A Very Ominous Premonition
Only then did Bukjin understand everything. Im Jin-nam was, in a word, worse than a beast who couldn't even recognize his own master.
"But since when did my father have a stepsister?" Bukjin asked again. As soon as he asked, regret washed over him.
'Damn it, this cursed curiosity made me say something suspicious again!'
But Wang Chung didn't suspect a thing and began to explain.
"That matter... it was a very long time ago. Since the Master rarely spoke of it, it's not strange that Young Master doesn't know... The Master's younger sister was a very unfortunate person. Before the Master was appointed as the War God, he had a comrade-in-arms with whom he shared life and death on the battlefield. That comrade later died in battle, and before his death, he entrusted his younger sister to the Master. Therefore, after the Master was appointed as the War God, he sought out that comrade's younger sister, took her in as his own, and cared for her."
'Hmm, so that's what happened.'
Bukjin spoke.
"Then it seems my father's stepsister had terrible judgment! To marry trash like Im Jin-nam!"
Wang Chung said with great regret.
"Hmph, it's not entirely her fault. The Master's stepsister was an innocent young lady who knew nothing at the time, and she was deceived by that cunning fellow, Im Jin-nam. Not only did she lose her own brother, but she also ended up marrying such a strange man... Truly a tragic fate. She met the wrong person and has suffered her entire life."
Bukjin's gaze at Wang Chung was a little strange.
'Listening to him, it sounds like Wang Chung also has some kind of story!'
Bukjin wanted to keep asking about the past, but Wang Chung changed the subject, so he couldn't continue the conversation.
"Young Master, the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor is an important residence where our Im family has lived for generations. It holds great significance for us. We must find a way to reclaim it. We cannot let that mongrel Im Jin-nam take it!" Wang Chung said.
Bukjin originally wanted to flatly refuse. However, quickly remembering that his identity in this world was the legitimate son of the War God, Bukjin decided that showing too little interest would arouse Wang Chung's suspicion, so he changed his attitude.
"Don't worry. I intend to make that dog-like Im Jin-nam cough up everything he swallowed soon." Bukjin said, thumping his chest.
Upon hearing Bukjin's words, A-kwang suddenly stopped what he was doing.
'Cough up everything he swallowed?' A-kwang made a strange expression.
Soon, the grand dinner concluded. Bukjin was now getting used to living with Wang Chung, Cheong-cheong, Cheon-cheon, and A-kwang by his side. Thanks to them, he felt a small sense of affection and warmth in this unfamiliar world. It was a feeling similar to how, no matter how much he struggled and suffered outside on Earth, his mind would find peace once he returned home.
Bukjin actually had a very strong sense of patience for the people he lived with. He often endured a lot, especially with Cheong-cheong and Cheon-cheon. Receiving a bath from the two beautiful maids was very awkward and embarrassing for Bukjin, but he patiently took the two maids into the bathroom and bathed with them for half an hour. Bukjin only emerged from the bath when the hands of the two maids, who had been massaging him, were about to cramp.
Returning to his room, Bukjin fell into a deep sleep. Having finished everything and released his tension, Bukjin felt a comfort he had never experienced before.
'The things I had to do, the debts I owed others, the things I had to obtain. I achieved everything... I achieved everything in the finals this afternoon.'
Now, all Bukjin had to do was rest well, sleep well, wake up tomorrow, and proceed to the glorious ceremony to receive the monumental plaque. And then, he would enforce the outcome of the life-or-death wager with Jo Pacheon.
Currently, Bukjin possessed a lot of money, so he didn't have to worry about charging his smartphone. Nor did he have to worry about being murdered by others. There were no longer any crises threatening Bukjin's life in this world. Finally, he could live a relaxed and leisurely life.
And all that remained was to repeatedly update his smartphone system, find a way back to Earth, say a clean farewell, and return home. Bukjin fell into a very sweet sleep. And in his dream, he was finally able to return to Earth. His parents, friends, and his favorite food, games, novels, and movies were all there.
But there was one thing Bukjin still didn't know. The crisis in this world was not over yet. The storm heading for Bukjin was just beginning.
Deep night. Dark clouds hung low, casting a dense shadow over the land.
The 3rd Academy. The Grade Dean's meeting room still had its lights on. Cho Heun, Ban Oemin, and Ryu Gye-hae. The three grade deans sat with heavy expressions, discussing something intensely.
"The situation is strange!" Ban Oemin said.
"The state Jo Pacheon displayed was clearly Demonic Possession!" Cho Heun stated.
"Demonic energy had entered his body. Even if it wasn't Demonic Possession, he showed symptoms of being attacked by a Sama, and his body was corrupted. He's a disciple of Baekun City. There's no reason for him to willingly fall into Demonic Possession. Yet, he had no other injuries apart from those sustained in combat with Bukjin. Isn't the timing of all this too coincidental?"
"Could it be that Jo Pacheon, realizing he was no match for Bukjin, used such a method to trap him?" Ryu Gye-hae offered his thoughts.
Ban Oemin shook his head and said, "That's giving Jo Pacheon too much credit. His life was hanging by a thread. His vomit contained fragments of his internal organs. And in broad daylight, he screamed as if he'd seen a ghost, terrified. How could such a person willingly inject demonic energy into his body to trap Bukjin?"
At that moment, Ryu Gye-hae's expression turned terrified, as if he had remembered something. Cho Heun asked, "Dean Ryu, what did you remember?"
Ryu Gye-hae shook his head and said, "I-It's impossible... That's impossible..."
Cho Heun said, "It seems Dean Ryu and I are thinking the same thing."
Ban Oemin said, "I know what you two are thinking. I'm thinking the same thing."
"Has Baek Hae-geum gone mad?" Ryu Gye-hae said, stroking his beard nervously.
"What we need to worry about right now isn't Baek Hae-geum's mental state. What we need to think about is how to save Bukjin from this situation." Ban Oemin said, rubbing his forehead. "I have a very ominous premonition right now. It feels like a massive, unseen conspiracy is approaching. Starting from Chief Bang Jin-yu's death, this bad feeling has grown stronger and stronger. What's even more terrifying is that the spearhead of all these events is pointed directly at Bukjin."
Cho Heun remained silent, saying nothing. Ryu Gye-hae let out a long sigh and said, "Dean Ban, you felt it too? I've been having that same dreadful feeling. Moreover, my intuition is strongly warning me that if you and I, with our small positions as academy teachers, get caught in this massive whirlpool, we'll be crushed like dust. Honestly, I'm scared."
Hearing his words, Ban Oemin nodded. Currently, they had no good way to resolve this matter.
"Let's go see the Headmaster." Cho Heun suddenly stood up and said, "A Headmaster should sometimes agonize over the affairs of his students. Shouldn't the Headmaster do some work too?"
Jeon-cheon-hu Manor. It covered an area of about fifty mou. Numerous pavilions and buildings, beautiful gardens and ponds, and a lake. It was a magnificent mansion with dense forests and detached villas. It boasted such immense prestige that it could be called the most luxurious place within Unmong City, its beauty surpassing even the City Lord's official residence.
The gates of this grand mansion, which had been sealed for several months, finally swung wide open. And from the afternoon, many servants began to enter one by one, tending to the gardens and cleaning. Skilled guards from the Im family then began to surround the mansion. They seemed to be searching for something.
According to many old rumors, Im Geun-nam, the War God, was said to be a very frugal and diligent man. He came from a poor background and was accustomed to thrift and economy. This attitude was evident in his clothes, his food, and every aspect of his life. Even after being appointed as the War God, marrying his wife, and having children, Im Geun-nam maintained a very detached and simple lifestyle. He adhered to the rural lifestyle passed down from his father's generation, even enjoying farming himself, harvesting fruits, eating mixed-grain rice, and spending his time leisurely in hemp clothes. His Majesty the Emperor had offered him fiefdoms and mansions several times, but Im Geun-nam always refused.
However, everything changed after he had his son, Bukjin. The War God not only accepted numerous rewards and mansions bestowed by the Emperor but also interacted with many nobles to learn their lifestyle, and cooperated with great merchants to establish commercial networks. He began to earn money, accumulate wealth, and gradually changed his lifestyle to become more luxurious. Soon, he began to construct his own mansion within the bestowed territory. In the past, no matter how luxurious a mansion was, he never resided in it for more than half a year. But the mansion he built from scratch was so opulent that it left onlookers speechless. Inside the mansion were hundreds of maids and a multitude of powerful martial artist guards.
From the time Bukjin came of age, Im Geun-nam showered him with the finest clothes, food, countless gold, silver, jewels, and luxury items. Im Geun-nam was a doting father. Many people said that Bukjin became known as a scoundrel in Unmong City because the War God spoiled him too much.
As time passed, the War God was defeated on the battlefield and incurred the wrath of His Majesty the Emperor. The War God was purged, and the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor was completely sealed, inaccessible to anyone. From then on, many people merely looked at the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor from afar and clicked their tongues. Thus, the most splendid mansion in Unmong City transformed into a forbidden zone.
Therefore, when the main gates of the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor opened again today, it attracted a great deal of attention.