Chapter 591
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 591
Chapter Title: I Was Thoughtless
Night had fallen.
The dark sky was illuminated by a full moon.
It was late, after the inn had closed for the day.
Two children were swinging their swords and fists in the backyard.
Even though their master, Ha Mu-baek, had returned, he hadn't said a word, so they were simply following their usual routine.
But their training didn't continue into the late night.
It was already quite late, so after about half a shichen of practice, the children tidied up and headed inside.
Ha Mu-baek's words before he left.
Sleep deeply, eat well.
From the day they heard those words, they had followed them strictly.
They wanted to swing their swords and fists more, but they couldn't defy their master's orders.
So, filled with regret, they finished training and went to wash up.
The feeling that their progress in swordsmanship, fist techniques, and footwork had slowed only amplified their disappointment, but the children moved according to Ha Mu-baek's instructions.
Ha Mu-baek watched the children from the inn's rooftop.
He was using the techniques of the Ghost Phantom Step from the Silver Slumber Divine Method, so the children had no idea he was watching them.
"Hm. Not bad."
Ha Mu-baek murmured softly.
He had heard from Eun Cheong-seon and Gwan Po that after he left, there had been changes in the training of the two children, Gong Hae-bin and Gong Hae-jun.
They were getting plenty of sleep and rest, just as he had instructed.
In other words, their training time had decreased compared to before.
And they hadn't neglected their inn duties.
Yet the achievements the children were showing now were remarkable, considering the reduced time.
"Is it because their focus has improved? Or is it talent?"
Ha Mu-baek sat on the rooftop, lost in thought.
Compared to when they trained forgetting to sleep before, their progress was only slightly slower.
Their efficiency had skyrocketed.
Ha Mu-baek's heart was slowly leaning toward a certain conclusion.
He himself was just unaware of it.
Or perhaps, even if he knew, he was deliberately denying it.
The next day.
Ha Mu-baek woke early in the morning and came down to the first-floor dining hall for breakfast.
He frowned.
A man was darting between the tables with a dry towel over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah, you're awake?"
The man who hurried over with warm tea was Gwan Po.
"What are you doing?"
Ha Mu-baek asked again, and Gwan Po smiled wryly.
"I got a job."
"As a waiter?"
"Yes."
Gwan Po answered nonchalantly to the follow-up question.
"You said to do the work properly."
Ha Mu-baek had indeed said that.
"So I thought about it, and working as a waiter at the inn seemed the most reliable way. My pockets were empty anyway..."
"Fine, I get it."
Ha Mu-baek said no more.
Last night, it seemed Gwan Po had met with Gong Yeop-myeong, and this must have been why.
Gwan Po's decision to work at the So-haeng Inn was his own, and the innkeeper couple's decision to hire him as a waiter was theirs.
It wasn't for Ha Mu-baek to interfere.
In truth, it was a perfect alignment of interests between Gwan Po and Gong Yeop-myeong.
In any case, Ha Mu-baek had told Gwan Po to guard the So-haeng Inn.
The problem was he hadn't set a time limit.
It would look suspicious to always occupy a table and loiter.
Meanwhile, the inn's food and drinks had gained even more fame by word of mouth.
During peak hours, even one occupied table was a loss.
Plus, Gong Yeop-myeong and Eun Cheong-seon were thinking of hiring a new waiter.
Because the children were learning martial arts from Ha Mu-baek.
It was too much for two young kids to handle busy inn work alongside training.
After Ha Mu-baek told them to sleep and eat well, the couple's worries about rest had eased, but seeing the children's disappointment over less training time brought new concerns.
Hiring help wasn't easy, so it was a dilemma—until Gwan Po offered to work as a waiter.
His past as the vice-leader of the Black Veil Gang, a black path faction in Sangnam, was a concern, but after reforming thanks to Ha Mu-baek, it was actually beneficial for the couple.
No one would cause trouble at an inn where the Black Veil Gang's vice-leader worked as a waiter.
Moreover, with nowhere else to stay in Sangnam, providing room and board in exchange for work wasn't much of a burden—perfect.
Ha Mu-baek sat at a table and ate the dishes Gwan Po brought.
Since yesterday, they hadn't taken his order.
Chef Gong simply served the food, and Ha Mu-baek ate without complaint.
As long as he paid properly, it was fine.
And Chef Gong's dishes were all excellent.
As he finished eating, the two children appeared in the dining hall.
They had just finished circulating their energy in the backyard.
"You've quit inn work?"
The children nodded at Ha Mu-baek's question.
"Father said to do that while Uncle Gwan is here."
Ha Mu-baek stood up at Gong Hae-bin's answer.
"Then let's go. Grab your wooden swords."
The two children hurriedly grabbed their wooden swords and followed Ha Mu-baek.
Their destination was the usual forest.
"Show me what you've got."
As always, Ha Mu-baek sat on a suitable rock and spoke. The two children took their stances with serious expressions.
Starting with the Three Talents Sword Method, they demonstrated up to the Three Talents Fist Method, then looked at Ha Mu-baek with evident tension.
'Ho. Look at this?'
It was their first time demonstrating last night and now, but it had already changed in between.
They were improving by leaps and bounds.
"This is your first time showing it today, right?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
The two children answered immediately.
Their faces still tense.
"Hm."
Ha Mu-baek paused briefly.
"That was pretty good."
At those following words, smiles bloomed on the children's faces.
They were purely delighted by Ha Mu-baek's praise.
Watching them, Ha Mu-baek unwittingly chuckled.
'Getting so happy over this?'
Gong Hae-bin and Gong Hae-jun saw his smile, and their own grins grew wider and brighter.
Because their respected master was smiling at them.
It was just a small smile, but still.
"It was quite different from what you showed last night?"
At Ha Mu-baek's next question, the two children were startled.
They had trained in the backyard, and they hadn't seen their master anywhere.
"B-before bed, I thought about it a bit more, and during breaks while working at the inn."
"Me too."
The siblings' answers.
With less time for physical practice, their contemplation of swordsmanship, fist techniques, and footwork had deepened.
It was a good attitude.
The ability to ponder and develop on their own was the highest form of talent.
Far superior to those who passively followed their master's teachings.
And with active thinking yielding excellent results...
With such talent for martial arts and attitude,
They could thrive under any teacher.
However, there were slight differences in their sword forms, fist techniques, and footwork.
The answers they arrived at through contemplation differed.
Ha Mu-baek immediately discerned their tendencies.
Gong Hae-bin pursued stillness.
Not just calm, but steady and heavy.
Gong Hae-jun emphasized strength.
Dominating and unhesitating. Interestingly, while prioritizing strength, he didn't neglect speed, making his movements quick.
So Ha Mu-baek asked,
"Hae-bin, why did you make that change there?"
"To build strong roots and solid defenses."
Ha Mu-baek nodded slightly.
Now he looked at Gong Hae-jun.
"And you, Hae-jun?"
"I think breaking the enemy quickly before they can strike is the best defense."
Gong Hae-jun's expression was firm as he spoke.
Ha Mu-baek gazed at the two children steadily.
'Same experience, yet such different tendencies. Interesting.'
But Gong Hae-jun's current thinking had a fatal flaw.
"What if you try to break them quickly and end up breaking yourself?"
At Ha Mu-baek's question, Gong Hae-jun fell silent for a moment.
"I'll get stronger."
It sounded like childish bravado.
"If I get strong enough and fast enough to shatter anything in the world."
A grand aspiration.
Ha Mu-baek couldn't help but chuckle again.
"Do you know what that means?"
"Uh, well..."
Gong Hae-jun's face flushed red, and he stammered without answering.
After spitting out his answer and hearing Ha Mu-baek's question, he realized how empty his words were.
"Why did you want to learn martial arts in the first place?"
Ha Mu-baek asked again.
"T-to protect the inn..."
Ha Mu-baek nodded.
"You're learning martial arts to protect, but your first thought is destruction?"
Ha Mu-baek asked gently.
He was doing his best not to make the child feel scolded.
If members of the Hocheon Corps or Fierce Dragon Corps saw this, they'd cry foul.
It was a side Ha Mu-baek had never shown his subordinates or disciples.
A side only seen in front of Ha Seol-ran.
That was how Ha Mu-baek treated the two children.
Though he hadn't decided to take them as disciples, his actions now were no different.
"B-before taking damage, I have to destroy them first..."
Ha Mu-baek gazed steadily at Gong Hae-jun repeating the same idea.
"Dreaming of becoming the world's greatest?"
He asked playfully, with a mischievous smile.
Gong Hae-jun jumped in shock, his face turning beet red.
It was the answer he had been too embarrassed to say earlier, now coming from his master's mouth.
"That day's experience must have been that shocking."
Ha Mu-baek spoke in a kind, warm, and comforting voice.
The rogue, Neung Tan, who had caused chaos at the inn and been chased off by Ha Mu-baek.
He had later returned with a sword for revenge.
Aiming at the innocent inn staff.
At that time, the one exposed to Neung Tan's blade wasn't Gong Hae-jun, but Gong Hae-bin.
Gong Hae-bin had the more traumatic experience.
Yet Gong Hae-bin developed a defensive tendency, while Gong Hae-jun became aggressive.
Ha Mu-baek could guess why.
At the time, Eun Cheong-seon had rushed in unarmed to protect Gong Hae-bin.
It was a situation where the mother could have died trying to save her daughter.
So she must have wanted to become strong enough not to worry anyone.
On the other hand, Gong Hae-jun, who had watched in terror, thought he needed to eliminate all enemies targeting his family to protect them.
Was it Ha Mu-baek's gentle demeanor that triggered it?
The children's eyes turned red, tears streaming down.
Soon.
"Waaah!!"
"Waaah!!"
They burst into sobs and ran into Ha Mu-baek's arms.
Held in his embrace, the two cried their hearts out, utterly heartbroken.
On the day of the incident, they had maintained composure in front of Ha Mu-baek.
So he had overlooked it—they were still children.
No matter how composed they seemed that day, it was an experience beyond what children could handle.
Even from a rogue, they were exposed to a black path warrior's killing intent and saw someone charging at them with a drawn sword.
How could they not be scared?
How could it not be shocking?
Until now, they had buried it deep inside.
Because learning martial arts from Ha Mu-baek was more important to them.
They had pushed aside the lesser priority for the greater one.
Children around ten years old.
Ha Mu-baek quietly patted their backs.
"I'm sorry. I was thoughtless. I should have considered this before teaching you martial arts."
Ha Mu-baek's touch was gentle.
No matter how talented, they were still children.
Ha Mu-baek himself had such an experience as a child but had forgotten it somewhere along the way.
He had become too strong to dwell on that memory.
Or perhaps, unwilling to remember, he had deliberately ignored it.
And he had no experience teaching such young children.
"Today, let's just purge the fear, resentment, and nightmares from that day."
Warm energy rose from Ha Mu-baek's hands stroking their backs, seeping into the children's bodies.