70 Chapter 69

The thugs flew into a rage at Ji Cheol-muk's casual diss.

"What did you just say?!"

"This old man! He must be going senile…."

One of the thugs halted midway through their speech as blood began to spurt out from a part of their body.

Ji Cheol-muk had struck one of the thugs' head with his white pipe.

The thug in question was already lying on the ground in defeat.

"Now…I only have four of you insects left to deal with!"

The thugs suddenly realized that something was a little odd. Ji Cheol-muk was calm, completely unperturbed by the situation. Despite everything else in the vicinity being covered in blood, his clothing was spotless, not a single drop staining it.

"It-it's a master!"

"Oh shit! How is our luck this bad?!"

Frightened, the thugs walked backwards as Ji Cheol-muk edged closer to them, their minds filled with the notion that he was going to strike them with his pipe.

The moment it seemed as though Ji Cheol-muk was about to strike, the thugs closed their eyes…

"...."

And nothing happened.

The thugs gradually opened their eyes. Ji Cheol-muk had retracted his pipe, and it was now back in his mouth.

"I'm going to leave it for now. But…if you bug me again, know that you'll all end up like that fellow on the floor."

Ji Cheol-muk then left. The thugs then collapsed onto the floor, their legs giving in.

"We…we're alive!"

"I won't do this work for a living anymore!"

The thugs said no more, and looked at the man who had initially collapsed, and was sitting there, wordlessly.

"This fellow! What's wrong?"

"Th-that…."

"Thinking about it, why is the ground wet….?"

***

Ji Cheol-muk was walking again, at his own leisurely pace.

A full moon had risen in the sky. The sight of the moon somewhat reignited the sorrow within Ji Cheol-muk's heart.

"Let's go in quickly, didn't you say you had a class to teach tomorrow morning?"

"You're right, let's hurry and enter."

"Baek-gap-ah, could you help Man Jo-gyo [1] with Chu Gong-wol Seonsaeng?"

"Yes, of course."

Ji Cheol-muk overheard a conversation taking place. The voices seemed familiar to him.

He then turned around.

"Ah, so there's a tavern here."

His gaze caught sight of a red cloth hanging from a bamboo pole, with a large character for wine painted on it.

He doubted his own eyes for a moment.

"Huh? Who….who's that over there?"

The people that were sitting inside of the tavern were familiar to him.

"Isn't that fellow a teacher at the Academy?"

He was certain that the man was the young teacher he had encountered in the Go-am Mountains.

"And it looks as though Ae-rin is sitting next to him?"

The other people in their party that arrived with them to the tavern seemed to have left, so it was just the two of them.

As Ji Cheol-muk observed that the two seemed to have a rather friendly relationship, a playful smirk appeared on his face.

He headed over to them.

Unfortunately for him, he had yet to realize the identity of the young teacher sitting next to Byeok Ae-rin.

***

"It's been a long time since we've had a drink together like this."

Kang-hyuk nodded at Byeok Ae-rin.

"Indeed, it's been a while."

"But you know, it's a bit boring with just the two of us. It's a lot more fun when there's twelve of us."

"I second that."

Kang-hyuk and Byeok Ae-rin were sitting inside a tavern.

It was a small tavern called 'Red Wine Night'. Their main reason for visiting the tavern had been Chu Gung-wol.

Byeok Ae-rin had made a special variety of dumpling for their lunch. She had stuffed it with meat, and if that hadn't been enough, she added plenty of medicinal herbs to the filling.

It seemed as though Chu Gung-wol had been touched by being treated to such divine dumplings, and so, he offered to buy them drinks.

Therefore, he had brought all of the members of Kang-hyuk's residence, as well as his own servant and assistant to the tavern.

After they had arrived, Kang-hyuk sent Chu Gung-wol's assistant and Cheon Hae-gwang away to drink amongst themselves at another location.

He had done so as a form of consideration, after giving Chu Gung-wol's assistant some money. Elated, the assistant had taken Cheon Hae-gwang along with him as well.

And so, Kang-hyuk and Byeok Ae-rin, along with Chu Gung-wol and his servants, drank the 'Red Wine Night' tavern's wine. Chu Gung-wol's maid was unable to attend due to some external work.

The tavern's wine was indeed exquisite.

As indicated in the tavern's name, it sold a unique red coloured wine that couldn't be found elsewhere.

"Wow! I didn't know that such a tavern existed!"

"I'm a regular customer of this tavern! I'm letting you know of its existence just because it's you, Kang Seonsaeng! Hahaha!"

Chu Gung-wol's heart seemed to be filled with a sense of pride at Kang-hyuk's appreciation of the tavern.

"It doesn't make any sense that there's no music on a day like today! Indeed!"

Taking a flute out of his sleeve, Chu Gung-wol began to play a melodious tune.

His talent was indeed fitting for his role as the Hwacheon Academy's music teacher. The other people present in the tavern stopped at the sound of his flute, enchanted by the tune.

For whatever reason, hearing the flute music took Kang-hyuk back to a nostalgic time in his past where he had walked the streets of Jungcheon with his subordinates.

As Chu Gung-wol completed a melody, they would start another round of drinks. As Chu Gung-wol drank one shot after another, he was gradually becoming increasingly drunk.

Having noticed this, Kang-hyuk couldn't let him fall into a state of complete inebriation, being aware that Chu Gung-wol had a class early in the next morning.

This was why Kang-hyuk ordered Baek-gap to go and tell Cheon Hae-gwang to assist Chu Gung-wol's assistant in taking him back to the academy.

Chu Gung-wol's assistant was named 'Man-ju'. He had kind looking eyes, and was a nice person. Unfortunately, the man had no martial skill.

Despite Jungcheon being on the doorstep of the Hwacheon Clan that ruled over Baekdo Moorim, there was a possibility of encountering danger if one was out walking at night in a drunken state.

This was despite the fact that the teaching staff of the academy were meant to be protected.

Baek-gap had a peak level of martial cultivation. Kang-hyuk knew that if he followed behind, there wouldn't be a chance of someone hitting the back of Chu Gung-wol's head, and knocking him out.

Therefore, he told Baek-gap to return to the academy.

And so naturally, the only two left were Kang-hyuk and Byeok Ae-rin.

"Do you want some more, Seonsaengnim?"

Kang-hyuk nodded at Byeok Ae-rin's question.

"It'll be enough if you order one more bottle. We're going to have a guest joining us pretty soon."

"What do you mean?"

Kang-hyuk pointed somewhere in response to Byeok Ae-rin's confusion.

"Ah! I see!"

Byeok Ae-rin looked at the old man approaching them.

With a white pipe hanging from his mouth, this old man was Ji Cheol-muk. He stood in front of them, radiating an energy of playfulness, and immediately addressed Kang-hyuk.

"We meet again!"

Kang-hyuk smiled and bowed at Ji Cheol-muk's greeting.

"Indeed! Have you been well?"

"Well, I'm always well. But….."

He spoke, squinting his eyes, "Out of all of the people you could choose to drink with, why are you drinking with this old lady? Do you know how old this grandma is?"

Despite the question being rhetorical, Kang-hyuk smiled and responded, "I know that she's over eighty."

"Huh?"

"But I don't really care about her age."

Ji Cheol-muk himself was taken aback at Kang-hyuk's confidence.

"But I do know that even if you have a close relationship, one shouldn't enquire about the age of a woman. Am I wrong?"

"Th-that..."

Not knowing how to respond, Ji Cheol-muk sat down and continued to speak, "Anyway, I'll have a glass of wine. Could you pour this old man a drink?"

"Of course, I could."

Kang-hyuk smiled, and lifted his hand.

*Su-uk*

Ji Cheol-muk had been taken by surprise.

Kang-hyuk hadn't even touched the bottle of wine, but as his hand had moved up, wine automatically shot up in Ji Cheol-muk's glass.

"...."

Kang-hyuk had used a technique that only a master could perform. Yet, in the eyes of Ji Cheol-muk, the young man didn't seem to have the unique features of a master.

Therefore, he knew that there were only two possibilities. It was either Byeok Ae-rin had secretly helped him to pull off the stunt, or that he really was a master.

Byeok Ae-rin responded to Ji Cheol-muk's stare. "What? Why are you looking at me?"

"Did you fill up my drink?"

"Cheol-muk Orabeoni, do you really think I find you so adorable that I'd fill your glass up?"

"Then?"

Only one possibility remained.

That the youthful looking teacher in front of him was indeed a master.

'I'm sure he said he was a horticulture teacher?'

Ji Cheol-muk looked at Kang-hyuk, who grinned and pointed at the glass of wine.

"Even if you can't drink the wine, we should at least have a toast, right?"

"...!"

Ji Cheol-muk abruptly stood up.

He wasn't surprised because Kang-hyuk had spoken informally, or because his way of speaking was a little different from the way he had addressed him earlier. It was because what the young man in front of him had just said was a line that his elder Hyung-nim said before every drinking party.

And more specifically, it was something he said only when the past members of Kwaepungdae gathered to drink.

He looked at Kang-hyuk and stammered, "Wh-who are you! What is your true identity, fellow?"

Byeok Ae-rin sighed at his confounded outburst, while Kang-hyuk smiled and spoke, "So…have you come here after doing a thorough cleaning of your area?"

"...."

Ji Cheol-muk's face began to distort.

"It-it can't be?"

He felt it when he had encountered the young teacher for the first time. The feeling that his face didn't seem unfamiliar for whatever reason.

And despite the fact that the man's attitude wasn't demure in any way, it didn't seem strange or disharmonious to Ji Cheol-muk.

"It can't be….really?"

It was only then that Ji Cheol-muk realized why he had felt so.

"I-is it you, Hyung-nim? Are you my elder Hyung-nim?"

Byeok Ae-rin grinned.

"You finally realized. Seonsaengnim, please understand. Cheol-muk Orabeoni is usually a little slow with these things."

Ji Cheol-muk was now entirely certain with Byeok Ae-rin's attitude towards the young man. There was only one person in the world that she would treat with utmost respect.

"It's been a while."

Ji Cheol-muk felt tears forming in his eyes at Kang-hyuk's greeting.

It could have been because he had first met Kang-hyuk at a rather melancholic period of his life.

A young Kang-hyuk who looked just like this one.

"So, are you not going to drink the wine I've poured you?"

Ji Cheol-muk responded immediately, "What are you saying? How could I refuse a drink personally poured by you, elder Hyung-nim?"

He hastily swallowed the drink.

The drink was fragrant, and red.

He looked at the rain bead hanging from Kang-hyuk's waist.

"Er…elder Hyung-nim."

"...?"

"Did we meet at Go-am Mountain by any chance?"

"We did."

"Why didn't you reveal your identity to me at the time?"

"Because it would be too bothersome."

"What do you mean?"

Ji Cheol-muk's eyes widened at the response.

He was aware that Kang-hyuk didn't like to be bothered, but he wasn't expecting such a concise and ready answer.

'Well, well, well. He's always been like that I guess.'

Kang-hyuk then continued.

"And do you think I don't know you? If you knew I was working as a teacher at the academy, you would obviously come to Nakyang immediately."

"Of course I would!"

"Come on, if the officials of the Clan knew that three elders were gathered in Nakyang at once, I think they'd have problems digesting!"

Kang-hyuk grinned.

"Isn't that reason enough for you? Do you want a beating for not cleaning up your area well enough?"

"No-no! It's enough!"

"Then, sit down and have another glass."

Ji Cheol-muk promptly sat down and held his glass out at Kang-hyuk, who then filled it up.

Ji Cheol-muk had a refreshing gulp of the wine.

"Ah! But Hyung-nim."

"What is it?"

"Why have you entered the academy under the guise of Ju-ansul as a horticulture teacher?"

"Ju-ansul?"

"Yes, I'm referring to your youthful appearance. Isn't it using the Ju-ansul technique? I thought it was only Ae-rin that had a unique hobby. Do you have such a hobby as well, Hyung-nim?"

Kang-hyuk shook his head.

"This isn't Ju-ansul."

"Then…?"

"It's reverse aging."

"What? Hahaha! Hyung-nim, really! What a good joke."

He looked at Byeok Ae-rin while having a bite of the side dishes at the table. She spoke after having a sip of wine, "It really is reverse aging, Orabeoni."

"..."

"Eh?"

Ji Cheol-muk felt as though he had indigestion.

[1] Jo-gyo - Korean term for assistant