Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Chapter 16: Vacation. And Interviews. (4)
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The interview had come to an end.
With a gift box tucked under one arm and a jar of liquor under the other, he was about to leave when Moyong So-hye tagged along.
"I'll see you off."
And so began their brief companionship.
As they walked, Moyong So-hye glanced at the humming instructor before speaking up.
"Instructor."
"Yeah. What is it?"
"Will Brother Nangong be okay?"
"What's there to not be okay about?"
"His face looked really bad. Has something happened lately?"
Moyong So-hye, on the verge of spilling her grievances, suddenly noticed the instructor's lip twitching.
'He already knows.'
There was no need to read his emotions. This suspicious instructor had known the whole story all along and had simply been watching from the sidelines.
"Why are you pretending not to know?"
Come to think of it, that was exactly it.
"Know what?"
"Brother Nangong's situation."
"People of the martial world have to fend for themselves."
"Is that so?"
"There'll only be more shitty things ahead. He needs to tough it out on his own by now."
Was this sincere?
It was hard to believe such words coming from an instructor who was always so lax about everything.
'Should I read his emotions?'
But she decided against it.
Even a kid like her could tell the sincerity in his voice.
"Good call not reading my emotions. It's a convenient ability, but relying on it entirely isn't wise."
Moyong So-hye jumped in surprise.
'He knows about my ability?'
This power that even the Moyong family didn't trust?
As if reading her thoughts, the instructor replied.
"I know about it."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
He really was a strange instructor.
But utterly reliable.
"Instructor, I have a question. If you were in Brother Nangong's position, what would you do?"
"Hmm."
He adjusted the gift box under his arm and spoke matter-of-factly.
"No one's ever been bold enough to try forcing my hand."
"Ugh, come on."
Wrong question.
Moyong So-hye rephrased it.
"What if every choice leads to the worst outcome no matter what? What then?"
"That's a tough one."
Chu Un-hwi hummed thoughtfully and nodded.
"Hand off annoying decisions to someone else."
"Pardon? Pass it on?"
"Why should I agonize alone? Make the shitty bastard who caused it suffer the same."
"That's just malicious."
"The entire martial world is malicious, anyway."
Not helpful at all, so Moyong So-hye added a condition.
"But what if you absolutely have to decide?"
"Then choose something you can laugh about even as you lose everything and die at the end."
His heavy voice carried a profound weight.
Thinking she'd finally gotten a proper answer, Moyong So-hye's eyes sparkled.
"A choice you can laugh about at the very end?"
"Yeah. Something that lets you laugh without regrets even if everything goes up in flames."
The vivid emotion in his tone made her heart sink.
"Don't get it? Even if I get fucked, if that bastard gets even more fucked, I can laugh my ass off while getting fucked."
Never mind.
Her respect evaporated in an instant.
"That's petty. Way too petty."
"For real. A true choice makes you laugh even as hellfire burns your body."
"Hmph! Is that from experience?"
He grinned.
Standing at the gate, the instructor adjusted his gift pouch and smiled.
"Who knows."
In the dusky evening, with the smell of cooking rice wafting thickly along the roadside, Chu Un-hwi strolled leisurely.
Then he felt a piercing aura prickling the back of his neck.
The aura emanated from a darkening alley.
"Whee. Whee."
Whistling as he headed inside, he found someone waiting in the shadows.
"My lord."
It was Dokgo Ryul.
"What is it? Calling me out like this."
"I've lured in the Silver Moon Bandit."
Only then did Chu Un-hwi remember what he'd forgotten.
"Oh, right. That thief. Slipped my mind."
Totally mundane stuff, after all.
"No issues?"
"It was simple. He bit the bait the moment I leaked word about the item he was after."
"Thieves are so predictable. Easy to exploit."
"The bait was too tempting."
Dokgo Ryul pulled a shimmering silver cloth from his bosom.
"Who wouldn't covet the Shadowless Cloth, desired by thieves across the land?"
Shadowless Cloth.
It was fabric woven from silk spun by silkworms raised on spirit energy in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
Unbreakably tough, lightweight, and elastic, it could deflect blades when made into clothing and was impervious to water and fire—a supreme treasure.
'Though the Silver Moon Bandit has his own reasons for wanting it.'
The bandit himself wasn't the point.
"Now just need to bait Yeom Gwang."
"I've handled that too. Placed the outing permit from Hall Master Chung-hyun right on your desk."
Dokgo Ryul was reliable as ever.
Quietly preparing to reel in Yeom Gwang from the shadows.
"Good. So straightforward it's almost boring."
"They're mere vermin from the start. No need for you to expend effort, my lord."
After a brief praise for Dokgo Ryul, he asked something else.
"Alright. Silver Hall takeover going smoothly?"
"Of course. Though I do have one small request."
"A request?"
Dokgo Ryul rarely asked for favors, piquing his curiosity.
"What is it?"
"Well... may I bring in Dan-ya?"
"Dan-ya?"
"To assist you properly, I need someone operating in the shadows. My status is too exposed for constraints, and intelligence and intrigue aren't my specialties."
"Fair enough."
Dokgo Ryul was an expert in assassination and destruction, after all—easy to forget amid his competence.
Gathering intel and scheming in the dark? That was Dan-ya's domain among the Dark Shadow Black Wind Assassins.
'Dan-ya, huh...'
The guy called the Emperor of the Night somewhere. If he helped Dokgo Ryul, things would proceed efficiently.
But there was a concern.
"If Dan-ya moves, the other Dark Shadow Black Wind Assassins will notice."
"Undoubtedly."
And then?
Simple. The whole loyal crew might come swarming here.
Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
"...I'll think about bringing in Dan-ya."
"As you wish, my lord. I can handle it alone for now. But looking ahead, it might get burdensome."
From his expression, Dokgo Ryul seemed averse to relying on the Hao Clan.
'Can't have that. Not the Dark Shadow Black Wind Assassins.'
Not if it meant disrupting this peaceful routine.
The next day.
Entering the instructors' office, he found it nearly empty.
"Everyone's busy, huh."
With family interviews in full swing, only Instructor Jo-hyeon, on duty, was dozing off with a bob of his head.
Heading to his seat, there in the center of the desk—in the most visible spot—lay the outing permit, all by its lonesome.
"Here it is."
Placed so prominently, Yeom Gwang couldn't miss it.
"Visit's... tomorrow evening?"
Plenty of time.
'Wait. Nangong Yun-ho mentioned heading out in five days too...'
As he counted the days, the dozing Instructor Jo-hyeon stirred groggily.
"Ah. Instructor Chu."
"You look beat."
"Yesterday I did interviews at three places."
He added that he'd been too tense to sleep all day.
"By the way, is Instructor Yeo okay? Eleven's tough for me, but she has over thirty students."
"She'll manage."
His half-hearted reply earned a flirty glare from Jo-hyeon.
"So heartless. You should support her when she's struggling. Bad husbands aren't popular."
"Why would I support her?"
It's not like he's blocking anyone's wedding.
His reasonable retort fell on deaf ears.
"Hehe. A little push-pull now and then isn't bad."
What the hell?
Chu Un-hwi pocketed the permit and trudged out of the office.
Next up, the Baek Family?
Retracing his memory as he walked, a familiar path led to the Infinite Pavilion.
An imposing manor loomed at the road's end.
Confirming the plaque reading "Infinite Pavilion," Chu Un-hwi scratched his head.
"Didn't expect to come back here..."
Not long ago, he'd beaten the parents of a student and trashed a annex. Even the thick-skinned wouldn't waltz back smiling.
"Eh, what's the worst that could happen?"
Shaking off the awkwardness, he approached. Two guards at the gate blocked him.
"Halt. This is the Infinite Pavilion."
"Who are you, and from where?"
Their overbearing tone came with sharp glares.
Murderous intent, ready to draw swords at a wrong word.
'Makes sense. Demon attack wasn't long ago.'
Heightened security was natural.
Finding it a hassle, Chu Un-hwi pulled out his instructor badge.
"Bronze Hall Instructor Chu Un-hwi. Here for a family interview today."
Before he finished, the two men's faces drained of color, their fierce auras vanishing.
"Bronze Hall Instructor..."
"...Chu Un-hwi?"
What? Why so shocked?
Their expressions wiped blank, they pounded the gate frantically.
"Open up! Open it!"
"The young lady's guest is here!"
Glancing back with sweat pouring, they looked like kids fleeing a tiger. He instinctively checked behind him.
'What? Nothing there.'
Amid his head-tilt at the bizarre reaction,
Dong-dong-dong-dong.
A massive drum echoed from within, and the gates began swinging open.
The sight through the widening gap left Chu Un-hwi dumbfounded.
"What the hell is this?"
A red silk carpet from the main gate to the grand hall, flanked by ranks of Baek Family warriors standing at attention.
"He's here! The man himself!"
"What are you lot doing? Move briskly!"
"The kitchen fire's low! Fetch more wood!"
Beyond the orderly warriors, maids and servants scurried in chaos.
'What's wrong with these people?'
Did he get the day wrong?
"What are you doing? Follow the plan!"
An overly enthusiastic voice rang out, and the tense warriors turned as one, shouting.
"We welcome the noble guest to the Infinite Pavilion!"
Beyond their synchronized bows, Baek Ri-seol beamed proudly in her red palace attire.
'Oh god, my head.'
No sooner had he stepped inside than Baek Ri-seol came dashing over.
"Instructooor!"
Followed by a body slam.
Dodging lightly, she crouched low, flapping her arms threateningly.
"Why dodge?"
"Why attack out of nowhere?"
"It's a joyous reunion. A welcome full of love!"
We met three days ago.
Closing the distance, she hugged him tight.
"Like reuniting after ten years?"
"No, it's not."
He shook his head.
Looking down at the head nuzzling in his chest, Chu Un-hwi asked.
"What's today? Why so many people?"
"The day you visit."
True, but...
For a family interview, wasn't this overly lavish?
Setting aside the extravagant welcome, something odd caught his eye.
"What's with those being dragged away glaring at me hatefully?"
"Lunch. Gotta eat hearty."
"Three oxen and seven pigs for lunch?"
"Kept it modest, but please enjoy without leftovers."
Baek Ri-seol's goal today seemed assassination—by stomach rupture or overeating-induced distress.
As he stood stunned, a cough came from the side.
"Ahem. Welcome."
It was Baek Ri-seon-ho.
With the cowed Infinite Pavilion master and his wife behind him, he greeted.
"We met before? I'm Baek Ri-seon-ho. This is my nephew, the Pavilion Master, and his wife."
Apparently unaware of prior events, he introduced them as first-timers.
"I-I'm Infinite Pavilion Master Baek Ri-jeong-sun."
"N-Nice to meet you, Instructor Chu."
The two trembled, clearly remembering everything.
Not ideal, their fear obvious at a glance.
'Well, they're honoring the promise to keep quiet.'
After perfunctory greetings, Baek Ri-seon-ho gestured inside.
"Come in. Our Seol has been looking forward to this."