The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 423

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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 423. Then It’s Possible

 

 

“Next.”

Ha Mu-baek left Ung-cheol behind and moved toward another cadet.

And so that day’s training also came to an end.

Ung-cheol remained alone in his group’s training ground, swinging his sword.

With all his might.

But keeping his body relaxed.

The sword strike he had delivered to Ha Mu-baek at the very end.

To recreate that feeling.

That tremendous power.

He had felt something fateful about it, as if it were the path he should take.

“Tsk. This isn’t it…”

Ung-cheol tilted his head in confusion.

Solo training clearly had its limits.

Perhaps because it felt different from training with the Instructor.

It just wouldn’t work out like the daytime training session.

“Shall I help you, senior?”

Then a voice suddenly reached his ears.

Ung-cheol’s gaze turned in that direction.

A man standing with a sword in hand.

It was a face he remembered.

“Was it Cho Mu-ha?”

The eccentric who was a disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect yet had deliberately joined the Maengryong Corps.

“Yes. I was also training alone in the training ground, but it feels quite different from sparring with the Instructor. It seems you’re experiencing the same thing, senior.”

Cho Mu-ha was from the first-year Group Nine.

The one who used the training ground right next to Ung-cheol’s.

So he must have heard the sounds of his training.

After thinking for a moment, Ung-cheol nodded.

“Alright.”

The thought that it would be better than being alone.

The two men switched to wooden swords.

If two inexperienced cadets sparred with real swords, there was no telling what kind of accident might occur.

There were also practice swords available, but wooden swords were still safer than those.

Thwack! Thwack!

The dull sound of wooden sword clashing against wooden sword rang out.

It certainly felt more alive than when practicing alone.

‘Good.’

Ung-cheol swung his sword while recalling that sensation from the daytime.

To avoid the unseemly sight of being unable to control his own sword.

He kept his body relaxed, but didn’t put his full power into the swinging sword.

Just weak enough to be considered somewhat lacking.

Whoosh!

However, since the power contained within was still fierce, Cho Mu-ha dodged rather than blocking.

Ung-cheol’s sword roughly cutting through the air.

Ung-cheol frowned at the lack of impact feedback.

“Such a brutally powerful sword should be dodged rather than blocked.”

Reading Ung-cheol’s expression, Cho Mu-ha said this while swinging his sword toward Ung-cheol.

Bright Formula.

It was definitely a sword technique he knew, but he was hard-pressed just to defend.

Because it displayed far more elaborate variations than the Bright Formula that Ung-cheol knew.

Thwack! Thwack!

The dull sounds rang out once again.

The two men became deeply absorbed in the Bright Formula sword technique, each displaying it in their own way.

Ha Mu-baek was watching them from a distance.

“Not bad…”

Ha Mu-baek chuckled softly.

With his Infinite Bright Wheel Eye activated, the movement of internal energy was clearly visible to his eyes.

Their internal energy flowing and surging as if about to break through a barrier at any moment.

 

***

 

Won Pyeong-sam, who had frequented Yegaru Pavilion for several more days.

He finally made his decision.

‘Haomun. I’ll take the job.’

Because he had finished assessing the entire situation.

Especially influential was the person currently devoted to martial arts cultivation in the underground of Yegaru Pavilion.

After observing for several days, he had figured out what kind of martial art that person was learning.

‘Blood Sea Ghost Death Palm… It’s too coincidental to be mere chance. Should this be called fate, or perhaps a fateful encounter?’

He thought while drinking, using the gisaeng’s musical performance as accompaniment.

Those who had hidden in the Tianshan Mountain Range had never given up on the Central Plains.

They constantly tried to cause chaos in the Central Plains, all to seize control of it someday.

This was a strategic move to take control of the Central Plains in one fell swoop when all of Manhwang’s flames were lit.

For this purpose, the Seok family, one of the Eight Demons, had gone to the Central Plains hundreds of years ago.

When not a single one of Manhwang’s flames was lit, that was about the limit of what they could do.

According to the last message sent by the Seok family, they said they would create some kind of sect to attempt to seize control of the Central Plains.

They had also sent quite a few demonic arts and evil techniques into the Central Plains.

Hoping that those who learned them would throw the Central Plains into chaos.

Blood Sea Ghost Death Palm was also one of such martial arts.

Since it was based on the martial arts of the Won family, where Won Pyeong-sam served as Family Head.

He could recognize the martial art through his ki sense.

Though he had been uncertain at first because the original form of the martial art was damaged and the practitioner’s achievement was low.

Won Pyeong-sam forcefully slammed down his wine cup on the dining table after emptying the last cup.

The startled gisaeng even stopped her performance.

“Go and call Lu-ju.”

For the first time, words flowed from the mouth of someone who had been coming for days, just listening to music and drinking without saying anything.

But the content was something the gisaeng couldn’t easily comply with.

She was low in the hierarchy among the courtesans, so she was actually someone who didn’t even know this place was Haomun’s main branch.

Won Pyeong-sam could infer this fact by looking into the gisaeng’s eyes.

“Tsk. Bring the highest-ranking person you can bring.”

Won Pyeong-sam changed his instruction.

Even so, when the gisaeng hesitated.

He took out a silver ingot from his pocket and placed it on the dining table.

The moment she saw it, the gisaeng’s eyes changed.

“The higher the rank of the person you bring, the more you’ll be able to take.”

The gisaeng’s eyes went back and forth between the silver ingots on the table and Won Pyeong-sam’s chest.

Wondering how much money might be inside there.

Her eyes gleamed with desire.

“This lady will go and come back.”

Having made her decision, the gisaeng put down the gold, bowed demurely, then opened the door and went out.

How long had it been.

In less than an hour, the gisaeng returned with a middle-aged man.

“This is Manager Lee from Yegaru. I heard you were looking for him.”

The middle-aged man bowed politely as he spoke.

“Manager Lee means you’re the second among the managers here?”

“That’s correct.”

Manager Lee nodded in response to Won Pyeong-sam’s question.

The gisaeng looked at Won Pyeong-sam with sparkling eyes.

Chuckling at that look, Won Pyeong-sam took out another silver ingot from his chest.

He threw both silver ingots to the gisaeng.

“Here. You may leave now.”

Manager Lee frowned at this sight.

She had sought him out as if something major had happened, but it was just for two silver ingots.

‘That girl is no longer useful.’

Manager Lee’s eyes gleamed coldly.

It was the moment her fate was decided.

“Heh heh. That’s why you should have filled it only with Hao Sect children. Keeping ordinary gisaengs to disguise it as a pleasure house causes problems like this.”

Manager Lee’s eyes flashed sharply at Won Pyeong-sam’s words.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I won’t waste words. Bring Lu-ju, no, the Hao Sect Leader.”

At Won Pyeong-sam’s words, intense energy began flowing from Manager Lee’s body.

Wasn’t it said that those who come uninvited bring no good?

Moreover, this person had not approached the Hao Sect through normal means.

If he had wanted to know how to buy information from the Hao Sect, that wouldn’t have been too difficult.

“I hope you make a wise choice.”

Won Pyeong-sam spoke calmly while sensing the energy Manager Lee was gathering.

He was already picking up the wine bottle to fill his cup.

At this sight, Manager Lee moved one step to the side.

Click.

The moment he moved.

His right foot stepped on a mechanism hidden in the floor.

Won Pyeong-sam heard that sound too.

He merely chuckled.

“I did warn you. Tsk tsk.”

As Won Pyeong-sam clicked his tongue.

The room began moving little by little, centered around the table where he sat.

 

***

 

“What do you think?”

In the office with only the two of them left after Dok Do-gun departed.

So Hwi-ung looked at Gongsun Dan-gyeong and asked.

“He struck at our weakness well.”

Gongsun Dan-gyeong said with a defeated expression.

“Hmm.”

So Hwi-ung let out a contemplative sound.

“We’ve been properly outmaneuvered by Mun In-baek-song.”

Gongsun Dan-gyeong shook his head.

“So we have to just watch as they enter Jiangxi Province?”

“It’s true that we don’t have the capacity to pay attention to Jiangxi Province if we’re to stop the Myeolcheon Gangsi of Sanwol Demon Forest.”

“So they’re saying they’ll send troops into Jiangxi Province because they’re worried we’ll be breached?”

“It’s an excuse. It’s a scheme to expand the Four Seas Alliance’s sphere of influence to Jiangxi Province.”

So Hwi-ung nodded at Gongsun Dan-gyeong’s words.

“The Four Seas Alliance originally had designs on Jiangxi Province.”

The alliance with the Four Seas Alliance in the past two martial world wars.

Wasn’t territory what they had demanded as a condition?

Originally, the Four Seas Alliance’s territory was half of Hunan Province south of Mount Heng, plus Guangxi and Guangdong provinces.

Even in the vast Central Plains, that was a considerable territory, but considering the Four Seas Alliance as a coalition of all unorthodox sects under heaven, it was a small area.

It was because of the Demon Cult and Blood Cult.

The Four Seas Alliance reduced the size of their territory to concentrate their power while dealing with the Demon Cult and Blood Cult.

The Jeongcheon Alliance couldn’t make the same decision as the Four Seas Alliance due to the locations of its constituent sects.

Right now, Anhui, which borders Zhejiang Province where the Blood Cult’s Sanwol Demon Forest is located, is where the Namgung Sega’s main estate is situated.

Far away in Qinghai was the Kunlun Sect, in Sichuan were the Qingcheng Sect, Emei Sect, and Tang Family, in Gansu was the Gongdong Sect, and in Yunnan was the Diancang Sect.

In Shaanxi were the Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect, in Henan was Shaolin, and in Hebei was the Peng Family.

In Hubei were the Wudang Sect, Zhuge Sega, and Yeon Family.

Adding the bases of the Eight New Sects to that.

Since the Nine Sects and One Gang, Five Great Families, and other prestigious sects were truly spread throughout the Central Plains.

They couldn’t easily abandon territory.

So didn’t they experience being spread wide but weakened in power?

In contrast, the Four Seas Alliance abandoned their strongholds and concentrated power in a small area.

They used that power to face the Blood Cult and Demon Cult.

The Four Seas Alliance thought of the post-war period while allying with the Jeongcheon Alliance, demanding Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces as conditions for the alliance.

The Jeongcheon Alliance’s choice was Guizhou Province.

However, they had agreed to leave Jiangxi Province as Jeongcheon Alliance territory but somewhat like a neutral zone.

In truth, there was no place under heaven without unorthodox sects, and no place without orthodox sects either.

Territory.

Though called spheres of influence, it only meant that the Jeongcheon Alliance and Four Seas Alliance each wielded strong influence there, not that they directly ruled those lands.

Nevertheless, since territory held great meaning, the Four Seas Alliance was trying to bring Jiangxi Province into their sphere of influence with this opportunity.

“Is there a way to stop it?”

Actually, it wouldn’t matter if they gave it up.

Jiangxi Province didn’t have any major sects.

But it was a matter of symbolism.

They couldn’t show the Jeongcheon Alliance having their territory taken by the Four Seas Alliance.

“We’d have to abandon Sanwol Demon Forest.”

So Hwi-ung frowned at Gongsun Dan-gyeong’s words.

“That’s not the answer I want.”

He knew that.

Nevertheless, Gongsun Dan-gyeong always had to answer assuming the worst-case scenario.

He couldn’t just speak optimistically.

Gongsun Dan-gyeong knew the ideal answer the Alliance Leader wanted right now.

That’s why he had to deny it.

If they only expected that and made no preparations, then when things went wrong, they couldn’t handle the aftermath.

“If you’re thinking of Instructor Ha. He might withdraw from Sanwol Demon Forest taking only his younger sister.”

“Mu-baek would? Leaving the Blood Cult behind?”

So Hwi-ung spoke with an expression that said it was impossible.

“The reason Instructor Ha hates the Blood Cult and Demon Cult is because they are originally his parents’ enemies and his family’s enemies. His younger sister is Instructor Ha’s only blood relative. His sister’s safety would be more important than crushing the Blood Cult.”

At these reasonable words, So Hwi-ung stroked his chin.

“That’s what I’m saying. During the war when all under heaven was in even greater chaos, where on earth did Mu-baek place his younger sister that he could go so crazy and rampage like that?”

That was a time when there was almost no land in all under heaven that could be called safe from the demonic claws of the Blood Cult and Demon Cult.

It was truly an incomprehensible matter.

Before Ha Mu-baek brought his younger sister to Gyoryong Hall, they didn’t even know he had family.

“Fine. Let’s exclude Mu-baek since he’s an uncertain factor. Then what’s the method to protect both Sanwol Demon Forest and Jiangxi Province?”

So Hwi-ung posed the question with specific conditions.

“Alliance Leader must handle the Myeolcheon Gangsi. Would you be able to do so?”

At Gongsun Dan-gyeong’s provocative question, So Hwi-ung’s expression twisted sharply.

A terrifying energy began rising densely from his body.

“Military Advisor. Even for you, that question crosses the line.”

His voice was tinged with anger.

But Gongsun Dan-gyeong didn’t bat an eye.

Because he knew the reason for victory in that decisive battle.

“To borrow Instructor Ha’s words from that time, the Myeolcheon Gangsi’s strength was no less than the Blood Cult Leader’s. Can the current Alliance Leader handle the Myeolcheon Gangsi?”

It was a question meaning whether he could defeat the Blood Cult Leader of that time alone.

Because So Hwi-ung could not do so back then.

So Hwi-ung gritted his teeth.

And slowly answered.

“Now it’s possible.”

‘Though it was impossible then.’

The current So Hwi-ung was not the So Hwi-ung of that time.

Because he had recent achievements.

Because he himself had stepped into a new realm.

“Then it’s possible.”

Gongsun Dan-gyeong nodded slightly and said.

“Right now, dispatch the Dragon Horn Corps and Dragon Fang Corps to Jiangxi Province, and the Alliance Leader can go to Sanwol Demon Forest.”

Gongsun Dan-gyeong spoke as if it could be resolved simply.

It was a completely different demeanor from just moments before.

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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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