Chapter 447
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 447
Chapter Title: A Personnel Favor?
It couldn't exactly be called brazen, but night was still night.
A time when access to the Righteous Heaven Alliance was strictly controlled.
Ha Mu-baek headed toward the alliance's outer wall without a care.
And with a light hop...
Han Seol-bing stared at him in a daze.
No, it was a look of utter disbelief.
What the hell is with this guy...
"What're you doing? Coming or not?"
Ha Mu-baek called out indifferently from atop the wall.
Han Seol-bing shook her head and leaped up after him.
"Why ignore the perfectly good gate and do this?"
"Too much hassle."
A curt reply.
"Wouldn't getting caught by the Alliance Patrol Corps be even more hassle?"
"Won't get caught. If it was just me, I'd already be there."
With that, Ha Mu-baek leaped ahead.
Han Seol-bing hurried after him.
He had a point.
She couldn't imagine the Alliance Patrol Corps spotting his movements.
Not that she could herself.
Ha Mu-baek strolled along leisurely, yet miraculously encountered no one.
He was weaving through paths clear of people using his senses.
Han Seol-bing followed, guessing as much.
The Heavenly Eye Pavilion soon came into view.
Security was tight.
At least in Han Seol-bing's eyes.
Ha Mu-baek scanned the perimeter briefly, then grinned.
And strode boldly toward the front gate.
'Huh?'
Han Seol-bing looked surprised.
She'd assumed he'd just fly straight to the top floor with lightness skill.
The moment the gate guards spotted Ha Mu-baek and leveled their spears...
"Long time no see. You know me, right?"
The guard who received Ha Mu-baek's friendly greeting, Bae Dan-ya, went pale.
He was a face impossible to forget.
"Y-yes, yes, Instructor Ha!"
Why did he shout back so loudly without thinking?
It drew all the Heavenly Eye Pavilion warriors guarding nearby.
His senior guard, on shift with him, shot Bae Dan-ya a baffled look—what's wrong with this guy?—before turning to Ha Mu-baek.
An unfamiliar intruder showing up unannounced.
Dealing with the crazy junior could wait.
He was about to warn the stranger when...
Gate Captain Go Gi-ryong rushed out.
He'd heard the shout of "Instructor Ha."
Luckily, no repeat of last time. The senior guard reached Ha Mu-baek before he could act.
"Instructor Ha. What brings you here this time?"
The senior guard halted at the sight of the tense gate captain.
And stared at Ha Mu-baek with eyes full of questions.
'Who the hell is this guy...'
His thoughts froze.
Then he recalled the recent uproar at the Heavenly Eye Pavilion.
The incident that even drew the Alliance Leader himself.
It happened to be his day off, so he'd only heard about it from colleagues.
'Instructor Ha...'
Right.
That was the name of the visitor back then.
He'd even been told to remember it firmly by a fellow guard, yet he'd already forgotten.
As his face drained of color...
"Is Old Man Gong Son inside?"
Ha Mu-baek asked flatly.
"I'll notify him at once."
Go Gi-ryong replied tensely, but Ha Mu-baek strode right in.
Han Seol-bing followed naturally.
No one stopped them.
"No need. I'm faster."
And he climbed the stairs with steady steps.
"When did you mess with the Heavenly Eye Pavilion guards this time?"
Han Seol-bing whispered from behind.
"Mess with? Just got familiar last visit. And you know Gi-ryong too."
True enough.
When he was promoted to gate captain, she was Hocheon Corps deputy leader.
She'd seen him often when stopping by on business, thanks to her demoted leader.
Top floor.
The Heavenly Eye Pavilion Lord's office.
"I'm here."
Ha Mu-baek announced simply at the door, then flung it open and entered.
"Tch. Can't you ever use the proper channels?"
Gong Son Dan-gyeong chided him immediately, as if waiting.
The guards hadn't notified, but word of Ha Mu-baek's arrival had reached him swiftly anyway.
The Heavenly Eye Pavilion wasn't that lax.
"Takes time, and it's a hassle."
Gong Son Dan-gyeong shook his head helplessly.
"You're the only one who treats the Righteous Heaven Alliance wall like a neighbor's fence."
There'd been no report of Ha Mu-baek joining the alliance.
If he'd passed through the gate normally, Gong Son Dan-gyeong would've heard instantly.
Thus, he concluded Ha Mu-baek had slipped past all eyes to reach here.
"She hopped it too today."
He nodded toward Han Seol-bing.
"Long time no see, Deputy Leader Han—no, Instructor Han."
Gong Son Dan-gyeong smiled warmly, his expression entirely different from with Ha Mu-baek.
"Long time no see, Pavilion Lord."
She called him Strategist when with the Alliance Leader, but here in his Heavenly Eye Pavilion, he was Pavilion Lord.
"So, what's this about?"
Gong Son Dan-gyeong asked Ha Mu-baek.
He was busy.
Extremely so.
With the Alliance Leader away, it was expected.
Hence straight to business.
"Switch my position."
"A personnel favor?"
Instant reply to Ha Mu-baek's words.
"Hm."
Ha Mu-baek crossed his arms, pondering briefly.
"Well, then I just submit a resignation?"
He shot back.
"Tch. Dull guy. Just kidding."
"Aren't you busy?"
Ha Mu-baek's gaze flicked to the piled documents.
"Hoo."
Gong Son Dan-gyeong glanced at them and sighed deeply.
Mountains left to handle.
"What position do you want?"
"Fierce Dragon Corps Leader."
Gong Son Dan-gyeong tilted his head at Ha Mu-baek's answer.
"Huh? Aren't you already the senior instructor of the Fierce Dragon Corps?"
"Did your brain rot suddenly?"
At Ha Mu-baek's jab...
He recalled something long vacant, buried in memory.
"You mean the Fierce Dragon Corps at Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest?"
Ha Mu-baek nodded.
Fierce Dragon Corps.
As a corps, it needed a leader.
But there was none.
They'd follow Demon-Sealing Corps orders anyway, so it seemed pointless.
No—having one might spark conflicts with the Demon-Sealing Corps, so it was deliberately left empty.
Nominally under Heavenly Eye Pavilion.
"Appointing a corps leader requires the Alliance Leader's approval, you know?"
Ha Mu-baek frowned at Gong Son Dan-gyeong's question.
"That's a problem then..."
He'd already heard from Han Seol-bing about the Leader's absence.
His senses didn't pick up So Hwi-woong either.
"Does the Fierce Dragon Corps Leader appointment really need the Alliance Leader's approval, Pavilion Lord?"
Han Seol-bing interjected.
Gong Son Dan-gyeong chuckled at her words.
"Instructor Han is right. Not for the Fierce Dragon Corps Leader. Unlike others. Instructor Ha, smarten up and pay attention to your surroundings."
A mild scolding.
Ha Mu-baek, thinking briefly, asked Gong Son Dan-gyeong.
"Don't tell me the Fierce Dragon Corps is under Heavenly Eye Pavilion?"
Pavilions, halls, and former corps leaders could appoint their own first, report later.
Ha Mu-baek knew this well.
Just unaware the Fierce Dragon Corps belonged to Heavenly Eye Pavilion.
Han Seol-bing had known.
"It fell to us due to various circumstances."
Ha Mu-baek's aura shifted ominously at Gong Son Dan-gyeong's answer.
They'd neglected the Fierce Dragon Corps despite it being theirs.
Sacrificing them as meat shields.
"Old Man Gong Son. I'm disappointed."
Sincere words laced with deep anger.
"No words can justify it."
Gong Son Dan-gyeong replied bitterly.
Much to say.
Entangled factions, circumstances, power struggles.
But all just excuses.
The fact: Fierce Dragon Corps members died yearly in Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, and their responsible Pavilion Lord did nothing.
Gong Son Dan-gyeong rose, heading to a drawer between packed bookshelves.
He opened one, pulling out a small metal plaque.
"First time taking it out. Forgot it was here. Take it."
The plaque handed to Ha Mu-baek was engraved: Fierce Dragon Corps Leader.
"I request deputy leader."
Han Seol-bing said to Gong Son Dan-gyeong.
"Knew you would."
He fetched another plaque for her.
"I know I have no right to say this, but take care of them. I'll write the orders now."
Gong Son Dan-gyeong swiftly penned the appointments, stamping his seal.
One for Ha Mu-baek to take to Demon-Sealing Corps, one for Heavenly Eye Pavilion records.
Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing left.
Gong Son Dan-gyeong alone in his office.
"Hoo."
Deep sigh as he opened a desk drawer.
Inside: thick report from Dragon Training Pavilion, recently arrived.
Jegal Myeong's annual on Fierce Dragon Corps cadets.
Gratitude for shields provided to cadets, funding help, etc.
Long-winded.
Jegal Myeong: rare talent even in Heavenly Eye Pavilion, one Gong Son Dan-gyeong held high hopes for.
His move to Dragon Training Pavilion instructor...
Impossible without Pavilion Lord Gong Son Dan-gyeong's aid.
The theories and manuals he referenced for shield arts and formations? Secretly supplied by Gong Son Dan-gyeong.
Only they two knew.
"This was all I could do."
Gong Son Dan-gyeong murmured bitterly to the empty room.
A faint smile tugged his lips meanwhile.
Ha Mu-baek headed to Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
He'd hoped due to his sister Ha Seol-ran, but couldn't be sure.
Unpredictable guy, strong enough to act freely.
Yet he volunteered as Fierce Dragon Corps Leader and went.
Relief settled in his chest.
Do Sim-geuk's face was badly twisted.
No wonder.
Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader So Hwi-woong had barged in without warning the day before.
He'd heard discreetly from his master that the Leader left the alliance.
Problem: the news arrived a mere half shichen faster than So Hwi-woong.
Learning So Hwi-woong departed for presumed Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, exactly half shichen later he stormed the Demon-Sealing Corps.
No preparations possible.
Reason: Inspect Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, subjugate strong corpse beasts directly.
'Not the forest—it's an inspection of Demon-Sealing Corps.'
He claimed fatigue upon arrival and retired immediately.
What about today?
Especially with the prior new poison-corpse beast report omission.
Do Sim-geuk had paced anxiously since dawn.
Morning broke.
A meeting convened under Alliance Leader So Hwi-woong.
Present: So Hwi-woong, Dam Mu-hun, Gong Son Mu-oe, Ma Jin-gi, Do Sim-geuk, Yang Bi-chang, and Pung Geon.
Do Sim-geuk eyed Pung Geon sidelong.
'Why's that bastard here...'
Brought at So Hwi-woong's request.
But it made Do Sim-geuk squirm.
He was the one who'd spotted and reported the new poison-corpse beast.
"I arrived early and scouted Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest a bit. Because of the corpse beast reported via Heavenly Eye Pavilion earlier."
Yang Bi-chang nodded at So Hwi-woong's words.
He'd half-expected as much.
A corpse beast hammering Mountain-Crossing Great Wall wasn't trivial.
Warranted the Leader's personal involvement.
His senior brother Do Sim-geuk apparently hadn't foreseen it; his face looked terribly complicated.
But relieved at the Leader's words.
"You the one who faced it directly?"
Pung Geon bowed politely at So Hwi-woong's question.
"Yes."
"Can you detail what happened?"
Ma Jin-gi interjected.
Pung Geon's gaze went to So Hwi-woong, who nodded.
With permission, Pung Geon recounted vividly from memory.
"Hm. Felt the corpse beast's energy and fled without looking back..."
So Hwi-woong pondered silently.
"S-sorry, Alliance Leader. Squad Leader Pung's squad is quite lacking in Demon-Sealing Corps, so he showed an embarrassing display."
Do Sim-geuk spoke cautiously.
So Hwi-woong chuckled dryly and shook his head.
"You. As corps leader, you didn't even grasp your subordinates properly?"
His tone was chilling.