Chapter 101: Confinement (3)

*Tap. Tap.*

Namgung Yun-ho, who was skillfully chopping wood, paused.

“Instructor, are you sure this is okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I’m worried we might be damaging a valuable training ground.”

Cho Un-hwi waved his finger dismissively at his cautious remark.

“Didn’t Jegal Tan say the only problem is ‘bringing in external materials’?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“If we use materials from inside, it’s fine.”

Cho Un-hwi smiled confidently.

‘The stone knife Namgung Yun-ho is holding.’

It was a handmade tool, crafted by grinding a stone and tying it to a branch with vines.

If anyone claimed the knife was an external item, it would be a hassle.

These tools were made with great effort to avoid any issues with the Academy’s inspection.

“I even came up with an excuse. ‘Learning survival skills in the swamp.’”

Of course, he hadn’t submitted any detailed documents.

If the Academy got wind of it, they would surely interfere.

“Well, if you say so…”

“Don’t worry. Let’s move quickly before those sticklers catch on.”

Namgung Yun-ho sighed and gave up resisting.

The rest was easy.

“This tree has a sturdy structure. It’ll make a good pillar.”

“The vines are soft but elastic. They’ll be good for building walls.”

“We should make beds as well, right?”

“Do you need any utensils?”

Namgung Yun-ho, now fully embracing his role as a survivalist, swiftly navigated the swamp, gathering materials.

***

Baek Ri-seol kept her mouth shut.

The spacious quarters, complete with a private room, were incomparable to Dongcheon Hall.

There were tea leaves and tea sets available at any time, and the bed was incredibly soft.

It was a comfortable and luxurious accommodation.

Not as grand as the Baek Ri Clan’s estate, but it was clear a lot of effort had been put into it.

But Baek Ri-seol didn’t like it here.

“…It’s strangely unsettling.”

She picked up her sword from the table, feeling irritable from a sleepless night.

“Maybe I should train to clear my mind.”

Hiding her complicated emotions, she opened the door and stepped out.

The hallway was already bustling with students.

They walked in groups of four or five, chatting as they passed by.

Baek Ri-seol quietly joined the flow.

A small voice reached her ears.

“A new face…”

“That’s Baek Ri-seol, the precious jewel of the Baek Ri Clan.”

“I’ve heard of her. They call her the ‘Snow Maiden of Dongcheon Hall’ or ‘Ice Flower of Dongcheon.’”

“She was once called the ‘False Flower’ of the Baek Ri Clan. I wonder what her true self is like.”

“She’ll be interesting to watch.”

She felt their gazes sweep over her.

Baek Ri-seol, sensitive to such attention, felt a pang of irritation.

‘It’s been a while since I heard that nickname.’

A cold smile tugged at her lips.

She wasn’t angry.

‘Back then, I was indeed a false flower.’

She had been forced to smile and act demure in any situation.

She had been deprived of her freedom, smiling when told to smile, crying when told to cry, and even sold off to an old man with gray hair without a chance to speak.

‘How foolish.’

What a fool she had been.

But looking back now, she didn’t feel bad about it.

In fact, those colorless, dreary times had led her to meet the instructor.

And because of those times…

Zap.

She could now face those who whispered behind her back.

The female student she had locked eyes with flinched and stepped back.

“Hey, you, the one with such a faint presence I wouldn’t notice you if I didn’t look closely.”

“W-what?”

“Oh my. Hiding behind your friend won’t help you escape my sight.”

With a dazzling smile, Baek Ri-seol said, “Once I set my sights on someone, I don’t forget them until they die.”

“How vulgar.”

The female student shouted, and her friends covered their mouths, responding in kind.

“As a precious jewel of the Baek Ri Clan, you should mind your language.”

“This isn’t Dongcheon Hall where you used to run wild.”

“A noble family’s scion is so crude. You can tell the depth of their martial arts by their manners.”

The students who seemed to be her friends exuded a strong aura.

As expected of Euncheon Hall, they were all quite skilled.

But Baek Ri-seol just laughed.

‘Their threats are laughable.’

A true threat was…

Something sharp and vivid, something that could carve into your brain and twist your thoughts.

Something that could cut through your spine and squeeze your brain.

‘Like Ryo-ryong, who spent ten years trying to steal my soul.’

As she thought of this, she remembered the instructor’s words.

*- This is the Jianghu. Congratulations. From now on, it’ll only get worse.*

Baek Ri-seol’s smile brightened.

“Do people here fight with words?”

*Clink.*

She took a step forward, channeling the sense of overwhelming pressure she remembered. The feeling of pushing her enemy into despair.

“Gasp!”

The female students, feeling her intense aura for the first time, recoiled.

“If you’re not cowards, follow me.”

***

As she left the training ground, she ran into Mo Yong So-hye.

She immediately asked, “Sister, did something happen?”

How did she know?

‘I thought I ended it cleanly.’

Mo Yong So-hye pointed at her sleeve.

“Your sleeve is cut.”

“Oh, you’re right.”

“And here too.”

It seemed handling five people without leaving a trace was too much. She was about to change the subject when Mo Yong So-hye, seemingly uninterested, changed it for her.

“Sister.”

She hugged her and rubbed her head against her chest.

“I can’t seem to make any friends.”

“You just got here yesterday. Give it some time.”

“I usually make friends in a day and get close in two.”

Her incredible friendliness was impressive.

Baek Ri-seol, who had spent half a year with few acquaintances, was envious of her sociability.

With that kind of friendliness, she would make friends in no time.

As if reading her thoughts, Mo Yong So-hye lifted her head.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why?”

“The people here are strange.”

“It’s definitely not an easy place to get used to.”

“There are a lot of arrogant people. Some even ask about your family right away.”

“Why not take your time and make friends slowly?”

“I can’t do that.”

Mo Yong So-hye replied firmly.

“I need to make friends before my bad reputation spreads.”

She needed to make friends before she evolved from the “Iron Fist of Dongcheon Hall” to the “Iron Fist of Euncheon Hall.”

“It’s not just about reputation. If the evil instructor finds out, he’ll definitely interfere. Now, while he’s distracted, is the perfect time. I need to make friends before he ruins my reputation!”

If she failed to make friends early, she would end up graduating alone and lonely.

Baek Ri-seol agreed with her.

“Okay. I’ll support you.”

Though she wasn’t sure if it was possible.

***

As they headed to the new training ground, they found Jegal Tan standing at the entrance.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t you moving?”

But Baek Ri-seol stopped when she saw his stunned expression.

Jegal Tan, who was usually good at hiding his emotions, was visibly shocked.

That usually meant one thing.

She followed his gaze and turned her head.

“Oh my goodness.”

“Wow, what is that?”

There, above the swamp, was a beautifully constructed treehouse.

***

Eon Ho-seung’s group, who arrived later for training, were also speechless.

“Is this even possible?”

“They really built a house…”

They had been making strange tools for survival training recently, but building something like this was beyond imagination.

Cho Un-hwi, pleased with their reactions, laughed.

“Impressive, right?”

It was impressive.

A sturdy-looking house built on a massive tree was not an ordinary sight.

“There’s even a staircase.”

He had carved steps into the tree, making a proper staircase.

“There are hammocks between the trees for guests to rest.”

Namgung Yun-ho added, looking proud of his creation.

“Instructor, the south-facing window is perfect. It’s well-ventilated.”

“We plastered the walls with mud and baked them, so no bugs or wind will get in.”

“We even made a storage room.”

It was surprising enough that they had built something like this, but inside, they had even made plates and chopsticks.

It was clear they planned to live here for a while.

“I’ve finally got my own place.”

“I don’t know how long we’ll be here, though.”

“Damn it. Down with the tyranny of the landlord! Down with the landlord!”

He shouted, throwing pebbles from a small door.

“When the landlord’s tyranny starts, we’ll lay siege.”

It seemed the small door and pile of stones were siege weapons.

Im So-jeong, feeling a headache coming on, rubbed her temples.

“Jegal, is it okay to build something like this in the mock training ground?”

“Normally, no.”

Jegal Tan replied wearily. He had stayed up all night finding loopholes in the Academy’s rules, and his eyes were bloodshot.

“But who’s going to stop the instructor?”

“…”

“Well, there are ways around it.”

The prodigy of the Jegal Clan smiled mischievously.

***

The first to arrive after hearing the news was Gwak Jong-geun.

He had been looking forward to seeing Cho Un-hwi suffer, but he was speechless at the sight of the treehouse.

“What is this?”

“Isn’t it a wonderful guardhouse?”

“You built this without permission! Are you insane?”

“We built it with sweat and tears. Please respect our work.”

“You… you…”

Gwak Jong-geun clutched his neck and ran off.

It seemed he was going to bring a superior due to the seriousness of the situation.

What a petty man.

***

“This is unbelievable.”

Senior Instructor Jang Cheol-sim, who was called in, was also speechless.

“…Temporary Instructor Cho Un-hwi.”

“Yes?”

“…Do you know how much the Sichuan stone trees you used as pillars cost?”

“No idea. I was too focused on survival skills to think about the details.”

“Leaving aside the trees used for the walls, the ornamental plants you uprooted are extremely rare in Sichuan.”

“Are they expensive?”

“Very. You couldn’t afford one with your salary.”

“No wonder they’re so pretty.”

Seeing that Cho Un-hwi had no intention of changing his ways, Jang Cheol-sim sighed.

“Even the fish you caught and hung to dry…”

“They’re expensive, aren’t they? No wonder they tasted so good.”

“…”

This man was hopeless.

There was no point in continuing the conversation.

He wanted to shout and point fingers, but…

‘As a master of the Mount Cheongseong Sect, I can’t resort to vulgarity.’

He regretted being a master of the Mount Cheongseong Sect for the first time.

‘If it weren’t for the honor of my sect, I would have beaten him half to death.’

He regretted his past self the most.

‘Why did I agree to accept this guy?’

He was ashamed of the promise he had made out of a sense of duty.

‘It’s not too late.’

Since he had caused such a mess, he could use this as an excuse to expel him.

Clenching his trembling cheeks, Jang Cheol-sim maintained his dignity and said,

“Alright. I understand your position. Now it’s up to the Academy to decide.”

With such a major incident, even he couldn’t protect him.