Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Joint Training
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"Starting tomorrow, there will be joint training."
Paeng Se Gi had been summoned by the Strategist and returned to relay the news.
"What's joint training?"
Yi Cheon Yeong voiced the question Se Yeong had been pondering.
"It's a training session we've been doing for a while now. During the great war against the Demonic Cult, many righteous faction masters fell victim to ambushes and strange formations. So the Infinite Sword Immortal made sure every warrior in the Murim Alliance built up a basic foundation to counter that."
The more he learned about the Infinite Sword Immortal, the more Se Yeong realized just how remarkable the man was.
He had gradually bought up land around the Murim Alliance until it achieved financial independence. He reorganized the Alliance's structure, laying the groundwork to stand against the Demonic Cult and the unorthodox factions.
'No wonder Grandfather held him in such high regard.'
As Se Yeong marveled inwardly, Paeng Se Gi pulled a yellowish envelope from his bosom and handed it over.
"The Strategist said to pass this to you, Brother."
The yellowish envelope was tightly sealed to prevent anyone else from peeking inside.
Se Yeong tore it open and pulled out the letter within.
Hahaha...!
Upon unfolding and reading it, Se Yeong burst into laughter.
'If you want to live, run away from the Murim Alliance now. The Alliance Leader's already sent letters and documents to the Moyong Family and Zhongnan.'
His squadmates stared at the laughing Se Yeong with puzzled looks.
"What's going on, Brother?"
"I'll tell you later."
Se Yeong walked to the kitchen and tossed the Strategist's letter into the stove.
"Could it be about those letters and documents you brought from Sa Baek Seong?"
Experience truly couldn't be ignored.
None of the younger squadmates had noticed, but Squad Leader Kang seemed to have pieced it together.
Se Yeong decided there was no point hiding it anymore.
"Letters and documents have been sent to the Moyong Family and Zhongnan."
Se Yeong's response was utterly calm, but his squadmates were anything but.
A little thought made it clear this was no small matter.
"Om mani padme hum."
Even Yeong Gak of the Immovable Heart seemed quite flustered.
"Brother! Why did you hand those letters and documents over to them?"
"The Moyong Family is basically one household with Emei. And Emei has the Sword Empress, Hero Han."
Paeng Se Gi raised his voice in frustration, while Yi Cheon Yeong fretted over Emei's Sword Empress.
But Se Yeong's voice remained serene.
"I never planned to let this slide anyway. If they try to kill me, I'll just have to kill them right back."
His squadmates' expressions grew heavy.
Unlike them, though, one squadmate was cheering inwardly.
'No matter how great you are, how do you plan to take on the Moyong Family, Emei, and Zhongnan? Keep talking big, then sneak away when no one's looking.'
It was Sa Sa Un, who was busy preparing red-and-white steamed fish.
Squad members of the Elusive Squadron began appearing on the training ground.
The First Squad arrived first and took the center spot.
Second and Third Squads followed, positioning themselves on either side.
Until Baek Mong joined, Emei's female disciples had been the center of attention for the Elusive Squadron members.
Each one was stunningly beautiful and full of vibrant energy.
But after Baek Mong arrived, the atmosphere shifted strangely.
She wasn't just beautiful—she exuded elegance and a mysterious aura.
Some men in Third Squad secretly harbored feelings for her, and it was the same for other squads.
Namgung Seok, in particular, made no secret of his interest.
"Fancy seeing you again like this, Lady Baek."
"It's Young Master Namgung."
Baek Mong greeted him with her head held high.
The day she joined the Elusive Squadron, she'd run into him by chance, and ever since, he'd pestered her whenever he got the opportunity.
"Settling in alright? If there's anything bothering you, just let me know anytime."
Emei's female disciples shot him sidelong glances.
"Not yet."
Baek Mong shook her head at their reactions as she replied.
"Glad to hear it. How about tea sometime when you're free?"
As Namgung Seok kept pressing, she lightly lifted the black hair covering her pale neck.
A long scar ran across her nape.
His face twisted at the ugly sight.
He wanted to make her his woman at any cost, but who knew she'd have such a hideous flaw?
It was like finding maggots in the most delicious dish imaginable.
"My apologies."
As he started to back away, the Iron Wire Fairy intervened.
"What are you doing here, Young Master Namgung?"
Emei's female disciples stood behind her, their expressions sour.
"Just chatting with Lady Baek, Instructor."
The Iron Wire Fairy turned to look at Baek Mong.
"Pay respects to Gold Flower Division Leader."
She received Baek Mong's greeting with cold eyes.
'I really don't like this girl.'
The Iron Wire Fairy's hackles rose at her piercingly clear gaze.
It felt like she could see right through to her innermost thoughts.
'It's so much like that bastard Han Se Yeong's eyes.'
On top of that, with her own disciples crushing on Namgung Seok, she disliked Baek Mong even more.
"Botak Pavilion is famed for its swordsmanship and staff arts, so why do you lack both sword and staff?"
The Iron Wire Fairy picked on the fact that Baek Mong carried no sword.
"I started with axes, but now I ride the sound."
To a warrior, "riding the sound" meant mastering sonic arts.
Sonic arts were notoriously difficult to cultivate.
That's why few masters rose to fame with them, and almost no one bothered learning them.
"Sonic arts, you say? Fine. Can you control an opponent's emotions with them?"
The Iron Wire Fairy mocked her, testing the girl who'd supposedly mastered sonic arts.
Sonic arts' foundation was awakening sound, followed by infusing it with internal energy.
Only upon reaching the stage of manipulating emotions could one be called a true master.
Baek Mong said nothing, simply staring at her.
As if to say, what's it to you?
Hmph.
The Iron Wire Fairy met her icy gaze before looking away.
Tenth Squad was just entering the training ground.
'I have to kill him. No question.'
She harbored intense killing intent toward Se Yeong.
When the Alliance Leader handed her the letters and documents, her vision had gone red and her chest nearly exploded with rage.
"This has to be a conspiracy."
She'd tried to brush it off like that, but the letters and documents were genuine.
"I think so too, so don't worry about it."
The Alliance Leader's reassurance fell on deaf ears.
"Feels like we're the last ones here."
"No seats left."
The squadmates scanned for spots to sit.
The front was all taken by other squads, forcing them to settle in the back.
"Just stand anywhere. Learning from Brother here beats whatever they're teaching anyway."
Se Yeong turned his gaze aside as his grumbling squadmates settled in.
His skin prickled—someone was directing killing intent at him.
'The Iron Wire Fairy.'
Se Yeong flashed a smirk.
Frost formed on the Iron Wire Fairy's face.
'What are you waiting for? Draw your sword already.'
Se Yeong hoped she'd pull her blade.
But a booming voice dashed those hopes.
"Quiet down!"
The noisy Elusive Squadron members fell silent as the Strategist appeared on the platform.
Squad leaders ascended and stood behind him. The Strategist addressed the group.
"For the next ten days, I'll teach you the basics of strange formations. We study them to prevent meaningless deaths. Ten days won't make you able to set one up yourselves. I just hope you learn not to fall into them."
Everyone in the martial world knew strange formations were tough to learn.
Among countless families, only the Jegal Family and Sima Family taught them.
And the Jegal Family was the most renowned and skilled.
As the Strategist finished, an arrogant old man stepped forward.
"I am Jegal Sun of the Jegal Family, instructor of strange formations to the young talents."
"Greetings, Hero Jegal Sun!"
The young squadmates bowed in unison the moment he revealed himself.
He was already well-known among them.
"Take your seats."
The old man waited with a satisfied smile until they sat, then spoke again.
"The history of strange formations is ancient indeed. Long ago, Master Guiguzi established their foundations, passed down to disciples like Sun Bin, Pang Yeon, So Jin, and Jang Yeon. They in turn taught many, including an ancestor of the Jegal Family."
The old man brimmed with pride in his family's history.
He raised his hand, extending two fingers.
"If there's one family unrivaled in strange formations, it's the Jegal Family and the Demonic Cult's Mo Family. But the Mo Family scarcely qualifies as a true house, so the Jegal Family may rightfully claim to be the martial world's finest."
Se Yeong, listening quietly, muttered under his breath.
"That's a lie."
Others missed it, but his squadmates heard clearly.
"Why do you say it's a lie, Brother?"
Paeng Se Gi asked, puzzled.
"There's another family no one in the martial world knows about."
"Where?"
"Han Family."
"Pardon?"
The squadmates couldn't help but question it.
The martial world's Han Family was famed for swordsmanship, far from formations.
But the Han Family Se Yeong meant was different—a reclusive minor house unknown in the jianghu, steeped in scholarship with flawless command of strange formations and bizarre arts.
They treated formations and arts as mere academic pursuits, never revealing themselves.
That hidden Han Family was his mother's house.
"Strange formations are based on yin-yang and five elements. All things possess unique energies, which we exploit."
Finishing his explanation, Jegal Sun waved his hand.
Waiting warriors carried over two logs and set them by a large tree.
They were Jegal Family talents.
Approaching the tree, Jegal Sun thrust his hand inside.
His arm vanished into the trunk.
"This is the basis of strange formations. When the sun shifts a bit more, my arm will reappear."
Sure enough, as he spoke, the missing arm emerged.
"Set up one more."
At his command, another warrior placed a log.
"Now, this old man will hide for about half an incense stick's time."
He stepped into the large tree.
He vanished in an instant, his voice echoing.
"Can you find me? If ambushed from such a spot, who could defend?"
Ah...
"The Jegal Family's formations are truly impressive."
"As expected of their reputation."
The squadmates gasped in admiration at his proud voice.
Some Elusive Squadron members were Jegal Family scions, but they smiled silently.
Tenth Squad reacted differently.
"Could Hero Han find him?"
Se Yeong nodded at Yi Cheon Yeong's question.
"Of course. Look closely at that big tree. Notice the space warping? Warped space means warped energy around it."
"So Hero Jegal Sun is near the big tree?"
Haha...
Se Yeong chuckled and shook his head.
"The old man's just using a basic formation to teach you lot. He said all things include people, so look around."
No sooner had he spoken than Yeong Gak clasped his hands and bowed.
"Om mani padme hum. The space by the second log pillar trembles faintly. This humble monk suspects Hero Jegal Sun is there."
As he finished, Paeng Se Gi shouted.
"I found him first! He's definitely hiding by the second log pillar!"
They weren't alone.
Hahu Yeon, Yi Cheon Yeong, and Dang Ok Yi were all eyeing the second pillar.
Was Paeng Se Gi's voice too loud?
Not only other squads' members but even Jegal Sun inside the formation heard it.