The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 269
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 269. The Method Is Still
Cho Mu-ha trembled all over.
He couldn’t help it.
The Hatuji.
The Hatuji.
How could he be participating in the Hatuji?
He had never even dreamed of it.
No, it wasn’t just him – most of the first-year Maengryong Corps cadets felt the same way.
Last year’s legend of Maengryong Corps Seventh Group was truly a legend.
Why else would it be called a legend?
It was impossible for them.
Their instructor wasn’t even that person the Seventh Group seniors had mentioned.
But now, by the Academy Director’s order, all first-year Maengryong Corps cadets were to participate.
Even while moving toward Moklan Mountain where the Hatuji would be held, his trembling wouldn’t stop.
His gaze fell on a cadet walking confidently ahead.
Her name was Chu Hwi-yeon.
A female cadet from the same group.
The one with the lowest achievements, unable to build up internal energy at all.
Yet there was a smile on her lips.
How could she smile in this situation?
“Hm? Why?”
Sensing Cho Mu-ha’s gaze, Gongya Hwi-yeon glanced back slightly.
“Nothing. Chu Hwi-yeon, I was wondering how you could smile in this situation…”
“Should I cry instead?”
At her response, Cho Mu-ha shook his head.
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“You have to try something to know if it’s long or short. Who knows, maybe we’ll create the same kind of miracle as those Seventh Group seniors you like so much.”
Cho Mu-ha forgot his nervousness and couldn’t help but chuckle.
It was because of Chu Hwi-yeon’s casual mention of the impossible.
Gongya Hwi-yeon narrowed her eyes at his laughter.
“Nothing in this world is absolutely impossible. There’s at least a one percent, no, a one in a thousand chance.”
Cho Mu-ha couldn’t respond to those words.
“So let’s do our best.”
Chu Hwi-yeon smiled brightly.
Even with a face that could be called ugly.
The moment he saw that smile, Cho Mu-ha’s heart began to race without him realizing it.
Her eye-smile looked strangely beautiful to him.
‘Why, why am I acting like this? Have I suddenly gone crazy…?’
Not caring about Cho Mu-ha’s reaction, Gongya Hwi-yeon stroked her bow.
The Sailja Thunder Bow.
She had brought it out for the first time since entering Gyoryong Hall.
To properly get revenge on those bastards.
‘Hm? Come to think of it, had Chu Hwi-yeon ever practiced archery?’
Cho Mu-ha tilted his head as he watched her.
Now that he thought about it, the bracelets she always wore on both arms were nowhere to be seen.
In any case.
Was it thanks to Chu Hwi-yeon?
Cho Mu-ha noticed that his trembling had stopped.
‘Right. The seniors did it too. Let me give it my all just once. If it doesn’t work out, I can just train harder.’
***
The night before the Hatuji.
The area around Moklan Mountain was bustling.
It was because many people had gathered due to Maengryong Corps participating as well.
Ha Mu-baek quietly observed the scene.
“With so many people this year, it’ll be quite complicated.”
“I never expected all of Maengryong Corps to participate.”
Han Seol-bing muttered beside him.
“Well, it’s probably to check the results of their training. The Academy Director would certainly do something like that.”
Ha Mu-baek answered nonchalantly.
Unlike these people.
Maengryong Corps Seventh Group and Waryong Corps Twentieth Group were confirming their strategy once more due to the sudden situation.
Having more opponents to face meant their survival probability would drop accordingly.
“We can’t underestimate Maengryong Corps and charge in recklessly.”
Dang Jin-san spoke with an unusually serious expression.
The Maengryong Corps cadets nodded.
“How good are they?”
Eun Hwa-ryang asked cautiously.
In truth, there wasn’t much difference between the Maengryong Corps cadets and themselves at the start.
They too should have gone to Maengryong Corps, but had been placed in Waryong Corps through trickery to serve their master.
“Objectively speaking, you guys would be stronger. After all, there’s a difference in the martial arts and mind techniques you’ve learned. Plus, you’ve taken elixirs and Instructor Ha personally looked after you.”
At Baek Ri-pyeong’s explanation, the faces of the five turned slightly pale.
They had certainly grown stronger, but the pain from that time came flooding back.
The taste of the elixirs too.
“But. Maengryong Corps has shields.”
The five tilted their heads at those words.
“In group battles like the Hatuji, shields display tremendous power.”
Yeon Ha-min said.
“Even we received great help from them last year. Moving through mountain paths with shields is difficult, but if it’s a place suitable for battle, that’s a different story.”
The Maengryong Corps cadets nodded once more at Yeon Ha-min’s words.
Thanks to that, hadn’t they been able to capture Namgung Ji-hu last year?
“And this time, they’ve properly received group battle training.”
Dan Mok Un-rae said.
Hadn’t they received that training themselves?
“The method is still.”
Yeon Ha-min spoke as if she had made a decision.
“Ambush and surprise attacks.”
At her words, the Waryong Corps Twentieth Group cadets nodded resolutely.
They had already practiced countless times while learning the geography of Moklan Mountain.
Tracking, ambushing, hiding, surprise attacks.
“You absolutely cannot engage them head-on. Attack from behind and retreat. Hide. Repeat that. Your goal is to survive the longest.”
***
The sunlight from the clear blue sky was scorching hot.
A grassy field atop a high cliff right in front of a majestically flowing river.
There were two burial mounds there.
And two people looking at them.
They were Namgung Yu and Namgung Hu.
Several days had passed since they arrived at the village where Namgung Hwi had lived.
The villagers had warmly welcomed their family.
It was here that they first learned their father had simply lived under the name Nameless.
Since he couldn’t reveal the surname Namgung.
When they revealed the names Nam Hwi, Nam Yu, and Nam Hu.
The bright smiles of the villagers who said they finally learned their names after more than ten years.
They could understand why their father had returned to this place again.
This was also where their mother rested.
The left one was Namgung Yu’s mother, the right one was Namgung Hu’s mother, they were told.
The two came here every morning and returned late in the afternoon.
The river spread out before their eyes.
They said it was a river that flowed from Sanwol Demon Forest.
Thanks to that river, their father had been able to survive.
“Come to think of it. Today is the summer solstice.”
Namgung Hu, who had been looking up at the sky, muttered.
At those words, Namgung Yu smiled slightly.
“You’re remembering last year, aren’t you?”
Namgung Hu nodded silently.
It was his first defeat in life.
He would never be able to forget it.
Thanks to that defeat, he had changed, and today existed.
In a way, it might have been a very small trigger.
Thanks to it, he found his father and found his mother.
It was a meaningful day in many ways.
The two people’s gazes turned toward the direction where Moklan Mountain was located.
“I wonder if those guys are doing well.”
Namgung Hu muttered.
Waryong Corps Twentieth Group had to compete against Waryong Corps First Group because of Dang Jin-san’s bet.
Since he had also helped with their training, he was concerned.
“Well, Instructor Ha is there.”
At Namgung Yu’s words, a smile appeared on Namgung Hu’s lips.
If it was that person.
It seemed like he could make anything possible.
“More than that. Will you get revenge for that defeat?”
Namgung Yu’s question.
“Well. Is there really a reason to be bound by that?”
An appearance that seemed somewhat transcendent.
His vision had broadened after reaching the pinnacle realm.
Namgung Yu smiled as if pleased by his younger sibling’s such appearance.
“Now it’s sister’s turn.”
“Huh?”
“You need to get stronger. This Winter Tournament.”
Namgung Hu’s eyes sparkled.
He said there was no reason to be bound by it.
But those were just words.
***
Summer solstice.
The day when daylight is longest.
Befitting the solstice, the scorching sunlight pierced their faces.
Peng Do-yul went up to the platform, said a few brief words, and immediately declared the start of the Hatuji.
The cadets of Jamryong Corps, Waryong Corps, and Maengryong Corps immediately entered Moklan Mountain with the judges.
One hour from now.
The battle would begin.
Ha Mu-baek quietly watched the cadets moving like that.
Han Seol-bing was the same.
The two were excluded from being judges.
The Maengryong Corps instructors did not participate as judges for the Hatuji.
It was probably due to limitations in martial arts level.
Though the two were not like that, they were also excluded for being Maengryong Corps instructors.
Thanks to the increased number of participants, not only first-year instructors from Jamryong Corps and Waryong Corps, but also some second-year, third-year, and fourth-year instructors were selected and deployed.
“How long do you think they’ll last?”
Yeon Ha-min, who had approached nearby, asked.
“Well. An unexpected person got involved… I’m not sure what kind of variable that will be.”
“Pardon?”
Suddenly an unexpected person?
The gazes of the seven Maengryong Corps members turned to Ha Mu-baek.
“It’s nothing much.”
Ha Mu-baek spoke nonchalantly.
However, he looked with sharp eyes at the path where she had passed just moments ago.
‘Wasn’t there, but now there is? Deceived my ki sense… Clearly it was a guy who had no internal energy at all.’
Ha Mu-baek crossed his arms.
Unlike other cadets, since they had no internal energy at all, it was a cadet who had left an impression.
‘Interesting. Used a strange device to enter Maengryong Corps.’
With that level of martial arts, it would be absolutely impossible to deceive Ha Mu-baek’s ki sense and attention.
But since he hadn’t noticed any traces of learning martial arts at all.
They must have used some device.
Unorthodox sect, and strange devices.
“It must have been noisy.”
Ha Mu-baek muttered quietly.
“Pardon?”
Han Seol-bing looked back at Ha Mu-baek.
“It’s nothing.”
And Ha Mu-baek leaped up and disappeared toward Moklan Mountain.
He thought he should see it directly after all.
He thought it wouldn’t be an ordinary identity.
***
The greatest family under heaven, Hubei Yeon Family.
Yeon Ja-gyeong, the family head of that Yeon Family, looked at his subordinate and asked.
“A messenger from Sahae Ryeon entered Muchang?”
An expression of interest appeared on Yeon Ja-gyeong’s face.
“Yes.”
“What business?”
“It seems they came looking for Ha Mu-baek.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Ja-gyeong fell into thought at his subordinate’s report.
“What’s been the recent activity of the Sahae Alliance?”
There was no way they would suddenly move like that without some change having occurred.
“Overall, there hasn’t been any particular movement, but…”
“However?”
“The Black Mist Corps bastards seemed to be moving rather busily.”
Black Mist Corps.
If the Jeongcheon Alliance had Cheonmok Pavilion, then the Sahae Alliance had the Black Mist Corps.
The Sahae Alliance’s intelligence organization.
The fact that they had become busy meant.
“So something is happening within the Sahae Alliance.”
Interest sparked in Yeon Ja-gyeong’s face.
Something had happened to the Sahae Alliance.
And suddenly they came looking for Ha Mu-baek.
“What do you think it might be?”
Yeon Ja-gyeong asked his subordinate.
“It seems like something happened in the orthodox faction’s territory. Otherwise, there would be no reason to send someone to Ha Mu-baek.”
At his subordinate’s answer, Yeon Ja-gyeong smiled with satisfaction.
He had been thinking the same thing.
Ha Mu-baek was an oddball who, despite being from the orthodox faction, showed no particular hostility toward the unorthodox faction.
The places he showed hostility toward were only the Blood Cult and Demon Cult.
And those who picked fights with him.
“Interesting things might unfold.”
Yeon Ja-gyeong’s eyes sparkled.
His subordinate remained quietly in place.
“Chaos creates change. All the changes so far have been favorable to that Alliance Leader bastard.”
The beginning of the chaos was Ha Mu-baek’s demotion.
But who could have known that would become poison.
Now they needed to bring that chaos and change to their side.
“Let’s disturb the grass to startle the snake.”
Other Second Light Death.
Since they couldn’t know what was happening with the Sahae Alliance, they would probe and observe the reaction.
“But if you move directly…”
“We can’t move ourselves. Since it’s the Sahae Alliance, we just need to leak this information to Shaolin.”
“Ah!”
His subordinate showed an expression of admiration.
Shaolin.
The foremost orthodox sect.
And the greatest sect under heaven.
Words that no one would deny.
However.
Their influence had greatly diminished due to the last war.
That’s why when people in Gangho nowadays spoke of the greatest sect under heaven, martial artists would think of the Wudang Sect first.
Even so, they hated the demonic and evil.
Even when allying with the Sahae Alliance to face the Blood Cult and Demon Cult, Shaolin had opposed it from beginning to end.
If they just provided the information that a messenger from the Sahae Alliance had secretly entered Muchang.
They would take care of disturbing the grass themselves.
“Moreover, they might even target Ha Mu-baek, whom the messenger came to meet.”
Yeon Ja-gyeong smiled sinisterly.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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