Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Sweet as Honey, Pure Great Reversion Pill (1)
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Nangong Hwi was one of the more peculiar guys I'd met so far.
His name rang a faint bell, so he was probably in the original story too.
I didn't remember side male characters.
One year older than me.
From a branch family of the Nangong Family.
Weirdly, no gallery ID.
His skills were late First-Rate, almost brushing up against Peak.
By background alone, he could've passed for just another ordinary disciple at Hundred Flowers Academy.
But the antics he pulled at the National Unmatched Club had even me shaking my head.
Mahjong rules are insanely complex, but a few can be summed up simply.
First: you can snag tiles from others.
But he never took anyone else's tiles.
Second: you can declare "Riichi" to basically say "I'm about to crush you," but you can also go sneaky for the assassination win.
The moment his hand was complete, he always declared Riichi.
Thus, his nickname was born.
The Riichi Superman with a perfect 100% Riichi rate.
His boneheaded play tossed efficiency straight into the gutter.
Even easygoing me, who rarely holds back on advice, once subtly asked why he played like such an idiot.
If there was a list of bullshit "emperor philosophy," that line would claim the top spot without question.
That very man was now sitting right in front of me... damn, that's weird phrasing.
Anyway.
The unbreakable man sat before me, his face etched with tension on the verge of cracking.
Drrrrng, kerrrr──
"Those two passed out drunk. No need to worry."
Nangong Hwi glanced anxiously at the corpse-like sprawl of Moyong Taek and Unhak, then hardened with resolve.
"You thinking of entering the sparring tournament?"
"Hm? Not particularly."
Relief flooded his resolute expression.
A dead ringer for someone who shouldn't gamble.
"......Good. That's a relief......"
Nangong Hwi's hand brushed his inner pocket.
Reeks of shady dealings.
"Actually, no. On second thought, I should enter the tournament."
"......Do you have to?"
"Hmmm......"
I frowned at his expression flipping in an instant yet again.
Nangong Hwi couldn't meet my eyes.
Time to pull out Geum Sihyeon Mode 3: Loyalty and Trust Edition.
"Brother Nangong...... no, Brother Hwi. Something troubling you? Someone tell you to slip me laxatives, or steal my sword, or chop off my hand...... something weird like that?"
Laxatives: pass.
Sword theft: pass.
Hand-chopping: jackpot.
"I swear to the heavens I have no intention of joining such vile schemes! That's why I came to tell you. It's not fair play, and it goes against the emperor's path."
Goes against the emperor's path, huh.
For this straight-arrow—er, extremely principled guy, the direct approach might work better.
"Probably Instructor Nangong Baek, right...... He wouldn't normally be like that. Maybe he has no choice."
"......!"
Suspicion hardened into certainty.
Nangong Baek it is.
"Sigh...... You already knew?"
Nangong Hwi let out a deflated sigh.
Then came confession time.
In summary.
Round up disposable branch warriors, lure them with elixirs.
Then in the tournament, chop off my arm and turn me into a "bitch" (arm-cut pun).
"These are the elixirs I got."
I took the two wooden boxes from Nangong Hwi and opened them.
One glowing blue pill.
One gray pill.
"Blue one's the elixir, gray is the Burst Qi Pill. Said to take it right before the match."
Burst Qi Pill aside.
"Still, why not take the elixir yourself? Feels pretty pure."
I eyed Nangong Hwi, wondering why he'd show me both so freely.
His face returned to its usual refreshed state, all worries shed, and he grinned.
"If the process strays from propriety, it's no emperor's path."
A hearty, manly smile.
Nangong Hwi said he'd look for his own way to block the conspiracy from within and took his leave.
Moments after the door shut.
The earth-shaking snores that had been rattling the room cut off abruptly.
"Coulda just played dumb."
"Can't do that to the noble guy who's gonna marry our hot-tempered sis."
"Beggars' Sect don't sit idle on injustice."
Jolttaek's irredeemable bullshit.
And the beggar's selective sense of justice.
"Haha."
I couldn't help but laugh.
* * *
The next day.
"Haa......"
A sigh hit me the moment I rose with the early birds.
The month flipped to June.
May's midterms-break vibe had finally ended, and the grueling final-exam marathon from June to July was underway......!
The thought of classes plus training brought tears to my eyes.
No holding back.
I'm a martial artist.
Training rocks! Rocks! Rocks!
Martial arts rock! Rock! Rock!
"Beggar, pup. Let's roll."
"Sounds good."
"Kyau!"
One lap of storm-paced morning run to tense up the slack body.
Then one round of meditation with the pup on my lap.
My night-owl habits left me a bit drained, but time to readjust to disciple life.
Morning classes were just Herbology and Toxicology, so I headed straight to register for the tournament.
I knew their shady plot, but did I really need to shove my arm into that lion's mouth?
But Nangong Hwi's whistleblowing alone wouldn't solve it.
This law holds not just in primitive ancient Hell-China, but primitive modern Hell-Korea too.
Those with power and might hide their dirt easier than Cheon Luri shaking her hips.
To drag it into the light and crush it.
I had to step up myself.
Yeah.
Only those ready to take a bullet should pull the trigger──or so the saying goes.
I steeled myself and entered the main hall.
Seol noona manned the desk.
"Eek, ungh, Sihyeon. Morning?"
"Good morning. Sleep well?"
"Hehe. Thanks to you."
The instructor at the next desk gawked in shock, but Seol noona casually slipped into ice-queen mode.
As if.
She'd made some grave resolution......
Nah, just my imagination.
Getting friendly, true colors showing.
"Gonna enter the tournament."
"......?"
For a split second, the ice queen soul vacated, replaced by Seol noona's.
"P-Peak expert versus first-rate noob or whatever......"
"Ahem. Could happen."
Thankfully, Seol noona accepted my change without much fuss.
Affinity +1.
"Ugh, but what to do? All-year tournament's closed, only freshman one open."
"Which one did Yongtaek enter?"
Seol noona dodged my gaze.
"......Freshman tournament."
His shitty conscience mirrored my clear one.
"Sign me up."
Even better.
Nangong first-years: just that moron Nangong Sang.
Background check says branch family but decent talent, stuffed with elixirs for plump qi.
But his basic sword class showed pure trash.
Chance he lops off my arm? About as likely as the Four Emperors getting disarmed by a Sea King.
Approaches zero infinitely unless he's got dementia.
No way a Peak expert's guard gets pierced by first-rate trash.
"Ung, if you wanna, go for it."
"Haha......"
Sensing I'd get devoured by the ice queen if we chatted more, I bowed hastily and bolted.
* * *
Outside the Medical Hall.
Ran into Sojeo again—never gets old, no matter how many times.
"Hehe, Young Master Geum. Good morning!"
"Kyu-it! Kwit!"
"You two sleep well? Rest easy last night?"
"Yesss! Yesterday was so fun!"
Maybe thanks to our fun time yesterday.
The subtle closeness with me and Sojeo felt nice.
Bored through Herbology and Toxicology with my buffs, then straight to Dangmok after class.
"Ahem, what now...... th-this......?"
Handed over the boxes from Nangong Hwi.
Dangmok's beady eyes ballooned to sparrow size.
Then his mouth flapped open and shut.
Anything beyond words means.
Deep ties to the Azure Heaven Society, naturally.
"Elixir safe?"
"......Yes."
"Then this Burst Qi Pill?"
"──."
Got it.
Probably poisoned, he realized.
Mission accomplished on intel.
Stash the elixir, return to Nangong Hwi later. Have the Life and Death Divine Doctor analyze the Burst Qi Pill—progress on research incoming.
While I was at it, snagged an outing pass from Dangmok and headed for the Life and Death Divine Doctor.
Bzzz──
One message incoming.
[(WEB) [Hundred Flowers Academy] Dean Meeting Notice
June 1, You Hour Mid (Western 18:00): Dean meeting scheduled.
Please arrive on time at Main Building 4F Dean's Office.]
"What?"
Nightmare flashbacks from the mana-grinding incident zipped through my mind.
I'd never requested a meeting.
No recent screw-ups.
......No way.
Surely my party with Seol noona and Chicken Master yesterday didn't cause issues?
No way primitive ancient Central Plains has anti-corruption laws like Kim Young-ran.
Not like the guards dragged me off like last time, so probably minor.
Maybe from hanging with magyo folks too much lately.
Even my spotless heart, with nothing to fear from heaven, felt a twinge of unease.