Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Confrontation
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Se Yeong, who had demonstrated the forms one after another, finally stopped his sword.
'Ah... no.'
The moment Se Yeong halted his sword, Yi Cheon Yeong grew frantic.
His eyes had captured every form, but his mind hadn't fully absorbed them all.
"I'm sorry, Han Daehyeop. Could you show them one more time?"
Se Yeong raised his sword again.
"I'll go slowly this time, so memorize it well."
Swish...
The instant Yi Cheon Yeong nodded, the sword began to move.
Unlike before, it traced its path extremely slowly, yet the killing intent flowing along the blade remained as sharp as ever.
'It connects like that there, and then like this over there...'
Yi Cheon Yeong poured every ounce of effort into etching the lines weaving through the space into his mind.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, trickling down from the sheer intensity of his focus.
"Thank you, Han Daehyeop."
As soon as Se Yeong stopped, Yi Cheon Yeong bowed deeply.
He snatched the sword from Se Yeong's hand and hurried to the center of the clearing, eager to repeat the forms and ingrain them into his body.
But an unexpected interloper appeared.
"Squad Leader Yi, the Strategist is calling for you. Let's go."
At the Murim Alliance warrior's words, Yi Cheon Yeong screamed inwardly.
'Damn it...!'
If he left now, he might lose the fresh sensations and memories from moments ago.
"Paeng Se Gi, go in my place. No—take over as squad leader this time."
In the end, he pleaded with Paeng Se Gi.
But Paeng Se Gi had no intention of obliging.
"Why should I handle your annoying chores?"
Yi Cheon Yeong's face twisted in desperation as he glanced at the other squad members and even Se Yeong.
But the others averted their eyes, all shirking the troublesome role of squad leader.
"You go instead."
"Got it, hyungnim."
Even the defiant Paeng Se Gi turned on his heel without protest at Se Yeong's command.
Once Paeng Se Gi left with the warrior, Yi Cheon Yeong began drilling the new swordsmanship.
Se Yeong watched him for a moment before beckoning Dang Ok Yi over.
"You called, Han Daehyeop?"
She plastered on a bright smile, but her face still carried that dark, gloomy shadow.
"Set up a dry log over there."
At Se Yeong's instruction, Dang Ok Yi dashed to a corner and propped up a dry log.
"Now, from about twenty paces away, throw a hidden weapon without using any internal energy."
She followed his orders faithfully.
Thwip... thunk.
A hidden weapon thinner than her pinky flew with a short whoosh and embedded itself in the center of the log.
Se Yeong walked over, pulled out the weapon, and examined it.
It had penetrated just over half an inch into the wood.
"Practice until you can drive it more than an inch deep without internal energy."
"I want to know why it has to be exactly like that."
Se Yeong readily addressed her question.
Practicing martial arts blindly was far less effective than understanding the reason behind it.
In truth, she had spent the last three days doing exactly this.
Se Yeong wasn't qualified to teach hidden weapons himself.
He had learned the basics but never delved deeply.
Yet from stories his grandfather had told, he knew their terror all too well.
'Among the Demonic Cult's members was one who wielded throwing knives like a ghost—three in his left hand, three in his right. He launched all six at once, piercing the throats of martial artists in different directions. Later, he even retrieved those six with his flying sword technique. If that bastard's internal energy had been a bit deeper, even this old man would've had a tough time.'
"Can you kill an enemy by throwing a hidden weapon without internal energy?"
"Probably... not."
She knew the limits of hidden weapons well.
They were easy to carry in dozens, but without internal energy, they couldn't inflict lethal wounds.
That was why her family's elders always stressed distributing internal energy wisely.
"If you can embed it more than an inch without internal energy, then with just a little, you'll drive it all the way in."
"...Understood."
Dang Ok Yi's response lacked conviction.
And for good reason—even in her family, few experts could sink a hidden weapon more than an inch into a log like that.
But Se Yeong didn't mind at all.
"One more thing: train your left hand to throw just like your right."
Haa...
She let out a deep sigh and nodded.
'I'm right-handed, though...'
Se Yeong offered casual advice to the sighing girl.
"Hidden weapons aren't thrown with just your fingers and wrist. Use your fingers, wrist, and entire arm. Start with big motions, then refine them as you get comfortable."
As Dang Ok Yi began practicing throws, Se Yeong headed toward Hahu Yeon.
Hahu Yeon fidgeted and mumbled as Se Yeong approached.
"I... don't want anything."
"Shall I fix your face, then?"
His joking tone left Hahu Yeon unsure if he'd heard right.
No, he had heard, but he doubted his own ears.
'Did he just say he'd fix my face?'
How could he possibly restore a face already aged beyond repair?
Hahu Yeon was convinced he'd misheard.
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"I'll fix your face."
He hadn't misheard.
The moment Se Yeong's words sank in, a shiver ran through his entire body.
It was the dream he'd been too ashamed to voice days ago.
"You're not... joking, are you?"
If this was a prank, he'd never forgive the man for life.
"Listen carefully. I'm going to teach you the heart method incantation now."
Tears welled in Hahu Yeon's eyes as the incantation flowed from Se Yeong's lips.
The Strategist eyed Paeng Se Gi suspiciously as he entered the room.
"Where's Squad Leader Yi? Why are you here?"
"Cheon Yeong had urgent business, so I came in his place."
Namgung Seok, already there, sneered at his excuse.
"What business could be more important than the Strategist's summons? Can't believe he'd send a squad member instead."
'Why's this bastard picking a fight all of a sudden?'
Offended, Paeng Se Gi spat words he didn't mean.
"Starting today, I'm taking over as Tenth Squad leader. So shut your trap."
The shrewd Namgung Seok saw through the lie instantly.
"Think squad leader changes on a whim? Did you get the Strategist's permission?"
Hot-tempered but no fool, Paeng Se Gi swallowed his rising anger.
"That's why I'm here to ask. Strategist, after discussing with the squad, I've been chosen as leader. Please approve."
Forced into the role by Namgung Seok, Paeng Se Gi ground his teeth.
'Just you wait, you prick.'
The Strategist stared at Paeng Se Gi's contorted face.
'What an absurd fool.'
He saw through the ploy, but that wasn't the priority now.
"Very well. From today, you're Tenth Squad leader."
'I'm screwed.'
Paeng Se Gi squeezed his eyes shut as approval came.
He despised the hassle, but pride had trapped him in the role—rage boiled within.
As he seethed, the Strategist got to the point.
"I called you because Heavenly Martial Squad is out of supplies. They need rice, meat, and liquor delivered. Tomorrow morning, First Squad and Tenth Squad load carts and transport them. First Squad has more members, so take rice, meat, and liquor. Tenth Squad is short-handed, so just rice."
Assigning meat and liquor to First Squad had its reasons.
Supply runs often meant overnight stays, where meat and liquor were essentials—thus, a favor to them.
"Understood, Strategist."
Namgung Seok bowed promptly.
Paeng Se Gi did not.
"Why should Tenth Squad handle that?"
Why burden First Squad with meat and liquor while Tenth got only rice?
"Tenth Squad has fewer people—that's all you can manage. Fierce Tiger Mountain isn't far from the Alliance; ten days round trip suffices. Defy me, and I'll reassign Tenth Squad to Demon Subduing Squad entirely."
'Demon Subduing Squad...'
Paeng Se Gi's inner fury threatened to erupt.
Demon Subduing Squad sounded grand but handled the Alliance's grunt work, including supply runs.
Some members had decent skills, but they paled against noble houses and sects' prodigies.
Conversely, Heavenly Martial Squad—recipients of supplies—comprised the Alliance's strongest elites, tasked with slaying bandits and demons.
"...Understood."
Paeng Se Gi reluctantly accepted.
"Good choice. It's urgent—I'll watch which squad delivers first. Losers patrol with Patrol Squad for ten days."
Patrol Squad handled the Alliance's patrols and defense, mostly nights—thus avoided.
Paeng Se Gi's face twisted uglily at the words.
'Fly all you want—you're still in my palm. Taste defeat, fools.'
The Strategist chuckled inwardly at the rigid Paeng Se Gi.
"What? We have to haul supplies to Fierce Tiger Mountain? Are you insane? Why us?!"
Squad members exploded upon hearing from Paeng Se Gi.
Deep in training, they resented wasting time on chores.
"Paeng Se Gi, pull this crap again and no more meals for you!"
"I won't steal food anymore either!"
Paeng Se Gi snapped back at their outrage.
"I didn't want this either! He threatened to send the whole squad to Demon Subduing if we refused—what was I supposed to do?!"
His shout silenced them.
Se Yeong, watching, spoke softly.
"Why haul supplies ourselves? Can't nearby sects and families help?"
A perfectly reasonable question.
The martial world teemed with sects and families—aid from them would eliminate the need.
Yi Cheon Yeong gave a wry smile and explained.
"The Alliance has surplus food, Han Daehyeop. Plus, the previous Alliance Leader saw such aid as debt. As he said, incur debt and repay it greater. So except for distant places, we transport directly."
Dang Ok Yi followed up.
"Absurdly, rice overflows here, yet local prices are higher elsewhere. Alliance owns all nearby fields—can't be helped."
"Surplus rice, but expensive locally... So they trickle it out to fund operations."
Se Yeong's guess hit the mark.
"Not just rice—they sell barley, raise silkworms on mulberry leaves for silk. Locals live off that."
Se Yeong's anger stirred at her words.
'That wealthy, yet they won't even send silver?'
The more he thought, the more outrageous it seemed.
"You and I skip it. No stipend means no duties."
Paeng Se Gi's flushed face brightened instantly.
Hahaha!
"Right, hyungnim! I overlooked that."
Composing himself, he addressed the squad.
"Hyungnim and I don't get stipends but agreed with the Strategist: silver per task. So we skip this."
Yi Cheon Yeong and the others looked flustered, then bowed their heads.
"Must be nice being rich brat."
Paeng Se Gi fired back at Dang Ok Yi's snark.
"And you're not some rich girl?"
"...Jerk."
Paeng Se Gi practiced with his iron staff, repeatedly glancing at Se Yeong.
Se Yeong knew exactly why.
'He wants help.'
Paeng Se Gi was hot-tempered but not heartless.
'If he asks, I'll have to... but helping for free? No thanks.'
He gave freely to squad members.
Physical aid demanded fair gain.
'Wait... local rice is pricier than elsewhere?'
Recalling Dang Ok Yi's words, Se Yeong grinned brightly.
Kekekeke...
'The Alliance is getting more interesting.'
As laughter faded, the furtive Paeng Se Gi approached.
"Hyungnim."
"What?"
Se Yeong feigned ignorance, eyeing him.
"I think... I should go with the squad."
"Worried about them?"
"Yeah. They're rude, but we actually get along."
Se Yeong understood.
"Fetch Blood Ghost Mother's sword from the barracks."
"Why a sword all of a sudden?"
"A showdown with First Squad, right? I don't lose to anyone."