Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Back to Basics
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“Are you saying thieves broke into the Murim Alliance?”
“No. How could thieves infiltrate the Murim Alliance with our defenses in place?”
The Elusive Squadron's outrage was only natural.
To them, the Murim Alliance was an impregnable fortress.
It was a place where the world's renowned masters and prodigies gathered.
The Strategist waited for their anger to subside before speaking again.
“The thieves are members of the Tenth Squad of the Elusive Squadron. They've been sneaking into the granary every day to steal your rations.”
The faces of the Elusive Squadron members darkened instantly.
Some of them had dealings with Tenth Squad members and knew they were pilfering food from the granary.
One of the Tenth Squad members, on friendly terms with them, spoke up in their defense.
“Don't they need to eat to survive too?”
The Strategist immediately raised his voice.
“We have a proper dining hall, so why resort to theft? Last night, I set up a formation array around the granary to catch the thieves.”
With that, he pointed to a wooden pillar standing at one side of the granary.
“Pull it out.”
“Yes, Strategist.”
The warriors followed the order and uprooted the pillar, toppling it over.
Boom!
As the pillar crashed to the ground, the space rippled, and the nearby granary seemed to recede into the distance.
Whoa...
Exclamations of awe erupted simultaneously from the Elusive Squadron members watching the scene.
Satisfied by their reactions, the Strategist walked toward the back of the granary.
“I only left the life gate open at the front, so the thieves should be at the rear.”
The Elusive Squadron members followed him to the back of the granary.
Most wore smug smiles, but worry clouded the faces of a few.
There weren't many in the Elusive Squadron who were friendly with Tenth Squad members.
Most viewed them as inferior in caliber.
“Hmm...?”
Upon reaching the open space at the rear, the Strategist was visibly flustered.
He had expected to find Tenth Squad members there without fail.
Yet the clearing was empty.
“Pull that one out!”
In haste, he pointed to another wooden pillar.
The warriors uprooted and toppled it as ordered.
Thud...!
As it fell, the nearby forest suddenly retreated into the distance.
But no sign of the squad members anywhere.
“Search inside the granary...!”
At his command, the warriors rushed into the granary.
Some Elusive Squadron members joined them.
If not here, they had to be hiding inside.
'Did they get wind of it somehow?'
If the Tenth Squad had caught on, they likely skipped their theft last night.
“Strategist. There's... no one inside the granary.”
The warriors who searched returned with troubled expressions.
Haa...
“Those sly rascals must have noticed the formation array I set up.”
The Strategist sighed repeatedly.
But the next report left him stunned.
“Um... all the stored rice in the granary is gone.”
“What...?”
It couldn't be.
No one in the Elusive Squadron could have broken his formation array.
His eyes wide in shock, the Strategist issued an urgent order.
“We need to check their barracks!”
“We know nothing about it.”
Se Yeong and the squad members were eating white rice porridge for breakfast.
“Big brother. Do you really think the Strategist will come all the way here?”
Paeng Se Gi asked, spooning his porridge.
Se Yeong sprinkled salt into his bowl and replied.
“He'll come for sure.”
The formation array the Strategist had set up was a meticulously crafted absolute barrier.
Breaking it would have bruised his pride badly.
As the saying goes, speak of the tiger and he appears.
No sooner had Se Yeong finished speaking than the Strategist and a group of young warriors appeared in the distance.
“Stay calm.”
“Don't worry, Hero Han.”
The squad members, spotting the Strategist, continued eating nonchalantly.
As he drew near, squad leader Yi Cheon Yeong stood first.
“Welcome, Strategist.”
The others followed, rising to bow, and Se Yeong gave a slight nod.
“Greetings, Strategist.”
Strategist Jegal Hyeon glared at the squad members and Se Yeong with flashing eyes before shifting his gaze to the rice bowls on the ground.
“What did you do with the stolen rice?”
Yi Cheon Yeong and the others tilted their heads at his confident question.
“Rice? What are you talking about, Strategist? We have no idea.”
His retort flushed the Strategist's face.
“Are you playing word games with me right now? Search this building top to bottom!”
Without another glance, he ordered the warriors he'd brought.
They searched the barracks, small storeroom, and even the outhouse.
While they did, Se Yeong observed the young warriors who had followed.
'Those must be the Elusive Squadron members.'
Gathered from the finest prodigies in the martial world, they all looked vibrant and exceptional.
“Nothing here, Strategist.”
The warriors reported after searching.
“Really... nothing at all?”
“Yes. Just half a seom of rice left.”
Haa...
The Strategist let out a long sigh and closed his eyes tightly.
He'd been thoroughly played.
Tricked by the Tenth Squad members he'd dismissed as fools.
But the real issue wasn't falling into a trap.
'Who broke the Five Elements Sunset Formation?'
The missing rice was trivial now.
He scrutinized each squad member.
Squad leader Yi Cheon Yeong, a disciple of the fallen Mount Hua Sect, lacked the skill to break a formation.
Dang Ok Yi from the Tang Family was suspicious but not capable of that level.
Hahu Yeon, with his wizened look, didn't have it either.
That left two.
'Paeng Se Gi of the Paeng Family?'
The Strategist chuckled inwardly.
That impulsive simpleton couldn't break a formation even if his bones turned to dust.
Which left only Han Se Yeong.
'Something special about him, enough for the Forest Lord of Healing Forest to write a recommendation.'
He stared into Se Yeong's eyes and asked.
“How did you know about the Five Elements Sunset Formation?”
Se Yeong feigned ignorance.
“No idea what you're talking about.”
He'd never even heard of the Five Elements Sunset Formation.
But he understood the essence of such arrays perfectly.
The Strategist nodded curtly and stepped back.
Further pressing would only make him look foolish.
“See you later.”
Once the Strategist led his warriors away, the Elusive Squadron members approached.
“So the rumor that the Mountain Beast Blade joined the Tenth Squad is true.”
A handsome young man spoke with a smile.
To Paeng Se Gi, it felt like a taunt.
“Wanna die? Namgung Seok.”
As Paeng Se Gi bristled with killing intent, Se Yeong intervened.
Judging by the subtle aura, Namgung Seok was stronger than Paeng Se Gi.
“Enough.”
Hoo.
Namgung Seok took interest as Paeng Se Gi's intent subsided with one word.
“New face. Which family are you from?”
Paeng Se Gi's subsided intent flared again, colder and fiercer.
“Should I rip that mouth off? He's my big brother—watch your damn tongue.”
Sensing it, Namgung Seok bowed slightly.
“Didn't know you had a big brother. My apologies. I'm Namgung Seok.”
Se Yeong gave his name in response to the confident greeting.
“Han Se Yeong.”
“Han Se Yeong... Never heard the name. Get along well anyway.”
He turned to Yi Cheon Yeong.
“Take good care of your squad. White rice porridge for breakfast?”
Yi Cheon Yeong replied coldly.
“None of your business.”
“Temper as always. See you.”
With a smirk, Namgung Seok left, and over half the squad followed.
He seemed the strongest in the Elusive Squadron.
The rest didn't bother greeting or speaking to the Tenth Squad.
Once they were gone too, only the Tenth Squad remained in the clearing.
Whoa...
“Gives me chills. If we hadn't hidden the rice like big brother said, the Strategist would've nailed us. How did you know, big brother?”
Alone now, Paeng Se Gi praised Se Yeong effusively.
Awe showed on the others' faces too.
“Where did you learn about formation arrays, Hero Han?”
Yi Cheon Yeong seemed more curious about that than the visit.
Se Yeong's answer was simple, almost deflating.
“Home.”
“Ah... I see.”
Yi Cheon Yeong smiled awkwardly and fell silent.
Further questions felt out of place.
After breakfast, the squad members threw themselves into martial arts training as usual.
Se Yeong sat under a tree shade, eyes closed as always.
Whoosh... slash...
Paeng Se Gi swinging his iron staff, Yi Cheon Yeong slicing air with his sword, Dang Ok Yi hurling hidden weapons, Hahu Yeon whirling his spear—the sounds mingled.
Each weapon's noise differed, but the strongest among them was clear from the cuts through space alone.
Paeng Se Gi was the strongest, followed by Yi Cheon Yeong, then Dang Ok Yi and Hahu Yeon.
Dang Ok Yi's issue was trying to run before mastering walking.
The training sounds faded from his ears.
In their place appeared a grandfather radiating monstrous killing intent.
The first time facing that intent, terror had made him faint.
Se Yeong drew his sword first, aiming it.
The grandfather vanished, replaced by countless swords filling the space.
Leaping into the sword forest, a massive blade flew at his neck.
Bang...! Boom...!
He deflected endless giant blades, but the sword forest showed no sign of thinning.
Slash.
Suddenly, one severed his arm.
Another pierced his back, protruding from his chest.
Haa...
'Not today either.'
Se Yeong sighed deeply, and the sword forest dissolved.
A village blooming with flowers appeared.
Walking the rice paddy path home, he saw his mother.
She sat with a young boy on her lap, reading a book.
It was Se Yeong as a child.
He watched endlessly.
Then his mother looked toward him, book in hand.
“Big brother.”
Huh?
Why did a rough man's voice come from his mother's mouth?
Opening his eyes, the village vanished, replaced by Paeng Se Gi holding a sword.
'Sigh... this guy...'
Staring blankly, Se Yeong clenched his fist unconsciously.
“What?”
Rudely yanked from a sweet dream, his tone was rough.
Startled, Paeng Se Gi stepped back.
“Uh... big brother. It's just... this sword looks familiar...”
The sword he held was the Blood Ghost Mother's.
“Why'd you bring that sword out?”
Se Yeong snapped irritably, flustering Paeng Se Gi more.
“Well... while resting, I remembered you carrying two swords, so I checked it out. But... I've seen this sword before.”
“It's the Blood Ghost Mother's sword.”
“...Pardon?”
Paeng Se Gi's eyes bulged in shock, and the training squad members turned their heads as one.