Chapter 39: Hiring a Scholar
Water arts.
That was the last word.
I reached out and closed Cloud-Severing Sword's eyes.
Many martial artists fell to the Demonic Cult for the sa reason as him.
The desire to beco stronger.
More than now, faster than now, easier than now.
In a way, it was a natural desire for a martial artist.
If there was a thod to achieve it, it was worth attempting.
However, demonic arts were not.
Though the Demonic Cult's major ridian demonic arts each had characteristics, ultimately they destroyed Demonic Cult mbers.
The beast ridian demonic arts Cloud-Severing Sword learned initially opened up suppressed desires.
At first glance, it could even feel like freedom.
However, didn't everyone have at least one wayward desire?
There was a reason people restrained themselves and suppressed desires. Because within people also existed desires that could harm themselves and others.
Suppression of desire was one of humanity's excellent abilities.
As beast ridian said, if you tore apart human restraints with beast's fangs and claws, even such desires would be released.
Furthermore, given ti, such desires gained the upper hand.
Even one's self who pursued martial arts disappeared.
'Though Cloud-Severing Sword hadn't reached that extent.'
He regained himself at the end. aning the ti since he touched demonic arts hadn't been long.
'As expected, the Black Path King is connected to the Demonic Cult.'
I had suspected since learning that the Black Path King was summoning Black Path from other regions.
During the Demonic Cult rampage period, Luoyang's Black Path largely crossed over to the Demonic Cult.
It seed they first gathered them then gradually converted them to the Demonic Cult.
'The Black Path King is Demonic Cult. If so.'
Just as I told Cloud-Severing Sword.
I couldn't let Taebok live in a Luoyang swarming with Demonic Cult.
Safety, abundance, health.
If the Demonic Cult appeared, all these conditions would be threatened.
That is, Demonic Cult extermination.
"Ink Sword Hero, no problems?"
Master Pao, who had been watching from inside the alley, ca out.
"No problems. Is Uncle Yang still here? May I ask him to handle the corpse?"
"He was also watching. Leave it and go in."
Undertaker Yang was also a Rogues' Guild master protecting Jayeong. Thanks to his occupation, I could make such requests too.
"Thank you."
I turned my body, clasped both hands to empty space in greeting, and moved my steps.
Now it was ti to enter the house.
***
"Honey, the Black Path?"
Jayeong asked with shining eyes.
"Uh..."
She was holding Taebok.
I didn't want to speak harsh words before Taebok.
Eliminated? This was also sowhat... Reduced their numbers? This wasn't it either.
"Luoyang's public order is becoming very stable."
"?"
"Black Path who didn't et directly are voluntarily leaving Luoyang, they say."
"Then Black Path who t directly..."
Well...
Died...
Were injured...
Were imprisoned in the Alliance's Thunder Prison...
Jayeong thought briefly then soon nodded.
"I understand. I was worried you weren't coming in, but seems you worked hard all day today."
Jayeong also regarded Black Path with utter disgust.
She had belonged to Rogues' Guild and worked to protect guild mbers. And most such work involved Black Path.
"Don't smile so frighteningly..."
"Hehehehe."
Parents' peace of mind was necessary to care well for a baby.
At the news of handling Black Path, she smiled broadly.
My lovely wife.
"I wanted to spend ti with you and Taebok today at least. Coming to my senses, I'm entering at night again. I'm sorry."
"Don't say such things. I know you're coming in late for Taebok. We can't raise Taebok in a Luoyang where Black Path run wild."
I was grateful that Jayeong understood.
Obtaining money, obtaining dicine, obtaining a physician, and now working on public order.
As busy as when performing Alliance missions.
"We also need to prepare to move."
"I hired people for that."
"People?"
"Yes. With the money you gave , I called people. I decided to entrust everything from packing belongings."
"You did really well. Going forward, don't work directly yourself either."
Earning money first was well done.
Relieving worries, I checked on Taebok.
"Taebok, how was today? Did you spend ti happily with mother?"
However.
Saal-put.
"Uh, uh, uh?"
"Surprised? Taebok opened his eyes starting today."
Newborn babies don't open their eyes well.
Of course it varied by baby—so opened them imdiately after birth, but usually it took as short as two-three days, as long as up to two weeks.
Today was the seventh day.
Taebok had opened his eyes.
"Taebok, can you see father?"
He couldn't possibly see.
The eyeballs couldn't yet focus, so the world was blurry.
Muscles holding the eyeballs also weren't developed, so eyes crossed or shifted sideways.
"I know you can't see."
Still, I wanted to show myself.
I had washed cleanly, wore new clothes, and sprayed herb solution too. Fortunately, not bad for showing to Taebok for the first ti.
Taebok, before regression, what appearance was father to you?
Probably remained as a back leaving ho, right?
A resentful back for not being by your side.
Father didn't want that either.
But I had to. I wanted to gather spiritual dicine quickly, but it was truly difficult. I had to go out leaving you behind.
"Uuum."
"Honey, are you crying?"
"No, why would I cry, sniff, why cry, sniff."
Jayeong looked at with a dumbfounded gaze.
"You don't know. What my heart is like."
"Yes, yes."
Taebok, though I'm too busy even now, I'll move even more busily and finish the work.
I'll succeed at the spiritual dicine journey.
After finishing everything,
this ti I'll raise you not as a back but as an embrace.
Not as a distant back but as a close embrace.
I faced Taebok.
Going forward, I would live facing him like this.
From Taebok ca the fragrant sll unique to babies.
"Wife."
"Yes?"
"Seems Taebok pooped."
Taebok, well done. Did father's heart reach you? Since you can't speak, you're answering with poop.
"I'll change Taebok's diaper. Now, hold him like this—"
Late at night.
I was spending happy ti.
***
Next day.
I led martial artists and entered a large estate that Black Path sects used as their base.
"It's really true."
"Right. Everyone's busy fleeing."
Kwak Daebang scratched his chin.
The estate was empty.
Furniture Black Path had used was overturned. Seeing even the iron pot they cooked rice in rolling on the floor, they seed to have fled hurriedly.
I looked around at the martial artists who ca together.
People who had responded to the Black Path subjugation request.
"Sohow the numbers seem to have increased more."
Let's say the Extermination Corps was fine since I made it.
Outer Hall warriors including Kwak Daebang, the Beggar's Gang branch led by Swift Wind—these too were familiar.
However, I saw new faces among them.
"All thanks to your reputation and actions. They say the Ink Sword Hero raised a large-scale Black Path subjugation."
"Large-scale?"
Thinking about it, it was so.
For a subjugation of this scale, the word 'large-scale' could be used.
Extermination Corps Leader Go Dangseong said with a troubled face.
"Look here, Ink Sword Hero. People keep talking to wanting to join the Extermination Corps."
"Oh."
I had made it symbolically.
But there were actually people wanting to join?
"But why the troubled expression? Because of funding?"
"No, that's not it—everyone cos looking for the hero. The Corps Leader should be the Ink Sword Hero, so why do you keep in the Corps Leader position? Or since Black Path have also left now, let's stop."
"What? Didn't we just start yesterday, Corps Leader? Put in a bit more effort."
"Aah."
At his desperate reaction, laughter burst out from surroundings.
"Leader Go, cheer up! Seems the Ink Sword Hero has plans too."
"Your reputation is also rising. Isn't that right?"
At the reputation talk, Go Dangseong tilted his head.
"What reputation for ?"
"Aren't you the only Black Path leader who encountered the Ink Sword Hero and survived! Moreover, you're helping the hero! People are curious about you too? Keuhahahat!"
"Aah."
Go Dangseong despaired again.
Dissolving the Extermination Corps was still premature.
Because the Black Path King would continue attempts to gather sects.
Still needed to exert deterrence.
Even better that people were joining.
"Even so, there's no work today. Let's scatter and return for now. If there's reason to gather, I'll contact you again."
The martial artists nodded.
What could be done when there was no enemy?
Of course, fighting would continue.
Now it seed not Black Path sects but the Black Path King's elites were being mobilized.
Cloud-Severing Sword ca as an assassin.
They said a Demonic Cult mber using water arts entered.
You said the trading captain close to the Black Path King is Guyang Je? They say he's creating a reservoir in Luoyang's outskirts and holding a poetry gathering. He invited too, but I shouldn't go.
Water arts seed aid at the magistrate.
If the magistrate didn't go to the poetry gathering, the assassination could be foiled.
Thinking such thoughts, I went outside.
"Who are these people?"
Commoners had gathered in droves.
Among them, soone who recognized shouted.
"Look, the Ink Sword Hero is coming out!"
"?"
Why ?
However, I could soon know.
"Ink Sword Hero, thank you."
"Thanks to you, we can walk around this area at ease!"
"The neighborhood atmosphere was bad because of Black Path, but now we're at ease."
Ah.
Right.
When Black Path made bases, the surroundings all beca unsettled. They didn't stay quiet. They picked fights with commoners and needlessly extorted money from shops.
"Look, Ink Sword Hero. What use is being Corps Leader? Everyone knows the hero is the leader."
Setting aside the Extermination Corps Leader's words for now,
I waved my hand at the people.
"I, Jin Yeomyeong, will stabilize Luoyang's public order."
"Waaah!"
"I ask for everyone's help!"
"Uwaaah!"
"Report Black Path to the Extermination Corps!"
See.
It's still not ti for the Extermination Corps to disappear.
"Governnt or Alliance only ca after sothing happened. So grateful that the Ink Sword Hero stepped forward first."
"If I see Black Path, I'll definitely report."
Seems it would be fine to exist going forward.
Watching them rejoice at public order stability was gratifying.
"Now, children. One, two, three!"
"Ink Sword Hero, thank youuu!"
Among them were also still young-looking children.
The middle-aged scholar leading the children clasped both hands.
"Ink Sword Hero, thank you. Thanks to you, the children of the private academy can also walk the streets at ease."
A private academy was a school opened in small units of about 25 households, mainly teaching children from age eight.
The middle-aged scholar seed to be that private academy's teacher. Children stood in a row beside the scholar.
Bright little fellows.
"Many alleys don't have private academies. This one still had one."
"Hehe, truly it was touch and go. They nagged to sell even the house where I opened the academy at a bargain price."
"Was Banyang Trading behind it?"
"How did you know?"
I too had almost mistakenly bought a house from Banyang Trading.
"Such things won't happen now. All Black Path are leaving."
"Thanks, thanks again. I'm a person called Bang Wongeol. Though I don't know martial arts, if there's work to help with writing, please contact anyti."
"What? Bang Wongeol?"
"Mm? That's right, it's my na. Have you heard it?"
Though not a martial artist, a na I'd heard.
"Cultivated learning until past forty but didn't pass the civil examination..."
"Ueuk."
Bang Wongeol who took a hit groaned.
Sorry.
That wasn't what I ant to say.
"But aren't you a true teacher of the age who opens an academy and produces civil examination passers in succession?"
"Academy?"
He blinked his eyes.
It wasn't yet ti for Bang Wongeol to open an academy.
Co to think of it, he hadn't originally run an academy in this region either.
Was it Chang'an?
They said his reputation gradually rose as he opened an academy there and produced disciples.
Later, parents pitched tents to get their children into Bang Wongeol's academy.
'He was originally from Luoyang. Perhaps he went to Chang'an after having his house stolen by Black Path?'
Because I exterminated Black Path, he could appear before in Luoyang.
"I was thinking about trying an academy, but I hadn't told anyone, so how do you know? And what's this about civil examination passers?"
He tilted his head.
"Rumors are rampant around that if Scholar Bang runs an academy, he'll do well. Since I've heard it too."
"What?"
"They say if you just open an academy, you'll even produce top-ranked examination passers."
"? Top-ranked passers?"
I glossed over it casually.
Lies flowed smoothly from my mouth.
"Of course. Everyone was ntioning it."
"Heuh, no one in front of ..."
"Such words are difficult to say in front of the person."
Lying, easy, so easy.
I just had to imitate Zhuge Sheng.
"Ink Sword Hero, however the academy matter turns out, thank you for making Black Path withdraw. I was in quite a bind."
"It's nothing. It was resolved without even swinging a sword once."
"So I'm all the more grateful."
While saying so, he stroked the children.
"Because these children passed without seeing unpleasant sights."
Mm.
In that sense, I fully agreed.
"Oh my, now we should also withdraw. Wouldn't do to take too much of the Ink Sword Hero and company's ti."
When Scholar Bang brought it up, other commoners also showed signs of withdrawing.
"Please wait a mont."
"?"
"Scholar Bang, you said earlier about helping with writing?"
"Yes, that's right. Is there work to help with?"
The magistrate had said:
You said the trading captain close to the Black Path King is Guyang Je? They say he's creating a reservoir in Luoyang's outskirts and holding a poetry gathering.
At poetry gatherings, scholars who ranked would board a boat with the magistrate and go out to the lake.
On it, they directly recited poems they composed.
'Probably that's when the person using water arts will act.'
He invited too, but I shouldn't go.
If the magistrate didn't go, the assassination could be foiled.
However.
'I should tell him to go.'
Thinking again, wasn't this too good an opportunity?
The more appetizing the bait, the better.
To catch the Black Path King required at least a magistrate.
"Scholar Bang, won't you guide so I can compose a famous poem at the poetry gathering?"
On the premise that I would step forward before the magistrate.
"No, you must do it."
I whispered in Scholar Bang's ear.
"Ghostwriting is also fine."
His face turned pale.
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