Chapter 379
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 379
Chapter Title: Anomalies in the Demonic Forest
Blood Cult Elder Il-no examined the secret message that had been delivered to him discreetly.
It outlined a plan to help increase the number of walking corpses.
"Hmph. As expected of the Yeon Clan Head... He's aiming for two birds with one stone."
The proposal was to send Dragon Training Pavilion cadets to the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest as trainees.
To use them as sacrifices.
Naturally, they would send cadets from factions hostile to him.
He couldn't care less about that.
Lately, more poison corpses and the like had been vanishing than Fierce Dragon Corps members dying—only slightly more, but still.
The numbers were barely holding steady, but there were signs of a gradual decline.
He couldn't let that happen.
The Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest was the foundation of the Blood Cult.
The walking corpses formed its bedrock.
They evolved into blood corpses, poison corpses, dark iron corpses, and dark blood corpses.
"No matter who they send, I'm looking forward to it."
Il-no muttered to himself.
The walking corpses in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest had been acting strangely even without this.
Ones that had been controllable were now disobeying orders.
Their erratic movements had scrambled the territories of all the corpses across the forest.
Last year, when warriors from the Yeon Clan entered the forest.
The western sector seemed to scramble first, and then, along with changes in the corpses' movements, the entire forest's territories got mixed up.
"And at a time like this, the Cult Leader..."
Il-no's gaze turned toward one spot.
The leader hadn't emerged at all lately.
From deep underground in a cavern.
'If this goes well, maybe I can head back up top.'
He had fled underground to avoid Ha Mu-baek.
Enough time had passed now; it was nearly time to return.
Yeon Ja-kyeong's secret letter made it clear.
It exuded a subtle confidence.
Perhaps he had found a countermeasure against Ha Mu-baek—that was the guess.
Yeon Ja-kyeong was the sort who wouldn't show even hidden confidence without a major breakthrough.
Il-no didn't dare speculate.
On why the corpses had stopped obeying.
At that very moment.
Gae Seo-ak was absorbing an unknown power in the deep darkness, merging with it and the shadows.
So Hwi-woong was reviewing the official document Yeon Ja-kyeong had sent.
Was it prepared in advance, before it even reached him?
Under the condition that So Hwi-woong would appropriately mix the personnel, approval came in just one day.
The training assignments and numbers for the Hidden Dragon Corps and Wa Dragon Corps at the Dragon Training Pavilion were neatly organized.
It seemed ready to send as is.
But as expected.
The personnel distribution was somewhat biased.
It adhered to So Hwi-woong's conditions, nothing egregious, but the intent was faintly visible.
For example, in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest assignments, the Wa Dragon Corps outnumbered the Hidden Dragon Corps.
Heavenly Eye Pavilion Lord Gong Son Dan-gyeong spotted something peculiar in the roster.
"This might be..."
"What is it, Strategist?"
"It could really be the 'draw out the enemy' scheme."
Gong Son Dan-gyeong said with a troubled expression.
"Huh?"
At those words, So Hwi-woong scrutinized the list more closely and furrowed his brow.
Now that Gong Son Dan-gyeong mentioned it, it was obvious.
"Zhongnan Sect, Namgung Clan, Tang Clan, Wudang Sect, Seon Yu Valley, All Things Alliance, and Dorim Sect..."
These were the origins of those assigned from the Hidden Dragon Corps and Wa Dragon Corps to the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
The Yeon Clan didn't send disciples to the Dragon Training Pavilion anyway.
So, sects walking a different path from the Yeon Clan.
Or even on the same path, but in rivalry with them.
Zhongnan and Wudang were from the Nine Great Sects.
Namgung Clan and Tang Clan from the Five Great Families.
Seon Yu Valley, All Things Alliance, and Dorim Sect from the Eight New Sects.
"Places with ties to Instructor Ha."
Ha Mu-baek—that was his name.
Gong Son Dan-gyeong added one more fact.
"Sects that could aid Instructor Ha if needed. Except for Dorim Sect."
"Good lord."
A sigh escaped him.
"Yeon Ja-kyeong... He might even be targeting Instructor Ha."
"The Demon-Sealing Corps Leader..."
"Is a disciple of the Kongtong Sect Head."
So Hwi-woong frowned.
Kongtong Sect Head Cheon Gi-buk.
He knew the man frequented Yeon Ja-kyeong's residence.
There was clearly some ambition brewing.
The two must be conspiring.
"Can't change the personnel composition, can we?"
Gong Son Dan-gyeong nodded at So Hwi-woong's question.
"It's a report that perfectly matches the conditions we proposed. Altering it at our whim would slight Elder Yeon's face."
The third-ranked Great Elder of the Elder Council.
Yeon Ja-kyeong.
But the real power manipulating the Elder Council from the shadows, effectively number one.
Ignoring his face would cause bigger headaches.
"No helping it, then... Urgh."
So Hwi-woong shook his head as if his head ached.
"I'll order thorough pre-training so those cadets don't suffer major injuries."
That was the only option.
They didn't know Yeon Ja-kyeong planned to kill them all.
"Should I ask Mu-baek? Have the guy do us a favor?"
Gong Son Dan-gyeong shook his head at So Hwi-woong's subtle suggestion.
"It's off-season. And not Fierce Dragon Corps business, but Hidden Dragon and Wa Dragon Corps. Instructor Ha won't step in."
The two knew Ha Mu-baek's personality well.
"Then the most we can do is have a few assigned instructors go along."
It was the maximum precaution without slighting Yeon Ja-kyeong's face.
"Kuuuaaaargh!"
Two walking corpses lunged forward, swinging their arms wildly.
Pyeong Deok-jo calmly faced the walking corpses.
It had been three days since crossing the Great Wall into the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
He was fully accustomed to the walking corpses by now.
The bewilderment at their grotesque forms on day one was long gone.
Slash. Slash.
He unleashed the Choga Supreme Sword Technique, cleanly severing both their necks.
Thud. Thud.
The walking corpses collapsed.
Ha Mu-baek watched with gleaming eyes.
"Nothing beats real combat for training."
"Pardon?"
Pyeong Deok-jo reflexively asked at Ha Mu-baek's words.
Since teaming up with him, "Pardon?" might be what he said most.
"Can't you feel it yourself?"
Pyeong Deok-jo tilted his head at the returned question, replaying the recent fight.
Come to think of it, his internal energy flow, sword handling—
Everything felt smoother than during training.
"It's the focus. No matter how combat-like you make training, it's still just training."
That was the reason.
Why Ha Mu-baek pushed the cadets so harshly.
To prevent the thought "This is just training" from entering their minds.
To blur the line between training and combat, maximizing concentration.
And to ingrain it into their bodies.
"Ah! Indeed... That makes sense."
Pyeong Deok-jo readily accepted Ha Mu-baek's explanation.
"Plus, thanks to that, you've entered the entry-level of first-rate."
Pyeong Deok-jo's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ha Mu-baek let out a quiet sigh at the sight.
How many times had he seen this reaction?
"Having pride in yourself. Without that, that's your limit. You've got talent. You can reach far higher. Overconfidence is an issue, but you underrate yourself too much."
"...Yes."
Pyeong Deok-jo bowed his head quietly.
Ha Mu-baek frowned at the sight.
"Chin up, chest out. I'm telling you to have pride and self-esteem. You've got no limits."
With that, Ha Mu-baek vanished into the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Pyeong Deok-jo stared after him, then slapped his own cheeks.
"Get it together, Deok-jo. You're in the midst of a fateful encounter—stay sharp. You've got no limits."
He repeated it to himself.
In truth, Pyeong Deok-jo had never had a proper master.
The only mentor-like figure was his blood brother, Chu Mun-yak.
So, for some reason, Ha Mu-baek's guidance felt like a heavenly opportunity.
Where the two corpses had fallen, he began training again, swinging his sword diligently.
Meanwhile.
Ha Mu-baek scouted the surroundings.
To map the shifted territories.
He had roamed for two days already, but something was off.
'The territories have shifted too much. Not to this extent.'
Unprecedented phenomena, different from his past experience.
Especially.
In these outskirts.
'Dark blood corpses and dark iron corpses...'
He had found their territories.
The walking corpses had indeed decreased since before.
Partly due to purges, but more from evolving into higher forms.
Ha Mu-baek's gaze turned deeper into the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
'What the hell is going on? Or rather, what scheme is unfolding?'
He wanted to venture deeper to check.
But he couldn't.
Because of Pyeong Deok-jo.
Blood corpses and above would be tough opponents.
With dark iron and dark blood corpse territories nearby.
He couldn't leave the kid alone.
He had brought him, so responsibility came with it.
Ha Mu-baek glanced at Pyeong Deok-jo.
Diligently training.
'Seems like he gets it now.'
How long he kept that attitude.
If sustained, his talent could take him higher than expected.
Then, Ha Mu-baek could entrust him with what he had in mind.
As Ha Mu-baek turned to leave, he sensed a blood corpse moving via his senses.
'Yes. Time to raise his level a bit.'
Ha Mu-baek headed toward it to drive the blood corpse to Pyeong Deok-jo.
The Great Wall's ramparts.
Nine people raced swiftly along them.
Demon-Sealing Corps Black Squad Three and its Fierce Dragon Corps members.
They could use lightness skill for more speed, but matched pace to avoid leaving the Fierce Dragon Corps behind.
Below stretched an endless forest.
"How the hell did they even build a wall like this...?"
Yoo Gwi-gwang muttered.
The immense scale of the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest was shocking enough, but the wall encircling it all was equally mysterious.
"They say they herded them in as much as possible before building it."
Poong Geon replied.
That was right.
Forest on both sides, inside and out.
They camped on the wall with simple tents, hurrying toward the west gate.
The territorial shifts were severe.
Even while running the wall, they spotted corpses patrolling near it.
Poong Geon's face darkened each time.
Not just walking corpses.
Poison corpses too, and occasionally blood corpses.
If the outskirts were like that, what of the depths?
And they had to scout it with just nine.
'Fuck. That squad leader bastard...'
Curses bubbled up again.
It was as good as telling them to die.
On the other hand, it made no sense.
Why only his squad got this mission.
Poong Geon had no way to know.
After they left, other dangerous missions went to other squads.
All with fifth-year Fierce Dragon Corps veterans.
"Huh? Over there?"
Lost in thought, running on autopilot, Poong Geon heard Kwan Ha-kyeong's voice.
"What's up?"
He asked, looking at Kwan Ha-kyeong.
"Something's there."
Where Kwan Ha-kyeong pointed.
Outside the Great Wall.
Not inside, but out.
The nine slowed to a stop.
Checking the spot Kwan Ha-kyeong indicated.
Sure enough.
A carriage, horses, a small tent.
Even traces of a campfire—someone had been staying there.
"Let's get closer. Stay alert."
No reason for any private group to bring a carriage to this remote place.
They needed to check.
At Poong Geon's order, they descended the rope ladders to the base and cautiously approached the carriage.