Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Unfinished Knot (3)
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"Eon young hero. Should I gather those examinees over here?"
"Yeah. In case they try something funny. Make sure to knock them out."
"Yes!"
"Oh. If there's any piled-up resentment, you can give them a few good smacks. Assassins barged in during the night—some bruises could easily happen by chance, right?"
"...Ah. ...Um. Yes. Understood."
Jeong-hyeon nodded at my words for now, but perhaps due to the Dao qi flowing through his body, he didn't use the convenient method I'd casually hinted at.
In any case, with his help, the number of late-night visitors standing with their legs pinned to the ground quickly dwindled until, at some point, not a single one remained.
"Looks like it's over."
"Does it?"
There hadn't been any dangerous moments, but supplying internal energy to two mid-sized curse formations while operating the Non-Shadow Heaven-Splitting Step had left me a bit winded.
I sat cross-legged.
Then, turning to Jeong-hyeon, who had joined late and looked full of energy, I opened my mouth to assign him a new task.
"I'll catch my breath for a bit. If you have the spare capacity, mind helping out Yin young lady?"
"...Hm. Just in case, I'll stand guard for you first, Eon young hero, then do that. That seems the proper way."
"Do as you think best, then."
His words made sense upon reflection, so I told him to handle it his way, then promptly dispelled the curse formation I'd set up in the backyard before entering light meditation to circulate my energy...
"And who might you be?"
"...You don't need to know, you wench?!"
"...This won't do, Ha-seong. Mind injecting some respect into him?"
"Got it, sis. Just like before, press here?"
"That's a death point. A little higher. Yeah. There."
"Yessir. Here goes!"
Squish-
"Guh! Guuaack!!"
"Listen well. You might think we're mere servants because we're following Young Master Eon's orders, but we're not that easy to push around. You're not Young Master Eon. And do you see that young master Hwangbo over there?"
"Guuaaaack!"
"Not answering?"
"Guhk! Y-Yes, I see him!"
"Young Master Eon handled him personally, and now he can't even fulfill a man's role anymore?"
"...?!"
...The commotion made me crack my eyes open slightly.
Sure enough, there was Yin Ha-seong, bound with ropes around both arms and neck, and Yin Xia Lian holding a brush and book, interrogating one of the disqualified ones.
"It'd be wise to cooperate quietly while I'm still asking nicely. Last question. Who are you and where are you from?"
"The Ma Family Manor of the Western Liang! I'm Ma Won of the Ma Family Manor!"
"Western Liang means Gansu Province, right? If it's the Ma Family of Gansu, how are you related to Great Hero Ma In-san, the Heaven-Water Spear Hero?"
"His... third son. No, third son."
"Sigh. No father raises a son like you. Now, check the text on this deed and put your seal."
"...Isn't there an extra zero on that amount?"
"I said check and seal it. That's all—confirmation only. No arguments. Seal it. Or should I fetch Young Master Eon? I don't mind either way."
"I-I'll do it!"
Watching that, Master chimed in with a word.
-I always thought the saying 'the brush is mightier than the sword' was bullshit, but Ha-yeon's brush on that kid definitely looks the part.
'Yin young lady has that side to her. Why else would her nickname be Thousand Gold Smile?'
-She acts all scatterbrained around you, so I figured it was sarcasm. But in front of others, she's a proper Lu Bu.
'That's because you're her lifesaver and her first friend. That over there is closer to her true self.'
Jeong-hyeon, seeing Yin Xia Lian's true face for the first time, added his own comment.
"You've opened your eyes, Eon young hero. While you were meditating, Yin young lady started on the task you assigned her. She seems angry—her methods are pretty rough."
"So?"
"...Well, shouldn't we stop her?"
"Why stop her? We should be helping. Don't they still look human to you?"
"...Pardon? Ah, yes."
"Of course. Anyone else but you wouldn't think that. I don't hate that soft side of yours. But right now, I'm right. No time."
"Understood."
"So-rung will be back soon with the academy staff. We need to wrap this up before then. Ask Yin young lady for about half the book she's holding. And when the instructors arrive, make sure to ask what that Lowlife Pavilion is and what kind of scum they dragged in here. Then you'll see I was right."
"Yes."
The paper I got from Yin Xia Lian was already formatted—just fill in the culprit's origin and stamp a handprint, and it was done.
'Yin Xia Lian is Yin Xia Lian, alright.'
Thus, the collection ledger was quickly completed.
And before the ink on those sheets had fully dried, So-rung returned just as I'd predicted.
"Eon hyung!!"
At the same time, guards in jade martial robes poured in from all directions, cha-chang! drawing their weapons as they charged.
Among them, a middle-aged man who seemed to be the squad leader began issuing crisp commands.
"Units one through twelve, protect the candidates and civilians! And you fiends, don't move a muscle! To dare set foot in the cradle of the orthodox martial world—you must not value your lives..."
No, more precisely, he started to command but lost his words, eyes blinking in shock.
"...What?"
It was only natural.
'Assassins raided the candidates staying in Dan-gang District. And those assassins were hires from the Lowlife Pavilion.'
For instructors at the Righteous Martial Academy—especially guards tasked with protecting its members—that report would send chills down their spines.
Rushing over in response, what do they find?
Candidates in white martial robes fiddling with papers or whatever.
And the so-called assassins? Dead, unconscious, or tied up?
I'd be speechless too.
"...U So-rung, was it, candidate?"
"...Yes. But?"
"...Did you report this without checking properly?"
So this reaction was understandable.
It was hard to believe.
Perfectly reasonable.
"Doesn't seem like a mistake. Excluding you, two or three... four candidates total? Two-four-six-eight-ten... Roughly fifty murder demons from the Lowlife Pavilion taken down...?"
"Actually, not four—hyung Yong-un did it all alone... Mmph."
In the midst of this, as Ha-seong tried to correct him for my sake, I covered his mouth and faced the squad leader with a cupped-fist salute.
"Candidate Eon Yong-un here. Not all fifty are from the Lowlife Pavilion."
"Eon Yong-un? Ah, the current top rank! Now that you mention it, I recognize you! I was there at the ranking announcement—as a proctor, handling one of the pearl-holding tests. Hm, that young lady behind you must be the top in literature, and the instructor next to her is Jeong-hyeon, who took third in strength. Ah, late introduction. I'm Jo Hak-su, eleventh squad leader of the Righteous Martial Academy Guard Division."
"Ah, should I call you professor, then?"
"Professor? No, we're not the scholarly research types. Just call me senior. Anyway, not all from the Lowlife Pavilion?"
"Yes, senior. Precisely, the thirty-seven on the left are murder demons or lust demons hired from the Lowlife Pavilion, and the sixteen on the right are ones disqualified from this entrance exam who hold grudges against me."
"...Heh. So those idiots dragged in Lowlife Pavilion scum?"
"Yes. Exactly."
"...Vile bastards. Those tied up will face heavy punishment after separate investigation confirms your words. I'll report your merits in detail, and ah, can't forget the bounties. The rewards on those murder demons will go to you all."
My lips curled up involuntarily at Jo Hak-su's words.
"Aw, no need to go that far."
At my reaction, Master urgently transmitted from my waist.
-Hey, brat. Hands. Why are you rubbing your hands?
Oh. Was I rubbing my hands?
I smoothly shifted my unconsciously rubbing hands into a cupped-fist salute.
Meanwhile.
Jo Hak-su bowed his head politely and spoke again.
"Thanks again. I'll report upward, so you can add details later, but as the senior-most here, allow me to express gratitude on their behalf. Without you, this could've escalated badly. Thanks to your perfect suppression early on, we averted a major crisis."
I only did it because it needed doing, and there seemed to be real gains, but his formal thanks made it...
A bit embarrassing.
"No, anyone would've."
"No. Stepping up as mere unsafe candidates isn't something just anyone does. And even if others had, they wouldn't have suppressed it this perfectly. Latecomers who reached the final exam gate dragging Lowlife Pavilion murder demons into Dan-gang District? That's besmirching the entire orthodox martial world, nearly giving the fiends cause to stir. You stopped it. The academy—no, all orthodox martial arts owes you a great debt."
Meanwhile, in a serene annex backed by the Zhuge family.
Cicadas chirped softly in the surrounding flower garden, fireflies drifting lazily, as Zhuge Seol-ji and Dang Ok-gi shared tea.
From afar, the two beauties sharing tea looked like a scene straight from a moonlit beauties painting.
But reality was different.
Especially from Dang Ok-gi's perspective.
"Ok-gi."
"...Y-Yeah?"
"Don't you think I lost too?"
"W-Well?"
It had to be that way.
Those unaware might overlook it due to titles like Little Martial Aunt, Zhuge family's fortune-bringer, next generation's top beauty, but Zhuge Seol-ji wasn't one with a gentle heart.
Not good or evil, but ruthless.
She was the type who couldn't bear losing, ruthlessly so.
That was Zhuge Seol-ji.
As a child, she'd suffered blocked meridians, her frail body shuttling between the Zhuge Sichuan branch and the Dang family for treatment.
Thus, Dang Ok-gi knew her temperament well.
Even with a body she could barely control, when outdone in knowledge by Dang Ok-gi herself, she'd holed up in the library, devouring books feverishly despite burning up with fever.
When outmatched in sword by Ok-gi's brothers, she'd thrown a fit to learn the sword herself despite her frailty—that was Zhuge Seol-ji.
'...That ruthlessness coincided with her meridians healing, and she ended up winning.'
Anyway, Zhuge Seol-ji cured her blocked meridians and left Sichuan.
'I thought that ruthless streak had mellowed while we were apart.'
Ahead of the entrance exam, reuniting with her after so long, Dang Ok-gi hadn't sensed the old ruthlessness.
She figured Seol-ji had finally matured.
But no.
She just hadn't encountered a worthy rival in the clan to trigger it.
"I took on the same assignment as Lord Yong-un. Understood it, broke it. You know that, right?"
"Huh? Yeah. I know."
"Right. Even so, I didn't choose that method because I could've won the top rank match too, and my ranking stayed first. The top has their way of fighting, and I followed it. Something's off here. Right?"
At that moment.
Dang Ok-gi's words caught in her throat.
She had to.
'Wrong' would ignite that madness, and 'right' would ignite it toward settling things with Eon Yong-un.
Thus, as Dang Ok-gi hesitated.
Crack-
A crack formed in Zhuge Seol-ji's teacup, crunch- shattering.
"Hey! Hand! Your hand's bleeding!"
"Is that important right now?!"
"It is!"
"...Lord Yong-un clearly looked surprised on stage that there'd be no top rank match. Then he looked at me. For a moment, I felt like I'd met a kindred spirit."
"...Kindred?"
"Yeah. He's surely the type who can't stand losing too. He wouldn't want that unsatisfying victory. Yeah, that's it. I need to settle things with Lord Yong-un."
But whether Dang Ok-gi answered or not, the fire was lit.
In response, Dang Ok-gi swallowed dryly and muttered inwardly.
Crazy bitch.