Chapter 228: Character Education (1)

Demon’s Horn Disease.

This ominous name was related to the Demon Cult.

According to Zhang Sanfeng, the Black Horned Demons led by the Heavenly Demon showed such symptoms.

However, could it be reasonable for the Emperor of the Great Ming Empire to have traces of demonic arts?

Anyone sensible would naturally have doubts about this situation.

「It’s true. Just because horns grow on the head, the skin hardens, and a blue aura appears around the eyes, we cannot suspect Demon’s Horn Disease alone. Of course, the horns appearing first at the temples is an unusual symptom, but let’s consider the likelihood—it’s extremely slim.」

‘…’

「Yes, the possibility isn’t high. Rather, it’s very low. Very low indeed.」

Zhang Sanfeng spoke as if affirming to himself.

To Yi-gang, it rather seemed strange.

Following the requests of King Gye-yeong and Queen Yuye, Yi-gang became the teacher and guard for the Crown Prince and the Honorable County Princess.

It was truly a sudden royal appointment, so sudden that even the Senior Grand Secretary had not anticipated it.

Around Yi-gang’s waist was a thin bamboo rod gilded with gold.

This was a cane that the teachers of the Crown Prince could wield. In reality, punishing royalty was prohibited, but receiving this golden bamboo cane meant that King Gye-yeong was sincere.

He had been in this strange status for just three days.

During that time, Zhang Sanfeng exhibited an utterly suspicious attitude.

‘There’s a saying that a strong denial is a strong affirmation.’

「Where is that phrase from… Which scripture?」

‘It’s not in the scriptures, but it’s a thought-provoking statement. If the Sage keeps avoiding the question and keeps his mouth shut, don’t you think there might be something you ought to tell me?’

It was early morning now. Yi-gang was walking on his way to meet the Honorable County Princess and the Crown Prince.

「…」

‘I’ll change the question. Are you, the Sage, remaining on this earth because of something related to the Heavenly Demon?’

「Umm…」

Zhang Sanfeng, as always, kept his lips tightly sealed.

However, Yi-gang had been with him long enough now to realize that it wasn’t unrelated.

Zhang Sanfeng also seemed to want to reveal something.

‘If the Sage truly does not wish to speak, I won’t ask any further. But was it not you, the Sage, who directed me to head towards Beijing?’

「…」

‘I never imagined I would hear the names Heavenly Demon and Demon Cult in the imperial palace. The Heavenly Demon once invaded Beijing, didn’t he?’

That was true.

During the Yuan dynasty, the Khan who conquered the Central Plains named the new capital in Beijing as the Grand Capital.

The Demon Cult had invaded that Grand Capital.

Thousands of cultists attacked the Yuan Empire alongside the Heavenly Demon.

The massive army of the Yuan dynasty confronted the Heavenly Demon, leading to a war that resulted in tens of thousands of casualties.

Ultimately, it was a defeat for the Demon Cult.

The Heavenly Demon was killed, his head severed. It was said that his head was salted and displayed.

And now, hundreds of years later, at the place where the Heavenly Demon died, the Emperor was becoming poisoned by demonic arts.

‘Did he really die here?’

Yi-gang was skeptical of that first.

The Sword Emperor whom Yi-gang had met possessed superhuman strength.

Zhang Sanfeng was even stronger than that Sword Emperor, and the Heavenly Demon was likely stronger than Zhang Sanfeng.

It seems unlikely that such a strong individual could be captured by soldiers and have his head cut off.

「…That’s not it.」

Zhang Sanfeng finally spoke up.

He wasn’t planning to hide everything forever.

「The Heavenly Demon did not die. Just as humans cannot kill an immortal, the soldiers could not kill him.」

‘Then, are you suggesting that the Heavenly Demon is still alive?’

Yi-gang was shocked. Even the Immortal Divine Sword, who had mastered the Immortal Divine Art, could not overcome the limits of lifespan.

If the Heavenly Demon was still alive, perhaps he had achieved the eternal life that the Master of the Ghost Valley so desired.

「…It can’t be said that he is alive. But it cannot be said that he is dead either.」

‘Has he become a Jiangshi? Or perhaps a vampire…?’

「Haha.」

Zhang Sanfeng grimaced as he laughed.

「People can’t conceive of the way he has remained in this world. And he will return again.」

‘What kind of method is it?’

「I cannot speak of that method, as it is a taboo of the heavenly realm.」

‘Then, the Sage staying on earth rather than in the heavenly realm is…’

「Waiting. When the time comes, the unfinished third duel must be completed.」

One unexpected day, he disclosed the truth he had been withholding.

Yi-gang studied Zhang Sanfeng’s expression.

A person’s face could reveal many emotions.

It seemed this was true even for immortals.

‘Do you wish to settle a score?’

Initially, Yi-gang thought it was for a reason unbecoming of a martial artist. Even masters had their desires to compete.

But his expression didn’t seem to fit that at all.

It was neither stiff nor rigid, nor were his lips tightly shut with wrinkles furrowed between his eyebrows.

With eyes that seemed a bit sad, he gently closed his mouth, as if to affirm his resolution.

It was a sense of mission.

A sense of responsibility known by those who must act, whether they wanted to or not, whether it was hard or easy.

「…Because that is the heavenly mandate given to me.」

Zhang Sanfeng spoke as if he had said enough and remained silent.

Yi-gang did not bother him any further.

Instead, he pondered the new fact that the Heavenly Demon was still on earth.

The sudden uprising of the Demon Cult. The strange winds blowing through the imperial court.

Perhaps it was related to the Heavenly Demon.

The situation was already troublesome with just the Evil Cult, and now there were more worries.

However, it was not the worst-case scenario.

What Zhang Sanfeng had told him about the Evil Cult was that it was almost a sworn enemy of the Demon Cult.

When the Heavenly Demon was present, the Evil Cult reportedly could not operate openly.

It might also be that the Evil Cult began to flourish because the Heavenly Demon had disappeared.

It was as Yi-gang was thinking this that he walked.

His destination was the Inner Purity Pavilion, a two-story pavilion within the Yongzhao Palace.

The Crown Prince and the County Princess were likely waiting for him upstairs, where there were several pillars and windows that allowed the breeze to flow through.

While climbing the stairs, Yi-gang suddenly stopped.

“Mm.”

The stop was so abrupt that no one could have predicted it.

Even the Crown Prince, who was peeking out from the second floor, would not have known that Yi-gang would stop.

The Crown Prince had poured a bucket of water down the stairs, and Yi-gang’s eyes met his exactly.

The contents of the bucket were poured onto the path Yi-gang was taking.

Splash!

Water spilled onto the stone stairs.

Naturally, some water splashed onto Yi-gang, who had stopped in advance.

However, how could a Supreme Peak master fall for such childish pranks?

A Supreme Peak master was someone who could block arrows flying from behind.

Yi-gang swung his arm in a circular motion.

Whoosh!

The splashed water was blocked by his arm and scattered into the air.

Yi-gang’s body did not get wet at all.

“Tsk.”

However, Yi-gang clicked his tongue.

The water poured by the Crown Prince was not clean.

It was murky, muddy water, as if scooped from a pond, and most importantly, a live carp was flapping on the stairs.

Yi-gang luckily picked up the carp that had not been injured and died.

His once clean hands were dirtied, and the water splashed by the carp dirtied his sleeves and front.

And Yi-gang’s expression also darkened.

“Damn kid…”

He muttered disrespectfully to the royal family and looked up again, but the Crown Prince’s head, which had been peeking out, had already disappeared.

Yi-gang held the carp and climbed the stairs.

The Honorable County Princess nervously bit her nails.

The Crown Prince was just as nervous.

“How did that ghost-like guy know?”

“What should we do…”

The plan to pour pond water was led by the Crown Prince.

They had luckily caught a carp as well, and had been giggling as they prepared just moments before.

But they never imagined that Yi-gang would sense it before they poured the water.

The Honorable County Princess became irritable.

“I told you not to do it!”

“Why, Sister! It used to be your favorite prank.”

“This time… it felt ominous.”

She was unusually timid.

She didn’t seem to realize that her behavior was irritating her younger brother.

“And even if we got caught, so what? What can he do about it?”

“Father appointed him as the Crown Prince’s Master…”

“Even if he’s the Crown Prince’s Master, this isn’t the first time we’ve been caught. If we deny it, he won’t be able to do anything.”

The Crown Prince was not wrong.

It was a prank they had played on the officials who entered the palace before. The high-ranking officials were embarrassed with their faces turning red, but they didn’t dare to get angry at the royalty.

Instead, the eunuchs and maids serving the Crown Prince and the Honorable County Princess were severely punished, but that was the extent of it.

“You!”

The Crown Prince pointed at the eunuch serving them.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Take care of it. Understood?”

“…Yes, sir.”

The eunuch looked troubled but bowed his head nonetheless.

If a young royal committed a wrongdoing, the teacher was supposed to correct it.

Hitting with a rod was called flogging, but it was against the law for a commoner to punish a royal.

Therefore, young lower-ranking eunuchs were usually beaten in their place.

The Crown Prince cunningly took advantage of this.

However, this time, the Honorable County Princess held onto the Crown Prince’s sleeve and stopped him.

“Can’t we stop with the second prank?”

“Huh?”

“I think that one might be a bit too much.”

“…”

The Crown Prince had prepared a second prank.

This was a particularly nasty prank that even he didn’t play often.

He had spread a bunch of small needles on the floor just after climbing the stairs.

The needles, twisted together by the seamstresses, were thin and hard to see.

Anyone unaware who stepped on them would grab their foot with a scream of pain.

“Stay quiet, Sister. I’ll take all the blame.”

“It’s not about that…”

“Enough!”

The Crown Prince’s expression became even more stubborn.

In this state, he wouldn’t listen to anything.

Moreover, as Yi-gang’s face emerged from below the stairs, the Honorable County Princess instinctively hid behind the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness, Your Majesty.”

Yi-gang had fully ascended.

The carp he was holding continued to thrash about violently.

The Crown Prince tried to maintain a nonchalant expression.

But his heart sank again.

Yi-gang had stopped in front of the spot where the needles were scattered.

He had noticed the barely visible trap on the floor.

Yi-gang smirked as if it were ridiculous.

Before the Crown Prince could react, he continued walking.

“Ah!”

The Honorable County Princess let out a small scream.

She instinctively thought that Yi-gang’s foot would be injured. The needles could easily pierce through leather shoes.

But something surprising happened.

Yi-gang walked lightly over the needles without any issue.

He didn’t have metal plates on the soles of his shoes, yet he remained calm.

Moreover, the needle bundle was neither crushed nor displaced, retaining its original form. It was like a supernatural phenomenon.

They couldn’t understand that Yi-gang had skillfully employed the secret art of light footwork.

Yi-gang stood straight in front of the Crown Prince.

“As servant Baek Yi-gang, I am exceedingly pleased.”

“W-What are you pleased about?”

As his teacher, the Crown Prince couldn’t maintain his previous arrogant tone.

“To faithfully follow the orders of His Majesty King Gye-yeong and assist Your Highness in your training.”

“I don’t need… Eek!”

The Crown Prince let out an undignified scream.

Yi-gang had placed the carp into his hands.

The carp flapped and jumped, hitting the Crown Prince’s face before leaping away.

Yi-gang caught it again.

“How dare you! This is outrageous!”

The Crown Prince, clutching his face, was furious.

But Yi-gang remained calm.

“Well, should we punish this carp for causing such a commotion?”

“What did you say!”

“However, as a creature of the water, it merely failed to adapt to being outside, so it would be right for Your Highness to understand.”

“…Ugh!”

“Please return this poor carp to its original home.”

Leaving the fuming Crown Prince, Yi-gang handed the carp to a maid.

Unlike the Crown Prince, who screamed in surprise, the maid quickly bowed and descended the pavilion.

Yi-gang spoke quietly, “Your Highness, this is clearly improper conduct.”

The Crown Prince flinched in surprise.

“Throwing pond water at the Crown Prince’s Master appointed by His Majesty. Scattering metal objects with the intent to injure the teacher.”

When Yi-gang was appointed as the teacher of the royal siblings, he considered it a bothersome task.

But spending time with them, he realized it wasn’t entirely so.

Had he just served as a guard, he wouldn’t have had the means to discipline these troublesome pranksters.

“W-what nonsense! I didn’t do anything.”

“Is that so.”

He already knew the Crown Prince would feign innocence.

Yi-gang looked at the young eunuch.

“Eunuch. Is what His Highness says true?”

“…”

“It seems it is not. Trying to lie to escape blame is also improper conduct, Your Highness.”

For the eunuch, it was better to remain loyal to King Gye-yeong, who appointed Yi-gang, rather than the troublesome Crown Prince.

Yi-gang rolled up his muddy sleeve.

“Eunuch, it is your duty to ensure that the behavior of His Highness and the Honorable County Princess is proper.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“We must administer flogging.”

The eunuch rolled up his pant leg, as if he had been expecting this.

He was not a high-ranking eunuch of the Eastern Depot, but a young eunuch who often followed the Crown Prince around.

“This is all the responsibility of His Highness. The eunuch is being punished as well. Do you understand?”

“Ugh!”

The Crown Prince could not contain his anger.

“The Grand Secretary is already my teacher in academics, and I have an exceptional master for martial arts, so what exactly are you!”

He couldn’t stand the fact that the young Yi-gang, who suddenly appeared, had become his tutor.

Moreover, what his father had entrusted to Yi-gang was…

“You know this.”

Yi-gang had to acknowledge that he was an expert in the field assigned by King Gye-yeong.

“It’s character education.”

He had already reformed Dam Hyun, who had deviated even further than them.

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