Chapter 20
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: This Won't Do……
A foul taste filled his mouth.
It was thanks to the changed intensity of the training.
Even earlier than the morning practice session. Officially, there was no schedule at this hour, yet they had come out to the training grounds.
Everyone sat cross-legged, immersed in their heart methods.
Ha Mu-baek assisted each of them with their heart method circulation.
He allotted about one ke each per person, and whenever Ha Mu-baek helped, the effects were on a whole different level compared to circulating it alone.
Only Baek Ri-pyeong refused his assistance, practicing his sect's Zhongnan heart method instead.
The morning was for muscle and bone training. The intensity had grown even fiercer. Even Dan Mok Un-roe, who now had some decent flesh on his bones, underwent the same regimen.
"Your form is off. When lifting that weight, I told you to make sure the stimulus hits your back muscles properly, right?"
At Ha Mu-baek's sharp rebuke, Dang Jin-san immediately focused as much as possible on his back muscles.
It went on like this.
With eyes like a ghost's, he meticulously checked the conditions of all five, pointing out flaws and instructing them.
Lunchtime had been shortened too.
No, the other cadets still had their lunch break, but Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven was different.
Ha Mu-baek stuck right by them, overseeing the training.
Practice of the Three Talents Fist Method forms.
It was far more intense and fierce.
The instruction resembled actual combat. He guided them almost like one-on-one spars.
And the finale of the form practice was a five-against-one bout.
Normally, the day's schedule would end here, but there was still training time left.
Thanks to starting from early dawn and rolling around.
"Here, catch."
Ha Mu-baek tossed wooden swords without edges to the five.
"This is……."
"You weren't planning to fight the Summer Combat Festival barehanded, were you?"
"……"
No one could answer Ha Mu-baek's question.
"The Wa Dragon Corps and Hidden Dragon Corps guys will all climb the mountain with their signature weapons. You think the weakest ones among you can make do with just fist methods? You need weapons."
"Is that a sword?"
Dang Jin-san asked.
"No. You'll need shields too."
With that, Ha Mu-baek also tossed them shields.
"Jegal Myeong's shield techniques are pretty decent. Aside from needing both hands, that is."
When had he prepared these?
The shields were smaller than the usual ones. Small enough to wield comfortably with one hand.
"Shield in the left hand, sword in the right. Shield techniques from Jegal Myeong, sword method is the Three Talents Sword Method. Lucky, huh? They mesh pretty well."
"My sect's sword method is enough for me."
Baek Ri-pyeong said.
But Ha Mu-baek shook his head.
"All five of you need to learn this."
"Why?"
"Because each one works as individual martial arts, but they also form a combined formation. Jegal Myeong's shield techniques were designed with group combat in mind from the start, and the Three Talents Sword Method can pull it off too."
"……."
Baek Ri-pyeong had no retort to Ha Mu-baek's explanation. Still, his expression showed reluctance.
"The Three Talents Sword Method is one of the basic sword arts taught in any sword sect anyway. No issues there, right?"
"True, but…… to stoop to the Three Talents Sword Method……."
His voice was still full of dissatisfaction.
Baek Ri-pyeong had immense pride in his sect, Zhongnan.
"Sigh. Better you experience it yourself than hear me explain a hundred times."
Ha Mu-baek took the wooden sword from Dan Mok Un-roe's hand.
"Come at me. With that sect sword method you're so confident in."
Ha Mu-baek spoke to Baek Ri-pyeong without even drawing his sword.
After biting his lip briefly, Baek Ri-pyeong set his shield aside and created distance.
Then he slowly drew his sword and assumed a ready stance.
"Heavenly Star Sword Method, huh."
At Ha Mu-baek's calm remark, Baek Ri-pyeong's eyes twitched faintly. How had he identified the sword method from just the stance?
But he soon composed himself.
"Here I come."
And then.
He swung his sword.
As if countless stars in the night sky were twinkling to life, Baek Ri-pyeong's blade thrust toward Ha Mu-baek.
Precisely five directions.
Aiming for the head, both shoulders, and both knees.
Ha Mu-baek stepped into the sword light and drew his blade in a swing.
The motion was simple.
First, a horizontal slash deflected the initial strike.
Yet the sword still stabbed toward his head.
Ha Mu-baek seemed to thrust back at it, but no. He deftly struck the tip of Baek Ri-pyeong's blade, sliding his own along the length.
Ha Mu-baek's sword tip arrived right before Baek Ri-pyeong's throat.
The instant Baek Ri-pyeong's sword futilely pierced empty air.
Offense and defense as one.
The block turned instantly into an attack, precisely striking the opponent's throat.
"……."
Baek Ri-pyeong was speechless.
Ha Mu-baek quickly sheathed his sword and tossed it back to Dan Mok Un-roe.
"This is the Three Talents Sword Method you'll learn."
The other four watched with wide eyes.
No matter the skill gap, for the match to end in one exchange.
"Crazy…… Not just fist methods, but his swordsmanship is on that level too?"
Dang Jin-san muttered unconsciously, unable to believe it.
Baek Ri-pyeong let his sword droop limply.
"Don't say it'd be different with the Heavenly Star Milky Way Sword Method."
Ha Mu-baek said calmly.
Baek Ri-pyeong had no reply.
Even if he used Zhongnan's signature art, the Heavenly Star Milky Way Sword Method, he wasn't confident he could block that Three Talents Sword Method.
No, it was almost certain the result would be the same.
"Zhongnan's sword methods are excellent, of course. But for this Summer Combat Festival, the Three Talents Sword Method is what you need."
"……Understood."
With that, Baek Ri-pyeong acquiesced.
They trained in shield techniques and sword methods, but footwork was added too.
The foot movements differed from the Three Talents Fist Method.
Because they were used with the shield techniques.
Ha Mu-baek taught the five without a moment's rest.
The training continued until sunset.
Ha Mu-baek also held a shield and wooden sword.
Yeon Ha-min and Baek Ri-pyeong faced him.
Their stances now looked quite convincing.
"Tahat."
With a short shout, Yeon Ha-min's sword thrust toward Ha Mu-baek's throat.
It was the third form of the Three Talents Sword Method: Benevolence Sword.
She was now infusing each motion with internal energy.
Ha Mu-baek lightly deflected her sword with his shield, and Baek Ri-pyeong's blade swept horizontally toward his waist.
Ha Mu-baek parried that strike. As he counterattacked toward the throat, Baek Ri-pyeong blocked with his shield.
Their coordination was quite natural now.
Did they sense it too? A faint smile appeared at the corners of Yeon Ha-min's otherwise impassive lips.
The two pressed Ha Mu-baek harder.
Though it was a spar, it was also instruction, so Ha Mu-baek strictly limited himself to movements matching their level.
Overwhelming them with his full skill wouldn't teach them anything.
Thanks to that, the two began to push Ha Mu-baek back bit by bit. A first in a two-against-one.
Did that breed carelessness?
As their sword swings grew wider, exposing a small opening, Ha Mu-baek didn't miss it.
"Ugh."
The moment Yeon Ha-min let out a small groan and retreated, Baek Ri-pyeong launched himself at Ha Mu-baek to support her.
Suddenly, a shield flew toward Baek Ri-pyeong's face.
"What the……."
To think he'd throw his weapon.
In his panic, as he struck the shield away with his sword, a heavy impact hit his side.
Ha Mu-baek's fist had slammed in.
"Kuhk."
The match ended as Baek Ri-pyeong dropped to one knee.
"In battle, you never know what might happen. Even if it's not a throwing weapon, you can hurl it like this. Whether the enemy does it or you do. Don't panic if they throw theirs, and when you have no options, you should be able to throw yours too. That's why we train fist methods—to fight barehanded if needed."
Everyone nodded at Ha Mu-baek's follow-up explanation.
"Of course, this isn't orthodox. It's a trick, a scheme. But combat isn't a spar. Defeat means death. You can't predict what dirty tricks the enemy will pull. So you have to be ready to do anything, right up to the very last moment."
Baek Ri-pyeong's expression shifted slightly at those words.
He was born a warrior.
"In war, there's no such thing as fair play. Survival is victory, and victory is justice."
Dang Jin-san asked at Ha Mu-baek's added words.
"So spitting or throwing dirt is fine too?"
Ha Mu-baek chuckled.
"In real war, when the enemy is right in front of you, you'll do worse than that. Fair and square is for proper duels."
Dan Mok Un-roe nodded.
"Tomorrow's a rest day, so we'll call it here today. You need rest to keep running. If any of you want to train tomorrow anyway, feel free to come to the grounds."
The five faces twisted miserably at that.
It was the harsh training they wanted, but this level of harshness was too much.
They needed a breather.
In fact, they'd already turned two rest days into training sessions this month.
Two of the precious five monthly rest days.
So tomorrow, they were giving Ha Mu-baek a break.
"Anyway, it's the last rest day before the Summer Combat Festival. Enjoy it."
With that, Ha Mu-baek turned and left.
The five watched his back with complicated gazes.
The instructor who once said there was no point teaching doomed cadets and to just go home. Who'd have thought he'd push them this hard?
It felt less like training and more like military drills.
Thanks to it, the five cadets of Squad Seven had grown unrecognizably. The bonds between squad members had strengthened too.
They'd poured in bloody effort, but all five felt the results surpassed that effort.
Especially Dang Jin-san.
Was it because the instructor had said he had talent?
He was seeing results every day that he'd never tasted back in the Tang Clan.
"So, what're we doing tomorrow, everyone?"
Dang Jin-san turned and asked.
"Training."
Yeon Ha-min's curt reply.
"Resting."
From Nak Woo-jin.
"We have to train."
Baek Ri-pyeong said matter-of-factly, replaying his recent spar with the instructor.
"Uh, I was thinking of heading home."
Dan Mok Un-roe said hesitantly.
Cadets were allowed personal outings on rest days.
"Oh, right. You're from Wuchang, aren't you?"
Dang Jin-san said as if just remembering. Come to think of it, Dan Mok Un-roe had gone out one rest day last month too.
"Alright. Decided. Let's all go to Un-roe's place together. It's a rest day—time to relax."
"Huh? W-what do you mean?"
Most flustered was Dan Mok Un-roe.
How shabby his home was. He didn't mind showing it to an instructor, but not to others.
Especially not to Dang Jin-san.
He knew what an amazing clan he came from.
"It's fine. Totally fine. Besides, we haven't even had a squad dinner just among ourselves. Let's go out together. Bonding before the Summer Combat Festival."
Thinking about it, the only time they'd gone out to eat as a group was that first day, when Ha Mu-baek took them.
"This is my first proposal as squad leader. Meet at the training grounds tomorrow at lunch, then."
He walked off briskly, as if not waiting for replies.
"Ha."
Yeon Ha-min let out a low sigh and shook her head.
"Hm."
Baek Ri-pyeong eyed Dang Jin-san's retreating figure thoughtfully.
"This won't do……."
Dan Mok Un-roe muttered with a woeful face.
Rest day.
In the end, Dan Mok Un-roe had no choice but to leave the Dragon Training Pavilion with the entire squad.
He shared a room in the Fierce Dragon Dormitory with Dang Jin-san, so sneaking out alone was impossible.
"Oho. Nice. Bustling streets like this really smell like life."
Dang Jin-san, walking right behind Dan Mok Un-roe, looked around happily.
Was it the grueling training?
The shadow from when Dang Chu had bested him was gone from Dang Jin-san's face.
Back to his initial cheerful self.
"Dinner first. Un-roe, what's good in Wuchang? I don't know the area well."
Dan Mok Un-roe didn't know either.
Until entering the Fierce Dragon Corps, he'd never been to inns, taverns, or restaurants here.
"I don't know any places……."
Dan Mok Un-roe mumbled, shrinking inwardly.
"Hm…… Well, then just go to the biggest, flashiest one. They might overcharge compared to food quality, but at least they maintain a baseline."
Dang Jin-san nodded and took the lead.
Following him, Dan Mok Un-roe entered the most lavish tavern of his life for the first time.
The food was superb.
A feast of dishes Dan Mok Un-roe had never even seen.
Of course, the prices were eye-poppingly high.
"Mm. Tastes great, and the price is fair."
Unaware or not of Dan Mok Un-roe's turmoil, Dang Jin-san nodded in satisfaction.
He then took a package from the waiter.
"Huh? What's that?"
"This? First time visiting a comrade's home—you don't go empty-handed. Picked some of the good stuff we ate."
Dang Jin-san said casually to Dan Mok Un-roe's question.
As they entered the tavern, Dang Jin-san had recalled Squad Seven's first day in the Fierce Dragon Corps.
The dinner at the inn that evening, and the conversation between the instructor and Dan Mok Un-roe.
That's when he'd realized Dan Mok Un-roe's family situation wasn't great, and prepared accordingly.
"Come on, let's go."
At Dang Jin-san's urging, Dan Mok Un-roe had to take the lead.
The streets grew shabbier with each step.
Everyone noticed, but no one showed it.
Thus, the five entered the slums. Dan Mok Un-roe's shoulders hunched more and more.
The more so, the more Dang Jin-san chatted casually, drawing laughs to ease his mind.
To put Dan Mok Un-roe at ease.
Slum dwellers glanced at the five. Well-dressed and armed, they naturally drew eyes.
"For a place like this, the public order seems decent."
Baek Ri-pyeong said, scanning the people around.
It was true.
The street seemed ripe for fights, thefts, pickpocketing—yet it was quiet.
No heaps of filth as expected; surprisingly clean.
If not for the crumbling houses and ragged clothes, you'd never guess it was Wuchang's slums.
"Though the beggars are a bit……."
Dang Jin-san trailed off.
A sudden thought struck him.
"Un-roe's here. Long time no see. Heh heh heh."
"Huh? Grandpa?"
Then, a wrinkled old beggar missing a front tooth greeted Dan Mok Un-roe happily.