Chapter 27

## Chapter 27. Are You the One?

"I thought the practical exam questions aren't revealed until the day before the exam?"

Aekyeonho asked, eyes wide open.

Mingyilo smiled as if he had expected this.

"Of course, but there were the previous new instructor exams at the Blue Dragon Academy, weren't there? I did some investigating when I arrived early... "

We realized how thoroughly Mingyilo had prepared for the practical exam after the interview.

Moreover, he was willing to share the information he had gathered with us.

But excessive kindness always has a reason.

I frowned and asked,

"Is it really okay to tell us this much? We're still competitors, after all."

Mingyilo laughed good-naturedly in response.

"Hehe. This much can be found out with a little investigation. If I fail the exam, it's because I'm not good enough, not because of anyone else. And besides..."

Mingyilo winked at us and said in a subtle voice,

"Even if I fail, there's always next time, but the opportunity to gain two good friends might not come again, right?"

'He's not just a good-natured fool.'

His intention was to build a good relationship with us even if he failed the exam.

'It's probably because of Aekyeonho. I'm just a bonus.'

He was a smart kid who had his own calculations.

I don't dislike people who are quick-witted and good at socializing.

I smiled and said,

"Alright. In exchange for all the information, Aekyeonho will pay for the drinks."

"…Why do you get to take the credit while I pay the money?"

We continued our conversation in a rather pleasant atmosphere as we left the interview room.

Until the student supervisor blocked our path.

"…Can you spare a moment?"

The student supervisor, with a fierce gaze, was asking me.

I tilted my head and asked,

"What's the matter…?"

"It won't take long. I have a question to ask quietly."

His tone was polite, but his blocking stance suggested he wouldn't step aside if I refused.

After a moment's thought, I told Aekyeonho to go to the inn first.

"Go ahead."

Ignoring the glances exchanged by Aekyeonho and Mingyilo, I followed the student supervisor.

He led me to a secluded spot behind an empty building and stopped.

"…I have one question."

The old man with white hair scrutinized my face and asked, trying to suppress his trembling voice.

"What is your father's name?"

"Father… why…"

At that moment, the story my father told me before leaving the White Wu Pavilion flashed through my mind.

-When you go to the Blue Dragon Academy, your maternal grandfather will be there.

Why did I only remember this now?

-That… is the student supervisor.

The words my father said kept coming back to me.

-I don't know how your grandfather will see you. He might like you because you resemble Yubing… or not.

-Or not?

"Does your father…"

My maternal grandfather, with a sharp gaze, asked,

"Does he use the surname Bai, with the characters for 'wu' and 'xun'?"

"…"

-He might try to kill me because I resemble him.

I swallowed hard and looked at the sword at my grandfather's waist.

* * *

"Why aren't you answering? Surely you know your father's name…"

The student supervisor's white eyebrows twitched.

From his weathered face, I could sense a firm and stubborn personality.

I recalled the name of my maternal grandfather that my father had mentioned.

Meijilian (梅極廉).

He had taught students at the Blue Dragon Academy for decades and was now the student supervisor, guiding students' behavior and etiquette.

An old man who had been at the Blue Dragon Academy longer than even the academy's head, Lord Guoshang, he was a living history of the academy.

…He is my maternal grandfather.

"Let me ask again. Is your father the scoundrel who uses the surname Bai, with the characters for 'wu' and 'xun'… or is he a person?"

…Father. What did you do to your father-in-law?

The way he spat out each character of the name was as if he was chewing on it.

Meijilian's anger was boiling coldly.

His aura was like a sharply honed sword.

'This old man… is impressive.'

Despite the awkward situation, I was admiring the martial artist standing before me.

Despite his aging body, he had an extremely well-trained physique and a stable, restrained aura.

Even compared to the head of the White Wu Pavilion, Huoyan Guo Tie Wu, whom I saw at the interview, he didn't seem inferior.

'But why is he just a student supervisor?'

This thought crossed my mind, but Meijilian didn't give me time to think deeply.

"Are you not going to answer? Or have you suddenly become mute?"

For someone so angry, he had remarkable patience.

Most people would have beaten me to get an answer.

"If you're not going to speak…"

But it seemed he was reaching his limit.

Meijilian's right hand was slowly moving towards the sword at his waist.

At the same time, his gaze became increasingly fierce.

'Lying won't get me anywhere. Might as well…'

After quickly organizing my thoughts, I bowed to Meijilian.

"Yes. My father uses the surname Bai, with the characters for 'wu' and 'xun'."

"Of course… Bai Wu Xun, you scoundrel…!"

Instantly, Meijilian's face turned red like a persimmon, and his expression twisted like a demon's.

He was undoubtedly seeing my father's old face in mine.

"How dare you… do you know where you are…!"

Meijilian, emotionally agitated, trembled.

I was worried he might collapse from the strain.

"Bai Wu Xun, you scoundrel…!"

…Father.

I am truly curious about your school days.

Sighing, I called out to Meijilian in a low voice.

"Grandfather."

"Who are you calling grandfather?!"

Meijilian drew his sword like a bolt of lightning and pointed it at my neck.

The intense killing intent made the hairs on my body stand on end.

He gritted his teeth and glared at me.

"If you call me that again… I'll cut out your tongue."

"…"

I didn't know the exact details of what happened 30 years ago.

Roughly, my father and mother met and fell in love at the academy, and they got married despite Meijilian's opposition.

After that, Meijilian disowned his only daughter and never met her again.

He didn't even come when she died.

That was all I knew.

'A stubborn martial artist with a strong sense of pride… He couldn't forgive his daughter for defying his will.'

Such martial artists would rather break than bend.

At the same time, they live their lives regretting their past actions.

But time can shake even the will of such martial artists.

The intense reaction to my calling him "Grandfather" was proof.

'If he really hated me, he would have reacted more coldly. Or chased me away immediately.'

"You…!"

But Meijilian only glared at me with a red face.

I was certain.

This old man didn't know how to deal with a blood relative he hadn't seen in 30 years.

One of the four masters who taught me martial arts had a similar story.

'Master Murong.'

Martial Sword Master Murong Hun.

He was the greatest swordsman in the world but felt guilty about his son all his life.

The Blood Sect used this guilt to make him enter the prison and took away his martial arts by threatening his son.

But the Blood Sect killed his son.

-Is my son… really dead?

Martial Sword Master only learned this after escaping the prison.

The look on his face when he realized this and looked at me is still vivid.

-…Did you know?

-…No, I didn't.

The Demon Mind kept this a secret, so I only learned that Martial Sword Master's son was dead then.

Martial Sword Master refused to believe it.

-…If you can prove my son is alive, if you bring him to me, I will leave quietly without holding a grudge. But if he is really dead…

That day, Martial Sword Master inflicted the greatest damage on the Blood Sect among the four masters.

"How did you end up here…!"

For a moment, Meijilian's face overlapped with Master Murong's.

He must be seeing Bai Wu Xun's face in mine.

Anyway, I'm suffering because of my lousy father.

"Grandfather."

"Shut up! I warned you…!"

Sighing, I looked him straight in the eye and said,

"My mother uses the surname Mei, with the characters for 'yao' and 'bing'. Cutting out my tongue won't change this fact."

"…"

The tip of the sword at my neck trembled.

A drop of blood formed at the tip, but I continued speaking.

"Your disrespectful grandson, Bai Shulong, greets you. Please forgive me for being so late."

The trembling sword tip gradually stopped.

I took a few steps back and bowed deeply to Meijilian.

"Please accept my bow."

Meijilian slowly lowered his sword and clenched his teeth. His eyes were already bloodshot.

"…Ha. You look like him. Your eyes, your hands, even your lips…"

The old man, who had been searching for his dead daughter's face in mine, asked,

"Why didn't you say so from