Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Proof of Ability (2)
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They had aimed for a reversal.
But the result was a resounding failure.
To make up for the embarrassment from the demonstration, they targeted the other kids calling themselves assistant instructors.
But they failed every time.
They rattled off knowledge so vast that even the instructors didn't know—what could they do?
"This isn't the level of a typical Jianghu person. They could get a job at a pharmacy right away."
"Distinguishing medicinal herbs from toxic ones isn't easy, but mixing medicine and poison to create a third kind of remedy? Something like that."
"Are those kids really students of the academy?"
"They seem more knowledgeable about herbs and pharmacology than my regular physician."
Next, they targeted the rotten apples.
They figured that kids who only ran their mouths probably couldn't do anything properly.
"Leave it to me."
The herbal medicine instructor stepped up personally to salvage his lost face.
"There's a surefire strategy passed down among renowned physicians. It's a high-class secret technique that a backwoods bumpkin wouldn't even have heard of."
They took turns eating poison and herbs, betting on who could endure the longest.
It was a sophisticated wager where victory depended on who knew the precise mixtures of poisons and herbs better.
The result was even more disastrous.
"Even the herbal medicine specialist instructor lost."
"What kind of freak eats random stuff off the ground and comes out fine?"
"It's at a level where you could call a true poison master their master..."
The herbal medicine specialist instructor collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Limb convulsions were a bonus.
Meanwhile, his opponent chewed the toxic plants with a crunch and stayed perfectly fine.
"Damn it. Where did that monster roll in from?"
They had tried to crush their spirits early on, but only ended up stripping away their own pride.
"Instructor Gwak. This won't be easy."
"Shouldn't we first gather intel on that guy?"
"Looking back, we were too ignorant about the opponent. Know thyself and know thy enemy, and you'll win a hundred battles."
Instructor Gwak glared at his muttering fellow instructors.
"If we hadn't started, it might be one thing, but we struck first and now want to run? Do you think Instructor Jang will understand?"
Gulp.
Only then did the instructors shut their mouths. Jang Cheol-sim, the swordsmanship instructor.
If Jang Cheol-sim, a senior instructor of Silver Hall with immense pride, learned they had only embarrassed themselves and backed off?
"He'd surely fly into a rage."
"Urgh. Yeah, probably."
"We have to crush their spirit no matter what."
Only then could they soothe his anger. They couldn't afford to fall out of favor with Jang Cheol-sim, who they hoped to follow for a shot at squad leader later.
Besides, it had become a matter of pride now.
"Do you have a way?"
"We'll make one."
"I subtly tested them, and surprisingly, they seem skilled in all sorts of trivia. At a glance, they're not beneath us."
Though they had taken a hit, the instructors here weren't pushovers.
They could gauge an opponent's potential just from a brief observation and assessment.
"Even the assistant instructor kids aren't simple. You've all heard of the Instructor Hunter, right?"
Nod. Nod.
A few instructors nodded.
"He's not quite on his younger brother's level... but he's famous as a martial prodigy of the Jegal family."
"Today, his aura was astonishing. Maybe even that saying about not matching his brother is outdated."
"So the Instructor Hunter nickname isn't just talk..."
Instructor Gwak addressed the wavering instructors.
"Do we really need to target the strong ones first?"
"You mean go for the young ones?"
"They seem to have studied hard in various areas, but what about their martial arts?"
"Given their age, there must be limits."
"Exactly. We target that."
"Indeed."
Their talent seemed considerable.
But just that much. Martial arts always require absolute time to ripen.
"I hear they haven't even trained in martial arts for a full year yet."
"They probably haven't mastered proper swordsmanship, let alone awakened their inner arts fully."
But did they really need to bully kids to seize the momentum?
Though some thought so, Gwak Jong-geun was resolute.
"For them to soar high in the future, learning the bitterness of defeat early isn't a bad experience."
"That's true enough."
But some instructors still worried.
"However, the opponents are the Baek Family's Forbidden Jade Leaf, no less. I hear the young one is also quite cherished by the Moyong family."
These weren't just anywhere—the Ten Great Families.
Their names were too heavy to drag into an instructors' pride contest.
But Instructor Cha acted like it was no issue.
"Don't worry. We just won't step in ourselves."
"If we don't step in..."
"The kids here all have their flaws as students. These undisciplined types—do you think they'll stay quiet seeing a new stone roll in?"
"So we wait for them to clash on their own."
Unlike the instructors, the students didn't know the intruders' identities.
Many lacked patience anyway, so they'd charge in first and ask questions later.
"Of course, we'll toss in a suitable spark."
A cold glint flashed from the depths of Gwak Jong-geun's sunken eyes.
"Conveniently, there's a perfect person for it."
"What? Another wait? Damn it."
After the herbal medicine specialist instructor was carried off, classes were fully suspended.
Thanks to that, the students left abandoned in the blazing sunlight of the training ground grew surly.
They were already annoyed at being dragged out for remedial classes, and now indefinite waiting? Amid surging irritation, their eyes fell on the obnoxious newcomers.
"Because of those guys, what the hell are we doing?"
"Looking at them, aren't they acting way too cocky?"
"Knowing a bit of herbal medicine and calling themselves assistants or whatever—it's all the same crap."
"I hate how juniors cause trouble and seniors take the full blame."
Murmur murmur.
Students clustered in groups glared at the culprits.
However, few openly picked fights.
All because of one person, a legend in Silver Hall academy lore.
—The Instructor Hunter.
They held back their boiling guts solely due to the mad dog who had once left an instructor bloodied.
But even that reached its limit soon.
Seven students had claimed the shadiest prime spot in the training ground.
Among them, the shortest but most solidly built young man muttered with arms crossed.
"They were so confident, but look at them now."
"Sorry. Got nothing to say."
The sullen apology drew a spit from the young man.
"Tch. No early exit, huh. Pisses me off."
Normally, remedial classes would have ended by now.
It was getting hard to hold back the rising frustration.
"Just flip the table already?"
Two identical-looking young men beside him snickered.
"Cool it. If you lose control again, it'll be family nagging instead of remedial classes."
"Right. It won't end with a light punishment this time."
"Shut up, twins."
Un Ho-seung ground his teeth.
"Me, a blood relative of the Great Jinju Yun Clan, hanging with these dropout rejects? Pathetic."
"For someone who can't control his anger and picks fights everywhere, just sticking around is a miracle."
"The Jinju Yun Clan must be impressive. In our Crimson Blade Sword Sect, you'd have been expelled long ago."
The Crimson Blade Sword Sect twins, Jeok So-il and Jeok So-i, laughed freely.
After giggling for a while, Un Ho-seung yawned.
"Sigh. My life sucks. Now even Bronze Hall rookies are playing assistant instructors."
As he grumbled, a drowsy voice chimed in.
"Isn't it fun, though?"
The speaker was a girl with exceptionally black hair reaching her waist.
A woman with sleepy, drooping eyes.
"Im So-jeong."
Disciple of Geom-gak, overlord of the South Sea.
The only other major sect disciple here besides himself.
"Fun my ass."
"Still, it's the first time seeing those arrogant instructors flustered."
That much was true.
Guys who lived off their own hype, always yapping about the Nine Great Valleys this or how prestigious families would be different—seeing them all grimace at once wasn't an everyday sight.
"They even got water poured on them by the nanny from Dung Heaven Pavilion."
"Hahaha. What do you call idiots who lose to a nanny?"
Im So-jeong continued at the twins' cheer.
"And that guy over there. First time seeing Jegal student like that."
"Right. You know the Instructor Hunter, don't you?"
"Yeah. The Jegal family and South Sea Island get along well."
Un Ho-seung narrowed his eyes, eyeing the man standing at one side of the training ground.
His flawless demeanor, unbreachable even by a blade—rumors checked out.
But soon he muttered dismissively.
"If he's frazzled by Bronze Hall's nanny, rumors aren't worth much."
Quite the letdown.
Im So-jeong flicked her long hair.
"He seems quite changed, though."
"He wasn't like that before?"
"Not at all. Nothing like it."
Her sleepy voice drawled on. Then the twins joined in.
"Come to think of it, his vibe's different even from afar."
"So sharp you hesitated to approach."
"That nerd?"
Hard to believe.
"Yeah. Like a different person."
Even Im So-jeong.
They were remedial class outcasts for various reasons, but the Crimson Blade Sword Sect twins weren't lightweights.
Even in their mid-tier sect, they were geniuses sent with full support, outshining the elders' sons.
And Im So-jeong? A top prodigy from Geom-gak, rivaling the Nine Great Valleys.
As everyone agreed, Un Ho-seung's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Is that so."
He picked up the gauntlets beside him.
"...What're you doing?"
"What do martial artists do when they meet? Fight. A honest chat with fists."
Thud thud.
Slipping on the gauntlets and clashing his fists drew a worried remark from Im So-jeong.
"If Jegal Tan's at his old level, it'll be close. But I hear he's changed recently."
Im So-jeong had sharp ears.
She knew all Silver Hall happenings without fail and had heard some about the midterm upset.
"Even if he didn't rank high, he apparently crushed a Silver Hall student one-sidedly. Rumors say even Murim Alliance bigwigs took notice."
"Heh. Sparring without full effort ain't worth referencing."
Crack.
"I'll crush him for real."
Flexing his knuckles with a belligerent grin, the twins chuckled.
"Ah—. He's fully triggered now."
"No helping it then—."
Thud.
Un Ho-seung kicked off and stood. The twins and others rose too.
"Im So-jeong? You too?"
Un Ho-seung looked surprised at the lazy Im So-jeong joining.
"Yeah. I'm pretty curious too."
A dangerous glint flickered in her drooping eyes.
"About the legend of South Sea Geom-gak. The talent said to rival the Sword Marquis."