"That, well…"
"I don't have any money left to pay you after I paid the guards that went out to look for you last night."
"...."
Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g was gobsmacked.
It wasn't as if he had purposely failed to return, he had almost died.
Enraged, he clenched his fists.
'How dare he…'
Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g was already aware of what type of person the owner was, but he hadn't imagined that he would be robbed of his final salary with such a pitiful excuse.
Whilst he had the strong urge to punch the owner's smiling pig-like face, he didn't want to act in haste.
He knew that this was precisely what he was waiting for, and that he would use this opportunity to accuse Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g of attacking him.
So, he desperately attempted to control his emotions.
Upon observing this, Kang-hyuk nodded his head in approval.
'He's doing quite well.'
He noticed that Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g had a cool headedness about him that was unusual for a young man of his age. He felt that it was most probably due to the martial arts of the Cheon Family he had trained in, which was combined with the effects of the Silver Ice Sword and the hanging ice crystals on the sword.
"That's fine," Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g finally responded, feeling that there was nothing more he could do.
He turned his body around in preparation to leave.
Annoyance was rising up within Kang-hyuk. He couldn't tell whether it was due to seeing his new a.s.sistant in such a helpless state, or whether it was due to seeing that the owner of Hyangwooru had failed to improve through the years.
He sighed, then, after looking through a window, walked up to the owner.
"Er, Seongsaeng….nim?"
Kang-hyuk spoke before Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g, who was a little alarmed, stopped him.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Kang-hyuk, and I'm a teacher at Hwacheon Academy."
"Teacher? At Hwacheon Academy?"
The owner was taken aback. He knew that the Hwacheon Clan would back up a teacher of the Hwacheon Academy, and so, Kang-hyuk wasn't someone he would be able to ignore.
He had wondered whether the young man that came in with Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g was a newly employed servant of his as he had been completely silent the whole time.
'Wait, looking at him a little closer…!'
He then noticed a blue uniform peeking out under Kang-hyuk's outer robe.
"Cheon Musa—wait, wasn't he known as Il-gw.a.n.g here? Anyways, I think he was a little embarra.s.sed, so he didn't say anything, hence I'll speak in his stead."
The owner, a little over-excited by being spoken to in honorifics by a Hwacheon Academy teacher, also spoke politely.
"Whwhat is the matter?"
"Cheon Musa is my teaching a.s.sistant starting from today."
"...!"
"Yes, a teaching a.s.sistant at the Hwacheon Academy. Therefore, it is unacceptable to treat him carelessly."
"When...did I treat him carelessly…."
"Denying him of his rightful salary for such a ridiculous reason is treating him carelessly!"
Kang-hyuk continued, "It is also your duty to send guards out if one of your employees has gone missing! And to think that you claimed his monthly salary to pay for their mobilization! It's laughable! Do you not see anything but money?"
"Huh! The more I listen… even if you're a Hwacheon Academy teacher, you're going too far, don't you think?"
"Did you just say I'm going too far?"
"I'm going to make an official complaint to the Academy about this!"
Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g made a move in an attempt to stop Kang-hyuk, knowing the Owner's tendencies very well. He was concerned for Kang-hyuk's safety.
"An official complaint? You can go ahead and try!"
Kang-hyuk grinned.
"That's if your head's still attached to your neck by then, that is….."
As he murmured this under his breath, the owner became enraged.
"Ar-are you threatening…"
Unfortunately, he was unable to finish his sentence.
A deafening roar from an unknown source rang throughout the room.
"Where is the owner!"
The person's ident.i.ty was revealed by their voice.
"It can't be! That...that's...!"
"An Elder of the Hwacheon Clan, Shim-gu Jangro-nim (1)?"
"Why is he here?"
The owner's face instantly flushed bright red as the door opened.
Kang-hyuk chuckled as Shim-gu emerged from behind the door.
Before leaving the residence, he had predicted that such a situation was likely to arise, and had asked Byeok Ae-rin to call Shim-gu over to Hyangwooru.
He had summoned Shim-gu as he looked at him through the window. He then sent him a telepathic message to act.
Shim-gu looked at Kang-hyuk, feeling a message from him entering his head.
-Look fierce!
-Ahem!
-Give me a break.
Shim-gu immediately turned his head and looked at the Owner with a scathing gaze.
"Seeing as you look like a pig wrapped in silk, you must be the owner!"
Shim-gu flew towards the owner and sent a powerful kick towards his face.
"Aahhhh!"
He spoke whilst stepping on his body, which was now sprawled on the floor.
"I've received a tip-off that there's a case of wage exploitation going on here! I recall that my Lord and Older Hyung-nim, the Retired Clan Leader, told you that he would kill you if you tried to swindle anyone out of their money again! It seems you have forgotten. "
Shim-gu had spoken the truth. Four years earlier, at the Autumn Moorim tournament, Kang-hyuk came to know of the stingy atrocities the owner of Hyangwooru had committed.
He had then given him a beating until the man was half-dead, telling him that if he ever behaved in this way again, he would undoubtedly kill him.
This was also why he had gone with Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g, to check on the man's current behaviour.
Shim-gu exposed the man's bottom, and then began senselessly beating his b.u.t.tocks with his black fan.
"Argh! I'm sorry! I've done a great wrong! I'll never swindle anyone out of their money again….aaaagggh!"
As the owner screamed out, blood splattered in every direction, causing the guards of Hyangwooru to enter the room. Unfortunately, they could only helplessly look on. No one dared to challenge an Elder of the Hwacheon Clan with a mastered level of cultivation.
'He's been given a good beating.'
Kang-hyuk gazed at Shim-gu's black fan. Shim-gu hadn't always been fond of black from Kang-hyuk's memories.
He had begun dressing in black as he had no other choice, mainly due to the fact that blood stains were hard to remove from lighter coloured clothing.
'That fan was originally white as well, but it too had turned black from all the blood it had absorbed over the years.'
"Who are you?"
Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g froze at Shim-gu's question, unable to even open his mouth. This was how powerful Shim-gu's force was.
Kang-hyuk quickly stepped in front of him.
"Elder Shim, this is my a.s.sistant, Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g."
"Really….? But, why is he here?"
Shim-gu slurred his words a little, having to remind himself to speak informally.
"Well, what happened was…"
As Kang-hyuk explained the story of why they were there, a fiery feeling entered Shim-gu's gaze.
A ferocious stream of energy then blasted out of him.
"Agh!"
It was a blast so powerful that the stance of the surrounding people was broken, making them go off balance.
"What do you mean you have no money to spare!? Shall I give you a beating for all the money you couldn't spare? One strike for every penny you've swindled!"
The owner began to tremble.
If he was beaten for every penny he had failed to give Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g, he could imagine that his b.u.t.tocks wouldn't just be left skinless, but his hip bones would be shattered into pieces as well.
"I'll give it to you! I'll immediately give the money over!"
He ordered a guard to open his safe, promptly handing Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g a packet containing his salary.
Kang-hyuk gave Shim-gu a sideward glance and nodded his head. At his signal, Shim-gu cleared his throat.
"Ahem, well then, you should all get going now."
"I can't go."
"...!"
The person who had unexpectedly contradicted Shim-gu was none other than Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g. He had done so, even though he was internally trembling at Shim-gu's powerful energy.
"What did you just say? You dare challenge my words?"
"Elder, how could I challenge you? I only request that you show mercy."
"Show mercy?"
"Yes. Whilst he is a greedy man who swindles others out of their money, he is my former employer. How could I just leave him to suffer?"
Kang-hyuk smiled proudly.
'Cheon Dae-wan, you raised your son very well.'
His actions even took Kang-hyuk by surprise, as he was aware of Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g's cool-headed, ice crystal-like nature.
But his current behaviour wasn't cold in any way- it reminded him of the benevolence of a Buddha.
Kang-hyuk vowed to help his new a.s.sistant as much as he could, in a way that would allow this part of his nature to shine through.
He then sent Shim-gu a telepathic message.
-What do you think of my a.s.sistant?
-...he's quite something.
-Act in moderation, then leave.
-I understand.
-Also, meet me at Yeongyowon later.
- ....
-Aren't you going to reply?
-Ah, yes. I'll see you there.
Shim-gu sighed after having received Kang-hyuk's telepathic conveyance. He knew that he had asked to meet to inquire why he was at the Academy.
He let his grievances go, as it would be a botherance of the future.
"I understand. I'll let him go today, in consideration of your courage."
Shim-gu kicked the owner one more time.
"Ouch!"
He then addressed him.
"It looks like you got lucky today!"
He turned, and looked at Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g once more, patting his shoulder.
"You're a brave young man!"
"Ah, than-thank you."
Shim-gu slowly stepped out of the room.
The owner's life had barely been saved. The other workers of Hyangwooru that had gathered around the room praised Cheon Hae-gw.a.n.g's courage of contradicting Shim-gu to save the owner's life.
Seeing all of this, Kang-hyuk looked pleased.
***
After the morning's complications, night had finally fallen. Kang-hyuk felt somewhat renewed.
He headed off to the practice plot, Yeongyowon, to meet Shim-gu.
"I see you're here."
Shim-gu had already arrived, and was standing, waiting for Kang-hyuk. He respectfully bowed in greeting.
"Elder Hyung-nim!"
"Didn't I tell you to call me Seonsaengnim?"
"Oh, yes. Sorry, Seonsaengnim."
Kang-hyuk sat down in the pavilion, and gazed upon Shim-gu in front of him.
"I heard that you were inside the Academy today. You also visited the Princ.i.p.al's office according to what I heard."
"That is correct."
It was something to be expected. Despite his best efforts to hide his inner energies, Kang-hyuk could always ascertain what was going on within his surroundings.
"So, why have you come?"
"Well, as you know that I am an Elder, and since Hwacheon Academy is an affiliate school of the Hwacheon Clan, I would obviously come for a general check on its operation…."
"What c.r.a.p! You've been hiding away in the alleys of Nakyang this whole time, even if you were asked to come, you wouldn't. Do you really expect me to believe that bulls.h.i.t?"
He had antic.i.p.ated that his excuse wouldn't be accepted, and so, Shim-gu decided to mix in a little bit of the truth.
"Honestly…. I came to see you. You've been living in retirement, deep in the mountains this whole time, and then I heard you suddenly underwent reverse aging and became a teacher at the Academy. I was curious as to what you looked like. And of course, you already know that I've always wanted to be by your side."
"So you came under the pretense of checking the operation of the Academy to see me?"
"Indeed. That's precisely why, Seonsaengnim."
Shim-gu looked up at Kang-hyuk.
"Can't I be your a.s.sistant as well?"
"No."
As he had expected, Kang-hyuk rejected him in one fell swoop.
"But why? If Ae-rin can work as your maid, why can't I be your a.s.sistant? If you're allowed three a.s.sistants, two spots are still empty!"
"Ae-rin's a good cook."
"….Honestly speaking, if we're talking about cooking, Myeong-ah's a better cook."
"Isn't she already living comfortably with the Chil-so fellows right now?"
"...."
"And even if I do appoint you as my a.s.sistant, what about everyone else? The other members will flock here, asking for the same rights."
Shim-gu was unable to refute his point.
"And that's why I'm telling you to stay put where you are."
"Ok, I-I understand."
Shim-gu sighed. It was a sigh of relief.
He was glad that his deed of asking Eun Myeong-myeong to be part of the Academy's cleaning staff wasn't uncovered.
'I really thought Hyung-nim was going to find that out…phew!'
(1) Jangro-nim= Honorific t.i.tle meaning elder.
