Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: On the Way to the Academy (2)
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The graduation ceremony of the Escort Leader Training Program had concluded.
I packed my bags right away to take the entrance exam for the Righteous Martial Academy and set off toward Dan River Bend in Hubei Province, where the academy was located.
Dan River Bend in Hubei Province sat between Wudang Mountain—the base of the Wudang Sect—and Yungzhong Mountain—the stronghold of the Zhuge family. It was a key hub of the righteous martial world and a vital transportation nexus connecting to Shaanxi and Henan provinces. As such, there were merchant caravans from the Silver Radiance Merchant Group passing through around this time.
'If I'd traveled with one of those caravans, they would've had all the river permits and official roads cleared, so I could've arrived quickly.'
But there was no pressing need to reach Dan River Bend that fast.
'Arriving early would just mean getting ripped off.'
The original story described the area around Dan River Bend during entrance exams as so crowded there wasn't even space to plant a flag.
That meant the academy grounds would now be swarming with examinees. With demand that high, every expense for food, lodging, and necessities would come with a massive markup.
So there was no reason to rush.
'Take it slow, train along the way.'
Stop to enjoy the mountains and scenery now and then, and time my arrival to match the exam date perfectly. That was the way!
"Young master! Those clouds mean rain's coming soon! The map says there's a riverside village just a bit south from here. We should find lodging there for the night!!"
"I thought heading to the entrance exam would be smoother than this. Why'd I have to leave a perfectly good carriage behind and walk on my own two feet?! And when the hell can I take off these damn weights on my arms and legs?! Ugh, they're so heavy I'm dying! Damn it! Brother Yong-un! You red-hatted mad dog! Someday I'm really gonna!!"
Of course, when I first planned this leisurely pace, I hadn't counted on having two massive bumps attached to me.
Of the two bumps stuck to me, Yin Xia Lian was at least somewhat useful.
Though it was her first time traveling the martial world on foot, she had experience leading merchant caravans, so she could read weather patterns and maps just fine.
"That'll be half a silver tael, including lodging, meals, and hot water for bathing in the evening."
"Too expensive. We'll handle cooking ourselves, so half that."
"Tch. You're no naive miss who doesn't know the ways of the world. Fine, deal."
When it came to haggling over small expenses, her merchant savvy shone through.
'Best part is, it doesn't cost me a dime.'
But since she hadn't trained in martial arts, her stamina was lacking.
Southern Jiang Merchant King.
As his blood daughter and a prodigy who'd caught the Sword Master's eye, two months of Escort Leader Training Program drills had noticeably boosted her endurance.
'Xia Lian's got better stamina than an average person now.'
But for my training regimen of deliberately crossing deep mountains and steep ravines, she wasn't much help, honestly.
'Reading maps, checking weather, and bargaining are my specialties anyway.'
So if someone seriously asked whether I really needed her on this journey, the answer was no, not really.
'Yin Ha-seong's just a pain that hurts my mouth to deal with.'
So to spare my mouth, I used my fist.
"I'mth tho thorry, thur."
Now the swollen-faced fool was stirring the meat porridge in the pot and whining like that.
"Sorry my ass—say what you said earlier again."
"...Did I thay anything wrong, thur?"
This bastard.
I thought the initial boot camp and Escort Leader Training Program graduation had turned him into a halfway decent human.
But after all that time bickering and clashing, he'd apparently built up some inner affection for me, because lately he'd been testing my patience more and more.
"You called me a red-hatted mad dog and said someday you'd give me sixty-six lashes or whatever."
"...S-sixty-six lashes?! I never said or even thought such a thing. I just meant someday... maybe on your birthday, as a celebration, one smack wouldn't be bad.... And even that seemed far off?!"
Look at this.
A few whacks and he rolls around crying like he's dying, slurring his words from the swelling.
But when he realizes dragging it out would only make it worse, out comes the smooth talk like he's downed a clarity potion.
"You can talk fine now, huh?"
"...Hehe."
"Hehe?"
"...If hehe bothers you... haha?"
"Ha-seong."
"...Yes?"
"Wanna die?"
"I-I'm sorry! I want to live, brother!"
"Why am I your brother? I have a little brother already. Name's Yong-myeong."
"Y-you said not to call you instructor outside. Said it could cause misunderstandings. Couldn't think of another honorific. Yes, sir."
"Fair enough."
"...Hehe."
"Anyway, whatever. Did you punks go around calling me a mad dog?"
"...Wh-what? Didn't hear anything like that?!"
"Didn't hear shit?! Red-hatted mad dog means a crazy dog in a red hat, right?!"
"...Well, about that."
I could kind of understand, honestly.
Back in my past life, when I was a newbie hunter without much clout, if I got a hot-tempered asshole as team leader, I'd call him a mad dog or psycho too.
"Ha-seong."
"...Yes?"
"I like being called a mad dog. It's true, after all."
But understanding didn't mean forgiveness.
"Still, I can't tolerate you calling me a mad dog!"
"What?! What do you mean?!"
"You ungrateful owl shits! I taught you properly, broke you in straight. You should be singing songs of gratitude: 'Oh, instructor's love! Oh, repay your grace!' everywhere. But instead, you whisper 'mad dog' behind my back?! That's why you don't adopt black-haired beasts! Argh!! You punk! You punk!!!"
So I channeled my rising fury through the ladle, beating Ha-seong over head, shoulders, knees, toes—everywhere.
Before long, the pitiful owl yelped out his injustice with a wail.
"Why just me?! None of the fifty owls under you didn't think that! Even sis probably did!"
My gaze naturally shifted to Yin Xia Lian.
She smacked her lips and spoke up.
"...Not everyone did."
"Sounds like you at least knew about it."
"Yes. When I first heard the rumors, I considered correcting them, but I held back in case it ruined some grand scheme you harbored inwardly."
Grand scheme?
Did I have some hidden plan when I played drill sergeant at the Escort Leader Training Program?
- Absolutely not.
Right?
I just promised the Southern Jiang Merchant King I'd grind them hard.
And since Master was grinding me with the Heaven-Splitting Twelve Steps, it felt unfair for me to suffer alone.
So I figured I should temper them good to preserve this fine path ahead.
What grand scheme was I unaware of?
"As always, weren't you playing the villain role?"
"Hm?"
"You ground us mercilessly. Many gritted their teeth behind your back. Yet the factional strife and grudges among the rookie escorts vanished completely."
"......"
"Even those who prejudged me started seeing me differently once we all suffered under you together. That's when this dull girl realized your greater intent. You were teaching us with your body the ancient wisdom that internal chaos resolves and unites before an external foe."
"...?"
"...Wasn't it?"
No wonder she'd been acting like she'd believe me even if I said beans made better rice cakes since finishing the training.
She'd been thinking something like that?
'...At this point, Ha-seong's normal griping and whining seems saner.'
How did she even see me to come up with that interpretation?
I had no idea.
But I didn't feel the need to correct her either.
So I just nodded along vaguely.
"...Yeah. Pretty much."
"I knew it!"
It was then.
As I watched Yin Xia Lian—whose smile was worth a thousand gold—leak out that very smile, while I eyed the boiling meat porridge in the inn's front courtyard.
"Brother. Looks like a horde's coming our way."
Dust rose in the distance, unusual for rain-threatening weather.
A pack of rough thugs, clearly hardened underworld veterans, swarmed in, blocking front, left, and right.
But a smile crept onto my lips.
It had to.
Those foreheads screaming 'I'm a underworld thug' were exactly why I'd kept Yin Xia Lian and Ha-seong as bumps on this trip instead of ditching them.
When I first pondered how to head to the Righteous Martial Academy, I'd definitely planned to go solo.
But then I thought, did I really need to?
I had plenty of shortcomings now.
The biggest? Lack of real combat experience.
Oh, sure, in the generic sense, my past life as a hunter had beaten plenty into me.
'But back then, I was a dark sorcerer.'
As swordsman Eon Yong-un, I was sorely lacking in practical fights.
Couldn't be helped.
What I needed was real combat—or combat-style spars.
But with no junior brothers or sectmates due to circumstances, Master still couldn't fully materialize his spirit body, and the Silver Radiance Merchant Group wasn't a martial powerhouse to assign elite guards. No options there.
But traveling with Yin Xia Lian now?
Big flies would buzz in for sure, and before the entrance exam, I'd get those combat chances.
'And it happened just like that.'
So my smile was inevitable.
Well, using her as bait to gain experience from hooked fools wasn't exactly righteous, bluntly put.
But I felt no shame.
"They're later than I expected."
"Tell me about it."
For one, she'd understood my intent and come willingly.
"What are you two whispering about?! You, wench over there!"
"Me?"
"Yeah. You're Yin Xia Lian of Radiant Prosperity Hall?"
"That's right."
"This humble elder is Wan Sam-seok, stronghold leader of Nine Flower Stronghold and sworn brother to Bang Cheon-deok, former chieftain of Northern Deer Bandit Lair. I'm here today from North Deer Mountain for my brother's blood debt. Come quietly, and I'll spare your life!"
"That's what he says. What now, Young Master Eon?"
"Ask if he spares the other guests here if you go."
"Who the hell are you to yap beside her?! No need for the Yin wench to speak—I'll answer your benevolence myself. Our Nine Flower Stronghold's out of preserves after winter! We'll kindly take you all to ferment together. How's that for an answer?!"
"Kekekeke! Chieftain, we'll need more jars for that!"
"So be careful not to break the inn's jars when we loot! If there are wenches staying, handle 'em without a scratch."
And the hooked fools weren't half-assed flies—they were proper shit flies.
Thanks to that, I drew Regret from my belt without hesitation.
"What brotherly love. Coming after two and a half months since your brother's corpse cooled. Bang Cheon-deok must be weeping in hell, honored to have a brother like Sam-seok."
"...Wh-what?! Never seen such a mongrel! My name's Sam-seok, not Sam-sam!"
"Grab some ferrymen on the Yangtze and ask who looks more like a mongrel—you or I. Sam-sam or Sam-seok."
"...You! You're that bastard who riled up my brother and botched the whole deal?!"
"Guilty or not, what's it to you? Your brotherly bond seems tight, and I helped sever it eternally. My heart aches. With belated apologies, I'll send you to your brother's side. Enough talk—come at me."