The Academy’s Delinquent in Charge, Episode 25
Tap—
Moyong Seok, flung off the sparring platform, spun three times in midair before landing. Cupping his fists in salute, he bowed his head.
“Thank you for your guidance, Professor.”
“Good work.”
He had employed even his clan’s secret technique, yet failed to break through her Taijiquan. One would think he’d feel dejected, but Moyong Seok’s expression showed no such sign.
*The problem wasn’t Taijiquan. Even if I had used Liuhequan or Sancaiquan, the result would have been the same.*
The difference was not in martial arts, but in the person.
*No matter how great the gap between martial arts may be, it cannot compare to the gap between those who wield them.*
He had known this in his head. But feeling it through his body was a first.
Those in his clan stronger than him all practiced the same martial arts, and among his peers, there was no one stronger.
*I gained much.*
It was his turn now. Namgung Jongsu rose to his feet.
“Watch closely, Moyong Seok. I’ll show you how it’s really done.”
But another student had already stepped onto the sparring platform before him. The students who saw this murmured.
“Huh? Who’s that?”
“It’s Louise, the top-ranked Magic major.”
“There was someone like that? I think it’s my first time seeing him.”
“Me too, but wasn’t he the type who usually never shows up for stuff like this?”
The students who saw Louise wore expressions of interest.
And for good reason: mages were typically an introverted lot, and Louise was an especially quiet student among them.
Louise stood opposite Dang Jain and bowed his head.
“My name is Louise. Since the top-ranked Martial Arts major failed, I believe it is now the turn of the top-ranked Magic major—me.”
Namgung Jongsu, who had been cut in line, flared up.
“What the? Wait your turn! It’s my turn now!”
But Dang Jain held out her palm toward Namgung Jongsu, nodded, and said,
“That sounds right. Your name is Louise? Come on up.”
“Thank you.”
“Tch.”
He couldn’t refuse the professor’s decision just because he minded losing his spot. Pouting, Namgung Jongsu returned to his seat.
Seeing Namgung Jongsu step off the platform, Dang Jain assumed the basic stance of Taijiquan and beckoned to Louise.
“Come.”
“Understood.”
Louise drew his wand from subspace. Then, as if he had become a conductor, he waved the wand through the empty air.
The mana flowing from the tip of Louise’s wand spread in all directions, drawing five magic circles.
“One, two, three, four, five... Five-star?”
“Did you say five-star?”
“No way, even if he’s rank one, a five-star spell...”
But the surprises didn’t end there.
Crackle—zzzt—
The five magic circles emitted a bizarre noise and began rotating clockwise to form gates. Soon the gates opened, and three massive monsters began sticking their heads through.
Grrrr—
The monsters were easily over three meters tall, and the teeth visible in their gaping maws looked sharp enough to devour everything.
“Mini Drakes? S-Summoning magic!”
“Summoning magic?”
Summoning magic was notorious for being as difficult to master as spirit magic. As such summoning magic unfolded before them, the students were startled out of their wits.
“Is that him?”
“Him? Who?”
“You know. The one who caused a huge fuss about ten years ago when an eight-year-old used three-star summoning magic.”
“Ah! Right! That prodigy?”
Many mages didn’t know Louise’s face. But there was no mage who didn’t know the “Summoning Prodigy.”
Hearing the students’ cries, Dang Jain rounded her lips and nodded her head.
*So this is the prodigy Jeremy praised to high heaven.*
Louise was a direct apprentice of the Magic Tower, just like Jeremy, Dang Jain’s academy classmate.
*Now I see why he suddenly stepped forward. He must have heard from Jeremy.*
Dang Jain often joked that she had never met a proper summoning magic user.
*Jeremy, you careless fool.*
The frail-looking boy before her wanted to show something.
He wanted to show proper summoning magic—to prove that her words had been wrong.
*But at the Academy, you know...*
Grrrr—
A Mini Drake approached the lost-in-thought Dang Jain and swung its tail.
Dang Jain lightly turned her head to evade the attack, then mounted the Mini Drake’s head. She moved her feet in a Taiji pattern and performed a Zhenjiao.
*At this level, you can’t be called a prodigy.*
With a thunderous crash, the Mini Drake’s head was driven into the ground.
“Wow—she smashed a Mini Drake with a Taijiquan Zhenjiao!”
“The Zhenjiao of Taijiquan begins with knowing how to properly stamp the ground. And it’s not just the Zhenjiao—the reason you learn Taijiquan first as a child is to build your foundation.”
Louise used healing magic, strengthening magic, and the like to try to raise the Mini Drake.
“Ttokttak, get up!”
But the Mini Drake’s brain had been shaken so badly that it couldn’t even find its center. Unable to rise, Ttokttak was dispelled right then and there.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Louise’s temple.
*Ttokttak was dispelled. This is the first time this has happened. What should I do next? Should I attack? Or should I defend?*
Louise fidgeted with his hands, then seemed to make up his mind. He gulped and pointed his index finger at Dang Jain. Then he commanded the remaining two Mini Drakes.
“Happy! Danchu! Attack together!”
Watching Louise command his Drakes, Dang Jain let out a faint laugh.
*Jeremy. Sorry, but your direct junior...*
Clip-clop—
Gliding softly between the recklessly charging Mini Drakes, Dang Jain approached Louise before he knew it and placed her hand on his stomach.
*Zero points.*
She had simply placed her hand on him. Yet Louise, his waist bending like a shrimp as if struck by a car, was sent flying off the sparring platform.
Watching the sight, Moyong Seok gave a bitter smile.
“Tsk. I guess this is Louise’s first time fighting a person.”
The students, shocked by the astonishing sight, muttered blankly.
“I-Is this the Taijiquan I knew?”
“I-I don’t think so...”
Having returned to the flag before anyone noticed, Dang Jain tied her loosened hair back up and spoke.
“If you don’t build a solid foundation, you can’t expect proper results no matter what advanced martial arts you use. A thatched house with a solid foundation is sturdier than a tiled house with a shaky one.”
Finishing her words, Dang Jain repeated the movement she had just performed, as if showing the students again. Several students rose from their seats and began following her Taijiquan.
After the demonstration, Dang Jain turned her head toward Namgung Jongsu.
“Come out.”
“Yes.”
The students sent cheers and applause toward Namgung Jongsu as he plodded out.
“Yong-ae! Yong-ae! Yong-ae!”
“Namgung! Jongsu! Namgung! Jongsu!”
Ever since the belching incident, Namgung Jongsu had earned a nickname and become an overnight celebrity, just as he had always wanted. But his expression was far from bright.
*Why! Why the hell! Are they all guys!*
Whether they knew how Namgung Jongsu felt or not, the male students continued chanting his name in deep, cave-like voices.
“Namgung Jongsu, you’re quite popular, aren’t you?”
“Yes, well... I wish they’d all just get lost, though.”
“Come in.”
Namgung Jongsu didn’t charge recklessly like the students before him. The moment he heard today’s lecture was on Taijiquan, he had sensed it.
*This class is for me!*
Even now, Namgung Jongsu habitually performed all forty-two forms of Taijiquan each morning before starting his day.
*There’s no one who’s practiced Taijiquan more than me.*
What had been the reason Moyong Seok and Louise lost?
*Because they stupidly tried to overpower her with force.*
Taijiquan was a martial art that embodied the principle of subduing hardness with softness.
*That’s why rushing in recklessly only gets you beaten.*
The aesthetic of the Namgung clan’s martial arts was domination—*junlin*, to rule and reign. Little wonder their martial art bore the word “Emperor” in its name; it inherently possessed devastating destructive power.
But as if completely denying such common sense, Namgung Jongsu performed movements that floated as if swimming through space.
*Softly, and more softly.*
His fists were like an endlessly soft mountain breeze, and his footsteps were as light as a child going on a spring picnic.
Watching his footwork, a strange light flickered in Dang Jain’s eyes.
*Hoo—he’s performing the Emperor’s Step so softly?*
Kwaang—
Dang Jain and Namgung Jongsu clashed.
“Haap—”
Namgung Jongsu’s right hand evaded Dang Jain’s left arm. At the same time, Dang Jain’s left leg blocked Namgung Jongsu’s right foot.
Unlike the previous two, Namgung Jongsu exchanged attacks and defenses for quite a long time.
The students let out exclamations before they knew it.
The two fighters’ martial arts, embodying the principles of Taijiquan, were so elegant they created the illusion of watching a beautiful dance.
“Namgung Jongsu, your understanding of Taijiquan is extraordinary.”
“Isn’t it only natural? When receiving guidance from a lovely woman like you, Professor, this is the least I can do.”
Pfft—
“Do you know what happened to all the men who hit on me like that?”
“Ha... haha, I’m not sure.”
“Then I’ll let you know starting now.”
Bbeoeok—
Dang Jain’s heel came down on Namgung Jongsu’s left collarbone.
“Keoeok—”
“The foundation of Taijiquan is softness—you know that. And the public perception is the same. Soft, but slow and weak.”
The foot that had descended along his collarbone didn’t stop; it shot straight up and kicked Namgung Jongsu in the groin.
Kwaang—
“Eoeok—”
Clutching his precious parts, Namgung Jongsu couldn’t even scream properly and collapsed on the spot.
“But being soft doesn’t mean casting aside strength. Especially when using tyrannical martial arts like the Namgung clan’s.”
Sallang—
Dang Jain landed gently on the ground and turned toward the gathered students.
“This is what we call hardness within softness.”
Some students turned their heads away, unable to bear the sight of Namgung Jongsu’s sorry state.
Hwangbo Cheolsu was the first to run to the side of Namgung Jongsu, who was rolling on the ground, and shouted at the Magic major students.
“Mages! Use some healing magic! At this rate, Johnson—no, Jones—is going to be in big trouble!”
Dang Jain, awkward at the series of events unfolding before her eyes, cleared her throat.
*Oh my, sorry. Did I use too much force?*
Of course, she had controlled her strength appropriately, so nothing serious would happen. But she had hit him as hard as possible without causing serious injury, so the pain would be considerable.
“Next student, come out.”
“I am Wongak of Shaolin.”
“Very well, Monk Wongak. Come in.”
Within minutes, Wongak of Shaolin was also flung off the sparring platform.
After that, numerous students challenged her, including Seol Hayun of the Ice Palace, the dwarf Timos Mavro, and others, but they were all defeated miserably.
As the top-ranked students were eliminated one after another, no more challengers appeared.
“Hmm, then from now on, come at me in groups of ten. If even one of you pulls the flag, all ten will be marked as passing.”
“Ten? Ten sounds doable?”
Enticed by the offer that they could come in groups of ten, the students put their heads together to devise strategies and began challenging her. And those strategies looked quite promising.
Until they got beaten black and blue.
Before long, all the Martial Arts and Magic major students had been eliminated. And the Written Exam major students, except for Jegal Muhyeok, forfeited without even challenging her.
And so the turn flowed to Baek Iljin’s number. Baek Iljin, who had been chewing gum to stave off hunger while watching, rose to his feet.
“You’re the last student at last, Baek Iljin? Are you forfeiting as well?”
“No.”
“Good. Come out.”