Chapter 110: The Night Before the Murim Excursion (2)

Chui Geol-gae’s return caused quite a stir in the Murim Alliance.

As a senior member of the Murim Alliance and a respected elder of the Beggars’ Sect, his sudden disappearance and subsequent return in a disheveled state naturally drew attention.

“I must see the Alliance Leader immediately.”

However, no matter how esteemed Chui Geol-gae was, he couldn’t meet the Alliance Leader in such a state.

After a quick bath and some rest, a beggar from the Beggars’ Sect came to his quarters.

“Elder, I have urgent news.”

“What is it?”

“Is it about Shinmu Academy?”

Memories he had buried for a while resurfaced.

“Ah. Come in quickly.”

The beggar cautiously entered and hesitated upon seeing Wang Woo.

Chui Geol-gae, understanding his hesitation about speaking in front of an outsider, waved his hand dismissively.

“He is a valued guest of mine. Speak freely.”

“Yes, sir.”

The beggar then explained the events at Shinmu Academy, from the recent deaths of instructors to the recent corruption scandal.

After the lengthy explanation, the beggar concluded,

“I wouldn’t normally bring this up, but you specifically asked us to keep an eye on this person.”

“That’s right. I did.”

Suddenly, he remembered an old incident.

It was when he was basking in the sun on a quiet street in Kaifeng Prefecture, and someone with a fierce aura approached.

‘I thought he was quite dangerous.’

But the stories he heard were quite ordinary.

‘Although a bit lazy, he seems better than I thought.’

In fact, based on the stories, he seemed quite commendable.

He had unearthed hidden talents and managed difficult troublemakers.

He had even exposed the previously unknown corruption within the academy.

“It’s so ordinary that it’s almost suspicious.”

When he first encountered him, Chui Geol-gae, an elder of the Beggars’ Sect, felt threatened.

Even his Dragon Subduing Palms couldn’t hold him down, he had instinctively realized.

As he thought about it, Chui Geol-gae tilted his head.

‘Wait. Is it really him?’

Upon reflection, his memory seemed hazy.

‘Now that I think about it, he seemed more gentle than sharp.’

His face grew faint, and his impression was unclear.

‘Were his eyes sharp? Or maybe they were gentle.’

No matter how hard he thought, his memory felt clouded.

At that moment,

“Brother Chui.”

The voice calling him brought him back to reality.

“You seem troubled. Can you tell me what’s bothering you?”

“Ah. It’s not difficult.”

Briefly explaining the person he had recommended, Wang Woo thought for a moment, then smiled.

“Haha. If it’s just keeping an eye on someone, leave it to me. I’m going to see my disciple anyway.”

“Indeed. If you’re going to meet the One-Eyed Sword God, you’ll have to go to Shinmu Academy.”

Chui Geol-gae, delighted, earnestly requested,

“He’s a mysterious person. Please keep a close watch on him.”

“Don’t worry.”

Wang Woo sincerely replied,

“I’ll keep a close eye on him and miss nothing.”

***

In the office of the Chief Administrator of Shinmu Academy.

The White Robe Judge, Seon In-hyeok, laughed heartily.

“Haha. I can’t compete with the One-Eyed Sword God.”

The Light of the Flame, Ma Gil-sang, shook his head.

“They say the One-Eyed Sword God is the embodiment of fairness and justice.”

Dokgo Yul responded to their words.

“You’re too kind. Without your help, we couldn’t have rooted out the corrupt individuals so thoroughly.”

Tidying up the list of disciplinary actions, Dokgo Yul continued,

“But there are still concerns.”

“The issue of staffing, I assume.”

“Yes. While it was right to discipline the corrupt, we’re now short-handed.”

“That’s true.”

Shinmu Academy always had a shortage of people.

With the staff being disciplined, it wasn’t a simple matter.

Ma Gil-sang also looked serious.

“The problem is filling the vacancies.”

“Indeed. We can’t just hire anyone in a hurry.”

With unknown groups lurking, it was difficult to bring in unverified individuals.

Shinmu Academy is a cradle of the righteous faction.

The most desired target for vile groups would be to crush the budding heroes of the future.

As Seon In-hyeok tapped the table with his finger, Dokgo Yul made a suggestion.

“How about granting more authority to the remaining instructors?”

“While it’s good to use verified individuals, do you have a specific plan?”

“Currently, the divisions are too strict. Even the separation of students by gender is part of the problem.”

“Though excessive, it’s necessary to prevent any unforeseen incidents.”

There are many precedents.

Ma Gil-sang agreed with Seon In-hyeok.

“The training methods are also an issue. Boys and girls have different physiques and skeletal structures. You should know this well.”

Dokgo Yul slightly nodded at Ma Gil-sang’s point.

“I’m not suggesting merging everything. We should start with mixed classes where possible.”

For example, the Murim Excursion.

Seon In-hyeok thought for a moment and then agreed.

“Indeed. The Murim Excursion could work. It’s rare to go out into the Jianghu paired by gender.”

“The idea isn’t bad, but we need to consider the issue of cohabitation.”

Ma Gil-sang’s concern was met with a thorough response from Dokgo Yul.

“I’ve thought about that part.”

The meeting continued for a long time.

It was only late at night that the three were somewhat satisfied.

***

“It’s a success.”

Leaving the Chief Administrator’s office, Dokgo Yul smiled with satisfaction.

He held the hard-won reform plan in his hands.

1. Expand mixed classes.

2. Guarantee the authority and autonomy of instructors.

3. Reduce unnecessary paperwork to alleviate the current workload.

It was the result of nearly half a year’s effort.

‘The Lord will be pleased.’

All the clauses would help in finding the lords spouse.

Would he know?

That his loyal subordinate was working tirelessly behind the scenes.

‘He’s not someone who wouldn’t know.’

Even if he didn’t know, it didn’t matter.

A subordinate following their lord is as natural as a fish swimming.

If swept away by the current, just swim harder to follow.

But even Dokgo Yul, being human, had a small wish.

‘I want to see the Lord happy.’

Having achieved this after much time and effort, he thought this small desire was justified.

“Um… Dokgo Yul.”

Someone called out to him.

This usually didn’t happen.

Few dared approach him, intimidated by his aura.

‘Annoying. I wanted to see the Lord quickly.’

But he couldn’t ignore it.

Composing his voice, Dokgo Yul turned around.

“Did someone call me?”

In his view was a man in shabby clothes, looking dirty.

A glance at his waist revealed a knot indicating he was from the Beggars’ Sect.

‘A disciple of the Five Beggars?’

Why would a Beggars’ Sect disciple from the Murim Alliance call him?

“Sorry to bother you, but Elder Chui Geol-gae asked me to guide you to an important person.”

“Elder Chui Geol-gae? An important person?”

As Dokgo Yul was about to speak again,

“Haha.”

From the dark corridor, a laugh that could haunt dreams echoed.

*Step. Step.*

Emerging from the shadows was someone who made Dokgo Yul freeze.

***

At that moment.

Cho Un-hwi was at the Palmiro’s tripe grill house for the first time in a while.

“Haha! Congratulations, Instructor Cho!”

Mo Yong Seon-ya laughed heartily and clinked glasses with him.

Next to her, Yeo Mae-hong shyly clinked her glass.

“Hehe. You’ve worked hard.”

But Cho Un-hwi, receiving their hospitality, looked downcast.

“Today was supposed to be my first day moving in.”

He had expected a warm silk bed and a sumptuous feast.

Why was he eating grilled tripe at a place frequented by drunks?

“My food! My gourmet meal!”

“You’ll get to eat it eventually.”

Mo Yong Seon-ya laughed.

“We’ll be seeing each other often now. Shouldn’t we celebrate first?”

“Why do you come to a place like this when there are better meals?”

“Well.”

Yeo Mae-hong answered.

“The food is good, and it’s fancy and cheap, but…”

She looked uncomfortable as she chose her words.

“It feels uncomfortable. You feel watched.”

“I’ll summarize it for you.”

*Clink.* Mo Yong Seon-ya downed her glass and emphasized.

“When you pick up your spoon, bam!”

“A senior instructor is right in front of you.”

“When you pick up your chopsticks, bam!”

“Another senior instructor is beside you.”

“Think about it. No matter where you look, there’s a boss. Can you enjoy your meal?”

“Why wouldn’t you? Free food is the best.”

“Does free food always go down well?”

“Yes. Very well.”

This is pointless.

Unlike Mo Yong Seon-ya, who was joking, Yeo Mae-hong looked disgusted.

“It’s not simple. When you order a lot of delicious food, they all watch.”

Chewing on grilled tripe, Mo Yong Seon-ya added,

“One senior instructor said, ‘You eat more than you look. Aren’t you gaining weight?’ Ugly guy.”

“I was told, ‘If you’re heavy, you can’t be a good role model for the students.’”

Clearly frustrated, Mo Yong Seon-ya chewed on a skewer.

“They should pay for it!”

“Why are they so interested in what others eat?”

“It’s not just men! Sometimes women ask, ‘How do you stay slim eating like that?’”

“And when I said it’s my metabolism, they gossiped behind my back!”

Seeing her stuff her face, I wanted to ask, ‘Can you eat all that?’ but kept my mouth shut.

I might not know much, but this decision would be one of the best of my life.

“It’s not because I eat a lot that I can’t get married!”

Lately, Mo Yong Seon-ya seemed to be on a rampage.

‘She seemed like a sharp noble lady when I first met her.’

Noticing my thoughts, Yeo Mae-hong spoke softly.

“She’s been dealing with inspections for the corruption crackdown. Lots of overtime.”

Of course, overtime.

It makes people exhausted and irritable.

“And she’s been running around helping you, Instructor Cho.”

Is this my fault?

I’m really sorry.

***

*Whoosh.*

Back at the Euncheon Hall quarters, Cho Un-hwi used his internal energy to disperse the lingering smell.

“Grilled tripe is great, but the grease smell is overwhelming.”

At least it tastes good.

Thinking this, he started finding the quarters he had seen earlier.

Soon, he reached the long, flat pavilion.

“Is it because it’s big? It’s quite nice for a temporary residence.”

The temporary quarters had ten rooms.

His new room was at the far end.

“Everyone’s quiet. Do they sleep early?”

He had heard it was bustling.

Dragging his feet, Cho Un-hwi took out the metal plaque.

He just needed to insert it into the slot and turn it.

As he inserted the plaque, his lips twitched.

“I didn’t think of a housewarming gift.”

*Click.*

He quickly turned the plaque and pulled the door open.

Beyond the open door were unexpected guests.

“My lord, I’m sorry. We’ve been discovered.”

A sheepish-looking Dokgo Yul.

“You fool! How many times did I tell you to bow your head when the lord returns!”

An old man scolding Dokgo Yul.

After berating Dokgo Yul about the etiquette towards their lord, he turned to Cho Un-hwi with a respectful smile.

The ghostly face he had scolded with was gone, replaced with utmost reverence.

“Haha. To welcome the lord’s return again, this old man can die without regret.”

He wept with joy, banging his head on the floor.

“The First Seat of the Dark Soul Black Wind Guard, Sima Bai, greets the lord of the world.”

He declared.

‘It’s over.’

The worst housewarming gift.