Chapter 79: Proving Their Worth (3)

Cho Un-hwi was getting annoyed.

“Jegal, smile, smile! You’re scaring them away.”

“This is my natural expression.”

“Too bad. My fist has a natural expression too.”

As Cho Un-hwi raised his fist, Jegal Tan groaned and tried to force a smile, pushing up the corners of his mouth with his index fingers.

He was trying, but his awkward grimace wasn’t very convincing.

Cho Un-hwi turned away, his mood darkening further.

“Namgung.”

“Yes, Instructor.”

“You’re not even thinking, are you?”

“I was just thinking about how nice the weather is.”

“Oh, really?”

He was hopeless too.

So his only hope was the two girls?

Fortunately, Baek Ri-seol and Mo Yong So-hye were greeting the students with bright smiles and enthusiastic waves.

“Hello! Hello!”

“Hey, seniors! Listen up!”

Their cheerful and charming demeanor seemed to be winning some favor, but…

“Hey, you, the one who looks like a block of tofu that hit a wall. You need the guidance of a skilled assistant.”

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Really!”

“Haa… that’s right, you little punk. You’ll never get another chance like this.”

Their sales pitches were incredibly arrogant, especially Baek Ri-seol’s.

“Why is everyone running away?”

She seemed oblivious to the reason.

‘Is there anything I can do?’

Even in Euncheon Hall, which was filled with children of privilege, Baek Ri-seol’s background as a member of the Baek Ri Clan was exceptional.

She had grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth and wasn’t used to being polite.

‘On the other hand…’

Cho Un-hwi’s gaze shifted to the other side of the training ground.

“Line up! Line up!”

Yeo Mae-hong was surrounded by students, sweating profusely.

***

The students gathered here were the ones who required special attention.

They had been expelled for either their personalities or their attitudes.

But there were also some who had worked hard but lacked talent and had received failing grades.

These students were drawn to Yeo Mae-hong’s passionate teaching, which was a stark contrast to the high-handedness of the Euncheon Hall instructors.

“E-excuse me…”

“Could you please take a look at my swordsmanship?”

Yeo Mae-hong, the enthusiastic instructor, didn’t refuse them.

“Show me your form.”

“Ah, your footwork is a bit off.”

“Here, bend your wrist like this.”

“Wow! You’re doing great!”

The students who had been watching from afar hesitantly approached her, drawn by her passionate guidance.

Soon, she was surrounded by students.

“Oh my! There are too many of you!”

“I’ll help you one by one!”

“Line up! Line up!”

The requests for guidance didn’t stop, and eventually, even Instructor Yang and Instructor Jo Hyeon had to step in to help.

It was a heartwarming sight.

‘Well, that’s not the only reason.’

Cho Un-hwi’s gaze shifted to two figures that were radiating an intense aura.

‘They said they were nervous and couldn’t sleep, and now they’re here bright and early.’

“No cutting in line.”

“No making a fuss.”

“This class better not end.”

They even started policing each other, forming a neat line like obedient sheep.

It was an unexpectedly orderly scene for a group of delinquents who had been forced to attend supplementary classes.

***

While Cho Un-hwi’s group was being ignored, Yeo Mae-hong was surrounded by students, basking in their adoration.

Baek Ri-seol gnawed on her sleeve in frustration.

“Ugh, that busty monster.”

“Sister, she’s too powerful. We can’t compete with her. We can’t even challenge her.”

Mo Yong So-hye was right.

Yeo Mae-hong was invincible today. She was the best in the world.

“Namgung… never mind, you’re hopeless.”

She ignored Namgung Yun-ho’s confused expression and asked Jegal Tan, “Is there anything we can do?”

She hoped the Jegal Clan’s strategist would have a brilliant plan.

“The gap is too wide.”

“I’ve attended my fair share of supplementary classes, but I’ve never seen such enthusiasm.”

“Even the Alliance Leader wouldn’t get this kind of response.”

They were facing a harsh reality.

Baek Ri-seol stamped her feet.

“Ugh, what should we do? Our plan to lure in the naive students and build a pyramid scheme of achievements is failing.”

“Hmm, that’s a shame.”

It was a plan that Dokgo Yul had devised.

*‘My lord has nothing to offer right now.’*

*‘And as an instructor, it’s only going to get more annoying, so it’s important to make a strong first impression.’*

*‘The first meeting, when the students are still clueless, is your chance.’*

*‘Attract their attention and use any means necessary to win them over.’*

*‘And then threaten to make them bring three friends if they want to leave.’*

It was the multi-level marketing Venus flytrap strategy.

His loyal subordinate’s carefully crafted plan had been thwarted from the start.

“Ugh, what should we do now?”

Mo Yong So-hye said, “It was a doomed plan from the start. How could an instructor with no friends, no lover, and no social skills become popular?”

“…”

“He has no social skills, eats alone, and is destined to die alone. He’s delusional if he thinks he can become a popular instructor. Ugh.”

She was being a bit harsh.

He wanted to argue, but it was all true, so he could only feel a pang of sadness.

“Die alone?!”

“So-hye, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

“He promised to take care of me, didn’t he?”

He wished Baek Ri-seol would just be quiet.

Her words made him feel like a parasite.

His plan was in ruins, his mood was sour, and his worries were piling up.

“What should I do…”

As he was pondering his options, one of the Euncheon Hall instructors, who had been observing them from afar, approached him.

“Temporary Instructor Cho Un-hwi?”

“What is it?”

“There’s an error in the official assistant roster. They need you to come and fix it.”

“An error in the roster?”

That was impossible.

‘Dokgo Yul made the roster.’

The meticulous Dokgo Yul wouldn’t make a mistake.

He looked at the instructor curiously and noticed something strange.

He was young, clearly the youngest among them. And he seemed nervous.

Cho Un-hwi smiled, realizing what was going on.

‘This could be an opportunity.’

He said, feigning concern, “Oh dear, we can’t have errors in important documents.”

“Y-yes, you’re right.”

“I’ll go and fix it right away. Where should I go?”

“Follow me.”

“Right away.”

He turned around and mouthed to his beloved students,

*- I’m counting on you.*

They nodded in unison.

***

“He’s gone?”

“He’s gone.”

The Dongcheon Hall instructors’ attention was focused on one side of the training ground.

As the last instructor left, the atmosphere shifted subtly.

“Shall we make our move?”

A strange tension filled the air.

But the most interesting thing was the reaction of the Euncheon Hall instructors.

“Ahem, it’s time for my rounds.”

“I need to check the equipment room.”

“I’ll be back in an hour.”

The instructors left one by one.

Those who remained turned their backs on the training ground, pretending not to notice anything.

The students knew what was going on.

‘They’re giving us free rein?’

‘It’s been a while since they’ve set the stage for us like this.’

‘Hehe, let’s have some fun.’

The change in atmosphere stirred the students, who had been scattered around the training ground.

***

“Something’s strange.”

Namgung Yun-ho, surprisingly perceptive, sensed the shift in the atmosphere.

Baek Ri-seol, whose senses were sharp, also frowned.

“There are more lecherous gazes on me. Those filthy creatures dare to look at me like that?”

“Well, at least we’re finally getting some attention.”

Jegal Tan agreed with Namgung Yun-ho.

“The instructor’s plan is finally working.”

He looked at the temporary instructors, who were still surrounded by students.

“We don’t have to worry about them for now.”

“Now that we have their attention, it’s time to make our presence known.”

How should we do that?

Jegal Tan crossed his arms and nodded.

“Well, I don’t think we need to initiate anything.”

“What do you mean?”

Mo Yong So-hye whispered urgently, “Over there, and over there. They’re coming towards us.”

“Oh my, do those sheep think they can change anything by forming a herd?”

Jegal Tan, unlike Baek Ri-seol, who was spewing insults, seemed relieved as he recognized their opponents.

“Eon Ho-seung of the Jinju Eon Clan? Not a bad opponent.”

“Not a bad opponent?”

“Unlike Dongcheon Hall, Euncheon Hall has a clear hierarchy. There’s even an unofficial ranking list.”

“So you’re saying it’s more effective to target those with higher rankings?”

“Yes, and he’s not just skilled, he’s also honorable. He’s competitive, but he’s not underhanded.”

“He’s a worthy opponent.”

Jegal Tan added, “But don’t let your guard down. The Jinju Eon Clan’s fist techniques are renowned. And that girl from the Sword Pavilion is also quite skilled. But she’s unlikely to fight herself, given her personality as the Sleeping Sword Maiden. The real problem is the Red Rain Sword Sect twins. I heard their joint attack techniques are formidable.”

Baek Ri-seol frowned.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Yun-ho will take on Eon Ho-seung, and I’ll handle the twins.”

“What about me?”

“We’ll cheer you on!”

Baek Ri-seol frowned as Mo Yong So-hye quickly abandoned her.

“I wanted to help boost the instructor’s popularity…”

“You can help by cheering us on.”

Mo Yong So-hye dragged Baek Ri-seol away, winking at Jegal Tan.

‘She’s dangerous.’

Jegal Tan winked back.

‘She has no sense of moderation. She might do more harm than good.’

They had reached a silent agreement.

But their plan was interrupted by the arrival of new players.

*Crash!*

A loud noise came from the entrance of the training ground. They turned to see a group of students kicking over a rack of wooden swords.

They were all older students with a delinquent air.

“What? They’re still training with wooden swords? How childish.”

“This isn’t a playground, kids. Tsk, tsk.”

“Wow, this brings back memories.”

Six students swaggered into the training ground, talking disrespectfully.

Their leader caught Cho Un-hwi’s attention.

Could a Shinmu Academy uniform really look this disheveled?

The pale man was walking towards them with a swagger, his uniform unbuttoned to reveal his chest, a voluptuous female student clinging to his arm.

“Hehe, this is hilarious.”

Jegal Tan groaned.

“Ugh, how did he…”

“Do you know him?”

Namgung Yun-ho asked, and the Euncheon Hall students, who had been stealthily approaching them, answered.

“Eom Ho, the Flower-Chasing Mad Dog.”

“Isn’t he the lecher from the Point Spear Sect? Why is he here?”

“I don’t know. I heard the Point Spear Sect dotes on him and he never gets failing grades, no matter what he does.”

Eom Ho, ignoring the whispers, continued to walk towards them. He spotted Baek Ri-seol and his eyes widened.

“Oh! It’s her.”

What a beauty.

He started walking towards them.