Education (2)
“It’s not something I learned so much as a method I devised myself. It’s extremely effective for wiping out enemies in one fell swoop.”
I regretted asking. I didn’t want to know!
Contrary to the deputy manager’s wishes, Cheon-woo seemed rather proud of it.
This was a technique that exploited humans’ instinct to return home: lay out bait, track their location, herd them in, and kill them.
“They say time is money for merchants. If we use this method on merchants too, we’ll never get stiffed on payments.”
“……No, that’s!!”
Why does your ingenuity go in that direction?
It was bound to happen, damn it. If you told them they’d die tomorrow, they wouldn’t dare skip repayment.
The deputy manager realized teaching him only led to deeper and deeper mountains of trouble, an endless fog.
Throwing him in right away would be a bloodbath.
If it were the old shut-in young master, you could say learn by breaking—but now? Disaster.
The deputy manager decided to take a break for now.
“The schedule seems ahead of pace, so review at the lodgings for the time being.”
“I’m still hungry.”
“Please eat.”
“You must not have grasped the metaphor. It means I thirst for knowledge.”
The deputy manager got it but pretended not to. Admitting it meant more teaching, and his composure might shatter, killing him.
That’s why teachers need vacations too.
This is bad……
He couldn’t decide what to do. The young master was a slayer of principles and precedents.
You could stop him from killing randomly—that’d make him a murderer—but with principles backing it, hard to forbid.
What am I supposed to do with someone who has the Gangbang’s rear support as a little brother?
He was shocked enough at the Gangbang connection, but learning the beggar beaten like a dog that day was the rear support? Astonishing.
After learning his identity, worries mounted.
He figured the Gangbang wouldn’t stay quiet, but the next day, the young master became sworn brothers with him.
Not as the younger, but the elder.
With Gwan-u the oldest among brothers, it wasn’t strange, apparently.
What did the Gangbang’s rear support lack to swear brotherhood with the young master and claim younger brother status?
Hard to understand, but recent events weren’t exactly sensible either.
Everything tied to the young master was pure disruption.
“This is excellent progress. In ten years, you’ll handle operations.”
“Too slow.”
“You’re the heir, Young Master. You must learn all duties thoroughly and comprehensively—how could it match others?”
“Logical.”
The deputy manager dragged it out indefinitely. The moment of deployment meant bracing for backlash.
Better teach everything slowly, one by one.
If no flexibility, tailor to every scenario.
That minimized damage.
Jackpot of bad luck!
The deputy manager fled the scene.
Even half a shichen drained him; nailing it to two wrecked his guts.
“People, huh……”
Cheon-woo had always maximized efficiency for the shortest Mireok Paedo.
Human value? Irrelevant.
Did they commit evil? That came first.
A hundred good deeds erased by one evil act.
Above all, people don’t change—you can’t repurpose them.
Rare exceptions took too much time.
“Would it have been different with Seon-hwa?”
Mireok Paedo didn’t mandate killing. Needed clear evidence.
She’d provided that evidence and rationale.
Of course, even she had incomprehensible cases.
People killed before doing anything.
“Should’ve lived their past life right.”
Maybe repeating the same deeds, but past lives affecting the next mirrored Buddhist reincarnation.
To break even that cycle, he’d researched the authority of annihilation.
“Nearly complete……”
The regret of the first round’s shortfall.
That sincerity deserved a response.
***
The next day.
“……Why is the young master here at this hour?”
“Brother, aren’t you in class?”
Review was just rehashing basics.
Just focus during lessons.
Ten years? To Cheon-woo, steadfast for 40,000, it was a blink.
The deputy manager’s self-study push backfired on Cheon-su and Ga-bok.
Training wasn’t skipped, but Cheon-woo’s presence made all the difference.
Fail to draw the exact figure? Hellish bloodbath.
Ga-bok had prepped via escort runs, but for Cheon-su, still grueling.
Adapt, then ghostly leap to next stage—eternal unfamiliarity, vicious cycle.
Regret becoming a scholar?
Regretted, but tempered.
Brother wouldn’t overwork a sibling.
Plus, truth: aspired to scholarly-martial dual prowess.
Thought pure bookworm, but wanted to show unexpected charm.
Romantic dream for any man.
Reality? No romance.
Tricks don’t work on Brother.
Brother was amazing.
Couldn’t skip training, so planned to busy him with operations—less time to teach.
“I know your worries. I’ll work harder, so focus on studies and martial arts.”
“Just studies?”
“Beat me at drinking, then yes. Up for it?”
“……I’ll pursue both!”
Cheon-su prided himself on liquor tolerance, but recent drinking bouts? Total losses.
Brother had become the Wine God in absence.
Odd—tolerance doesn’t spike overnight.
Ah! He’s been throwing matches.
Cheon-su recalled Brother’s drunken mess—ugly only when wasted.
All acting to spare his pride? Waves of emotion crashed.
But still.
Too hard!
Understood why dual pursuit killed scholarly dreams.
Struggling with one was reality; heaven grants no dual talents.
Chasing both, master none—failures abound.
Most brutal: mediocrity.
Any other way to steal time?
Deputy manager’s escape doubled intensity.
Fatigue excuse for studies? Impossible.
Brother’s grilling? Refreshing purge.
As he pondered alternatives, the outer manager visited the inner quarters.
Cheon-woo asked as he greeted him.
“What’s the matter?”
“Cheon-su’s handled branch finances so far. I managed half a month fine, but adjusting stock, various issues—any way?”
Finances only to trusted few.
Skimming stock? Customary.
But cash like trade payments? Different.
Cheon-su shouldered it at branches.
Hire? Skill ok, trust takes time.
Plus, Cheon-woo’s feats flooded inquiries.
Outer manager’s prime duty: reception.
Building ties, blazing trails—exhausting.
Age made even own duties tough.
Cheon-su covering inner manager smoothed branches.
Old Cheon-woo wouldn’t ask permission, but knowing rear support as brother? Awkward.
“Ask Cheon-su’s opinion first.”
“If he agrees, fine?”
“I keep my word, don’t force.”
“……Right.”
What’s that mean?
Keeping own word dismisses others’ will.
How coexist? Baffling.
Anyway, permission sought; outer manager probed gently.
“I’ll hire fast as possible—help branch meantime?”
“Dual pursuit leaves not even one shichen free.”
Studies and arts already killing; Cheon-su guarded sleep too.
Couldn’t bluntly refuse, so cited time.
Implying: skip training, maybe.
Kid’s a natural merchant.
Outer manager read intent, regretted.
Commerce talent: top of three nephews.
Cheon-woo achieved big, but not merchant-fit.
Deputy manager’s rants made sense.
Cheon-woo more warrior than merchant.
Repay favors principal-only, grudges tenfold—like Tang Clan.
“Cheon-woo, cut some slack?”
“One shichen?”
“Yes, no more.”
“Understood.”
Outer manager vowed treat one shichen like two.
Cheon-su saw no loss.
Ga-bok shot calculating glance—ignored.
Mid-training, outer manager and Cheon-su dipped; Ga-bok protested.
As senior disciple, needed superiority over second young master for flavor—not solo hell.
“Young master, give me a choice too!”
“I’ll teach evasion from today. Skip? Triple stamina. Choose.”
Dilemma still choice.
Irreversible extreme.
Cheon-woo’s iron will dominated space.
“What choice is that?”
“Third option.”
“Then third!”
“Both.”
Ga-bok picked first hastily.
No choice for servant anyway.
Cursed parents dumping him here.
Gu clan success already jackpot.
Worse fates common—grateful excess.
“A man’s word, mountain of gold?”
“Yes!”
If fourth, would’ve smacked mouth—in thought; impossible.
Young master’s strength grew like master’s grace.
Curious too.
Endless volume/intensity frustrated.
Evasion over offense? Disliked, but orders.
Ga-bok aimed stronger than young master someday.
Then one hit—no, ten…… hundred ok?
“Evasion starts with footwork?”
“Excellent. Dodge.”
“Pardon?”
“As trained.”
What training?
Before words escaped throat, lightning flashed.
Kraaaack!
Consciousness snapped; soul-shattering pain surged.
Unlike before.
Thud! Bzzt!
Lightning strike feel? No expert, but similar.
Kraaaaaack!
Scream lagged one breath.
Body froze post-hit; delayed cry.
Thud. Bzzt! Kraaack!
Hit, freeze, scream.
Repetition birthed bizarre scene.
No familiarity.
Pain intensified, overwhelming.
Keep this up? Death.
“……What evasion training is this?”
“Didn’t expect retort—impressive.”
“……Never planned to listen!”
“Speed up.”
“……Demon!”
Education perfects via repetition.
Example: memories fade, erased.
Best retention: bodily engraving.
Memory gone, body remembers—crises trigger insight.
Proving it: hits slightly missing amid repeats.
Cheon-woo held steady speed, trajectory.
“Maintain breathing.”
“……That’s what you…… kuhuk!”
To onlookers, one-sided beating—but Cheon-woo knew Ga-bok’s limits precisely.
Strikes below threshold built innate evasion.
Forced evasion from fixed forms, no deviation.