The World's Greatest Countryside Martial Arts Academy - chapter 3

Bang!

The government office gate slammed shut. Thump, thump. Walking out side-by-side, Jin Cheong-un and Jeong So-so stared blankly into the void, as if they had made a pact to do so.

“……” “……”

Is this what the expression “like a person who lost their country” looks like? Though both had clung to the official’s pant legs and pressed him hard, they had ultimately received no help.

—What do you mean ‘what do you do’… that’s something you have to figure out yourselves. Tsk tsk! You young people should have done your research before buying. —Look here, fraud is something that happens because the victim is an idiot… Uh-oh! You crazy punk, whose collar are you grabbing?! T-this, let go! Guards! Guards-aaaah!

Grind! Jin Cheong-un gnashed his teeth with enough force to break them.

……King of Buildings.

A murderous intent rose in Jin Cheong-un’s eyes.

Just wait until I catch you. I’ll grind your bones to dust and drink them.

He had never felt such intense rage in his life. An irreconcilable enemy—that was the word for someone like that. Jin Cheong-un swore to the heavens that he would make that bastard pay the price he deserved.

But.

What to do right now?

Should I try sending a message to the Alliance?

Even if he was a retired man, he had ties to the Alliance Leader, so he wouldn’t just ignore it…

—You said you were retiring, so what is this already? Hm? ‘King of Buildings’? Where is that expert from? What? Just a swindler? You blew your retirement fund? Hahaha! Don’t worry. I will help you. Of course, I must help! Yes! Oh, yes!

……He’d rather stick his nose in a puddle of water and die; getting help from the Murim Alliance was absolutely out of the question.

Phew, fine. I’ll just have to treat it as an expensive lesson in how the world works.

Jin Cheong-un let out a long sigh. Others sometimes lose their entire fortune when scammed once, so wouldn’t he be in a better situation than them? Even if the land wasn’t his, the manor was rightfully his, and he still had some money saved up to operate the martial arts academy…

“……”

Damn it. Why am I trying to reassure myself, feeling like an idiot? Jin Cheong-un’s eyes welled up with tears. It was then.

“Excuse me, are you okay?”

Jeong So-so asked, cautiously observing him.

“……I’m fine. I’ve been rude in front of you.” “Cheer up. I know that feeling all too well.” “……?” “It’s always like that at first. But time eventually resolves it.” “Listen here. I appreciate the consolation, but do you even know what kind of money that was?”

It was money soaked in his blood and sweat, squeezed out of him under an unvirtuous boss called the Murim Alliance Leader. Not metaphorically, but literally—soaked in actual blood and sweat!

“That’s true. But in the end, it’s all the same.” “All the same?” “At first, you can’t accept reality and deny it, then after a while, you get angry enough to reach the tips of your hair. Then, after a little more time, you eventually give up and compromise. Telling yourself… ‘let’s treat it as a lesson in how the world works’.”

Jin Cheong-un was inwardly startled. What is this, is she a fortune teller?

“After crying a bit in your sleep out of sorrow and losing a few nights of sleep… in the end, it eventually becomes okay.”

Jeong So-so smiled like an enlightened old monk.

“So, let the past flow away. Living life as it is, you’ll manage to survive somehow.”

Jin Cheong-un, who had been nodding, suddenly asked with a bitter face.

“But how does a young lady know that?” “Don’t ask. I didn’t want to know either.” “……”

Jeong So-so looked toward the distant mountains. Silence drifted by. Jin Cheong-un exhaled deeply, once.

Right, just because the first button was misaligned doesn’t mean I can let the rest of the buttons be misaligned too.

Setting aside the King of Buildings, he had a mountain of work to do—opening the academy, finding disciples…

Right, how can a person live only looking backward? I have to live looking forward.

Jin Cheong-un said with a smile.

“Thanks for the advice. It helped in many ways.” “Don’t mention it.” “I showed an embarrassing side of myself to a young lady. You must feel like you’ve been hit by a bolt from the blue just as much as I do.” “No, it’s not that.”

Jeong So-so smiled as if enlightened.

“For me, well, I’m already up to my ears in debt anyway, so adding one more rock doesn’t change anything.” “……” “I’m really okay. It’s you, martial artist, who must be very worried about losing so much money. Cheer up.”

Hah. She looks so young, yet how can she be this mature?

Alliance Leader. You should learn a thing or two from this young lady.

While he was thinking thoughts that would make Yeo Un-baek explode in anger, Jeong So-so asked:

“By the way, do you have a place to stay?” “A place to stay?” “I originally had no intention of letting anyone in, but since you have your circumstances, you can stay at our house for a while.” “……Huh?” “There are many empty rooms in the manor, so there won’t be any inconvenience staying…” “Wait.”

Jin Cheong-un’s brow furrowed.

“What are you saying right now?” “Don’t decline. This is also fate, so I’ll give you a few days of grace while you find a house.” “No, that’s not it.” “Yes?” “Why are you speaking as if I’m the one who needs to leave?”

The surroundings went quiet. From that moment on, the warm air turned as cold as a sheet of ice.

“Because… I’m the land owner?” “I’m the house owner.” “That house is my house on my land.” “It’s not your house, it’s my house.”

The gazes of the two people changed completely. Like starving beasts, the two growled at each other, not wanting to lose their prey.

“That house also originally belonged to my Jeong family.” “The current owner is me. It was sold by the creditor.” “The land was not. I was defrauded.” “……!” “In this world, where does a land owner get chased off their own land? And we’ve lived there our whole lives. Our whole lives! A whole lifetime!” “If you want to put it that way, does it make sense for a house owner to be chased out of their own house?” “……Excuse me. But why have you been using informal language since a while ago?” “Me? When?” “Even now!” “Come now, let’s calm down. Why are you so angry? It’s a nuisance to the people around us.” “W-When was I angry!” “You are being angry right now. The more you are like this, the more calmly we should resolve it through conversation. How could a person be so loud…” “Ah, don’t just slip into informal speech!”

It was then. Bang! The government office gate swung open, and an official soldier shouted.

“Do you know whose place this is to be acting up even after being chased out! Get lost at once!”

Jin Cheong-un and Jeong So-so’s heads snapped around.

“It’s noisy! We’re in the middle of an important conversation right now!” “We’ll figure it out ourselves, so don’t interfere. Damn it, do you want me to set the government office on fire?”

The official soldier hesitated, overwhelmed by their momentum for a moment. He, who had been stiff as a stone, bowed his head slightly.

“My apologies. Then, please continue your conversation comfortably.”

The official soldier retreated carefully and quietly closed the door. His superior, who had been inside the gate, narrowed his eyes.

“I told you to chase them out, so why did you just come back in?” “They’re crazy people.” “Huh?” “They seem like people who have lost their minds, so it’s better not to touch them.”

At those words, the superior blinked for a moment and then nodded.

“Hmm, right. It’s best not to get involved with crazy people.” “Yes.” “Young people these days. Tsk tsk.”

A little later, at the Jeong Manor at the edge of the northern street of Cherry Blossom Village. Jeong So-ryong, sitting in front of the dining table, looked left and right.

“……” “……”

Jin Cheong-un and Jeong So-so were facing each other. To provide dinner for her younger brother, Jeong So-so had ended the argument first and returned home. Jin Cheong-un, naturally, came along because it was the house he had bought…

“You really came out without declining.”

They ended up sitting across from each other at the dining table.

“It’s not that I came, it’s that this fellow called me.”

Jin Cheong-un pointed at Jeong So-ryong confidently.

“That’s right, Sister. A guest has arrived, so how could we eat separately? You said that wasn’t polite.” “So-ryong, listen carefully. Just because I let someone into the house doesn’t mean they’re all guests.”

Jin Cheong-un nodded.

“That’s true. I’m the house owner, so how could I be a guest?” “Let me tell you again, I am the land owner, okay?” “Who said you were the land owner? I said house owner.” “……!”

Jeong So-so, having been hit with a retort, glared at him. Jeong So-ryong sighed and said:

“Sister, let’s stop. Even so, he’s a guest, so raising your voice at the dining table doesn’t seem polite.”

The argument stopped abruptly on its own. Jin Cheong-un blinked.

Is that something a kid would say?

Jeong So-so let out a deep sigh, as if she were used to it. Soon, she opened her mouth in a sullen voice.

“……Just eat before it gets cold. There’s not much prepared, but if it’s not enough, just tell me.”

In the end, Jeong So-so took a step back first. Anyway, she felt it was too much to have a guest(?) at home and treat them like this after setting the table.

“Ahem. Right, I was thinking I might have to skip dinner, but thanks. I’ll eat well.” “……Don’t mention it.” “Ah, but.” “Do you need something else?”

Jin Cheong-un scanned the dining table and asked:

“Is there no meat dish?” “……There isn’t?” “Ah… I need meat to feel full.”

Jeong So-so blinked and fiddled with her ear. What is it, did I hear wrong?

“But I have the sincerity of having prepared the meal, so it’s shameless to complain. I’m usually the type to eat well even if the side dishes are poor. I will eat well.”

He seems shameless, right? He has a lot of complaints, right?

She opened her mouth, looking dumbfounded.

How can a person be that brazen!

Whether she thought so or not, Jin Cheong-un looked over the dining table nonchalantly.

“Hmm.”

Vegetables blanched in water, vegetables stir-fried in oil, vegetables seasoned with spices… At this level, it’s a perfect vegetarian meal that would even impress the Shaolin monks. He picked up the stir-fried vegetables nonchalantly and put them in his mouth.

“……!”

His eyes widened.

Did I eat meat? No? This kind of taste from stir-fried vegetables?

It’s delicious. They say hunger is the best side dish, but even ignoring that, it’s excellent. The seasoning is exquisite, and especially the level of doneness of these vegetables is…!

Clatter, clatter, clatter!

Jin Cheong-un began to move his spoon with furious speed.

“How is it, does it suit your taste?” “It’s truly delicious. How could it taste like this!”

Jeong So-so looked slightly proud.

“It’s a skill I learned directly from the best tavern in Cherry Blossom Village. My cooking is very well-received by customers, too.” “Admitted. It’s better than most high-class tavern chefs.” “Have you tried this braised tofu, too?” “No, such a taste from tofu?!” “Would you like some more rice?” “Oh, thank you.” “Eat a lot!”

Jeong So-so, who was scooping up a heaping bowl of rice while smiling, paused for a moment.

Is this right?

Suddenly feeling awkward, the rice wouldn’t go down. Only when the meal was ending did Jeong So-so open her mouth again.

“Now that you’ve finished eating, I’d like to have a serious talk.” “Good. Let’s do that.”

In front of the table with the food cleared away, the two faced each other with the coldest expressions imaginable.

“What are you going to do now?” “I’ve already thought about it.”

Jin Cheong-un tapped the table.

“How about selling this land to me?”

Jeong So-so bit her lower lip slightly. Then, she looked down slightly and said:

“……I can’t sell it.” “Why?” “This is my precious home where I have lived my whole life.” “Then, conversely, buy back the house deed from me.” “I-I don’t have that much money right now…”

Jin Cheong-un let out a short sigh.

“Let’s speak openly. I hear you have some debts, so if you sell the land this time, many problems will be solved. In my opinion, I’m being considerate.” “……” “If there’s another way, tell me.”

Jeong So-so kept her mouth shut and stared at the floor, then said:

“……I’m sorry. I know I’m shameless, too. But we cannot leave this house.” “Hmm.”

Jin Cheong-un crossed his arms and sighed. It was then.

“Then why don’t you just live together?”

Jeong So-so was startled by Jeong So-ryong’s words.

“So-ryong. What nonsense are you talking about?” “Why? We have many rooms in our house. We don’t even use the detached building…” “What would the neighbors say if we brought a strange man into our house? And you shouldn’t just bring home people who carry swords like that.” “The man who carries the sword is listening right now…” “Ah, no, that’s not it… I apologize.”

Jeong So-ryong said in a clear, distinct voice:

“Then what should we do? You said this mister bought our house deed.” “……” “What do the villagers have to do with it? And this mister is okay. He’s different from the Black Tiger Gang men… Cough! Cough!“

At that moment, Jeong So-ryong covered his mouth and burst into a coughing fit. When he took his hand away, red blood droplets were stained on his sleeve. Jeong So-so shouted, startled:

“So-ryong! D-did you not take your medicine today?” “No, I just… the medicine is expensive. I was going to take it after eating… Cough!” “St-stay still! I’ll go brew your medicine right away!” “I’m fine. I said I’m fine. Ugh!”

Suddenly, Jeong So-ryong, who was reaching out to grab his sister, collapsed under the chair.

“So-ryong! So-ryong!”

Jeong So-so took her brother in her arms and was horrified.

His body is like a ball of fire! He was a little better lately, so why another seizure…!

Then, Jin Cheong-un said in a calm tone:

“Move aside for a moment.”

Without waiting for an answer, Jin Cheong-un grabbed Jeong So-ryong’s wrist. For a boy, his wrist was too thin—too thin. In an instant, Jin Cheong-un’s eyes widened.

Severed Meridian (절맥)?