Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Back to the Divine Martial Academy (3)
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The reason he hadn't immediately recognized Neung Pung-un's name at first was the sense of disconnect.
- The final leader of the Murim Alliance.
A faded memory.
When the Heavenfall Society rose up and the world drowned in blood, a man had appeared like a comet.
Possessing both supreme martial arts and stratagems in one body, he brought successive victories to the Murim Alliance, which had only known defeats. A hero.
Later called the hope of the righteous factions, he was the Heavenfall Society's greatest nemesis, topping their hit list.
'No doubt about it. That guy's the last Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance, the Volcanic Sword Venerable Neung Pung-un.'
He had crossed paths with him a few times in his previous life, but the man back then looked entirely different.
His face was weathered from facing the harsh world head-on, and behind him trailed a constellation of righteous heroes like clouds.
Knowing only the image of him charging into battle at the head of those strongmen who followed him like their own lives, it wasn't unreasonable that Chu Un-hwi failed to recognize the dust-covered figure before him.
'And this guy's the courtesan's first love?'
What was a man who later became the hope of the righteous factions lacking that he had to prowl around the academy?
Though puzzled, there were several grounds to surmise he was a romantic rival, both chronologically and by age.
"This isn't good..."
What if it was just someone with the same name?
Looking closely with hopeful eyes, a curtain of goodwill had already formed around Neung Pung-un.
"We've heard of Young Hero Neung's fame."
"The youngest Plum Blossom Sword Expert, and your beautiful swordsmanship is called peerless, isn't it?"
"What about your moniker, Plum Blossom Stormblade? Aren't you peerless in your gallantry?"
"Oh dear. Your cup is empty."
Moreover, most of the crowd were female instructors.
These haughty women who usually glared at him like he was a mangy dog were now beaming nonstop.
'It's Neung Pung-un. The real deal.'
Along with his outstanding martial prowess, he was famous for his womanizing that matched his handsome looks.
'He even became a dashing middle-aged master, charming women twenty years younger and older.'
How envious he had been hearing the rumors while wandering the desert with filthy, unwashed men.
'Damn it. Heavens. Isn't this unfair?'
He'd barely reunited with his courtesan, and now an ecosystem-disrupting invasive species shows up as a romantic rival.
'With a guy like that as an instructor, no wonder she likes older men.'
Chomp. Chomp.
Chu Un-hwi bit into the handkerchief he was holding.
Coincidentally, there was another victim.
"Sniff. I was going to live alone forever, and now I'm just starting my first relationship at one month in."
Squad Leader Instructor Yang Dae-cheol, a rookie in love, sat slumped beside him, sobbing.
Spotting Instructor Jo Hyeon on tiptoes amid the crowd around Neung Pung-un, Chu Un-hwi patted his shoulder sympathetically.
"Poor guy..."
"Handsome bastards have it good. Life must be so easy."
"Don't worry. Someone who's lived easy probably has a rotten personality. Character matters."
"You think? Well, my Hyeon said she hates bad boys. She likes good guys like me."
The hopeful conversation was doused when Yeo Mae-hong interjected.
"He seems incredibly polite. His speech is so refined."
"Damn. His words drip with elegance. Is this the Plum Blossom Sword Expert?"
Toward his collapsing comrade gripped by inferiority, Chu Un-hwi shouted with malice.
"No one's perfect. A handsome guy might be rude, but his head's probably empty."
"Oh my. Maybe from traveling the rivers and lakes so long? His insight seems exceptional."
"Damn it!"
"His eloquence is impressive too. Everyone's swooning whenever he opens his mouth."
"Son of a—!"
"And his affinity's great. Even the frosty instructors are already speaking casually with him."
"Fuck!"
Letting out a guttural roar, Chu Un-hwi blew into a liquor bottle like a horn.
'A perfect human like this exists.'
Not just an invasive species—an apocalypse.
"Let's eat and die!"
Watching his lover repeat "Oh my! Oh my!", Squad Leader Yang joined in blowing his bottle-horn.
"Ugh. This can't be."
"What can you do? There are heavens above heavens in this world."
"Heavens. Fuck. This is too much."
Straining his hawk-like eyes to find some flaw, Chu Un-hwi said,
"Rest easy. His dick's probably small."
"Stop. It'll just make us more miserable."
Squad Leader Yang grabbed a second bottle. Chu Un-hwi seized a third.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Kwaaaaaah!"
Truly pitiable howls as the two rampaged, chugging bottles one after another.
'Neung Pung-un!'
The hope and dream of the righteous rivers and lakes?
'I won't let him be!'
First love. Handsome. Righteous hero.
Three reasons to kill—the bastard would have nothing to say in death.
'I'll make him die the most miserably. How to off him so the rumors say he died well?'
As gloomy fantasies unfolded, Yeo Mae-hong nagged from beside him.
"Let go of your grudges. Stop drinking so much."
"I've already let go. My insides are burning up!"
"At least eat some snacks with it."
"Uwaaaah! This is unfair!"
Crash!
Twisted with rage, Chu Un-hwi hurled his bottle.
Clang!
At the sound of the shattering bottle, the man in the midst of cheerful conversation—Neung Pung-un—turned his gaze.
There was a middle-aged man and a youth with faces buried in their arms. And a cute top-clad woman fidgeting anxiously.
"...That one's."
"If you're well-informed on rivers-and-lakes news, you know. The one who shared Elder Wang Woo's final moments."
Neung Pung-un's eyes gleamed.
"That must be the rumored temporary instructor Chu Un-hwi."
"...Yeah. A real headache, all around."
At Jang Cheol-sim's words, the female instructors nearby shot glares.
"Young Hero Neung, don't pay him any mind."
"Right. He's a cur without dignity or any sense of propriety."
"Not only does he take colleagues hostage, he even commits insubordination."
"Just recently, he punched the Nangong Family Head, of all things."
Turning to Jang Cheol-sim amid the slander, he shrugged.
"All true. Told you, quite the headache."
"But for someone like that, you senior instructors seem to trust him quite a bit."
"Is that so? Haha. Can't fool your eyes."
"We've known each other longer than a year or two, haven't we? Hahaha."
Chucking, Jang Cheol-sim nodded briefly and said,
"...Embarrassing to say it myself, but to be honest, when trouble arises, he's the first one who comes to mind."
"Really?"
"Somehow feels like if I leave it to temporary instructor Chu Un-hwi, everything'll turn out fine."
Maybe thanks to his luck, called the Stroke-of-Luck Supreme Sword.
Jang Cheol-sim seemed unaware, but Neung Pung-un read absolute trust in his drifting tone.
'This is interesting.'
In truth, Neung Pung-un's presence here wasn't coincidence.
Rather, it was thoroughly deliberate.
The trigger was a recent comment from Mount Hua Sect Elder Un Gye-sang.
- The Baek Family raised an incredible prodigy.
Un Gye-sang, sparing of praise, even mentioning the Sword Empress—that was big news.
- Instructor Chu Un-hwi, was it? What luck. To win that genius's heart.
That sparked it.
Mountain life was dreadfully boring compared to wandering the jianghu.
For Neung Pung-un, free-spirited and entangled in various incidents abroad, days dragged tediously.
Even the unpleasant aura from fellow Plum Blossom Sword Experts soured his mood.
So perhaps that's why.
This ridiculously lucky guy's tale piqued his curiosity enough to investigate.
No great expectations.
Just seeking diversion from boredom.
But the ensuing reports were jaw-dropping.
Digging up hopeless trainees no one could touch.
Overturning the Divine Martial Academy in unimaginable ways.
He even laughed till his stomach hurt at the brawl for the Namju Mok Family kid.
'This possible at the academy?'
Having spent long there, he knew how much opposition even "simple" feats faced—hence more shock.
His exploits didn't stop upon reentering the jianghu.
Capturing the demonized Silver Moon Bandit, battling Heavenfall Society villains, racking merits.
Even earning the final Kunlun warrior's approval, guarding his end.
'Can one man stir such chaos in so short a time?'
Even for the misfortune-star-born like him, tough. And he survived intact, bearing fruit.
'The highlight's the Nangong Family Head incident.'
Even gossips doubted their ears.
'Out of nowhere, socked him in the jaw?'
Punching the world's top family's head in public.
'What a riot.'
While he was tied to a stuffy sect, someone lived so boldly and freely.
That was why.
Pretending coincidence to crash the banquet.
'Temporary Instructor Chu Un-hwi.'
Fortunately, the man lived up to the hype.
"Rest easy. His dick's probably small."
Overhearing while listening intently, Neung Pung-un nearly burst laughing, decorum be damned.
'A masterpiece. Might even exceed expectations.'
His instructor stint suddenly seemed promising.
Curiosity glinted in Neung Pung-un's eyes.
"...We must kill him."
Dokgo Ryul, summoned for love advice, spat abruptly.
The righteous vigilante of moments ago now wore a demon from hell's face.
"How shall we kill him? As miserably and painfully as possible, I think."
To his vassal raging like it was personal, Chu Un-hwi replied,
"Not simple. He's under heavy scrutiny."
If such a figure drops dead, it'd get messy.
"Doesn't matter. Ways to kill abound."
Dokgo Ryul raised one finger.
"First: Kill him in the academy. Challenge to spar, pretend accident—slash! Done."
"...Won't that cause issues? Even you killing a Mount Hua Plum Blossom Sword Expert spells trouble."
"With your main wife about to bolt, set aside trifles."
"She hasn't bolted yet."
"I'll challenge to spar. Pretend mistake, lop fingers one by one, then lop head."
"Rejected."
Too contrived.
Dokgo Ryul raised a second finger.
"Second: Lure him out to jianghu and kill."
"That okay?"
"I have authority to assign instructor missions. Send to a risky spot."
And then.
Slice.
Dokgo Ryul's fingers mimed across his throat.
"Quietly sever neck. Ah, of course, cut fingers one by one for dog food..."
"Stop fixating on fingers."
"Anyway, kill as gruesomely as possible. Leave body concealment and evidence wipe to me. I'll hide it so even death gods can't find."
"...Tempting."
But not a choice to make lightly.
"If he dies, won't you get blamed for sending him?"
"I'll bear some infamy. It's eliminating a rival, right?"
"Mm... True, but."
Another issue: Neung Pung-un wasn't ordinary.
Once a legend who shook the righteous jianghu.
Killing was easy; the aftermath, butterfly effects, unpredictable.
"He'll be useful against Heavenfall Society later. Waste to dispose simply."
Suspicion yes, but not fully sure he's the first love.
"Wait. This'll work."
Chu Un-hwi snapped his fingers.