Chapter 104: Tit for Tat (2)


    Having gathered all the necessary information, Baek Suryong stood up.


    “Do you need any more information?” Tang Soso asked.


    “This should be enough for now. When can I expect the requested items?”


    “They’ll be ready by tomorrow morning. I’ll deliver them to the Discipline Committee.”


    “Alright. See you then.” Baek Suryong turned to leave.


    Tang Soso rose to see him out, mumbling, “It’s a shame. If I hadn’t taken Defense Against the Unorthodox Artsst semester, I’d enroll immediately…”


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    Baek Suryong mustered a forced smile, hiding his relief that she had already taken the ss. “Don’t worry, there will be other opportunities.”


    “Ahh, so handsome…!” Aroused by Baek Suryong’s smile, Tang Soso covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling and cheeks blushing furiously as she chirped, “Feel free toe visit us any time. The Azure Dragon Academy Student Council is always open. And next time, it would be good if you plucked hair from somewhere other than your head…”BAM!


    Cold sweat trickling down his back, Baek Suryong mmed the door behind him and shook his head as if to drive off evil spirits. <em>I’d rather face the ck Forest assassins ten times over than deal with Tang Soso…</em>


    “Hoo… I feel like I just made a deal with the devil,” he sighed, shivering. “Kids these days, just what’s in their heads? Stuffing hair into pillows and using it as clothing thread… Is that some kind of Tang n sorcery?”


    He couldn’t understand what the girl was thinking, but at the same time, he couldn’t deny the fact that he had gotten valuable information almost for free. <em>Yeah, I didn’t lose anything important… it was just a few strands of hair…</em>


    “Mr. Baek,” Dokgo Jun, the president of the Student Council, greeted Baek Suryong. As Tang Soso’s friend, he could guess the ordeal Baek Suryong had just gone through, so he lowered his head in shame and said, “…I apologize on behalf of the Vice President.”


    “You must have it tough, huh?”


    “Yes…” Dokgo Jun nodded, then straightened up and asked seriously, “Mr. Baek, what will you do about Mr. Pung Jinho?”


    The conflict between the two instructors was a major concern for the Student Council. Since all students and teachers needed to rally together for the Heavenly Martial Festival, the formation of factions at the beginning of the semester could only bring trouble. Moreover, even though Tang Soso had provided useful information, the Student Council itself couldn’t take sides.


    “The Student Council hopes you both can reconcile. Mr. Pung has connections not only with the Student Council but also with the Club Union, the Alumni Association, and the Parent-Teacher Association.”


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    Baek Suryong nodded. “I figured as much.”


    “If you’re willing to reconcile, the Student Council can arrange a meeting,” Dokgo Jun suggested, seeing that Baek Suryong wasposed.


    Baek Suryong smiled and patted Dokgo Jun’s shoulder. “Thank you for your concern, but… I’m sorry, I don’t think reconciliation is possible.”


    “…Is that so?” Dokgo Jun furrowed his brows.


    <em>It seems he hasn’t yet realized that my rtionship with Pung Jinho is beyond repair. Well, even if it could be mended, I don’t want to smooth things over with trash like that.</em> Making up his mind, Baek Suryongughed, “If it were Namgoong Su, I would try to settle our differences, but I must quickly remove the rotten tumors from the Azure Dragon Academy before they fester. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”


    As Baek Suryong was gathering information from Tang Soso, he was also plotting his revenge against Pung Jinho.


    <em>Under the current circumstances, it would be difficult to gather students, so…</em>


    “I need to clear the rumors about me first, or… drown them out with even bigger rumors.”


    Dokgo Jun’s eyes widened in confusion. “Excuse me? What do you mean…”


    Baek Suryong patted Dokgo Jun’s shoulder again as he walked past the boy, saying, “You should enroll in my ss before it’s toote. Unless you’ve already taken it, of course.”


    “……” Seeing Baek Suryong’s wicked grin, Dokgo Jun had a hunch that something big was about to happen.


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    Pung Jinho and a middle-aged woman with a frosty demeanor sat across the table in a tidy office, with Pung Jinho carefully exining the events of the previous day. Although he had twenty years of teaching experience at the Azure Dragon Academy and there weren’t many people he needed to be careful around, the woman before him wielded considerable authority over the school.


    “…And that’s what happened,” he concluded after a long exnation of Baek Suryong’s viiny and cunning.


    “Hmph,” the woman, her face half covered by a veil, frowned. Despite being in her forties, her sharp features made her look no older than herte twenties. “Baek Suryong… How disgusting. How can such a person be allowed to teach children?” she said icily.


    “Madam Seo, on behalf of the instructors, I sincerely apologize for troubling you with this unfortunate incident.”


    “It’s not your fault, Mr. Pung,” the womanforted him.


    She was the Frost Spring Dame Seo Ri’ae, the Chairwoman of the Azure Dragon Academy Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), a martial arts expert, and the mother ofst year’s Student Council President Bang Baekhyeon.


    Clicking her tongue in disgust, she continued, “I never imagined the academy would hire such a scoundrel.”


    “Same. To think that he used his handsome appearance and silver tongue like that… Even I almost fell for it,” Pung Jinho shook his head in dismay.


    Seo Ri’ae said firmly, “It’s rare to find a man who doesn’t disappoint. For the sake of the children and the academy’s honor, he must be fired.”


    “Ipletely agree,” Pung Jinho nodded solemnly, though he was smiling deep down. <em>Baek Suryong, this is the end for you.</em>


    Mothers in the murim were a force to be reckoned with. To ensure their children’s sess, they often visited the academy their children studied at and exchanged information. That was why Seo Ri’ae, as the head of thiswork, could mobilize all the other mothers with a single word, and even the principal wouldn’t be able to ignore her.


    “We will convene a parents’ meeting to discuss this new instructor and present our collective opinion to the Principal.”


    “A wise decision.”


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    Although called a meeting, it would follow Seo Ri’ae’s lead.


    <em>Not even Mae Geuklyom or Noh Goonsang can save you now,</em> Pung Jinho thought, nning to use all his connections to ruin Baek Suryong’s career. <em>Even with your martial arts skills, you’ll end up a jobless vagabond for life.</em>


    He hid his smile behind a cup of tea.


    “By the way…” Seo Ri’ae began.


    “Yes?”


    After a pause, Seo Ri’ae smiled proudly. “My Hyeon’s grades will be good this year, right?”


    “Of course. We’re preparing him perfectly for the Murim Alliance Selection Exam.”


    For the first time since the conversation began, Seo Ri’ae’s icy demeanor softened. Bang Baekhyeon, a fourth-year student andst year’s Student Council President, was her only son.


    “That’s reassuring. I trust youpletely, Mr. Pung.”


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    “Hoho, there’s nothing more to teach Hyeon.”


    “You’re too modest. He still has a long way to go. Please continue to guide him.” With a mischievous smile, Seo Ri’ae pulled a silk purse from her breast pocket and slid it toward Pung Jinho. “This is just a modest gift, but it should cover a drink with the other instructors.”


    Although Seo Ri’ae called it modest, the wallet was bulging. Pung Jinho slipped it smoothly into his pocket with an ease that suggested he had done this many times before, even as he insisted, “Oh dear, there’s no need for such courtesies between us…”


    “I don’t trust verbal promises. Wouldn’t you agree that rtionships deepen only when there are concrete exchanges?”


    “…Absolutely.” Pung Jinho gulped. <em>The lengths she’ll go to for her son’s grades… how terrifying.</em>


    “As you know, my Hyeon will lead the Murim Alliance one day. Until he graduates and joins the Alliance, his record must remain spotless,” Seo Ri’ae said firmly, her cold eyes burning with fierce ambition. She aspired for her son to be the Chairman of the Murim Alliance, the leader of all orthodox sects in the murim, a prestigious position that required not only exceptional martial skills, but also great poprity and political acumen.


    “You have nothing to worry about, Ma’am.”


    “Please convey this to the other instructors, especially Mr. Namgoong. That man has already refused my request for a meeting four times.”


    “…I’ll speak with him.”


    Seo Ri’ae stood up. “I have to go now. Hyeon’s tutor will arrive in an hour.”


    “I’ll walk you to the gate,” Pung Jinho offered, following her out with his head bowed.


    While walking through the academy, Seo Ri’ae suddenlymented, “The training ground is dirty. It needs to be cleaned more often.”


    “I will see to it.”


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    “Are the training weapons properly maintained? I saw rust in the storeroom.”


    “I’ll check on that.”


    “We need to gather parents’ opinions about dormitory life to address any inconveniences…”


    “Understood, it will be done.”


    It was as if she was ady and he was a servant. Pung Jinho humbled himself excessively, and Seo Ri’ae took it for granted. This was how he survived, by clinging to the powerful.


    As they approached the main gate, they noticed amotion. A crowd had gathered, and voices could be heard arguing in the crowd.


    “Let me through. I need to enter the school.”


    “This academy is under Murim Alliance jurisdiction! Outsiders cannot enter without permission.”


    Frowning, Seo Ri’ae asked, “What’s going on?”


    “Allow me to go find out,” Pung Jinho meekly answered, stepping forward and pushing through the crowd.


    Soon, he spotted Mae Geuklyom in a standoff with someone.


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    <em>Damn old man.</em> His blood immediately started boiling, but he kept hisposure and politely asked, “Headmaster, what’s the matter?”


    ” Ah, Mr. Pung. Just the man I need. Hey, you. This is the man you’re looking for, so I’ll let you two work things out among yourselves.”


    “…Looking for me?” Pung Jinho turned to see who Mae Geuklyom was confronting.


    A stern looking constable on horseback stared down at him. “Are you the Azure Dragon Academy instructor named Pung Jinho?”


    “…Yes, I am. What’s all this about?” Pung Jinho replied, even as a foreboding feeling crept up his spine.


    Just then, a woman hidden behind the constable stepped forward and shouted, “That’s him!”


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    All attention shifted to her, and the woman removed her veil.


    “You…”


    It was the courtesan Pung Jinho had harassed in the brothel the previous day.


    “This man destroyed property and hit me!”


    “You crazy woman! When did I ever hit you?” Pung Jinho yelled, startled by the sudden usation.


    However, the constable remained expressionless. “So you do know her, then.”


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    “A-About that…” Pung Jinho began nervously, noticing that the cold stares around him were intensifying.


    The constable continued coolly, “Instructor Pung Jinho, you are under arrest for assault and damage to property. You muste with us for questioning.”


    “This is a setup! I did no such thing!”


    “Mr. Pung…?”


    At the worst possible moment, a familiar voice rang out from behind the crowd. Turning around slowly, Pung Jinho saw Baek Suryong approaching with an innocent expression on his face.


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    “What’s going on, Grandpa? Oh, I remember you! You were there that day…”


    Recognizing Baek Suryong, the courtesan cried out excitedly, “Master! Do you remember? You saved me that day. If it wasn’t for you…”


    Baek Suryong smiled benevolently. “Of course I remember. After all, it was me who beat up the pervert who tried to rape you.”


    A disquieting murmur spread among the onlookers.


    “Mr. Pung.” Seo Ri’ae’s voice cut through the crowd like a blizzard, and the atmosphere turned frigid. Her piercing eyes boring into Pung Jinho, she asked, “What is the meaning of this?”


    “M-Madam Seo, this is a misunderstanding…”


    Under the PTA Chairwoman’s cial scrutiny, Pung Jinho’s face turned as white as a corpse.<hr>


    <strong>Trantor’s Note:</strong> Releases will probably slow next week as I will be away on a business trip. Hopefullyst week’s mass release can make up for it. Well, I might work on some chapters in the hotel room if I get bored, so fingers crossed…