The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

The first day at the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, which was like a rough wave, passed in a daze, and without even having time to come to their senses, the second day at the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple dawned.

The young martial artists of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, who had begun their day as officials in earnest, gathered in the training ground from early in the morning and sat with their legs crossed.

As always, they started the day with qi circulation.

The one hundred and one martial artists who had come to the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple sat with their legs crossed and circulated their qi with their respective internal energy cultivation methods.

"Hmm."

Gwak Myeong, who had also come out to the training ground from early in the morning, looked at the officials with a fierce gaze.

While almost all the martial artists were circulating their qi naturally as they always did, there were two people who were getting on Gwak Myeong's nerves.

One was Siu, who had entered the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple without knowing any martial arts.

Siu, who had never learned how to circulate her qi, was glancing at the other martial artists, sitting with her legs crossed awkwardly, and had her eyes closed.

And the other one was Jin Sohyun.

Nod— Nod—!

Since it was a time when he should have been lazing around in dreamland, Jin Sohyun was dozing off while circulating his qi, unable to overcome his drowsiness.

'Why does Elder Namgung care about a person like that?'

The Namgung Family in Anhui should have been concerned with the Vermilion Bird Daoist Temple in the east, not the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple.

However, Namgung Muhyeok had personally visited the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple and had asked him to take care of Jin Sohyun from the Jin Family.

Thanks to his consideration, even a maidservant who was originally not allowed to enter had been able to enter the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, so one could see how much Namgung Muhyeok was concerned about the two.

'And to think that maidservant has the Benefactor Plaque of the Namgung Family.'

According to Ugyeom, who was in charge of reception, the maidservant who had followed Jin Sohyun had the Benefactor Plaque of the Namgung Family.

She had the Benefactor Plaque, which could not be received unless one had done a favor to the family to the extent of owing one's life, and Namgung Muhyeok had vouched for it.

'I thought there would be something special... was I wrong?'

Looking at Jin Sohyun, who was still dozing off instead of circulating his qi, he felt his anger boiling for no reason.

Having no choice, Gwak Myeong, who had shot up from his seat, approached the dozing Jin Sohyun.

"Jin Sohyun."

At Gwak Myeong's call, the dozing Jin Sohyun opened his eyes.

"Tsk... yes?"

"Now is the time to cleanse your body and mind by circulating your qi and to prepare for the upcoming education smoothly."

"Ah... yes."

"I'm saying it's not the time to be dozing off. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes."

He answers well.

Gwak Myeong, who had finished his warning, looked at Jin Sohyun, who was sitting with his legs crossed.

How much time had passed?

Jin Sohyun's head began to dance again.

"That brat...!"

Gwak Myeong, who was angered by Jin Sohyun's attitude of ignoring his warning, walked over again.

The steps of the enraged Gwak Myeong shook the ground.

"Jin Sohyun."

This time, Jin Sohyun, who had quickly opened his eyes, looked up at Gwak Myeong.

"Yes."

He answers well this time too.

"I'm sure I told you clearly. Did the words of the head of the Daoist temple sound like a joke?"

"You told me to circulate my qi, so I was circulating my qi."

"You were circulating your qi?"

"Yes."

"No, you were definitely sleeping."

Since that was also true, Jin Sohyun had nothing to say.

'What on earth is he doing?'

But Jin Sohyun could not understand.

He could circulate his qi well enough even while sleeping.

So what was the problem with sleeping?

On the contrary, wouldn't he be able to listen to the subsequent education more diligently if he got enough sleep?

On the contrary, as Jin Sohyun looked at him with a face as if he didn't understand, Gwak Myeong's face became even more frightening.

While the gazes of the two were crossing without a single concession, Jong Ryeo'ak, who was coincidentally sitting next to Jin Sohyun, was having a hard time.

He, who had finished his qi circulation early, had to pretend to be circulating his qi with his eyes closed because of Jin Sohyun and Gwak Myeong.

'This damn brat! He should just quietly circulate his qi!'

After that, the conflict between Gwak Myeong and Jin Sohyun continued.

After finishing their qi circulation, the officials began their physical training.

While everyone was training their physical strength in their own way, Jin Sohyun was standing blankly.

"What are you doing?"

At Gwak Myeong's question, Jin Sohyun said.

"I'm breathing."

"I'm sure I told you that now is the time for physical training."

"Yes."

If he could, Gwak Myeong wanted to beat the brat named Jin Sohyun until he was on the verge of death.

But there was a problem.

Jin Sohyun's master was the Flying Sword Hero, Kang Cheon, one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains, and since the Yellow Dragon Divine Sword had personally come and had asked him to take care of him, he could not rashly lay a hand on him.

Gwak Myeong, who had barely suppressed his anger, said as if to warn him.

"Start your physical training right now while I'm still speaking nicely."

"...Yes."

This time, the answer was a little late.

As Jin Sohyun obediently tried to do push-ups, Gwak Myeong turned his back.

Thud—

At the sound of something falling, when Gwak Myeong turned around, Jin Sohyun's body was slowly coming up.

'Suspicious.'

After that, Gwak Myeong did not take his eyes off Jin Sohyun.

But Jin Sohyun diligently did his push-ups, and when the number exceeded twenty, Gwak Myeong turned away.

Thud—

Gwak Myeong's head snapped around.

Jin Sohyun was still doing push-ups.

'He's definitely doing something.'

Although he had a suspicion, Gwak Myeong, who could not find any physical evidence, turned away again, and Jin Sohyun, as if he had been waiting, lay down on the floor.

And Jong Ryeo'ak, who was watching this from the side, felt his annoyance soaring.

'What is this brat doing again?'

Surprisingly, Jin Sohyun, whom Jong Ryeo'ak had been watching, was cleverly avoiding Gwak Myeong's gaze and being lazy.

When Gwak Myeong was not looking, he would lie on the floor and laze around, and when Gwak Myeong turned his gaze, he would pretend to be doing push-ups.

Because the transition of his movements was so fast, Gwak Myeong had never once seen Jin Sohyun lying down.

Having no choice, as he returned to his spot, Jong Ryeo'ak whispered quietly.

"You brat! Aren't you going to do it properly?"

"Didn't we agree not to talk to each other?"

"This...!"

Looking at Jin Sohyun, who was lying in the training ground and scratching his chin, Jong Ryeo'ak felt like he was going to go crazy with anger.

At that moment, Gwak Myeong's thunderous roar fell.

"Jong Ryeo'ak!"

"Y-Yes!"

"When did I say you could rest?"

"No... that is..."

Jong Ryeo'ak's gaze moved to Jin Sohyun.

"Hoo—!"

Jin Sohyun was doing sit-ups as if nothing had happened.

'This son of a bitch!'

"Jong Ryeo'ak!"

"...I'm sorry!"

Jong Ryeo'ak quickly trained his lower body with a long pole with weights on it on his shoulders.

While he was training hard, Jin Sohyun was lying on the floor and enjoying the warm sunlight.

Slowly—

Soon, Jin Sohyun crawled in front of Jong Ryeo'ak like a caterpillar.

"This place will be good."

Jin Sohyun, who had lain down using Jong Ryeo'ak as shade, smiled with satisfaction.

'Shall I kill him?'

As killing intent arose, Jong Ryeo'ak wanted to smash Jin Sohyun's head with the pole with weights he was holding.

But Jong Ryeo'ak's wish had to end with just his imagination.

If he were to commit murder in the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple, Jong Ryeo'ak would surely be locked up in the Repentance Cave, where he would never see the light again.

While Jong Ryeo'ak was trying his best to suppress his killing intent towards Jin Sohyun, Siu was busily moving, following the other female martial artists.

"Haa— Haa—!"

Siu, who was moving, sweating, was feeling a sense of pride.

'Still, it seems my long life as a maidservant is helping.'

Siu, who had done a whopping four push-ups, smiled with satisfaction and then made eye contact with Cheon Yerang, who was next to her.

The blue pupils, as if they had been embedded with blue jade, were mysterious and beautiful.

Siu, who had been quite confident that she had developed a tolerance for beauties while being with Jin Gahyeon, could only realize how arrogant she had been after coming to the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple.

'She's really pretty.'

It was quite a famous story that Cheon Yerang of the White Moon Palace was beautiful.

But even they would not know that Cheon Yerang was this beautiful.

Siu felt burdened by Cheon Yerang's gaze, which was staring at her.

"Is there something you want to say...?"

"I was watching because you seemed to be working hard."

'Even her voice...!'

Along with her appearance, which was like a painting, at Cheon Yerang's beautiful voice, Siu even felt a sense of defeat for some reason.

"I don't know anything about martial arts. So I'm just following what the other people are doing."

"Ah... I see."

'Her personality seems very nice too.'

Cheon Yerang's character seemed very good, to the extent that she would talk to her first.

"Somehow... I was thinking that your movements were clumsy and crude. To the extent that if you were a person who had learned martial arts, I would think you had met an incompetent master."

'Are there no normal people among the martial artists?'

Siu, who had been praising Cheon Yerang's character in her heart, realized that her thoughts were wrong.

"I-Is that so?"

"Yes. You can't train your body efficiently with such useless movements. It's a waste of time."

"..."

As the crestfallen Siu hesitated, Moyong Susu, who was watching this, sighed and stepped forward.

"Young Lady Cheon. Young Lady Si has never learned martial arts, nor has she learned how to train her body. Naturally, her movements will seem clumsy and useless. But it's not right to say such things to someone who is working hard."

'As expected of Young Lady Moyong!'

Siu felt a sense of relief as she looked at Moyong Susu, who was on her side.

In the meantime, Cheon Yerang still had a face as if she didn't know.

"Is it wrong to point out what is wrong?"

"That's not it... but you can still say it nicely."

At Moyong Susu's subsequent answer, Cheon Yerang was confused.

"Did I use profanity?"

"What? No! That's not what I mean. I mean you should speak with more consideration for the other person."

'Consideration?'

Cheon Yerang found it difficult to understand the word 'consideration.'

The White Moon Palace she belonged to was a place where everything had to be perfect, and mistakes were not tolerated.

And in the White Moon Palace, the position of the Cheon Family was literally the sky.

For Cheon Yerang, who had never even tried to be considerate, the concept of consideration was very difficult and profound.

'I just said what was necessary as it was.'

By the time Cheon Yerang was confused by a concept she had never heard of in her life, the full-fledged classes of the officials who had finished their physical training began.

***

"The first class is poison. Poison can be said to be one of the oldest assassination tools in the history of the martial world."

The first thing the officials learned was poison.

"I am Tang Hocheol, who has come as an instructor to teach you."

"Hah! To think it's the Poison Bristle Hand, Elder Tang Hocheol..."

"Do you know me?"

"Of course. Anyone who knows even a little about the martial world would not not know the Elder."

"What is your name?"

"I am Yu Ga'oseon from a small family called the Yu Family."

"Excellent. If there is anyone among you who does not know me, learn from this child. In the Central Plains, knowledge is power. Moreover, knowing your opponent can also be power. It's the same with poison."

Tang Hocheol, who had said this, placed a thick booklet in front of the young martial artists who were sitting in pairs of two at a table and said.

"I will give you one shichen from now, so memorize the types of poison and their antidotes in it."

"..."

The officials' expressions contorted nicely.

The thickness of the book was very thick even at a glance, and the types of poison in it were over several hundred.

'You want us to memorize this in one shichen!?'

The next-generation talents of the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families, who had basically received teachings on poison, opened the book without much difficulty and began to memorize, distinguishing what they knew and what they didn't.

"Damn it!"

But Jong Ryeo'ak, who had neglected his studies, thinking it was better to swing a sword in the time he had to memorize poison, was dizzy.

'If I had known this would happen...'

Regret was regret, even if it was late.

While Jong Ryeo'ak was gritting his teeth and memorizing the poison, Jin Sohyun lay down, using the book as a pillow.

"Aww, I don't want to do it!"

"What are you doing?"

At Jong Ryeo'ak's question, Jin Sohyun moved only his eyeballs and looked at him.

"What?"

"Don't tell me you're planning to slack off this time too?"

"Slack off? This is meditation."

'Don't tell me... does he know a lot about poison?'

Jin Sohyun's attitude was too confident for him not to have any knowledge of poison.

Jong Ryeo'ak, who had doubts about this, hurriedly skimmed through the book.

But there were too many types of poison to memorize in a short time, and the antidotes were even more complicated.

'Why are there so many!'

While Jong Ryeo'ak was struggling, the promised time of one shichen passed in the blink of an eye.

After one shichen had passed, five bowls were placed in front of the officials.

In the bowls were various foods such as meatball, grain-avoiding pill, and thin noodles.

"Among those foods, there are those with poison and those without. Based on what you have studied so far, distinguish between those with poison and those without. If you eat the poisoned food..."

As soon as Tang Hocheol's words ended, a bottle containing various medicinal herbs and poisonous plants was placed in front of them.

"Prepare the antidote according to the poison you have been poisoned with and take it."

As Tang Hocheol's explanation ended, the officials' faces turned black.

While everyone was hesitating and could not rashly touch the food, two people extended their hands at the same time.

'Oho.'

Tang Hocheol looked at the two with interest.

'To boldly reach for food that might be poisoned. They must either have a deep knowledge of poison or be thoughtlessly reckless. Now, which one are you?'

The people who had extended their hands were Jin Sohyun and Cheon Gaseong.

As Jin Sohyun threw a meatball into his mouth, Jong Ryeo'ak, who was watching this, asked in surprise.

"Are you eating it, knowing!?"

Jin Sohyun, who was chewing the meatball, said.

"It seems fine. It tastes good."

'Is there no poison?'

Looking at Jin Sohyun's reaction, it seemed there was no poison.

Moreover, Cheon Gaseong, the Young Palace Master of the White Moon Palace, also lifted the bowl containing the meatballs, just like Jin Sohyun.

'There's no poison!'

Jong Ryeo'ak's heart was moved by the sight of Tang Hocheol, who was watching the two with interest.

'I am a proud martial artist of the Jongnam Sect. I can't look less than these brats!'

Jong Ryeo'ak boldly picked up a meatball and threw it into his mouth.

Chew, chew—!

After chewing the meatball a few times, he swallowed it.

'It tastes better than I thought. As expected, there's no poison. Well, there's no way he would eat it so casually if there were poison. This brat must have some thoughts too.'

Jong Ryeo'ak realized that his thoughts were not wrong.

But at that moment, Cheon Gaseong's voice came from his side.

"There is poison in this meatball. It's not a very strong poison... but if you eat it without knowing, you might be in trouble."

"What...?"

Jong Ryeo'ak saw.

The sight of Cheon Gaseong putting aside the bowl containing the meatballs, saying it was poisoned food.

Soon, Jong Ryeo'ak's stomach began to boil.

"Ugh!"

Jong Ryeo'ak held his lower abdomen and glared at Jin Sohyun with a hateful gaze.

"This son of a... bitch... you deceived me...?"

Jong Ryeo'ak, who had shot up from his seat, began to run somewhere in a hurry, with his two legs gathered in an awkward posture.

In the middle, Jong Ryeo'ak glared at Jin Sohyun with murderous eyes.

"What's with him again? It tastes good."

Jin Sohyun could not understand why Jong Ryeo'ak was acting like that.

He just thought the meatballs tasted good.

"Is there any more?"

(End of Chapter)