18: The First Test (3)
Mumu gulped as he held the torn gates.
‘Ah… I made a mistake’
He tried to open the gate, but he unintentionally ripped it open.
It looked like a newly purchased gate that had to be fixed.
‘Is this expensive?’
He was even more concerned when everyone around him had gone silent.
Mumu who noticed that, held the gates wondering what to do.
Unlike Mumu, who was worrying about other things, Mo Il-hwa, Hae-ryang, and Jin-hyuk were shocked.
It was natural since they assumed that Mumu would fail the test.
This was supposed to be a gate that could only open with internal energy, so no matter how strong he was, they thought that Mumu would fail.
But the result was shocking.
Mo Il-hwa, who was the first to regain her senses, pointed to Mumu and said.
“He! He! He just ripped the gates out, did you see it?”
Who couldn’t see it?
‘Insane…’
Jin-hyuk was genuinely shocked.
Even though he had superhuman strength, wasn’t this too much?
The gate was commissioned by two strong people, who were considered two of the strongest warriors in Murim.
But it was torn using pure strength.
‘Mumu, what the hel…’
He couldn’t comprehend it.
Just what did his father pick up in exile?
“Y-Young master Jin-hyuk… didn’t you say that your brother didn’t learn… martial arts…?”
The Lower District Clan’s Hae-ryang stammered as he asked that.
He was too confused by the unexpected results.
Similarly, everyone else who saw it was in the same trance.
Everyone at the school’s entrance had fallen into confusion.
“W-What?”
“Did he break the gate?”
“But he said he didn’t learn martial arts!”
“No. Is that possible even if he learned martial arts?”
“Damn it. What is this?”
“The descendants of the four strongest warriors couldn’t even do that!”
“I know!”
And then, someone shouted.
“Huh? H-He, what is he doing?”
Everyone looked at Mumu.
Mumu, who was holding the 16 feet wide gates, 3 gates to be exact, was leaning back.
‘!?’
“Guys. I’m sorry but can you move? I need to put them down.”
People were bewildered by Mumu’s words.
“Uh-huh?”
“D-Don’t come here! There’s no room!”
“Yah! We said there are too many people…”
Woong!
“Woah!”
“M-Move!”
Most of the test takers were between 5 to 6 feet tall.
And the torn gates were nearly three times their height and moved like a fan, so they immediately retreated in terror.
It looked like a wave crashing down.
Woong! Woong!
Each time the torn gates moved, people moved back and forth, and the entire place was a mess.
“He’s crazy. Supervisor… what the hell is he?”
Yeon Nam-kyung, who was watching from above, asked.
Seeing that, Hak-gyu shouted.
“I don’t know! How could I?”
He himself was flustered.
He thought that he was some villager playing around, but who would have thought that he could tear the gates down.
This was the first time such a thing happened in the academy.
“Supervisor. What could this be?”
Hak-gyu frowned at the words of Yeon Nam-kyung.
It was the first time such a thing happened, so he wasn’t sure what to think.
The kid said that he didn’t learn martial arts but he ripped the gates open.
‘Did he lie?’
Even if he learned, this was a problem.
The descendants of the Four Strongest Warriors opened the gates.
But this kid ripped the gates open.
‘How did he do that?’
He wasn’t sure.
The simple force of pushing and pulling was weaker than an attack.
Striking and attacking meant to add force.
‘But in a way, this guy might surpass me…’
It was difficult to admit…
Scratch that, it was impossible to admit.
‘No.’
At his age, there was a limit to what Mumu could do.
And it’s impossible to surpass a limit unless it’s under a special case.
‘Nothing can be done.’
Supervisor Hak-gyu, who had been thinking, made a decision.
There was no other way than to check for himself.
Goo!
He heard a slight vibration and noise from below.
When he looked down, Mumu had put down the gates he was carrying.
And he was fiddling with something on his wrist.
‘What is he doing?’
Hak-gyu shook his head and jumped down from the wall.
Phat!
He jumped from a high place but landed lightly.
And with a voice carried by energy, he spoke like a lion.
“Here!!!”
-Here! Here! Here!
His voice spread around like thunder.
The people at the entrance, who were in a state of confusion because of Mumu, went silent.
Everyone became nervous since the supervisor, who had been watching from above, had decided to appear in front of them.
‘Ah…’
Mumu became nervous.
‘Father told me not to get into trouble.’
This was similar to kicking someone’s front door down.
He wondered what he would have to do to fix the gate.
His father always told him to respond calmly at times like these.
Mumu folded his hands behind his back and shouted.
“I apologize!”
“What?”
Supervisor Hak-gyu frowned.
He couldn’t figure out why the kid was apologizing.
Mumu said.
“I was really trying to open the gate, but it just broke open. I never meant to destroy it.”
‘It just broke open?’
He was confused.
Was the kid telling him that the gate just came out?
And that he wasn’t trying to break it, but it just happened?
In a solemn voice, Hak-gyu spoke.
“But it happened, so what now?”
“Huh?”
“Are you hiding something?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you saying that you don’t know? Did you think that the gate could be broken by just force?”
At that, Mumu looked at Hak-gyu.
‘… is he asking me because he doesn’t know?’
It was difficult for Mumu to understand what the man was asking.
All he wanted to do was make amends.
He wasn’t sure if the bill would be sent to Yu Yeop-kyung, who just returned from exile, or if Mumu would be asked to return home.
Mumu, who was troubled, carefully opened his mouth.
“Isn't that because the gate is old and the fittings are too?”
‘…’
Hak-gyu’s nose flared.
Even if it was old and broken, the gate couldn’t be pulled out by force.
And he didn’t like the kid’s response a moment back, but now the kid was just talking nonsense.
‘This one, is speaking nonsense… no.’
Rather than saying it out loud, he decided to check.
Hak-gyu approached Mumu and said,
“I will check directly.”
“What?”
“Give me your hand.”
Mumu was confused.
He couldn’t understand why he was asked to show his hand, but since he wanted to make amends, he stretched out his hand.
‘Look at this one.’
Hak-gyu looked at Mumu.
He couldn’t see it from above, but the kid’s arm and wrist muscles were amazing.
He couldn’t help but stay fixated on the muscles.
‘How much did he train to become like this?’
Hak-gyu was a warrior of pugilism, and known as the Strong Simple Fist. ⁽¹⁾
Warriors of pugilism focused on maintaining a balance of internal and external energy.
But even he doesn’t have muscles like that.
Gulp!
Hak-gyu gulped and drooled unknowingly at the muscles.
He wondered how strong the kid would be if he practiced pugilism.
‘Hmm, no.’
He shook his head.
In an instant, he fell in love with the well developed muscles and almost got greedy for a disciple.
But right now, he’s the supervisor.
Tak!
Hak-gyu grabbed Mumu’s wrist.
‘Ah… this kid.’
When he held the wrist, he could feel the shape of the muscles clearer.
Hak-gyu felt his heart pounding out of admiration for the muscles.
However, he calmed himself down.
He had to check if the kid mastered martial arts.
‘!?’
Hak-gyu couldn’t hide his shock.
‘What? Really?’
The kid really didn’t learn martial arts.
There was no dantian, and no traces of energy.
But the only odd part was the fact that his blood vessels were open, which typically happens when one learns martial arts. ⁽²⁾
But nonetheless, it was proven that he did that with pure power.
‘No way!’
It was hard to believe.
He was shocked and impressed, and then he heard Mumu ask.
“How long are you going to hold me?”
“Ah!”
Hak-gyu let go of his hand.
And stared at Mumu’s face.
‘He really tore the gates off with just pure strength?’
If the kid used martial arts, Hak-gyu would’ve thought that an unimaginable genius had arrived.
But he didn’t understand this.
It made him wonder if the gate was really old and broken.
Hak-gyu, who was confused, opened his mouth.
“Was it Mumu?”
“Yes.”
“The gate is broken, so there’s no way to check again, I will test your strength myself, so be patient.”
“What?”
“Be patient and don’t move.”
Wheik!
Hak-gyu’s hand flew like a lightning bolt and grabbed Mumu’s wrist again.
‘Uh?’
Mumu was surprised by his quick hand movements.
Of all the people he met, this man seemed the fastest.
Hak-gyu slightly twisted the wrist he grabbed and pulled while trying to knock Mumu down.
But Mumu gave strength to his legs so he wouldn’t be lifted and thrown.
‘Oh-ho! Look at him!’
Hak-gyu’s eyes shone at Mumu not moving.
The kid was really using pure strength.
If a first-rate warrior or even a Beginning Master Level warrior was in front of Hak-gyu, they wouldn’t be able to stand straight.
‘Then…’
Hak-gyu raised his power.
It was the 4th level. ⁽³⁾
‘Uh?’
Mumu gave more strength to his hands and legs as Hak-gyu’s strength grew.
‘He can withstand this too?’
Hak-gyu bit his tongue.
Mumu should be at the Beginning of the Super Master Level.
But still, holding back pure strength was amazing.
And because of that Hak-gyu grew more interested and he raised his power to the 6th level.
‘This will be difficult unless he’s a full-fledged super master. Can he stop this by force?’
Kwakaaa!
The floor around Mumu’s feet cracked.
The students who watched it held their breaths.
The veins on Mumu’s wrist were swelling.
‘This mister is strong.’
He was as strong as Jin-hyuk’s second teacher.
And didn’t he turn the bands on his wrists to 6 to deal with that man’s annoying behavior?
However, if the man used more strength, Mumu wasn’t in a situation where he could turn the bands like he did back then.
It was then.
‘Nice. He’s making me go up to the 7th level.’
If it was level 7, then it was the Super Master Level.
Hak-gyu raised his power.
At that moment, Mumu couldn’t stand it and fell.
Bang!
The floor around Mumu dug in.
Mumu’s eyes twinkled while he was on the floor.
This man seemed like he could withstand Mumu even with the dials turned down to 6.
‘Should I try again?’
The moment he thought that, Hak-gyu held out his hand.
“You’re amazing. I’m embarrassed.”
“Huh?”
“I was taught that there should be a balance between internal and external energy, but I always practiced internal energy more, but seeing you, I understand the importance of external energy.”
He didn’t know what the man was talking about.
Hak-gyu continued to talk to Mumu who was puzzled.
“You’re qualified to pass the first entrance test of the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy. Come in.”
“In?”
“Yes. You have been permitted by the Strong Simple First, Hak-gyu, the supervisor of the first test.”
Hak-gyu said while pounding his chest.
“Then… the gate doesn’t need to be reimbursed?”
“Reimbursed?”
Hak-gyu burst out into laughter at Mumu’s question.
Contrary to how it seemed, there was a naïve side to the kid.
“Were you worried about this all this time?”
“It looked expensive.”
“It was expensive. We don’t need reimbursement though, and what can we do when you pass the exam? Don’t worry about it and go on in.”
“Is it really fine?”
Mumu double checked.
Hak-gyu nodded saying that it was fine and then asked.
“Is the first Mu in Mumu your last name?”
“No. Mumu’s my full name.”
“So you don’t have a last name?”
“My father’s last name is Yu, so I guess it’s Yu.”
“Yu? May I know Mr. Yu’s name?”
Among those with Yu as their family name, few were Murim warriors.
And he was curious because of the muscles that were on the kid’s body.
Mumu replied.
“My father’s name? Yu Yeop-kyung.”
“Yu Yeop-kyung?”
Where did he hear that?
Hak-gyu, who thought for a moment, remembered.
‘Ugh?’
The father of Yu Jin-sung, who graduated from the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy, was Yu Yeop-kyung.
The man, whose name had been cleared.
“What kind of relationship do you have with Imperial Inspection Censor, Yu Jin-sung?”
“He’s my brother.”
“Ha!”
At Mumu’s answer, Hak-gyu patted his beard and sighed.
‘I see. I must be looking in the wrong place. This is the one.’
He thought that there would be no one else like Yu Jin-sung, but his words were wrong.
Truly amazing.
He heard that Mumu wasn’t from a Murim family, but this type of talented person was unexpected.
Hak-gyu looked at Mumu and said,
“Indeed the rumors were true. I’m looking forward to the future.”