Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Frog in the Well (2)
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After spending some time sharing drinks with my master, I returned to the banquet hall to find two elders seated at our table.
It was none other than Uncle Yun Young and Pang Mu-hyuk.
Among them, Uncle Yun Young was handing out bracelets one by one to my fellow disciples.
"These are gifts I've prepared personally, so please accept them."
The first to receive one was Wu So-rung.
He marveled at the sparkling gem inside the foremost bead strung on the bracelet.
"Wow, I've never seen a gem like this. It feels like diamond, lapis lazuli, and jade all mixed together?"
However, Cheon Jang-ho, sitting beside him, wore a slightly awkward expression.
"If I may speak out of turn, it's a bit much for beggars like us to accept such jewels and treasures. Especially after the beggars from the Shansi branch caused such a mess. I'm quite satisfied with this chicken leg and the steamed bun."
At Cheon Jang-ho's words, Uncle Yun Young chuckled and spoke.
"Haha. I'm grateful you see them as treasures, but the beads on these bracelets are just salt painted white with dragon's eye polish. They're made from materials you can use as hidden weapons in emergencies once your martial arts improve greatly. The foremost bead isn't a gem or treasure—it's salt, the symbol of us Shansi merchants."
At Uncle Yun Young's explanation,
Jeong Hyeon and Wu So-rung each expressed their admiration in their own ways.
"Salt symbolizing Shansi, with the wish for diligent progress. As expected, the Way flowing through Young Master Eon's body didn't come from nowhere. Truly a precious gift."
"Wow, this is really salt? It's so pretty!"
Then Zhuge Seol-ji turned to Wu So-rung and spoke.
"Strictly speaking, it's salt with impurities. I hear that kind occasionally turns up when mining rock salt."
At that moment,
Pang Mu-hyuk tossed a remark at Zhuge Seol-ji.
"Zhuge family's smarty-pants. So, do you know how long salt lasts?"
Zhuge Seol-ji pondered with a furrowed brow at Pang Mu-hyuk's words.
"...? Salt doesn't spoil if stored well without moisture, as far as I know. What conditions are you assuming?"
But Pang Mu-hyuk's response was his signature dad joke.
"Thousand-day salt. So, a thousand days! Kahaha!"
My master at my waist clicked his tongue in exasperation.
- ...That rotten joke coming out of his mouth. All the good liquor I drank is gone.
The fellow disciples were at a loss for words.
As the mood chilled, Pang Mu-hyuk also clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Is it because you're all too young and inexperienced? You don't laugh at this. It's hilarious. In Hebei, everyone rolls on the floor laughing."
Cheon Jang-ho was about to make one of his signature bold statements toward Pang Mu-hyuk.
"That's because Hebei folk are...!"
But Eon Yong-myeong's hand covered his mouth.
"Mmph."
"Hm? Yong-myeong, why are you covering the young beggar's mouth?"
"It's nothing, Uncle."
Anyway,
Pang Mu-hyuk's gaze shifted from Yong-myeong at the door to me as I entered.
"Yong-un, you're back? Where'd you go?"
"I stepped out for some fresh air."
"We looked for you and you weren't there. Seems you went pretty far."
Then he spoke with a proud expression.
"I hear you pour liquor on your sword after battles. Did you do that again?"
I wondered how he even knew that,
but since it was true, I nodded.
"...Yeah. ...Something like that."
"Sigh. If only it had been poured on a proper blade instead of that saber."
His words seemed about to lead into urging me to wield a sword, so I changed the subject.
"By the way, Uncle, you came looking for me? Why?"
"Well, that's all in the past now. Here, something I picked up on the way."
A small lacquered wooden box flew toward me.
Click-
It was too substantial to call something merely picked up on the road—a Return Energy Pill.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The farewell banquet prepared by my maternal grandfather wasn't meant for getting thoroughly drunk, nor for heavy discussions.
It was simply a pleasant gathering to share parting sentiments.
Thus, the drinking ended when everyone had a pleasant buzz.
Back in my guest room, amid my younger brothers volunteering as guards, I took out the Return Energy Pill from Pang Mu-hyuk.
"Is it okay for me to take something this good alone?"
"Why say such a thing? Didn't you receive it for what happened with Chief Jin?"
"Exactly. Uncle dislikes flowery words, so he didn't say it outright, but I think it's gratitude for that incident."
"I'll stand guard."
"Then I'll keep watch outside."
"Let's go together, So-rung. Guard duty is a beggar's specialty."
After clearing the alcohol scent from my system amid my fellow disciples volunteering as guards,
- Aigoo, pushing out steamed buns with inner energy! What a waste!
I absorbed the Return Energy Pill, accompanied by my master's lament.
After absorbing it, power surged through me.
"I'll take night watch alone tonight, so you all rest well. You worked hard."
Having decided to stand watch alone, I went to the courtyard and swung Regret under the moonlight and stars.
Still brimming with energy, I reviewed each form of Anti-Dragon Palm while moving my body.
Before I knew it, the sun had risen.
The great sun heralds beginnings by nature,
but today's sunrise signaled farewell to the Yi manor.
We meticulously checked once more that nothing was left behind, from personal items to the jiangshi.
Meanwhile, Man-bok and the Beggars' Sect disciples who would accompany us to Luoyang arrived, forming roughly a platoon in front of the Yi manor.
"The manor lord is coming out."
As my maternal grandfather emerged from the main gate to see us off,
Man-bok and Old Three pretended not to notice.
"Ahem."
"Khm."
Father and Pang Mu-hyuk each stepped back a pace.
It seemed they wanted me to offer formal farewell.
Not a difficult task, I stepped forward and clasped my hands in salute to my grandfather.
"Please take care until we meet again."
In unison with my greeting, the others saluted as well.
My grandfather nodded slowly in acknowledgment.
At that signal, we boarded the carriages.
"Hyah!"
The carriages carrying us began racing southward.
My grandfather remained at the gate, watching us until the end.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ With Beggars' Sect Leader Man-bok and Gale Wind Twin Beggars Old Three,
Disciple Pang Mu-hyuk and Northern Hebei Fist Hero Eon Jeong-ung,
Plus the Taiyuan Merchant Group's banner and the Green Forest King's pass lent by my grandfather—no hero dared block our path.
No hero, in fact—save for the ice-melters tending the carriage with the Diamond Jiangshi, no one even approached.
Thus, our carriages sped unimpeded to the Yellow River,
Crossing it to reach Mengjin Port, the throat of Luoyang where the Murim Alliance lay.
At last, one man approached and spoke to us.
It was Confidential Secretary Director Guk Do-jin.
"You've all worked hard. Ideally, the Alliance Leader should come himself, but..."
Guk Do-jin, who had come for us, briefly explained the Murim Alliance's situation.
"Due to the Demonic Cultists' stirring, an emergency council has been called. Sect leaders and family heads from enrolled sects and clans are arriving in Luoyang one after another. The Alliance Leader is swamped, so I've come in his stead."
After that preface, Guk Do-jin apologized to Man-bok first, then Pang Mu-hyuk, my father, and so on by rank.
He offered us his sincere apologies as well.
"You truly worked hard. The Alliance Leader sends his thanks and regrets not praising your great merit personally. He asks forgiveness and says he'll set a day to visit the academy later."
It wasn't incomprehensible.
The Demonic Cult had reared its head after sixty years, gathering luminaries like stars.
'Considering Gong Son Mu-gyeol's upright character and the original story's events, he's probably preparing to propose a coalition army to strike the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.'
Sending his right-hand man, the Confidential Secretary Director, amid that was effort enough.
'The coalition won't yield much anyway.'
As the proverb goes, too many cooks spoil the broth.
Of course, when real danger looms, even a boat with many captains can sail straight.
But the Shansi incident wouldn't seem a threat to other sects and clans—frogs comfortably living in the sturdy, vast well of the orthodox martial world.
'At any rate, Shansi is secure.'
The clues from there—Ma Shi and Buk Si—concerned folk beyond the Great Wall.
'Regions they see as barbarian lands,'
Even if Gong Son Mu-gyeol rallied a coalition to storm the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, it'd echo hollowly.
'Well, perhaps the merit is that this gathering started earlier than in the original.'
Anyway, there was nothing for the current me to do in Luoyang.
It was time for the students to return to the academy.
Thus, we parted ways here with Man-bok, Pang Mu-hyuk, and Father.
Father hesitated, as if debating what to say.
"When you arrive at the academy, write to your mother. And if you have time, visit your fa... "
"Pardon?"
"...Nothing."
Not important, apparently—he bid farewell with "nothing."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Passing Luoyang, we raced along Henan’s official roads and soon reached Dankanggu, home to the Righteous Martial Academy.
Word of our approach must have arrived already.
At the academy's main gate stood Chief Director Gyeong Hye Sa-tae, several professors dubbed the "operating committee," Blue Bamboo Hall cadets, and the students from the Jiangshi Studies class who had come for the jiangshi transport.
"Eon family lad. Report to the Chief Director."
At Old Three's gesture, I reported our return to Gyeong Hye Sa-tae.
"Eon Yong-un and four others. We have safely completed the Shansi civilian aid mission and just arrived."
Gyeong Hye Sa-tae beamed and nodded.
"I've heard so much secondhand—much to discuss, but first, thank you for returning safely. Ah, I brought the Blue Bamboo Hall cadets since they couldn't study knowing the aid team was back. Binni approved their attendance. Let the cadets catch up first. Professor Old Three, please come with us to the main building."
She took only Professor Old Three to the main building.
Immediately, Blue Bamboo Hall cadets in blue uniforms surged forward like a tide, peppering us with questions.
"The Demonic Cult appeared?"
"I heard you beheaded a Demon Head—is that true?"
"More than that, I heard you beat up beggars in a rage—what's that about?"
Then suddenly,
A familiar voice barked.
"Hey!"
Parting the crowd, Ha-seong emerged holding his genuine(?) red hat reverently like a crown and approached me.
"Hey! The red hat returns to its original owner! Everyone, quiet down!"
At the sight of the red hat behind me, the three White-Clothed Beggars—Bok-cheol, Gye-chun, and O-bok—flinched visibly.
"Young Master Eon?"
Emerging alongside Ha-seong through the parted crowd, Yin Xia Lian tilted her head and asked.
"But who are those behind you?"
To Yin Xia Lian's question, I replied casually.
"They're grad students nominally dispatched to Professor Old Three's lab. Call them whenever needed to help with student council affairs."
Then Senior Gyeong-ryong flinched, hand to mouth as he whispered.
"...Vice President Eon. We know what those 'grad students' really are, but having them help with just anything feels off, doesn't it?"
Yin Xia Lian added her whisper.
"...They're already struggling—asking them to help with our work too?"
Realizing it might sound odd, I corrected by briefly recounting only the righteous beggars' deeds in Shansi.
"I said nominally. Nominally. So, who are they...? "
That was it.
As my story ended,
Cold fury leaked from Yin Xia Lian's eyes like frost,
And volcanic rage from Senior Gyeong-ryong's.
The righteous beggars gulped dryly and stammered.
"I-I'm a beggar, but I wear clean clothes, so I'm good at cleaning."
"I handled liquor in Shansi, so I know merchant work. Yep. Hehe. Hehehe."
"I-I'm fast on my feet!"
How long had the three beggars, now transferred to Blue Bamboo Hall, been self-promoting for survival?
From among those standing a bit apart from the Blue Bamboo cadets, Professor Young Hwan cautiously approached and asked me.
"Sorry to interrupt the reunion. Cadet Eon Yong-un, is that really a Faceless Diamond Jiangshi back there?"
"Yes, Professor. It is."
"Heavens, a Faceless Diamond Jiangshi. If that's real, you don't need to do the final project. Ah, extra points too. No—full marks without even taking the exam..."
That was when,
As Professor Young Hwan made various promises,
The Jiangshi Studies classmates suddenly clustered,
And the Mo Mountain Sect disciples stepped forward simultaneously.
"Professor, that doesn't seem right."