Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Instructor Punishment (1)
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“Not to my liking.”
Thud thud.
Un Ho-seung ground his teeth as he slammed his fist into the floor.
“To just abandon us and leave.”
The twins nodded in unison.
“He didn't even look back, claiming it was time to clock out.”
“Normally, shouldn't he come back and review the lesson?”
Reviewing what was learned in class, pointing out the good and bad parts—that was the usual routine.
There was no extension of the session, which should have followed naturally, nor any sign of comforting their shaken, self-doubting hearts.
“The assistants are the same.”
He knew they were quite skilled.
He might not be able to guarantee victory if they clashed.
But yesterday had been different.
“Acting like they knew everything.”
“These kids put on armbands and now their guts are spilling out.”
Suddenly, Un Ho-seung's gaze caught Im So-jeong, lost deep in thought.
Since exchanging words with the temporary instructor yesterday, she had been immersed in her own musings. Un Ho-seung furrowed his brow and asked.
“So-jeong. Is something wrong?”
“...Who knows.”
Im So-jeong shook off her drowsiness and finally spoke after a long silence.
“How about we watch and see first?”
“Huh? You serious?”
“...Something feels off.”
He waited for a reply, but Im So-jeong's mouth stayed shut.
She still seemed distracted by something else.
“Sorry. It's sect-related.”
He waited a while, but that disappointing answer was all that came.
Still, Un Ho-seung forced a smile.
“Well... If it's sect business, nothing we can do.”
“Everyone's got one or two secrets, right?”
“Yeah. No need to apologize.”
Though others saw them as dubious figures, they maintained a close bond among themselves.
“...Sorry.”
Im So-jeong rarely showed emotion, touched by her comrades' consideration.
“Can't be helped. But how do we shake off this foul mood?”
Un Ho-seung grinned fiercely as he clashed his fists together.
“Grab any guy in sight and challenge him to a spar? Or maybe pick a fight with an instructor?”
The twins exuded sharp auras at the new topic.
“Don't want weaklings. Right, there was that guy yesterday who thought he could take us.”
“Yeah, the one staring us down nasty-like? Some collateral from the Hebei Peng Clan.”
It was about time to let loose.
They'd been dragged around for remedial classes and such, building up a ton of frustration.
Quietly following along didn't suit their temperaments at all.
Thud.
Un Ho-seung clashed fists again and sneered.
“Let's go. Time to vent.”
He prowled the small training ground.
And spotted a few guys giving them dirty looks.
The rest was simple.
“H-Hey, let go.”
Grab their collars and pick a fight.
“I-I don't want to fight.”
“I do. Your staring eyes rubbed me the wrong way.”
Un Ho-seung yanked the student's collar and whispered in his ear.
“What? Thought you'd take us down? Having second thoughts now?”
“Gasp. How did you...”
When words failed, the student switched tactics.
“You think you'll get away with this?”
Yet Un Ho-seung just laughed.
'Yeah, that's the normal reaction.'
Shaking off yesterday's unease from the student's terrified eyes, Un Ho-seung hoisted him up by the collar.
“Yeah? Think I won't?”
Heh heh heh heh.
The twins giggled and glared around.
“What? Got a problem, come at us yourself.”
“Wanna spar? If you're so sure, step up.”
Students watching slunk away, startled by their fierce presence.
'Yeah. That's more like it.'
Finally felt like things were back on track.
Then Im So-jeong whispered.
“...The temporary instructors are coming.”
“Tch. Annoying bunch.”
Squeeze.
Un Ho-seung tugged the collar and jerked his chin toward one side.
“To the clearing.”
The bout was so one-sided it barely qualified as a fight.
The fierce fists forged by the Jinju Un Clan's secret arts snapped the opponent's sword in one blow.
Crack!
Pow!
It sank into the opponent's gut on the counter.
“Kek!”
As he doubled over from the organ-rattling pain, indiscriminate violence followed.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Sticking to the staggering foe, hammering his sides in succession.
“No need for footwork here.”
“Guhk.”
Crash.
Trip him, then stomp relentlessly.
“What? You were all fired up earlier.”
“Come on, rush us.”
“Quitting already? Lame.”
Thud thud thud thud.
Now just a stress toy instead of an opponent, the guy could only curl up, arms shielding his head, writhing.
“What? That's it?”
“Total letdown.”
Soon, five students lay sprawled by the twins.
Seeing them groan in defeat lifted spirits a bit.
“Haa. Feeling better now.”
He pulled a short pipe from his bosom and lit it.
Flick flick.
The harsh smoke filling his lungs cooled the heat somewhat.
“What, smoking again?”
“We've held back lately.”
“Don't sweat it. Need this today to unwind.”
Fwoosh.
Un Ho-seung exhaled smoke drifting past his eyes and removed his bloodied gauntlets.
“Damn. Every one of 'em.”
All looking down on him.
Not even called a failure as the heir to the great Jinju Un Clan head.
'What? Have the Bronze Hall babysitter teach us?'
He could endure that much.
The bottled rage exploded at the temporary instructors' attitudes.
Not just lowly origins and middling skills.
Zero motivation.
If no talent, at least passion. What was a guy like that even doing as an instructor?
“Pathetic sight, the great Un Ho-seung.”
“Prefer the busty female instructor, honestly.”
“She was super popular. Wanted to line up myself.”
Heh heh. “Not bad.”
Un Ho-seung chuckled and blew another long plume.
“Anyway, what now?”
“About what?”
“Gotta pass that damn mock drill for rivers-and-lakes excursion.”
Heh heh heh. “Perfect chance to shine.”
“Who made up such a useless rule?”
As they huddled and chatted, Un Ho-seung noticed someone's absence.
“Huh? Anyone see Dang-gan today?”
“Dang-gan...”
Im So-jeong, who had been sitting off to the side quietly, spoke up.
“Seemed like Instructor Gwak called him.”
“To Instructor Gwak?”
Wonder what for.
Speak of the devil?
Dang-gan was rushing over from afar at a brisk pace.
“Speak of the tiger...”
“Fitting for blockhead Dang-gan of the Dang Clan.”
“He looks urgent. What's up?”
Tatata.
Dang-gan leaped over, kicking off the ground like flying, landing before them.
“Heh heh. Perfect, all gathered.”
Un Ho-seung tilted his head at the beaming face.
“What? Good news?”
“Got a real tempting offer.”
Tempting offer?
As eyes darted around, Dang-gan grinned ear to ear.
“Play it right, and we escape these endless remedials.”
“Hm.”
Nangong Yun-ho glanced beyond the low bamboo fence.
Still no sign of anyone.
'Should be here by now.'
The spot was definitely the 'Temporary Instructor Training Ground.'
He'd told them multiple times—no chance of getting lost.
“Why the grumbling alone?”
“I said come by noon (11am-1pm), but no show.”
“They'll show when it's time.”
The instructor showed no worry even as it passed mid-afternoon (1pm-3pm).
“Don't you need results?”
“Yeah. But it's fine now. Got a backup for the worst case.”
He casually pulled out the roster Jegal Tan had prepared.
Chu Un-hwi found the Silver Hall rules and pointed to one line.
“This scores higher than fixing wooden dummies for personnel eval.”
“...”
“Bonus points for tougher roles.”
Demonic Cult Leader role?
Serial arsonist torching the capital office?
Or Murim Alliance Leader assassin?
Nangong Yun-ho felt chills at the casual mutterings of scary ideas.
The tone was too serious for jokes.
“Instructor. Humans have lines we shouldn't cross.”
Moyong So-hye's horrified look nearby matched his thoughts.
“Even as a failed educator, don't abandon your humanity!”
“It's fine. The Murim Alliance perverts abandoned theirs first.”
“Instructor!”
“Heh heh heh...”
The reliable instructor laughed darkly, turning demonic before their eyes.
Thankfully, heaven heard their inner pleas?
Finally, the awaited group entered the training ground.
“Haha. Temporary instructor, we're super late, huh?”
Strutting in without a shred of courtesy—they were Un Ho-seung and his crew.
“Sorry. Overslept.”
Un Ho-seung spouted ridiculous excuses in a playful tone.
'Gonna blow?'
'Definitely.'
Against expectations, Chu Un-hwi responded plainly.
“Can't help oversleeping.”
Un Ho-seung looked flustered by the easy acceptance.
Ignoring him, Chu Un-hwi waved Jegal Tan over.
“Hey, Jegal.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
“Do as we discussed.”
Would it work?
They'd prepped what to teach since the instructor obsessed over slacking.
But from the vibe, they weren't listening properly.
Sure enough.
Un Ho-seung cut in first.
“Hey. Temporary instructor.”
“Instructor gets casual speech. Kid.”
Frowning, but surprisingly, Un Ho-seung raised both hands.
Clarifying now beat bickering.
“Got it. I'll watch it.”
“What do you want?”
“Well...”
Baek Ri-seol's forehead twitched at Un Ho-seung propping one leg up.
“Oh my. So insolent.”
Crack.
Un Ho-seung cracked his knuckles and bared his teeth in a grin.
“I might lack in finesse. But don't underestimate me.”
Whoosh.
His training robes fluttered in the released fighting spirit.
Fierce aura scattering the training ground dust.
'How's that? Not so easy, huh?'
Per Gwak Jong-geun's plan, they now held the advantage.
No more yesterday's dragging around.
'Crush their spirit a bit?'
Reclaiming initiative came first. He couldn't stand being bossed by such people.
But.
Swish-.
Un Ho-seung felt an odd dissonance as messy hair swayed.
“What? Wanna fight? Say so earlier.”
The opponent looked delighted instead.
“...Underestimated more than I thought.”
“Fist-fighter stepping up is just laughable.”
“First to call Jinju Un Clan strong fists mere punches.”
Courtesy vanished from Un Ho-seung's words. But the other topped it.
“Jegal. What's Jinju Un Clan strong fists? Weren't they undertakers? Turning corpses into jiangshi and sending them home.”
Like this.
Arms out front, hopping stiffly—Un Ho-seung's patience snapped.
The corpse arts passed down generations were the Jinju Un Clan's sore spot.
More infamous for handling bodies than martial arts wasn't prideful.
“First to insult my clan to my face...”
Grind.
Un Ho-seung gnashed teeth, eyes flashing blue.
“Good timing? Insulted my clan, so smashing you is fine.”
“Heh heh. Rookie. Not facing me.”
The smug instructor sidestepped sneeringly.
And opposite stood a wide-eyed young girl.
“Moyong So-hye! Nice to meet you!”
What now?
Un Ho-seung's eye twitched violently.