Chapter 311
Chapter 311
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 315
Chapter Title: Uninvited Investigators
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Crunch crunch crunch!
A hundred-year-old wild ginseng root.
Munch munch munch!
A five-hundred-year-old pseudoginseng root.
Crunch crunch crunch!
A Calming Heart Pill from the Medicine Hall.
Gulp gulp gulp!
A bottle of honey mead made from golden bee honey.
“Kyaah!”
Nangong Hyuk let out a sigh of admiration before chomping down on the ginseng, the five-hundred-year-old pseudoginseng, and the Calming Heart Pill again.
The Thunder Dragon Squad trio gaped at Nangong Hyuk’s cheeks, puffed up like balloons.
“You could squeeze juice out if you pinched them.”
“…He’s not just trying to fill his stomach?”
“We already filled up earlier. They look ready to burst.”
*Why’s he eating those herbs so aggressively?*
*He’s always eaten a lot, but this looks like he knows he’s gonna die tomorrow and is force-feeding himself.*
Geon Cheon-hwi muttered blankly.
“…No wonder he’s seemed even healthier lately…”
“Urk? Healthier from here? Th-then doesn’t that mean he’s done for?”
“He’s always been fine.”
“Then he’ll turn to mush.”
Gulp.
Just imagining Nangong Hyuk getting even healthier than now sent chills down their spines.
Jang Woong said cautiously.
“…We should flip him over.”
“What?”
“Flip him on his stomach…”
“You crazy bastard!”
*Smack!*
“Kehek!”
Jang Woong teared up as he glared at Tak Hyeok-dong, but he noticed Geon Cheon-hwi glaring daggers from the side and quietly bowed his head.
*…Yeah, that crossed the line. He deserved it.*
Comforting himself, Jang Woong quietly stepped back.
Geon Cheon-hwi swallowed hard before approaching Nangong Hyuk.
“Young Master.”
Crunch crunch!
“Young Master?”
Gulp gulp gulp!
Nangong Hyuk didn’t budge as he mechanically chewed and swallowed the herbs, lost in thought.
*For now, we need to start by repairing the damage to the Nangong family.*
The damage had been lighter than expected, but the Nangong family had still suffered greatly.
On the surface, it was even worse than during Nangong Baek’s rebellion.
The main compound was wrecked, and numerous businesses had halted even before the war broke out.
The destruction of structures and material losses were immense.
But the biggest problem was the loss of life.
The Nangong family had already been stretched thin, even extending hands to frontline meetings. This incident’s casualties would paralyze operations for a while.
Of course, many sects were helping the Nangong family now.
With their cooperation, they could recover quickly.
But how long would the Peng family and Tang family stay?
The Family Heads weren’t idle people, so they needed to plan for filling their absence.
*No, use this as a chance to reorganize.*
It was cold, but they needed to improve their constitution.
They said crisis was opportunity.
Once a broken arm heals, it won’t break as easily from the same impact.
The Nangong family needed to turn this war into an opportunity.
To advance one step further.
*But that’s for the Family Head and leadership.*
The overall direction would be handled by the Nangong family’s top brass.
What Nangong Hyuk could do was fine-tune the details and solidify the internals.
*Martial artists come down to strength in the end.*
They needed to grow stronger together.
Dragging them by force was pointless.
They’d eventually tire out and collapse.
Sure, foaming at the mouth, they might follow if dragged long enough.
But even that had limits.
*Think about that later. Recovery first. And we need to fill the manpower.*
*Man, no rest anytime soon.*
*But why do my ears keep ringing since earlier?*
“…Young Master?”
*Oh, you guys are here?*
Nangong Hyuk looked at Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyeok-dong, and Jang Woong.
“Hey, take a few days off. If you run, you gotta rest or you’ll fall apart. Shoo, shoo.”
*I’m the type who lets people rest clean when it’s time, no hard feelings…*
“Rest, you say?”
“Yeah, rest.”
“What do you mean? You need to train.”
“Yeah, training later…”
Nangong Hyuk paused as he brought a Calming Heart Pill to his mouth.
“…Are you insane?”
“We’re ready.”
“No, you lunatics. I said rest? Got it?”
“It’s training time.”
*…What the hell’s wrong with these crazies?*
Geon Cheon-hwi looked at Nangong Hyuk with serious eyes.
“The entire Thunder Dragon Squad is standing by.”
“…I didn’t call you.”
“…”
“Why’d you gather on your own and make me panic?”
*These guys who used to foam at the mouth begging to rest…*
Nangong Hyuk glanced at the Thunder Dragon Squad trio’s sparkling eyes, then brought the pill to his mouth.
“After this one.”
“You’ve already had plenty…”
“Hey, damn it! I gotta stay healthy for your sakes too.”
“You’re plenty healthy now…”
“This damn place won’t survive without me. Our family lives as long as I do. So I gotta live long, that’s what I’m saying!”
Crunch crunch!
*Even eating medicine has that madness…*
Nangong Hyuk’s occasional bursts of madness were now spilling into his herb-munching.
Nangong Hyuk let out a satisfied groan and shot to his feet.
He swung his limbs around.
“Damn, it’s not sticking at all. Back in the day, it would’ve just…”
“It has stuck.”
“Does it? This? This?”
As Nangong Hyuk shook out his shoulders and asked, Geon Cheon-hwi regretted answering.
Anyone could see it had stuck solid.
For a broken bone to knit like that in under ten days was no small feat.
Nangong Hyuk eyed the Thunder Dragon Squad trio oddly.
*…These guys are serious?*
Nangong Hyuk stretched languidly and cracked his neck side to side.
“Whew. What’s on today?”
“We plan to refine Iron Soul Thirteen Paths, Thunder Sword Seven Forms, and Ghost Valley Chain Formation.”
“Good, sounds great.”
Nangong Hyuk nodded in satisfaction.
*They’ve changed.*
War leaves deep scars, but it also hardens people.
That was the Thunder Dragon Squad now.
Even while pushing to restore the Nangong family, they didn’t slack on training.
No, they were pushing harder than before.
They’d gained realizations from the war.
“Does Iron Soul Thirteen Paths actually work?”
Work?
It was miraculous.
Not sword-proof skin, but it withstood most blade force.
Circulating the Iron Soul Thirteen Paths formula made the skin harden like a turtle shell.
They’d experienced it firsthand in combat.
*It really boosted survival rates.*
Nangong Hyuk’s words when teaching it rang clear: he’d make sure they never died from a gut stab.
Real combat gives invaluable experience and insight.
Geon Cheon-hwi and the Thunder Dragon Squad had gained something big or small from this war.
Especially the bone-deep realization that without skill, you die.
Nangong Hyuk grinned.
“Now you’re to my liking.”
Yeah, applause needs two hands.
*Wish the others would clap too.*
It’d be so much better if they stepped up willingly.
On the other hand, he thought:
*…They’ve changed a bit.*
Having over thirty men move knowing his intentions—and earning that trust in less than a year—was definitely different from the past.
It felt a shade different from those chasing the Poison Tyrant name.
Nangong Hyuk glanced back at the trio.
Smirk.
The Thunder Dragon Squad trio flinched and rolled their eyes.
*…Ch-chills just now…*
*Captain, you messed up.*
*We should’ve flipped him!*
*Ah, this feels off.*
Geon Cheon-hwi steeled his gaze.
*Gotta commit hard. That’s how you get strong.*
Tak Hyeok-dong and Jang Woong psyched themselves up too.
Nangong Hyuk chuckled as he sauntered to the large training ground where the Thunder Dragon Squad waited.
Before the war, while teaching Nangong family warriors and elders, it had naturally become his and the squad’s dedicated spot.
The training ground held the thirty Thunder Dragon Squad members, plus Nangong Ryong and So Hye-yeon.
*Look at them, all diligent.*
Nangong Hyuk stretched as he scanned the group.
Their eyes were definitely sharper now.
“Full of energy.”
“Training.”
“Good. Let’s do it right since we’re at it.”
Nangong Hyuk reached for his demon sword, then frowned.
His gaze shifted to a group entering the training ground.
“What’s this?”
Over ten Subduing Demon Squad members strode in and lined up.
Parting them, Subduing Demon Squad Vice Leader Baek Sang-un swept his eyes around and said,
“We’re investigating, so don’t mind us.”
Nangong Hyuk cocked his head.
“Investigating?”
Baek Sang-un stared at Nangong Hyuk.
*Arrogant punk.*
He’d disliked Nangong Hyuk from the start.
His attitude toward the alliance and senior brother Geon Pilsang bordered on insolence—nay, outright arrogance.
*A mere latecomer who shone only in a sparring tournament—how dare he act high and mighty toward the Subduing Demon Squad?*
Add in tarnishing the Wudang Sect’s reputation, and faint anger and vengeance stirred.
*Senior brother said investigate carefully, but do we need to tiptoe around the Nangong family?*
Baek Sang-un was a Wudang lay disciple.
The Wudang Sect backed him, and the Subduing Demon Squad—one of the alliance’s outer core forces—was his unit.
No need to skulk.
Baek Sang-un clasped his fists and said lowly,
“The Nangong family, joined to the alliance, suffered damage, no? We’re investigating that, along with punishing the evil sect rabble who attacked an alliance affiliate.”
“Hmm…?”
“Then we’ll proceed with the investigation.”
“Hey, we’re training right now?”
“Train. We’ll investigate.”
Nangong Hyuk let out an impressed “Hoh” as he eyed Baek Sang-un.
“What’re you investigating in the training ground?”
“Alliance business.”
“This is Nangong family ground.”
Baek Sang-un didn’t bother replying. At his gesture, the Subduing Demon Squad scattered to begin.
Nangong Ryong and the Thunder Dragon Squad’s faces hardened.
“No, fuck. Even if it’s the Orthodox Heaven Alliance, what bullshit is this in someone else’s sect?!”
Tak Hyeok-dong fumed at the Subduing Demon Squad’s attitude.
Geon Cheon-hwi aside, even Nangong Ryong’s face was stone-hard.
It’d been less than half a month since the war; this was their training ground.
Interrupting another sect’s training was taboo in the martial world.
Even the alliance needed proper permission.
But Baek Sang-un and his squad acted without regard, ignoring the Nangong heirs present.
Nangong Ryong stepped forward.
“Don’t you find this rude?”
“Rude?”
Baek Sang-un turned.
“Alliance business. We asked permission, and we’re doing our job.”
“Right now…”
“We’ll question your clansmen too. Your cooperation, please.”
“You mean the retainers?”
“There’s more than one suspicious point. How did the Nangong family alone hold out a full day against that many evil sect forces? Hmm…”
Geon Cheon-hwi and the entire Thunder Dragon Squad were dumbfounded.
It felt outright insulting.
Depending on how you saw it, it raised questions.
Even Geon Cheon-hwi, calming the squad, had veins bulging in his neck.
“We fought with our lives on the line!”
“Damn it all, bastards!”
“No, even for the alliance, this is too much…”
Baek Sang-un said flatly,
“We’ll know once we investigate.”
His cold voice and narrowed eyes swept over them.
The Thunder Dragon Squad ground their teeth, glaring at Baek Sang-un.
Their bulging forearms twitched like they’d charge any second.
But Nangong Ryong was holding his anger, and the opponents were the alliance’s Subduing Demon Squad.
They couldn’t step out.
As silence fell,
Nangong Hyuk muttered,
“Ha, see, I said we should’ve taken heads. If we had then, we could’ve glossed it over.”
The Thunder Dragon Squad flinched.
*Why’s his voice dripping with killing intent?*
Shing!
Huh?
“Hey, you, come here, fucker. Your tongue’s way too loose, huh? What? Suspicious? Oh yeah? Let’s get suspicious today. Hey! Hey!”
“St-stop him!”
“He’ll kill someone, stop him!”
“Grab him!”
The Thunder Dragon Squad rushed at Nangong Hyuk, who was foaming like a mad dog.
Baek Sang-un snorted and looked at his squad.
“What a mess. Move to the next site once done.”
“Yes!”
As Baek Sang-un and the Subduing Demon Squad left the training ground, Nangong Hyuk raged harder.
“Hey, you fuckers! Get back here! Leave your head at least, bastards! Heeeey!”
“Big trouble, big trouble!”
“You think I fought that dogfight to see this?! Fuck! Letting them get away with that?!”
Killing intent poured from his demon sword, demonic energy surging.
The Thunder Dragon Squad grabbed his pant legs.
“How do you face the alliance like this?! If trouble brews in the Nangong family, how’ll you handle the aftermath?!”
“Alliance? Aftermath? Nangong family?”
“P-please calm down!”
“Ah, hold on.”
Nangong Hyuk paused mid-lunge and tilted his head.
The Thunder Dragon Squad, straining to hold him, staggered as they looked up.
Nangong Ryong’s eyes filled with unease.
“Hyuk… don’t tell me…”
Nangong Hyuk’s eyes gleamed.
“As long as it’s not in Nangong family territory, right?”
Ah…
Who was the fool who misspoke?
Nangong Ryong, So Hye-yeon, and the Thunder Dragon Squad’s eyes shook with foreboding.