Chapter 73
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Taking the Bones Without Giving Flesh (3)
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Geum Sihyeon's provocative words left Nangong Baek feeling flustered.
If he were truly innocent, he would have exploded in anger, but the fact was that he had indeed been subtly pressuring Geum Sihyeon under orders from the Azure Heaven Society.
Should I just stab him for real?
No, no.
That wouldn't be rational.
No matter how much backing he had from the Azure Heaven Society.
Just as he had used Nangong Sang as a pawn, he himself could be treated as a mere piece by the Azure Heaven Society.
The risks were too high.
And the rewards too low.
Having quickly run the calculations in his mind, Nangong Baek said,
"......What a baseless slander. Not worth even exchanging words over. If this is about that demonic art issue you raised last time, let me make it clear—it's completely unrelated."
He forcibly shifted the topic away from himself.
"Heh...... Slander? Wouldn't 'conspiracy' have a nicer ring to it? Conspiracies are nice and tidy when there aren't any."
Nangong Baek nearly retorted with, What the hell kind of nonsense is that? but shoved the words back down his throat.
That serpentine tongue of his felt like it could provoke him into stabbing without thinking.
He responded with silence.
Fortunately, with Nangong Baek staying quiet, Geum Sihyeon also fell silent and let himself be supported as they walked.
The moment they reached a passageway out of sight.
Thud!
Nangong Baek roughly shoved Geum Sihyeon away.
"Can't you walk on your own two feet?"
"Ow, come on. Isn't that a bit harsh to someone whose forearm nearly got sliced off? And you're an instructor—shouldn't you at least ask if your student is okay?"
Another crack appeared in Nangong Baek's composure.
"Anyway, thanks for the escort. Take care on your way back. And in the future, please don't go blowing hot air into the kids' ears for no reason."
If glares had mass,
Nangong Baek shot him a look fierce enough to disintegrate Geum Sihyeon down to the cellular level.
"......Don't get cocky."
But at this point, all he could do was issue a verbal warning.
Suppressing his rising emotions, Nangong Baek spun on his heel and retraced his steps.
Just two months.
Hold out for two months.
Once finals were over, they'd leave the academy for the grade promotion exam in the fall.
Just overlook that arrogant bastard until then.
As planned,
the guy was destined to meet his end at the hands of the Tang Family during the grade promotion exam.
Nangong Baek deeply buried his boiling killing intent.
"Hoo......"
As someone who lived by the motto of respecting elders and staying humble and honest,
deliberately spewing insults was pretty exhausting.
Especially that glare from earlier.
It even gave him a fleeting anxiety that the guy might actually charge at him right there.
But
Guys with guilty consciences usually don't move against you directly.
They've got too much to lose, so they chicken out.
He wondered if he'd pulled aggro a bit too hard,
but then he thought about it.
They tried to poison me.
Sent an assassin after me.
Tried to chop off my arm.
Any reason I should hold back?
Honestly, even if Nangong Baek had lunged at him just now, he could've ended it by sucking him dry with the Northern Bright Divine Art.
He's the one who spared both Nangong Sang and Nangong Baek.
With choices like [Attack], [Action], [Item], [Mercy],
he'd mercifully navigated to Mercy with three arrow key presses.
Unlike Tang Mok, Nangong Baek didn't seem redeemable, so he'd use this incident to properly screw him over.
No need to hesitate like before.
With the physical evidence of the Explosive Qi Pill from Brother Hwi,
and the solid conviction from the sword Nangong Sang swung.
He'd secured justification even if he proactively clashed with Nangong Baek.
Justification is always key.
In the world conquest sims he used to play, declaring war without justification raised battle fatigue by 2 and dropped stability by 2.
War, never again war......!
Tap tap, tap!
While running countless simulations in his head on how to screw over Nangong Baek,
he brushed the dust off his attachment jacket No. 0, which had protected his wrist and forearm.
Deep gratitude to the Heavenly Silken Black Dragon Robe.
And with that, he exited the sparring hall, which he probably wouldn't need to return to for a while.
Bickering with first-raters was starting to feel beneath him.
Better to spend this time sparring productively with Master Tilt or Sword Master.
"G-Geum, Geum Young Master......!"
"Ah, Narang."
As he left the sparring hall,
"Are you okay? You're not hurt badly, right?"
Narang Little Sis, who'd been fidgeting anxiously while waiting, scampered over like a squirrel and fussed over his arms and legs.
Should he play up the pain to earn sympathy here?
Or handle it manly and dignified for more affection points?
Memories of dating sims cluttered his brain, making invisible choices float before his eyes.
He went with the latter.
"Haha, I'm fine. Totally unharmed."
"Phew, that's a relief...... I was so worried......"
When he rolled up his sleeve to reveal his perfectly fine wrist, relief washed over Narang Little Sis's face.
Her consideration, fitting for someone with a heart of gold, swelled his own chest with pride.
Come to think of it,
"Where's Luri? She got dragged off with Dalam earlier."
"Ah...... Right."
A flicker of panic crossed Narang Little Sis's face.
She'd even abandoned Dalam and pet Luri to come worry about him.
Touching points doubled.
Using the Heavenly Beast Heart-Returning Art to full effect, he tracked Dalam's trail.
It led to the main building.
"She didn't cause another incident, did she?"
"Eek...... Um, probably not. And since Luri ran off thinking of you, Young Master, it should be fine...... right?"
Chatting idly, he arrived cozily at the main building with Narang Little Sis.
Following the trail further,
"Kyuit! Kwiit!"
"Dalam......!"
They found Dalam snuffling at a familiar spot he'd visited oddly often—
Instructor Seol's office door.
With few female instructors, they'd handed her off to Seol-noona on purpose?
Couldn't just barge into the instructor's office.
Fortunately, no barrier was up.
He used Clear Hearing Technique to eavesdrop lightly on the conversation inside.
- Luri cadet. You mustn't act like that again. ......Of course, it was to protect Geum Sihyeon cadet.
- Yeah.
- Hmm, your heart's in the right place, so no demerits. Honestly, if I'd been there, I'd have done the same.
- Why?
- Hehe, no need for a kid to know.
- I do.
- Whatever it is you're disagreeing with, anyway, you'll probably be banned from the sparring hall for a while. Some punishment is necessary.
- ......
- And next time something like this happens, aim for thighs or forearms instead of lethal strikes. Poke holes in them.
- Oh......?
What the hell is she teaching a kid......?
"Ah, Dalam! Where are you going again......! Y-Young Master. Please take care of Luri!"
While eavesdropping,
Dalam tried another great escape with a kwiit.
Narang Little Sis hurriedly chased after, dumping childcare duty on him.
The commotion paused the inside conversation briefly,
so
Knock knock—
He politely knocked and entered.
"Sihyeon!"
"Ah."
Seol-noona, with a slightly surprised look but soft crinkles at her eyes, welcomed him warmly.
Luri's pout held a hint of gladness.
"Luri got dragged here, huh. Please educate her not to act like a Demonic Cultist, Instructor Moyong."
"Eek."
At his sneak attack, Luri puffed her cheeks and pummeled his thigh with Heavenly Demon Punches.
"Mm, yeah. I should've gone to the sparring hall too...... But too much work. Haah, you've had it rough, Sihyeon."
"As an exemplary orthodox sect member, I have to help fellow cadets adjust to academy life."
"Exemplary orthodox? You, Sihyeon?"
"Seol-noona, why make me feel so underappreciated......"
"Hehe. Kidding. I've told her everything, so take her now. Alright, Luri cadet. See you next time?"
"Yeah."
He noticed it every time,
but did Demonic Cultists not have polite speech?
Or had they gotten chummy during the banquet at the Ten Thousand Gold Hall last time?
"Ah, right. Instructor, I want to forfeit the tournament."
"Mm, sure? If that's what you want, Sihyeon."
He bowed to Seol-noona, whose icy tsundere side was awakening again, picked up Luri, and left the office together.
As the door thudded shut,
"Wait."
"Mm?"
Luri suddenly stopped him and patted his legs and arms vigorously.
Had she picked up perverse tendencies from Seol-noona's lesson?
"No wounds."
Ah.
She was worried in her own way.
"Of course not. This body's not so frail it'd get hurt by a first-rater."
As reward for her good deed, he patted Luri's head.
"Eek."
Is this what raising a cat feels like?
But he preferred dogs over cats.
Time for a good long walk with his wolf pup today.
"Ow! Why suddenly, again!"
Luri, peering into his face, suddenly kicked his shin.
This one actually hurt......!
A week passed.
- S-Sorry about that time...... I lost my reason for a moment......
Contrary to the saying that people can't change, Nangong Sang had come separately to apologize—a rare event.
Proof his mercy had paid off, in a way.
And now,
"What a shameful affair......"
"Geum-hyung's right. I never knew Moyong-hyung had such a thick face."
He stepped into the sparring hall with Unhak—a place he thought he wouldn't return to for a while.
This time, the spectator seats.
As Unhak said, gambling addict and dopamine junkie Moyong Taek had shamelessly bullied his way through the first-raters to the finals.
And his opponent? Moyong Wicheon!
He'd vanished for a while, apparently in closed-door training, and had emerged just recently.
Couldn't miss this prime entertainment.
He briefly took in Seol-noona's pale, worried face from the judges' seats.
"Then, begin the match!"
"Woooaaah!"
"Moyong Taek! Moyong Taek!"
"Moyong Wicheon! You can do it!"
The two dual-wielders clashed swords, and he watched with keen interest.