Chapter 549
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 549
Chapter Title: Money is Precious
“Hm.”
Han Seol-bing carefully read through the message Ha Mu-baek had handed her, from beginning to end.
“Something interesting has come up, but can those two handle it?”
She had already seen the reports from the Beggars' Sect and Hao Clan investigations on Sangnam from before.
Considering the forces of the Alluring Fragrance Sect and the peak masters of the Black Mask Hall mentioned there, Poong Geon and Gwan Ha-kyeong alone might fall short.
Ha Mu-baek shrugged.
“Well, they must have something in mind.”
“They just got caught up in it after going there.”
Han Seol-bing shot back as if to say what kind of nonsense was that.
“Looks like you’ll have to go check it out yourself.”
“You want to get rid of me that badly?”
Han Seol-bing let out a smirk at Ha Mu-baek’s words.
“Do whatever you want, Corps Leader.”
She spoke as if she washed her hands of it.
‘He’s telling me all this in person... He’s probably heading to Sangnam soon.’
Han Seol-bing was certain Ha Mu-baek would go to Sangnam.
“Did Gwan Ha-kyeong leave her shield behind to move faster?”
Han Seol-bing nodded at his question.
“Yeah, she did. The Fierce Dragon Corps’ shield looks tough, but it’s surprisingly heavy.”
“Hm.”
“If he needs it, he’ll procure one locally.”
Ha Mu-baek muttered softly at Han Seol-bing’s words.
“I didn’t teach them about local procurement... and they haven’t been in the Fierce Dragon Corps long.”
Because of that, Gwan Ha-kyeong’s shield techniques were actually inferior to the other Fierce Dragon Corps members.
Her level was comparable to the Seven Masters disciples like Joo Woo-myeong or Baek Ri-pyeong, though.
Han Seol-bing let out an incredulous chuckle at Ha Mu-baek’s words.
“She went through that brutal battlefield in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest—what’s there to worry about? Seriously.”
After saying that, she shook her head and tossed the message back at Ha Mu-baek before leaping away.
“I’m off to bed again.”
Ha Mu-baek lightly snatched the thrown message and gazed at her retreating figure.
“Am I worrying too much...”
He muttered quietly.
He certainly felt different himself.
It was a world away from his days as Hocheon Corps Leader.
He had changed even while serving as an instructor at the Dragon Training Pavilion, but the shift became especially pronounced after acknowledging that guy as part of himself during the recent spar with his master.
“Well, it’s a good thing.”
That was why Ha Mu-baek viewed his current changes positively.
He lightly kicked off the roof and headed back to the Fierce Dragon Corps’ camp.
The Alluring Fragrance Sect had three martial forces.
The Heavenly Fragrance Corps, Earthly Fragrance Corps, and Human Fragrance Corps.
All three corps leaders were peak-realm masters.
Ban Yoon looked at the three corps leaders who had rushed to him at this late hour.
“You’ve heard the news?”
They bowed in unison at his question.
“Yes!”
By the time Yeong Wi-sang had returned, rumors about it had already spread quickly among the sect’s upper echelons.
“What should we do?”
“We should storm the Yuwon Martial Hall right now and crush them.”
The first to respond was Human Fragrance Corps Leader Ban Go-rok.
Ban Yoon’s eldest son and the sect’s young lord.
“With two peak masters, all three of us corps leaders should go. We need to assess the situation more first.”
That was Heavenly Fragrance Corps Leader Ji Moon-gi.
Ban Yoon’s gaze turned to the Earthly Fragrance Corps Leader.
“If we bring a bunch of warriors, the world will mock us. As Earth Corps Leader says, we should carefully gauge the situation and handle it among us three.”
Earthly Fragrance Corps Leader Go Won-sa spoke upon receiving Ban Yoon’s gaze.
“Hm. Will you three be enough?”
Ban Yoon asked.
“More than enough!”
The three answered simultaneously.
If the three of them weren’t enough, it would mean the Alluring Fragrance Sect’s final peak master—Sect Leader Ban Yoon himself—would have to step in.
“Sect Leader. Chief Steward Seo is here.”
At that moment, the voice of the attendant warrior guarding outside the hall rang out.
How long had it been since he withdrew? And he was back already.
“Let him in.”
Seo Hon entered cautiously through the opened door.
“What is it?”
“Yes. Something urgent came up regarding funds, so I’ve come to see you.”
“Funds? At this hour?”
It was late at night.
In truth, there was nothing else but that humiliating defeat from earlier today.
“Someone from Black Mask Hall came urgently. Their vice hall leader says they’ll join us in attacking the Yuwon Martial Hall.”
“Oh? The Black Mask Hall’s vice hall leader, you say?”
Ban Yoon showed interest.
On the other hand, Ban Go-rok’s face stiffened.
“Yes. But they have a condition.”
Ban Yoon smirked at the follow-up.
He had looked down on them as a third-rate unorthodox hall, but they clearly had one who knew how to use his head and another who knew how to wield power.
At this level, they couldn’t be dismissed as third-rate unorthodox anymore—but their hall leader was exactly that caliber.
How he managed to keep such talents under him was a mystery.
“Tell me.”
“Pardon?”
Seo Hon was startled by Ban Yoon agreeing without even hearing the condition and unwittingly asked back.
“Their condition is obvious. They’ll want a bigger cut of the profits. Handing that over to borrow a peak master for a day is a bargain.”
“Father!”
Ban Go-rok burst out like he was having a fit.
Ban Yoon’s icy glare shot toward him at the outburst.
“Sect Leader! Is this a private gathering?”
Ban Go-rok hurriedly bowed his head at the fierce rebuke.
“I-I’m sorry, Sect Leader. But please reconsider borrowing the hand of Black Mask Hall’s vice leader. For the great Alluring Fragrance Sect to rely on some third-rate unorthodox rabble would tarnish our prestige.”
“That prestige is already in the dirt.”
It was true.
The moment it was revealed they had colluded with a third-rate unorthodox hall to bully a single martial school, the Alluring Fragrance Sect had no prestige left.
p>It hadn’t spread yet, but once day broke and the Yuwon Martial Hall made a peep, it would spread not just through Sangnam but the entire Shaanxi Province in no time.
“Are you opposing the sect’s business out of personal grudge?”
“N-no. I’m only worried about the sect’s prestige and honor...”
Ban Go-rok hurriedly explained.
“Tch.”
Ban Yoon just clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
“And I’m going too.”
The four people present were stunned by the words that followed from Ban Yoon’s mouth.
No one had imagined the Alluring Fragrance Sect Leader himself would step forward.
“Th-that’s too much!”
The Heavenly Fragrance Corps Leader cried out in surprise.
“No need for you to go, Sect Leader. We’ll handle it cleanly!”
The Earthly Fragrance Corps Leader added.
“Tch.”
Ban Yoon clicked his tongue again.
“What if things go wrong again, just in case?”
He asked coldly, staring at the Heavenly and Earthly Fragrance Corps Leaders.
The two couldn’t dare respond.
“Have you ever seen a Dark Blood Jiangshi?”
They hadn’t.
The monstrous creation from the Blood Cult’s extermination campaign.
No, none of the four here even knew how such things were born.
“Tch.”
Sect Leader Ban Yoon clicked his tongue once more.
“I have. Truly terrifying beasts. Do you know why I hunkered down during the last Murim War? Honestly, I couldn’t gauge the damage our sect would suffer fighting those monsters. That’s why I didn’t budge, even while taking all sorts of abuse from my seniors.”
“...”
“...”
The four clamped their mouths shut and bowed their heads.
“The two peak masters at Yuwon Martial Hall are suspected to be from the Demon-Sealing Corps. They’ve gained experience fighting those monsters in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest. Even at the same peak realm, their experience differs from yours. No, even from mine.”
Not just the three corps leaders, but Ban Yoon admitting his own lack of experience silenced any opposition.
“That’s why we must go all out while we can. Once is enough to get careless and pay for it.”
His icy momentum bore down on the four.
That was also why he approved the Black Mask Hall vice leader’s aid.
“Noon in five days. That’s when we strike Yuwon Martial Hall. Chief Steward Seo.”
“Yes!”
“Spend these five days investigating the identities of those bitches who showed up at Yuwon Martial Hall.”
“Understood!”
Seo Hon immediately bowed deeply.
“Everyone, withdraw.”
“Understood.”
They bowed deeply in unison at Ban Yoon’s command and quietly left.
“Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest... Blood Cult... Demon-Sealing Corps...”
Left alone, Ban Yoon muttered in deep contemplation before preparing ink, brush, and paper.
The night deepened.
The household had all fallen asleep.
Yu Seon-a, who had been peeking at the new guests in her mother’s arms while blushing, was the first to doze off.
Only three remained awake at Yuwon Martial Hall.
Yu Gwi-gwang, Poong Geon, and Gwan Ha-kyeong.
Once only the three were left, the truly serious talk began.
“Alluring Fragrance Sect, you said?”
Yu Gwi-gwang nodded at Poong Geon’s question.
“The strongest sect around here in Sangnam?”
“It’s also a branch of Huashan Sect.”
Yu Gwi-gwang answered Gwan Ha-kyeong’s question.
“Seems some shrewd bastard founded it. The Nine Great Sects wouldn’t allow a branch that easily.”
“A Huashan branch pulling that kind of stunt?”
Gwan Ha-kyeong raised her voice in disbelief.
Yu Gwi-gwang gave a bitter smile.
“We already saw it in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest. The Demon-Sealing Corps Leader was from the Kongtong Sect.”
Gwan Ha-kyeong had no retort.
It was the truth.
The Demon-Sealing Corps Leader had done worse than this Alluring Fragrance Sect.
“Fair enough. A lot happened after you left. That’s why she ended up like that.”
Poong Geon nodded toward Gwan Ha-kyeong.
“Like what?”
Gwan Ha-kyeong blinked wide-eyed and asked back.
“That personality. Back when you left, Gui-gwang, she wasn’t like that.”
Yu Gwi-gwang chuckled at the bickering pair.
“True. I did think Squad Member Gwan had gotten more playful and thick-skinned.”
At that, Gwan Ha-kyeong whipped her gaze toward him.
“Squad Leader Yoo, I’m a full Fierce Dragon Corps member now.”
“Ah, not just a member—a squad leader.”
Poong Geon chimed in.
Yu Gwi-gwang nodded.
“It was already a mess when I left, but it got worse after, huh.”
He gave Gwan Ha-kyeong a pitying look.
An experience that could change a person’s temperament like that.
It might seem surprising that it manifested in a brighter way.
But conversely, it could mean the events were so harrowing she had to force cheerfulness to endure.
Forcing brightness to shake off those memories.
“We’re getting off track... For Sangnam’s strongest sect, what’s the level of their masters, and how many are there?”
Yu Gwi-gwang shrugged.
“No idea.”
“What? You don’t know? This is your hometown.”
“I’ve only been back a few days. You two got here ridiculously fast.”
“Feels like you moved ridiculously slow, Gui-gwang.”
That was true too.
Considering the time Poong Geon and Gwan Ha-kyeong spent at Righteous Heaven Alliance and traveling back.
“We weren’t in a position to switch horses and gallop.”
Ha Mu-baek had given him plenty of money, but he couldn’t squander it.
What had taken Yu Gwi-gwang to the Fierce Dragon Corps in the first place?
That damned money.
That was why Yu Gwi-gwang suppressed his urge to rush to his daughter and family by the fastest means and walked slowly instead.
He minimized time at inns too.
To save money.
It might seem pathetic.
But that’s how Yu Gwi-gwang could casually hand Elder Kang a hundred nyang of gold at the ferry.
“Money is precious.”
The short phrase left Poong Geon and Gwan Ha-kyeong speechless.
Knowing the desperation behind Yu Gwi-gwang’s handling of that cursed money, they said nothing more.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
At that moment.
A sound like someone knocking came from the main gate.
Far too late for visitors.
It was nearing midnight.
The three exchanged glances.