Chapter 100: Confinement (2)

“We feel bad that we’re the only ones with comfortable accommodations… What should we do?”

Yeo Mae-hong’s words made Cho Un-hwi force a cheerful reply.

“It’s fine. I’ll be joining you soon.”

“Still…”

“I said it’s fine.”

“I’ll ask my sister for a good solution.”

Yeo Mae-hong clenched her fist in determination. She truly was an angel.

To show such warm concern for an inexperienced outcast like him.

‘Right. If she stay in the female instructors’ quarters, she might run into Instructor Mo Yong.’

No matter how long it took, he hoped she could put a stop to this unjust treatment by Euncheon Hall.

“You’ll do great.”

“That’s right, Instructor Cho. Stay strong.”

With encouraging words from his colleagues like Instructor Yang and Instructor Jo Hyeon, he tried to shake off his gloom.

“Haha, here you are.”

Gwak Jong-geun approached, looking unusually pleased.

This petty man glanced at him and muttered under his breath.

“Serves you right for acting so high and mighty…”

He then turned to the group with a big smile.

“Follow me. I’ll show you to your guardhouse.”

***

Gwak Jong-geun didn’t say a word as he led the way.

He just hummed a tune, his steps light, clearly in a good mood.

They arrived at the mock training ground after a long walk.

Cho Un-hwi looked up at the signboard, written in bold calligraphy.

*- Jianghu Sichuan Cave.*

‘Jianghu? Sichuan Cave?’

He tilted his head in confusion, and Gwak Jong-geun spoke in a smug voice.

“Since you wanted to be a Jianghu specialist instructor, I made special arrangements.”

It was supposed to be an important place for a Jianghu specialist instructor, but something felt off.

‘What’s this guy up to?’

Cho Un-hwi stepped inside, and his face froze.

“What is this…”

“How do you like it? The Jianghu?”

“You want me to stay here?”

“Didn’t you know? Each training ground has a guard on duty. They need to filter out anyone who wanders in.”

That much he understood.

The problem was the scene before him.

“There’s nothing here!”

Indeed.

He had thought that “Jianghu” referred to the world of martial artists, but…

‘There’s an actual river and lake here?’

It was even a swamp.

The scale of the river was insane, and the swamp was so dense it made him uneasy just looking at it.

He stood there, speechless, as Gwak Jong-geun’s mocking voice reached his ears.

“This is the real Jianghu.”

“There’s nothing but water and trees.”

“It’s modeled after a swamp in Sichuan. It’s highly praised at Euncheon Hall for its realism.”

The realism was impressive.

He could tell just by seeing the Sichuan centipede skittering away in the shadows.

“…Where’s the guardhouse?”

If he had to stay, he thought he could at least hide in the guardhouse.

“The guardhouse?”

“Yes, where am I supposed to stay?”

“There’s no such thing in a swamp this realistic.”

No way. There wasn’t even a guardhouse?

“The ground is your bed, and the sky is your roof.”

It was no wonder it was a lower-tier training ground.

He remembered what Jegal Tan had said about Sagong, the senior instructor.

*- Sagong is a significant figure in the Murim Alliance. You can tell by the fact that he oversees the high-level training ground modeled after Kaifeng Prefecture.*

In other words…

‘They want me to sleep outside in this wilderness?’

His spirits plummeted.

Seeing his devastated expression, Gwak Jong-geun chuckled.

“Good luck. You’ll have a great time.”

He patted his shoulder and walked away, laughing.

***

“This is a disaster. A complete disaster.”

He had hoped he was mistaken, but there was truly nothing here.

On one side was a massive lake.

On the other side was a dank forest, half of it swamp.

The realism was impressive, as the swamp was intricately detailed.

The mud that sucked at his feet with every step was bad enough, but the worst part was the bugs.

They had even brought in Sichuan’s poisonous insects, and colorful bugs flitted about, showing off their vibrant hues.

There were even Sichuan mosquitoes.

After one night, he felt completely drained.

Squeezing the moisture from his damp clothes, Cho Un-hwi grumbled.

“Living here is too much.”

The world was indeed a harsh place.

Sitting by the river, hugging his knees, Baek Ri-seol was the first to notice him and exclaimed in shock.

“Oh my, Instructor. You look like you’ve aged ten years overnight.”

I know.

“Wow. You look like a castaway who’s been adrift for ten years and started talking to a teddy bear.”

I didn’t need such a specific comparison.

Feeling even more dejected, Cho Un-hwi turned to Jegal Tan.

“Hey, what’s going on here?”

The answer came from Tang Gan.

“Wow, Sichuan Cave? This place brings back memories.”

“…”

Tang Gan, excitedly exploring the area, said, “This place is amazing. It’s modeled after the swamp near the Tang Clan. The poisonous creatures and plants are exactly the same. They even have the poisonous herbs and insects that only grow in Sichuan! It brings back fond memories of my childhood. It’s the best!”

“Really?”

He grabbed Tang Gan by the scruff of his neck and dunked him in a muddy puddle in the middle of the swamp.

Ignoring Tang Gan’s cries for help, Cho Un-hwi turned to Jegal Tan.

“Explain.”

This is a trap, right?

But Jegal Tan’s answer was disappointing.

“Jianghu Sichuan Cave. It’s a training ground that replicates unique terrains in the Jianghu. It’s a highly realistic recreation of the Sichuan wilderness, and it’s essential for training before going on a Jianghu excursion.”

Too bad.

If this had been a trap, he would have quit and gone to take down the Murim Alliance Leader.

“Sigh, this is driving me crazy.”

He didn’t expect warm accommodations with silk bedding.

‘But there should be a minimum standard.’

The Murim Alliance’s discrimination based on rank was too much.

Feeling frustrated, he stood up.

Seeing this, Eon Ho-seung quickly backed away and shouted.

“The instructor’s mood is ‘bad,’ right?”

“No.”

“But you’re clenching your fists. It has to be bad.”

“My mood is very, very bad.”

“What does that even mean?”

Fine.

Eon Ho-seung cracked his knuckles and shouted, “So it’s a real fight today?”

“What real fight?”

Eon Ho-seung, not waiting for an answer, raised his fists.

Im So-jeong, wiping the sleep from her eyes, also prepared herself.

Glancing around, he saw Tang Gan and the twins, who had just been pulled from the swamp, running towards him.

“Haha! It won’t be the same as before! We’ve been working hard!”

“We’ll give it our all from the start.”

“Do whatever you want.”

*Whoosh.*

He moved closer, and Eon Ho-seung launched a fierce punch.

*Whoosh.*

His punches had definitely improved, the force behind them stronger.

*Swish.*

And there was a sword strike coming over Eon Ho-seung’s shoulder.

‘They’ve definitely improved.’

Their teamwork was impressive.

Their punches and sword strikes were much more precise than before.

‘But that’s all.’

He stepped into the gap in Eon Ho-seung’s punches, startling him.

*Whoosh.*

Eon Ho-seung’s punch carried even more force as he swung his upper body.

*Swish!*

At the same time, Im So-jeong’s sword strike came at him from the side.

He had to deal with both the punch and the sword strike.

“You can’t get close easily.”

“If I can’t get close easily…”

*Thud.*

He deflected Eon Ho-seung’s punch and grabbed his collar.

“Huh?”

“I’ll just pull you in.”

*Thud.*

He headbutted Eon Ho-seung, who collapsed, his eyes rolling back.

Im So-jeong, shocked, tried to launch another sword strike, but…

“Too slow.”

*Thud!*

He swept her legs out from under her, sending her flying horizontally.

“Beating up these small fries isn’t satisfying.”

*Thud.*

He lightly struck her in the stomach, sending her flying into the river.

*Splash.*

As the water splashed, he turned to see Tang Gan and the twins, covered in mud, hesitating.

“Damn it.”

“What’s going on?”

“They both went down in an instant.”

He walked towards them, cracking his knuckles.

“Since I’ve moved into a new place, I need to introduce myself to the neighbors.”

So you guys…

“Go say hello to the fish.”

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Three splashes followed their cries as they were sent flying into the water.

***

“Sigh, I don’t feel any better.”

Is that something you should say after beating up those poor students?

Someone muttered, but Cho Un-hwi ignored it.

“What now? I have to live here for a while.”

How was he supposed to survive in this place with no shelter?

He wanted to bring camping supplies, but…

“Instructor, bringing external supplies into the mock training ground is prohibited.”

Jegal Tan’s words made him give up.

‘Should I just break the rules?’

It would be easy, but if they gave him more penalty points for some other reason, he would be in trouble.

He had already made an enemy of the Academy, which was responsible for supporting Shinmu Academy, with his anonymous complaints.

‘If those scholars decide to make things difficult, it’ll be a nightmare.’

Was there no other way?

As he pondered, Namgung Yun-ho walked around, tapping trees with his sword.

“This is pretty good.”

He swung his sword, cutting down some vines from the trees in the swamp.

He disappeared into the swamp and soon returned with several thick branches.

“This should do.”

Muttering to himself, he trimmed the branches with his sword and tied them together with the vines, creating a makeshift shelter.

“Come over here and rest.”

“…Thank you, Young Master Namgung.”

Im So-jeong, who had barely managed to swim out of the river, thanked him, her face pale.

Her wet clothes clung to her, making her look quite alluring. She was grateful for the shelter to cover herself.

She quickly slipped inside, covering herself with her arms, and didn’t come out again.

“What about us?”

“Wait a moment.”

Namgung Yun-ho disappeared again and returned with more vines, quickly weaving them into a hammock.

Mo Yong So-hye clapped her hands in admiration.

“Your skills are amazing, Brother Namgung.”

“He’s a survival expert. He’s really good at making essential survival items.”

“That’s my friend.”

While the students chatted, Cho Un-hwi had a sudden idea.

‘Right. If I can’t bring supplies from outside…’

I can make them.

He focused on Namgung Yun-ho, who could make anything with just a stone knife.