Chronicles of the Martial God’s Return - Chapter 27

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Hwa Somi shut her eyes tight.
She felt the sensation of her body falling into a pond and braced for the shock of cold water engulfing her—but no matter how long she waited, not a single drop touched her skin.
When she cautiously opened her eyes, Dan Woo-hyeon stood motionless, his arms wrapped around her.
“Oh… Father.”
“You nearly fell in. You should have been more careful.”
He lifted her as gently as one might handle a precious jewel. Only then did relief flood through her, and she nestled into Dan Woo-hyeon’s embrace with a soft sound of comfort.
With her face buried against him, Hwa Somi glanced backward.
She saw the large boy standing with a stunned expression.
“You fool! What were you thinking? What kind of carelessness was that!”
“I… Father!”
Hong Won-chang’s face had flushed crimson as he roared, the portrait of a father furious with his son. Had Hwa Somi been injured—even slightly—this would be no trivial matter to move past.
His face glistened with cold sweat.
He was terrified she might be hurt, or worse, crying. Given Dan Woo-hyeon’s temperament, his son could face terrible consequences.
“I… I…”
Hong Jin-rang, the boy in question, was bewildered. In all his seven years of life, he had never heard his father raise his voice, let alone lay a hand on him in anger.
But who were these people that provoked such rage?
Tears began to well in Hong Jin-rang’s eyes.
Though he had the build of a bear cub, he was still only seven years old.
An age when a father’s thundering reproach could shake the very foundations of his courage.
“It’s all right! Somi is all right!”
Then Hwa Somi spoke, her voice soft but clear.
She slipped gently from Dan Woo-hyeon’s arms and looked directly at Hong Won-chang, speaking with conviction.
She was startled, yes, but unharmed—and she had not fallen into the water.
“Are you truly unhurt?”
“I’m fine. I was just frightened for a moment. Is this the friend you mentioned, sir?”
“Haha, yes, that’s right. Well, what are you waiting for! Come and greet her properly.”
Hong Jin-rang grew even more confused.
Apart from his tears threatening to spill over, the difference in how Hong Won-chang treated the girl and how he treated his own son was starkly apparent.
This child was a stranger he had only just met, yet his father showed her vastly different regard than he showed his own son.
Anger flared in his small heart.
A bitter resentment took root in his young mind.
“Where are you going, you boy!”
“Father, I hate you!”
“You insolent—!”
Hong Jin-rang turned and ran, his bear-like frame cutting a pitiful figure as he bolted away.
Hong Won-chang watched him disappear, then exhaled a heavy sigh.
“I apologize. My son still has much to learn…”
“The boy has excellent bone structure.”
“Pardon?”
In stark contrast to Hong Won-chang’s bowed apology, Dan Woo-hyeon showed genuine interest. Despite his youth, the boy possessed considerable strength.
He seemed to have already begun basic martial training, and his natural physical foundation was well-suited for the discipline.
“With proper instruction in the martial arts, he will achieve greatness.”
“Truly, sir?”
Dan Woo-hyeon nodded.
“Raise him well. It will only bring benefit—never loss.”
“Yes, I understand. If a master such as yourself says so, then it must be true.”
Dan Woo-hyeon nodded.
He grasped Hwa Somi’s hand as she stood uncertainly beside him, then turned to leave. Rather than heading toward the main gate where countless eyes would surely be watching, he led her out through a small side door that few knew of.
Behind them, he sensed Hong Won-chang continuing to bow, but beyond a brief wave of his hand, he offered no parting words.
“Are you injured at all?”
“I’m fine. Not a scratch, I promise.”
“Haha, that’s a relief. Though I must say, that boy does resemble a bear. I can understand why you were startled.”
“Heehee, I really was terrified.”
Even now, thinking back on it made her dizzy. If it had been nighttime instead of broad daylight, she might well have screamed, certain a real bear had emerged from the shadows.
“That boy—is he Mr. Hong’s son?”
“It appears so. Do you think you might become friends?”
“Hmm…”
Hwa Somi fell deep into thought.
Not that there was much thinking to be done. In the old days, she would have shaken her head without hesitation. But watching the image of him rushing away with tears in his eyes moments ago, she found herself giggling despite herself.
She nodded readily, a bright smile spreading across her face.
“You seem like a good child! I’m sure Somi will make a wonderful friend.”
“Then, how about attending the Academy?”
“The… Academy?”
“You’d meet more people and gain good friends. You could study as well—killing two birds with one stone, as they say.”
“The Academy…”
Hwa Somi knew what an academy was.
But she had only heard of it; she had never actually attended one. The small Fire-field Farming Village had no academy, and the one in Ak-yang, she’d heard, was a place only for the children of officials or the wealthy—somewhere far beyond her reach.
For a child like Hwa Somi, it was a place of dreams.
“Can Somi really attend the Academy?”
“Of course. If that’s what you wish.”
“I wish it! Somi really wants to go to the Academy!”
“Then let us make it so.”

***

They returned to the Manor about an hour later. Upon entering through the gate, Jang Sam-tae was tidying the courtyard, while Namgung So-hye lay sprawled in the shade, resting.
Hwa Somi’s eyes widened in surprise.
She hurried toward Namgung So-hye.
“Sister!”
“Ah… so you’ve come back.”
She rose slowly from her spot. She had sensed their arrival, but her body refused to obey. From morning until evening she attended to various tasks, and late into the night she slipped into Ak-yang to gather information.
And just before sleep, she trained. Her body, worn from this grueling routine, had begun to give way. With a hazy gaze, she stroked Hwa Somi’s head, then glanced toward Dan Woo-hyeon and gave a slight nod.
“You’re here.”
“You have a blessed life.”
“Ha, yes. Quite blessed, lying about like this.”
Like someone who had given up on everything, Namgung So-hye responded vacantly. This was utterly different from the beginning, when she seized upon every word he spoke. It was as if she had surrendered to life itself.
Completely given up.
“But really, what was the builder thinking, making such a sprawling manor for so few people? I’m genuinely curious.”
“He wasn’t thinking of anything.”
“What? You built it?”
“… No, it’s nothing.”
Namgung So-hye’s expression grew vacant again. She had let his words slip past without even bothering to catch the tail end of what he said.
Dan Woo-hyeon sat down on the veranda.
The moment he settled, Hwa Somi trotted over and perched on his knee. Charmed by the gesture, Namgung So-hye’s eyes gleamed brightly, and she tapped her own knee invitingly.
‘Come sit here.’
That’s what her gesture seemed to say.
Hwa Somi glanced at Dan Woo-hyeon for permission, then sprang up and scurried over. She giggled and nestled into Namgung So-hye’s embrace.
Namgung So-hye wrapped her arms around her with a radiant smile.
“Oh my, how precious! You’re the reason your sister has a reason to live.”
“Hehe.”
……
Dan Woo-hyeon watched the scene quietly.
Now that he thought about it, in the past two days, Hwa Somi had been seeking out Namgung So-hye more often than him. They spent considerable time together.
‘Is it the difference between man and woman?’
He gazed at the two of them.
When Namgung So-hye tickled Hwa Somi, the girl laughed with delight and tickled her in return. It was subtly different from how Hwa Somi was with Dan Woo-hyeon.
It was like watching a loving mother and daughter at play.
Dan Woo-hyeon scratched his head absently.
“A child naturally longs for her mother’s arms, after all.”
……
Jang Sam-tae, who had drawn near without notice, muttered the words. The moment the sound reached Dan Woo-hyeon’s ears, his gaze locked onto Jang Sam-tae. It was merely a glance, but the sudden tension was so suffocating that Jang Sam-tae shuddered and turned away.
‘Damn it, why can’t I keep my mouth shut? Did I say something wrong? Huh?’
Jang Sam-tae grumbled as he swept the courtyard.
“Sam-tae.”
“Yes?”
Jang Sam-tae’s expression flickered as he approached Dan Woo-hyeon again. This wasn’t dog training—why was he calling now after scaring him half to death?
“Tell me, what sort of place is the Academy?”
“…… It’s a place where they teach letters.”
Jang Sam-tae turned the words over in his mind.
‘Does he take me for a fool?’
When Sam-tae’s gaze met Dan Woo-hyeon’s—unable to fathom why he was being asked something even small children would know—he instinctively turned his head away, fixing his eyes on the ground.
A faint, forced smile masked whatever he truly thought.
“Letters? Have you ever attended an Academy?”
“No, sir.”
“Then how do you know letters?”
“Well……”
In his childhood, Jang Sam-tae had yearned to attend an Academy. But tuition was dear, and his family’s circumstances allowed no such luxury; he’d abandoned the dream.
Yet as time passed and his mind matured, he found he could read the characters around him with ease.
Walking through town, hearing people discuss such things, the meanings had simply settled into his head.
It was much the same for Dan Woo-hyeon.
Unable to bear it any longer, Namgung So-hye spoke up.
“An Academy doesn’t simply teach letters.”
“Hmm? Have you attended an Academy yourself?”
“What do you take me for…… Of course I have.”
Namgung So-hye cleared her throat with a soft cough.
This was precisely what was wrong with men. What good did it do to provide children with food, clothing, and shelter, if they never bothered to consider what truly mattered? They lacked depth of thought.
“First, they teach the Thousand Character Classic.”
“And after that?”
“Then…… the teachings of Confucius and Mencius.”
Dan Woo-hyeon nodded.
Confucius and Mencius—he had heard those names before.
No doubt they were the two fools who spouted words ill-suited to times of chaos.
He recalled a monk from Shaolin, years ago, muttering something about them.
Then Hwa Somi looked up at Namgung So-hye with bright, eager eyes. Her fantasies about the Academy had kindled a fierce curiosity about what might be taught there.
“And then? What else, what else!”
“And then, formally, the Four Books and Three Classics……”
“That difficult book you mean?”
“Yes.”
“More! What else is there?”
Namgung So-hye felt cold sweat beading on her skin.
The subjects taught at an Academy were simple enough when she thought about it—but this relentless barrage of anticipant gazes was distinctly unnerving.
“In the end, it’s only letters.”
“It seems there’s nothing but letters.”
“Really? Only letters?”
All three regarded her with expressions of clear disappointment.
But what could she say?
The truth was, there truly wasn’t anything but letters……
She nodded, her face falling into a grimace.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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