Chapter 22: The Third Student (2)

Mo Yong-Seon-ya refilled Cho Un-hwi’s cup.

“This is the first time we’ve had a chance to talk properly,” she remarked.

“You’re right.”

“I’ve heard about your recent exploits. The Baek Ri Clan withdrew their decision to expel Baek Ri-seol and even expressed their gratitude, right? It’s quite a story. Even Euncheon Hall is buzzing about it.”

“Is that so unusual?”

“It’s rare for a clan as prestigious as the Baek Ri Clan to admit their mistakes. They tend to be very proud and see reversing their decisions as a loss of face.”

They chatted and drank, the recent events serving as a convenient topic of conversation.

Mo Yong-Seon-ya hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.

Cho Un-hwi, who was busy stuffing his face with three pieces of Hong Shao Rou at a time, looked up.

“What’s on your mind?”

“It’s about the favor I mentioned earlier.”

Cho Un-hwi finished his food, downed his wine, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Mo Yong-Seon-ya stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“You’re… very… unrefined.”

“I’m twenty-five, a marriageable man in his prime.”

“Even twenty-year-olds are considered young in the Murim world, let alone thirty-year-olds! You don’t lose the ‘youngster’ label until you’re at least thirty-five. And you just acted like a fifty-year-old man!”

“Yes, next old lady.”

“You…!”

Despite their playful banter, Mo Yong-Seon-ya’s expression softened.

‘He’s strange.’

She was usually unflappable, but she found herself smiling and laughing in Cho Un-hwi’s presence.

It was a strange and unsettling feeling.

“What’s the favor?”

“Well, to be blunt, would you be interested in taking on a new student?”

A new student?

Cho Un-hwi was willing to accept anyone who wouldn’t cause him any trouble and would help him meet his quota.

Chung-hyeon’s expectations had skyrocketed after the Baek Ri Clan incident, and he was constantly nagging Cho Un-hwi to take on more students.

He had even started assigning him menial tasks to pressure him.

‘I need to find someone.’

But he didn’t want anyone who would require too much effort.

“You’ve heard about my preferences, haven’t you?”

“I heard you prefer students who don’t require much effort.”

‘I doubt that’s true.’

Mo Yong-Seon-ya kept her thoughts to herself.

“I’m glad you understand.”

“That child is quite talented.”

She didn’t say “student.” She said “child.”

Cho Un-hwi raised an eyebrow.

“She’s from the main family,” Mo Yong-Seon-ya explained.

“From the Mo Yong Clan?”

“She’s a very precious child, the darling of the main family. Her name is Mo Yong So-hye, and she’s a bright and cheerful girl.”

“Cheerful, huh? Hmm…”

Cho Un-hwi sighed.

“I already have enough cheerful people in my life.”

Like a certain someone who was as energetic as a deer on fire.

“Oh? You’re not talking about Namgung Yun-ho, are you? You mean Baek Ri-seol?”

Cho Un-hwi nodded glumly, his expression mirroring that of a father who had just dropped his fried chicken on the way home from work.

‘Baek Ri-seol? That’s unexpected.’

Baek Ri-seol was talented, but she was also ostracized by the other students because of her constant bragging and her insistence on being special.

She had always had her maid, Ryeong-ryong, to keep her company, but since her return from the Muhan Branch, she had been actively avoiding the other students.

‘There must be a reason.’

Mo Yong-Seon-ya pushed aside her curiosity and continued.

“Anyway, she’s a talented and spirited girl, but her family doesn’t approve of her pursuing martial arts.”

“Why not?”

“Her mother was killed in a Murim conflict.”

It was a common story.

Even the smallest grudge could escalate into a deadly feud in the Murim world.

‘Mo Yong So-hye…’

He didn’t recognize the name.

That meant she wasn’t a particularly talented martial artist, or she was destined to live a sheltered life, according to her clan’s wishes.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

He didn’t care about her background.

All he needed was someone who was reasonably talented and could help him meet his quota.

“Why are you asking me for help?”

There were plenty of other capable instructors, including Yeo Mae-hong.

Mo Yong-Seon-ya smiled.

“I heard you have a unique eye for talent.”

He had no idea what she was talking about.

He picked up seven pieces of Hong Shao Rou with his chopsticks.

***

Mo Yong-Seon-ya was a woman of action.

The next day, at the crack of dawn, a young girl arrived at the training ground.

“H-hello.”

She was smaller than he had expected.

She was barely five feet tall.

“I’m fourteen years old! I’m Mo Yong So-hye, a new student at Dongcheon Hall!”

She was a year younger than Baek Ri-seol.

But she looked even younger, her height making her seem more like a child than a teenager.

‘Is she malnourished?’

That didn’t seem likely, considering she was from the Mo Yong Clan.

‘Or maybe not?’

He glanced at Baek Ri-seol, who was glaring at Mo Yong So-hye, and the other students who were walking past them.

Baek Ri-seol was unusually tall for her age, while Mo Yong So-hye was on the shorter side.

He shook his head and addressed Mo Yong So-hye.

“Alright, I heard about you from Instructor Mo.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

She stood at attention, her voice trembling slightly.

‘She’s more like a scared puppy than the cheerful and lively girl Mo Yong-Seon-ya described.’

He pushed aside his thoughts and tried to sound authoritative.

“Alright, show me what you’ve learned.”

***

Mo Yong So-hye walked to a corner of the training ground and announced timidly, “I-I’ll begin!”

She proceeded to demonstrate the first half of the Shinmu Sword Technique, a basic technique that all students were expected to master.

It seemed that her family had deliberately kept her away from their clan’s martial arts, hoping to discourage her from pursuing a dangerous path.

“Hiya! Hiya!”

She grunted softly as she swung her sword, her movements hesitant and unsure.

Cho Un-hwi’s assessment was simple:

‘She’s average.’

She had decent potential, but nothing special.

She was probably above average for a Dongcheon Hall student, but she wasn’t someone who would catch his eye.

She seemed to have a gentle and easygoing personality, which would make her easy to handle, but she also seemed quite timid, flinching whenever Baek Ri-seol glared at her.

Timid puppies required a lot of attention.

‘This isn’t going to work.’

How could he get rid of her?

He usually wouldn’t hesitate to reject a student, but this was a favor from Mo Yong-Seon-ya, and he felt a twinge of guilt.

“Do you know any other techniques?”

“I-I know a little bit of hidden weapons techniques. And I’ve learned some dagger techniques and grappling techniques.”

“Dagger techniques and hidden weapons techniques? On top of grappling techniques?”

Most righteous martial artists considered hidden weapons and daggers to be dishonorable.

It was unusual for Mo Yong So-hye, who hadn’t even learned her clan’s martial arts properly, to have learned such techniques.

“My family said it’s good to know some basic self-defense techniques…”

Ah, so that was it.

They had taught her some practical skills, even though they didn’t want her to become a full-fledged martial artist.

“Alright, show me.”

“Yes, Instructor!”

“Hiya! Hiya!”

Her soft grunts echoed through the training ground.

***

“I’m done!”

Mo Yong So-hye stood before him, her face flushed and her breathing ragged.

Cho Un-hwi’s assessment remained unchanged.

‘She’s mediocre.’

There was nothing remarkable about her.

Except for one thing.

‘Her hand skills are pretty good.’

Her dagger techniques and grappling techniques were surprisingly decent.

They weren’t particularly refined, but with proper guidance, she could become quite skilled in those areas.

She was probably better suited for the Sichuan Tang Clan, a clan renowned for its hidden weapons techniques, than the Mo Yong Clan.

‘That’s probably why they’re discouraging her from learning martial arts.’

They were afraid of what would happen if she discovered her true talent for close combat.

‘This isn’t going to work. She’ll require too much effort.’

He decided to send her back.

He had Namgung Yun-ho’s friend to consider, and he didn’t need another student who would demand his constant attention.

His mind was made up.

***

“Hmm…”

Mo Yong So-hye watched the instructor, her heart sinking.

‘I failed.’

She might not have been exceptionally talented, but she had a knack for reading people.

She could sense Cho Un-hwi’s hesitation, his uncertainty.

It was different from the cold glares she had received from Baek Ri-seol and Namgung Yun-ho.

It wasn’t just caution or indifference it was a negative assessment of her abilities.

She felt a wave of despair wash over her.

‘I failed again.’

She kicked a pebble, her lower lip trembling.

She had heard that this instructor was different.

There were rumors among the students that he was an eccentric genius who could uncover hidden potential in even the most unlikely candidates.

She had begged Mo Yong-Seon-ya to give her a chance, but it seemed she had failed.

‘I don’t want to train with Chief Instructor Yeom…’

He was a decent instructor, but she always felt uneasy around him, as if he had ulterior motives.

‘Should I go back?’

She kicked another pebble.

Crash!

“Oops!”

She heard Namgung Yun-ho’s surprised exclamation.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

She looked up to see a training dummy lying in pieces at her feet.

“The dummy… broke?”

It wasn’t just any dummy.

It was a special training dummy, made of ironwood, the strongest wood available.

‘No one has ever broken it before.’

She had tried hitting it herself, but she had only managed to bruise her hand.

Even the instructors, when demonstrating their striking power, had never managed to break the ironwood dummy.

It was an impressive feat.

If it had been Yeom-gwang, he would have been bragging about his superior skills for weeks.

“That’s amazing…”

But as she looked up, she saw something strange.

“You idiot!”

The instructor, who had been lost in thought just moments ago, was launching himself into the air, his foot aimed at Namgung Yun-ho’s chest.

“I told you to be careful with that!”

Wham!

Namgung Yun-ho went flying, rolling across the ground.

The instructor clutched his head and wailed, “My salary! Another disciplinary report!”

Namgung Yun-ho scrambled to his feet and protested, “I-I hit it gently!”

“Really?”

“I swear! I used minimal force!”

“Alright, I believe you. Now stand still. I’m going to beat you gently.”

“Instructor!”

What was going on?

There was no praise for Namgung Yun-ho’s achievement.

Only despair and frustration emanated from the instructor.

He was genuinely upset about the broken ironwood dummy.

“Um…”

Mo Yong So-hye’s gaze fell on the broken dummy.

***

“You little…!”

“I-I’m sorry, Instructor!”

Namgung Yun-ho screamed, Cho Un-hwi raged, and Baek Ri-seol watched with amusement.

“Excuse me…”

A small voice interrupted them.

They turned to see Mo Yong So-hye struggling to carry the heavy ironwood dummy.

“Huh?”

Something was wrong.

“The dummy… is fixed?”

The broken neck was perfectly intact.

How was that possible?

Mo Yong So-hye, sensing their confusion, explained, “The joints were just a little loose. If you remove the broken parts and carve some grooves into the remaining pieces, you can fix it.”

She was right.

She removed the broken pieces, adjusted a few internal mechanisms, and the dummy’s neck was as good as new.

“It’s a bit tricky to fix if it’s completely shattered, but this dummy is specially designed, so it’s possible to make temporary repairs.”

Cho Un-hwi’s gaze darted between her nimble fingers, which were expertly manipulating the dummy’s internal mechanisms, and her earnest expression.

“There, good as new!”

She presented the repaired dummy with a flourish, and Cho Un-hwi burst into tears.

“Are… are you crying?”

“My salary… it’s safe.”

They were tears of joy.

“I thought I was going to lose another month’s worth of pay…”

He had lost three months’ worth of salary when he broke the ironwood wall on his first day.

He hadn’t received a single penny in three months.

He had finally been able to start receiving his salary, but then that idiot Namgung Yun-ho had gone and broken another valuable piece of equipment.

He had been worried that he would have to wait another three months to receive his first paycheck.

“Student…”

“Y-yes?”

He stumbled towards her and dropped to one knee.

“Please let me be your instructor.”

“B-but I’m not very talented. All I’m good at is fixing things and making hidden weapons…”

“That’s enough. That’s more than enough.”

He glared at Namgung Yun-ho.

“She’s a thousand times more useful than you, you destructive little…”

“H-hey! I’m good at martial arts too!”

“Just focus on fixing things. I’ll teach you enough martial arts to kill every wandering couple in the academy.”

Mo Yong So-hye’s eyes widened. She didn’t know what to say.

“I… I… um…”

Just then…

“What’s going on here?”

They turned to see a young man with sharp features and a confident swagger approaching them.

“Jegal Tan.”

Namgung Yun-ho recognized him.

Jegal Tan grinned, his lips curling into an arrogant smirk.

“Well, well, well. Look who it is.”