surprised at how she spoke calmly and precisely like that.

In addition all kids regardless of gender tend to be naive and simple but he couldn’t feel that from Nak Seo Wol at all.

“It’s more marvelous the more I see. You look like an old man when you are speaking.”

“Really?”

Actually, he wasn’t just an old man, he was a geezer

.

“I will let you attack first.”

Nak Seo Wol acted in a relaxed manner.

“Thank you.”

Ju Seo Cheon smirked with a bright expression.

‘If possible, I have to enter the Lotus Peak without attracting attention.’

The aftereffects of when he won would be extraordinary because of who his opponent was. If that happened he could become famous even outside of Kang Ho.

But he wasn’t able to get defeated either. It was because he wasn’t sure if he would be able to pass or not.

If that was the case, he had to make it look that he had struggled to win rather than showing an overwhelming difference in skills.

‘Why did it have to turn out like this?”

If it wasn’t Nak Seo Wol, and if it was any other genius, he would be able to pass the evaluation without much suspicions by regulating his skills.

But Nak Seo Wol, a top genius, had to appear so his head couldn’t help but hurt.

I have the method of waiting one year, but I don’t have the time.

“Okay, I will go then.”

Ju Seo Cheon moved the flow of his internal energy to his feet.

“It will end in three seconds.”

One of the examiners mumbled. The reaction for the other viewers was the same. Everyone thought that way.

However…

“Huup!”

He took in a breath and put strength in his body.

The tender muscles of his thighs contracted and then swelled up.

Ju Seo Cheon threw himself by swinging his legs as if he was pushing away the ground.

Paat!

Ju Seo Cheon arrived in front of Nak Seo Wol in an instant.

Nak Seo Wol only blinked at the unexpected speed of her opponent.

The viewers also got surprised. The examiners, that were especially bored, started to have their expressions change.