The Tactician's Warning

Gojin was back in the spirit realm, training diligently. Beside him, the spirits of the old man and Kim Tangho watched him. Tangho joined him, mirroring his movements, while the old man stroked his beard, nodding as Gojin told them about what happened in the school.

"Oh yeah? So the big, tough principal caved in just because of a little threat?" Kim Tangho commented, smiling.

"Yup!" Gojin grunted, pushing himself up and down with a steady rhythm.

"Focus!" the Old man struck Gojin's back with a stick. "What became of those scoundrels who beat you?"

"I'm not sure, but they won't be happy with the result," Gojin said with a grin. "Taejun and his parents will be especially angry about what happened. They wanted me expelled, but thanks to our plan, their son got kicked out instead."

The Old man nodded. He felt pleased with the turn of events. However, he also knew it was just the beginning of Gojin's trouble. If his descendant got complacent now, it would only spell more trouble for him in the future.

Only time would tell what would happen to him. But the old man wanted to prepare Gojin for any challenge that gets thrown in his way.

"Thanks to the evidence I have on Principal Lee, my school life should be smooth-"

"I wouldn't be so confident if I were you."

An unfamiliar voice broke the silence. When Gojin looked up, he saw a spirit he had never noticed before. It was sitting across from the scholar's spirit, deep in a game of chess.

The new spirit had a tall, lean build with sharp features. His hair was dark and neatly combed back. He wore a black eyepatch over his left eye, giving him a stern, no-nonsense look. Dressed in a crisp but bullet-riddled military uniform, his expression was always serious, as if he had no fun in his life.

Upon seeing him, even Tangho couldn't help but sigh. The old man didn't seem pleased with the new spirit's appearance. It was saying something because the old man didn't like anyone, probably not even himself.

Kim Gojin didn't know who the man was, but judging from his tattered uniform, the guy must have died on a battlefield.

"Underestimating your opponent is a one-way ticket to the afterlife," the man continued, ignoring the unwelcoming gazes. "Victory isn't assured simply because you believe it to be. Have you ever heard the saying, even a cornered rat will turn to face its predator? That's the situation you've thrust upon your principal."

He continued, "Not to mention your bully. Do you honestly think something like expulsion will dissuade them from retaliating further? Such superficial measures only serve to provoke them. I bet my remaining eye they are already planning something to get back at you."

While everyone shot dirty looks at the spirit, what he said resonated with Gojin. Taejun and his family had egos bigger than the sun. Although they wouldn't dare, do something to him within the school, there was no saying what they'd do outside.

They won't give up easily. That much was certain. After all, they were rich people with connections. As long as they had that, they wouldn't hesitate to use underhanded means to get back at him.

To stand up to them, Gojin knew he had to build his own connections. At the start, he concentrated solely on making money. Yet, that wouldn't fix everything in a battle.

He required a supporter, someone whose mere presence could deter those who might challenge him. Or at least someone who could protect him or his family when he needed it most.

Not to mention Principal Lee. While Gojin was confident he wouldn't dare confront him directly, he could hire someone to deal with him secretly.

I was hasty...

"Victory doesn't feel as sweet now, does it?" remarked the stern military tactician's spirit as he rose from his seat. "Checkmate in seven moves. Not bad. Makes me wonder how many moves your enemies would need to bring you down."

With his piece said, the spirit disappeared.

"That guy always gets on my nerves!" Tangho grumbled, hurling the tiny mountain off his shoulders into the endless void within the spirit realm.

"Finally, we agree on something, brute," the scholar remarked, facing the old man. "Shouldn't you exile him from our realm, revered elder?"

"And do what? Have him blabber about Kim Gojin's death to the heavens?" the old man bellowed, delivering a sharp smack to the scholar's head. "Paying any attention to them would spell trouble for us."

Oblivious to the relationship between the spirits, Gojin asked Tangho why were they so furious at the tactician. Tangho's reply surprised him.

"When you were about to kick the bucket, the old guy gathered all the spirits from the Kim household for a meeting to discuss the next steps. Most of them were cool with bringing you back, but a handful weren't having it and left us."

"That guy, Kim Minseok, was one of those who threw a fit and split. Now, though, it looks like he's had a change of tune, or at least that's the story he's selling us."

"I see..." Kim Gojin mumbled, having learned something new about the spirits.