Chapter 62
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Waist Empty
“Mm...”
“Hm...”
“Ahem...”
The trainees of Fierce Dragon Corps Squad Seven were sneaking glances around as they trained.
The atmosphere just wasn't conducive to focusing.
And there was one reason for that.
Instructor Ha Mu-baek.
He'd vanished for a few days only to reappear acting all grave and serious.
The Dragon Training Pavilion Lord hadn't returned yet either, tied up with family matters, leaving the entire pavilion in a state of unrest.
And there were those ominous rumors swirling about the Pang Clan too.
“Heard the Pang Clan head dabbled in that cursed extermination technique?”
Dang Jin-san whispered.
“That's right.”
Baek Ri-pyeong nodded lightly.
“Extermination technique?”
Dan Mok Un-roe asked, puzzled.
Aside from Dang Jin-san and Baek Ri-pyeong, the others were clueless about the martial world.
Dang Jin-san glanced subtly at Ha Mu-baek. The instructor was still lost in his own thoughts, paying no attention to them.
“Well, you see...”
He leaned in and whispered the tale of the extermination technique.
And then the story continued.
He shared what he'd heard from another Tang Clan trainee in the Hidden Dragon Corps.
“The Pang Clan picked a fight with some mysterious master and got into a huge clash...”
“And?”
“They got utterly crushed by that mystery master. Lost more than half their forces.”
“To one guy?”
Dan Mok Un-roe's face screamed disbelief. Dang Jin-san nodded.
“?!?”
Shock rippled across the other four faces. Dang Jin-san nodded as if it were obvious—he'd reacted the same way at first.
“Apparently, the Pang Clan head even unleashed the extermination technique during it. And still got wrecked...”
“Hah...”
Baek Ri-pyeong let out a hollow chuckle.
It was too unbelievable.
“That can't be true, can it? Some storyteller at a brothel making it up?”
Baek Ri-pyeong said, his face full of doubt.
Dang Jin-san shook his head firmly.
“It's from the Beggars' Sect.”
“The Beggars' Sect...”
Then it had to be legit.
“So who was this mystery master?”
“Even the Beggars' Sect is still digging into it.”
It was a rumor the Beggars' Sect had deliberately spread through the jianghu, mixing truth and lies just right.
A courtesy from the sect leader to cover for Ha Mu-baek's existence.
p>No, the White Path Alliance wanted to keep it hidden too.
They didn't want word getting out that one of the Five Great Clans had been humiliated by a single person.
“Anyway, our instructor got lucky because of it.”
Dang Jin-san glanced at Ha Mu-baek and said.
“Instructor did?”
Nak Woo-jin tilted his head, not getting it.
“Pang Gun-ho.”
Dang Jin-san said curtly.
“Ah...”
The other four let out sighs of realization in unison.
“Makes sense. After what he did to the Pang Clan's eldest son.”
“Honestly, I'm more surprised the Pavilion Lord never said a word about it.”
The Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul was Pang Clan too. And Pang Gun-ho was his nephew, no less.
Baek Ri-pyeong and Dan Mok Un-roe exchanged looks as they spoke.
“Lucky break.”
Yeon Ha-min chimed in briefly. The others glanced at her, but she acted like she hadn't said a thing.
“But yeah, it really is fortunate. Heard the Pang Clan head doted on that Pang Gun-ho punk big time.”
“Source?”
Baek Ri-pyeong asked Dang Jin-san.
“My father.”
Straight from the Tang Clan head, apparently.
“Truth is, I was seriously worried that day.”
Dang Jin-san shuddered, recalling how Ha Mu-baek had brutally thrashed Pang Gun-ho.
“Heard the Pang Clan head was on his way here to confront our instructor personally when he crossed paths with the mystery master.”
The four fell silent, lost in thought.
“If that's true... our instructor's got some serious heavenly luck.”
Nak Woo-jin muttered softly. They all nodded faintly in agreement—
“How about a spar with that mystery master?”
“Eek!”
“Gah!”
“Kyaa!”
The trainees yelped at the sudden voice.
How had he snuck up?
No presence at all.
Five of them huddled whispering, and suddenly there were six. The newcomer, of course, was Ha Mu-baek.
“Whew. Instructor, what are you, a ghost? Scaring us like that without a sound—what are we supposed to do?”
Dang Jin-san blustered shamelessly.
“This isn't chit-chat time. It's training time.”
“W-well, discussing the jianghu's state is part of training, right...?”
Dang Jin-san scratched his head.
“Sure. Then let's train by sparring that mystery master directly.”
Dang Jin-san couldn't help but chuckle at Ha Mu-baek's words.
“C'mon, Instructor, you're a monster, sure, but... even you against that mystery master...?”
It was a natural reaction for Dang Jin-san. Annihilating half the Pang Clan's forces single-handedly was beyond human limits, in his mind.
He didn't think the instructor before him could pull it off.
“Waist empty.”
Ignoring him, Ha Mu-baek swung his scabbard straight at him.
He wielded it sheathed against trainees.
“Guhk.”
Dang Jin-san took the hit square on, as expected.
That was the signal. The other four formed a sword formation, going on guard.
They knew Ha Mu-baek-style sparring had begun.
An hour later.
“Hoo.”
Ha Mu-baek exhaled deeply, feeling refreshed, and rolled his shoulders.
“That's it for today. Train on your own for the rest of the time.”
Then he left the training ground.
“Ow ow ow.”
Dang Jin-san groaned. He'd gotten the worst of it today.
“Still, Instructor definitely seemed preoccupied with something.”
Dan Mok Un-roe said, watching his retreating back.
“Right?”
Baek Ri-pyeong nodded vigorously.
“Wonder what?”
Yeon Ha-min said curtly, curious.
Not that they could know.
“But he looks better than before, doesn't he?”
The four nodded at Dang Jin-san's question. His expression had definitely softened.
“Still bugs me no matter how I think about it.”
Four days had passed since returning to Muchang from Mount Otaesan.
In that time, rumors about the Pang Clan incident had spread through the jianghu at an unnaturally fast pace.
The Beggars' Sect's handiwork.
Ha Mu-baek felt a nagging sense that he'd missed something. That was why his face had been so heavy lately.
Well, drilling Squad Seven hard today had helped some.
When your head was cluttered, moving your body cleared it up.
That's when someone approached Ha Mu-baek.
“Hm?”
A familiar presence. But why would its owner seek him out...?
“Instructor Ha. Mind if I interrupt?”
“What's up?”
Namgung Ji-hu cupped his fists toward Ha Mu-baek and bowed at the waist.
“I've got a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. Truth is, I've come by the last few days, but you were out or looked unwell...”
Ha Mu-baek tilted his head slightly at Namgung Ji-hu's trailing words.
What business could this Namgung Clan prodigy have with him...?
“So I looked okay today?”
“Ah, Jin-san told me...”
They'd gotten pretty chummy in the meantime. Namgung Ji-hu, the Summer Combat Festival's top target, now hanging out with him.
Dang Jin-san's affability was top-notch, as expected.
“Quick on the uptake.”
Namgung Ji-hu hadn't been around during the Squad Seven sparring. Yet here he was, right after it ended.
“So, what favor?”
“Could you... spar with me as a guide?”
Namgung Ji-hu broached it with a tense face.
“With me?”
Ha Mu-baek pointed at himself.
“Yes.”
“I'm a Fierce Dragon Corps instructor.”
“Yes.”
“And you're a Hidden Dragon Corps trainee.”
“Yes.”
“That okay?”
“Should be fine.”
“Hm...”
Ha Mu-baek fell silent for a moment.
“Why me, specifically? Hidden Dragon has instructors, and the Namgung Clan has elders.”
He asked, genuinely curious.
“I want to get properly crushed.”
It was partly because the impression Ha Mu-baek had left during the Summer Combat Festival was so overwhelming.
“Hmmm.”
Pretty bold kid.
Or rather, his drive for improvement was off the charts. That must be why he was hailed as the top latecomer talent.
“What a hassle...”
Still, that was that, and this was this.
He'd just finished thrashing the squad—what he wanted was a refreshing bath and bed. No sweat on him, but he'd eaten plenty of dust from their scrambling around.
Plus, with all the brooding lately, even rest hadn't felt restful.
“P-please.”
Namgung Ji-hu bowed again.
“So what do I get out of it?”
“Huh?”
“Gotta be something in it for me.”
“Anything I can do, I'll help with.”
The immediate reply.
He'd tossed it out casually, but the instant response showed the desperation.
The son of the Namgung Clan head, from one of the colossal clans, pleading like this. To a mere Fierce Dragon instructor. He must see some key to getting stronger.
Not bad.
No, he liked it. Maybe that's why.
“Hassle, so make it quick. Come at me.”
Despite the hassle, he decided to spare a little time.
“Here?”
Namgung Ji-hu blinked in surprise at the abruptness.
“Not coming, then I'm going.”
At the retort, Namgung Ji-hu hurriedly drew his sword into stance.
The Namgung Clan's famed technique: Soaring Sky Sword Dance.
Familiar to Ha Mu-baek.
He'd seen Namgung warriors use it in the last war.
'The clan head's eldest son, wasn't he? But not the Sovereign Sword Form, the Soaring Sky Sword Dance... Still hasn't ascended to young lord position, huh.'
Whatever their internal affairs, it didn't pique his interest.
Namgung Ji-hu stood frozen in stance, unable to move.
No openings to exploit.
None at all.
“Tch.”
Ha Mu-baek clicked his tongue at the sight.
“A 'perfect opening' means nothing against a master. That's for scrubs. Don't just hunt for openings.”
Thud.
The moment Ha Mu-baek stepped lightly forward.
“Ugh.”
Namgung Ji-hu felt a chill.
Attacks incoming from everywhere on his body.
Ha Mu-baek was suddenly in his face, flicking his forehead with a finger.
“Ow!”
Excruciating pain exploded in the center of his forehead.
Like a hammer smashing down full force.
“If there's no opening, make one. Don't wait for it to appear.”
Namgung Ji-hu clutched his forehead, collapsing, trembling at Ha Mu-baek's words.
Different from the clan elders' teachings.
They'd said to stand firm like the blue sky with Soaring Sky Sword Dance, then cleave any momentary foe opening in one stroke.
But this instructor said to create one if there wasn't.
Contradictory guidance.
Yet for some reason, Namgung Ji-hu was more drawn to Ha Mu-baek's words.
“Alright, I'm off.”
As Ha Mu-baek turned to leave.
“Instructor, have you heard? Word is a new deputy pavilion lord is coming.”
“Hm?”
Ha Mu-baek's steps halted abruptly.
The pavilion was already chaotic without the lord. Now a new deputy on top of that.
“Seems like with this mess, talk among the Five Great Clans about checking the Pang Clan...”
Even Dang Jin-san didn't know this.
The clan head's son had his perks, it seemed.
“Looks like it'll be someone from the Yeon Clan.”
Ha Mu-baek frowned.
He was the one who'd trashed the Pang Clan like that, and now Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul's position—who'd been accommodating him—was shrinking because of it.
Things were twisting weirdly.
'Of all people, the Yeon Clan...'.