Chapter 135

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 135

Chapter Title: New Semester Preparations

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A tumultuous first year at the academy had passed, and before I knew it, I'd crossed twenty and turned twenty-one.

Somehow, it was that age where I suddenly wanted to flirt with a woman five years my senior.

It filled me with a profound sense of emotion.

When I woke up, messages of blessing had poured in from all the people I'd formed bonds with.

The blacklisted duo who couldn't even show their faces around me lately—the ones I swore never to drink with again, soon-to-be-thirty Suljji and Dakbu-nim—had sent theirs too.

Luri and Narang—who'd lately lost the power of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠human speech and only growled like beasts—had somehow managed to use such advanced vocabulary. Messages from them too.

And then there was the TMI from the keyboard warrior who'd recently started dominating Shaanxi Gallery with eight multi-accounts, plus the beast friends.

Five women and two females sending New Year's greetings—an insider's life that made my chest swell with pride right from the start of the year.

...Of course, things didn't seem to have progressed much.

Still, going from Narang to Myo Narang.

And Geum Sihyeon of the academy evolving into Cherish Sihyeon.

That had to count as pretty decent progress, right?

It was partly because I'd been a bit passive myself.

Even so.

How could I just blurt out to their faces, "I want a ton of wives and a ton of kids"?

In that regard, Yeon Hong-un was truly worthy of respect.

Though he was probably wailing in the brain prison right now, having bid farewell to his little junior.

I poured heart and soul into replying to the greetings, while tossing just perfunctory ones into the guys' group chat.

Early bird wake-up, network management, and qi-circulation brunch done.

Today was shaping up to be another busy day, as always.

Administrative stuff was mostly wrapped up, so I could breathe a bit, but the life of an insider is harsh.

Dragging my feet with a groan, I headed to the Hundred Flowers Academy.

"Move it over here!"

"Careful on that side! It'll collapse!"

The New Year's major construction was in full swing here too.

More precisely, preparations for next year's entrance exam were underway.

They were hastily expanding temporary buildings to house incoming examinees, hauling measurement stone slabs to the outer testing grounds that had gone empty after the cadets left.

"Ugh, Si, Sihyeon, hi...! I, I'm busy, gotta go!"

Seol-nuna, diligently working like a proper instructor, caught my eye, flushed beet red, and bolted.

Looked like she'd be like that for another week or two.

Still, after getting burned so badly once, she'd probably fix that drinking habit... or so I optimistically thought.

"You're here again today! Let's get started!"

I took over from the former student council president, Go Nau—no, Go Nahyu.

While storing away explanations, all sorts of documents, and forms in my brain.

I briefly allocated some of my vast mental resources to musing.

Me becoming a second-year meant new first-years incoming.

This batch of first-years especially had a lot of noteworthy talents.

By setting and officially, this generation was the so-called golden generation.

Even in the Hundred Flowers Academy where all sorts of prodigies gathered, a swarm of kids who would stand out fast was on the way.

Hence, three so-called S-rank comrades.

Zhuge Hyang of the Zhuge Family, who could free-pass every mechanism and formation gimmick the moment you slotted her into the party.

Seo Yurin, second disciple of Mount Hua and core key card of the Plum Blossom Pot.

Mingyue of the Island Fox.

And the icing on the cake.

In the original game.

The cheat character Baek Ri-yeon, who filled in the blank for "■■ until ■■ is gay."

Despite most gamers' passive skill of hating male party members.

She was the craziest of the crazies, someone you could raise stronger than most protagonists.

One driving force behind her overwhelming performance.

Baek Ri-yeon grew stronger the more she fought and the lower her health dropped—a cheat trait you could pick early, Heavenly Death Star owner.

Plus, Heavenly Death Star was a unique trait; if you set it on the protagonist, Baek Ri-yeon got record-erased and didn't appear.

So even if it randropped, you'd often skip it and slot in Baek Ri-yeon instead.

And another one.

The reason even I, a guy, pondered building affinity with Baek Ri-yeon.

The internal art I was cultivating was none other than the Virgin Boy Art.

...The exact one that Baldy Supreme Under Heaven from my dream had recommended.

In other words.

No worries about her getting stolen by women!

I hadn't seen her in person yet, but by description, she was perfect in every way including looks, so befriending her could only be a win.

Plus, Dang Narin, who should've originally been a year ahead.

"What're you thinking so hard about?"

"Hm, tricky. So, this is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the right format for the expenditure proposal?"

"Haha, spot on. Then..."

Anyway.

Lots of salvageable talent among the first-years was good news for me, future student council president.

Council composition was solely my call.

Six second-years and four first-years to draft.

Veto?

As if anyone would dare refuse my proposals.

Take it or leave it.

Having finished the handover... no, inheriting the throne of student council president.

My steps turned not toward Geumhyeonmun (30%) for once, but the Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress.

Since declaring independence, I'd avoided the main house as much as possible.

...And I really didn't want to go.

But what could I do? It was Mother's request...

Sighing deeply as I entered the main house.

"Sihyeon! Hehe, you're here?"

"Dangga."

I received greetings from Narang and Luri, who were lounging around dazed in the garden.

I desperately wanted to join them and play, but that wasn't the purpose of today's visit.

After returning the greeting and passing through the garden to the outer hall.

"H-Hi, h-he... hel-hello..."

"Hello, Narin young lady."

Dang Narin, still suffering severe social anxiety, stuttering shyly.

And.

"What, why're you so late?"

"Insolent as ever, Geum Siyu. Show proper respect to your sky-high teacher."

The impudent spawn of Satan, who dared pout at her superior despite being inferior.

Today's request.

Tutor Geum Siyu, who planned to submit her Hundred Flowers Academy application.

If she hadn't been burning through Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress money lately, and if it weren't Mother's request, I'd have shut it down cold.

Still.

At least bundling Dang Narin as a set menu gave some mental stability.

Alone with Geum Siyu? I'd probably explode and die.

Correction.

"...Narin young lady. Didn't the Tang Family teach medicine?"

"Ah, uh, th-that, p-poi... poison-only life..."

"No, but how does a martial artist not know pulses..."

Dang Narin.

Her head was thicker than expected.

She could rattle off hundreds of poison herbs in detail.

And she'd even reached First-Rate in martial arts, yet didn't know pulses properly?

"Flow of the Yang Yu Meridian?"

"Ah, th-that, from the Golden Gate, up high...?"

"Want your ankle twisted again?"

"Eek!"

"Correct! Golden Gate Yang Bridge, Liver, Gallbladder, Nonohyu—"

"Geum Siyu, you memorize basic common sense instead."

"Tch."

Of course, Geum Siyu was no pushover either.

"No, how do you not know the Ten Great Families?"

"Hmph. Master said family kids are arrogant, so don't get too close unless necessary. Ah! Except Moyong Seol-unni. Unni's so nice. Hehe."

"Eek...!"

"Ah! Narin-unni too. Narin-unni's cute! Hug! Wow, you smell good. What incense? That sharp, spicy... snfff, haaa..."

With Dang Narin's face frozen in panic.

Geum Siyu's expression turned dreamy like she'd drunk booze, then her eyes lost focus.

"Narin young lady, don't tell me?"

"Ahhhh... m-my, my constitution..."

Thud.

Geum Siyu slid bonelessly to the floor.

I rubbed my forehead and sighed.

Total disaster...

I really wanted to let her die as is.

But I didn't want Dang Narin hauled off to the Martial Alliance as a murderer, so I hoisted the devil spawn and sought the Life and Death Divine Doctor still residing at the Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress.

"Ugh."

The moment she saw Geum Siyu drooling on my shoulder, Ttulpunim triggered PTSD and vanished somewhere.

Probably flashed back to the shopping nightmare.

"What's this, why's the young miss like this?"

"Sniffed Narin young lady and died."

"Oh dear... hand her over."

The Dang Wuliang elder, deprived of his Go opponent, took the devil spawn from me and moved her to the bed.

"Since Narin's all about poison, toxin inevitably seeps into her body scent and fluids. She's on neutralizers constantly, so no threat to the young miss's life, but hallucinations linger. That's what happened."

"Shame."

"...?"

"What about the Divine Doctor?"

"Was just about to call you. Perfect timing. Leave the young miss with me and head in."

"Please take good care of her. Ideally, keep her out for three months. No entrance exam for her."

"Such jokes, kekeke."

Not a joke.

Ideally, knock out Dang Narin too.

Leaving the heartily laughing Dang Wuliang elder—who patted my shoulder—behind, I headed to the medicine room where the Life and Death Divine Doctor was.

"Divine Doctor, you were looking for me."

"Oh, Sihyeon? Good timing. Try this."

True to form, he abruptly used me as a test subject.

What he offered was a translucent pill emitting a faint aroma.

Taste-wise, well.

"This taste...!"

Bitter as hell...

Feeling like my tongue had been smashed with a hammer, I savored it, swallowed, and analyzed the components.

Main ingredient.

"Seven Absolutes Herb... antidote for Lonely Poison."

The Life and Death Divine Doctor nodded quietly.