Chapter 145
Translator: penny
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Rampaging Mok Jimyeong
The first to stand in the way of the rampaging Mok Jimyeong was this generation's First Unit Leader, Hyeong Cheongang.
Mok Jimyeong belonged to the First Unit and Namgung Chan to the Third Unit, but that didn't matter.
Defying the squad leader's orders within this White Tiger Unit was an unchanging fact.
As a unit leader commanding an entire unit, Hyeong Cheongang rushed in to stop the mad squad member's actions.
"Gahk..."
His noble act was halted by Mok Jimyeong's scabbard stabbing into his solar plexus.
Hyeong Cheongang, who had been on the cusp of the Absolute Realm, dropped to his knees after just one exchange.
As Hyeong Cheongang collapsed, choking and gurgling, shouts erupted from those around him.
"That crazy bastard?!"
"Grab that fucker!"
"He beat the unit leader! Don't move rashly!"
"White Tiger Formation! Deploy the White Tiger Formation!"
At someone's command, the members still in the training grounds began forming up.
Mok Jimyeong let out a light sigh in response.
'What a hassle.'
He briefly considered binding them all with his Formless Finger, but now that he knew it was Lord Chu Munrak's unique martial art, he hesitated to use it recklessly.
He wasn't a public enemy of the martial world yet, and Moyong Hui was right beside him.
The fact that Mok Jimyeong wielded his scabbard instead of his sword was thanks to this minimal rationality.
'If I go too far, the sparks will fly to Hui-ah too.'
Thus, Mok Jimyeong was trying to adhere to the "Murim Alliance Sparring Rules."
The ban on sparring was merely the White Tiger Unit Leader's personal order, not one from the Murim Alliance itself.
'Injuries limited to under one month recovery, no sword energy or sword force.'
Of course, this was only possible because they hadn't wronged Moyong Hui.
Mok Jimyeong considered Namgung Chan, who had insulted his woman, a separate matter.
Wuuung-
The White Tiger Formation, which had been training in the grounds just an hour ago, now unfolded for real combat.
Its opponent was Mok Jimyeong, who had trained alongside them.
The White Tiger Formation deployed by fifty-five warriors emanated a momentum like a true white tiger, bearing down on Mok Jimyeong.
Yet Mok Jimyeong merely curled his lips in a smirk.
The white tiger formed by the fifty-five swung its claws, and Mok Jimyeong swung his scabbard.
The fifty-five warriors charged, and Mok Jimyeong continued swinging his scabbard.
Each swing of Mok Jimyeong's scabbard reduced the fifty-five warriors to fifty, then to forty, and soon to thirty. At that point, the white tiger tucked tail and fled.
The White Tiger Unit's pride, the White Tiger Formation, crumbled helplessly against a single man.
Blaming the members who had fled first or lamenting the leader's absence changed nothing.
A few squad members whose resolve hadn't broken charged again, but they too fell like autumn leaves in the wind.
When forty-two warriors, including Namgung Chan and Hyeong Cheongang, lay collapsed on the ground, no one else dared approach Mok Jimyeong.
Having cleared all obstacles, Mok Jimyeong slowly walked toward Namgung Chan.
"Kugh, you mad bastard...!"
"If only the leader had been here..."
Mok Jimyeong let out a scoff at someone's voice.
Even if he had been, nothing would have changed.
Mok Jimyeong had personally learned the White Tiger Formation and grasped its weaknesses.
The same went for the Grand White Tiger Formation.
Thus, adding just one more Absolute Realm expert wouldn't alter a thing.
But instead of correcting the man's misconception, Mok Jimyeong stood before Namgung Chan and quietly raised his scabbard.
'I won't kill him.'
The moment he killed the Namgung Family's heir, the flames would spread beyond him to the Mok Family Clan and even the Moyong Family.
That wasn't what Mok Jimyeong wanted.
'But I'll make him wish he were dead instead.'
Just then, the voice of the absent unit leader echoed in his ears.
-Sword Dragon, listen well. This is your first offense, so I'll let it slide, but if you pull this petty shit in front of me again, I'll shatter your limbs and send you back to the Namgung Family. Got it?
The unit leader's earlier scolding of the Sword Dragon.
Mok Jimyeong decided to adopt that suggestion first.
Ppakak-!
With a sound like a tree branch snapping, Namgung Chan's right arm bent at an unnatural angle.
Namgung Chan, still unconscious, didn't utter a single groan.
Instead, his younger sister Namgung Sua screamed.
"Kyaaak!"
But Mok Jimyeong didn't even glance her way as he silently continued his task.
The snapping of branches rang out three more times, and Namgung Chan's four limbs twisted in unnatural directions.
Perhaps from the pain, Namgung Chan finally regained consciousness, belatedly.
"Kuhuk, what the..."
But before Namgung Chan could grasp the situation, Mok Jimyeong began the final execution.
The tip of his scabbard pointed toward Namgung Chan's dantian.
He intended to strip the warrior of his inner energy, more precious than life itself.
Thus, just one step away from losing the martial arts he had built his entire life for the crime of insulting one woman,
Kang-!
"Gaga, please... please stop there..."
Fusion Realm expert Moyong Hui intervened.
"Gaga, please... please stop there..."
Only when I saw the tears streaming down Moyong Hui's face did my rationality return.
And I noticed the worm crawling on the ground.
"Kuhuk..."
Whether from the pain of his shattered limbs or the terror of nearly losing his inner energy, Namgung Chan trembled like a halfwit, doing nothing else.
Not a shred of his former arrogance remained.
"Gaga..."
I lowered my scabbard as I looked at the pleading Moyong Hui.
Instead, as a final touch, I gave a word to the crawling Namgung Chan.
"If you insult Hui-ah one more time, next time I'll shatter your dantian."
For a guy whose limbs were already smashed, this was no light threat.
That was enough.
I turned and walked forward without another word.
Moyong Hui quietly followed behind.
No one tried to stop us as we passed the trembling Namgung Sua and left the training grounds.
'Ha, life...'
Now that it was over, I felt like I'd gone too far.
Of course, even if I went back in time, I'd do the same, but the bitterness in my mouth was unavoidable.
My plan to seduce Namgung Sua was thoroughly shattered, and even my plan to stay in the righteous faction was now uncertain.
All because of that bastard Namgung Chan.
'Why'd you have to spout that bullshit.'
If jealousy was the issue, he should've just backed off quietly.
Then right now, Moyong Hui, Namgung Sua, and I would've been enjoying a harmonious time together.
"Gaga..."
Moyong Hui started to say something but closed her mouth.
I almost sighed but forced a smile and looked at her.
"Hui-ah, why are you crying? You're ruining your pretty face."
I tried slipping in some heartfelt praise, but Moyong Hui's expression didn't soften.
I gave up on consoling her and resumed walking.
'Whew...'
My head was a mess.
I needed time to think too.
'Wonder how this'll play out.'
I'd upheld the bare minimum of propriety.
I hadn't killed anyone, and those who attacked were all lightly injured.
The problem was Namgung Chan.
I hadn't crushed his dantian thanks to Moyong Hui's tears, but I had broken all his limbs.
Full recovery would take at least half a year.
The Murim Alliance wouldn't tolerate that easily.
'Oh right, and disobeying orders too.'
The order from this morning had been not to fight, and I'd ignored it completely.
On a battlefield, I'd deserve summary execution.
Of course, I wouldn't go down without a fight even then, but the situation was what it was.
'Should I bolt?'
The temptation rose briefly, but I held back.
I knew from my past life exactly how that would end.
Unless my life was in immediate danger, I didn't think it had reached that point yet.
I had some justification, after all.
'That Namgung Chan bastard picked the fight first.'
He'd insulted my lover right in front of me.
Meaning he was the one in the wrong first.
Thus, fleeing the Murim Alliance was a last resort; for now, I needed to find a way to resolve it within.
As I sorted my thoughts, a small voice came from behind.
"...You went too far."
I turned to see Moyong Hui's pitiful expression.
Thinking it was because of me made my heart sting, but I could quickly shift the blame elsewhere.
"Exactly. That Namgung Chan bastard has no ground to stand on, tsk tsk."
This time, my heartfelt joke landed; Moyong Hui shot me an incredulous look.
I chuckled in response.
"Hui-ah, don't worry too much. He started it, and I held back, so there should be mitigating circumstances."
"...I'm not worried right now. I'm scolding you."
I knew that.
And I knew she was worried too, beyond just scolding.
So I wanted to make her smile.
"Then don't scold me too much. He started it, and I held back, so give me some leniency."
Moyong Hui finally let out a "pfft" and smiled.
She really was prettiest when she smiled.
But soothing Moyong Hui's heart only went that far.
As we walked slowly, a group of warriors began surrounding us,
"Kid... you've caused quite the incident."
The White Tiger Unit Leader Hyeok Jongdae, who had been absent earlier, had come for me himself.