The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 162

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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 162. Going Home?

 

 

“You, come walk with me.”

Ha Mu-baek said, looking at Baek Ri-pyeong.

At those words, Dan Mok Un-rae and Yeon Ha-min’s expressions changed subtly.

It was because they knew the meaning behind those words.

They too had walked with Ha Mu-baek, and thanks to that, they were able to resolve major obstacles in their lives.

Since they couldn’t sense any such signs from Baek Ri-pyeong, the two looked at him in surprise.

His complex and subtle expression.

It was an expression he had never worn before.

But when the instructor returned, his emotions were clearly revealed on his face.

‘Something must have happened.’

‘Something big has happened.’

Dan Mok Un-rae and Yeon Ha-min could immediately tell.

That there was something that would make the instructor ask Baek Ri-pyeong to walk with him.

“You guys should take it easy and rest during the break period.”

Ha Mu-baek gave a brief word and started walking.

Baek Ri-pyeong silently followed behind him.

The remaining cadets watched their retreating figures.

“Something seems to be going on, right?”

Everyone nodded at Dang Jin-san’s question.

“The instructor will somehow take care of it.”

Yeon Ha-min’s quiet voice carried great faith.

“Right.”

Dan Mok Un-rae also chimed in with a voice full of trust.

 

As befitting the break period.

Gyoryong Hall was quiet.

Nevertheless, Ha Mu-baek headed down the path he always walked.

A familiar place.

He naturally moved his steps toward that location.

“What’s going on?”

His question sounded blunt and somewhat annoyed.

“I think I need to withdraw from the academy.”

Baek Ri-pyeong’s brief answer came back.

“Going home?”

A calm question.

“Yes.”

A short answer.

Ha Mu-baek chuckled.

“Then you can just go. Why were you waiting for me?”

“The academy regulations require it.”

At the returned answer, Ha Mu-baek pondered and recalled the academy regulations.

“You were waiting because you need my approval.”

After obtaining approval from the supervising instructor, one needed the academy director’s permission to withdraw.

Of course, there was also the method of withdrawing without permission, but this guy, a typical example of a rigid orthodox sect member, wouldn’t do such a thing.

“You wouldn’t go when I told you to go home. Back then, you wouldn’t have needed to wait for my approval.”

At that time, since the instructor had told him to go, it was as if approval had already been given.

“I still don’t want to go now.”

Baek Ri-pyeong’s honest answer flowed out.

Ha Mu-baek could fully feel the sincerity contained in those words.

Baek Ri-pyeong was now asking Ha Mu-baek to stop him from going.

“Then you don’t have to go. Just like when you didn’t go even when I told you to.”

At Ha Mu-baek’s words, spoken as if solving a simple problem, Baek Ri-pyeong smiled bitterly.

“I cannot do that. It’s an order from the sect leader that came down from the main sect. As a disciple, I have no choice but to follow.”

A heavy voice.

“Until now, the academy director has been withholding permission because I couldn’t get approval due to the absence of my supervising instructor, but now that you’ve come…”

Ha Mu-baek listened quietly while walking.

“Get approval from the supervising instructor on the resignation application and submit it to the academy director for permission. Then the withdrawal is complete – that was the regulation, right?”

“In the case of Maengryong Corps, I must return all the monthly salary I’ve received so far.”

“Haven’t you spent some of it?”

“The main sect sent a money order along with it.”

“At least they have some decency.”

“They said to pay it back later.”

At the following answer, Ha Mu-baek frowned.

“They have no decency after all.”

Ha Mu-baek changed his words.

“Here it is.”

Baek Ri-pyeong respectfully handed Ha Mu-baek the resignation application he had been keeping in his chest.

Ha Mu-baek took it.

He stared at the envelope containing the resignation application for a moment.

He took out the application from inside and read it.

Whoooosh.

He ignited his Samadhi True Fire and burned it.

“Wh-what…”

Baek Ri-pyeong was startled.

“You said you don’t want to go?”

“…Yes.”

“But you said you have to go because it’s an order from the main sect?”

“Yes…”

“And for that, you need my approval?”

“Th-that’s right.”

Brief questions and answers went back and forth.

Finally, Ha Mu-baek nodded and said.

“Then it’s a simple problem. I just won’t give you approval.”

Baek Ri-pyeong’s eyes widened.

Such a method!

This was the instructor who always told them to go home.

Speaking of the terrors of Sanwol Demon Forest.

Wasn’t he the instructor who said they could go home anytime?

So when he said he had to return to Zhongnan, he naturally thought the instructor would let him go.

He thought that when he handed over the resignation application, he would immediately approve it.

He thought he would either scribble his signature after finding paper and ink, or stamp his seal.

But instead, he turned the application to ash with Samadhi True Fire and said he wouldn’t give approval.

“Why on earth…”

“I can push someone who doesn’t want to go and make them go.”

Baek Ri-pyeong nodded his head.

He had said that countless times until now.

So he naturally thought he would go.

“But it’s not okay for someone else to do it. Only I can do that.”

Ha Mu-baek’s eyes blazed with fire.

Baek Ri-pyeong looked at Ha Mu-baek with a dazed expression.

“It’s, it’s an order from the Zhongnan Sect Leader.”

“So what? The academy regulations state that my approval takes priority.”

“Still, it’s Zhongnan…”

“This isn’t Zhongnan, it’s Gyoryong Hall. In the bigger picture, it’s the Jeongcheon Alliance.”

He was right.

Words that were completely reasonable and logical, with no flaws.

“Pressure will come from the Jeongcheon Alliance.”

Baek Ri-pyeong knew the Sect Leader’s temperament.

So the next sequence of events naturally came to mind.

Right now, among the elders of the Jeongcheon Alliance, there were disciples of the Zhongnan Sect.

With a single word from an elder, even the Gyoryong Hall Director would have no choice.

Even by the Alliance’s hierarchy, the elders would rank higher.

Ha Mu-baek chuckled.

“Pressure? Who? On whom?”

Ha Mu-baek made an expression as if it were ridiculous.

For some reason, Baek Ri-pyeong found that appearance incredibly reliable.

“Zhongnan was in Shaanxi Province, right?”

“Yes. It’s located on Zhongnan Mountain in Shaanxi Province.”

Ha Mu-baek scratched his head.

“It would be annoying to go back there.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, I was on my way back from taking care of some business near Chang’an.”

Chang’an was very close to Zhongnan Mountain.

Who would have thought Ha Mu-baek had been there.

“Anyway, I have no intention of approving your withdrawal, so go back.”

Ha Mu-baek waved his hand dismissively and added.

“Elder Baek Ri, I mean your grandfather’s words about Zhongnan’s pride probably weren’t about that kind of thing.”

Baek Ri-pyeong, who was just turning around, stopped abruptly.

It was an unexpected remark.

Previously, when he was troubled about learning the Three Talents Heart Method, he had shared stories about his grandfather with Ha Mu-baek.

“Zhongnan’s pride…”

Baek Ri-pyeong muttered quietly.

His grandfather’s words telling him to stand proudly before the name of Zhongnan.

Baek Ri-pyeong fell into thought.

Ha Mu-baek left first, leaving Baek Ri-pyeong behind. He was going to the middle-aged scholar who had annoyingly followed him all the way to Gyoryong Hall.

He had casually dumped him on Gi Yu-chan, but what might he be doing now.

 

***

 

Peng Do-yul was enjoying the tea fragrance when he received an unexpected visitor.

It was Ha Mu-baek.

“Oh, you’re back. Where have you been running around so busily?”

Peng Do-yul welcomed Ha Mu-baek.

“During the Peng Family incident, there were things I couldn’t finish dealing with. I went to take care of the rest.”

At Ha Mu-baek’s words, Peng Do-yul’s face darkened.

Just when things were starting to settle down a bit, that incident was being mentioned again.

“Scholar Guyang seems to have followed you because of that.”

Reports about Guyang Myeong-won had already reached Peng Do-yul.

At least regarding situations within Gyoryong Hall, he knew everything in detail.

‘It must be Gi Yu-chan’s handiwork.’

Ha Mu-baek thought of the person who had made Vice Director Yeon Baek-jin’s face haggard.

“So you moved alone. I can tell from Scholar Guyang of Cheonmok Pavilion being attached to you.”

Peng Do-yul knew well what kind of place Cheonmok Pavilion was.

Among the Jeongcheon Alliance figures who had visited the Peng Family to investigate the Annihilation Technique incident, there were scholars and warriors from Cheonmok Pavilion.

The fact that a Cheonmok Pavilion figure was attached to Ha Mu-baek meant that Ha Mu-baek knew something they didn’t.

“Gongsun Elder has quite a talent for making people’s lives troublesome.”

Ha Mu-baek spoke as if annoyed.

“So, what was it about?”

“The Haomun bastards had greed beyond their station. It was Blood Flying Shadow’s scheme.”

Ha Mu-baek’s words made it sound like nothing special.

At those words, Peng Do-yul’s eyes widened.

He knew well who Blood Flying Shadow was.

One of the Ten Elders of the Blood Cult.

To think that bastard’s scheme had reached even the Peng Family through Haomun.

“The former Peng Family Head learning the Annihilation Technique was his own will. But seducing Peng Gun-ho, that was the Haomun bastards’ scheme from the start.”

Peng Do-yul quietly nodded his head.

“Is it alright to tell me such facts?”

“Gongsun Elder knows it all anyway, so what’s the problem.”

That meant there was more to it, but Ha Mu-baek didn’t say anything further.

“Ah, did you hear about student Baek Ri-pyeong?”

Peng Do-yul didn’t bother to probe further and changed the subject.

The reason Ha Mu-baek came to see him would also be because of Baek Ri-pyeong.

“I thought he looked like he had eaten shit, then he told me his situation.”

“Really? Then give me the approved application form.”

At Peng Do-yul’s words, Ha Mu-baek chuckled.

“Don’t you know me?”

And he threw out that question.

Peng Do-yul, who received the question, smiled broadly.

“I know. I know indeed.”

“But you’re asking me to give you that?”

“Just in case, you know.”

“I burned it.”

At Ha Mu-baek’s words, Peng Do-yul nodded his head.

His face showed he had expected this.

That’s why he had kept Baek Ri-pyeong tied to Gyoryong Hall using the academy regulations as an excuse until Ha Mu-baek returned.

“Zhongnan won’t stay quiet about this, will they?”

At Peng Do-yul’s question, Ha Mu-baek grinned, showing his teeth.

That characteristic fierce smile of his.

“What if they don’t stay quiet?”

“That’s what I’m wondering.”

Peng Do-yul’s agreement.

“The current Zhongnan Sect Leader is also someone who didn’t participate in the last war and only stayed at the main sect.”

And the explanation that followed.

Ha Mu-baek quietly nodded his head.

“If I remember correctly, the Sect Leader of Zhongnan is Baek Ri-dan. That person.”

They were comrades who had entrusted their backs to each other on the battlefield.

“So the current Sect Leader wouldn’t know you. Ignorance could lead to misjudgment.”

Peng Do-yul’s advice.

“Whatever happens, happens.”

Ha Mu-baek chuckled softly.

“A typhoon will hit Zhongnan.”

Watching Peng Do-yul say this, Ha Mu-baek added a comment.

“You seem rather pleased about it?”

At Ha Mu-baek’s words, Peng Do-yul shook his head.

“That seems to be your misunderstanding. I simply dislike petty people.”

With those words, Ha Mu-baek left the Director’s Pavilion.

And the place he headed to was his own dormitory.

Now it was time to rest in earnest.

Seol-ran still seemed to be deep in cultivation meditation, so he didn’t go to find her immediately.

Since his Ki Sense had developed remarkably after the recent Dongtuje, he felt that just getting close would disturb her cultivation.

 

***

 

Gongsun Dan-gyeong frowned as he received the urgent message bird that had flown in from Gyoryong Hall.

It was from Guyang Myeong-won, whom he had attached to Ha Mu-baek.

“He can’t find out what I told him to investigate, but sends news like this—what am I supposed to do, Scholar Guyang?”

A muttering like a lament.

He had no choice but to feel this way.

The content said that Ha Mu-baek seemed likely to turn Zhongnan upside down.

And something important was missing from the message.

The reason.

The reason why Ha Mu-baek wanted to overturn Zhongnan was missing.

Finding this out would ultimately be his own responsibility.

The massive bookshelf that occupied one wall of the office.

Documents organized systematically there.

Gongsun Dan-gyeong reached for the materials related to the Zhongnan Sect among them.

Gongsun Dan-gyeong examined the recent documents.

“It must be because of Sect Leader Ju Jae-seung.”

As the Military Advisor of the Jeongcheon Alliance and the Pavilion Master of Cheonmok Pavilion, he had detailed knowledge of the leaders of the Nine Sects One Alliance, Five Great Noble Families, and Eight Rising Schools.

If problems arose between Ha Mu-baek and Zhongnan, the cause would surely lie with Zhongnan’s Sect Leader.

But there was nothing unusual in the recent intelligence.

Wondering if his memory was wrong, he reviewed the documents again for confirmation, but Gongsun Dan-gyeong’s memory was correct.

‘Then the problem must have occurred in matters that haven’t been reported yet.’

Gongsun Dan-gyeong pulled one of the countless strings in front of his desk to summon a subordinate.

“The latest intelligence on Zhongnan. Bring it up immediately.”

After giving that order, he received the documents an hour later.

The cause of this trouble was contained within them.

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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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