79 Chapter 78 (1/2)
Chapter 78
Shim-gu inwardly clicked his tongue.
'Tsk tsk tsk. Just let it go. Even if you investigate for a hundred more days, you won't find any worthy evidence.'
Shim-gu was certain.
He knew that Kang-hyuk had something to do with the matter, and he knew that Kang-hyuk was thorough with these sorts of things.
'I remember Byeok Ae-rin telling me that they all ate the Immortal Peach.'
A single portion of the Immortal Peach was enough to completely satiate one's appetite, as well as provide the consumer with strength, but it also had a certain side effect.
It blurred the memory of what had transpired an hour before, and what happened an hour after having consumed the fruit.
Therefore, those on the journey back to the academy, who had eaten the fruit, couldn't clearly remember the events that had transpired.
Eun Myeong-myeong offered Shim-gu a seat, then served him some tea.
He then spoke up cautiously, ”Well, so…er…what brings you here?”
Shim-gu coughed.
”Ahem. Ahem ahem. About that. Could I borrow a few of the students?”
”Sorry? What do you mean by borrow?”
”I'm thinking of exploring the area around Seung Mountain. It's a task that's quite important, but not difficult, so I wanted to provide some of the students with the experience.”
”Ah! In that case, how could I refuse you if it's for the sake of the students' development? But if that's the case, who do you have in mind to take?”
Shim-gu replied coolly, ”All the students should be given a fair chance, so I'll select five at random.”
”Please do so.”
Shim-gu chose five students without much difficulty.
But internally, he felt a little apologetic to the five he had 'randomly' selected.
'It'll be painful, but they won't die at least...ahem ahem.'
***
Su Seon-tae was in a state of disbelief.
”What? I'm going to be temporarily transferred? But I'm only a first-year student?”
His expression was one of immense confusion.
Oh-Tae clearly repeated himself once more seeing his confusion.
”Students have been picked randomly across the year groups. I'll repeat myself one more time. Today, after you eat breakfast, go to Cheongpungwan. Shim-gu Jangro-nim [1] wants to give you students the experience of inspection.”
”Okay, I understand.”
”Keep this a secret from the other students.”
”I'll keep that in mind.”
Su Seon-tae was incredibly elated.
This random happening was like a blessing of luck for him. He didn't know how he had been picked, but he was aware that whenever a student was temporarily transferred, their points would accumulate, and these points would have an effect on their overall success.
More specifically, their success in gaining a position within the Clan.
He hurriedly began to pack his luggage.
”Ah! I almost forgot!”
Su Seon-tae packed his fragrance oil, as well as the rotting powder into his bag.
The fragrance oil was to conceal the smell of his rotting body parts, and the rotting powder, or the White Tiger Spirit Powder was to...
'Now…I can't live without this….'
After finishing his breakfast, while carrying his luggage, Su Seon-tae headed over to Cheongpungwan.
”Huh?”
He noticed that he wasn't the only person waiting. There were four other students standing there.
”Hello?”
Only one amongst the students waiting was a fellow first year student. The rest were all senior to Su Seon-tae.
There were two second-year students, and one third-year student.
”Ah, yes, nice to meet you.”
After greeting the students, Su Seon-tae realized that something was a little odd. All of them exuded a strong fragrance.
It was almost as though they had bathed in fragrance oil, just like him.
A man walked up to them. It was Shim-gu, without the youthful guise of the Byeonyeongsul technique.
”So, is everyone here?”
Surprised by Shim-gu's sudden appearance, the students began to straighten their postures.
They recognized him because Shim-gu had visited the academy once before, and also because the students were taught about the important figureheads of Moorim.
”Greetings to you, Shim Jangro-nim!”
They bowed with immense respect.
Shim-gu was also known as the Black Fan Emperor.
It was a nickname that had stuck to him owing to his constantly black attire, as well as his black fan. Then again, Shim-gu wasn't particularly fond of the nickname.
The students were aware of this, and so, they addressed him as 'Shim Jangro-nim', and not with his nickname.
”Yes, it's good to meet you all. I see that all five of you are here. Well then, let's get going. Follow me.”
”Yes!”
As Shim-gu began to move, the five students followed behind him.
As they were initially walking at a steady pace, the students began to introduce themselves to one another.
The first year students were Su Seon-tae and Eon Ga-min.
The second year students were Go-yul and Pyeong Hae-hae, while the remaining third year student was called So Gyeong-bu.
As Shim-gu overheard what year each student was in, he began to wonder. 'Seeing as there aren't any fourth-year students, I guess the Dark Medicine Valley wasn't able to reach them. Or maybe it was a little more difficult to approach the fourth-year students?'
As Shim-gu was also a graduate of the academy, he was to some extent aware of the mentality of the students.
From autumn, third-year students were usually temporarily transferred from the academy to be assigned to a task of some sort. This task usually involved assisting the warriors of the Clan.
Shim-gu found out himself at that time in his life- how dangerous the drugs that had been prohibited by the clan really were.
He had seen the damage they caused with his own two eyes.
And so, he used whatever other various methods there were to success, but never touched drugs.
'Those five fellows are fools who haven't realized these things yet.'
He recalled the words of Kang-hyuk, who was waiting at the drug addiction treatment centre he had created near Seung Mountain.
Kang-hyuk had requested something of him.
”It would be good if they completely ran out of stamina and qi on the way to the mountain.”
Shim-gu grinned.
'It's a request from my Hyung-nim, how could I fail to follow?'
He had a good method in mind to squeeze out all of their stamina.
Shim-gu stopped all of a sudden, then turned to look at the students who were following behind him.
”Right. From now on, we'll be travelling by Gyeonggong.”
”Sorry? Did you say Gyeonggong?”
Shim-gu responded to Go-yun's reaction with some force.
”Are you trying to question me right now?”
”No-no! Not at all!”
”Then I'll take it that you're all ready.”
The students hurried behind Shim-gu as he began to travel with Gyeonggong.
He moved at a speed that the students could follow with some exertion.
If they traveled all the way to Seung Mountain like this, they would be in the type of state that Kang-hyuk was wanting them to be in.