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Chapter 305: Who’s Tormenting Us?

The reason I was heading towards Cheol Jiseon was simple.

I just wanted to have a meal together.

That was all there was to it.

‘Is he doing well?’

As I wondered why I was bothering to think about that guy, I had been pretty busy the past few days and hadn’t given it much thought.

The truth was, Cheol Jiseon was the biggest reason I had to come to Shinryong Temple.

I had to keep my attention on this as much as possible.

I had managed to build a decent relationship.

As friends, it should be fine, right?

He didn’t seem to have any complaints either.

I even helped him pass his exam.

I found him decent lodging.

We even became friends!

Now that I think about it, I’ve done quite a lot for him.

Isn’t that enough?!

Everything seemed to be going according to plan.

Although, there was one thing that concerned me.

I didn’t know exactly what the others were up to.

They were all from different groups, after all.

Since they were divided based on the weapons they used, it wasn’t exactly a great situation to run into each other.

The only time I saw them was during meals.

I would sometimes catch a glimpse of Tang Soyeol looking like she was about to die or see Nangong Bi coming a little closer, sniffing around.

As for Wi Seol-Ah, I occasionally ran into her over the past few days, but she didn’t come over intentionally.

From the look in her eyes, it seemed she wanted to approach but…

I couldn’t help but wonder why she was acting like that.

I should just go visit her next time and ask directly.

Why is she making me worry like this?

Anyway.

It seemed each of them had their own situations.

Especially the girl, Mu Yonghee, seemed to be the busiest among them.

The rumors circulating about her weren’t good either.

She was quite fond of stirring up trouble.

‘Was it downstairs?’

I shifted my steps.

As I walked down the corridor, I could feel the stares of the Late-Stage Talents around me.

It seemed my face was becoming quite well-known among them.

In the midst of that…

“What are you staring at?!”

What the hell is up with this guy, acting all tough…?

The guy following behind me, Paewoocheol, was gnashing his teeth at those who were staring at us.

Seriously, what’s his problem?

And why is he following me in the first place?

‘…It’s annoying.’

I had kept him in check after our first meeting.

But since I had just won against Cheol Hwan-O and my pride was clearly at stake, Paewoocheol’s attitude had become strange.

Did I accidentally hit him too hard?

No, it’s not like I’ve hit people just once or twice.

There was no way I could make a blunder like that.

I was sure I had played it off without showing too much.

“Are you looking for a fight? Do you have a problem with my bro?!”

“…Everyone can tell you have a problem with me, so please just shut it. It’s embarrassing!”

Honestly, he sounded like some hillbilly.

Is he really part of the Righteous Faction? He doesn’t look like he’s from the Demonic Faction…

Moreover, Paewoocheol’s appearance was rather intimidating.

“Ugh, just back off. Why are you following me?”

“Hyung, I should be by your side, right?”

“Ugh, that’s not how it is, so don’t follow me.”

I wanted him to just disappear.

Should I just stash him away at my lodging?

Yeah, that would be the easiest solution.

Just then, I unfortunately arrived at my destination.

“Is my sister… here?”

As I stepped into the room where Cheol Jiseon was located, a voice came from inside.

I looked inside to see what was going on.

It seemed Cheol Jiseon was having a conversation with someone I didn’t recognize.

‘From the atmosphere, this doesn’t look good.’

Clearly, it wasn’t a friendly situation.

‘There are always those kinds, no matter where you go.’

There are always those who can’t help but bully someone who seems weaker.

It seemed that Cheol Jiseon had gotten caught up with one of those types.

He didn’t seem particularly imposing as a martial artist, being a little on the smaller side, and his achievements were quite unimpressive.

So, he would likely be seen as good prey by those wanting to put on a show of strength.

I’d been in that position in my previous life, so I knew all too well.

However, the difference between us was that—

While I had fought tooth and nail against my opponents, Cheol Jiseon would likely not do the same.

I silently observed the situation.

It seemed safe to wait a little longer before intervening.

However, the problem was about to erupt.

“Does your sister look like you? That’d be great; I like to have many concubines.”

“Someone like me would ruin your life. This is a great opportunity, you know?”

The words pouring out were enough to stir up anger within me.

If it were me, I would have immediately cut out their tongue and burned it right in front of them.

‘Is he going to endure this?’

No matter how kind-hearted and weak Cheol Jiseon was, to put up with this…

‘…Huh?’

As I watched the situation, I was taken aback by Cheol Jiseon’s unexpected action.

No one else seemed to notice.

Only I could see it clearly.

Under the table, the tips of Cheol Jiseon’s fingers were moving.

It looked like he was trying to grab something.

The movement was slow yet somehow foreign.

Seeing that, I acted swiftly.

The reasons for my sudden movement were twofold.

The first was that if Cheol Jiseon used that power recklessly here, the surrounding area would be completely destroyed.

The second was…

‘I am certain about him.’

I was still not fully convinced of Cheol Jiseon’s existence.

But right now, I was sure of it.

That guy was definitely the one I had been looking for.

Because of that, I moved immediately.

There was no hesitation.

Infusing my energy into my body, I charged forward and delivered a kick to the chest of the guy who was hurling insults at Cheol Jiseon.

Cheol Jiseon was too dazed to comprehend what had just happened.

‘What just happened?’

It was all too sudden.

Out of nowhere, Gu Yangcheong had created chaos.

The guy I kicked flew across the room with just a single hit.

He gasped for breath.

He looked completely dazed.

“…Cough…!”

With a cough, blood flowed from his nose.

“What… what is…!”

It seemed he couldn’t understand the situation he was in.

Finally regaining some sense, he looked up and shouted at me.

“How dare you do this to me…! Are you not afraid of the consequences?!”

“Funny, how come every jerk like you always has the same line prepared, like it’s scripted?”

“Who the hell do you think you are…!”

As I came closer, his words faltered.

“Who am I?”

It was chilly.

I didn’t even have to gather my energy.

I didn’t even show any killing intent.

I was merely staring at him and speaking.

Yet the atmosphere around me felt like ice.

“…I am Jin Iseok of the Mount Tai Jin Clan…”

“Ah, the Mount Tai Jin Clan.”

Hearing Jin Iseok’s words, I clapped my hands as if I understood.

As he reacted to my response, Jin Iseok tried to fix his expression and continued.

“So if you understand now…”

“Yeah, so what if you are? What’s it to me, loser?”

Bam!

“Cough!”

As if not caring for his words at all, I slapped Jin Iseok on the head.

At that moment, it seemed that some of Jin Iseok’s friends were about to move.

They seemed ready to either stop me or save Jin Iseok.

“Don’t move.”

One figure stood in their way.

‘Who is it?’

It was a big guy.

He had black hair and a fearsome expression as he blocked their path.

I watched closely, wondering who this person was.

One of Jin Iseok’s friends mumbled in surprise.

“…Paewoocheol…?”

“What…? As in Paewoocheol?”

The man was a well-known Late-Stage Talent, not quite as famous as the Tang Clan dominating Sichuan, but still notable among the clans.

With his exceptional physical abilities and remarkable talents, Paewoocheol was considered a promising Late-Stage Talent.

“My brother is currently dealing with business. If you disturb him, you’ll die.”

Paewoocheol growled menacingly, causing Jin Iseok’s gang to shrink back in fear.

“Does that Paewoocheol call him brother?”

“Then, could it be that man is…?”

Speaking of character, there were rumors that Paewoocheol, known for his aggression, had cowed down to me the moment he entered Shinryong Temple.

The person who had tamed Paewoocheol and made him his subordinate was already a well-known figure throughout the Central Plains.

“Ah, please… just back off to your lodging, would ya?”

The one in question expressed his disgust and pushed Paewoocheol away, but it seemed Paewoocheol wouldn’t budge.

Realizing what was happening, Jin Iseok became pale, not even paying attention to the blood spilling from his nose.

“Jin… Jin Ryong?”

…

!

….

..

The identity of the person standing in front of him finally registered.

As Gu Yangcheong was berating Paewoocheol, he turned his gaze back to Jin Iseok.

“Shall we continue our conversation?”

“W-What’s Jin Ryong doing here…?”

“Why have you suddenly become kind? It’s fine to act like before.”

He smiled, but the aura surrounding him suggested that he truly meant he would kill Jin Iseok if he didn’t comply.

“What was your name again, Jin Iseok?”

“Jin…Iseok indeed…”

“Right, Iseok. And how old are you?”

“Why do you want to know…?”

“Are you not going to say?”

“Twenty….”

“Twenty, huh? That’s just old enough to eat well.”

As he spoke, Gu Yangcheong grabbed Jin Iseok’s hand.

He made him form a fist and held it tightly over that fist.

“And why can’t you act your age? Did you sleep through family education class?”

“…W-What do you mean…?”

“Didn’t you learn not to bully those who are weaker than you, huh?”

At that moment, Gu Yangcheong pressed on one of Jin Iseok’s fingers.

Crack-!

A horrific sound echoed out.

“…!”

Jin Iseok let out a silent scream.

“You’re already twenty, yet all you do is bully others? If that’s how it’s going to be, why even mess with the Righteous Faction? You’d fit right in with the Demonic Faction instead.”

“Cough…ugh….”

“Don’t whine; you’re left-handed, aren’t you? So I intentionally did it with your right; I’m just considerate, you see? I know.”

In an instant, Cheol Jiseon had become the bullied one, and now it was very much not the time to think about that either.

‘W-What….’

Gu Yangcheong had stepped in like a hero, saving Cheol Jiseon from Jin Iseok, but I didn’t expect him to treat him so roughly.

If things went south like this, it would cause problems for Jin Ryong himself.

Cheol Jiseon’s eyes rolled wildly around.

While Paewoocheol blocked the way, right now the one messing Jin Iseok up was indeed Jin Ryong.

The onlookers could only watch, stunned.

Everyone was crushed by Gu Yangcheong’s brash actions.

“Cough… Why… why is this happening…! What do you care about any of this?!”

Jin Iseok yelled indignantly, but hearing that, Gu Yangcheong chuckled.

“Why wouldn’t I care? That guy’s my friend.”

He pointed to Cheol Jiseon while speaking.

The stares of those around turned to Cheol Jiseon.

‘He’s friends with Jin Ryong?!’

‘Who the hell is this guy…?’

‘If they say that friends are made in shared experiences, does that mean…?’

With just one word from Gu Yangcheong, Cheol Jiseon’s reputation was obliterated in an instant.

Feeling the shame wash over him, Cheol Jiseon’s mind spun in confusion.

He felt like he was heading down a wrong path.

“Why did you even touch our guy?”

“I didn’t know he was that important…”

“Not knowing isn’t an excuse. Wooseok.”

In the meantime, he had moved from Jin Iseok to Jin Wooseok, but this was not the atmosphere to argue about that.

“From the beginning, you shouldn’t have done that. That would have been the right thing, right? Don’t you think?”

Regret always comes a little too late.

As Gu Yangcheong said, he tightened his grip on Jin Iseok’s hand once more.

Jin Iseok trembled from that pressure, his eyes welling up with tears.

At the point where he thought he might scream from the pain again,

“Let’s stop right there, shall we?”

Cutting through the escalating tension was a voice.

It was a calm yet powerful tone.

“If you go any further, it won’t be good for either of you.”

As if struggling to find a solution, someone stepped in.

The owner of that voice was none other than Jang Seonyeon, known as the Holy One.

Seeing her approach, the expressions of Gwandosaeng’s gang shifted to relief.

They were thankful that the Holy One had intervened.

“This is the Gu Prince’s territory, after all; wouldn’t it be better to stop here?”

Seeing Jang Seonyeon walk closer, Paewoocheol stood his ground with his massive build blocking her way.

“Step aside.”

Noticing this, Gu Yangcheong released Jin Iseok and stood up.

For a brief moment, there was a glint of energy in Gu Yangcheong’s fierce gaze.

“Why are you getting in the way?”

“As I said, it would not be beneficial for either side to continue from here.”

“Ah, so I misspoke. Let me rephrase that.”

“…What?”

“Why did you only decide to step in now?”

His words bit like a sharp knife.

They contained an implication that those around began to sense.

What does he mean?

“…What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve been watching the whole time, haven’t you? Whether it was Wooseok or Iseok, you only thought to step in once everything was wrecked.”

“Gu Gongja.”

“You had to have been watching when our friend was getting picked on, right?”

When Cheol Jiseon had been bullied by Jin Iseok.

Over the course of several days.

Could Jang Seonyeon truly claim she hadn’t known? No, Gu Yangcheong thought otherwise.

She must have known but pretended not to.

That’s why he asked.

When Cheol Jiseon was being helplessly bullied, why now the sudden interference?

“Just because you show up all cool after everything seems to be settled, what difference will it even make? Why do you only jump in now that I’ve done all the dirty work, huh?”

“…I was just waiting for the moment to save Cheol Jiseon.”

“Waiting to see me conquer? What kind of coward are you to hold back the whole time? Don’t just come here pretending to have been following me.”

His tone was brash and laced with vulgar insults.

While his coarse words narrowed the eyes of the listeners, inside them, questions arose.

Gu Yangcheong’s accusations held weight, after all.

“If you want to put on a show, at least do it properly. Don’t fake some noble cause. Or is it that…”

As Gu Yangcheong spat those words, he edged closer to Jang Seonyeon.

Seeing this, Jang Seonyeon tried to step back.

Crack-!

“…Gah!”

Gu Yangcheong tightly gripped Jang Seonyeon’s shoulder and pulled her close.

Then he whispered so silently that no one else could hear.

“Is this all part of your plan?”

“…!”

Gu Yangcheong’s words made Jang Seonyeon’s eyes widen in shock.

Recognizing the expression on her face, Gu Yangcheong maintained his expressionless facade.

As if he had known all along.

“It seems you’ve got a scheme of your own; what if I share an interesting story? Something I haven’t told anyone.”

Jang Seonyeon tried to break away from Gu Yangcheong, but his grip remained unyielding.

She had to listen to what he had to say, still trapped by his hold.

“You will die here.”

“…What did you just say?”

“Just letting you know in advance.”

Calmly expressing those ominous words, Gu Yangcheong finally released Jang Seonyeon from his grip.

He stepped back and grinned.

“Since I mentioned I’ll leave the rest to you, I can now leave without a care. Oh, right.”

He paused mid-sentence and turned to look at Jin Iseok.

His gaze forced Jin Iseok to tremble.

“If you touch my friend again, you’re dead.”

“Y-Yes…!”

“Next time, I’ll cut your tongue out and burn it.”

With those parting words, Gu Yangcheong abandoned Jin Iseok, returning to Cheol Jiseon.

“Get up. Let’s go have something to eat.”

“Eh? Huh? Are you serious?”

“Then when are we going? Are you not going to have lunch?”

“Not that I wouldn’t…”

He’s just going to act like this after all that commotion?

Cheol Jiseon looked at Gu Yangcheong in disbelief, but Gu Yangcheong seemed unconcerned.

“I said he’ll handle it. Let’s go.”

When he mentioned “he,” he was referring to Jang Seonyeon.

Cheol Jiseon briefly wondered if the two were close, yet no matter how one looked at it, the tension between the Holy One and Jin Ryong didn’t seem friendly.

They couldn’t come from more opposite personalities, either.

While Cheol Jiseon hesitated, Gu Yangcheong yanked him up.

With Cheol Jiseon being dragged to his feet, he had no choice but to follow along.

“U-Seok, what’s for lunch today?”

“I don’t know.”

“…Well, way to be nonchalant. Guess I’ll just check when we get there.”

After Gu Yangcheong and his group departed, silence enveloped the area.

It felt like a massive typhoon had just swept through in an instant.

Jin Iseok was still unable to hide his trembling body.

And his pants looked slightly damp, as if he had wetted himself.

It was only then that Jin Iseok’s gang hurriedly rushed to his side.

“Your finger…! We need to get you to the infirmary….”

“Shouldn’t we report this to the instructor first?”

“Then…”

Boom—!

Just as they began to fumble around, a colossal sound reverberated through the area.

The others jumped in shock and turned their attention.

“Hey, Jang Gongja?”

The source of that sound was none other than Jang Seonyeon, who had smashed the table with her fist.

Everyone looked at her in astonishment.

Yet those who stared couldn’t help but gulp down hard.

This was because the seemingly benevolent face of Jang Seonyeon was now twisted like that of a malevolent spirit.

 

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