Chapter 16
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Sneaky Bastard
Three Talents Fist Method.
It consisted of just three simple forms: Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Thrust straight ahead, strike upward from below, and swing in from the side.
At first glance, it might even look like nothing more than plain punches. A grandiose name like "fist method" might seem entirely out of place.
"But you see, these three most basic movements possible with a fist also mean there are countless variations and applications."
Ha Mu-baek turned to the five of them and spoke calmly.
The five members of Squad Seven were practicing the Heaven form of the Three Talents Fist Method.
A straight punch aimed dead ahead.
They drove their fists forward one after the other with crisp precision.
"The straight punch is the same. Once you're familiar with the basic motion, you can derive any number of variations from it. Like this."
A sudden gust of wind whipped toward Dang Jin-san's face.
The punch had come and gone so fast he couldn't even tell how it happened.
"Skip the preparatory motion and extend lightly and concisely. The key is how quickly you snap your elbow out. Of course, the lighter it is, the weaker the power."
Yeon Ha-min immediately mimicked Ha Mu-baek's explanation.
It came out looking pretty decent.
Ha Mu-baek gave a slight nod at the sight.
She was overflowing with talent.
At least among these five, she had the most outstanding gift.
He'd thought Dan Mok Un-roe had exceptional talent, but once actual training began, Yeon Ha-min was the one who stood out the most.
"You're not ready for variations yet. Stick to the basics. Dan Mok Un-roe, straighten your back more and put more power into your fist. Dang Jin-san, your foot positioning is off."
Ha Mu-baek guided their practice with meticulous detail, one by one.
"Baek Ri-pyeong. You think fist methods are a joke? Your punch is veering off course."
At Ha Mu-baek's corrections, the disciples hurried to fix the pointed-out flaws.
It had been three days since Ha Mu-baek had started teaching in earnest.
The five squad members were still suffering from muscle aches that made their whole bodies throb.
Yet here they were, focusing on form practice amid it all.
"They're here."
At that moment, Ha Mu-baek glanced toward the path and muttered.
"Huh? What's here?"
This was no time for Dang Jin-san to let it slide. He asked right away if something piqued his curiosity.
"Equipment."
Dang Jin-san tilted his head at the curt reply. The other four felt the same doubt.
A small ox-drawn cart was approaching the training ground along the path.
What kind of equipment required pulling out a whole cart for?
The moment that question crossed the five's minds...
Ha Mu-baek started walking toward the cart.
By the time he reached the edge of the training ground, the cart stopped there as well.
He pulled off the large cloth covering it, revealing oddly shaped lumps of iron.
Ha Mu-baek picked up each one himself and nodded.
"Good."
"Of course. We put our all into making them just as you specified."
The blacksmith who had come in person—due to the hefty payment from Ha Mu-baek—bowed his head as he spoke.
"And the mounts I mentioned then?"
"In two days, we should be able to come with the craftsmen and install them."
Ha Mu-baek smiled in satisfaction at the answer.
"Then, take good care of the rest as well."
"Would we do anything less? We'll be off, then."
While they talked, Ha Mu-baek had already unloaded everything from the cart onto the ground, so the blacksmith bowed in farewell and withdrew.
"Th-those are..."
Dang Jin-san stopped his form practice, pointed at the cart with a trembling finger.
They looked vicious at a glance.
He could tell their purpose just by looking.
How could he not?
On the first day of external strength and bone training, hadn't Ha Mu-baek personally smashed a rock and placed it on his back?
Even Yeon Ha-min's usually emotionless eyes trembled faintly.
"Hoo."
The ever-quiet Baek Ri-pyeong let out a sigh without realizing it.
Nak Woo-jin's face went pale as a sheet.
Dan Mok Un-roe stared at them with complicated eyes. He still hadn't started proper bone training yet.
"Pause training for now and move these over."
At Ha Mu-baek's words, they carried the iron lumps.
The heavy chunks came in all sorts of shapes, but their uses were obvious at a glance.
"This part's for gripping with your hand, and that hole's meant to fit on an iron bar, right?"
Dang Jin-san muttered as he examined one while carrying it.
"As expected of the Tang Clan. You have an eye for tools. Spot on."
Ha Mu-baek grinned as he said it.
To Dang Jin-san, that smile looked like a demon's.
"I'll explain how to use them during tomorrow's training, so set them over there nicely and get back to forms."
Once everything was moved, at Ha Mu-baek's instruction, the five resumed practicing the Three Talents Fist Method.
Of course, Ha Mu-baek's corrections came one after another.
How could such a simple motion have so many points of critique?
But no one voiced any complaints.
They just tried their utmost to follow Ha Mu-baek's guidance.
They had no choice.
After all, he'd personally demonstrated shattering a peak expert with that Three Talents Fist Method.
There could be no doubt.
Dragon Training Pavilion Lord's office.
Four men sat gathered.
Dragon Training Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul.
Hidden Dragon Corps Leader Neung U-dam.
Wa Dragon Corps Leader Sang Gyeong-mun.
Fierce Dragon Corps Leader Moyong Jin-ho.
Fragrant tea aromas rose from the cups set before them.
"It's been a while since all three corps leaders gathered like this."
Pang Do-yul said with a faint smile.
"We met like this before the entrance ceremony, so it's been over a month."
Hidden Dragon Corps Leader Neung U-dam replied calmly.
"Right. How are this year's first-year disciples? The Fierce Dragon Corps has been so noisy I haven't paid any mind to the Hidden or Wa Dragon Corps."
At Pang Do-yul's words, Moyong Jin-ho bowed his head deeply.
Meanwhile, Neung U-dam and Sang Gyeong-mun's expressions turned subtly odd.
They knew why the Fierce Dragon Corps had been so noisy. And it tied into the embarrassments of both the Hidden and Wa Dragon Corps.
"Some strange instructor showed up. Cocky little thunderhead who doesn't know the height of the heavens."
Sang Gyeong-mun said in a chilling tone. He hailed from the Thunder Citadel, one of the Eight New Sects. He looked quite displeased that Han Pyeong from the Dorim Sect—another of the Eight New Sects—had been humiliated.
"He seems to have a decent move or two. But it's curious how a guy like that ended up assigned to the Fierce Dragon Corps."
Neung U-dam said with a sly smile.
"Well, I did accept someone dispatched from headquarters."
Neung U-dam tilted his head at Pang Do-yul's words.
"Ha Mu-baek, was it? Sounds kinda familiar."
Neung U-dam and Sang Gyeong-mun.
It had been nearly ten years since the two were dispatched to the Dragon Training Pavilion.
Not from headquarters, but from their own sects.
So they only heard headquarters news now and then, and thus knew nothing of Ha Mu-baek.
Even at headquarters, only a few knew of him, so the story hadn't reached their ears.
Besides, as corps leaders here, they had little interest in headquarters affairs.
They were born martial artists who found joy in cultivating their arts and teaching the next generation: that was Neung U-dam and Sang Gyeong-mun.
Excluding Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul, they were the two strongest in the Dragon Training Pavilion.
"Anyway, we're not gathered here about that guy."
"You mean the Summer Combat Festival?"
"Exactly. That's why I asked about this year's first-years. About two months left, right? Probably."
Pang Do-yul answered Sang Gyeong-mun's question.
"Having kids from the Tang Clan and Zhongnan Sect in the Fierce Dragon Corps is a bit surprising... but the Hidden Dragon Corps got some fine talents this year. Even ones who shouldn't have entered the pavilion did."
Pang Do-yul nodded quietly at Neung U-dam's smiling reply.
He could guess who he meant.
He'd been quite shocked himself when he saw the name.
But Neung U-dam didn't know about Yeon Ha-min.
Actually, in the Dragon Training Pavilion, only Pang Do-yul had properly known of her existence. Now it was two, with Ha Mu-baek added.
He knew the Hubei Yeon Clan's internal affairs in detail, so he'd looked into it. And at the perfect timing, he'd assigned her to Ha Mu-baek, who was posted to the Fierce Dragon Corps.
He knew that if word got back to the Yeon Clan that she was in the Fierce Dragon Corps of the Dragon Training Pavilion, it would cause major trouble.
"The Wa Dragon Corps has some good ones too. Oddly, even talent that shouldn't have entered did this year."
"Excellent. Means we have plenty of prospects to lead the Righteous Heaven Alliance in the future. This year's Summer Combat Festival should be something to look forward to."
Pang Do-yul smiled faintly. He already knew whom Sang Gyeong-mun meant.
"Will the Fierce Dragon Corps participate in this year's festival, Corps Leader Moyong?"
Neung U-dam asked Moyong Jin-ho.
"Well, I'll pass it on to the instructors, but I'm not sure if any will."
Summer Combat Festival.
The annual first-year disciple martial tournament held at the summer solstice in the Dragon Training Pavilion.
The unique part was that squads competed as teams.
The Fierce Dragon Corps' first-years were so predictable they'd rarely participated before—maybe countable on one hand.
Even when they did, it was barely one squad, and they always got embarrassingly knocked out in the first round.
Thus, they hadn't entered at all for the last four years or so.
"With Tang and Zhongnan disciples, don't you think it's worth a shot this year?"
Even at Sang Gyeong-mun's question, Moyong Jin-ho could only give a wry smile.
He'd long known those two looked down on him.
And by extension, on the Fierce Dragon Corps.
And above all, the instructor for the squad with those Tang and Zhongnan disciples was that guy.
So Moyong Jin-ho could only smile.
"Well then, prepare well for this Summer Combat Festival."
"Kwaaaak!"
With Dang Jin-san's bizarre scream, the iron bar rose upward. Heavy-looking iron lumps hung from both ends.
Dang Jin-san's body trembled violently.
His whole body was soaked in sweat.
It had been ten days now since they started lifting these hideous iron chunks.
He dreaded how bad the muscle pain would be after this hellish training, but now it was fine.
Circulating qi before bed got rid of most of it.
Something only Dang Jin-san and Baek Ri-pyeong among the five could do.
The other three hadn't built up that much internal energy yet.
"Ha, that damn instructor's such a bastard."
He grumbled while catching his breath.
"Jin-san. Focus."
Baek Ri-pyeong, checking Dang Jin-san's form beside him, said.
Ha Mu-baek was currently with Dan Mok Un-roe. He'd put on some decent weight and started full training.
"You knew too. Seriously. If you'd told me sooner, I wouldn't have suffered that insane muscle pain."
On the second day of training.
Tormented by the pain wracking his body.
He couldn't forget Ha Mu-baek's impassive face looking at him then.
When he couldn't properly follow orders due to the pain, the instructor had said, as if he were pathetic:
"Didn't circulate qi before bed? The others, I don't know, but with your level of internal energy, a single session should've cleared up most of the soreness."
It had shocked him so badly he'd been dumbfounded.
Why hadn't he thought of that?
Was it because the abuse was so severe he couldn't even think of it?
"Alright, lower it again."
While Dang Jin-san reminisced and took a brief rest, Baek Ri-pyeong spoke.
"Kuhk."
As his knees slowly descended.
"And I did circulate qi that night before sleeping."
Baek Ri-pyeong's calm, quiet voice reached Dang Jin-san's ears.
Dang Jin-san clenched his teeth, finished the rep, and glared at Baek Ri-pyeong.
"Sneaky bastard."
His voice carried an inexplicable mix of resentment and grievance.