Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: What Are You Gonna Do?
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"What are you gonna do?"
Dang Heeran glanced at Hwangbo Seongwoo's face and asked. It wasn't her first joint class practical, but this setup was a first.
There were only three of them, but she knew full well she couldn't dictate the team's direction.
"What do you mean, what?"
Hwangbo Seongwoo was relaxed. He scanned the dense thicket, then cracked his neck side to side with a series of pops.
"We've got a whole week. Even if we knew where they are today, we couldn't do shit about it."
"Why not hold a strategy meeting or something...?"
"You think we need that against them?"
Hwangbo Seongwoo grinned and asked. Dang Heeran swallowed the sharp retort rising in her throat.
She knew Wi Seongcheon's skills weren't to be underestimated, but Hwangbo Seongwoo didn't. He had no idea of Wi Seongcheon's true strength.
"...What about Paeng Yeonhwa? She's no pushover."
But Hwangbo Seongwoo did know about Paeng Yeonhwa's abilities. That's why Dang Heeran brought her up.
Sure enough, Hwangbo Seongwoo whipped his head around, eyes flashing at Dang Heeran. It was a feral glare like a beast's, but she didn't look away.
"You don't need to worry about her. ...I told you from the start, Paeng Yeonhwa's mine. So why are you fretting over her?"
"We're on the same team, you big dumb bear. Whether you catch her or not is none of my business, but..."
"Exactly, none of your business."
Hwangbo Seongwoo cut her off with a growl.
"The only one worth worrying about is Paeng Yeonhwa. Bang Jun? That beggar's spawn isn't even worth the effort, and the rest would piss themselves just hearing my voice. Oh, right. Dang Heeran, you worried about that Heavenly Flower Sect bat punk?"
Dang Heeran's eyebrow twitched. She didn't answer, just glared at Hwangbo Seongwoo. He let out a chuckling laugh.
"So that's why you suggested teaming up with me. That bat's been on your mind, huh? What, you wanna hand out points to him or something?"
"Watch your mouth if you don't wanna die."
Dang Heeran's voice sharpened. Hwangbo Seongwoo noticed her sleeve fluttering.
Probably just the passing breeze, but her hands were out of sight. He couldn't imagine what hidden weapon she might be gripping right now.
"...You two might not care about points, but they do matter to me a bit. So how about we hold off on fighting among teammates right from the start?"
Ha Jitae, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. Unlike the prestigious clan heirs Hwangbo Seongwoo and Dang Heeran, Ha Jitae was a wandering swordsman from a hunter family. Hwangbo Seongwoo grumbled at him.
"If you got nowhere to go after graduation, the Hwangbo Clan'll take you in."
"I'm keeping that in mind, but more options are better. If the Murim Alliance or imperial palace makes an offer, I won't go to the Hwangbo Clan."
Ha Jitae replied with a deadpan expression.
"Lady Dang. That bear won't listen no matter what you say. So instead of yelling into bear ears, talk to someone who gets it—me."
"Fine. Swordsman Ha. What do you want to do for the next week?"
"The easiest thing would be killing the entire enemy lower-class team."
Ha Jitae answered without changing expression.
Dang Heeran nodded without surprise. She agreed it was the simplest option. Killing was always easier than total subjugation.
"We can't do that, can we?"
"Then how about breaking one thing each, fair and square? Snap the arm they don't use for chopsticks—no big impact on daily life."
Cutting it off would be even easier, really. Ha Jitae muttered. His face gave no hint if it was a joke, but Dang Heeran took it at face value.
"That won't shorten the week."
"That's the problem. Ending it quick just means we still gotta stay in this forest a week. Even if we finish tomorrow, we're stuck here the full time."
Ha Jitae shook his head.
"So instead of rushing to end it, we should think about how to make the most of this week for our gain."
* * *
"What do you wanna do?"
Deep in the Sword Forest, Wi Seongcheon gathered his teammates and asked.
Lower-class Team 3. Wi Seongcheon, Bang Jun, Paeng Yeonhwa. And So Jeonghak, Yi Sanggyu, Jo Geunseong, Ma Hwayeol, Sa Jongseo.
"What do you mean, what?"
Jo Geunseong answered with a scowl. Scion of some minor Jo family in a backwater corner of Shandong Province, he shot Wi Seongcheon a dirty look.
"...This is your first time, so you wouldn't get it, but we've been through this a few times. No matter what bullshit we pull, if it ain't gonna work, it won't."
It was already laced with defeatism. Not hard to understand. As Jo Geunseong said, this was all new to Wi Seongcheon, but the lower-class students had experience.
The lower class never beat the upper class. Proven time and again. No need to step up and state the obvious.
"Yeah? Then handle it yourselves."
Wi Seongcheon replied indifferently. Jo Geunseong blinked in confusion at the response. Wi Seongcheon ignored him and looked to Paeng Yeonhwa and Bang Jun.
"What about us?"
"...Hey, what the hell are you playing at?"
"Why ask when you already know damn well what we're doing?"
Wi Seongcheon glanced around as he spoke. They'd parted from the instructors upon entering the Sword Forest. But the instructors were surely watching from somewhere nearby.
'Noon tomorrow.'
Until then, even if they ran into upper-class students, no fighting allowed. How they used this time was key.
Camp somewhere and prepare for ambushes, or launch their own? Either was fine, but one thing was clear.
Guys like Jo Geunseong had zero motivation to win. Just like he said—Wi Seongcheon was a newbie to joint practicals, but they'd been through it.
First time around, they might've had fire to knock the upper class down a peg. But reality was merciless.
Jo Geunseong glared at Wi Seongcheon's turned back, then abruptly looked away. He wasn't gonna bother persuading Wi Seongcheon, Bang Jun, or Paeng Yeonhwa.
Especially Paeng Yeonhwa. Teaming with her was basically begging that brute Hwangbo Seongwoo to come eat them alive.
No motivation, but not total surrender either. Defeat was certain, but they needed to grab some points along the way.
Jo Geunseong took the other students and left. Excluding Wi Seongcheon, Bang Jun, and Paeng Yeonhwa meant zero teamwork points from the start, but with defeat inevitable, perfect scores were impossible anyway.
"We'll just set up an ambush or whatever."
Bang Jun muttered, glancing at the departing Jo Geunseong.
"What an idiot."
Wi Seongcheon picked up.
The Sword Forest was thick with trees and brush. A full day gave time for an ambush—not a bad choice. But the enemy was.
Against Dang Heeran, the hidden weapons and poison expert, an ambush? The academy did teach traps and ambushes, sure.
But even if those five spent the day picking a spot and rigging traps, it'd look like child's play to Dang Heeran.
"Yeonhwa."
Wi Seongcheon called Paeng Yeonhwa by name, looking at her. She'd kept her lips pressed tight the whole way into the Sword Forest.
His gaze lingered on the long sword slung across her back. The Paeng Clan's signature weapon.
"...Don't call me that."
"Then what? Lady Paeng?"
Wi Seongcheon smirked and asked. Paeng Yeonhwa glared without answering. Her eyes blazed like a beast's. Already sharp, they'd grown even fiercer since landing on the same team.
'Do I really piss her off that much?'
He hadn't done anything to deserve it. Wi Seongcheon felt a faint pang in his chest but pressed on.
"You going with them too?"
"...No. I'm not. They're leaving 'cause they don't wanna be with me."
Paeng Yeonhwa muttered.
"And you... no, I won't go with you guys either."
"Why? I don't mind you."
"I mind you."
Her voice cut like a blade. Wi Seongcheon gave a wry smile.
"That much, huh?"
"...It's not that."
Paeng Yeonhwa's eyes flinched. She took a step back, shaking her head hesitantly.
"...I don't want to drag others down because of me."
She murmured softly. Bang Jun looked surprised, and Wi Seongcheon let out an "Ah" of realization.
"What? That's all?"
"...Huh?"
"I thought you hated my guts 'cause you kept turning me down and glaring. Turns out you just didn't wanna get me in trouble?"
Wi Seongcheon laughed as he spoke, and Paeng Yeonhwa's eyebrows shot up. She opened her mouth to retort but closed it without a word.
After glaring at him a moment, she turned and walked off alone.
"Where you going?"
"...Don't follow."
Paeng Yeonhwa spat, but Wi Seongcheon ignored her and followed.
Bang Jun scratched his head, shrugged helplessly, and trailed after Wi Seongcheon.
"I said don't follow."
"Nope."
"You...! Why do you keep ignoring people?!"
Paeng Yeonhwa spun around, raising her voice.
"I told you the first time we met! Stay away from me!"
"I don't wanna."
"Because of something from ten years ago? Ha! How great a memory can that be...!"
"It is to me."
Wi Seongcheon said flatly, and Paeng Yeonhwa trailed off, lips flapping silently.
She hesitated, bit her lower lip, then gripped the sword on her back.
"...If that's how you feel, then no. ...Don't follow."
"Really?"
Paeng Yeonhwa nodded quietly. Wi Seongcheon stared at her face, then chuckled.
"Got it."
He didn't push further. No reason to force her now.
"Teamwork score's a straight zero."
Bang Jun snarked. Split from the five including Jo Geunseong, and now Paeng Yeonhwa too. Down to just Wi Seongcheon and Bang Jun.
"Wasn't counting on it anyway. What, you after points now?"
"Me? I'm a Beggar's Union elite disciple, even if I don't look it. You?"
"Don't need 'em."
Wi Seongcheon headed for a nearby tree as he spoke. The tallest in the area, one he'd eyed earlier.
He gauged its height once more, then leaped up.
"...Whoa."
Bang Jun gasped. Wi Seongcheon landed atop the highest branch in one bound.
The branch, not all that thick, didn't even sway under his full weight. Wi Seongcheon stood straight, surveying the surroundings.
No sign of Hwangbo Seongwoo. Farther off than expected. He spotted Jo Geunseong and the others bustling with trap setups, and Paeng Yeonhwa had gone pretty far in that short time.
Wi Seongcheon noted her direction, then dropped down.
"Let's go."
He clapped Bang Jun's shoulder.
"Where?"
"To find Hwangbo Seongwoo."
What the hell is this guy saying?
Bang Jun's eyes went wide.