Chapter 265
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 265
Chapter Title: Disappointed
The Wa Dragon Corps First Squad was easy to find.
It was morning class time at the academy.
At this hour, only the five members of Wa Dragon Corps First Squad were rolling around on the training ground.
They were training in defiance of the Dragon Training Pavilion's standard curriculum.
Of course, it was allowed at the discretion of their squad instructor.
Ha Mu-baek had done the same, taking Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven out on his own authority.
However, the Wa Dragon Corps First Squad's instructor was nowhere to be seen right now.
Whether he couldn't withstand Gu So-so's constant nagging or not, he was missing from sight.
Instead,
the one drilling Wa Dragon Corps First Squad was Kun Mu-han.
A five-on-five battle between the Ironclad Heavy Cavalry's five members and Wa Dragon Corps First Squad.
Ha Mu-baek watched the scene impassively.
It was fairly well-organized.
However,
'The Summer Combat Festival isn't fought that way.'
It was a natural thought.
They were currently facing Wa Dragon Corps First Squad using the Ironclad Heavy Cavalry's combat style.
And Wa Dragon Corps First Squad was responding in kind, learning the Ironclad Heavy Cavalry's techniques.
As the name implied, the Ironclad Heavy Cavalry specialized in mounted warfare.
Cavalry optimized for battles on vast open plains.
It didn't match the guerrilla warfare of the Summer Combat Festival unfolding in the Mulberry Orchid Mountain's depths.
Just then, Kun Mu-han's gaze, which had been overseeing the Wa Dragon Corps cadets' training, met Ha Mu-baek's.
Ha Mu-baek flashed a gentle smile.
'Ha Mu-baek...'
Kun Mu-han spotting Ha Mu-baek was pure coincidence.
He hadn't sensed his presence and looked over.
Growing frustrated at Wa Dragon Corps First Squad's pitiful performance, he'd glanced up at the sky to cool his irritation.
The academy rooftop caught his eye.
And there sat the man, their gazes locking.
As expected of a monster—he was a monster through and through.
Even at this distance, Kun Mu-han himself hadn't detected Ha Mu-baek's presence at all.
No one else here had noticed Ha Mu-baek's arrival either.
All eyes were fixed on the Ironclad Heavy Cavalry and the cadets.
Even with the cavalry holding back appropriately, the cadets' joint maneuvers were faltering.
Yet Gu So-so looked reasonably satisfied.
She seemed to think that level of coordination was acceptable at their skill.
Kun Mu-han shook his head discreetly.
'Now that Ha Mu-baek's back... who knows what'll happen.'
He was teaching these wastrels on the Pavilion Lord's orders.
Frankly, he was skeptical.
He'd never seen Wa Dragon Corps's twenty squads in action.
But he'd heard they were kids who'd done menial chores for the New Eight Schools.
By all logic, it was a fight they could never win.
However,
Ha Mu-baek was the wildcard.
The man he'd encountered and heard about during the last war
was a monster who turned the impossible into reality.
'Eh, that's enough.'
Having seen all he needed, Ha Mu-baek vanished in an instant.
He headed to his quarters.
He still needed to check on Fierce Dragon Corps's training before leaving.
For now, he'd catch some sleep.
There was time before afternoon training.
Fierce Dragon Corps's training was, fortunately, progressing well.
They'd reached the level Ha Mu-baek had envisioned.
Han Seol-bing had put in the effort over that time, and the other instructors had thrown themselves into it too.
For some reason,
as they oversaw the training, their eyes gleamed with fervor when looking at the cadets.
And they monitored the sessions with ruthless thoroughness and strictness.
Thanks to that, the half-baked cadets without exception endured grueling extra training.
'Are they getting revenge?'
The thought crossed Ha Mu-baek's mind.
Under the pretext of Fierce Dragon Corps training, he'd worked the instructors hard for over a month.
Watching how they treated the cadets now, it almost looked like payback.
Intentions aside, the results were good.
At this rate, he could leave for the Summer Combat Festival without issue.
Next up,
'They're busy, huh.'
Ha Mu-baek wondered if he wasn't abandoning his easy life of his own accord.
His footsteps turned toward Mulberry Orchid Mountain.
Crunch.
The sound of stepping on a fallen leaf echoed.
Not a dry, brittle leaf.
Early summer meant it still held some vitality.
The faint sound,
rang like thunder in the ears of the one who'd misplaced his foot.
"Gotcha."
And so,
Dang Jin-san's voice came from behind.
"Hoo. I lose."
Eun Hwa-ryang said with a deep sigh.
Dang Jin-san nodded with satisfaction and a grin.
"Then hold it tight. Dinner's on the line."
With that, he handed over the red band around his left forearm and quickly vanished.
Eun Hwa-ryang closed his eyes calmly.
Counting silently to three hundred in his mind,
he snapped his eyes open and sprang into motion.
Ha Mu-baek had watched the whole thing.
'Not bad.'
It looked like simple tag,
but it was stealth and tracking practice.
Last year, he'd handled five alone.
Now there were more people.
That let more of them roam the mountains honing stealth and tracking.
The effect was even better.
The Summer Combat Festival involved countless people moving through the mountains.
The more people and traces, the closer it mimicked the real thing.
Ha Mu-baek slipped away.
Toward Han Seol-bing.
She was perched high in a tree, surveying the cadets.
"Not bad."
Even at Ha Mu-baek's sudden appearance, Han Seol-bing remained composed.
Thanks to him revealing his presence just a bit on approach.
"You're late."
Her voice carried resentment.
"Good work."
Simple words. But her mood didn't soften.
"How'd it go?"
"Sorted out, more or less."
"What was it about?"
Han Seol-bing probed for details.
With everything wrapped up, withholding now would only deepen her grudge, so
Ha Mu-baek summarized the situation.
Namgung Ji-yu and Namgung Ji-hu.
They'd figure it out roughly once the two returned to the pavilion.
"Insane. Namgung Hwa-hyeon."
"Even the former clan head."
Ha Mu-baek added to Han Seol-bing's sigh.
"Who'd have thought it was real."
He'd assumed it was just idle gossip floating around the jianghu.
"Human desire always exceeds imagination."
Ha Mu-baek said calmly.
At that,
Han Seol-bing suddenly thought of her own sect.
Ice Heaven Palace.
Looking at that bastard Tak Mu-jeon, something seemed off there too.
'Should I go check?'
The notion struck her.
She glanced at Ha Mu-baek.
Even that guy had ditched Hocheon Corps to find his family.
She hadn't visited her sect yet.
Maybe she was even more heartless than him.
She thought.
"Couldn't find her?"
Gong Ya Jang-cheon asked, face twisted in a scowl.
"I-I'm sorry."
Mun In Baek-song, the Killing Blade Union's strategist, couldn't lift his head.
He hadn't expected that even mobilizing the entire network would fail.
"The Hao Gate bastards are being uncooperative?"
"They seem to be trying on the surface. But after that incident last time..."
"Tch."
Gong Ya Jang-cheon clicked his tongue at Mun In Baek-song's words.
"Looks like I'm a laughingstock too."
Faint anger laced his tone.
But there was nothing he could do.
The Hao Gate was already weakened from the prior affair.
If Killing Blade Union pushed, it'd be dismantling Righteous Heaven Alliance's counter to the Beggar Clan with their own hands.
The Hao Gate knew that full well, hence their attitude.
"Tch."
Gong Ya Jang-cheon clicked his tongue again.
"Strategist."
"Yes."
Mun In Baek-song bowed even deeper.
"I'm disappointed."
Short words, brimming with sincerity.
Mun In Baek-song couldn't straighten up.
"Why is this happening? We threw everything we had at it. What's the reason we can't find that girl after three whole months?"
Frustration filled the question.
Gong Ya Jang-cheon knew the answer but had to ask again.
"It seems the young lady has left Killing Blade Union territory. Searching Righteous Heaven Alliance lands has its limits..."
Unless they were the Hao Gate, they couldn't freely scour Righteous Heaven Alliance territory.
The Beggar Clan and Hao Gate were the only ones Righteous Heaven Alliance and Killing Blade Union turned a blind eye to.
No city lacked beggars or pleasure houses, after all.
"We can't exactly alert Righteous Heaven Alliance either."
Obvious.
"Especially with that artifact the Union Lord gifted the young lady..."
Mun In Baek-song trailed off.
Gong Ya Jang-cheon furrowed his brow.
"I've gone and shot myself in the foot."
He muttered bitterly.
He'd given it so she could roam carefree when frustrated.
Who knew it'd backfire like this.
"Who could find her regardless of that artifact?"
"Someone with exceptional qi sense. They need to pinpoint presences accurately."
"What level?"
Gong Ya Jang-cheon pressed.
"To comb the world, one person would need at least guardian-level skill. If weaker, we'd need masses of them."
Killing Blade Union guardians rampaging through Righteous Heaven Alliance territory?
That was a declaration of war.
Hordes of Killing Blade Union warriors prowling the area? Same issue.
"Tch."
He already knew.
Mun In Baek-song gauged Gong Ya Jang-cheon's mood.
In his desperation, considering every option, one idea had emerged.
It might work, but the odds were slim.
"What?"
Gong Ya Jang-cheon caught his look.
"It's... a long shot, success-wise."
"Speak."
Mun In Baek-song had repeated the same excuses till now.
A new idea from him was worth hearing.
"Uh, Ha Mu-baek."
The answer burst out.
Gong Ya Jang-cheon stared at Mun In Baek-song.
"Why him all of a sudden?"
He asked, but his mind raced.
People assumed the unorthodox alliance Killing Blade Union's leader was brutish and crude.
Gong Ya Jang-cheon was the opposite.
Logical, intellectual.
And coldly rational.
That's why no outburst despite the failure report.
"He could do it."
No need for elaboration.
Mun In Baek-song saw Gong Ya Jang-cheon had grasped his intent from his eyes.
"Right. Yeah. He could."
Gong Ya Jang-cheon nodded.
His skill, that monstrous qi sense, free to roam Righteous Heaven Alliance or even Killing Blade Union territory.
Perfect fit.
Precisely because it was absurd, Gong Ya Jang-cheon hadn't considered it.
Mun In Baek-song hadn't either, last time.
"You're really backed into a corner to think of him."
Mun In Baek-song gave a wry smile at Gong Ya Jang-cheon's words.
"If the young lady wandered somewhere like Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, it'd be disaster."
Gong Ya Jang-cheon nodded at Mun In Baek-song's words.
"She's not that thoughtless."
Still, worry etched his face.
"Is Ha Mu-baek still at the pavilion?"
"Probably."
"Whether it works or not, we ask. Tch."
And so, someone departed from Killing Blade Union toward Wuchang, bearing Gong Ya Jang-cheon's letter.
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