Episode 28: Return to the Martial Arts Academy
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The harsh sound echoed throughout the hall.
“Ugh! Argh! Gah!”
The one receiving the beating was Gok Bo-ok, who lay face down on the ground.
Yeon Woo-kyung had already been whipped so hard that the fabric on his backside had torn.
Finally, unable to endure any longer, Gok Bo-ok collapsed to the floor, groaning in pain.
“Ugh…”
“Stay down. You’ll break a bone.”
“This is too much! What did we do to deserve this?”
“I told you, it’s for causing this mess.”
“It was just a mistake!”
“A mistake is still a fault, isn’t it? Sometimes a mistake can cost lives. Would you say the same then? Stay down.”
“Just you wait! I won’t let this slide!”
“Are you threatening an instructor? That’s five more lashes. Stay down.”
“What? This is outrageous!”
“Keep resisting, and it’ll be ten more. Stay down.”
Gok Bo-ok gritted his teeth and lay back down.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Ugh!”
Sabi-gang resumed striking Gok Bo-ok’s backside with the scabbard.
The hall was deathly silent, save for the sound of the beating.
Deung Bu-hyung trembled slightly.
‘I can’t intervene.’
The oppressive atmosphere was overwhelming.
He had participated in many bloody battles, yet watching the punishment of mere students made him anxious.
Finally, Sabi-gang’s punishment ended.
“If you’d trained properly in the valley, this would feel like a gentle tap. Step back.”
Gok Bo-ok retreated, his face twisted with resentment.
“Listen well. If you endanger your fellow students, be prepared to pay the price. Be mindful of your words at all times. This is the martial world.”
Yeon Woo-kyung and Gok Bo-ok kept their mouths shut, staring at the floor.
“Now, shall we settle the accounts?”
Sabi-gang turned his gaze.
Wi Deok-cheon, who had been watching the situation unfold with a stiff expression, flinched.
Sabi-gang grinned.
“Time to settle up, right?”
“Y-yes. I suppose I owe you four times the principal, including interest?”
“Correct. But don’t count the money in that pouch.”
Sabi-gang gestured towards the pouch Yeom Ja-ryang was holding.
Technically, the money in that pouch wasn’t the principal.
The warriors of Guiya-chae had retrieved the pouch and filled it with silver equivalent to the original amount.
Thanks to the funds Guiya-chae had stored, this was possible.
Having already confessed to squandering the money, Wi Deok-cheon had no choice but to nod.
“Y-yes.”
“Good. Think of it as making amends and doing something good for the academy.”
“But it’s difficult to gather such a large sum right now.”
“Then pay double the principal today. The rest by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? But the sun will rise soon…”
“What? We leave for the martial arts journey in two days, and you can’t even manage that? Huh?”
Sabi-gang tapped Wi Deok-cheon’s shoulder with a smirk.
Wi Deok-cheon swallowed hard and replied.
“Please, give me two days.”
“Fine, I’ll accept something else instead.”
“Something else?”
“I’ll tell you what to prepare instead of money tomorrow. Any objections?”
“No, but… understood.”
Wi Deok-cheon reluctantly agreed.
Sabi-gang patted his shoulder.
“Make sure it’s ready before we leave for the journey in two days.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Effort isn’t enough. Show results.”
“Understood.”
“Shall we wrap this up and head back?”
Sabi-gang turned to Yeom Ja-ryang.
Deung Bu-hyung, who had been silently observing, finally stepped forward.
“Wait!”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Sabi-gang looked back at him.
Deung Bu-hyung took a deep breath, steeling himself to speak.
“Before you leave, as an instructor of Yongcheon Academy, I have some questions for you.”
“Questions?”
“Who are these people?”
Deung Bu-hyung pointed at Gojok-san and the black-clad warriors.
Sabi-gang glanced around and replied nonchalantly.
“Is there a problem with them?”
“Depending on the situation, there could be. Who are they?”
“Hmm… how should I put it? Let’s just say I picked them up along the way.”
“What?”
Deung Bu-hyung exclaimed, bewildered by Sabi-gang’s casual remark.
“What do you mean by that? Who are they really?”
“Ah, they used to be part of Guiya-chae.”
“Guiya-chae? Didn’t you say you disbanded them?”
“Of course. That’s why they’re here.”
“Then why are the disbanded members gathered here? Is Guiya-chae truly gone?”
“I disbanded Guiya-chae. You saw the leader’s head, didn’t you? But these guys begged to follow me, so what could I do?”
“They begged to follow you?”
“Yes. I told them to go live honest lives, but they insisted on following me. Isn’t that right, Gojok-san?”
Of course, it was a blatant lie.
Sabi-gang had threatened to kill anyone who didn’t follow him.
But there was only one answer to give in this situation.
Gojok-san knew what that answer was.
“Absolutely! We wanted to follow our lord of our own accord!”
“See?”
Sabi-gang shrugged and looked at Deung Bu-hyung.
Caught off guard, Deung Bu-hyung hesitated.
‘What kind of person is Sabi-gang that these men would obey him? But…’
Deung Bu-hyung didn’t back down and shouted.
“An instructor with a band of outlaws as followers…! It’s unacceptable!”
“I wasn’t fond of them being bandits either. That’s why I told them not to follow me. But then…”
Sabi-gang trailed off, feigning difficulty.
Deung Bu-hyung frowned and asked.
“But then?”
“Well, they said they’d all commit suicide if I didn’t let them follow me.”
“What?”
This time, not only Deung Bu-hyung but also Gojok-san and the Guiya-chae warriors flinched and looked at Sabi-gang.
Sabi-gang continued with a straight face.
“One of them even put a knife to his throat and killed himself. Isn’t that right, Gojok-san?”
“Y-yes, that’s right!”
“So what could I do? As a martial artist walking the righteous path, I couldn’t just let them die when they wanted to reform and follow me.”
“That’s… but even so, having them as followers is…”
“Is it a problem?”
“Yes.”
“Then are elders of sects with followers not allowed to be instructors?”
“That’s not it, but…”
“Are chivalrous heroes with many followers not allowed to be instructors?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the problem? They’re just followers.”
“But they were once bandits…”
“Exactly, once. They want to reform and become new people. Is that a problem?”
“Hmm.”
Deung Bu-hyung fell silent, looking troubled.
It seemed like there were many points to argue, but strangely, the conversation didn’t seem to defy logic.
“Still, it doesn’t look good.”
“Hmm. If that’s the case, there’s no choice. Gojok-san.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“They say it doesn’t look good for you to follow me. You should stop.”
“That…!”
Gojok-san looked up at Sabi-gang.
He read the hidden meaning in Sabi-gang’s eyes.
He knelt and shouted.
“I cannot accept that order! I’d rather die!”
“Go live honestly somewhere else. I don’t think I’m fit to lead you.”
“If you say so, then I’d rather die!”
Gojok-san suddenly stood up, drew his sword, and held it upside down.
“Gasp!”
Deung Bu-hyung was startled and intervened.
“Wait! There’s no need for that. Just go and reform…”
“That’s not possible!”
Gojok-san shouted, glaring at Deung Bu-hyung.
Intimidated, Deung Bu-hyung stepped back.
Gojok-san continued.
“The one who enlightened us to reform and become new people is Instructor Sabi-gang! If he abandons us, there’s no point in living! To atone for our past sins, I’d rather die!”
“But to die…”
“Don’t stop me! I’ll atone for my sins with my death and protect my lord’s honor!”
Suddenly, another follower stepped forward, drawing his sword.
“Brother! I’ll die first!”
“No, I’ll atone first!”
“I’ll do it!”
Suddenly, the black-clad warriors all clamored to die first.
“What is this…?”
At that moment.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
One warrior stabbed himself in the stomach and collapsed.
Seeing this, Gojok-san’s eyes welled up as he shouted.
“Brother! You’ve gone ahead. I’ll follow soon!”
“My goodness! Instructor Sa, can’t you do something about this…?”
Deung Bu-hyeong shouted, clearly agitated.
If things continued like this, wild rumors could start spreading. Even though these were former bandits who had turned over a new leaf, people might say that Deung Bu-hyeong had driven them to their deaths.
‘No, that can’t happen!’
Deung Bu-hyeong looked at Sa Bi-gang, his face pale with worry.
But Sa Bi-gang’s expression remained unshaken, even as one of his followers had just stabbed himself in a show of loyalty.
‘How can he be so ruthless…!’
Sa Bi-gang shrugged.
“There’s nothing I can do. Their respect for me is just too overwhelming…”
‘Did he really just say that about himself?’
Deung Bu-hyeong swallowed his thoughts and quickly spoke up.
“Alright, alright, just make them stop.”
“So, you’re not blaming them for following me?”
“Well, if your friends want to help you in your time of need, who am I to object?”
“Hmm. If you see it that way…”
“Of course. The fact that they admire you so much speaks to your high character, doesn’t it?”
“Fine, then. Jeoksan, put away your sword and tend to that man.”
Finally, Go Jeoksan sheathed his sword and bowed his head.
“Thank you, my lord!”
At Jeoksan’s swift command, the injured subordinate was carried away on a stretcher.
Seeing this, Deung Bu-hyeong let out a sigh of relief.
‘What a bunch of relentless people… phew.’
Sa Bi-gang approached with a gentle smile.
“By the way, Instructor Deung, were you attending to personal matters? I hope I didn’t interrupt.”
“Oh, I was just about done.”
Deung Bu-hyeong nodded, glancing at his broken sword. It felt as painful as if his own arm had been broken.
He grumbled, “But if they cause trouble like before, the academy might hold you responsible, Instructor Sa.”
“Haha, don’t worry about that. If they ever step out of line, I’ll deal with them myself.”
Deung Bu-hyeong flinched and looked at Sa Bi-gang. Though he was smiling, the coldness in his eyes showed he meant every word.
‘He’s beyond my reach now.’
Deung Bu-hyeong lowered his head, and Sa Bi-gang patted him on the shoulder.
“Come on, let’s head back together. I’ve got to start preparing for the martial arts expedition. Haha.”
Sa Bi-gang’s cheerful laughter echoed through the hall.