Chapter 271
Chapter 271
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 271
Chapter Title: Post-Mission Debrief
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“What happened to the Red Tiger Branch Leader?”
“He’s dead.”
“And the remaining stragglers...”
A simple report, nothing more or less than mundane back-and-forth.
About an incense stick’s worth of time passed like that.
Tak.
Seolgeom set down the brush in his hand.
He gazed at the paper where the ink hadn’t yet dried and slightly lifted the corner of his mouth.
It was a faint smile tinged with satisfaction.
“You’ve worked hard.”
He spoke softly and pushed aside the paper densely filled with writing.
Then he stared at Cheonhwi.
Cheonhwi, seated across from him, wore a distinctly annoyed expression.
It was understandable.
Pointless, formal questions and answers.
He’d been repeating them endlessly.
Seolgeom pretended not to notice Cheonhwi’s inner thoughts and asked while gazing at him.
“How much time do you need until the next campaign?”
“I plan to rest for three or four days before heading out again.”
As Cheonhwi spoke, he recalled the Extermination Squad members.
Their condition wasn’t great.
Many had suffered external and internal injuries. On top of that, the shock of their first real battle had shaken their minds.
‘Treatment is one thing, but first I need to steady their hearts.’
They needed time to firm up their resolve.
“Hmm, three or four days...”
Seolgeom fiddled with his fan.
It was wartime, every moment precious.
Three or four days was quite long in the midst of that.
Especially when Jade Qilin’s detachment hadn’t even finished reorganizing yet—they needed Cheonhwi and the Extermination Squad’s strength all the more.
But he soon nodded.
The authority over the Extermination Squad’s operations lay not with him, but with Cheonhwi right in front of him.
“Understood.”
Chwaak!
Seolgeom fully unfurled his fan.
An ink painting drawn on the fan came into view, and his eyes curved over it.
“More importantly, what are your plans for treating the Extermination Squad members? Will you visit the Medical Hall? Or shall I send healers to your pavilion separately?”
At Seolgeom’s question, Cheonhwi opened his mouth with an expression like he was asking something obvious.
“Of course they’ll come to us. Easier that way.”
“Then I’ll inform the Medical Hall in advance.”
Hearing the reply, Seolgeom folded his fan with a tak.
“Let me know if you need anything else. I’ll prepare whatever I can as quickly as possible.”
“Oh ho, really?”
Cheonhwi grinned at Seolgeom.
Well, well, look at this greedy one.
His intentions were plain as day.
No, he didn’t even seem to be trying to hide them.
‘In that case...’
Cheonhwi slowly lifted the corner of his mouth as he watched Seolgeom’s eyes sparkle with ambition.
He couldn’t just let someone trying to use him have their way.
Instead, he planned to squeeze him dry.
Cheonhwi immediately spoke up.
“Then first, I need internal injury medicine and golden sore salve. The weather’s gotten quite cold, so wind-repelling garments...”
He rattled off the items they needed to prepare.
Not just the essentials, but even things he didn’t normally use, just in case.
All of them.
“And salt would be good too. It’s better to cook our own food...”
As Seolgeom stared in blank amazement at the endless waterfall of demands.
“...that should do it.”
Cheonhwi finally finished.
“Ha, haha. That’s quite a list.”
Seolgeom awkwardly laughed as if it wouldn’t be easy, having memorized the items Cheonhwi requested.
Cheonhwi shrugged as if it were only natural.
“Hey, lives are on the line. Might as well prepare thoroughly.”
Finishing his words, Cheonhwi glanced out the window and added.
“Besides, you can handle this much, right? Compared to the other detachments over there, it won’t even cost much.”
Seolgeom silently nodded as he looked out the window where Cheonhwi had glanced.
There were many items requested, but preparing them wasn’t difficult.
The Extermination Squad numbered only forty-three including Cheonhwi.
Compared to Jade Qilin’s detachment aiming for five hundred, it was a breeze.
‘This is practically cheap. But more than that...’
Seolgeom’s gaze grew grave.
Every item he’d requested was essential for this raid operation.
Some were things you wouldn’t know about without having done it yourself.
‘Has he done this kind of thing before?’
As he pondered the question and sank into thought.
“How soon can you prepare them?”
Cheonhwi tossed out casually.
“The sooner the better.”
At the follow-up, Seolgeom shifted his thinking and calculated a rough timeline.
“Two days should suffice.”
It was the absolute minimum, squeezed to the limit.
However.
“Two days?”
Cheonhwi looked displeased.
‘What takes so long?’
In his previous life’s Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, such items were prepared and presented before him the moment he spoke.
‘Tsk tsk tsk, so complacent. Complacent.’
Tsking inwardly, he shook his head and soon let out a small sigh.
“Disappointing, but no helping it.”
With that, Cheonhwi rose from his seat.
“Then I’ll be off.”
“Take care.”
This time, Seolgeom simply bid farewell without detaining him. At that moment, Cheonhwi glanced at the roof.
Then he smirked.
“Looks like that little rat got away.”
“......”
Seolgeom fell silent at those words.
“See you next time.”
Cheonhwi left the room without expecting a reply.
Once fully out of the pavilion, Cheonhwi looked toward a room where the lantern light flickered.
‘What a nuisance.’
His eyes, watching intently, grew colder than the winter night air.
‘Still, he’s the military strategist, huh. Assigning a spy-connected rat as my dedicated handler—clever move.’
Recalling the military strategist, Cheonhwi watched the lantern extinguish and the room swallowed by darkness, then withdrew his gaze and moved on.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next morning.
After a rare good night’s sleep, Cheonhwi rose from his bed and opened the closed window.
Warm sunlight filtered in.
Ssss—
A cool breeze blew from the opposite direction.
Full-blown winter weather.
No snow yet, but the wind was bitterly cold, proving the season.
That was when.
“Hap!”
“Haap!”
Powerful shouts rang out loudly.
Cheonhwi looked down.
In the garden overgrown with weeds, all the Extermination Squad members were diligently training.
Had they started at dawn?
Their training uniforms and hair were soaked with sweat.
Cheonhwi let out a smirk.
‘They’ve pulled themselves together a bit.’
After watching them for a moment, Cheonhwi turned from the window and donned the combat robes hanging in one corner of the room.
He then picked up his two swords.
Immediately after, he exited the room.
His footsteps echoed loudly in the quiet pavilion.
Moments later, arriving in the garden, Cheonhwi looked at them and moved his lips.
“What’s this, training since morning?”
“Squad Leader!”
“Have you eaten?”
Some greeted Cheonhwi, while others shrank back.
‘Still scared.’
Cheonhwi glanced at those gripped by fear, then turned his head and spoke.
“Everyone seems uneasy.”
All their bodies jolted at once.
He’d hit the nail on the head.
‘Now that their bodies have recovered, the memories resurfaced.’
The reason they were out training since dawn was simple.
When exhausted, they had no leisure to recall their first battle. But after returning, receiving treatment, and resting, their minds had grown cluttered.
“Well, blindly swinging is better than doing nothing... but it’s too inefficient.”
Cheonhwi slowly scanned them.
“I’ll help with your training.”
With that, he crooked his index finger.
“Come on.”
A blatant provocation.
But no one moved.
They had already witnessed his prowess clearly.
As they all stood awkwardly.
Taat!
Some charged forward after steeling themselves.
Danri Gwancheon, Ho Gwanggae, and Muhong.
‘This chance won’t come again.’
‘Sparring with the Plum Blossom Divine Hero—what could be better!’ ‘His martial arts...’
Ambition burned in their eyes.
“Good.”
Cheonhwi spoke as if pleased.
Without competitive spirit, a martial artist’s growth stopped there.
To advance, they needed that charging attitude like these three.
Danri Gwancheon gripped his saber tightly.
‘One strike. I stake everything on a single strike.’
His resolve transmitted to his lower abdomen, and the Dara Divine Gong’s internal energy boiled like fire.
Pure white steam spread in an instant.
The Dara Divine Gong’s energy coursing through his blood vessels spread throughout his body.
Soon, the energy moved to his lower body.
Kwaduduk—
His muscles screamed.
The excessive Dara Divine Gong energy swelled his thighs and calves to the limit.
Perhaps because of that.
Pain shot through his side where the Red Tiger Branch Leader had struck, and his somewhat stabilized internal injuries flared up, his qi and blood flowing unstably.
But he didn’t stop.
He had to see it through.
In one strike.
Danri Gwancheon, unfolding the Buun Yakpyo as he advanced, took a large step forward with his left foot at four jang from Cheonhwi.
Kung.
Dust rose from the heavy foot stomp.
At the same time, Danri Gwancheon’s upper body tilted forward as if falling.
In that instant, his right hand vanished.
Such swift motion created the illusion it had disappeared.
And moments later.
Flash!
A dazzling ray of light cleaved the air.
Fierce Wind Saber Art, Third Form: Wind Thunder Saber.
The saber emerged like thunder slicing wind and aimed straight for Cheonhwi’s neck in one breath.
It was too dangerous and fierce with killing intent for a spar.
‘Hit!’
Danri Gwancheon gritted his teeth.
But then.
Sweek—
Cheonhwi’s eyes, fixed ahead, dropped downward.
And in that moment.
Kwaang!
His vision went black.
“Good attack, but too reckless.”
Cheonhwi, who had grabbed Danri Gwancheon’s head and slammed it into the ground, spoke and casually turned his head.
Swish!
A sharp wooden sword grazed past.
Cheonhwi stared silently at Muhong, who had swung the wooden sword, and moved his lips.
“A bit late, no? If you’re swinging, do it together.”
No sooner had he finished than Ho Gwanggae popped up from behind and thrust his hand out.
Hundred Knots Divine Palm.
The Beggars’ Sect palm technique targeted Cheonhwi’s clearly exposed back.
The moment the palm touched his back.
‘Success...’
Ho Gwanggae swallowed.
His hand passed straight through Cheonhwi.
“Phantom substitution?!”
The moment he shouted.
“That last one was decent.”
A voice came from right behind.
Startled, Ho Gwanggae whipped around.
There stood Cheonhwi, smiling faintly, left palm extended.
“But if you’re ambushing, you need to hide your presence like this.”
Peok!
Ho Gwanggae’s waist bent like a sickle.
“Guk!”
As Ho Gwanggae clutched his waist and staggered back.
Peok!
Another sound followed.
Cheonhwi had closed in on Muhong like lightning and held a wooden sword.
“......Wh-when?!”
Muhong paled.
The wooden sword that had been in his hand was now inexplicably in Cheonhwi’s.
So fast that if he hadn’t seen it, he wouldn’t have even known it was taken.
“Was this the sword art I saw last time?”
As Cheonhwi spoke, he swung the wooden sword.
“What!”
Muhong was dumbfounded.
What he saw was the very sword art he had learned: Ancient Image Sword Art.
“What’s important in martial arts isn’t imitation, but internalization.”
Cheonhwi’s words echoed in his ears.
And in that moment.
“Don’t get swept up in the technique—infuse it with your own style. Like this.”
With those words, a new sword art appeared, different from the Ancient Image Sword Art he knew.
‘This is...’
As Muhong gazed dazedly at the sword art unfolding from Cheonhwi’s hand.
Puk!
Pain exploded in his head.
Cheonhwi looked at the now-unconscious Muhong, slinging the wooden sword over his shoulder.
Then, one by one, he eyed the frozen Extermination Squad members, extended his index finger leisurely, and crooked it again.
“Alright, who’s next?”