The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 418

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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 418. That Jiangshi Must Have Popped Out

 

 

 

 

 

Eastern outskirts of Muchang.

 

Dozens of pigeons fly in and out of this place every day.

 

This is because the Messenger Pigeon Shop is located here.

 

Shop owner Hyeong-uk was busy today as well, opening the message tubes from the messenger pigeons’ feet and organizing the letters.

 

Letters sealed tightly in small envelopes.

 

Due to size limitations, most would be written densely with fine brushwork on small paper.

 

Since they were sealed letters, he couldn’t know their contents.

 

The letters, sorted by recipient, were taken by shop clerks and scattered throughout Muchang.

 

One of them stood in front of Gyoryong Hall.

 

There were three letters sent to Gyoryong Hall today.

 

Since Gyoryong Hall usually had direct messenger pigeons within the office, letters through the messenger pigeon shop were few.

 

Most were letters for workers or low-ranking martial artists working here.

 

‘Maengryong Corps Chief Instructor Ha Mu-baek…’

 

The shop clerk knew what kind of place Maengryong Corps was, but felt intimidated by the title of Chief Instructor.

 

“Hey, how many today?”

 

A Gate Guard spotted the messenger pigeon shop clerk and spoke to him.

 

“Ah, hello, sir. Three today.”

 

“Really? Who are they for?”

 

The shop clerk mentioned two names first.

 

People who often received letters.

 

The Gate Guard nodded as if it were routine.

 

And finally.

 

“And one for Maengryong Corps Chief Instructor Ha Mu-baek.”

 

The Gate Guard was startled by the shop clerk’s words.

 

“Who did you say?”

 

He asked again, wondering if he had heard wrong.

 

“Maengryong Corps Chief Instructor Ha Mu-baek, sir.”

 

Ha Mu-baek.

 

That name was now famous in Gyoryong Hall.

 

An instructor who brought jiangshi to the Great Training Ground for training – it would be strange if he weren’t famous.

 

“I-Is that so? Hmm. Is this the first time he’s received one?”

 

“It’s the first time through our shop.”

 

The shop clerk answered cautiously at the Gate Guard’s reaction.

 

This was the first time the Gate Guard had reacted like this when mentioning someone’s name.

 

“I see. He should be at the Great Training Ground, so go there. Well, he’s not a scary person.”

 

The Gate Guard said this while handing the shop clerk a passage token.

 

His martial arts were fearsome, but Ha Mu-baek wasn’t someone with a frightening temperament.

 

So the Gate Guard gave this advance notice, but.

 

The shop clerk felt his heart shrinking instead.

 

‘Just how scary must he be…’

 

Feeling tense, he delivered the letters to the first two people.

 

Then headed toward the Great Training Ground.

 

Since workers were scattered throughout Gyoryong Hall, he roughly knew the layout.

 

He had deliberately chosen a time when movement was free, so no one blocked his path.

 

Even if someone did block him, he could just show the passage token.

 

As he approached the Great Training Ground.

 

Clang! Chang! Clang! Chang! Chang!

 

The sound of weapons clashing rang out loudly.

 

The shop clerk who entered the Great Training Ground froze in place.

 

The sight of nearly two hundred martial artists swinging swords was spectacular, but equally menacing.

 

“Stronger! Focus on your sword! Internal energy isn’t something you force up! If you force it like that, your sword tip will only become dull!”

 

A young instructor was harshly driving one cadet while speaking roughly.

 

The large-bodied man gritted his teeth and swung his sword but kept retreating.

 

However, his eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

 

This was so evident that even the shop clerk, who knew not even basic martial arts, could see it.

 

Cadet Ung-cheol, who had the largest build in Maengryong Corps.

 

Because his natural strength was great, training had been less difficult for him compared to other cadets until now.

 

But now it was different.

 

Move your internal energy while swinging your sword.

 

Moving this thing called internal energy was no ordinary task for Ung-cheol.

 

When he focused only on the sword as the instructor said, his internal energy wouldn’t move at all.

 

‘What exactly am I supposed to do…’

 

His face was full of confusion.

 

‘This one will take some work.’

 

He had sufficient talent and internal energy, but lacked the sense.

 

Probably because of his natural strength.

 

Ha Mu-baek’s sword movements changed again.

 

The previous day.

 

The same Three Talents Heart Method movement he had used with Jeok Ga-ye.

 

The difference was, slower than with Jeok Ga-ye, but stronger instead.

 

“Focus on your sword! Don’t worry about internal energy!”

 

At Ha Mu-baek’s instruction, Ung-cheol truly let go of all consciousness of internal energy.

 

His consciousness focused entirely on the sword.

 

Boom!

 

Ung-cheol’s large frame swayed.

 

It was that powerful a sword strike.

 

But he couldn’t stop.

 

The next sword strike was already coming.

 

He hastily moved his sword.

 

Boom!

 

The sound rang out once more.

 

Faced with the tremendous power of the sword strike, Ung-cheol had no choice but to pour his entire mind into it.

 

So he didn’t know.

 

That the more he blocked Ha Mu-baek’s sword.

 

The internal energy in his dantian was gradually stirring and slowly spreading through his limbs.

 

And that accordingly, he was gaining a bit more ease in blocking Ha Mu-baek’s sword.

 

He was only focused on blocking Ha Mu-baek’s sword.

 

“That’s enough. Remember this sensation. Next.”

 

After finishing a certain amount of sparring, the opponent changed.

 

A cadet who had been sparring with another instructor came before Ha Mu-baek.

 

Those without instructors to spar with engaged in sparring among themselves.

 

Without shields.

 

With only practice swords.

 

The Shop Clerk was staring blankly at the scene of that intense training.

 

His mouth was hanging wide open.

 

How long had he been watching like that?

 

“What is it?”

 

The young Instructor who had clearly been swinging his sword in the middle of the Great Training Ground was now standing right in front of the Shop Clerk.

 

“Y-yes?”

 

The Shop Clerk jumped in surprise.

 

Soon regaining his composure, he stated his business for coming here.

 

He too had to quickly deliver the message and return to the shop.

 

He couldn’t spend time here indefinitely.

 

“I’m a clerk from the eastern message service branch, and I’ve come looking for Chief Instructor Ha Mu-baek.”

 

“Me?”

 

The Shop Clerk was startled by the response.

 

He had expected the Chief Instructor to be someone of advanced age, but this was such a young man.

 

In fact, the Shop Clerk had been staring blankly, absorbed in the training, partly because he couldn’t see anyone who seemed to be of Chief Instructor age.

 

The Gate Guards had definitely said he would be here.

 

“Yes, yes! A message has arrived for Chief Instructor Ha Mu-baek of Gyoryong Hall’s Maengryong Corps.”

 

Ha Mu-baek tilted his head at the Shop Clerk’s response.

 

There was no message he expected to come through that route.

 

“I understand. Hand it over and be on your way. You’ve done well.”

 

Ha Mu-baek extended his hand, and the Shop Clerk took out a sealed letter from his chest and handed it to Ha Mu-baek.

 

Ha Mu-baek tossed him a small iron coin.

 

The name written on the outside of the sealed letter.

 

Chu Ryang.

 

It was a name he recognized.

 

Definitely.

 

‘That Youngest Son from the Bongma Corps?’

 

Those guys he had met when he went to Sanwol Demon Forest to rescue the jiangshi.

 

Among them was the one called Youngest Son, but did this guy have any reason to send him a message?

 

Ha Mu-baek climbed onto a rock that was practically his designated seat and tore open the sealed letter.

 

And as he examined the contents.

 

His expression twisted.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

It was Han Seol-bing.

 

She had been sparring with the Cadets when she noticed Ha Mu-baek’s change in expression and approached.

 

“A message came from Sanwol Demon Forest. From a Bongma Corps member.”

 

“Was there a member you knew?”

 

“They’re guys I happened to get to know recently. But that’s not what’s important.”

 

Ha Mu-baek spoke with a serious expression.

 

“What?”

 

“It seems that jiangshi has escaped.”

 

Han Seol-bing tilted her head at Ha Mu-baek’s words.

 

Just saying “that jiangshi” wasn’t enough for her to understand.

 

“The bastard who called himself Myeol-cheon.”

 

Han Seol-bing’s face showed shock at Ha Mu-baek’s words.

 

She had no choice.

 

The two characters “Myeol-cheon” that came from Ha Mu-baek’s mouth.

 

They carried that much weight.

 

“Th-th-that Monster is still around? And the Bongma Corps knows about that Monster too?”

 

She was so shocked that Han Seol-bing even stuttered, which was unlike her.

 

“How would they know? How many people even know of that bastard’s existence?”

 

Ha Mu-baek said this while holding out the message to Han Seol-bing.

 

After reading the entire message, Han Seol-bing nodded.

 

“…They called it an unidentified new type of jiangshi. But if it attacked the castle wall… it’s likely that Monster after all…?”

 

“Right. It can only be that bastard. The only one strong enough. An entity that could ignore the spells and formations placed on the Great Wall.”

 

Ha Mu-baek’s eyes gleamed.

 

“So there really were more.”

 

Han Seol-bing said, recalling that time.

 

Ha Mu-baek, whose eyes had rolled back as his anger reached its peak.

 

He had sought out the main base of the Blood Cult and literally smashed it to pieces.

 

In that process, one Monster had emerged.

 

A jiangshi that called itself the Blood Cult’s guardian jiangshi and named itself Myeol-cheon.

 

How shocked they had been that it possessed a degree of intelligence.

 

Thanks to that, they had even exchanged brief words.

 

At that time, Han Seol-bing was almost the only one who had followed the rampaging Ha Mu-baek.

 

Because she was the only one with enough skill and courage to chase after the rampaging Ha Mu-baek.

 

‘Ah, that bastard Dam Mu-heun saw it too.’

 

Han Seol-bing recalled one annoying face.

 

“When I asked if there were more like you back then, it didn’t answer at all… That’s why I opposed it once more.”

 

The reason Ha Mu-baek had gone mad with rage and smashed the Blood Cult’s main base.

 

It was because of the plan to build Sanwol Great Wall to isolate part of Sanwol Demon Forest and manage the jiangshi and demons there.

 

Management, not complete extermination.

 

He had raged and gone berserk, saying it was absurd.

 

In that process, he had discovered one Monster that the Blood Cult had hidden.

 

After smashing that thing.

 

Ha Mu-baek had directly negotiated with the Alliance Leader and Military Advisor.

 

Since there was no telling what other monsters the Blood Cult remnants might have hidden, they should take this opportunity to completely exterminate them.

 

But it wasn’t accepted.

 

‘Come to think of it…’

 

Han Seol-bing realized a new fact during her recollection.

 

At some point, Ha Mu-baek had stopped paying much attention to Alliance affairs and focused only on dealing with the Blood Cult and Demon Cult.

 

It seemed like he had started doing that around the time of that incident.

 

“What will you do?”

 

“They said they’d inform Cheonmok Pavilion too, so. Gongsun Elder will handle it.”

 

Ha Mu-baek soon spoke as if uninterested.

 

However, Han Seol-bing didn’t miss the light that flashed in the depths of Ha Mu-baek’s eyes.

 

Her gaze turned toward the Cadets who were in the middle of training.

 

‘That’s where those children will be going soon, so he won’t just leave it alone.’

 

Han Seol-bing’s gaze, thinking this, stopped at one place.

 

There was Ha Seol-ran, dripping with sweat.

 

‘Seol-ran is there too.’

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

“Excuse me, Pavilion Master. Yong Dang-ju has come to see you.”

 

Gongsun Dan-gyeong’s Escort Guard came and carefully spoke up.

 

“Hmm? What’s the matter? Let him in.”

 

Gongsun Dan-gyeong, who had been busily reviewing documents, looked up.

 

Before him stood Yong Dang-ju.

 

He was the master of Cheonmok Pavilion’s Jeonjo Hall, which had the role of receiving and compiling official external news.

 

“A messenger pigeon has arrived from a civilian messenger pigeon shop.”

 

“From civilians?”

 

It wasn’t unheard of for messenger pigeons to be sent to the Jeongcheon Alliance from there, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.

 

“Shouldn’t this just be handled according to regulations?”

 

A reproach asking why they had specifically sought him out.

 

“The thing is, it is indeed a message using code, but that code is…”

 

“Code? What’s the problem?”

 

“It belongs to the Maengryong Corps.”

 

At the mention of Maengryong Corps, Gongsun Dan-gyeong reflexively thought of Ha Mu-baek.

 

However, he soon shook his head to dismiss that thought.

 

That was because the Maengryong Corps where Ha Mu-baek was located was a training unit under Gyoryong Hall.

 

That place hadn’t been assigned codes for Cheonmok Pavilion.

 

In the end, it meant the Maengryong Corps of Sanwol Demon Forest.

 

Of course, that place had been assigned codes, but they had never been used until now.

 

Because the Bongma Corps had submitted all reports.

 

So that’s why Yong Dang-ju had come to find him with a troubled expression.

 

Since it came from a place that never sent messages, wondering if perhaps the codes had been leaked.

 

“Have you finished examining the message?”

 

“Yes. No poison or confusion drugs were detected.”

 

“The contents?”

 

“They’re so absurd that…”

 

Yong Dang-ju hesitantly pulled out a paper with the transcribed message from his chest and handed it over.

 

Gongsun Dan-gyeong’s face grew increasingly serious as he quickly examined it.

 

At that sight, Yong Dang-ju gulped nervously.

 

“Who has seen these contents?”

 

“Just the responsible clan member and myself, two people total.”

 

“Have both of you keep quiet about this for the time being.”

 

Yong Dang-ju was slightly surprised by Gongsun Dan-gyeong’s words.

 

He had thought it was absurd, but if the pavilion master reacted like that, there must be something to it.

 

As Yong Dang-ju knew something about the mystical arts and formation techniques of Sanwol Great Wall, he simply couldn’t believe it.

 

Jiangshi attacking the castle walls.

 

“I need to see the Alliance Leader.”

 

Gongsun Dan-gyeong hurriedly rose from his seat and headed toward the Alliance Leader’s Hall.

 

‘Perhaps I should have listened to Branch Leader Ha’s words back then…’

 

It was belated regret, but.

 

Even if he could return to that time, he would make the same choice.

 

The circumstances at that time were such.

 

The Hotian Dan had barely thirty percent of their forces remaining compared to their prime.

 

Though Dan-ju Ha Mu-baek was still present.

 

With that alone, they couldn’t engage in a power struggle with the forces of the Righteous Path Alliance.

 

There was also the full-scale war with the Demon Cult remaining.

 

With complicated thoughts, Gongsun Dan-gyeong quickened his pace.

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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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