Do You Believe? (1)
Once Paeng Kyungbin finished his business and departed, So Daeseop came rushing over in a panic.
Thud thud thud.
Before the echoes of his footsteps had even faded, So Daeseop asked,
"My lord, one month?"
"A month feels too long, doesn't it? Though yeah, it might get boring after that..."
"That's not it—how are we supposed to get stronger in just one month?"
So Daeseop gestured toward the Mangho Squad.
Hanbin tilted his head as he looked at them.
The ravenous, hyena-like glint in most of the squad's eyes had melted away like spring snow.
What filled their gazes now was resentment.
Hanbin said,
"If we fought them right now, our odds of winning would be one in ten."
"So you're saying after a month, it'll be possible?"
"If you follow my lead, three in ten."
"Then that still means no chance of winning, right?"
"The rest is up to the Mangho Squad."
"Ah."
So Daeseop let out a low exclamation. He had no words to argue back.
"Looks like it's time. Let's head out."
"Head out where?"
"Home, of course. Cheonsu Manor."
Hanbin flashed a bright smile.
So Daeseop's eyes widened as he asked,
"R-right now? To Cheonsu Manor?"
"I guarantee it. Survive there, and you'll all get stronger within the month. I'll blow away every bit of resentment you hold against the world."
Hanbin grinned and turned away.
But no one responded.
As Hanbin walked off, the youngest member, Jo Ho, shuffled over to So Daeseop.
"Captain, what does that even mean?"
"Beats me."
"Think about it—we're supposed to beat the elites from the Henan Jeong Family who went all the way to Hainam? What the hell did we even learn yesterday?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"You gotta stop him, Captain."
"..."
So Daeseop stared at Jo Ho in silence.
The real problem was that they were giving up before the fight even started.
That was when it happened.
Something unidentified came flying toward Jo Ho as he talked with So Daeseop.
Ping!
Jo Ho's eyes bulged as he dodged the object.
It grazed his earlobe and clattered to the training ground floor.
Clang!
The object rolled across the ground with a thud.
Up close, it was just a pebble.
Jo Ho's eyes went wide.
"Looks like the young master overheard us. Captain, just pretend you didn't—"
Jo Ho hurried back to his spot.
So Daeseop tilted his head at the sight.
How'd he dodge that stone?
Yesterday's Jo Ho couldn't have avoided it. Yet he'd evaded a pebble flying from out of nowhere.
He turned to look. Hanbin's back was visible in the distance.
Hanbin had clearly thrown it.
"Just luck?"
Muttering to himself, So Daeseop watched Hanbin's retreating figure.
A strange aura emanated from him.
And in that aura, So Daeseop found a flicker of hope.
The next day.
As the Mangho Squad warriors headed toward Cheonsu Manor, visions of grim reapers danced before their eyes.
Mouths covered with cloth, they ran along the mountain path.
They could have taken the main road, but Hanbin had deliberately chosen the treacherous mountain route to Cheonsu Manor.
"Huff! Huff!"
Jangsan was gasping for air like he was about to collapse.
"Hoo, hoo."
Even Jo Ho staggered along, barely breathing.
Hanbin narrowed his eyes at the heavy breathing echoing everywhere.
They were keeping up better than he'd expected.
Fierce determination burned in their eyes, like true warriors.
Of course, Hanbin knew that determination stemmed from resentment, but it wouldn't change his training methods.
"Faster!" Hanbin shouted.
This training was the basic regimen the Ghost Sword Squad had endured in his past life.
Ask any warrior what mattered most beyond forms and inner power, and they'd name three things.
First: dynamic vision.
Second: breathing.
And last: pure grit.
Hanbin believed that no matter how hellish the battlefield, sheer grit could keep you alive.
That was when Hanbin's eyes widened.
An unbearable hunger surged within him.
The hunger was a craving for formulas.
Warriors climbing the mountain path began appearing one by one.
Hanbin's eyes narrowed at the sight.
Oddly, points were visible on them.
"No way?"
Hanbin's eyes went wide.
Not just one or two—every member of the Mangho Squad had one or two points each.
No explanation was needed for what those points were.
They were clearly the formulas for the basic and applied sections of the Yongrin Sword Art.
The downside? They weren't vivid.
But Hanbin wasn't disappointed. On closer inspection, the points embedded in their bodies resembled kidney beans just sprouting.
A heavenly sign: cultivate them and harvest.
He licked his lips unconsciously.
So Daeseop, watching from the side, felt a chill and asked urgently,
"My lord, what's wrong?"
"We need to ramp up the training intensity."
"Even more from here?"
"Yeah. Real combat's the best training."
"Real combat? My lord?"
So Daeseop's eyes widened.
He sensed something ominous.
Hanbin continued,
"So Daeseop, I've got something special to teach you."
At those words, So Daeseop flinched.
"M-me too? Do I have to smash my head?"
"Not now... later."
Hanbin grinned, and So Daeseop's shoulders trembled faintly.
Exactly two days later, they arrived at Cheonsu Manor's main gate.
"Huff huff."
"I'm dying, Captain."
"Can't... breathe."
Screams erupted from all around.
Hanbin glanced back. The gray training robes they'd started in were now caked yellow with dirt.
Satisfied, Hanbin shouted,
"You can remove the face coverings now!"
At his command, the Mangho Squad warriors yanked off the cloths over their faces.
"Phew."
"Feels like I can live now."
Relieved sighs rose around them just as Cheonsu Manor's gates creaked open.
Creeeak!
A pair of eyes appeared through the gap, and So Daeseop recoiled with a yelp.
"Gah!"
His face went pale, as if he'd seen a ghost.
The warriors behind him were the same.
"Ghosts in Guigok Manor..."
"A ghost in broad daylight?!"
Their reactions were understandable. The face bearing that gaze lacked any sign of life—it wasn't human.
Then the owner of those eyes spoke.
"You're here, my lord."
"Yeah, been well? Deputy Sim."
"My lord, does this look like I've been well?"
The voice belonged to Sim Miho. So Daeseop jumped forward from beside Hanbin and asked,
"Deputy Sim, what happened? Were you poisoned or something?"
Sim Miho gave a listless look at the question.
"Captain!"
"What is it, Deputy Sim?"
"Last time you visited, you didn't look much different from me."
"Ah."
So Daeseop touched his own face, recalling.
The ghostly wails at night, the endless hallucinations and illusions.
So my face looked like that?
So Daeseop turned to stare at Hanbin.
Their eyes met, Hanbin grinned, and So Daeseop quickly looked away.
Staying at Cheonsu Manor wasn't mere training—it was torture.
After a few days, you'd adapt somewhat, but first-timers couldn't even dream of sleep for a moment.
So Daeseop gazed pityingly at his men.
As they all lined up at the main gate, Hanbin shouted,
"Let's go in!"
Crossing the threshold, Hanbin looked around.
It finally looked like a place where people lived.
Trees, grass, even a neat vegetable patch in the back yard.
Spotlessly clean—it felt like home now.
Of course, So Daeseop and Sim Miho following beside him trembled faintly.
Once a rough meal was done, Hanbin asked Sim Miho,
"Deputy Sim, did you prepare the materials I asked for?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Then let's head to the spot."
"This way."
Sim Miho led the way, and So Daeseop and the rest tilted their heads.
"We're full now—what else is he preparing?"
"Yeah, materials? Sounds like he's got something big planned."
They were all dead wrong.
Their misconceptions shattered before even a cup of tea could be finished.
"What the hell is that, my lord?!"
It was So Daeseop's shout.
What he pointed to was a sheer cliff.
Halfway up hung a familiar scrawl on a plaque.
[Snake Body Tower (Snake Body Tower)]
Hanbin's handwriting.
'Snake' for sa, 'body' for sin.
A tower where snakes and humans intertwined.
A bizarrely named watchtower built at the rear of what was once called Guigok Manor.
Above the plaque sat an ordinary pavilion.
It had that Taoist vibe, like something from Volcanic or Wudang—fairies playing go wouldn't look out of place.
Those startled by the name "Snake Body Tower" relaxed at the sight of the pavilion.
Between the cliff (three adults tall) and the pavilion, ropes were strung for safety.
Stakes driven in at intervals formed pillars, ropes connecting them.
Clearly a rope railing.
And the aroma of food wafting down from above?
Gulp!
So Daeseop, staring up, swallowed despite his full stomach.
Sim Miho, watching, clicked her tongue.
Life was unpredictable, wasn't it?
She chuckled dryly at the Mangho Squad gazing up expectantly, oblivious to what awaited.
Moments later, the Mangho Squad reached the Snake Body Tower and gaped.
The charming pavilion overflowed with food fit for a feast.
Someone shouted,
"Thank you, my lord!"
"To reward our grueling training like this..."
Others sniffled, recalling the ordeal.
Then Hanbin spoke.
"This feast is indeed my reward. But!"
He paused, and the warriors tilted their heads.
Meeting their gazes, Hanbin continued in a flat tone.
"Only those who complete the training get to eat."
Murmurs rippled through the group.
"Training?"
"What kind?"
As the buzz grew, Hanbin tapped the pavilion pillar with his sword.
Tang!
The ring silenced them instantly.
Sweeping his gaze over all, Hanbin continued,
"Instructor, front and center!"
Sim Miho stepped forward.
At Hanbin's nod instead of orders, she dashed to the cliff edge, vaulted the rope railing without hesitation, and leaped down.
So Daeseop screamed.
It was no small drop.
"Gah!"
Before his cry ended, Sim Miho's voice echoed up.
"Executed."
Hanbin strolled to the edge, and everyone followed.