Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: A Lone Crane Among Chickens
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Betting squad members on a wager, of all things.
"Have I ever seen such insolent bastards?"
The Strategist forcibly swallowed the anger that had welled up to his throat.
While the Tenth Squad's rash wagering was a problem, the First Squad's blunder of staking one of their own members was far worse.
"Do you not know that wagering and gambling are forbidden within the Murim Alliance?"
The Strategist scolded the Tenth Squad in a stern voice.
"We didn't know."
But Se Yeong's response was utterly shameless.
In the end, the Strategist, who had held back until now, exploded in rage.
"Is that what you call an answer?!"
As the Strategist vented his fury, the squad members lowered their heads sheepishly.
They hadn't done anything wrong themselves, but with the Strategist this furious, they couldn't help shrinking back.
Se Yeong and Paeng Se Gi, however, kept their heads held high.
"It wasn't our Tenth Squad that started the wager—it was you, Strategist. Wasn't it you who said the losing squad would patrol alongside the Patrol Squad?"
The Strategist faltered, unable to come up with a quick retort to Se Yeong's question.
Frustrating.
He needed to say something, anything, but no suitable words came to mind.
His chest burned with pent-up frustration and anger; his face flushed red, his eyes bulging as if they might pop out.
"A lone crane among chickens."
Even in his anger, the Strategist recognized Se Yeong's extraordinary talent.
Yet he couldn't bring himself to voice it.
Acknowledging it felt like admitting defeat to this Se Yeong.
He let out a soft sigh, calming his rage, then spoke in a measured tone.
"Everyone, return to your quarters and rest."
Even as he left the room, Se Yeong pressed for confirmation.
"Then we'll take it that you've approved this wager, Strategist."
The Strategist clutched his head with one hand.
"Damn fool."
Kahahaha...!
Upon returning to their quarters, Paeng Se Gi burst into booming laughter that shook the heavens.
Hahaha...!
Hehehehe...!
The squad members joined in, collapsing to the floor in fits of laughter.
It had been days of grueling repetition, but they'd beaten the First Squad.
This victory meant the world to them.
Until now, they'd only faced mockery and finger-pointing from the rest of the martial world. But this time, they'd turned the tables on their tormentors.
"We should at least crack open a bottle to celebrate."
Paeng Se Gi eyed Se Yeong eagerly, clearly craving a drink.
Yi Cheon Yeong and the others glanced at Se Yeong too.
"We've got a cheap bottle of fire wine buried underground. Mind if we have a round, Hero Han?"
Se Yeong could sense their high spirits and didn't refuse.
"What are you waiting for? Dig it up. But don't drink till you're blacked out."
Yahoo!
Paeng Se Gi let out a whoop, and the squad members dashed into the woods.
"Dig up that dried venison we buried last time too. We'll stir-fry it for snacks."
The squad members in the woods began excavating.
The most enthusiastic digger, ignoring his own fatigue, was Paeng Se Gi.
Once the dirt was cleared, out came a large jar of liquor and a sack of dried venison.
They hauled it all back to the front of the quarters.
Ahh...
Opening the jar released a pungent aroma of fire wine that stung the nose.
"Stir-fry the venison first."
"A lot of it's gone rotten. You sure it's okay?"
That was Hahu Yeon's concern upon opening the sack.
"It's fine. Won't kill you."
Paeng Se Gi, desperate for his drink, hauled the venison to the kitchen and started stir-frying it himself.
Soon, the Tenth Squad's quarters filled with the smell of frying venison and booze.
"Ugh, my stomach..."
Urk...
The squad members rushed back and forth to the outhouse, vomiting up everything they'd eaten.
Yet Se Yeong and Paeng Se Gi slept soundly, utterly unfazed.
Zzz...
Yi Cheon Yeong glared resentfully at the snoring Paeng Se Gi before bolting outside.
Urk...
After heaving refreshingly for a while, she turned to find Dang Ok-i retching beside her.
Urk...
Having emptied her stomach, she flopped onto the ground.
"I never... want to see venison again. If I... ever eat it again... I'm no better than a bitch dog..."
Kekekeke...
Yi Cheon Yeong sat on the ground and laughed heartily.
Her crude words mirrored his exact feelings.
Ah...
"When was the last time I laughed this freely, without a care...?"
His body ached, but his heart felt lighter and happier than ever.
"Maybe Hero Han is even greater than we imagined."
She shared the same thought.
Just recently, the Tenth Squad's quarters had been stuffy and oppressive.
But the moment Se Yeong arrived, the gloom lifted completely.
"How come no one's ever heard rumors of a guy like that in the martial world?"
"Who knows? Maybe he was hiding his light all this time."
The First Squad returned two days after the Tenth Squad.
"We have completed our mission safely and returned."
Namgung Seok reported their return with a darkened expression.
"Good work."
The Strategist's gaze swept over the First Squad members, anything but ordinary.
"For such prodigies to lose to the Tenth Squad."
Squad leader Namgung Seok was renowned as the one who would succeed Alliance Leader Namgung Je as an absolute master.
And rightly so—he had been personally instructed in martial arts by Namgung Je since childhood.
Moreover, most squad members were prodigies from the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families.
Disciples from Wudang, Zhongnan, Jeonmaeng, and Emei, along with scions from the Moyong, Jegal, and Namgung families—there was no reason they should lose to the Tenth Squad.
"We'll return to our quarters now."
Namgung Seok moved to lead his squad away.
But the Strategist's voice held them back.
"I hear you made a wager with the Tenth Squad. Is the rumor true?"
The squad members' faces fell heavily at his words.
Sa Sa Un, in particular, looked on the verge of tears.
Now that even the Strategist knew of the wager, there was no escaping it.
Namgung Seok wanted to deny it.
But with the entire squad aware, how could he lie?
Lying would tarnish not just his honor and dignity, but his family's as well.
"It's true, Strategist. We're sending Sa Sa Un to the Tenth Squad."
His voice was concise and calm, his resolve firm.
"Then from now on, Sa Sa Un is a member of the Tenth Squad. First Squad, return to quarters and rest."
As the Strategist's decision fell, Sa Sa Un's eyes welled with tears.
How hard he'd tried to impress Namgung Seok all this time.
He'd seen it as the path to survival for himself and his family, flattering him with every ounce of flattery he could muster.
Now it was all for nothing.
"Pack your things and head to the Tenth Squad."
"Squad leader..."
Sob... Hic...
In the end, overwhelming grievance burst forth, tears streaming down his face.
As Sa Sa Un arrived at the quarters, the squad members training in martial arts gathered around.
Hehehehe...
"You're here, you're here."
Paeng Se Gi greeted him first.
"I-I'm Sa Sa Un, now a member of the Tenth Squad."
Sa Sa Un introduced himself in a stiff, tense voice.
"Welcome aboard."
"Let's get along from now on."
The squad members welcomed him with bright faces, but his expression remained dour.
Se Yeong stepped forward after watching him for a moment, and the squad members retreated a step.
Gulp.
Sa Sa Un swallowed hard, throat bobbing with tension.
From the atmosphere, it was clear the Tenth Squad's leader was Han Se Yeong.
Se Yeong read the hostility in his eyes.
"What a petty, narrow-minded fool."
Such a man could never become great.
Even if luck brought him fame, it would be nothing but a scam deceiving others.
"Your job is handling the squad's meals. From prep to cleanup, it's all on you. Do whatever you want with your free time."
What kind of ridiculous situation was this?
Handle meals himself?
"Are you telling me... to play kitchen drudge?"
Sa Sa Un bristled with ferocity.
But to Se Yeong, it was laughable.
"Fine, then drop dead."
Whoosh...
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a murderous aura poured from Se Yeong's entire body.
Gasp!
The startled squad members recoiled in unison.
But Sa Sa Un was different.
Facing the aura head-on, he let out a bizarre groan, body trembling violently.
"Ughhh..."
He'd never felt such terrifying pressure.
It was like tens of thousands of blades shredding his body.
Thud...
Overcome by fear, he collapsed to his knees on the ground.
"I-I'll do it. I'll... handle the meals."
Se Yeong withdrew his aura at Sa Sa Un's terrified words.
Huff... Pant...
As the pressure vanished, Sa Sa Un gasped for air.
"What... just what... is this man's identity?"
What kind of person was this Han Se Yeong to unleash such dread?
He never wanted to face it again.
As Se Yeong stepped back, Yi Cheon Yeong approached with eyes full of awe.
"You should unpack first."
"Th-thank you."
Still dazed, Sa Sa Un leaned on Yi Cheon Yeong to stand.
Once Yi Cheon Yeong led Sa Sa Un inside, the squad members resumed their training.
Paeng Se Gi repeated the same form with his iron staff, Dang Ok-i hurled hidden weapons without inner energy.
Unlike them, Hahu Yeon hesitated, as if weighed down by worries.
Se Yeong noticed but waited for him to speak.
"Please realize the spear doesn't suit you, you fool."
Had he finally realized the long spear wasn't for him?
Hahu Yeon swung it a few more times, then approached Se Yeong in resignation.
"Um... I have a question, Hero Han."
"What is it?"
Se Yeong feigned ignorance.
"I didn't realize it before, but after this real battle, I started doubting if I've been training wrong all along."
Ha ha...
Se Yeong stifled the laugh he'd been holding back.
This guy wasn't as dumb as he looked.
"One question: do all your family's prodigies use the same spear as you?"
"Yes. Women's spears are shorter, but men's are identical."
Se Yeong finally understood why Hahu Yeon clung to the long spear.
With the family prodigies all using the same, he hadn't questioned it.
"Longer spears have advantages. But you're a martial artist who uses inner energy."
Se Yeong stood, picking up Blood Ghost Mother's sword from beside him.
"Raise your spear."
Hahu Yeon didn't catch on and asked again.
"Pardon?"
In that instant, sword light flickered from the sheath in Se Yeong's hand.
Shing...
The light vanished in a flash, but Hahu Yeon, spear planted in the ground, merely tilted his head in confusion.
"What was that...?"
Before he finished, the lower part of his spear shaft sliced clean off.
Thud.
"Huh?"
Hahu Yeon, gripping the shaft, lost balance and staggered.
Regaining it, he lifted the spear—now nearly two feet shorter.
"This spear suits you."
"Ah... Understood, Hero Han."
Hahu Yeon wasn't fully convinced yet.
But it was Hero Han's word, so he had to trust it.
Se Yeong pulled a small wooden box from his bundle.
It was taken from Blood Ghost Mother, containing a single spirit pill.
"Now's the time to hand this over."
He wouldn't have minded if it didn't exist, but since it did, he had no intention of hoarding it.
Having accepted the squad as his own, he would give generously.