TL: FoodieMonster007
Dokgo Jun instantly protested, “Suddenly being asked to work with the constables… Can we even get involved in governnt affairs?”
Although Dokgo Jun was a disheveled ss as a result of the beating he had received from Baek Suryong, he straightened his posture and greeted Cheong Cheon with the respectful manner one would expect from a mber of a prestigious orthodox sect.
“Greetings Constable, I am Dokgo Jun, the President of the Azure Dragon Academy Student Council. Could I ask a few questions about what you just said?”
“Of course,” Cheong Cheon replied, his expression unreadable. His gaze, however, was sharp enough that even the students who had dismissed him as just another run-of-the-mill governnt official found themselves gulping nervously.
What kind of constable… has an aura more intimidating than most martial arts masters? Dokgo Jun too wondered, choosing his words carefully as he asked, “…As you know, we are murim martial artists. You may not like hearing this, but given your role in the governnt, it’s not appropriate for us to work with you, as that would violate the principle of non-interference.”
The principle of non-interference between the governnt and the murim was an ancient tradition, and the very reason the murim had been allowed to exist freely for so many generations.
“I’m concerned that there might be conflicts between the constables and the Azure Dragon Academy students.”
As martial artists were unruly by nature, many often disregarded the authorities and acted as they saw fit. In particular, among the proud, ardent young students of the Azure Dragon Academy, there were bound to be so who balked at the idea of following the orders of governnt officials.
I doubt Baek Suryong would let that happen, but still… he won’t be able to supervise all of us if we split up to patrol the city. While I understand the aning behind this lesson, in practice, it seems fraught with potential problems.
Dokgo Jun couldn’t deny Baek Suryong’s criticism that they were like pampered garden flowers, sheltered from the real world. After all, he had spent his entire childhood training at his family’s estate, followed by rigorous training at the Azure Dragon Academy. Even during his travels, he rode in a carriage so heavily guarded by formidable escorts that no bandit would dare approach. As a result, he had never encountered a martial artist from an unorthodox sect.
It’s not that I’m uninterested in taking on unorthodox sect martial artists… but I can’t help but worry.
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Cheong Cheon’s proposed mission was simply to patrol the back alleys of the city. Any unorthodox cult mbers they encountered would probably be nothing more than low-level thugs with rudintary martial arts skills, too weak to even pose a challenge to him.
I don’t see how this would benefit my training at all. Wouldn’t my ti be better spent swinging a sword just one more ti?
Of course, Dokgo Jun couldn’t say that out loud. Instead, he politely declined, “I’m not sure if we, as young and inexperienced students, could be of any real help to you, Constable. We’d be fortunate if we didn’t cause more problems.”
As the Student Council President, his words carried weight with the other students, who, seemingly swayed by his logic, began to nod in agreent.
“He’s right. We don’t need to patrol the back alleys…”
“Wouldn’t it be better for you to train us, Mr. Baek?”
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“I’m not comfortable hanging around with constables.”
“I had no idea this was a practical class. Maybe I should drop out…”
Except for the five students staying at White Dragon Manor, all the others reacted negatively to Cheong Cheon’s suggestion that they beco honorary constables.
“These orthodox sect brats are seriously hopeless…” Baek Suryong muttered, before opening his mouth to persuade the students.
However, Cheong Cheon cut in before he could speak.
eting Dokgo Jun’s gaze, Cheong Cheon asked, “Is it okay if I call you Student Dokgo Jun?”
“Yes, feel free to do so.”
Cheong Cheon nodded curtly. “How much do you know about this city?”
“…Excuse ?” Dokgo Jun tilted his head, puzzled by the question.
Without waiting for a reply, Cheong Cheon asked again, “Nanchang is a big city, but would I be correct in saying that the only parts of it you are familiar with are the shopping districts and the entertainnt areas around the Azure Dragon Academy?”
Dokgo Jun nodded. The vastness and prosperity of Nanchang provided him and his fellow students with little reason to venture beyond the safety of their comfort zone.
As the capital of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang thrived on fertile land that produced abundant rice, cotton, tobacco, and tea. With its wealth of natural resources, the city attracted rchants from across the Central Plains, transforming it into a bustling comrcial hub. Such prosperous and strategically important cities were rare in the Central Plains, and it’s prominence was further underscored by the presence of the Jiangxi Branch of the Murim Alliance and the Azure Dragon Academy.
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“But where there is light, there is also shadow. Recently, there has been a spike in violent incidents and murders in Nanchang’s slums. Several murim sects have established themselves there, and their conflicts have led to constant unrest. Even several constables have been seriously injured after getting involved in one of these fights,” Cheong Cheon said monotonously, though his choice of words made him seem oddly charismatic.
“That’s terrible…” Dokgo Jun murmured under his breath.
Beside him, the Azure Dragon Twins, their expressions serious, asked Cheong Cheon in their usual split-sentence manner.
“Have you contacted…”
“…The Jiangxi Murim Alliance?”
Cheong Cheon, unfazed by their unusual habit, answered without hesitation, “We’ve requested assistance from the Jiangxi Murim Alliance several tis, but their support has been repeatedly delayed.”
“Is there a…”
“…Reason for that?”
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“With so many critical issues going on in the murim, they probably don’t have the capability to deal with what they consider a minor complaint.”
It was a subtle jab at the Murim Alliance’s incompetence, and Dokgo Jun couldn’t help but clear his throat in discomfort. Until a few monts ago, he had dismissed these incidents as nothing more than petty squabbles between low-level thugs.
Cheong Cheon continued calmly, “We’ve warned the sects in the slums many tis, but they wield the principle of non-interference like a sword, insisting that their territorial disputes belong to the domain of internal murim affairs.”
“……”
“The fear among the civilians in the slums is growing. These are people who struggle every day just to survive, and yet now they live in constant fear, never knowing when a stray blade might co their way.”
“……”
“Although we do our best to protect them, most constables aren’t well versed in martial arts. Unlike you guys, they not only started learning martial arts late in life, but they also haven’t had the chance to learn advanced techniques.”
Cheong Cheon paused, letting out a tired sigh. His face bore the exhaustion of soone who had seen too much.
After rubbing his eyes, he spoke again, “It is difficult for us to cope with this situation by ourselves, so I felt really grateful to Instructor Baek Suryong when he suggested that I ask you students for help.”
“We had no idea such terrible things were happening so close to us…” Dokgo Jun’s voice faded, guilt washing over him. After all, he had been the one to reject Cheong Cheon without fully understanding or considering the constable’s stance.
“If my earlier words were too forceful or unpleasant, I apologize. The truth is, I was prepared to head out alone if no other constables volunteered, but if the prodigies of the Azure Dragon Academy were to support , it would be like gaining a thousand soldiers. That’s why, I will ask you this once again: Will you help ? I’ll never forget your kindness if you do.”
Cheong Cheon concluded his speech with a respectful gesture, his tone polite but not servile, then stepped aside.
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This dignified deanor earned him considerable favor from the students.
Baek Suryong stepped forward to take Cheong Cheon’s place. With a serious expression, he addressed everyone, “Let ask you one thing. If you choose to do nothing after hearing all this, can you still call yourselves martial artists of the Orthodox?”
“……” Overco with sha, everyone lowered their heads. The story that Cheong Cheon shared, coupled with Baek Suryong’s sharp remarks, made the students who had been inclined to reject the proposal out of sheer inconvenience feel deeply ashad.
One by one, they began to speak up.
“…We didn’t know there was such a story behind this.”
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“Can we help?”
“Please, let us help. We’ll drive out those despicable unorthodox sect bastards!”
Though young and self-centered, the Azure Dragon Academy students were also empathetic and easily swayed by their emotions. Moreover, Cheong Cheon’s story reignited their childhood dreams of becoming heroes of justice.
Even Dokgo Jun was no exception. As he listened to Cheong Cheon’s tale, the Student Council President, who had been deeply reflecting, clenched his fist and said, “…I apologize, I was short-sighted. If I only practice martial arts to beco stronger and ignore the injustices around , how would I be any different from those unorthodox thugs? I will help you, Constable, and so will the rest of the Student Council.”
“…Thank you.”
And so, with unanimous consent, it was confird that the Defense Against the Unorthodox Arts students would be assisting the constabulary.
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It was a satisfying conclusion, but Baek Suryong scratched his head sheepishly. I didn’t really do much, he thought. In the first class, he had only beaten up the students, and then left the rest of the work to Cheong Cheon. Still, he decided to be satisfied with the result, thinking that sotis one needs days to just chill out and loll about.
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