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The Martial Arts Academy was in an uproar.
The incident began with the disappearance of Baek Woo-jin, the second son of the Ximseop Baek family family and a first-year student, during a mission.
When he did not return even after ten days, the academy formed an investigation team and headed to the bandits' stronghold on Mt. Yeongam, the site of the mission.
The bandits were still alive and plundering. The meaning of this was clear: mission failure.
Indeed, after interrogating them, they confessed that a student had visited them two weeks ago and had fled into the mountains with injuries.
"Well, well, such things do happen."
It was a low-level mission. The leader of the bandits was a third-rate, and the rest were either untrained or no better than third-rate.
It was a problem that he had failed a mission that anyone in the Martial Arts Academy should have been able to complete, but it was also a problem that he was missing and had not appeared.
"I'll go and find him."
In truth, Baek Woo-jin was not a very important figure to the academy. After all, there were occasional cases of students dying or disappearing during missions.
However, the student growling in front was different.
Baek Mu-hyuk.
The eldest son of the Ximseop Baek family, two years older than the missing Baek Woo-jin, and a genius who led the third-year students with the nickname of 'Dragon'.
"I understand your feelings, Student Baek Mu-hyuk. However, we cannot entrust the investigation to a student."
"Then please allow me to carry out the mission."
"Ha... you're going to use the mission as an excuse to go to Mt. Yeongam, aren't you? Do you think I'm going to allow that?"
Baek Mu-hyuk bit his lip tightly. Red blood soaked his lips.
'Woo-jin.'
He was a kind and gentle younger brother. The image of him wielding his sword day and night, saying that he would become a chivalrous hero who upholds justice and has a good heart, still lingered in his eyes.
Although he was embarrassed to express it, he loved his brother very much.
"In that case…," He ground his teeth. "Please expel me from the academy."
Bam!!
The fist of Professor Kang Baek, who was in charge of Baek Mu-hyuk and his team, hit the table, "Are you out of your mind!"
The aftermath of such an expulsion from the prestigious Martial Arts Academy, where the elite disciples of various sects gathered, would tarnish not only his reputation but also his family's honor.
However, Baek Mu-hyuk raised his head and stared into Kang Baek's eyes, "I am more sane than ever, Professor."
"Heh...!”
Most of the brothers of the Murim world are not on good terms. They are forced to compete for the position of patriarch, a position of honor and power. So he thought Baek Mu-hyuk and Baek Woo-jin would have a similar relationship, but that was not the case at all.
"Just wait a little longer. I will recommend sending a search party to the higher-ups."
"......Thank you."
Baek Mu-hyuk bowed his head with a trembling body and turned his back to leave the professor's office.
"O, Orabeoni."
Waiting for him was Shin Ye-hwa, Baek Woo-jin's childhood friend.
".....Ye-hwa."
"What happened?"
"They said they would recommend sending a search party."
"Ah...! That's a relief."
Shin Ye-hwa felt a great sense of responsibility for Baek Woo-jin's disappearance.
'I should have been more careful.'
They had always been together. They always went on missions together, and they even ate together most of the time. But after Baek Mu-hyuk returned, the time they spent apart became much longer.
She was impatient. As Baek Mu-hyuk became more and more successful, many women courted him. At this rate, she felt like she would lose him without even being able to confess her feelings.
So, in order to increase the amount of time she spent with him, she sent Baek Woo-jin away to avoid him again. She used Baek Woo-jin to make an appointment to go on a mission with Baek Mu-hyuk and then sneak away.
'Why did I do that?'
A belated sense of regret washed over her. Thinking back, Baek Woo-jin's face had been much thinner than usual when she saw him a few days before he left for the mission.
'Why didn't I notice it before?'
They had been childhood friends since they were five years old.
He had always been a kind friend, who would do anything she asked, even if he grumbled about it. He would even cover up for her mistakes, and then smile and say it was okay when she got scolded.
When she remembered his hollow-cheeked face, she felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"It's okay, Ye-hwa."
Baek Mu-hyuk wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"Oh, Orabeoni...."
"Woo-jin will be fine, I'll definitely bring him back."
His arms around her shoulders felt incredibly warm. She found herself caught between joy and sadness, a mix of emotions that she didn't particularly enjoy feeling.
* * * * *
A search party was dispatched. Composed of ten first-class martial artists and twenty second-class martial artists, the search party began scouring all the paths leading to Mt. Yeongam and gathering information about Baek Woo-jin.
"Hehehe! Wouldn't it be great if he doesn't come back alive? Don't you think so, Yeon-mae?"
At Nam Gungsu's eerie remark, Yoo Hwa-yeon forced a smile and nodded her head slightly.
'What happened....?'
Baek Woo-jin's disappearance had greatly shaken Yoo Hwa-yeon's heart.
She wanted herself and the Yoo family to rise to a higher position. She had hoped that Baek Woo-jin, who had been betrothed to her, would grow greatly and lead her to a higher place, but no matter how much she coaxed and encouraged him over the past few years, he had not improved at all.
She was exhausted. And she thought he was hopeless.
Then, the man named Nam Gungsu, who had everything she wanted, approached her. She hesitated for a moment, but soon made up her mind.
She had decided to leave him, but she had never wished for him to die.
A few days ago, she had a big fight with Shin Ye-hwa, who had come to see her.
—How can you be so careless as a fiancée!
At those words, she felt a pang of conscience and involuntarily got angry.
—And what about you! What have you done as a childhood friend?
The situation almost escalated into a sword fight, but thanks to the intervention of the people around them, they were able to barely hold back.
"Hah...."
With a heavy heart, she raised her head and exhaled.
The leaves, which were beginning to change from green to yellow and red, embroidered the sky that had become slightly higher.
Autumn had begun. In late autumn, the Martial Arts Academy would hold its festival, each grade would hold their respective association meetings.
Yoo Hwa-yeon was convinced that Nam Gungsu would take the place of the Divine Dragon, the best among the dragons. For that time, she had begun to distance herself from him.
What a coincidence it was.
'Could it be...'
She even wondered if this had happened because of her; a pang of guilt weighed heavily on her heart.
* * * * *
The vice-principal of the Martial Arts Academy was not happy with the current situation.
"To dispatch a search party for a brat who failed a low-level mission, tsk."
To operate such a large-scale exploration team comprising ten first-class martial artists and twenty second-class martial artists required a considerable sum of money. It was absurd to spend such a fortune just to find a missing person who failed a low-level mission.
"If it wasn't for that Baek Mu-hyuk...."
Although Baek Woo-jin's fate was inconsequential, it was different for Mu-hyuk. Requesting even his expulsion from the academy implied a terrible fondness for his younger brother. If he didn't grant his request, he would lose one of the pillars that would lead the Murim of the future. All he could hope for now was that the search party would find Baek Woo-jin's body as soon as possible.
It was then.
"V-vice-principal!"
The door to the vice-principal's office was flung open, and Professor Kang Baek, the head of the third-year students, entered.
"Professor Kang Baek! What is this rudeness!"
"I apologize! But it's an emergency..."
"What's all the fuss about?"
"S-student Baek Woo-jin has returned."
"Oh, did the search party find Baek Woo-jin's body?"
A smile crept onto the vice-principal's lips. He thought they had found Baek Woo-jin's body faster than expected, so he would be able to save a lot of operating expenses.
"T-that's not it. Baek Woo-jin returned on his own."
"What?”
The vice-principal involuntarily jumped out of his seat, his face disbelief.
"Where is Baek Woo-jin now?"
"He hasn't arrived at the academy yet."
"Then he's on his way?"
"Yes. But that's..."
"What else is it."
When the vice-principal asked in an irritated tone, Kang Baek pointed to the entrance of the academy, which was visible through the window of the vice-principal's office.
"There are a lot of people following Baek Woo-jin."
"People? What kind of people are you talking about?"
"Judging from their attire, they seem to be bandits..."
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
"I don't know either. That's what the report from the academy guards said."
"Damn it."
Unable to contain his curiosity, the vice-principal stormed out of his office towards the entrance of the academy. Already, numerous disciples and professors were gathering there, gazing outward.
"Ha... What on earth...."
As he neared the entrance, the tumultuous noise from outside began to grow louder.
Instinctively, he quickened his pace.
Pushing through the crowd, the vice-principal stood at the entrance, his mouth agape at the sight before him.
Countless people were approaching this place. And at the forefront of the group, dressed in torn black robes, wielding a sword in one hand and a small gourd in the other, was Baek Woo-jin.
"Oh, no, what...?"
He was not walking normally.
Baek Woo-jin was dancing merrily, swinging his arms up and down, and prancing around. And the rugged men following behind him, their arms tied, were doing the same.
As the distance got a little closer, the sound emanating from Baek Woo-jin's lips became audible.
"Yo-ho, we're back, back, back!"
"Hey!"
As he sang, his followers chimed in.
"Yo-ho, we're back, back, back!"
"Hey!"
It was a song they had never heard before.
The peddler who came last year!"
"Yo-ho!"
But for some reason, it made the students’ feet itch to dance. At the same time, they felt a deep sense of resentment that they couldn't quite understand, and their backs shivered.
As he approached the gate, Bek Woo-jin uttered the last lyrics.
"I didn't die, and yet I've returned!"
"Cheers!"
After finishing the song, Baek Woo-jin turned around and shouted at the men following him in a row.
"Stand in line!"
"One, two!"
As his command ended, their steps abruptly halted, and their rows aligned perfectly, reminiscent of a military formation.
Baek Woo-jin turned again and shouted at the students and professors gathered beyond the entrance, "First-year student Baek Woo-jin has returned after completing the bandit suppression mission!"
- - - - - End of Chapter - - - - -
Translator's Notes:-
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