Chapter 10: Find the Second Student (1)

Chapter 4

Peace reigned in Dongcheon Hall after the confrontation.

Although Yeom-gwang still kept a watchful eye on Cho Un-hwi, he refrained from any further overt provocations.

This allowed Cho Un-hwi to focus on training Namgung Yun-ho.

It was supposed to be smooth sailing from here on out.

“Argh!” Cho Un-hwi clutched his head in frustration.

“Isn’t there a way to get out of work?”

Namgung Yun-ho paused his sword practice, startled by the unexpected question.

“What do you mean, Instructor?”

“Isn’t there a way to coast through life without lifting a finger?”

“Has something happened?”

“Of course something happened!”

***

It all started with Chung-hyeon.

Cho Un-hwi had been enjoying a leisurely training session with Namgung Yun-ho when the Head Instructor called him over.

“Instructor Cho.”

“Yes, Head Instructor?”

“Don’t you think this is a bit excessive?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re only responsible for one student. And you’re receiving a salary from the Murim Alliance.”

“That sounds perfectly reasonable to me.”

Chung-hyeon pinched the bridge of his nose and held up a finger.

“Three.”

“Three what?”

“There’s a rule that all instructors in Dongcheon Hall must be responsible for at least three students.”

“Where did you get that rule from?!”

As if anticipating his outburst, Chung-hyeon produced a thick book.

The title read: *Instructor’s Handbook*.

It didn’t bode well.

“It’s right here.”

And indeed, it was.

On the very first page.

“We gave you this handbook when you joined the academy. Didn’t you read it?”

“I did.”

“Then why are you unaware of this fundamental rule?”

Because he had tossed it aside the moment he received it, of course.

Cho Un-hwi quickly averted his gaze from Chung-hyeon’s narrowing eyes.

“I must have forgotten.”

“I’m glad you remembered.”

Cho Un-hwi frantically scanned the handbook, searching for a loophole.

“But I’m a new instructor! Exemption Clause Twenty-Three states that exceptions can be made in cases of excessive workload or personal circumstances.”

“Is your workload excessive?”

“Extremely.”

“Are you ill?”

“Yes. My heart is aching.”

“How unfortunate.”

Despite his words, Chung-hyeon’s expression remained cold and unsympathetic.

He gestured towards Yeo Mae-hong, who was diligently recording the students’ progress.

“Instructor Yeo is also a new instructor. And she’s responsible for thirty students.”

Cho Un-hwi looked at Yeo Mae-hong, who clasped her hands together and mouthed, “Sorry.”

She was adorable, but her apology did little to alleviate his despair.

“Most instructors are responsible for around ten students. Even the least experienced instructors have at least five or six students under their care.”

Chung-hyeon turned to face him, his expression stern.

“I hear you visit the mess hall five times a day. And you ask for snacks three times a day. You’re the first instructor I’ve ever met who begs for snacks during work hours. Yet you’re always the first one to leave when the day is over.”

Cho Un-hwi was speechless.

Chung-hyeon patted him on the shoulder, his voice firm.

“We don’t need instructors who can’t fulfill their basic duties. You have one month to find two more students. If you fail, you’re out.”

This was a nightmare.

“Tsk.”

He glanced at Yeom-gwang, who was watching the exchange with a smug smirk.

It seemed he had resorted to using the rules to get rid of him, now that brute force had failed.

Of course, it was Cho Un-hwi’s fault for not reading the handbook.

“Just you wait, Yeom-gwang.”

Cho Un-hwi glared at the Chief Instructor, his resentment growing.

***

“This is so unfair! I’m the hardest-working instructor here!” Cho Un-hwi whined, draping himself over a boulder like a limp noodle.

Namgung Yun-ho stared at him with dead eyes, his body weighed down by heavy iron rings that encircled his arms and legs.

He had been forced to wear the rings as part of his training.

His instructor had claimed that it would strengthen his body and enhance his internal energy flow.

But all it did was make him feel like a prisoner.

‘And what is this sword…?’

He was holding a strange, dark-colored sword that felt heavy and unbalanced in his hand.

He couldn’t even tell what it was made of, but it made his hand tremble just holding it.

Even Namgung Yun-ho, who had spent his entire life wielding a sword, wanted to drop it and run away.

“I think the student is the one putting in the effort here,” he said dryly.

“A student’s progress is a reflection of their instructor’s guidance.”

Namgung Yun-ho’s eyes remained lifeless.

“Anyway, Namgung.”

“…Yes, Instructor?”

“We need to find you some classmates.”

‘Other students…?’

Honestly, Namgung Yun-ho wasn’t too keen on the idea.

He preferred having the instructor all to himself.

But unlike Cho Un-hwi, who was perfectly content hogging all the good stuff, Namgung Yun-ho was a decent human being.

He had a sense of fairness and understood the importance of camaraderie.

‘And besides, it’s getting a bit tiring dealing with his personality all by myself.’

He nodded reluctantly.

“I’m fine with it.”

“I don’t care what you think.”

“…”

“Do you know any easy targets?”

“We could always put out a notice. Now that Chief Instructor Yeom is no longer interfering, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“None of the current students appeal to me.”

They all seemed like they would require too much effort.

“Do you have any friends you could recommend?”

“Me?”

“You’re the Ghost of Dongcheon Hall. You must know all the students here.”

“I prefer to keep to myself, so I don’t have any close friends.”

“You don’t even have friends? You’re truly useless.”

“W-well, I do have one friend! In Euncheon Hall!”

“Euncheon Hall is not Dongcheon Hall. I can’t teach students from another hall.”

He added, “The Ghost of Dongcheon Hall doesn’t even have friends. How pathetic.”

“Your youth is over before it even began. If you don’t have friends, you should at least have some skills.”

He continued to berate Namgung Yun-ho until the young man collapsed from exhaustion.

***

That evening, Cho Un-hwi met with Yeo Mae-hong at the academy’s inn.

It was a cozy establishment reserved for instructors, offering a more refined dining experience than the free mess hall.

Yeo Mae-hong had insisted on treating him to dinner, apologizing for inadvertently causing him trouble.

Cho Un-hwi, never one to turn down a free meal, had readily agreed.

“I thought you were a mess hall kind of guy.”

“I’m not in the mood for slop tonight.”

“Fine, fine. You can treat me tomorrow.”

“I think I’ll stick to the mess hall tomorrow.”

Cho Un-hwi dismissed her suggestion and ordered the most popular dish on the menu: Hong Shao Rou.

“This is so good!”

Yeo Mae-hong, her earlier annoyance forgotten, urged him to try it.

He took a bite and nodded in approval.

“Delicious.”

He proceeded to devour the dish.

“You’re quite the enthusiastic eater.”

“This place is amazing.”

“We should come here more often.”

“We’ll see.”

As they chatted and enjoyed their meal, another guest joined them.

“Sorry I’m late! That old geezer from Euncheon Hall kept me busy.”

It was Mo Yong-Seon-ya from Euncheon Hall.

She was still wearing her instructor’s uniform, her long black hair tied back in a neat bun.

She sat down and immediately ordered a bottle of wine.

“Wine! Now!”

She poured herself a glass and downed it in one gulp, her face contorted in frustration.

“I can’t believe this is my life. These students are driving me crazy!”

“What happened?” Yeo Mae-hong asked.

“Ugh, there was a fight.”

“Fights happen all the time. These students are full of energy.”

“This was different. It was a fight between an instructor and a student.”

“Really?”

“And the worst part is, the instructor got his ass handed to him in front of all the other students. I was so embarrassed for him.”

Mo Yong-Seon-ya sighed heavily.

“Mae-hong, be careful when you get promoted to Euncheon Hall. The higher you climb, the more arrogant and troublesome the students become. It’s easy to get caught in the crossfire.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Argh! And that damned Head Instructor! Why does he always call me in right before I’m about to leave?!”

She continued to rant and rave, downing glass after glass of wine.

Cho Un-hwi had noticed that Mo Yong-Seon-ya rarely let her guard down.

She was usually reserved and aloof, but she seemed more relaxed and open around Yeo Mae-hong.

Yeo Mae-hong listened patiently, offering words of comfort and encouragement.

The two women launched into a lively discussion, their voices filling the room.

“Everyone keeps staring at me. It’s so annoying having to wear these bandages all the time.”

“Really? That’s awful.”

“And the other day, at the staff dinner, this guy sat next to me and…”

“Who was it?! Tell me! I’ll break his fingers!”

Cho Un-hwi was grateful for their distraction.

He took advantage of their conversation to sneak in a few extra bites of pork belly.

“Um, Instructor Cho?”

He looked up to see both women staring at him.

‘What now…?’

He had been enjoying their gossip, but he had no idea what they wanted from him.

‘Are they going to invite me to join their gossip club?’

He slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with mock outrage.

“I am being oppressed by this unjust society!”

“Isn’t one student enough? I believe in quality over quantity when it comes to education.”

“Just let me take the easy way out!”

The women’s expressions turned icy.

‘That wasn’t it?’

He tried a different approach.

“Oh, I almost forgot. The male instructors had a staff dinner yesterday. A bonding session. They didn’t invite me.”

“…”

“…”

“I saw them eating beef in the backyard on my way home.”

“Hmm…”

“That’s terrible…”

He suddenly lost his appetite.

He felt like crying.

“Isn’t it common courtesy to invite everyone to a beef dinner, even traitors?”

Mo Yong-Seon-ya sighed and chuckled.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I suppose this is progress.”

She poured him another glass of wine.

“Here, you deserve it.”

What was this?

Had they finally accepted him into their gossip club?

“They must be feeling pretty insecure right now, after being outsmarted by a newbie instructor.”

“I wasn’t trying to outsmart anyone.”

“They’re probably jealous that you managed to revive a student everyone had given up on.”

“Why are they blaming me for their poor judgment?”

“Exactly! Alright, let’s celebrate!”

Mo Yong-Seon-ya raised her glass.

“Another bottle of wine!”

The night descended into drunken revelry.

***

“Ugh…”

Cho Un-hwi stumbled into his room and collapsed onto his bed.

The wall shook as he shifted his weight.

He sat up and pulled back the cloth that covered the hole in the wall.

Yeo Mae-hong was peering through the hole, her eyes wide with concern.

“Instructor Cho, thank you for joining us tonight.”

“It was my pleasure.”

He had eaten his fill of delicious food and enjoyed some fine wine.

And it had all been on Mo Yong-Seon-ya’s tab.

She might have looked like she could drink anyone under the table, but she had surprisingly low tolerance.

“We should do this again sometime.”

He was about to cover the hole again when Yeo Mae-hong stopped him.

“Wait, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

Something she wanted to ask him?

He raised an eyebrow.

“Would you be willing to… mentor another student?”

“Another student?”

“If you’re willing, I’d like to assign one of my students to you.”

A lifeline had appeared from an unexpected source.

(TLN : Hi everyone luky here Iam just here to tell about how ill go with this novel moving forward. Basically I will be releasing chapters daily until we reach 30 chaps than we go to 5/week but here is the thing Iam quite ahead on this novels translation cause I honestly enjoy translating it and let me tell its pretty slow paced knowing that i will be adding milestones for releasing bonus chaps.

for every 5 ratings that are above 3 On novel updates ill be releasing a chap (You kind got to have 20 or so novels on your reading list on novel update to be able to vote tho)

for every +50 on novelupdates reading list ill also be releasing a chap

for every unique sub to my Kofi for this novel later on ill post 4 bonus chaps.

Thats about it for now and this will go for a while as this would be of great help to me and you guys get the chaps a little bit faster now than sorry for taking your time enjoy the read and have a great day :3 )