Chapter 52: Summer Break and the Meetings (3)

The atmosphere was pleasant.

Too pleasant, in fact. It was starting to make Cho Un-hwi nervous.

‘I could have sworn he was ready to rip me limb from limb when he barged into the instructors’ office.’

He cautiously followed Mo Yong-ju, glancing sideways at Mo Yong Seon-ya, who was walking beside him with an uncharacteristic demureness.

“I’m surprised, again,” he whispered.

“By what?”

“By this peaceful atmosphere, and by seeing you here, when you’re usually too busy for even a quick drink.”

He could understand Mo Yong-ju’s change of heart, but Mo Yong Seon-ya’s presence was a complete surprise. She had been swamped with the memorial service and the Shinmu Academy’s reopening, claiming she didn’t even have time to sleep. She had even turned down a request from her close friend, Yeo Mae-hong. He never imagined she would participate in a mere family meeting.

Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she reverted to her usual, sharp demeanor.

“Don’t you know why I’m here? It’s because of you, Instructor Cho.”

“What did I do?”

“After the exams, you disappeared, leaving So-hye with a mountain of broken dummies. She spent four nights fixing them, crying the whole time. Do you have any idea how furious my father was when he heard about it?”

“…”

He had no excuse.

“And why is it so calm? Because I spent days smoothing things over.”

“…I’ll buy you dinner.”

“If you take me to the free meal hall, I’ll kill you.”

“I’ll buy you drinks too.”

“Hmph, you better.”

Cho Un-hwi, defeated, trudged towards the manor.

***

“Have a seat,” Mo Yong-ju said, gesturing towards a table laden with food.

Thanks to Mo Yong Seon-ya’s efforts, the atmosphere remained pleasant.

“I’m afraid it’s a rather simple meal, prepared on short notice. But please, eat your fill.”

The table was overflowing with enough food to feed ten people.

“You must be thirsty after your journey. Have some wine.”

He offered him several bottles of wine.

Cho Un-hwi was suspicious, but Mo Yong-ju seemed genuinely happy.

“Haha, I apologize for my rudeness the other day. My daughter told me that you’re in charge of So-hye’s training. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

He was acting like a completely different person. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had stormed into the instructors’ office, ready to demolish everything in sight, yelling, “Where’s that bastard Cho Un-hwi?!”

“I have a bit of a temper. I’m working on it, but it’s hard to change old habits.”

“Please take good care of So-hye. She’s quite fond of you.”

“What are you waiting for? The esteemed guest’s cup is empty!”

Cho Un-hwi felt like he was in a dream.

“Haha, you’re too kind.”

He accepted the wine and discreetly turned away from Mo Yong-ju, muttering under his breath,

“Does the Mo Yong Clan have a tradition of lulling their enemies into a false sense of security before devouring them?”

Mo Yong Seon-ya sent him a telepathic message.

*[That’s rude. What do you think of the Mo Yong Clan?]*

He turned to Mo Yong So-hye and mouthed,

“So-hye, I’m just asking, but even if you don’t like your instructor, poisoning his food and drinks is a crime.”

Mo Yong So-hye, who didn’t know how to send telepathic messages, crossed her chopsticks and mouthed back,

“I would never do that.”

“This is strange. Why am I so suspicious?”

“Look, Grandpa’s smiling again.”

“Oh my, I think he likes Instructor Cho.”

That was a relief.

‘Instructor Mo Yong must have worked hard.’

It seemed she had not only cleared up the misunderstanding, but also earned Mo Yong-ju’s favor.

And Mo Yong So-hye must have put in a good word for him too.

“Well, I appreciate your hospitality. I’ll dig in.”

***

Mo Yong-ju watched Cho Un-hwi eat, his chin resting on his hand, a pleased smile on his face.

He had initially planned to give the instructor a piece of his mind for exploiting his precious granddaughter.

‘Who dared to make my precious granddaughter cry?!’

He had been furious when he saw her, her clothes damp with morning dew, crying as she repaired the dummies.

*- Jeonggeom Sect. Unranked disciple. Cho Un-hwi.*

He had been even more enraged when he learned that the culprit was the instructor he had met at the academy.

“That good-for-nothing instructor!”

The man seemed to have some talent for teaching, but that was all.

‘I won’t let him get away with this!’

He had been ready to storm over to the academy and beat the man to a pulp.

“Father, wait!”

His daughter had stopped him.

If it hadn’t been for her, he would have probably done it. He would have kicked down the instructor’s door and given him a beating he would never forget.

“Listen to me!”

And then, his daughter had said something unexpected.

“What? You asked him to do it?”

“Yes, so please don’t blame Instructor Cho.”

His adorable granddaughter had also come to Cho Un-hwi’s defense.

“Grandpa, our instructor is a good person.”

His anger subsided slightly, but his suspicions remained.

‘That damn instructor has bewitched my daughter and granddaughter!’

Mo Yong So-hye insisted that it wasn’t true.

“The instructor said it’s part of my martial arts training.”

“What kind of idiot would train their martial arts by fixing dummies?”

The Wooden Hundred Hands Technique.

The name was ridiculous.

“Father, he wouldn’t lie to us. Please?”

In the end, Mo Yong-ju had decided to see for himself.

“Hmph, a Dongcheon Hall instructor’s skills are limited.”

He gestured towards the garden.

“We don’t even need to go to the training ground. Prove it to me here.”

***

They stood in the garden, surrounded by lush greenery and colorful flowers.

Mo Yong-ju turned to his granddaughter.

“Show me your full strength.”

“My full strength?”

He chuckled at her hesitation.

“Haha, what do you think I am?”

He was a renowned martial artist. It was amusing that his granddaughter, who had just started her training, was worried about him.

But he also felt a warmth in his heart.

“It’s been a while since I’ve used my full strength.”

She clenched her tiny fists.

Mo Yong-ju couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m ready, Grandpa.”

“Come at me.”

Her attack was unexpected.

‘Her footwork is surprisingly stable.’

The blades of grass rustled as she moved.

‘Her internal energy has increased significantly.’

He was impressed, but then her fist was aimed at his solar plexus.

She was charging at him with all her might, her fist extended, her body coiled like a spring.

‘She’s putting her weight behind her punches. But it’s a bit too straightforward.’

He deflected her fist with ease.

But then, her fist opened, and she struck him in the ribs with an open palm.

‘Is she switching from punches to palm strikes?’

He tried to block her palm strike, but her hand moved in a circular motion, deflecting his block, and her other hand grabbed his wrist.

‘Hmm, she’s using the Golden Silk Hand Technique?’

He was impressed by her seamless transitions.

He was starting to think that Cho Un-hwi might not be a complete fool after all.

‘Not bad. Not bad at all.’

He was getting excited.

But then, after about thirty moves…

Something went wrong.

Her aura surged, and her hands began to move in a bewildering array of punches, palm strikes, chops, and grabs.

She struck his wrist, his forearm, his elbow, his shoulder, and his collarbone.

Her attacks were strange and unpredictable.

She punched him, then struck him with an open palm, then raked his arm with her fingers curled like eagle claws, then twisted his wrist.

“What the…!”

Mo Yong-ju, finally realizing the danger, defended himself with all his might.

He no longer underestimated the instructor.

‘What kind of bizarre martial art is this?’

He had never seen anything like it.

And he was even more surprised that his granddaughter was able to execute it.

‘Is this what he meant when he said that only So-hye could learn this technique?’

And then, he felt something else.

His arms started to tingle.

His internal energy was becoming erratic.

He realized with horror that…

‘This technique is designed to seal acupoints!’

The true danger of this martial art wasn’t its unpredictable movements.

It was the subtle way it infiltrated his meridians and paralyzed his Qi.

His arms felt numb.

Even a master like him couldn’t defend himself properly when his Qi was disrupted.

His granddaughter’s tiny but powerful fists rained down on him, striking his shoulders, his eyes, and his throat.

‘You’re going to kill your grandpa, you little…’

Unable to circulate his Qi properly, Mo Yong-ju gave up on defending his arms and focused his internal energy on his entire body.

He unleashed a burst of energy.

“Eek!”

Mo Yong So-hye was sent flying, crashing into a bed of flowers.

The once-tranquil garden was now in ruins. The orchids were uprooted, the flowers were trampled, and the trees were broken.

“You said we weren’t allowed to use internal energy! Ow, ow, ow!”

Mo Yong So-hye’s eyes were filled with tears.

But Mo Yong-ju’s expression was grave.

“So-hye, is this the martial art that instructor taught you?”

“Yes, it’s the Wooden Hundred Hands Technique.”

“How did you learn it?”

“He just taught it to me little by little, while I was fixing the dummies. It wasn’t this complicated at first. I started with simple punches, and then it just evolved.”

“Hmm, so it’s a miracle born from his teaching talent?”

He couldn’t believe it.

But now that he thought about it, the instructor’s eccentric behavior made sense.

‘He made her fix dummies to teach her about the human body.’

‘She needs to strike quickly to seal acupoints.’

‘Is that why he made her fix so many dummies?’

He was ashamed of himself for doubting the instructor.

***

‘He’s a valuable asset.’

Mo Yong-ju decided to befriend Instructor Cho Un-hwi.

‘Perhaps I should even make him my son-in-law.’

They were already on good terms, so it wouldn’t be difficult to arrange a marriage.

All it took was a few fights and some playful banter to become family.

‘My daughter is getting older, and she’s too focused on her work. This could be a good opportunity. But maybe the main family is a bit too… restrictive. Perhaps a branch family would be a better fit…’

He smiled, his mind filled with possibilities.

“Haha, I was lost in thought. It happens when you get old.”

He was about to ask Cho Un-hwi if he was seeing anyone when he saw him building a tower of plates.

“Ugh, I’m stuffed. I need to loosen my belt.”

“Instructor Cho, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but isn’t it a bit rude to loosen your belt in front of a lady?”

Mo Yong-ju paused.

‘The main family is definitely out of the question. It’s too stuffy and formal. A branch family would be more suitable.’

Cho Un-hwi unbuckled his belt and reached for another plate of meat.

“I can fit more.”

“That’s not fair. I want some too. Why are you only giving me vegetables?”

“Children need to eat their greens to grow tall.”

“I don’t want greens. I want meat. I like duck.”

“Spit it out!”

“Ugh, honestly!”

“Haha, you’re drooling. I guess I’ll have to finish this myself.”

Mo Yong-ju watched as his daughter discreetly put down her chopsticks.

‘He doesn’t have to be my son-in-law. A close friend is just as good. These days, marriage isn’t the only way to form a lasting bond.’

His daughter, who had been humming a cheerful tune as she applied her makeup, was now burying her face in her arms.

“Well, at least there’s still some Imperial Palace Chicken left.”

“Spit it out!”

“Hey!”

Mo Yong-ju watched as his usually well-behaved granddaughter threw her chopsticks at the instructor’s face.

‘Maybe a friend is better after all. A certain distance is necessary for a lasting relationship.’

He pondered the question, his mind filled with uncertainty.