Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 103

103. Martial Arts Alliance Secretary Recruitment Exam

The Martial Arts Alliance’s open training ground was packed with people from morning.

Unlike usual, the training ground was filled with scholars in literary attire, and Yunhyun was among them.

“Hoo.”

Yunhyun looked around at the gathered people and sighed.

“With so many people… it seems I have no chance of passing this time.”

His long life as a scholar at Changryong Hall had kept him far from classics, ancient books, and historical records.

Still, he had studied diligently, so he couldn’t have forgotten everything completely, but he needed to review it at least once to refresh his memory.

However, Yunhyun had only three days, practically just two, and he hadn’t even managed to acquire all the necessary books yet.

Therefore, seeing the numerous competitors filling the surroundings, he couldn’t help but sigh.

“Hahahaha. So, you’ve been studying martial arts and sects?”

A man in splendid literary attire said in a loud voice.

Another scholar, seemingly intimidated, stammered a reply.

“Well, it is the Martial Arts Alliance exam, after all…”

His words were reasonable, but the well-dressed man clicked his tongue.

“Tsk tsk, reading such trivial books. Do you have no pride as a scholar?”

Yunhyun frowned at his words, but the man spoke with considerable arrogance.

“A scholar should be able to produce brilliant prose with a single stroke of the brush and imbue a poem with the great intentions of the ancient sages. How can we act like those who wield swords for money?”

‘Then you shouldn’t have come here in the first place.’

If that were the case, he should live like a hermit, eating dew and living apart from the world.

Why come here and reveal his arrogance and ignorance, pretending he is not like the others?

Yunhyun thought so but didn’t say anything.

However, he couldn’t help but click his tongue.

“Tsk. He should just be quiet…”

“I agree.”

Yunhyun turned his head at the sudden agreement from beside him.

“Hello.”

The person sitting next to him was a scholar with a rather sturdy build. He greeted Yunhyun while looking at him.

“I am Ahn Sujae from Gangso Province.”

“Ah, I am Yunhyun.”

Yunhyun introduced himself without thinking.

“Hey, drop the formalities. You don’t look that young either…”

Ahn Sujae said with a friendly smile.

“By the way, have you prepared a lot?”

“Not really…”

“Haha, no need to be so modest.”

Ahn Sujae smiled at Yunhyun.

“I am such a blockhead that I don’t know what will happen. I have never even passed the provincial exam, let alone the metropolitan exam.”

Yunhyun shook his head at him scratching his head.

“No, I only heard about this exam a few days ago, so I haven’t prepared much either.”

“Oh dear.”

Ahn Sujae made a pitiful expression, and then someone’s voice was heard from behind.

“You too, sir?”

Yunhyun turned around. The person sitting in the back seat sighed and said.

“I was drinking until last night, so I couldn’t even look at a single letter. Ah, I am Jo Dushik from Gangseo Province.”

He bowed his head.

Rubbing his red, bloodshot eyes, he looked around.

“I came here hoping to get a job, but with so many people… it will be difficult for me.”

Ahn Sujae offered a word of encouragement to Jo Dushik.

“No, everyone seems to be taking the Martial Arts Alliance secretary exam lightly, so it’s too early to give up. Those who have no skills are the ones who look down on others.”

Ahn Sujae even spat towards those who had been speaking loudly earlier.

“Well, that’s true, but… that person seems to have something to rely on.”

Jo Dushik glanced around and said.

“I heard he knows someone in the Martial Arts Alliance? And that he spent some money too… That’s why he’s being so loud.”

Ahn Sujae frowned at those words.

“Now that I see it, he’s an even worse guy. We should prevent guys like that from taking the exam from the start…”

As the conversation seemed to be turning into a denunciation, Yunhyun stepped in to change the subject.

“Does the Martial Arts Alliance always recruit secretaries like this?”

Ahn Sujae and Jo Dushik tilted their heads.

“Well, I don’t know either…”

“Didn’t you know?”

The person who joined in this time was from the front.

A man in neat literary attire bowed his head and greeted them.

“I’m sorry for interrupting. I am Pyeon Eodu from Hubei Province. From what I’ve heard, this secretary recruitment is quite unusual.”

People listened to Pyeon Eodu’s words.

“In short, the Martial Arts Alliance is greatly strengthening its organization, so they need a lot of scholars. They say they will now have Martial Arts Alliance branches in each province.”

“Martial Arts Alliance branches?”

“Well, I don’t know the details, but it seems the Martial Arts Alliance will even interfere with the affairs of each sect from now on. They call it management and supervision, but I don’t think the sects will like it.”

“Oh my, you seem to know a lot about this, sir.”

Pyeon Eodu scratched his head at Ahn Sujae’s words.

“I used to work for a merchant guild, and they tend to have faster rumors about the martial world or the government. That’s how I found out.”

“If it’s a merchant guild, isn’t that a better-paying job? Why the Martial Arts Alliance…”

Pyeon Eodu sighed at Jo Dushik’s words.

“It depends on the merchant guild. Small guilds have to be mindful of the big guilds, handing over a lot of their profits, and they often lose their regular customers… It was so dirty that I couldn’t stand it.”

Yunhyun felt that the situation in the business world and the martial world was not much different from the factional struggles in the imperial palace.

“Well, anyway, let’s all pass here.”

Everyone seemed to feel the same way, and they all nodded.

‘Everyone’s life is so difficult.’

Life is not easy for anyone. That’s why they help each other.

Yunhyun thought so and felt strangely relieved.

It wasn’t a good thing to feel relieved by seeing others in a bad situation, but he couldn’t help but feel a little comforted.

Clang.

The noisy training ground quieted down at the sound of a gong.

People who appeared to be secretaries of the Martial Arts Alliance entered in droves, and the person in charge, carrying several long scrolls, slowly entered.

“First, I would like to thank those who have responded to the Martial Arts Alliance secretary recruitment.”

He praised the Martial Arts Alliance with a rather proud expression.

People listened to his words, either bored or with shining eyes.

“Now, I will announce the questions!”

Along with the examiner’s voice, the sound of the gong echoed through the training ground.

The examiner went forward and hung one of the scrolls he was carrying.

It was the first question of the Martial Arts Alliance secretary exam.

Whirr.

As he let go, the scroll unfolded, and the question was announced.

At that moment, the training ground was filled with sighs.

“Heo! How can this be…”

“Oh dear.”

Regretful sighs erupted from everywhere.

It couldn’t be helped.

The first question of the Martial Arts Alliance secretary exam was ‘Discuss the basic forms and meanings of various martial arts.’

***

The Martial Arts Alliance’s secretary recruitment exam was gradually heading towards its end.

After the first question related to martial arts, many people raised their hands and left, but from the second question onwards, questions about old texts and poems were asked.

In fact, the level of the questions was not very high.

Even if they were old texts or poems, they were already well-known, and any scholar who had read them could easily discuss them.

But perhaps because they couldn’t escape the shock of the first question?

Less than half of the people remained in their seats until the end of the exam.

Ahn Sujae, Jo Dushik, Pyeon Eodu, and Yunhyun also stayed until the end.

“How was it? Did you all do well?”

Ahn Sujae asked as soon as the exam papers were sealed.

“I managed to write and submit it, but the first question was so…”

Pyeon Eodu said regretfully, and Jo Dushik also shook his head.

“Oh dear, my head is spinning, and I don’t even know what I wrote. I somehow scribbled something…”

“How about you, sir?”

Ahn Sujae casually asked Yunhyun.

“Fortunately, it was a field I was interested in, so I managed to write it well, but I don’t know.”

“Hey, you seemed to write the most.”

Ahn Sujae nudged Yunhyun.

“You’re definitely going to pass. I’ll congratulate you without any ulterior motives, so buy me a drink.”

“Oh my, I like alcohol. Let’s have a pre-celebratory drink.”

Jo Dushik, perked up at the mention of alcohol.

He had been drinking until late last night, but he still seemed to want more.

Ahn Sujae also invited Pyeon Eodu.

“Let’s go together, sir.”

“…Well, okay, let’s go. The exam is over, so we should have a drink.”

Pyeon Eodu, who had been hesitating, also nodded and joined.

It was a spontaneously arranged drinking session, but Yunhyun didn’t dislike this atmosphere.

Perhaps it was a feeling of camaraderie.

That day, Yunhyun and the three secretary applicants drank together at a tavern in Hangzhou.

And a few days later, the Martial Arts Alliance announced the successful candidates for the new secretaries.

Jo Dushik, who had been talking weakly, Ahn Sujae, who was said to be a blockhead, and Pyeon Eodu, who was well-versed in the martial world, all passed.

And Yunhyun’s name was at the very front of the list announcing the successful candidates.

It meant that, although there was no mention of being the top scorer, he had achieved the best score among the new secretary recruits.

***

Waryongheon [a secluded hermitage] in the early morning was filled with the chirping of birds.

Amidst the noisy songs of the birds, the owner of Waryongheon, the Divine Monk Bulyeong, was smiling broadly from the morning.

“Hmph, this guy. I told him to show his skills, and he really became the top scorer.”

Bulyeong tossed a book he was reading onto the table.

And he said to the chirping birds.

“You guys only think about being hungry and don’t think about how hard this old monk is working? Wait a little, wait.”

Bulyeong grumbled and grabbed a handful of grain.

“Okay, let the one who doesn’t know how to respect the elderly and squawks the loudest eat first.”

Whack.

Bulyeong waved his hand and scattered the grain.

Bulyeong smiled as he watched the birds gathering in an instant.

“Hehehe. Yes, yes, eat a lot. If you guys eat and poop, it will sprout somewhere again. Isn’t this cycle the law of nature?”

As if trying to preach to the birds, Bulyeong kept muttering and throwing grain.

Then suddenly, he frowned and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Noisy guys are coming again. What are those stinky guys going to chirp about again…”

He said that, but Bulyeong already guessed their purpose.

As expected?

After a while, a few people appeared at the entrance of Waryongheon.

Bulyeong spoke as if muttering to the birds.

“Yes, come quickly. I’ll give you what you like.”

Swish.

Bulyeong raised his head.

His eyes, looking at the book he had thrown on the table a little while ago, were constantly smiling.

“Hehehe.”

***

At the time when the Divine Monk Bulyeong was greeting visitors, a heated debate was taking place in the Martial Arts Alliance’s Grand Assembly Hall.

The war between the righteous and the demonic had ended decades ago, but the wounds had not yet healed, so the Martial Arts Alliance’s representative meeting always led to a confrontation between two groups.

The giant sects that had prided themselves on being righteous, the emerging forces that had been branded as demonic, and some sects in the middle of the righteous and demonic.

They cooperated with each other, and sometimes checked each other, continuing a fierce debate.

“Is Hwasan [a prominent Taoist sect] saying that they have not heard about this?”

The Taoist Cheongjin of Wudang [another prominent Taoist sect] said with a stern face, and Yeonghojun, the Plum Blossom Sword, shrugged his shoulders.

“Yes. I have heard such stories, but Hwasan knows nothing about it.”

Yeonghojun shrugged his shoulders with a calm expression.

“Wouldn’t it be faster to ask Shaolin [a famous Buddhist monastery known for its martial arts] about it? What do you think? Great Master Jinheo.”

Jinheo, the representative of Shaolin, had his eyes half-closed and quietly chanted a Buddhist invocation.

Looking at him, Yeonghojun asked.

“I heard that the Divine Monk has confirmed the successor of the Sword Saint, what does that mean?”