Dang Eun-ah's was agape at Kang-hyuk's unexpected show of martial ability.
'I didn't recall him having powerful martial skills? His cultivation seems to be higher than mine!
The Black Snake Sect warriors' eyes were drawn to something that Kang-hyuk was holding in his hands.
'What is that? It looks short, could it be a dagger?'
Dang Eun-ah had a perplexed look on her face as she squinted her eyes in an attempt to get a better look at the object.
'attendance book?!'
Kang-hyuk was holding a black attendance book.
He began his ma.s.sacre of the Black Snake Sect warriors with the attendance book that's force was no less than a sword
*Pok!*
Within a span of ten minutes, the last warrior's head had flown off, as Kang-hyuk ma.s.saged his shoulders with the book.
"What happened to the rest of the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds?"
Yun Hseong immediately replied, "We've taken care of all of them!"
"In that case..."
Kang-hyuk walked towards Hae-sak, who was still embedded in the cave wall, and dislodged him.
"Arghhh!"
Hae-sak trembled.
He knew that the impact his body had received wasn't so serious that he would die. This was due to his high level of cultivation.
"You must have a lofty position within the Black Snake Sect, eh?"
One of the students spoke out at Kang-hyuk's question.
"He's the Byeoldong Lord of the Sect!"
"The Byeoldong Lord? Why did you kidnap Hwacheon Academy's students?"
"Hah! Do you really think I'll tell you so easily?"
*Pok!*
Without warning, Kang-hyuk hurtled his attendance book towards Hae-sak's face.
It was a powerful slap to his face. This very force had made another member of the Sect that they had encountered previously, Heuk-sim, spill out a few statements of truth.
Another student urgently spoke out not long after.
"He said that his Lord had given a man from their Sect a particular sword to go out and obtain Wolf Essence, but the man went missing, so he wanted to know the whereabouts of the man from us."
"He said the man's name was Heuk-sim."
Kang-hyuk and Yun Hseong raised their eyebrows as they heard the name.
"Is that so?"
They were already well acquainted with Heuk-sim.
He was the very warrior of the Black Snake Sect that Kang-hyuk had almost beaten to death with his attendance book before handing him over to Eun Myeong-myeong.
'Things have turned out well.'
They hadn't obtained that much information from Heuk-sim.
Kang-hyuk knew that the information that someone in a higher position within the Sect like Hae-sak would have would definitely be plentiful. Therefore, there was a higher chance of him finding out how the information about the Academy's field trip was leaked out.
The wild silk net that was used by the bandits, Heuk-sim's awareness that the Academy were on a field trip, as well as the drug from the Dark Medicine Valley that the Black Snake Sect had utilized.
All of this evidence pointed towards one location- The Blood King Valley.
'It seems as though the Black Snake Sect are moving under the commands of the Blood King Valley.'
Kang-hyuk looked at Hae-sak.
'I don't feel like dragging him back to the Academy while he's still in such good condition.'
He was a man that dared to toy with the students and teachers of the Academy he was working at.
In addition, the man had put all of his efforts into making him angry.
"Whatever you ask me, I'm not going to answer to….argh!"
Before Hae-sak could finish his sentence, Kang-hyuk's attendance book came flying to his face again.
At that moment, along with the feeling that his body and soul were being torn apart, Hae-sak felt as though the organs of his body were being plucked out, as if they were wild herbs being harvested.
Before he even realized what was happening, tears were already flowing down his face.
"If that's how you feel about talking, then my feeling is to give you a beating. b.a.s.t.a.r.ds like you only improve with a good beating. I'm going to beat you as many times as there are people that you've caused harm to! Hmm…how many are there?"
Kang-hyuk pretended to count, then gave up.
"Ah! Whatever! I'll just beat you as much as I want!"
"Huh? No…"
Kang-hyuk's infamous blows poured onto Hae-sak like unending rainfall.
Hae-sak cried out, "Arghhhhhh!"
*Pok Pok Pok!*
After being beaten around five times, Hae-sak began to feel intense resentment towards the Head of the Black Snake Sect who had sent him here.
After having been beaten around ten times, he began to regret his idea of kidnapping people from the Hwacheon Academy.
After having been beaten around fifty times, he regretted ever stepping into Moorim.
After having been beaten one hundred times, he regretted ever being born.
After having been beaten one hundred and fifty times, he finally felt that he didn't care about anything else at this point, and that he just wanted the beatings to stop.
"I'll tell you everything! Okay, I'll tell you everything! Argh! You've hit that spot fifty times already!"
"Shut up, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I'm tired of beating you now!"
"If that's the case, please don't beat me anymore!"
"I don't want to."
After being beaten by Kang-hyuk a total of two hundred times, Hae-sak's body was unable to move, with all the pressure points in his body frozen from the aftereffects of the beating.
"...."
Yun Hseong finally understood the terrified look on Heuk-sim's face when Kang-hyuk had brought out his attendance book during their questioning.
'So, there was a reason as to why he had a phobia of attendance books.'
As Eun Myeong-myeong had ordered secrecy regarding the matter of Heuk-sim, the others were not aware of the context, and so, Dang Eun-ah and the students looked confused and pleased at the same time.
On the other hand…
Oh-Tae's legs were trembling in fear.
He had just realized that if he had taken his rudeness towards Kang-hyuk just one step further, that very attendance book would have come flying towards him.
"Phew! My joints! Beating isn't particularly easy either!"
Kang-hyuk took a deep breath in, and then straightened his back.
As his anger had finally subsided, he began to look at those around him.
It was only then that he realized that he had turned into the 'Dragon Lord'.
'd.a.m.n! I didn't even think about hiding my martial skill!"
But even upon the realization of his error, he knew that if he was given the choice one more time, he would have acted in the same way.
If he had hidden his skill, and toned down his actions, a few of the students' lives would in no doubt have been lost, not to mention Dang Eun-ah's dignity.
He was satisfied that he had been able to prevent the situation from escalating, despite the fact that he had to expose the full level of his cultivation.
However, he knew that as a result of this, he was going to have to experience a few nuisances.
'I didn't intend on hiding my ident.i.ty, but if things keep going this way, I'm most definitely going to be ha.s.sled in some way!'
He looked at Yun Hseong and recalled his ridiculous misunderstanding.
"Ahem, ahem ahem! Firstly, I apologize for having surprised you all."
Kang-hyuk continued, "Truthfully, a difficult situation would arise for me if my true ident.i.ty was revealed."
Yun Hseong quickly spoke up.
"That's a given. How could it not be difficult for you as the secret envoy of the Clan Leader!"
The gaze in Oh-Tae, Dang Eun-ah, and the students' eyes changed. Yun Hseong spoke, now completely confident in his misunderstanding.
"Don't worry! We'll forget about this day completely! I'll say it again, a man never goes back on his word!"
Dang Eun-ah joined in afterwards.
"Of-of course we'll keep this a secret! It's a request from someone that has saved our lives, how could we refuse it?"
"Exactly!"
"We will never speak of the incident again!"
Kang-hyuk wasn't completely trusting in their words. At least one or two of them was likely to let the information slip, even if by mistake.
Nonetheless, he felt that there was no other way to prevent further nuisance to him for the time being, and so he let it slip.
"Bu-but, how are we to explain this situation?"
Kang-hyuk picked up the bamboo bottle that was lying on the ground in response to Oh-Tae's question. He opened the seal, and sprayed its contents over Hae-sak and the other warriors.
"Like this!"
"...?"
"You can say that they accidentally sprayed the drugging substance over themselves!"
"Ah! That's a good idea!"
A loud commotion could be heard from outside the cave.
"Oh! This seems to be the place!"
"Good lord! Warriors of the Black Snake Sect!"
"We'll have to report this to the Princ.i.p.al!"
From the voices, it was obvious that the back-up warriors they had been waiting for had arrived.
"You've all come! It must have been hard to find us!"
Dang Eun-ah arose as Kang-hyuk spoke. At her flushed face, Kang-hyuk was instantly aware of her issue, and gave her his outer robe to cover herself with.
*Woof!*
Kang-hyuk turned around at the sound of Deuk's barking.
Deuk, who had a red bundle tied to his back, ran towards him like a flying arrow.
*Woof woof!*
Deuk wagged his tail, while Kang-hyuk untied the bundle from his back and grinned.
He was aware of who had tied the bundle onto Deuk from the unique knot.
'It's Ae-rin!'
He opened the bundle.
Inside was a set of clothing, and judging by the pretty colouring, Kang-hyuk could tell it was women's clothing.
It was none other than Byeok Ae-rin's doing, the very Byeok Ae-rin who had served the 'Dragon Lord' for fifty years.
She had heard that one of the kidnapped teachers was a woman and so, she had antic.i.p.ated that a change of clothes may be required.
He first untied the students, then addressed them.
"It's safe now. Don't worry about Dang Seonsaeng, and just follow Yun Seonsaeng and Oh Seonsaeng out of the cave."
"Yes!"
Kang-hyuk picked up Hae-sak, and handed him over to Yun Hseong.
"You can hand him over to the Princ.i.p.al."
"I understand."
"I'll leave when Dang Seonsaeng changes her clothing."
Restraining themselves from looking behind, Oh-Tae and Yun Hseong quickly left the cave with the students.
Kang-hyuk handed the clothes over to Dang Eun-ah.
"I know we're in a hurry, but please wear these."
"Th-thank you."
She then took the clothes.
"But how did you know I would need clothing?"
"This is the doing of my maid. If you want to thank someone, you should thank her."
"Is that so? Either way, thank you."
"I'll turn around."
Dang Eun-ah attempted to change her clothing, but was hindered by the fact that her hands were still bound in chains.
Kang-hyuk turned slightly at the sound of the chains, with a changed impression. By the unique clink, he was able to recognize the material it was made out of- Million Year Cold Iron.
'Tsk tsk, I can't believe that they're using that precious iron for such a purpose! What a waste of resources!'
Kang-hyuk sighed.
"Excuse me for a moment."
As he spoke, he raised his attendance book, and with it, easily broke through the chains that had been forged with the Million Year Cold Iron.
Dang Eun-ah's eyes became wide as the chains broke with a light tap, almost as though he had snapped a piece of rotten wood.
'His cultivation is at an incredible level! These chains didn't even budge an inch, despite me pouring all of my strength in an attempt to break them!'
Kang-hyuk looked at Dang Eun-ah's body, raised his hand, and swung it sidewardly.
*Seuseuseuk!*
With Kang-hyuk's hand movements, the Am-gi weapon that had been lodged in Dang Eun-ah's body dislodged, and fell to the ground.
"Arghhhh!"
"Oh my! Does it hurt a lot? I apologize!"
"It-it's okay."
"I'll let you change your clothes now."
Kang-hyuk turned around once more, and Dang Eun-ah was finally able to comfortably change her clothing.
Blood was still flowing from her wounds, but it was something that could be dealt with by pressing a blood coagulating pressure point.
Despite the new clothes being stained with blood, Dang Eun-ah felt much better, and wore the clothes with grat.i.tude in her heart.
'Huh?'
She realized that something was strange.
'Ri-right now…didn't I just expose my bare body to Kang Seonsaeng?'
This was something that should have been a shameful occurrence for her.
Whilst she was nearing forty, she was still undeniably a woman, and a woman that had never had the companionship of a man.
She wanted to bite her tongue and die at the shame of seeing Hae-sak look at her with his l.u.s.tful intentions.
But this was a different experience.
Kang-hyuk's pure eyes hadn't even realized she was undressed.
She didn't even feel ashamed in any way.
'Where have I seen such a gaze before? When was it? Ah!'
She then recalled what it was that seemed so familiar to her.
It was the same gaze her father had looked at her with when he had fed her medicine when she was six years old and had a severe fever.
It was a gaze that a father would look upon their young daughter with.
Dang Eun-ah informed Kang-hyuk just as she had finished changing her clothes.
"I've finished now."
"We should get going then."
"Yes."
Dang Eun-ah then took a step forward.
"Ah…"
Unfortunately, she collapsed as soon as she attempted to go forward. Kang-hyuk quickly moved, and caught her.
"Oh dear…"
She felt as though she was losing consciousness.
Kang-hyuk observed her energies, and found that she had grevious internal wounds.
She wasn't dead not only because of her high level of cultivation, but also the fact that Hae-sak hadn't beaten her to the extent she would die as he had the intention of playing with her, and most importantly, her strong willpower.
She had endured through with the thought that if she died, there would be no one left to protect the students.
As she had released her anxiety about the students, her body was no longer able to hold on.
'At this rate, she'll lose her life before we get back to the campsite!'
