Chapter 116
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: I Need Your Guidance
"Brother?"
Suddenly?
The people here were obvious.
His own group, and the Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven crew.
Those two parties made up the entirety.
Well, a silver tael admission fee was way too steep just to gawk at these ruins anyway.
How many folks would shell out that kind of cash?
In any case, none of his group were this girl's brother.
Obviously.
Which meant one of those guys over there had to be her big bro.
What were the odds of such a coincidence?
Of all people.
Beom Il-so scowled faintly.
Dan Mok Un-hye had spotted her brother and bolted straight toward him.
The Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven cadets, just stepping into the Ascension Grounds, jumped in surprise.
An unexpected figure was charging right at them, after all.
And most folks here already knew her face, didn't they?
"U-Un-hye?"
Dan Mok Un-roe blinked in shock.
This wasn't a place for a girl like her. Entry cost a full silver tael.
He'd been stunned by the price himself. He'd tried to bail, saying it was too much, but Dang Jin-san had practically dragged him in.
Yet here she was, already inside.
"How'd you end up here?"
Dan Mok Un-roe blinked rapidly as he asked.
"Oh, um... well..."
She'd sprinted over in sheer joy at seeing her brother, but now the question left her tongue-tied.
"You're her brother, huh?"
Beom Il-so approached then.
Dan Mok Un-roe and his crew turned their gazes to him.
They knew exactly who he was.
The guy Dan Mok Un-roe had personally knocked out during the Summer Combat Festival.
A lucky strike that'd landed in a moment of carelessness. Pure heavenly fortune.
"Beom Il-so. What're you doing here?"
Beom Il-so shrugged at Dan Mok Un-roe's question.
"Oh, um... Brother. This gentleman let me in here..."
Dan Mok Un-roe's face soured.
That polite "Brother" she never used at home, complete with formal speech.
Surrounded by strangers, Dan Mok Un-hye was minding her manners, watching her step.
Even when she'd first spotted Dan Mok Un-roe, "Brother" had come out instead of "Oppa."
Because Beom Il-so and his group were right there.
Dan Mok Un-roe's eyes shifted back to Beom Il-so.
"Beom Il-so. What're you doing here?"
Same question as before.
But the intent behind it was worlds apart.
"Come to think of it, I never even asked your name. Dan Mok isn't exactly a common surname."
Instead of answering, Beom Il-so tossed out something else. Like he'd just remembered.
A man stepped forward, shaking his head at the sight.
"Well, there was a bit of a commotion, but who would've guessed it'd be your sister, Dan Mok Un-roe."
Sa Pyeong-ju, a Wa Dragon Corps cadet from Seonyu Valley.
"Oh? Sa Pyeong-ju? And looks like the whole Wa Dragon Corps Squad One showed up."
Dang Jin-san stepped forward.
Somehow, the two most sociable guys from Wa Dragon Corps Squad One and Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven had taken the lead. The ones who got along with everyone.
"Rumors were too wild to sit it out. Right?"
Sa Pyeong-ju explained, and as the story unfolded, Dan Mok Un-roe's expression softened.
Soon, he was looking at Beom Il-so with apologetic eyes.
"I had no idea. Sorry. And thanks. I'll pay back that silver tael someday, no matter what."
Dan Mok Un-roe bowed deeply with a cupped-fist salute.
"But where'd that bastard go? The one who shoved our Un-hye."
Dang Jin-san growled, face twisting.
But how do you track down someone who'd bolted like a rabbit?
"I memorized his face. If I spot him around, I'll let you know."
Beom Il-so said it casually, offhand.
Dang Jin-san stared at him, his face full of surprise.
"So what brings Fierce Dragon Corps here?"
Another man cut in bluntly.
Ma Rip from the Iron Banner Clan. Built like a tank, muscles bulging everywhere.
"Same business as you, I'd wager? Oh, and Hidden Dragon Corps tagged along too."
Baek Ri-pyeong grinned back.
"No big deal."
Ma Rip glanced at Namgung Ji-hu as he spoke.
His eyes on Baek Ri-pyeong weren't exactly friendly.
And for good reason. Ma Rip had been knocked out by Baek Ri-pyeong at the last Summer Combat Festival.
Not by luck like with Beom Il-so, but pure skill.
Back at Iron Banner during the mid-season break, how much grief had he caught over it?
"You'll enter the Autumn Combat Festival, right?"
Ma Rip stared at Baek Ri-pyeong.
"Of course."
"Won't be like last time."
With that, Ma Rip strode off toward the exit.
His back burned with fighting spirit.
Probably headed to the training grounds.
"What's his deal all of a sudden? Sorry about that."
Sa Pyeong-ju apologized to Baek Ri-pyeong on his behalf.
"What're you apologizing for? Warriors show their fire. Dan Mok Un-roe, get ready for the Autumn Combat Festival. Luck won't save you like last time."
This time, it was Beom Il-so.
But unlike Ma Rip, he didn't leave. Instead, he circled back to the annex ruins for another look.
"Um, Brother?"
Dan Mok Un-hye eyed Dan Mok Un-roe amid the tense vibe.
"It's nothing. We're not on bad terms or anything."
Dan Mok Un-roe brushed it off lightly to reassure his sister.
Only then did Dan Mok Un-hye sigh in relief, her gaze drifting backward.
There stood Namgung Ji-hu and Joo Woo-myeong.
Faces she hadn't met yet.
"Who might those gentlemen be...?"
Dan Mok Un-hye peeked back, cheeks faintly flushed.
Dang Jin-san grinned mischievously at the sight.
"Well, well. Our Un-hye's got good taste in guys. Always picks the handsome ones."
Dan Mok Un-hye's face turned beet red.
"Uncle...!"
"Ah, so my average looks make me 'Uncle,' huh? I swear you called me 'Brother' before. But now with these pretty boys around, I'm back to Uncle."
Dang Jin-san's teasing continued.
"Cut it out."
Yeon Ha-min stepped in.
"Don't mind him, Un-hye."
"Sis!"
Dan Mok Un-hye finally spotted Yeon Ha-min and threw herself into a hug.
"You look so much healthier. Thank goodness."
"I'm so happy to see you, Sis. Come visit sometime."
Dan Mok Un-roe watched blankly.
What in the world was going on?
He'd come to check out the Fire Dragon's traces, hadn't he?
"You all seem to be having fun."
Sa Pyeong-ju chuckled warmly at the scene.
"Eh, more or less."
Nak Woo-jin shrugged it off.
"So, Miss Un-hye?"
Sa Pyeong-ju stepped forward and called her.
"Yes?"
"Has the Fire Dragon's energy helped perk you up?"
He knelt on one knee to meet her eyes.
"Not sure yet. But it should, right? Thank you so much."
Dan Mok Un-hye bowed again.
Such a sweet gesture, impossible not to smile at.
"I'm no expert, but I've picked up a bit of medicine..."
Sa Pyeong-ju smiled, about to get to his point.
Hearing she was unwell, he'd planned to check her pulse and ask his sect for help.
Fate worked in mysterious ways.
"Oh, right. You're from Seonyu Valley, aren't you?"
Dang Jin-san piped up like he'd just remembered.
But it was Dan Mok Un-hye who reacted, lighting up with delight.
Sa Pyeong-ju tilted his head at her expression.
"If you're from Seonyu Valley, do you know Sis Gong So-yu?"
His face stiffened at the name that popped out.
Why was that name coming from this girl's mouth?
"G-Gong So-yu? How do you know that name, Miss Un-hye?"
Now Dan Mok Un-hye cocked her head.
Why the weird reaction to her sister's name?
"I've met her, so of course."
"Here in Muchang?"
Dan Mok Un-hye nodded at the follow-up.
Sa Pyeong-ju's eyes shook violently.
As far as he knew, she was the Valley Lord's granddaughter, still receiving treatment at the main branch.
So why meet Dan Mok Un-hye here in Muchang?
Dan Mok Un-hye had perked up at Seonyu Valley's name, so no mistaken identity.
"She's not someone who'd be in Muchang. How...?"
"She has a similar illness to mine, so she came for treatment. From my instructor who's treating me."
The story spilled out smoothly.
But the more he heard, the more confused he got.
Dan Mok Un-hye just tilted her head, wondering what she'd done wrong.
Meanwhile, Dan Mok Un-roe headed to the annex ruins, leaving his group behind.
Un-hye seemed fine with Yeon Ha-min watching her.
Joo Woo-myeong and Namgung Ji-hu followed suit.
"Cute little sister you've got."
Joo Woo-myeong grinned.
"She is."
Dan Mok Un-roe answered flatly, but the smile tugging at his lips gave him away.
"What do you think?"
Namgung Ji-hu glanced back at them both.
But what was there to see like this?
Just fire-ravaged debris.
No dragon aura or anything palpable.
"Scammed by some merchant. Dragon my ass."
Beom Il-so grumbled.
Still nothing but fire wreckage, no matter how you sliced it.
"But it doesn't look like just a regular fire. That night..."
The other three fell silent at Namgung Ji-hu's words.
No clue what had really gone down.
That's why they'd come, but still nada.
"One more time: brace yourself for the Autumn Combat Festival, Dan Mok Un-roe."
Beom Il-so turned and headed out, leaving those words behind.
His Wa Dragon Corps Squad One crew followed him out of the Fire Dragon Ascension Grounds.
Including the rattled Sa Pyeong-ju.
"If a human did this... what kind of monster are they?"
Namgung Ji-hu muttered at the ruins.
The rest of the cadets gathered around.
And overheard.
Squad Seven and Joo Woo-myeong all thought of one person.
The most terrifying monster they knew.
"What is it?"
Wee Ji-gun asked without turning, sweeping the flagstone path with his broom.
"I need your guidance."
Ha Mu-baek said curtly.
"Guidance from someone you surpassed? Please."
Wee Ji-gun chuckled softly, broom steady as ever.
"It was so sudden, my body's not adjusted yet."
"You'll adapt quick."
The broom's rhythm never faltered.
"I wouldn't bet on it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Only then did Wee Ji-gun pause his sweeping, eyes turning to Ha Mu-baek.
"I don't know how strong I've become."
Wee Ji-gun's eyes widened at his disciple.
Those eyes burned fiercely.
"Heh."
A dry laugh escaped.
"So, you're saying since you broke through that wall, you can't gauge your new strength... and you want to test it against your old master?"
"I need your guidance."
Ha Mu-baek repeated his opener.
"That's guidance? You wanna go all-out against your master?"
Wee Ji-gun asked incredulously.
But his face beamed with pride.
Speech and expression at odds.
"You need to break through that wall too, Master."
"Hah! Alright, let's have at it then!"
Wee Ji-gun boomed heartily.
Then resumed sweeping.
"M-Master?"
"Hold your horses. Gotta finish up to there today. I'm no instructor—I'm the janitor."
Unlike his Wa Dragon Corps cadets, Beom Il-so moved alone.
And there, right in front of him, stood the thug whose face he'd memorized today.
Why was this punk in his path?
What a pain.
"Hey. You."
The man turned at Beom Il-so's call, saw his face, and began trembling violently from head to toe.