Chapter 74: The Sincere Hero
Isn’t it strange?
Is there a reason to control things to this extent?
I had been to several large cities besides Kaifeng. Every city has a district where prestigious families gather.
None of those cities controlled entry and exit so thoroughly.
A district so difficult that even a single mber of the Rogues' Guild had trouble entering.
And yet, the Virtuous Mothers' Association was accomplishing this difficult task.
At this point, I am curious.
Really?
Was the Virtuous Mothers' Association truly created solely for education?
“I heard from soone I know that they even inspect the goods that go in.”
“Hohot, so you've heard that. For a gathering of mothers, it seems excessively thorough, doesn't it?”
“It does seem that way.”
The Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader didn’t seem particularly offended by my question.
Rather…
She seed to welco it?
Why?
“Great Hero, did that person you know also tell you about our Virtuous Mothers' Association's motto?”
“Yes. I heard it was perfect control. That's why I was curious about why it was necessary.”
“Huhu. To put it simply, it is perfect control. But to be more precise, one word should be added.”
“What is that?”
“Experience.”
Experience?
I tried to combine this word with perfect control in my mind.
Among the several combinations, the one that made the most sense was.
“Perfectly controlling experience? Is that correct?”
“That's right. That's exactly it.”
A deep smile spread across the Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader's face.
“We intend to control our children's experiences. The people they et, the things they use, and even beyond that.”
I found myself looking at the Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader in a new light.
I had road the Jianghu and t many people.
I had seen many with grand ideals and those with noble intentions.
But this was the first ti I had t soone like this.
She wants to perfectly control every experience her child will have?
“Do I seem crazy?”
“Honestly, a little.”
She burst into laughter.
“What the retainers said wasn't entirely wrong.”
“What might you have heard about ? Did you hear that I am stuffy and rigid?”
“Hohot, that's right. But after seeing you at the selection tournant, I realized that you've changed.”
“Then what part wasn't entirely wrong?”
“They also said you don't know falsehood.”
My apologies.
I can lie now too.
I've gained a lot of confidence in it lately.
“The retainers were right about that.”
Just like now.
While searching for the Rogues’ Guild Leader, there might be tis when I have to lie.
It would be better to pretend to be sincere.
Well, anyway.
“It is a trendous policy. But……”
“But?”
“I have many questions.”
“Oh, what kind of questions?”
I took a mont to organize my thoughts.
“It's full of questions, but three main ones co to mind.”
“Please, tell .”
“Is it possible? Why do you do it? Is it good for the children?”
Possibility, necessity, and outco.
Controlling experience is a massive undertaking. I wasn't sure if it was possible even with all the effort.
What was the reason? The prestigious families in other large cities didn't do this.
And most importantly.
Is it okay for the children?
For a mont, an emotion flickered across the Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader's face.
“We are succeeding.”
It was pride.
So that's why she welcod my question.
The Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader was proud of this policy and of themselves for carrying it out.
How could she not be pleased when soone asked about it?
“Building this system, yes, it was an incredibly difficult task. It's easy to inspect goods, but people? But we did it. We only use people who have served for generations, and any other individuals were vetted by each other. At so point, it reached a level where no news gets out.”
The Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader was not only capable but also a persistent person.
Even outside of Kaifeng, the districts where prestigious families gathered had a certain degree of exclusivity.
But.
The level the Virtuous Mothers' Association had achieved was impossible without an almost obsessive level of scrutiny.
This level of persistence could not be dismissed as re personality.
Her will was at work.
“What on earth is the reason for going to such lengths? As you said, it must have been a difficult task.”
“Hohot, Great Hero.”
“Yes?”
She asked an unexpected counter-question.
“How do you plan to raise your son in the future?”
“How… do you an?”
I didn't have much to say.
In the past, I was busy trying to find spiritual dicine.
After regressing, stabilizing the situation in Luoyang was the priority.
And then I ca here to save the Rogues’ Guild Leader.
“I wanted to think about it, but I never had the chance. I would like to think about it now, but embarrassingly, I have nothing to say at this mont.”
“Not at all. He's still a baby, so you can take your ti thinking about it.”
“Yes, I will take my ti-”
“But children grow up unexpectedly fast.”
“……”
“Hohot.”
In her eyes, a father who didn't know which way to go seed quite amusing.
“Great Hero, it is experience that raises a person. What one is born with is fixed, but depending on what experiences a person has on top of that, they can beco a completely different person.”
“I agree with that, but.”
“Then there should be no need to ask for the reason, right? It's obviously to let the children accumulate the best experiences.”
The best experiences.
Well…….
As soone who was rescued by my master and raised in the mountains, I don't really have a say.
Still, I enjoyed my ti with my master.
“Do you an you will let them experience only good things?”
“No. Not at all.”
“?”
“Frustration, and obstacles, are also necessary. The experience of eting soone who has lived a completely different life, like the Sword Hero, is also necessary.”
“Putting aside. Did you say frustration and obstacles?”
“Yes, I am not a fool. I have no intention of raising children as hothouse flowers. I will provide appropriate frustration, appropriate obstacles.”
Appropriately provided frustration and obstacles.
“I don't know if that's real frustration and obstacles.”
“Isn't it better than excessive frustration and obstacles? Isn't it much better than experiences that break and twist a person?”
I fell silent for a mont, thinking.
Yes, that could be true, but.
“In the first place, do the children of noble families have many experiences that would break and twist them?”
I ant, aren't they well-protected even without going to such lengths?
But the Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader seed to think differently.
“Hohot, that's sothing the Great Hero doesn't know.”
Of course, there must be parts of a noble family's life that I don't know.
But for so reason, I had a feeling that there was sothing hidden in that unknown part.
It wasn't sothing to press on now, so I moved on.
“Are the children satisfied?”
The Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader smiled faintly.
“Oh, the question has changed, hasn't it?”
“Hmm? Did I do that?”
“A mont ago, you asked if it was good for the children. Whether it will be good for the children in the long run and whether the children are satisfied now are completely different questions.”
“Ah.”
I hadn't thought of the two separately.
The days I spent in the mountains were satisfying then, and in the end, they turned out to be good for .
That's why I couldn't think of them separately.
“Satisfaction cos a little later. They will understand in ti. When that ti cos, they will understand the intentions of the Virtuous Mothers' Association.”
The leader turned her head and looked toward the direction of the noble family complex.
Her face was full of pride and determination.
“For now, it is ti to follow.”
Her head turned back to .
“And you too, Great Hero, if you beco an instructor of the complex, you will have to follow this policy.”
Suddenly.
I realized that this was the reason the Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader had appeared.
Apologies and thanks were important, but.
I had left the selection tournant without agreeing to the contract. I hadn't expressed my intention to follow the Virtuous Mothers' Association's policy.
She was explaining all of the Virtuous Mothers' Association's policies and asking .
If I would follow.
Hmm.
Honestly.
Perhaps because of the way I've lived, I'm not keen on it.
“I will follow. As long as I am an instructor, I will follow.”
The Virtuous Mothers' Association Leader smiled.
“You agreed so easily. Thank you.”
The reason I agreed so easily.
“Just as the retainers said, I have no falsehood in . Please believe .”
Because now, I could lie quite well.
* * *
“My lady, you're dressed like a commoner again. I heard they picked a new martial arts instructor, did you go to check for yourself?”
When Hahou Seojin returned ho, her husband, Yeom Jaehaeng, greeted her.
“And you? Did you have a good hunt?”
“It was so-so. I shouldn't have promised to go.”
Yeom Jaehaeng shook his head.
The Yeom family had distinguished themselves in the war twenty years ago.
After being appointed as a ritorious family, there were few who could rival their influence in the Kaifeng area. Many mbers of the family had also entered official positions.
As such, there were many people who wanted to et Yeom Jaehaeng.
“It would have been more interesting to watch the duels.”
“This is the work of the Virtuous Mothers' Association. It's the work of mothers. Especially if Elder Yeom had shown up, the atmosphere of the tournant would have changed.”
“How would it have changed?”
“People who wanted to catch your eye would have flocked imdiately. People who wanted to beco governnt officials, not instructors.”
“Aha.”
“Such people are second-rate as martial artists and are not suitable as instructors. The selection becos complicated, so please leave these matters to us mothers.”
Of course, there were masters in the governnt as well.
They were martial artists who had a special purpose, were directly trained, or were brought in by imperial decree.
What Hahou Seojin was talking about were those who tried to gain an official position by catching soone's eye and riding on their coattails.
Such people were utterly unnecessary.
“I will leave it to you. I will leave it all to you.”
Yeom Jaehaeng looked at his intelligent and beautiful wife with a pleased smile.
“So, did you choose a suitable instructor?”
“Yes.”
Hahou Seojin thought of Jin Yeomyeong.
“He seems strange in so ways, but…”
“?”
“He was a martial artist who was good at identifying Demonic Cult followers.”
“Haha. I heard. They say one infiltrated the selection tournant? But it doesn't matter, does it?”
“That's right. Even if he had beco an instructor, the retainers would have identified and dealt with him the mont he entered the complex. Even so, an achievent is an achievent. We can't not praise him for catching a Demonic Cult follower in front of people.”
“Is that so.”
“And being able to identify a Demonic Cult follower ans his martial arts are pure. I valued that point highly.”
“I didn't think of that. As expected of you.”
Yeom Jaehaeng nodded.
Hahou Seojin smiled slightly and walked away.
“I'll go check if the second child has done her howork first.”
“My lady, why go to such lengths…”
Letting Yeom Jaehaeng's words flow past her, Hahou Seojin entered her dressing room.
With the help of her maids, her appearance changed quickly.
Her hair was braided high and put up, colored powder was applied to her face, she wore a splendid outfit, and finally, she finished with gold and jadeite accessories.
“My lady, you are beautiful.”
“You have great dignity today as well.”
The maids bowed their heads beside her.
This was the real Hahou Seojin.
The leader of the Virtuous Mothers' Association, the most virtuous of the virtuous mothers, the mistress of the Yeom family, Madam Hahou.
“Let's go.”
Leading the maids, she headed to the room of her second child, her daughter Yeom Uhye.
“Mother, you're back.”
“Yes. Have you finished all the transcribing I assigned before I left?”
A collection of eight-legged essays was open in front of Yeom Uhye.
Ten-year-old Yeom Uhye was still at the age to learn Elentary Learning.
Also, regardless of her age, the eight-legged essays, which were learned for the civil service examination, were not necessary for Uhye.
“Um, not yet…”
“What?”
“I am transcribing the last chapter now.”
“……”
At the words ‘last chapter’, Hahou Seojin stopped speaking.
“It is the last chapter, right?”
“Ye-es.”
“Alright. Finish transcribing it.”
Sigh, Yeom Uhye let out a breath.
If it hadn't been the last chapter, she might have received a scolding.
“How was your schooling today?”
“It was no different than usual.”
“Handangyudo?”
“Ye-es.”
Perfect control, no different than usual.
Hahou Seojin nodded.
“A new martial arts instructor will be coming tomorrow.”
“Yes, I heard.”
“Attend the first class and tell what you think. If the lecture is poor or if he spouts nonsense like the last instructor, I will send him away.”
“I liked the last instructor too… er… never mind.”
Yeom Uhye trailed off after seeing her mother's frowning eyebrows.
“Uhye, you don't know yet. I will tell you in ti, so for now, you just need to follow.”
“Ye-es.”
She didn't know what it was that she didn't know, or what she would be told.
Still, Yeom Uhye answered yes. Because she knew that no other answer existed.
She and her friends spent every day as planned by the mothers of the Virtuous Mothers' Association.
According to the mothers, it was the ‘inescapable net of education.’
‘The new instructor will probably be soone who suits my mother's tastes, right?’
Probably a stuffy and rigid martial artist who keeps an eye on the mothers.
Yeom Uhye gave up on her expectations.
.
.
She didn't know at this ti.
That a great storm was about to rise.
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