Chapter 122 : Chapter 122

Chapter 122. Discussion on Chivalry (2)

“You can start a fire by gathering dry grass like this.”

Baek Hyang started from the basics of sleeping outdoors and taught the latter-generation disciples step by step.

It could have been bothersome, but Baek Hyang showed no such sign.

It was only natural.

Compared to teaching Nam Geon how to write, it was at least ten times easier.

Because she had to explain the same thing to Nam Geon ten times.

But the latter-generation disciples, who had no way of knowing this, were half embarrassed and half grateful.

“Ahem. Th-Thank you, Miss Baek.”

It was embarrassing to be taught by a much younger miss, and they were also grateful for her kindness.

After finishing their meal in a rather amicable atmosphere.

‘Now we can finally sleep.’

‘Phew. It was a much harder day than when I was at the clan.

The moment the latter-generation disciples were about to finally lay their heavy bodies down, Jin Yuseong’s voice was heard.

“Nam Geon.”

“G-Got it, brother.”

He had just called his name, but Nam Geon got up as if he had been waiting.

Jin Yuseong and Nam Geon moved to a spot a few zhang away from the bonfire.

Baek Hyang and Dang Sopyeong had also gotten up and were moving to a spot a little further away.

Only the latter-generation disciples were left sitting around the bonfire, staring blankly at them.

And before long, the latter-generation disciples made dazed expressions.

Clang!!

A metallic sound echoed continuously.

It was the sound of Jin Yuseong striking Nam Geon with his sword.

It wasn't a one-sided assault.

“Haaat!”

They were having a duel.

And while Nam Geon and Jin Yuseong were having a duel, Baek Hyang and Dang Sopyeong were also training on their own.

“…”

How long had they been staring blankly at that shocking scene?

Thud.

Nam Geon, who had been hit well over a hundred times, fell.

“Junior sister.”

“Yes, Senior Brother!”

After that, the duel between Baek Hyang and Jin Yuseong continued.

Nam Geon, who had gotten up at some point, also moved to a corner and started training on his own again.

Seomun Ak, who had been watching the scene, forced his already weary body up.

And right after the duel between Baek Hyang and Jin Yuseong ended, he performed a clasped hands greeting to Jin Yuseong and said.

“Young Hero Jin, could you perhaps give me a chance to learn a lesson as well?”

At that, Jin Yuseong smiled gently.

“As for duels, I always welcome them.”

“Thank you very much.”

As Seomun Ak, who had said so, drew his sword and took a starting stance, Jin Yuseong, who had become serious, added.

“However, please approach the duel with the determination to engage in a life-and-death battle.”

Seomun Ak replied with a determined expression.

“I will do so.”

But his determination was a little soft.

After a few exchanges of barely blocking or dodging Jin Yuseong's continuous sword strikes.

Jin Yuseong suddenly swung his leg.

An interval that barely didn't touch his body.

Seomun Ak thought it was a feint, but strangely, something flew from the tip of Jin Yuseong’s foot.

It was the mud attached to Jin Yuseong’s shoe.

The moment he turned his head to dodge the mud belatedly, the Restoring Name Sword was already aimed at his neck.

A faint trickle of blood flowed down his neck from the very slight cut.

Before Seomun Ak, who swallowed dryly, could say anything, Jin Yuseong opened his mouth in a cold tone.

“Have you forgotten the story I told you this afternoon? Trash will do anything to win when they fight. Are you going to die stupidly?”

A much superior master had used a cheap trick.

Seomun Ak, who had been about to argue, changed his mind.

Because he now understood why Jin Yuseong, a master of a much higher level, had used such a trick.

“My thoughts were short. Thank you for the lesson.”

As Seomun Ak said so with a clasped hands greeting, Jin Yuseong sheathed his sword.

Right after, Pyo Daecheol stepped forward.

Jin Yuseong continued to duel with the latter-generation disciples in turn, using all sorts of methods that the Underworld or assassins would use, by any means necessary.

After all the duels were over, Jin Yuseong spoke to the latter-generation disciples.

“I will take the first watch, so you can all go to sleep now.”

“Ahem. Please wake us when it's our turn.”

“Then we will go to sleep first.”

The latter-generation disciples who said so lay their bodies down on the ground.

It was far too uncomfortable compared to where they usually slept.

Any romance or fantasy about sleeping outdoors had long since melted away like snow.

‘I never knew living in the jianghu was this hard.’

‘I really have been living comfortably at the clan all this time.’

‘To have traveled the jianghu for over a year while enduring such hardships! As expected of Young Hero Jin!’

After a moment of self-reflection or admiration for someone.

Perhaps because their bodies had reached their limit, they fainted as soon as they took a few breaths.

And the next morning. Seomun Ak opened his eyes to the strong sunlight.

Startled, Seomun Ak quickly got up.

A groan escaped him.

“Keuk.”

There wasn't a single place on his body that didn't hurt.

While he was groaning.

Jin Yuseong, who was sitting in the same spot as yesterday, opened his mouth.

“You're awake?”

“D-Don't tell me you stayed up all night?”

Jin Yuseong shook his head.

“You can only train to your limit if you rest properly. We took turns keeping watch with the group, so don't worry.”

Perhaps because of the sound of their conversation, Dang Sopyeong, who had been lying down, got up and snorted.

“Hmph. Since when did you care so much about your body?”

At that, the others who had been asleep also opened their eyes one by one.

“Ahem. From now on, please wake us up. Or, next time, we will take the first watch.”

As Seomun Ak spoke with an embarrassed expression, Jin Yuseong let out a smirk and nodded his head.

“That was my plan anyway, so don't worry.”

He wasn't saying it out of modesty.

He had planned to teach them about sleeping outdoors anyway.

When it seemed everyone was more or less awake, Jin Yuseong got up.

“We will have breakfast and depart immediately.”

“Ahem. Is it by any chance the same method as yesterday?”

“I think we will arrive at a village in the evening.”

The latter-generation disciples let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

It was only one night of sleeping outdoors, but it was a feeling they never wanted to experience again.

At their reaction, Jin Yuseong added.

“I meant that we would arrive in the evening if we traveled like yesterday.”

As the memory of running for a shichen straight yesterday came to mind, the faces of the latter-generation disciples turned pale.

It meant that today they had to run not for a shichen, but for a whole day.

Suddenly, Seomun Ak thought of Jin Yuseong.

“Yes. There might be Underworld bastards in the village we're going to in the evening. So shouldn't we run with all our might.”

At Seomun Ak's words, Seomun Ho's eyes lit up and he got up.

“Ugh. That's right, older brother. Isn't that the path of a chivalrous hero!”

At the sight of the latter-generation disciples staggering to their feet, Dang Sopyeong shook his head.

‘A chivalrous hero, my foot. It’s just the path to getting sick and sore.’

***

By the time the sun was setting, they had arrived at a certain village.

After first getting a room at an inn and ordering food, Jin Yuseong told the latter-generation disciples various stories.

About how to find the Underworld bastards hidden in the village, or how not to be deceived by hypocrites.

“This is a story from when I obtained this sword, but the villagers told us about a place called the Confucian Manor. They said they were very vicious people who worked the villagers like slaves and even extorted their money and valuables.”

But in reality, those villagers were trying to frame the Confucian Manor and have them annihilated.

Seomun Ak, who had been listening quietly, asked.

“Then what happened to those villagers?”

“I killed them.”

Seomun Ak carefully asked again.

“…Aren’t they people who haven’t learned a single martial art?”

He wasn't trying to oppose Jin Yuseong’s opinion.

He just wanted to hear why he had made such a judgment.

“Imagine people who haven’t learned a single martial art conspiring to frame the Seomoon Clan. Because of this, the Seomoon Clan is in danger of being annihilated. Could you still just let it go? Just because the opponent hasn’t learned a single martial art?”

The latter-generation disciples each imagined the Seomoon Clan and the Pyo Clan being framed like that.

Some made devastated expressions, some nodded as if they understood, and Seomun Ho shouted boldly.

“I will never forgive them!”

At their reaction, Jin Yuseong also nodded his head.

‘Should I say there are pros and cons.’

He thought they were of the same kind as Yeongcheon, but they weren't exactly the same.

Yeongcheon was a Taoist who lived with nature as his friend.

So sleeping outdoors wasn't that difficult for him.

On the other hand, even after experiencing the incident at the Confucian Manor himself, he still had a reluctance to kill the powerless wicked.

These guys were the opposite.

Because they were from prestigious clans, sleeping outdoors was difficult for them, but when he gave the clan as an example, they easily understood this kind of thing.

Nam Geon, who also seemed to remember what happened then, shouted.

“I-I was deceived back then and almost ki-killed an innocent person. Th-They tried to kill someone with lies. I-It's the same as murder!”

“As brother said. It’s just a difference between killing with a knife or killing with the tongue. In the end, they had attempted murder.”

As soon as Nam Geon and Baek Hyang’s words ended, the latter-generation disciples also nodded their heads.

“Hearing the stories of you three, it really is so.”

“Phew. I really didn't know there were so many people who would harm others, blinded by greed.”

“Really, if it weren't for Young Hero Jin, I wonder if we would have been caught up in such a thing.”

“Thanks to Young Hero Jin, we are learning a lot.”

“That’s right. If it weren’t for Young Hero Jin’s teachings, we might have killed innocent people at any time. Or we could have been deceived by lies and died.”

Seomun Ak, who had said so, performed a clasped hands greeting to Jin Yuseong with a serious expression.

“Young Hero Jin. This is also a life-saving grace, so I will repay this debt with my life whenever the time comes.”

At that, the latter-generation disciples all performed a clasped hands greeting to Jin Yuseong.

At this, Nam Geon and Baek Hyang also smiled warmly, and Jin Yuseong answered calmly.

“I just wanted to stop innocent people from being harmed by trash. Your hearts must be the same as mine, so don’t worry about it.”

At Jin Yuseong’s indifferent reaction, the eyes of the latter-generation disciples shone even more brightly.

“As expected of Young Hero Jin. No, Great Hero Jin!!”

It was Seomun Ho who was making a fuss, but no one reprimanded him.

A cold sweat ran down the back of Dang Sopyeong, who had been watching the scene silently.

‘Th-They’re all going crazy.’

***

A few days of being with the latter-generation disciples of the Seomoon Clan and the Pyo Clan.

Since they had to take a break separately from the latter-generation disciples because there wasn't enough space in the inn, Dang Sopyeong asked what he had been curious about.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Since when were you so kind?”

For Dang Sopyeong, it was a little annoying.

To others, Jin Yuseong's attitude might seem indifferent, but that's not what Dang Sopyeong felt.

Because he seemed much kinder compared to when he was dealing with him.

It seemed a bit creepy to ask to be treated kindly himself, so Dang Sopyeong said teasingly.

“As expected. It must be because of Miss Pyo.”

Jin Yuseong answered with a pathetic expression.

It wasn't because of Dang Sopyeong’s absurd misunderstanding.

“Are your eyes just holes in a piece of wood?”

“I have eyes, so I’m saying this. Because you seem different from usual.”

“Miss Pyo has a special relationship with Young Master Seomun.”

The future that Jin Yuseong remembered. The mistress of the Seomoon Clan was a Madam Pyo.

He didn't remember her name. There was no reason to be interested in the wife.

But he was able to deduce it thanks to traveling with them.

As Jin Yuseong answered while comparing with the future, Dang Sopyeong let out a hollow laugh.

“Are you the one with holes for eyes?”

The way the latter-generation disciples looked at Jin Yuseong was getting more intense by the day.

Among them, the gazes of Pyo Hayeon and Seomun Ho were particularly strong.

On the other hand, what about the relationship between Seomun Ak and Pyo Hayeon?

It was obvious they were just companions.

If anything, it would be a different story if the relationship between Pyo Daecheol and Seomun Yeong, who were of the same age, was close.

Dang Sopyeong, who was thinking about the relationships among the latter-generation disciples, realized something and said.

“I get it now. I thought this was also planned since you’re skilled in everything else, but it seems you’re completely ignorant when it comes to romance.”

Baek Hyang, who was listening from the side, smiled awkwardly.

In her eyes, it also seemed that her senior brother had no interest in women’s hearts.

Just in case, she asked.

“Senior Brother, is there by any chance a woman you have in your heart?”

“Are you also becoming like that Tang Clan kid, junior sister?”

As Jin Yuseong looked at Dang Sopyeong with a pathetic expression, Dang Sopyeong snorted.

“Hmph. What’s so strange about a young man and woman being attracted to each other. On the contrary, if you’re not interested, there’s something wrong with your body. Your head seemed strange, so it seems you need treatment.”

“It’s a life where it wouldn’t be strange to die tomorrow. I don’t have the time to be interested in such things.”

While Baek Hyang was nodding her head with an ‘as expected’ expression, Dang Sopyeong approached her and said.

“Miss Baek, be careful. Just as the ones who say they’re not interested in wealth are the ones most obsessed with it, the ones who say they’re not interested in women have a very high possibility of being lechers.”

Baek Hyang blinked her eyes a few times and then asked Dang Sopyeong.

“Young Master Dang, have you ever met a woman before?”

Dang Sopyeong slightly turned his head.

“…”

It was a life of just guarding the medical wing at the Sichuan Sword Clan. Let alone dating, he had never even had a proper conversation with a woman.

Jin Yuseong, who had no interest in this kind of conversation, had already turned his head and was looking east.

‘It seems we will arrive in two days.’

Anui, near Poyang Lake in Jiangxi. The hometown of the Scholar Chivalrous Hero, Sama Hyeon.

It wasn't even Jin Yuseong's own hometown, but as he got closer to it, he felt his heart become a little lighter for some reason.

To the point where he could just let Dang Sopyeong's nonsense slide.