The World's Greatest Countryside Martial Arts Academy - chapter 9

Slither. Thud!

Eventually, all the Black Tiger Gang members collapsed in miserable states. As he caught his breath briefly, Jeong So-so’s desperate voice came from behind Jin Cheong-un.

“Un-Uncle!!”

Jin Cheong-un smiled inwardly at the subtle, worried emotion in her voice.

It’s over.

Not just this mess, but Jeong So-so, too. Not content with just stepping in to help in that situation, he had taken down four grown men wielding swords. Even a complete stranger would be moved, so it was only natural for a niece to feel respect for her teacher.

“Ar-are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? You said you retired due to injury, yet you fought like this…!” “Well, this much is nothing.”

Jin Cheong-un turned around, wearing a feigned, benevolent, and relaxed smile.

“Dealing with mere thugs is a piece of cake. I didn’t even use that much strength.” “Gasp!” “Why are you like that?”

Jeong So-so shouted with a face turned deathly pale.

“Bl-blood!” “Huh?” “Blood coming from your mouth!” “Blood?”

Jin Cheong-un rubbed his lips slightly with his hand. A little bit of blood really did come off.

“Hm, I think it got on me while fighting, so don’t worry… Cough! Hmm?”

What is this? Why is he coughing? Jin Cheong-un, who tilted his head, suddenly—

“Cough, cough! Ugh!“

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Are you okay?!” “I’m fine. I just choked on my saliva for a moment.” “You cough up blood when you choke on saliva!?” “Things like that happen sometimes. Cough! In any case, it’s nothing compared to fighting neighborhood thugs… Ugh!” “Aaaah!”

Bright red blood flowed continuously from Jin Cheong-un’s mouth. Jeong So-so turned pale and stamped her feet in panic.

H-he pushed himself too hard. Because of us!

Then again, did it make sense for a retired escort warrior to take on four people alone? It was clear he had pushed himself too hard. Of course, it was half a misunderstanding.

Sigh. I’ve lost all my dignity. Why exactly at this moment…

Jin Cheong-un wiped his lips with his sleeve, feeling awkward. This unknown Jingi (true energy) did not follow the method of the Underworld King’s Ten Principles (冥王十訣), which had been his unique internal martial art in the past. But internal energy should be operated according to a cautious and precise method. Naturally, if you force it out, your blood vessels can get tangled.

I never trained in this, so where did it roll in from?

To use an analogy, it was as if he had a guest he didn’t even know in his own home, the blood vessels. Even though the guest took a seat without paying, they didn’t listen to the landlord, and if he tried to force them out, they would even make a mess. That was why he had intended to find a way to soothe and use it after retiring.

“Are you really sure you’re okay?” “I’m fine. Martial artists usually spit blood whenever they’re bored anyway, what’s the big deal?” “……”

Shouldn’t people call that a patient, not a martial artist?

“Anyway, what about you, So-so?” “I, I’m fine.”

Jeong So-so, who answered like that, suddenly looked around.

“But…”

A dark shadow fell over her face. Only then did Jin Cheong-un look around the chaotic yard.

It’s a mess.

Collapsed walls. The floor of the main building’s porch caved in. The pine tree in the garden snapped wretchedly. Black Tiger Gang members lying stuck in various places…

Clench.

Jin Cheong-un clenched his fist and muttered in a low voice.

“Black Tiger Gang… how dare you make a mess of someone’s precious home. I will not forgive you.” “No, Uncle, you were the one who did it!!” “Me?” “Yes!” “I acted in self-defense. Didn’t you see them make the mess first?” “Those guys only destroyed a little bit of the wall, that’s all!” “I originally pay back grievances tenfold.”

No, so why are you paying back those grievances while destroying your own house?

It was then.

“Sister!” “So-ryong?!”

Jeong So-so was startled.

“I told you not to come out, why did you!” “I’m fine. What happened? Are you okay, Sister?” “It’s nothing you need to worry about, so go back into your room right now.”

Though she was the one who almost faced a major disaster, Jeong So-so was restless, checking her brother’s body. Jeong So-ryong, holding his sister’s hand, said:

“Sister, I’m family, too. My family almost faced a major disaster, so how could I not worry?” “……!” “It’s really a relief that you didn’t get hurt.”

Jeong So-so’s eyes welled up with tears.

“So-ryong.”

When did this late-born brother grow up so much… Jeong So-so spread her arms wide to hug her brother, feeling overwhelmed.

Whoosh! “Ah, right. Wait a minute.”

She grasped only empty air in vain. Jeong So-ryong was already running past her toward the back.

“……?!”

Whether Jeong So-so stood frozen with a shocked expression or not, Jeong So-ryong headed toward Jin Cheong-un, who was standing alone to one side.

“……?”

Jin Cheong-un flinched and lowered his gaze. Jeong So-ryong was looking up at him with eyes sparkling so brightly it was burdensome.

“Do you have something to say?” “Yes.”

Jeong So-ryong folded both hands neatly in front of his belly and bowed deeply.

“Thank you very much for protecting Sister today.”

A beat later, the words followed.

“……Teacher.” “……!” “……!?”

Jin Cheong-un’s eyes widened, and Jeong So-so’s mouth fell wide open.

“Teacher?” “I heard it from Sister. That you would heal my illness and teach me martial arts. Then aren’t you my Teacher?” “That may be so, but… all of a sudden?”

Jeong So-ryong clenched his fist. And he said with an excited expression:

“You were so cool today! If I learn martial arts, can I become like that, too?” “What?” “I want to learn martial arts and become strong. I want to become like Teacher!”

Jeong So-so doubted her ears.

What? Become like whom?

At that moment, Jin Cheong-un shouted in admiration.

“Hah! Hahaha! No, could there be a trainee with this much passion!”

With his mouth reaching his ears, he said confidently:

“Of course! You can! Call me Teacher from now on!” “Yes! Teacher!” “Right! And who am I?” “You are Teacher!” “Yes, yes! I am your teacher! You can obviously become like me, too!”

Watching the scene from the side, Jeong So-so’s expression was washed over with horror.

“N-no!”

Jeong So-so, who came out after putting Jeong So-ryong to bed, looked completely exhausted. As she looked around with a haggard face, she spoke cautiously.

“So, first of all… shall we clean up?” “Clean up?” “Yes, we can’t leave it like this.” “Hmm.”

Jin Cheong-un, who was looking around, nodded.

“Right, you worked hard.”

When Jin Cheong-un tried to pass the task to her very naturally, Jeong So-so said with a dumbfounded face:

“Ar-are you leaving just like that? Without helping me?” “Ugh. My internal injuries are suddenly…” “Ar-are you okay? Should I support you? Should I go fetch you some water? I, I’ll clean up alone, so just go inside and rest!” “……”

It was a joke, but seeing her so at a loss made his conscience prick him even more. In the end, Jin Cheong-un sighed and rolled up his sleeves.

“It was a misunderstanding. What should I help with first?” “Are you really okay?!” “I told you I am. What should I do first?”

Jeong So-so turned her head, feeling awkward.

“I can do the rest. Th-those people…”

She noticed the Black Tiger Gang members sprawled out. Jin Cheong-un nodded.

“Hm. Is there a cart and rope?” “Ah, yes! There is. Should I bring it?” “Yeah.”

Jin Cheong-un first dragged the Black Tiger Gang members and laid them side-by-side. Jeong So-so, who had dragged the cart while grunting, doubted her eyes for a moment.

Rumage, rummage.

Jin Cheong-un was searching the fallen men.

“……What are you doing?”

Jin Cheong-un said with a look asking why she was asking something so obvious.

“I have to get repair fees.” “……!”

Having finished the work, Jin Cheong-un started piling the Black Tiger Gang members onto the cart like luggage, tied together. Jeong So-so, watching the scene from the corner of her eye, shuddered.

D-don’t tell me?

Suddenly, a terrifying scene flashed through her mind. A dark night. A desolate mountain path. Shoveling dirt into a deeply dug pit…

“I’ve loaded them all.”

Then, Jin Cheong-un dusted off his hands and grabbed the cart handle.

“You finish cleaning. I’ll be back soon.” “Wh-where are you going!” “Huh? Why are you so surprised?” “D-don’t tell me you’re dragging them to a quiet place to bury them…”

Jin Cheong-un asked back, his eyes widening.

“Are you from the underworld?” “Yes?” “How can you talk so easily about burying someone alive… I caught the bad guys, so naturally I have to go to the government office. Why would I bury them?” “What.” “It’s scary hearing that kids these days are so terrifying. Back in my day, everyone was so pure and innocent.”

Jeong So-so learned for the first time today that if you feel too aggrieved, you lose your voice.

“Anyway, I’ll be back, so keep cleaning.”

Jin Cheong-un pushed the cart.

Clatter. Clatter.

Late evening in Cherry Blossom Village. The cart pushed by Jin Cheong-un arrived at the government office.

“Wh-who’s there!” “A corpse?”

When a man with an unusual atmosphere arrived pulling a cart piled with people, chaos erupted in the government office in an instant.

“A corpse, you say. When they are perfectly alive.” “Alive?” “That’s right.” “……This?” “What do you mean by ‘this’? How can you talk about a person as if they were an object?”

Then is it okay to beat a person like this? It was a gruesome sight. It would have been better to just kill them; how could you leave someone in this state…

“Th-then why bring the Black Tiger Gang members to the government office…”

Jin Cheong-un’s eyes narrowed.

Their reaction is peculiar.

It didn’t feel like they were welcoming him for catching the troublesome underworld guys, but rather that they were inconvenienced.

“They aren’t just Black Tiger Gang members.” “Th-then?” “They are villains of the century.” “Vi-villains of the century?” “People who threatened others and recklessly made a mess of someone’s precious home…! You sons of bitches!”

Jin Cheong-un suddenly slapped the cheek of Song Woon-chan, who had fainted. The police officers were startled and stopped him.

“C-calm down.”

Why is he suddenly like that so scarily. A while later, a man who seemed to be the leader of the officers came running out, his belly wobbling.

“I am Geum Tae-bang, the Chief of Police here. Could you tell me in detail what happened?”

Jin Cheong-un calmly explained the situation. Geum Tae-bang’s eyes widened.

“They threw their weight around and drew swords to threaten? The Black Tiger Gang members…?”

From his perplexed reaction, Jin Cheong-un could figure out a few things. First, that the Black Tiger Gang had enough influence to communicate with the government office. Second, that it might not be as lawless an organization as he thought. The fact that they communicated with the government office meant the Black Tiger Gang managed their reputation well. Or they were guys who knew how to smooth things over well.

“Do you think I’m lying?” “No, I didn’t mean that…”

Geum Tae-bang rolled his eyes and observed the situation.

Isn’t that guy Song Woon-chan?

He was an expert whose martial arts were quite strong, so no one had ever touched him. But that he had been beaten and captured?

Is he an expert from the Murim Alliance?

At the very least, he was clearly an orthodox martial arts expert. Wasn’t catching underworld guys like a traditional game for them! After finishing his calculations in an instant, Geum Tae-bang hurriedly showed respect.

“Thank you for your hard work. Leave the handling of these villains to us.” “I’ll leave it to you.”

Silence flowed for a moment. Geum Tae-bang asked:

“Wh-why aren’t you leaving and…” “By any chance.” “By any chance?” “Is there no bounty?” “Bounty is only given if you catch those on the wanted poster…?”

Jin Cheong-un smacked his lips and turned his body.

“If there’s none, then fine. I’ll see you from time to time.”

The police chief, who watched Jin Cheong-un turn quickly, doubted his ears.

See you from time to time?

He realized and asked sharply:

“C-could you tell me your honorable name? Who are you and where are you from?”

If he was planning to settle down in this neighborhood, he needed to know his identity. Didn’t those types of experts cause accidents whenever they were bored? Jin Cheong-un nodded and revealed his identity. In a very confident voice.

“I am Jin Cheong-un, the head of Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy, which is scheduled to open just in front of here.” “……?” “I also plan to operate an adult class. If you wish, I will also open a special class for police officers.” “……” “I look forward to your interest.”

With those words, Jin Cheong-un walked away. Geum Tae-bang’s face, watching the retreating back in a daze, turned pale.

“D-did that crazy person just say that?” “He said he was operating a special class…” “Not that!” “Ah! He said he was the head of the martial arts academy.” “He’s settling down here completely?”

Cracks appeared on Geum Tae-bang’s expression.

Why is such a thing happening in our Cherry Blossom Village!

His motto is to live in peace. His way of life is to go thin and long like a thread. Geum Tae-bang, the police chief of Cherry Blossom Village, who was moderately incompetent and moderately righteous, broke into a cold sweat at the shocking news.

“Wh-what should we do? Should we notify the Black Tiger Gang first?”

The Black Tiger Gang leader is not just a Jianghu person. Isn’t he a local magnate who calls the magistrate ‘brother’?

But if they find out that we just let that academy head go?

After turning it over in his head for a long time, Geum Tae-bang said slowly:

“F-first, we need to treat the patients.” “Yes, even if they are criminals, patients are patients…” “We can’t do anything until they wake up, right?” “Yes? Can’t we notify the Black Tiger Gang?”

Geum Tae-bang shouted.

“The Black Tiger Gang, you say? Since they’re not conscious, we can’t interrogate them, and since their faces look like this, we don’t know their identities, so how are we supposed to know they’re the Black Tiger Gang?” “Ah! That’s right!”

Geum Tae-bang nodded. Right, this is the way. Avoid responsibility as much as possible, and delay things you can delay as much as possible!