The World's Greatest Countryside Martial Arts Academy - chapter 5

Some memories do not fade over time; they become increasingly vivid. Just as alcohol deepens in flavor as it ages, memories steeped in the passage of time create an even deeper yearning. People call that nostalgia.

On the outskirts of Cherry Blossom Village’s bustling street. Arriving at a place reached after climbing a long slope and ascending a long flight of stairs leading toward the mountain. Jin Cheong-un, who had exhaled a long breath, felt his eyes mist over with sentimental emotion.

“Phew.”

He could see the stone walls enveloped in thickets and the gatehouse, and beyond them, several dilapidated buildings. Jin Cheong-un walked slowly, brushing his hand against the doorpost of the cracked main gate.

Rustle, rustle!

A breeze blew from somewhere. Whether it was a dream or an illusion. Memories of the past, which he had thought were forgotten and which he had intentionally avoided revisiting, came back to life like a dream.

—From now on, this place is your home.

The memory of taking his master’s hand and opening this gate for the first time.

—You rascals! —Hey! We’ve been caught! Run away quickly!

The memory of bolting through the gates with his fellow disciples.

—Cheong-un. Martial arts are trained to protect something. Power that harms others is merely violence; why can you not realize this?

Even his master’s nagging, which he had heard until his ears were calloused.

—Cheong-un. I hope you become a person who, even if you cannot make the wisest choice, makes a choice you will not regret.

Indeed. If he had taken those words to heart, he wouldn’t have thrown himself into the Murim Alliance and suffered through all that hardship.

Still, yes. I have no regrets.

At that time, he thought it was the only way. This unworthy disciple would probably make the same choice even if he returned to those days.

Whoosh!

The wind blew again. The old memories had already melted into the air like the morning mist and vanished.

“……”

Jin Cheong-un lifted his head. What he saw before him was a tattered signboard hanging precariously from the eaves of the gatehouse, which was covered in thick cobwebs. Four characters engraved there struck his eyes:

Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy (靑雲武館)

It was the name of this academy, and also the name the master had given to a young, nameless orphan child. Jin Cheong-un immediately threw the door wide open.

Clatter!

The entire scene of the Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy came into view at once. The training ground, where he had practiced with his senior and junior fellow disciples every morning, was now overgrown with weeds, and the buildings he had polished during every seasonal cleaning were so old they looked ready to collapse. Jin Cheong-un walked with steps as familiar as if it were his own home. The moment he entered the main hall. His steps came to a sudden halt.

“……”

Inside the building, in a place where the sunlight fell well, there was something. A spirit tablet. An old incense burner and fully burned ashes. A sake cup and a sake bottle. Withered flowers. Items covered in a thick layer of dust were placed on a humble dais. Jin Cheong-un, having lightly brushed off the dust, took out a new bottle of sake that he had not yet touched.

Glug!

Clear sake was poured into the cup and placed on the altar. The aroma of sake spread throughout the desolate room.

It’s too late, but.

Jin Cheong-un, who had stood quietly for a long time, let out a long breath.

Finally, I’ve returned.

To Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy. To the place that was his hometown and his home…

Right, I’ve returned.

Returning is fine, but…

So, what is this situation right now?

Jin Cheong-un turned his body slightly. As he met her eyes, Jeong So-so, who had been standing there aimlessly, flinched and shivered.

“……” “……”

Amidst the suffocating silence that continued.

“That.”

Jeong So-so, who had been huddled up, met his gaze first, stealthily. And she said:

“……Master’s Uncle (Sa-suk)?”

“Damn it.”

This is maddening.

Let’s think for a moment. How exactly does the genealogy work?

Did one of my senior fellow disciples get married and have a child?

It’s ambiguous to calculate seniority given the nature of the academy, but to follow the terminology… that would mean she is a master’s niece-in-distinction (Sa-jil). Jin Cheong-un stealthily looked back at Jeong So-so. Anyway, they say the world runs on school ties, blood ties, and regional ties, so his embarrassment lasted only a moment, and he began to feel glad. But at that moment, a thought that suddenly flashed through his mind made his skin crawl.

If this is true, whose possession does this academy become?

Being scammed out of the manor where he poured all his retirement funds was already infuriating enough, but now the academy too…? And to think both were intertwined with his master’s niece-in-distinction?

“Wh-why, why aren’t you saying anything?” “……” “Are you really my Master’s Uncle?”

The laws of the Jianghu require one to follow the principles of Confucius and Mencius. According to seniority, it is right for Jin Cheong-un to succeed it. This is the correct principle of the world that Confucius and Mencius, currently in the underworld, would nod to. But if you look at the circumstances? A Master’s Uncle who ran out of the academy and returned only after a dozen years. A Master’s niece who protected the academy through thick and thin while going hungry. If you weigh these on a scale, the former’s weight becomes as light as a feather, while the latter’s weight becomes an iron block of nearly a thousand pounds.

…If I claim seniority here, Confucius would surely throw his scriptures away and shout, “Are you even a human being!” Then there is only one way.

From today, I will follow the principles of Taoism, not Confucianism!

Laozi said: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao! I will realize that principle right now and shout it!

“I have never had a niece-in-distinction like you!!” “No, why is that coming out right now!?”

Jeong So-so, who had shouted out of habit, flinched.

“S-sorry. For raising my voice.”

Jeong So-so looked like she was about to cry. Coincidences are fine within reason, but what on earth is this? So. If this is true.

The person I was arguing with over property issues… is my Master’s Uncle?

Wh-what kind of crumbling family is this? This wasn’t the reunion she had imagined. It was supposed to be more touching and warm! Suddenly, the words she spat out last night flashed through her mind, and as words like insubordination, destroying the order of the school, and traitor to the family came to mind, she just felt dizzy. Right! Verification! Verification first!

“Are you really saying you were a trainee at Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy?” “Yes, that’s right.” “For that to be true, you are too young… From what I heard, the academy closed…” “Yes.”

Jin Cheong-un’s expression became nostalgic.

“Has it already been twelve years?” “……?”

For a moment, Jeong So-so narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

“It’s not twelve years, it’s fourteen. It’s almost fifteen years now.” “Close enough. Let it go.”

Let it go, my foot!

If it’s true, exactly how old is he?

Looking only at his appearance, one might think he’s in his early thirties. Apart from his somewhat world-weary atmosphere, he could pass for someone in his twenties. If his age was as it appeared, that meant he had entered the Jianghu at a younger age than she was now…

Come to think of it, I thought about it the moment I heard his name. But! But!!

How many people named Cheong-un could there be in the world! Who would have thought such a coincidence could happen!

“Ar-are you really… my Master’s Uncle?” “I told you, I have never had a niece-in-distinction like you…!” “Ah, stop joking! You’re not a father-in-law trying to kick out a son-in-law you don’t like!” “It’s not a joke, it’s the truth.” “Yes?”

Jin Cheong-un crossed his arms and said:

“Think about it. How could you be my niece-in-distinction? The academy went bankrupt, so we have never studied in the same sect (Dong-mun).”

“……!”

At those words, Jeong So-so’s expression darkened instantly. Why was that? A part of her heart ached. Though she was confused, it seemed she had been inwardly excited and happy at the fact that a senior from her sect, whom she had waited and waited for, had returned. But Jin Cheong-un said: You and I have no relationship. It was the right thing to say, and she acknowledged it, but it felt quite cold, as if she had been abandoned once again.

“That is certainly correct, but…”

Jeong So-so replied as calmly as possible and clasped her hands together tightly. Right, there was no guarantee from the start that a senior of the sect would regard her like family. She must stand on her own. Didn’t she make that vow to herself after her father abandoned them? Perhaps this disappointment also stemmed from her own weakness, needing someone to lean on. However, just then.

“That doesn’t mean we have no relationship at all.” “What do you mean?”

Jin Cheong-un sighed shortly and examined Jeong So-so, who was asking back. Jeong, Jeong… Among the disciples he remembered, was there someone with the surname Jeong…?

There is.

One person. A name he could not forget.

“Let me ask you one thing. Does your father go by the name of Jeong Baek-heon?”

“……!”

Jeong So-so covered her mouth in surprise.

“So it’s true. Oh my.”

Jin Cheong-un let out a bitter laugh. Good heavens. To think I would end up being called ‘Uncle’ when I have no such luck.

“You were the daughter of my eldest senior brother.” “……Yes?” “Yes, I think I remember. I think I saw you when you were a little kid…”

Jin Cheong-un looked around the academy with a deep sigh.

“So, eldest brother was the one guarding this place.”

That was a long time ago. To the current Jin Cheong-un, it was a memory he had tucked away in a corner of his mind.

“You troublemaking brat! I wondered where you went, skipping your studies. Get down here right now!”

Jin Cheong-un, who had been lying sprawled out on a tree, flinched.

He’s being a pain again.

He glanced slightly beneath the tree. A young man with wide-open eyes was looking up at him. It was Jeong Baek-heon, the eldest among them at Cheong-un Academy and famous for his fiery temper. He leaped down from the tree and replied as calmly as he could.

“What is it.” “What is it? Wh-what iiiis iiit? Do you really not know why I’m like this!” “I wasn’t doing anything, just resting here.” “You’re proud of slacking off, aren’t you.” “……”

In fact, Jin Cheong-un had joined the academy later than the others. It is as natural a principle that senior disciples bully junior disciples as it is that water falls from the top to the bottom. Jin Cheong-un was being harassed by their bullying.

“I told you to get along with the other trainees! In this world, where is there anyone who beats their own fellow disciples?” “They’re the ones who started the bullying.” “Is it bullying to nag you not to beat up fellow trainees?” “……”

Jeong Baek-heon sighed deeply.

“Ugh. Give me your hand.” “Why the hand.” “If I tell you to give it, give it. You’re young, why are you always talking back.” “I don’t have that kind of taste.” “Are you completely crazy, this guy?”

Glaring at him as if he were absurd, Jeong Baek-heon grabbed Jin Cheong-un’s wrist forcefully.

“Look at this! It’s swollen!”

Then, he smeared ointment all over the back of his hand, which had turned red from beating up his seniors. Jin Cheong-un averted his gaze, feeling unnecessarily awkward.

“Hey.” “What.” “If you say ‘what’ again, I’ll really kill you.” “You’re weaker than me.” “I won’t buy you candies from now on.” “Yes. Please speak, eldest brother.”

Jeong Baek-heon let out a hollow laugh. The reason he was called ‘eldest brother’ instead of ‘eldest senior brother’ was because he was different from the other trainees in many ways. In a word, he was a child from a wealthy family. The eldest son of a quite famous family, with a bright future as he would inherit the family business. Unlike Jin Cheong-un and other trainees who ate and slept at the academy due to their own circumstances, he only showed up once or twice a week to learn self-defense. Usually, one would feel a distance, but his personality was so good that everyone followed him like an eldest brother. He himself was an only child and preferred to be called ‘eldest brother’ rather than ‘eldest senior brother’.

“Isn’t it time to get a bit closer to your fellow disciples?” “We are close.” “By swinging your fists just because you made eye contact?” “In my neighborhood, that was a greeting.” “What kind of neighborhood did you live in?”

Jeong Baek-heon, having finished applying the ointment, opened his mouth.

“Cheong-un. Do you dislike this place?” “……It’s just so-so.” “I like it.” “……?” “The master, the fellow disciples—they’re all like family. I like it so much that I even want to enroll my child here if I have one later.” “What are you suddenly saying?” “It means now that you’ve entered the academy, you’re one of them, too.”

Jin Cheong-un closed his mouth.

“So I want you to think of me, of us, that way, too.” “……” “You’re an expert at fighting, after all. Wouldn’t it be great if you guarded us when our family members get beaten up or when something big happens? Don’t you think?”

Whoosh, the mountain breeze blew by. Jin Cheong-un, who had been listening in silence, nodded quietly.

“I understand.” “Really?” “So please give me the candy now.” “……You brat.”

Jeong Baek-heon ruffled his hair roughly, took out a candy wrapped in paper from his robe, and handed it to him. The candy seemed sweeter than usual that day.

Jin Cheong-un turned his gaze. Looking around the Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy, he let out a sigh.

So, you guarded it all alone while everyone left?

You foolish man. You, who had no talent for martial arts, who refused to be called ‘senior brother’, and who had the least loyalty to the academy… Why on earth did you guard the Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy all alone after everyone left? And even your daughter.

Jin Cheong-un looked at Jeong So-so with pitying eyes.

“Th-then, what should I call you…”

She said, cautiously observing him.

“……Uncle?”

“Damn it.”

I’m truly going crazy.