The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 274

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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 274. Ten People Left

 

 

The night was growing deeper and deeper.

The elimination signal flares shone even brighter in the night sky.

As flashes rather than smoke.

They burst forth one after another like fireworks in the night sky of Moklan Mountain.

Everyone’s movements had become urgent due to the anxiety that night had come.

And so.

Time passed.

“Ten people left.”

Na Jung-cheon, who had been counting the elimination signal flares, spoke.

Ten.

At that number, the Waryong Corps 20th Group all had the same thought.

Themselves, five.

Probably the four from Waryong Corps 1st Group.

They finished their speculation with near certainty that it would definitely be ten people like that.

“What should we do?”

Im Dae-chi’s question.

“Let’s wait until dawn tomorrow. That’s when they’ll be most exhausted.”

Eun Hwa-ryang said.

Everyone nodded.

Having experienced it themselves, they knew well how exhausting that time was.

“Then we need to make them even more tired.”

In Eun Hwa-ryang’s hands were several hunted rabbits.

The others were the same.

Now they could hunt rabbits in Moklan Mountain with their eyes closed.

Though it hadn’t been much time, how difficult must their experiences have been during that period.

The five who finished preparing in an instant moved swiftly.

“Would this spot be good?”

Everyone agreed with Sim Cheol-san’s words.

They gathered the dry branches they had collected and lit a fire.

After surrounding it well with stones and taking measures to prevent it from spreading into a forest fire.

They tore off a rabbit leg, skewered it on a wooden stick, and placed it over the fire.

Soon the smell of cooking meat rose up.

“Find it well before it burns away to nothing.”

Na Jung-cheon grinned.

They lit campfires here and there and placed small amounts of rabbit meat over the fires.

So the smell would spread well.

Since it was a prepared strategy, they had brought plenty of flint and tinder in advance, so lighting fires was instantaneous.

After setting up campfires everywhere.

The Waryong Corps 20th Group settled in the deep forest, lit a campfire, and had a filling dinner by roasting the remaining rabbits.

Since they had actually skipped lunch too, they ate frantically.

“Senior Yeon Ha-min. You’re really cruel.”

Perhaps having leisure now that his stomach was full.

Sim Cheol-san muttered while recalling the recent strategy.

Everyone laughed and nodded at those words.

They extinguished the campfire and hid away to find a place to sleep outdoors, recalling Yeon Ha-min’s strategy.

 

“If night comes and only you and Waryong Corps 1st Group remain as survivors, then you don’t need to eat raw food.”

“Why?”

Hadn’t she said they should eat raw food because lighting fires would expose their location?

“First, because there are fewer people left in the mountains, the risk of exposure decreases. But also because deliberately exposing yourself can become a strategy.”

“A strategy?”

Na Jung-cheon’s question.

“After Hatuje begins, there’s no time to solve the meal problem. Or rather, they don’t even bring food to solve it in the first place.”

The five nodded.

“They’ve skipped meals and struggled through combat, then night comes. How do you think they’ll feel?”

“Exhausted, hungry… like they’re dying.”

Yeong Hu-in answered, recalling their training so far.

“What if they discover the smell of meat and firelight in that situation?”

“I think their eyes would roll back?”

Im Dae-chi spoke sincerely. An answer he could give because he had actually experienced such a situation.

“But when they actually come, there’s only a little meat or it’s burned away. What then?”

“Their eyes would roll back. In a different sense.”

Na Jung-cheon’s answer.

“But then the smell of meat comes from another place?”

Yeon Ha-min’s continued question.

“Ah…! They’d go searching again with a sliver of hope. If they repeatedly experience such situations, not only their stamina but their mental state…”

Eun Hwa-ryang answered as if he had realized something.

“Right. If you’re certain that only you and Waryong Corps 1st Group remain at night. Try using it once.”

 

***

 

Of course, there was still one Maengryong Corps cadet remaining.

One who used a bow threateningly at that.

However.

She too would fall for the bait just the same.

Judging it didn’t matter, they implemented Yeon Ha-min’s strategy.

Gongya Hwi-yeon also fell for the first bait.

She was drawn by the smell of meat and came looking for the campfire just in case.

Thinking that if someone was eating, she might get a spot without having to hunt troublesomely.

However, what greeted her was the sight of a single rabbit foreleg dripping oil into the campfire and crackling as it cooked.

“Ha. These bastards did something interesting?”

She could tell immediately upon seeing it.

The target and intention.

So she just left it as it was.

She too wanted those Waryong Corps 1st Group bastards to suffer terribly.

But she did revise her mental evaluation.

‘Not all those orthodox sect bastards grew up pampered.’

To think they knew how to use such tactics.

Though those pampered bastards would definitely fall for it.

“It would be troublesome to hunt directly.”

Gongya Hwi-yeon muttered that and disappeared into the darkness.

She had already nocked an arrow to her bow.

After she disappeared, Ha Mu-baek appeared.

He gazed intently at the campfire.

“Not bad. Using his head. As expected of Yeon Ha-min, I suppose. The situation helped too…”

Ha Mu-baek chuckled softly.

He had been nearby when they whispered about this scheme, so he had overheard it.

He hadn’t expected them to actually put it to use.

Ha Mu-baek looked toward where Gongya Hwi-yeon had disappeared.

That fellow’s appearance had caused the situation to flow strangely, leading to this outcome.

Who would have thought a situation where only Waryong Corps 1st Group and 20th Group remained would actually occur.

Ha Mu-baek had expected the outcome to be decided before then.

Gongya Hwi-yeon was strong, befitting the Four Seas Alliance Leader’s granddaughter.

Moreover, her stealth and movement were quite excellent. Her archery as well.

While the sun was setting, she moved alone and dealt with Waryong Corps and Jamryong Corps cadets, causing the situation to flow this far.

‘Hm? Stupid fools. What do they think they’ll find in the firelight, approaching while leaking their presence so obviously? Tsk.’

Ha Mu-baek clicked his tongue once at the presence hurriedly approaching this place and quietly left his position.

He wondered how many more campfires those clumsy fools would waste their energy on before stopping.

‘They might even eliminate each other through infighting.’

If their eyes rolled back from hunger, they might fight over even a small piece of meat.

With their level of unity, that was more than possible.

The four members of Waryong Corps 1st Group, having some talent of their own, came to their senses near the campfire.

And approached cautiously.

Though it might already be too late.

There was only the campfire.

No one was there.

They looked around thinking someone might have hidden upon sensing their approach, but no one was there.

“What is this?”

Hwa Bo-myeong muttered with an uneasy expression.

Cheol Ryeong revealed himself and strode toward the campfire.

“Stop!”

Byeok I-gyeom shouted in alarm.

This place could be a trap.

Whether it was Maengryong Corps’ bitch or those 20th Group trash.

But Cheol Ryeong had no hesitation.

He was certain no one was around.

And he had even caught the scent of meat.

He was far too hungry.

These were people who had never experienced starvation.

They were individuals who had grown up receiving precious treatment in their respective sects.

Cheol Ryeong was especially so.

How carefully his mother had looked after and cared for him.

That’s why he so easily rushed toward the campfire.

Cheol Ryeong’s face contorted when he reached the campfire.

A small piece presumed to be a rabbit’s foreleg was placed over the fire, half-burnt.

Cheol Ryeong quickly snatched it and brought it to his mouth.

It was hot, but he didn’t care.

Right now, hunger came first.

Chomp chomp.

Cheol Ryeong hastily chewed the half-burnt rabbit meat with his inadequate teeth.

At that sight, the other three people stamped the ground.

They were all equally hungry.

However, there was nothing at the campfire.

The single piece of meat Cheol Ryeong was eating was all there was.

They hurriedly looked back at Cheol Ryeong.

He had already finished eating everything and was throwing the bone on the ground.

“You damn bastard…”

Curses flowed from Hwa Bo-myeong’s mouth.

His eyes had rolled back.

“Shut up. First come, first served.”

“Wait. Calm down!”

Byeok I-gyeom roughly intervened between the two.

Though his eyes also held dissatisfaction with Cheol Ryeong for eating the only piece of meat.

Byeok I-gyeom was now fiercely working his mind against the basic human desire of appetite.

“Isn’t this strange?”

At Byeok I-gyeom’s observation, three people turned their gazes to the campfire.

“They openly lit a campfire and put meat on it that wasn’t even enough for one person to eat. This is definitely a scheme hoping we’d fight over it.”

A reasonably valid analysis.

At those words, even Hwa Bo-myeong, whose eyes blazed with fire, could no longer have an outburst.

“Sniff sniff. But I smell meat again?”

Tak Mu-jeon had caught the scent of meat drifting from somewhere.

Before Byeok I-gyeom could stop them, two people shot out.

Cheol Ryeong and Hwa Bo-myeong.

Only one piece of meat had entered their starving bellies.

Cheol Ryeong, who had gotten even a little something rather than being completely starved, had his eyes rolled back even more.

“This is…”

Byeok I-gyeom muttered with an ominous feeling.

Tak Mu-jeon also nodded.

“It’s a trap…”

Nevertheless, the two of them also launched their bodies.

They didn’t know what might happen if only those two went.

Thus they roamed the Moklan Mountain forest all night long.

Not every campfire had meat.

“Wh-what is this… Why, why isn’t there any! You damn bastards!!”

Hwa Bo-myeong, who had spotted the firelight and sprinted at full power to arrive first, shouted with a dejected face.

He had run with the hope that this meat would be his.

But there was nothing.

How furious he was to see only the fire crackling away.

There was one more person suppressing anger inside at this situation.

It was the judge in charge of Waryong Corps 1st Group.

He too had starved all day just the same.

He was human too, wouldn’t he be hungry?

Those bastards at least picked up some meat from what were clearly traps set by Waryong Corps 20th Group.

The judge had simply followed those guys around all night, unable to eat or sleep.

Both the 1st Group guys who fell into obviously visible traps and wandered the mountain forest all night.

And the 20th Group guys who set up such vicious traps.

Both became targets of the judge’s anger.

‘Stupid fools and… damn cunning bastards…’

His eyes grew increasingly sunken.

 

As a result of struggling all night.

Cheol Ryeong had three pieces, Hwa Bo-myeong had three pieces, and Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon had one piece each.

It was fortunate beyond measure that they hadn’t fought over the meat.

No, they had gone right up to the point of fighting.

But they barely avoided fighting thanks to Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon’s argument that this was a scheme to cause internal strife.

‘Damn it. On top of that, it was also a scheme to drain our stamina…’

Byeok I-gyeom realized this fact at the third campfire.

And he informed the others.

However.

He couldn’t stop Cheol Ryeong and Hwa Bo-myeong, who had gone mad with appetite.

The tiny pieces of meat that trickled into their starved stomachs only fanned their appetite even more.

Since they couldn’t leave just the two of them, Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon reluctantly moved together, and their condition was pitiful.

Eventually, they too ended up rushing toward the campfires.

That’s how they ate one piece of meat at a time.

They ran along the mountain path all night without getting a wink of sleep.

Appetite that overcame the desire for sleep…

If only that meat hadn’t been there, everyone would have given up and slept.

It’s not like they’d die from going hungry for a day.

But that tiny amount of meat that wouldn’t even register in their stomachs exploded their appetite.

And paralyzed the reason of the two men.

This was the result.

The dawn light in the early morning sky was growing brightly.

The sun driving away the twilight.

A sight in complete contrast to themselves.

“Huu.”

As they let out tired sighs.

Rustle.

The sound of footsteps was heard.

Looking around, it was the five members of Waryong Corps 20th Group.

“Those bastards…”

A weak curse flowed from Byeok I-gyeom’s mouth.

“These damn pieces of trash!!”

With their appearance, Cheol Ryeong finally realized.

That they had been toyed with by those bastards all night.

Those guys had eaten well and slept well, so their complexions looked different.

In that fury, Cheol Ryeong kicked off the ground and rushed toward the five people.

Waryong Corps 20th Group turned and ran as if they had been waiting for this.

Cheol Ryeong chased after them without a second thought.

“St-stop!”

Startled, Tak Mu-jeon shouted, but Cheol Ryeong ran even faster as if he couldn’t hear.

Hwa Bo-myeong was also already rushing out.

Since it was an unavoidable situation.

Byeok I-gyeom and Tak Mu-jeon also followed with frowning faces.

‘We’re completely caught up in it.’

Byeok I-gyeom’s expression clearly showed his dismay.

The place they had left.

Gongya Hwi-yeon revealed herself.

“Hmm. Interesting.”

She smiled slyly.

“I should just watch the show and enjoy the benefits.”

While spending the night on Moklan Mountain and eliminating countless others, she had made one decision.

Winning the Hatuje.

She wanted to show that Maengryong Corps could also win the Hatuje.

They had won the Eastern Tournament last year too, so why not.

Of course, the bet was that Waryong Corps 20th Group should win.

Looking at how things were going now, that seemed likely.

Of course, she would intervene in the middle.

To win herself, she needed to maximize the losses of the 20th Group as well.

To do that, she had to keep their battle continuously in her sight.

Her feet quietly kicked off the ground.

Since Gongya Hwi-yeon had also eaten and slept well, her movements were incredibly light.

“Is it about time for this to end?”

Ha Mu-baek appeared with light steps.

Having already grasped the entire current situation with his Ki Sense.

Now this bothersome task was also racing toward its end.

Unaware that perhaps an even more bothersome matter was waiting in Muchang.

—————
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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