Nine pairs of eyes fixed on Baek Woo Jin.
He met each of their gazes with a cheerful smile.
He could sense a few unfriendly gazes. The most resentful gaze came from Peng Ja In, the daughter of the Peng clan of Hebei.
Her nickname, “Fallen Phoenix”, had been given to her after she barely secured a place among the winners through the consolation rounds. It was a nickname that the audience had attached to her ever since she had half-heartedly confessed to Baek Woo Jin and proposed that they train together, only to be rejected.
It’s a completely understandable look, hmm.
He felt he could easily embrace her resentment. In fact, he even felt a slight twinge of guilt and sympathy for her.
Namgong Soo was also glaring at him openly. His gaze was more filled with dissatisfaction than resentment. It was as if he refused to acknowledge Baek Woo Jin’s place as a Divine Dragon.
Baek Woo Jin curled one side of his mouth into a smirk and met his eyes.
Just wait a little longer.
He had already ordered the Hao Sect disciple to find the guy who wanted to keep him from reaching the finals, but in his heart, Baek Woo Jin had already singled out Namgong Soo as the culprit.
There was no one else who would orchestrate such a scheme against him but that man.
He was simply holding back for now, waiting until solid evidence was in his hands so he could expose everything completely when the time came.
As he continued to meet eyes with people one by one, his gaze briefly locked with Yoo Hwa Yeon who sat quietly in the middle. Contrary to the grand title of Jeongmu’s Flower, her face looked haggard and her radiance seemed faded.
It was a relationship that held no benefit in getting involved. Baek Woo Jin quickly turned his head and shifted his gaze away.
Another peculiar gaze met his. It was Kang Jin, who like Peng Ja In, had barely managed to grab the position of Dragon in the consolation match.
Are those human eyes?
His eyes were very clouded. At a glance, they appeared dull, but when you looked deeper, there was an eerie aura you couldn’t quite grasp.
It wasn’t like this when he fought Namgong Soo…
He had closely observed Namgong Soo’s match, so it remained clear in his memory. At that time, Kang Jin’s eyes were nothing like this.
I don’t know.
It bothered him, but he couldn’t judge someone based on their eyes alone. He decided to keep Kang Jin in mind and observe him a bit more before he ended his thoughts.
He exchanged a light nod with Han Baek, Jeon Rang, and Ja Ryeong. He had no connection with them, nor any particular feelings, so it felt like a simple gesture of acknowledgment.
As for Hwangbo Jun Geol, he couldn’t meet his eyes properly. The shock from Baek Woo Jin’s suggestion to overhaul his clan’s martial arts must have hit him hard, and he avoided making eye contact entirely.
The last person he greeted, and the one he was most pleased to see, was Myeong Jin.
“Myeong Jin, it’s been a while.”
“Haha! It looks like you’ve gotten even stronger.”
“Can you tell?”
“It’s obvious. I’m not sure how long I can last if we fought right now.”
Despite the humble words, his eyes were burning with fighting spirit, he was eager for a match even now.
“Let’s exchange blows when we have time.”
“You must keep that promise.”
Myeong Jin’s overly serious tone made Baek Woo Jin smile wryly.
Among those gathered, Myeong Jin was the only one who greeted him warmly and with genuine goodwill.
Just as the atmosphere seemed to grow a little more pleasant, it was interrupted.
“We didn’t gather here just to exchange pleasantries.”
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the blunt voice.
It was Namgong Soo.
Baek Woo Jin sighed loudly as if making sure everyone could hear him.
“There’s always someone who ruins a good mood.”
Though it was muttered as if to himself, everyone present knew exactly who the comment was aimed at.
Namgong Soo’s face twisted in anger as he slammed the table.
“You…!”
Baek Woo Jin’s gaze shifted coldly toward him.
“Hey.”
Namgong Soo, who had been growling like he was ready to tear into Baek Woo Jin at any moment, hesitated. He tried to hide it, but he couldn’t shake the memory of Baek Woo Jin’s fist, as large as a cauldron lid, from the last time they fought before he lost consciousness. It haunted him still.
“If you don’t like it, why don’t you become a Divine Dragon yourself?”
Namgong Soo’s face instantly flushed red.
He glared at Baek Woo Jin while gritting his teeth, then looked away. He realized that there was nothing to gain from continuing the argument as the loser.
Baek Woo Jin’s annoyed gaze turned to everyone.
“I’ll just say one thing before we start.”
He lifted his body, which had been practically sunk into the back of his chair. Then he placed his arms on the table before he continued.
“If you want the Divine Dragon’s position, come at me anytime. As long as I am free, I’ll take you on.”
There was a duty for those holding the Dragon and Phoenix titles.
At least once per semester, they were required to accept the challenges from the regular students who aimed for their position; no exceptions were allowed.
Of course, not just anyone could challenge them. It goes without saying that the basic grades had to be excellent, and only the students who received permission from the instructor in charge could challenge for the position of the Dragon and Phoenix.
However, the Divine Dragon was free from challenges by regular students. Instead, they had to accept the challenges from the Dragon and Phoenix who were quickly closing in from below.
This rule was set with the hope that the Dragon and Phoenix, who were to lead the martial arts world in the future, wouldn’t grow complacent.
“So let’s not waste time picking fights over words. We’re not kids, right?”
“Hahaha! Then allow this humble monk to be the first to challenge—”
“No, you can’t”
“Th-That can’t be…”
Myeong Jin sank into despair.
The two of them seemed to be enjoying themselves, but the atmosphere for the rest was not so pleasant.
He wanted to keep things lighthearted, but no one seemed to be helping.
“Since this doesn’t seem like the time for chit-chat, let’s wrap this up quickly.”
After saying that, Baek Woo Jin pulled the paper in front of him and picked up a brush.
He began writing down the names he had in mind, one by one, on the paper.
It didn’t take long, as he wrote quickly with bold strokes. Baek Woo Jin held up the paper for everyone to see and spoke.
“The names written here, I’m taking them. Anyone have objections?”
The nine people who checked the names on the paper all showed expressions of confusion.
The first to speak was Myeong Jin.
“Young Master Baek, are you really planning to form a team like this?”
“Yeah.”
“But this is… too few.”
Each grade consisted of about two hundred students. This meant that each team was typically composed of twenty members, forming a total of ten teams under the Dragons and Phoenixes.
There was a limit to how many people one could bring along. Many teams didn’t even reach the full twenty members. Still, most would at least try to fill the number by including those who weren’t originally considered, as each person served as a valuable resource.
Once a team was formed, it wasn’t set in stone. As long as there was mutual agreement, members could be recruited from or sent to other teams.
And this wasn’t limited to students of the same grade. If both sides agreed, members could even be exchanged with senior teams, such as those in the third or fourth year.
However, the list of names Baek Woo Jin handed over had only three names. It was clear that he intended to form a team with just four members including Baek Woo Jin, the team leader.
“Young Master Baek… are you really planning to form a team like this?”
Even Ja Ryeong, who had only just exchanged greetings with him moments ago, couldn’t help but object. He felt that something wasn’t right.
Baek Woo Jin responded as if to reassure them,
“A large group is a hassle for me. This number is enough for the team I want.”
Though larger teams certainly came with many advantages, the disadvantages were just as clear.
Baek Woo Jin understood this better than anyone, which is why he reached this conclusion.
What he sought were comrades he could truly trust, even in life-or-death battles. He didn’t need anything else beyond that.
“If that’s Young Master Baek’s decision, then I suppose there’s no stopping you…”
Myeong Jin who had been worried for Baek Woo Jin until the very end finally agreed.
“Then it’s settled. From now on, the people on this list are my team members.”
And so, the smallest team in history, the Divine Dragon Team, was born.
***
With only a short time to go before the new year started, the students who had taken a short break during the holidays began to gather again to prepare for the new academic year.
A letter had arrived at the dormitory of the soon-to-be second-year students.
“Oh, so this is it…!”
The letter delivered under the name of the academy contained information about which team each student would be living and working with from now on.
After the Dragons and Phoenixes submitted their preferred team members, those who weren’t chosen were automatically assigned at the discretion of the instructors.
Most of the students who nervously accepted the letter found themselves part of this automatic assignment, having no ties to the Dragons or Phoenixes.
Gu Wang Soo was also among them.
“How did this happen to me…!”
Just a few months ago, he had been certain his name would be on the list of Namgong Soo’s team.
But that all shattered after he picked a fight with Baek Woo Jin. Ever since he was humiliatingly defeated in class, his standing among his peers had collapsed. And after being utterly crushed once more in the Dragon and Phoenix Martial Arts Tournament, he had fallen so far that he couldn’t even trail behind Namgong Soo anymore.
Everything he had worked for over the past year was gone.
He was now a complete outcast. The people he had been close with since joining the academy had left him to follow Namgong Soo, and there was no place for him among the tightly-knit cliques that had formed.
Because of this, he had taken to packing his meals from the cafeteria and eating alone in his dormitory.
Suddenly, his eyes filled with tears.
“Damn it all…!”
It was all because of Baek Woo Jin, that bastard!
“That bastard! That son of a b*tch!”
After cursing until his anger subsided, Gu Wang Soo finally calmed down and unfolded the letter as if he was resigned to whatever it might say.
“It’s already a ruined life anyway! It doesn’t matter where I go… huh?”
As he read the brief contents, Gu Wang Soo’s eyes gradually widened.
“You have been assigned to the Divine Dragon Team led by Jade-Faced Divine Dragon Baek Woo Jin …?”
The letter stated that he had been placed in the Divine Dragon Team, led by none other than Baek Woo Jin, the very person he had just been furiously cursing at.
At the end of the letter, there was an additional line that seemed to be left by Baek Woo Jin.
“How are you doing, Gwang Soo-ah?”
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