Chapter 448
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 448
Chapter Title: You Say It Smells?
"What?"
Do Sim-geuk was startled by So Hwi-woong's question, delivered in an ominous tone.
On top of that, he hadn't properly assessed his subordinate?
Pung Geon.
That guy?
What was so impressive about him?
Wasn't he just a squad member from some minor sect?
So Hwi-woong frowned at Do Sim-geuk's reaction.
"He sensed the strength of a jiangshi that wasn't even in sight and chose to retreat immediately. Do you not understand what that means?"
"Th-that..."
Do Sim-geuk couldn't continue.
"It means his level of attainment is that high. The fact that he crossed the wall without ever being caught by the jiangshi means he detected it from a great distance."
So Hwi-woong's expression remained cold.
Do Sim-geuk's face turned pale.
"I-it wasn't me who sensed the presence, it was our squad member Gwan Ha-kyeong..."
Pung Geon cautiously interjected, feeling like he was being overhyped.
So Hwi-woong nodded.
"And you, as squad leader, accepted your squad member's opinion and decided to retreat right away. That means you have accurately assessed your subordinates."
His voice was warm, utterly different from when he'd addressed Do Sim-geuk.
"And."
So Hwi-woong's gaze shifted back to Do Sim-geuk.
"Vermilion Bird Celestial Flight. You're teaching it to all the Demon-Sealing Corps members and every single Fierce Dragon Corps warrior, right?"
It was a frosty question.
Last time.
When Ha Mu-baek had come regarding the divine beast poison jiangshi incident, what he'd said.
How ridiculous it had been to hear that Vermilion Bird Celestial Flight was only being taught to those who'd reached a certain level.
He'd immediately ordered it corrected.
But judging by the state of this Corps Leader right in front of him, it seemed he needed to verify it himself.
"It's underway. With so few people who have learned Vermilion Bird Celestial Flight so far, we can't teach large groups at once. We're assigning turns and teaching them sequentially."
The answer came from Vice Corps Leader Yang Bi-chang.
"You should have done that from the start. Tsk."
"I'm sorry. When I took office, it was already being done that way, so I mistakenly thought it was the Demon-Sealing Corps' rule. It was my oversight for not checking properly."
Yang Bi-chang admitted his fault and apologized before his senior brother could spout nonsense, even subtly shifting some blame to the previous leadership.
So Hwi-woong stared silently at Yang Bi-chang.
'This one's better, at least.'
He knew both were disciples of Cheon Gi-buk, head of the Kunlun Sect.
He'd come knowing the senior was Corps Leader and the junior Vice Corps Leader.
But the junior seemed far sharper in judgment and wits.
The Demon-Sealing Corps belonged to the Elder Council, so there were limits to his direct intervention in personnel matters.
So Hwi-woong had made up his mind to remove the current Corps Leader.
But he couldn't just send one of his own people down either.
'I'll have to make do with this one.'
If he promoted the current Vice Corps Leader to Corps Leader, the Elder Council would likely agree to ousting Do Sim-geuk.
"You know the jiangshi attacking the wall isn't a minor incident. That's why I think I need to go see the site myself. Can you and your subordinates guide me?"
While So Hwi-woong was lost in thought, Ma Jin-gi asked Pung Geon.
"We need to determine if there's an issue with the spell or if it needs reinforcement. We'll have to check it in person."
At Ma Jin-gi's words, Pung Geon's gaze turned to Do Sim-geuk.
He was part of the Demon-Sealing Corps, after all.
That damn guy was his superior.
In the end, his permission was needed.
But.
"Do that, then. I'll come along to inspect as well."
There was their distant superior—no, their supreme leader, the Alliance Leader—present.
Do Sim-geuk's opinion meant nothing.
"The situation in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest isn't normal right now, so it could be dangerous."
Yang Bi-chang stepped forward on behalf of the speechless Do Sim-geuk.
"The jiangshi that attacked the Great Wall?"
The Alliance had ordered them to hold activities there.
"More than that, the jiangshi movements themselves are strange. The jiangshi in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest have all vanished as if they've hidden somewhere. If they've suddenly disappeared, they could suddenly reappear... We can't predict when something might happen, so it's dangerous."
So Hwi-woong nodded slightly at Yang Bi-chang's logical words.
"That's why I'm going with you. As the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader."
At So Hwi-woong's words, Yang Bi-chang backed off.
"Have the Demon-Sealing Corps prepare to deploy at any time in case of trouble in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest."
With that, So Hwi-woong rose from his seat.
And so the meeting of that day concluded.
They had decided to head to the incident site tomorrow with Pung Geon's squad.
***
Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing headed toward the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
But their pace was slow.
For one, he'd met Han Seol-bing.
And he knew the Alliance Leader was at the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
And his disciples from the Fierce Dragon Corps who had left the Dragon Training Pavilion would have their master secretly accompanying them.
This gave Ha Mu-baek a bit of leeway.
Han Seol-bing stared quietly at Ha Mu-baek, who was engrossed in training on one side.
"That's why we're late."
Sweat pouring down as he focused on form practice.
His upper garments were off, revealing his solid muscles in full view.
Smooth bronze skin without a single scar.
'I'm jealous.'
Han Seol-bing thought inwardly.
He was a Corps Leader who had rolled through battlefields with her.
Her body, hidden by clothes, was covered in scars.
Proof of a warrior who had survived brutal battlefields.
Yet the Corps Leader had none.
It was cleaner than a woman's skin.
Originally, the Corps Leader had been covered in scars too.
He'd had the most in the Hocheon Corps.
But.
He'd undergone bone refinement and shedding mortality.
She had witnessed it herself.
Was it because of the relaxed life at the Dragon Training Pavilion?
A woman's heart seemed to have mixed into the warrior's mind.
The sudden envy at seeing that pristine body.
Suddenly, Han Seol-bing startled.
She shook her head vigorously.
'Wh-what am I thinking?'
Her face flushed red in an instant.
She jumped up and headed elsewhere.
When thoughts were tangled, moving the body was best.
She too drew her sword and began training.
Whether Han Seol-bing did or not.
Ha Mu-baek focused solely on his own training.
After finishing pure strength-based martial arts practice, he gradually infused internal energy.
He could feel himself improving bit by bit.
It was an astonishing speed.
Training usually made it hard to feel your own progress.
You hone it for ages, look back suddenly, and realize you've advanced this far.
Wasn't that what training was?
After finishing all training, Ha Mu-baek found a suitable water source, washed off the sweat, and went to bed.
Only after Ha Mu-baek lay down did Han Seol-bing wash and retire.
Their journey repeated this process.
Thus, while traveling a sparsely populated path.
"Let's stop by a village today?"
Han Seol-bing said suddenly.
Ha Mu-baek's gaze turned to her.
"I can't face my disciples looking like this."
Han Seol-bing pointed to her attire.
A warrior in training robes.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"Third day of training and camping. My training robes smell."
She washed her body, but not the clothes.
Ha Mu-baek trained shirtless, but she, a woman, couldn't.
Besides, Ha Mu-baek's training robes weren't in normal condition either.
"Villages have places to train too."
It wasn't wrong.
Ha Mu-baek spread his senses and found a suitable village at a proper distance.
The two entered an unnamed village like that.
It was sizable enough to have a large inn, which they took as lodging.
Han Seol-bing headed out to get new training robes first.
Ha Mu-baek finished a simple bath and began circulating energy.
Internal energy training couldn't be neglected either.
Ha Mu-baek delved deeply into training, examining his inner self.
The flow of his internal energy was markedly different from before.
And.
The various energies within harmonized even more smoothly.
The primal Infinite Void energy and Radiant energy from the beginning, the poison from the Ten Thousand Desolations, even the fire energy of the Imugi.
Thanks to mastering the Nine Absolutes Abyss, his Infinite Void Heart Method energy had become purer and stronger.
It formed the foundation, harmonizing all energies.
Mysterious.
Primal and Ten Thousand Desolations were said to be polar opposites, yet how could this be?
'Because they were originally one, despite being opposites.'
The harmony in Ha Mu-baek's body was solidifying.
At this rate.
By the time he reached the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, he could wield power up to eighty percent of his full strength without issue.
Finishing circulation, thick darkness had fallen.
They'd arrived at dusk.
Ha Mu-baek descended to the first-floor dining hall.
Han Seol-bing was already there eating.
After a proper bath at the inn and changing into clean new clothes, she looked completely different.
"Who are you?"
Ha Mu-baek asked, sitting across from her.
"Not funny."
She replied nonchalantly and handed him training robes.
Three sets of black attire.
Contrasting the white training robes she wore.
"Looks fine?"
Ha Mu-baek said, having just ordered from the waiter.
Han Seol-bing scowled.
"They smell."
"Wasn't that about you?"
Her scowl deepened at Ha Mu-baek's retort.
"Is your sense of smell messed up from that awful Spirit Pill?"
She'd eaten that damn Spirit Pill, the Infinite Rebirth Pill, too.
Ha Mu-baek had fed it to her back in the Hocheon Corps days.
Just thinking about it then.
"Not just me—Corps Leader, no, Corps Commander, you smell too."
Thinking he'd blocked sound with qi veil.
She yelled with full emotion.
The dining hall patrons startled and looked at Han Seol-bing.
Then whispered.
"Smells?"
"She says I smell?"
"No, this fine-looking lady, how..."
They probably whispered softly.
But they couldn't fool the hearing of a transcendent master like Han Seol-bing.
Her face burned red.
She glared at Ha Mu-baek with resentment.
[Didn't you put up a qi veil?]
Transmission sound toward Ha Mu-baek.
"Why use a qi veil for casual talk?"
At Ha Mu-baek's calm reply.
Han Seol-bing sighed deeply in frustration and picked up her chopsticks.
I was the fool for thinking of him as normal.
Self-reproach.
[Anyway, they smell, so change. Or meet Seol-ran like that.]
At the final transmission.
Ha Mu-baek flinched.
Reacting to the name Seol-ran.
After finishing her meal, Han Seol-bing shook her head at his reaction and headed to her room.
Ha Mu-baek headed outside the inn.
He had to train.
Finding a suitable spot and settling, Ha Mu-baek's training repeated.
From Infinite Five Forms without internal energy, Infinite Tyrant Strike, Infinite Void Steps, Infinite Void Eight Absolutes Sword Release, all executed.
Then gradually increasing internal energy intensity, repeating the same techniques.
After all training.
Returning to his room, bathing again in the prepared tub.
As he went to dress.
Han Seol-bing's words came to mind.
"What smell..."
He picked up the well-worn training robes and sniffed.
Sniff sniff.
"Ugh."
Ha Mu-baek's face twisted.
She was right; it smelled.
Musty.
The sweat had fermented into a pungent odor assaulting his nose.
Whoosh.
Igniting fire energy, he turned the worn training robes to ash. Ha Mu-baek donned one of the three black sets Han Seol-bing had bought.
"Tsk."
Ha Mu-baek's embarrassed tongue click echoed.