Chapter 92: Instructor Punishment (3)

Chapter 26

It had already been half an hour.

Chui Geol-gae waited patiently.

Finally, the middle-aged man, who had been meticulously examining the jewel, let out a long sigh.

“Hmm…”

And then, he said something completely unexpected.

“I don’t know.”

Chui Geol-gae, who had been hoping for a different answer, let out a groan of disappointment.

“Man, if the owner of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion doesn’t know, then who in the world does?”

“There’s nothing I can do. I’ve never seen a jewel like this before.”

The middle-aged man, after reaching his conclusion, explained, “I apologize, Elder.”

Chui Geol-gae felt a wave of despair as he listened to his polite explanation.

The man in front of him was Seok Gang-myeong, the owner of the Ten Thousand Stone Merchant Group.

The Ten Thousand Stone Merchant Group was barely ranked among the Ten Great Merchant Groups, but they were renowned for one thing: jewels.

They specialized in all kinds of minerals, and even high-ranking officials would consult them when they received rare minerals as tributes.

Seok Gang-myeong was one of the most respected jewel appraisers in the world.

He said apologetically, “I’ve handled countless precious stones in my life, but I’ve never seen anything like this. I thought it might be a ruby, but the crystal structure is different. And the ones with similar crystal structures have completely different colors. I even checked the Western jewels, but I couldn’t find anything that matched.”

“…Is that so?”

Chui Geol-gae, who was a beggar by nature and knew nothing about shiny things, mumbled awkwardly.

Seok Gang-myeong continued, “And the pulsating cracks inside, like a cat’s eye…”

“Could it be a cat’s eye jewel?”

Cat’s eye jewel.

A stone with vertical cracks that resembled a cat’s eye, it was highly prized by high-ranking officials, along with luminous pearls and glowstones.

But Seok Gang-myeong shook his head.

“The cracks inside a cat’s eye jewel are caused by traces of iron, phosphorus, and other rare elements. But this…”

He pointed at the inside of the jewel.

“…is pulsating. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

He was right.

The black pupil inside the jewel seemed to be watching them, constantly contracting and expanding.

“The energy inside is also strange. The only thing I’ve seen with this kind of energy is the Ice Crystal of the North Sea Ice Palace.”

He was now comparing it to the Ice Crystal, which was said to be formed by absorbing the cold energy of the coldest place in the world for ten thousand years.

“But it’s different.”

“…”

Seok Gang-myeong’s conclusion was firm.

“It’s a stone that contains an unknown substance, with a surface harder than diamond and an energy comparable to the legendary Ice Crystal of the North Sea Ice Palace.”

“A stone, you say.”

“Anything beautiful in the world deserves to be called a jewel, but I wouldn’t spend a penny on this ominous object. That’s why I called it a stone.”

“Even you would refuse it?”

If Seok Gang-myeong, who considered even a small pebble a jewel if it had a certain beauty, refused to call it a jewel, then there was no point in asking anyone else.

“Do you know of any other places that handle unknown jewels?”

“There might be a few. Maybe the owner of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion or the black market.”

The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion referred to the Emperor’s secret treasury. And the black market referred to the underground merchants who dealt in stolen goods.

So he had to meet with the Emperor or the black market bosses. It was an impossible task.

“I understand. There’s nothing we can do.”

Chui Geol-gae, taking the jewel with a heavy heart, said worriedly, “This is a bad omen.”

He felt uneasy, thinking about the fact that this unknown object had been found on the altar of a horrific human sacrifice.

“I apologize for not being of help.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s enough that we know it’s not an ordinary object.”

“Maybe I can help… ah.”

Seok Gang-myeong suddenly slapped his knee.

“There is someone. If it’s not an ordinary mineral, he might be able to help.”

“I have a bad feeling about this. It has to be someone trustworthy.”

“Hehe, don’t worry.”

Seok Gang-myeong quickly wrote a letter of recommendation and said sincerely, “I hope you get good results.”

***

Chui Geol-gae, leaving the Ten Thousand Stone Merchant Group, used his movement technique to travel quickly.

He crossed mountains and rivers, traveling day and night.

He arrived at his destination in less than twenty days.

It was a small hut, where a renowned martial artist from a nearby family was said to be living in seclusion.

“Gulp.”

Chui Geol-gae swallowed nervously, sensing the man’s powerful aura, and knocked on the door with his staff.

He heard a voice from inside.

“Who is it?”

“I’ve come with a recommendation from Seok, the owner of the Ten Thousand Stone Merchant Group.”

“Seok?”

The door creaked open, and a thin old man stepped out.

Chui Geol-gae noticed his wide sleeves and thin wrists.

“Come in.”

***

Inside, he saw shelves filled with well-worn books.

“I only have some coarse tea leaves. I hope it’s to your liking.”

“Beggars are used to eating whatever they can find. I’m grateful that you’re offering me tea.”

Chui Geol-gae sipped the tea, his eyebrows twitching.

‘He’s a master of tea ceremony.’

The tea wasn’t even expensive, but the water temperature and the way he had rinsed the tea leaves were perfect.

‘And judging from the well-worn books, he’s also a scholar. I’ve come to the right person.’

He took a closer look at the old man. He had a refined air, with neatly combed white hair.

He had a serious expression, as if he had never smiled in his life.

Chui Geol-gae, feeling a glimmer of hope, explained the situation.

After listening to his story, the old man glanced at the jewel and said, “It’s a Blood Tear Stone.”

“A Blood Tear Stone?”

The old man held the red stone up to the lamplight and said, “It’s made by feeding on human blood and souls.”

His eyes were filled with sorrow.

“It was a long time ago. My master sent me to Qinghai Province.”

Qinghai Province was located at the western edge of the continent.

It was where the Kunlun Sect, now a legend, had once existed.

“As you might have guessed, the martial arts I practice originated from the Kunlun Sect. No one remembers Kunlun anymore, but I’m still carrying on its legacy. So the sect often sends disciples to search for traces of the old Kunlun.”

The Kunlun Sect had been destroyed by the Demonic Cult a long time ago.

The old disciple, who still remembered the name Kunlun, continued in a faint voice, “I encountered a group of cultists there.”

“Cultists, you say…”

“I don’t know their name. But they called themselves the ones who would destroy the heavens.”

The ones who would destroy the heavens.

And the Heavenly Destruction Society.

‘This is a bad omen.’

He went on to say that he had obtained a strange stone after a fierce battle.

“A monk from the Western Regions, who was traveling with me, took the stone. He was the one who had been chasing the cultists who had stolen it.”

“Do you know where he went?”

“Well, he said he was going to seal it in an ancient temple. I don’t remember the exact name because he spoke in a Western language.”

That was a shame.

But then the old man said something hopeful.

“But the monk left behind a strange prophecy. He said that one day, the ominous stone would return, resurrect the dead, and awaken the evil god’s myth.”

He repeated the prophecy several times, as if he was trying to remember every detail.

Chui Geol-gae asked, “Were there any other prophecies?”

“Well, he said there might be one stone, or there might be many. I don’t remember clearly.”

He couldn’t remember everything, but the memories he had managed to retrieve pointed to one thing.

“He said that the ominous ones who were aiming for the heavens treasured the Blood Tear Stone above all else.”

The beginning and the end of the Heavenly Destruction Society.

The Blood Tear Stone was everywhere. Chui Geol-gae was now certain.

‘This stone is definitely dangerous.’

An object that could resurrect the dead and awaken an evil god…

‘An evil god… it’s hard to believe, but…’

Whether it was true or not, it was clear that the Heavenly Destruction Society was planning something sinister with this stone.

“Those who spoke of the heavens…”

“I later found out that the ones I fought were the Eight Heavenly Apostles.”

“The Eight Heavenly Apostles…”

“I don’t know anything else. I had actually forgotten about them until now.”

The old man apologized for not knowing much, but Chui Geol-gae was grateful.

‘It’s a great achievement to know their goal.’

He bowed deeply.

“P-please, don’t do that.”

The old man was flustered as the elder of the Beggars’ Sect bowed to him.

Chui Geol-gae, seeing his sincere reaction, hardened his resolve.

“Master, please help this old beggar.”

“I’m just a useless old man, living a quiet life in seclusion. I doubt I can be of any help.”

“That’s not true.”

Chui Geol-gae shook his head vehemently and said, staring at the old man with intense eyes, “There’s something I need to ask of you.”

He took a deep breath and said, “Actually…”

***

At the temporary training ground of Shinmu Academy…

Cho Un-hwi crossed his arms after listening to Eon Ho-seung’s confession.

“So that’s what happened.”

“…I’ve told you everything I know.”

Tang Gan, glancing at him nervously, added, “Me too. He just asked me to find out about your background.”

“Well, it’s understandable. He’s probably trying to find my weaknesses.”

Well, it didn’t matter.

He muttered to himself, staring blankly into space, then stood up, dusting off his pants.

“Let’s put aside the adults’ business for now and talk about you guys.”

“…About us?”

“My job is to help you pass the mock exam. I can’t help it. My performance evaluation is on the line. I don’t want my students, even if they’re temporary, to get beaten up. You should be more like her.”

He pointed at Mo Yong So-hye.

“What about me?! You’re the one who ruined my reputation!”

She complained that she couldn’t stop once she started punching, that she didn’t care anymore…

He couldn’t help but admire her as she waved her fists menacingly.

Cho Un-hwi turned to Eon Ho-seung.

“But not today. I’ve talked too much and my throat is sore.”

He hadn’t even said much.

And he hadn’t even been listening properly.

And yet, he was acting like he had been working all night.

“Go back. I’ll see you tomorrow. Or you can come later if you want.”

He wasn’t sure if this was the right approach, but it was the best he could do for now.

As they got up to leave, Im So-jeong, who had been silent, said, “What about Instructor Gwak?”

“Ah, you mean the part where he asked you to investigate me?”

“Yes. Instructor Gwak is a proud man. If he’s asking us to do this, he won’t let it go easily.”

“That’s true.”

Cho Un-hwi nodded casually and said, “Just tell him everything.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, tell him all my secrets and weaknesses. He seems like a petty man, so I doubt he’ll give up easily.”

It’s better to feed him a little something.

Im So-jeong frowned, confused by his nonchalant answer.

“This isn’t something to take lightly. He’ll use any weakness he can find against you.”

Their direct superior was out for blood.

He had even resorted to using his students, so he was clearly serious. Was it really okay to be so carefree?

Cho Un-hwi’s reply was simple.

“Weaknesses? I don’t have any.”