Chapter 525
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 525
Chapter Title: Bro! This is good!
Ha Mu-baek sat cross-legged, deep in meditation.
Searching for the malevolent spirit that had been crouching within his mind palace.
But it had vanished without a trace.
No matter how deeply he delved, he couldn't find it anywhere.
It hadn't completely disappeared.
He could sense its presence, yet it eluded him.
He opened his eyes and tilted his head.
"Can't make heads or tails of it."
The Chaos Sphere Overlapping Formation.
What could it be that produced such a result?
Of course, the time spent at the Small Traveler's Inn had also played a big role in bringing him peace of mind.
The malevolent spirit had stayed quiet and hidden during their stay there.
Ha Mu-baek unfolded his legs and stepped out of his tent.
Warm midday sunlight poured down, while Fierce Dragon Corps members trained diligently here and there.
Even after lunch, not a single one slacked off.
In the midst of it all, those who had carried stacks of dishes to the nearby well returned, organizing the cleanly washed utensils.
The well had been dug when they first set up camp here.
"Hmm. We definitely need to do something about that..."
Since only the Fierce Dragon Corps was stationed here, they had to handle food, clothing, and shelter entirely on their own.
They even had to cook every meal themselves, which was terribly inconvenient.
The Demon-Sealing Corps had a proper system in place for such matters.
The Righteous Heaven Alliance had provided the necessary personnel support.
'I overlooked that part.'
During negotiations with Heavenly Eye Pavilion Lord Gong Son Dan-gyeong, he hadn't requested any support staff for the camp.
This was different from setting up a camp on the battlefield.
They'd have to stay here for at least two years—going on like this for that long was out of the question.
"What's wrong?"
Han Seol-bing asked, having approached unnoticed.
She followed his gaze and nodded.
"No support staff, right?"
Ha Mu-baek nodded slightly.
"You forgot to ask while going back and forth with Pavilion Lord Gong Son?"
At her follow-up question, Ha Mu-baek glanced at her sideways.
"You know me too well."
Han Seol-bing chuckled.
"I've seen countless times how you're dead serious about food but don't sweat the small stuff. But you messed up this time. It's not just a few months—it's at least two years."
Ha Mu-baek's gaze shifted to Seo-bok.
"No manor big enough for this many people."
She spoke as if she'd already checked.
"What about half?"
Han Seol-bing recalled scouting manors in Seo-bok when they first arrived, and one spot came to mind immediately.
It was easy to remember because it was the largest manor in Seo-bok.
"There's one place that size. And it's vacant."
Ha Mu-baek replied without hesitation.
"We'll take that one."
"And the other half?"
"They stay here. Rotate every ten days. We can handle that much."
"What about when you're away, Corps Leader?"
Han Seol-bing pointed out the flaw in his plan.
No matter how peaceful and routine the post was, the Fierce Dragon Corps was a combat unit.
Splitting up meant someone had to take responsibility at both locations.
The members weren't ready for that yet—they were still too green.
"We'll appoint another deputy corps leader."
"Got someone in mind?"
"I'll ask Master."
"Ah."
Han Seol-bing let out a small exclamation at his words.
And understandably so—Master Wi Ji-gun more than qualified.
The only issue was that he wasn't a Righteous Heaven Alliance martial artist, but the corps leader could appoint him as a temporary deputy.
He was the perfect on-site candidate.
Especially since Ha Mu-baek had handled that matter himself—Gong Son Dan-gyeong wouldn't object to this much.
"Master will move with Seol-ran, so you handle the other side."
Han Seol-bing tilted her head at that.
"What about you, Corps Leader? Isn't this for when you're away?"
"I'll go where my heart leads."
Han Seol-bing stared at him in disbelief.
"You're handing half the corps to the elder and lounging around freely? For real?"
Ha Mu-baek made an "oh crap" face at her question.
It sounded like he was planning to dump work on his master while the disciple idled—a grave filial impiety.
"Only when I'm away. I'll stick around here as much as possible."
Han Seol-bing eyed him suspiciously.
Ha Mu-baek averted his gaze slightly.
It was a slip from old habits at the Dragon Training Pavilion.
"Do we have the money to rent that manor?"
Some of the budget from Heavenly Eye Pavilion had gone into setting up the camp, and he wasn't sure if the rest would cover it.
"Eh, I've got some set aside."
But Ha Mu-baek seemed unconcerned about money.
For good reason—he'd squirreled away a decent amount.
The Demon-Sealing Corps and the Joint Faction.
He'd eaten them out of house and home, really racked it up.
"Isn't that embezzlement?"
Han Seol-bing asked, having just remembered recent sources of Ha Mu-baek's funds.
"Nope."
Ha Mu-baek answered curtly.
And rightly so—the sheer volume he'd consumed had taken Dam Mu-hyeon quite a while to tally up.
Ha Mu-baek had quietly pocketed a portion before Dam Mu-hyeon finished.
So what he'd taken never officially existed.
Of course, what he'd given to Yu Gwi-gwang was cleared with Dam Mu-hyeon—a tiny bit as consolation and congratulatory money.
He'd even gotten the Alliance Leader's permission, so no issues there.
Han Seol-bing shrugged at his confident demeanor and asked again.
"So, when do we check it out?"
"Now."
And with that, the two headed to Seo-bok.
After entrusting the Fierce Dragon Corps to Wi Ji-gun.
Using lightness skill, Seo-bok wasn't far.
Soon, they passed through Seo-bok's west gate.
"This way."
It was a manor located in the southwest of Seo-bok.
It was massive.
For a small city like this, it counted as large.
The Fierce Dragon Corps just had more people than that.
"Bigger than I expected."
"Yeah. That's why it was a shame. It's the biggest in Seo-bok. And even it can't house the whole corps."
"Split in two, it's more than enough."
Han Seol-bing nodded.
True enough.
It could accommodate two-thirds of the Fierce Dragon Corps.
"The broker's over there."
Han Seol-bing led the way to the broker handling the deal, who looked troubled.
"What's wrong?"
Han Seol-bing asked, furrowing her delicate brows.
Previously, he'd been eager to close the deal, even offering to lower the rent.
"Well... the owner plans to use it himself, so it's been off the market for about two days now."
Ha Mu-baek frowned too.
A quick scan of Seo-bok showed no other manor that could house half the corps.
The next largest could maybe fit a third, but even that was occupied.
"Didn't you say the owner was from a martial sect in An-bok?"
He recalled what the broker had said when they first scouted.
"Yes. Sanhwa Manor—the biggest sect in An-bok."
Even so, it was classified as a mid-to-small sect.
Ha Mu-baek reacted to the name Sanhwa Manor.
"Sanhwa Manor is in An-bok."
"You know them?"
Han Seol-bing tilted her head at the familiar-yet-unfamiliar name.
"Non-Violent Mountain Flower Sword Method."
"Ah."
Han Seol-bing exclaimed at his brief reply.
The sword method's name rang a bell instantly.
They'd fought fiercely in the last war.
And their swordsmanship had left an impression.
"Guess the war really is over."
She smiled wryly, realizing she'd briefly forgotten Sanhwa Manor's name herself.
"I forgot too."
He'd only remembered recently after seeing the Non-Violent Mountain Flower Sword Method firsthand at Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
"Anyway, we'll have to talk to Sanhwa Manor directly if we want this place."
Han Seol-bing nodded at Ha Mu-baek's words.
"Thanks anyway."
She thanked the broker, who bowed his head.
"Sorry I couldn't help. Take care."
What they'd hoped to settle in Seo-bok now extended to An-bok.
An-bok was three days from Seo-bok.
On horseback or with lightness skill, less—but still far compared to a quick trip from camp to Seo-bok.
They'd only meant to pop over to Seo-bok briefly, so they needed to inform the others.
"Send Baek-ah."
Han Seol-bing nodded at Ha Mu-baek's order and whistled. A pitch-black pigeon descended from the sky.
She placed Baek-ah on her shoulder and headed to a nearby relay station.
Some stations lent writing supplies.
Luckily, the first one had them, so she wrote a quick message, tied it to Baek-ah's leg, and sent it off.
"Is Sanhwa Manor expanding its territory?"
Han Seol-bing set down her teacup and asked Ha Mu-baek.
They couldn't just borrow ink and brush, so they'd sat for tea.
"Probably. It's right on the border to cross into Honam Province—perfect spot."
"But Seo-bok's too small for that. Crossing into Honam from here enters Sa Hae-ryeon territory."
Han Seol-bing tilted her head.
Exactly.
That's why An-bok lacked major sects too.
No one wanted the risk next to Sa Hae-ryeon lands.
Sa Hae-ryeon was quiet now, but Gong Ya Jang-cheon wouldn't lead forever, and unorthodox folks could change anytime.
"It's not like no one can pass through just because it's Sa Hae-ryeon turf. Martial artists, civilians, merchants—they all go back and forth briskly. Thanks to that, this place looks small but has everything and will keep growing."
Ha Mu-baek said, looking around the street.
"So Sanhwa Manor Lord must've prepared this manor to expand here. Now he thinks the time's right. Sharp eye for the flow of things."
With that, Ha Mu-baek set down his teacup.
Han Seol-bing stared at him blankly.
"What?"
Her look rubbed him the wrong way somehow.
"Wow. Didn't know you had that kind of insight, Corps Leader. For a second there, you sounded just like Pavilion Lord Gong Son. I thought you only read the rental market..."
Ha Mu-baek made a dumbfounded face and downed the rest of his tea in one gulp.
"Let's go."
He stood and strode out without pause.
"Wait up!"
Han Seol-bing left her tea and hurried after him.
"Bro! This is good."
Late morning.
Pung Geon stretched as he rose from bed after sleeping in again.
Opening the window let in warm sunlight.
"Why did I bother busting my ass back there when life's this sweet?"
Pung Geon muttered with a smirk.
He'd spent five years in the Demon-Sealing Corps.
When it fell apart, members scattered.
Some still faced investigations at headquarters, others ended up in prison after, and some got new assignments post-probe.
And then...
There were those like Pung Geon who quit the Righteous Heaven Alliance entirely.
After five years, he could've left if he wanted.
He'd originally planned to pass through Hidden Dragon Corps, rise to a key Alliance post, and bring glory to his sect.
But the Demon-Sealing Corps fiasco, and learning the sordid underbelly during the investigation, shattered his ambitions.
He hadn't believed it at first, but they'd really driven that guy to his death intentionally.
Sure, that guy paid the price, but seeing the Alliance's true face killed all his drive.
So he'd quit, returned to his sect, and it'd been about half a month now.