Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Jegal Tan (1)
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“Huh? Why's the atmosphere here such a mess again?”
Chung-hyun pinched the bridge of his nose at Chu Un-hwi's sudden appearance.
“Instructor Chu. Don't you have any sense?”
“I hear that a lot. Haha.”
“That's not a compliment!”
Chung-hyun exploded in frustration at the sight of him laughing and scratching the back of his head.
“You. Why the hell did you skip morning roll call?”
“You did the same yesterday! Didn't I tell you there were important announcements and to come by after work?”
“Did you join Bronze Hall just to eat and sleep? Is that it?”
At the continued nagging, Chu Un-hwi protested.
“You told me to fix the scarecrows, didn't you?”
“That's true. But aren't you supposed to do that in your spare time? Isn't instructing your actual job?”
“You said fixing the scarecrows was the most urgent task...”
“Who said that?”
“Squad Leader Yeom.”
“That bastard. Squad Leader Yeom! You wanna go at it for real? Still can't get enough of picking on the new instructor?”
Due to their past clashes, Yeom Gwang suddenly found himself on the receiving end of Chung-hyun's glare, grinding his teeth inwardly.
'That punk...'
His frustration boiled over.
He was annoyed by the guy who immediately tattled, but because he'd used him, he'd ended up saddled with Jegal Tan.
If he'd known the urgent announcement yesterday involved Jegal Tan, he never would have assigned him to fix those damn scarecrows.
The more he dealt with that guy, the more infuriating things kept piling up.
It was all that punk's fault.
'Grrr.'
Grinding his teeth, Yeom Gwang glared at Chu Un-hwi.
Sensing the ominous tension, Instructor Yeo Mae-hong rushed over and poked his side repeatedly.
“Instructor Chu. Show some tact.”
“Ow, why me?”
“Please, just...”
Having apparently given up on tact entirely, Chu Un-hwi set down the scarecrow wedged under his arm and said his piece.
“Alright. Four broken scarecrows repaired, as promised. Please delete the four demerit points.”
“Good grief.”
“I've got the hang of repairs now. Next time, I'll bring ten.”
“Get out!”
“See you later.”
Chung-hyun clutched the back of his neck and slumped down.
“Aigoo, my head...”
His hands trembled as he groaned.
But among the onlookers, one person's eyes sparkled.
'What the hell is this?'
Jegal Tan let out a hollow laugh at the figure who'd turned the instructors' room upside down upon arrival.
'I finally set the mood, and he flips it in an instant?'
The tense atmosphere that had seemed ready to erupt into fists was gone.
“Knew that guy would cause trouble again.”
“Can't sleep unless he flips the hall master's world once a day.”
“What're the ghosts doing, not dragging off a guy like that?”
Now they were united in trash-talking one person.
Jegal Tan, usually the one leading and stepping forward, found it intriguing.
Especially the evaluations of Chu Un-hwi from the others.
'So it wasn't just bluffing after all?'
When they first met, he'd thought the indifference was an act to undermine him.
But the reactions around him suggested the guy had always been eccentric.
Someone consistent front and back was a welcome presence for Jegal Tan.
'The intriguing part is that Yun-ho still praised him despite that.'
Jegal Tan knew his friend well.
Like him, Nangong Yun-ho had been disappointed by the world countless times and didn't trust people easily.
Yet he'd said:
- Meet my instructor. He'll definitely help you.
His eyes had held conviction.
“Interesting.”
Jegal Tan smirked, lips curling up.
His gaze turned to Yeom Gwang.
“Squad Leader Yeom. Mind if I ask a favor?”
***
Moyong So-hye's jaw dropped.
Before her lay a small mountain of shattered and broken scarecrows.
“My god! What's all this?”
“Treasures to erase my demerits. And stuff for you to fix. Let's do our best, puppet master.”
He wasn't even hiding it anymore.
Instructor Chu apparently planned to use her to clear his demerits.
'I heard he's infamous for slacking off...'
Though just a student, Moyong So-hye knew adults' circumstances.
Instructors had to set examples for students, bound by strict rules and regulations.
Some even did volunteer work to offset demerits.
In such an environment, no one expected instructors to uphold standards perfectly, making it easy for a notorious slacker to survive.
“Exactly a hundred. Fix these, and half my demerits vanish.”
“Heavens. How many demerits do you even have?”
“Save me. It's been three months; my probation ends this month, but demerits might get me fired.”
Was it really okay to seek guidance from someone like this?
Martial arts might improve a bit, but she might forget important human lessons.
“Please, doll healer.”
Honestly, she wondered if she should run now.
But Moyong So-hye was too kind to decide that.
“Hmm. This won't stick...”
The instructor grunted, forcing a wooden doll's arm into an impossible angle, looking utterly pitiful.
'Sigh. No helping it. I decided to trust him once.'
Wasn't he the instructor who'd taken her in place of that infamous 'Instructor Hunter'?
She wasn't so corrupt as to mistreat someone who trusted her.
Besides.
'I like fixing dolls anyway.'
Missing out on martial arts was regrettable, but unavoidable.
Thinking positively, she settled in one spot.
“Not like that. Let me see.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
She carved out the broken arm joint, fitted a good piece of wood, and aligned it.
“There, done.”
“Whoa! Amazing!”
Chu Un-hwi clapped like a seal.
Suddenly, the scary girl who'd been glaring from the side darted between them, thrusting out her little butt.
“Hmph! This is nothing! Leave it to me; I'll fix it in a flash!”
Her spirit was great.
But her handiwork was disastrous.
Crack.
The scarecrow's arm snapped.
Crunch.
Now the leg broke.
It became a peg-legged scarecrow.
Grrr.
This time, the neck.
No. Even a healer couldn't save it.
The headless scarecrow slumped.
Despair filled the instructor's eyes.
“My salary...”
“Sorry.”
“It's time for my official promotion.”
“Waaah. Sorry!”
“No helping it now. Too many demerits; it'll be more than a pay cut. Farewell, everyone.”
“Sorry! Sorry!”
The scary sister clung to the instructor, whining.
'Whew.'
The stoic brother practicing swordplay alone in the distance dry-washed his face in dismay.
From the instructor came 'despair', from the scary sister 'panic' and 'resigned acceptance', from the stoic brother 'enlightenment'. Thick emotions wafted out.
Moyong So-hye burst out laughing, clutching her belly at these raw feelings absent from the formerly prim students.
“Hohohoho.”
That was when it started.
A discordant emotion intruded into this place swirling with simple, honest feelings.
Moyong So-hye turned her head.
And there stood the cynical youth from yesterday.
Wreathed in dark emotions.
“Still the same mess here.”
Smirking sardonically, the 'Instructor Hunter' approached.
And tossed something to the instructor.
“What's this?”
“My student ID.”
“Why give it to me?”
“Why? Squad Leader Yeom approved it. No running away.”
In other words.
The Instructor Hunter Jegal Tan added,
“Take good care of me, Instructor?”
***
So, what now?
Jegal Tan waited for Chu Un-hwi's reaction.
Would he refuse?
Or yield reluctantly?
But the actual response was different from expected.
“So why give this to me?”
“I told you. Squad Leader Yeom approved. Oh, and the hall master too.”
Chu Un-hwi dug in his ear and tilted his head again.
“So why to me?”
Denial of reality?
As the exchange dragged on, Jegal Tan finally lost his temper.
“Stop trying to dodge. It's already decided.”
“I have no intention of teaching you.”
“I know. We'll see how long you hold out.”
Jegal Tan was confident.
His talent was exceptional.
Though overshadowed by rivals in his clan, he'd often been called a prodigy as a child.
Besides.
'If push comes to shove, I can threaten with the Jegal family name.'
Worst case, use force.
No matter how skilled, he was just a Bronze Hall instructor.
To Jegal Tan, raised around the clan's elite masters, Chu Un-hwi was merely a quirky low-rank instructor.
'He'll help me? Great if true, no big deal if not.'
With his clan's expectations dashed, doubts about his talent, and life losing flavor, he could spare time for some amusement.
“Nangong Yun-ho.”
Jegal Tan grinned at his friend shaking his head.
'Don't worry. I won't ruin your favorite instructor too badly.'
For now, he'd observe the training and kill time.
***
First day.
From his spot at the edge of the training ground, Jegal Tan saw his sweating friend and a slender, tall girl.
'Baek Ri-seol, was it?'
Jegal Tan was sharp-minded.
He memorized passersby instantly.
Recalling the Baek Family girl was effortless.
'But what's that?'
Training with dozens of needles stuck all over the body?
His Jegal clan used needles to stimulate acupoints too.
But not barbarically turning someone into a pincushion.
And those spots—weren't they dead blood points?
Jegal Tan knew all 360 acupoints on the human body.
His eyes weren't deceiving him.
'Teaching my friend with such reckless methods?'
Methods that could cause serious injury?
Irritated, he glared at the instructor—who was happily holding a second scarecrow.
“Whoa. I'm kinda a genius.”
“So cool, Instructor.”
Should he flip him?
As the menacing thought crossed his mind, his friend shook his head vigorously in his view.
Pfft.
He'd let it slide for now.
Fourth day.
Today, the two held something with grim faces.
Several round pills like rabbit droppings, reeking horribly.
Even from Jegal Tan's distant corner, it stung his nose.
“Can we really eat this?”
“Anything the instructor gives us, even poison! Hiyah!”
Baek Ri-seol swallowed her small pill in one go.
Nangong Yun-ho followed.
Then their faces turned blue.
“It really is poison!”
Nangong Yun-ho flailed.
“B-but we can't spit it out! I'll swallow it properly!”
Soon, they sat cross-legged, groaning.
Jegal Tan was dumbfounded.
“Ha. He's insane.”
Using poison in training existed in some forms.
But only among elite physicians, and even poison experts like the Sichuan Tang Clan handled it meticulously.
They never just left it like this.
Turning, the instructor who'd assigned this bizarre training was happily fixing five wooden scarecrows.
“Keep this up, and I'll clear my demerits in no time.”
“Yes! That's great.”
“Alright, short break? Let me see your hand.”
The instructor fiddled with the young student's hand, seemingly done with training.
Jegal Tan's eyes flashed dangerously.
***
Fifth day.
Seeing the instructor demand unknown movements with massive, nail-like giant needles—far bigger and more threatening than before—Jegal Tan finally snapped.
“Hey. Instructor. You sane?”
Chu Un-hwi chuckled, dangling the giant needle.
“Why? Again?”
“Looks like you picked up some half-assed tricks peeking over shoulders. You don't seriously think that'll make anyone truly strong, do you?”
“It does.”
“Haa. Unbelievable.”
Sweeping back his hair, Jegal Tan sent a murderous glare.
“I was gonna observe quietly for my friend's sake.”
“And?”
“But it's so ridiculous, I feel like throwing a tantrum.”
Crack.
Jegal Tan cracked his knuckles threateningly and rolled his neck.
That was when.
“Instructor. Brought the repair tools.”
“Oh—really?”
“You blind? I'm talking here!”
“Hey, kid.”
Smack!
Jegal Tan's vision went black in an instant.