Chapter 71
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Who Could Know Those Sinister Intentions?
“Whew, feels like I've been possessed by a ghost.”
The middle-aged man muttered in a daze.
“What's up? Your shift's over, isn't it?”
His colleague, who had approached from elsewhere, asked the one mumbling blankly.
“No, this guy shows up at the crack of dawn demanding six horses. No order slip or anything.”
The stable hand grumbled.
“And?”
“You think I'd hand them over on just a verbal say-so, no paperwork? Who'd take the blame if something went wrong?”
The middle-aged man said, turning serious.
“Then what?”
“He says he's got permission from the vice pavilion lord... I told him absolutely not, and get this...”
“Get this?”
His friend followed up curiously, latching onto the middle-aged man's words.
“He drags in a Qi Guard. Or should I say, he hauls in a sleeping one?”
“Heh...”
His friend let out a hollow laugh, looking utterly dumbfounded.
He knew exactly who a Qi Guard was.
They were the pavilion lord's personal escorts, involved in every major and minor affair in the pavilion.
A core member of the Dragon Training Pavilion's power structure, dragged in from sleep—what kind of reckless madman does that?
“Who the hell is this lunatic?”
“Fierce Dragon Corps Squad 7 Instructor.”
At the middle-aged man's answer, his friend nodded with an “Ah!”
The guy who turned the pavilion upside down last spring over that Devouring Dragon Pavilion incident.
Somehow, it figured he'd pull something like this.
“But that's not the end of it.”
“Then what?”
“Right around shift change, another instructor shows up.”
“You mean that stunning new beauty, Instructor Han?”
The middle-aged man nodded at his friend's words.
“She asks if Instructor Ha took some horses. I say yeah, and she asks how I could hand them over without an order slip when there wasn't even time. So I tell her what happened. And then?”
“And then?”
His friend echoed again, just as hooked and curious as before.
“She drags in a Qi Guard too.”
“Heh...”
This time, a longer hollow laugh escaped him.
“She takes three horses and heads out. Even asks where Instructor Ha and the Qi Guard went.”
“Where to?”
“Eh, it was such a ridiculous place... I wasn't even sure I heard right.”
“So where?”
“Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.”
His friend frowned at the middle-aged man's words.
“Why the hell go there? Fierce Dragon Corps ends up there anyway, sure.”
“That's what I'm saying. What's the big idea? That's why it feels like being possessed.”
His friend nodded in agreement.
“Whew, but Instructor Han's a surprise. A beauty like that acting so outrageously. Whew, must've been nice facing a stunner like her up close.”
His friend said enviously.
“Hey, watch it. Talk like that and if my wife hears, I'll be out on the street.”
His friend's chuckle turned into a smirk at the middle-aged man's theatrics.
“But to me, that Namgung miss seems even more beautiful than Instructor Han.”
The topic suddenly shifted to appraising beauties.
Natural enough for a chat between two middle-aged guys.
“Among the disciples... Hands down, the Yeon miss.”
The middle-aged man said without hesitation.
“Yeon miss? Yeon Ha-min?”
The name slipped out from someone unfamiliar with her Fierce Dragon Corps origins.
And that name halted the steps of a man who had been walking by, listening intently to their conversation.
Dong Ju-san.
‘Yeon Ha-min?’
Wasn't that the name he'd been desperately searching for these past months?
Using her real name right here in the Dragon Training Pavilion? In the Fierce Dragon Corps, no less?
Dong Ju-san shook his head immediately.
No way.
What was the Fierce Dragon Corps?
They were cannon fodder thrown into the cursed land of Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
No way someone like Yeon Ha-min, who didn't know a single move of martial arts, would be there.
Just a coincidence in names.
Yeon Ha-min was a common name in the jianghu, after all.
Yet Dong Ju-san's feet were already carrying him toward the two men.
He had to confirm.
After verifying with them, Dong Ju-san roamed the Dragon Training Pavilion, heading to spots where Fierce Dragon Squad 7 members often crossed paths.
There, he inquired about Yeon Ha-min's appearance.
The more he confirmed, the more his suspicions turned to certainty.
‘She was here.’
Grind.
His teeth gnashed.
Identity unknown, hiding in the Dragon Training Pavilion—no, in the Fierce Dragon Corps.
‘Young Master Yeon. What profound scheming.’
Yeon Gong-hu's reaction to heading to the Dragon Training Pavilion made sense now.
Because Yeon Ha-min was here.
He had confirmation she was here, but it came with a massive problem.
‘Ha Mu-baek. That bastard.’
Dong Ju-san knew Ha Mu-baek's true identity as Yeon Baek-ryang's closest confidant.
The most dangerous man to watch out for while operating in the Dragon Training Pavilion.
And Yeon Ha-min was in that Ha Mu-baek's squad.
Plus, according to the stable hand, Ha Mu-baek had taken his squad members to Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
This was no small matter.
No time to report up and snag a position, no leeway to secretly monitor Yeon Baek-jin.
Dong Ju-san turned toward the Pavilion Lord's office.
This needed personal verification.
“What is the meaning of this outrage!”
Yeon Baek-jin bellowed from the office entrance, face twisted in fury.
Before him stood Dong Ju-san, red-faced.
“Yeon Ha-min. She's in the Dragon Training Pavilion. Isn't she?”
Dong Ju-san charged straight into Yeon Baek-jin's rage with his question.
Yeon Baek-jin was momentarily speechless but soon opened his mouth.
“Is there only one Yeon Ha-min in the jianghu? What's it to you if someone by that name is here!”
“It's not just any kid with the same name, is it?”
“How would I know? I've never seen her face.”
Yeon Baek-jin fired back in anger.
Dong Ju-san flinched at that.
From what he'd observed of Yeon Baek-jin's schedule, it rang true.
A packed itinerary leaving no room for anything but the office and dorms.
Ground down by sheer workload.
“Even so, with that name, you should've checked and reported to the main family. Plus, isn't she in the squad under that instructor the young master dotes on so much?”
“There was too much work for that.”
Yeon Baek-jin said, turning away.
“Ha. Is that so? Do you even know what's happened?”
Dong Ju-san asked incredulously.
“You... even for you, you're crossing lines more and more.”
Yeon Baek-jin said, frowning.
“Do you know where he's taken her?”
Yeon Baek-jin had no choice but to meet Dong Ju-san's gaze at his frustrated question.
“Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest! He's gone there!”
Yeon Baek-jin's eyes widened at those words.
He'd said he'd be off for field training to dodge Dong Ju-san's eyes for a bit.
Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest out of nowhere—what nonsense was this?
‘Wait... field training... field... Ah...’
Yeon Baek-jin finally grasped the meaning of “field training.”
The Fierce Dragon Corps' field was Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
“Vice Pavilion Lord, time to get back to work. Start with these documents.”
At that moment, Ki Yu-chan emerged from the office looking for Yeon Baek-jin.
“What's that?”
“The reason I couldn't sleep early this morning. Fierce Dragon Squad 7's field training. Oh, Squad 20's out on field training too.”
Yeon Baek-jin took the documents.
The destination was clearly stated: Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
“You approved them going to Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest?”
“As I mentioned earlier, it's already...”
Ki Yu-chan started, but Yeon Baek-jin raised a hand to silence him and nodded.
Yes.
He had permitted the field training. Or rather, tacitly approved after the notification.
To hide Yeon Ha-min from that bastard's eyes.
‘But Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest...’
His niece heading to that cursed land filled him with worry.
No matter the circumstances.
“I'll report everything to the young lord exactly as it is. You'll have to take responsibility.”
With those parting words, Dong Ju-san hurried off.
He needed to relay this to the main family fast.
He'd sent a brief messenger pigeon report, but this required his personal account.
Already dreading the young lord's fury.
The journey was quiet and peaceful.
Bound for Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, it couldn't be anything else.
Everyone lost in their thoughts.
Han Seol-bing spurred her horse to Ha Mu-baek's side.
[What's the scheme here?]
She asked via transmission.
[That's what I'd like to know. Why'd you follow?]
[That rat sneaking in last night—related?]
She was sharp as ever. She'd sensed Dong Ju-san's presence too.
Ha Mu-baek didn't respond.
[Ha. Who could know those sinister intentions? No one but me.]
Han Seol-bing shook her head.
[Gotta look after my people.]
Short reply.
But Han Seol-bing wore an “I knew it” expression.
Whenever her squad leader stirred trouble, it was always for reasons like that.
[So, who's it about? Yeon Ha-min?]
The intruder's presence had lingered near the vice pavilion lord.
Who was also a Yeon.
Her thoughts naturally connected the dots.
[Never dreamed it was really a Yeon Clan kid.]
Han Seol-bing said, sounding surprised.
Ha Mu-baek gave no reply, just stared ahead.
[So this trip to Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest is bait to lure the Yeon young lord, huh.]
[You knew too?]
[The Yeon Clan upheaval this spring? Of course. I was still deputy squad leader then. Just didn't realize it was her. Suspected with that Yeon surname and beauty, but never imagined she'd use her real name.]
Han Seol-bing glanced back at Yeon Ha-min trailing behind before speaking.
“Hoo.”
Ha Mu-baek let out a short sigh.
[You figured all that out and still followed me? Bringing Rani? You know what might go down?]
[What could happen? You'll grab the Yeon young lord and make him wail, that's all.]
Squad leaders were impossible to rein in.
Though that title didn't matter now.
[Rani was worried sick about Ha-min. They share a room. No one shows at the training grounds this morning.]
[Even so...]
[Tch. Calling her your most precious little sister, yet so indifferent. Ha-min's Rani's first same-sex friend ever.]
Ha Mu-baek's breath caught.
He hadn't considered that angle.
A quick glance back: Ha Seol-ran and Yeon Ha-min rode side by side.
Ha Seol-ran diligently teaching the clumsy rider Yeon Ha-min.
She must've learned from her master on the island.
She'd ridden well leaving it.
Now imparting those skills with full sincerity.
Nak Woo-jin and Dan Mok Un-roe peeking over shoulders to learn too.
[Didn't think that far. You're right, I was callous. Thanks.]
His quick admission drew a smirk from Han Seol-bing.
[Picking the most advantageous battlefield, so Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest?]
Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Cursed land, but all too familiar to the pair.
[With the Yeon Clan sending spies here, word about Ha-min will reach them eventually. Even if she's away from the pavilion awhile, plenty have seen her. Can't ignore that beauty.]
Ha Mu-baek had foreseen this upon meeting Yeon Baek-jin. Hadn't told him, though.
[So the young lord comes charging in.]
[Chaos in the pavilion's a hassle to clean up and deal with after. Better lure him somewhere quiet.]
Han Seol-bing smirked at Ha Mu-baek's words.
[That's why the big show at the pavilion stables? To get in his ears? Figured you stirred it up on purpose, so I made my own scene coming out.]
Ha Mu-baek turned to her. Made her own scene?
[Had to drag these horses out, so I hauled Ki Yu-chan once too.]
Suddenly felt sorry for Ki Yu-chan, who'd endured twice the ordeal from dawn to morning.
[Didn't tell the vice pavilion lord?]
[Just said I'd be out awhile. Snooping wouldn't help.]
[Probably cursing up a storm by now.]