Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Chapter 16 Vacation. And the Interview. (3)
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The atmosphere is good.
It's so good that it's frightening.
'When he burst into the instructor's room, he looked ready to tear off at least one limb.'
Carefully trailing behind, Chu Un-hwi whispered to Moyong Seon-ya, who was walking with the utmost propriety beside him.
"You've surprised me quite a few times today."
"What about?"
"Your unexpectedly calm demeanor, and seeing the busy person who always claimed to be too swamped even for a drink."
Moyong Ju-ya aside, Moyong Seon-ya's appearance was truly unforeseen.
Wasn't she the one who said she wouldn't have enough bodies even if she had ten, busy with the closing ceremony and preparations for the Divine Martial Academy's reopening?
Yet here she was, participating in something as trivial as a family interview, even turning down an appointment with her close friend Yeo Mae-hong.
Her slender, dark brows snapped sharply, reverting to Moyong Seon-ya's signature frown.
"Don't you know why I'm here? It's because of you, Instructor Chu."
"What did I do?"
"After the exam, you dumped a bunch of broken dummies on So-hye and vanished. Thanks to you, So-hye stayed up for four straight nights fixing them. Do you know how much her father has been itching for this interview after seeing her cry while repairing those dummies?"
"……."
Chu Un-hwi was at a loss for words.
"Why so calm? Because I busted my back cleaning up your mess."
"…I'll buy you a meal."
"If you take me to the free cafeteria, I'll kill you."
"I'll buy drinks too."
"Hmph. You better."
Speechless, Chu Un-hwi trudged onward into the room.
"Come, sit."
Thanks to Moyong Seon-ya's efforts, Lord Moyong maintained a cheerful atmosphere throughout.
"I prepared in a hurry, so I worried it might be too modest. Eat your fill even if it's simple."
The modest spread was lavish enough for ten people.
"Your throats must be parched from the trip. How about a drink or two?"
He brought out several bottles, urging them to have a glass.
Suspicious of some ulterior motive, Chu Un-hwi noted Lord Moyong's beaming smile never faded.
"Haha, I was remiss before and committed a rudeness. Should I have told you earlier that at my daughter's request, we're entrusting So-hye to you?"
Hard to believe this was the same man who had smashed through the door yelling, 'Who the hell is Chu Un-hwi?!'
"I have a hasty temper and make many mistakes. Even at my age, it's hard to correct."
"Please continue to look after our So-hye. She really looks up to you."
"What are you lot doing? The guest's cup is empty!"
It felt like being possessed by a ghost.
"Haha, you flatter me."
Chuckling as he accepted the cup, Chu Un-hwi turned slightly to hide his expression from Lord Moyong and mouthed silently.
"Does the Moyong Family have a custom of lulling enemies into complacency before devouring them?"
Moyong So-hye sent a transmission.
[That's rude. What do you take the Moyong Family for?]
This time, he twisted to mouth at So-hye.
"So-hye, just to be sure. Even if you don't like the instructor, poisoning food or drink is a crime."
Not knowing transmission, Moyong So-hye crossed her chopsticks and mouthed back.
"I wouldn't do such a thing."
"Strange. Something feels off."
"Ah, Grandpa's smiling again."
"Oh my. Father must like Instructor Chu."
That was a relief.
'Instructor Moyong must have worked hard to smooth things over.'
From the looks of it, she'd not only cleared the misunderstanding but earned considerable goodwill.
Moyong So-hye's support probably helped too.
"Then, in gratitude for your kindness, I'll dig in without restraint."
Lord Moyong, propping his chin and savoring the feast, was in high spirits.
Initially, he planned to find out who was exploiting his precious granddaughter and give them a scolding.
'Who made my dear granddaughter cry?!'
The child who always beamed 'Grandpa~' was soaked in morning dew, weeping as she fixed the dummies.
At first, he was furious enough to see red.
- Pure Sword Sect. Named Disciple. Chu Un-hwi.
Learning from prodded contacts that it was the instructor he'd met unpleasantly before had driven him mad.
"That puny instructor is the problem."
He seemed to have some eye for teaching, but that was it.
'This bastard! I won't let him get away.'
He'd charge over and send the wretch to an early grave.
"Father! Wait a moment!"
His daughter clinging probably stopped him.
Unable to contain his rage at night, he'd have kicked off the blankets and demolished the scum.
"Hear me out first!"
And what his daughter said was unexpected.
"What? You asked him?"
"Yes, so please don't scold Instructor Chu too much."
His apple-of-the-eye granddaughter chimed in.
"Grandpa~. Our instructor isn't bad. He's a good person."
The misunderstanding eased a bit, but his anger intensified.
"That damned instructor bewitched my filly of a daughter and adorable granddaughter!"
Moyong So-hye insisted it wasn't so.
"The instructor said it's part of training in martial arts."
"What fool in the world learns martial arts by fixing dummies?"
Wood-Carved Hundred Hands.
Ridiculous name that left him scoffing.
"Father, he's not one to speak nonsense. Please. Okay?"
In the end, Lord Moyong decided to witness it himself.
"Hmph. A mere Bronze Hall instructor's martial arts have obvious limits."
Pointing to the garden, he declared.
"No need to go to the training ground. I'll prove it right here."
In the garden lush with green leaves.
To Moyong So-hye standing amid the riot of red and blue flowers, he said.
"Show me your full power."
"Full power?"
Lord Moyong chuckled at his hesitating granddaughter.
"Hahaha, child. Who do you think I am?"
His famed reputation in the martial world, worried over by his newly initiated granddaughter.
Amusing, yet heartwarming.
"It's been a while since I went all out."
Squeeze.
Seeing her cute hand, like a maple leaf, clench tightly, Lord Moyong couldn't hide his delight.
"Here I go, Grandpa."
"Yes, come anytime."
Whoosh.
Her charge was surprisingly swift.
'Her footwork is quite stable.'
Pop pop pop!
Grass blades shooting up where she passed were impressive.
'When did her internal energy grow this much?'
Admiring her growth, her fist lead stabbed at his solar plexus.
The attack, lunging with elastic tension like One Road Alliance Advance, looked plausible.
'Power is properly applied. Simplicity is a flaw, though.'
Thud.
The moment he casually deflected the fist lead.
Her hand naturally opened, snaking to strike his side.
'Not fist technique, but palm?'
Thud.
As he moved to slap the palm away again, it circled to deflect his counter, while her other hand gripped his wrist.
'Ho, so Golden Lock Hand connects like this?'
The fluid linkage even impressed Lord Moyong.
In just three exchanges, he wondered if Chu Un-hwi might not be a pushover.
'Not bad. No, excellent.'
His interest piqued.
But after thirty exchanges?
Something went wrong.
Her momentum faltered briefly, then her hands began shifting unpredictably via fist, palm, claw, and grasp acupoints.
Thud! Tata tat thud!
From wrist to forearm, elbow, shoulder, and collarbone—the ascending assault was bizarrely ferocious.
Thump.
A fist strike, then
Slap!
Palm followed, then
Crunch!
Fingers curled like eagle talons scraped down his forearm, before
Crack!
Twisting the joint backward.
"Th-this!"
Whack! Pa pa pa whack!
Late to recompose, Lord Moyong devoted himself to countering Wood-Carved Hundred Hands.
His disdain for the instructor had long vanished.
'Such a variable close-quarters technique exists?'
He'd never seen such chaotic hand-to-hand combat.
More astonishing, his granddaughter could wield it.
'Is that what they meant by only So-hye can learn it?'
Further shock followed.
Suddenly, his arms' meridians boiled.
Feeling severed true qi flow, his heart nearly leaped out.
'My god. This fist art seals acupoints from the start.'
The true terror wasn't the variable strikes.
It was the insidious qi infiltration paralyzing meridians.
Brrr.
Sensation fled his hands.
Even a master couldn't block without proper qi flow.
Thwack! Thud thud thud!
Unaware of her crumbling grandfather, her cute yet heavy fists climbed his shoulders vivaciously, stabbing eyes and throat.
'Damn it. Grandpa's done for.'
Abandoning his arms as qi stagnated, Lord Moyong enveloped his body in power.
Boom!
"Kyaa!"
Crash.
Repelled by the qi burst, Moyong So-hye tumbled into the flowers.
Drip. Drip.
The serene garden was gone. Cherished flowerbeds uprooted, blooms and trees wrecked.
"We agreed no internal energy! Ow ow."
The impact from the repulsion teary-eyed her.
But Lord Moyong's face was grave, eyes twitching as he asked.
"So-hye. Is this the martial art that instructor taught you?"
"Yes. Wood-Carved Hundred Hands."
"How did he teach you this art?"
"He just watched me fix the dummies and taught me bit by bit. It wasn't this complex at first. Started with simple punches, and before I knew it, it became this."
"Hah. A miracle born of teaching talent?"
Unbelievable even after seeing it.
Now, her past antics made sense.
'Fixing dummies to learn human anatomy.'
'Fast strikes needed to seal meridians.'
'That's why he pushed her so hard?'
He felt ashamed of his suspicions.
'A talent we must keep close.'
Snapping from reverie, Lord Moyong thought to befriend Instructor Chu Un-hwi going forward.
'Considering his potential, taking him as a son-in-law wouldn't be bad.'
As an acquaintance, arrange a meeting and they'd bond quickly.
From hey-you to dad-in-law, then family.
'Worried about her marriageable age and workaholic life, but this works. Wait, bringing him to the main house...'
Lost in pleasant thoughts, Lord Moyong smiled brightly.
"Haha, I got lost in idle thoughts. Old age does this sometimes."
About to ask, 'Do you have a betrothed?'
He saw Chu Un-hwi stacking plates like a tower.
"Urp. So full. Time to loosen the belt."
"Instructor Chu, eating heartily is fine, but loosening your belt in front of women?"
Stiffening briefly, Lord Moyong reconsidered.
'Main house might be too stuffy with formalities. A branch family could suit better.'
Chu Un-hwi, belt undone, reached for more meat.
"Good, room for more meat."
"Mean. I want some too. Why only grass for me?"
"Kids grow tall eating green, tasteless grass."
"No. I want meat. I like that duck."
Ptoo!
"Ow! Really."
"Hahaha. Look, drool. Guess I'll have to eat it all."
Seeing his daughter slyly set down her chopsticks, Lord Moyong thought.
'No need for son-in-law. Family-like friends are fine. No need to bind with marriage in this day and age.'
His once humming, primping daughter now buried her face in folded arms.
"Pity, but at least the remaining palace guard—"
Ptoo!
"Yah!"
Seeing his ever-kind granddaughter hurl chopsticks at the sky-like instructor's face, Lord Moyong pondered.
'Friends okay? Long-term ties might need some distance.'
Lord Moyong's worries deepened.