Episode 23: Return to the Martial Arts Academy
“Lost the membership fees, you say?”
Cheon Sae-myung halted in his tracks.
Walking beside him, Mae Seol-ran nodded, explaining the situation briefly.
After hearing the story, Cheon Sae-myung clicked his tongue and nodded in understanding.
“So that’s what happened. Ever since that man became the instructor, there’s been no peace.”
“Is that so?” Mae Seol-ran chuckled softly.
“Why else would I have called upon you, Lady Mae?”
“If this doesn’t get resolved soon, I might not even need to step in.”
“True, but who knows what might happen. Lately, there have been so many unexpected events.”
“Even so, a martial arts journey… It might actually be a good thing.”
“A good thing? How so?”
Cheon Sae-myung resumed walking, glancing back at Mae Seol-ran.
She gave a faint, teasing smile.
“Traveling together often brings people closer, doesn’t it? With all sorts of experiences… and the sleeping arrangements might be a bit chaotic.”
She shrugged her shoulders, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
The movement accentuated her figure, creating a soft, inviting silhouette.
Cheon Sae-myung blushed at the sight.
He quickly focused his inner energy, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
‘Truly enchanting.’
Her deeply cut neckline and the slit in her skirt that revealed glimpses of her thighs as she walked were mesmerizing.
She was so beautiful that it was dangerous—dangerous enough to make one lose their senses.
Mae Seol-ran’s unique martial art, the Enchanting Soul Technique, was well-known.
Originally a master of the soft sword, she became more famous for this technique.
Thus, she earned the nickname “Enchantress of Souls.”
Anyone who felt desire after physical contact with her would find their energy drawn into her body.
Initially learned for self-defense, her natural beauty made her rely on this technique more than her sword skills.
Rumor had it that she had come to embrace this method herself.
‘Focus!’
Cheon Sae-myung shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Harboring desire and losing self-control would lead to ruin.
That path was not for him, but for Sa Bi-gang to tread.
The two of them climbed up to the pavilion at the back of the academy.
The pavilion was precariously perched at the edge of a cliff, offering a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains.
Mae Seol-ran had often visited this spot since her appointment at the academy.
“Regardless, when you embark on the martial arts journey, please take care of things. For the sake of the academy and the students.”
“Don’t worry. They might find it hard to use martial arts again.”
Mae Seol-ran smiled sweetly.
Cheon Sae-myung suppressed his racing heart with a cough.
Just then, they heard faint murmurs.
Cheon Sae-myung tensed and scanned the surroundings.
Mae Seol-ran also sensed something and turned around quickly.
Cheon Sae-myung shouted sharply.
“Who’s there?”
At that moment…
“Ah, Instructor! I can’t hold on any longer!”
“Idiot, I just managed to block the energy flow, and now you’re talking?”
“But my arms feel like they’re going to fall off!”
“This is part of your training!”
“Damn it, training my foot! You’re just trying to peek at Instructor Mae’s underwear!”
“Shut up!”
The bickering voices grew louder.
As Cheon Sae-myung and Mae Seol-ran approached the pavilion’s railing, they saw Sa Bi-gang and Yeom Ja-ryang hanging awkwardly below, looking up with sheepish grins.
“Ahhh!”
Mae Seol-ran gasped and stepped back in surprise.
Before Cheon Sae-myung could say anything, Sa Bi-gang growled at Yeom Ja-ryang.
“This is your fault!”
“Stop blaming me and help me up! You’re treating an injured person too harshly!”
“Damn weakling!”
Sa Bi-gang grabbed Yeom Ja-ryang by the scruff and leaped up onto the pavilion.
“Whew! I thought I was going to fall to my death!”
“Ahem, ahem! Now do you understand? Proper energy control allows you to hold on longer.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Yeom Ja-ryang bowed respectfully, trying to smooth over the situation.
But Cheon Sae-myung’s face was already flushed with anger, ready to explode.
“What on earth were you doing, Instructor Sa? What kind of lesson is this?”
“As you can see, I was teaching a student.”
“What kind of education involves hanging from a pavilion railing…!”
“I told you, I have my own teaching methods.”
“Silence! How is this education…!”
“By enjoying the scenery while controlling energy, the flow becomes smoother, and the yang energy is replenished…”
“Enough! Stop spouting nonsense! Apologize to Instructor Mae immediately!”
“Hmm? Why?”
“Because you… you… were between her… legs… or something!”
“I don’t understand.”
Sa Bi-gang tilted his head, then bowed to Mae Seol-ran.
“I knew you’d come here. It’s a beautiful view. Enjoy it. What are you doing, Ja-ryang? Greet the assistant instructor.”
“Oh, yes! It was a magnificent and beautiful view! Thank you!”
Sa Bi-gang smacked Yeom Ja-ryang on the back of the head and dragged him away from the pavilion.
“Unbelievable…!”
Cheon Sae-myung was on the verge of collapsing, clutching his neck.
He turned to Mae Seol-ran.
“Now do you see? That guy is a menace. For the dignity of the academy, we need your help, Lady Mae.”
“Hoho. Sa Bi-gang… he’s quite an amusing man.”
Mae Seol-ran’s expression turned icy.
**
Go Jeok-san carried out his orders diligently.
He found them in exactly two days.
“The Black Serpent Gang.”
“The Black Serpent Gang?”
It was a name he hadn’t heard before.
Was there such a group?
If he couldn’t remember, it must be insignificant.
No memorable incidents came to mind.
Go Jeok-san bowed his head and continued his report.
“Yes, they reside in a neighboring village. They used to extort protection money and engage in thievery.”
“And now?”
“Recently, they acquired a trading company and are trying to gain recognition from the Martial Alliance.”
“And yet they dared to steal the academy students’ fees?”
“Heh, old habits die hard. They claim to pursue righteousness but still engage in all sorts of dirty deeds.”
Go Jeok-san’s eyes were filled with disdain.
Though he was part of a bandit group, he despised the two-faced hypocrisy of the Black Serpent Gang.
“The one who wielded the sword is Wi Deok-cheon, the gang’s deputy leader, aged thirty-three.”
Sa Bi-gang nodded slightly.
Their attack on Yeom Ja-ryang was no coincidence.
‘They must have had someone backing them or were encouraged to act this way.’
Either way, they needed to be taught a lesson.
**
Late at night.
Yeom Ja-ryang was gasping for breath, clutching his knees.
His legs trembled, and drool dripped from his mouth.
“Huff, huff, huff.”
Barely managing to straighten up, Yeom Ja-ryang glared at Sa Bi-gang with resentment.
“Why did you bring me all the way here? Isn’t this too much for someone who’s injured?”
“Quiet. The more it hurts, the more you need to move.”
Yeom Ja-ryang regretted speaking up and shook his head.
Ignoring him, Sa Bi-gang walked over to the edge of the hill, looking down at a rather luxurious place guarded by two martial artists.
It was clear this wasn’t an ordinary location.
Sa Bi-gang gestured with his chin.
“We’re going there now.”
“Where is that?”
“It’s where we’re collecting.”
“Collecting?”
“Time to get back what we’re owed.”
“Wait, you mean…?”
Without another word, Sa Bi-gang started walking.
Yeom Ja-ryang hurried to follow.
The guards at the entrance frowned as they approached.
When Sa Bi-gang tried to enter, the guards blocked his way.
“Stop! Who are you?”
The guards scrutinized Sa Bi-gang and Yeom Ja-ryang from head to toe.
Sa Bi-gang glared at them coldly.
“Move aside.”
“Hah! Who do you think you are, causing trouble here?”
“Get lost if you don’t want to die!”
Sa Bi-gang glanced back at Yeom Ja-ryang.
“Did you hear that? They’re threatening to kill us over this. We need to find a way to survive, don’t we?”
Before Yeom Ja-ryang could respond, one of the guards shouted angrily.
“What nonsense are you spouting? If you don’t want to get beaten…!”
Wham!
Crash!
Bang!
The guard was sent flying through the door into the courtyard, knocked out cold by Sa Bi-gang’s kick.
Sa Bi-gang calmly straightened up and turned his gaze to the other guard.
Hiccup.
The guard hiccupped in fear.
Yeom Ja-ryang stood behind Sa Bi-gang, dumbfounded.
The guard mustered the courage to speak.
“Wh-who are you… and what do you want…?”
“We’re here to collect.”
“Collect? What…?”
“Wi Deok-cheon. He borrowed money from us. It’s time to pay up.”
“P-please wait a moment!”
The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment, then quickly turned and dashed away.
Sabi-gang strode into the courtyard and glanced back.
“What are you doing? We need to go collect the money.”
“Huh? Oh, right.”
Yeom Jaryang snapped out of his daze and hurried to follow closely behind Sabi-gang.
In the private room on the third floor of the pavilion, Deung Buhyung took a sip of his drink and clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. Isn’t it pathetic? Squandering the dues paid by the students like that.”
“Haha, indeed. It makes you question his qualifications as an instructor. It’s no wonder you’re so concerned, Instructor Deung.”
Opposite him, We Sangtak, the head of the Black Division, nodded in agreement, though both men wore broad smiles.
We Sangtak refilled Deung Buhyung’s glass and continued, “Here, drink up. That kind of instructor is bound to be dismissed soon. No need to worry about him anymore.”
“True enough. It’s actually a good thing. Clearing out such a rootless instructor will benefit Yongcheon Academy.”
“Exactly my point. In a way, it’s fortunate this incident happened early on.”
“Indeed. Imagine if a student got injured during a training trip… Just the thought of it is a headache.”
Deung Buhyung shook his head and took another drink, a sly grin spreading across his face.
“At this rate, we might as well give a reward to the one who took the dues.”
“Haha, Instructor Deung, you have quite the sense of humor.”
“Do I? Well, at least that troublemaker of an instructor won’t be able to tarnish our academy any longer.”
“If he leaves, there’ll be a vacancy.”
We Sangtak smiled faintly, knowing the conversation was about to get to the heart of the matter.
Deung Buhyung nodded, understanding his intent. “That vacancy will soon be filled with talent. I’ve had my eye on someone skilled with swords.”
“Could it be…?”
“Just between us, he’s in his thirties and bears the surname We.”
“Haha! Hahaha!”
We Sangtak burst into laughter, lifting the bottle.
“Here, drink up. The wine tastes especially good today.”
“Indeed it does.”
The two men exchanged pleasantries, maintaining a warm and jovial atmosphere.
Little did they know, they were blissfully unaware of what was about to unfold.