Chapter 69: The Beauty, Chouhui (2)
Watching Yong Hwarin light a fire without the slightest hint of struggle, Fan Yegok couldn’t help but admire him inwardly.
‘Which family is he from that he’s cultivated such profound internal energy?’
Soon, a subtle fragrance began to waft from the flame blooming from his palm, drifting into his nostrils.
‘This scent is Spiritual Fragrance, mixed with Dreaming Soul Elixir, which induces effects similar to that of Mount Gunja.’
Normally, a martial artist’s qi would falter under these conditions, and they’d extinguish the fire.
But Yong Hwarin kept it burning to the very end.
“It’s done. Two hours have passed. You’ve passed.”
Chouhui spoke in an excited tone as the young Yong Hwarin cleared the Third Martial Gate.
Though her voice was calm, Fan Yegok noticed that her tone wavered—something quite uncharacteristic of her.
‘Well, it’s the first time in a year that someone’s made it through the Third Martial Gate. I suppose that’s enough to make her react. But this is where it ends. At his age, he won’t be able to gate the Fourth Martial Gate.’
The woman inside the pavilion stood up and said,
“Uncle Fan, escort the young master into the main hall. He will now face the Fourth Martial Gate.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Fan Yegok replied respectfully, then turned to Yong Hwarin.
“Young master, please follow me.”
Yong Hwarin cupped his hands toward the woman in the pavilion, then followed Fan Yegok.
Once Yong Hwarin disappeared from sight, the woman in the pavilion murmured,
“There’s not a trace of selfish desire in his eyes. I can’t tell if he truly came here to see me.”
“He’s making an effort to appear that way. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for him to bring the Gold Plaque.”
Ihwa, the maid, replied as the woman in the pavilion pulled back the beaded curtain and revealed herself.
Her face remained hidden behind a veil, but her figure alone was enough to declare her a beauty.
To be considered a true beauty, one must possess both a lovely face and a graceful figure—Chouhui belonged firmly in that category.
“Let’s go. I’m curious to see if the young master can pass the Fourth Martial Gate.”
“It’s been such a long time since someone passed the Third Martial Gate.”
“Yes, that’s what makes it even more interesting.”
“Isn’t it because the young master is especially handsome that you’re curious?”
Ihwa teased, and Chouhui laughed so heartily that her veil fluttered.
“Hohoho. Honestly, that young master’s looks don’t quite match up to Namgung Soomyung’s. But his eyes were truly clear and deep. I like people with clear eyes.”
“Namgung Soomyung’s gaze was nice too, a year ago.”
A year ago, Namgung Soomyung had also challenged the test with the Gold Plaque. He passed the Third Martial Gate, but failed to break through the Fourth.
“Hohoho. His eyes were too full of ambition—it made me uncomfortable.”
“Well, I liked him just because he was handsome.”
“If you like him that much, go serve as a maid for the Namgung Clan.”
“Oh, you know I didn’t mean it, my lady.”
Chouhui, who had been joking with her maid, dropped her smile once the main hall came into view and walked toward where Yong Hwarin was waiting.
*
Yong Hwarin already knew that the Fourth Martial Gate was about the Seven Military Classics, and he also knew what the test entailed.
Sun Tzu of the Zhou Dynasty.
Wu Qi of the Warring States’ Wei Kingdom—author of “Wuzi”.
Sima Rangju of the Qi Kingdom—writer of “Sima’s Art of War”.
Wei Liaozi of the Zhou Dynasty.
Huang Shigong of the Han Dynasty—writer of “Three Strategies of Huang Shigong”.
Lü Wang of the Zhou Dynasty—author of “Six Secret Teachings”.
Li Jing of the Tang Dynasty—author of “Questions and Answers with Duke Li”.
These seven military texts were known as the Seven Military Classics.
The Fourth Martial Gate consisted of a series of questions and answers about the contents of these books.
But Yong Hwarin had read the Seven Military Classics dozens of times since long ago—he had mastered them thoroughly.
On top of that, after Chouhui disappeared in the future, the contents of the test were leaked through the mouths of those who had attempted it, so he was even familiar with the exact format.
Essentially, the Fourth Martial Gate was already as good as passed.
As he entered the room, Yong Hwarin smiled.
A beaded curtain like the one he’d seen in the pavilion hung in the front. Beside it stood Fan Yegok, who had entered quietly.
Fan Yegok was the only one who guarded Chouhui from such close distance.
After a short wait, Chouhui entered and sat down.
“Forgive the delay. I should have received the Gold Plaque challenger here, but I was in high spirits and stayed at the pavilion.”
“No need to concern yourself.”
Yong Hwarin replied nonchalantly.
“You’re quite a peculiar person, young master.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Judging by the Gold Plaque, it seems you came to see me. But it doesn’t look like you’re particularly interested in me.”
Chouhui’s suggestive remark made Yong Hwarin’s heart waver slightly.
Her voice carried a seductive charm capable of swaying hearts.
If one’s inner energy were disrupted due to the Dreaming Soul Elixir and Spiritual Fragrance mixture, it would be all too easy to fall prey to her charm technique.
“I’m simply focusing. Otherwise, how could I pass the Fifth Martial Gate? Seeing how no one speaks of passing it, I assume no one has. I have no leeway to divide my attention elsewhere.”
Chouhui chuckled softly.
“Hohoho, that’s not true. There are those who’ve passed it. They just never talked about it. Do you think no one ever has? There are many eccentrics in the world of martial arts.”
“Is that so?”
When Yong Hwarin merely gave a simple response and showed no interest in who had passed, Chouhui frowned slightly again.
‘What is his aim? Did he really come to see me?’
It was the first time a Gold Plaque challenger had shown so little interest in her, and that alone made him stand out in her mind.
After watching Yong Hwarin silently for a moment, she finally spoke.
“This will be the Fourth Martial Gate. It’s about the Seven Military Classics.”
When Yong Hwarin nodded, Chouhui called out toward the outside.
“Bring it in.”
Maid Ihwa entered, carrying a small table.
She placed it before Yong Hwarin and then stepped back.
“On that table are the Wujing—the Military Classics. All seven volumes.”
The seven military books that he had read countless times were neatly placed on the table.
But something felt strange.
Alongside the seven volumes, there was one more book—this one without a cover.
Counting again, he confirmed there were eight books in total, including the one without a cover.
‘I’ve never heard of a question like this before… the test content must’ve changed.’
In that instant, cold sweat ran down Yong Hwarin’s back.
The thought that the test content had changed brought a sudden wave of despair.
“I’ll ask you a question. Young master, if you were to add one more book to these seven volumes of the Wujing, what would it be? Please tell me the title and your reason for choosing it. If I find the title and reasoning valid upon hearing them, I’ll consider it a correct answer. Let me be clear—there is no absolute answer to this question. However, if your answer and reasoning are compelling enough to move the listener, then it will be deemed correct.”
Yong Hwarin closed his eyes.
He feared his expression would reveal the hopelessness surging within.
‘Why did the question change? If the question has changed, doesn’t that mean the future has changed as well?’
Suddenly, a wild thought crossed his mind.
‘If the Fourth Martial Gate’s contents have changed, then the Fifth’s likely has too. Will I even be able to pass the Fifth Martial Gate?’
But that wasn’t the most pressing issue at the moment. Right now, what mattered was getting through the Fourth.
Yong Hwarin took a deep breath and focused on the question.
‘What is Chouhui really trying to say? Does she truly want me to bring up a military classic outside the Seven Military Classics?’
There were plenty of other excellent military texts besides the Wujing.
There were the writings of Zhuge Liang, and the Art of War by Sun Bin, who was the grandson of Sun Tzu.
There were also the military texts of Cao Cao and Sima Yi—plenty of possible answers outside the core seven.
‘If it were something that simple, she wouldn’t have asked this kind of question.’
Yong Hwarin opened his eyes and looked at the small table before him.
And then it struck him—Chouhui’s true intent flashed through his mind.
‘The table… and the Seven Military Classics. Could that be what she’s hinting at?’
If the test was already different from what he remembered in the future, he couldn’t rely on those memories. He had to solve it now, using only his present insight and intelligence.
‘I need to seriously consider why they brought in the Wujing placed neatly atop a table. That’s the key.’
As he looked at the table and the Seven Military Classics, an old story resurfaced in his mind.
There was a battle that had changed the tide of the Warring States period: the Battle of Changping between the Zhao and Qin kingdoms.
That battle led to the fall of Zhao and the rise of Qin. At the time, Zhao’s commander-in-chief was Zhao Kuo, the son of the renowned general Zhao She.
There was only one reason Zhao Kuo had been appointed commander-in-chief.
He had mastered military theory even more thoroughly than his famed father, so much so that even Zhao She couldn’t refute his arguments. His talents were recognized, and he was thus appointed.
Zhao Kuo led 400,000 Zhao troops into battle against Qin’s legendary general Bai Qi, but was shot and killed, and it was said all 400,000 troops were buried alive.
The person who opposed Zhao Kuo’s appointment was unexpected.
It was his mother. When she heard that her son would become a general, she quoted her late husband’s will, warning, “If you use Zhao Kuo, who speaks too easily of war and has no real experience, defeat is inevitable.”
But her protest was ignored.
Eventually, Zhao Kuo became commander-in-chief, changed all the military orders and strategies set by his predecessor Lian Po, and recklessly advanced—only to fall for Bai Qi’s strategic deception and suffer a crushing defeat.
This story became a cautionary tale about “discussing warfare only through books” and is often cited as an example of armchair theory.
No matter how well-versed one is in military texts, if that knowledge is only from books and not backed by real experience, it becomes meaningless.
‘That’s it… Chouhui gave me a hint. She wants me to infer the answer by observing the table.’
“Have you thought of an answer? If you were to add one more military classic, what would it be?”
Chouhui pressed for a response, seemingly growing impatient.
“Yes.”
“Oh! Really? And what would that be?”
Yong Hwarin’s answer might not be what Chouhui was looking for. But it was the best conclusion he could reach right now.
“If I were to add one last military classic…”
The room was immediately shrouded in silence. Not only Ihwa, but even the guard Fan Yegok was staring at Yong Hwarin.
Yong Hwarin gazed quietly at the beaded curtain and then continued.
“I would say… Experience.”
“Ah!”
“Mmm!”
A soft exclamation came from behind the curtain, and a suppressed hum escaped from outside. In that moment, Yong Hwarin knew—his answer had hit the mark.
“Why do you consider ‘Experience’ a military classic? Please tell me your reasoning.”
Chouhui’s voice trembled slightly despite her effort to sound composed, and Yong Hwarin savored it inwardly.
He referenced the story of Zhao Kuo to explain why Experience must be considered on par with any military classic.
Even if it wasn’t the “correct” answer, the logic was so thoroughly sound that no one could call it wrong.
Both maid Ihwa and guard Fan Yegok nodded in agreement as he finished.
When his explanation came to an end, silence returned to the room.