Chapter 174
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: There's No Such Thing as an Unsolvable Problem (4)
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The leather, shimmering with a faint golden luster, was surprisingly from a bear.
The pristine bearskin was nothing short of magnificent. Covered densely with short, glossy fur, it looked softer and more plush than an emperor's bed.
Sprawled upon the hide, the old man possessed a truly imposing stature.
His bare torso was packed with thick muscles. His forearms were as thick as a woman's thigh, and his bulging chest seemed harder than rock. His massive build, fitting for his great height, was enough to overwhelm any onlooker.
His unruly white beard and hastily tied-up hair exuded a wild, untamed aura.
“The young master of the Ice Palace has vanished?”
In contrast to his massive build and wild aura, the old man's voice was somewhat high-pitched. That incongruously sharp voice somehow made the old man seem even more dangerous.
A middle-aged man with sharp features standing before the old man bowed his head.
“That is correct.”
“Hmm.”
A flicker of interest appeared in the old man's eyes.
“The boy who moved like lightning all the way to Honam... where could he have suddenly hidden himself?”
“The strange thing is, he left his Ice Palace guards there and disappeared alone.”
“Are you certain?”
“We commissioned the Lower Five Gates’ local branch, so it should be accurate.”
“The Lower Five Gates can be trusted.”
The information network formed by the powerless dregs of society is what the Lower Five Gates is today. They believed that information was a greater power than martial strength, and they fanatically trusted it was more useful for survival.
And that belief had been proven, to some extent, by their skill. At the very least, the Lower Five Gates doesn't embellish its reports.
“Hmm, where on earth could that boy have vanished to?”
“They say they don’t know that much.”
The old man frowned.
*Grrrrowl.*
At the same time, from the dark shadows behind his bed, a long, thick tail emerged.
It was clearly an animal's tail, but its thickness defied common sense. The tail, patterned with yellow and black, was so thick that even grasping it with two hands wouldn't cover half its girth.
*Flash!*
Beyond the pitch-black darkness, two eyes glowed with a red light.
The middle-aged man swallowed hard without realizing it. His heart pounded wildly at the sudden, overwhelming stench of a beast.
“Ditching his guards and disappearing… doesn’t that mean the boy is up to something?”
“Y-Yes, it does.”
“Then shouldn’t you have found that out as well?”
“I will, I will look into it again.”
A displeased look crossed the old man's face.
“I hear you’ve been clashing frequently with the Hegemon Bear faction lately.”
“...!”
“No matter how sharp a hawk's talons are, can they even scratch a bear's hide?”
The middle-aged man bit his lip.
As the leader of the Thunder Hawk faction, rulers of the sky, being compared to the Hegemon Bear was a blow to his pride.
But when the one saying it was none other than the King of a Hundred Beasts and the master of the Beast Palace, it was a different story.
Even if he had the means to harm the bear, if the Beast King intervened, the whole game would be overturned. And that was certainly not what the man wanted.
“Please give me one more chance. I will not disappoint you.”
The old man looked at the man with narrowed eyes and spoke in a stern voice.
“Do not think I will support you just because you are the father of my most favored disciple.”
“...”
“I have sent the disciples to Mount Aenoe. Find out before they finish their task.”
“Thank you.”
“You may leave now.”
After the middle-aged man left, the old man, the Heavenly Tiger, let out a long yawn. Inside his wide-open mouth, his sharp canines looked exceptionally long.
Smacking his lips, he muttered.
“He’s lost his edge. At this rate, he’ll have trouble with the Blood Wolf, let alone the Hegemon Bear.”
Watching the competition for loyalty was always an amusing affair. But it was also his job to ensure none of them fell behind.
A little pressure should get his head back in the game.
“Anyway, he disappeared alone... He must have come to save his younger brother. Did he go to find a guide?”
Whatever the case, the boy would have no choice but to come to the Beast Palace.
The Heavenly Tiger's eyes grew redder.
“Come, son of the Northern King.”
* * *
“Halt!”
At Ghost Hawk's shout, the five men and women stopped their movement techniques.
“We will rest here for today.”
No sooner had he spoken than the five men and women leaned against trees, massaging their legs.
“Phew, that was tough.”
“Did we really cover five hundred li already?”
“Already? We still have another thousand li to go.”
“Damn, it’s so far.”
Grumbling voices.
Ghost Hawk sat on a rock some distance away from them and closed his eyes. Unlike the martial artists of the Central Plains, he didn't sit cross-legged, and his back was slightly hunched.
This was the Great Nature Nourishment Art, the most static of the Beast Palace's energy circulation techniques. It couldn't be used to accumulate internal energy, but it was a breathing method specialized in relieving fatigue and heightening the body's senses.
In other words, it was a Southern Barbarian style of energy circulation. With the Beast Palace's martial arts mixed in, once a certain level was reached, one could maintain their energy sense even while focusing on their breathing.
That energy sense clearly picked up the nearby conversation.
“Look at that. Does that guy ever get tired? Training again?”
“He must be trying to recover his stamina because he’s tired.”
“We’re stopping for the day anyway, right? He’s always so extra.”
Their voices were dripping with jealousy.
They were probably saying it loud enough for him to hear. Since they couldn't challenge him openly, they had no choice but to vent their petty jealousy by badmouthing him behind his back.
*‘Talk all you want.’*
Talking behind someone's back doesn't improve your skills. Ghost Hawk, in fact, sneered at his rivals' behavior.
If they had poured that passion into their training, they would at least be better than they were now.
Just then, a heavy voice cut in.
“Everyone, quiet down.”
At that single phrase, the jealous chatter vanished.
“Instead of running your mouths, you should recover your stamina too.”
It was a rather harsh remark, but none of them could object.
A moment later, someone approached Ghost Hawk.
“Finished?”
Ghost Hawk opened his eyes.
He saw a young man with a massive build.
The young man, Bear Mountain, spoke.
“Which way are you planning to go?”
“The eastern entrance of Mount Aenoe.”
“I thought so.”
Bear Mountain narrowed his eyes.
“Why insist on taking the long way around?”
“Do I have to tell you?”
“Of course, as the leader, you don’t have to explain every little thing. But if you at least give a reason, even those idiots will accept it.”
Ghost Hawk gave a cold smile.
“Whether they accept it or not has nothing to do with me.”
“It will. If you want to properly complete the Master’s orders.”
“Obstructing the mission is also their choice.”
“If they have any sense, they won’t obstruct it. But if you want smooth cooperation, you should at least try to consult them.”
Bear Mountain's gaze deepened.
“In that respect, you need to learn from Yul-rang.”
For a moment, Ghost Hawk felt something surge up in his chest.
Before he became the leader of this group, there was someone who controlled the successors with incredible skill. That was Yul-rang, a genius from the Blood Wolf faction.
But after receiving a mission and heading to the Central Plains, Yul-rang never returned. His fate has never been confirmed, but by now, everyone has accepted his death.
The one who succeeded Yul-rang as the leader of the successors was none other than Ghost Hawk. He was a talent from the Beast Palace's Thunder Hawk faction, a disciple favored by the Palace Lord.
“Yul-rang was rough and arrogant, but he knew how to communicate. I’m not saying you should emulate him, but to ensure the mission goes smoothly, you need to know how to manage people.”
Ghost Hawk's eyes became bloodshot.
“If you knew so much, why didn’t you build up your strength and take this position for yourself?”
“...”
“We are entering through the eastern entrance of Mount Aenoe. That's all you need to know.”
Bear Mountain stared down at Ghost Hawk for a moment before turning away.
Ghost Hawk sneered inwardly. He was well aware that Bear Mountain, while acting dignified on the surface, was the one subtly encouraging the other successors to badmouth him.
It made sense, he thought. All the Palace Lord's disciples were of equal standing, but Bear Mountain was the oldest among them. With Yul-rang gone, he must have secretly believed he could lead them.
*‘That talentless moron.’*
If he really wanted it, he should have gritted his teeth and trained.
*‘Then again, it’s quite impressive he’s come this far with no talent.’*
The look in Ghost Hawk's eyes as he mocked Bear Mountain was no different from that of the other disciples who were jealous of him.
A moment later, Ghost Hawk stood before everyone.
“Bear Mountain.”
“Speak.”
“You and Bigangsa, go secure some food.”
A glint appeared in Bear Mountain's eyes.
Bigangsa, who was sitting next to him, spoke in an annoyed tone.
“We have enough food. Why do we need more...?”
*Thwack!*
There wasn't even a single groan. Struck by Ghost Hawk's palm strike, Bigangsa tumbled over and went limp.
Startled by the sudden turn of events, everyone stared at Ghost Hawk.
He said calmly.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know you’ve been sneaking food because you’re tired?”
“...!”
“I told you to conserve food and water as much as possible because we don’t know what might happen on the move. Did my words go in one ear and out the other? Or have you already forgotten the Master’s instructions?”
Everyone's eyes became bloodshot.
Ghost Hawk said to Bear Mountain.
“Go with Yeongpyo.”
“...Understood.”
As Bear Mountain stood up, he suddenly glanced at the sky.
*Screeeech!*
High in the sky, several hawks were circling. Even at a glance, they were three or four times the size of ordinary hawks.
The Thunder Hawk faction knows everything that happens in its territory. No beast could escape the eyes of the hawks, the rulers of the sky.
“Yeongpyo, let’s go.”
“...Alright.”
And so, Bear Mountain and Yeongpyo set off.
Ghost Hawk walked back to the rock. He could feel the glares of the other successors on his back, but he completely ignored them.
Sitting on the rock, he was lost in thought.
*‘I can’t trust those Tang Clan bastards yet. They’ll be moving outside the Demonic Cult’s controlled territory, so they probably won’t spout any nonsense.’*
The depths of Mount Aenoe are occupied by the Demonic Cult, who manage the spiritual herbs there. It's said the herbs are sent to the Demonic Cult quarterly.
Ghost Hawk's gaze turned cold.
*‘It would be good if we could reclaim it this time.’*
Mount Aenoe was originally territory occupied by the Beast Palace.
Of course, that was hundreds of years ago. They had been driven out by superior force, so they had no grounds to complain, but they had never stopped trying to reclaim their homeland.
*‘I will be the one to kick off this reclamation operation.’*
This was a mission he had undertaken with great ambition. Ghost Hawk decided not to bother with the foolish behavior of the other successors anymore.
However, his resolve didn't even last for an hour.
“What’s taking them so long?”
Bigangsa, having regained consciousness, taunted.
“How should we know?”
“Useless things.”
Ghost Hawk's face twisted in annoyance.
He curled his thumb and index finger and brought them to his mouth.
*Wheeeeeet!*
His whistle was a perfect imitation of a hawk's cry.
Soon after, a similar sound came from high in the distant sky. It was the cry of the Heavenly Divine Hawk that had followed Bear Mountain and Yeongpyo.
“There they are. Those idiots, what are they do—.”
*Chirp!*
For a moment, Ghost Hawk's eyes wavered.
*‘Divine Hawk?’*
He whistled once more.
*Wheeet!*
There was no answer.
He whistled again and again. But still, there was no reply from the Divine Hawk.
It was then.
*Kwoooong!*
A loud impact sound echoed, and the entire hillside shook.
“Wh-What was that?!”
Startled, they instinctively used their movement techniques. They realized something must have happened to Bear Mountain and Yeongpyo.
How long did they run?
After pushing through the undergrowth, a large clearing appeared before them.
“Hey there.”
In the center of the clearing stood a handsome young man with a massive saber slung over his shoulder.
“One, two, three, four... plus the two from before makes six. A perfect match.”
“...Who the hell are you?”
“Me?”
The young man, Seo Ryang, smiled coldly.
“I’m a prospective felon, ready to commit kidnapping, assault, and murder.”
*Fwoooosh!*
A crimson wind swirled around the massive blade.