Chapter 106: Lost Property (4)

“Don’t come back? Get lost? To the eldest son of the Jinju Eon Clan!”

Who does he think he is?

Eon Ho-seung’s anger boiled over, but what troubled him more was something else.

“…That Mok Clan guy. Is he alright? We haven’t seen him at all.”

“Do you think he might have already jumped off somewhere?”

The twins murmuring made Eon Ho-seung’s expression twist further.

“Shut up! You’re being annoying!”

“…That’s surprising.”

Im So-jeong’s voice came from beside him.

“You, who only cared about climbing the ranks, are now worried about finding Mok Yeon-seong.”

“I have no choice if I want to change the temporary instructor’s mind before the supplementary exam.”

Despite his curt words, Eon Ho-seung’s eyes were scanning the area.

“…And it’s unsettling not to see a familiar face.”

“Indeed.”

Eon Ho-seung had changed significantly recently. He was now searching for Mok Yeon-seong, someone he wouldn’t have remembered before.

He had always been focused solely on climbing the ranks.

‘He’s a mysterious person.’

Knowing the secrets of the sect was one thing, but he seemed to reveal new facets the more you got to know him.

And he wasn’t the only one showing new sides.

“I didn’t know Instructor Song was so irresponsible.”

“Sending a student who was contemplating suicide away with an eviction order? Is he out of his mind?”

“I feel like a fool. But at least it was helpful.”

As expected of the eldest son of the Jinju Eon Clan, Eon Ho-seung had skillfully persuaded and threatened the instructor to get support.

Thanks to that, they had found witnesses who knew about Mok Yeon-seong’s whereabouts.

‘He lacks experience, but his adaptability and drive are impressive.’

It’s not easy to manipulate a much older instructor.

Should I reevaluate him more favorably? As he thought this, Tang Gan stopped.

“Ho-seung, look at those guys.”

Eon Ho-seung’s eyes sparkled as he recognized someone walking cheerfully ahead.

“Peng Dan-gi… What’s he doing here?”

“And the guys with him look familiar too, don’t they?”

“They’re disciples of the Nine Sects.”

The Nine Sects.

The nine martial sects and one faction that uphold the righteous path of the Jianghu.

Though not official sects, the disciples of these affiliated sects commanded considerable respect just by being connected to their martial lineage.

“Tch. We’ve run into some dirty guys.”

Normally, he would have ignored them, but now it made his blood boil.

“Hold on. Finding Mok Yeon-seong comes first.”

“Im So-jeong.”

As he was calming down, someone appeared around the corner, and there was a loud thud.

“Mok Yeon-seong?”

The figure looked familiar.

But there was no time to just watch.

“You damned demonic bastard!”

*Clang!*

The sound of metal clashing followed.

“They drew real swords?”

Even in Shinmu Academy, where sparring was common, it was rare to draw real swords in such a public place.

Something serious had happened.

“Let’s go!”

They all quickly moved to the scene.

And there they saw the person they had been searching for.

Mok Yeon-seong was desperately fighting with his sword, but it was easily blocked.

*Clang!*

He was thrown roughly, looking pitiful.

But there was a noticeable difference. His lifeless eyes now burned with madness.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

He gritted his teeth and endured the merciless violence of the group.

“Just one. Just one.”

He kept muttering as if in a trance.

One of the students, horrified, muttered.

“This damned demonic scum!”

He was someone from the past.

Someone whose family had suffered at the hands of the Nanju Mok Clan.

He had been leading the bullying, invoking old grudges.

When he drew his sword,

*Slash!*

Mok Yeon-seong, holding his left hand tightly, threw sand at the charging student, who screamed in pain.

“Aagh! Sand! You coward!”

“Hehe. Didn’t you know the ways of the demonic sects?”

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Kicking the blinded student, Mok Yeon-seong attacked his opponent’s legs like a beast.

Though there was a difference in skill, the blinded opponent was helpless.

“Aagh!”

With a scream, the student fell. Mok Yeon-seong climbed on top of him and relentlessly struck his face with the scabbard.

*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Blood splattered from the student’s face as he was beaten.

The onlookers intervened.

*Thud!*

He was kicked in the back.

*Thud!*

Another student pushed him down and stomped on him.

But Mok Yeon-seong was relentless.

Despite being thrown to the ground and beaten, he crawled back and struck the fallen student’s head with the scabbard.

“Just one. Just one.”

He looked like a madman.

But Eon Ho-seung couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hah! Acting all noble, but he’s got some guts.”

A crowd had already gathered to watch the sudden fight.

The disciples of the affiliated sects seemed flustered by the unexpected attention.

And then another voice rang out.

“Hey, you brats. Is fighting all you can do after eating well?”

A familiar voice boomed from somewhere.

***

*Thud. Thud.*

Cho Un-hwi, who had stopped the fight with a single shout, glanced at the situation.

‘What a mess.’

Mok Yeon-seong lay on the ground, a wreck.

His head, trampled and caked with dirt, and his clothes, torn and bloodied.

He seemed unconscious, his fingers motionless.

But between his trembling lips,

“Just one.”

He was muttering.

‘He really did it.’

Cho Un-hwi was genuinely surprised.

All he had done was say a few words.

“No one can withstand a gang beating. Just take down one.”

“Don’t worry. They can’t kill you. They know they can’t cover it up.”

“When you’re not strong enough, use tricks and tactics.”

“Wait in hiding, and when they appear, strike their heads.”

“You said you’re scared of turning corners? Now you become the corner ghost.”

“I’ll handle the aftermath. Just do it.”

And when he couldn’t decide, he added one more thing.

“If you need a place to rest, I’ll give you one. Run to me, and I’ll shelter you. Just do it.”

Like he was possessed, Mok Yeon-seong had taken a stone knife (a flint tool) and disappeared.

And now, a bloodied stone knife lay beside the fallen Mok Yeon-seong.

‘I made it for cooking.’

Who knew it would be used as a weapon?

He had a reputation for brutality in his previous life.

‘Maybe this is what potential looks like.’

Shaking his head, Cho Un-hwi approached, but a few students blocked his way.

“Move.”

“It’s just a small fight between students.”

“That’s for me to decide.”

As he pushed his way through, five more students blocked him.

Among them, a young man with thick eyebrows glanced at his chest and smirked.

“Oh, a temporary instructor.”

“Yeah. Got a problem?”

“Quite the attitude. Let’s introduce ourselves. I’m So Yang-un, the top disciple of the Red Sword Sect, an affiliated sect of the Huashan Sect.”

The Red Sword Sect, one of the top ten affiliated sects of the Huashan Sect.

You’ve heard of it, right?

Cho Un-hwi responded.

“I’m Cho Un-hwi, the eldest and most precious in my family. Heard of me?”

“Which family are you from?”

“Don’t know. I don’t have a mom.”

So Yang-un, who had been tense, laughed.

“You seem slow to grasp the situation.”

Cho Un-hwi shouted.

“So Yang-un, are you belittling and threatening me because I’m a temporary instructor?”

His shout caused murmurs among the onlookers.

Realizing the situation was turning bad, So Yang-un quickly lowered his voice.

“When did I threaten you?”

“Don’t know. That’s how I felt.”

“That’s nonsense.”

“My trembling heart is proof.”

“You’re impossible to reason with.”

So Yang-un reached out to grab his shoulder.

The energy in his hand was heavy, indicating he intended to use internal energy while pretending to grab his shoulder.

‘He’s quite experienced.’

Trying to silently subdue and avoid the situation?

Cho Un-hwi found it laughable.

‘How outdated.’

Having fought the righteous sects fiercely, he knew their tricks.

‘I’ll show you the real deal.’

The teachings of a former great villain.

“Agh!”

Before So Yang-un’s hand could reach his shoulder, Cho Un-hwi screamed and fell.

Then he stood up.

“You! You hit me? You assaulted an instructor?”

So Yang-un was flustered.

“When did I hit you?”

“Just now! So Yang-un, you hit me!”

Realizing the situation, So Yang-un’s eyes flashed with anger.

“You really want to go all the way.”

“You’re going to finish me off? Is that something a student says to an instructor?”

The more they talked, the worse it got for So Yang-un, who couldn’t hide his anger.

“If you want to escalate this, we have no choice.”

If they stayed any longer, the truth would come out.

‘They’ll probably try to use force.’

If they could escape, they could cover it up.

As expected.

“I didn’t want to use force on an instructor.”

“I didn’t plan on becoming an instructor hunter.”

“You’ll regret today’s choice for the rest of your life.”

*Crack.*

The students closed in, cracking their knuckles.

Watching this, Eon Ho-seung laughed.

“Idiots. They must have a death wish.”

“It would be better if they died peacefully.”

Tang Gan’s comment made the twins look at each other and ask.

“How many moves will it take? I bet at least a hundred.”

“Me too. He’ll finish them quickly and keep beating them.”

Im So-jeong added.

“…Until other instructors come to stop him.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

***

*Thud!*

“Agh!”

As they quietly tried to subdue him, a sudden headbutt struck.

*Crack.*

With a sickening crunch, So Yang-un’s nose collapsed, and he fell.

“One down.”

*Thud!*

As he tried to catch the blood from his nose, the temporary instructor moved like a ghost and punched the standing students in the face.

‘He’s fast.’

*Thud! Thud!*

Peng Dan-gi, a branch member of the Hebei Peng Clan, managed a heavy attack.

“Hey! My endurance is the best in the world!”

The brute withstood Peng Dan-gi’s punch and landed one on his chin.

*Thud!*

“Ugh!”

Peng Dan-gi spat out several teeth and collapsed.

“Where do you think you’re lying in front of an elder?”

*Slap! Slap!*

Grabbing Peng Dan-gi by the collar, he slapped him repeatedly.

“Stop!”

*Thud!*

A blow to the back of the head made the temporary instructor stagger.

“Haa. Damn. Now you’re ambushing me from behind? I’m not on a picnic with the Iron Thread Alliance.”

“Shut up!”

“You shut up!”

Spitting blood, the temporary instructor leaped and kneed the student’s face.

*Thud!*

“Ugh!”

He then mounted the fallen student and punched him like he was swimming.

It was a brutal fight.

*Thud!*

“Damn it! That hurts!”

*Thud! Thud!*

He hit twice for every punch he took.

*Slash!*

He kicked up sand with his foot, never stopping.

Terrified by his ferocity, one student instinctively drew his sword.

*Clang!*

“Wow. Now you’re trying to stab an instructor? You’re a real demonic bastard.”

“I-I…”

“Die!”

*Slap! Slap!*

The last student fell under his relentless punches, and So Yang-un screamed.

“You! Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Gathering evidence. Securing witnesses. Catching you red-handed.”

“My family won’t stand for this!”

“Bragging about your family to someone without a mom?”

(TLN: thats a good one ngl)

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

He beat the remaining students until they were all down.

“Now that the appetizer is done, let’s move to the main course.”

Grabbing So Yang-un’s hair, the temporary instructor growled.

“Clench your teeth, kid.”

***

“Move! Move aside!”

When the other instructors arrived, they saw.

“Oh my god.”

Students, bloodied and crawling on the ground.

“Hey, you’re here?”

And a man, also bloodied, sitting leisurely.

“Kids these days are scary, aren’t they?”

He joked.