Chapter 152
Chapter 152
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Jin Mujeon Academy (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Time flew by in a flash.
During that time, I climbed the mountain every day to train in martial arts, the Dang kids reviewed the curriculum for the Jin Mujeon Academy, and Cheong So-so…
“Oh, is that so, sweetie! Aww, you're so adorable. I wonder who our little Cheong-ah takes after to be so pretty.”
Chrrp. Chrrp. Chirrrp~
I'll stop there.
About a month passed like that.
Just as my probation period had a few days left, the construction of the academy was completed.
Unable to sit still, I took everyone from the house and headed to the academy.
“Congratulations, my lord.”
Yu So-pyeong said, his eyes filled with admiration as he surveyed the academy.
It was only natural.
The academy before us was so large and beautiful that anyone would have to admit it was well-built.
A tall, sturdy wall was built around the two-thousand-pyeong plot of land.
Within it stood five spacious, three-story pavilions.
The training grounds were paved with hard stone, boasting an excellent environment for practice.
‘Hmm…’
To think such a structure could be built in less than two months.
And in the martial arts world, no less, where there's no heavy machinery.
‘Manpower truly is the answer.’
I offered a silent word of thanks to the bald man who had indiscriminately mobilized his disciples to the site.
‘My life in the Nine Dragons Fortress wasn't for nothing, it seems.’
It wasn't just Yong Ma-san.
There was Madam Bok, who haggled down the land price for me.
The former Black Dragon Gang, now the Black Dragon Construction crew, who took on the project at a low cost.
And even Master Bukgung, who provided high-level martial arts for the academy.
*Sniffle.*
Moved by the thought that I had lived a good life, a tear welled up in my eye.
“You're hiring servants, right? Can't you set up a clinic for me in that empty spot over there? And make a room for me, too. Please?”
Chirp?
That is, until Cheong So-so, with Cheong-ah on her shoulder, started spouting nonsense.
Anyway.
‘That's not a bad idea, actually.’
It wasn't complete nonsense.
My cash reserves were already at rock bottom, so I seriously considered selling the house and moving here. With that in mind, I gathered everyone.
It was time for the opening ceremony.
I needed to spread the word that the Jin Mujeon Academy was open, so I could get help when I needed it.
“You guys go to the restaurant and order food and drinks. If you mention my name, they'll deliver it here. Oh, and make sure to tell them it needs to be ready before noon tomorrow.”
“How much should we prepare for?”
“About fifty people will be coming, so get plenty. And So-pyeong, you're coming with me to the Inner Fortress.”
“To the Inner Fortress, sir?”
“We have to invite the guests, don't we?”
“Do I have to go?”
“Of course. If not you, who's going to invite the Grand Chancellor?”
“...”
Yu So-pyeong nodded reluctantly.
It seemed the memory of being kicked out when he asked about the exam was still fresh in his mind.
‘Tsk, tsk, tsk…’
In any case, I took Yu So-pyeong and headed for the Inner Fortress.
Yu So-pyeong, who was acquainted with the scholars of the Military Affairs Department, went to the Fortress Lord's Hall.
I visited all eight Halls... well, not all of them. I visited the seven Halls, excluding the White Dragon Hall.
If I so much as set foot in the White Dragon Hall, a blade could fly out of nowhere and put a hole in my neck.
After frantically inviting the dignitaries from the seven Halls, I returned to find Yang Gang and the kids, who were supposed to be making preparations, just sitting around.
“...”
“You're back?”
“What are you doing, not preparing?”
“Ah, about that.”
Yang Gang's explanation was as follows.
The three eccentrics of the Dang family had left to order the food and drinks as instructed.
But a group from the Red Dragon Hall blocked their path, and a lavishly dressed woman stepped forward.
“Then she said, 'It's my Gege's first business opening, shouldn't I be the one to take care of it?' and sent us back. Calling you 'Gege' suggests you two are quite close. What's going on?”
Just from the story, I had a suspect in mind.
“...It must be Jeok Hwa-ran.”
Still, it was good news in its own way.
Since I was hosting high-ranking officials from the Inner Fortress, I needed to fill the banquet tables with high-quality dishes and fine liquor.
With Jeok Hwa-ran footing the bill, I'd be saving more than ten nyang.
‘By the way, when did I go from 'Senior' to 'Gege'?’
Her changing my title on her own whim bothered me a little, but…
Since she was spending a fortune on my behalf, I could let this much slide.
* * *
The next day.
*Chatter, chatter.*
The distinguished guests invited yesterday began to arrive one by one.
The first guests to arrive were from the Red Dragon Hall.
“Welcome.”
“Kekeke, my grandson-in-law is opening a martial arts academy. Of course, I had to come.”
At the words 'grandson-in-law,' Jeok Il, who had come with him, nodded in satisfaction.
Jeok Yi and Jeok Sam, on the other hand, glared at me with eyes that screamed, 'How dare a punk like you aim for Hwa-ran!'
“...”
Somehow, the misunderstanding among the Red Dragon Hall family seems to be solidifying.
“No, that's not it...”
I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but I had to give up because of the flood of arriving guests.
“It's been a while.”
“Indeed, it has.”
Only one person came from the Blue Dragon Hall.
The problem was that it was Dan Un.
“I heard of your exploits in Hanzhong. Your martial arts must have reached a deeper state.”
“...No, they haven't.”
“I am very pleased that you seem to be preparing diligently for our duel.”
“Seriously, I'm not.”
“I, too, have not stopped my arduous training for a single day in preparation for that moment.”
“...”
He wasn't someone you could have a conversation with.
I used the excuse of other guests arriving to shoo him away as he kept rambling on about martial arts.
The next person I met was Jeon Muk of the Gray Dragon Saber.
The man, who boasted a massive frame nearly two meters tall, saw me and immediately threw his arms open for a hug.
*Squeeze!*
“Brother! Congratulations!”
“*Cough*, th-thanks.”
Releasing his arms, he looked around the academy, unable to hide his admiration.
“The academy is so spacious!”
“Right? I spent quite a bit.”
“Yes! I'll come by soon with the Gray Dragon Hall members to warm up... Brother? Where are you going all of a sudden...?”
I walked away without hearing the rest of Jeon Muk's words.
If the giants of the Gray Dragon Hall decided to swing their guandaos in earnest, the fragile floor of the training grounds would be completely shattered.
It's not for nothing that those guys train in mines.
If they break things outside, they get cursed at, but in there, the more they break, the more they're praised.
After that, guests continued to stream in.
“Hahaha, you rascal, congratulations! Here's a celebratory gift.”
Wi Ji-pung brought every single member of the Black Dragon Hall with him.
He even brought the young kids, showing his determination to get a proper free meal while he was at it.
Still, he brought ten bolts of cotton cloth as a gift.
Something unimaginable in the past.
Cheers to the ever-improving financial situation of the Black Dragon Hall.
The Gold Dragon Hall Master came in person.
“Congratulations. This isn't much, but it's a congratulatory gift!”
“Oh my, you shouldn't have.”
When I first met him, I thought, 'What is this, some kind of idiot?', but the more I saw him, the more I realized he was a genuinely good person.
For the record, the money pouch contained a whopping twenty nyang of silver.
Looking at him now, with his handsome features, he was a true silver fox.
“By the way, when are you going to visit? Didn't I say I'd give you a reward?”
“I was planning to visit as soon as my probation is over.”
“Haha, I'll be waiting for that day. You should go now. You have guests to greet.”
And he was cool, to boot.
‘Ah…’
I almost fell for him.
The Green Dragon Hall and Silver Dragon Hall each sent a few disciples.
I had no personal connection with them, but it was thanks to my reputation soaring after the battle with the Ten Demon Alliance.
I felt the day I'd become an influencer in the martial arts world was not far off.
The last person to arrive was the Grand Chancellor.
“Oh my! Such a distinguished guest in my humble abode!”
“I believe you still have a few days of probation left. Are you in your right mind, throwing a party like this?”
“Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.”
“It's a happy occasion, so I'll let it slide, just for today.”
He showed off his nagging, boomer-like attitude right away, but since he was giving the congratulatory speech today, I decided to let it go.
Just as the guest greetings were winding down.
“Gege!”
In the distance, I saw Jeok Hwa-ran running towards me, showing off her short stature, small heart, and small hips.
‘Isn't she embarrassed?’
Calling me 'Gege' with so many people gathered here.
And just as I expected.
*Murmur, murmur.*
The distinguished guests all turned their gazes toward the Red Dragon Hall.
Their eyes seemed to ask how they could let their granddaughter run so wild.
Of course, Jeok Hwa-ran was not the type of woman to care about such public scrutiny.
If she were, an unmarried maiden like her would never be running a brothel.
However, Jeok Hwa-ran was even crazier than I thought.
“Gege!”
She was using her running momentum to try and hug me.
A hug, in front of dozens of people.
And at a gathering of only the highest-ranking people in the Nine Dragons Fortress.
It was a good thing I dodged. If I had taken that body slam head-on, given the values of this medieval world, it would have been a point of no return, leading straight to a forced marriage.
‘The mere thought is horrifying.’
*Shudder.*
A shiver ran down my spine.
“...Damn it, I almost had him.”
“Hwa-ran?”
“Ah! Gege!”
When I called her name, she beamed as if nothing had happened.
‘She was so sharp back at the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion...’
Jeok Hwa-ran cleared her throat and explained how she had prepared the feast.
“...And so on... and so forth... and that's how the preparations for the feast were completed.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Fufufu, don't you worry. It's for my Gege, after all, so I put in a proper effort. You'll be surprised when you see it.”
Then, Jeok Hwa-ran sent a telepathic message somewhere, and workers from the Honghwaru began to swarm in like ants.
And on an enormous scale.
Not only were all sorts of rare delicacies laid out on the pre-arranged individual tables…
…but high-quality white liquor giving off a beautiful aroma was also brought out.
Musicians playing lutes even arrived to liven up the feast.
“...As expected of the youngest granddaughter of a conglomerate family.”
As I stood there with my jaw dropped at the scale, which was twenty times grander than I had imagined, Jeok Hwa-ran giggled and opened her arms.
A gesture that seemed to say, 'Free hugs.'
*Flinch.*
Just as I was about to unconsciously embrace her, a wave of killing intent from somewhere snapped me to my senses.
Thank goodness for the brothers, Jeok Yi and Jeok Sam.
“Tsk, a grown maiden acting so shamelessly!”
“Tch.”
Still, seeing her take care of me like this, she's not a bad kid, just a little strange.
“Thanks.”
“Don't just say it, show me with your actions.”
“Alright, what do you want?”
“Umm... they say the summer scenery at Mount Diancang is beautiful. Let's go see it together. We were supposed to go last time, but you weasled your way out of it.”
She remembered that.
“Denied. A round trip would take a month.”
“Hmph, then is it okay if it's a place we can visit in a single day?”
“If it's just that... I suppose it's fine.”
“Then, let's go twice, to make up for the time we missed.”
The escalating conditions made me want to snap, 'How dare the likes of Jeok Hwa-ran!', but…
‘I have no reason to refuse.’
Her effort in preparing the banquet was plain to see, so I nodded.
“Alright. Let's do that.”
“Yay!”
Leaving the childishly happy Jeok Hwa-ran behind, I stepped onto the platform.
It was time to proceed with the ceremony.
“First, I would like to express my gratitude to all the distinguished guests who have graced us with their presence today.”
Perhaps because I had imbued my voice with internal energy, everyone's attention immediately focused on me.
“First, the head of our Nine Dragons Fortress's Military Affairs Department and the second coming of Zhuge Liang, the Grand Chancellor, will deliver a congratulatory address.”
*Clap, clap, clap, clap.*
Amidst the resounding applause, the Grand Chancellor ascended the platform.
The content of his speech was nothing special.
“*Ahem*, the proud warriors of the Nine Dragons Fortress... like this... together... even if there are hardships... if we do... we will surely be victorious...”
How should I put it? It felt like a moral lecture from an elementary school principal.
However, the sheer presence that came with his position as Grand Chancellor was different, so everyone present focused on his speech.
“...Let us all raise our glasses to the future of the Jin Mujeon Academy.”
Hoorah-!
It was boring, but the promotional effect was solid, so I was very satisfied.
After the speech, the opening ceremony began in earnest, and I started rushing around, accepting drinks from the guests.
The three Dang eccentrics, Yu So-pyeong, and Cheong So-so took their seats and mingled with the guests.
As befitting a lavish feast, the atmosphere was joyous, with everyone laughing and having a good time.
But this atmosphere didn't last long.
An unexpected guest.
“Have you all been well?”
It was because Baek Jung-cheon had arrived.