Chapter 38
“What the…”
“Don’t tell me he’s a master who has achieved rejuvenation?”
“…!”
The newly appointed instructor.
In other words, the students of the White Martial Academy, upon seeing So-ah’s appearance, murmured with bewildered faces.
Of course, So-ah’s friends and Namgung Mun, who understood the current situation, were composed, but the students who had not expected it could not help but be astonished.
‘He’s so young, yet he’s an instructor?’
‘He studied under the God of War, Moyong Cheon… so he’s really the God of War’s top disciple?’
‘This is too much of a parachute appointment. An instructor at that age!’
The students’ complaints were perhaps natural.
But So-ah, knowing that, continued to speak without caring.
“I know you are all surprised. I was also skeptical about the appointment of an instructor at first. But after much deliberation, I decided to accept the Martial Alliance’s proposal and become the chief instructor. This is because I have set my mind on guiding the rising generation.”
“…”
“What the…”
“Look at him showing off…”
“Booo!!!”
“Does this make sense! A chief instructor of the White Martial Academy at an age where he hasn’t even reached his prime! There’s a limit to parachute appointments!”
“I can’t accept it!”
As expected.
The students’ backlash was much more severe than that of the other instructors.
“Everyone, be quiet!”
Eun Min-min stepped forward and warned the students.
At that, the grumbling subsided a little, but a sense of dissatisfaction still remained on most of their faces.
‘It won’t be smooth sailing, but…’
But So-ah did not lose his composure.
‘It seems like it will be fun. Haha.’
“I thought your resistance would be strong. But I am fully prepared to handle it. Someone said it. The Jianghu is a place that operates on the logic of power.”
In a moment of silence, the students’ gazes were fixed on So-ah’s face.
The words ‘logic of power’ were excellent at capturing the attention of the hot-blooded rising generation.
“If the Jianghu really operates on the logic of power! I have judged that I can exist as your instructor.”
‘What?!’
‘Is that a word or a fart?’
‘So he’s saying his martial arts are the best! Is that it?’
So-ah’s words were like pouring oil on the students’ fiery hearts.
Those with a strong competitive spirit even felt like challenging So-ah right away.
“I know that your distrust of me is strong. But I will erase that distrust with my skills. In martial arts, how you train is more important than what martial arts you learn. I may not be able to pass down a profound martial art to you, but I will help you build the endurance, insight, and perseverance to become a strong person, and a body that can withstand training. I will be the designated instructor of the Human division among the Heaven, Earth, and Human divisions from now on, but anyone who wants to become strong, regardless of their division, is welcome to come to me at any time. Of course, any other business is also welcome. Even if it means verifying my skills.”
Even while speaking at length, So-ah did not tremble at all and spoke each character leisurely.
‘Was So-ah such a fluent speaker?’
‘Senior Brother speaks well!’
It was to the point where Tang Hwa-rin and Moyong Hwa had such thoughts.
But Myo-seon, who had known since So-ah was young that he was much smarter and more eloquent than ordinary people, just smiled gently instead of being surprised.
‘Jin So-ah! You’re back.’
Myo-seon had worried about So-ah, who would be left alone in the Samryun Peak estate after his grandfather passed away, every day.
But today, seeing So-ah’s confident and dignified debut in the Jianghu, a warm breeze arose in a corner of her heart as a childhood friend.
Just then.
“Young Master Jin.”
Someone in the crowd opened his mouth softly.
But a wisp of internal energy was contained in that soft voice, so everyone in the training ground could hear it clearly.
The owner of the voice was none other than Namgung Mun.
“Who?”
So-ah’s gaze turned to Namgung Mun.
For a moment, Namgung Mun felt humiliated.
‘That bastard!’
So-ah and Namgung Mun had met four years ago when the Young Heroes Tournament was held in Liaoning.
At that time, the two had gone to a situation of being on the verge of a clash, so there was no way So-ah would have forgotten Namgung Mun’s face.
But So-ah deliberately pretended not to know Namgung Mun.
This was to effectively provoke him.
“Don’t you remember? Four years ago. We had a chat at the after-party of the Jianghu Heroes Tournament, didn’t we?”
“Aha! I think I remember. Your name is Namgung Mun? Namgung Daemun? Anyway, I think it was something like that.”
At those words, So-ah’s friends almost burst out laughing, but they suppressed their laughter after seeing Namgung Mun’s flushed face.
Four years ago, Namgung Mun had openly criticized the Moyong Family and So-ah.
Remembering that time, So-ah had a strong desire to tease Namgung Mun.
But Namgung Mun’s scheming was also not to be underestimated.
Although he could have gotten angry, Namgung Mun calmly spoke again.
“Huhu, Young Master Jin. Your joke is going too far.”
“Hmm… it’s not a joke.”
“…”
“And, Mr. Namgung?”
“…”
“Strictly speaking, I am an instructor and you are a student. Please be careful with your words. From now on, please use the title of Instructor Jin instead of Young Master Jin.”
A heavy silence flowed.
Namgung Mun was furious at So-ah’s ridicule, but strictly speaking, So-ah was an instructor.
And a chief instructor at that.
Since he could not dare to openly and officially protest, he just stared at So-ah with terrifying eyes.
“Instructor Jin.”
“Yes, Mr. Namgung. No, Young Master Namgung?”
“Can you take responsibility for your own words?”
“What kind of?”
“The words that we can come to you at any time for any business, even if it is to verify your skills.”
“Of course. No, you are welcome. Especially to you, Young Master Namgung.”
—Murmur, murmur!
The situation was getting interesting.
The students looked back and forth between So-ah and Namgung Mun with curious gazes.
“But you’ll have to come with a firm resolve.”
Seeing So-ah’s rising lips, Moyong Hwa became worried for some reason.
‘Senior Brother is making a big scene… Senior Brother! Do you have a plan or something?!’
***
White Martial Academy Chief Instructor’s Annex.
Around the hour of the Monkey.
In the afternoon, at the instructor’s meeting, So-ah assigned Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su to the Human division, which he was in charge of, among the Heaven, Earth, and Human divisions.
Originally, both Moyong Hwa and Moyong Su were scheduled to be assigned to the Earth division, considering that they were from the Five Great Families, but So-ah had deliberately changed their assignment to the one-step lower Human division.
—Knock, knock.
Just then, someone knocked on the door of the annex.
When he opened the door, familiar faces were revealed.
“Young Master Jin!”
“Jin So-ah!”
“So-ah.”
The Tang siblings and Myo-seon.
And…
“Brother Jin!”
“How long has it been!”
“Kya! Brother Jin, you look good!”
Four years ago, the trio of Paeng Seong-un, Seok Won, and Eon Yeong-je, who had been taught a lesson by So-ah in Liaoning, had also come to see So-ah.
“Haha! You’ve all come. Come in!”
So-ah’s face brightened as he saw the familiar faces.
And so, for a while, So-ah chatted with his old acquaintances and reminisced about the past.
“By the way, Young Master Jin. I guess I should call you Chief Instructor Jin instead of Young Master Jin now.”
Tang Il-gi said with a smiling face.
At that, So-ah waved his hand.
“We’ve known each other for a few years, so there’s no need to be so formal. Just call me So-ah comfortably from now on!”
“Haha, how can I do that to you, Young Master Jin? Your martial arts, your character. On top of that, your seniority in the Jianghu might be higher than mine. Then I’ll just call you Young Master Jin as before.”
Tang Il-gi, as befitting a cultured and upright person of the Tang Clan, never spoke down to So-ah.
But So-ah called Tang Il-gi a little differently than before.
“Then do so, Brother Tang. Haha.”
‘Brother Tang…!’
Tang Il-gi felt like he was flying on cloud nine when So-ah treated him as an older brother, but he had to work hard to suppress his rising lips because it was embarrassing to show it openly.
Just then, Tang Hwa-rin patted So-ah’s shoulder and spoke.
“Jin So-ah! You’ve really made it big. I guess I can’t even eat at the same table with you now. A chief instructor! I knew you would become like this from the beginning.”
“Made it big? I haven’t even started yet. By the way, I looked at the student status board, and Brother Seok, Brother Paeng, and Brother Eon are still in the Earth division. Since you’re friends with Brother Tang, I thought you would be in the same Heaven division.”
So-ah’s gaze turned to Paeng Seong-un’s group.
At that, they lowered their heads and said in a subdued voice.
“Th-Brother Jin…”
“We, you see…”
“Ah, that is, our martial arts suddenly stopped improving… I wonder if we lack talent. Sigh… anyway, that’s why we failed to advance to the Heaven division, Brother Jin…”
That’s right.
To belong to the Heaven division, a promotion procedure was necessary.
Of course, the martial arts of the Paeng Seong-un trio were not that shabby.
Just four years ago, they were outstanding enough in martial arts to be called among the top ten rising stars of their peers.
But the Heaven division was a kind of elite class, and no more than 20 people could be promoted.
In other words, it meant that among the twenty-something generation of the current White Martial Academy, there were at least 20 people who were more outstanding in martial arts than the Paeng Seong-un trio or had a very outstanding background.
“Hmm… then Brother Paeng, Brother Seok, Brother Eon, Myo-seon, and Hwa-rin are all in the Earth division?”
At So-ah’s question, this time, Tang Hwa-rin answered.
“That’s right. Of course, Young Lady Myo-seon will be promoted to the Heaven division this time.”
“Really?”
As So-ah asked Myo-seon, Myo-seon nodded her head.
“Yeah. Instructor Jong Jin-do recommended me for promotion. But I don’t care where I am. Anyway, there are almost no students who want to learn martial arts at the White Martial Academy. It doesn’t make sense to teach martial arts in a unified way when the roots of each sect are different. It’s just that if you become a member of the Heaven division, you’ll be given more opportunities to be active as a member of the Alliance.”
“Hmm… my thoughts are a little different.”
“Huh?”
“It will be different from now on. You can become much stronger even at the White Martial Academy.”
At So-ah’s words, his friends stared at him with questioning eyes.
“Don’t you all want to become stronger?”
It was a rather out-of-place question.
Tang Hwa-rin pouted her lips and asked So-ah.
“What are you talking about? We’re martial artists, so of course we want to become stronger!”
“Then you’re in the Human division.”
“What?”
“Six months. I’ll make you much stronger in six months.”
“Haha, Jin So-ah. You’re a good joker. How can you become much stronger in six months? Are you planning to steal some elixir or something?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“Infinite stamina, body remodeling.”
“Infinite stamina, body remodeling?”
“Yeah. It’s my grandfather’s educational philosophy.”
Only then did his friends seem to understand So-ah’s words.
Myo-seon said with an amused face.
“So-ah, are you really going to play the role of a teacher properly?”
“For now. I was originally going to focus on helping my junior sister and junior brother, but come to think of it, I can also help my friends, and it would be fun to train the students of the Human division that I’m in charge of. I have to be active according to my uncle’s will, and I also have to raise the prestige of the family, so wouldn’t it be good in many ways?”
“That’s a good idea.”
“I’ve already assigned my junior sister and junior brother to the Human division. If you have any thoughts, let me know. I’ll move you to a different division after an instructor’s meeting.”
Hearing So-ah’s words, Myo-seon snapped her fingers.
“Alright! Then instead of the Heaven division, I’ll go to the Human division that you’re in charge of, So-ah. What the heck, I’ll just get some teachings from Jin So-ah.”
In fact, Myo-seon had only heard that So-ah’s martial arts were outstanding, but she had never seen them in person, so she was more curious than anyone.
Therefore, she had a strong desire to train with So-ah on this occasion.
Although it was absurd to go to the Human division, which was below the Earth division, when she was about to be promoted to the Heaven division, Myo-seon was not even interested in such things.
Just then.
“Me too, me too! Is it really true that I’ll become much stronger in six months?”
“I’m sure of it. Hwa-rin.”
“Brother Jin… is it really true? Can I really become like that?”
“Then I’ll also enter the Human division and train with you, Brother Jin!”
“Me too!”
Starting with Myo-seon, even Tang Hwa-rin and the Paeng Seong-un trio raised their hands.
At that, So-ah curled up the corners of his mouth.
“Alright! I’ll help you achieve infinite stamina and body remodeling in six months.”
In that moment.
‘Hah… I’m the only one left…’
Now only Tang Il-gi was left.
Tang Il-gi was currently in the Heaven division, and even within the Heaven division, he was evaluated as the most outstanding master except for Namgung Mun and one or two others.
In the midst of his deliberation, So-ah’s fist gang, which had shattered the Ghost Demon Jiangshi, suddenly flashed in Tang Il-gi’s mind.
‘That’s right… if I train with Young Master Jin, I will be able to make great progress!’
Tang Il-gi made up his mind.
“Ahem… Young Master Jin. I also want to train with you. Can you teach me? I will enter the Human division!”
His friends’ eyes widened.
“Of course, Brother tang!”
(End of Chapter)