Chapter 196
Chapter 196
1
9
6. <An Uninvited Guest Visiting the Academy>
“I have set the legs back in place, but…… hmm…… even if you recover fully, there will likely be aftereffects.” (Sima Jeong)
At the physician’s calm voice, Ak Ju-pyeong’s face crumpled like paper.
“D-don’t talk bullshit! Don’t think you can make excuses for not treating me properly because your skills are lacking!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
“…….” (Sima Jeong)
“The Physicians Pavilion……! Send me to the Martial Alliance’s Physicians Pavilion!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
“……
Only members of the Martial Alliance can go to the Martial Alliance’s Physicians Pavilion. You are not yet an official Alliance member.” (Sima Jeong)
At the physician’s firm refusal, Ak Ju-pyeong’s face turned red and blue.
“You stupid quack! How can you not fix something even my clan’s physician could fix!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
At the continued abuse, the physician’s face turned cold.
“You have a foul mouth.” (Sima Jeong)
“Wh-what’s your name! I will absolutely not let this matter pass!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
“Sima Jeong. A fifth
-rank special Alliance member of the Martial Alliance.” (Sima Jeong)
At Sima Jeong’s words, Ak Ju-pyeong’s face fell.
For someone of that age to have risen all the way to a fifth
-rank Alliance member meant that he was different from other ordinary physicians.
“Why? Do you want to make an issue of it?” (Sima Jeong)
“…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
“I will be making an issue of your words today.” (Sima Jeong)
“…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
“So I should finish your treatment quickly.” (Sima Jeong)
With those words, Sima Jeong left the inner room.
“Haa!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Ak Ju-pyeong exhaled a long sigh and ground his teeth.
He was not particularly afraid even if a mere physician made an issue of it.
His clan’s power had already spread throughout the Martial Alliance, and his uncle was a powerful figure even in the Inspection Pavilion, the highest inspection agency.
But the fact that he had already received a surprise attack from Jin So-un and suffered a serious injury did not change.
Even if he tore Jin So-un to death afterward, his pride, cracked by this incident, would not recover.
“Jin So-un…… not only your junior brothers, but your sect as well—I’ll tear them all to pieces.” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Bang.
When someone suddenly opened the door and entered, Ak Ju-pyeong’s brow furrowed deeply.
“What bastard comes in without even making his presence known…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
After confirming the other party’s face, Ak Ju-pyeong tightly shut his mouth.
The uninvited guest entered the inner room and slowly approached Ak Ju-pyeong while dragging the chair placed in the center.
Creeeeak──The chair scraping across the floor made a strange sound and created an ominous atmosphere.
Ak Ju-pyeong forced himself to shake off the inexplicable fear constricting his body and glared at the uninvited guest.
Creeeak──
Stop.
The sound soon stopped, and the uninvited guest sat on the chair with the backrest facing forward and looked at Ak Ju-pyeong indifferently.
“Jin So-un…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Ak Ju-pyeong ground his teeth.
“You bastard…… after daring to do something like this……!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
“Don’t even dream of thinking I’ll let this pass.” (Jin So-un)
“…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
As the words that had been cut off were strangely completed, Ak Ju-pyeong tightly closed his mouth.
Jin So-un rested his arms on the chair back and tilted his head slightly.
“Ak Ju-pyeong. You crossed the line.” (Jin So-un)
“…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Tap, tap, tap.
Jin So-un tapped the chair back rhythmically with his fingers and spoke.
“You crossed it by a long way.” (Jin So-un)
Soon, resting his chin on his hand, he calmly swept his gaze over Ak Ju-pyeong’s entire body.
His eyes were endlessly indifferent, but at the same time endlessly cold.
“If I acted on my immediate thoughts, I’d break all four of your limbs and then shatter your qi center.” (Jin So-un)
Ak Ju-pyeong trembled without realizing it, then clenched his teeth and answered.
“I-I’m Ak Ju-pyeong of the Shandong Ak Clan! Do you think you can do whatever you want to me?!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Pfft.
Jin So-un raised one corner of his lips almost to his ear.
“Do you think this place is the Ak Clan?” (Jin So-un)
“…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
“After you become crippled, what meaning would there be even if the Ak Clan came? You’d be living the rest of your life eating porridge in bed anyway.” (Jin So-un)
“…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Only then did Ak Ju-pyeong grasp reality, and he trembled once more.
Gulp.
When Jin So-un reached out his hand, Ak Ju-pyeong flinched and moved backward.
But behind him was a hard wall, cold against his back.
Ak Ju-pyeong squeezed his eyes shut without realizing it.
When no sensation came even after some time passed, he opened his eyes a slit.
“……
Hup!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Jin So-un’s hand, which had been heading toward Ak Ju-pyeong’s neck, stopped moving.
Then it changed direction and tapped his shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of personally taking action. If I did, that little brat would probably attack me to death instead of you.” (Jin So-un)
“……
What?” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
“So recover quickly and start academy life again. You have to recover even a day sooner so that bastard’s madness finds its proper path and goes to you instead of me.” (Jin So-un)
“What does that mean…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Having said what he wanted to say, Jin So-un turned his back on Ak Ju-pyeong and walked toward the door, regardless of whatever he babbled.
Then he stopped.
“Oh, right. Don’t even think about withdrawing from the academy, just in case.” (Jin So-un)
A terrifying killing intent that made one’s teeth tremble stretched out from Jin So-un’s entire body.
“Because then I really will chase you to the ends of hell and kill you.” (Jin So-un)
With those words, Jin So-un left the inner room.
“Huff… huff… huff…….” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
Only after Jin So-un had left did the tension constricting his entire body loosen, and Ak Ju-pyeong felt tremendous shame at the fact that he had been so tense because of someone like Jin So-un.
“……
Jin So-un! You damn bastard!! I will absolutely, absolutely take revenge……!” (Ak Ju-pyeong)
The sound of Ak Ju-pyeong grinding his teeth echoed hollowly through the entire inner room.#On my way out after warning Ak Ju-pyeong.
Looking at the faces of the people approaching this way, I laughed without realizing it.
Had they heard my laughter?
The instructors and teaching masters all looked toward me at once.
“Jin So-un……. You should be under discipline right now. Who told you to wander around like this?” (Teaching Master)
“Discipline?” (Jin So-un)
When I tilted my head, the face of the teaching master who seemed to be the representative twisted.
“The instructors’ meeting has already begun discussing disciplinary procedures regarding you. Do you not know that depending on the result, in the worst case, you may even be expelled?” (Teaching Master)
Ha, where are these bastards trying to sell medicine?
“How laughable.” (Jin So-un)
“What?” (Teaching Master)
A sneer came out of me because it was so absurd.
“Until the Principal approves it, discipline is not confirmed, is it?” (Jin So-un)
“……
Y-you!” (Teaching Master)
Do you know who I am?
Huh? I’m someone who became sworn senior and junior brothers with your Principal, that’s what I’m saying!
“Jin So-un, show respect to the teaching master.” (Instructor)
“Respect, my ass…….” (Jin So-un)
As I picked my ear and looked at them indifferently, the teaching master at the front and even the instructors standing behind him trembled.
“Moreover, expelling an academy student is an important matter that must even receive approval from the Mantong Bureau. In investigating this incident, the issue of neglect by the Murim Academy’s teaching masters and instructors will also be mentioned. Will you be all right with that?” (Jin So-un)
“……
You ill-mannered bastard!” (Teaching Master)
Wow, high praise burst out.
That was no different from the teaching master admitting defeat in the argument.
“Well, that will be interesting. The teaching masters and instructors who neglected an academy student until he was beaten nearly to death. And me, who assaulted the perpetrator in order to save that academy student. I wonder who will receive the heavier severe punishment.” (Jin So-un)
“……
Do you think the Baekdo Association and the Shandong Ak Clan will let this matter pass?” (Teaching Master)
“And the teaching masters and instructors who are supposed to maintain neutrality were clinging to certain factions and looking after the convenience of individual academy students.” (Jin So-un)
“Eek!” (Teaching Master)
I pointed with both hands at the inner room where Ak Ju-pyeong was lying.
“Hurry up and go lick his ass. If you lick it now while his heart is weak, wouldn’t Ak Ju-pyeong like it more?” (Jin So-un)
I walked straight through the teaching masters and instructors.
In the medical hall’s courtyard, Namgung Seonhwa and Seong Moran were there.
It seemed they had roughly heard about the situation, as their faces were filled with worry.
“Young Master Jin, what on earth happened?” (Seong Moran)
“It’s nothing much.” (Jin So-un)
“How is it nothing much! The entire academy is in an uproar because of that matter……!” (Seong Moran)
“Well, I may receive some minor discipline, but I won’t be expelled or anything like that. Because the evil deeds Ak Ju-pyeong committed are far too great.” (Jin So-un)
Though I said that, Seong Moran and Namgung Seonhwa still could not relax their expressions.
The two briefly met eyes, then this time Namgung Seonhwa stepped forward and spoke.
“The Shandong Ak Clan is also the clan that holds the most major public offices in the Martial Alliance among the Five Great Families.” (Namgung Seonhwa)
“Hmm…… is that so?” (Jin So-un)
This was something I roughly knew too.
But I did not pretend to know in front of Namgung Seonhwa.
Regardless of my state of mind, Namgung Seonhwa’s face was somehow stiffer than usual.
“In particular, they have many people stationed in the Inspection Pavilion.” (Namgung Seonhwa)
“Pardon?” (Jin So-un)
Hm? What does that mean?
I quickly began searching through the library in my head to find the personnel management records.
In the meantime, Namgung Seonhwa continued speaking.
“You know that among the hall leaders of the Inspection Pavilion, the Third
Hall is the most vicious, right?” (Namgung Seonhwa)
Not only in the Martial Alliance, but even among the Black Path martial world, the building of the Inspection Pavilion’s Third
Hall was known as a place where once you entered, you could not return intact.
“…….” (Jin So-un)
Namgung Seonhwa nodded.
“The Third
Hall’s Hall Leader, Blood Ghost Flying Spear, is Ak Ju-pyeong’s second uncle.” (Namgung Seonhwa)
“…….” (Jin So-un)
Just then, I, who had been examining the Inspection Pavilion’s personnel records from around this time in my previous life, also found the name of the Third Hall’s Hall Leader.
Inspection Pavilion Third
Hall Hall Leader Ak Byeong-bi.Damn it, he was definitely a person of the Shandong Ak Clan.#“U……
m…….” (Yaryul Geuk)
Upon regaining consciousness, Yaryul Geuk was startled by the ceiling he had never seen before and opened his eyes wide.
“Wh-where is this……!” (Yaryul Geuk)
“Awake?” (Jin So-un)
Then, at the voice that suddenly came, he snapped back to his senses and turned his head.
“J-Jin So-un!” (Yaryul Geuk)
He had felt unpleasant because he thought he had seen that unappetizing face in his dream.
“You…… if you come into my sight……!” (Yaryul Geuk)
Yaryul Geuk instinctively bared his teeth and forcibly raised killing intent.
But the killing intent released from his body, which had not yet recovered, was terribly weak.
Jin So-un, who was looking at Yaryul Geuk, spoke indifferently, as if he did not feel the killing intent at all.
“Why did you give up?” (Jin So-un)
A question whose meaning he could not understand.
When Yaryul Geuk said nothing, Jin So-un took one step closer and asked again.
“Why did you give up?” (Jin So-un)
“Wh-what are you talking about!” (Yaryul Geuk)
Jin So-un’s eyes flashed sharply.
“Their hands were fierce, but it still wasn’t enough to kill you. Why did you give up?” (Jin So-un)
“…….” (Yaryul Geuk)
He lowered his head, even forgetting that he had been angry at Jin So-un.
“Why did you give up?” (Jin So-un)
A persistent question.
“It-it’s none of your business!” (Yaryul Geuk)
He tried hard to rebel, but.
“Why did you give up?” (Jin So-un)
Jin So-un continued driving Yaryul Geuk into a corner.
“Why did you give up?” (Jin So-un)
At the repeated question, Yaryul Geuk’s eyes finally grew fierce.
“What do you know……! Who are you to interfere!” (Yaryul Geuk)
“So you did give up.” (Jin So-un)
“……
Crazy bastard.” (Yaryul Geuk)
Jin So-un was silent for a moment, then asked in a voice carrying coldness.
“Was it comfortable when you gave up?” (Jin So-un)
That question once again gouged into his chest.
More painfully than a fist.
More sharply than a kick.
But the icy voice did not know how to stop.
“I am asking whether it was peaceful when you ran away.” (Jin So-un)
All Yaryul Geuk could do was glare.
As if that gaze was laughable, Jin So-un smiled faintly.
“If it were me, I think I would have remembered my brothers.” (Jin So-un)
“……!” (Yaryul Geuk)
In that instant, fire lit in Yaryul Geuk’s eyes.
But Jin So-un’s indifferent voice continued.
“Especially your dead second brother and your crippled third brother.” (Jin So-un)
“……
Y-you!” (Yaryul Geuk)
As if something had occurred to him, Jin So-un slapped his own forehead.
“Ah! You attended the regular exam with the money your first brother had earned his entire life, right? That brother is pitiful too. How absurd must it feel to think he wasted his life on a worthless guy like this?” (Jin So-un)
Yaryul Geuk felt as though he could hear something bursting inside his head.
“Y-you son of a bitch……!” (Yaryul Geuk)
Without realizing it himself, he sprang toward Jin So-un.
Whether his body was in good condition or not did not matter.
Because unless he launched himself in a seizure, he could not endure it.
Yaryul Geuk launched himself from the bed and immediately thrust out the Strong Thunder Fist Art, targeting only Jin So-un’s vital points.
Tat-tat-tak.
But Jin So-un lightly dissolved the fist techniques with one hand and then pressed Yaryul Geuk’s paralysis point as he was.
Yaryul Geuk writhed and struggled.
“R-release this! I’ll kill you!” (Yaryul Geuk)
“This is a medical hall with patients.” (Jin So-un)
Jin So-un lifted Yaryul Geuk with one arm and left the medical hall as he was, heading to the training ground.
As soon as they arrived at a small training ground with no one there, he flung Yaryul Geuk down, and before anyone knew it, had even released the paralysis point.
Jin So-un looked down at Yaryul Geuk and provoked him.
“Here, it doesn’t matter how much of a fuss you make.” (Jin So-un)
Yaryul Geuk immediately rolled his eyes and shouted.
“You damned bastard!” (Yaryul Geuk)
The Strong Thunder Fist Art unfolded from Yaryul Geuk’s hands.
A fierce and swift fist art like lightning.
Without even thinking of dodging, Jin So-un grabbed his shoulder, hooked his leg, and threw him to the ground.
Thwack.
Yaryul Geuk tried to get up quickly, but this time Jin So-un snatched the back of his neck and pulled him forward.
As if performing Lazy Donkey Roll, Yaryul Geuk rolled messily across the ground.
“What? With only this level of skill, who are you saying you’ll kill?” (Jin So-un)
“Uaaaaaagh!” (Yaryul Geuk)
The Heavy Rain Palm Art poured out and occupied three directions around Jin So-un.
Jin So-un still did not dodge and raised his knife-hand to dissolve the palm techniques.
Jin So-un’s movements as he dealt with the struggling Yaryul Geuk were endlessly light, and lighter still.
“At this rate, I don’t think I even need to use martial arts.” (Jin So-un)
“…….” (Yaryul Geuk)
Yaryul Geuk forced himself to suppress his rising breath and aimed for one final move.
As if not paying any attention to him at all, Jin So-un approached Yaryul Geuk.
“I understand why Ak Ju-pyeong harassed you so persistently. Bastards who are all mouth are naturally unsightly.” (Jin So-un)
Jin So-un’s fist flew in brutally.
Watching the trajectory of the fist until the end, Yaryul Geuk seized Jin So-un’s fist and unfolded the Yuun Divine Art’s Lotus Flower
.
It was a sure-kill move that even Ak Ju-pyeong’s gang had been caught by several times before experiencing it directly.“It worked……!” (Yaryul Geuk) Yaryul Geuk looked at Jin So-un, thinking his attack had worked.
Jin So-un’s body floated up and spun half a turn in the air.
If he struck him down to the ground like this, the impact would snap him awake.
If he followed up with attacks then…….
“For a bastard with no basic understanding of kinetic force to try using the art of shifting flowers and grafting trees.” (Jin So-un)
In that instant, Yaryul Geuk doubted his ears.
Jin So-un should certainly have been flustered beyond belief, but he was spouting incomprehensible words in midair.
Tap.
Then, landing on the ground as he was, he changed the position of his hand and pulled Yaryul Geuk.
In that instant, Yaryul Geuk’s body floated into the air, pulled by an enormous attractive force he could not resist.“The art of shifting flowers and grafting trees?” (Yaryul Geuk)
No one in the Yuun Sect had ever been able to create such powerful attractive force.
Boom.
Yaryul Geuk, slammed to the ground, was dazed from the impact that felt as if his whole body would break apart, and a ringing sounded in his ears.
It had come back to him with several times more force added to the strength he had produced.
Because the shock had been inflicted on his body, which had not yet recovered, he felt as if he might collapse at any moment, but because of the technique he had just suffered, he had no time to feel the pain.
More than pain, Yaryul Geuk was so shocked with amazement that his whole body seemed to stiffen.“Th-this is…….” (Yaryul Geuk)
The very thing everyone in the Yuun Sect had searched for so desperately all this time.
The ultimate art of shifting flowers and grafting trees.True Lotus Flower
“Wh-what on earth are you, Jin So-un!” (Yaryul Geuk)
That had just manifested from the hands of that hateful Jin So-un.
It had clearly manifested.