The Granddaughter of the Manhyang Escort Agency Hides Her Magic - Chapter 42

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 42

Cheonrim’s class continued until the afternoon. So Ilbi and So Mando, who had barely managed lunch, were half-dead by the time class ended.

“Don’t forget the movements you learned today and practice them a hundred times each before coming back.”

“We’ve already done them over a thousand times.”

Mando moved his parched lips.

Mando, who had expected to advance in sword techniques, was full of complaints that Cheonrim had only made them repeat basic movements all day.

Ilbi was equally irritated, though for different reasons than Mando.

‘My palms are all scraped up.’

Still young, Ilbi had a strong desire to look pretty to others, separate from wanting to become strong. So the cost and time spent on grooming was considerable.

Today too, she had woken up at dawn to fix her hair, but now it was disheveled.

Whether Ilbi and Mando complained or not, Cheonrim paid no attention.

“It’s important to do even one thing accurately. Go on.”

“Couldn’t you reduce it a bit?”

His arms were already numb, and if he had to do homework at home too, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to lift even a water cup tomorrow.

“Should I raise it to one hundred fifty times?”

“No, I’ll do a hundred times.”

I’ll just pretend to do it at home, Mando was thinking when—

“Whether you did the hundred times accurately, I can tell by watching your movements tomorrow. If you do it carelessly, I’ll make you start over from the beginning, so do it properly.”

Mando was startled.

‘Did he read my mind?’

“Th-there’s no way! I’ll work hard!”

Mando awkwardly smiled and bowed before trudging out of Bogukgak. Ilbi followed behind him with her head hung low.

“Uncle, I wonder. Does he treat Cheondo and Shin Ah so harshly too? Probably not, right?”

Mando’s lips twisted as he muttered.

Mando couldn’t objectively assess his own skills and only resented Cheonrim for making him practice so harshly.

“But Cheondo graduated from Bogukgak, so that’s understandable, but why doesn’t Shin Ah attend classes? Is he planning to train her easily?”

Unaware that Shin Ah was already being drilled by the Huashan Sect member at about ten times Mando’s intensity, Mando spoke carelessly.

“If you’re born in the So Family Estate, you should naturally learn the Tiger Walk Sword Technique! Until now, we’ve been lenient because she was sick, but Shin Ah has gotten healthy, hasn’t she?”

Mando was grumbling loudly about how unfair it was when—

“That’s why I came to learn.”

“Right, that’s how it should be, exactly… Huh? So Shin Ah?”

Shin Ah, Mugyeol, and Cheondo were walking toward Bogukgak. They had come to receive Bogukgak education after finishing training with Ok Chifung.

They naturally faced each other in confrontation in the middle of the road.

“When you see your older brother, you should greet him first!”

Mando scolded Shin Ah. Shin Ah barely nodded her head and looked at Ilbi.

“So Ilbi, your brother says to greet him.”

Ilbi didn’t respond. Normally she would have talked back immediately, but instead she hid behind Mando.

“Ilbi, what’s wrong?”

Mando, finding it strange that Ilbi wasn’t taking his side, turned around.

Ilbi covered her face with her sleeve and shook her head vigorously.

“Ilbi, was the training hard? Can’t you walk? What should we do? It’s hard for me to carry you too…”

Mando looked around, searching for someone to carry Ilbi instead of him. Soon his eyes lit up.

“Hey, you!”

Mando pointed at Mugyeol.

“This bastard got beaten up so badly last time and still hasn’t come to his senses.”

Mando still looked down on and disrespected Mugyeol.

“Come here and carry Ilbi.”

He called Mugyeol, who was half a span shorter than even Ilbi.

“Are you stupid, or do you have bad memory? Oh, is it both? How many times do I have to say that Mugyeol is no longer a servant of the escort agency before you’ll remember?”

When Shin Ah mocked him, Mando’s face turned bright red.

Cheondo, who had been watching the two, stepped in front of Shin Ah and blocked Mando’s line of sight.

Cheondo didn’t want a fight to break out. It was because of Shin Ah, who collapsed every time she confronted Mando.

“Mando, Mugyeol is no longer a servant of the escort agency. He’s not someone you can order around carelessly. He’s an important guest of Biwongak, so show proper respect from now on. However, since you didn’t know today, I’ll let it pass.”

Cheondo admonished him gently.

“Brother, does that make sense? To welcome as a guest someone we’ve been treating as a servant until now. Aren’t you bothered by associating with a lowborn? Ugh, I’m disgusted at the thought of being tainted by such base energy.”

In the past, Mando, despite being younger than Cheondo, would address him as ‘hey’ and act as equals, but now he had at least gained enough sense to call him brother in front of people.

Should I tear that bastard’s mouth apart, Shin Ah was thinking when—

“So Mando! I’ve already warned you. If you treat a guest of Biwongak carelessly one more time, I won’t forgive even you.”

In truth, Cheondo didn’t particularly like Mugyeol either.

He didn’t think like Mando that a person’s status was determined from birth. He wasn’t the type to say he couldn’t mix with lowborns. But he really didn’t like how Shin Ah protected and favored Mugyeol.

Even during training under Ok Chifung’s guidance, Shin Ah took care of Mugyeol attentively.

‘Did you drink water? Don’t think about resting in the middle when you’re thirsty, drink when you can.’

‘Chew your food thoroughly. If you get indigestion, there’s no remedy.’

Shin Ah had said this because she was worried that Mugyeol might skimp on water and food and hinder his training, but to Cheondo, it sounded like Shin Ah was caring for him affectionately.

‘When she’s busy enough just taking care of herself, seeing her do that makes me frustrated.’

Shin Ah even shared with Mugyeol the precious Fatigue Recovery Pills that Cheonrim had specially prepared for her.

That’s why Cheondo didn’t like Mugyeol. However, regardless of personal feelings, Mugyeol was a guest of Biwongak recognized by Cheonrim.

Therefore, disrespecting him was an insult to Cheonrim and all of Biwongak.

If he let this pass, Biwongak’s prestige would fall to the ground, so Cheondo sternly rebuked Mando.

“Ha! You’re scolding me, your blood relative, to protect some lowborn you’ve only met a few times? My goodness, how can I live with such sorrow.”

“So Mando, if you don’t apologize immediately, I won’t tolerate it.”

“If you won’t tolerate it, what will you do about it, brother?”

Mando glared. Then Cheondo raised his wooden sword and pointed it at Mando’s neck. Though it was just a wooden sword, the sound of it cutting through the air was ominous.

“Shall you experience firsthand what will happen?”

At Cheondo’s menacing aura, Mando swallowed and recalled a fact he had forgotten.

‘That bastard was called a genius when he was young.’

Though Mando had looked down on Cheondo ever since So Baekrim was openly called the successor of Manhyang Express, he hadn’t forgotten all his past memories.

Mando quickly made an excuse.

“Our Ilbi is in no condition to even stand right now, so let’s talk about this later. Ilbi, you can walk, right?”

Ilbi, who had been cowering, shook her head.

So it was unclear whether she meant she could walk or couldn’t walk.

“Hey, come quickly. Move more briskly.”

Mando dragged Ilbi, who was acting frustratingly slow today, and hurriedly left the scene.

Until the two disappeared, Cheondo didn’t relax his grip on the wooden sword. His profile looked quite lonely.

Shin Ah grabbed his collar and shook it.

“Brother, a dog is still a dog no matter how much you teach it.”

Cheondo’s eyes widened at the harsh words flowing from her pretty mouth.

He quickly picked up Shin Ah and admonished her.

“Shin Ah, you mustn’t say bad words. Those words will all come back to you.”

The spirited boy was gone, leaving only a gentleman.

Cheondo’s nagging that started then only ended when they entered the training ground.

As Mando had wished, Shin Ah and Mugyeol attended the Tiger Walk Sword Technique class.

Cheondo stepped aside separately to review the Tiger Walk Sword Technique. Despite not holding a sword for a long time, his skills hadn’t rusted much.

‘I can teach him the Heaven and Earth Sword Technique soon.’

Cheonrim was pleased. However, that was only his inner thoughts; his eyes watching the children were dry.

Worried he might go soft on his own child, he controlled even his expression.

‘Children grow up properly under strict parents.’

Cheonrim steeled his resolve and shouted “Again!”

Contrary to So Mando’s expectations, Cheonrim’s lessons were extremely harsh. In fact, he was even stricter than when he taught So Mando and So Ilbi.

Of course, every time Shin Ah stumbled, he would secretly turn around and wipe away tears, but he did his utmost to fulfill his duty as an instructor.

The cultivation continued at length until Shin Ah, who had been desperately holding on, finally collapsed.

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