Chapter 31
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Look at That
Namgung Ji-hu remained immersed in meditative breathing for a full half shichen.
Once his complexion had somewhat returned, he rose to his feet.
His movements were still feeble, but he was now able to make his way down the mountain path on his own.
Nak Woo-jin had adapted to the pain to some degree as well; though limping, he managed to walk without assistance.
Ha Mu-baek led the way, with the two following behind.
Neither of them uttered a word.
Namgung Ji-hu stared at Ha Mu-baek's back with complicated eyes.
'It must be because of that instructor.'
Fierce Dragon Squad Seven.
When they had entered, they were no different from any other Fierce Dragon squad. Sure, there were two with unusual backgrounds—the Tang Clan and Zhongnan Sect—but nothing extraordinary about their level.
Hadn't Dang Chu picked a fight with them, only to have it all confirmed at the Devouring Dragon Pavilion?
Yet here they were, transformed in such a short time.
If there was anything setting Fierce Dragon Squad Seven apart from the others, it had to be their instructor.
That instructor was the one who had changed them like this. Just what kind of person was he?
Such questions filled his mind.
At that moment, Ha Mu-baek veered off the path.
He abandoned the clear trail for a treacherous one. Even without knowing the local routes, Namgung Ji-hu was certain this wasn't the way.
"This doesn't look like the right path."
Nak Woo-jin followed silently, but Namgung Ji-hu halted and spoke up.
Ha Mu-baek stopped and glanced back.
"Wouldn't it be better to avoid running into anyone until we reach the base of the mountain?"
Namgung Ji-hu could only purse his lips, unable to reply right away.
The question had read his innermost thoughts perfectly.
It was still the very early stages of the Summer Combat Festival.
For him—the first-year cadet rated as the strongest in the entire Dragon Training Pavilion—to drop out at this point?
It would spread eventually, but he wanted to avoid meeting other cadets on the descent and letting rumors fly midway through the festival.
No other reason. It was simple.
Embarrassing.
"...You're right."
In the end, Namgung Ji-hu forced out the words.
"That way, we'll run into others. Probably two squads soon."
Ha Mu-baek spoke casually and moved to continue.
At those words, Namgung Ji-hu widened his eyes.
His own senses had picked up nothing.
An instructor might have a broader range of perception and qi sense, but even so—how vast was it?
There wasn't the slightest sign on any path visible to the naked eye.
Even the visually confirmable distance far exceeded Namgung Ji-hu's sensory range.
'What in the world is that instructor's true nature?'
Namgung Ji-hu followed Ha Mu-baek's back with a bewildered expression.
'I need to find out.'
With that resolve, he stepped forward.
"Argh! You damn bastard! Where the hell are you hiding?!"
Dang Chu's outburst echoed through the trees.
His furious shout returned to him moments later, nothing more.
He was utterly lost.
Now, he couldn't even find his way back to where he'd started. The more he moved, the deeper into the woods he went.
The moment he realized it, Dang Chu froze. He scanned his surroundings and crept along slowly, but there was no way out.
He had let his guard down.
Sichuan Province, home of the Tang Clan.
The land also known as West Sichuan was infamous for its rugged mountains.
Dang Chu hailed from there.
That's why he'd underestimated Mokran Mountain.
But Mokran wasn't some small hill, and without knowing how to read mountain paths, he was helpless.
What good was his Sichuan origin? He hadn't grown up navigating those treacherous peaks.
He'd never even ventured beyond the bustling walls of Chengdu.
He simply hadn't known himself.
"We expected this, but he's in even worse shape."
Yeon Ha-min spoke upon arriving near the spot where Dang Jin-san had ditched Dang Chu.
It was a scheme crafted from the personality Dang Jin-san had described.
Yet Dang Jin-san hadn't fully grasped him either. Judging by the meltdown, his state was far worse than they'd anticipated.
Of course, it was good news for Fierce Dragon Squad Seven.
"He hasn't gone far."
Dang Jin-san had braced for a long pursuit, but said otherwise.
Dang Chu had tried to break free and chase him, but in this pathless deep forest, he'd just circled the same area repeatedly.
The four drew close enough to vaguely make out Dang Chu's figure.
He looked thoroughly exhausted, both mentally and physically.
"Might be easier than we thought."
Baek Ri-pyeong said.
The clash with Namgung Ji-hu had bolstered their confidence.
They'd suffered from a moment's carelessness, but that experience had only hardened them further.
They all nodded at his words.
And their gazes converged on one person.
Dang Jin-san.
It was his chance to sever one thread of his long-standing grudge with Dang Chu.
The relationship had stemmed from Dang Chu's one-sided bullying, but it was something Dang Jin-san needed to settle.
Having joined the Fierce Dragon Corps and met Ha Mu-baek, he was in the midst of discovering a new self.
Muk Hae-jin watched the scene with keen interest.
Even in his view, they weren't likely to lose.
The four exchanged glances and aligned their intentions wordlessly.
No need for ambushes or sneak attacks.
This wasn't carelessness.
It was payback for the humiliations Dang Chu had inflicted over the years—time to return them tenfold.
Crunch.
With the sound of footsteps, the four stepped out before Dang Chu.
"Quit hiding like rats and come out already... Huh?"
Dang Chu was gearing up for another tirade when he spotted them.
His reddened eyes swept over the four from Fierce Dragon Squad Seven.
"Kekeke. Thought you rats had scampered off somewhere, but you went to fetch friends? One's missing, though—only four of you? Doesn't matter. You're all dying here anyway."
He glanced around.
His eyes caught the referee Muk Hae-jin standing at a distance.
"Tch."
Dang Chu clicked his tongue, as if something irked him.
Muk Hae-jin barely suppressed a chuckle at the sight.
Referees had to remain strictly neutral.
Dang Jin-san stepped forward, sword and shield at the ready.
"Huh? What's this? Jin-san, you gonna take me on alone?"
Dang Chu had already uncoiled his whip, a bladeless dagger in his left hand. He grinned with amusement.
"Forgot what happened at the Devouring Dragon Pavilion already? Knew you were dim, but not that dim. Heh."
His face brimmed with mockery.
Dang Jin-san met that gaze calmly. The other three fell back.
Dang Chu's expression turned incredulous. Their intent was crystal clear.
A one-on-one duel: himself versus Dang Jin-san.
What a pathetic ploy.
A signal flare announcing a dropout burst into the sky over Mokran Mountain.
Muk Hae-jin had fired it—the first of the day.
"Which squad does the instructor for that flare oversee?"
Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul asked.
Neung U-dam checked his ledger and replied.
"Instructor Muk Hae-jin. He's judging Fierce Dragon Squad Seven."
"Heh."
Sang Gyeong-mun let out a snicker.
Pang Do-yul shot him a frown.
"Pavilion Lord. Look at that. The first dropout's from the trash, as expected. A tournament like this is just a hollow ritual. Even in a luck-dependent event like the Summer Combat Festival, those losers can't catch a break. First dropout of the festival."
Some lingering resentment from the pre-festival debate, perhaps.
Sang Gyeong-mun's assessment was biting.
"Hmm."
Pang Do-yul leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
He had no urge to argue.
If it was the Ha Mu-baek he knew, he wouldn't let a dropout happen so anticlimactically.
He could think that because he knew what Ha Mu-baek had been like in the last war.
It didn't have to be a Fierce Dragon dropout—Muk Hae-jin's flare could mean their opponent had lost, and he was still the judge.
So Pang Do-yul stayed silent.
Once the dropouts appeared, it would all become clear.
Oblivious to Pang Do-yul's thoughts, Sang Gyeong-mun sat smugly, shooting him sidelong glances.
See, Pavilion Lord? I was right, his face seemed to say.
How much time passed?
Three figures became visible at the mountain's base.
"The dropouts are coming down!"
Pang Do-yul rose at the report. He was curious. Fierce Dragon or not?
Neung U-dam and Sang Gyeong-mun followed suit.
Heading to the entrance, the three confirmed the faces of the newcomers.
Pang Do-yul smiled knowingly, as if to say Of course.
Neung U-dam gaped in disbelief.
Sang Gyeong-mun stood dumbfounded, mouth half-open, unable to process.
Standing behind Ha Mu-baek were Namgung Ji-hu and Nak Woo-jin.
They didn't know Nak Woo-jin, but their eyes locked on Namgung Ji-hu.
Namgung Ji-hu.
The first-year cadet hailed as the strongest in the Dragon Training Pavilion.
No—strong enough that he was considered the top across the entire pavilion, including the fourth-years.
Yet he was descending as the very first dropout.
Injured, no less.
His pale face and the blood at his lips spoke volumes without a word.
"What in the world happened?"
Neung U-dam, who had escorted Namgung Ji-hu to his assigned tent, asked with utter disbelief.
How could Namgung Ji-hu be the Summer Combat Festival's first dropout?
"We fought. I lost. That's it."
Namgung Ji-hu replied curtly.
"Hoo."
A frustrated sigh escaped Neung U-dam. What on earth was going on?
"This is..."
The bafflement was shared by everyone else.
Among them was Fierce Dragon Corps Leader Moyong Jin-ho.
The first dropout signal was from Muk Hae-jin. He oversaw Fierce Dragon Squad Seven.
That meant Squad Seven had faced Namgung Ji-hu—and won.
Pang Do-yul stood beside him, grinning faintly.
"How about that? Seems your Fierce Dragon cadets put up a good fight."
"I have no idea what happened."
Moyong Jin-ho's gaze drifted to the mountain path as he answered.
Ha Mu-baek, who had brought the two dropouts here, had already re-entered Mokran Mountain.
Numerous instructors swarmed the injured Fierce Dragon cadet Nak Woo-jin, pressing for details.
Unlike with Namgung Ji-hu, whom Neung U-dam had taken, there was less hesitation here.
Even under all that questioning and pressure, Nak Woo-jin kept his lips sealed.
He was an injured man, after all.
The physician's tirade eventually forced the instructors to back off.
"Ha Mu-baek. Not your average guy, is he?"
Pang Do-yul asked.
Just as an answer was about to come...
A third dropout flare rose into the sky.
Muk Hae-jin's, once more.