Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Confinement Life (2)
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“We're the only ones getting to relax... What should I do about feeling so sorry?”
In response to Yeo Mae-hong's words, Chu Un-hwi forced some cheer into his voice.
“It's fine. I'll rejoin you all soon enough.”
“Still...”
“I said it's fine, right?”
“I'll ask my sister too and find a good solution.”
Yeo Mae-hong clenched her fist determinedly. As expected of an angel.
To show this level of warm concern even to an immature outcast like him.
'Right. If I stay in the women's instructors' quarters, I might run into Instructor Moyong.'
He wouldn't mind if it took a while—as long as she could block this unjust act by Silver Hall.
“You'll do great.”
“That's right, Instructor Chu. Hang in there.”
As he shook off his gloom amid encouragement from colleagues like Squad Leader Yang and Instructor Jo Hyun...
“Haha. So this is where you were.”
Kwak Jong-geun approached, looking suspiciously pleased.
This petty man glanced around sneakily before muttering as if to himself.
“Acting all high and mighty without knowing your place... Serves you right...”
He flashed a benevolent smile at the group.
“Follow me. I'll show you to your on-duty quarters.”
***
Kwak Jong-geun didn't say a word the entire way.
But his jaunty steps and cheerful humming made his good mood abundantly clear.
After a long walk, they arrived at a mock training ground.
Lifting his head, Chu Un-hwi saw a plaque in bold, heroic script.
- Jianghu Sichuan Marsh.
'Jianghu? Sichuan Marsh?'
As he tilted his head in confusion, Kwak Jong-geun spoke in a oily tone.
“Since you wanted to be a specialist instructor for field missions, I pulled some strings for you.”
His words implied it was an important spot for such instructors, sparking curiosity.
'What's this guy's deal?'
Sensing something off, Chu Un-hwi stepped inside—and froze.
“This is...”
“What do you think? The very image of the jianghu?”
“You're saying I have to stay on duty here?”
“You may not know, but every training ground has on-duty posts. Gotta screen out the stragglers who wander in lost.”
That much he understood.
The problem was the scene unfolding right before his eyes.
“There's absolutely nothing here!”
Indeed.
He'd wondered what "jianghu" meant for martial artists.
'It's literally a river and a lake?'
And a marsh at that.
The insanely vast riverbank featured a dense, foreboding wetland that looked repulsive even from afar.
As he stood there speechless, Kwak Jong-geun's smug voice rang out.
“This is the real jianghu.”
“It's just a river and some trees.”
“It's modeled after a swamp in Sichuan Province. Even Silver Hall praises its high fidelity.”
The fidelity was spot-on, alright.
Just seeing the Sichuan centipedes rustling under the shade was proof enough.
“...Where are the on-duty quarters?”
If he had no choice, he'd hole up in the quarters.
“Hm? The on-duty quarters?”
“Yeah, you said to live in the on-duty quarters.”
“In a high-fidelity swamp like this? No such thing exists.”
No way. Not even quarters?
“The ground is your bed, the sky your roof. That's your quarters.”
It was no ordinary low-grade training ground.
Come to think of it, Jegal Tan had mentioned something about Old Man Sa-gong.
- Old Man Sa-gong is a big shot in the Murim Alliance. You can tell from how he oversees the high-end training ground modeled after Beggars' Sect headquarters.
In other words...
'The lowliest get dumped in a place with no house or shed, just to camp out?'
His spirits crumbled.
As he wore a world-ending scowl, Kwak Jong-geun chuckled darkly.
“Make the best of it. You'll have quite the enjoyable time.”
Pat pat.
With a clap on the shoulder, Kwak Jong-geun vanished into the distance.
***
“I'm screwed. Totally screwed.”
He'd checked just in case, but there was truly nothing.
One side was a massive lake.
The other, a fetid forest—half of it wetland.
True to its high fidelity, the marsh was needlessly intricate.
The sinking mud with every step was bad enough, but the insects were the worst.
Had they even transplanted Sichuan's venomous bugs? Colorful, rare specimens buzzed about in dazzling display.
Sichuan mountain mosquitoes included.
One night later, his mind was in tatters.
Wringing out his damp-from-humidity clothes, Chu Un-hwi grumbled.
“Live here? Isn't this too much?”
The world's charity was stingier than ever.
Huddled by the riverbank with his arms around his knees, he was spotted first by Baek Ri-seol, who yelped in shock.
“Oh my. Instructor, you look ten years older overnight.”
I know.
“Whoa. You look like a castaway who just drifted in on a boat, survived alone for ten years, and started talking to a teddy bear.”
No need for such specific analogies.
His mood sank further, and he asked Jegal Tan,
“Hey. What the hell is this?”
The answer came unexpectedly from Dang-gan.
“Whoa, Sichuan Marsh? I love this place.”
“......”
Glancing over, Dang-gan was excitedly poking around.
“This place is awesome. It's a replica of the swamp near my Tang Clan home. The poisons and flora are spot-on. Even the rare toxic herbs and bugs unique to Sichuan! Brings back fond memories of playing here as a kid. The best!”
“Oh, yeah?”
Grabbing the excited Dang-gan's collar, he dunked him headfirst into a central puddle.
Ignoring the upside-down Dang-gan yelling “Save me~”, Chu Un-hwi turned.
“Jegal. Explain.”
This some trap made to screw me over?
But the response was grim.
“Jianghu Sichuan Marsh. It replicates unique jianghu terrains. Perfectly mimics Sichuan's wilderness, so it's essential training before field missions.”
What a shame.
If it'd been a trap to mess with him, he'd have ditched everything and gone to crack the Murim Alliance Lord's skull.
“Haa. This is insane.”
He wasn't asking for a warm mansion with silk bedding.
'But there are bare minimums, right?'
Wasn't the Murim Alliance's rank-based discrimination too extreme?
Frustrated, he stood up.
Un Ho-seung startled and backed away, shouting,
“Instructor's mood is 'bad', right?”
“No.”
“You're clenching your fists first. Can't be wrong.”
“My mood is extremely, terribly bad.”
“What the—?”
Fine by me.
Clashing his fists, Un Ho-seung bellowed with fighting spirit.
“实战 today, huh?”
“What battle?”
As he approached, Un Ho-seung aimed his gauntlets.
Beside him, Im So-jeong shook off sleep and surged with fierce aura.
Glance.
Turning, he saw Dang-gan—fresh from the marsh—and the twins charging.
“Haha! It won't be like before! We've trained hard!”
“We'll go all-out from the start.”
“Do whatever.”
Swoosh.
Closing in, Un Ho-seung unleashed a ferocious fist strike.
Whoosh.
True to his boasts, the fist wind was sharper than before.
Scree.
Im So-jeong's sword thrust rode over Un Ho-seung's shoulder.
'They've definitely improved.'
Their combined techniques breathed in sync.
Having gritted their teeth in training, the precision in fists and sword qi was incomparable.
'But that's all.'
Striding into the fist strike's gap, Un Ho-seung flinched and twisted his torso.
Whoosh.
Warrior Aura rising from his toes amplified the strike, shaking his hair with grave momentum.
Piririk!
Simultaneously, Im So-jeong's sword stabbed fast toward Un Ho-seung's side and shoulder.
A situation demanding he handle both fist and sword.
“You won't get close easily?”
“If I can't get close easily...”
Thud thud.
Deflecting the wrist to twist the fist, he grabbed Un Ho-seung's collar.
“Eh?”
“...Then drag you in.”
Yanking hard for a headbutt.
Crack.
Un Ho-seung rolled back his eyes and collapsed.
Stunned Im So-jeong tried another sword barrage, but
“Too slow.”
Crack!
A low sweep of his right foot hooked her ankle, sending her body horizontal to the ground.
“Beating these little runts won't satisfy me.”
Thump.
A light palm to the abdomen sent her flying with a scream, splashing upside-down into the river.
Splash.
Water erupting, he spun to see mud-caked Dang-gan and the twins hesitating.
“D-Damn.”
“What just happened?”
“Both down in an instant.”
Striding forward, Chu Un-hwi cracked his knuckles.
“New nest means greeting the neighborhood friends.”
So you lot...
“Go say hi to the fish friends.”
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Three pitiful screams, three water pillars shooting up.
***
“Haa. My mood hasn't improved a bit.”
Should the guy who just wrecked those poor students really say that?
He ignored the snide remark from somewhere.
“What now? Looks like I'll be stuck here a while.”
What to do in this houseless, shedless wasteland?
He wanted to bring camping supplies, but
“Instructor. Bringing outside goods into mock training grounds is forbidden.”
Jegal Tan's words forced him to give up.
'Just wreck the place?'
Wrecking was easy, but another weird penalty would leave him no recourse.
Especially now, enemies with the Academic Affairs Office handling Divine Martial Academy support over that anonymous tip-off.
'If those ink-stained bureaucrats sink their teeth in, it's big trouble.'
Was there no solution?
As he pondered,
“Hm. This is pretty good.”
Nangong Yun-ho wandered about, tapping trees, then drew his sword.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Sweeping broadly to sever vines from marsh trees, he sheathed it.
Soon vanishing into the swamp, he returned with thick branches.
“This should work...”
Muttering to himself, he trimmed them with his sword, wove vines into a proper awning.
“Rest here.”
“...Thanks for your consideration, Young Master Nangong.”
Im So-jeong, barely swum out, expressed pale-faced gratitude.
Her soaked clothes clinging seductively, the awning to cover herself was most welcome.
Arms shielding her body, she darted in and hid, with no intention of emerging.
“W-What about us?”
“Wait a sec.”
Vanishing briefly, Nangong Yun-ho returned laden with vines, his hands a blur of skill.
The godlike display was fleeting.
“Tie this between the trees.”
A hammock woven from vines in seconds.
Moyong So-hye clapped delightedly.
“Brother Nangong's handiwork is always amazing.”
“True survival expert. He excels at essentials.”
“That's my buddy.”
Unlike the chattering students, Chu Un-hwi watching had a brilliant idea.
'Right. Can't bring stuff from outside?'
Then make it.
With just a stone knife, this prodigy of the world could craft anything—and he'd stuck around.