Chapter 526
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 526
Chapter Title: Very Well Then
"What should I do now?"
Poong Geon muttered to himself.
His master had said he would establish a base in Seobok, a small city to the west of Anbok, and told him to wait just a little longer.
In the meantime, he should take it easy.
That explained the late mornings over the past few days.
"Did I do something unforgivable to my senior brother just to ease my own mind?"
Poong Geon murmured softly as he gazed at the peaceful scenery outside the window.
Blazing Flower Hall.
The Hall Lord had one son.
That son was the great disciple of Blazing Flower Hall, the Young Hall Lord, and Poong Geon's senior brother.
Poong Geon, as the Hall Lord's final disciple, had devoted himself fully to elevating his sect's prestige within the Righteous Heaven Alliance. He had endured five years in the Demon-Sealing Corps.
When he returned to his sect, his status among the disciples was quite high.
That was the problem.
Blazing Flower Hall naturally should pass to the Young Hall Lord, but his junior brother had returned with outstanding achievements.
This put the Hall Lord and Young Hall Lord in an awkward position.
They didn't suspect for a moment that Poong Geon harbored any ulterior motives, but the unrest among the Blazing Flower Hall disciples was the issue.
To them, the senior brother who had passed through Dragon Training Pavilion, become a member of the Demon-Sealing Corps, and roamed the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest might seem greater than the Young Hall Lord who had stayed to guard the hall.
"Senior Brother! Senior Brother!"
Just as he was trying to enjoy the leisurely late morning, a junior disciple came looking for Poong Geon.
He was probably here to beg for stories about the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest and the Demon-Sealing Corps again.
For Poong Geon, this was no small annoyance.
He just wanted to rest quietly, yet he had stirred up such waves in his own sect.
His senior brother's feelings couldn't be good right now.
"What is it? I have nothing more to tell."
Was that why?
Poong Geon's tone came out sharper than usual for him.
"N-No, it's not that. Master is looking for you."
The junior disciple flinched at his senior brother's sharp reaction, cowed.
At those words, Poong Geon scolded himself.
'I'm being too sensitive.'
He had snapped irritably without even hearing the full story.
"Got it."
He masked his embarrassment and replied as warmly as possible.
"Go to the Guest Reception Hall."
In the end, though he had returned to his sect to rest easy, the recent events had apparently built up quite a bit of mental strain on Poong Geon himself, whether he realized it or not.
'This isn't the time to worry about others. I hope Master has made a decision on what he mentioned...'
With those thoughts, Poong Geon started walking, then paused.
'Ah, could it be because of that?'
It was sooner than the initial timeline he had heard, but there was no other reason for his master to summon him so urgently.
Poong Geon's steps quickened with a strange sense of anticipation.
"Master. Your disciple Poong Geon has arrived."
Guest Reception Hall.
In front of the largest room used for receiving the Hall Lord's guests, Poong Geon straightened his posture and announced his arrival.
"Come in."
Hearing his master's reply, he opened the door and entered carefully.
Three people sat across a large table.
His master was in the seat of honor, and the two opposite him were...
'Huh?'
The moment he recognized their faces, Poong Geon's movements stopped.
He couldn't fathom why these two had come to his sect, Blazing Flower Hall.
No, he even questioned if they really were who they appeared to be.
They were absolutely not the sort of people who should be here.
"It seems you know these two."
Seeing his disciple's reaction, Blazing Flower Hall Lord Jong Gwang-yeo nodded and spoke.
"Yes. Fierce Dragon Corps Leader... no, the Corps Leader and Vice Corps Leader."
When he had first met Ha Mu-baek, he had been introduced as the senior instructor of the Fierce Dragon Corps.
But recalling that at their final battle in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, he had been called the Corps Leader, Poong Geon hurriedly corrected himself.
"Oh? Weren't you a squad leader in the Demon-Sealing Corps? Why are you back at your sect?"
Han Seol-bing recognized Poong Geon's face and asked.
Ha Mu-baek had already sensed Poong Geon's presence with his qi sense when they arrived.
"I completed my term of service and left the Alliance."
Poong Geon answered with an awkward expression.
"That makes sense. No one would want to stick around under a trash like that, putting up with all that filth."
Ha Mu-baek spoke calmly, as if understanding.
"So you two know Geon as well."
Seeing Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing's reactions, Jong Gwang-yeo said with a surprised look.
Poong Geon knowing the Corps Leader and Vice Corps Leader of the Fierce Dragon Corps made sense, but he hadn't expected them to know Poong Geon.
They hadn't even been in the same Demon-Sealing Corps unit.
Moreover, Jong Gwang-yeo knew the Fierce Dragon Corps had been without a leader until recently.
"That makes things easier to discuss. As I mentioned, this child will go to Seobok to serve as Pavilion Lord of the martial school that will act as our Blazing Flower Hall branch."
At Jong Gwang-yeo's words, Poong Geon whipped his head around in shock.
He didn't even think about how rude it was.
How could he have imagined he would be made the head of the branch?
"Why so surprised? Didn't I say I would prepare a position for you?"
Jong Gwang-yeo spoke as if it were no big deal.
"Even so, the branch head... We have Eldest Senior Brother..."
Forgetting the guests were present, Poong Geon spoke in a daze.
"The Hall Lord has a good eye."
Ha Mu-baek interjected.
"Of course I know my own disciple whom I raised. I'm grateful that the Corps Leader thinks well of him."
Praising his discernment meant Ha Mu-baek, the Fierce Dragon Corps Leader, viewed his disciple favorably.
Ha Mu-baek smiled faintly.
"He's an excellent talent."
Ha Mu-baek wasn't one to offer empty flattery just to please someone.
He genuinely held Poong Geon in high regard.
It was the result of everything: his performance in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, the talent Ha Mu-baek had glimpsed during their brief guidance sessions.
Hearing praise for himself from Ha Mu-baek's mouth made Poong Geon feel embarrassed for no reason.
His master didn't know how incredible the man before them truly was.
He probably just saw him as the leader of the Righteous Heaven Alliance's military force.
Jong Gwang-yeo's gaze turned back to Poong Geon.
"If Blazing Flower Hall opens a branch, who else but you would go as its head? Ha-haeng must stay here to help me run the main hall."
Jong Ha-haeng.
Jong Gwang-yeo's son, Blazing Flower Hall's Young Hall Lord, and Poong Geon's eldest senior brother.
"No one but you, and you have the qualifications and ability."
"But the gossip from others..."
The comparisons between Jong Ha-haeng and Poong Geon.
If Poong Geon achieved results as branch head, the rumors would only grow louder.
"Do you see me and Ha-haeng as petty small-minded fools? We're not the types to be swayed by idle chatter from the ignorant."
It was a firm, stern declaration.
Poong Geon lowered his head.
Jong Gwang-yeo's gaze shifted back to Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing.
"That estate will be the place where this child establishes himself. I cannot lend it to you. Before he returned to the main hall, I considered renting it out, but the situation has changed. It's an event for the Righteous Heaven Alliance, so I'd like to help if possible, but the main hall has its own circumstances. I ask for your understanding."
Jong Gwang-yeo politely but firmly expressed his refusal.
Ha Mu-baek pondered briefly before speaking.
"You said you'd start with a martial school."
"Yes. We can't start too big."
"A wise judgment. But isn't the estate too large for just a martial school?"
"We have no choice. It's sized for the future as well."
"Still, it will take years to establish it properly."
He was right.
Blazing Flower Hall might be the top sect in Anbok, but in the vast martial world, it was just one of countless mid-sized sects.
A martial school founded by such a place wouldn't attract students overnight.
It would take considerable time to build trust, spread by word of mouth, and draw in new pupils.
"We're proceeding with that in mind."
"Hmm. We only need it for a short year at minimum, three years at most. How about lending us about two-thirds of the estate? You can use the remaining one-third for the martial school."
Jong Gwang-yeo fell into thought at Ha Mu-baek's proposal.
All of Ha Mu-baek's previous questions had been laying the groundwork for this.
"The main gate can be used by the martial school under Poong Geon. We just need a place for our members to rest comfortably, so using the back gate poses no issue."
"Hmm."
"And if word spreads that the Righteous Heaven Alliance's elite force is training alongside Blazing Flower Hall's martial school, it might help the school gain traction even faster."
That was certainly true.
Blazing Flower Hall might be mid-sized, but the Righteous Heaven Alliance was a colossal pillar of the righteous martial world.
The famous Nine Great Sects, Five Great Clans, and even the rapidly rising Eight New Sects were all part of it.
"Hmm."
Jong Gwang-yeo's deliberations deepened.
It was an appealing offer all around, especially the last point, which was particularly tantalizing.
Jong Gwang-yeo looked at Poong Geon.
"The Corps Leader is right. It's beneficial for us in many ways. We can utilize the empty space and gain credibility from associating with the Righteous Heaven Alliance."
At Poong Geon's words, Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing smiled subtly.
"Besides, it'll take at least three years for the school to get established, so a maximum of three years is appropriate."
Jong Gwang-yeo nodded.
That matched his own thinking.
"However."
Poong Geon paused briefly.
"I'd like to add one condition."
Ha Mu-baek's smile froze.
A condition now?
"Heh."
A small chuckle escaped him.
His judgment hadn't been wrong after all.
Poong Geon.
The kid had the goods.
He had quickly read the situation, figured out who held the leverage, and was now pushing for more gain.
However.
Greed could backfire if overdone.
Ha Mu-baek watched Poong Geon, curious what condition he would propose.
"Whenever the Fierce Dragon Corps Leader or Vice Corps Leader have time, I hope you could offer guidance to me, the school's instructors, and its students."
Blazing Flower Hall Lord Jong Gwang-yeo's eyes widened. He hadn't considered that angle.
Poong Geon could never forget the teachings he had received from Ha Mu-baek in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Now that such an opportunity had arisen, how could he let it pass?
"If word gets out that the Righteous Heaven Alliance's elite leader and vice leader occasionally provide special instruction, it'll be much easier to attract students. And it doesn't matter if it's different from our hall's techniques. Even light sparring guidance or lessons on mindset in real combat would be a rare boon to the students."
It was sound reasoning.
A smile crept onto Jong Gwang-yeo's lips.
He looked at Ha Mu-baek.
"The Corps Leader truly has excellent judgment."
At the praise for his disciple, Ha Mu-baek gave a wry smile.
It wasn't wrong.
"In any case, it's the condition proposed by the future owner of the estate. What do you say?"
Ha Mu-baek glanced at Han Seol-bing.
She shrugged.
"You handle it, Corps Leader. Don't dump the annoying stuff on me. I'll do exactly as much as you do."
In other words.
She would match whatever time Ha Mu-baek spent teaching the students.
"Sigh."
A sigh escaped Ha Mu-baek's lips.
He wondered if he had come to remove one worry only to pick up another.
He had come here to rest easy, but the meals were inconvenient.
Seeking to resolve that, he had visited Blazing Flower Hall, only to end up as an instructor again.
Still, he had no choice.
It was only when he had time, so he nodded, thinking he would only step in occasionally when truly free.
"Very well then."
"Looking forward to working with you, Corps Leader."
At Ha Mu-baek's words, Poong Geon clasped his hands in salute and bowed deeply.
'I finally got promoted to Corps Leader, and now I'm back to instructing. Tsk.'
The others present naturally had no idea of Ha Mu-baek's inner thoughts.