Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Dragon Society
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#036 The Heavenly Dragon Society
“I’m tired today…”
“He said it would only take a moment. Please wait.”
As I turned to leave, the guard once again blocked my path.
For a second, I considered using force to break through.
‘I don’t think I can take him down in one blow.’
I caught sight of his thick neck, the same as a bull's, and dismissed the thought.
Just what kind of external arts did one have to practice to get a build like that…?
If he lived in the modern era, fitness fanatics from all over the world would be running to him with wads of cash, begging to know his secret.
After a short wait, the toad appeared.
“It’s been two days.”
“Yes, well…”
“This won’t take long. Let’s take a walk.”
“Very well.”
We left the Red Blossom Pavilion and walked across Taeryong Road.
The escorts, built like Siberian brown bears, followed close behind, drawing the attention of everyone around us, but no one dared to approach.
Lee Jeok-ha, who had been leisurely watching the passersby, spoke.
“To think so many people live here. The outer fortress of Nine Dragons is truly a fascinating place.”
His tone, now completely devoid of hostility, caught me slightly off guard.
“Do people not live in the outer fortress of the Martial Emperor Fortress?”
“They do, but not this many. Only those affiliated with the Martial Emperor Fortress and their families reside there.”
“I see.”
It made sense. Unlike the Nine Dragons Fortress, which functioned partly as a local government, the Martial Emperor Fortress was purely a martial arts sect.
“I hear you’re the one in charge here.”
“That is correct.”
“Watching over the common folk from up close and protecting them… In a way, what you do is like that of a righteous warrior.”
A righteous warrior, my ass.
I’m just doing it for the money.
Still, I didn’t voice such thoughts.
It’s not like a little white lie costs anything.
“Well, yes. That’s right. There is a certain satisfaction in it.”
“…It seems Lady Cheong has chosen her companion well. I can finally rest easy.”
“...?”
What? Why the sudden change in mood?
I’d even put on the Black Lotus Gauntlets I had hidden in my waistband, thinking he was about to pick another fight.
Seeing my puzzled expression, Lee Jeok-ha explained with a relieved smile.
“I’ve given up on Lady Cheong.”
“…Weren’t you fond of her?”
“I was.”
“Then, why…?”
“My mother had different thoughts. It seems she wasn’t fond of Lady Cheong’s energetic personality.”
“Ah…”
“That’s why I was trying to take Lady Cheong to see my mother. I thought if my mother saw her in person, she might change her mind.”
I could roughly understand the issue.
A prospective daughter-in-law for a prestigious family was expected to have a perfect disposition.
‘In that sense, Cheong So-so is a complete failure.’
“I traveled a thousand miles with that in mind, only to be told she had already promised her future to another. Wouldn't it be stranger not to be angry? That’s why I challenged you to a fight and showed my pathetic side by not accepting the outcome.”
“I understand completely.”
“I asked to see you like this because I wanted to apologize for what happened then. I was truly sorry.”
Lee Jeok-ha said, bowing his head slightly.
Considering his social standing, bowing to a mere Outer Hall warrior like me was unthinkable. I was taken aback and waved my hands in dismissal.
“No, no. It’s not something you need to apologize for like this…”
As I accepted his apology, a thought crossed my mind.
‘Isn’t this actually a good thing for the toad?’
He was highly skilled in martial arts, came from a good family, and now that I looked again, his personality didn’t seem so bad either.
His looks were a bit of a miss, but aside from that, could there be a more perfect man?
If he had married Cheong So-so, he might have become an absolute master after the divorce…
After finishing his apology, he continued with a hearty laugh.
“Perhaps you and I could become good friends.”
“Someone like me would not dare…”
“The Blue Dragon Sword praised you. He said you were a warrior with a truer heart than anyone he had ever seen.”
As expected of the Blue Dragon Hall's ace, he was a good judge of character.
As I quietly nodded, Lee Jeok-ha continued.
“And I have a few things to ask of you.”
“I’m listening.”
“Don’t let Lady Cheong have more than three cups of wine. She’ll pick a fight with anyone. And when you go to a tea house, she prefers white tea over green tea. Sometimes she gets drunk and throws a punch, just take it. Also, she likes to write, so read her work from time to time…”
‘He really did like her.’
For some reason, my conscience began to ache.
By the way, just how much of a handful was she?
***
A few days later.
It was the day of the first squad leaders’ meeting after my promotion.
I left home at a leisurely pace.
It was something unimaginable back when I was the youngest squad leader, but things were different now.
‘An executive never runs.’
I had risen to the position of First Squad Leader, the highest-ranking among the squad leaders and one of only three executives in the Outer Hall—the king of kings.
As I slowly entered the headquarters, I saw the other squad leaders already gathered.
“First Squad Leader, you’ve arrived.”
“Oh my! You look even more radiant today.”
“Ahem, you’re here? About what I mentioned then…”
“Thank you for accepting my request for support last time. The First Squad saved us.”
Greetings poured in from various squad leaders.
The scene made me keenly aware of my changed status.
Of course, I couldn't let myself become arrogant and treat them carelessly.
If I did, someone holding a grudge might write my name on a letter and send it to the Disciplinary Corps.
“Second Squad Leader, you’re looking well today. Is your wife doing well too? Oh! Fifteenth Squad Leader, you’re as dazzling as ever. Sixth Squad Leader, you look like you’ve gotten stronger. We should lift some stones together sometime. Ninth Squad Leader! How long has it been?”
I maintained a consistently polite attitude, accepting each of their greetings one by one.
A moment later, Bukgung Baek and Ga Rip entered, and the meeting began.
“First, I will assign the duty posts.”
And so began the duty roster lottery.
“Gate security will be the Seventh, Sixth, Fourth, and Third Squads.”
As the names of the squads assigned to gate duty were called, the respective squad leaders shot up with broad smiles.
The other squad leaders watched them with envy as they failed to contain their joy.
Ga Rip ignored their reactions and read from the document he brought in a flat voice.
“…Jiryong Road will be covered by the Thirteenth Squad, and Taeryong Road by the Fifteenth Squad. That is all.”
“Hmph.”
Upon being assigned to the hellish post of Taeryong Road, the Fifteenth Squad Leader’s face immediately fell.
It was quite unfortunate, but what could be done?
According to Ga Rip, the assignments were made in the fairest way possible.
For the record, back when I was the Seventeenth Squad Leader, I used to visit Ga Rip’s house once a week with goods, under the guise of a ‘gift’, not a bribe.
As I watched the meeting, reminiscing about the past, Bukgung Baek slowly opened his mouth.
Considering his usual habit of heading straight to dreamland the moment a meeting started, this was quite unusual.
“It seems discipline has become lax lately.”
“Discipline, you say…?”
“I mean you’ve lost the fundamental attitude of a warrior.”
Tension filled the faces of the squad leaders at Bukgung Baek’s remark.
‘Well, it was about time he said that.’
It was a recurring event.
Typically, an Outer Hall warrior was on par with a disciple of a third-rate sect, famously boasting the lowest combat power in the martial world.
Our Nine Dragons Fortress was no different. We had more numbers and a few more masters, but the overall standard wasn't much different.
That’s why the Nine Dragons Fortress provided a common set of martial arts for the Outer Hall warriors.
It was the Suppressing Darkness series (Suppressing Darkness Sword Art, Suppressing Darkness Step, Suppressing Darkness Heart Art), one of the basic arts of the Black Dragon Hall.
For the record, it was a legitimate, licensed version for which we paid the copyright holder, the Black Dragon Hall.
Though it was a basic art, its depth was by no means shallow.
It wasn't a divine art, but with decades of training, it offered a small chance to manifest sword ki, the symbol of a peak master.
As proof, Vice Hall Master Ga Rip, who had tirelessly trained in the Suppressing Darkness series for twenty years, achieved the feat of reaching the peak realm.
The problem was…
The Outer Hall guys had a will so weak it was practically nonexistent.
Bothered by this, Bukgung Baek would occasionally order special reinforcement training.
‘They’ve already gotten lazy.’
They should only slack off after reaching my level. What right did those who weren't even peak masters have to neglect their training?
As I inwardly cursed the Outer Hall members, Bukgung Baek pointed at me.
“First Squad Leader, what are your thoughts?”
“Your words are absolutely correct. I, too, have lamented seeing the squad members neglect their training. At a time like this, when we don’t know when those northern barbarians of the Ten Demon Alliance will provoke us, I believe it is right to implement special reinforcement training as soon as possible to strengthen our forces.”
After all, the squad leaders were exempt from the training.
“…I didn’t expect to hear such words from the First Squad Leader. I thought you didn’t care much for the Outer Hall’s affairs.”
“Heavens, no! That is an utterly groundless accusation. I, Jin Mujeon, worry about the future and present of the Outer Hall, waking or sleeping.”
“Is that so?”
“How could I dare lie in your presence?”
“Then the First Squad Leader will be in charge of the special reinforcement training.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you not hear me? I said you will be in charge.”
I had overplayed my hand and ended up with the mess.
I quickly bowed my head and expressed my refusal.
“My abilities are insufficient…”
“Then that’s all the more reason for you to do it. There are things to be gained from teaching others. Isn’t that right, Vice Hall Master?”
At Bukgung Baek’s question, Ga Rip nodded with a look that said he was about to die from laughter.
“Your words are absolutely correct.”
It was two against one.
However, I couldn't give up just like that.
I had already become a man who couldn't function without lying back down in bed after breakfast.
‘I didn’t want to go this far, but.’
The move I chose was self-destruction.
“As I am not well-versed in the Suppressing Darkness Sword Art, I fear I might make a mistake. Therefore, I believe the Vice Hall Master, a master of the art, is a more suitable candidate.”
It was the drag-him-down-with-me tactic.
The moment the words left my mouth, Ga Rip glared at me as if he wanted to kill me, but it couldn't be helped.
I couldn’t give up my precious morning nap.
“That’s not an incorrect statement.”
My words seemed to have an effect as Bukgung Baek nodded, and I cheered inwardly.
‘Did I get him?’
But Ga Rip was a master of politics, with twenty years of service in the Outer Hall under his belt.
“That is precisely why the First Squad Leader must take charge.”
“Why is that?”
“The former First Squad Leader and I have been in charge of the members’ training, but it has not been effective. If so, we must naturally change our methods. By putting a young warrior like Squad Leader Jin at the forefront.”
“...!”
To play such a strong hand, even revealing his own shortcomings of not producing results.
Giving what was due and taking what was his—it was the perfect model of politicking.
In the end.
“It is decided that the First Squad Leader will be in charge of this special reinforcement training.”
“Ugh!”
It was concluded that I would be responsible for the squad members’ special training, which would last for a fortnight.
Ga Rip looked down at me, collapsed on the floor, and sneered.
It was as if he was saying, *You still can't handle me.*
*Thud.*
A large stone pressed down on my heart.
‘Next time, I’ll definitely get you!’
And so, the meeting, which only ended up piling work on me, was over.
***
The next morning.
I dragged myself to the training ground, rubbing my sleepy eyes.
Upon arriving, I felt a sense of unfairness wash over me.
“Ugh! I will never forget this humiliation.”
As I vowed revenge for yesterday’s events, the squad members began to appear at the training ground one by one.
“You bastards! Are you not going to run?!”
*Rumble.*
When I bellowed with my internal energy, the squad members came running.
“What time is it?”
“The beginning of the Hour of the Dragon.”
“You sons of bitches! You’ve already gotten lazy. Late on the very first day?!”
“Huh? Weren’t we supposed to gather by this time?”
“Shouldn’t you have been here half a shichen earlier?!”
“We-we will correct ourselves.”
“Back in my day, when we had training, we’d arrive at the training ground the night before… With that kind of mentality… you guys… the Ten Demon Alliance…”
After finishing the mental education, I could see the squad members scowling.
They were undoubtedly reflecting on their actions after hearing my “back in my day” art.
“Alright! The training begins now!”
It was the moment physical training was introduced to the martial world.