Chapter 23: The Third Student (3)

Jegal Tan swaggered over to Namgung Yun-ho and slung an arm around his shoulder.

“Hey, buddy! Long time no see! How’ve you been?”

“…Jegal Tan.”

“Things worked out better than I expected. I just sent an instructor to the infirmary, and they decided to transfer me here.”

“…Is that so?”

Jegal Tan frowned at Namgung Yun-ho’s indifferent response and brushed some dust off his clothes.

“Dude, you’re the heir to the Namgung Clan! What happened to you? You look like you just crawled out of a ditch.”

“Stuff happened.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t pry. But…”

Jegal Tan’s gaze shifted to a small girl and the man kneeling before her.

He recognized the instructor’s uniform, despite its casual and disheveled appearance.

He grinned.

“Is this the guy?”

“Jegal Tan, watch your tongue.”

“Hey, I haven’t accepted him as my instructor yet, so don’t get all protective.”

He chuckled, amused by his own audacity.

Namgung Yun-ho closed his eyes, wishing he could disappear.

His friend had no idea what kind of monster he was dealing with.

“Hehe, you’re a brave one, aren’t you?”

Baek Ri-seol, who had been silent until now, was pushing her sword up with her thumb, ready to draw it.

‘I have to save him.’

She had to intervene, even if it meant dragging him away or knocking him unconscious.

‘It’s the only way to keep him alive.’

She was about to act when she heard Cho Un-hwi’s voice, surprisingly calm and gentle.

“What can I do for you, Student?”

His tone was unusually kind and polite.

‘Did he eat something strange?’

Namgung Yun-ho was bewildered.

Jegal Tan chuckled.

“So you’re the instructor who handpicks his students?”

“Yes, Student. That’s correct. Student.”

“Well, I’d like to take your test.”

“I’m sorry, Student, but the application period is closed.”

“What? Closed?”

“Yes, Student.”

Cho Un-hwi continued to knead Mo Yong So-hye’s hand, his gaze fixed on the floor.

“Eep!”

Mo Yong So-hye squeaked in surprise.

“The third student has already been chosen. It’s the Invincible Divine Beast, Student Mo Yong So-hye. Student.”

His voice was excessively polite, and he kept adding “Student” to the end of his sentences, as if he were mocking Jegal Tan.

Namgung Yun-ho, who had witnessed Cho Un-hwi’s antics before, knew this was a bad sign.

But Jegal Tan, who was receiving this strange treatment for the first time, scoffed.

“You’re going to teach that pathetic little girl instead of me?”

“Eep!”

Mo Yong So-hye cowered under his cold gaze.

Jegal Tan chuckled and took a step back.

“Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it for now.”

He glanced at Cho Un-hwi, who was still kneeling on the floor, his gaze fixed on Mo Yong So-hye’s hand.

“I understand you want to save face in front of your students. I’m not that cruel. I won’t humiliate you on your first day.”

He patted Namgung Yun-ho’s shoulder condescendingly.

“Instructor, you better make a wiser decision next time. I don’t want to have to spill blood in Dongcheon Hall. Hehehehehe! Hahahahahaha!”

He swaggered away, fanning himself with his hand.

Namgung Yun-ho tried to follow him, hoping to warn him about Cho Un-hwi.

But Baek Ri-seol was already drawing her sword.

“I’ll be back after dinner.”

He had to stop her before she did something reckless.

“Ghost Boy.”

Cho Un-hwi’s voice was cold and sharp.

“That’s your friend?”

Namgung Yun-ho closed his eyes, his heart sinking.

‘He’s dead.’

***

Mo Yong So-hye flinched as Cho Un-hwi continued to knead her hand.

“Um… Instructor, are you sure this is okay?”

“Of course it is, Master Wooden Healer.”

He had gone from calling her the “Invincible Divine Beast” to the “Master Wooden Healer.”

It was his way of acknowledging her skill in repairing the three training dummies.

‘Whatever.’

She cautiously continued, “Shouldn’t we do something about him?”

She had recognized Jegal Tan’s strength with a single glance.

He was far more powerful than her.

And she had heard the rumors.

The Instructor Hunter.

The madman who had been terrorizing Euncheon Hall, sending instructors to the infirmary with his brutal beatings.

He was said to be merciless, stopping only when his victims were unconscious.

‘If he’s really the Instructor Hunter, then Instructor Cho is in danger.’

She didn’t want him to get hurt because of her.

But Cho Un-hwi’s response was surprisingly nonchalant.

“There’s no need to worry, Master Wooden Reviver.”

He had given her another nickname.

The Master Wooden Reviver.

It was a clear indication of why he had accepted her as his student.

“Try moving your hand.”

“What?”

She wiggled her fingers, her eyes widening in surprise.

“It feels so light!”

The stiffness in her joints had vanished, and the pain in her hand, which had been aching from wielding the sword, was gone.

‘This is amazing.’

She felt like she could swing a sword all day without getting tired.

He truly was an extraordinary instructor.

“Thank you, Instructor.”

“You’re welcome. I look forward to working with you.”

And so, the third student was chosen.

***

The atmosphere in the Dongcheon Hall instructors’ office was tense.

News had arrived from Euncheon Hall.

“Head Instructor, this is outrageous! They’re sending a troublemaker from Euncheon Hall to Dongcheon Hall?!”

“He should have been expelled!”

“Why did you accept him?!”

Yeom-gwang was furious.

“You’ve heard of the Instructor Hunter, haven’t you?”

“Of course I have.”

Chung-hyeon sighed.

“But the Head Instructor of Euncheon Hall personally requested this transfer. I couldn’t refuse.”

Refuse?

He had probably jumped at the chance to curry favor with the Head Instructor of Euncheon Hall.

“What are we supposed to do? We can’t possibly handle that maniac!” Yeom-gwang protested.

“We have no choice. But think of it this way: it’s our duty as instructors to guide troubled students back to the right path. Look at the bright side.”

“Hmph.”

Easy for him to say.

Yeom-gwang’s blood boiled.

Chung-hyeon had assigned him to be Jegal Tan’s instructor.

‘I have to get rid of him.’

He wouldn’t normally be so concerned about a single student. He could easily control him with his authority and his strength.

But Jegal Tan was different.

He came from a powerful family, the Jegal Clan, so Yeom-gwang couldn’t bully him into submission.

And he couldn’t defeat him in a fight either.

Jegal Tan might not have been as talented as his older brother and Younger Brother, who were both considered prodigies, but he was still a skilled martial artist.

‘He wouldn’t be the Instructor Hunter if he wasn’t talented.’

And he had earned that title in Euncheon Hall, no less.

Unlike Dongcheon Hall, where even third-rate martial artists could become instructors if they had the right connections, the standards for instructors in Euncheon Hall were much higher.

They had to be at least second-rate masters.

And the instructors Jegal Tan had defeated were all first-rate masters, well-respected in Euncheon Hall.

Even Yeom-gwang wasn’t confident he could defeat him.

What worried him most was that his authority stemmed from his ability to control the students.

He used his position as Chief Instructor to intimidate them, and he relied on his strength to eliminate any dissent.

If someone like Jegal Tan challenged his authority…

His carefully constructed system of control would crumble.

‘I have to get rid of him.’

Fortunately, his loyal followers were doing their best to discredit Jegal Tan.

“It takes a good person to guide a troubled student back to the right path.”

“That’s right! He assaulted his instructors! He’s beyond redemption!”

“We can’t let him corrupt our students!”

As they were voicing their disapproval…

Crash!

The door burst open.

“Who kicked the door down?!”

Yeom-gwang’s eyes widened in horror.

“Heheheehee.”

A young man, his face partially concealed by a fan, swaggered into the room.

“Beyond redemption, huh?”

The room fell silent.

***

Jegal Tan smirked as he surveyed the tense atmosphere.

The instructors had fallen silent the moment he entered the room.

It was always like this.

They would pretend to be friendly and supportive to his face, but behind his back, they would spread rumors and gossip about him.

‘Who are they calling trash?’

He found their hypocrisy amusing.

They were too cowardly to confront him directly.

And look at that guy.

“S-student Jegal Tan, you’re here.”

He had just called him “beyond redemption,” and now he was trying to force a smile.

‘Typical.’

He wasn’t surprised anymore.

He walked towards Chung-hyeon and pulled out a wooden plaque from his robe.

He tossed it onto the table.

Thud.

Chung-hyeon frowned as he picked up the plaque.

“S-student Jegal Tan, what’s this?”

“It’s my enrollment plaque.”

“I-I see. But why did you throw it?”

“My hands are a bit shaky. Sorry about that.”

“O-of course, of course. I understand.”

Jegal Tan watched as Chung-hyeon fumbled with the plaque, then turned his attention to Yeom-gwang, who was trying to force a smile.

“Chief Instructor Yeom?”

“Y-yes, that’s me.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I-is that so?”

Yeom-gwang’s face brightened at his unexpectedly polite greeting.

“I have a bit of a temper,” Jegal Tan continued. “I’m not very good at controlling my emotions.”

“What?”

“I apologize in advance for any trouble I might cause.”

What was he up to?

Yeom-gwang frowned.

One of the instructors spoke up.

“Student Jegal Tan, you’re being disrespectful! These are your seniors, your instructors!”

“Instructors?”

“Yes! We might only be your instructors for a short time, but we’re still your teachers! You should show us some respect!”

“Hehehe, instructors? Teachers?”

Jegal Tan’s smile vanished, his eyes turning cold.

“Do instructors treat their students like trash these days?”

“You insolent brat! How dare you talk back to us!”

One of the instructors raised his fist, but Jegal Tan didn’t flinch.

He closed his fan and pointed it at the instructor’s chest.

“If instructors have the right to choose their students, then students have the right to choose their instructors. I’d like to test your qualifications.”

“What?”

“I’m looking for an instructor…”

He grinned, his smile both charming and menacing.

“Can you handle me?”

“Y-you…!”

The instructor was speechless.

He couldn’t bring himself to attack Jegal Tan.

He was the Instructor Hunter.

He had a reputation for challenging instructors to fights.

And the aura he was emanating was intimidating.

“What’s wrong? Scared?”

“Student Jegal Tan, that’s enough!”

Yeom-gwang was about to intervene when…

Crash!

The door burst open again.

“Head Instructor, I fixed the dummies!”

A familiar figure, carrying two training dummies under each arm, entered the room.

He looked around, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“What’s with the gloomy atmosphere?”