Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Chapter 18. Reorganization (3)
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The mandarin duck moons belonged to the category of exotic weapons.
Shaped like two moons crossed over each other, they were easy to carry and possessed high lethality, so there were occasional users even in the martial world. However, to properly wield the "four prongs and nine blades" derived from that unique form, one had to master the corresponding specialized techniques.
Thus, it wasn't something one would deliberately stockpile in a place like this. Moreover, judging by the fact that there was only this one pair of mandarin duck moons, it had likely flowed in as spoils of war.
Was that why?
This pair of mandarin duck moons was a fine piece. It didn't match the yawns of weapons scattered around it at all.
'Something this good should have been snatched up by someone already. Well, if you don't know how to use it, it's just a painting of rice cake.'
During the dream of the drifting water the previous day.
Flying Tiger had been utterly crushed while gripping the mandarin duck moons. Though there were excuses like unfavorable weapon matchup against the opponent, that point had still left him somewhat unsatisfied.
As a result, various offensive and defensive forms using the mandarin duck moons kept coming to mind, nagging at him.
And now, that very thing had appeared right before his eyes?
'Is this what they call fate?'
In the end, Flying Tiger took the pair of mandarin duck moons instead of the sword he wanted.
Though it was an impulsive purchase, their small size meant little burden for carrying, and they would boost his close-quarters combat prowess in assassinations or chaotic melees in tight spaces.
...
Thus, Flying Tiger finished reorganizing and reinforcing his armament.
He strapped the sword that would serve as his main weapon for the time being to his left waist, and slung the longsword Azure Flow on his back.
Hidden in the sleeve of his robe on his left wrist was the long-range weapon rope dart wrapped around it, and inside the robe, he prepared the pair of close-range mandarin duck moons.
The setup felt good.
It had been ten days since Flying Tiger, who had come back from the brink of death, left Zhao Family Manor on Ye Mountain.
That day, Flying Tiger returned to the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong.
In the meantime, he had gone through many things, and many things had changed.
Thus, the place where Flying Tiger now stood was the martial world of Flying Tiger, called the "mountain and forest of blades."
Clunk.
As Flying Tiger entered the Unit Jeong's private quarters, three shadowy figures were sitting inside, murmuring among themselves.
Iron Arm Ye Dok-du.
No Use A Jeok-gang.
And the remaining one?
"Hey, you're back?"
"Flying Tiger, are you alright?"
Ye Dok-du and A Jeok-gang jumped to their feet in warm welcome, and a smile spread across Flying Tiger's lips as well. They were comrades who had shared life and death together. How could he not be glad? Amid his comrades' welcome, Flying Tiger exchanged greetings in turn and glanced at the unfamiliar figure sitting alone, watching him.
Then Ye Dok-du clapped Flying Tiger on the shoulder and introduced the man.
"He's a friend named Dan Geum, the Iron Seal Craftsman. From the Assault Unit."
"Face Pursuit Assault Unit? You mean the ones from the One Heart Society incident?"
"Yeah. Didn't Choi Ong mention it once before he left? Turns out there's someone he knows there."
The One Heart Society was a black path sect heavily involved in human trafficking and drug distribution. And their suppression had been the very first mission assigned to the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong right after its formation.
The Assault Unit had been deployed alongside them back then, but they'd slunk in late, trying to hog all the credit. Thanks to that, the Unit Jeong had fallen into peril once.
After twists and turns, the mission had wrapped up successfully, and the team members had gathered to curse, "Have the whole Assault Unit lost their minds?"
That was when Choi Ong had said,
"Turns out there's a guy from the Assault Unit I worked with a few times before. Dan Geum, the one who handles hammers and nails like magic. When I asked him what the hell he was doing, he just went, 'Well, you see...'"
Recalling that time, Flying Tiger nodded and approached Dan Geum to greet him.
Dan Geum, the middle-aged man, was short and squat with a bushy beard and a large head. In contrast, his thighs and arms were as thick as a slender woman's waist.
Not only was his appearance distinctive, but the sword scars and burns covering his body suggested a life of extreme hardship. And at a glance, he was clearly stubborn and bullheaded.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm the lowly soldier Flying Tiger."
"Dan Geum. Hmm."
Dan Geum looked Flying Tiger up and down and spoke.
"I heard from Ye that you're a thick-headed hothead with a foul temper, but you look all delicate and your greetings are so bright—almost like some noble young master from a prestigious house, eh?"
Was he trying to pick a fight right from the first meeting?
Flying Tiger chuckled and shot back.
"Well, seeing your iron seal there, I guess I softened up without realizing it—I wouldn't want to get stamped."
Flying Tiger shrugged and nodded toward where Dan Geum's war hammer lay. One hit from that thing would probably shatter bones, it was so monstrous.
To explain this exotic weapon: the back of the striking hammer had a crescent blade attached, allowing it to hook or chop enemy weapons, and the end of the handle was pointed for thrusting.
For reference, his epithet "Iron Seal Craftsman" meant "the artisan who stamps iron seals." It was a metaphor for his combat hammer.
So Flying Tiger's words amounted to, "Your weapon looks so vicious, it scared me straight. Happy now?" And judging by his relaxed tone and demeanor, it was less genuine fear and more a playful concession.
It was a gesture of goodwill from Flying Tiger.
Dan Geum burst into laughter.
"For a young punk to give me face so boldly like this—makes me look like the petty one instead. Glad to meet you. Sorry for the rudeness earlier."
Flying Tiger and Dan Geum each praised the other once and shared faint smiles.
Afterward, Flying Tiger naturally voiced the question that followed.
"So how did Brother Dan end up coming here instead of staying with the Assault Unit?"
"Orders from above to join the Unit Jeong's next operation."
"What? We're short-handed, so we'd welcome someone like you, Brother Dan, but what about the Assault Unit?"
"Well, actually, that's..."
"Flying Tiger warrior, let me explain in Brother Dan's place. It's not good news, so no need to make him repeat it."
A Jeok-gang glanced at Dan Geum with a "is that okay?" look, and Dan Geum nodded with a wry smile.
Then A Jeok-gang grew serious and said,
"The Face Pursuit Assault Unit took devastating losses on the last mission. So Brother Dan, the sole survivor, has temporarily joined our unit."
"...!"
It was shocking news.
But in truth, Flying Tiger had heard related rumors from Na Mok at the drinking party the day before.
Na Mok had shared not just this, but various ominous tales, and the one that caught Flying Tiger's attention was this:
Finally, a unit in the Face Pursuit Squad had failed a mission, and soon the rest would be thrown into reckless operations, with most dying off.
Once the Face Pursuit Squad was wiped out, they would gather young warriors from within the Martial Qin Alliance to form a new unit in its place.
That was the story.
In other words, after grinding down the initial Face Pursuit Squad as a foundation, they would build the unit they truly wanted on top of it.
Such a unit would undoubtedly grow into the Martial Qin Alliance's flagship force in name and reality.
It was a gateway to advancement.
So naturally, it would spark hot interest among young Martial Qin Alliance warriors like Na Mok.
Of course, it was still just a rumor.
But Flying Tiger found it quite plausible. It might sour one's mood, but he wasn't particularly shaken. The martial world he knew had always been like this.
'The Assault Unit wiped out? Looks like the rumor wasn't just talk. Well, it's one of the expected outcomes, but still bitter. But it's still odd, isn't it? Even if they see the Face Pursuit Squad as expendable, I heard the unit leaders are top-tier later-generation experts in the Martial Qin Alliance—discarding even them? Hmm, I need to look into this more.'
Eventually, Flying Tiger nodded slowly. Then he spoke.
"If Brother A is right, then our Unit Jeong's next target is the operation the Assault Unit failed."
"Huh? How'd you know that?"
"That's why Brother Dan joined us."
"Oh, yeah, that makes sense. Spot on. We were just talking about it."
"So, who's the target?"
"Heh heh heh, don't be too shocked when you hear."
Ye Dok-du launched into a lengthy explanation. But he couldn't surprise Flying Tiger.
Clunk.
The very next moment, Unit Leader Jin Ga-yong opened the door and entered, cutting off his chance to speak.
As the team members, including Flying Tiger, stood to greet him in a bustle, no fewer than three figures followed Jin Ga-yong in one after another.
A kindly-faced elderly man.
A young man with a face full of dissatisfaction.
And a shabby middle-aged man rolling his beady rat-like eyes.
Flying Tiger first met eyes with the elderly man and gave a brief nod.
Then he pretended not to see the young man following and inwardly clicked his tongue. He instantly understood why that guy looked so dour.
But when Flying Tiger saw the last middle-aged man enter the meeting room, he tilted his head. He prided himself on his sharp eyes and memory, yet this stranger gave him a familiar feeling.
It was a sense of incongruity.
'Who is he? No way...!'
The next instant, Flying Tiger's eyes widened while still standing. This was a completely unexpected development.
At that moment, a plain voice roused him.
"Flying Tiger warrior, do you have something to say to me?"
"Ah, no, Unit Leader."
"Really? Then sit down like the others. It's a bit intimidating."
"Sorry."
Flying Tiger quickly sat, and only then did Jin Ga-yong look around at the team members and speak.
"It's been a while. Everyone rest well?"
"Yes."
"Good. Let me introduce them. These are the people assisting with this mission."
Jin Ga-yong got straight to introducing the elderly man first.
"Elder Wang Baek-gun of White Teeth, who serves as guardian protector of the main force. He'll act as advisor in this operation and bolster our lacking martial prowess. No need for further explanation—his fame resounds in the martial world."
The elderly man was Wang Baek-gun, whom Flying Tiger had seen during the interrogation.
The true representative expert of Dance Melody Manor.
Thus, he was considered the strongest among the Face Pursuit Squad's four guardians.
And the dour young man who followed was the one Flying Tiger had grown uncomfortably close to recently.
"Gu Bi Na Mok. A collateral branch of Dance Melody Manor, dispatched to the Face Pursuit Squad to serve Guardian Wang. Thus, for this mission, he'll specially act as a member of our Unit Jeong."
Jin Ga-yong pointed to the problematic third middle-aged man and introduced him.
"Finally, the latest addition is Master No Song-seo of Four Directions Eight Paths. Recommended by the Hao Clan Leader, he'll serve as our guide for this operation."
Flying Tiger tapped the table with his finger, scrutinizing No Song-seo this way and that, and No Song-seo, sensing his gaze, flashed a sly grin as he passed by.
Unbenevolent Sword Jin Ga-yong.
White Teeth Wang Baek-gun.
Four Directions Eight Paths No Song-seo.
Dog Nose Na Mok.
Iron Seal Craftsman Dan Geum.
Iron Arm Ye Dok-du.
No Use A Jeok-gang.
And the lowly soldier Flying Tiger.
With these eight warriors, the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong was reorganized.
And the operation they would be deployed to was...