Chapter 40 : Preliminary Exam
"...Pardon?"
Such a reaction appeared from most of the examinees.
The Flying Dragon Academy, the best in the martial world. The first entrance exam to enter that place... was guessing odd or even?
Since he was now saying that something that would be done in a gambling den was an exam, people could only stare at Cha Yul-ryeong with a blank face.
Thud—
Just then, a wooden box was placed next to Cha Yul-ryeong.
Could it be that they were really supposed to guess how many beads were in that box now?
The people who had thought it was a joke until now had no choice but to change their minds as soon as they confirmed the wooden box placed there.
"W-wait a minute!"
Just then, a man in the front row hurriedly raised his hand and shouted.
Swoosh—
At that voice, Cha Yul-ryeong's gaze turned that way.
And so, as if he had been waiting, the man said to Cha Yul-ryeong, as if arguing.
"Are you really telling us to guess whether the beads in that box are odd or even?"
"Yes, that's right."
"...You're joking, right?"
The man asked with a laugh, as if he were dumbfounded.
After all, to have to decide his pass or fail on such a thing as luck.
Since he had been preparing for this day for the past few years, the man, of course, could not accept taking an exam in a way that relied on such luck.
However.
"I hate jokes very much."
"..."
"Now, then, from now on, the first exam..."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
When the man shouted, Cha Yul-ryeong had no choice but to stop talking in the middle.
The man had already broken through the crowd and had come to the front, and he continued to shout at Cha Yul-ryeong with a face as excited as his voice.
"I've prepared for five years for today!"
"..."
"But a method that relies on such luck, not skill, is an exam? I will never accept such a method!"
In fact, not only the man, but also the other people were thinking the same thing.
Although the period was different, most of the people here had invested their time to prepare for the entrance exam of the Flying Dragon Academy.
But when they opened the lid, the entrance exam was a method that was no different from gambling.
Since they felt that their efforts so far had been in vain, of course, they all had no choice but to have complaints like that man.
"That's right! I can't accept such a method either!"
"Bring an exam that can be judged by skill, not luck!"
"For this to be the entrance exam of the Flying Dragon Academy. A passing dog would laugh!"
"..."
Various criticisms poured out towards Cha Yul-ryeong.
Cha Yul-ryeong, who was just looking at him with an expressionless face.
Soon, with a low sigh, Cha Yul-ryeong took a deep breath.
"Go—!"
When he shouted with overwhelming internal energy, the hall could not help but become quiet again in an instant.
As if wolves had become quiet at the roar of a tiger.
Cha Yul-ryeong overwhelmed twenty thousand people by himself in an instant and opened his mouth.
"I will correct myself."
"...?"
"Actually, this is not an entrance exam. No, to be precise, it is a preliminary exam before entering the main exam."
A preliminary exam...?
Cha Yul-ryeong's words only amplified the examinees' questions.
"There are about twenty thousand people gathered here now. And it is not realistically possible to select only eighty people from among them in a few days."
"..."
"So we plan to conduct two preliminary exams in the future. And we will hold the main exam with only the people who have survived there, so all examinees, please be aware of that."
Although his tone seemed polite, the atmosphere felt in his voice was quite different from before.
Although most of the examinees also felt that and could not easily speak, the man who had first come forward and refuted shouted at Cha Yul-ryeong once more, forcibly holding back the trembling of his body.
"Y-you're saying it's okay to rely purely on luck just because it's a preliminary exam?"
"..."
"I want to take the exam with skill! So this kind of exam method..."
It was then.
Cha Yul-ryeong's figure, which had become invisible on the stage.
The man saw Cha Yul-ryeong, who had appeared right in front of his nose, and swallowed his words with a scared face.
"Number four hundred and fifty-six."
"...!"
"Did you say you wanted to take the exam with skill?"
Cha Yul-ryeong called the man's examinee number and said.
A tone that had become as stiff as his cold expression.
Since a master of Cha Yul-ryeong's level was standing in front of him like that, the man's voice did not come out easily.
"Do you really think I would have prepared an exam that simply relied on luck?"
"...?"
"If you have sufficient skill, you will never fall in a place like this."
Swoosh—
"And that person is not you."
Cha Yul-ryeong said and tore off the nameplate on the man's chest with his hand.
The man, who stared blankly at the nameplate that had been taken away without any resistance.
Cha Yul-ryeong threw the nameplate in his hand on the floor and said.
"Number four hundred and fifty-six. You're eliminated."
"...!"
"You don't even have the qualification to take the preliminary exam."
"Th-that's what...!"
The man tried to refute Cha Yul-ryeong.
But as his eyes met Cha Yul-ryeong's, his fighting spirit disappeared as if it were a lie.
The man was now kneeling and looking down at the floor.
"Any other examinee who has something to say to me? Is there anyone?"
Cha Yul-ryeong asked the examinees.
A soft expression and tone, just like the first time.
But since the examinees had already seen the real expression hidden behind that expression, no one could refute like before.
If they did, they would also have their nameplate torn off like that man and be eliminated without even taking the exam.
It was wiser to just keep one's mouth shut and take the exam, even if it relied on luck.
"It seems there isn't."
"..."
"Then let's start the exam. Examinee number one."
Cha Yul-ryeong called for number one.
And so, the examinees murmured and looked around.
At that moment, a person jumped out to the front with an excited look.
"That's right! I am examinee number one!"
Examinee number one, Gwangcheon, came out in front of Cha Yul-ryeong and shouted, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
And so, all eyes were on Gwangcheon.
Gwangcheon felt the gazes from behind and was forcibly holding back his rising cheekbones.
"...I see. Then, from examinee number one, please stand in front of this wooden box in order."
"..."
"I will give everyone a chance to see the wooden box up close for a moment."
Cha Yul-ryeong said and turned around, going back up to the stage.
And the first preliminary exam proceeded.
Starting with Gwangcheon, a long line was formed near the stage in order of examinee number.
"Y-Young Hero! Let's go and get in line too!"
Just then, Jong Seo-eon said in a rather urgent voice.
"We're the ten thousandth anyway, so there's no need to hurry."
"Ah... come to think of it, it'll be a long time before our turn comes."
"..."
"But what on earth is going on? To think that guessing odd or even is the exam..."
Jong Seo-eon also had a question about that.
An exam that was decided simply by luck.
That was not an exam, but could be seen as a gamble.
"Doesn't it mean that there's something hidden?"
"Pardon?"
"I don't think the Flying Dragon Academy would have prepared an exam that is simply decided by luck."
In fact, Cha Yul-ryeong had said something that hinted at that fact.
"Do you really think I would have prepared an exam that simply relied on luck?"
"...?"
"If you have sufficient skill, you will never fall in a place like this."
In other words, didn't it mean that if one had skill, one would never fall in a place like this?
Of course, he still didn't know what that skill meant.
Perhaps finding out what that was was the key to this exam.
Namgung Il decided to focus on finding out that key from now on.
"Ah, Young Hero Gwangcheon is coming over there."
"..."
"Wouldn't it be good to hear his opinion a little?"
Namgung Il also agreed with those words.
If he heard something in advance, he would be able to prepare before going up there.
Just then, Jong Seo-eon first approached Gwangcheon and spoke to him.
"Young Hero Gwangcheon!"
"...?"
"Did you find out something when you went up close?"
"I was able to realize something right away."
When Gwangcheon answered, Jong Seo-eon's face brightened.
"That everything will now be decided by Buddha."
"...Pardon?"
Just then, a wooden fish popped out of Gwangcheon's clothes.
Thump— Thump— Thump— Thump—.
The clear sound of the wooden fish echoed around.
At the same time, a Buddhist scripture flowed from Gwangcheon's mouth.
Jong Seo-eon stared blankly at him.
"Ah, Buddha. Please save this pitiful being and let me know the energy of odd and even."
"..."
"Mahaprajna..."
There's no hope over there.
Jong Seo-eon saw that and quickly made that judgment.
"N-Young Hero Namgung Il! What do we do now?"
"It's quite an exciting rhythm. I can't help but move my body to that wooden fish sound..."
"This is not the time to dance!"
"Ah, that's right."
At Jong Seo-eon's words, Namgung Il finally stopped his moving shoulders.
"There's no answer even if we worry about it now."
"..."
"We might find out something if we get close to the wooden box."
Creak—
It was then.
Wooden boxes identical to the one on the stage appeared in various places in the front.
"Due to time constraints, we will proceed by dividing into sections!"
"...?"
"All examinees, please check the signs and find the section that matches your examinee number, and line up in order of number!"
Such a voice was heard from the front.
Looking around, it seemed that since there were too many people, they were planning to divide the people and proceed all at once.
Naturally, the number of beads in those wooden boxes would also be the same.
"That's great. Let's get in line now too."
"Then... where should we go?"
"From number nine thousand and one to ten thousand. It's over there."
Namgung Il quickly found the sign and said.
The two immediately went to the designated section and got in line, and a total of twenty lines were formed in the Great Training Ground, allowing the examinees to check the wooden boxes more quickly.
'Now that I see it, the time to stand in front of the wooden box is really not that long.'
It seemed that they couldn't touch it or get closer than a certain distance.
It was just a level of just looking at it for a moment and passing by.
As people passed by like that, Namgung Il's turn, who was at the very back, was also approaching quickly.
"Hmm?"
It was then.
When there were less than a hundred people left in front, Namgung Il's gaze changed slightly, and he continued to stare at the wooden box.
And soon, as if he had realized something, a meaningful smile appeared on Namgung Il's lips.
As Cha Yul-ryeong had said, this was by no means an exam that relied on luck.
'I wonder how many people will be able to notice this in this exam.'
Perhaps even if they had noticed, it would be a little difficult to find out exactly how many beads were in there like him now.
Only those with a certain degree of sensitive senses would be able to know the true meaning of this exam.
Just then, Namgung Il turned his gaze from the wooden box and looked at Jong Seo-eon.
'It seems he hasn't realized yet.'
Since they had met here like this, it was fate, so should he give him a little advice?
Still, since he was a grand-disciple, Namgung Il couldn't just leave Jong Seo-eon alone.
"When your turn comes, try to operate your internal energy as much as possible."
"Pardon?"
"Then you might find out something."
"What does that..."
"This is as far as I can tell you."
"..."
Jong Seo-eon still looked like he didn't understand his words.
'He might ask me to tell him the answer.'
Of course, at that time, he would not tell Jong Seo-eon the answer.
No matter how much he had a soft spot for him as a grand-disciple, wouldn't it be against the rules to do that much?
If he couldn't overcome this difficulty with his own strength, the same thing would just be repeated in the future.
However.
"I understand."
"..."
"Thank you for the advice. I'll try to figure out the rest on my own."
Hearing the answer, Namgung Il realized that he had been worrying for nothing.
'Du-sik, it seems you've got yourself a good disciple.'
A pleased smile had now appeared on Namgung Il's lips.
(End of Chapter)