Chapter 315
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 315
Chapter Title: Baek-a?
Ha Mu-baek's day was the same as always.
He leaned casually against the podium on the training ground, overseeing the cadets' drills.
His eyes watched the training, his mouth pointed out areas for improvement.
And his mind was immersed in contemplation of his koan.
Just like that, handling three tasks at once to pass the time.
Then, one of Ha Mu-baek's remaining senses was stimulated.
A sound reached his ears.
Coo-coo, goo-goo. Coo-coo, goo-goo.
A cry echoing from high in the sky.
Ha Mu-baek paused what he was doing and looked up at the heavens.
A pitch-black bird circling high above.
"Baek-a?"
Did it hear that quiet mutter?
The black pigeon dove straight toward Ha Mu-baek.
Perching on his shoulder, it extended one leg.
A message tube.
He untied it and held it in his hand, and the bird took off again.
"Looks like you pushed yourself pretty hard..."
Unlike a spirit beast, it was covered in wounds here and there.
And utterly exhausted to boot.
That meant this little guy had flown in a tremendous hurry.
Which meant something serious had happened to Han Seol-bing.
He had told her to send Baek-a if anything came up, but he hadn't expected the bird to arrive in such a state.
Ha Mu-baek hurriedly opened the tube and pulled out the letter.
The tiny missive was densely packed with minuscule code written in cipher script.
"Hmm."
Ha Mu-baek's expression gradually hardened.
The more he read, the more gripping the contents became.
And the final words at the end.
-Please help. Corps Leader.
Ha Mu-baek's eyebrow twitched.
He wanted to rush to the North Sea right that instant to aid her.
However.
He couldn't.
The hundred or so Fierce Dragon Corps cadets diligently swinging swords and shields below.
He couldn't just abandon those kids.
Hadn't he already promised to take responsibility for their training?
With Han Seol-bing gone, there was no one else he could trust them to.
Yet he couldn't ignore her plea either.
If she was asking for help like this, it was no ordinary situation.
In the end, he needed to find a way.
A way to properly teach the Fierce Dragon Corps kids while heading to the North Sea himself.
Ha Mu-baek's gaze shifted back to the cadets training diligently.
'Not bad.'
They had reached the point where they could at least mimic the forms decently.
At that level.
They wouldn't go down easily even to Four-River City thugs.
As long as they gripped their shields right and moved as trained.
Now, he needed to drill those movements into their bodies so they emerged in any situation.
And for that, sparring like real combat was essential.
He couldn't take them all to the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest right now.
From here on, it was the phase where Ha Mu-baek himself had to step in, move his body, and push the cadets hard.
A situation where he absolutely couldn't step away.
To entrust them, it had to be someone who could drive these kids as fiercely as he could.
Someone like that...
Ha Mu-baek, shaking his head, stopped his gaze at one spot.
The one holding a broom and looking right at him.
Wi Ji-gun.
As his master, he exceeded every condition.
The only worry was whether it was right to ask such a favor from the position of disciple.
Meanwhile, Wi Ji-gun, meeting his disciple's eyes, smiled faintly.
He had been worrying about his disciple lately and had been cleaning around here more often to keep watch.
Wondering how Ha Mu-baek would resolve that koan about erasing the scent of blood.
But from his current expression, it seemed he had some request.
"One hour rest."
Ha Mu-baek ordered the cadets to rest and stood up.
"Something the matter?"
Wi Ji-gun had clearly seen the messenger bird descend.
"Seol-bing. Seems trouble with the guy stalking her... or rather, his sect and clan."
Wi Ji-gun already knew of Baek-a's existence.
"Oh no..."
Regret flickered across Wi Ji-gun's face.
Having been at the Dragon Training Pavilion for so long, he had long since gauged her character and personality.
He knew well how much she had helped Ha Mu-baek, directly and indirectly.
"We have to help her."
Wi Ji-gun stated plainly.
Ha Mu-baek nodded.
"She's asking for it."
"Of course. She's your woman, isn't she?"
"But..."
Wi Ji-gun gazed steadily at Ha Mu-baek.
"I can't step away because of those kids."
Ha Mu-baek gestured toward the vast training ground.
Wi Ji-gun nodded as if he understood.
"Right. It's the task you took on. That's why you were looking at me like that."
"My apologies."
"No need. I have to help. When a disciple is in trouble, it's only natural for the master to assist."
Wi Ji-gun agreed readily.
Ha Mu-baek had expected as much.
"Just... mind covering your face?"
Wi Ji-gun asked.
Of course.
To the cadets here, Wi Ji-gun was just the old janitor Wi.
If he suddenly appeared claiming to teach martial arts.
Ha Mu-baek racked his brain.
"There's a suitable disguise technique. For you, Master, you could master it enough to change your appearance by tonight."
The martial arts Wi Ji-gun knew were solely those of his sect, the Infinite Sword Sect.
He had no interest in others and had never learned any.
Ha Mu-baek, through the Great Martial War, had battled fiercely against the Blood Cult and Demonic Cult.
He had picked up whatever techniques were needed at the time.
Some from the Blood Cult or Demonic Cult, some from unorthodox schools, even minor tricks scorned in the jianghu.
Part of it was Ha Mu-baek's absurd talent for observing someone else's technique once and replicating it convincingly.
"That'll do. So, what do you need me to do?"
Ha Mu-baek carefully explained the cadets' current level.
And the training methods he planned to implement from today.
"Got it. I'll observe today."
"Thank you, Master."
Ha Mu-baek bowed deeply at the waist.
Wi Ji-gun patted his disciple's shoulder and left with his broom.
He was heading off, but from now on, Wi Ji-gun would watch everything happening on the training ground intently.
The sweet hour of rest ended.
Cadets reassembled in formation on the training ground.
They prepared for training with familiar motions.
Ha Mu-baek ascended the podium.
"Training content changes now. Next phase."
At his curt words, the cadets exchanged glances and murmured.
It had been tough, but they had finally adapted somewhat.
Now advancing to the next phase?
How much harder would it get?
Such worries flooded in first.
"Leave space in the center and move to the training ground perimeter."
At Ha Mu-baek's command, the cadets moved.
Thus, a hundred cadets encircled the vast training ground's center, leaving it empty.
"All sit."
At the next order, they tilted their heads but complied.
They had braced for harsher training, yet suddenly told to sit.
"Second-year Squad Seven and Squad Twenty. Forward."
Ha Mu-baek said from the center.
At those words.
Squad Seven's faces turned ashen.
They knew all too well what this meant.
"Sparring."
"It's sparring."
"He won't go easy, right?"
"How long can we last?"
Whispering lowly, they moved to the training ground's dead center.
"From now, spar with me. The whole squad uses the shield techniques trained so far to block my attacks. Time limit: one-third hour. Hold out however you can. If you can't hold... well."
Ha Mu-baek stopped there, eyeing Squad Seven and Twenty members.
A chill ran through them.
'Hold even if it kills us. Or we're dead.'
A premonition flashing through Dang Jin-san's mind.
"Shields up."
At Ha Mu-baek's order, Squad Seven formed their shield wall.
"Here I come."
With that short word.
Ha Mu-baek's leg shot out, striking a shield.
Thud!
Baek Ri-pyeong was pushed back with the sound.
Of course, they were under internal energy suppression right now.
The moment they blocked Ha Mu-baek's kick, Dan Mok Un-roe and Nak Woo-jin charged from both sides, shields forward.
Ha Mu-baek swung both fists, batting the shields aside.
Then charged at Baek Ri-pyeong again.
Watching his movements, Squad Seven sensed it.
'He's matching our level.'
Baek Ri-pyeong realized it as Ha Mu-baek rushed him.
'He's luring the shield technique's flow.'
Yeon Ha-min read the direction of Ha Mu-baek's fists and feet.
She grasped his intent.
Then they had to move as intended.
They moved sword and shield as fast and strong as trained.
Thud! Thump-thud! Thud!
A fierce exchange of advance and retreat unfolded.
The other cadets watched the scene in a daze.
One against seven.
Yet the seven were being pushed back.
In the midst.
Joo Woo-myeong thrust forward with shield first, aiming at Ha Mu-baek's side.
Ha Mu-baek's eyes gleamed.
"Shield technique training!"
Shouting that, his fist flashed like lightning.
Crack!
It struck Joo Woo-myeong's head squarely.
The price for Ha Mu-baek reading the Taiji Subtle Sword mystery mixed into his thrust.
Seeing that, Dan Mok Un-roe swallowed dryly.
He had planned to follow with the Eighty-One Forms Galaxy Illusion Sword.
He would have ended up the same.
He hurriedly thrust his sword as per the shield technique.
Thud.
Ha Mu-baek batted the sword aside.
Then kicked away the approaching shield.
Baek Ri-pyeong watched the two, then moved his sword swiftly.
Using the shield technique taught by Ha Mu-baek alongside swordsmanship, plus joint technique motions.
Myeong Form.
Honoring Jegal Myeong, who invented the three arts and passed them to Fierce Dragon Corps for free, Ha Mu-baek named them after him.
Myeong Form Joint Technique. Myeong Form Shield Technique. Myeong Form Sword Technique.
Baek Ri-pyeong executed the sword as learned.
However.
The energy riding the blade was different.
Ha Mu-baek's face said, "Well, well."
The other cadets in Squad Seven and Twenty also recognized Baek Ri-pyeong's move.
That instant.
Their movements changed.
Clearly using the Myeong Form Joint Technique taught by Ha Mu-baek.
But each motion infused with their own insights.
Displaying tremendous power.
The other Fierce Dragon Corps cadets gaped at the sight.
To think such people were in the same Fierce Dragon Corps as them.
Unbelievable.
Even Ha Mu-baek's expression turned serious.
He still showed movements inducing the Myeong Form, but the energy in his hands had changed.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang! Clang! Clang!
Dazzling clashes came and went.
The promised time was nearing its end.
These kids already had the shield techniques drilled into their bodies.
Ha Mu-baek confirmed that fact thoroughly.
Not only that, but infusing their own insights into the Myeong Form.
Tremendous growth.
Impressive.
But that was that, and this was this.
Ending it like this wouldn't set an example for the others.
Ha Mu-baek's fist and foot speed increased.
The energy grew fiercer.
Even knowing the flow, without internal energy, they couldn't keep up with the speed.
Strikes too heavy to fully block even if timed right.
In the end.
Squad Seven and Twenty.
All beaten down by Ha Mu-baek and sprawled on the training ground.
Ha Mu-baek's hands were impartial.
Even his little sister Ha Seol-ran got thrashed the same as the rest.
That moment.
Silence fell over the vast training ground.
What Ha Mu-baek had said would happen if they couldn't hold was unfolding before their eyes.
The cadets who had watched Squad Seven and Twenty's movements in admiration throughout.
If even they ended up like that, what about us?
No time to rejoice at sitting and resting.
"Next, second-year Squad One."
As Squad Seven and Twenty staggered back to their places.
Squad One members stepped forward hesitantly, like dogs led to slaughter.
"Here I come."
Just as they barely finished preparing.
Ha Mu-baek's words fell.
Bam!
With a massive sound, one shield-bearer tumbled backward.
"Is that how you were taught?"
Ha Mu-baek shouted in a sharp voice.
Squad One hurriedly tensed their shield-holding arms and bodies.
Bam!
Thud!
Sounds continued to ring out.
If they failed to move the shield in time.
Fists and feet struck body and face.
But if they moved the shield right.
The strikes were blocked by the shield.
Realizing this amid Ha Mu-baek's attacks, Squad One fought desperately.
No, instinctively.
To the point they couldn't even remember how they moved.
Just as they felt they had endured for a good while.
Ha Mu-baek's movements sped up, and they too sprawled on the ground like Squad Seven and Twenty.
The sparring continued.
Ha Mu-baek seemed merciless in his attacks.
But he was luring them to move shields and swords along the proper flows.
Proper moves blocked his attacks with shields.
Otherwise, they hit body and face without fail.
Thus, the cadets had no choice but to move shields and bodies instinctively.
The sun was slowly setting.
Even on this long summer day.
They repeated the sparring until darkness fell around them.
No choice.
Forty squads total.
With second-year Squad Seven and Twenty combined into one, exactly thirty-nine squads.
One hour per three squads, but factoring in rotation and prep time, it took longer.
In the end, just one round per squad took nearly three hours.
One-third hour sparring, then rest watching others.
Yet it was exhausting.
The cadets were gradually realizing that observing others was training too.
They kept concentration at peak.
No choice.
To take even one less hit in their turn.
They had to focus and watch intently, over and over.
"Good. That's it for today."
After the last squad's sparring ended.
At Ha Mu-baek's declaration.
The cadets let out deep sighs.
The long, long training was finally over.