Chapter 53: Cool heads but warm hearts (2)

As they walked out, Bakgi watched Chun Yeowun silently. Yeowun didn’t say anything, and Bakgi felt apologetic for what had happened.

‘I got him into something that I should have dealt with by myself.’

Bakgi was shocked when Chun Jongsum came in almost dying due to the poison. He too knew that Chun Yeowun was going to use violence when dealing with Jongsum, but he didn’t expect Yeowun to destroy Jongsum’s internal energy either. He first wondered why Yeowun had gone so far as to destroy Jongsum’s internal energy. That meant that Chun Jongsum’s life as a warrior was over, and not to mention, all of his bones had been crushed.

‘Does he not think about the backlash? Or is he that vengeful against him?’

Bakgi then thought about what would he have done if he faced someone who might have killed his own parents. It was questionable to say the least. Bakgi then spoke to Yeowun.

“7th cadet.”

Yeowun stopped and looked back curiously.

“Let me ask you something.”

“Yeah.”

“Why did you destroy his internal energy?”

After going so far, Chun Yeowun now was going to get all the fury from the Poison Clan. Yeowun answered calmly.

“…I was just let my anger out of control.”

Yeowun continued, “I was afraid that if I let him be, he would use poison on the other cadets also.”

That made Bakgi astonished. Yeowun was more worried about the other cadets being poisoned than him being blamed by the Poison Clan.

‘This guy…’

He wasn’t just a reckless fool. His decision-making wasn’t perfect, but he was still more of a leader than the other princes that Bakgi had met.

‘He’s different.’

Chun Yeowun wasn’t actually worried about other cadets. He just didn’t want to see the poison that killed his mother spreading across the academy. However, Bakgi had interpreted it as Yeowun’s noble sacrifice and began to think that Yeowun was fitting as a leader.

“What if…”

Bakgi then tried to say something to Yeowun when seven cadets came running for him. They were Yeowun’s team members.

“Master! Where were you?” Hu Bong asked with sweat over his face. The seven cadets looked like they were really worried and sighed in relief. Ko Wanghur also spoke with relief.

“We were worried that you got ambushed. I was waiting for you to come out of the private training ground.”

“Oh.”

Yeowun then remembered talking with Wanghur to go back to the dorm together after dinner time. But when Yeowun did not come out after an hour, Wanghur began searching the academy with the other members. Yeowun apologized to them.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it is good that you are okay.”

Bakgi then looked at them and smiled bitterly.

‘He already has his own people.’

Bakgi realized that he always distanced himself from the other cadets, so even when he was a leader for the 12th group, no one followed him. Yeowun then asked Bakgi, “What were you trying to say?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Bakgi shook his head and returned to his room.

When Yeowun’s team heard about what happened between him and Chun Jongsum, they became concerned. Ko Wanghur of the Demon Fist Clan was also worried about Yeowun destroying Jongsum’s internal energy. Wanghur then gave them a solution to deal with this.

“We have to grow in power for now. They cannot do anything to us while we are still attending the academy, but we are against one of the six clans of the cult. We must focus on growing in power while we can.”

Ko Wanghur was big and muscular, but he was also very intuitive and logical. Yeowun agreed with him. He had to be prepared for the Poison Clan to retaliate in any way. And unlike Wanghur, Hu Bong was worried about another issue.

“Master. I’m more worried about how the Chief will handle this issue.”

The rules of the academy didn’t state that one couldn’t destroy another’s internal power, but internal power was like a lifeline to a warrior, so they weren’t sure about what the academy would do about this issue.

“Let’s hope nothing happens.”

Hu Bong’s concern became a reality. Early in the morning the next day, three instructors came to Yeowun and his members in the forest nearby where they were going to train. One of those instructors was Impeng.

“You’ve done a foolish thing.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“The Chief has ordered us to take you to his room.”

‘Oh no..’

The seven members all became worried. They just hoped that Yeowun would not get expelled. If that happened, then Yeowun would be targeted by the Poison Clan right away.

When instructors brought Yeowun up to the office of the Chief, they let Yeowun go in alone.

“Chief, the 7th cadet is here.”

“Let him in.”

When Yeowun walked in, Lee Hameng had tied his long red hair to the back and was working on a document. Yeowun then bowed politely.

“7th cadet, reporting to the Chief of the Demonic Academy.”

Lee Hameng did not respond and focused on his document. The air went cold as silence fell. Soon, Lee Hameng finished writing on the document and got up to stretch his muscles.

“I had to write an incident report thanks to you, so don’t be angry about me not responding to your bow.”

That was what Lee Hameng had been working on. He had to report Baek Jongmeng and the other instructors on what had happened. Hameng pointed at the chair near the meeting table and allowed Yeowun to have a seat.

Lee Hameng sat across Yeowun and looked at him with his fingers crossed. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. After a long time, Hameng said, “You are still young.”

“What?”

“Let’s deal with the work first. Let me speak first as the Chief of the Academy.”

‘As the Chief?’

Yeowun became curious and Hameng continued, “You’ve done some serious damage by destroying another cadet’s internal energy.”

The problem here was that. Fighting and dueling behind the scenes were unofficially recommended by the academy, so the actual fighting was not a problem.

“You basically killed a martial artist.”

It was likely that there was going to be punishment for this. Yeowun’s eyes shook. This meant that he might even get expelled.

“Through our long history in the academy, you are the first to do such a foolish thing. If we let you walk freely after doing such a thing, there will be others who will replicate such a foolish act.”

‘No…’

Yeowun put his head down. Hameng concluded, “So, as the Chief of the Academy, I hereby order you to turn over your yellow tag and stay for five days in the prison cell.”

Yeowun’s eyes widened with shock.

“…Am I not getting expelled?”

“Expel? What nonsense are you talking about? The only expulsion in the academy is from failing a test, or killing another cadet outside an official duel.”

“Oh…”

Yeowun then sighed in relief. At least the worst-case scenario did not happen. Hameng shook his head.

“Hmph. It’s too early to feel relieved.”

It was as Hameng said. If he had to return the yellow tag, it meant he would lose the right to become a leader. After five days in prison, it would give him only one day to get the tag back when he came out. But would there be any instructors left with a yellow tag on the last day?

‘…That’s a problem too.’

Lee Hameng had given such punishment to show all cadets what will happen when one went too far with violence.

‘I was going to make you stay for seven days, but that will give you no chance.’

This was a small gift from Lee Hameng. He couldn’t bear to lose talented individual like Chun Yeowun, although he was really disappointed over this issue.

“Well, so with that done, let’s talk about your foolishness as a senior graduate of the academy.”

Hameng then unleashed his powerful energy throughout the office. It was so terrifying that it even made Chun Yeowun flinch. The reason why Hameng covered his office was to mask the sound that could seep out of the office.

“I am very disappointed with you.”

Unlike how he was formally punishing Yeowun, he now seemed very angry.

“I had big hopes for you, and you’ve done something only a thug would do,” Lee Hameng spat angrily. Yeowun then thought Hameng was disappointed in Yeowun for destroying the internal energy of a fellow cadet and apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Can’t you do your work better? You have no head to take care of your shit?”

“What?”

“Did you bring him to the medical room after you destroyed his internal energy because you sympathized with him?”

“That’s…”

“Of course not. You were afraid you might get expelled. Then you should’ve not have done that from the beginning.”

“But Chun Jongsum…”

“He used the poison that killed your mother, so he deserves to be killed? Is that it?”

Yeowun was confused and the words got stuck in his throat. Lee Hameng had found out every little detail of what had happened. Baek Jongmeng had spilled all the details about Chun Yeowun, in hopes of defending Yeowun’s position. Lee Hameng scoffed and spoke with a cold voice.

“You bring him to the medical room when you think he’s the one behind your mother’s death? Because you were afraid that you might be expelled? What a fool! If you were going to do it, then you should’ve done it right.”

‘Wait- is he…?’

Lee Hameng wasn’t talking about destroying internal energy. He was implying that Chun Yeowun should’ve just killed Jongsum.

“You shouldn’t have let an enemy live. That will only create more enemies.”