63 Chapter 62 (1/2)
In the eyes of the teachers, their actions were simply cute.
The teachers were aware of the methods by which the students sneaked the alcohol in, and their 'covert' drinking of the alcohol was also obvious to them.
Usually, to prevent any alcohol-related injuries, the teachers would run over to them as soon as they became conscious of any illicit activity, but today, the teachers remained still.
The teachers were informed of the identity of the red coloured liquid the students drank earlier on.
And as they had predicted, the students were a little perplexed.
”Hey! Are you sure this is alcohol?”
”It is! It's an expensive bottle that I bought!”
”Then why are we not feeling tipsy?”
”Far from feeling tipsy, my mind is becoming clearer?”
”How is this possible? It definitely smells like alcohol!”
”Th-that's true!”
The group of teachers including Yun Ha-seong grinned as they observed the increasing confusion of the students from afar.
'Rascals, you should know what honour you're all experiencing. When are you all ever going to be able to drink a beverage made of the ten thousand year red nectar flower again?'
They continued to admire the expressions of the disconcerted students.
It was a little unethical for them to do so, but as it was the last day of the field trip, they permitted themselves this much entertainment.
Like this, the merry banquet continued on.
***
It was at this same time.
The location was a building on the border between Sanseo and Hanam.
The building itself was enormous in its size, containing a grand four story building within its complex.
On the uppermost floor of the building, a single lamp barely lit up the dark room.
Sitting under the lamp was a middle-aged man with neatly combed grey hair. Prostrating in front of him were two men clothed in black.
”I've lost face from this.”
The two men in black trembled at the cold words of the middle-aged man.
”What? You got attacked by pine needles? Does that make any sense?”
”....”
”You're telling me that Heuk-sim went missing when he went to obtain the wolf essence, Hae-sak got captured whilst trying to find him, and the various warriors we scattered around the area are now all dead?”
The two men in black immediately prostrated once more. They were completely silent with the awareness of how the man in front of them was currently feeling.
They were well aware from experience that the first person to speak would definitely be beheaded.
”That person would risk his life for the group, it's impossible that he would have made a run for it.”
”....”
”What do you think would be the next best line of action now?”
”....”
”Why aren't any of you responding?”
”....”
”I'll ask once more. What was the root cause of the failure of this operation?”
One of the two men, who had both been hesitant to speak until now, spoke up at the middle-aged man's question all of a sudden.
”I-it's because that man seemed to be an absolute master…..ah!”
The man was unable to complete his sentence. The middle-aged man picked up the sword next to him and beheaded the man before he had the chance to finish.
*Slash-!*
*Thud.*
Blood spurted out in all directions as the man's head rolled onto the floor.
It was as the men had expected.
The surviving man in black felt internally relieved. From experience, he knew that it was most likely that his life would now be spared.
”So there was a man that seemed like an absolute master?”
The man in black immediately responded to the middle-aged man, who was calmly wiping his sword clean of blood.
”Ye-yes, there was!”
”So who do you think he was?”
”It seemed like an elder of the Hwacheon Clan, Ji Cheol-mok.”
”The old man was still up till now, why is he suddenly making a move? Has he gone senile or something?”
”....”
In truth, a branch of theirs had been in operation in the vicinity of Goseon Mountain, and their activities had only been able to continue as Ji Cheol-mok turned a blind eye to them.
It was thanks to this that they had been able to take the bandits also operating in the area into their group, increasing the overall strength of the organization.
This was why he was so confounded as to why Ji Cheol-mok suddenly started to act to suppress them.
”Anyway, even if the old man starts going crazy on us, he'll be restricted to the area around Goseon Mountain!”
”What do you mean?”
”That person told me that there is a rule for the retired elders of the Hwacheon Clan- to manage the area around which they have retired.”
”So, what should we do?”
”There's a more obscure spot where that old man that smells like tobacco is less likely to intervene.”
”...?”
”Snaketail Valley.”
The Snaketail Valley.
It was a path on Goseon Mountain that headed towards the Hwacheon Academy.
It was nicknamed so as the long narrow valley meandered like a snake's tail.
”But there are quite a few paths that lead back to Hwacheon Academy.”
”We can just lure them to this particular path. That particular route would also be the fastest way for them to get back. Once they get there, we're all set.”
”But it will be hard to ambush along Snaketail Valley. It's surrounded by precipices on both sides. It's a precipice where you can't even throw stones from above.”
The middle-aged man smiled cruelly.
”We can carry out a perfect operation there. If we lure them well enough, we can kill around three quarters of the students.”
”Is there really such an operation?”
”Don't you trust in my words?”
”No-no, that's not it at all!”
The man clothed in black hastily prostrated himself.
”If it all goes as planned, Hwacheon Academy and the Hwacheon Clan that runs the place will have to pay a high price for the loss of those students!”
The middle-aged man burst out in laughter.
”Hahahaha! It's amusing just imagining the expression of the clan leader! Anyway, with this in mind, pay close attention to the training of the warriors.”
”Understood!”
The middle-aged man lifted his hand, indicating the man in black to leave.
As he left, the middle-aged man sighed.
”Damn it, I'm going to have to receive that person's help again.”
A number of their operations had failed in succession, resulting in the death of many warriors. To ensure the success of this operation, that person's backing was essential.
He stood up, and tied a small note onto the leg of a carrier pigeon, then released it into the skies through a window.
The middle-aged man smiled bitterly as he watched the pigeon's powerful flight.
'I don't know why that person is so obsessed with the Academy. There are many other ways to attack the Hwacheon Clan other than targeting the Academy.'
Then again, he didn't really care.
In exchange for moving as that person's arms and legs, he was able to enjoy wealth and honour.