Chapter 84
“What did you just say?”
“You’re appointing all of us as officials?”
“Is this for real?”
The next day.
So-ah called the students together early and briefly explained the contents of the previous day’s meeting.
In particular, when he told them that all the students of the Human Division would be appointed as new officials without a single omission, they asked back with disbelieving faces.
“That’s right. The duel win rate was good, and thanks to Brother Beon-pal’s consideration, we were able to retrieve the goods of the Daemyeong Escort Agency and deliver them to Shaolin, so our contribution was recognized. I should send Brother Beon-pal a gift. Keke.”
‘Ugh…’
‘Brother Beon-pal…’
‘Is that really what he said?!’
Even in their surprise, the students felt a sense of foreignness when the words ‘Brother Beon-pal’ came out of So-ah’s mouth.
Although they knew they had become sworn brothers, it was still not easy for them to get used to a young man of the Orthodox Path calling a Ten Great Master of the Unorthodox Path ‘brother.’
But that sense of foreignness was only for a moment.
Soon, the entire Human Division erupted in cheers.
“So we’re all becoming officials?”
“That’s right! Of course!”
“Hey! Is this a dream or reality?”
“Yahoo!!”
“This is crazy! To think that all these trashy bastards are becoming officials of the Martial Alliance. Is this for real?!”
“What? Why are we trash, you brat. We’re the top talents of the academy!”
“Ugh. Stop being so full of yourself.”
“Shut up!”
“Kuhuhu.”
“Kikikik.”
Seeing the faces of such students, So-ah couldn’t help but draw a pleased smile.
But soon, So-ah’s face
Ssk.
It began to change into that of a wicked demon.
‘Why is that human’s expression like that again?’
‘I’m anxious.’
At the same time, the students’ gazes trembled slightly.
As expected.
“You all remember, right?”
“…”
“That I would show you hell if you didn’t win the duel.”
In the end, what was bound to happen had happened.
Just then, Moyong Hwa glared at So-ah and confronted him.
“Senior Brother… isn’t that too much? Still, we all passed, so can’t you just let it go?”
At that, the students who had been silent also began to rebel one by one.
“That’s right! We’re also students who are about to be appointed as officials. Isn’t that too much?”
“You have to be moderate. Tsk tsk.”
“The evil instructor Jin So-ah, step down!”
Look at these brats.
Now that their appointment as officials is certain, they don’t even care about me?!
It was to the point of being absurd.
But as if he couldn’t help the smile that was leaking from the corners of his mouth, So-ah snickered and shouted loudly.
“Alright. I’ll let that part go. Instead, there will be the last training of the ‘hell instructor.’ To Manhwa Peak at full speed! The last one will be threshed, so run!”
At that.
“I don’t want to.”
“Hmph! What’s the reason?”
“We’re not training anymore, instructor.”
While there were students who stood there like wooden statues and sneered at So-ah…
On the other hand.
“R-Run!”
“If you’re last, you’ll shit… shit blood!”
“I’m going first!”
As if they were going to perform a desperate group action, students who quickly changed their attitude and followed their instincts began to appear.
‘As expected, it’s Seok Won, Paeng Seong-un, and Eon Yeong-je. Keke.’
As Seok Won’s group began to rush towards Manhwa Peak like a ray of light with terrified faces.
“I… I’m going too.”
“In times like this, you have to just listen and see.”
“It’s impossible to defy that human in the first place!”
One by one, additional dropouts began to appear, and soon, weren’t most of the students flying away like arrows?
In the end.
“Oh. You guys are going to defy me until the end? Is it okay for me to take it that way?”
“…”
“Han Baek-ah… I’m sorry. I’m just going to go.”
“Good luck, Han Baek!”
After the last remaining students also left, only Han Baek was left in front of So-ah.
“Hehe… hehehe…”
“Why… are you laughing?”
“Instructor. I stayed behind to assist you. You know that, right?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hey! What do you mean, you don’t know! Let’s go slowly too. It’s the last training, you said. Hehehe.”
“I’m an evil instructor, so I don’t know about such things.”
“Don’t be like that…”
“I can’t hear you.”
After leaving a sly remark, So-ah’s body scattered into afterimages and disappeared.
The stamina and mountain climbing speed of the students of the Human Division were almost at a similar level, except for Namgung Mun, Tang Il-gi, and Myo-seon.
In other words, it meant that Han Baek’s last place was almost certain.
‘Bastards with no loyalty. Ugh!’
***
Manhwa Peak.
The place they had climbed every day.
‘This is the last time I’ll do this.’
‘I’ve really shit blood until now…’
‘Come to think of it, it’s a truly beautiful place.’
After taking a breath, looking at the strangely soaring strange rocks, the distant cliffs, and the blooming flowers and bushes, the students were filled with a strange emotion.
“You’ve all worked hard. The blood and sweat you shed here. Don’t forget it, and even after you become officials, and also after you return to your respective sects. Never neglect your training. Habit is second nature, so you’ll be able to endure even extreme training well now.”
For some reason, a heartwarming remark came out of So-ah’s mouth, and the students’ expressions also brightened.
Just then.
Namgung Mun said in a serious voice.
“The teachings of Instructor Jin. I will never forget them for the rest of my life.”
At that.
“Brother Namgung. I heard that you, as the top student, will be selected as at least a thousand-man commander-level official. You’ll be busy with public and private affairs from now on, right? Huhu.”
‘Did Instructor Jin just call Namgung Mun ‘brother’?!’
‘My goodness…’
‘Look at him trying to act cool. I almost threw up.’
The students pouted at So-ah’s uncharacteristic attitude.
But in the case of So-ah’s friends, it was different.
‘That’s how So-ah originally is.’
That’s right.
Although he had been forced to receive honorifics due to his position and had spoken down to all the students except for Tang Il-gi, in fact, So-ah had long since regarded them as friends.
“Instructor Jin…”
“Ah! From now on, everyone throw away the word ‘instructor’ down the cliff! From now on, let’s be comfortable, comfortable! Huh? I’ll do the same.”
It was an unconventional statement.
Of course.
‘But I’ll have to be polite, right? Once an instructor, always an instructor. Keke.’
On the one hand, So-ah was having such a thought.
But his prediction was completely wrong.
“Is that for real, So-ah?”
“From now on, comfortably, comfortably?”
“But since you’re a year older than me, I should call you ‘hyung,’ right? Brother Jin! Kekeke.”
The students, who had been told to be comfortable, immediately dropped their formal speech without a moment’s hesitation.
Among them, there was one who was truly unique, and that was Han Baek.
“Kikik! So-ah. You brat. Hey, you brat! Kuhaha! No take-backs, okay? From now on, it’s really comfortable…”
—Thwack!
“Aaaaaaack!”
So-ah’s club came down on the head of Han Baek, who had started to cross the line.
“I said to be comfortable, did I say to be rude? This brat, why is there always no middle ground with him? Huh?!”
So-ah shook his head, fed up, and glanced at Han Baek.
‘He always picks on me… you bad guy!’
The students, who found the bickering between the two amusing, all chuckled.
“Anyway, from now on, the Human Division is unofficially disbanded. Tonight, let’s all gather and have a good drink. Everyone gather at my residence at the hour of the Rooster. Got it?”
“Alright!”
“Okay, Brother Jin!”
“Let’s just drink until our noses are crooked today!”
In the midst of the cheers of the people, which echoed as if to shake Manhwa Peak, So-ah’s growl once again came out.
“Han Baek-i.”
“Why…”
“You know what happens if you make a mistake while drinking again, right?”
“I’m not drinking anymore!”
“You’d better. Kikik.”
***
As expected, he’d better.
Han Baek drank as if he were a madman.
No, it would be more accurate to say that it wasn’t drinking, but just pouring it down.
“Hic… hic!”
“Hey, Han Baek. Stop drinking. You’ll make a mistake again.”
“A mistake… so what… hic… if I do, so what? Huh? Kikik.”
So-ah, who couldn’t watch any longer, struck Han Baek on the back of the neck.
Thwack!
At the same time, Han Baek twisted his lips and collapsed.
‘Demon…’
‘He invited people to have a good time and then knocked them out by hitting them?’
But So-ah, without caring about the students’ gazes, picked up the fallen Han Baek, laid him on his own bed, and then plunged back into the drinking party.
At that, as if nothing had happened, the students also completely forgot about the fainted Han Baek and chattered loudly, tilting their cups.
“Long live the Human Division!”
“Long live!”
“Let’s go!!”
Although it was so noisy that it was hard to tell whether it was an academy or a marketplace, the students enjoyed the atmosphere without caring about anyone’s eyes.
‘I’m finally becoming an official!’
‘How happy will my mom and dad be?’
‘I’m making it in the world, right? Haha.’
The students were intoxicated with a strong sense of elation.
At least for today.
Because they deserved to enjoy it.
Just as they were enjoying the small banquet, dancing with excitement.
For some reason, So-ah quietly left the residence.
Myo-seon, who had been watching such a So-ah, became curious and followed him.
A little later…
The figure of So-ah, who was lost in thought while receiving the faint moonlight head-on, came into Myo-seon’s sight.
“So-ah.”
“Oh. Myo-seon-ah.”
“What are you thinking about?”
Myo-seon asked as she sat down next to So-ah.
“Just… this and that?”
“Weren’t you thinking about your grandfather?”
“Huh?!”
At Myo-seon’s question, So-ah, as if his inner thoughts had been exposed, swallowed a dry breath and continued to speak.
“What? How did you know?”
“I’ve had a good intuition since I was young. Haha. Actually, I was also thinking about my grandfather.”
“You miss him, right?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“I wonder if my grandfather has become an immortal in the celestial realm by now.”
“Since he was a living Buddha, wouldn’t he have become a Buddha?”
“Anyway, he must be watching over us.”
“Probably.”
“Let’s go to the Samryun Peak estate together sometime. To pay our respects at my grandfather’s grave. Although the family holds the memorial services, I haven’t been able to visit his grave once.”
“Let’s do that.”
“By the way, Myo-seon-ah.”
“Huh?”
“Do you remember your parents’ faces?”
“Me? Vaguely… I think I might.”
“Strangely, I don’t have any memories of my childhood. I definitely had a mom and dad, and after they passed away, I wandered around as an orphan… but strangely, I don’t have any memories of that time.”
“People say that they erase painful memories themselves. I wonder if it’s something like that.”
At Myo-seon’s words, So-ah stroked his chin and then smiled.
“Haha. What does it matter? What’s important is now. By the way, Myo-seon-ah, congratulations. I heard that you and Brother Tang will also be selected as 100-man commander-level officials. Grandma Hong-ryeon will be happy.”
“It’s all thanks to you.”
“What did I do? Haha. Anyway, you have to work hard.”
“Alright.”
The gazes of the two, who were smiling brightly at each other, once again turned to the stars in the night sky.
***
A few days later…
The day of the White Martial Academy’s 1st graduating class graduation ceremony and new official appointment ceremony.
Namgung Mun, who had been studying under the instructors just a few days ago, would now become a 1000-man commander-level official, higher than them, and Tang Il-gi and Myo-seon would become 100-man commander-level, Tang Hwa-rin and Han Baek would become 30-man commanders, and the rest of the Human Division students would also become 10-man and 5-man commander-level officials.
The students’ hearts were pounding fiercely.
Just then.
“So-ah!”
In So-ah’s sight, who was looking at the students with a pleased expression at the entrance of the event hall, a few people from the family, including Moyong Baek and Yeon So-so, came into view.
“Uncle! Aunt!”
So-ah was pleased and approached them.
“You brat! You’ve caused another big trouble while I wasn’t looking! Ugh…”
But for some reason, as soon as Moyong Baek saw So-ah, he shook his head with a fed-up face.
“Why are you like that? Hahaha.”
“You… you became sworn brothers with the Green Forest Demon Emperor, Jang Beon-pal, right?”
“Oops…”
“And as if that wasn’t enough, you even decided to fight a duel with a hidden peerless master of Shaolin? That rumor has spread all the way to Liaoning, you brat!”
“It just happened that way, Uncle.”
“Phew… how can I stop you? Since it’s already happened, you know, right?”
“Yes?”
“You have to win. You must.”
“Aha! Of course. That damn monk, I’ll just crush his head…”
Just as So-ah was smiling and about to gossip about Shaolin to his uncle.
Yeon So-so, with a terrified face, cut off So-ah’s words.
“So-ah. Shh!”
“…Aunt?”
Why was his usually prudent aunt being like that?
But it didn’t take long to realize the reason.
Because.
Thump, thump, thump.
He had witnessed a group of monks with a dignified ki entering the academy.
‘Why is Shaolin suddenly coming out of there?’
(End of Chapter)