Episode 71: Return to the Martial Arts Academy
“Ugh!”
Lee Bigyeom winced, glancing down at his left shoulder. Yeon Woo-kyung’s sword had stopped just a hair’s breadth away, leaving his clothes torn and a thin line of blood visible on his exposed skin. The blade hadn’t touched him, but the sword’s energy had cut him nonetheless.
“Damn it…!”
He had lost. If Yeon Woo-kyung had angled his sword just slightly differently, it would have pierced his heart. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it; it was simply a sparring match, and he had chosen not to. The fact that he hadn’t driven the sword deeper was for the same reason.
It was an undeniable defeat.
“Why…?”
Lee Bigyeom bit his lip hard. He didn’t want to admit it. No, he couldn’t admit it. He had been so sure he was in control, certain of victory with his final strike. And yet…
“Was it some kind of barrier?”
Something invisible had deflected his sword. Could Yeon Woo-kyung really have formed such a powerful barrier?
The students watching in silence shared his bewilderment.
“Hey, did you see that? The defense was more impressive than the attack!”
“Yeah, I can’t believe he could create such a strong barrier.”
“What kind of training has the special class been doing?”
“They’re beyond the level of most top-tier masters.”
Their murmurs reached Cheon Sae-myung’s ears as well.
“What on earth is going on…!”
He furrowed his brow, glaring at Sa Bi-gang across the way. Sa Bi-gang gave a faint smile.
[Sorry for winning again.]
“Ugh…!”
Cheon Sae-myung clenched his fist. He wanted to rush over and grab the man’s collar, challenge him to a fight right then and there. But that would be undignified, and he wasn’t even sure he could win against him now.
He had to hold back. There were still two more chances: the upcoming team competition and the final instructor duel. He would crush him then.
Cheon Sae-myung swallowed his frustration and forced a smile.
[You have a fine student. Congratulations.]
[No, it’s the student who has a fine instructor. Thank you.]
[I’m looking forward to the team competition.]
[As much as you like.]
Sa Bi-gang grinned broadly.
Meanwhile, on the stage, Lee Bigyeom acknowledged his defeat with a bow. The students erupted in cheers.
The final score was three to zero. A perfect victory for the special class.
Yeon Woo-kyung, still in a daze, looked at his hands, recalling the shield he had instinctively conjured.
“How did I do that…?”
He wanted to try forming the barrier again, but his body wouldn’t respond. It was like trying to control the rhythm of one’s heartbeat—impossible to do at will.
The shield had been an instinctive reaction, a result of his mana circulation technique.
“But with practice, you’ll be able to do it at will.”
Sa Bi-gang’s voice came unexpectedly as he approached Yeon Woo-kyung, who had just stepped off the stage.
Yeon Woo-kyung turned to see Sa Bi-gang smiling as he ruffled his hair.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
“It’s a compliment.”
“What kind of compliment is that?”
“Where I come from, this is how we do it. But your hair’s a bit greasy.”
“Who said you could touch it?”
Yeon Woo-kyung protested, but another voice interrupted from behind.
“Congratulations.”
It was Yeom Ja-ryang.
“If you had lost, I wouldn’t have forgiven you. You took the opportunity in my place.”
Yeon Woo-kyung looked at him and chuckled.
“You would have lost.”
“What?”
“Step up your game. I’ll take you on anytime.”
With that, Yeon Woo-kyung walked away. Jo Moon-tak, standing nearby, was about to follow him, but Yeom Ja-ryang stopped him.
“It’s fine. He’s right. I might have lost. No, I would have. I’ll work harder and beat him.”
Yeom Ja-ryang’s eyes burned with determination as he watched Yeon Woo-kyung’s retreating figure.
Mae Seol-ran, observing the scene, whispered to Sa Bi-gang.
“This is a good thing, right?”
“Of course.”
Sa Bi-gang crossed his arms and smiled.
**
“Ha ha ha! Well done, everyone. Drink and be merry tonight!”
Sa Bi-gang raised his glass, and the special class erupted into a festive atmosphere. The academy had rewarded their perfect victory in the tournament with a feast.
However, only the instructors were allowed to drink alcohol, which led to some grumbling among the students.
“You’re the ones getting drunk, Instructor. We can’t drink because of the academy’s no-alcohol rule.”
“Hmm? Does it matter? If you have the right mindset, you can get drunk on water.”
“Then you should drink water too, Instructor.”
“Agreed!”
As some students chimed in, Sa Bi-gang shouted them down, and the lively night continued. As the mood grew more relaxed, Sa Bi-gang gave Mae Seol-ran a meaningful look.
“Miss Mae, how about tonight?”
“What about it?”
“Come on, don’t pretend you don’t know. About us.”
“What are you talking about? There’s nothing between us.”
“We did share a bed… mmph!”
Mae Seol-ran’s delicate hand clamped over Sa Bi-gang’s mouth. Her face flushed, she quickly glanced around.
Fortunately, Dang Ihyeop was quietly drinking with his subordinates, and the students were too busy laughing and chatting to notice.
She hissed at him, “What are you saying? What if someone hears?”
“So what if they do? Maybe it’s time we were open about it…”
“Are you crazy? And for the record, there’s nothing between us!”
“Then were you just using me?”
“What?”
“Or were you planning to kill me on Chief Cheon’s orders after spending the night with me… mmph!”
“Shut up! That was just an accident!”
“Was it? Then why did you say I could speak informally with you?”
“I told you, because you’re an old man who’s lived a long life!”
“Old man…?”
Sa Bi-gang’s face fell, and Mae Seol-ran, feeling a twinge of guilt, looked away and muttered softly.
“Well, maybe not entirely…”
“So you do have feelings for me…”
“Shut up.”
“There’s nothing shameful about…”
“Shut up.”
“Mating is a natural instinct for all creatures…”
Srrrng.
Mae Seol-ran’s sword was suddenly at Sa Bi-gang’s throat, silencing the room. The students’ eyes turned toward them.
Mae Seol-ran glared at Sa Bi-gang with a steely gaze.
“Say one more word, and I’ll kill you.”
”… You’re serious.”
“I have no choice.”
“Well, nothing to see here, folks. Just a little joke between Instructor Mae and me.”
Sa Bi-gang shrugged and raised his glass. The students returned to their own conversations, and Mae Seol-ran sheathed her sword with a sigh.
Sa Bi-gang grumbled, “From now on, I’ll call you ‘Chundaerae.’”
“Chundaerae? What’s that?”
“Because you’re always cold like winter, waiting for someone to approach you like spring. Chundaerae.”
“I’m not waiting for anything.”
“Chundaerae.”
Mae Seol-ran shook her head and took a sip from her glass.
“Cold like winter, waiting for spring… Maybe there’s some truth to that.”
She smiled wryly.
**
“I formally request the cancellation of tomorrow’s team competition.”
Sa Bi-gang’s words caused a stir among the gathered instructors. The headmaster, seated at the head of the table, frowned at him.
“Why should we do that?”
“I reported this three days ago.”
“You mean the masked man you chased in the forest?”
“Yes.”
“You said he self-destructed.”
“He did. But we obtained some information from him.”
“Information?”
“They’re from the dark sect and are moving in an organized manner. They plan to lead a group to attack the instructors and students during the team competition.”
The room buzzed with alarm at Sa Bi-gang’s revelation.
Instructor Deung Bu-hyung quickly spoke up, “Is this true? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
“If I had, they might have changed their plans. That’s why I’m telling you now, just a day before.”
“How could they possibly know about a schedule change?”
Instructor Eon Byeok asked, puzzled.
Sa Bi-gang replied calmly, “It’s simple. There’s someone here who’s in league with them.”
“What?”
The instructors were shocked. This was no small matter.
Cheon Sae-myung stood up abruptly, shouting, “Instructor Sa! Do you realize what you’re saying? You could be accusing us of treason!”
“I have no intention of accusing anyone. I’m just stating the facts.”
“If you’re trying to avoid the duel with Instructor Sang Pil-ji by pulling this stunt, I won’t forgive you…”
“No. Cancel the team competition, but we can hold the instructor duel tomorrow as planned.”
“Ugh…!”
The instructors murmured among themselves, realizing the gravity of the situation. If Sa Bi-gang was telling the truth, this was serious.
Instructor Joo Yoo-cheon finally spoke, “Did you learn this from the masked man as well?”
“Yes.”
Sa Bi-gang lied smoothly. But knowing the future, he was speaking the truth.
Although he hadn’t heard it directly from the masked man.
Just then, a man sitting at the end of the table spoke in a gravelly voice.
“There’s… something strange.”
All eyes turned to him.
It was Sang Pil-ji.
He rarely attended meetings, but since he had recently taken on a new role as a supervisor, he had to participate in the organizational competition, which required his presence at the meeting.
His sharp gaze fixed on Sa Bi-gang.
“How did you end up chasing that masked man, Instructor? It’s almost as if you knew everything that was going to happen.”
“I was familiarizing myself with the terrain of Yongjarim before the competition. I stumbled upon it by chance.”
“I see…”
Sang Pil-ji nodded slightly, his graying hair catching the light, and then spoke again.
“But what about this? This is… purely hypothetical. Just a theory.”
He flashed a disconcerting smile and raised a finger, his voice still rough.
“First, one of us was supposed to meet with a spy from the Sapa faction in Yongjarim.”
Gulp.
The instructors swallowed dryly, their attention riveted on his words.
Sang Pil-ji raised a second finger.
“For safety, they stationed guards around to keep watch.”
”…”
“When an instructor approached, they tried to send the spy away, but it was already too late.”
”…”
“So, they killed the spy in a way that made it impossible to recognize the body, then pretended to have discovered and pursued the spy themselves.”
Sang Pil-ji spread out his last finger.
“Having revised the plan, they now intend to use this meeting to alter the schedule for the Chunhyang Festival.”
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Slowly, the instructors’ eyes turned to Sa Bi-gang.
Sang Pil-ji smiled faintly.
“Heh. Don’t misunderstand. It’s just a theory, after all. A story with a hint of possibility.”