Chapter 141: A Terrifying Man (3)

Fortunately, the sparring tournament ended with great success and safety.

No student went berserk during their matches, and Il-mok did not suffer from a relapse of his perfectionist compulsion and break into a sword dance.

The day after the tests ended peacefully, another typical—yet somehow special—day began at the Hall of the Demonic Way.

Most of the time passed like any other day.

There were just two new developments.

First, following the instructors, the students finally began their one-on-one counseling sessions with Physician Seo Jae-pil.

Second, today marked Instructor Xiao Hong's first day of teaching.

“A pleasure to meet you all. As someone who once graduated from this very hall, I understand your passion better than anyone.”

She walked confidently among the students as she continued her introduction.

"So rest easy. I've served the cult at the Law Enforcement Hall for over ten years, protecting our laws and doctrines on the front lines."

But despite her confident words, her mind was a tangled mess.

‘…Judging from his reaction on the first day, he seems to have some goodwill toward me.’

As she was thinking this, her eyes happened to meet Il-mok’s.

Smile.

Il-mok gave her a gentle smile, as if to say he was completely harmless.

Xiao Hong, who was usually thorough when it came to work, almost flinched at that smile without realizing it.

She might be skilled at her job, but she was a complete amateur when it came to romance.

Thank god she had prepared all of her lecture material in advance. Despite her flustered state, her mouth started moving on autopilot.

"Prophet Park once said..."

Even as the introduction ended and class began, her head remained in turmoil.

‘Phew. That smile just now… He definitely seems to be warming up to me. So, what’s my next move?’

The advice from her married friends came to mind.

‘Men have a strong need for recognition. Many of them will lay down their lives for someone who recognizes their worth.’

That advice came from a woman who'd won her seniors' love through praise. And then there was more...

‘They say all men are wolves, you know? If you brush hands or bodies with them here and there, their hearts will be moved.’

That one came from a senior at the Law Enforcement Hall who'd successfully seduced and married her crush.

Deciding this was the way to go for now, Xiao Hong, who had been walking among the students while teaching, came to a stop.

Right in front of Il-mok.

"Disciple Il-mok."

"Yes, Instructor."

“Give me your opinion on why the Prophet Park spared the herb gatherer, even though he executed the other evil men.”

‘Probably because the crazy bastard just felt like it,’ Il-mok thought, but he wasn't stupid enough to say that out loud.

‘What the hell is wrong with this scripture? Half the content is about killing people or why we should kill people.’

While inwardly cursing the Secret Record of the Heavenly Demon—their so-called book of doctrines and scriptures—Il-mok wore a natural-looking smile.

“Because while the others all made excuses about having families waiting at home and begged for forgiveness while still unrepentant, the herb gatherer vowed to follow the Prophet Park and dedicate himself to the cause of the cult. He repented, whereas the others succumbed to their inner evil.”

It was something he had learned from Jin Hayeon while preparing for his entrance exam, and a pretty basic question, so the answer wasn't difficult.

But for some reason, despite answering such a fundamental question, Xiao Hong smiled.

It was an artificial and awkward smile.

"Truly excellent."

After delivering that wooden-like, awkward praise, her hand was already moving toward Il-mok's.

Under the pretense of praise, she was trying to sneakily grab his hand.

Swoosh!

But her hand only grabbed thin air.

Il-mok had already pulled his hand back.

"......."

Xiao Hong's pupils shook violently. She hadn't expected Il-mok to avoid her touch.

‘Sh-should I use a grappling technique to grab him?’

The thought actually crossed her mind, but she managed to hold back. That would look like an attack rather than seduction.

Of course, it was already too late.

‘Why is she suddenly trying to grab my hand?’

Il-mok, who was already suspicious of her, felt his wariness dig even deeper into his mind.

While they were both lost in their own thoughts, a strange silence fell over the hall.

"......."

Xiao Hong felt her brain overheating as she frantically tried to think what to do.

She had to recall another piece of advice from one of her married friends.

‘In the end, love is just another form of affection. And like any bond between people, you need to increase the time you spend together.’

This advice came from a friend who had married a man she'd worked with as a colleague for a long time.

‘Right. I was too hasty this time. I need to gradually increase the time we spend alone together.’

So, how could she increase their time together? Xiao Hong didn't have to think hard to find the answer.

"Ahem. Since Disciple Il-mok gave an excellent answer, I think you deserve a reward.”

"...What kind of reward?"

“I grant you a special opportunity to receive private guidance from me outside of the regular class hours. Come to my office after your club hours are over.”

Her “secret” invitation made Il-mok almost burst into laughter.

‘…This one's even more obvious than Ma Do-yeong.’

He'd already seen through Ma Do-yeong, so he couldn't fathom why they would send an assassin who was even more conspicuous than the former.

But regardless of how obvious she was being…

"Ahem. With all due respect, Instructor, I think any of the other cadets here could have answered such a basic question. I will accept a reward when I've done something that truly deserves one.”

Il-mok politely declined her invitation.

Accepting an invitation from someone so obviously suspicious would be suicide.

“V-very well.”

Xiao Hong's composure wavered. She hadn't expected a mere student to reject her so bluntly.

But since she'd prepared thoroughly for the lesson, there was no major problem continuing the class.

Lost in her lecture, she failed to see the peculiar looks the students gave her.

***

For the next few days, both during and outside class hours, Xiao Hong continued her subtle attempts to seduce Il-mok based on the advice she'd received.

Then, around lunchtime on the third day, Instructor Eun Ryeo came to find her.

“Instructor Xiao. May I have a word with you?”

"Of course, Instructor Eun."

After following the stone-faced Eun Ryeo to a quiet spot, Eun Ryeo asked directly.

"I've heard the rumors. You have feelings for Young Master Il-mok, don’t you?"

"...What do you mean, Instructor Eun? This is the first I'm hearing of this."

Xiao Hong, who had plenty of experience in everything except romance, quickly composed her expression and answered.

But it didn't work on Eun Ryeo. Not because she saw through Xiao Hong's mask, but simply because...

“Since you are also a graduate from the Hall, you should know how small this place is. It means there are eyes and ears everywhere.”

The problem was that rumors were already spreading like wildfire among the students.

Xiao Hong tried to deny it again, but Eun Ryeo cut her off.

"Love is a private matter, so it's not my place to interfere. I called you here simply to offer a piece of advice.”

"What kind of advice...?"

Xiao Hong felt a flicker of hope.

All her attempts at flirting with Il-mok over the past few days had failed. The advice from her friends had been useless, so she desperately needed a new perspective.

But Eun Ryeo's response was far from what Xiao Hong had hoped for.

"Give up on Disciple Il-mok."

"...What do you mean?"

Xiao Hong's expression almost crumpled. Giving up on Il-mok was no different from giving up on her mission.

Unaware of Xiao Hong's true intentions, Eun Ryeo spoke while forcing herself to remain expressionless.

“It's unbecoming of me as an instructor to say this, but Disciple Il-mok is a man of many sins. Even if things work out, the ending won't be a happy one. He's a man who takes no responsibility when it comes to women.”

After all, Il-mok had already abandoned Jeong Hyeon, Ju Seo-yeon, and Bang Mi-hwa.

Eun Ryeo felt nothing but pity for Xiao Hong, who had developed feelings for such a man.

“I hope you will think carefully about my advice.”

With those final words, Eun Ryeo turned and left.

Getting too deeply involved in someone's personal life wasn't wise, and besides, she found it hard to maintain her composure while looking at this poor moth drawn to Il-mok’s flame.

"......."

Watching Eun Ryeo's retreating figure after saying her piece and leaving, Xiao Hong couldn't hide her bewilderment.

"Tsk."

She clicked her tongue lightly and returned to her office, only to be summoned again shortly after.

"You called for me, Head Instructor?"

She greeted Chu Il-hwan, who had temporarily become her direct superior, with a formal bow.

"Ahem. Come in."

And for some reason, Chu Il-hwan showed an awkward attitude instead of his usual playful self.

"Hmm. I heard the story."

“…What story might that be?”

Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, she asked back.

"Strange rumors involving you and Young Master Il-mok."

"......."

When Chu Il-hwan said the exact same thing as Eun Ryeo, Xiao Hong was momentarily speechless.

Mistaking her silence for something else, Chu Il-hwan quickly added.

"Ahem. Romance is a private matter, so I don't really intend to interfere. But Instructor Xiao, you've just been assigned to the Hall, remember? At least for a while, shouldn't your priority be adapting to the instructors, students, and how the Hall operates?"

For Xiao Hong, this was humiliating advice.

She, who had always dedicated herself completely to her work—so much so that she had even accepted this ridiculous mission—was being treated like a rookie who couldn't separate her personal and professional life.

But being the professional she was, she quickly composed herself.

"I apologize for causing trouble for the Head Instructor."

"Hmm. It wasn't really troublesome, so don't worry about it."

"Then, could you give me some advice as a new instructor? I still don't know much about how the Hall operates recently or about the other instructors."

“Hahaha! As the Head Instructor, it’s my duty to teach you about these things.”

The moment Chu Il-hwan answered, Xiao Hong started asking questions.

After asking about the Hall's recent educational policies and the characteristics of other instructors for a while, Xiao Hong subtly probed the main topic.

"Ah, come to think of it, I actually heard something similar from Instructor Eun Ryeo."

"From Instructor Eun Ryeo?"

"Yes. Instructor Eun Ryeo advised me to give up my feelings for Disciple Il-mok."

Xiao Hong didn’t miss the strange twitch in Chu Il-hwan’s expression.

“By any chance, is there something unusual going on between Instructor Eun Ryeo and Disciple Il-mok?”

"Hmm. I'm not really sure."

When Chu Il-hwan tried to squirm away, Xiao Hong cast a bigger lure.

“She also mentioned that Disciple Il-mok is a man of many sins. She even said he had no sense of responsibility. From the way she talked, there must be something between Instructor Eun Ryeo and Student Il-mok, right?"

Faced with her persistent questioning, Chu Il-hwan, who had been lost in thought, let out a sigh and answered.

"Actually, Instructor Eun Ryeo also had deep ties with Disciple Il-mok."

"Deep ties. Of what kind?"

"Ahem. Well, if she's talking about responsibility… you can probably guess what that implies, can't you?”

Xiao Hong, who had no romantic experience, thought for a moment before her eyes widened dramatically.

Seeing her shocked reaction, Chu Il-hwan sighed deeply. ‘So it's true! The conversation I overheard that day wasn't a misunderstanding!’

Chu Il-hwan recalled the conversation between Eun Ryeo and Il-mok he'd eavesdropped on the day he'd gone berserk. Combined with what he'd just heard from Xiao Hong, there was no room for doubt.

His head began to spin. This was why Chu Il-hwan had looked so uncomfortable from the moment he first called Xiao Hong in.

It wasn't just because this concerned Il-mok, the man who had forgiven him for his rampage.

‘How in the world am I supposed to handle this kind of thing?’

Between the side effects of his Demonic Art and dedicating himself only to work and training, Chu Il-hwan had no romantic experience despite being nearly forty.

If he had to think about it, only one method of handling this came to mind.

—Seducing so many women already! I should kill that goddamn bastard right now!

That’s what his Demonic Art whispered to him.

‘Shut up!’

Thankfully, his self-discipline had deepened after the last incident, so Chu Il-hwan barely managed to suppress his inner demon.

Meanwhile, while Chu Il-hwan was fighting his inner demons...

Xiao Hong, having received this shocking news, was weeping tears of blood on the inside.

‘Oh, Chief, why have you given me such a trial?!’

Not just because Il-mok was some lecher beyond her imagination.

‘Didn't you say he was just a sixteen-year-old boy! Didn't you say he wouldn't understand a mature woman's charms!! If even Instructor Eun Ryeo, who's four years older than me, fell for him, how am I supposed to seduce that kid!?’

It was because she had realized her mission was far, far more difficult than she had ever anticipated.