Chapter 77: Proving Their Worth (1)

As soon as the class began, the horse-faced instructor stepped forward.

He introduced himself as Gwak Jong-geun and said in a gruff voice, “As you were informed, today’s supplementary lesson is on herb identification. Distinguishing between poison and medicine in an emergency is a fundamental skill.”

He gestured towards the herbs that had been laid out for sun-drying.

The Dongcheon Hall instructors had worked hard to carry them out and spread them.

“As you can see, Euncheon Hall possesses over five hundred different types of herbs.”

“There aren’t many places in the Murim with such a diverse collection.”

“Even renowned apothecaries and medical families envy us.”

He shrugged, glancing at the Dongcheon Hall instructors with a smug expression.

It was as if he was saying, “You don’t have anything like this in your shabby little hall, do you?”

‘He’s so childish.’

Cho Un-hwi pretended not to notice, and Gwak Jong-geun, flustered, added, “This is all because of the high expectations we have for Euncheon Hall. Unlike some, we teach practical knowledge that can be used in real-life situations.”

Oh, really?

The naive Dongcheon Hall instructors applauded enthusiastically, while Cho Un-hwi just stared at him blankly.

They were so gullible.

Gwak Jong-geun, satisfied with their reaction, gestured to his fellow instructors.

“Let’s begin the lesson.”

The instructors began to move among the herbs.

They scooped up handfuls of herbs and tossed them into sacks without any discrimination.

Yeo Mae-hong tilted her head in confusion.

“Wait, those aren’t medicinal herbs…”

“They’re mixing poisonous herbs and medicinal herbs together.”

She had attended similar classes in the past, as a Shinmu Academy graduate.

“Usually, we start by learning the names of the herbs…”

“Maybe the lesson plan has changed?”

“I heard they’ve been focusing on more practical lessons recently. But even for Euncheon Hall students, it seems difficult to distinguish between poisonous herbs and medicinal herbs…”

It was a valid concern.

Many herbs had similar appearances.

And it was even more difficult to differentiate them when they were dried for storage.

Instructor Yang frowned.

“…This seems rather dangerous.”

“What if there’s an accident?”

Instructor Jo Hyeon sighed worriedly.

Instructor Yang finally stepped forward.

“Instructor Gwak, I have a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Is it really necessary to do it this way? What if the inexperienced students make a mistake and consume a poisonous herb?”

Gwak Jong-geun smirked at his concern.

“We have to train them rigorously if we want them to be useful in real-life situations.”

“Real-life situations are important, but what good is it if the students get hurt?”

“Weakness is not tolerated in Euncheon Hall.”

“…Is that so?”

“It seems that the temporary instructors… have doubts about our students’ abilities.”

He pointed at a few students.

“You, you, and you, come forward.”

Three students, looking annoyed, reluctantly stood up.

“Ugh, this is so annoying…”

“What does he want now?”

“I just want to rest…”

They shuffled forward like veterans on the eve of their discharge.

“The esteemed guests from Dongcheon Hall seem to have doubts about your skills. What do you think about that?”

A young man with narrow eyes smirked.

“Pfft, Dungcheon Hall wouldn’t understand.”

“How could they even think of wandering around the Murim if they can’t even handle something this simple?”

“We’re not delicate flowers.”

Gwak Jong-geun shrugged.

“Well?”

“…I hope it’s as safe as you say.”

Instructor Yang couldn’t shake off his concern, even as he was being mocked by the students.

He was a kind man who valued the well-being of his students above his own pride.

Gwak Jong-geun, however, showed no signs of backing down.

“It seems that the temporary instructors… lack faith in you.”

“You want us to give you a demonstration?”

“If you do well, I’ll let you off early.”

“Hehe, alright, we’ll do it.”

The young man with narrow eyes strode towards a sack and plunged his hand inside.

He began to sort the herbs with delicate movements, separating the poisonous ones from the medicinal ones.

“This is a poisonous herb. This is Rehmannia glutinosa. This is…”

He emptied the sack in less than an hour and stepped back.

“I’m done.”

The other two students, who had been working on different sacks, raised their hands.

“We’re done too.”

“Don’t waste our time with such simple tasks, okay?”

They were incredibly disrespectful, but Gwak Jong-geun seemed pleased.

“Instructor Yang, or should I say, Temporary Instructor Yang, I understand your concern, but our students are far more capable than you think.”

“…My apologies.”

Instructor Yang, seeing that the herbs had been sorted perfectly, stepped back.

The Dongcheon Hall instructors were also shocked by the demonstration.

“Ugh, I’m not even sure I could work that fast…”

“Euncheon Hall is on a different level.”

Yeo Mae-hong, Jo Hyeon, and the other instructors cowered in intimidation.

“They might have bad personalities, but they’re skilled.”

“If a mere student is that capable, how strong are the instructors?”

“Do we even belong here?”

As the Dongcheon Hall instructors’ voices trailed off and Gwak Jong-geun’s smugness grew, Cho Un-hwi chuckled.

Gwak Jong-geun’s eyes narrowed.

“You, what’s so funny?”

“Isn’t this the perfect time to laugh?”

“What’s so funny?”

Tell me what’s so funny.

Cho Un-hwi cut him off, “I thought you were putting on a show for us by calling out only the Sichuan Tang Clan students. Was I wrong?”

“W-what… what are you…”

“The stench of poison is a dead giveaway.”

Gwak Jong-geun’s face contorted in anger.

The other instructors also sensed something was wrong.

“The Sichuan Tang Clan? The masters of poison?”

“They’re renowned for their knowledge of herbs. They start learning about them before they can even walk.”

“If they’re from the Sichuan Tang Clan, that’s child’s play for them.”

“Wait, if he only called out the Sichuan Tang Clan students, then… he rigged the demonstration!”

Gwak Jong-geun’s face darkened as his carefully orchestrated scheme was exposed.

“…You have a good nose. I’d believe you if you said you were a dog.”

“Don’t insult my nose by comparing it to a dog’s.”

“Hmph, you’re very confident. Is it because you grew up in a rural backwater? You must be as familiar with herbs as a herb gatherer. What, are you good at climbing trees too?”

He was trying to provoke him with insults.

But Cho Un-hwi was no ordinary instructor.

“Herb gatherer? Monkey? Those brats wouldn’t dare to meet my eyes. They’d be bowing their heads in shame.”

“…”

He wouldn’t back down from a verbal spar.

‘What should I say now?’

Gwak Jong-geun, who was usually skilled at intimidation tactics, was at a loss for words.

The other Euncheon Hall instructors finally intervened.

“All talk and no action.”

“I wonder if his skills match his words.”

“Show us what you can do.”

Cho Un-hwi smirked at their attempts to provoke him.

“Why should I bother with such a trivial task?”

He then shouted, “Competent assistant, step forward!”

“Step forward!”

The instructors finally noticed a figure running towards them at an incredible speed.

It was one of the four Dongcheon Hall assistants who had been silent until now.

It was Namgung Yun-ho.

***

“I’ll begin the demonstration!”

Namgung Yun-ho stood in front of a sack of herbs, shouted a war cry, and began to move his hands with incredible speed.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

His movements were a blur.

His eyes remained fixed, while his hands moved like the wind. It was as if the herbs were sorting themselves.

“Is he doing it right?”

“He’s not even looking.”

“No, look! He’s not just separating the poisonous herbs and medicinal herbs.”

Yeo Mae-hong tilted her head.

“Instructor Cho, why is Student Namgung sorting the herbs into three categories?”

The purpose of the demonstration was to distinguish between poisonous herbs and medicinal herbs.

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

Cho Un-hwi walked over to Namgung Yun-ho, who was still sorting through the herbs at an incredible speed.

He poked him in the side with his index finger.

“Ow!Ow!”

Namgung Yun-ho yelped and twisted his body in pain.

“Don’t stop working. Just answer me.”

“What are these herbs you’ve set aside?”

He continued to poke him in the side, and Namgung Yun-ho answered without hesitation.

“Ow! Those are… ow! Gamsu herbs! Ow! They become medicine when pickled in vinegar and poison when soaked in water! Ow!”

So they could be used as both medicine and poison?

The Euncheon Hall instructors gasped at his flawless answer.

The pile of herbs in front of Namgung Yun-ho was dwindling rapidly.

“Final classification! Begin!”

The final step was to quickly separate the remaining herbs.

“Leaves are medicinal! Roots are poisonous! Classification complete! Instructor!”

The instructors stared at him in disbelief.

“Amazing! He sorted them even more thoroughly, and it took him less than half the time.”

“Is Student Namgung that knowledgeable about herbs?”

“He’s far more skilled than any expert I’ve ever seen…”

The Euncheon Hall instructors’ faces contorted in frustration.

They were losing the battle of egos.

But the humiliation didn’t end there.

“Student Namgung, are you done? Is that your best?”

“There’s one thing I need to point out.”

Namgung Yun-ho, who had been about to leave quietly, stopped in front of the pile of herbs that the Euncheon Hall students had sorted.

“There are a few misclassified herbs here.”

The young man with narrow eyes, who was from the Tang Clan, immediately protested.

“That’s impossible. The herb you’re talking about is a Solomon’s seal. There’s a poisonous herb that looks similar, but the number of leaves is different.”

“Don’t you even know that?”

It was a sharp rebuttal, but Namgung Yun-ho remained calm.

“It seems you didn’t notice that two leaves fell off while it was drying.”

“Hmm?”

The young man rushed over to examine the herb and groaned.

“Oh no… I made a mistake. Wait, you noticed that in such a short time?”

His narrow eyes widened in surprise.

The Euncheon Hall students began to whisper amongst themselves.

“What? He lost?”

“Even monkeys fall from trees sometimes…”

“That guy is pretty good.”

“They didn’t bring a complete amateur.”

The Euncheon Hall instructors’ expressions darkened as the atmosphere turned against them.

Cho Un-hwi added fuel to the fire.

“You said it was simple? You said they couldn’t even handle this and had no business wandering the Murim?”

“I wonder who the delicate flower is now.”

“Hey, flower boy, how does it feel to be crushed by a wild weed?”

‘I’ll get you for this.’

The Euncheon Hall instructors’ eyes burned with rage.