IBM 14

Chapter 14

Academy Entrance Exam (2)

Jo Il-yang, the second of the Three Heroes of Jiangxi, lay on the bed with his hands neatly folded.

Opening his eyes, he saw a flickering lamp swaying in the breeze from a slightly open window, and a bearded middle-aged man sitting at the desk across from it.

He was Mak Il-ung, the eldest of the Three Heroes of Jiangxi.

The day had already grown dark enough for the lamp to be lit, and as usual, the eldest brother was quietly reading a book.

“You’re awake?”

“Eldest Brother.”

At the question, Jo Il-yang let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed it had all just been a dream after all.

Jo Il-yang began speaking in a grumbling tone.

“…Eldest Brother. I had a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yes. It was so absurd that I’m embarrassed to even say it, but if it had truly happened, it would’ve been the most ridiculous thing I’ve experienced in twenty years as a martial artist.”

At Jo Il-yang’s words, Mak Il-ung slowly lifted his eyes from the book and looked at him.

Then he stared at him intently and said,

“You were unconscious for half a day, and now your memory isn’t even functioning properly. Perhaps I should call a physician.”

“What?”

Half a day?

What did he mean by that?

Startled, Jo Il-yang tried to sit up, but a sharp pain surged through his chest.

“Ugh.”

Mak Il-ung closed his book and approached him.

“Before I call a physician, answer me one thing first.”

“…What is it?”

“Who left that mark on your chest?”

“What? My chest?”

Jo Il-yang threw off the blanket and looked down.

His upper garment had been removed, and on his chest was a dark bruise in the distinct shape of a palm print.

The moment he saw it, goosebumps spread all over his body.

‘It… wasn’t a dream.’

He had truly believed it was only a dream.

The event had been so unbelievable that he naturally assumed his mind had fabricated it.

But it was real.

The memories slowly resurfaced.

The subtle principle of Saryangbalcheongeun had been crushed head-on by the monstrous strength of Mumu, Jin-hyeok’s adopted brother.

As a result, his internal energy had backflowed, causing him internal injuries.

At that realization, his face turned bright red.

[M-Master!]

[J-Jin-hyeok… d-don’t tell anyone… about this…]

Those had been his final words before fainting.

Driven by greed to recruit Mumu as a disciple, he had proudly demonstrated Saryangbalcheongeun—

Only to suffer utter humiliation instead.

He had probably been so ashamed that he practically begged his disciple to keep quiet before losing consciousness.

‘Aaaaargh.’

Just remembering it was unbearably humiliating.

How had he even gotten involved with that monstrous child in the first place?

And how could he possibly explain this disgrace to his eldest brother, who was staring at him suspiciously?

Unable to answer, he kept his mouth shut.

Mak Il-ung was about to question him again.

“Just who did you fight to receive such an—”

At that moment, Jo Il-yang hurriedly changed the subject.

“E-Eldest Brother! What about Jin-hyeok’s Forced Ki Penetration? I was supposed to perform it…”

“You ask quickly enough.”

“Did that Goha fellow do it?”

Goha was the youngest member of the Three Heroes of Jiangxi.

Originally, after obtaining an elixir and stabilizing Jin-hyeok’s internal energy, Goha was supposed to assist with the Forced Ki Penetration technique.

But since Jo Il-yang had collapsed unconscious, things could not have gone according to plan.

Mak Il-ung clicked his tongue.

“I handled it myself.”

“What?”

“I stabilized his internal energy and performed the Forced Ki Penetration too.”

“You did everything yourself, Eldest Brother?”

“Yes.”

“But why?”

“Why, you ask? Hah. Follow me.”

Mak Il-ung strode out and flung the door open.

Confused, Jo Il-yang clutched his aching chest and followed after him.

They entered the room next door.

There sat Goha on the bed, blankly staring at the wall like a man whose soul had left his body.

His right hand was grotesquely swollen, as though every bone inside had shattered.

The dazed Goha slowly turned his head toward them.

Seeing the shame in his eyes, Jo Il-yang pointed at him and muttered,

“Hey… you too?”

At those words, Goha gave him a strangely pitiful look.

Jo Il-yang immediately understood.

Seeing the swollen hand of the man known throughout Jiangxi as an expert of external arts, there was no need for further explanation.

‘That monstrous kid…’

He still couldn’t believe it.

Those ridiculous muscles.

That absurd strength.

Then suddenly, another thought struck him.

‘Wait… I told Jin-hyeok not to tell anyone.’

If Goha had ended up like this, then his disciple must have revealed the truth anyway.

A headache instantly formed.

Seeing him clutch his head, Mak Il-ung sighed deeply and asked,

“Hoo… What exactly happened while I was away?”

“……..”

“……..”

At the question, both Jo Il-yang and Goha shut their mouths tightly as though they had made a pact.

—

At the same time.

Yu Jin-hyeok lay on a bed inside a dark room.

After enduring over two shichen of Forced Ki Penetration and nearly three more shichen circulating and refining the elixir’s energy, he was utterly exhausted.

Because of that, First Master Mak Il-ung had ordered him to sleep early.

Yet despite lying in bed, sleep refused to come.

‘Damn it.’

In just two more days, he would officially enter the Changcheon Martial Arts Academy.

He had eagerly awaited this day for years.

But now, for the first time, he almost wished it would never arrive.

If Mumu passed the entrance exam—

Then he would be forced to spend the next two or three years together with that monstrous muscle-brained idiot.

‘No… absolutely not.’

Just imagining it gave him a headache.

Recalling the events from earlier made him want to avoid Mumu forever.

Not that he had wanted to be close to him in the first place.

‘To think even Third Master ended up like that…’

Honestly, it was his own fault.

As Second Master had warned, he should never have mentioned Mumu.

When his injured master was questioned about how he received such a wound, Jin-hyeok assumed that Goha—who was far larger and sturdier than Jo Il-yang—could surely overpower Mumu with ease.

So he had carelessly explained everything.

And the result?

Exactly the same.

[You’re quite a likable brat. Mumu, was it? Want to learn martial arts from me?]

Goha had shown immediate interest in Mumu.

Then, just like Jo Il-yang, he tried to impress him—

Only to end up losing an arm-wrestling match so badly that both his hand and elbow broke.

[Absolutely! Absolutely do not tell Eldest Brother— no, First Master!]

Goha had desperately pleaded just like Jo Il-yang did.

His bright red face clearly revealed how humiliated he felt.

After all, he had proudly shown off before his disciple—

Only to lose in pure strength against a boy who merely trained his muscles alone without learning martial arts.

‘Damn it. What exactly is that kid?’

Mumu completely defied common sense.

Two martial masters famous throughout Jiangxi had both been crushed by his physical strength.

Of course, it wasn’t a real fight, so the outcome of an actual battle remained uncertain.

But even so, that strength was enough to leave Peak Masters speechless.

‘Can someone really become that strong just by training muscles?’

All three masters had always taught him that external arts had limits.

Yet Mumu completely overturned that logic.

It almost seemed as though muscles trained to the absolute extreme could rival—or even surpass—internal energy itself.

‘No.’

Jin-hyeok shook his head.

That couldn’t be true.

If it were, it would completely overturn the accumulated history and knowledge of Murim built by countless masters, eccentrics, and grandmasters.

‘Right. Impossible.’

Didn’t they say the Southern Blade Imperial Uncle, one of the Four Great Grandmasters, once sliced a mountain peak in half with a single strike?

No matter how much one trained the physical body, such a realm could never be reached.

He had to continue walking the orthodox path without wavering.

‘Still… what exactly were those things?’

He thought about the iron rings Mumu wore on his arms and ankles.

The moment Mumu twisted the dial on one ring, the muscles in his arm had suddenly swelled even larger.

But when Jin-hyeok questioned him about it, Mumu refused to explain.

He only asked him to keep it secret from Father that he had adjusted the ring.

At first, Jin-hyeok wondered whether it might be some kind of weakness.

But then Mumu said something completely unexpected.

[If you promise not to tell your father, then I won’t tell anyone about your masters either.]

At that moment, Jin-hyeok realized something.

This guy wasn’t actually naive at all.

He perfectly understood that the masters were too ashamed to let anyone know.

In the end, Mumu had traded his own secret in exchange for protecting their dignity.

[Jin-hyeok, you’re actually a pretty decent fellow.]

‘I seriously hate him.’

Just remembering that bright smiling face irritated him.

After tossing and turning for a long time, Yu Jin-hyeok prayed to the heavens for the first time in his life.

He sincerely prayed that Mumu would fail the Changcheon Martial Arts Academy entrance exam.

—

And so, two days passed.

Before dawn, the two boys prepared to leave for the Changcheon Martial Arts Academy entrance examination, which would begin around the Hour of the Snake.

The academy was roughly two shichen away by foot.

Madam Jang tightly hugged Yu Jin-hyeok.

“You’ve worked hard all this time, so I’m sure you’ll achieve good results.”

“Mother…”

“This mother will sincerely pray for you to pass. And make sure to get along with Mumu too. Isn’t it nice to have a brother you can rely on?”

At those words, Jin-hyeok squeezed his eyes shut.

‘I wish that guy would fail, Mother.’

But he could never say that aloud.

Both his father and mother wanted the two of them to become close.

Still, deep down, Jin-hyeok earnestly wished for Mumu to fail and return home.

Yu Yeop-gyeong approached him warmly.

“Son. Stay healthy.”

“…I understand.”

“You’ll probably have your hands full taking care of Mumu and even the Minister of Punishments’ daughter. But I believe you’ll manage well. Do your best and get along.”

In the end, his father’s words were no different from his mother’s.

Jin-hyeok simply nodded indifferently.

Once they reached the academy, he had no intention of sticking close to Mumu anyway.

Finally, Yu Yeop-gyeong approached Mumu and embraced him.

“Son.”

“Yes.”

“Please don’t cause trouble.”

“…Father. If I pass, we won’t see each other for quite a while. Is that really all you have to say?”

“No.”

“Then say it.”

“Since you’re entering a martial arts academy… I won’t tell you not to train anymore.”

“Really?”

Mumu’s eyes sparkled brightly with excitement.

Seeing that reaction, Yu Yeop-gyeong sighed softly.

The Old Immortal from his dreams had told him to raise Mumu normally—

Yet somehow things had turned out like this.

Perhaps this path was simply the boy’s destiny.

Still, as a parent, all he could do now was wish him well as he walked his own road.

“Then we’ll be going.”

After receiving their family’s farewell, Mumu and Jin-hyeok departed together.

Still half-asleep from waking so early, Mumu walked with drooping eyes while Jin-hyeok led the way, looking at him with open disdain.

Their very first journey together was filled with nothing but awkward silence.

After walking for nearly half a shichen—

Clop! Clop!

“Hm?”

The sound of rapidly approaching horse hooves echoed through the quiet dawn.

Puzzled, Jin-hyeok turned toward the noise.

A luxurious carriage came charging toward them at terrifying speed, kicking up clouds of dust behind it.

‘What is this?’

Before he could react further—

The carriage screeched to a halt directly before them.

Clatter!

The carriage window flew open, revealing the face of a young girl.

It was none other than Mo Il-hwa, the daughter of the Minister of Punishments.

Pointing inside the carriage with her thumb, she shouted at them,

“Hey! Get in!”