Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Frog in the Well (4)
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At my words to head to the training grounds, the Azure Bamboo Hall cadets—regardless of age or gender—began sprinting toward the dorms.
"…I just said to go, not run there?"
It seemed the red hat that Ha-seong had returned to me was still in my hand, making my body react first on instinct.
"Do they think it's first-come, first-served or something?"
Well, the fact that discipline hadn't slackened was something to welcome.
A smirk naturally crept onto my lips.
Just before it could reach my ears.
I spotted Bok-cheol and Gye-chun, the two beggars standing there with their mouths agape in stunned expressions.
"Hm?"
I immediately furrowed my brow and spoke up.
"Aren't you two Azure Bamboo Hall people?"
"Y-Yes, we are?"
"That's right?!"
"Then why are you still standing there? I've known from the start, but you're total torture officers, aren't you?!"
Bok-cheol and Gye-chun let out a squeak of fright and hurriedly chased after the others who had run ahead.
"…Torture? Oh, full-body twisting?"
"We're going! Coming now!"
After sending off the Azure Bamboo Hall folks first, I turned to the others from different dorms who had joined this civilian aid mission.
"Yong-myeong, Jang-ho, good work. Lady Jegal, you too. The three of you head back to your dorms, complete the return procedures properly, and get some good rest. We'll see each other in class."
At my words, Jegal Seolji smirked and replied.
"You had it rough too, Young Master Yong-un. How do these things always happen even on return day? You're always caught up in something whenever I look."
Seizing that moment, Cheon Jang-ho narrowed his eyes.
"…Tsk."
"Jang-ho? What's with the tsk?"
"From what I know, Lady Jegal played a part in some of that tumult too, didn't she?"
"What did I do about the Mosan Sect cadets protesting?"
"Not today. That entrance exam thing, where they threw a fit refusing to accept the results?"
"……."
"Ow!! Why pinch me like that?!"
As Jegal Seolji and Cheon Jang-ho bickered.
I noticed Yong-myeong fidgeting just like Father had on the day we parted in Luoyang.
Wondering what was up, I asked.
"What's wrong?"
"…Brother had it rough too."
He stammered it out.
His eyes, filled with worry, didn't seem to be just about this Shansi trip, so I quietly waited to see what he'd say.
"Restoring the corpse servants... You truly accomplished a dream-like feat."
"…Yeah. Sort of."
"And yet, for the family's safety and the realm's peace, you claimed the role of wastrel and endured all sorts of humiliations. Meanwhile, I, your younger brother, knew nothing and was called young lord... It fills me with shame. I've agonized over it the whole way back and only now bring it up."
So that's why he was bringing up that awkward story now.
"Brother! I'll submit a formal appeal to the family about you. And at the same time, I'll step down from the young lord position!"
At Yong-myeong's declaration, Master's voice rang from my waist with approval.
- Oh. If Yong-myeong steps up like that, won't your reinstatement come sooner, Yong-un?
'Who knows?'
- Hm? Why do you seem so indifferent?
'Not seeming—I'm actually indifferent. It's awkward to just let it be.'
I understood Yong-myeong's desire to prove something.
'Come to think of it, maybe my own words about being a wastrel and reinstatement lit the fire to screw over the Mosan Sect guys?'
But whether his actions would benefit or harm me was unclear.
For one thing.
He had facts he'd confirmed with his own eyes sticking by my side, so the past Yong-un's image was beautified for him.
But the family back in Jinju, no matter how my exploits were reported, would cling to their intense memories of the old Yong-un they'd seen and dealt with personally.
There would clearly be a temperature difference.
'Those pompous elders bossing people around? It's obvious as day.'
No need to rush into something that looked like a loss.
So, I chose my words carefully.
"Let's leave that to take its natural course. Didn't Father say he'd work on Grandfather for you?"
"…Ah! Right. I got ahead of myself again."
At my words, Yong-myeong earnestly expressed his embarrassment.
"As expected, Brother seems indifferent but has a uniquely broad mind..."
I immediately called out to Cheon Jang-ho.
"Cheon Jang-ho, take this guy and hurry back to your dorm."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After disbanding the civilian aid group, I activated my lightness skill and raced to Azure Bamboo Hall's training grounds.
Upon arrival, as I rolled my neck and shoulders.
Hyung Gyeong-ryong scratched his chin and spoke.
"…Vice President Eon? So checking if I'm qualified means a body talk, right?"
"That's right? Why, any complaints?"
"Why would I complain about you?"
"Then why say that? Ah, anyone injured or unwell, step out now. You Solgeo beggars too—head to that platform over there today."
"No, we're fine. It's you I'm worried about. You just arrived—aren't you tired? No travel fatigue?"
"Not none."
"Then just rest."
I wasn't free of fatigue.
But my curiosity about how the Azure Bamboo Hall cadets had spent the forty-odd days I was gone outweighed it.
I conveyed that honestly.
"But the cadets are curious about my days in Shansi, and I'm just as curious about how you've all been."
"…You."
For some reason, Hyung Gyeong-ryong's eyes welled up at my words.
Then Yin Ha-yeon let out a cold sigh and kicked off the ground, charging in.
"I'll go first!"
Empowered by the unique chill of the Jade Maiden Sword, Yin Ha-yeon's blade slipped out fluidly.
It traced a line of swift perfection toward me.
Sssshrieeek!!
But it was worth testing.
Her sword was fast but straightforward.
'Lacks real combat experience, that's clear.'
I precisely read the endpoint of the line her sword drew.
Countering was easy.
In the stretching time, I drew Regret and slotted it into that endpoint.
Then, infusing Heaven-Splitting internal energy, I deliberately parried crudely.
Clang!!!
Her body spun in the opposite direction she'd swung.
In that instant, Yin Ha-yeon hurriedly stepped into footwork, using the spin to unleash another flurry of frost-laced strikes.
Sssshrieeek!!
Clang!
Just a month ago, she could barely manage basic forms without spare energy, but now her swordplay flowed with astonishing grace.
Proof she'd advanced in both internal arts and swordsmanship.
Admiration burst from my lips.
"Genius is genius."
"Saying that sounds like teasing, Eon Gongzi?!"
Instead, Yin Ha-yeon bit her lip and pressed with the next strike.
"Monster. You've gotten even stronger."
As I parried her ongoing assault.
Ha-seong's voice called out.
"As expected, Brother's got margin! Shall I join?!"
"Yeah. Come on."
Crackling with heat haze, Yin Ha-seong dove in too.
Clang!
Kang!!!!!!!
As I knocked his sword away, the thought that crossed my mind was that the concentric circles centered on him had shrunk.
Kang!!!
Back when he was wandering, fumbling, and wasting effort, he'd obsessed over flashy, energy-draining moves.
Now, Yin Ha-seong focused on maximum power with minimal motion.
It made his concentric circles seem smaller than before.
But it also left no openings to pierce.
'Solid now.'
Within that narrowed range, he unleashed the signature heavy strikes of the Heavenly Thunder Sword he had mastered.
'They didn't slack off.'
A smirk tugged at my lips then.
"We're joining too!"
Led by Senior Seo Jin-hyo, three second- and third-years leaped in together, forming a Sparrow Formation based on five people rotating.
Clang! Clang!
Chachachang!!!!
Unlike before, when I'd ignored their verbal signals.
The Azure Bamboo Hall's Sparrow Formation after forty days moved like a single organism without any cues.
My lips curled up to my ears.
"Nice. Seniors wasting years, but you used that month and half so thriftily. You could do this—why didn't you?"
"W-Why bring up old times suddenly."
"Anyway, then I'll get serious too?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Watching the intense live-blade sparring on Azure Bamboo Hall's training grounds, the Solgeo beggars each swallowed dryly.
Among them, the most shocked was Bok-cheol, the former executioner and Azure Bamboo Hall graduate.
It was inevitable.
Kang!!!
Blink, and a sword shattered.
Blink again, and someone flew.
"Thud!!"
The visible exchanges on the grounds were lethal moves that could maim at any slip.
Frankly, even when they'd formed a beating squad against Eon Yong-un at the Shansi branch, they hadn't charged with that resolve.
'…Just planned to rough him up a bit.'
Bok-cheol's mouth fell open unwittingly.
"…This is sparring between Azure Bamboo Hall cadets?"
A female cadet watching from the platform with him overheard and smirked.
"Less sparring, more daily routine. This is our everyday. You beggar uncles, being part of Azure Bamboo Hall now, better get used to it."
But her words were the scariest.
'Aren't you from Hyangran Hall?'
They all seemed out of their minds.
He'd picked the wrong bunch to mess with, thoroughly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "…So that's how the Yi Family matter wrapped up. And we three White-cloaked Beggars ended up here."
"Wow, what insane stuff. Too bad I missed being there."
Snap!
"Ow!"
"You rascal, went sightseeing?! Sightseeing? We nearly lost someone!"
"Ah! Ah!!"
"No, it was sentimental, you know?! Master Jeong-hyeon, say something!"
"…Hm. I'll stay silent."
"Hey."
"Sentimental or not, with that skill? You didn't slack, but you're still far. Whatever. Ah, Lady Yin. Got permission from Grandfather for the news bulletin business."
Thus, my first day back flew by confirming time spent with the Azure Bamboo Hall cadets.
The next day, with the civilian aid schedule running ten days over normal, I spent catching up on missed classes by copying notes.
And the day after.
Over lunch, Hyung Gyeong-ryong happened by.
I asked about the scheduled academy event around now.
"Speaking of, isn't it time for the New-Old Confrontation? Any word from the council?"
"Right. Should've started discussions earlier, but with top students like you, the current chief, and upper latecomers absent, plus ominous Shansi rumors, it's stalled."
One of the beggar trio, self-volunteering to clear dessert plates, overheard and slyly chimed in.
"That, uh, I went to the notice board this morning and heard about the confrontation. They say after the Murim Alliance meeting ends, some famous seniors might come down?"