Chapter 126
Chapter 126
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Divine Martial Jianghu Journey (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was a satisfying meal.
We filled our bellies with freshly cooked rice for the first time in ages, and even rehydrated the dried vegetables and rations we'd brought along.
Thanks to the lavish amount of ingredients we'd poured in—wondering if we could even finish it all—there were plenty of leftovers.
But for now, he decided to savor the afterglow of the happy meal.
"Ugh. I can't eat any more."
"Haa. My stomach's so full I can't even move."
As they chatted without even lifting their butts from their seats, the instructor set down his chopsticks.
Only after confirming the meal was over did Jegal Tan voice his lingering question.
"Instructor, are you really saying we can get a carriage just based on jianghu common sense?"
"Yeah. You don't believe me?"
That's not it, but...
Baek Ri-seol, furrowing her brow, snapped her fingers.
"By any chance... are you targeting wanted criminals?"
"Sister, wanted criminals?"
"Yeah. With us jingling around that money pouch, some petty thief might show up."
"That does seem possible."
But Jegal Tan was skeptical.
"Not a bad idea, but..."
Jegal Tan immediately pointed out the flaw.
"What are the odds a wanted criminal just conveniently shows up?"
Though they'd left the Infinite Castle's territory, this was still righteous faction land.
Moreover, the bounties on petty criminals were so meager, he doubted it would cover a carriage.
"Now that I think about it, it's a bit iffy."
"The instructor definitely said he'd explain tonight."
What exactly was the plan?
He wanted to ask, but the instructor was acting strangely now.
He was just muttering to himself while staring into empty space.
He didn't seem inclined to answer at all.
Nangong Yun-ho decided to think positively.
"Either way, it's a good opportunity."
A good opportunity?
"Isn't this our first time encountering strangers in the jianghu?"
That was true.
On the previous vacation trip, they hadn't run into a single person—just battled wild beasts in the mountains.
There were no memories of chatting with any communicative animals.
"Well, that's fair enough."
"When camping out, if an unknown person approaches, keep your weapons close and stay alert, right?"
The instructors had warned them so many times it was drilled into their ears.
"Truly, the good don't come, and those who come aren't good."
The basic rule: be wary of everyone you meet in the jianghu.
'Did the instructor intend this?'
It seemed logical, but he couldn't dwell on it further.
Rustle.
A voice came from beyond the darkness along with the sound.
"Who's there?"
Clink.
They each placed stones in their sleeves and leaned on their swords across their knees, staring into the darkness.
The one who appeared shortly after was a man with a rather pitiful expression.
He was neatly dressed in a blue martial robe, holding a well-worn longsword in one hand.
"I was worried about getting soaked in the night dew, but this is fortunate indeed."
He sighed in relief, then said,
"I am Jeong Yang of the Poyang Sect."
He cupped his fist in a formal greeting.
"Poyang Sect..."
Muttering to himself, Jegal Tan returned the greeting.
"The sect of the Poyang Righteous Hero, Hero Jeong Dae-hyeop."
"Haha, that's embarrassing. My skills fall far short of my master's."
After cautiously checking them out, Jeong Yang shook his greeting with an even more subdued voice.
"Students of the Divine Martial Academy."
"How enviable. I lacked the talent and failed the entrance."
Adding glumly, Jeong Yang asked to join them.
"The smell of food drew me in. If it's not too much trouble, could you spare some rations?"
At the man's proposal, Jegal Tan glanced at Chu Un-hwi.
"Instructor."
*Is it okay to let him sit?*
He asked with his eyes, but Chu Un-hwi was still pretending to stare into space.
'He's just going to observe.'
Thinking so, Jegal Tan pointed to an empty spot.
"Sorry. Our instructor has quite a few worries about this jianghu trip."
"I'm fine with it."
"Come on over. Warm yourself by the fire at least."
The man smiled brightly and expressed deep gratitude.
"Thank you for your kindness."
Jeong Yang was a talkative fellow.
He settled a short distance away and prattled on about this and that.
"Poyang County is a nice place. My master cares a lot about public safety."
"Not much else to see, though. If I had to boast, maybe the canal running through the county?"
"You may not know the county name, but have you heard of the Village of Water?"
After rambling about his hometown for a while, the topic shifted to the Murim Alliance.
"The road to Infinite Castle. I left home wanting to make it big somewhere."
"I figured even menial work at the Murim Alliance would do."
"Just in time, I heard they're urgently recruiting Bronze Hall instructors."
His eyes burned hot as he stared at the instructor's uniform, urging a conversation with him.
"......"
But the instructor still didn't respond.
Looking embarrassed at being ignored, Jeong Yang scratched his head.
"My apologies."
As the awkward man tried to back off,
"Well now."
Chu Un-hwi finally reacted.
"You might end up eating from the same pot as us someday."
At his first words, Jeong Yang's face lit up.
"Haha, that would be great."
"It'll be tough. They check your resume and sect background."
His tone made it sound like he was talking about someone else, but the good-natured Jeong Yang didn't seem to notice.
He just revealed his inner turmoil.
"As expected. Our sect is righteous, but our fame is lacking."
Smacking his lips, Chu Un-hwi offered rare words of encouragement.
"Don't worry. I'm from an unknown martial clan myself."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yet here I am, a famous instructor at the Divine Martial Academy."
"Impressive!"
"Just embrace the students with love and passion."
The four listeners' mouths itched.
'Whose story is that?'
'Who’s the famous instructor?'
'Love? Passion?'
'......'
There were plenty of spots to interject, but oddly, no opening in the conversation.
After lavishing encouragement, Chu Un-hwi flicked his index finger.
"But as a senior, let me share a surefire strategy."
"I'm all ears. Tell me."
"Well... this is pretty high-level info. Can't just give it away."
Stopping repeatedly, he made the eager Jeong Yang fidget.
"Tell me! I'll pay if needed."
As he fiddled with his light money pouch, Chu Un-hwi said,
"No need for money."
"I'll do anything. Please tell me."
"Is that so?"
Chu Un-hwi grinned.
"Give gold bars to beggars."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"Or ace the written exam and pad your resume with fancy words."
Perplexed by the nonsense, Jeong Yang tilted his head.
That was the moment.
Pow!
"Gahk!"
Leaning forward, Jeong Yang jolted back.
"Wh-what is this?!"
"You know there's a 'Jianghu Common Sense' section on the written exam, right?"
Remember it well.
Fail, and both the exam and your life are ruined.
Pow!
The future Bronze Hall instructor crumpled.
"The price of advice is life beyond iron bars."
Everyone gaped at the sudden event.
Ignoring them, Chu Un-hwi went to the fallen Jeong Yang and yanked his bangs.
"Hng. Hng. Let's see."
He promptly pulled out the wanted sketches from earlier and laid them out.
"This one."
He selected three with similar face shapes.
"Lesson one: Cheap wanted posters are sloppy sketches because they're small fry."
So?
As he spoke, the instructor drew back his fist.
Thud thud thud.
Jeong Yang's face swelled in an instant.
"A bit short still."
Alternating glances between the swollen face and sketches, Chu Un-hwi cocked his fist again.
Thud thud.
"Now it matches."
Thud.
Releasing the bangs, the puffy-faced Jeong Yang passed out cold.
Watching this, Moyong So-hye finally snapped to and jumped up.
"What are you doing?!"
"Huh? Didn't you get it? I told you."
The good don't come.
"Good guys never approach."
Those who come aren't good.
"The ones already lurking nearby are the bad ones."
Just teaching the fool who approached defenselessly.
At his response, Baek Ri-seol gaped.
"So... we're the bad guys?"
"That's how the world works. Or rather, where are the good guys in the jianghu?"
You become bad sometimes, good sometimes in life.
Jegal Tan also gaped.
"You said you'd impart teachings..."
"We teach and learn from each other."
Don't you know mutual aid?
Then something about the four seas being brothers, who teaches whom.
He spouted absurd sophistry.
The instructor, who had turned a potential colleague into a criminal in seconds, casually tended to the limp Jeong Yang with a bright smile.
"Hey. Time to go get that carriage."
Totally one stone three birds, right?
"......"
No one could reply.
The instructor eventually dragged him down the mountain to the guard post and handed him over.
The post captain clicked his tongue at the massively swollen face.
"So puffy, hard to identify."
"Doesn't it match exactly?"
"Need more confirmation..."
"It was urgent, so I overdid it, but it's definitely him."
"Still, confirmation..."
The captain tried to back off, but Chu Un-hwi stuck close skillfully.
Whispering something, the captain's face brightened.
"You know your stuff."
He vanished inside briefly and returned with three pouches.
"This is the bounty on the wanted criminal."
"I see."
Dumping them out and gathering the silver and copper coins, he split half and offered it.
A crime scene transaction.
The captain snatched the pouch with quick hands and cleared his throat.
"First time in the jianghu, and already this savvy."
"Just upholding justice as a Divine Martial Academy instructor."
"Haha, commendable."
The four watched Jeong Yang get carted off speechless.
"I'm innocent!"
Regaining consciousness mid-drag, Jeong Yang shouted.
Thud thud thud thud.
But what returned was merciless violence.
Thud thud thud thud.
"K-ek!"
Poking his gut with a staff and stomping, the aspiring educator slumped again.
The captain waved them off.
"Don't worry. He'll face justice."
Everyone was speechless.
"The future instructor."
"Turned into a criminal."
"And he might've been a colleague."
Not even his crime, but three false charges.
Total frame-up.
As they stared like he was the devil, the instructor snapped back instead.
"I told you, he looked like he'd punch you on sight."
How's that possible?
"Kids wouldn't get it."
Was the reply.
With dead eyes, Moyong So-hye asked,
"What if he's innocent?"
"That's for the judge to decide."
Well-spoken. Or rather, only well-spoken.
His utter confidence made them wonder if it was true.
Then,
"......"
Silent Nangong Yun-ho finally spoke.
"Instructor."
"Yeah? What?"
"You said before. Jianghu common sense is somehow wrong."
Come to think of it.
Everyone recalled the old memory.
- If a stranger approaches while camping alone?
The instructor had answered.
- Correct. Cut the throat if annoying, spare if likable.
The instructor's lips curved faintly.
"...Who knows?"
He gave no answer.
Just jingled the pouch cheerfully.
"Cheer up. We earned travel funds."
And laughed.