Chapter 45: An Unexpected Home Visit (1)

A few days after the midterm exams, with the excitement still lingering in the air, Cho Un-hwi found himself at the spring behind Dongcheon Hall.

“Ahh…”

He savored the cool, refreshing water, enjoying the tranquility of the night. Suddenly, Sima Yul emerged from the shadows.

“Your subordinate, Sima Yul, greets you, my lord.”

Gone was the righteous and honorable persona he displayed during the day. Now, he exuded a dark and menacing aura.

Cho Un-hwi stared at him blankly and said, “She’s not there.”

“…”

“She’s not there.”

Sima Yul, who had been kneeling, raised his head.

“You mean the Principal Spouse is not in Dongcheon Hall?”

“Yes, I’ve checked on all the remaining students. She’s not here.”

“What about the students who came from Euncheon Hall for the sparring matches? I included a few who fit your criteria.”

So that was why there were so many female students.

Cho Un-hwi shook his head.

“No, she wasn’t there either.”

“Hmm, we can rule out the Euncheon Hall students who participated in the sparring matches. No need to check them twice.”

Sima Yul’s mind was working quickly.

“So you don’t have much left to do in Dongcheon Hall.”

“Nothing at all.”

“What about candidates one hundred and eighty-three and one hundred and eighty-four?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing, my lord.”

Cho Un-hwi sighed, ignoring his subordinate’s cryptic remark.

“I need to get to Euncheon Hall as soon as possible.”

“That won’t be easy. The official promotion period is after the year-end exams.”

“Isn’t there any other way?”

Sima Yul shook his head firmly.

“It’s better to be patient. Euncheon Hall is completely different from Dongcheon Hall.”

“I heard it’s bigger and more complicated…”

“It’s not just a little bigger.”

Sima Yul’s voice turned serious.

“They don’t call this place ‘Dongcheon Dump’ for nothing. Euncheon Hall is much larger and more secure.”

“How different can it be…?”

“With Light of the Flame’s help, I managed to sneak in the other day. They’ve built mountains and forests inside the hall for survival training.”

“…”

Those lunatics.

‘They should use that money to raise our salaries!’

The righteous faction was truly incomprehensible.

“Well, I’m sure you could force your way in if you wanted to. But there’s a reason why you haven’t done that, isn’t there?”

Yes, there was.

‘She doesn’t like violence.’

That was why their first encounter had been a disaster.

They had tried to kill each other on multiple occasions. It wasn’t until they discovered that they had both been manipulated by the Heavenly Destruction Society that they finally joined forces.

It had taken them over a decade of fighting to reach that point.

“And there’s also a reason why you’re so insistent on being an instructor.”

His subordinate was perceptive.

It was for the same reason.

She had said…

*- My first love was an instructor.*

That was when he realized that her ideal type was an older man. He had cried himself to sleep that night.

He was the strongest man in the world, but what good was that?

That nameless instructor, who shared sweet memories with her, was far more valuable.

He had made up his mind.

‘I’ll fake my age and get a job as an instructor.’

He would be her first love.

That was why he had been so eager to get things done after his rebirth.

He wasn’t going to change his plan now.

“Alright, I’ve come this far. I won’t give up now.”

“But I’m curious, my lord. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to Euncheon Hall if you build your reputation here. Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Because she’ll be joining the Emei Sect in three or four years.”

“The Principal Spouse will become a nun?”

“Yes, the Emei Sect is a Buddhist sect. They don’t allow marriage… well, they do allow it, but…”

Sima Yul’s eyes flashed with anger.

“Those bastards! My lord, should we burn down the Emei Sect?”

“…”

“Just give the order, and I’ll slaughter every living thing in that accursed sect.”

Sima Yul’s body was trembling with rage.

He had probably already burned down the Emei Sect a hundred times in his mind.

If Cho Un-hwi nodded, he would actually do it.

“Hey, One-Eyed Sword God.”

“One-Eyed Sword God, my ass! Those sons of bitches!”

“Hey!”

Sima Yul prostrated himself.

“My lord, I believe the Principal Spouse is a kind and peace-loving woman. Your happiness would be complete if you could be by her side.”

“You’re finally getting it. So, is there another reason why we need to take our time?”

“Of course.”

Sima Yul took a deep breath and said cautiously, “It’s because of the specialized instructor system.”

“Specialized instructors? What’s that?”

“Unlike Dongcheon Hall, where instructors are responsible for multiple students, Euncheon Hall instructors specialize in specific martial arts techniques.”

“So they learn other things besides martial arts?”

“Yes, they believe in a well-rounded education, so they spend a lot of time studying academics and other subjects.”

It wasn’t a bad idea.

‘Although it’s not very practical for survival.’

But Sima Yul continued, “This is both a limitation and an opportunity for you, my lord.”

“An opportunity?”

“Yes, unfortunately, those blind fools in the righteous faction see you as a nameless nobody.”

“Yes, go on.”

Let’s skip the “blind fools” part.

It was a bit hurtful.

“So even if you go to Euncheon Hall, not many students will seek your guidance.”

He was starting to understand.

“So I should build my reputation as a specialized instructor and attract students?”

“Not only that. There are certain subjects that students are required to take. This means that the Principal Spouse candidates will come to you, instead of you having to search for them.”

Cho Un-hwi’s eyes lit up.

It was a brilliant plan. He felt like he was already one step closer to finding her.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

“It would be helpful if we knew what subjects the Principal Spouse is interested in. Does she have any particular hobbies or interests?”

“Swords.”

“Hmm, that’s a competitive field… but tell me more. There are many types of swords, like straight swords, curved swords, and daggers.”

That was true.

Single-edged blades were called “swords,” double-edged blades were called “straight swords,” and there were many other names for blades of different lengths.

Cho Un-hwi groaned.

“I think she liked all kinds of blades…”

“Hmm, that’s vague.”

He tapped his forehead, trying to recall his memories.

“No, wait, she was also good with blunt weapons. And hidden weapons, too, I think? Oh, and when she fought that demonic sect leader, she smashed his head in with a sharp rock…”

Sima Yul looked at him with a horrified expression.

“My lord, are you sure you want a wife like that?”

“What?”

“I mean, she sounds like the perfect match for you, my lord. A match made in heaven.”

Sima Yul quickly changed the subject.

“It doesn’t have to be martial arts. What subjects does the Principal Spouse enjoy?”

“I’ll think about it.”

He needed more time to jog his memory.

“Here’s a list of subjects taught by specialized instructors. Choose a few, and I’ll forge the necessary documents.”

“Alright, I’ll take a look.”

“If you let me know in advance, I can assassinate the current instructor and create a vacancy for you. Just give me some time.”

Thank you.

The Hope of the Righteous Faction.

The One-Eyed Sword God was a valuable ally.

***

Cho Un-hwi flipped through the booklet, his eyes glazed over with boredom.

“Ugh, there are so many. Why do they need to learn all this useless stuff?”

He stopped at a page titled “Mechanism Disarming Techniques.” It was a course on how to disarm traps and escape from dangerous situations.

“They’re going to spend six months learning this? Just smash it!”

He had personally stormed the Heavenly Demon Cult’s palace with brute force.

This subject seemed like a complete waste of time.

He tossed the booklet aside.

“This is pointless.”

He would think about it later when he remembered more about his lover’s interests.

He was about to take a nap when he heard a commotion coming from the other side of the wall.

Yeo Mae-hong was back.

“Instructor Cho, you’re back early.”

“Yes, I was just contemplating a few things.”

“What were you contemplating?”

He glanced at the discarded booklet and had an idea.

‘That’s right, she’s better than a boring old book. She knows a lot and can actually talk.’

He explained his situation to Yeo Mae-hong.

She laughed.

“Wow, you’re already aiming for a specialized instructor position? Are you that confident about being promoted?”

“Do you know any popular subjects? Something that would attract a lot of students.”

“Hmm.”

She paused for a moment, then said, “Most of the popular subjects are related to martial arts. There’s also poison, formations, and tracking.”

“Are there any non-martial arts subjects?”

“Some students prefer more refined pursuits, like poetry, painting, and embroidery.”

He was still clueless.

He couldn’t relate to any of those subjects.

“Hmm.”

“I learned how to play the guqin because I wanted to master Sound Techniques. Unfortunately, my internal energy wasn’t strong enough.”

Yeo Mae-hong playing the guqin. It was an appealing image.

But he wasn’t particularly interested.

“You have plenty of time to think about it. The promotion exams are still a few months away.”

She added, “But for now, you should focus on more pressing matters.”

Pressing matters?

What pressing matters?

“It’s summer break now that the midterm exams are over. And many clan and sect elders have come to Muhan City because of the recent incident.”

She was referring to the deaths of the Murim Alliance’s external experts and the Shinmu Academy instructors.

‘It was a big deal. The Murim Alliance hasn’t suffered such a loss in a long time.’

There hadn’t been any major incidents in the Murim world lately.

He wasn’t sure why it was necessary for all the elders to gather in Muhan City.

‘Perhaps they’re using this opportunity to assess the situation and gather information.’

It was none of his business, though.

“The students are free to leave the academy during the break, so some of them will want to visit their families and clan elders.”

Whatever.

‘I’ll have more free time once the students are gone, right?’

He could use the opportunity to explore Muhan City and observe the students who were out and about.

…Or so he thought.

“You’re Instructor Cho Un-hwi?”

Cho Un-hwi tilted his head as a group of warriors approached him.

“Yes?”

“We need to speak with you. Please come with us.”