Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Shame, Braggart, Thief, and Scoundrel (2)
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At Hwang Bo-jun's words, I nodded along and repeated what he'd spat out verbatim as I rose from my seat.
"Wudang's shame, Silver Family's braggart, pedigreeless thief bastard, and..."
And then I thrust out my left hand, gently grasping the index finger of his right hand—the one he'd used to point accusingly at our monks.
Throughout this, Hwang Bo-jun showed no particular reaction.
He seemed to take my nodding and standing as agreement with his words.
And underlying that was his confidence that I couldn't do a damn thing to him anyway.
But what now?
Both assumptions were dead wrong.
I smirked, bringing his finger to my forehead before opening my mouth again.
"Eon Family's wastrel."
And then.
I wrenched the finger he'd clenched in my grip with all my might, bending it backward at the joint.
Crack-
It was a truly crisp sound, but apparently Hwang Bo-jun couldn't even hear or feel it.
His eyes bulged wide as he let out a guttural scream, trying to shake me off.
But that was anticipated too.
I moved my hand faster than he did.
Whoosh!
The Huangbo family was renowned for their fist techniques, and close range naturally favored a fist master, but my deliberate strike was far quicker than his panicked flailing after being caught off guard.
Thwack!
I infused my finger technique with inner energy, instantly striking his arm acupoint. Then I followed up with the shoulder well point.
Pop pop!
Hwang Bo-jun froze up like a wooden log.
Behind him, Dan Mok-won and his nameless buddy flinched as if about to step forward.
"?!"
"?!"
At their movements, Jeong Hyeon, Eun Ha-seong, and Woo So-rung flinched too.
"!"
"!"
"!"
In this powder-keg moment, I showed both sides my open palms and spoke up.
"Whoa, whoa. Anything more would be clear-cut violence."
At my words, our monks obediently sat back down.
Hwang Bo-jun and his crew paused their actions for the moment, but Dan Mok-won spoke up among them.
"Isn't what Eon Young Master just did already violence?"
My mouth fired back without hesitation.
"A deadbeat who won't pay his debts dares to yap about it with that loose mouth of his."
"......"
"Mok-won, you punk. This is righteous self-defense. Bo-jun here started the verbal abuse first. A little finger can be fixed with some spit, but a heart scarred by words doesn't heal so easy?"
That physically shut Hwang Bo-jun's mouth and psychologically silenced Dan Mok-won.
But there was still one more examinee from their group left.
"That's sophistry."
He was the guy from yesterday's lightness skill test, the left wielder of the paired staffs, standing next to Dan Mok-won and piping up. Since I didn't know his name yet, I needed it to even bother talking, so I said,
"Name."
A voice seeped out from him, laced with feigned pride.
"Ha Yu-kyung of the Huai County Ha Clan."
Well, the Ha Clan of Huai County had reason to boast.
They hailed from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties era—backdrop of Romance of the Three Kingdoms—with the famed hero He Qi, known to any deep fan.
Back in Huizhou, I'd received info on prominent families from each region. Alongside the Dan Mok family, they were a big shot in Zhejiang Province.
"Right, Ha Yu-kyung. Why's my argument sophistry?"
"How can Young Master Hwang's minor slip of the tongue justify Young Master Eon's use of physical force? No one would accept it. Shall we ask the organizers?"
"Go ahead."
"...You think I won't?"
Ha Yu-kyung let out a hollow laugh.
I shot him a sneer right back.
"Nah, I'm saying it 'cause you're dumb enough to actually do it?"
"...Dumb?"
"Dumb enough at your age to start shit first, then cry to the teachers when it doesn't go your way. But especially dumb for not reading the room. Go ahead and snitch—I get dinged, no biggie."
I was in passing range anyway.
"......"
"You guys, though? Don't you need three points or more? That's why you came recruiting me, right? But buttering me up is already dead in the water. So you'll need someone else. Hwang Bo-jun here's gotta be a fist master—build and family scream it. But if word gets out his right index finger's busted, you think any examinees will wanna join your crew?"
"......!"
"Oh, and one more dumb thing, Huai Ha Clan, Dan Mok family, Huangbo family—all so full of yourselves. 'We got our asses handed to us by a wastrel kicked out of his clan for total fuckups.' Go ahead, spread that rumor yourselves."
Meanwhile, the families they boasted about became shackles.
"......"
Finally getting it, shadows fell over Ha Yu-kyung's face.
I cackled and pressed on.
"Everyone's too busy scrambling teams right now to notice us, but spread it yourselves and it'll fly across the land in no time. Your clan elders will love hearing that. Me? Like you called me when gossiping behind my back—I'm a wastrel anyway. No reputation left to lose."
That wrapped it up.
As I finished, Hwang Bo-jun and his crew turned into mumbling fools, trembling in unison.
Watching them, Master clicked his tongue.
- Go easy on 'em. Gonna make the kids cry.
'This is going easy, Master.'
Anyone who disrespects Palace Defense Oath resolution turns into a jade pillar.
Totally fucked.
- Jeez. When'd you call 'em monks and lose your mind?!
'Even if I curse 'em or throw a fit, it's gotta be me doing it. Don't you get the difference?'
That's a huge gap, no?
Anyway.
At that point.
Dan Mok-won was first to bow his head and step forward.
"...We've been rude. Please release Hwang brother's acupoints, and we'll withdraw quietly."
Ha Yu-kyung sighed next and bowed too.
"...My rudeness as well. Naturally, no inquiry to the organizers."
They sighed like it was some huge resolve, but to me, it looked pathetic.
I picked my ear with one hand and spoke.
"Releasing the points lets you leave anyway, and snitching just spits in your own faces—stating the obvious like it's profound? Hey, Dan Mok-won."
"...Yes?"
"Don't slink off. Pay up your promised personal share through Silver Radiance Merchant Group soon. Send to Radiant Prosperity Hall. Answer."
"...Yes. Understood."
"And Ha Yu-kyung."
"...Yes?"
"Express your heartfelt apology the same way. Only gold and silver heals my wounded heart."
But glancing at Hwang Bo-jun amid this, his eyes showed zero remorse.
I tsked and called it.
"But even now, Bo-jun's eyes burn with defiance—got a different opinion? Eh, forget it! Forget it!"
Then Dan Mok-won and Ha Yu-kyung shot up, hastily scolding and coaxing him.
"No way! Hwang brother! You're not, right?!"
"...Hwang brother. I get how you feel, but... Brother Dan Mok's right. As the art of war says, know when to retreat."
His fiery glare dimmed, so I released his arm acupoint first.
Hwang Bo-jun mumbled as his mouth worked again.
"My rudeness... uh."
Hmm?
I figured he'd spit or something once freed, but an apology came out.
Wrong target, though.
I pointed at the monks beside me.
"Not to me—to them."
"My rude... ness..."
"Tsk. Don't let up just 'cause I'm going easy?"
"...To them."
"Hey now."
"...ness."
"Good boy. But if words alone fixed everything, why have the Murim Alliance or magistrates? Right, Bo-jun? So you gotta show heartfelt apology like your pals."
"......?"
"Huangbo family's bigger than Dan Mok or Huai Ha, so your full assets differ—demanding all might feel unfair, strain friendships. Not ideal. So specially, match what Dan Mok-won's paying."
Nice.
Look how fair I am, Master.
After chasing off Hwang Bo-jun and the crew.
"......"
"......"
The mood got awkward, so I just slipped out of the academy cafeteria.
But these monk ducklings waddled after their mother duck, piping up one by one.
"Thank you. I thought I'd gotten used to 'Wudang's shame,' but seeing Young Master Eon this angry cleared something in me. Guess I really am Wudang's shame. Still far from the Dao."
"Never knew amid 'Southern Jiang Divine Hero' hype, some call me Silver Family braggart. True big bro. Always telling us to shut up, but jumps in if anyone disrespects us?"
I'd gotten heated and given a lesson to prevent future bullshit, but they were overinterpreting.
To correct it, I spilled a bit of my inner thoughts.
"Was pissed at first, but saw a chance to fleece 'em, so killed two birds. Don't read too much into it."
"Ah, got it."
"Loyalty, loyalty."
What? Atmosphere like they won't buy it even if I grind beans to make soybean paste?
That was when.
As I tried adding "no really."
Woo So-rung spoke in a creeping voice.
"...Sorry."
"Why sorry, Brother Woo?"
"Yeah. Why apologize, little bro? Good lightness skill and orphan = fair game for 'thief'?"
"...Brother Eon hails from famed Eon Family of North Hebei, Brother Jeong Hyeon is disciple of Wudang—one of murim's twin pillars—Brother Eun too, son of renowned Southern Jiang Merchant King... But me? I'm a thief for real. My father was called Lightning Express Bandit. Willing or not, I followed him in deeds, and that fact doesn't vanish. Feels like you all got this treatment 'cause of me. Even Brother Jeong Hyeon's 'young hero' doesn't fit me."
Watching today's So-rung so lacking confidence, I wondered how he'd later steal from villains and bolt.
Jeong Hyeon and Eun Ha-seong spoke up in turn.
"Brother Woo, that's flawed. Laozi said know when to stop, and nine-story towers start from a handful of earth. With remorse and will to advance, you came to Righteous Martial Academy—Dao already stands in your heart. How not fit 'young hero'?!"
"...Brother Jeong Hyeon."
"...Yes?"
"We can't parse that. Little bro Eun, lemme simplify. Just follow Big Bro Yong-un. Your words make his standing up meaningless?!"
"...Ah! Is that so?! Not what I meant at all?!"
Watching, Master chimed in.
- Kinda heartwarming...
"You got three Palace Defense Oaths from big bro—say that, and what am I with one?"
- ...never mind. Shut it.
Anyway.
As Master and I watched.
"Oh right."
Suddenly realized I hadn't properly asked the most important—them.
I spoke up immediately.
"Chaos made me skip the formal ask. Tomorrow's final gate. Four of us like this? Objections?"
"Wasn't it already set to four earlier, bro?"
"Thought so too."
"Objections? Grateful."
Reflex answers—I shook my head and spoke.
"Think hard. I'm aiming for the five-pointer. So-rung's stuck with six total, no choice. But Jeong Hyeon, you've got fourteen! Ha-seong, eight. You have easier options."
"...Knew you'd go for it— that's why."
"No thoughts, so irrelevant."
"Fine then."
"Yes."
"Yep!"
"Yup!"
Wudang's shame, Silver Family's braggart, pedigreeless thief bastard, Eon Family's wastrel?
Who're the losers—we or them? Results will tell.