Chapter 137
Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: White Tiger Formation Training
Daewon Yang Dogun confirmed that all the members had gathered, then looked at me.
"Before I relay the unit leader's words... Newbie, what was your name again?"
"Mok Jimyeong."
"Right. Mok Jimyeong. Do you know the current state of affairs in the martial world?"
"You mean how relations between the righteous and unorthodox factions have soured?"
The guy gave a satisfied look at my answer.
Then he nodded readily.
"Yeah. Looks like you have a rough idea. To be more precise, skirmishes keep breaking out centered around the Shandong region."
It was something I knew well.
I'd even experienced it firsthand on the way here.
'I wonder if Sahye-rin made it back safely.'
The beauty I'd saved while clashing against the Shandong Yue Family.
I hadn't forgotten that I'd told her to drop by the Sa-ryeong Gate sometime.
While I was lost in thoughts of Sahye-rin, Yang Dogun continued explaining to me.
"...So, our White Tiger Unit was planning to head straight to Shandong, assess the situation, and drive out the unorthodox scum."
It was all in the past tense now.
As his words trailed off, one of the members listening nearby suddenly piped up with a question.
"Leader, it's not happening again?"
"...Yeah."
Groans of frustration erupted from all around at once.
"Why the hell not?"
"We're not even asking them to send us—we're volunteering!"
"Quiet down! If you want answers, take it up with the unit leader."
At the mention of the unit leader, they all shut up in an instant.
Unlike Daewon Yang Dogun, it seemed the White Tiger Unit's leader commanded real respect from the subordinates.
Amid the hush, one guy stepped forward as the representative.
"Leader, so what did the unit leader say?"
It was the same one who'd asked the first question.
Yang Dogun let out a deep sigh at that.
"The Xuanwu Unit bastards said they've sent a letter to the Four Black Alliance side, so we're to wait for their reply."
"What the hell does that mean? People are getting hurt right this second...!"
"Exactly! Wasn't it the Four Black Alliance stirring this up in the first place? What difference does asking them make?!"
Rebellion flared up from various spots at Yang Dogun's words.
On the other hand, I just nodded quietly.
'The Murim Alliance leadership isn't completely hopeless, then.'
They claimed the Four Black Alliance was leading it, but there were plenty of suspicious points.
For one, I'd seen the Shandong Yue Family attacking the Sa-ryeong Gate with my own eyes.
'The Blood Cult is the real suspect...'
I wondered if the Murim Alliance knew.
Recalling the Alliance Leader Heo Eun-chang's reaction when I'd met him before, it seemed they weren't entirely clueless...
'Not my problem anyway.'
Either way, the righteous-unorthodox great war had broken out.
Whether the Murim Alliance knew or not, they couldn't stop the war.
Of course, since I'd regressed and altered the past, I had no idea how this life would unfold...
'Still feels like the great war's inevitable.'
The atmosphere here said as much.
If no war came, these guys looked ready to start one themselves.
'Tch, this is why they all end up dead.'
Hot-headed fools with no real ability.
Just frogs in a well, the lot of them.
Comparing Murim Alliance warriors to well frogs might sound off, but it fit.
Had they ever fought a real war? Or staked their lives in a deathmatch against someone stronger?
The most they'd done was round up weaklings far below their level.
'All because peace has lasted too long.'
The righteous-unorthodox great war, started under the Four Black Alliance, had ended over a hundred years ago.
In that time, the Central Plains martial forces had built up power, but rarely used it.
'Back in my day, the vibe was nothing like this.'
Starting with the Second Righteous-Unorthodox Great War, then the Blood Cult Uprising, the Demonic Cult's conquest of the Outer Frontier, the Lecherous Demon's emergence—major events that would mark history came one after another.
Clueless types like these would be the first to die when that happened.
"Didn't you hear me say quiet down? If you've got complaints, take them to the unit leader!"
Yang Dogun, the First Unit Daewon, selling out the unit leader again.
It worked wonders, though.
Once everyone had quieted, Yang Dogun picked up where he'd left off.
"So the unit leader said to prepare in advance so we're ready to deploy into battle at any moment."
"Sigh, more training in the end."
Yang Dogun finally lost his temper at someone's grumble.
"Damn it, you think I like this?! What am I supposed to do when the higher-ups say no? Go yell at the unit leader yourself!"
With that, he kicked the grumbler.
The others burst into laughter at the sight.
'No wonder he lacks gravitas as a daewon.'
The First Unit's atmosphere was pretty casual overall, which was why complaints kept bubbling up among the members.
Yang Dogun had probably been trying to rein it in because of the newcomer—me.
As laughter rang out from all sides, Yang Dogun shook his head and looked at me.
"Anyway, that's the situation. No battles right now, but we could be thrown into one anytime. You okay with that?"
His tone had lightened up, figuring I was already hooked.
I shrugged casually to match.
"What kind?"
"Battles. Combat. These guys are all battle-crazed idiots dying to fight, but it could mean risking your life for real."
Not "could"—it would be real danger.
If things went as I expected, they'd all die.
'Not that it matters much to me.'
I, Mok Jimyeong.
I was confident I could look after myself in any situation.
The only issue would be running into a Transcendent Realm absolute master on the battlefield as an enemy—and that was next to impossible.
'They're not exactly common.'
As far as I knew, only two had reached the Transcendent Realm in this era.
The Martial Emperor and the Heavenly Demon—that was it.
'The Martial Emperor's on friendly terms with me, and the Heavenly Demon won't join this great war.'
Even so, it wasn't like "no other masters means I win."
Battlefields were unpredictable, and even the Murim Alliance Leader I'd met recently wasn't a guaranteed win.
Just that I could escape any scenario.
'Maybe it's a good thing Baek Iryeong's in a different unit?'
If she were in danger, it'd be harder to bail solo.
It'd felt like a shame earlier, but now it seemed fortunate.
'Nah, probably not. She survived into the future, after all.'
Either way, heading to the battlefield posed no issue for me.
If anything, it was a plus.
Why had I joined the Murim Alliance in the first place?
To gain fame, obviously.
'And snag the enemy crests and banner crests while I'm at it.'
Probing the Blood Cult was secondary—not urgent.
They wouldn't stir until years after this great war ended.
"Yes. I'm fine with it."
"Good. Guess you're another lunatic. Makes sense why you joined the White Tiger Unit."
Yang Dogun clicked his tongue, then glanced around.
"Alright, training starts now. Newbie, you... Baek Rijun, take him and drill the White Tiger Formation basics into his head by end of day."
"Got it."
Baek Rijun nodded obediently.
Yang Dogun confirmed it, then left me and Baek Rijun behind as he led the others to the training grounds.
'White Tiger Formation?'
I'd wondered what kind of training, and it turned out to be formations.
Made sense—formations were the most practical in group combat.
'I struggled with them once too.'
Formations.
A type of group martial art deployed by multiple people.
The most common were the Three Powers Formation, Five Elements Formation, or advanced ones like Shaolin's One Hundred Eight Arhats Formation or the Beggars' Sect's Stick Formation...
'That One Hundred Eight Arhats was terrifying.'
In my past life, before reaching the Transcendent Realm—around my current level—I'd nearly lost to a bunch of first-rate and peak monks.
Even though there were 108 of them, getting pushed by mere first-raters and peakers was a shock back then.
"Have you ever studied formations?"
"No."
I'd only experienced them, never learned.
The Mok Family had nothing worth calling a formation, and the Red Serpent Sect I'd joined later was the same.
After becoming the Lecherous Demon, I always fought alone, so no formations for me.
But at my words, Baek Rijun looked a bit flustered.
"Hmm, then I should start with the basics of formations."
"...Do I really have to learn this?"
Honestly, it sounded like a hassle.
Fine for straightforward brawls, but formations? Really?
'And I doubt I'll ever use it with these guys...'
Formations only shone when the users were evenly matched.
Hell, I could take the whole White Tiger Unit.
But he must've misunderstood, because he suddenly burst out laughing.
"Haha, if you haven't learned them, it's natural to think that way. Want to observe first before diving in?"
With that, he led me to the training grounds.
In the end, I sighed inwardly and followed.