Chapter 374
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 374
Chapter Title: Come With Me
Pyong Deok-jo.
He was a third-rate ronin.
He sold his sword wherever it was needed and scraped by on the earnings.
He figured that was his fate—to live out his days as a third-rate ronin without ever properly mastering even mediocre martial arts.
But then.
He rescued a man who had collapsed from severe injuries and lost consciousness.
And that sparked a fateful bond.
Cho Moon-yak, a second-rate ronin.
They hit it off and Pyong Deok-jo took him as his sworn older brother.
Cho taught him martial arts.
Family arts passed down from his father, he said.
Now there was no one left to inherit them.
At the time, Cho Moon-yak was suffering from a grave illness.
He didn't have much time left.
And so, Pyong Deok-jo—a third-rate ronin thug scraping by with nothing but the common Three Talents Sword Method you could pick up in any back alley...
Was able to learn proper martial arts and become a true martial artist.
The Cho family secrets: the Grass Wind Heart Method and the Cho Family Five Swords.
Cho Moon-yak had told him:
His own frail body and illness had kept him at the second-rate level at best.
But Pyong Deok-jo could potentially reach first-rate with these arts.
The only regret was his age—thirty was too late to start.
He might hit a wall at second-rate because of it. Cho lamented and worried right up until the moment he breathed his last in Pyong Deok-jo's arms.
With no family or relatives, Pyong Deok-jo buried his sworn brother in a sunny spot.
Then he wandered the jianghu as a ronin once more.
Training desperately, gaining countless experiences, he finally reached the second-rate realm.
Those who could barely hold a sword, those with just a breath of internal energy, those who could execute a single technique or form...
All lumped together as third-rate.
Anyone who called themselves a martial artist without more was third-rate by default.
That had been Pyong Deok-jo before meeting Cho.
But second-rate martial artists were different.
They had to master proper martial arts and control the flow of their internal energy.
The kind of martial artist ordinary folk imagined.
Only at that level could one truly be called second-rate.
After reaching it, Pyong Deok-jo roamed the land.
He even pitched in during a minor martial world skirmish.
Of course, there were close calls with death and moments of unexpected joy.
New bonds formed, and enmities arose.
Five years passed like that.
Then he heard about an organization called the Fierce Dragon Corps.
A brute-force unit full of third-rate martial artists like his old self, lured in solely by the pay.
Their role: meat shields.
He was furious.
The Righteous Heaven Alliance was exploiting the desperation of third-rate martial artists and ronins, shoving them into the meat grinder.
Wanting to help them even a little, he applied to become a Fierce Dragon Corps instructor.
They were hiring, after all.
His first year as an instructor at the Dragon Training Pavilion's Fierce Dragon Corps...
He met an astonishing person.
Ha Mu-baek, who joined as an instructor at the same time.
An incredible figure whose presence in the Fierce Dragon Corps made no sense.
And this year.
Before taking over as head instructor to train the Corps...
He trained the instructors first.
Pyong Deok-jo had confidence. Second-rate or not, he had plenty of experience.
It all vanished like bubbles.
It was brutally tough.
But after that training...
He was stunned.
He had thought the arts Cho said could reach first-rate had hit a wall—that second-rate was his limit.
Now he sensed signs he might break through.
That was when it started.
Observing and imitating Ha Mu-baek's every move.
Another instructor, Han Seol-bing, was incredible too.
And then there was Instructor Ji Gun-wi, who appeared when those two were away last time.
Pyong Deok-jo had joined to help the Fierce Dragon Corps cadets.
Yet now he was the one throwing himself into training harder.
Even today, after all the training led by Ji Gun-wi...
He swung his sword and shield relentlessly in the training ground behind the instructors' dorms.
It was the standard forms.
He didn't know why.
But practicing them elevated his Cho family secrets too.
So he trained them diligently.
Shield arts, sword arts, then solo combined techniques.
Only then did he move to his family secrets.
Two hours had passed since he started.
The night was deep.
He only slept two hours a day.
He still had half an hour left.
Pyong Deok-jo focused again and executed the Cho Family Five Swords.
"Hoo. Hoo. Hoo."
Ragged breaths poured from his mouth.
This was truly the limit.
No strength left to swing the sword.
"Heok. Heok. Heok."
He grabbed a water bottle, took a sip, then dumped the rest over his head.
Steam rose from his overheated body.
After catching his breath, Pyong Deok-jo stood and headed to the baths.
Time to sleep for tomorrow.
The now-empty training ground.
"Hm."
Ha Mu-baek stood there, arms crossed.
He had just arrived at the Dragon Training Pavilion.
The chill in the air had deepened.
And it brought one worry.
About his next steps.
But then.
He spotted someone who might hold the answer.
"Instructor Pyong Deok-jo..."
A familiar face from memory.
Someone who joined the Fierce Dragon Corps instructors at the same time as him.
Second-rate back then, as he recalled.
Still second-rate, but the growth was remarkable compared to then.
All from solo training.
No ascending arts, no brilliant master.
Just steady solo practice yielding that progress...
Meant considerable talent.
He knew Pyong had been training steadily in the instructors' training ground.
'Did he break through the wall without even realizing it?'
In the short time he was away in Sichuan...
The man had changed beyond recognition.
"That guy might work."
Ha Mu-baek nodded and headed to his room.
Morning broke.
Cold air brushed his face.
Thud. Thud.
Ha Mu-baek headed to Squad Seven's training ground in the Fierce Dragon Corps.
Despite arriving late last night, he was moving early.
No scheduled group training.
Afternoon sessions were at the main grounds.
Squad Seven's should be empty.
Yet the seven cadets were immersed in their individual training.
He sensed it with his energy perception.
Ha Seol-ran was focused on the Infinite Bright Wheel Eight Ultimate Sword Release.
From the first form, Opening Heaven, to the eighth, Infinity.
Practicing to master the forms.
From the sixth form on, it was mostly imitation-level movement.
But Ha Seol-ran was serious.
Concentrating, giving her all with every sword swing.
After running through them once.
As she took stance to start with Opening Heaven again...
Her head snapped around.
"Brother...?"
She sensed Ha Mu-baek's presence from the instructors' dorms.
"Huh?"
Yeon Ha-min stopped at her mutter.
"The instructor's back?"
If so.
Ha Seol-ran would have noticed the moment he entered the grounds.
She tilted her head but soon wore a confident expression.
The presence in her senses was definitely her brother's.
How she missed it until he entered didn't matter.
Just joy at her brother returning after saying he'd be gone briefly but taking ages.
"You're all working hard."
Ha Mu-baek's first words upon appearing.
"Instructor."
"Brother!"
Each cadet's face lit with their own brand of delight.
"Not much time left."
Dang Jin-san said it with uncharacteristic seriousness.
Everyone knew what "not much time" meant.
October was already here.
"Hm. Planning to enter this year's Summer Combat Festival too?"
Ha Mu-baek asked casually.
And in that instant.
The cadets' faces twisted oddly.
They knew exactly what Dang Jin-san meant.
No bandwidth for the festival right now.
Their eyes were on what came after.
Ha Mu-baek mentioning the festival...
He chuckled.
"What? Feeling the heat now?"
That casual jab.
Hardened the five faces.
From their first meeting.
He had pushed them to go home: Squad Seven of the Fierce Dragon Corps.
Ha Mu-baek knew what Dang Jin-san meant.
Yet he pretended ignorance and brought up the festival.
"I'm more worried about the other squads' cadets than you lot. At least you've tasted the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest."
But not the other second-year Fierce Dragon cadets.
They'd only heard stories.
Another of Ha Mu-baek's worries.
The best fix: a quick trip to the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
But it was October now.
Do it, and the semester ends soon. The Corps finishes training and heads out.
Timing missed.
Too late.
Because of his frequent absences.
"..."
The cadets fell silent.
Indeed.
The Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest was still an unknown terror to their comrades.
At least they knew what it was like.
And that's why they trained even harder.
"Maybe catch a few..."
Ha Mu-baek muttered as if no solution, then stopped.
A thoughtless slip.
But it sparked an answer to another worry.
Dang Jin-san was quick on the uptake.
He caught the implication immediately.
"No way... You're leaving again?"
"What's wrong? No one even knows I'm back."
Dang Jin-san looked uneasy at Ha Mu-baek's words.
"B-But we know..."
"Then wanna come along?"
Dang Jin-san was speechless for a moment.
His eventual reply:
"Yes."
Surprisingly affirmative.
Ha Mu-baek looked at him, mildly surprised.
He'd expected refusal—said it as a joke.
"I want to go too."
Baek Ri-pyeong stepped up.
Ha Mu-baek glanced at the others.
All had the same determined eyes.
He chuckled again.
"You guys are really sweating it, huh?"
They had tasted it.
The Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest was becoming all too real.
"But I've got someone else this time. Keep training hard."
"B-Brother!"
Ha Seol-ran hurriedly chased after him.
"Don't worry. Master's doing fine. Train hard."
He stroked her head, whispering so only she could hear.
Then walked off.
Destination: instructors' dorms.
The one he'd take was there.
Pyong Deok-jo went about his usual routine.
Up early, loosening his stiff body, circulating energy.
Grass Wind Heart Method.
A modest name—wind blowing through grass.
But the Cho family secret.
The foundation of his martial arts.
After circulation, he breathed fresh morning air and headed to the dorm training ground.
Three barehanded runs of the Cho Family Five Swords ended morning practice.
Morning schedules with cadets.
Plus, his squad was second-year Squad Twelve.
Off to the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest in three or four months.
Needed extra care.
Not sure how much help he'd be.
All training done, heading to Squad Twelve's ground...
A figure blocked him.
"Who?"
Startled by the silent approach.
Seeing the face, Pyong Deok-jo jolted again.
Harder than before.
A familiar face.
Someone not at the Pavilion now.
"H-Ha... Head Instructor."
"Where to?"
"Morning training's about to start."
"Not academy classes?"
"Second-years are nearing graduation—classes cut back, training ramped up."
"Hm."
Ha Mu-baek crossed his arms and sighed softly.
Fierce Dragon cadets only got academy classes in second year.
And even those dwindled in the second semester.
Damnable, but unavoidable, Ha Mu-baek admitted.
For survival, one more sword swing beat lectures.
"Come with me a bit."
"Pardon?"
Pyong Deok-jo had to ask at the sudden words.
Way too out of left field from the abrupt appearance.
"For the second-year cadets."
"That..."
"Way more important and helpful to them than your usual training with you, Instructor Pyong."
"The report..."
Right.
Vanishing and returning like the wind was Ha Mu-baek's style.
As a regular instructor, Pyong Deok-jo needed to report and get approval.
"Report to who?"
"Head..."
Pyong Deok-jo shut his mouth.
His superior—the one to report to and get approval from—stood before him.
"Let's go."
Ha Mu-baek said.
"Th-Then let me just ask another instructor to cover my squad."
"Handled that already. Come on."
Ha Mu-baek led the way.
At that moment.
Han Seol-bing frowned as she walked toward Squad Twelve's training ground.
Because of the guy who appeared like the wind, dumped work on her, and left like the wind.